What do you think?
Rate this book
Make It Rain Harder
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2026
About the author
Jessica Park
19 books4,207 followersJessica is the author of 180 SECONDS, CLEAR, The Left Drowning Series (LEFT DROWNING and RESTLESS WATERS), the New York Times bestselling FLAT-OUT LOVE (& the companion novella FLAT-OUT MATT), FLAT-OUT CELESTE, and RELATIVELY FAMOUS. She lives in New Hampshire where she spends an obscene amount time thinking about rocker boys and their guitars, complex caffeinated beverages, and tropical vacations. On the rare occasions that she is able to focus on other things, she writes.
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
Please visit her at jessicapark.me and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorjessic... and Twitter @JessicaPark24
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 6, 2026
4 stars
Another Jessica Park book that brought the feels in the best way. I loved Diana and her story. The romance, the friendship, even the elements of grief that aren't often explored in a romance. This story was great.
Another Jessica Park book that brought the feels in the best way. I loved Diana and her story. The romance, the friendship, even the elements of grief that aren't often explored in a romance. This story was great.
July 6, 2026
There are some authors whose books you enjoy, and then there are authors whose stories stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Jessica Park has always been the latter for me. Her characters feel so real that they stop feeling like characters at all. This book completely captured my heart. It made me laugh, broke it a little, and then put it back together again. The emotions felt raw and genuine, and every relationship was written with so much depth and authenticity. I found myself thinking about these characters even when I wasn’t reading.
More than anything, Make It Rain Harder is a beautifully written tribute to one of the author’s friends, and that love and grief and honoring of a life lived comes through on every page. It’s handled with such tenderness and honesty that it feels deeply personal without ever feeling intrusive. After more than a decade of reading Jessica Park’s books, she still has the ability to make me feel everything. Make It Rain Harder is a beautiful reminder of why she’s remained one of my all-time favorite authors. This story touched my heart in a way that only the very best books can, and I know it will stay with me for a long time. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
More than anything, Make It Rain Harder is a beautifully written tribute to one of the author’s friends, and that love and grief and honoring of a life lived comes through on every page. It’s handled with such tenderness and honesty that it feels deeply personal without ever feeling intrusive. After more than a decade of reading Jessica Park’s books, she still has the ability to make me feel everything. Make It Rain Harder is a beautiful reminder of why she’s remained one of my all-time favorite authors. This story touched my heart in a way that only the very best books can, and I know it will stay with me for a long time. I wish I could read it again for the first time.
July 6, 2026
Is it even a Jessica Park book if I don't ugly cry until I've healed feelings I didn't know I had? May I never find out.
Admittedly, this is hard to review because she's written perfection...how many times? Flat Out Love, Left Drowning, and 180 seconds continue to stay with me a decade after I've first read them. (How has it been so long?) So it goes without saying: The expectations going into this for me were high. Immensely high. I was not disappointed.
Is this book perfect? I'll admit, no. There's a slow intentional build, but if you're used to the usual tempo of a Jessica Park book, it may feel different for you. Keep going.
Will this book rip your heart out, make you dig up the grief you thought you'd buried, and truly explore it? Yes.
Is it structured in a beautiful way that reflects on the process of grief? Yes, again.
That said, I would have loved to see a bit more of Diana's relationship with both Patrick and Dave - and for the relationship with Dave to have a bit less speed, but over all, this is a beautiful look at how grief shows up for us, and what we do in the aftermath. When you get to the end...you understand it all. I hope it was as cathartic for the author as it was for me as the reader.
Admittedly, this is hard to review because she's written perfection...how many times? Flat Out Love, Left Drowning, and 180 seconds continue to stay with me a decade after I've first read them. (How has it been so long?) So it goes without saying: The expectations going into this for me were high. Immensely high. I was not disappointed.
Is this book perfect? I'll admit, no. There's a slow intentional build, but if you're used to the usual tempo of a Jessica Park book, it may feel different for you. Keep going.
Will this book rip your heart out, make you dig up the grief you thought you'd buried, and truly explore it? Yes.
Is it structured in a beautiful way that reflects on the process of grief? Yes, again.
That said, I would have loved to see a bit more of Diana's relationship with both Patrick and Dave - and for the relationship with Dave to have a bit less speed, but over all, this is a beautiful look at how grief shows up for us, and what we do in the aftermath. When you get to the end...you understand it all. I hope it was as cathartic for the author as it was for me as the reader.
June 26, 2026
I almost gave up in the first 20% bc the flow wasn’t working for me but I’m glad I stuck it out. This book has a lot of heaviness so prepare thy self. Heartache to the nth degree. I liked the characters and the story overall is a good one. 4 solid stars!!!!!
June 17, 2026
3.75 stars. I love Jessica Park, and maybe that makes me a tougher critic. I have been anticipating this book for months.
In the first part of the book, I struggled with, particularly the flashbacks. It seemed the font made it harder to read. Diana is a college freshman at the school up north, unfortunately. Why on earth would her new & forever best friend, Patrick from Cleveland, Ohio attend scUm?! My husband says they are called traitors, but he went to THE Ohio State University. Anyway, Patrick and Diana are platonic besties as he falls for Katrina. Diana's home life growing up is shitty. Raised w money but not love.
We get immediately shuffled into Diana's adult life as a food influencer. She is living in Boston, making good money but a few real friends. She goes to PR for a sponsored trip and meets Dave. They bond over their love of good food and SVU.
The flashbacks felt a little tedious to me until I understood why.
In a series of terrible events, Diana finds herself escaping her life to northern Maine, where Dave has a food truck and an air BnB. There is much pain and grief. But a HEA that's well earned.
I felt like Patrick reminded me of Sabin in Left drowning, and there was another Easter egg related to painting houses. I am glad I didn't give up on this book. And the inspiration for the book title that was explained.
In the first part of the book, I struggled with, particularly the flashbacks. It seemed the font made it harder to read. Diana is a college freshman at the school up north, unfortunately. Why on earth would her new & forever best friend, Patrick from Cleveland, Ohio attend scUm?! My husband says they are called traitors, but he went to THE Ohio State University. Anyway, Patrick and Diana are platonic besties as he falls for Katrina. Diana's home life growing up is shitty. Raised w money but not love.
We get immediately shuffled into Diana's adult life as a food influencer. She is living in Boston, making good money but a few real friends. She goes to PR for a sponsored trip and meets Dave. They bond over their love of good food and SVU.
The flashbacks felt a little tedious to me until I understood why.
In a series of terrible events, Diana finds herself escaping her life to northern Maine, where Dave has a food truck and an air BnB. There is much pain and grief. But a HEA that's well earned.
I felt like Patrick reminded me of Sabin in Left drowning, and there was another Easter egg related to painting houses. I am glad I didn't give up on this book. And the inspiration for the book title that was explained.
June 23, 2026
"180 seconds" and "Flat Out Celeste" are books that resonate with this Reader years after they were read. So saying that had 'high expectations' for this book from an Author that has been largely absent from the book scene is an understatement.
Why? The feels that she evoked in the above two books are a testament the power that books can pull on emotions. "Make it Rain Harder" just seemed like a series of multiple bad breaks that never seemed to let up. Sure, there was full disclosure from the blurb of what some of these bad breaks would be but felt if there was more investment in Patrick and Diana's friendship outside their initial encounter in college then reconnection at a parental event, perhaps then the groundwork for Diana and Dave's romance would be more welcome. Found the latter relationship more compelling then the romance.
That being said, won't write off this Author and, instead, will stoke the embers of hope that future books will carry the unique stamp she had with "Flat Out Celeste" and "180 Seconds".
Why? The feels that she evoked in the above two books are a testament the power that books can pull on emotions. "Make it Rain Harder" just seemed like a series of multiple bad breaks that never seemed to let up. Sure, there was full disclosure from the blurb of what some of these bad breaks would be but felt if there was more investment in Patrick and Diana's friendship outside their initial encounter in college then reconnection at a parental event, perhaps then the groundwork for Diana and Dave's romance would be more welcome. Found the latter relationship more compelling then the romance.
That being said, won't write off this Author and, instead, will stoke the embers of hope that future books will carry the unique stamp she had with "Flat Out Celeste" and "180 Seconds".
