Tag: freinds to lovers

🎧︎All is Bright by Raeanne Thayne

🎧︎All is Bright

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading in Reviews / 11 Comments

Having recently began reading Raeanne Thayne’s books and loving them, I looked forward to dive into 🎧︎All is Bright. In 🎧︎All is Bright, Thayne treated her readers to a heartwarming holiday story served up with not one but two romances. A story which delivers a powerful message about how holding to the hurt from the past leads to bitterness and how love brings about healing and forgiveness.

 

🎧︎All is Bright by Raeanne ThayneTitle: All is Bright
Author(s): RaeAnne Thayne
Narrator(s): Carly Robins
Published by Harlequin Audio on September 20. 2022
Pages: 315
Length: 9hrs 16mins
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Netgalley, Publisher
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

"[Thayne] engages the reader's heart and emotions, inspiring hope and the belief that miracles are possible." —Debbie Macomber, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Return to Hope’s Crossing this Christmas in New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s latest heartwarming story of matchmaking at the holidays!

Sage McKnight is an ambitious young architect working at her father’s firm who takes on her most challenging client in Mason Tucker. The former pro baseball player is still healing from the physical and emotional scars after a plane crash left him a wheelchair-using single dad, and he’s determined not to let anyone breach his emotional defenses. Sage knows her work on Mason’s new home in Hope’s Crossing is her best work yet, and she won’t let her grumpy client prevent her from showcasing her work personally.

With Sage’s gift for taking broken things and making them better, the matchmaking talent of the quirky locals and a generous sprinkling of Christmas cheer, Mason doesn’t stand a chance against the power of this magical holiday season.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

 

 

Mason Tucker, a retired baseball play, is renovating his new home in Hope’s Crossing. The purpose of the renovations is to accommodate his wheelchair mobility. Two years ago, he lost his wife and unborn child to a plane crash.  As a result of the crash he suffered a spinal cord injury, which left him relying on a wheelchair.  He lost all that mattered to him in one fell swoop, except for his nine-year-old daughter who brought sunshine to his Darkest days. He gave upon love, believing no woman would love a damaged and broken man, but that was before he met the architect in charge of the renovations.

Sage McKnight is working her dream job and using her skills to help clients with mobility issues. She has taken on her most difficult client to date. The one she never expected to develop feelings for. Given her track record with relationships, she knew she should keep her distance. Secondly, she will not be in town for very long. However, the more contact they had with each other, the greater their feelings grew. Soon, they can no longer ignore the attraction brewing between them.

Narrated from triple POVs 🎧︎All is Bright was a heartwarming story of second chances, healing, forgiveness and love. The characters featured in Thayne’s latest novel will capture the hearts of readers. Each has experienced physical and emotional pain and loss in the past, and is still affected by the aftermath. Sadly, as a result, they spent their days mired in self doubt and guilt.

The romance which developed between Mason and Sage will warm your heart on a cold winter night. They may not have been looking for love, but it found them when they least expected it. They will learn that love was more powerful than the baggage they refused to let go. The walls Mason erected around his heart came tumbling down with each interaction he had with Sage. She refused to allow him to wallow in self -pity. The secondary romance didn’t receive a lot of exposure, which for me was a travesty. I believe Taryn and Charlie’s story needed to be told separately.

I enjoyed the romance, but the aspect of the story which resonated most with me lay in Mason’s relationship with his mom. Sadly, they never shared a bond during Mason’s younger years. This made him bitter and angry towards her. Now she’s back in his life wanting to make up for lost time. One could understand Mason’s reluctance to let her into his life. It took him sometime to recognize her motives were pure, and I loved how never gave up despite his antagonistic behaviour towards her.

 🎧︎All is Bright is a sweet small town holiday romance that will warm your heart and have you believing in second chances and happily ever after.

Carly Robins narration enhanced my enjoyment of the story. She brought the characters to life and allowed their personalities to shine through with her impeccable performance. Her performance brought an added layer of goodness to the story.

 

Story Evaluation
Plot
4.5
Characters
4
World Building
4
Writing Style
4.5
Pacing
4
Cover
4.5
Narrator (Audio)
5
Enjoyment
4
Ending
4
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

About Carly Robins

Carly Robins is an actress and voice-over artist. She can be heard on commercials, video games, and promos. Carly comes to narration with a passion for performance along with the capability to span several genres, from romance to children’s literature and thrillers.

About RaeAnne Thayne

I’m not one of those people who knew from birth she was destined to become a writer. I always loved to read and throughout my childhood I could usually be found with a book in my hands. To the disgust of my friends, I even enjoyed creative writing assignments that made them all groan. But I had other dreams besides writing. I wanted to be an actress or a teacher or a lawyer. Life took a different turn for me, though, when my mother made me take a journalism elective in high school (thanks, Mom!). I knew the first day that this was where I belonged. After I graduated from college in journalism, I took a job at the local daily newspaper and I reveled in the challenge and the diversity of it. One day I could be interviewing the latest country music star, the next day I was writing about local motorcycle gangs or interviewing an award-winning scientist. Through it all — through the natural progression of my career from reporter to editor — I wrote stories in my head. Not just any stories, either, but romances, the kind of books I have devoured since junior high school, with tales about real people going through the trials and tribulations of life until they find deep and lasting love. I had no idea how to put these people on paper, but knew I had to try — their stories were too compelling for me to ignore. I sold my first book in 1995 and now, more than 60 books later, I’ve come to love everything about writing, from the click of the computer keys under my fingers to the “that’s—it!” feeling I get when a story is flowing. I write full-time now (well, as full-time as I can manage juggling my kids!) amid the raw beauty of the northern Utah mountains. Even though I might not have dreamed of being a writer when I was younger, now I simply can’t imagine my life any other way.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Nadene @ Totally Addicted to Reading

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