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Of Chasing Raindrops
“What if we were never meant to be whole?”
Casey wasn’t trying to heal.
She went to Sagada to lose what still hurt—the past, the woman she couldn’t forget, the version of herself that kept holding on. She wasn’t looking for closure. Not even a fresh start. Just a way to keep breathing.
Julia is crashing.
Her picture-perfect life has cracked at the seams, and underneath it? A whole lot of nothing she can’t explain.
They had no interest in beginnings. No room for endings.
They weren’t searching for each other.
But sometimes what you never wanted finds you anyway—and refuses to let go.
For anyone who’s ever run away. Fallen apart. And dared to love anyway.
Told in alternating perspectives, Of Chasing Raindrops is a slow-burn sapphic novel about intimacy, memory, and the quiet, defiant act of choosing love—even when it terrifies you.
This book is the first installment in the Purple Coffee Series Poetic, raw, and deeply human, this is not a love story.
Until it is.
Casey wasn’t trying to heal.
She went to Sagada to lose what still hurt—the past, the woman she couldn’t forget, the version of herself that kept holding on. She wasn’t looking for closure. Not even a fresh start. Just a way to keep breathing.
Julia is crashing.
Her picture-perfect life has cracked at the seams, and underneath it? A whole lot of nothing she can’t explain.
They had no interest in beginnings. No room for endings.
They weren’t searching for each other.
But sometimes what you never wanted finds you anyway—and refuses to let go.
For anyone who’s ever run away. Fallen apart. And dared to love anyway.
Told in alternating perspectives, Of Chasing Raindrops is a slow-burn sapphic novel about intimacy, memory, and the quiet, defiant act of choosing love—even when it terrifies you.
This book is the first installment in the Purple Coffee Series Poetic, raw, and deeply human, this is not a love story.
Until it is.
397 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2025
6 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Aya Canicosa
2 books10 followersAya is a New York–based writer, artist, and professional overthinker who creates emotionally immersive sapphic fiction about women who love deeply, mess up gloriously, and sometimes find their way back.
Of Chasing Raindrops is her debut novel—and her most productive form of emotional damage yet.
It’s not a love story. Until it is.
Of Chasing Raindrops is her debut novel—and her most productive form of emotional damage yet.
It’s not a love story. Until it is.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 20, 2025
ARC
Aya Canicosa’s Of Chasing Raindrops broke me open in the gentlest way. It’s not just a sapphic love story—it’s a reminder of how women we’ve loved never really leave us. Some haunt us by staying gone. Some bring us back to life when we least expect it.
This book aches in all the right places. It’s about guilt and longing, about carrying ghosts while reaching for something new. It’s about laughter on a trail, hands brushing in the quiet, and the terrifying joy of letting yourself fall again.
For me, it felt like being seen. Like Canicosa had taken the messiness of queer love—the grief, the hope, the tenderness—and held it up to the light. And it glowed.
If you’ve ever loved a woman and lost her, or loved again when you thought you couldn’t—you’ll feel this one in your bones. 🌧️💜
Aya Canicosa’s Of Chasing Raindrops broke me open in the gentlest way. It’s not just a sapphic love story—it’s a reminder of how women we’ve loved never really leave us. Some haunt us by staying gone. Some bring us back to life when we least expect it.
This book aches in all the right places. It’s about guilt and longing, about carrying ghosts while reaching for something new. It’s about laughter on a trail, hands brushing in the quiet, and the terrifying joy of letting yourself fall again.
For me, it felt like being seen. Like Canicosa had taken the messiness of queer love—the grief, the hope, the tenderness—and held it up to the light. And it glowed.
If you’ve ever loved a woman and lost her, or loved again when you thought you couldn’t—you’ll feel this one in your bones. 🌧️💜
October 19, 2025
When I first received the ARC, I got a message from Aya that told me to “enjoy the emotional rollercoaster” and that’s exactly what I did. I can’t stress this enough, IT’S A ROLLECOASTER. As soon as the book started I was already hurting. You know that Lady Gaga meme, you know the one I'm talking about where she just lists positive attributes, that meme is very fitting for this book. It wrecked me deeply and I enjoyed every second of it.
