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Friday Harbor #2
Rainshadow Road
Lucy Marinn is a glass artist living in mystical, beautiful, Friday Harbor, Washington. She is stunned and blindsided by the most bitter kind of betrayal: her fiancé Kevin has left her. His new lover is Lucy's own sister. Lucy's bitterness over being dumped is multiplied by the fact that she has constantly made the wrong choices in her romantic life. Facing the severe disapproval of Lucy's parents, Kevin asks his friend Sam Nolan, a local vineyard owner on San Juan Island, to "romance" Lucy and hopefully loosen her up and get her over her anger. Complications ensue when Sam and Lucy begin to fall in love, Kevin has second thoughts, and Lucy discovers that the new relationship in her life began under false pretenses. Questions about love, loyalty, old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings are explored as Lucy learns that some things in life—even after being broken—can be made into something new and beautiful. Rainshadow Road is the second book in Lisa Kleypas's Friday Harbor series.
308 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 2012
410 people are currently reading
7310 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Kleypas
133books30.9kfollowersLISA KLEYPAS is the RITA award-winning author of 21 novels. Her books are published in fourteen languages and are bestsellers all over the world. She lives in Washington State with her husband and two children.
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February 12, 2013
Edited March 4, 2012 to include my review of the audiobook, narrated by Tanya Eby. See below the ❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀�. I also wanted to add our RLfoCI “buddy read� tee-shirt montage worn by Sam and Lucy, The Scream, and a picture of the Afterglow Mausoleum (all below).
More wonderful pictures @
★★★★� I have a friend who received an ARE of the amazing Ms. Kleypas� second in the Friday Harbor series, and was kind enough to lend it to me. I loved it! Gobbled it down in hours, to the detriment of my sleep. It has some sad parts, though. Ms. Kleypas can make you feel her protagonists� ache of love � whether it is the beginning, the end, or the disillusionment in between.
Ms. Kleypas is branching into “magical realism� � and I love it. It doesn't overwhelm the book, but makes a few appearances at critical times. And it all takes place in the lovely, enchanting setting of Friday Harbor, Washington. Can't wait for the next in the series!
❶✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀�
Update March 4, 2012 on audiobook.
I recently did a “buddy read� of this book; as it was my second “reading� of it, I decided to listen to the audiobook, and I’m glad I did. It is well narrated by Tanya Eby (though she does **gasp** lisp the author’s name!). Still, I thought she elevated Lucy, the heroine, from what Megan, in her insightful review, wonderfully described it as having a “palpable sorrow, and quiet dignity.� In the audio, Ms. Eby made Lucy sound lighter and brighter, especially in the second half of the book, than I felt about her my first read-through.
Edvard Munch’s “The Scream� -
TEE-SHIRT MONTAGE
Chapter 7
Lucy:
Chapter 12
Sam:
Chapter 14
Sam:
Lucy:
Afterglow Mausoleum, Friday Harbor
[image error]
Friday Harbor, Washington
Lime Kiln Lighthouse
(Credit: Laura Boulton)Ferry leaving Friday Harbor
vineyard in area Orca’s blow-front of lighthouse
More wonderful pictures @
★★★★� I have a friend who received an ARE of the amazing Ms. Kleypas� second in the Friday Harbor series, and was kind enough to lend it to me. I loved it! Gobbled it down in hours, to the detriment of my sleep. It has some sad parts, though. Ms. Kleypas can make you feel her protagonists� ache of love � whether it is the beginning, the end, or the disillusionment in between.
Ms. Kleypas is branching into “magical realism� � and I love it. It doesn't overwhelm the book, but makes a few appearances at critical times. And it all takes place in the lovely, enchanting setting of Friday Harbor, Washington. Can't wait for the next in the series!
❶✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀✿❀�
Update March 4, 2012 on audiobook.
I recently did a “buddy read� of this book; as it was my second “reading� of it, I decided to listen to the audiobook, and I’m glad I did. It is well narrated by Tanya Eby (though she does **gasp** lisp the author’s name!). Still, I thought she elevated Lucy, the heroine, from what Megan, in her insightful review, wonderfully described it as having a “palpable sorrow, and quiet dignity.� In the audio, Ms. Eby made Lucy sound lighter and brighter, especially in the second half of the book, than I felt about her my first read-through.
Edvard Munch’s “The Scream� -
TEE-SHIRT MONTAGE
Chapter 7
Lucy:
Chapter 12
Sam:
Chapter 14
Sam:
Lucy:
Afterglow Mausoleum, Friday Harbor
[image error]
February 29, 2012
Really good! This was NOT what I expected, but Lisa Kleypas sold me in the end. It looks like she can write anything, including contemporary romance with a light touch a magic and fantasy for the imagination.
Rainshadow Road is a story of destined lovers, quite possibly brought together by unseen forces, to find a happiness they never dreamed possible.
Set in the beautiful village town of Friday Harbor, Washington - an island community protected by the rainshadows cast from nearby mountains, giving them more sunny and dry days perfect for growing grapes.
Lucy’s life takes an unexpected turn when her boyfriend of two years breaks things off, confessing to be in love with none other than her sister. Hurt by the betrayal, she throws herself into her work and what she loves to do most � making beautiful stained glass windows and artifacts with hand blown glass. But Lucy has a secret, she has an extraordinary gift that connects her to her art.
Then she meets Sam, a local wine maker and handsome geek with piercing green-blue eyes. He has a pension for nerdy T-shirts and a love of all things wine, but he does not do relationships. Keeping it casual between consenting adults is his thing, so he might be the perfect rebound choice for Lucy to help mend a broken heart.
Sam is deeply drawn to Lucy, and against his better judgement he offers to help her when she needs a friend to turn to. She enters his world and meets his family, and what started as a friendship turns into a passion he can't define. Is he ready for someone like Lucy? Will he understand just what and who she is?
Sam is focused on his wine business and trying to renovate an old estate home that came with his winery. With the help of his brothers, they are slowly making progress on restoring the old home to its original glory and bringing life to the vineyard. To say thank you, Lucy offers her talent at making a beautiful stained glass window, which might just be the touch the home needs.
Knowing from the start that their relationship will lead to nowhere, Lucy realizes it can't last. Her feelings for Sam are growing, her family life is a mess, and opportunities to move on are presenting themselves. She has no interest in changing a man, and Sam has no interest in anything more than casual so she must think of herself. And while Sam realizes Lucy is more than meets the eye, he's not ready for happily-ever-after.
My final thoughts
This was a great read, although I was a bit confused at first as to the direction it was going. It started off a bit lighter in tone and slower paced than Kleypas's last contemporaries. In fact, the Friday Harbor series is shaping up to be nothing like them at all. The Texas series is written in first person and is a bit grittier with mega rich alpha heroes. This series is in third person and seems more light and humorous, with heroes more beta or gamma types (but still very sexy in their own ways!)
By midway it picked up the pace and the story and romance took off. I felt this was more along the lines of a good Nora Roberts book, but with some magical elements added in and some hotter steamy moments.
Sam made a great beta-hero with a nerdy but sexy side. I found his geek humor hilarious!! The dialogue between Sam and Lucy was great, and it had me smiling every time they got together. Lucy was the kind of heroine I like; smart but not full of herself, sexy in a subtle way, and secure in her own skin.
The magic elements in the story threw me at first, and honestly didn't work for me until the ending. I didn't understand its importance, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I do wish there were more magical elements in the story for the sake of keeping a flow between reality and fantasy, as the little we get did feel out of place.
The ending was pitch perfect for me. I wont spoil it but I found myself completely enthralled and sucked in to the story, and cheering for Lucy and Sam. Overall I enjoyed this one and I look forward to Alex's story. Something tell me his story is going to be darker and have much more magical/paranormal elements to it.
Next up and
Rainshadow Road is a story of destined lovers, quite possibly brought together by unseen forces, to find a happiness they never dreamed possible.
Set in the beautiful village town of Friday Harbor, Washington - an island community protected by the rainshadows cast from nearby mountains, giving them more sunny and dry days perfect for growing grapes.
Lucy’s life takes an unexpected turn when her boyfriend of two years breaks things off, confessing to be in love with none other than her sister. Hurt by the betrayal, she throws herself into her work and what she loves to do most � making beautiful stained glass windows and artifacts with hand blown glass. But Lucy has a secret, she has an extraordinary gift that connects her to her art.
Then she meets Sam, a local wine maker and handsome geek with piercing green-blue eyes. He has a pension for nerdy T-shirts and a love of all things wine, but he does not do relationships. Keeping it casual between consenting adults is his thing, so he might be the perfect rebound choice for Lucy to help mend a broken heart.
Sam is deeply drawn to Lucy, and against his better judgement he offers to help her when she needs a friend to turn to. She enters his world and meets his family, and what started as a friendship turns into a passion he can't define. Is he ready for someone like Lucy? Will he understand just what and who she is?
Sam is focused on his wine business and trying to renovate an old estate home that came with his winery. With the help of his brothers, they are slowly making progress on restoring the old home to its original glory and bringing life to the vineyard. To say thank you, Lucy offers her talent at making a beautiful stained glass window, which might just be the touch the home needs.
Knowing from the start that their relationship will lead to nowhere, Lucy realizes it can't last. Her feelings for Sam are growing, her family life is a mess, and opportunities to move on are presenting themselves. She has no interest in changing a man, and Sam has no interest in anything more than casual so she must think of herself. And while Sam realizes Lucy is more than meets the eye, he's not ready for happily-ever-after.
My final thoughts
This was a great read, although I was a bit confused at first as to the direction it was going. It started off a bit lighter in tone and slower paced than Kleypas's last contemporaries. In fact, the Friday Harbor series is shaping up to be nothing like them at all. The Texas series is written in first person and is a bit grittier with mega rich alpha heroes. This series is in third person and seems more light and humorous, with heroes more beta or gamma types (but still very sexy in their own ways!)
By midway it picked up the pace and the story and romance took off. I felt this was more along the lines of a good Nora Roberts book, but with some magical elements added in and some hotter steamy moments.
Sam made a great beta-hero with a nerdy but sexy side. I found his geek humor hilarious!! The dialogue between Sam and Lucy was great, and it had me smiling every time they got together. Lucy was the kind of heroine I like; smart but not full of herself, sexy in a subtle way, and secure in her own skin.
The magic elements in the story threw me at first, and honestly didn't work for me until the ending. I didn't understand its importance, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I do wish there were more magical elements in the story for the sake of keeping a flow between reality and fantasy, as the little we get did feel out of place.
The ending was pitch perfect for me. I wont spoil it but I found myself completely enthralled and sucked in to the story, and cheering for Lucy and Sam. Overall I enjoyed this one and I look forward to Alex's story. Something tell me his story is going to be darker and have much more magical/paranormal elements to it.
Next up and
June 4, 2012
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED
As Sam paused, searching for the right phrase, Lucy said softly, "You have to take a leap of faith."
3.5 stars.
Sam.
Lucy is a glass artist.
After reading the Travis series, I had pretty high expectations in Rainshadow Road. I'm saddened to say that the book couldn't live up to my expectations. Rainshadow Road lacked the magic that I was looking for. Sure, the story is good and the main protagonists are likable. But. The characters couldn't draw me in like Hardy or Jack did. Not by a long shot. Maybe I just didn't feel "it." Don't get me wrong, the book is not bad by any means. But then again, it's nothing outstanding either. Rainshadow Road is just another nicely written contemporary romance among many others. I liked the small town feeling and the island setting though and Sam's brother Alex seems to be very complex and interesting. Therefore, I might give his story a try.
It's difficult to say why the book didn't work for me the way I'd've wished for. It was not the magical realism element, and I didn't mind the fact that the steam level was very low either. I think the characters were a bit too pale, not interesting enough. Sam and his commitment phobia felt a bit overly dramatized. Lucy's parents were annoying and her sister was a mean bitch, that's for sure. The characterization of Lucy's father didn't work for me either. I felt like the author wanted him to disappear. Dear Ms. Kleypas, please give this man a face, a voice, some courage and the ability to love his daughters. My oh my, for once please show some spine! While we're on it, Kevin (Lucy's ex-boyfriend) was a spineless jerk and acted immature. The parents totally spoiled Alice and they never even had a clue that they neglected Lucy. Alice here and Alice there. Poor Alice. Gah! After what Alice has done to Lucy, I just expected her to grovel much, much more. Just saying "I'm sorry" and Lucy's reply "It's ok" didn't do anything for me. I so wanted her to give Alice a piece of her mind. Well, this was not going to happen. Lucy was the dutiful and tame daughter. Further, some scenes were overly melodramatic and if you overdo it, then it gets kinda corny. I realize this sounds very negative--I just can't help it. It's the way I feel about this book.
One of the strengths of Ms. Kleypas is her witty, rich and hilarious dialogue. That said, unfortunately Sam and Lucy's interaction was not really mesmerizing. Here are some memorable quotes though.
Sam was waiting for her, his gaze sweeping over her. "Looks great."
"I look like a geek," Lucy said. "I smell like a brewery. And I need a bra."
