When It Rains

Rains #1

by Lisa De Jong

One night changed my life forever.

Beau Bennett has been my best friend since I can remember. He was my first crush before everything came crashing down, and now he wants more, but it's more than I can give him. Things are different now. I wish I could tell him why, but I can't.

I haven’t told anyone.

I never knew how much I really needed him until the day he left for college, and I was completely alone.

Then one day, Asher Hunt rides into town with his dark, captivating eyes and cocky grin. He doesn't care who I used to be, he's simply breathing life into what’s left. People warn me to stay away from him, but he helps me forget the pain that has held me hostage for so long; something I thought was impossible before he walked into my life.

I’ve been hurt.

I’ve been saved.

And I’ve found hope.

I thought my story was written that night, but now I know it was only a new beginning. Until one secret turns my world upside down…

Again.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Abuse, Contemporary Romance, Emotional, Young Adult

337 pages, ebook

First published September 25, 2013

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Amazing Stars!!!


When it Rains is one of the most emotional, beautiful and heartbreaking books I have ever read. It captivated me from the very first page and I couldn’t put it down. This book moved me. I ugly cried big time while reading, but it was worth every tear.

I’m lost. I really have no idea where my life goes from here. I want to say it can’t get any worse, but I’ve thought that before and there always seems to be a hole to sing into. Some days I don’t even know if I can go on.


Meet Kate. Kate is a nineteen year old girl who had something terrible happen to her two years ago. Something that changed her, changed everything. That night, the old Kate died. Someone new has taken her place. Someone lost, sad, lonely.



Kate lives with her mother, and across the street from her best friend, Beau. Beau is the sweetest guy ever.

He’s the one person in the world I trust not to hurt me.

He and Kate have known each other since they were five. No matter how withdrawn and distant Kate gets, Beau won’t give up on her. He knows something happened to Kate, she just can’t tell him. She can’t tell anyone. Beau wants to know, to help her.

“Something changed you, and I’m going to keep digging until I find out what that is.”


Beau makes things tolerable. But now, he’s leaving for college. He wants Kate to come too, but she can’t. Beau has always had feelings for Kate. At one point in Kate’s life, she would have loved to hear this, but now she just can’t deal. She thinks maybe it’s best if they have a little space, Beau needs to move on with his life, have a normal college experience, not be stuck on someone as damaged as her.

Kate gets up each morning, works in the diner, comes home, reads/watches tv, then goes to sleep. She repeats this everyday. That is, until someone new comes into town. His name is Asher Hunt. From the first time Kate sees Asher in the diner, she knows there is just something about him. Asher starts coming in and sitting in Kate’s section. He wants to know this beautifully broken girl, he wants to spend time with her.

“I want to know you. I want to know what it is that made you cry, but more than that, I want to know what I have to do to make you happy again.”


Things are different with Asher. He doesn’t expect Kate to act a certain way, he didn’t know her before. He just wants to get her to do new things, spend time with her, get her to open up. Asher is the most beautiful soul. You will fall in love with this guy! Asher also has a broken side. He hides it better than Kate, but it’s there. For the first time, Kate wants to try.

When I’m with Asher, I want to try.

When I look into his stormy blue eyes, I see desire, need and pain. He’s letting me see things that he isn’t showing others. I want to help him with whatever he’s hiding. I think maybe we can help each other.


Eventually, Asher does get Kate to open up. Something she has never been able to do with anyone. Not her mom or her best friend. Asher can bring it out of her. And it feels good to finally let it out.

“Why did you decide to tell me your secret?” I ask, entwining my fingers with his. “Because I knew it was the only way I’d get you to tell me yours.”

The more time Kate and Asher spend together, the closer they become in all ways. Asher is helping Kate. Healing her. Replacing all her bad memories with good.

It’s loving, passionate, and intense... it’s everything a kiss should be.
It’s everything Asher is.

Then there is Beau. Beau finds out about Kate and Asher. Naturally, he’s hurt. He still loves Kate. He still wants to be there for her, but its hard. Although both Beau and Asher play prominent roles in this story, there is no cheating, no love triangle, nothing like that.

As close as Kate and Asher get, there is still something between them. A secret Asher hasn’t been able to tell Kate...

They say everything happens for a reason. I don’t see any reason for this.


As much as I loved this book, I haven’t been this devastated while reading in quite sometime. This will go in my top 10 all time favorite tearjerkers. I swear it felt like I cried (more like sobbed) for an hour straight while reading. I don’t want to divulge any more that that, but be prepared for tears.

Some of my favorite quotes...
“You don’t live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own…I just helped you find the strength to inhale.”

“I’ll never regret you. You’re everything to me.”

“You gave me my life back. You cared about me enough to push back my demons. You made me want to be with you every minute of the day because you made me feel things that no one else could. And whether you’re lying beside me or living in my memories, I will love you. Forever. Always.”

“All the stars shine for you, Asher.”



The best chapter of my life...


There’s a difference between soul mates and true love. Looking at the surface, they are similar, but when I dug deep down inside, I found they were different.
Is one type of love better than the other? I don’t know but I’m lucky enough to have found them both.

When it Rains has it all. It’s beautifully written, the story just flows. The characters are lovable. Even though I feel like my heart was torn from my chest, I can’t think of one thing I didn’t love about this book. Not one. It was the perfect read for me. Moving, heartbreaking, exceptionally good. It is also a stand alone with a hea. This will go towards the top of my favorite reads for 2013.




**ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

[Alexis *Reality Bites* · Rating 5 out of 5]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW -mature content reader discretion is advised.
4.5STARS out of 5
Genre:New Adult Romance



Words cannot express.. I LOVED THIS BOOK! When it Rains is a book you read slowly while you savor the words written on each page. This was not an easy read I spent the majority of it in tears. So readers be sure to keep the Kleenex near.

‘I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling like I was drowning with no way to get to the surface. I’ve never felt such intense physical and emotional pain all at once. It was the absolute worst moment of my life.
It still is.’ -Kate

Forever Changed
When the book opens we meet Kate a young track star with dreams to go to college and one day become a lawyer. One night turns her world upside down shattering those dreams changing the course her life takes. Kate becomes a shell of her former self, she quits track and cuts herself off from friends. Her best friend Beau sticks by her though he has no idea why she has changed from the outgoing girl he once knew.

Beau and Kate have been friends since child hood. She remembers clearly the day she stopped seeing him as a friend and began to look at him as a guy she wants to be more than friends with. It was in middle school. This is not a feeling Beau returns towards Kate because he is too busy hooking up with other girls throughout high school.

‘I was the princess waiting for my prince to come save me from the top of the highest tower.
Now, I’m unreachable . . . even for Beau.’ -Kate

When the time grows close for Beau to leave for college he confesses his feelings to Kate; letting her know he wants to be more than just friends. Kate voices that she is not ready; so he tells her that he’ll wait.

Kate spends her days working at the diner, the same one her mother works at. It is there that she meets him..One day he enters and they lock eyes.

I can’t take it anymore. “Do I know you?” I ask.
“Only if you count the little staring contest we had yesterday,” he replies, letting the corners of his mouth turn up a little more. “My name’s Asher Hunt.”

Asher befriends Kate and brings her back to life. Asher challenges her in ways no one else has as he bravely pulls her out of the shell she has been living in. The pages with him and her..one on one held some of my favorite moments, him getting her to open up and live life in a way no one else could. SWOON WORTHY MOMENTS!

'Asher tries to understand me layer by layer while Beau goes straight for the center.' -Kate

When Beau learns that Kate has been seeing Asher on more then just a platonic level he is none to pleased. And neither is her mother for that matter because Asher has a bit of a bad boy reputation in the small town of Carrington.



SECRETS
Both Asher and Kate are holding in painful secrets and they connect on this level and it grows from there. The author does not hold the secrets in long; she allows the characters to reveal them in a timely manner that will not turn readers off. THAT for me is a plus, no one likes for a story to drag on without revelations being made.



Will you fall for Beau? YES.

Will you fall for Asher? YES.

Will your heart be crushed? Without a doubt.

How does one choose? Is the choice even up to her?


My Thoughts
When It Rains completely took me by surprise! Lately I felt as though I was stuck reading books that I liked but nothing about the characters left a mark and none of the story lines enraptured me the way this book did. Thus the 4.5 STAR rating! I enjoyed the writing, I enjoyed the characters and I absolutely fell in love with the story being shared.
Was I happy with the ending? YES.
The romance is sweet, extremely beautiful and steamy.*wiggles eyebrows* I highly recommend you read you read When it Rains!

My Ratings
Characters- Loveable, Beautiful and very sweet
Writing Style- Good
Plot/Storyline- A broken girl who finds love in two
Overall- I LOVED IT!

Now go forth and read. Then come tell us about it on Goodreads!
For more reviews got to http://realitybites-letsgetlost.blogs...

[Aestas Book Blog]

** FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED **

This is a 2-part review with 2-separate ratings depending on whether or not you are a fan of love triangles.

Overall, When It Rains  is a well-written, highly emotional story about love, loss and healing. It's gut-wrenchingly sad at times but also has many beautiful moments and is the kind of story that really make you feel.

But... this is going to be a very unconventional review...  (this kind of review is always so scary for me to write but honesty always comes first with me even if I run and hide in a corner after posting it)

I feel very torn about this book and, to be honest, I actually wouldn't have read it of my own accord had I known the details of the plot in advance because, in my eyes, this is a love triangle romance and personally, I'm just not usually a fan of them. There are certain exceptions to the rule for me but they are rare and the majority of them just don't appeal to me. In the interest of being fully open though, I'll say that different readers have varied outlooks as to whether or not this book counts as a love triangle though and the person who recommended it to me did not see it as one. I respect their opinion but simply feel differently about it.

For the record, my definition of a love triangle is when two people are in love with the same person but only one of them can be picked. In the case of this book, there were two guys in love with the same girl and she had to choose between them. It was an unconventional triangle but it still was one to me.

The specific part that bothered me here though was the heroine's decisions throughout the book regarding the two guys and so personally I will say that this book was not for me.

However, I realize that a) many of you are fans of love triangles, b) some of you might not see it as one, and c) that those of you who don't like triangles should know what this is about in order to help make a decision about whether or not you wish to read it....

So, in an effort to be fair to everyone, I have written a 2-part review. The first part will be for readers who do not usually enjoy love triangles, and the second part will be for readers who do. Each part will have a separate rating because regardless of my own personal feelings, I feel I owe it to the book to look at it objectively.


But before anything, here's a little about the book...

The basic story line follows the heroine, Kate, who has grown up living next door to a guy, Beau. They've been inseparable best friends and as they got older, they both knew in their hearts that they were each other's forever. Unfortunately, one rainy night without Beau there to protect her, a guy rips away a part of Kate's life, taking something from her that she could never get back.

"My once picture perfect view of the world was gone, and all that remained were a bunch of broken pieces that I couldn't glue back together."

Ashamed and confused, she kept her nightmare hidden from everyone in her life for over 2 years not even telling Beau despite how desperately he cared for her and tried to get her to open up to him about it. He knew something was wrong but he didn't know what and he was willing to wait for her, be there for her and support her no matter what.

"I love you. I think I've loved you since I was five.... If you ask me to stay, I'll stay," he says, searching my eyes. I'm always worried that he'll find the truth buried in there somewhere, but he hasn't yet. I pray he never will.

But Kate didn't feel worthy of his love and kept pushing him further and further away... and finally when he left for college, she severed nearly all their ties wanting him to go on and find his happiness without her.

At this point in her life, Asher walks in. Gorgeous, mysterious and totally into her, he pushes her to face her fears and get back the pieces of her life that were stolen from her. For whatever reason, he is the one she can accept help from and she falls hard for him. But he is hiding a huge secret... one that that quite literally changes everything... ... and that he doesn't reveal until it's too late. Faced with the tragic outcome of his secret, Kate turns back for support to the one person who has been there all along for her and never stopped loving her, Beau.

Ok, so here goes...

** PART #1 **

FOR READERS WHO DO *NOT* LIKE LOVE TRIANGLES

Rating: 2.5 stars

First, if you are a fan of triangles or if the idea of the story I mentioned above doesn't bother you at all, just skip straight down to Part #2 because chances are high that you'll actually love this book.

I'm not going to lie though, when I first finished the book, I was pretty furious. It was beautifully written but, as a reader who desperately seeks commitment and a stable, solid relationship between characters, I found this to be a very hard read.

I think the problem was how strongly I connected with Beau in the beginning and how much I believed in their future and as such, I was honestly just incredibly frustrated with Kate. I mean I tried to be understanding of her given the horrible trauma she'd suffered but, at the same time, her decisions just did not sit right with me. I hated the way she kept pushing Beau away -- it hurt so much -- and I tried not to be judgmental because everyone copes with pain differently but it still broke. my. fucking. heart.

"I don't know why I keep him at arm's length when it's obvious he just wants to be there for me, but I also don't know why he lets me. He just wants what's best for me, but I hate that he keeps sacrificing his own happiness to give it to me. I don't deserve it."

I felt absolutely terrible for Beau and the whole situation really just made me sad because here he was desperately in love with this girl who wouldn't tell him what was hurting her and kept pushing him away. He wanted to help her so badly but she wouldn't let him. I kept trying to think of the story from his perspective and thinking of that just made my heart bleed.

See, I'd have understood it if Kate hadn't been able to let anyone in (relationship-wise) but she pretty much just let Asher in instantly. And I won't deny that what Asher did for her was beautiful - he healed her inside and out and if I hadn't been feeling so broken-hearted over Beau, I would have enjoyed the Asher parts of the story SO much more. He was a gorgeous character with a huge heart and what he helped Kate get back was admittedly priceless.

I just felt so indredibly conflicted because on one hand I loved Asher and what he was doing for Kate, but on the other hand, the price (breaking Beau's heart) was just too great for me to as fully be invested in it as I would have wanted to be.

There are readers who did not see this as a love triangle though because technically Kate wasn't in a relationship with Beau at the time that she started being serious with Asher. But I guess for me, that was just a technicality. I actually felt like she actually was in love with Beau from the start but, because of her trauma, she didn't feel worthy of him and couldn't admit it to herself. She'd wanted what was best for him but given how she didn't feel worthy of him, it basically felt to me like she was pushing him away for his own good, but not because she didn't love him... add in the fact that Beau was certainly in love with her while she was letting Asher into her life and all of this for me turned into the kind of love triangle that I didn't enjoy.

Also, like I mentioned above, there was a huge twist with Asher which I honestly guessed even before starting the book. By looking at the book cover and reading the one quote that was posted everywhere in association to the book → "When it rains... Think of me." ← I put two and two together.

While most of my frustration lay with Kate, Asher also did something that rubbed me the wrong way in that when he saw (in person) just how deeply Beau loved Kate, he had an opportunity to come clean about his secret and he didn't. At that point, I really felt like he should have been open about it. It was his chance and he didn't take it.

I couldn't stop thinking about how Beau must have been feeling throughout this all and it just broke my heart. I'm hiding the rest of this paragraph as a SPOILER because it reveals Asher's secret AND who Kate ends up with.

It also didn't sit right with me that Kate ended up with Beau in the end (even though I know that that was what made him happy) because by that point, it felt like he was her second choice and that really she just defaulted back to him. There's this scene, right after Asher's death, where she saw Beau and... (here is a quote)... "I need Beau. If I ever thought I didn't, I was kidding myself. He's been there for me from the beginning." ← I'm sorry, but that just did not sit right with me... it was like now she saw that in him?? NOW? *sigh*

It also bothered me that if Asher had still been alive, Kate would have still been with him and would never have chosen Beau. And as much as I wanted Beau to be happy, I almost wished that he had gone on to be with someone else because he didn't deserve to be anyone's second choice. But... the heart wants what the heart wants and his heart had always wanted Kate. She was his forever girl and he was willing to be with her no matter what.

*sigh. I cared deeply for both Beau and Asher in their own way. I guess I just really really wish they were not in the same story :(

** PART #2 **

FOR FANS OF LOVE TRIANGLES

Rating: 4.5+ stars

I truly believe that if you are okay with love triangles, is a good chance you may absolutely love this book so I'm going to try and write this as fairly as I can because if the story line doesn't bother you, then really this is a beautiful, heart wrenching and very well-written read.

The flip side to everything I wrote above is that people are not perfect. Nobody is. And everyone reacts to trauma differently. When something that life changing occurs, it hard to judge how it affects people so in that respect, I tried to be more understanding of Kate (and Asher to a certain extent).

Regarding the story's presentation, I have to say that I loved this author's writing style. She conveyed the emotions so vividly and was able to make me connect me very strongly to these characters right from the beginning. I'm always very impressed with a book that's able to have me nearly in tears in the first 10% because that just goes to show just how quickly I became totally invested in the story.

The whole book had a constant deliciously angsty feeling. It was thrilling, a little mysterious and very beautiful in many respects. It also absolutely broke my heart and made me ache when the twist played out.

As much as it made me sad to see how much Kate pushed Beau away, I have to admit that what Asher gave her was truly beautiful. He was insistent, pushed his way into her life and pulled her out of her shell.

"I want to know you. I want to know what it is that made you cry, but more than that, I want to know what I have to do to make you happy again," he says, his voice soft.

He healed her, help her find herself again and brought her back to life. He gave her a second chance, he really did... I just wish he didn't have to break someone else's heart to do it.

The ending is bittersweet but as I said people aren't perfect and life certainly isn't a fairy tale. Sometimes it throws curve balls that change everything you'd planned, and sometimes it hands you a lifeline that helps you survive. Overall, the writing is beautiful, and the story is very well put together and truly made me feel

** CONCLUSION **

Even though this story may not have been for me, in all honesty I do believe that many people will love this book. It really puts your heart right through the ringer and I can see it ending up on many readers' favorites list for sure. My intention here is really not to deter you from reading this book.

Had I had a more accurate understanding of the direction of the story line before reading the book, I would simply not have read it because this is not the type of story line that appeals to me personally. That does not mean there is anything wrong with it. Every person reads a different book and no two people's reading experience is the same. I encourage you to check this book out and see for yourself because who knows, you may end up absolutely loving it.

****************************

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[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what was in store for me when Lisa De Jong offered me the opportunity to ARC this story. It’s nothing like her Hearts Series, this is an entirely different type of story which was for me completely unforgettable.

Please be warned…This story was heartbreaking. and I’m talking purchasing a full box of tissues and taking breather breaks during your read heartbreaking.

This is a standalone story which is told mostly in Kate the main character’s pov but we are treated to a chapter from both of the fantastic guys, Beau and Asher.