The chemistry between Julia and Casey was just palpable, like it came off the page. They both went to Sagada alone looking for clarity and found each other. The inevitability of their encounters, of coming back even when they drifted away, the persistence in Julia to not leave things unsaid, just incredible.
I spent like half of the book wanting to fight Casey but near the end, I understood. I would go to war for Nora, above everyone else. Nora is my absolute favorite, along with Casey’s mom, such sweethearts.
Read at your own emotional risk. I already have a book hangover and I just finished it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Aya Canicosa for providing me with an eARC and ruining me in the best way possible.
The chemistry between Julia and Casey was just palpable, like it came off the page. They both went to Sagada alone looking for clarity and found each other. The inevitability of their encounters, of coming back even when they drifted away, the persistence in Julia to not leave things unsaid, just incredible.
I spent like half of the book wanting to fight Casey but near the end, I understood. I would go to war for Nora, above everyone else. Nora is my absolute favorite, along with Casey’s mom, such sweethearts.
Read at your own emotional risk. I already have a book hangover and I just finished it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Aya Canicosa for providing me with an eARC and ruining me in the best way possible.
October 19, 2025
ARC Of Chasing Raindrops
"How do you explain this immense pain that doesn't belong to you - but breaks you anyway?"
This novel holds a special place in my reading history as it marks the first time I've completed a sapphic story. Prior to this, every other attempt at reading a sapphic novel resulted in it being labeled "DNF" (Did Not Finish). I rarely put on reviews too, but this book is an exception. Why? BECAUSE IT DESERVES IT!!!
Reading this book was like experiencing a slow-motion movie. Although I've never been to Sagada, the author's vivid descriptions made me feel as though I had firsthand experience of the place. I particularly appreciated the alternate point of view, which allowed me to deeply connect with the character's emotions-pain, agony, grief, hope, joy, love, and disappointment. I also went through what they went through. Like I was with them all throughout. It's as if I was also with the author when she wrote this. They successfully shared every ounce of their emotions with me. I felt it with every fiber of my being.
I am immensely proud of this book and the author. I don't know if I am even in the right place to be, but I just couldn't help it. This book is freeing, empowering, and as if it also validated and made sense the entirety of my being. I will surely remember this book in this lifetime. It effortlessly earned its spot in my heart the way "A Walk To Remember" and "The Fault in our Stars" did. I would trade anything to read this again for the first time.
My warning to you: Make sure you are emotionally ready and available before reading this book. (LOL) It has a way of lifting you high into the clouds, only to drop you to the ground without warning. The fall can be so hard and painful that you might feel your bones and heart breaking, just as mine did.
"How do you explain this immense pain that doesn't belong to you - but breaks you anyway?"
This novel holds a special place in my reading history as it marks the first time I've completed a sapphic story. Prior to this, every other attempt at reading a sapphic novel resulted in it being labeled "DNF" (Did Not Finish). I rarely put on reviews too, but this book is an exception. Why? BECAUSE IT DESERVES IT!!!
Reading this book was like experiencing a slow-motion movie. Although I've never been to Sagada, the author's vivid descriptions made me feel as though I had firsthand experience of the place. I particularly appreciated the alternate point of view, which allowed me to deeply connect with the character's emotions-pain, agony, grief, hope, joy, love, and disappointment. I also went through what they went through. Like I was with them all throughout. It's as if I was also with the author when she wrote this. They successfully shared every ounce of their emotions with me. I felt it with every fiber of my being.
I am immensely proud of this book and the author. I don't know if I am even in the right place to be, but I just couldn't help it. This book is freeing, empowering, and as if it also validated and made sense the entirety of my being. I will surely remember this book in this lifetime. It effortlessly earned its spot in my heart the way "A Walk To Remember" and "The Fault in our Stars" did. I would trade anything to read this again for the first time.
My warning to you: Make sure you are emotionally ready and available before reading this book. (LOL) It has a way of lifting you high into the clouds, only to drop you to the ground without warning. The fall can be so hard and painful that you might feel your bones and heart breaking, just as mine did.
