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Falling for Rain
Matt Wetherton is just an average-looking tax attorney until he breaks up a gay bashing and unwittingly becomes a hero. He isn’t looking for a date, but when he meets the man he rescued, he finds himself longing for one anyway. Rain Deveraux is a beautiful, effeminate lounge singer—and utterly unwilling to be Matt’s damsel in distress, even if he does wear women’s clothing for his performances. When common courtesy prompts Rain to pay Matt a thank-you call, it’s the beginning of the romance of their lives.
Before long, Matt and Rain fall for each other hard and fast, but both men are stubborn: Rain clings to his right to express himself even though Matt worries for his safety. Despite their occasional clashes, the passion between them is undeniable.
When an accident compromises Rain’s independence as well as his singing voice, it tests the strength of their newfound relationship. It is up to Matt to help Rain find his music again before depression sullies the brightness in Rain’s soul.
Before long, Matt and Rain fall for each other hard and fast, but both men are stubborn: Rain clings to his right to express himself even though Matt worries for his safety. Despite their occasional clashes, the passion between them is undeniable.
When an accident compromises Rain’s independence as well as his singing voice, it tests the strength of their newfound relationship. It is up to Matt to help Rain find his music again before depression sullies the brightness in Rain’s soul.
210 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2012
1 person is currently reading
193 people want to read
About the author
Susan Laine
88 books220 followersSusan is an award-winning author of LGBTQ erotic romance. She writes for Dreamspinner Press, DSP Publications, Siren BookStrand, Evernight Publishing, and Less Than Three Press. Susan is a Finn writing in English. She likes action flicks, pop music, saunas, and the seasons in Finland. Join Susan's newsletter HERE.
Coming soon new M/M and F/F erotic romances....
Sorry but... I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from writing at the moment. Will keep you apprised of any changes. Huge thanks to anyone who has read my stories and, hopefully, liked them <3
Merry Christmas!
Coming soon new M/M and F/F erotic romances....
Sorry but... I'm taking a bit of a hiatus from writing at the moment. Will keep you apprised of any changes. Huge thanks to anyone who has read my stories and, hopefully, liked them <3
Merry Christmas!
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 18, 2013
While browsing the M/M Romance Group I came across a string of Cross-dressing and transgender focused book recommendations. This was an area I had never read. Most of the stories have read might have a secondary character who is a "Queen", but was never the focus.
Basic Plot
One day, Matt Wetherton saves Rain Deveraux from a gay bashing and finds that he can not get his mind off Rain. Effeminate Rain is full of personality and life, and Matt is intrigued. They enter into a relationship, but can they make their relationship work?
What I thought:
Rain is such an unique character, one that is more than just dressing up like a woman and acting effeminate. What I liked about this book is that the characters are not limited by their facades, but rather we see deeper than skin. Both men have fears about the relationship and I enjoyed how the author made the unveiling exciting.
I loved how the book was more than sex, but dealt with serious issues and had actual character development. A quote:
Which is great, especially when they both do not follow the advice and the miscommunication ensues.
Conclusion:
This was such an eye opening book. It was more than just a love story, I felt that I learned about the psychology of cross-dressing and how the relationship works.
Great book! I will keep looking for other books by this author.
Basic Plot
One day, Matt Wetherton saves Rain Deveraux from a gay bashing and finds that he can not get his mind off Rain. Effeminate Rain is full of personality and life, and Matt is intrigued. They enter into a relationship, but can they make their relationship work?
What I thought:
Rain is such an unique character, one that is more than just dressing up like a woman and acting effeminate. What I liked about this book is that the characters are not limited by their facades, but rather we see deeper than skin. Both men have fears about the relationship and I enjoyed how the author made the unveiling exciting.
I loved how the book was more than sex, but dealt with serious issues and had actual character development. A quote:
"But the truth is, most relationships are fundamentally the same--regardless of the gender or sexual orientation of its members. And the key to any lasting relationship is communication. Man, if you have doubts, you have to talk to him about whatever troubles you."
Which is great, especially when they both do not follow the advice and the miscommunication ensues.
Conclusion:
This was such an eye opening book. It was more than just a love story, I felt that I learned about the psychology of cross-dressing and how the relationship works.
Great book! I will keep looking for other books by this author.
August 17, 2013
Falling for Rain by Susan Laine is an old-fashioned romance between a young tax attorney, Matt Wetherton and Rain Devereaux, a lovely, effeminate jazz lounge singer. Matt and Rain meet under frightful circumstances-- a group of drunk and angry young men are bashing Rain in an alley and Matt comes to the rescue.
The attraction between these two very different men is fiery and immediate. Matt likes Rain's beautiful feminism and soulful singing voice. Rain, on the other hand, finds Matt's straight-laced and straight-forward nature very refreshing.
The premise of Falling for Rain is great. How do two people attracted to each other with drastically different lifestyles come together to create a real romance and not just a few tumbles in bed? Unfortunately, Laine's writing style and choice of language gets in the way of the story. Instead of real drama, I felt like I was experiencing a melodrama. Matt was barely present on the page and Rain was an unnecessarily over-the-top drama queen.
Rain's character appears to have more development than Matt. Even his friends and family, Norma, Tiny and Momsy are entertaining. Matt seems more one dimensional. I didn't learn much about his life before Rain, other than he has a boring job and a brother who loves him.
Much of the dialogue is silly and the action drags. I found myself skipping whole sections of sex scenes because they were boring. The sex scenes should at least be exciting. The dialogue, in particular, I found hard to get through. Here is an example:
Even when you were broken, there was a fire burning within you, and I was drawn to your flame like a moth --and I didn't care if you burned me to cinders as long as I got to spend my last moments with you.
The cutesy nicknames like "sweetie pie" and "buns of fun" also got on my nerves. I like to reserve judgment on a book until the end, but this one sorely disappointed!
Reviewed by Creative Ink Romance Reviews
The attraction between these two very different men is fiery and immediate. Matt likes Rain's beautiful feminism and soulful singing voice. Rain, on the other hand, finds Matt's straight-laced and straight-forward nature very refreshing.
The premise of Falling for Rain is great. How do two people attracted to each other with drastically different lifestyles come together to create a real romance and not just a few tumbles in bed? Unfortunately, Laine's writing style and choice of language gets in the way of the story. Instead of real drama, I felt like I was experiencing a melodrama. Matt was barely present on the page and Rain was an unnecessarily over-the-top drama queen.
Rain's character appears to have more development than Matt. Even his friends and family, Norma, Tiny and Momsy are entertaining. Matt seems more one dimensional. I didn't learn much about his life before Rain, other than he has a boring job and a brother who loves him.
Much of the dialogue is silly and the action drags. I found myself skipping whole sections of sex scenes because they were boring. The sex scenes should at least be exciting. The dialogue, in particular, I found hard to get through. Here is an example:
Even when you were broken, there was a fire burning within you, and I was drawn to your flame like a moth --and I didn't care if you burned me to cinders as long as I got to spend my last moments with you.
The cutesy nicknames like "sweetie pie" and "buns of fun" also got on my nerves. I like to reserve judgment on a book until the end, but this one sorely disappointed!
Reviewed by Creative Ink Romance Reviews
May 27, 2022
Kindle-Sort-ReRead
I got to 10% didn't like the characters, zero chemistry no reason for them to meet let alone date.
.. ..
This is 'okay' when the promise was for more. It starts off good with dull Matt meeting the very colourful Rain but the characters never develop.
Matt from the second meeting turns into a saccahrine lap-dog while Rain remains a caricature. Complete with an overdose of cutesy nicknames (darlin', sweetpea..)and a side cast that includes 'Momsy' and 'Tiny'.
The story lacks tension or plot. They meet, and the conversation suggests a slow start to an interesting relationship but then it turns into a long sex scene with a bit of a slap at readers about making role generalisations. After that it turns to a flashback style montage of the relationship which seemed a strange idea, and I kept waiting for something to shake things up but it never comes.
The 'accident' from the blurb confused me, at first I thought Rain was attacked then figured out the nature of the injury and it didn't add-up, when the further complication was added I was rolling-my-eyes, it seemed too much and yet at the same time there's none of the tension alluded too, the influx of characters and fussing confuse any hint of emotion.
Overall I found myself getting bored and skimming large sections, which with a character as supposedly colourful as Rain is a shame. It lacks any confrontation or spark. Matt at the end is still a rather bland cypher. The characters could do with some depth to them and the pacing feels off.
I got to 10% didn't like the characters, zero chemistry no reason for them to meet let alone date.
.. ..
This is 'okay' when the promise was for more. It starts off good with dull Matt meeting the very colourful Rain but the characters never develop.
Matt from the second meeting turns into a saccahrine lap-dog while Rain remains a caricature. Complete with an overdose of cutesy nicknames (darlin', sweetpea..)and a side cast that includes 'Momsy' and 'Tiny'.
The story lacks tension or plot. They meet, and the conversation suggests a slow start to an interesting relationship but then it turns into a long sex scene with a bit of a slap at readers about making role generalisations. After that it turns to a flashback style montage of the relationship which seemed a strange idea, and I kept waiting for something to shake things up but it never comes.
The 'accident' from the blurb confused me, at first I thought Rain was attacked then figured out the nature of the injury and it didn't add-up, when the further complication was added I was rolling-my-eyes, it seemed too much and yet at the same time there's none of the tension alluded too, the influx of characters and fussing confuse any hint of emotion.
Overall I found myself getting bored and skimming large sections, which with a character as supposedly colourful as Rain is a shame. It lacks any confrontation or spark. Matt at the end is still a rather bland cypher. The characters could do with some depth to them and the pacing feels off.
October 29, 2012
2.5 stars
Matt Wetherton is a non-assuming tax attorney who just happens to come upon a brutal gay bashing in progress. He jumps in and saves a man from what could possibly be a deadly beating. The man he saves is Rain Deveraux, an effeminate lounge singer. A few days after the attack, Rain goes to Matt's office to thank him personally. Shy Matt is attracted to Rain and he asks him out on a date. Not long after, they become inseparable and a relationship is born between two men who are complete opposites.
This started out quite good. I love opposites-attract stories and Matt and Rain are complete opposites. They have a very unique relationship that somehow works. Matt accepts Rain for who he is without question. He doesn't expect him to change for him. All he asks (often) is that Rain tone it down a bit publicly because he is so out there that it seems to Matt that Rain is asking for trouble.
Rain is extremely flamboyant. I had no issue with that at all. He is written as a very interesting and entertaining character. He wears his flashy, outlandish clothing, make-up and jewelry and screw anyone who doesn't accept him for who he is. He refuses to change for anyone. He is happy with himself as a person and has no desire to change. The relationship between Rain and Matt is sweet. At times too sweet. The dialogue is quite cliche at times and I am not sure I have ever met real men (gay or straight) who speak so eloquently and who actually stop (often) in the middle of hot sex to have long, drawn-out discussions about how "you are my heart, my love, my... whatever." That didn't bug me much because even as unrealistic as it seemed, it was still sweet.
What did bug me was the constant, CONSTANT use of pet names. While it was really cute in the beginning, the cute wore off quickly. I'm not referring to babe or baby or sweetheart or even darling (darling..that is seriously overused in this book) or pet names along those lines (though the first two are used often). I'm referring to honeybun, precious, sugar lips, muffin, gorgeous, etc. I could list the more outlandish names if I was willing to go back through the book on my Kindle. I'm not.
Also, Rain is originally from Mobile, Alabama, which is kind of a coincidence for this reader because that is where I live. I thought that was pretty cool. But at one point Rain is describing his grandmother from Mobile and how she is and the area surrounding her home, etc. I'm reading this and thinking "That's Louisiana, NOT Mobile." Sure, that's a minor thing (I'm aware the author is not exactly from the southern part of the U.S.) so no big deal... just something I noticed.
At one point in the book, Rain has a health incident which requires him to stay with Matt after he leaves the hospital, to recover. I was not pleased with the way Rain handled his recovery. I saw him as a jerk at times to the one person who loved him dearly.. Matt. Rain is unappreciative and as I said, a jerk.
The secondary characters... where do I begin?
Norma is Rain's best friend. She/he is as flamboyant as Rain (probably more so). I liked him/her fine to an extent but she falls into the category of "Get over it already" at times. He/She was much too emotional and well, silly, at times when Rain needed Norma to be strong.. There is Tiny, a bouncer at the club where Rain performs. I had no problem with him at all as he is unassuming... which is a big thing compared to the others in the story.
Rain's mother... dear God that woman got on my nerves. She shows up unannounced at Matt's apartment and forces her way into staying there. She's never met Matt before but she automatically just assumes that she would be welcome simply because Rain is staying there. It's a "southern" thing. Well, that may be but I can name a bunch of southerners (one is typing this) who would have politely said no.... simply because she invited herself and did not wait for an invitation.
Then Mitchell, Matt's brother, shows up and stays as well. I liked Mitchell a lot. He's the ultimate big brother. What I didn't understand was WHY he showed up at Matt's and WHY he stayed so long.
There is zero privacy for Matt and Rain as Matt's apartment is always full of people. They can't have sex without someone hearing every moan or sigh. And all those people in the apartment? Including Tiny and Norma who pop in whenever they feel like it? No sense of personal space. I did not find any of that entertaining in the least. I found it annoying.
Even after all that, I still liked the book okay. I loved Matt (who was so damn patient) and I even liked Rain even though he comes across as a selfish ass at times. What kind of killed the story for me is mentioned in the below spoiler.
Overall, a good story but full of cliches and (at times) cheesy dialogue. The musical references throughout the story also got to be a bit much. I found myself skimming at times and it takes a lot for me to skim while reading a book.
This won't prevent me from reading others by this author as I have read one by her that I did enjoy.
Matt Wetherton is a non-assuming tax attorney who just happens to come upon a brutal gay bashing in progress. He jumps in and saves a man from what could possibly be a deadly beating. The man he saves is Rain Deveraux, an effeminate lounge singer. A few days after the attack, Rain goes to Matt's office to thank him personally. Shy Matt is attracted to Rain and he asks him out on a date. Not long after, they become inseparable and a relationship is born between two men who are complete opposites.
This started out quite good. I love opposites-attract stories and Matt and Rain are complete opposites. They have a very unique relationship that somehow works. Matt accepts Rain for who he is without question. He doesn't expect him to change for him. All he asks (often) is that Rain tone it down a bit publicly because he is so out there that it seems to Matt that Rain is asking for trouble.
Rain is extremely flamboyant. I had no issue with that at all. He is written as a very interesting and entertaining character. He wears his flashy, outlandish clothing, make-up and jewelry and screw anyone who doesn't accept him for who he is. He refuses to change for anyone. He is happy with himself as a person and has no desire to change. The relationship between Rain and Matt is sweet. At times too sweet. The dialogue is quite cliche at times and I am not sure I have ever met real men (gay or straight) who speak so eloquently and who actually stop (often) in the middle of hot sex to have long, drawn-out discussions about how "you are my heart, my love, my... whatever." That didn't bug me much because even as unrealistic as it seemed, it was still sweet.
What did bug me was the constant, CONSTANT use of pet names. While it was really cute in the beginning, the cute wore off quickly. I'm not referring to babe or baby or sweetheart or even darling (darling..that is seriously overused in this book) or pet names along those lines (though the first two are used often). I'm referring to honeybun, precious, sugar lips, muffin, gorgeous, etc. I could list the more outlandish names if I was willing to go back through the book on my Kindle. I'm not.
Also, Rain is originally from Mobile, Alabama, which is kind of a coincidence for this reader because that is where I live. I thought that was pretty cool. But at one point Rain is describing his grandmother from Mobile and how she is and the area surrounding her home, etc. I'm reading this and thinking "That's Louisiana, NOT Mobile." Sure, that's a minor thing (I'm aware the author is not exactly from the southern part of the U.S.) so no big deal... just something I noticed.
At one point in the book, Rain has a health incident which requires him to stay with Matt after he leaves the hospital, to recover. I was not pleased with the way Rain handled his recovery. I saw him as a jerk at times to the one person who loved him dearly.. Matt. Rain is unappreciative and as I said, a jerk.
The secondary characters... where do I begin?
Norma is Rain's best friend. She/he is as flamboyant as Rain (probably more so). I liked him/her fine to an extent but she falls into the category of "Get over it already" at times. He/She was much too emotional and well, silly, at times when Rain needed Norma to be strong.. There is Tiny, a bouncer at the club where Rain performs. I had no problem with him at all as he is unassuming... which is a big thing compared to the others in the story.
Rain's mother... dear God that woman got on my nerves. She shows up unannounced at Matt's apartment and forces her way into staying there. She's never met Matt before but she automatically just assumes that she would be welcome simply because Rain is staying there. It's a "southern" thing. Well, that may be but I can name a bunch of southerners (one is typing this) who would have politely said no.... simply because she invited herself and did not wait for an invitation.
Then Mitchell, Matt's brother, shows up and stays as well. I liked Mitchell a lot. He's the ultimate big brother. What I didn't understand was WHY he showed up at Matt's and WHY he stayed so long.
There is zero privacy for Matt and Rain as Matt's apartment is always full of people. They can't have sex without someone hearing every moan or sigh. And all those people in the apartment? Including Tiny and Norma who pop in whenever they feel like it? No sense of personal space. I did not find any of that entertaining in the least. I found it annoying.
Even after all that, I still liked the book okay. I loved Matt (who was so damn patient) and I even liked Rain even though he comes across as a selfish ass at times. What kind of killed the story for me is mentioned in the below spoiler.
Overall, a good story but full of cliches and (at times) cheesy dialogue. The musical references throughout the story also got to be a bit much. I found myself skimming at times and it takes a lot for me to skim while reading a book.
This won't prevent me from reading others by this author as I have read one by her that I did enjoy.
November 14, 2012
I loved this book! Susan Laine is one of my favorite authors. I know when I’m in the mood for a well-written story with amazing heroes; I’ll reach for Ms. Laine’s books time and time again. She never disappoints me and not only are her books I’ll read over and over again, I’m always on the lookout for her newest release.
Matt is used to being overlooked. He believes he quite unremarkable most of the time and has a pretty steady routine as working as a tax attorney and then going home. One night he spots a man getting beat up by several thugs. Without a second thought, Matt immediately comes to the man’s aide and rescues him. Matt is surprised how feminine the man, Rain, is and despite his initial shock over Rain and Rain’s appearance, becomes quite fascinated with him. To his surprise, Rain shows up at his work very colorfully dressed and Matt is literally swept off of his feet by Rain’s zest for life and spunky nature. There is something about Rain that really resonates deep within Matt’s heart and he finds himself completely captivated by him.
Rain is used to be looked at and sometimes bullied by his feminine appearance. As a drag queen, he takes pride in using his own voice and fascinating his audience with the shows he puts on. When Matt comes to his rescue, he’s not really sure of what to think of him. Matt is definitely more reserved than the men he usually dates, but there is a sweet, sexiness about him that Rain is very attracted too. As the two men begin to get to know each other, a strong bond forms between them. Each man brings out the best in each other and they find a common ground and a love between them that really resonates off of the written page. When Rain is once again injured, Matt must step up to the plate and help Rain once again find the music he believes he’s lost as well as fight for the relationship he’s grown to need.