The story starts off with your typical broken girl who’s barely living. We learn her secret that she has kept to herself for two years. Sadly, Kate has pulled out of her own life and is preparing to say goodbye to her best friend/dream boy, Beau, who is leaving for college. Kate has decided to stay home and work at the local diner, since her fear keeps her immobile.

”The old Kate is gone…and she’s never coming back.”

Before heading for college, Beau lays his heart out for Kate who is completely shocked.

”My future was taken from me, and I can’t take his too.”

Deciding to opt out of her future takes a toll on Kate. Until the day a gorgeous mysterious guy, Asher walks into the dinner and steals her heart and mine too.

”He makes me look forward to my tomorrows, and he’s always pushing me to try new things.”

Kate and Asher are just BEAUTIFUL together. I mean beautiful as in the reason I read romance novels kind of beautiful!



Asher and Kate both have secrets but with more time they spend together they quickly learn to trust each other enough with their secrets and their hearts.

Kate slowly takes her life back with Asher helping her every step of the way.

”You don’t live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own…I just helped you find the strength to inhale.”

Beau’s love also never lessens while Kate deals with all of Asher’s secrets.

”Beau is one of the nicest people I’ve ever known, but it’s easier for me to let Asher in. Asher tries to understand me layer by layer while Beau goes straight to the center.”

To say certain parts of this story are sad, would be a major understatement. Especially when the events take a devastating course, I had the ugly cry going on.

”I’d give anything to have forever with her.
Her forever…not mine.”

This one quote has left me thinking that is it possible for people to be lucky enough to have a soul mate and a true love. I guess some can find it in one person while others can find it in two different people...

”I also realized that there’s a difference between soul mates and true love.”

”Is one type of love better than the other? I don’t know, but I’m lucky enough to have found them both.”

This story does end with an HEA so have no fear there is a light at end of the tunnel. Kate learns to love and live again. Although this story is terribly sad at times, the happy more than outshinned the tears and I just loved it!

”I’ll never regret you.”

*ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE+++++++ Stars!!!

I'm going to need a moment to get over the heartache.
Review to come....



I first would like to thank my beautiful friend, Jennifer Kyle, for recommending this book to me!!!
You ROCK girl!!! ❤️❤️❤️

I have never, till this book, cried so hard that I couldn't breathe.
I stayed up till 3am this morning to finish it.
My eyes are two swollen puff bags.

This book "Floored" me from the Prologue!
I LOVED the heroine, Kate Alexander, and that doesn't happen a lot for me.
She's a beautiful 19 year old girl, who had something horrible happen to her two years ago on a cold & rainy night, and it's left her a broken empty shell of the girl she once was.
She can't stop the panic attacks that take over whenever it rains.
You'll learn right from the start what happened. So horrible!!!

I believe that life is a series of coincidences, and that night, coincidence screwed me over. - Kate

She spends most of her time working in the Diner or in her room, staring at the ceiling.
The one bright spot in her life is the beautiful boy next door, Beau Bennett.
He's been her best friend since they were 5, and she's always been in love with him.
What happened to her, keeps her from sharing her feelings with him and even when he finally admits how he feels, she is unable to accept it because she thinks she is no longer good enough for Beau.
She pushes him away, when he goes off to college, thinking he deserves happiness that she'll never be able to give him.

"Yes Kate, I'm going to miss you. I'm so damn in love with you, I can barely stand to spend a few hours apart from you, and now we're going to be miles and hours apart. It sucks. It really fucking sucks." - Beau

I loved Beau.
He was so beautiful and it hurt when Kate pushed him away but we knew it wasn't because she didn't love him, it was because she loved him that she thought she was doing what was best for him.





So Kate feels completely alone now that her one best friend is off at college.
Then one day, Asher comes barreling into her life.
There's an instant attraction & connection there.
At first I was feeling bad for Beau but you have to remember, he was not in a relationship with Kate at that point.
In my opinion, this story is in no way at all a "love triangle".
There was never any cheating involved.
Each relationship was extremely necessary.
It helps to deliver the HEA at the end.

I felt like Asher Hunt, was brought into Kate's life, to help her heal, to make her see she was never at fault for what happened, and that she deserved so much more out of life. She needed to experience the love of her true "soul mate".
But Kate was also brought into Asher's life, to help him realize that he too was not at fault for the thing that happened in his past and also she was destined to be his ONE GREAT LOVE!!
Oh my god....I'm going to cry again!!!!!!!
I LOVED Asher so damn much. This man was beautiful!!
He's the epitome of a FANTASTIC "book boyfriend"!!!!!
I think most of my highlights are his words in this book.

"My fact for the day:I wanted to come over here as soon as you drove away yesterday. I want to know you. I want to know what it is that made you cry, but more than that, I want to know what I have to do to make you happy again," - Asher

Kate is falling for Asher.
It's something she can't help.
He is helping her day by day to start living her life again.

He keeps giving me these lasting memories that make me aware of the heartbeat that still exists within me. I haven't had those feelings in so long, and I'm not sure what to do with them. - Kate

They start off as friends but soon Kate and Asher are unable to deny their feelings and Kate being the beautiful person she is, does worry about Beau. She never wants her actions to hurt him because she does still love him.

"I can't make promises, Kate. I want to get to know you, and I want to be there for you, but I don't think being your friend is going to work for me anymore. I want to kiss you whenever I want. I want to hold you. I want you to tell me all of your secrets and eventually tell you all of mine. I want you in my life." - Asher

Asher and Kate are so deeply connected.
Each wants to help the other heal from their past.
They both refuse to tell each other their darkest secrets.
But one rainy night changes that.
He replaces a horrible memory with a beautiful one that night.

"When it rains, Kate. Remember me." - Asher

You'll learn Asher had one more secret he refused to share with Kate.
This secret was completely freaking SOUL CRUSHING!!!
From this point, I'm crying non stop.
I'm crying hard, ugly tears, that left me so stuffed up and my dog is looking at me like I'm nuts!!!
Just when I think I can stop crying, BAM, the author writes another gut wrenching scene.
I almost couldn't take it.
It was like having my soul tortured!!

"You don't live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own...I just helped you find the strength to inhale." - Asher

I hated what happened but I know it was necessary.

I have to give an honorable mention to one of the secondary characters, Ms Carter.
I ended up loving her!!! You think she's a minor character but in the end she was extremely important and I think gave Kate that final push she needed. I loved the napkins!!
Reminded me of "Effortless" and "Point of Retreat"

I did love the ending.
Kate deserved more than anyone to have had the chance to have that one soul mate & one true love.

I think this book was beyond phenomenal and every time it even crosses my mind, I will cry.
I've added Asher to the top favorite book boyfriend list where he belongs!!!

Do yourselves a favor and read this one but make sure you have a box of tissues and a reading buddy for support ☺️

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*

I'm giving this book four stars because I feel the execution deserves it. The storyline itself did not grip me as I'd hoped, but that's due to my own personal preferences, and not the quality of the writing.

There were certain aspects of the plot that didn't sit well with me, namely the ending. And not for the obvious reason, but I felt the guy Kate ended up with was more of a process of elimination rather than an endearing case of true love.

There is also some debate over whether or not this story embodies a love triangle, and I guess it boils down to opinion and how you look at it. I personally considered this a love triangle because of the intense emotional connection that was presented between heroine and both heroes, although it was not a deceitful one.

Yes, there are two guys deeply in love with the Kate, but she does NOT cheat nor does she switch back and forth between the two. It also helps that the three of them don't spend time together, as one guy is away at college. The way the triangle unfolds is subtle, and more about Kate finding herself after a suffering a severe trauma; it doesn't display the typical 'heroine forever drowning in her indecision' scenario.

Although I wasn't entirely invested in this story, it was heartbreaking and there were moments that touched me deeply. The beginning was insanely compelling: opening in the midst of an intense, defining moment. I do feel the intro promised more than the plot ultimately delivered, but I was still very much impressed by the power of this story.

I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy emotional tearjerkers, and those who are not entirely opposed to love triangles of any kind.

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: New Adult Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Very steamy
▪ Romance: A non-deceitful love triangle.
▪ Characters: Well fleshed out and equally lovable
▪ Plot: Heroine tries to find herself after suffers a sever trauma.
▪ Writing: Engaging, descriptive, and gripping.
▪ POV: 1st Person: Heroine
▪ Cliffhanger: None/Standalone
▪ HEA? Bittersweet at first, but then happy. Uplifting ending.

[Aj the Ravenous Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I think that’s the key to living a fulfilled life, having a reason or a purpose.”

Why do the most beautiful stories have to be so sad???



This book thought my heart was some clothing item to wash, to soak in soap and water then to wring it so hard and hang it raw to dry.



I’m usually always confident whenever I pick up any NA novel because I know it’s something I can easily handle emotion-wise and story-wise. But this novel is extra superlatively ultimate in exception and I wasn’t prepared at all at the onslaught of the majestic tidal waves of the plot. I took a very long bath under a rain of pure heartache and pain but it was all worth it because at the end of the story, I was reminded of so many wondrous and inspirational life lessons that from now on I will never neglect.

There are just so many things to learn in this book. It’s basically a practical guide on how to live your life despite the most bitter or painful experience you may have experienced.

“I realize the key to living is getting past the things I can’t change and putting my energy into the things I can.”

It’s also a story laying out to us the truth about true love and its difference with the concept of soulmates. It talks about finding peace and salvation in a stranger. It’s about a story of how someone could cause you so much pain but be the same person to make you whole again.