July 6, 2026
4.5
First, let me say that I am a huge Jessica Park fan. I have loved all of her books and this is no exception. I devoured it in one sitting. It is a book about friendship, grief, falling in love and amazing food. I felt all of the things while reading this book, I laughed and I cried. I loved the setting and the descriptions of all of the amazing food. I’d really love some dumplings right now. I loved all of the characters. I felt like I was there with them. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and how it went from past to present. I did have a little trouble with the font from the past story line. It’s a bit hard to read but that’s a minor detail. All in all, I loved it and can’t wait to share it with my sister and niece. It also makes me want to go back and do a reread of some of Jessica’s prior works.
First, let me say that I am a huge Jessica Park fan. I have loved all of her books and this is no exception. I devoured it in one sitting. It is a book about friendship, grief, falling in love and amazing food. I felt all of the things while reading this book, I laughed and I cried. I loved the setting and the descriptions of all of the amazing food. I’d really love some dumplings right now. I loved all of the characters. I felt like I was there with them. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded and how it went from past to present. I did have a little trouble with the font from the past story line. It’s a bit hard to read but that’s a minor detail. All in all, I loved it and can’t wait to share it with my sister and niece. It also makes me want to go back and do a reread of some of Jessica’s prior works.
July 11, 2026
A must-read!
On the other side of a hard rain is often a beautiful rainbow. You may have endured life's storms, but the rainbow waiting afterward is worth it. So don't lose heart during the rain—something exponentially beautiful may be just ahead.
This story follows a man who has blamed himself for years for an accident that was never his fault and a woman who grew up in a deeply dysfunctional family. Despite their painful pasts, both have built meaningful lives.
When the woman experiences a devastating loss, she runs from everything she knows. Unbeknownst to her, her journey leads her exactly where she needs to be—to a place of healing, hope, and unexpected love.
This is an inspiring, emotional story that reminds readers that even after life's hardest seasons, hope can still bloom, and sometimes the greatest blessings are found on the other side of the storm.
On the other side of a hard rain is often a beautiful rainbow. You may have endured life's storms, but the rainbow waiting afterward is worth it. So don't lose heart during the rain—something exponentially beautiful may be just ahead.
This story follows a man who has blamed himself for years for an accident that was never his fault and a woman who grew up in a deeply dysfunctional family. Despite their painful pasts, both have built meaningful lives.
When the woman experiences a devastating loss, she runs from everything she knows. Unbeknownst to her, her journey leads her exactly where she needs to be—to a place of healing, hope, and unexpected love.
This is an inspiring, emotional story that reminds readers that even after life's hardest seasons, hope can still bloom, and sometimes the greatest blessings are found on the other side of the storm.
July 5, 2026
There are a few authors I will automatically read, Jessica Park is one of them. Make It Rain Harder is a beautiful tale of friendship, loss, tradition, tragedy, and love. I enjoyed structure of this book, the flashbacks, and the way the characters developed over time. As someone who grew up in a small Maine fishing village, this book made me homesick! The food, the scenery, the people, the fishing industry...all were well represented in ways that made me wish I was there (even in the snow!). I especially loved the explanation and meaning of the book title-something that definitely resonates with me personally. The author’s personal connection to friendship and loss in this book is evident throughout. I truly enjoyed this book, and hope we will see more of these characters one day!
August 2, 2026
This was the first book I have read by Jessica Park. I didn't have expectations going into it, and can't remember now how it even made it on my TBR, probably an IG review post. This book gave me emotional damage, I cried, I felt so many emotions as I cheered for Diana along the reading journey. Diana fought to find her footing of what she really wanted for her world. I loved Dave and how together they anchored each other. I love how their friendship built and became more. Many heavy topics are dealt with in this book so check your trigger warnings. This book did not sugar coat the hard things we face in life, and took us on some roller coasters thorough out the book.
If you like an emotional angst book. This one is for you.
If you like an emotional angst book. This one is for you.
June 30, 2026
I'm a writer and am capable of coming up with my own words and descriptions, but when I saw a review for Make It Rain Harder that said "This book will break your heart and put it back together again," I thought, "Well, that says it perfectly."
Jessica Park puts everything into a book--all the grief, all the longing, all the struggle, and all the love--and the reader comes out on the other side feeling hopeful, safe, better.