Both men are very well-written, likeable heroes. They both bring something very special to the book and I loved watching them fall in love. The love between them was strong and beautiful and I was quickly captivated by both characters and the story they told. Between the fast-paced storyline and the romantic feel to the book, Falling for Rain is one of my favorite books written by Ms. Laine and it definitely has earned a spot of my keeper shelf. I loved these two men and hope to read more about them in the future. Highly Recommended!
Matt is used to being overlooked. He believes he quite unremarkable most of the time and has a pretty steady routine as working as a tax attorney and then going home. One night he spots a man getting beat up by several thugs. Without a second thought, Matt immediately comes to the man’s aide and rescues him. Matt is surprised how feminine the man, Rain, is and despite his initial shock over Rain and Rain’s appearance, becomes quite fascinated with him. To his surprise, Rain shows up at his work very colorfully dressed and Matt is literally swept off of his feet by Rain’s zest for life and spunky nature. There is something about Rain that really resonates deep within Matt’s heart and he finds himself completely captivated by him.
Rain is used to be looked at and sometimes bullied by his feminine appearance. As a drag queen, he takes pride in using his own voice and fascinating his audience with the shows he puts on. When Matt comes to his rescue, he’s not really sure of what to think of him. Matt is definitely more reserved than the men he usually dates, but there is a sweet, sexiness about him that Rain is very attracted too. As the two men begin to get to know each other, a strong bond forms between them. Each man brings out the best in each other and they find a common ground and a love between them that really resonates off of the written page. When Rain is once again injured, Matt must step up to the plate and help Rain once again find the music he believes he’s lost as well as fight for the relationship he’s grown to need.
Both men are very well-written, likeable heroes. They both bring something very special to the book and I loved watching them fall in love. The love between them was strong and beautiful and I was quickly captivated by both characters and the story they told. Between the fast-paced storyline and the romantic feel to the book, Falling for Rain is one of my favorite books written by Ms. Laine and it definitely has earned a spot of my keeper shelf. I loved these two men and hope to read more about them in the future. Highly Recommended!
October 29, 2012
2.5 stars
The blurb and cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention so I decided to buy it and read it. Unfortunately, the story didn't work for me. I don't know if it was the wrong time, maybe I was not in the mood for this kind of story, but I didn't like it. Some things were ok, at first I enojoyed the main characters, the way they got to meet and started seeing each other. But soon I grew tired of the cutesy names like "darling", "baby, "sweetpea" and others. I don't mind when there's some of that and I understand using them is part of Rain's personality, but after a while they started grating on my nerves.
Also, the characters weren't fully developed, in my opinion, even though Rain more than Matt. Matt, infact, was still pretty much an enigma to me when I came to the end. I felt I didn't really know what kind of person he was.
Finally, I think the story didn't deliver on what the blurb hinted. There wasn't really much of any kind of depression for Rain after the accident. Yes, he had some bad times, but mostly he got out of it pretty quickly and pretty much off the pages. I feel like the story only skimmed the surface of the two characters and the consequence of Rain's accident, withouth handling them in depth.
I did like the beginning of the story though, so it wasn't all bad. There's a moment in which we get to read about the developing of the relationship between Matt and Rain through a few flashbacks, which I really liked.
The blurb and cover of this book immediately grabbed my attention so I decided to buy it and read it. Unfortunately, the story didn't work for me. I don't know if it was the wrong time, maybe I was not in the mood for this kind of story, but I didn't like it. Some things were ok, at first I enojoyed the main characters, the way they got to meet and started seeing each other. But soon I grew tired of the cutesy names like "darling", "baby, "sweetpea" and others. I don't mind when there's some of that and I understand using them is part of Rain's personality, but after a while they started grating on my nerves.
Also, the characters weren't fully developed, in my opinion, even though Rain more than Matt. Matt, infact, was still pretty much an enigma to me when I came to the end. I felt I didn't really know what kind of person he was.
Finally, I think the story didn't deliver on what the blurb hinted. There wasn't really much of any kind of depression for Rain after the accident. Yes, he had some bad times, but mostly he got out of it pretty quickly and pretty much off the pages. I feel like the story only skimmed the surface of the two characters and the consequence of Rain's accident, withouth handling them in depth.
I did like the beginning of the story though, so it wasn't all bad. There's a moment in which we get to read about the developing of the relationship between Matt and Rain through a few flashbacks, which I really liked.
November 4, 2012
The blurb seemed enticing enough but I have to say I did not like this book. It just didn't work for me at all. The plot seemed thin, the characters flat; Matt was very one-dimensional and under-developed and Rain as well, although his character seemed so exaggerated, to the point of being a caricature. The overuse of cutesy nicknames got very annoying fast.
The flashbacks of their relationship's progress and development weren't a good fit. It just seemed very rushed and much like a draft rather than an actual story. As a result of that, I didn't feel anything for these characters and closer towards the end I was extremely bored so I didn't even finish this. Rain ending up in a hospital seemed sudden (no build-up, foreshadowing, anything) and made zero sense to me. It seemed like the author just felt they had to introduce some sort of a conflict so they settled on this. Again, that was a rather boring turn of events because it's such a tired old trick and I didn't feel it contributed much to the story over all.
This book would've benefited a lot from a slower, better structured and developed pace and story and a better drawn characters. Alas, that was not the case here.
The flashbacks of their relationship's progress and development weren't a good fit. It just seemed very rushed and much like a draft rather than an actual story. As a result of that, I didn't feel anything for these characters and closer towards the end I was extremely bored so I didn't even finish this. Rain ending up in a hospital seemed sudden (no build-up, foreshadowing, anything) and made zero sense to me. It seemed like the author just felt they had to introduce some sort of a conflict so they settled on this. Again, that was a rather boring turn of events because it's such a tired old trick and I didn't feel it contributed much to the story over all.
This book would've benefited a lot from a slower, better structured and developed pace and story and a better drawn characters. Alas, that was not the case here.
March 6, 2013
Reviewed for Confessions from Romaholics
Review at Confessions from Romaholics
Delightfully fun, witty, and engaging. A daringly sweet romantic story about a man stuck in the humdrum day to day life cycle and a bright if not overly dramatic southern belle – of the male sort – meeting by chance and having a whirlwind adventure of lust and love.
One evening when Matt is trying to catch a cab home, he hears the dreaded sounds of a gay bashing in progress. Rushing to help, he manages to use his taser (yes a taser!) on one of the goons and is saved when 3 men come out the side door to chase away the other. To say it’s definitely not Rain’s night is a slight understatement; at least until his very own knight in shining armor rushes in to gallantly save him from what could have been a serious beating. But before they can say more than a few words to each other, Rain is rushed into the safety of the gay club.
Rain is a man comfortable in his own skin. He’s flamboyant, feisty, sexy, playful and most of all, true to himself: a queen of his own making. When he shows up at Matt’s work a few days later, Matt becomes enchanted by Rain. Happiness seems to find a comfortable little nook around them. After a few fumbling attempts to get himself to stop flustering, Matt overcomes his nerves and asks Rain for a date. So with Matt picking the day and Rain picking the place, all that’s left is waiting for the night to arrive!
I love the playful sweet-talk that pours out of Rain, it’s creates an allure around him that seems to relax and coax Matt into a playful banter. Even as Matt starts to feel a bit underdressed at The Sultry Sound – a club where Rain sings soulful jazz – Matt becomes entranced as he hears the music emerging from Rain that only heightens the beauty surrounding the man. Of course temptation proves to be too great with their first kiss that is sweet like honey. They have a chemistry that sparks and dances around them and encircles them in a happy bliss-like state. Rain’s playfulness helps bring out a part of Matt he thought he never had and joy emits from him whenever he is around Rain or even thinking of him.
Is some cases mm stories overuse words of endearment like sweet pea; baby cakes; and muffin, and can become too cloying and leave me annoyed. Yet with Rain it worked and added to the matrix of who the man is. Rain lives for music, his very breath is music and when Matt and Rain come together, for Rain their music joins as well, creating a perfect blend of harmony.
A rusty nail shatters their duet. After receiving a gash on his leg, Rain refuses to get it checked out, stating he can take care of it himself. Only the wound gets worse, and on the night of their two month anniversary, Rain is in serious pain and falling off into unconsciousness. He is diagnosed with severe septicemia, which has some nasty side effects, the major one being damage to his vocal cords. It’s as if Rain’s world has just imploded.
Matt decides to take off work to help Rain heal, but the stubbornness of Rain’s temper causes stress levels to rise for both men. It becomes a test of wills for Matt to keep up with Rain’s outbursts. And just when things start to spiral out of control the cavalry arrives! First we get Rain’s Mother Charlotte, their friends Tiny and Norma, and finally Matt’s brother Mitch.
It’s almost like a welcome relief having more people around for support. I loved all the side characters. Charlotte – Rain’s Mom – is something else! You see so much of Rain in her, it’s no wonder they are related, she is as much the southern belle/diva as her son. Matt’s brother is strong and nothing much can really surprise him, so when he meets Rain – at his snippiest, he takes it all in stride; after all, all he really cares about is his brother’s happiness. Tiny and Norma need their own story! So much hidden passion between them is just bubbling to come out!
When Rain overhears that Matt wants to propose to him, yet he’s unsure of Rain’s reciprocal feelings as music always comes before Matt, Rain decides to take matters into his own hands not thinking of the consequences. He leaves rather abruptly with only a voice message to Matt. Matt is sure it’s over, and he’s just been dumped via voice message. To make matters worse, Matt’s employer has told him that the promotion he is up for is mostly because he is gay, not because of his great track record with the company.
Feeling down and lonely, Matt is surprised when Rain returns … only something is different. Can he truly be back for good, or is this a final goodbye?
