REVIEW: 15 Summer Later by RaeAnne Thayne

15 Summer Later by RaeAnne Thayne: Madison Howell has gone through many years of healing after serious injuries 15 years ago. She skipped college and instead earned a vet tech certificate. She has worked with and become friends with the local veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. Thanks to a bequeath and a large anonymous donation she is able to fulfill her dream of opening her own no-kill rescue center. Luke will be the volunteer vet.

Luke’s wife passed away several years ago. He is able to enjoy life in general with helping animals, but has shied away from dating. After spending so much time lately with Madi, helping open her shelter, he wonders if they could be more than friends. Madi seems to do casual dating on a seasonal basis as different men come and go in Emerald Creek, Idaho.

Just about the time Madi is feeling good and comfortable about her accomplishments, here comes her sister, Ava. Ava has written a memoir, Ghost Lake, about what the two sisters went through to escape the horrors of a cult. Madi thought Ava had just written it for a thesis paper. Instead, it has become a huge bestseller. Madi is furious that Ava exposed the horror of all those years ago for public consumption.

Ava’s husband is mad, too, when he finds out that she never told him about the past. He says he needs his space and goes to a remote dinosaur dig. Ava moves back to Emerald Creek since it was home in the past and is not far from the camp where her husband is, I think it’s remarkable how Madi was able to recover from horrific injuries and is independent and hardworking with only a few lingering issues. It is also amazing that men, including Luke, look past those issues and appreciate her caring and loving nature. Can she have more than a friendship with Luke?

Luke has had to deal with the grief after his wife passed and also raising a daughter. Is he ready to give his heart again? Will his daughter accept his wishes?

Ava wrote Ghost Lake as part of her therapy. Tons of people have related to the book and the publisher wants her to go on a book tour. Ava wants to postpone that until she can work things out with her husband. Now she also has to deal with her sister’s anger. Ava tried to prepare Madi for the book release, but Madi refused to read the manuscript she was sent.

This book looks at overcome traumatic events and moving forward, family issues with some romance mixed in. Author RaeAnne Shayne does a perfect job of having just the right mix. This latest novel will have you pulled into a tale both inspiring an entertaining. I have read several of this highly talented author’s books. I need to go back and read more as well ss being on the lookout for new ones.
 

Book Info:

Publication: June 18, 2024 | Canary Street Press |

Ava Howell seemed to have it all. She moved away from Emerald Creek, Idaho, married the love of her life and published a bestselling memoir. But she never expected that her husband would feel so betrayed by a secret from her past—the truth of what happened to her and her sister all those years ago—that he’d walk away. Now Ava is back home and trying to move on with the only person who can truly understand…

Following years of healing, Madison Howell is finally happy. After college she built a no-kill shelter where she works with animals every day, and she’s in love with the town veterinarian, Dr. Luke Gentry. But she can’t ever bring herself to tell him. Years ago, his dad died protecting Madi and her sister, so how could he ever love her back?

With the truth laid bare, and the past that Ava and Madison have worked so hard to leave behind threatening everything they have built for themselves, the Howell sisters’ reunion is bittersweet. And as Ava and Madi attempt to remedy the rifts in their lives and reconcile their futures, they must face the demons of their past together.