"My dream date."
Sam pulled out his cell phone and looked at her expectantly. "What's your number?" He grinned as she hesitated. "I swear I'm not a stalker. I take rejection well."
"I don't want to talk about it," Lucy said primly.
His smile was edged with friendly mockery.
"Never mind. I already know the answer."
Her eyes turned huge. "Kevin told you about our sex life?"
Sam squinted his eyes with the effort to remember. "Something about Crisco, jumper cables, a snorkel mask--"
"It was entirely normal," Lucy whispered sharply, now crimson. "Plain old regular, boring, vanilla sex."
"That was my second guess," he said gravely.
Even though Rainshadow Road didn't shine, I'm convinced that a majority of readers will love it. When I think of Hardy and Jack, then I'm truly regretting bygone times.
As Sam paused, searching for the right phrase, Lucy said softly, "You have to take a leap of faith."
3.5 stars.
Sam.
Lucy is a glass artist.
After reading the Travis series, I had pretty high expectations in Rainshadow Road. I'm saddened to say that the book couldn't live up to my expectations. Rainshadow Road lacked the magic that I was looking for. Sure, the story is good and the main protagonists are likable. But. The characters couldn't draw me in like Hardy or Jack did. Not by a long shot. Maybe I just didn't feel "it." Don't get me wrong, the book is not bad by any means. But then again, it's nothing outstanding either. Rainshadow Road is just another nicely written contemporary romance among many others. I liked the small town feeling and the island setting though and Sam's brother Alex seems to be very complex and interesting. Therefore, I might give his story a try.
It's difficult to say why the book didn't work for me the way I'd've wished for. It was not the magical realism element, and I didn't mind the fact that the steam level was very low either. I think the characters were a bit too pale, not interesting enough. Sam and his commitment phobia felt a bit overly dramatized. Lucy's parents were annoying and her sister was a mean bitch, that's for sure. The characterization of Lucy's father didn't work for me either. I felt like the author wanted him to disappear. Dear Ms. Kleypas, please give this man a face, a voice, some courage and the ability to love his daughters. My oh my, for once please show some spine! While we're on it, Kevin (Lucy's ex-boyfriend) was a spineless jerk and acted immature. The parents totally spoiled Alice and they never even had a clue that they neglected Lucy. Alice here and Alice there. Poor Alice. Gah! After what Alice has done to Lucy, I just expected her to grovel much, much more. Just saying "I'm sorry" and Lucy's reply "It's ok" didn't do anything for me. I so wanted her to give Alice a piece of her mind. Well, this was not going to happen. Lucy was the dutiful and tame daughter. Further, some scenes were overly melodramatic and if you overdo it, then it gets kinda corny. I realize this sounds very negative--I just can't help it. It's the way I feel about this book.
One of the strengths of Ms. Kleypas is her witty, rich and hilarious dialogue. That said, unfortunately Sam and Lucy's interaction was not really mesmerizing. Here are some memorable quotes though.
Sam was waiting for her, his gaze sweeping over her. "Looks great."
"I look like a geek," Lucy said. "I smell like a brewery. And I need a bra."
"My dream date."
Sam pulled out his cell phone and looked at her expectantly. "What's your number?" He grinned as she hesitated. "I swear I'm not a stalker. I take rejection well."
"I don't want to talk about it," Lucy said primly.
His smile was edged with friendly mockery.
"Never mind. I already know the answer."
Her eyes turned huge. "Kevin told you about our sex life?"
Sam squinted his eyes with the effort to remember. "Something about Crisco, jumper cables, a snorkel mask--"
"It was entirely normal," Lucy whispered sharply, now crimson. "Plain old regular, boring, vanilla sex."
"That was my second guess," he said gravely.
Even though Rainshadow Road didn't shine, I'm convinced that a majority of readers will love it. When I think of Hardy and Jack, then I'm truly regretting bygone times.
July 26, 2014
4 ½-5 stars � Contemporary Romance
Lisa Kleypas is my favorite author and she’s delivered once again. Rainshadow Road is a poignant, lyrical, and altogether heartwarming read that seamlessly blends themes of self-discovery, family, friendship, romance, and even a slice of magic. And the beautiful, mystical setting makes me eager to visit the Pacific Northwest and San Juan Islands.
This speaks to some essential questions of life and love:
How do you learn to trust and risk opening your heart to love again when your faith in the people you should be able to rely on most is shattered? What makes a family? How do we forgive those who’ve hurt us? How does one overcome a troubled upbringing and their parents� dysfunctional example and heal from the pain of the past in order to learn how to have healthy relationships and believe in love, commitment, and marriage?
With engaging characters, humorous and touching moments, and a sweet, satisfying HEA, Rainshadow Road is an enjoyable read that should appeal to readers of romance and women’s fiction and of course avid Lisa Kleypas fans like me! 4 ½...almost 5 stars!
Lisa Kleypas is my favorite author and she’s delivered once again. Rainshadow Road is a poignant, lyrical, and altogether heartwarming read that seamlessly blends themes of self-discovery, family, friendship, romance, and even a slice of magic. And the beautiful, mystical setting makes me eager to visit the Pacific Northwest and San Juan Islands.
This speaks to some essential questions of life and love:
How do you learn to trust and risk opening your heart to love again when your faith in the people you should be able to rely on most is shattered? What makes a family? How do we forgive those who’ve hurt us? How does one overcome a troubled upbringing and their parents� dysfunctional example and heal from the pain of the past in order to learn how to have healthy relationships and believe in love, commitment, and marriage?
With engaging characters, humorous and touching moments, and a sweet, satisfying HEA, Rainshadow Road is an enjoyable read that should appeal to readers of romance and women’s fiction and of course avid Lisa Kleypas fans like me! 4 ½...almost 5 stars!
April 7, 2017
I read this book back in the summer, and I never got around to writing the review. If I had a word to describe it, it's charming. At the same time, I can't say either Lucy or Sam would be anywhere near the top of my list of favorite Lisa Kleypas characters or couples. In fact, I did have minor issues with both of them. Sam more than Lucy.
Lucy made me want to yell at her a few times. I didn't get why she let Alice get away with so much, although LK did a good job of explaining the complexities of the sister relationship and the fact that Alice getting away was stuff was doing business as normal. But I wanted Lucy to get Alice told, and she didn't quite do that. Alice is a mega-brat and she needed someone to hold her accountable for the crap she'd done and instigated in her short life, and Lucy wasn't willing to do it. I think Lucy will appeal to a lot of readers, because she does seem like a normal kind of woman (despite her magical abilities).
Sam, well he just comes off as selfish in that he is living his life and that's his thing. His family dysfunction is there, but he was able to escape from it in a way that his other siblings couldn't, I don't think. He had the neighbors to hide out with and they were like grandparents, giving him a sense of safety. Although I read Dream Lake after this, I started to think of these books as a group. Sam lives in the shadow of Alex for me. Sam managed to avoid most of the angst that hit Alex full in the face, so it’s not wonder that Alex is a trainwreck.
I know that a big issue that I have with Sam is his attitudes towards sex and relationships, or lack thereof. He had no desire for a meaningful relationship. Yes, as the child of two alcoholics, that makes sense. I think if he had shown more depth, I could have connected to him and his reasons. I did like that he finally realized how much Lucy meant to him and his gesture was so sweet and authentic.
As far as Sam and Lucy's relationship, it was pleasant. I did believe they loved each other, but it's hard to get too involved in their relationship considering that I didn't have strong feelings for either of them.
I liked the magical elements. It was different and unique. It's subtly done but integral to the storyline. Kleypas doesn't really explain why Lucy has this ability and no one else in her family does. I don't know if it's because of the fact that Alice always got all the attention and this was a gift that belonged her her alone.
I've read all the books in this series, and this is my least favorite. I think it lacks the punch that later books have, and with , Holly pretty much cinches the story. Holly was in this book and I liked how Sam does connect with Holly, and that is an aspect of the story that gives Sam an added depth.
I have very high standards for Lisa Kleypas. She's been one of my favorite authors, well, for most of my life. I like her foray into something different, and she did it well, but this doesn't stand up well to her other books. Normally most of her heroes turn me into goo, but Sam left me very unmelted.
So, I gave this one 3.5/5.0 stars.
Lucy made me want to yell at her a few times. I didn't get why she let Alice get away with so much, although LK did a good job of explaining the complexities of the sister relationship and the fact that Alice getting away was stuff was doing business as normal. But I wanted Lucy to get Alice told, and she didn't quite do that. Alice is a mega-brat and she needed someone to hold her accountable for the crap she'd done and instigated in her short life, and Lucy wasn't willing to do it. I think Lucy will appeal to a lot of readers, because she does seem like a normal kind of woman (despite her magical abilities).
Sam, well he just comes off as selfish in that he is living his life and that's his thing. His family dysfunction is there, but he was able to escape from it in a way that his other siblings couldn't, I don't think. He had the neighbors to hide out with and they were like grandparents, giving him a sense of safety. Although I read Dream Lake after this, I started to think of these books as a group. Sam lives in the shadow of Alex for me. Sam managed to avoid most of the angst that hit Alex full in the face, so it’s not wonder that Alex is a trainwreck.
I know that a big issue that I have with Sam is his attitudes towards sex and relationships, or lack thereof. He had no desire for a meaningful relationship. Yes, as the child of two alcoholics, that makes sense. I think if he had shown more depth, I could have connected to him and his reasons. I did like that he finally realized how much Lucy meant to him and his gesture was so sweet and authentic.
As far as Sam and Lucy's relationship, it was pleasant. I did believe they loved each other, but it's hard to get too involved in their relationship considering that I didn't have strong feelings for either of them.
I liked the magical elements. It was different and unique. It's subtly done but integral to the storyline. Kleypas doesn't really explain why Lucy has this ability and no one else in her family does. I don't know if it's because of the fact that Alice always got all the attention and this was a gift that belonged her her alone.
I've read all the books in this series, and this is my least favorite. I think it lacks the punch that later books have, and with , Holly pretty much cinches the story. Holly was in this book and I liked how Sam does connect with Holly, and that is an aspect of the story that gives Sam an added depth.
I have very high standards for Lisa Kleypas. She's been one of my favorite authors, well, for most of my life. I like her foray into something different, and she did it well, but this doesn't stand up well to her other books. Normally most of her heroes turn me into goo, but Sam left me very unmelted.
So, I gave this one 3.5/5.0 stars.
August 29, 2017
¡¡QUÉ BO-NI-TO!! ♥️
Esta pareja me encantó.
Esta pareja me encantó.
August 23, 2017
2.75 Stars
I do not usually read Woman's Fiction but after reading Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor a few days ago I felt in the mood for something sweet and uncomplicated.
Two things happened while reading this book:
First, I realized it was magical realism. The first book says nothing about it so I thought this was plain realistic. You can imagine my reaction when weird abracadabra shit happened�
The second thing is, I got the feeling the author was not sure what kind of book she wanted to write so she just thought: I'll try a few things and lets see what happens. The supernatural element in this story is, in my humble opinion, poorly executed. Guys, I eat Fantasy for breakfast. The bat scene was almost...
Magical shit happens at random times with no actual effect in the story. The cartoon-like character for a sister, plus a weak redemption scene at the end, and the douchebag ex-boyfriend, with no morals or common sense at all, were incredibly two dimensional. And I hate them.
I did liked Sam's geek T-Shirts and how much he cared about Holly. The relationship between Sam and Lucy was great at first. Sam and his record of no strings attached relationships found Lucy brokenhearted and in need for someone to have fun with. Everything was cool and sexy until Lucy
This is Rom Com 101, people.
All in all, it was not that bad but weak compared to the first book.
One more thing:
You don't just send Mark and Maggie on a honeymoon without giving me the details. You just don't.
I do not usually read Woman's Fiction but after reading Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor a few days ago I felt in the mood for something sweet and uncomplicated.
Two things happened while reading this book:
First, I realized it was magical realism. The first book says nothing about it so I thought this was plain realistic. You can imagine my reaction when weird abracadabra shit happened�
The second thing is, I got the feeling the author was not sure what kind of book she wanted to write so she just thought: I'll try a few things and lets see what happens. The supernatural element in this story is, in my humble opinion, poorly executed. Guys, I eat Fantasy for breakfast. The bat scene was almost...
Magical shit happens at random times with no actual effect in the story. The cartoon-like character for a sister, plus a weak redemption scene at the end, and the douchebag ex-boyfriend, with no morals or common sense at all, were incredibly two dimensional. And I hate them.
“You started going out with someone else? Before you broke up with me?�Jerk.
“I’d already broken up with you emotionally. I just hadn’t talked to you about it yet.
I did liked Sam's geek T-Shirts and how much he cared about Holly. The relationship between Sam and Lucy was great at first. Sam and his record of no strings attached relationships found Lucy brokenhearted and in need for someone to have fun with. Everything was cool and sexy until Lucy
This is Rom Com 101, people.
All in all, it was not that bad but weak compared to the first book.
One more thing:
You don't just send Mark and Maggie on a honeymoon without giving me the details. You just don't.
June 6, 2012
4-4.5 Stars - Also reviewed at:
WARNING: "Thesis" ahead! LOL
Leap of Faith�
Lisa Kleypas is one of my favourite Romance authors. Her writing is lyrical and full of detail and imagery. After writing Historical Romance novels for over 20 decades, she took a leap of faith when she wrote Sugar Daddy, her first contemporary novel.
Sugar Daddy wasn’t what I expected of Ms Kleypas and it didn’t completely work for me, as I felt that in her search for an authentic contemporary voice, she ended up sacrificing the romance for the story of a woman’s journey, and it became more Chick-Lit. That being said, there were some absolutely beautiful quotes in it and I loved the characters, and I appreciated it more on second read. Ms Kleypas then went on to write two books in the Travis series that I LOVE SO MUCH (Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger) and she became more comfortable in her contemporary voice. Through the Travis series, she gave me so many amazing quotes and she gave me Hardy Cates, and Jack and Gage Travis � such strong, sexy, unashamedly masculine characters� who are on my book boyfriend list! Booyah! ^_^
With the Friday Harbor contemporary series, Lisa Kleypas is taking another leap of faith - into Magical Realism. It is very different from the Travis series and is more along the flavour of Emily March's Eternity Springs series, though not exactly.
The introductory novella to this series, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, left me feeling all warm and fuzzy and thinking of savouring homemade cookies as I enjoyed gazing at a rainbow over the Friday Harbor. It was a magical novella, even though there was no overt “magic� in it, but was sprinkled with the magic of Christmastime, imagination, hope and love, set against the backdrop of the beautiful and magical setting of the San Juan Islands, Washington.
Lucy’s sister’s illness set the Marinn family along a dysfunctional course with their parents letting Alice have whatever she wanted, while piling responsibility and expectations on Lucy, and leaving her feeling insecure regarding love.
While Alice was in hospital, Lucy was watched over by a neighbour, and admiring the neighbour’s glass ornament set Lucy along the path of deciding to be an artist glass-maker. There, began, her fascination with glass and discovering she had a magical gift of turning glass into something living, like fireflies or butterflies, when she was feeling strong emotions.
I think it’s great that Lisa Kleypas wants to push her boundaries, try new paths and expand herself as a writer. It’s an admirable trait. But has her leap of faith into Magical Realism succeeded? What did the magic add to the story?
The Magical Realism�
I pondered this book and ruminated on my review, for a while, as I had mixed feelings when I finished it, and ended up re-reading Rainshadow Road. Like Sugar Daddy, I’ve come to appreciate it more on second read, and after initially considering rating it 4-Stars, I’m thinking it's maybe more of a 4.5 Stars read, for me.
So what did the magical moments add to the story? This was a question I had in the fore of my thoughts as I re-read it. As a result, I began to notice that the moments when Lucy’s magic manifested itself was when she was feeling particularly strong emotions, and the thing that the glass would transform into were symbolic, and meant to help Lucy to see something see needed to in that moment. Like the fireflies that symbolised an unassuming insect becoming beautiful, light in the darkness, or the butterfly that symbolises change or a new phase. It gave Lucy a focus or insight, in those moments; to channel her emotions into something transformative.
These were my thoughts on second read, but this is what Lisa Kleypas had to say in an interview on this book with Barnes and Noble Review, that I read, recently:
But there is more to what the "magic" added...
Lucy and Sam�
When Lucy’s boyfriend, Kevin, dumps Lucy for her sister Alice, Lucy feels Alice has taken away something else from her and has finally crossed a line. This story explores Lucy’s reaction to this event, and it sets a change in motion to the Marinn family dynamics. But it is also this event that brings Lucy into Sam Nolan’s world.
Sam, who also came from a dysfunctional family, of two alcoholic parents, is a fascinating mix of rugged good looks, and hot geekiness. He has a penchant for funny geeky T-shirts which make for some entertainment.
Lucy’s magic, which made her feel set apart from others, was an aspect that connected her to the gorgeous Sam Nolan, a vineyard owner and winemaker with a special talent all his own. Sam was the first person Lucy ever shared her secret with, and vice versa. This shared belief in magic allowed Sam to finally believe in the magic of love.
Because of his family history, Sam doesn’t believe in love and long-term relationships, but he does believe in casual relationships prefaced by honesty to the woman that this is all he could offer. And this is all Lucy wants after what Kevin and Alice did to her. That is, until Lucy and Sam connect on so many more levels than either thought possible. They must both learn to take a leap of faith: Lucy, to trust someone to love her, and Sam, to trust himself enough to love someone.
The Romance�
Lucy and Sam’s banter was wonderful and the progression of their relationship from friends, to casual lovers, to more, was realistic. But I’m afraid to say that while I really enjoyed Rainshadow Road, I felt it somehow lacked a little bit in Lisa Kleypas' trademark romantic “magic�, for me, and hence, it was not quite a 5-Star read. :-( I can’t definitively say what the missing ingredient was, just that I felt something was missing.
The Tension�
*shivers*
Oh, yeah, some great tension here!
Secondary characters�
I don’t want to talk about Alice, Kevin or Lucy’s parents except to say, “Grrrrrr!!!�
I really liked Justine and Zoe, Lucy’s good friends who own the Bed and Breakfast called Artist Point, and Duane and the Hog Heaven bikers. Sam’s bulldog, Renfield, was adorable! It was really great seeing Mark Nolan and Holly again but I felt that when Maggie was in a scene, she didn't feel really present, to me, which made me sad as I loved her with Mark and Holly in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor so much. I was sad to see Alex’s decline.
WARNING: "Thesis" ahead! LOL
‘“Do you think it will make good wine?�
“Probably not,� he said, and laughed.
“Then why have you gone to so much trouble?�
“Because you never know. The grapes might turn out to reveal some attributes of the wine that you never expected. Something that expresses this place more perfectly than anything you could have planned. You have to…�
As Sam paused, searching for the right phrase, Lucy said softly, “You have to take a leap of faith.�
Sam gave her an arrested glance. “Yes.�
Lucy understood all too well. There were times in life when you had to take a risk that might end in failure. Because otherwise you would be haunted by what you hadn’t done…the paths you hadn’t taken, the things you hadn’t experienced.’�
Leap of Faith�
Lisa Kleypas is one of my favourite Romance authors. Her writing is lyrical and full of detail and imagery. After writing Historical Romance novels for over 20 decades, she took a leap of faith when she wrote Sugar Daddy, her first contemporary novel.
Sugar Daddy wasn’t what I expected of Ms Kleypas and it didn’t completely work for me, as I felt that in her search for an authentic contemporary voice, she ended up sacrificing the romance for the story of a woman’s journey, and it became more Chick-Lit. That being said, there were some absolutely beautiful quotes in it and I loved the characters, and I appreciated it more on second read. Ms Kleypas then went on to write two books in the Travis series that I LOVE SO MUCH (Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger) and she became more comfortable in her contemporary voice. Through the Travis series, she gave me so many amazing quotes and she gave me Hardy Cates, and Jack and Gage Travis � such strong, sexy, unashamedly masculine characters� who are on my book boyfriend list! Booyah! ^_^
With the Friday Harbor contemporary series, Lisa Kleypas is taking another leap of faith - into Magical Realism. It is very different from the Travis series and is more along the flavour of Emily March's Eternity Springs series, though not exactly.
The introductory novella to this series, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, left me feeling all warm and fuzzy and thinking of savouring homemade cookies as I enjoyed gazing at a rainbow over the Friday Harbor. It was a magical novella, even though there was no overt “magic� in it, but was sprinkled with the magic of Christmastime, imagination, hope and love, set against the backdrop of the beautiful and magical setting of the San Juan Islands, Washington.
Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, Washington
Rainshadow Road�
In Rainshadow Road, the magical elements are more obvious. Lisa Kleypas sets the scene with these opening paragraphs:
“When Lucy Marinn was seven years old, three things happened: Her little sister Alice got sick, she was assigned her first science project, and she found out that magic existed. More specifically, that she had the power to create magic. And for the rest of her life, Lucy would be aware that the distance between ordinary and extraordinary was only a step, a breath, a heartbeat away.The dysfunctional family�
But this was not the kind of knowledge that made one bold or daring. At least not in Lucy’s case. It made her cautious. Secretive. Because the revelation of magical ability, particularly one that you had no control over, meant you were different. And even a child of seven understood that you didn’t want to find yourself on the wrong side of the dividing line between different and normal. You wanted to belong. The problem was, no matter how well you kept your secret, the very fact of having one was enough to separate you from everyone else.�
Lucy’s sister’s illness set the Marinn family along a dysfunctional course with their parents letting Alice have whatever she wanted, while piling responsibility and expectations on Lucy, and leaving her feeling insecure regarding love.
While Alice was in hospital, Lucy was watched over by a neighbour, and admiring the neighbour’s glass ornament set Lucy along the path of deciding to be an artist glass-maker. There, began, her fascination with glass and discovering she had a magical gift of turning glass into something living, like fireflies or butterflies, when she was feeling strong emotions.
I think it’s great that Lisa Kleypas wants to push her boundaries, try new paths and expand herself as a writer. It’s an admirable trait. But has her leap of faith into Magical Realism succeeded? What did the magic add to the story?
The Magical Realism�
I pondered this book and ruminated on my review, for a while, as I had mixed feelings when I finished it, and ended up re-reading Rainshadow Road. Like Sugar Daddy, I’ve come to appreciate it more on second read, and after initially considering rating it 4-Stars, I’m thinking it's maybe more of a 4.5 Stars read, for me.
So what did the magical moments add to the story? This was a question I had in the fore of my thoughts as I re-read it. As a result, I began to notice that the moments when Lucy’s magic manifested itself was when she was feeling particularly strong emotions, and the thing that the glass would transform into were symbolic, and meant to help Lucy to see something see needed to in that moment. Like the fireflies that symbolised an unassuming insect becoming beautiful, light in the darkness, or the butterfly that symbolises change or a new phase. It gave Lucy a focus or insight, in those moments; to channel her emotions into something transformative.
These were my thoughts on second read, but this is what Lisa Kleypas had to say in an interview on this book with Barnes and Noble Review, that I read, recently:
'For me, magical realism allows the heroine to have revelatory insight. It underscores emotions that are already present, and signals her transition to new directions.Isn't that beautiful? It's unfortunate, though, that it wasn't so evident or meaningful to me, at first, and I think many readers have questioned what the magic added. There have been mixed reviews on this one.
To me, it's more that Lucy has repressed her negative emotions since childhood, because her parents constantly emphasized that it was wrong to feel resentful, jealous, or envious. She gives those feelings expression through art and through the magical quality of the art. We all know that being able to express deep emotion can literally save a person's life, and suppressing emotion can kill you both spiritually and physically. That's where the magic comes in: once expressed, Lucy's emotions becomes visible, a part of the material world.
But there is more to what the "magic" added...
Lucy and Sam�
When Lucy’s boyfriend, Kevin, dumps Lucy for her sister Alice, Lucy feels Alice has taken away something else from her and has finally crossed a line. This story explores Lucy’s reaction to this event, and it sets a change in motion to the Marinn family dynamics. But it is also this event that brings Lucy into Sam Nolan’s world.
Sam, who also came from a dysfunctional family, of two alcoholic parents, is a fascinating mix of rugged good looks, and hot geekiness. He has a penchant for funny geeky T-shirts which make for some entertainment.
Lucy’s magic, which made her feel set apart from others, was an aspect that connected her to the gorgeous Sam Nolan, a vineyard owner and winemaker with a special talent all his own. Sam was the first person Lucy ever shared her secret with, and vice versa. This shared belief in magic allowed Sam to finally believe in the magic of love.
Because of his family history, Sam doesn’t believe in love and long-term relationships, but he does believe in casual relationships prefaced by honesty to the woman that this is all he could offer. And this is all Lucy wants after what Kevin and Alice did to her. That is, until Lucy and Sam connect on so many more levels than either thought possible. They must both learn to take a leap of faith: Lucy, to trust someone to love her, and Sam, to trust himself enough to love someone.
The Romance�
Lucy and Sam’s banter was wonderful and the progression of their relationship from friends, to casual lovers, to more, was realistic. But I’m afraid to say that while I really enjoyed Rainshadow Road, I felt it somehow lacked a little bit in Lisa Kleypas' trademark romantic “magic�, for me, and hence, it was not quite a 5-Star read. :-( I can’t definitively say what the missing ingredient was, just that I felt something was missing.
The Tension�
‘When the plastic was discarded, Sam paused at the sight of a bruise on the side of her knee. He traced the edge of the dark blotch, his touch so light it was nearly imperceptible. His head was bent, so Lucy couldn’t see his expression. But his hands went to the mattress on either side of her hips, his fingers digging into the bedclothes. A deep tremor went through him, desire splintering through restraint.
Lucy didn’t dare say a word. She stared fixedly at the top of his head, the span of his shoulders. Her ears were filled with the echoes of her heartbeat.