September 25, 2025
ARC
Of Chasing Raindrops: A Novel is the first sapphic novel I have read. The genre is new to me, but what could be different in telling tales of romance?
There are books that you need a few chapters or pages to decide whether or not you continue to read (you know what I mean?), this is one of the easier books to get hooked from the beginning. The language is not that difficult, the setting and the characters' personalities are easily relatable.
The author warned of an emotional wreck, but somehow I found a weird sense of comfort in ways I did not expect. Many times I felt seen in either Casey's or Julia's characters. I relate to Julia, on an unnecessary level--I too, appreciate the comfort of moving. Of seeing things pass me by in a blur.
I enjoyed the book more than I expected. I don't think I have it in me to verbalize my thoughts and feelings right now but what I can say is this book deserve to be in the shelves.
It's weird that reading this book might be something that I needed. And I thank you, Aya for this book. I hope your story reach more people :>
Of Chasing Raindrops: A Novel is the first sapphic novel I have read. The genre is new to me, but what could be different in telling tales of romance?
There are books that you need a few chapters or pages to decide whether or not you continue to read (you know what I mean?), this is one of the easier books to get hooked from the beginning. The language is not that difficult, the setting and the characters' personalities are easily relatable.
The author warned of an emotional wreck, but somehow I found a weird sense of comfort in ways I did not expect. Many times I felt seen in either Casey's or Julia's characters. I relate to Julia, on an unnecessary level--I too, appreciate the comfort of moving. Of seeing things pass me by in a blur.
I enjoyed the book more than I expected. I don't think I have it in me to verbalize my thoughts and feelings right now but what I can say is this book deserve to be in the shelves.
It's weird that reading this book might be something that I needed. And I thank you, Aya for this book. I hope your story reach more people :>
September 19, 2025
“If there’s even a small chance at happiness, why not chase it?”
I don’t even know if I was crying for Casey, Julia, or for myself, but it was the kind of cry I didn’t know I needed. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this gem, and once I started, I couldn’t stop.
This story pulled open parts of me I thought I’d tucked away for good. The writing is soft, detailed, and honest, the kind that doesn’t just tell you a story, it makes you feel it in your chest. Sagada was described so vividly it felt like I was there. I’ve never been, but now I want to go, just to see if it feels the way it did on these pages. One moment I was smiling, the next I was holding my breath, and then suddenly I was crying without even realizing it.
Aya doesn’t just write about love and heartbreak. She makes you live them. Love here shows up the way it does in real life: when you’re not ready, when it’s messy, inconvenient, impossible to ignore. It stays, even when you try to push it away. And even when you’re broken, something tender still manages to grow.
Of Chasing Raindrops left me shattered, in love, and somehow believing again.
I don’t even know if I was crying for Casey, Julia, or for myself, but it was the kind of cry I didn’t know I needed. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this gem, and once I started, I couldn’t stop.
This story pulled open parts of me I thought I’d tucked away for good. The writing is soft, detailed, and honest, the kind that doesn’t just tell you a story, it makes you feel it in your chest. Sagada was described so vividly it felt like I was there. I’ve never been, but now I want to go, just to see if it feels the way it did on these pages. One moment I was smiling, the next I was holding my breath, and then suddenly I was crying without even realizing it.
Aya doesn’t just write about love and heartbreak. She makes you live them. Love here shows up the way it does in real life: when you’re not ready, when it’s messy, inconvenient, impossible to ignore. It stays, even when you try to push it away. And even when you’re broken, something tender still manages to grow.
Of Chasing Raindrops left me shattered, in love, and somehow believing again.
September 18, 2025
✨ ARC Review: Of Chasing Raindrops by Aya Canicosa✨
Aya’s debut swept me away from the very first page. The writing is soft, heartfelt, and easy to sink into. The characters felt so real — I saw myself in Casey, and completely fell for Julia. Their chemistry, their banter, and the way Aya builds the romance… swoon. 💜
What really stood out to me were the Filipino undertones and the vivid setting. Sagada was described so beautifully it felt like stepping into a dream. Between the heartfelt moments and the lighter, fun scenes (motorcycles, coffee, laughter), this story had me smiling, tearing up, and holding my breath.
Of Chasing Raindrops is a tender, soul-stirring sapphic love story that lingers long after the last page. Heart-wrenching and beautiful, it’s a book I wish I could read again for the first time. Congratulations, Aya — I can’t wait to read what you write next!
Aya’s debut swept me away from the very first page. The writing is soft, heartfelt, and easy to sink into. The characters felt so real — I saw myself in Casey, and completely fell for Julia. Their chemistry, their banter, and the way Aya builds the romance… swoon. 💜
What really stood out to me were the Filipino undertones and the vivid setting. Sagada was described so beautifully it felt like stepping into a dream. Between the heartfelt moments and the lighter, fun scenes (motorcycles, coffee, laughter), this story had me smiling, tearing up, and holding my breath.
Of Chasing Raindrops is a tender, soul-stirring sapphic love story that lingers long after the last page. Heart-wrenching and beautiful, it’s a book I wish I could read again for the first time. Congratulations, Aya — I can’t wait to read what you write next!
September 20, 2025
ARC
This book has a very strong intro and immediately hooked me with its first 2 chapters. The way that this books shines is by its characters. Julia and Casey both feel like such real characters and their conversations feel so natural. They both come from different backgrounds and come to a different understanding of love. Their personality and vulnerability is built upon this and it is expressed beautifully. These characters feel so fun and I enjoyed reading their teasing banter between each other and it truly made me smile flipping through each page.
This book shines with its climax. The climax of this book was genuinely beautifully and completely caught me off guard. It was so fun and it felt like such a bold climax that gets the reader even more attached. This book truly embraces heartbreak in such an amazing way and it ruins you in a good way.
The ending of this book is also very fulfilling and it is such an interesting ending because it's very unique. This ending allows the reader to still have questions and satisfied.
I rate this book a 9/10 and it was such a joy to read and I am very thankful that I got to read as an ARC reader. Highly recommend this debut novel by Aya Canicosa.
This book has a very strong intro and immediately hooked me with its first 2 chapters. The way that this books shines is by its characters. Julia and Casey both feel like such real characters and their conversations feel so natural. They both come from different backgrounds and come to a different understanding of love. Their personality and vulnerability is built upon this and it is expressed beautifully. These characters feel so fun and I enjoyed reading their teasing banter between each other and it truly made me smile flipping through each page.
This book shines with its climax. The climax of this book was genuinely beautifully and completely caught me off guard. It was so fun and it felt like such a bold climax that gets the reader even more attached. This book truly embraces heartbreak in such an amazing way and it ruins you in a good way.
The ending of this book is also very fulfilling and it is such an interesting ending because it's very unique. This ending allows the reader to still have questions and satisfied.
I rate this book a 9/10 and it was such a joy to read and I am very thankful that I got to read as an ARC reader. Highly recommend this debut novel by Aya Canicosa.
September 30, 2025
Of Chasing Raindrops, @ayawritesbooks' upcoming debut novel, follows Julia and Casey on a journey of grief, self-discovery, hope, and love after a breakup and depression lead them to Sagada. Their story had me hooked and ruined me in the best way!
"For years, I thought love meant staying. Now, I was starting to believe it could also mean leaving-- when staying meant losing yourself," was memorable.
Looking forward to the next Purple Coffee book💜
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#ofchasingraindrops #ayacanicosa #ebook #arc #bookreview #goodreads #totefairie
"For years, I thought love meant staying. Now, I was starting to believe it could also mean leaving-- when staying meant losing yourself," was memorable.
Looking forward to the next Purple Coffee book💜
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#ofchasingraindrops #ayacanicosa #ebook #arc #bookreview #goodreads #totefairie
October 20, 2025
5⭐️/4🔥
I Did This To Myself...
Of Chasing Raindrops is my first FF romance and it 🗡 me right in my feels (what was left of them, anyway) and made me question a lot of things about myself. And I'm confident that's what the author was going for: to gut us from the inside out. Well, you succeeded! I deviated from my usual dark romances for a quick breath of fresh air & this jewel of a story was thrown at me with the promise of "not being responsible for my therapy bill." Jokes on them, I was already in therapy. Only now, I've added a new topic to discuss: why I let authors rip me to shreds with their words. I'll tell you why...BECAUSE I LOVE FEELING ALIVE!
If you're looking for an emotional read that will wreck you in the best way, I highly recommend this one. 🖤
I Did This To Myself...
Of Chasing Raindrops is my first FF romance and it 🗡 me right in my feels (what was left of them, anyway) and made me question a lot of things about myself. And I'm confident that's what the author was going for: to gut us from the inside out. Well, you succeeded! I deviated from my usual dark romances for a quick breath of fresh air & this jewel of a story was thrown at me with the promise of "not being responsible for my therapy bill." Jokes on them, I was already in therapy. Only now, I've added a new topic to discuss: why I let authors rip me to shreds with their words. I'll tell you why...BECAUSE I LOVE FEELING ALIVE!
If you're looking for an emotional read that will wreck you in the best way, I highly recommend this one. 🖤
October 27, 2025
This was such an emotional read. I knew from the very first chapter that this had the potential to be a book I would love and think about for a very long time. Fortunately, the book was as excellent from the first chapter to the very end. I loved every minute reading about Casey and Julia and their challenge to start a new life, running away from hurt and trying to find love again.
This was my best read so far in October and I recommend this book to anyone that want all the feelings and some ache in your heart.
This was my best read so far in October and I recommend this book to anyone that want all the feelings and some ache in your heart.
October 30, 2025
I have no words
Wow. What a powerful book. Aching and haunting and beautiful. I felt ripped open and sewn back up. Every word was poetic and I was hooked from the very first page
Wow. What a powerful book. Aching and haunting and beautiful. I felt ripped open and sewn back up. Every word was poetic and I was hooked from the very first page
October 18, 2025
I loved this book! I wasn’t expecting to be as invested in the characters as I was and I couldn’t put it down. I thought it was such a good story and was well written. I loved the emotion in it and the emotional impact it had on me too. I loved that I could relate to each of the characters and that I was equally invested and attached to them. I would happily read this book again anytime. I definitely recommend!
November 6, 2025
Heart wrenching debut tinted with grief, depression and the impossibility of giving love a second chance.
I stumbled upon this novel by chance. First time I hear of this author. I didn't know anything about the plot, but the title and the cover pulled me in. I am a sucker for melancholic titles. Rain, stars, chasing, running, you name it. I'll fall for it. And fell I did, right from the first words of the dedication, which is absolutely beautiful.
Canicosa first person writing style gives you a front seat into a romance lost and a romance in the making. The life of three characters intertwined like it was fate. Casey, Chris and Julia; their lives narrated with the spectacular backdrop of Sagada's landmarks and natural landscapes.
The smell of pines... I think I smelled it for real. Pines and rain and many tears. Something wet and salty. Something dried out and something that seems to never dry out: grief.
Two women running from their own suffocating present full of obligations and uncertainties, and meeting by chance at the Blue Nachos Inn in Sagada, Philippines. Leaving the busy, nosy and loud city life of Manila for a break from heartbreak. Heartbreak which can come in many forms, from losing who you thought you were and how you thought your life would develop to not knowing the real version of yourself. All the perfection you think you had meant nothing, because it wasn't perfect for you, but only for society standards.
What I liked the most about Chasing Raindrops is how the characters got to know each other through talking, listening and understanding the silences between them.
There are a couple of twists that will keep your heart in a tight grip, and I have to say that a tear fell while reading some of the chapters.
I loved the settings, something different from the usual ones you read about in sapphic fiction.
It's truly an interesting debut novel and I am curious for the second instalment of the series.
Canicosa has a poetic and lyrical way of writing, and the darkness and numbness she described hit me hard, because I felt it on my skin.
4.5 stars.
ps. One quote I highlighted made me smile a bit, since the previous book I read was Windburn by M. McKay.