To deliver these incredible philosophical truths, the author used a complicated but certainly well developed web of unforgettable stories and characters that will nestle in your heart and engulf your emotions. These devastatingly beautiful emotions also keep overflowing from the heartfelt words and language the writer used. I was even more pulled by the references to songs and artists I adore: “Everything” by Lifehouse, The Calling, Joshua Radin and Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” (this song always puts me in this mode):



This book also stores one of the most beautiful, non-annoying and non-cliche-ish love triangles I have read. Finally, fear not. The story ends in a beautifully inspirational and unforgettable note that will console and mend your broken heart.

[Lisa De Jong · Rating 5 out of 5]

On sale for $0.99 right now!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pJSMFo

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something magical and absolutely beautiful in books that can manipulate your emotions as well as change your heart. When every page is not only a part of the written story, but somewhere along, it’s starting to become a part of your reality. There is no better part of reading great story than being so tangled with it, that you ache, you cry and you’re happy for the fictional characters.

When It Rains has this amazing asset. It captivated me quickly with brutal honesty, raw ad gritty beginning and hidden message. I was not expecting that I will be flooded with so many emotions nor did I know When It Rains will play on the strings of my soul.

When It Rains is Kate’s story, a nineteen year old, who lost her life two years ago and is now fighting to survive and forget about the night that crushed her.

One night, one moment, one decision can
change the whole path that our future takes.

No one knows about her secret, so Kate has to carry the weight of it on her arms by herself. She wasn’t able to tell her mother or best friend Beau. Now is time for him to go to college and leave Kate’s side and she feels entirely alone. When they share one special moment, Kate knows she has to push Beau away. She’s not good enough for him.

My future was taken from me, and I can’t take his too.

Kate meets Asher in the restaurant where she’s waitressing. Few encounters later she can’t get him out of his mind. With him, for the first time in two years she feels free and happy. But he also has secrets that are breaking him.

This beautiful kaleidoscope of painful feelings mixed with hope and love, shattered my heart. Kate’s story is one of these that are hard to stop thinking about. It’s impossible to not feel anything when this novel is filled with everything

I loved how brave Kate was despite her brokeness. I hurt alongside with her on every road she took, with every decision and consequences. Her relationship with Asher was mesmerizing. It was beautiful to see two people that understand and heal each other. How I wish things were different for them! I cried so hard, I couldn’t stop stubborn tears that kept coming and coming.

It was wonderful to see Kate when she finally opened up to someone, she changed for the better, and her love for Asher was beautiful, but still it was brutal to read about Beau and his feelings for her that never really changed.



I ached for all of them, and when finally I understood what is going to happen, my heart almost burst from the pain. And then my hysterics began. I cried and sobbed and I felt like there’s nothing in the world that could give me relief. I overdosed on emotions.

Don’t worry, there is still HEA, that is exceptionally beautiful. But for some reason it still left me completely drained. I have never felt so destroyed and crushed by a book. When I think there is nothing that could surprise me and show me something different, a little gems like When It Rains happen. And as much as I hate feel emotional pain and cry… the feeling after it is just hard to describe. It’s Katharsis .

Overall, When It Rains will capture readers and enchant them. This enaging, breathaking story is painfully good written piece, that snakes it’s way into your heart and doesn’t let go, doesn’t let you breathe and what’s more it’s changes you.

I highly recommend When It Rains for every beauty and exceptional love fan.

I’ll never regret you.

* ARC, courtesy of an author, in exchange for honest review. *


More reviews on Smokin' Hot Book Blog and my Facebook Page

[εllε · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me before reading this book:



Look at all those great reviews and high ratings. I had my tissues near, prepared to cry and all.

Me after reading the book:




There were so many things wrong with this book. I cannot write a review without spoilers, so If you haven't read the book, do not continue to read.


Firstly I would like to say that I hate any kind of violence or abuse towards women. Whoever coward chooses to abuse or violate the helpless, has to be punished by law.
It is okay to have a crush on someone. That doesn't mean that you want to do anything with them. I am so sorry for what happened to Kate. No girl should suffer like that.

Secondly I would like to say that the characters feel younger than their actual age 19-23. I've read books where 16-17 yo acted more mature than them. There were grave errors in the writing, like in the part where Asher's sister in the picture has red hair, and later she's a blonde.
The book had similar elements from TFIOS and P.S: Ily, so many scenes that others consider shocking, didn't really shock me. Some parts were really dragging, saying the same things again and again. I was like



Furthermore let me discuss the characters:

Beau : I really didn't feel any love in the beginning between Kate and him. They have been friends for a long time, experiencing their childhood and teenage years together. I understand their bond, the affection between them and the fact that they care about each other, but that can't be love. If Beau loved Kate, why would he always seek other girls? I don't buy the BS you're too good and special for me. If he loved her, he should have told her.
I wasn't satisfied by that ending. Beau knows he'll always come second. Kate had to choose, and she didn't choose him.

I know I will love him(Asher) forever and always
.............................................................

How can I find someone better when I’ve already had the best?

If I were Beau, I would leave Kate on her own. And the biggest BS in the book:

I also realize that there’s a difference between soul mates and true love.



WTF? So, Beau is her true love, but not her soulmate. Asher was her soulmate, but not her true love. Instead of dealing with halves, why don't you find someone who can be both??


Asher : Before the big secret I didn't even like him. So what? You see someone for a moment and decide to love them because they look sad? People don't go around smiling.
Why would he mess around with another girl when he said he liked you that much?

She came over here, and I thought I could get lost in her . . . to forget you.

The same crappy excuse in every Ya. Why does the author puts the heroine in such circumstances? Asher was with Kate just the day before the other girl came over. Can't they wait a little before doing anything for fun??? Fuck you Asher.
That was before the big secret . After I learned what was going on with him, I wanted to feel his drama and angst, but I didn't. I didn't feel anything for him. Maybe a little sorry.


Kate : As I said at the beginning, I am truly sorry for what happened to her. Afterwards I found her cynical and not the sharpest tool in the shed. I couldn't like her. Couldn't connect or relate with her. Many times she's a hypocrite. I still think she should have let Beau alone at the end. He will never be enough for her. He will always be the second best. Being with him is very selfish. Win/win for her.


Some dialogues were so poor that



Asher: " I’m glad I got to be your first, but I want you to promise me that I won’t be your last.”

Me to Asher: You dumbass. She's 19! Of course you won't be her last! Duhh

..............................................................

Kate(about Asher and his father): I want to help them mend their relationship before it’s too late, but both are too stubborn to make the first move.

Me to Asher's dad: You jerk. Your son is dying. This is the wrongest time to act like an asshole.

...............................................................

When Kate cries about Asher and asks her mother why do these terrible things happen

What could her mother have said: Life's like this or C'est la vie or Some things just happen or we can't take everything for granted---Something that could make Kate feel better.

What she said??

Kate's mother: I dunno.


...............................................................................

In the last scene, Kate is kissing Beau and the rain begins to fall. As he told her, Whenever it rains, you think of me, she looks up and smiles and thinks about him.

Kissing Beau and thinking about Asher!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS??? That relationship is so DOOMED!

There were some nice things. The love scene between Asher and Kate was written beautifully. It was very sweet and cute. But that wasn't enough make me give another star to this book.
The next book is about her and Beau. I suspect that Kate will never let Asher go, so I won't read that. It is unfair to Beau that Kate longs for another man, even if he's dead.

[warhawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone Book 1 of When It Rains series
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:




Kate Alexander and Beau Bennett had been best friends since they were kids. They told everything to each other until one day Kate had a secret she couldn’t part with. A secret that pulled her apart from everything that was good and changed their relationship.

Salvation came in the form of a new guy in town. Asher Hunt breathed new life into Kate. But he came with his own secret that could tear them apart.



I wanted an ugly crying book, I certainly got one with this even though it was more on the mild side lol!

There’s a difference between soul mates and true love. Looking at the surface, they are similar, but when I dug deep down inside, I found they were different.
 Is one type of love better than the other? I don’t know but I’m lucky enough to have found them both.

I do like Kate, but throughout the book I wasn’t happy with a lot of the decisions she made. She put herself in a corner and wallowed in her own misery. I understand what she went through was hard, but it was also hard to see how she was stuck on it.

He just wants what’s best for me, but I hate that he keeps sacrificing his own happiness to give it to me. I don’t deserve it.

I love Beau. He was sweet, caring and highly understanding. I wanted every best thing for him because he deserved it.



As much as I love Beau, Asher stole my heart. From the moment he was introduced, he captured my attention. I love how he made Kate opened up and how they healed each other.

We’re two people who aren’t happy when we’re apart, but can’t seem to get things right when we’re together.

When It Rains is a beautifully heartbreaking story of friendship and love of three young individuals who are just trying to find their feet in this world. It will make you appreciate the people around you because you’ll never know when life could turn you upside down.

Note 1: This is not a love triangle
Note 2: I love the napkins thing
Note 3: My eyes are a bit dry from the moisture lost hahah!

Books in the series:



For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Warda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, no. This book didn't work that well for me.
I wanted to ugly cry. I didn't ugly cry. Even though the storyline is tragic, it just felt dramatic and slightly over the top. 🙈
And cheesy, jesus.
The writing was too basic. The relationship developed too quickly for my liking and I didn't get the chance to fully get on board with it.