His head bent, the light sliding across the dark layers of his hair. The touch of his lips was soft and searing against the bruise, causing her to jerk in surprise. His mouth lingered, drifting to the inside of her thigh. His fingers tightened until he gripped the covers in handfuls.�
*shivers*
Oh, yeah, some great tension here!
Secondary characters�
I don’t want to talk about Alice, Kevin or Lucy’s parents except to say, “Grrrrrr!!!�
I really liked Justine and Zoe, Lucy’s good friends who own the Bed and Breakfast called Artist Point, and Duane and the Hog Heaven bikers. Sam’s bulldog, Renfield, was adorable! It was really great seeing Mark Nolan and Holly again but I felt that when Maggie was in a scene, she didn't feel really present, to me, which made me sad as I loved her with Mark and Holly in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor so much. I was sad to see Alex’s decline.
Renfield ^_^
Final thoughts�
The Travis series is grittier, more raw, and with sexy alpha heroes. The Friday Harbor series is more lyrical with a mixture of magic and realism, and more beta heroes. While I've enjoyed the first two stories in this new series, it hasn't reached the love I have for the Travis series.
That being said, I’m really looking forward to Dream Lake because tortured Alex Nolan and the curvy and lovely Zoe, and the effects her amazing cooking has on him, has already piqued my interest in this one!
DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
December 30, 2023
I really enjoyed this one ... I do love my Suspense/Murder/Whodunnit books but there is nothing like a good love story to make you smile and feel happy. And Sam and Lucy's story did just that. As I said, I love Lisa Kleypas and her Historicals but, I must say, this contemporary series is becoming a firm favourite of mine. Looking forward to the next book about Alex ... a tortured soul (and who doesn't love one of those guys?)
But this book was about Lucy and Sam. Of course we met up with Mark, Maggie and Holly again, from book 1. I love the setting and the scenery. Makes me want to live there!
LOL. Ain't that the truth, Sam. And I loved Holly.
But this book was about Lucy and Sam. Of course we met up with Mark, Maggie and Holly again, from book 1. I love the setting and the scenery. Makes me want to live there!
"I want you to find a man who thinks you're the sun and moon."
There were times in life when you had to take a risk that might end in failure. Because otherwise you would be haunted by what you hadn't done ... the paths you hadn't taken, the things you hadn't experienced.
"When I'm a grown-up, I'll never go to bed."
"Ironically," Sam told her, "when you're a grown-up, going to bed if your favorite thing."
LOL. Ain't that the truth, Sam. And I loved Holly.
May 25, 2012
…”The problem with chasing after happiness is that it wasn’t a destination you could reach. It was something that happened along the way.�
Lisa Kleypas is one of my favorite authors and I was delighted to win a copy of Rainshadow Road, the second installment in her Friday Harbor Series.
There are many elements that I loved about this book. The story flows well and is filled to the brim with dialog. I found myself enjoying the beauty of its lyrical prose. The magical realism that shadows the narrative is like a gentle dusting and adds an element of enjoyment. It's shadowy and just a touch, therefore, it doesn't interfere with the story. Add to that a sexy, gorgeous hero and a heroine that I adored, along with secondary characters that are so well written they should have their own book, and you have a winner! And the icing on the cake is the enchanting village of Friday Harbor, Washington.
Sam Nolan is stunning! I immediately fell hard for him with all his Geeky-Hunky-Outdoorsy-Male self! Lucy’s description fits him perfectly, “a science geek with a body of a Greek god.� Some men just had it, that something extra that could knock you flat if you let it. .. And Sam Nolan certainly had it!
As a local vineyard owner, his days are filled with doing the work he loves along with helping take care of his six year old orphaned niece, Holly. He has deeply rooted commitment issues stemming from his upbringing in a dysfunctional home where both parents were alcoholics. Therefore, he has rules! No commitment � No jealousy � No future! Marriage is certainly not a word in his vocabulary. Each date or partner knew from the beginning that while sex is on the menu, relationships are not. I took great pleasure in watching this man fall:)
Lucy Marinn is smart, compassionate, and blessed with an incredible talent. She is blindsided by the betrayal of her boyfriend Kevin and her younger sister, Alice. Reeling from the pain and heartache, how could she ever trust again? She thought Kevin was the perfect one for her.
Long after she is over Kevin are the questions concerning her sister and her family. How do you face a sibling who shows little or no remorse for her deceitfulness? Since she was seven years old Lucy has played second fiddle to Alice with her parents. She’s had to battle for the little attention she did get from them. Thus, she already has deep feelings of anger, jealousy, gilt and resentment. And now this.
Due to an unfortunate incident, Sam and Lucy find themselves forced together. I completely enjoyed their banter. I think all of my emotions were involved as I laughed, cried and fumed throughout their story. And the sexual build is hot!
It’s always nice to visit again with Mark and Maggie and catch up on their news. Little Holly completely stole my heart and there is one particular scene that brought me to tears. I loved Sam’s old Victorian house that he shared with Mark, Holly and that quirky bulldog, Renfield. And we find that Alex is still tortured.
Rainshadow Road is a poignant, touching, emotional journey that leads to love, trust, commitment and family truths. And along the way two people find there is a love that is “extraordinary in its intensity.�
March 7, 2012
I guess you never know how much you adore something until it's gone. Well, that's what happened to me with LK books. I always adored her reads, but it's been ages since I read one new book from her. I am ashamed to admit it, but I really do have a terrible memory and I started forgetting why I loved this author so much, so you all can imagine how good it was for me to be able to remember so again. AMAZING READ! Nice to feel this way again after so long, I guess I have been kinda lost when it comes to this genre lately. It's not easy to find a good author on this genre, it's a very thin line between heart-breaking-and-well-written romance and a cheesy-and-corny one. Well, if there's an author who knows how to stay on my good side, this one is. I really think LK is the only author on this genre who can makes me laugh and cry at the same time.
This series is about 3 brothers who were born into a terrible family and raised carelessly and without any affection. So how not to love even more the men they became because of their past? It's easy to do things wright when you were always thought how to, and were loved and contained in the meantime. But those who made it without that are the ones who fought the harder and deserved more from life. I adore this 3 brothers because they all turned out to be great guys, even though there are some problems with them, they stand together and try to make the best of things. Not only that but the were able to raise their lovely and very parent-less niece, who needed them more than anything.
This is a very sweet series and I definitely recommend it.
This series is about 3 brothers who were born into a terrible family and raised carelessly and without any affection. So how not to love even more the men they became because of their past? It's easy to do things wright when you were always thought how to, and were loved and contained in the meantime. But those who made it without that are the ones who fought the harder and deserved more from life. I adore this 3 brothers because they all turned out to be great guys, even though there are some problems with them, they stand together and try to make the best of things. Not only that but the were able to raise their lovely and very parent-less niece, who needed them more than anything.
This is a very sweet series and I definitely recommend it.
May 6, 2020
5 STARS
Ok, so the ending of this book was so good, that I am upping my rating. And the term "happily-ever-after" now has a new level that I'm calling "blissfully-ever-after". There definitely were parts of the story that didn't work well for me, but that ending... blew me out of the water. It must be the magic, is all I can say. The magic in the story is finding it's way out through the pages.
Can't wait for Alex's story.
Love was the secret behind everything�
Ok, so the ending of this book was so good, that I am upping my rating. And the term "happily-ever-after" now has a new level that I'm calling "blissfully-ever-after". There definitely were parts of the story that didn't work well for me, but that ending... blew me out of the water. It must be the magic, is all I can say. The magic in the story is finding it's way out through the pages.
Something was at work in the vineyard� some force of nature or enchantment, a wordless language that summoned the vines in a canticle of respiration.
Can't wait for Alex's story.
February 18, 2012
Posted on Under the Covers
Welcome back to Friday Harbor! As an avid Lisa Kleypas reader, this book was at the top of my must-have list for quite awhile. Kleypas has a way to sneaking into one’s heart and settling in there with her words and characters. Rainshadow Road is no exception.
In this book, Kleypas takes on another Nolan brother, Sam who is known as the geeky brother. Sam owns the local vineyard in San Juan Island and is the care-free no-strings-attached kind of man.
For some, he’s the best remedy for a broken heart. However, that’s not what Lucy wants at the moment. She suffers from the worse kind of betrayal by two important people in her life. Her boyfriend, Kevin Pearson leaves her for another woman. Adding insult to injury is the fact that its Lucy’s younger sister, Alice.
When Lucy’s parents refuse to accept Kevin's relationship with Alice at the cost of Lucy’s happiness, he calls in a favor and asks Sam Nolan to take Lucy out on a date. He and Alice believe that if Lucy got over her bitterness then she would be happy, which would thus make her parents happy and accept his new relationship with their younger daughter.
Despite this “favor� that Kevin calls in, Sam finds his way into Lucy’s life. A romance blossoms between Sam and Lucy on its own and despite Lucy’s initial reluctance in the beginning and Sam’s later reluctance as things get more serious, both of them can’t deny the attraction that they share.
Sam and Lucy’s story has Kleypas’s trademark all over it. Fusing the sweet and the not-so-sweet sides of life, Kleypas manages to put together two broken souls who find solace in one another, making them whole.
An interesting aspect of this story is that Kleypas incorporates a small magical element in it. Lucy has the ability to turn glass into living things, such as fireflies. I wasn’t too keen on this idea because I didn’t see how this enhanced the story. I thought perhaps that the author was going for a magical feel, however, Kleypas already writes magic. Her words, world and characters are enough. So I didn’t get it. I’m glad that she left this “gift� unexplained. It left that air of magic that I think she was trying to achieve.
Already I am itching for the next book in the series. Dream Lake will be a dream to read. I’m hoping that Alex gets the happy ending he deserves. He’s much too sour at the moment. Mark, Holly and Maggie make regular appearances in this one and I loved hearing about their great news! If you’re still on the fence about this series, jump! You won’t be disappointed.
*ARC provided by author
Welcome back to Friday Harbor! As an avid Lisa Kleypas reader, this book was at the top of my must-have list for quite awhile. Kleypas has a way to sneaking into one’s heart and settling in there with her words and characters. Rainshadow Road is no exception.
In this book, Kleypas takes on another Nolan brother, Sam who is known as the geeky brother. Sam owns the local vineyard in San Juan Island and is the care-free no-strings-attached kind of man.
For some, he’s the best remedy for a broken heart. However, that’s not what Lucy wants at the moment. She suffers from the worse kind of betrayal by two important people in her life. Her boyfriend, Kevin Pearson leaves her for another woman. Adding insult to injury is the fact that its Lucy’s younger sister, Alice.
When Lucy’s parents refuse to accept Kevin's relationship with Alice at the cost of Lucy’s happiness, he calls in a favor and asks Sam Nolan to take Lucy out on a date. He and Alice believe that if Lucy got over her bitterness then she would be happy, which would thus make her parents happy and accept his new relationship with their younger daughter.
Despite this “favor� that Kevin calls in, Sam finds his way into Lucy’s life. A romance blossoms between Sam and Lucy on its own and despite Lucy’s initial reluctance in the beginning and Sam’s later reluctance as things get more serious, both of them can’t deny the attraction that they share.
Sam and Lucy’s story has Kleypas’s trademark all over it. Fusing the sweet and the not-so-sweet sides of life, Kleypas manages to put together two broken souls who find solace in one another, making them whole.
An interesting aspect of this story is that Kleypas incorporates a small magical element in it. Lucy has the ability to turn glass into living things, such as fireflies. I wasn’t too keen on this idea because I didn’t see how this enhanced the story. I thought perhaps that the author was going for a magical feel, however, Kleypas already writes magic. Her words, world and characters are enough. So I didn’t get it. I’m glad that she left this “gift� unexplained. It left that air of magic that I think she was trying to achieve.
Already I am itching for the next book in the series. Dream Lake will be a dream to read. I’m hoping that Alex gets the happy ending he deserves. He’s much too sour at the moment. Mark, Holly and Maggie make regular appearances in this one and I loved hearing about their great news! If you’re still on the fence about this series, jump! You won’t be disappointed.
*ARC provided by author
May 29, 2012
3.5 stars. This is definitely not as good or compelling as Kleypas's other series such as the Wallflowers, the Hathaways, or the Travises. However, it still has that pull and well written format that defines Lisa Kleypas's books. I was disappointed with the first in the Friday Harbor series, disappointed in that it was not a typical Lisa Kleypas book. is better than , but it won't knock you over with amazement. The magical realism element was not particularly well done and the story would have been fine without it. I am not sure why it was included in the story. Rainshadow Road is, however, pleasant and fun. And I recommend it for fans of contemporary romance and Lisa Kleypas.
July 17, 2014
ETA, changing the rating to 4 stars. It really was a well written book, and my original rating was largely due to high expectations and comparison to LK's other books
When Lucy Marinn was seven years old, three things happened: Her little sister Alice got sick, she was assigned her first science fair project, and she found out that magic existed.
