Desert Rain: A Classic Romance of Second Chances and Healing in the California Desert

by Elizabeth Lowell

Extended from Summer Thunder

HOLLY
She is a fragile innocent haunted by memories of her past and by dreams of the man who once shared her secrets...the only man she can ever truly love.

SHANNON
One of the world's great beauties, her face and figure grace the fashion pages of the most elegant magazines. Though many desire her, only one man may have her.

HOLLY SHANNON NORTH
She is a contradiction: assured yet vulnerable, irresistible yet untouched. Destiny has brought her back to Hidden Springs, where she can be one person, where romance once touched her tender young heart—back to Lincoln McKenzie, the proud Californian rancher, long since hardened by life's tragedies. Now, in the icy chill of a desert storm, they must somehow find the way back to love together—to rekindle the fire whose healing warmth has draw them home.

New York bestseller Elizabeth Lowell returns to a classic story of love and redemption. Desert Rain - Previously published as Summer Thunder.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Westerns, Historical Romance, Audiobook

409 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 1983

About the author

Individually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one work of non-fiction. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. Her novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery. After working in contemporary and historical romance, she became an innovator in the genre of romantic suspense.

In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).

Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.

To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.

Reviews

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 2 out of 5]

The insanely stupid misogynistic crap that this ‘H’ spouts, even a Neanderthal would feel uneasy owning to. He’s neurotically insecure and distrustful of women - damaged by mommy/step-mommy issues. *sob*
A woman cannot be beautiful and nice. She just has to be a bitch/slut if she’s a looker. Only plain women can be wife/mommy/trustworthy. A serious case of Madonna/slut dichotomy!
And double standards.

*With spoilers* For just few pages, I actually sensed the complexity of the issue because the world does tend to label people easily and put them in boxes. But then it gets lost in the H’s hateful antics and the author’s pursuit for angst via pigheaded cruelty.
A typical dialogue in the book goes like this -
“Physical beauty has nothing to do with those things,” she said desperately. “Beauty doesn’t make them happen and beauty doesn’t prevent them from happening.”
“You’re wrong,” he said flatly. “I know a lot more about beautiful bitches than you do.”
“The words beautiful and bitch don’t mean the same thing!”

At one time he even calls his 15 years old sister a slut when she dresses up! Such a loathsome worm!
So why is the h so desperate for him???

A case of obsession rather than real love I felt. She was 9 (and he 17) when she decided he’s the one. The H also (controversially so) felt the same around that time or not much later. They are the kids on neighboring ranches. She’s from a loving family and he has a highly dysfunctional one. They get separated when she goes to live with her aunt (at 16) when her parent die. She comes back as a successful international model and runs into his misogynistic hate and labelling.
And he doesn’t recognize her in her model avatar but goes all tender on her the next day when he sees her in a plain getup! So, with makeup she’s a ‘prostitute’ and without - ‘his sweet niná’. He’s symbolically blind to reality!

On and on it goes - the whole skimmable cringey idiocy.
Many questions remain. Why did they not reach out to each other in these 6 years. So the aunt hid/destroyed the letters (*eyeroll*). Phone? Visits?
And the virgin h after initially panting for sex and making moves, goes awkward and shy at the crucial juncture - ' I don't know what to do/ tell me what to do' when she should have just said 'NO' to his rapey moves!
After that, all sex scenes are slow and tender but I still felt icked out as things somehow felt wrong - what with his warped suspicions right there in bed with them.

I wonder why a supermodel would even want such an emotionally immature jerk and one who’s not even a very successful man, and then so desperately. Her teenage obsession should have evaporated within the first few days. The om is the real prize here - handsome, successful, sensitive, caring and attuned to her moods and feelings.

[Alexis-Morgan Roark · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am going to start my review with a whopper of a spoiler: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU SHY AWAY FROM BOOKS WITH RAPE/PRACTICALLY RAPE SCENES!

Some reviewers will argue, but the way the hero took-and I mean took-the heroine's virginity was tantamount to rape.

There were so many things wrong with this book for me (for me):

* Why didn't he try to reach her once she became an adult? I know the aunt tried to keep them away, but he should have been on a plane the DAY she turned 18 to "claim his woman"! She literally had to be in his own backyard for this "love" to happen. Puhlease! Oh, he "loved" her so much but couldn't pick up the darn phone? Of course, she remained steadfast to her virginal love vigil but he had no problems "sating his lusts" elsewhere.

* He punishes women 'cause his beautiful mother and step-mama were beautiful women who happened to have loose morals? He beds beautiful women but keeps his obviously beautiful step-sister "plain" and wants to marry his "plain" former jail bait love interest?

* Oh...and how could he NOT know it was Holly when he first saw her as Shannon? Oh, that's right...he knew it on some "level" but warred with himself? Give me a freaking break! Better yet, someone smack this idiot upside his head.

There's more, but I have grown weary of this book's existence in my life. I checked it out on audiobook from the library; so, at least I didn't have to PAY for this torture!

Must end on a positive note: She did grow a backbone and kicked his butt out of her life...after he said that she had basically learned some new tricks with the "wanna be OM" in the FIVE DAYS since they had last seen each other. Oh, and this was AFTER they'd JUST FINISHED making love-having sex!!

Oops..that wasn't positive. How's this? She puts the hero's ex-he was with her THE DAY BEFORE HE MAKES A MOVE ON THE HEROINE (BREATHE)-in her place.

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m beginning to wonder of EL is another author I may have to add to an author to avoid. She sure has some mean hombres for her heroes if you can call them that. In the few that I’ve read she’s given Susan Fox and Diana Palmer a run for their money. I think I prefer (can’t say that I like) Fox’s mean ones the best as they usually have an actual reason they can point to to say, “This is why I hate you even though I lust for you,” whereas DP and EL just make it up as they go along. The sun set…you are a slut. The cows milk dried up because you are a conniving gold-digger. You looked at Cowpoke 1 and the fence fell down. Okay.

I am scraping this to a three star despite the hero once again being absolutely awful…refusing to believe she’s a virgin, painting her with the same brush as all the other evil women he’s ever known, not believing her protestations of love. You know the drill. The heroine actually says no the H which is a rarity, but ultimately she finally proves her worth as all romance heroines must do by sacrificing herself unselfishly to prove her worthiness. Whew, thank goodness he’s appreciative.

As if that weren't enough, I know have an earwig of Purple Rain wracking through me head.

[Grrrrace · Rating 3 out of 5]

So much hate for this book (mainly aimed at its alphahole hero) that of course I had to read it. I'm on a Lowell kick anyway (thanks Boogenhausen--her early stuff is an angst junky's delight!). I did not hate this book--I actually liked a lot about it, and best of all was the heroine, who was steel to the core! Yes, she loved the hero no matter what and yes she had feelz and sadz, but she literally tells herself that she's not going to let that (or him) destroy her, and she doesn't. She slaps him down, the wanna-be OM down, she hilariously strips the OW of all vanity and illusions about her desirability (OW deserved it for being mean to hero's 15-yr-old sister), and she refuses to give up her work (as a Top Model), her pride, or her independence. Holly might have been vulnerable, but once her model persona Shannon came on the scene, Holly/Shannon kicked everyone's ass.

Linc, well, whatever--one of Lowell's tortured jerk cowboys with mommy AND stepmommy issues (two-two-two traumas in one!), so he thinks all beautiful women are heartless sluts and isn't shy about saying so and is overall just a jealous little manboy bitch. But he rides Arabians around the desert and has a hairy chest and a big....mustache so of course he's irresistible to our otherwise man-impervious heroine (who imprinted on him like a little baby bird when she was an adolescent) and all the other ladies in the wilds (hahahaha) of Palm Springs. I will say this though: Lowell does a pretty convincing job of showing that Linc changes by the end of the book, and we see it in how he becomes more relaxed about his little sister growing up into a beautiful woman rather than just trying to convince us that the heroine has magically cured him. So I actually DID pretty much buy their HEA. Mainly because the heroine will kick his ass and walk away if his conversion doesn't stick.

So I guess this was Lowell's first book, Summer Thunder, which was a short category that she later expanded into Desert Rain (mainly by having chapters-long sex scenes, if I had to guess). It definitely shows what a talented writer she was from the start, because her hallmark descriptive landscapes are there, along with some sizzling sexual tension and angst. I'll have to read the unexpanded version to see how different it was, if I can find a copy, but overall I enjoyed this one.

[Mimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly - I have read several books by Elizabeth Lowell and loved them. But this one was pretty awful. There was absolutely no chemistry between the hero and heroine. They had grown up near each other, and the heroine had apparently had a crush on him since she was a kid and he was a young strapping teen, but beyond that there was no apparent reason why these two should be together - nor did I care if they were together. The hero was a chauvenist jerk, and the heroine was just...wishy-washy. The cheese factor was through the roof. For the first half the hero does nothing but make lame sexual innuendos. This was one of those books where the hero treats the heroine poorly until he finds out she's a virgin and then suddenly she's worthy of him.

I would have stopped reading this book but the dialogue and story were actually so bad that it was comical. I think part of it may have been that I listened to the audiobook, and the reader did the hero's 'voice' in such a way that it sounded like he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day.

This was also my first experience reading a contemporary from such a long time ago (1983), and I'm not sure I liked it.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be the first book I have ever rated 1 star, and I read a lot! Even forgetting the cliches (this is an 80s romance after all) this book was horrid. The "hero" of the novel, Linc, is a completed jerk who crosses the line into psychologically abusive. In my opinion he has no redeeming qualities beyond looking extremely hot and raising horses. Holly puts up with so much crap from him that I felt like shaking her senseless then carting her off to counseling! Bottom line: Not worth reading. If you want to read a decent Lowell novel, try one she wrote in the last decade. I've found her books get progressively worse the closer to 1980 they were published! Beautiful Dreamer is a good recent book of hers.

Note: I listened to the audio book, and again I do not recommend! The narrator tries to act out the dialog by laughing. For example, "Holly laughed. Ha ha ha ha!" It made me wince every time.However I'm not surprised that no decent voice talent would touch this book.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Germany we have this thing called Kasperle Theater, a kind of poppet show where this funky boi Kasperle goes around meeting nasty pips and all the children watching crying noooo Kasperle don't do it he's eviiil can't you see????



This book is like that: there's this guy, Linc, a REAL MAN COWBOY STUD who goes around prancing like a young colt or something and thinking he's THE MAN in spite of the fact that our fancy boi has never seen a college from the inside before. So our REAL MAN boi prances and prances and all the children watching scream argh noooo don't do it can't you see it's her? But he doesn't and our boi goes prancing from faux-pas to insults to actual rape only to go OOPS SORRY DIDN'T MEAN IT CAN I TAKE MY WIENER BACK OUT OF YOUR VAGINA PLZ? Yeah that's the kind of party boi we talkin about. So the children been screaming at Linc our boi for nearly 200 pages going like no damn boi u wrong u trippin stahp it this whole plot is about what a dumb cunt u r! Until finally, blessedly, the dumb idiot we've been reading about realises on the last page ever that he has been a dumb idiot all along.
But the central mystery in this grand novel remains, to this day unsolved. I knew that Linc was the one who dun the stoopid, but what about our girl Holly? why didn't she listen to all those children going like dump that ass yo? I'm still confuddled same as our poor boi Linc was when he still thought he was right, and waiting for the sequel where Holly goes of into the sunset and marries her vibrator.

I think I would have loved this as a pre-teen. In my dirty book collection this would have been a raw diamond. Now it's just a bland 2 out of 5 ;) sad

[Allison Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ye gods and little fishes I hate this type of book. The romantic "hero" is a misogynist, a rapist and a complete and utter asshole but deep down he's really just a scared little boy. *Insert emoticon of me snorting with derision here* I've read some bad books for challenges before but this was definitely one of the most offensive. If not falling in love with a man who calls not only me but all women whores and sluts and bitches makes me unfeminine and unromantic, then I say no problem. Yuck!

[Erinn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this might be the first Lowell book I did not like. I mostly don't have a problem with male characters who tend to be assholes, but man Lincoln was over the top, and in the worst way possible. I skimmed most of this book solely because every time Lincoln opened his mouth to speak I wanted to beat him bloody. I was rooting for Holly and Roger by the time I was one-third of the way through book. Skip this one, and maybe read some of her Only series.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author noted that this was her first published work and that this edition is one that she was able to add back some of the content that had been culled from it by editors (I believe it was a Silhouette or Harlequin Romance novel.) She shouldn’t have bothered. I am not being harsh, I love Lowell but this hero is just gross. I generally like romance heroes, and can suspend belief and just enjoy their masculinity but Linc struck me as insecure and weak. Why did Holly ache for this douche bag? He was terrible. She should have ran away with Roger.