I give this 5 couples. I adored Rain and his diva self, and with Matt they became such a sweet, cute, playful and definitely humorous couple – they complemented each other well. Definitely Recommended!
Review at Confessions from Romaholics
Delightfully fun, witty, and engaging. A daringly sweet romantic story about a man stuck in the humdrum day to day life cycle and a bright if not overly dramatic southern belle – of the male sort – meeting by chance and having a whirlwind adventure of lust and love.
One evening when Matt is trying to catch a cab home, he hears the dreaded sounds of a gay bashing in progress. Rushing to help, he manages to use his taser (yes a taser!) on one of the goons and is saved when 3 men come out the side door to chase away the other. To say it’s definitely not Rain’s night is a slight understatement; at least until his very own knight in shining armor rushes in to gallantly save him from what could have been a serious beating. But before they can say more than a few words to each other, Rain is rushed into the safety of the gay club.
Rain is a man comfortable in his own skin. He’s flamboyant, feisty, sexy, playful and most of all, true to himself: a queen of his own making. When he shows up at Matt’s work a few days later, Matt becomes enchanted by Rain. Happiness seems to find a comfortable little nook around them. After a few fumbling attempts to get himself to stop flustering, Matt overcomes his nerves and asks Rain for a date. So with Matt picking the day and Rain picking the place, all that’s left is waiting for the night to arrive!
I love the playful sweet-talk that pours out of Rain, it’s creates an allure around him that seems to relax and coax Matt into a playful banter. Even as Matt starts to feel a bit underdressed at The Sultry Sound – a club where Rain sings soulful jazz – Matt becomes entranced as he hears the music emerging from Rain that only heightens the beauty surrounding the man. Of course temptation proves to be too great with their first kiss that is sweet like honey. They have a chemistry that sparks and dances around them and encircles them in a happy bliss-like state. Rain’s playfulness helps bring out a part of Matt he thought he never had and joy emits from him whenever he is around Rain or even thinking of him.
Is some cases mm stories overuse words of endearment like sweet pea; baby cakes; and muffin, and can become too cloying and leave me annoyed. Yet with Rain it worked and added to the matrix of who the man is. Rain lives for music, his very breath is music and when Matt and Rain come together, for Rain their music joins as well, creating a perfect blend of harmony.
A rusty nail shatters their duet. After receiving a gash on his leg, Rain refuses to get it checked out, stating he can take care of it himself. Only the wound gets worse, and on the night of their two month anniversary, Rain is in serious pain and falling off into unconsciousness. He is diagnosed with severe septicemia, which has some nasty side effects, the major one being damage to his vocal cords. It’s as if Rain’s world has just imploded.
Matt decides to take off work to help Rain heal, but the stubbornness of Rain’s temper causes stress levels to rise for both men. It becomes a test of wills for Matt to keep up with Rain’s outbursts. And just when things start to spiral out of control the cavalry arrives! First we get Rain’s Mother Charlotte, their friends Tiny and Norma, and finally Matt’s brother Mitch.
It’s almost like a welcome relief having more people around for support. I loved all the side characters. Charlotte – Rain’s Mom – is something else! You see so much of Rain in her, it’s no wonder they are related, she is as much the southern belle/diva as her son. Matt’s brother is strong and nothing much can really surprise him, so when he meets Rain – at his snippiest, he takes it all in stride; after all, all he really cares about is his brother’s happiness. Tiny and Norma need their own story! So much hidden passion between them is just bubbling to come out!
When Rain overhears that Matt wants to propose to him, yet he’s unsure of Rain’s reciprocal feelings as music always comes before Matt, Rain decides to take matters into his own hands not thinking of the consequences. He leaves rather abruptly with only a voice message to Matt. Matt is sure it’s over, and he’s just been dumped via voice message. To make matters worse, Matt’s employer has told him that the promotion he is up for is mostly because he is gay, not because of his great track record with the company.
Feeling down and lonely, Matt is surprised when Rain returns … only something is different. Can he truly be back for good, or is this a final goodbye?
I give this 5 couples. I adored Rain and his diva self, and with Matt they became such a sweet, cute, playful and definitely humorous couple – they complemented each other well. Definitely Recommended!
October 29, 2012
Not too many M/M stories out there featuring unapologetically fem cross-dressing main characters, so that was cool, even if it got a little preachy at times. I never really understood what Rain saw in Matt, though. More backstory on both Rain and Matt would have been appreciated, especially as Mitchell and Charlotte seemed to appear out of nowhere. And why was Matt was carrying a Taser in the first place? So the plot could have used a bit of tightening, and some of Rain's dialogue was a little hard to believe. Overall, it was an OK read, upgraded somewhat for the author's willingness to showcase less traditional characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2012
A lawyer and a Lounge singer. Who'da thunk it? Matt and Rain are perfect for each other. They compliment each other...even if Rain at times could be a wee bit...um...outrageous but hey that is just him. They had a few rough patches but they worked it out and it made their relationship stronger .Loved Tiny and Norma, Rain's friends and confidants, if not, co conspirators..:) Matt's brother Mitchell is very supportive and wonderful as is Momsy...Rains's mother Charlotte. I liked this story alot and am hoping for a sequel..:)A must get in my opinion.