And these three things marked very important developments in her life. Her sister Alice did recover, but was continually spoiled and treated preferentially. For her science fair she found out she wanted to be a glass maker. An she always felt isolated because of her magic gift, because she felt no one could understand.
"Sometimes when she experienced powerful emotions, a piece of glass she had touched would change into living creatures, or at least remarkably convincing illusions, always small, always transitory."
Basically she can transform glass and make it imbued with her emotions. Not a very useful skill, when you think about it.
“I want you to find a man who thinks you’re the sun and the moon.�
“I don’t think that guy is out there.�
“He is. And Lucy, even though you said yes to the wrong man, I hope that won’t cause you to say no to the right one.�
Her boyfriend just broke up with her, leaving her for her sister Alice. She's hurt and doesn't want anything to do with men. Even such a man as Sam Nolan.
"Luckily he’d never found a woman who had tempted him to give up his freedom. And if he ever did, he knew exactly how to handle it: Run like hell in the opposite direction."
Sam is an islander. He has had the misfortune of having two alcoholic parents. He's survived and found contentment, but he's determined he's never going to get deeply involved with a woman. He's close to his brothers and his niece. IO like these truths...
"When you came from a family as dysfunctional as theirs, you had no idea how to do things. There was no template, no trove of memories to call on when you needed to know how to handle something. You wanted a guarantee that you wouldn’t somehow end up like one or the other of your parents. But there were no guarantees. There was only the hope that if you did everything the opposite of how you were raised, maybe things would turn out okay."
"Having a kid in your life changed you before you were even aware of it. It changed your habits and opinions. It changed the things you worried about and hoped for."
" Somehow he and the garden had become attuned to each other. And he had become aware, as few people were, that the entire world was sentient and alive. He knew instinctively which seeds to plant when the moon waned, and which to plant when it rose. He knew without being told how much water and sun the plants needed, what to add to the soil, how to get rid of fungus with a soap-and-water spray, how to control the aphid population by planting marigolds."
Sam also has a power-a power to understand and control plants to an extent. Thus he chose to have a vineyard of his own.
He's extremely smart, sweet, nice. I like Sam a lot.
“I told you. He’s a lifelong bachelor.�
It was obvious that her mother relished the challenge. “You can change his mind. A man like him shouldn’t stay single. It would be a crime.�
“I’m not going to torture a perfectly nice man by trying to change him.�
“Lucy,� came her mother’s impatient whisper, “what do you think marriage is for?"
Despite all their issues, Sam and Lucy come together. they're friendly at first, then they get involved in a no-string relationship. Like always in this scenario, someone starts caring. This time it was both of them. I loved the conversations between them, the light humor, the falling in love, flirting...
"Lucy shook her head, dumbfounded. “You’ll have dinner with me and my parents, but you won’t have sex with me?�
“I have to eat,� he said."
Cheering her up!
"After the door closed, Lucy held up the shirt to view it critically. The front was decorated with a diagram of pink chemical symbols.
“What is this?�
His voice filtered through the closed door. “It’s a diagram of a theobromine molecule.�
“What’s theobromine?� she asked blankly.
“The chemical in chocolate that makes you happy."
"Oh, that’s right,� Lucy said, glaring at him. “You’re not the problem, you’re the solution. You’re my one-stop shop for endorphins. Well, I’m ready. Give it to me.�
Sam blinked. “Give what to you?�
“Endorphins. If everyone wants me to be happy, I’m all for it. So give me a shot of your best, grade-A, mood-enhancing endorphins.�
He gave her a dubious glance. “Maybe we should have lunch first.�
“No,� Lucy said, fuming, “let’s get it over with. Where’s the bedroom?�
“Friends are the support bras of life. We don’t let each other down. Right?�
I loved that wording, lol. Side characters were very present here. They're well done and I think both of Lucy's friends will get books. Maybe even the biker will get a HEA...
Also Alice and Lucy and Sam's family were well developed. Though I didn't see a ppint for . I didn't buy it.
My feelings
I...don't know why I didn't like this more. The writing was beautiful, the dialogues were funny, the characters interesting. I just didn't feel that close to them. Maybe I felt there's lack of serious plot twists and emotional intensity? I'm not sure, but this book is not going on my fav LK shelf. Still, it's a sweet, simple story of people falling in love.
Someone already compared it to Nora Roberts books, and I concur.
Plus the magic didn't really do it for me in this context...
Pet peeve situation
OK, you now how sometimes a scene in a book bugs you and you keep thinking about it even if it's ridiculous and irrelevant? Well for me it was this...
“What is this?� she asked, glancing at the squares and letters covering the front of the shirt.
“The periodic table of the elements.�
..........
Lucy looked down at the periodic table that covered the front of her shirt. “Where is glass?� she asked, trying to read the chemical elements upside down.
“Not on the periodic table. Glass is a compound. It’s mostly silica, which is � crap, I can’t think straight. It’s SiO2.
Just to explain a personal angle-I'm a major physics&maths geek, but I'm not such a big chemistry buff. Even so, it is unfathomable to me how someone can not recognize the periodic system after finishing High School. I have had Chem for 5 years and I've been forced to memorize, study and write essays on the damn thing. But, even if I had only just had it 2 months, I should know to recognize it!
Also, she knows to name every ingredient of glass by IUPAC nomenclature, but not that it's a compound, or chemical symbol for carbon?
I'm aware it's completely irrelevant, but it seriously bothered me at the time. So much so, the hot scene happening at the time totally slid over me. I was totally like WTF? I'm weird, I know.
Oh, and I know, I got way too overboard with the quotes...
When Lucy Marinn was seven years old, three things happened: Her little sister Alice got sick, she was assigned her first science fair project, and she found out that magic existed.
And these three things marked very important developments in her life. Her sister Alice did recover, but was continually spoiled and treated preferentially. For her science fair she found out she wanted to be a glass maker. An she always felt isolated because of her magic gift, because she felt no one could understand.
"Sometimes when she experienced powerful emotions, a piece of glass she had touched would change into living creatures, or at least remarkably convincing illusions, always small, always transitory."
Basically she can transform glass and make it imbued with her emotions. Not a very useful skill, when you think about it.
“I want you to find a man who thinks you’re the sun and the moon.�
“I don’t think that guy is out there.�
“He is. And Lucy, even though you said yes to the wrong man, I hope that won’t cause you to say no to the right one.�
Her boyfriend just broke up with her, leaving her for her sister Alice. She's hurt and doesn't want anything to do with men. Even such a man as Sam Nolan.
"Luckily he’d never found a woman who had tempted him to give up his freedom. And if he ever did, he knew exactly how to handle it: Run like hell in the opposite direction."
Sam is an islander. He has had the misfortune of having two alcoholic parents. He's survived and found contentment, but he's determined he's never going to get deeply involved with a woman. He's close to his brothers and his niece. IO like these truths...
"When you came from a family as dysfunctional as theirs, you had no idea how to do things. There was no template, no trove of memories to call on when you needed to know how to handle something. You wanted a guarantee that you wouldn’t somehow end up like one or the other of your parents. But there were no guarantees. There was only the hope that if you did everything the opposite of how you were raised, maybe things would turn out okay."
"Having a kid in your life changed you before you were even aware of it. It changed your habits and opinions. It changed the things you worried about and hoped for."
" Somehow he and the garden had become attuned to each other. And he had become aware, as few people were, that the entire world was sentient and alive. He knew instinctively which seeds to plant when the moon waned, and which to plant when it rose. He knew without being told how much water and sun the plants needed, what to add to the soil, how to get rid of fungus with a soap-and-water spray, how to control the aphid population by planting marigolds."
Sam also has a power-a power to understand and control plants to an extent. Thus he chose to have a vineyard of his own.
He's extremely smart, sweet, nice. I like Sam a lot.
“I told you. He’s a lifelong bachelor.�
It was obvious that her mother relished the challenge. “You can change his mind. A man like him shouldn’t stay single. It would be a crime.�
“I’m not going to torture a perfectly nice man by trying to change him.�
“Lucy,� came her mother’s impatient whisper, “what do you think marriage is for?"
Despite all their issues, Sam and Lucy come together. they're friendly at first, then they get involved in a no-string relationship. Like always in this scenario, someone starts caring. This time it was both of them. I loved the conversations between them, the light humor, the falling in love, flirting...
"Lucy shook her head, dumbfounded. “You’ll have dinner with me and my parents, but you won’t have sex with me?�
“I have to eat,� he said."
Cheering her up!
"After the door closed, Lucy held up the shirt to view it critically. The front was decorated with a diagram of pink chemical symbols.
“What is this?�
His voice filtered through the closed door. “It’s a diagram of a theobromine molecule.�
“What’s theobromine?� she asked blankly.
“The chemical in chocolate that makes you happy."
"Oh, that’s right,� Lucy said, glaring at him. “You’re not the problem, you’re the solution. You’re my one-stop shop for endorphins. Well, I’m ready. Give it to me.�
Sam blinked. “Give what to you?�
“Endorphins. If everyone wants me to be happy, I’m all for it. So give me a shot of your best, grade-A, mood-enhancing endorphins.�
He gave her a dubious glance. “Maybe we should have lunch first.�
“No,� Lucy said, fuming, “let’s get it over with. Where’s the bedroom?�
“Friends are the support bras of life. We don’t let each other down. Right?�
I loved that wording, lol. Side characters were very present here. They're well done and I think both of Lucy's friends will get books. Maybe even the biker will get a HEA...
Also Alice and Lucy and Sam's family were well developed. Though I didn't see a ppint for . I didn't buy it.
My feelings
I...don't know why I didn't like this more. The writing was beautiful, the dialogues were funny, the characters interesting. I just didn't feel that close to them. Maybe I felt there's lack of serious plot twists and emotional intensity? I'm not sure, but this book is not going on my fav LK shelf. Still, it's a sweet, simple story of people falling in love.
Someone already compared it to Nora Roberts books, and I concur.
Plus the magic didn't really do it for me in this context...
Pet peeve situation
OK, you now how sometimes a scene in a book bugs you and you keep thinking about it even if it's ridiculous and irrelevant? Well for me it was this...
“What is this?� she asked, glancing at the squares and letters covering the front of the shirt.
“The periodic table of the elements.�
..........
Lucy looked down at the periodic table that covered the front of her shirt. “Where is glass?� she asked, trying to read the chemical elements upside down.
“Not on the periodic table. Glass is a compound. It’s mostly silica, which is � crap, I can’t think straight. It’s SiO2.
Just to explain a personal angle-I'm a major physics&maths geek, but I'm not such a big chemistry buff. Even so, it is unfathomable to me how someone can not recognize the periodic system after finishing High School. I have had Chem for 5 years and I've been forced to memorize, study and write essays on the damn thing. But, even if I had only just had it 2 months, I should know to recognize it!
Also, she knows to name every ingredient of glass by IUPAC nomenclature, but not that it's a compound, or chemical symbol for carbon?
I'm aware it's completely irrelevant, but it seriously bothered me at the time. So much so, the hot scene happening at the time totally slid over me. I was totally like WTF? I'm weird, I know.
Oh, and I know, I got way too overboard with the quotes...
January 8, 2015
Just yes. Read and enjoy.
January 29, 2012
Oh....what a treat this book is! After a year long break, Lisa Kleypas comes out strong with this newest installment in her Friday Harbor series. This long awaited book was worth the wait, provided hours of entertainment, and has me practically salivating for the next book in the series!
The Friday Harbor series started with . It began the story of the Nolan family (three boys and their sister). The first book tells us the story of Mark Nolan. tells the story of Sam Nolan, and fortunately Alex Nolan's story will be told in the upcoming book.
Rainshadow Road was simply excellent. Lisa Kleypas's writing is taking a new direction with this series. Her trademark sensuality is being somewhat tempered and her latest books focus more on strong characterizations and plot rather than scorching sensuality. To be honest....this story had so much depth and heart that the lack of strong sensuality wasn't even missed.
Sam is the middle son of the Nolan family. He was always the geeky science loving brother. The Nolan children were raised by a mother and a father who were both raging alcoholics. This created a very unhealthy and unstable environment for the Nolan children to grow up in. All of the Nolan men struggle with intimacy and relationships because of their childhood experiences. Sam has vowed to never marry and seeks only temporary shallow relationships with women.
Lucy was raised in a family where favoritism was shown to her younger sister. Her sister was raised to be incredibly selfish and entitled, . I loved Lucy. She was a charater that I felt an instant connection to. When an accident occurs and there is no place where Lucy can go to recooperate, Sam agrees to let Lucy come to his vineyard home on Rainshadow Road.
This is a story about healing (in all it's forms). Mark, Maggie, and Holly from
all have a presence in this book and Lucy gets a taste of the Nolan family during her stay. The chemistry between Sam and Lucy is very obvious, but the fear and reluctance of Sam to allow Lucy access to anything other than his home is also obvious. His heart is a well guarded place that he keeps very closed off. Watching the walls around Sam's heart gradually come down is one of the most satisfying parts of this book.
There is a touch of paranormal to this book. . Although this was not a major focus of the plot, Lucy's ability was used very effectively in certain parts of this story, and gave the story an added mysticism that I found captivating.
