I don’t read just spicy romances. RaeAnne Thayne’s contemporary romance is a sweet one, with a strong cast of interesting characters. The Rainy Day Bookshop features four people who have had to overcome difficulties. They’ve succeeded, and they each have the opportunity to talk about their past as they now struggle with their day-to-day lives. But, that doesn’t mean they’re not heartbroken, and a little broken, about the stories they’re trying to put behind them.

At forty-five, Rosie Lucas is definitely part of the sandwich generation. Her active mother, Syliva, just broke her ankle roller skating. Her estranged daughter, Emma, moved home with her three-year-old daughter Olive to help run the family bookshop while Sylvia’s laid up. For ten years, since the death of her husband, Rosie has been running Lucas Construction, a business that employs fifty people in Wood Briar, Oregon. She doesn’t have time for a relationship, even if the famous writer in town, Andrew Morgan, is interested.

When Emma’s father died in a tragic car accident when she was fifteen, Emma crashed. She and her mother fought constantly; Emma ran with a bad crowd, and she finally left home at seventeen with a man ten years older. She was an addict, and lived on the streets. But, she straightened out when she became pregnant. She just has a hard time facing her mother because of her secrets about her father and his death.

Andrew Morgan is a widower with two children, a ten-year-old and a seven-year-old. He’s also a famous writer who dated an actress, His fantasy series features several bestselling books, and the first was made into a movie. After the death of his wife, and the loss of their house to a wildfire, he moved his family to Oregon to be close to his mother. He bought the largest house in town, and Lucas Construction is renovating it. He’s frustrated by the delays, but he’s fascinated with Rosie when she takes over the day-to-day supervision of the project.

Bryce Kendall works for Lucas Construction. He always had a crush on Emma, but he was the class clown in school, and she doesn’t see past that. She just never knew his struggles with school, and his mother who drank after his father left them. And, now his mother has early-onset dementia.

It sounds like a lot for four people to deal with. However, it’s four people dealing with the day-to-day struggles of life. And, maybe they may just find the people they need to understand, support and love them when Emma’s big secret explodes around them after she kept it for ten years.

The Rainy Day Bookshop has four likable main characters, with an enjoyable cast consisting of grandmothers, children, and dogs. Although the title is The Rainy Day Bookshop, and the author dedicates the book to “Those who find comfort, courage, and joy between the pages of a book”, the bookstore itself is a tool, just as the construction company is. Don’t come to this story looking for an entertaining story about a bookshop. It’s an entertaining contemporary romance featuring needy people.

RaeAnne Thayne’s website is https://www.raeannethayne.com/

The Rainy Day Bookshop by RaeAnne Thayne. MIRA, 2026. 377p. (Although I read the large print edition with 502p.)

FTC Full Disclosure – Library book