Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone, #2)

by Jill Shalvis

[stacey_is_sassy]

***IT'S ALIVE!!!***

Finding a new path…

I felt guilty for my thoughts while reading Rainy Day Friends. I wanted to hate a pregnant woman. I wanted to hate a man in the army who dedicated his life to his career instead of his family. I wanted to hate a mother for blaming her child for her mistakes. But, in true Jill Shalvis fashion, I learned to love them more for their life blunders.

The choices we make in our lives lead us down a path. Sometimes the path we choose is bumpy and can even take us to a dead end. There are even paths we take because of someone else’s directions. Our faith and trust in that person make us follow the path without question, almost like we have blinkers on. We don’t see the warning signs or the risks up ahead. Then, we're surprised when we find ourselves on a dangerous path and confounded that we threw caution to the wind and trusted blindly. Rainy Day Friends brings together people who have had their path hit a roadblock that left them a little bit battered and bruised. Somehow they manage to back up a bit, take a look around, and find a new path.

Lanie’s had a pretty tough life. From the outside, it probably didn’t look that bad but once I got her full story, seeing her vulnerability made me want to protect her. I hated when her secret was exposed. Now, this was quite surprising, to be honest. I’m one of those people who thinks a secret shared is a burden shared. In her case, Lanie’s secret wasn’t just a burden, it was an anchor that seemed to pull her further and further down. Her secret was a constant reminder that she shouldn’t get close to people. Taking a risk on friendship or love will just get you hurt. Then…she met the Capriotti's.

Now, Mark, well he was a little harder for me to warm up to. A single father of twin girls, he’s working long hours as a deputy sheriff to buy a house to live in. He’s currently moved back to his childhood home because he needs his family to help look after his daughters. His ex-wife did a runner and broke all of their hearts with her abandonment. There is no way he’s willing to risk his heart again. Famous last words...

Rainy Day Friends made me feel. I was frustrated when the main characters were being stubborn and denying their feelings. I was devastated when Lanie’s secrets were exposed and blubbered like a baby. I smiled like a loon when Samantha (one of Mark’s 6-year-old daughters) bestows her words of wisdom or shares about Daddy’s night time walks to Lanie’s cottage. Mia was a crack up, Cora was a gem, Alyssa was a hormonal nutcase (proof that there is such a thing as baby-brain), Uncle Jack was a shocker and Holden was a sweetheart. There were just so many characters to love.

One of my favourite parts though was seeing River grow, mature and strengthen over time. A 21-year-old pregnant woman who practically falls through the front doors into the motherly, loving arms of Cora. From a homeless woman without a job to practically a Capriotti by the end.

These characters came alive for me. I knew the Capriotti's and loved them for their busybody ways. The vulnerability of the characters when their paths took a bad turn made me feel closer to them. I think we all go through stages of vulnerability but if you’re lucky, you’ll have someone to hold the map and help you find a better way.

Seriously, Jill Shalvis has MAD skills and I think this is by far one of her best books ever. She manages to capture the highs and lows of finding love after a broken heart. She gets the dynamics of having a crazy family and living with well-meaning busybodies. Jill Shalvis also understands that sometimes you just have to ignore your brain and let lust override common sense. All of these things together is exactly why Jill Shalvis is one of my very favourite authors. She writes, I read it, it’s just that simple.

Stacey is Sassy, received a complimentary copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.