June 13, 2013
Huh. Infection. Well, that's not something you read about every day.
The music element was so mythicized I almost didn't know what to do with it.
I dunno. It wasn't bad. Idk if I liked it or not. Well, I'll say it wasn't terrible. It wasn't magnificently miraculously amazing, but it also wasn't horrendous.
Some of the parts were kind of gimmicky, but it also had its sweet moments.
The music element was so mythicized I almost didn't know what to do with it.
I dunno. It wasn't bad. Idk if I liked it or not. Well, I'll say it wasn't terrible. It wasn't magnificently miraculously amazing, but it also wasn't horrendous.
Some of the parts were kind of gimmicky, but it also had its sweet moments.
December 13, 2012
Omg!! I love this book...Matt and Rain are my newest favorite couple...talk about loving someone with everything you have and loving them without judgement of any kind...thank you Susan Laine..I enjoyed this tale..
November 4, 2012
I loved Rain. He's very unique and sexy in his own right. I thought both men made an excellent couple and the book was a pretty refreshing read.
October 31, 2012
this was a very beautiful story
January 2, 2013
This was a lovely book. I adored Matt and Rain and how their relationship developed. Excellent!
December 4, 2020
This book had a lot of emotional curve balls being thrown around throughout the entire book. It was well written I thought for really exploring each MC and how they both were trying to cope with each other's independence and still make the relationship work. I felt though that Rain was a total Deva and did not really care for his character at all in this book. Just the way he continually treats Matt just made eye twitch. Still, it wasn't terrible just not my favorite.
January 31, 2014
Ok I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. There were times when I had to put it down and walk away for a while, cause it was just so over the top for me. I usually don't enjoy books where the mc wears make up and girls clothes all the time. I don't find anything wrong with it, it is just not a book I would normally pick up. And I might have enjoyed it more had I not just read two books with make-up/girl clothes wearing mcs. But this one was just TOO much, the pet names, the insta-love, the "I saw this coming" snag in the road, just TOO much for me to like it.
Now with that said, this book might be perfect for some. But for me not so much.
Now with that said, this book might be perfect for some. But for me not so much.
April 4, 2016
I liked Rain in all his dressy flamboyance. Enjoyed their meet and initial interactions. And liked the flashback chapter memory of their first few dates.
I'm not keen on gushy romance so all the flowery, and musical, language each time they have sex is not my cup of tea, and (unusual comment for me) it seemed to go on forever each time!
The story is fairly even, no great ups and downs, even when Rain has his accident (not the one I was expecting) or he goes to Alabama but is is sweet, and warm, and sugary, and fluffy. I did like it. Just don't expect drama and angst.
3.5*
I'm not keen on gushy romance so all the flowery, and musical, language each time they have sex is not my cup of tea, and (unusual comment for me) it seemed to go on forever each time!
The story is fairly even, no great ups and downs, even when Rain has his accident (not the one I was expecting) or he goes to Alabama but is is sweet, and warm, and sugary, and fluffy. I did like it. Just don't expect drama and angst.
3.5*
June 24, 2020
This is a rather forgettable book. Rain is the sassy drag queen and Matt the boring accountant. At times I felt Rain was over the top and I had to wonder at his actions. Matt seemed too good to be true at times with his honesty and ethics. I wish we knew more about them and their backgrounds. They didn't seem to them beyond their stereotype. Still I liked them as a couple and enjoyed the scence where they were together.
June 6, 2016
This is not my typical book. I read for a book challenge. It was hard for me to get into at first. Flamboyant books are my least favorite MM. That said I did find my self laughing at times and sometimes a little upset at the characters. I loved all the pet names they called each other. I was never sure what they would say next. It was a sweet book.
November 12, 2012
2.75
I didn't connect with this one. It was too slow and I never really got the MC's. One was a little dull and one was too jaded and guarded that I felt like I couldn't reach him. I didn't get what they saw in each other.
I didn't connect with this one. It was too slow and I never really got the MC's. One was a little dull and one was too jaded and guarded that I felt like I couldn't reach him. I didn't get what they saw in each other.
November 11, 2012
Stiff dialogue, no chemistry between the MCs who were uninteresting and one dimensional. So disappointed.
October 28, 2012
3.75 stars
October 28, 2012
3.4 stars. A somewhat engaging story with a range of interesting characters, although Rain's often selfish attitude and then stubbornness to the point of stupidity were difficult to understand...
December 13, 2012
I give this 2.5 stars.
September 4, 2014
Just not my thing.
October 8, 2016
I enjoyed this even more than I thought I would. I was intrigued by the blurb and then put it on my shelf. I'm glad I finally pulled it down and read - it made for a great read.
April 28, 2014
Great book. Great writer. Love Susan Laine.
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