[Sapheron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could have liked this book... it was beautifully written (sometimes) but honestly, it took me FOREVER to finish, and the hero (Hhm?) was too much of an ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember reading romance novels by this author and loving them. BUT, this isn't one of them. The (anti)hero was clearly overbearing and obnoxious in this 1983 novel and he didn't age well in my 2021 reading. The 2 rating is because I did finish it, but I think I'll be more diligent in checking publication dates.

[Lulu Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are authors ok?

[SaturNalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly is a popular fashion model longing for Linc, her childhood crush. She grew up with him on a ranch, until her parents died forcing her to move in with her aunt in Manhattan, where she got her start as a model. Holly was wonderful, she was beautiful inside and out, humble and caring. Her new photo shoot takes her back home and to Linc, who doesn't recognize her and hates her on sight because of her looks and her profession. His mother and step-mother were both beautiful models, who treated him and his father despicably, therefore every beautiful woman in the world must be the same. I hated Linc. He said stupid, ignorant and hurtful things to Holly and his sister. He claimed to love his sister and Holly but didn't look beyond the physical. He raised his sister, but the minute she put on some make up he called her a prostitute. Holly told him she was a virgin but once he found out she was a model, he called her a whore and practically raped her. Holly deserved a way better hero. She tried to tell and show Linc she was different from his mother, but he a big jerk all the way til the end. He wasn't redeemed for all his awful words.

[Spencer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2020
I remember absolutely loving this book the first time I read it. That was a long time ago. Unfortunately, as the years have passed so has my affection for this story.

Part of the trouble is the characters. Especially Linc. He feel like any beautiful woman is immediately a threat to his sanity because his mom and stepmom had been "models" but were actually prostitutes. And so now every woman who was potentially beautiful was immediately untrustworthy. Even his little sister. Even Holly. He basically rapes her, and then feels bad about it, but doesn't change his opinions even one little bit. It was frustrating and exhausting to read the same drivel over and over again about how Holly loves him but he can't love her. And, oh my god, was it annoying when he was fawning all over her when she was Holly, but when she was Shannon all he could see her as was a slut. THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON! Just because one looks 'better' than the other doesn't mean that they are separate! You can't just say, oh she's wearing make up now; now the girl I know is gone. That doesn't make any sense!

[Ubi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just remember that I have read this book long ago. There isn't any pleasant feeling left after reading this. This is the first and the last time I would read her book. Not being judgmental but somehow it does. I just don't want to feel that hateful feeling again.

This book doesn't value for money too. Burned!

I don't exactly remember the plot but reading the title and author name is enough to make me reminiscent about it.This is the worst feeling ever.

Totally not recommended. Enuff said

[Nadosha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why they never used phone to communicate. Thier reason to be apart are stupid. put to was a entertaining book

[C.A. Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hero is profoundly unlikable in ways that had me itching to stage an intervention. I was spite reading by the end. The only upshot: the heroine stands up for herself repeatedly and competently.

