Raining in My Heart

The McKays #1

by Rita Hestand

Julie McKay's father died and now she has to go home. Ten years ago Julie ran away from home to avoid telling her father she was pregnant. What was worse she never told the father of her baby either. She realized she couldn't hide everything for the rest of her life and her daughter certainly was due some explanations. Yet the risk of telling the whole story might mean losing the most precious thing to Julie, her daughter.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Westerns, Western Romance

154 pages, ebook

First published January 10, 2013

About the author

By now most of you know that Rita Hestand is from Texas, that she's a widow, a mother, and a grandmother. You know that she was an only child, and that she traveled the US as a child extensively. What made her a writer was the fact that she was an only child growing up in an age when a kid had to use their imagination to entertain themselves. You probably know that she acted out her first books in the backyard all over the countryside.

Rita worked most of her adult life, but one job she’s especially proud of is as a day care provider in her home for twenty years. Helping to raise her own grandchildren to school age, it seemed only natural to enroll in the Institute of Children's Literature, where she graduated in 1997. Rita writes children's books, poetry and romance, along with plays and short stories.

She's a member of Books We Love, WRW, and a firm believer that learning should never stop. But above all, she believes that one should NEVER GIVE UP!

Reviews

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Raining in My Heart Stars

I don't usually read contemporary romance, but I got this free on Amazon. The cover is HOT and well who can turn down a Cowboy, so I figured I'd try something new.

I liked parts of the store and other parts I just could not stand. It had a little to much drama and long winded conversations that repeated themselves. To much sexual tension between the main characters and not enough release. Julie just made me frustrated with her feelings running all over the place and her regret. Cade on the other had is a sweet caring cowboy, whom I feel for at the beginning. I enjoyed Caleb the old cowhand the girls "deceased" father hired; thou we all can figure out whom he is right from the start.

[Donna Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful shorter story. It centers on Cade and Wade who are twins and Julie. As a teenager Julie had a crush on Wade. She decided to do something about it only she went to Cade instead, they are identical twins. After they started making love Julie realized it was Wade's brother but she was so absorbed in Cade she continued. She became pregnant and moved away. 10 years later when her father died she returned home with her daughter. Cade realizes after a time that Kellie is his daughter. He has always loved Julie but can Julie love him. Read the book it is truly wonderful.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a train wreck but I read it none the less. It unfortunately was only okay. I couldn't get into the fact it was the child leading the three ring circus which I call bullshit. Parent fail.

[Bennita · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. I wanted to rate this book higher because the plot was interesting, but too many things drove me nuts about it. Julie and Cade grew up on the same ranch as kids and Julie had a crush on Cade's twin brother Wade. Julie decides to seduce Wade, but gets the wrong brother. Although she soon realizes it's the wrong brother, she still sleeps with him. Huh? She runs off and never returns. Nine years later, she's called back to the ranch after her father dies. She's reunited with her sisters and they are instructed to live on the ranch for one year to earn a hefty inheritance. Secrets were revealed in her father's will that made absolutely no sense to me. Without giving spoilers, I'll just say, it was overkill and unbelievable. There was a lot of telling and not showing and this book was extremely repetetive. Julie tells everyone she runs into the same story of why she left. Once is enough! She also reveals her deepest secret over and over again. If the repetitive stories were left out, I think this book would be half the word count!! After the third retelling, I got so frustrated. Also, a lot of editing was needed for missing or misspelled words that caused me to re-read passages. Now, I did like the characters. I think they were well done but the rest drove me nuts. There's also a mystery going on that I'm quite sure I solved early on, but it's a crafty one that was a good idea. I would have liked a little more spice also. This is a very PG rated book, but that's just my opinion, my rating would not have changed for that reason. All in all, I think this book needs a lot of work. I feel bad with the lower rating, but I just go so frustrated reading it.

[Crazycowgirl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave up on this book - it had potential as a story but failed to deliver with any conviction. I didn't care for the protagonists and how repetitive every conversation was. And I don't care how messed up you are, but how was it even possible to think that Jim was a goer??? Every romance of this type has to have the proverbial wrong choice man, but he has to have something redeeming about him so that we can at least see why the woman fell for him initially! The ending was on the ridiculous side but the biggest issue with this story - it leaves too many clues as to where the plot is going so you actually reach the point where you think, we'll, what is the point? Suffice to say, book 2 will not be making it to my to be read list....

[Deborah · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book started just like Nora Roberts Montana Sky, sisters all by different mothers called back to their fathers ranch after his death and like Nora's book they have to live on the ranch for a year to claim their inheritance.
I found Julie completely unconvincing as a person, I didn't buy her reason for leaving or staying away and at times I found her stupid beyond belief.
The book just ended, did the author run out of time, what happened when the year was up and surely Caleb is George or is that too obvious.
I read this book because I liked the sound of it but I should have stuck with my first impression and left well alone. Also whats with the cover is that a gay flamenco dancer!
My advice if you like the start of this book read Montana Sky it's a much, much better book.

[Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an ok freebie. I'm not thinking I'll read this again though. From the beginning I was already thinking the story line was like Montana Sky. The characters were ok, and I liked the sisters, but most of this book was confusing at times, like things weren't worded right or some of the sequences in the scenes didn't make sense. There were quite a few typos, which weren't really a problem but kinda got annoying about halfway thru. Overall, this book didn't really pull me in and I almost had to make myself finish it, although I was getting a hunch on the mysterious Caleb... I most likely won't read the rest of the series unless I just happen across it and don't have anything else to read. Good Luck

[book · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is..... Well it seems to me that the authors forgot what they wrote and added similar things to the story again.

Cade told Julie that he loved her, several pages later he tells her again. But according to the book it's the first time he said it... Again
They talk about Wendy and her being in love with wade. But they do that several times and every time it's the first time they talk about Wendy's feelings for wade.

A lot of confusion

[Sian Apperley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started off really well. Julie had a crush on wade but ended up sleeping with his twin brother Cade. A child is,born and 9 years later when Julie's father dies she goes home to face the music. She ends up falling in love all over again with Cade. It was a nice love story, could have made more of the character caleb, to sure who he's or how he fits in. Ok for a free book.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't bad but there were inconsisties in the story line as well as a lot of repetitiveness. Julie and Cade never truly worked out their differences they just succumbed to their desires. There were also questions that were never answered the book just ended abruptly. The title did state this was book one in the series perphaps the answers lay in the other series.

[Stephanie Hurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerfully beautiful romance. The characters were well written and you felt like you knew them. I never lost interest in the story as it kept you involved all the way to "THE END". I look forward to the next installment. Thanks again Mrs. Hestand for yet another wonderful romance.

[DebbieReadsBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a little hard going. there are pages and pages of great long conversations and I found it off putting.
it was ok for a freebie but I'll not rush to get the next.
Oh, and it's fairly obvious who this Caleb guy is!

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK for a book that was free.

Endig was somewhat abrupt. Conversations were awkward. Contractions were not used and would have made it flow better. Characters, at times, seemed all over the place in their feelings and workds.

[Jen_C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading this was an exercise in aggravation. I don't even want to waste my time explaining why. See the updates for the gist of my gripes.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book to read

[Lora J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read for me the only thing I didn't like was how they repeated some lines of the story but still good tho thx

[Ruth]

A fun "Wrangler ripper" read.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about a girls struggles with growing up and a love she left behind
Excellent read

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end !!!!!

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars