REVIEW: All Is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne

All Is Bright by RaeAnne Thayne: Talented architect Sage McKnight was between projects and free to stay in her hometown, Hope’s Crossing, with her family for the entire month of December. She had been working remotely on a renovation project for months and could not wait to see the finished house. Working with Mason Tucker has been a challenge, but she knew that Wolf Ridge would be her biggest achievement when it was finished. She loves creating spaces that help improve the quality of life for people with mobility challenges. Showcasing the house on her show would help her foundation but convincing Mason was impossible.

“Everybody needs a group of people to count on when life hits them hard.”

Former professional baseball player Mason Tucker lost his career, his wife, and his unborn child in a plane crash. After being hounded by the media following the crash, he just wanted solitude and privacy. He had found the town of Hope’s Crossing to be calming in the past and thought it was the perfect place for him and his daughter to build a new life. The renovations to Wolf Ridge were necessary and would allow him to be more self-sufficient since he hated asking for help. He refused Sage’s request to display his home until he saw her devotion and commitment to helping others with similar restrictions.

“This house represents more to me than walls, a foundation, a roof. It represents hope, potential, the promise of a much brighter future. When we started this project nine months ago, I didn’t have the first idea what I needed. Now I know precisely what that is.”

Sage was an amazing person who loved her hometown and helped her community by using her talents to help those who needed it. She was passionate about her job, but she had put her whole heart into the Wolf Ridge renovation. She had been burnt in the past by falling for men who were emotionally unavailable, and she knew she would be leaving Hope’s Crossing with a broken heart after falling for Mason.

Mason was bitter about his losses and weighed down by his grief. Being around his teammates and friends reminding him of everything he lost so he kept his distance from them. He hoped moving to Hope’s Crossing would give him the solitude and peace he craved. He finally realized he had let himself get stuck in his self-pity and still had a life to live.

All Is Bright is the eighth book in the Hope’s Crossing series. I read the book as a standalone and quickly fell in love with the small town and the warmth of its people. It was a beautiful story of heartbreak, second chances, grief, healing, and love. It was well written and full of emotions that will touch your heart. I highly recommend reading this charming holiday story.

Book Info:

Publication: September 20, 2022 | Harlequin | Hope’s Crossing #8

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.