[Dilek VT · Rating 2 out of 5]

No no no... I would have never started this book if I had known what it involved.



I know everyone's triggers may differ. For some, it is cheating and for others, it is love-triangle. But I guess some issues like rape, pédophilie or death are bound to be mentioned about as a major trigger at all times.

Personally, I can cope with some ugly issues but please, pretty please warn me if you see me reading a book that involves one of these:

1. Cancer
2. Death of one or more of the main characters
3. BDSM / rape fantasies / daddy fantasies / pédophilie

P.S. Not that it is a big deal but I don't like books when there is pregnancy & babies before the epilogue...

**********************************************

Now, about this book, WHEN IT RAINS…

It is written with 1st person point of view for the most part of the book but towards the end, there are chapters written by 2 other characters.

In a few places, there are inconsistencies (editing mistakes).

There are 3 main characters in the book:

There is a girl, Kate & there are two guys, Beau and Asher.

Kate has to endure 2 different traumatic events within 3 years of her lifetime. Not being able to deal with them properly, she is sometimes really frustrating.

Both Beau and Asher are likable heroes on the surface. But they have their own flaws that I can never forgive. One is clueless for 2 years about how to help his best friend and the other is too selfish and he causes her 2nd trauma.

And please tell me what kind of BS is this explanation at the end of the book?
WTF, really?

I realize that there’s a difference between soul mates and true love. Looking at the surface, they are similar, but when I dug deep down inside, I found they were different.
...
Is one type of love better than the other? I don’t know, but I’m lucky enough to have found them both.

Oh no, no... just no...
You can't make me accept this explanation and the examples you give later.
Just no!
Your soul mate is your true love. The rest is just BS!


There are 2 real villains in the story:

One is a guy called Drew and the other is the writer Ms. De Jong herself, who thought one major trauma wasn’t hard enough to bear for Kate and us readers and added an unexpected second major trauma to the mix.


So, I will warn you about both, but please DO NOT LOOK AT THE SPOILERS if you are brave enough to read anything and if you don’t mind very sad issues. Because what I will say may spoil it all.

Normally, I try to write spoiler-free reviews as I want everyone to be surprised by good plot twists but here I cannot advise you to go blind, I cannot “not warn” you. I need to say it under “major spoiler alerts”...

So please proceed with caution from now on, as MAJOR SPOILERS ARE COMING!!!!!

1. Rape of one of the main characters
2. Terminal illness (cancer) and death of one of the main characters
3. The couple who end up with each other at the end of the book were not always together for the major part of the book; there was another love in-between! A very good and a major love - one which is unforgettable…


**********************************************

It was too hard to rate this book. Without the 2nd trauma, it would have been a 4-star read for me. But now, I regret reading this book. So now, the highest I can give is 2 stars.

Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this book because it is too sad and is full of frustrating characters.

Sometimes, as in the case of Tabitha Suzuma’s book FORBIDDEN, some books are so special and unique that they are worth suffering from the great pain they cause, but not this one…. This is unnecessary in my opinion. There is drama just for the sake of drama. If you want to ugly cry, go read FORBIDDEN. It will be worth your tears, I promise.

[Pearl Angeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

"From now on... When it rains, think of me."

(Buddyreading this with my sis Bea)

I NEED A HUG. Can anyone just hold me while I curl up in a ball and keep sobbing now?

With all honesty, I don't know what to write in this review right at this very moment. I'm speechless. And I'm emotionally drained. But in a good way! :)

So let me start by saying that I am so glad to have read this book! I can't believe I've neglected it for months and just let it glued on my TBR. I didn't have any idea that this book was this good!

When it Rains is not just your average, flirtatious chick-lit NA Romance. It's way stronger, deeper, and more emotional than you can ever imagine. It's a story about a girl named Kate who had a very painful and traumatic experience when she was in high school. What happened to her changed her emotionally. It led her to becoming aloof and distant to the people she loved, including Beau-- her childhood best friend who was always there for her when she needed him. The story became remarkable when Asher Hunt entered into her town and into her life, eventually making her fall in love with him and daring her to face her fears and troubles. Over time he taught her a lot of things which totally changed the way she perceived about her past and her future.

If you ask me about the book's overall impact to me, I could not express it. To tell you honestly, this book was not an easy read. It was a lot to handle and it took me a lot of strength not to cry harder... because I DID CRY. This book hurt me it cuts so deep!

Perhaps it's the author's writing style that made me feel drawn to it. Lisa De Jong used the kinds of words (and they are even quotable ones) that really create a trail of emotional wreckage in my heart.

Love is the most powerful emotion that lives inside us all. And when you have it, it can help diminish all the painful emotions that bury themselves too deep to be seen.

*sobs*

There are also many elements of truth in this book. Basically it taught me a lot of things. I realized at some point how not being able to control certain situations but being able to move forward after everything that happened can make a difference in your life.

This book does not only center on a love story-- love triangle story at that, but it also tackles on violent issues. This is an intense, heavy drama book and to those of you who are planning to read this, I advice you guys to grab a big box of tissues because it really stings so bad.

But even though this book encourages ugly tears, it is nevertheless a heart-warming one. It's well-written and downright beautiful! I love that I was able to connect myself with the characters and the plot itself without having any difficulty. The book, as a whole, has many surprises. This now belongs to my list of favorites.

Thank you so much, Ms. Lisa De Jong for such a heartfelt, wonderful tale!

Rating: 5 Stars

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 stars for first half/ 3 Stars for the last half!
I'm really angry with this book! I loved it and hated it.

So it starts off pretty heavy with something horrible happening to Kate. Something that changes her life forever. Then we skip to two years later I believe. Kate has pushed everyone out of her life except for her best friend Beau and her mom. I get that Kate didn't want to tell anyone what happened to her. I get why she pushed all her friends away and even Beau. I felt like she would maybe start to heal after they all left for college and she didn't have to hear what's wrong with you all the time. I felt really bad for Beau. But I was also glad he went away to college.
So I was really loving it when in walks a total stranger and he starts bringing Kate back to life. I loved Asher. I loved how sweet he was with Kate. I loved how he left her notes on napkins from the diner she worked at. I loved the fact game they played. I loved how he did everything to make her forget about that horrible night two years ago. I knew he was hiding secrets and I knew it was not going to be pretty once the second one came out. Damn! It was sad! Sad! Sad! Sad!
Now to the part that pissed me off.
spoiler alert!
I hated how fast Kate ran back to Beau. She wanted him there at Asher's funeral. Please!! He told you he was in love with you before he left for college and you pushed him away! Then you went and opened up to a complete stranger and fell in love with him. That made me feel sorry for Beau all over again. I'm sorry Kate and Beau together just didn't work for me any longer. I mean if Asher hadn't died I don't know if she would of even thought about Beau for very long. I wasn't feeling it. It made my rating drop.<\spoiler>
Will I be reading more in this series. I doubt it. Too sad for me!
If you feel the urge to be depressed this one is for you to read. lol Nothing against the writing. I loved it. It just was a very sad book and I like to read happy books I guess. Happy books that don't piss me off in the end:)) lol

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

So damn beautiful !!! I'm an emotional mess !!!!

5 beautiful stars !!

From now on .... When it rains .... Think of me

[Lady Vigilante (Feifei)]

Full review now posted.

Initial feelings after finishing the book
Usually when it rains, I like having an umbrella handy. After reading this? No. Nope. Scratch that. I NEED A FREAKING TARP. Cue the rain.



Final thoughts (after a 10-hour breather)

I am so bloody angry. Don’t get me wrong here; there are definitely moments where I cried (like the entire second half of the book), and scenes that nearly broke my heart, but the general consensus I got was anger. So since my feelings aren’t uniform, I’m going to split this review into THREE parts based off of my emotions because they changed drastically and suddenly in each part. Before that, though, here’s a book outline of the main events:

Kate is only 17 when she endures a horrifyingly traumatic event (I always cringe when this kind of event happens) on a rainy night, without her best friend and protector Beau Bennett there to save her.

“That night I retreated into darkness, where my night sky had no stars, my days had no sun, and all hope was drained from my body.”

“It was the night my life ended.”

Ashamed, frightened, and scarred, Kate transforms from her cheery, outgoing self into an introverted, skittish woman. She hides her secret for two years, not even relenting once to tell Beau, who is so hopelessly in love with her and is desperate to know what changed her in the last two years.

“Why? Please help me understand. You shut everyone out of your life. You haven’t done much of anything in two years. It’s like one day you were happy, carefree Kate, and then the next you were gone. What happened to you? I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”

Kate, however, felt dirty, broken, and undeserving of Beau’s love, pushing him further away from her. When it was time for Beau to leave for college, she bluntly tells him to go on and find happiness in his life, and almost severs all ties with him.

So while Kate is still in her hometown, barely scraping by, Asher walks into her life. And it’s like…insta-connection. A beautiful, mysterious man, Asher seems to be the only one able to pick up Kate’s broken pieces. BUT…Asher is also hiding a painful secret. A secret that will tear her apart and send her right back into the arms of Beau, the boy who never stopped loving her.

Part 1 (first half): Anger

I think of myself as a headstrong and stubborn woman, so Kate’s character is instinctively a turnoff for me. I disliked how she always referred to Beau as her protector, and on the night of her ordeal, she thinks that Beau would’ve saved her if he was there, almost as if everything she does, she needs Beau there. Please note, I am in NO WAY suggesting that what happened was her fault; in fact, that is the very LAST thing I would say. I’m just pointing out how my own personality is the complete opposite of Kate’s which is why I struggled so much to understand the decisions she made.

Before I go on, I need to point out how emotionally provocative Lisa De Jong’s writing is, and that it is a truly heart-wrenching read. Perhaps that is the reason why I connected so strongly with Beau in the beginning, and couldn’t accept Asher’s role in Kate’s life.

“Yes, Kate, I’m going to miss you. I’m so damn in love with you, I can barely stand to spend a few hours apart from you, and now we’re going to be miles and hours apart. It sucks. It really fucking sucks.” -Beau

Never mind Kate, it ripped my heart out to see how Beau suffered from her lack of communication and the distance she put between them. And I’m not going to lie, I found it a relief when he left for college, because he truly deserves someone better. Someone stronger than who Kate was, and someone who won't let her emotional scars dictate her life. Again, this is my personality warring against Kate’s so please don’t take this personally.

I would’ve understood and sympathized with Kate more if she couldn’t let anyone into her life, her secrets, but that wasn’t the case. To me, it was like she instantly let Asher in without many reservations. I couldn’t help but compare his efforts to that of Beau’s and I got a bad taste in my mouth, for Beau tried so hard to help her, to fix her, to be there for her, and I felt like Kate swiped away his efforts without a blink of her eye. Maybe if I wasn’t so heartbroken over Beau, I would’ve been more accepting of Kate and Asher.

Part 2 (second half): Bitter sadness

While I am admittedly saddened that Kate couldn’t find to accept Beau’s efforts, I don’t deny that Asher is a plus in her life. At this point of the story, coupled with Lisa De Jong’s passionately descriptive and addictive writing style, I could find myself accepting and supporting Asher and Kate as a couple.

Here it comes. Cue the angst, frustration, bitterness, sadness, tears, and fury.

***PAUSE***

I pretty much figured out Asher’s “secret” 200 pages before it was actually revealed, and on my way reading there, I was just praying and hoping it wasn’t the case. All I can say here without being spoilery is to commend Ms. De Jong for breaking my heart even further. Actually, you didn’t just break it. You tore it up in pieces and scattered them to the corners of Earth where I can never get them back. You forced me to accept what I deemed unacceptable, and then you tore that away from me too. All those emotions I cued before the pause? Those are what I feel towards you, Ms. De Jong.

Part 3 (last few chapters): Anger, frustration

This is where I address the “love triangle.” To me, the whole Beau-Kate-Asher ring is NOT a full love triangle, but it crosses the friendship boundaries. Why do I say it is NOT a full love triangle? While both Beau and Asher deeply love Kate, only one of them is physically there with her, while the other is located elsewhere, so to me, this story falls in between a love triangle and not-a-love-triangle. All three characters hardly have a moment together where they interact with each other.

Because of the circumstances (that’s putting it lightly) a certain character has, I finished this book feeling like the other boy would always be Kate’s second choice . I felt if events hadn’t happened the way they did, she would have definitely ended up with the other. And I didn’t like that. It would’ve been better if Ms. De Jong ended the story without adding in Kate getting together with the other character.

Now for the rating :

I cannot rate this book. I have way too many conflicting emotions and for me, rating a book solely on how it made me feel would be shallow. I take into consideration plot, writing style, character development, emotions, etc...so I guess a breakdown would be more accurate.

Plot: 2.5
Writing style: 5+
Character development: 4
Emotions: 5 (for making me really feel, despite most being ugly emotions)
Kate: 2
Asher: 4 (not 5 because he died)
Beau: 5

This was me writing the review:

[Ania (literackie_serce) · Rating 5 out of 5]

To jedna z najpiękniejszych, najbardziej emocjonalnych i rozdzierających na małe kawałeczki serce książek, jakie czytałam. Jest warta każdej wylanej łzy. Poruszyła moją duszę, moje serce, całą mnie. Nigdy jej nie zapomnę. Ale też nigdy do niej wrócę. Nie dam rady.

[Kirsty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think there is a right and a wrong way to do a love triangle.. (and dammit yes, this was a freaking triangle) unfortunately, for me, this was totally the wrong way.

Apparently I am in the minority here because everybody else on my Goodreads friends list absolutely loved this book. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but the ending pissed me off beyond belief and it made me feel like the rest of the book wasn't genuine and kind of a waste of my time. Yep, I'm mad.

"I hate him.
The old Kate is gone... and she's never coming back.
And I'll always hate when it rains."

Gah.. this book suckerpunched me right in the beginning. The prologue starts off and it's.. brutal. Many authors hint to something awful like rape happening to a book character, but very few actually go in to the details. Lisa De Jong didn't hold back here, every raw, gritty and painful detail was there for the reader to appreciate and really get in to Kate's head. I felt for her straight away. So the fact I hate which turn things took in the end has no bearing on what happened to Kate, it's just a crappy way she dealt with things.

"I have lots of moments I'd like to hold on to forever, but I'm afraid they will always be overshadowed by that one horrible memory I can't let go of."

Kate has a best friend, Beau, who has been there for her every single day for the last two years. Since she has been dealing with the aftermath of that horrific night. Kate doesn't realise it, but Beau is really holding back on his feelings. He sees Kate as so much more than just a friend, but knowing she doesn't return his feelings he just plods along. Until he leaves for college and lays it all out on the table.. yep, that didn't go well. To be honest, I didn't dislike Beau, but I didn't like him either. I had no feeling whatsoever. I am sure that wasn't the authors intent, but because he wasn't actually present for a large chunk of the book, I found it way too hard to actually feel anything towards his character. I didn't know him.

And in comes Asher... I loved Asher instantly. There was just something about him and I knew from the off that he was going to be my choice. He was mysterious, hiding his own demons, but the feelings he had for Kate just shined through the pages. He was sweet, caring and had such a way with words. "I'd love to see you smile once in a while." I just enjoyed every single thing about his character. He didn't push Kate, he didn't force her to face something she wasn't ready for, he was patient and perfectly understanding. All throughout the book he was the perfect choice for Kate, in my eyes.



So why did I have such a problem with the book, especially the ending? I'm afraid I'm going to have to put this in a spoiler tag because there's no way I can share my feelings without spoiling the book. SHE EFFIN KILLED ASHER OFF. WHERE THE FREAKING HELL DID THAT COME FROM? Maybe I should have got the hint with the tag on the book, but hell no I did not. I knew he was hiding something, a big secret, but effin cancer? NO. Ughhhhhhhh I am SO PISSED. I really hate when an author uses something like a DEATH to get the chick out of a love triangle. There are other ways to choose, you don't have to kill one off! Oh I am SO mad. In all honesty I think I could have accepted the ending if that big fat death hadn't happened, and Kate had had to choose to be with Beau. But as it was? Nuhuh I am not having that. I can even accept that Kate and Beau shared something really special, something that started way before Asher even came in to the picture, but the way she dealt with it was fucking disrespectful in my eyes. Her boyfriend, the guy who saved her from herself and the darkness that was consuming her, hadn't even been dead 5 minutes before she is allowing another guy near her, sharing that they love each other. It made me feel as though she was disregarding everything that she had with Asher. I hated it. I realise if you don't want to know details of the book, it's kind of hard to understand. I just don't appreciate it when an author takes a certain route when trying to get to the bottom of a love triangle. Unfortunately, that's what happened here and I don't agree with it at all.

It's so hard to rate this book because I did really, really enjoy it and I devoured it in such a short time. I only do that when I am really in to a book. And the writing was incredible.. it kept me engaged and interested, but I can't rate it 5* when I hated the ending so much. 3 stars seem harsh for such great writing, but is it a 4* read when I have such strong negative feelings towards it too? I don't know. I have to ponder it for a while. But for now, I'll leave you with this...

[Hulya Kara Yuksel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit: I changed my rating from 5 to 4 stars... I enjoyed the book but I hated the ending.. Ugh :'(


“From now on . . .”
kiss.
“When it rains . . .”
kiss.
“Think of me.”



#teamasher ❤❤❤

Asher, I'll love you forever... 😭😭😭

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I am finally ready to write a review of this book.

Who am I kidding?! The truth is that I won't never be ready enough, but this story really deserves one, so, keep it together, Alice!

Only three books made me cry so hard that I couldn't even breathe: Me Before You, Allegiant and now we have another lucky one, ladies. This book.



Kate and Beau have been bestfriends since she moved to Carrington when she was five.

"What's your name?" he finally asks.
"Kate" I say, shielding the sun from my eyes. "What's yours?"
"Beau. Like a bow and arrow. My dad likes to hunt" he says, smiling again.

But at the age of seventeen, something ugly happened to Kate. She's no longer the girl she used to be.
From that moment, she pushes everyone away.
When Beau leaves for college two years later, she feels like her world is falling apart. Beau was the only person in her life who still had the power to put a smile on her face.

She didn't really expect someone like Asher , the new boy in town, to come into her life.

My fact for the day: I wanted to come over here as soon as you drove away yesterday. I want to know you. I want to know what it is that made you cry, but more than that, I want to know what I have to do to make you happy again."

That's all I will say about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything to you. You simply have to read this story.

It was an emotional roller coaster, but definitely worth it. This story made me FEEL .

I almost DNFed this book ( and I never dnf books), not because I wasn't enjoying it, but because I was so scared, I knew I was going to cry hard for this.

I am so glad that I kept reading. It was just what I needed. I needed a book that could suck the life out of me, a book that could rip my heart out and shred it into a million pieces.

I finished reading this book two days ago and my mind still goes there. Just to give you an idea of how hard this book affected me.

I was so scared about the ending, but, on my opinion, the author did an amazing job and I can say that I was happy with it.

The writing was amazing. It was just the finishing touch to this wonderful story.

This book will teach you not to take anything or anyone for granted, to seize the day, to be grateful for what you have in your life.
It will teach you that there's always a way to come out of the dark, you only have to find your inner strength.

"You don't live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own...I just helped you find the strength to inhale."

Thanks to my buddy Karez for joining, I would have lost it without you <3

And thanks to my dear Patty for being there for me <3

Okay, now I'm going to listen to some depressing songs and cry a little more..

If you have not read this, please read it. Don't be afraid, you won't regret it.




Feelings after finishing the book:

I'm feeling empty right now..I cried non-stop for the last three hours..gosh, THIS BOOK KILLED ME..hope to find some comfort in ice cream..

I'll write a proper review soon, I'm a mess right now and I just can't..

[Raj · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 "Rainy" Stars



This is the most heart-breaking, tear-falling, and most beautiful story I've ever read. It's a story about finding yourself, second chances, and what does it really mean to live?

Kate was the girl who had her life all planed out. She was the good-girl, good-grades kinda girl. She was on the track team and she had lots of friends. But everything can change in an instant. Just like how Kate's life changed in a very rainy day.

“The old Kate is gone . . . and she’s never coming back.
And I’ll always hate when it rains”

Now Kate is just a living soul. She's no longer the old fun-outgoing Kate, she's now the broken-miserably-friendless Kate. The only person that stood by Kate is the amazing Beau. Beau knows that something changed his Kate and he will do everything to know what happened so he can help her and understand.



Now Beau is leaving for college and this gave Kate a time to think. What will she do with Beau not being around? It gets hard for their relationship because Kate wants Beau to live better.She doesn't want him to be stuck with her forever, but obviously they miss each other. Then there's Asher. The new kid in town. Rumor has it that he's a bad boy. He made it his goal to make Kate smile. To make her feel again. They start off as "friends" then they become more.



This book was so beautiful. I've never read such an emotional book before. The way it's put together is amazing. It was a teary book for sure. I just have no other words to describe it anymore. This book tough me a lesson 'Never take life for granted, always live it to the fullest'.
I highly recommend this book to those haven't read it yet.



“You light up my world even in my darkest moments.”

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a NA contemporary story about a girl who had been raped.

I felt quite sorry for Kate in this, having to deal with being raped and feeling like you can’t tell anyone can’t be easy, and it was clear how much it had affected her.

The storyline in this was about Kate’s best friend Beau (who wanted to be more than her friend) leaving for college, and Kate falling in love with a new guy in town called Asher. I did find this a little strange at first though as Kate seemed to almost forget Beau, when previously he’d been all she’d thought about, and when Beau found out about Asher I felt really sorry for him.
We did then get another quite sad storyline that changed things completely though, and it seemed unfair that Kate had to deal with so much at such a young age.

The ending to this was okay, but I did have some reservations as it seemed like Kate ended up with Beau out of convenience or by default, because Asher was dead, when she’d said previously that she didn’t love Beau that way.



6.5 out of 10

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 ★'s

Kate's had your fairly happy childhood, growing up with her best friend, Beau, who lives next door. But everything changes one night and it's something she feels she cannot tell another soul, not even her best friend and she pushes everyone away until she is all alone. That is, until Asher shows up.

Wow...this is not a book for the faint of heart. This book is intense and heavy and will make you bawl like a little baby.

There are two very heavy events in the book, both of them equally awful. The events do not bother me but I questioned the reasoning behind the second one. One thing's for sure, it made the romances easier.



Yes, romances !! It's not really a triangle per se. Kate and Beau grew up together and eventually fell in love but before anything could come of it, event one happened. And by Kate keeping the first event a secret from Beau, she was able to get him to leave for college without her. In turn, when Asher shows up, Kate is free to be with him without much guilt.

It's really hard at this point because you've gotten to know Beau and like him. I had a hard time wanting Kate to have anything to do with Asher especially finding out he has secrets of his own. But Asher grows on you. He's just so sweet to Kate. ~ I love the napkin notes and...questions of the day, milkshakes with french fries and her necklace! ~ I think that makes second event even worse. It did really help to get his POV from time to time.



There's some good steamy scenes...not very graphic but very sweet and loving. I was actually surprised at how easily things worked out.

Naturally, there's lots of drama *cue the crying* and it feels like it will never end!! The parts with Kate and her Mom killed me especially having a daughter myself.

But have faith, it does end well for the most part. However, it's just a really sad book and I would really recommend that you read the novella that comes after this, After The Rain. You will need that happy...trust me.


Favorite quotes

♥ "I just thought you should know that you're the best first kiss I've ever had."

♥ “From now on . . .”

kiss.

“When it rains . . .”

kiss.

“Think of me.”

♥ “You don’t live because of me. You live because you let me love you. You made the choice to breathe all on your own . . . I just helped you find the strength to inhale.”

♥ “You’re here with me. Always. Whenever I close my eyes, all I see is you.”

♥ "You light up my world even in my darkest moments."


*BR w/Melissa*

[Kristal Kitap · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daha önce Benim Uzak Yıldızım kitabı için, Go! Kitabın şu ana kadar en iyi kitabı olduğunu söylemiştim. Lafımı geri alıyorum. Yağmur Yağarken ondan çok daha müthiş, çok daha iyi ve çok daha mükemmeldi. Tarif edilemez bir kitap. Hem yüreğimi ezip geçen, hem de acılarımı dindirmek için yaralarımı öpen bir kitaptı.

Kitap benim için 3 bölümden oluşuyor. Şu resimde olduğu gibi, ilk işarete kadar olan yere kadar, üzücü. Sonrası gördüğünüz gibi kalbimi çalan yerler. Bir ara işaret koymaktan okuyamayacağımı düşünmüştüm kitabı. Hatta bir süre sonra sadece sayfalara koymaya karar verdim. Kimi zaman bir sayfada 2-3 yer oluyordu işaretleyebileceğim. Sonrası ise...

image:

Kalbimi güvenerek hiç tereddüt etmeden verdiğim adamın ellerinde parçalanışı izlediğim yerler. Kitabı yırtıp en baştan yazmak istememe sebep olan yerler. Kendimden geçtiğim, ağlamaktan gözlerimin kıpkırmızı olduğu sahneler... Kendimi toparlamam için bir saniye verin bana. Yoksa yine kendimi kaybedeceğim...

Pekâlâ, kendimi toparlayabildim sanırım. Hala enkaz gibiyim ama eskisi kadar değil en azından. Mesela ağlamaktan klavyeyi göremeyecek kadar kötü değilim...

Yalan söyledim. Hala kötüyüm işte. Yazarken gözlerim doluyor, yine ağlıyorum. Paramparça ediyor bu hikâye beni. O kadar tanıdık bir dokusu var ki kendimi bunlar gerçek değil diye kandıramıyorum. Hıçkıra hıçkıra, ağlamaktan burnum akacak hale gelene kadar akıttım gözyaşlarımı. Tutmadım kendimi. Zaten istesem de tutamazdım.

Kaldıramayacağım şeyleri okumayı sevmiyorum. Çünkü ben güzel bir kitap okuduğunda, hayal ile gerçeği çoğu zaman ayırt edemeyen biri olup çıkıyorum. Hikâyelerin içine girer, bizzat yaşanılanlara şahit olurum ben. Onları okumam! Haliyle acılarını da kendi acım gibi hissederim her zaman. Şimdi tüm bu yaşanılanların sarsıntılarını da uzun bir süre hissedeceğim. Hatta bir kaç gün evde zombi gibi bile dolaşabilirim.

Ama kitabı okuduğum için pişman değilim. Hayatıma acı ama bir o kadar da güzel dokunuşu oldu bu kitabın. Hiç bir zaman unutamayacağım, ufak bir anı gibi kalacak bende hikâyesi. Zaman zaman ders çıkaracağım bu anıdan.

Asher Hunt. Sen benim sonsuzum olacaksın. İhtiyaç duyduğum her an yanımda olacağını biliyorum. Adım atmakta zorlandığım zaman bana korkulacak bir şey olmadığını yılmadan, tekrar tekrar gösterecek, destek olacaksın. Hayatın çok kısa olduğunu, yaşadığım müddetçe mutluluğa dair birçok anı biriktirmek için önümde değerlendirmem gereken fırsatlar olduğunu hatırlatacaksın. Tüm acılara rağmen yaşamanın hala güzel olduğu öğreteceksin bana.

Her şeye rağmen, sevmekten korkmamayı öğreteceksin.

[Lise *friends don't flag* · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Big raindrop sized stars!



“From now on . . .” kiss. “When it rains . . .” kiss. “Think of me.”

This one had me swooning, cringing, smiling and crying. This is a well written and beautifully played out story of a young woman who overcomes a life-changing event through the love of two young men. It is not a love triangle in the traditional sense, but to me there was always three in this love story-Kate, Beau and Asher.

Kate and Beau have been best friends forever. They went to school together, played together, love each other. But Kate can’t love Beau like he loves her and he does not understand and Kate can’t tell him why or how she truly feels about him, so she pushes him away.

Asher Hunt, the mystery man, is the one that has the power to bring the real Kate back. The connection between these two is so emotional and beautiful, I simply adored Asher. But, I also felt bad for Beau. I wanted Kate to heal, but I also did not want Beau to hurt. And I most certainly did not want… not going to say, you need to read for yourself.

Yes, I was stabbed in the heart, but then it healed and I will never look at a diner napkin without thinking of “The guy who’s still smiling because of you…”


*Thank you, Lisa for sharing this beautifully touching story with me. I am so proud of you and feel privileged in knowing you, even though it has only been in the virtual sense ;-)

[Beatrice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to sit for minutes and think about what will I write on my review. Honestly, I'm numb. I don't know where will I start because this is one book that gives you that heavy feeling and will make your eyes puffy from crying. I swear I need a BIG HUG. My goodness.

When It Rains is a beautiful, heart wrenching masterpiece. This review isn't enough to express all my sentiments. This isn't an ordinary new adult novel. I dare you guys to read this one and have some boxes of tissues beside you, as well as a pillow for you to embrace because it will be a SOB-FEST. This is probably one of the most heartbreaking books I've read for all time.

"Life's not fair. Life's often complicated, leaving us to deal with things that we shouldn't have to. Life can make you smile one day, only to leave you broken into tiny little pieces the next."

Kate Alexander had a traumatic past and it's been haunting her for years. It destroys her physically and emotionally to the point she pushes everyone away even her long time best friend Beau Bennett. Until one day, Asher Hunt came to her life. She's intimidated by his looks, confidence and mysterious character. Being with him, she found comfort and security. He helped her to battle her own demons and found happiness with him. She thought everything will be okay, until she knew Asher's secret...

You know the moment when you're at the peak of happiness and all of a sudden it just crushed? YES. This book just gave me that feeling. Such an emotional roller coaster. Aside from that, I love the writing style, the characters and the quotable lines. It's a heavy drama filled with lessons. Like, coping and moving on in life after a tragedy or most painful moment of your life. This is entirely different from the New Adult novels I've read. Definitely not cliche.

My Playlist:
- You and Me by The Lifehouse
- Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran
- She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5
- Demons by Imagine Dragons
- Ungodly Hour by The Fray
- You by The Carpenters
(including the ones mentioned in this book.)

I am looking forward to read the next one. Hopefully, it will enlighten me. Thumbs up to Ms. Lisa De Jong!

[Dilinna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever your friends write in a review...a lot of ugly crying was involved while reading this book ..jst knw u are going to cry so hard.....i knew i would but still,it was soo gut wrenching!

So this is me right now at 4:35am all cried out running on no sleep and hoping my eyes wont be swollen after sleeping so i dont have to start explaining hw i was crying over a book.

Spoilers ahead pls

For the first 50% this book pissed me off honestly...insta love and a love triangle...someone save me from this! I didnt really buy Kate and Ashers r/ship because i felt like everything jst happened too fast..i had no time to sink my teeth into the situation but when the twist came at the beginning of the second 50%....my heart couldnt handle it...it was so painful, i felt each moment! I love all the thngs that were revealed then and all the things he gave her....it ws so sweet!

Honestly i loved Beau from the beginning and it broke my hrt when she broke his heart...love triangles are so hard for me and emotionally draining ..i am so surprised i didnt dump this book and its all because of good reviews. Anyway...her coming back to him was rushed too...i really really wanted a build up...i wanted to feel every bit of hw they managed to get there u knw....but anyway i guess because thjngs have been building up for so long the author didnt feel like giving us more but i feel it would have been awesome if we had more

Storyline i would say was alright...although not properly executed to my liking but it was gripping...sucked me in from the start. And i love me a HEA u knw but i wish it took longer to make it more believeable.

Staying away from soul draining books for a long while....i feel so weak right nww...emotionally drained!

[Jessica's Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

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I am in a complete and utter mess right now. I just finished reading When It Rains and wanted to rush and write my review right away because I had so much going in my head about this book. My mind & emotions are ALL OVER the place and that is a WONDERFUL thing. Be prepared for tissues, lots and lots of tissues! This story is heart-wrenching, heartbreaking, full of emotions that you won't be able to just walk away from these characters. I don't remember the last time I cried like this over a book since reading Slammed by Colleen Hoover.

Seriously- no joke this was me reading from about the 65% mark to the very end.



Let’s start with the characters: Kate, Asher, and Beau.



Now, first thing first; there are a lot of things going on in the book world about whether When It Rains being a love triangle or not. To me personally, I did not find it a love triangle at all. Yes, there is one girl and two guys but there is no back and forth on whom Kate should be with, there was no cheating there were no promises being broken. The story is about a girl who is lost finding love in different times of her life by two different men who both bring something special to Kate at different times. Beau to me is a minor character; he isn’t even in the same city as Kate. He is an important character none the less but 80% of the story is of Kate & Asher. That is my two cents on that on the matter!

“I can’t say I’m stuck between the two because my heart tells me over and over again that its Asher I want. But a person can’t have that much history with someone like Beau, and not carry them around with them.”-Kate

Kate & Beau have been best friends & neighbors since they were five. They both liked each other and eventually fell in love but could never find the right time to tell one another how they feel. They remained friends. When Kate was sixteen she was raped and she changed. She stopped hanging out with her friends, she quit being the happy go-lucky 16 year-old and shut the world out; even Beau for the most part. Kate hasn’t told a soul what happened to her and feels like no one would understand or believe her.



Beau is about to leave for college and tells Kate his feelings for her FINALLY! She pushes him away even further and lives her life in the small town while Beau is away at school. This is when Kate meets Asher. He is new to town and the two form an instant bond, a connection that Kate can’t even explain. As hesitant as she is to trust someone new, she trust Asher. He opens her eyes again and helps her heal while falling in love at the same time. Their relationship is special, truly special and unique.



“I can’t make promises Kate. I want to get to know you, and I want to be there for you, but I don’t think being your friend is going to work for me anymore. I want to kiss you whenever I want. I want to hold you. I want you to tell me all your secrets and eventually tell you all of mine. I want you in my life.” -Asher


“Make me forget. I want to feel your hands on my skin. I want to hear your voice in my head over and over, saying words I want to remember instead of ones I want to forget. I want you to touch everything inside of me… every part of me.” -Kate

This is when my heart broke for Beau… he has been there for Kate since they were five but their timing was just always off and Asher was able to break down Kate’s wall at the moment. She needed Asher just like she needed Beau in the past.



The 65% mark of the book comes and this is when I completely lose it…. I mean I was in tears so big I had to stop reading because everything just became a blur with all the tears in my eyes. I was just not expecting the turn of events and it hit me hard.



Seriously, how much more can Kate go through?

The author did an amazing job of connecting the readers to the characters. I felt every ounce of pain all three felt at different times as I read; from the beginning to the end. I hurt for Kate, I hurt for Ben, and I hurt for Asher. I have had the pleasure of reading a few of Lisa De Jong’s work before and this is BY FAR my favorite. The writing was spectacular; the characters were deep, the story was emotional and just simply perfection. I laughed, I cried (okay, I cried A LOT), and I smiled. It had everything I look for in a book and then some.



The ending was as perfect as it could be… I loved the epilogue and seeing a little bit into the future. I really didn’t know how I wanted it to end… I loved Asher and Beau for completely different reasons and so did Kate. They were meant to be in her life at those certain times for a reason. She was able to LIVE & LOVE through each man.

When It Rains is a book I can already tell will be a “Book Hangover” for me. I will be thinking about it for days and days. Asher will stay with me for a long time, he something special that is for sure. Every time I hear ‘Everything’ by Lifehouse or look at the nights sky I will think of Asher. We all need an Asher and a Beau in our lifetime if we are to be so lucky.



I give When It Rains 5 GIANT Stars!

Amazing job Lisa!!!! You told a beautiful story.



Book provided by the author in return for an honest review.

[Jacqueline's Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Melt your breath away stars

I’ve put When it Rains on the back burner because it’s a love triangle read, but I was forced to read it and let me say this…

I’M SO GLAD I DID!!!!

The emotions this book made me feel…

Crazy, Intense, Angst, Heart-break, Happy

In one day Kate’s life is changed dramatically. Her best friend Beau doesn’t know where his fun loving best friend went, but he’s desperate to get her back. When Beau leaves for college Kate is trying to move forward with her life, but can’t leave the past behind. That is until Asher comes into her small town.

Review

Yes, this is a love triangle read, but it’s one that is tolerable. I didn’t find Kate annoying or stupid. I found When it Rain very endearing and heart-warming.

Beau is the boy next door and you will love him. He’s sweet, perfect and is always there for Kate, but he’s going to college and Kate does not want to. When I first started this, I thought to myself, what is Kate doing? She has a perfect guy in her life, why is she pushing him away. But you really do understand why she does what she does.

I was nervous reading Kate’s interactions with Asher because I didn’t think I could move past Beau, but you will fall in love with Asher too. It’s cute reading Asher and Kate’s interactions because she’s so skittish and Asher is just so new and different, they make the perfect combination.

I may not be into superheroes, but if I were, Asher would be it for me.

We tend to regret our yesterdays, live in our todays and forget about our tomorrows, but I’m trying to cherish them all

There’s a lot that happens When it Rains, the book shifts probably twice before it ends and oh boy it’s a roller coaster, but the ride is so worth it.

It’s an emotional gripping tale about moving from past issues and falling in love. I highly recommend!

AMAZON