[Leila Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leio ou releio romances para acalmar a ansiedade, para me divertir, para me emocionar, ou para relembrar quando era jovem e os via como contos de fadas para adultos. Comecei relendo (ou lendo, faz tanto tempo que alguns livros não sei se já tinha lido) Linda Howard, e passei para Elizabeth Lowell. Alguns desses romances publicados entre a década de 1980 e 1990 ou um pouco mais à frente eu guardei na minha biblioteca do Kindle. Alguns eu tenho até em paperback. Outros eu descartei (e outros desses eu me arrependi de ter descartado e comprei de novo - coisa de doido).
Lendo assim no "atacado", consolidei algumas observações e adicionei outras. É óbvio que sempre soube que essas escritoras (e outros escritores do gênero) têm como que um modelo, e repetem características de personagens e argumentos, às vezes até ambientação, mesmo que variem regiões de um mesmo país ou até outro país. Não significa que não saibam escrever. Em tempos de inteligência artificial, não troco essas autoras clássicas do gênero por qualquer inteligência artificial ou por outras que não sabiam a diferença entre um "you're" e um "your" (leio preferencialmente em inglês, ler romance traduzido é igual a ver filme dublado, patético). Esses autores me irritam, bem como os inexistentes ou igualmente ignorantes editores. Porque falta muita edição/revisão. O que é uma observação recente que fiz nos livros de Lowell que tenho lido. A displicência das editoras é revoltante. Enfim.
Vou repetir este texto em todos os livros que li na última semana, porque a conclusão é a mesma. Embora alguns livros tenham me entretido mais, e outros tenham me parecido exagerados na suposta sensibilidade dos personagens principais. E nem é só da mulher. Em "Love Song for a Raven" o "herói" é irritantemente sensível... e aparentemente por causa da sua altura. Fiquei o tempo todo pensando se os jogadores de basquete têm esse tipo de problema.
Os livros que escolhi (como emendei um no outro, fui mais pelo preço ou pela possibilidade de estar disponível no Kindle Unlimited para empréstimo) são de uma época em que a autora podia passar incólume pelo padrão de "homem que odeia mulheres porque elas o feriram" e mulheres que apesar de terem uma carreira, são "inexperientes", seja total ou parcialmente, sempre devido a um ex que também odiava mulheres e as traumatizaram. Não que atualmente não haja homens patéticos (haja vista os chamados red pills, e como pouco mudou a cultura de homens que acham que são proprietários de mulheres e as maltratam ou fazem até coisa pior). Mas fica muito difícil acreditar que em tempos de internet, ainda haja alguém que desconheça as facetas múltiplas do relacionamento físico entre pessoas.
Isso posto, concluo que realmente uma das razões pelas quais esses livros me entretêm é ressoarem numa pessoa que consegue entender o que é uma relação mal-sucedida entre seres humanos por razões absolutamente triviais, ou mesmo por falta de caráter de uma das partes. Os seres humanos são defeituosos desde sempre. E romances continuarão a ser lidos porque uma parte de nós não acredita mais em conto de fadas realizado.

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why I gave this 1 star:
1. I'm not a huge romance fan. I'm a firm believer in "less is more". I like more of the romantic/sensual/sexual scenes to leave more to the imagination.
2. This story was so lame. From the first chapter, I could almost tell you the rest of the story.

There was so little substance that I skipped through a majority of the story that was fluff.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick, easy, sexy read. Holly grew up on a ranch, but became a model after moving in with relatives. Lincoln owns neighboring ranch. Holly grew up with a crush on Linc that blossomed into love . They meet as adults but Lincs prejudice against models hinders their relationship. When they are together it’s fireworks, but he believes Holly to be shallow and untrustworthy due to her beauty.

[Dana]

DNF at 30%. I didn't click with this one. There were a few things that bugged me. I know Linc is supposed to have baggage, but I did not like the way he talked to Holly. I also find it weird that he did not recognize Holly at the photo shoot--like she is unrecognizable when she is all glammed up.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing MMC and really pointless plot. Because his mother and stepmother happened to be chit groups, he is distrustful of beauty? And also doesn’t realize that the FMC is a renowned model that he’s been in love with since they were children but oh no, she’s gorgeous. Obviously she’s a horrific human being....who comes up with this?!

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories where the MC has had a crush on their childhood friend they have seen forever. The ranch setting is close to my heart, too. Moving from a ranch to Manhatten, Holly had a lot to adapt to but she got lucky and landed a modeling job. As luck would have it, her job landed her right in the hands of Linc, her forever crush. This is one of the saddest "reconciliations" ever and the unmentionable happened. I can't even imagine how Holly felt to learn who Lincoln really was. I think others will like this book overall, even though there are some rather disturbing things.

[Jessie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

romantic

I read this book years ago and I still love the story. So romantic! Linc’s experience with his mother and stepmother does not allow him to see Shannon as being a lovely human being.

[Malika-Liki · Rating 3 out of 5]

not my favourite story but I did loved the part where the H talked about his mother's abuse (left as a child in a hot car all afternoon while she is having good time in a motel).

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow going but as usual when you get towards the end it picks up.

[Sue Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rape isn't romantic

[Judy Tarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites by this author. I read it several times.

[Fiona Groves · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh!