Welcome to Hartley-by-the-Sea in England’s beautiful Lake District, where two sisters who meet as strangers find small miracles tucked into the corners of every day….

Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt

About this book: (from the publisher) When Lucy Bagshaw’s life in Boston falls apart, thanks to a scathing editorial written by her famous artist mother, she accepts her half sister Juliet’s invitation to stay with her in a charming seaside village in northern England. Lucy is expecting quaint cottages and cream teas, but instead finds that her sister is an aloof host, the weather is wet, windy, and cold, and her new boss, Alex Kincaid, is a disapproving widower who only hired her as a favor to Juliet.

Despite the invitation she offered, Juliet is startled by the way Lucy catapults into her orderly life. As Juliet faces her own struggles with both her distant mother and her desire for a child, her sister’s irrepressible optimism begins to take hold. With the help of quirky villagers, these hesitant rainy day sisters begin to forge a new understanding…and find in each other the love of family that makes all the difference.

About the author: (from her website) Kate was born in Pennsylvania, went to college in Vermont, and has spent summers in the Canadian wilderness. After several years as a diehard New Yorker, she now lives in the lovely Cotswolds in England with her husband, five young children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can follow her musings on village life at her blog.

Genre: Fiction/Women’s Fiction

Why I read this book: Cozy cover, new-to-me bestselling author who writes romance as a celebration of her Christian faith and the redemptive power of love, a compelling storyline…Well, yes, I’m in!

First impressions: Inviting cover and hook first pages had me from the start.

If this book were a movie, I would rate it: PG

Reminds me of… Beth Kendrick, Marisa De Los Santos

Will especially appeal to… women who enjoy wholesome fiction that explores the complex emotions of family relationships.

This story matters because… it celebrates the meaning of family and healing power of love.

My take: I love falling in love with a new novel, and this one charmed me from the start. Winsome characters, romance-worthy setting, and enough relationship drama to keep me up at nights. I can’t say enough good things about this one, including the fact that it’s clean. From page one, I loved sweet Lucy and her hopeless optimism. I ached for prickly Juliet while rooting for Lucy’s determination to crack her nut-hard shell. I relished the way these two estranged sisters found the complement in the other they each needed, leading them both to health and hope. And the romance they found along the way provided sweet icing on the cake.

Though I savored this lovely story over the course of several sunny, summer days, Rainy Day Sisters would make an even more delightful treat swallowed whole this fall on your next curl-up-beside-the-fire-with-a-cuppa rainy day.

Thanks to New American Library for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.

After words: I’m delighted to have discovered Kate Hewitt (who also writes as Katharine Swartz), and pleased to learn she has a lengthy backlist. Who are some authors you’ve been delighted to discover?