I can not recommend this book more highly.
FYI: The youngest brother Alex's story is up next and I can barely stand the wait that's ahead. He is an alcoholic that is drinking himself to death. Zoe is a friend of Lucy's that plays a small part in Rainshadow Road. The interaction that occurs between Alex and Zoe is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking interactions of the entire book. The pairing of these two wounded souls may be one of the most highly anticipated of the entire year. is set up perfectly to be an instant favorite, and I for one can not wait!
I happily received this ARC from Amazon's Vine Program:)
The Friday Harbor series started with . It began the story of the Nolan family (three boys and their sister). The first book tells us the story of Mark Nolan. tells the story of Sam Nolan, and fortunately Alex Nolan's story will be told in the upcoming book.
Rainshadow Road was simply excellent. Lisa Kleypas's writing is taking a new direction with this series. Her trademark sensuality is being somewhat tempered and her latest books focus more on strong characterizations and plot rather than scorching sensuality. To be honest....this story had so much depth and heart that the lack of strong sensuality wasn't even missed.
Sam is the middle son of the Nolan family. He was always the geeky science loving brother. The Nolan children were raised by a mother and a father who were both raging alcoholics. This created a very unhealthy and unstable environment for the Nolan children to grow up in. All of the Nolan men struggle with intimacy and relationships because of their childhood experiences. Sam has vowed to never marry and seeks only temporary shallow relationships with women.
Lucy was raised in a family where favoritism was shown to her younger sister. Her sister was raised to be incredibly selfish and entitled, . I loved Lucy. She was a charater that I felt an instant connection to. When an accident occurs and there is no place where Lucy can go to recooperate, Sam agrees to let Lucy come to his vineyard home on Rainshadow Road.
This is a story about healing (in all it's forms). Mark, Maggie, and Holly from
all have a presence in this book and Lucy gets a taste of the Nolan family during her stay. The chemistry between Sam and Lucy is very obvious, but the fear and reluctance of Sam to allow Lucy access to anything other than his home is also obvious. His heart is a well guarded place that he keeps very closed off. Watching the walls around Sam's heart gradually come down is one of the most satisfying parts of this book.
There is a touch of paranormal to this book. . Although this was not a major focus of the plot, Lucy's ability was used very effectively in certain parts of this story, and gave the story an added mysticism that I found captivating.
I can not recommend this book more highly.
FYI: The youngest brother Alex's story is up next and I can barely stand the wait that's ahead. He is an alcoholic that is drinking himself to death. Zoe is a friend of Lucy's that plays a small part in Rainshadow Road. The interaction that occurs between Alex and Zoe is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking interactions of the entire book. The pairing of these two wounded souls may be one of the most highly anticipated of the entire year. is set up perfectly to be an instant favorite, and I for one can not wait!
I happily received this ARC from Amazon's Vine Program:)
December 8, 2021
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Liked it!
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January 7, 2015
I absolutely loved this book! Once I started reading, I just couldn’t put it down. It has everything I have come to expect from my favourite author; everything that makes her star shine bright amongst the constellation of other romance writers.
Ms Kleypas has that innate ability to draw me right into her stories with her lyrical and imaginative writing. Her vivid images appeal to the senses on every level:
The clouds lowered, smothering the vestigial layer of daylight. In the distance a thunderhead sent rain to the ocean in showers that moved like gauze veils over the windows.
Carefully she extracted each muffin and set it on the plate. The scent of hot berries, white sugar, buttery streusel, rose in a melting-sweet updraft.
Sam Nolan’s combination of geekiness, laid-back sexiness and easy charm is quite a potent mixture, making him totally irresistible. I’m not even going to mention the amazing body, lean and long, muscle stacked on muscle. His fear of any long-term committed relationship is understandable given the emotional wasteland he grew up in with his alcoholic parents.
It wasn’t a family. It looked like one on the outside but it was no more a family that the carcasses hanging in a meat larder are a herd of cows.�
I love how completely honest he is with Lucy about the type of relationship he offers and. But he’s a man of contradictions because his love for and commitment to Holly is obvious. The scenes they share are so heart-warming and show Sam in a very different light. I adore the way he calls her ‘gingersnap�.
I like Lucy and, although I have never been in her situation, I can certainly empathize with her. I’m sure I’d be angry, hurt and questioning myself, after such a breakup, just as she does.
The worst part about having been deceived the way she had been was it made you lose faith in yourself. When your judgement was that wrong about something, you could never be fully certain of anything ever again.
I enjoyed watching her picking up the threads and moving on with her life.
I love how Ms Kleypas captures all the subtle nuances of the growing relationship between Sam and Lucy. They talk to each other about their work and share intimate personal detail, all creating the necessary bond between them to carry their relationship to the next level. I really felt their uncertainty and mixed emotions as they begin to realise what started out as a no-strings-attached physical relationship has blossomed into something they are afraid to acknowledge, particularly Sam.
I enjoyed the scenes between Sam, Mark and Holly. The banter between the three of them is delightful and creates a warm family atmosphere. I love Lucy’s friends, Justine and Zoë. Everyone should have friends like these in times of trouble! Oh, and not to forget Renfield. He’s just adorable!
The story is peppered with lovely touches of humour and it’s hard to pick a favourite but I love this conversation between Lucy and Sam.
”Do you need to...calm down? She asked delicately.
Sam shook his head, rueful amusement flickering in his eyes. “Let’s just assume this is my default mode during showertime. Don’t worry � I still won’t make any moves on you.�
“I’m not worried. I just don’t want you to drop me.�
Sexual arousal doesn’t rob me of physical strength,� he informed her. “Brainpower, yes. But I don’t need that to help you shower.�
Ms Kleypas doesn’t disappoint with the heart-warming happy ending and the Epilogue is just the icing on a scrumptious cake. It’s a delightful book which left me with a lovely glow and the magical elements seemed to enhance the almost whimsical quality of the story. This song seemed to be a perfect reflection of the book.
I’m looking forward to Dream Lake because Alex Nolan has reached rock bottom in Rainshadow Road and he is definitely in need of some tender loving care.
Ms Kleypas has that innate ability to draw me right into her stories with her lyrical and imaginative writing. Her vivid images appeal to the senses on every level:
The clouds lowered, smothering the vestigial layer of daylight. In the distance a thunderhead sent rain to the ocean in showers that moved like gauze veils over the windows.
Carefully she extracted each muffin and set it on the plate. The scent of hot berries, white sugar, buttery streusel, rose in a melting-sweet updraft.
Sam Nolan’s combination of geekiness, laid-back sexiness and easy charm is quite a potent mixture, making him totally irresistible. I’m not even going to mention the amazing body, lean and long, muscle stacked on muscle. His fear of any long-term committed relationship is understandable given the emotional wasteland he grew up in with his alcoholic parents.
It wasn’t a family. It looked like one on the outside but it was no more a family that the carcasses hanging in a meat larder are a herd of cows.�
I love how completely honest he is with Lucy about the type of relationship he offers and. But he’s a man of contradictions because his love for and commitment to Holly is obvious. The scenes they share are so heart-warming and show Sam in a very different light. I adore the way he calls her ‘gingersnap�.
I like Lucy and, although I have never been in her situation, I can certainly empathize with her. I’m sure I’d be angry, hurt and questioning myself, after such a breakup, just as she does.
The worst part about having been deceived the way she had been was it made you lose faith in yourself. When your judgement was that wrong about something, you could never be fully certain of anything ever again.
I enjoyed watching her picking up the threads and moving on with her life.
I love how Ms Kleypas captures all the subtle nuances of the growing relationship between Sam and Lucy. They talk to each other about their work and share intimate personal detail, all creating the necessary bond between them to carry their relationship to the next level. I really felt their uncertainty and mixed emotions as they begin to realise what started out as a no-strings-attached physical relationship has blossomed into something they are afraid to acknowledge, particularly Sam.
I enjoyed the scenes between Sam, Mark and Holly. The banter between the three of them is delightful and creates a warm family atmosphere. I love Lucy’s friends, Justine and Zoë. Everyone should have friends like these in times of trouble! Oh, and not to forget Renfield. He’s just adorable!
The story is peppered with lovely touches of humour and it’s hard to pick a favourite but I love this conversation between Lucy and Sam.
”Do you need to...calm down? She asked delicately.
Sam shook his head, rueful amusement flickering in his eyes. “Let’s just assume this is my default mode during showertime. Don’t worry � I still won’t make any moves on you.�
“I’m not worried. I just don’t want you to drop me.�
Sexual arousal doesn’t rob me of physical strength,� he informed her. “Brainpower, yes. But I don’t need that to help you shower.�
Ms Kleypas doesn’t disappoint with the heart-warming happy ending and the Epilogue is just the icing on a scrumptious cake. It’s a delightful book which left me with a lovely glow and the magical elements seemed to enhance the almost whimsical quality of the story. This song seemed to be a perfect reflection of the book.
I’m looking forward to Dream Lake because Alex Nolan has reached rock bottom in Rainshadow Road and he is definitely in need of some tender loving care.
October 7, 2017
Entre 3,5-4
Al igual que el libro anterior de la serie "Friday Harbor", me ha gustado mucho. Es muy fácil leer a Kleypas, esta es una novela sencilla pero bonita. Con ganas de saber como se desarrolla la historia del otro hermano Nolan.
Al igual que el libro anterior de la serie "Friday Harbor", me ha gustado mucho. Es muy fácil leer a Kleypas, esta es una novela sencilla pero bonita. Con ganas de saber como se desarrolla la historia del otro hermano Nolan.
April 28, 2020
This series is exactly what I need right now. There is something about curling up with a book that makes your heart melt and leaves you smiling. Lisa Kleypas� Friday Harbor series is full of feel good moments, a tiny bit of angst and a sprinkle of magic!
I instantly fell in Lucy. She was strong, independent, determined, sweet and funny. I couldn’t have been any happier when she kicked her idiot of a finance to the curb! Though hurt and angry by the betrayal of said idiot and her sister, Lucy decides that there is no point in wallowing. Well she wallowed for little while but fate had other plans for her.
Sam knew it would be a bad idea to help Lucy through this tough time but owing idiot Kevin a big favor he really had no choice. He had a plan though. It wouldn’t be hard at all because he was a self-declared bachelor for life. He could take care of Lucy and not fall in love. Ha!
Watching these two navigate through some challenging things was great. Learning what it is like to really care about someone can get messy sometimes. They both stumbled. They both had to look within to figure out what they were missing in their lives. Learning to trust and to change old patterns isn’t easy. But it could lead to something beautiful. �
February 24, 2012
Rainshadow Road is the type of book that will give you the warm fuzzies. It shows how the power of love and forgiveness can set a person free from whatever problems they must deal with in their lives. This is the second book in Lisa Kleypas’s Friday Harbor series about three brothers. The first book in this series was the novella, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor about the eldest brother Mark. Rainshadow Road features the middle Nolan brother, Sam, who owns a vineyard on San Juan Island near Washington State. Sam’s vineyard is on Rainshadow Road, thus the name of the title.
Rainshadow Road has a definite Women’s Fiction feel to it, but the romance element is big here. Also something occurs midway through the story that really surprised me and not in a pleasant way. I call this the magical woo-woo scenario, where something “magical� literally happens between Sam and the heroine Lucy, and I don’t mean to magical power of the hoo-haa or Sam’s tool of pleasure Apparently this supernatural and magical occurrence was obvious based on the blurb for this book and the mentions of magical this and that from the start of chapter one. I must have missed this between the lines, and because of that, when the magical woo woo happens, it came as a bit of a shock for me and pulled me out of the story.
Lucy Marinn is a glass artist who’s been with her boyfriend Kevin for a couple of years. Lucy admits she has trust problems, which stems from her issues with her younger sister, Alice, who at five years old got Meningitis and almost died. Because of this, Alice was spoiled and given whatever she wanted from her parents, while Lucy grew into a very independent woman. Lucy thinks she and Kevin have a good thing, but then he drops a major bomb on her. He’s breaking up with her because he’s fallen in love with someone else. That someone else is Alice and the kicker is they plan on getting married. Lucy feels betrayed and rightly so, but she’ll carry on although her already fragile relationship with Alice is more than broken.
Lucy meets Sam while walking on the beach. Sam is very personable and friendly, as well as being very attractive and charming. Lucy wants to keep her distance because Sam reminds her of Kevin. Sam knows Kevin and is insulted she would put him in the same category as that faithless cheater. But after a few more times where Lucy gets to know Sam better, she thinks he’s an okay guy and changes her opinion of him. Sam and Lucy are attracted to one another, but Lucy is still mourning the death of her relationship and isn’t ready to jump into anything sexual with another man. Sam has commitment issues and doesn’t want to hurt Lucy’s feelings because she seems like the type who wants to settle down. He decides it’s better to stay away from Lucy, but then she has an accident and he volunteers to help with her recovery. They become friends and start to bond. From that bond something wonderful and strange happens. They decide to act on their attraction and see where things can go between them knowing their time together is limited.
Rainshadow Road deals with many real life issues. It also brings to light the importance of family and friends. We see this perfectly with how the Nolan brothers care for one another and work through their trials and tribulations from their sister's death to the youngest Nolan, Alex, getting a divorce and using alcohol to numb the pain. Lucy has the support of her parents and her two good girl friends, Zoe and Justine. These relationships really make Rainshadow Road work in many ways. Also the way Sam and Lucy are with one another is incredibly sweet and romantic.
Butm and it’s a big BUT for me. The magical woo woo that occurs on two separate occasions in the story really failed for me as a reader. Around page 200, something ridiculous happens where I almost stopped reading. A supernatural element occurs and comes out of left field that threw me out of the story and made me go WTF? I thought I read it wrong and re-read this scene three times. And then when it happens a second time, that's when my jaw dropped and I go, "Are you kidding me?"
Lucy and Sam have a special type of power. Through the power of thought, Lucy can do amazing things with glass. With the power of touch, Sam can do amazing things to plants. Honestly, when I picked this book up, I had no idea it was a contemporary romance with supernatural elements. And for this reader, the supernatural doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the story. If there was no ridiculous supernatural element, I would have graded this much higher. Because of this, I found the second half to be a big disappointment. I blame the bats. Bats you ask? In order to understand, you'll have to read and try not to laugh yourself silly as I almost did.
With that in mind I'm interested in seeing what happens to Alex, the youngest Nolan brother, who because of his divorce is headed to a dark place. His book, Dream Lake will features ghosts of some sort. There’s a mention in the blurb for Dream Lake how Alex is haunted. From this key word, it’s obvious there will be a haunting of some sort, I guess. Alex’s heroine is Zoe and she should really do an awesome number on him because in Rainshadow Road, their initial interaction really caught my interest. Zoe is spunky and perhaps just what Alex needs to heal. And since she’s a baker, I wouldn't be surprised if Zoe’s a secret fairy who sprinkles fairy dust in her homemade desserts.
Rainshadow Road isn’t the best book Lisa’s written. It was an enjoyable read even with the magical woo-woo that didn’t work for me, but it’s not the type of book that will stick with me like Lisa's masterful and all-consuming Blue Eyed Devil did. I think in part my problem is that I hold Lisa Kleypas to a higher standard when it comes to her books.
Rainshadow Road has a definite Women’s Fiction feel to it, but the romance element is big here. Also something occurs midway through the story that really surprised me and not in a pleasant way. I call this the magical woo-woo scenario, where something “magical� literally happens between Sam and the heroine Lucy, and I don’t mean to magical power of the hoo-haa or Sam’s tool of pleasure Apparently this supernatural and magical occurrence was obvious based on the blurb for this book and the mentions of magical this and that from the start of chapter one. I must have missed this between the lines, and because of that, when the magical woo woo happens, it came as a bit of a shock for me and pulled me out of the story.
Lucy Marinn is a glass artist who’s been with her boyfriend Kevin for a couple of years. Lucy admits she has trust problems, which stems from her issues with her younger sister, Alice, who at five years old got Meningitis and almost died. Because of this, Alice was spoiled and given whatever she wanted from her parents, while Lucy grew into a very independent woman. Lucy thinks she and Kevin have a good thing, but then he drops a major bomb on her. He’s breaking up with her because he’s fallen in love with someone else. That someone else is Alice and the kicker is they plan on getting married. Lucy feels betrayed and rightly so, but she’ll carry on although her already fragile relationship with Alice is more than broken.
Lucy meets Sam while walking on the beach. Sam is very personable and friendly, as well as being very attractive and charming. Lucy wants to keep her distance because Sam reminds her of Kevin. Sam knows Kevin and is insulted she would put him in the same category as that faithless cheater. But after a few more times where Lucy gets to know Sam better, she thinks he’s an okay guy and changes her opinion of him. Sam and Lucy are attracted to one another, but Lucy is still mourning the death of her relationship and isn’t ready to jump into anything sexual with another man. Sam has commitment issues and doesn’t want to hurt Lucy’s feelings because she seems like the type who wants to settle down. He decides it’s better to stay away from Lucy, but then she has an accident and he volunteers to help with her recovery. They become friends and start to bond. From that bond something wonderful and strange happens. They decide to act on their attraction and see where things can go between them knowing their time together is limited.
Rainshadow Road deals with many real life issues. It also brings to light the importance of family and friends. We see this perfectly with how the Nolan brothers care for one another and work through their trials and tribulations from their sister's death to the youngest Nolan, Alex, getting a divorce and using alcohol to numb the pain. Lucy has the support of her parents and her two good girl friends, Zoe and Justine. These relationships really make Rainshadow Road work in many ways. Also the way Sam and Lucy are with one another is incredibly sweet and romantic.
Butm and it’s a big BUT for me. The magical woo woo that occurs on two separate occasions in the story really failed for me as a reader. Around page 200, something ridiculous happens where I almost stopped reading. A supernatural element occurs and comes out of left field that threw me out of the story and made me go WTF? I thought I read it wrong and re-read this scene three times. And then when it happens a second time, that's when my jaw dropped and I go, "Are you kidding me?"
Lucy and Sam have a special type of power. Through the power of thought, Lucy can do amazing things with glass. With the power of touch, Sam can do amazing things to plants. Honestly, when I picked this book up, I had no idea it was a contemporary romance with supernatural elements. And for this reader, the supernatural doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the story. If there was no ridiculous supernatural element, I would have graded this much higher. Because of this, I found the second half to be a big disappointment. I blame the bats. Bats you ask? In order to understand, you'll have to read and try not to laugh yourself silly as I almost did.
With that in mind I'm interested in seeing what happens to Alex, the youngest Nolan brother, who because of his divorce is headed to a dark place. His book, Dream Lake will features ghosts of some sort. There’s a mention in the blurb for Dream Lake how Alex is haunted. From this key word, it’s obvious there will be a haunting of some sort, I guess. Alex’s heroine is Zoe and she should really do an awesome number on him because in Rainshadow Road, their initial interaction really caught my interest. Zoe is spunky and perhaps just what Alex needs to heal. And since she’s a baker, I wouldn't be surprised if Zoe’s a secret fairy who sprinkles fairy dust in her homemade desserts.
Rainshadow Road isn’t the best book Lisa’s written. It was an enjoyable read even with the magical woo-woo that didn’t work for me, but it’s not the type of book that will stick with me like Lisa's masterful and all-consuming Blue Eyed Devil did. I think in part my problem is that I hold Lisa Kleypas to a higher standard when it comes to her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2012
Rainshadow Road was a good, sweet read with characters I had to grow to like, at least the heroine. Sam, the hero, was troubled and had a commitment phobia, but his geekiness and hotness were very attractive. Lucy on the other hand wasn't warm or strong, she did grow on me. I really didn't like her family, yet I felt Lisa Kleypas wanted us too. She wrote them all with a lot of faults, mom, dad, and especially sister. I felt she was trying to justify their treatment of Lucy, which basically was neglect. Lucy needed to stand up for herself give them all a piece of her mind, but in the end she was a good sister and daughter. I didn't really understand the whole magic thing or why it was really thrown in there...it didn't hurt the story though because it was so minimal to the plot line.
Even though I enjoyed the story it just took me awhile to get into it. I am glad I didn't give up because the story was beautifully written and touching. In the end Lisa Kleypas is a favorite author of mine and I will continue to read this series (at least I will try one more), but I did enjoy her Travis Family contemporary series much more.
Even though I enjoyed the story it just took me awhile to get into it. I am glad I didn't give up because the story was beautifully written and touching. In the end Lisa Kleypas is a favorite author of mine and I will continue to read this series (at least I will try one more), but I did enjoy her Travis Family contemporary series much more.
January 1, 2022
Didn't really work.
Did not enjoy. I don't even know what else to say about this. I think it also tried to include elements of magical realism that did not work at all. And the sister plotline was just awful.
Did not enjoy. I don't even know what else to say about this. I think it also tried to include elements of magical realism that did not work at all. And the sister plotline was just awful.
March 4, 2012
**2.5** = It was "okay"
This is a really hard review to write, because this is a LISA KLEYPAS BOOK, and I was disappointed darn it...
It didn't even seem like I was reading a LK book at first. It just *read* really different than her other books for some reason - sort of impersonal and stuffy - I can't really explain it, but it was too easy to put down. Had it been any other author, I might have just put it down permanently, but LK is my all-time favorite author and so I stuck with it.
I'm not sure why I didn't like it, but it was just so angsty and non-romantic. It's supposed to be a romance, right? But there was very little actual romance and the romance didn't give me any warm fuzzies. When the main characters fell in love, I was *told* they were in love, not really shown. Or not shown like I have come to expect from LK. I just could not get "into" this book on a personal/emotional level at all, but the characters also really fought any emotional attachment until like 25 pages from the end! I found the ending/resolution very unsatisfying after they fought so long to deny their feelings. There were also a few storylines I felt were unresolved (Lucy's parents' issues for example). I think the issue between Lucy and her sister was also resolved too easily/quickly.
It was frustrating in many ways to say the least. Oftentimes, I felt like I was being schooled by LK on things such as alcoholism or family dynamics, instead of letting the character's actions speak for themselves, trusting that her writing was good enough to relay what was actually happening and the reader is smart enough to figure it all out. It was like she was justifying the actions of a character by explaining to me why children of alcoholics have a tougher time loving or committing, etc... I don't know, it just didn't work for me, and neither did the "magical" aspects of this book, to be honest.
Maybe I wasn't in the right mood/frame of mind to read this book or my expectations got in the way, but I still will give the next book in the series a try, I just won't be counting the days. A story about Alex is sure to be an angst fest!
This is a really hard review to write, because this is a LISA KLEYPAS BOOK, and I was disappointed darn it...
It didn't even seem like I was reading a LK book at first. It just *read* really different than her other books for some reason - sort of impersonal and stuffy - I can't really explain it, but it was too easy to put down. Had it been any other author, I might have just put it down permanently, but LK is my all-time favorite author and so I stuck with it.
I'm not sure why I didn't like it, but it was just so angsty and non-romantic. It's supposed to be a romance, right? But there was very little actual romance and the romance didn't give me any warm fuzzies. When the main characters fell in love, I was *told* they were in love, not really shown. Or not shown like I have come to expect from LK. I just could not get "into" this book on a personal/emotional level at all, but the characters also really fought any emotional attachment until like 25 pages from the end! I found the ending/resolution very unsatisfying after they fought so long to deny their feelings. There were also a few storylines I felt were unresolved (Lucy's parents' issues for example). I think the issue between Lucy and her sister was also resolved too easily/quickly.
It was frustrating in many ways to say the least. Oftentimes, I felt like I was being schooled by LK on things such as alcoholism or family dynamics, instead of letting the character's actions speak for themselves, trusting that her writing was good enough to relay what was actually happening and the reader is smart enough to figure it all out. It was like she was justifying the actions of a character by explaining to me why children of alcoholics have a tougher time loving or committing, etc... I don't know, it just didn't work for me, and neither did the "magical" aspects of this book, to be honest.
Maybe I wasn't in the right mood/frame of mind to read this book or my expectations got in the way, but I still will give the next book in the series a try, I just won't be counting the days. A story about Alex is sure to be an angst fest!
July 29, 2020
Me encantó este libro, no es solo que me gusta Lisa Kleypas en su faceta de escritora de romántico contemporáneo es que además le ha impreso a la historia una especie de realismo mágico.
Una historia donde la magia existe y las cosas imposibles son posibles, la pareja que hacen Sam y Lucy me encanta, por supuesto que la manera en que ellos se encuentran no me parece la ideal para establecer una base sólida en una relación, hablo de la vida real, pero como esto es una novela, vamos a tomar por bueno todo lo planteado.
A pesar de que la historia de Lucy es tragica no la he sentido en absoluto exagerada o forzada, no conozco a nadie que haya pasado por una situación así, sin embargo, la manera en que se plantea y se cuenta todo realmente lo hace muy realista.
Por otro lado y aunque este recurso lo he visto en infinidad de novelas, nunca he comprendido ese razonamiento que plantan en los personajes cuando dicen que no son capaces de mantener una relación formal por traumas infantiles, no digo que no suceda, solo que no veo a nadie admitiéndolo en voz alta o consciente de que su incapacidad de comprometerse se deba a x o z situaciones de vida, sin embargo y por muy trillado que sea el argumento, me ha enamorado el personaje de Sam, lo mismo que me pasó con Nolan, un personaje masculino realista en cuanto a su personalidad, nada de machos alfas millonarios y aunque en este libro si tenemos al príncipe que salva a la damisela en apuros, no le voy a poner pegas porque me ha gustado mucho.
Una historia sencilla, se deja leer muy bien y por demás muy pero que muy entretenida, realmente uno de esos libros que se pueden agarrar perfectamente entre lecturas y no quedar para nada decepcionado.
Me encanta cuando un libro de este género no tiene finales abruptos, así que he amado el final y ahora toca conocer la historia de Alex.