"Sometimes, you need windburn to remind yourself you're still alive."
Could have come from the novel Windburn itself.
I stumbled upon this novel by chance. First time I hear of this author. I didn't know anything about the plot, but the title and the cover pulled me in. I am a sucker for melancholic titles. Rain, stars, chasing, running, you name it. I'll fall for it. And fell I did, right from the first words of the dedication, which is absolutely beautiful.
Canicosa first person writing style gives you a front seat into a romance lost and a romance in the making. The life of three characters intertwined like it was fate. Casey, Chris and Julia; their lives narrated with the spectacular backdrop of Sagada's landmarks and natural landscapes.
The smell of pines... I think I smelled it for real. Pines and rain and many tears. Something wet and salty. Something dried out and something that seems to never dry out: grief.
Two women running from their own suffocating present full of obligations and uncertainties, and meeting by chance at the Blue Nachos Inn in Sagada, Philippines. Leaving the busy, nosy and loud city life of Manila for a break from heartbreak. Heartbreak which can come in many forms, from losing who you thought you were and how you thought your life would develop to not knowing the real version of yourself. All the perfection you think you had meant nothing, because it wasn't perfect for you, but only for society standards.
What I liked the most about Chasing Raindrops is how the characters got to know each other through talking, listening and understanding the silences between them.
There are a couple of twists that will keep your heart in a tight grip, and I have to say that a tear fell while reading some of the chapters.
I loved the settings, something different from the usual ones you read about in sapphic fiction.
It's truly an interesting debut novel and I am curious for the second instalment of the series.
Canicosa has a poetic and lyrical way of writing, and the darkness and numbness she described hit me hard, because I felt it on my skin.
4.5 stars.
ps. One quote I highlighted made me smile a bit, since the previous book I read was Windburn by M. McKay.
"Sometimes, you need windburn to remind yourself you're still alive."
Could have come from the novel Windburn itself.
September 20, 2025
💜 ARC Review 💜
From the very first page, I was sucked in. Like all the way. I spent the entire day rolling through all the emotions of Casey & Julia’s story.
The writing is fantastic, the raw emotion of the characters can be felt , there is so much detail it paints the whole picture , the scenery , the entire vibe of of each location, I would say it puts off a very cozy vibe ,it’s just perfection ✨.
The chemistry and tension between Casey & Julia was everything I love to see in a sapphic romance and more. This book definitely gives a perspective into how the past shows up in the present whether we want it to or not. It gives insight into the struggles and behaviors that come off as “red flags” without looking for reason. Julia held so much space for Casey and tried so hard to understand and I loved that.
It broke my heart, made me laugh, had me giddy, made me mad, and some of it really hit home.
This book was amazing all the way through and I absolutely can not wait to read what comes next from this very talented author!
“Because something in me already knew- Love doesn’t always show up with a warning. Sometimes it just lands, and everything before it stops making sense.”
From the very first page, I was sucked in. Like all the way. I spent the entire day rolling through all the emotions of Casey & Julia’s story.
The writing is fantastic, the raw emotion of the characters can be felt , there is so much detail it paints the whole picture , the scenery , the entire vibe of of each location, I would say it puts off a very cozy vibe ,it’s just perfection ✨.
The chemistry and tension between Casey & Julia was everything I love to see in a sapphic romance and more. This book definitely gives a perspective into how the past shows up in the present whether we want it to or not. It gives insight into the struggles and behaviors that come off as “red flags” without looking for reason. Julia held so much space for Casey and tried so hard to understand and I loved that.
It broke my heart, made me laugh, had me giddy, made me mad, and some of it really hit home.
This book was amazing all the way through and I absolutely can not wait to read what comes next from this very talented author!
“Because something in me already knew- Love doesn’t always show up with a warning. Sometimes it just lands, and everything before it stops making sense.”
December 4, 2025
📖ARC Review📖
Chasing Raindrops by @ayawritesbooks
"𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞?"
"𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. "𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Honestly, I wanted to take my time putting up a review for this. But—- before I go to the actual review, I want to thank @ayawritesbooks for sharing this story with me, and thank you as well for being patient and understanding. I know this review is already late on what I told you I would post it, soooo - Sorry 🫣
Now, I have read my fair share of femslash fanfictions, not that I’m comparing this beautiful original work to that, but my point is that, somehow, I have some sort of expectations on what I’ll be diving into when I started this book. What I didn’t expect though, is how it would affect me - mentally and emotionally. 😌
Because this book is not just a love story, it’s about acceptance, it’s also about forgiveness, it’s about taking care and prioritizing one’s self.
There are some moments that I find myself asking and thinking the same thing that Aya’s characters does. I feel so much for Casey and Julia on different ways, at different times. I am in awe of how Aya describes and makes these character’s mental struggles so relatable. You don’t have to be, or have been, in the exact same situation to connect with the character/story.
Honestly, this book made me sad, and long for that organic way of meeting people that you can find a connection worth-keeping. Despite the circusmtances on “why” they were on the same place at the same time, I still envy Julia and Casey on “how” they find each other. In this day and age, this story made me hold on to that hope that I can find that “Love” similarly.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to read, as Aya said to me, not just a love story— but a story about love.
Chasing Raindrops is now available in Amazon! Check out @ayawritesbooks bio for the link. 😌
Chasing Raindrops by @ayawritesbooks
"𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞?"
"𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝. "𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭."
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)
Honestly, I wanted to take my time putting up a review for this. But—- before I go to the actual review, I want to thank @ayawritesbooks for sharing this story with me, and thank you as well for being patient and understanding. I know this review is already late on what I told you I would post it, soooo - Sorry 🫣
Now, I have read my fair share of femslash fanfictions, not that I’m comparing this beautiful original work to that, but my point is that, somehow, I have some sort of expectations on what I’ll be diving into when I started this book. What I didn’t expect though, is how it would affect me - mentally and emotionally. 😌
Because this book is not just a love story, it’s about acceptance, it’s also about forgiveness, it’s about taking care and prioritizing one’s self.
There are some moments that I find myself asking and thinking the same thing that Aya’s characters does. I feel so much for Casey and Julia on different ways, at different times. I am in awe of how Aya describes and makes these character’s mental struggles so relatable. You don’t have to be, or have been, in the exact same situation to connect with the character/story.
Honestly, this book made me sad, and long for that organic way of meeting people that you can find a connection worth-keeping. Despite the circusmtances on “why” they were on the same place at the same time, I still envy Julia and Casey on “how” they find each other. In this day and age, this story made me hold on to that hope that I can find that “Love” similarly.
I recommend this book to everyone who wants to read, as Aya said to me, not just a love story— but a story about love.
Chasing Raindrops is now available in Amazon! Check out @ayawritesbooks bio for the link. 😌
November 30, 2025
I didn’t expect this book to hurt the way it did.
It isn’t loud or dramatic—it aches quietly. Two women, both running. Not toward something—but away. Away from grief. Away from the versions of themselves they can no longer bear.
I thought I knew who to be angry at, who to blame… but as the story unfolded, I realized it wasn’t about betrayal at all. It was about grief, memory, and how sometimes love arrives when all we wanted was silence.
This book reminded me that healing doesn’t always look like hope. Sometimes it seems like waking up and deciding to keep breathing. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it hurts before it heals.
I didn't relate to their story—but I felt it. And maybe that’s the magic of it. Some books don’t ask you to understand. They ask you to feel.
It isn’t loud or dramatic—it aches quietly. Two women, both running. Not toward something—but away. Away from grief. Away from the versions of themselves they can no longer bear.
I thought I knew who to be angry at, who to blame… but as the story unfolded, I realized it wasn’t about betrayal at all. It was about grief, memory, and how sometimes love arrives when all we wanted was silence.
This book reminded me that healing doesn’t always look like hope. Sometimes it seems like waking up and deciding to keep breathing. Sometimes it’s messy. Sometimes it’s slow. Sometimes it hurts before it heals.
I didn't relate to their story—but I felt it. And maybe that’s the magic of it. Some books don’t ask you to understand. They ask you to feel.
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