Add to this a feral cat, a cast of characters with quirky names and fun jobs, and a food truck that tempts me to move back to Maine... well, I devoured the book in three days.
Oh, and New Friend Dave is, like, fabulous.
Jessica Park puts everything into a book--all the grief, all the longing, all the struggle, and all the love--and the reader comes out on the other side feeling hopeful, safe, better.
Add to this a feral cat, a cast of characters with quirky names and fun jobs, and a food truck that tempts me to move back to Maine... well, I devoured the book in three days.
Oh, and New Friend Dave is, like, fabulous.
July 5, 2026
I knew to expect an amazing book but I wasn’t expecting the slow burn. Diana, is a social media queen supporting small restaurants and businesses. She’s had a lot stress recently for a variety of reasons and accepted a trip from a sponsor where she meets Dave. They connect on many levels including their love of Law and Order SVU, reading and food. This book had my emotions all over the place and they never really synced with Diana, sometimes she was appropriately sad and others desensitized. It definitely took a bit to read this one, more slow and steady than quick to finish. I was given an early copy and wrote this review voluntarily.
June 28, 2026
This kills me to rate this book so low since I truly love several of Jessica Park's books but this one is just a mess. It is so disjointed and seems super rushed like she just published her first draft without any editing. It has such potential to be amazing since I loved the characters but the poor pacing took me out of the story more times than I can count. I truly hope this was a fluke and will read her next book with fingers crossed.
June 27, 2026
Another great read by Jessica Park! I loved the characters and the storyline. It definitely gave you all the feels. Following this author on Facebook, made me see many similarities between the book and author. I feel it made me connect more with the book! I hope there is another book with these characters. There is so much more story between Dave and Diana!
July 11, 2026
What can I say, but I know that reading one of her books will trigger a great ugly cry. You know the one. When you need to release all the emotions of that week or that day, it feels really good afterward. Cathartic. I knew going in that I would cry with this book. The author mentioned that her best friend had died a couple of years ago, and I just knew this special book was for him. Damn, I'm tearing up now thinking about that. Okay. The main story was about Diana and her quest to be happy in her life after a neglected childhood. Or that was my interpretation. Her bestie and only friend, Patrick, was always around to help her out, whether to listen to her or be the guy to fix things. I wished there were more of Patrick. I felt we got glimpses of what a great guy he was, but not enough. There weren't many funny scenes in this book. I wished there were more of those. This book was sad and heavy. Dave was a great guy for Diana. He was the one for her. Their romance was sweet and kind. The romance was slow but rewarding. The ending was simply beautiful. Overall, this was a sad but lovely romance book. Thanks to the author for the gift of her book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2026
I really enjoyed this
Jessica Park writes characters that you feel like you could be friends with and always so relatable. While it was a heavy subject, I’ve lost a long time friend as an adult, it was also still easy to read and I looked forward to getting back to my story. Current culture references were fun
Jessica Park writes characters that you feel like you could be friends with and always so relatable. While it was a heavy subject, I’ve lost a long time friend as an adult, it was also still easy to read and I looked forward to getting back to my story. Current culture references were fun
July 11, 2026
Such a beautifully written book. I bawled my eyes out numerous times. The characters are so well written, you feel for them and their sorrow.
I will definitely be rereading it soon and falling into the story once again. The characters are so relatable, I just want to read about my friends again.
I will definitely be rereading it soon and falling into the story once again. The characters are so relatable, I just want to read about my friends again.
July 6, 2026
I enjoyed reading this book. I love the past and present time frames and the unexpected things that happened. I really loved Diana and her quirks and the fact that she wasn’t perfect.
July 12, 2026
Oh Jessica!! I love you but at one point in my reading of this book I got pretty angry! But I forgive you!😉
I just love these characters. Diana is my kinda girl! And Patrick, well he’s just the best friend ever. I wish I knew a little more about David but maybe you did that on purpose. I know how much blood, sweat and lots of tears were put into this story. It was a great read and would recommend it to everyone!
I just love these characters. Diana is my kinda girl! And Patrick, well he’s just the best friend ever. I wish I knew a little more about David but maybe you did that on purpose. I know how much blood, sweat and lots of tears were put into this story. It was a great read and would recommend it to everyone!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews