If you’re looking for a contemporary romance novel, something that will restore your faith in love and life, look no further. I have the perfect novel and writer for you. Sea Cliff by Mary Deal is a great read. Especially if you've been bruised and battered by the struggle of trying to find the real thing. The thing that will last through all the troubles that we know life will throw at us. I don’t read contemporary romance much, to be perfectly honest. I prefer the historical version. But Sea Cliff takes place in one of my favorite cities in the whole world. The city by the bay; San Francisco. I haven’t been there in years, but Mary Deal reminded me just how unique and wonderful the San Francisco Bay Area is.

Mary Deal writes about life. She writes about friendship and family relationships. Romance is something we find while navigating our way through all these other important relationships…if we’re lucky. I liked the plot in Sea Cliff. These were real modern-day characters with lives and relationships just like mine and people I know. I loved the setting. I have lived in the Bay Area and I believe Mary Deal has too. She took me back to it and I really appreciate that. The characters are great. Not perfect but very real. What I liked most about Rachael, besides her being a red-head is that she is very self-aware and constantly trying to improve herself. That’s what it takes in modern life.

Sea Cliff: A Love Story by Mary Deal is a contemporary fiction novel set in San Francisco. It portrays a woman called Rachael Connor who grew up in the farmlands of the Sacramento River Delta. She is someone who experienced abuse in her childhood and who is now trying to renounce the past. Her brother, Brandon, who suffered similarly, is also struggling to come to terms with adult life. While Rachael tries to help him as best she can, she has her own demons to contend with, in particular how to form healthy relationships with men. There is one man called Matthew, who pursues her despite her obvious reluctance to get involved with anyone. In an attempt to work through her issues, she writes a novel which turns out to mirror her life in more ways than one.

Mary Deal writes a rather unusual love story, bravely tackling the difficult subject of childhood abuse and the impact it has on adults later on in life. She portrays the adult survivors, Rachael and Brandon, sympathetically and with a great deal of insight. The disparity between Matthew's rather normal family and Rachael's dysfunctional life has been ably portrayed, adding an edge to the story line. I thought Sea Cliff was an engaging novel which dealt with very challenging and painful issues. Both Rachael and Matthew, the main protagonists, made me feel uncomfortable at times and I like this in a book. As a point of interest, the title 'Sea Cliff' is a fascinating link which runs through the narrative, drawing the story threads together.