Una historia donde la magia existe y las cosas imposibles son posibles, la pareja que hacen Sam y Lucy me encanta, por supuesto que la manera en que ellos se encuentran no me parece la ideal para establecer una base sólida en una relación, hablo de la vida real, pero como esto es una novela, vamos a tomar por bueno todo lo planteado.
A pesar de que la historia de Lucy es tragica no la he sentido en absoluto exagerada o forzada, no conozco a nadie que haya pasado por una situación así, sin embargo, la manera en que se plantea y se cuenta todo realmente lo hace muy realista.
Por otro lado y aunque este recurso lo he visto en infinidad de novelas, nunca he comprendido ese razonamiento que plantan en los personajes cuando dicen que no son capaces de mantener una relación formal por traumas infantiles, no digo que no suceda, solo que no veo a nadie admitiéndolo en voz alta o consciente de que su incapacidad de comprometerse se deba a x o z situaciones de vida, sin embargo y por muy trillado que sea el argumento, me ha enamorado el personaje de Sam, lo mismo que me pasó con Nolan, un personaje masculino realista en cuanto a su personalidad, nada de machos alfas millonarios y aunque en este libro si tenemos al príncipe que salva a la damisela en apuros, no le voy a poner pegas porque me ha gustado mucho.
Una historia sencilla, se deja leer muy bien y por demás muy pero que muy entretenida, realmente uno de esos libros que se pueden agarrar perfectamente entre lecturas y no quedar para nada decepcionado.
Me encanta cuando un libro de este género no tiene finales abruptos, así que he amado el final y ahora toca conocer la historia de Alex.
March 28, 2025
This book is amazing, Lisa Kleypas at her best. I'll be eternally grateful to my friend Madu for recommending me one of her books years ago. Whenever I read a book of Lisa's I get sucked in and forget about the outer world, I get so immersed in the story and the characters that every time I am amazed when someone interrupts me. I don't have enough words of praise for this book so I'll stop now :))
Favorite quotes:
“Do you need to � calm down?� she asked delicately.
Sam shook his head, rueful amusement flickering in his eyes. “Let’s just assume this is my default mode during showertime. Don’t worry—I still won’t make any moves on you.�
“I’m not worried. I just don’t want you to drop me.�
“Sexual arousal doesn’t rob me of physical strength,� he informed her. “Brainpower, yes. But I don’t need that to help you shower.�
PS: It is a little... deferent then the other contemps out there, I'll let you guys discover how.
Favorite quotes:
“Do you need to � calm down?� she asked delicately.
Sam shook his head, rueful amusement flickering in his eyes. “Let’s just assume this is my default mode during showertime. Don’t worry—I still won’t make any moves on you.�
“I’m not worried. I just don’t want you to drop me.�
“Sexual arousal doesn’t rob me of physical strength,� he informed her. “Brainpower, yes. But I don’t need that to help you shower.�
PS: It is a little... deferent then the other contemps out there, I'll let you guys discover how.
March 14, 2012
I liked Sam in the first book , but I LOVED him in Rainshadow Road!
Lucy is just AMAZING! Another GREAT female lead from Ms. Kleypas!
Loved the little bit of 'magic' in this story.
EAGERLY ANTICIPATING the next book in the series... too bad it's only being released in August :(
Lucy is just AMAZING! Another GREAT female lead from Ms. Kleypas!
Loved the little bit of 'magic' in this story.
EAGERLY ANTICIPATING the next book in the series... too bad it's only being released in August :(
March 19, 2017
A very light, mystical and magical novel. If you like Sarah Addison Allen you will enjoy this series by LK. I enjoyed it!
January 1, 2012
Notes: I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) or this book. Some of the quotes I used may change by the final version.
'She'd lost her home, her boyfriend, and her sister in one afternoon.'
They say that how you handle yourself in your darkest moments defines you. Lucy had just had her boyfriend, make that former boyfriend, tell her things were over. He had a lovely speech all ready, and then at the end, he oh so delicately (Not!), told her things might get a little awkward because he'd been seeing her sister, and she'd be moving to Friday Harbor and into their house to live with him.
Perhaps her sister fancied herself Alice from Wonderland and thought to step through the looking glass and into her sister's life? Heck, her name was Alice, but as most people know, Wonderland might be a nice place to visit, but it's not some place you want to stay. Plus, a relationship whose beginnings are based on lies and deceit usually doesn't last.
As Lucy contemplated the information that had just been divulged to her, she found herself taking her bike and mindlessly riding a trail by the ocean until she could go no farther and her thoughts caught up with her.
"Closing her hand around the piece of sea glass, she looked out at the water lapping against the shore in rough frothy blankets. The ocean was a bruised gray, the color of regret and resentment and the deepest kind of loneliness. The worst part about having been deceived the way she had been was it made you lose faith in yourself. When your judgement was that wrong about something, you could never be fully certain of anything ever again.
Her fist was burning, a knot of fire. Feeling an odd squirming tickle against her palm, she opened her fingers reflexively. The sea glass was gone. In its place a butterfly rested on her palm, unfolding iridescent blue wings."
Do you believe in magic?
'Rainshadow Road' takes place approximately 4 months after 'Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor'. Ms. Kleypas has once again created a beautiful and touching love story. This one, however, has a magical twist--the main character has a magical affinity with glass. Lucy is the older sister, by two years, to Alice. When her sister was 5 she contracted meningitis. After she recovered, her parents spoiled Alice giving her free range and pretty much anything she wanted. So close to 20 years later it wasn't a total surprise, as shocking as it was, that she'd think she was entitled to her sister's boyfriend. It was during that same year that Alice had taken ill that Lucy discovered her magical affinity to glass. When her sister had broken Lucy's glass sculpture, the pieces turned into lightening bugs as her emotions rose.
One of the things I love about this story is the symbolism associated with each creature Lucy magically creates, whether it is stated or not. In the first chapter (which may end up becoming a prologue), Lucy's father profoundly states that a lightening bug is an ordinary looking creature, but "the darkness brings out its most beautiful gift." I think a lightening bug would definitely represent Lucy and her abilities and would probably be her totem animal. Likewise, a butterfly symbolizes "acceptance of each new phase in life. To keep faith as everything around you changes." That is definitely what Lucy needed to know when she found herself on the beach shortly after Kevin dropped his bomb.
As I stated in my 'teaser' book description, the way you handle yourself in your darkest moments is said to define you. Lucy handled herself much better than I would have. She didn't attempt revenge verbally or physically by destroying something of either her former boyfriend's of 3 years or her sister's. While she let her sister know she was not okay with her steeling her boyfriend, she did use a touch of colorful language to make her point, but who could blame her?
I loved how Lisa wove into the story little bits of information about the island's history. I had never heard of the Pig War prior to reading about it in this book. Plus, I wonder if the story she included about the woman who married the sea was her own invention or truly a bit of island lore? I'm a sucker for a good folklore story and even took a class on it when I was in College. I have to admit the tale reminded me a little of the lore about Selkies.
Sam, what can I say except I just love the man? We learn more about how bad the family life was for the young Nolan children and how it effected all three Nolan brothers. He grew up in an environment where the primary person he could rely on was himself. One of the things that makes Lisa's stories so special is you know she has to have some knowledge of whatever subject matter she writes. In this case, it's about children who grow up after being raised by parents who suffer from alcoholism. I don't know where she gets her knowledge--if she does extensive research via psychology related material or if she studied psychology while in college. Whatever means she uses to get into the mindset of the characters she portrays, she magically transforms them from a one dimensional piece of paper with writing on it into a full blown three dimensional character you swear could be your next door neighbor. In the instance of 'Rainshadow Road', Sam denies how he feels about Lucy because it's not something he's ever pictured himself feeling for another individual. I liked how he had to overcome his fear of becoming attached to anyone. His trust issues stemming from what happened with his parents.
The relationship between Lucy and Sam starts out in a fun way. Moments after the scene where the sea glass transforms into a butterfly, Sam and Lucy meet. At first she worried he was a stalker, but gradually realizes they are just two people going the same direction at the same time. I liked how the two don't immediately become a couple but become one gradually, with a little nudge from a couple of friends. I thought it was a nice touch that Lucy was just as relationship shy as Sam due to her break up with Kevin and some experiences she'd had with some of her previous boyfriends. If Lucy had handled things differently, I think it would have taken a lot longer for Sam to realize his feelings for her. I loved how sparks ignited every time the two got close to each other and were not easily tamed. At the beginning interruptions seemed to be the norm and it was fun to see how the two handled things.
The book had two songs alternately dancing through my head as I read. The first being 'Magic' by Pilot, "Oh, oh, oh it's magic you know. Never believe it's not so." The second being 'Do You Believe in Magic' by Lovin' Spoonfuls, "Do you believe in magic in a young girls heart..." Of course if I had to pick a theme song for Kevin it would be 'Cold Hearted Snake' by Paula Abdul. Need I say more?
Some of my favorite quotes:
-"The problem with chasing after happiness was that it wasn't a destination you could reach. It was something that happened along the way."
-"Past experience had taught her that when you loved a man, you had to take him "as is," knowing that although you might be able to influence some of his habits or his taste in neckties, you would never be able to change who he really was deep down."
On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed and are grinning from ear to ear. Overall, this one get 5 out 5 roses. I thought it was a great combination of romance, drama, and whimsy.
Notes to keep you in the know:
-"The very savvy Native Americans approached the realm of animals from a position of honor - knowing that all things are connected. They understood that seeing the bat with fear in the heart would be the same as being terrified of their own children. Ridiculous.
The Native American animal symbolism of the bat comes from a keen observation of this magnificent animal. These people recognized that the bat was highly sensitive to their surroundings and so therefore was considered a symbol of intuition, dreaming and vision. This made the bat a powerful symbol for Native American shamans and medicine people. Often the spirit of the bat would be invoked when special energy was needed, like "night-sight" which is the ability to see through illusion or ambiguity and dive straight to the truth of matters." (Gotten from )
-"Hummingbird is the creature that opens the heart. When the hurt that caused us to close our hearts gets a chance to heal, our hearts are free to open again." (Gotten from )
-"In ANIMAL SPEAK, Ted Andrews says hummingbirds teach us how to draw the life essence from flowers. "They can teach us how to use flowers to heal and win hearts in love." Hummingbirds teach us fierce independence. They teach us to fight in a way where no one really gets hurt. They teach us simple courage. Andrews says the twittering, vibrating sounds of the hummingbirds bring us an internal masage that restores health and balance." (Gotten from )
The following images of Friday Harbor that I found on Photobucket. After seeing these pictures I can see why Lisa was inspired to write about this place. It does seem like a place anything could happen even something magical.
Order of series:
1) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
2) Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor) (Coming February 28, 2012)
3) Crystal Cove (Coming tentatively August 7, 2012)
4) Dream Lake (Coming tentatively February 13.2013)
Disclaimer: I am one of Lisa's Divas and receive benefits such as this ARC to read and swag. For more information on what being one of Lisa's Divas entails, see my disclaimer page or visit Lisa Kleypas' webesite at .
If you like this review, please visit my blog at
'She'd lost her home, her boyfriend, and her sister in one afternoon.'
They say that how you handle yourself in your darkest moments defines you. Lucy had just had her boyfriend, make that former boyfriend, tell her things were over. He had a lovely speech all ready, and then at the end, he oh so delicately (Not!), told her things might get a little awkward because he'd been seeing her sister, and she'd be moving to Friday Harbor and into their house to live with him.
Perhaps her sister fancied herself Alice from Wonderland and thought to step through the looking glass and into her sister's life? Heck, her name was Alice, but as most people know, Wonderland might be a nice place to visit, but it's not some place you want to stay. Plus, a relationship whose beginnings are based on lies and deceit usually doesn't last.
As Lucy contemplated the information that had just been divulged to her, she found herself taking her bike and mindlessly riding a trail by the ocean until she could go no farther and her thoughts caught up with her.
"Closing her hand around the piece of sea glass, she looked out at the water lapping against the shore in rough frothy blankets. The ocean was a bruised gray, the color of regret and resentment and the deepest kind of loneliness. The worst part about having been deceived the way she had been was it made you lose faith in yourself. When your judgement was that wrong about something, you could never be fully certain of anything ever again.
Her fist was burning, a knot of fire. Feeling an odd squirming tickle against her palm, she opened her fingers reflexively. The sea glass was gone. In its place a butterfly rested on her palm, unfolding iridescent blue wings."
Do you believe in magic?
'Rainshadow Road' takes place approximately 4 months after 'Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor'. Ms. Kleypas has once again created a beautiful and touching love story. This one, however, has a magical twist--the main character has a magical affinity with glass. Lucy is the older sister, by two years, to Alice. When her sister was 5 she contracted meningitis. After she recovered, her parents spoiled Alice giving her free range and pretty much anything she wanted. So close to 20 years later it wasn't a total surprise, as shocking as it was, that she'd think she was entitled to her sister's boyfriend. It was during that same year that Alice had taken ill that Lucy discovered her magical affinity to glass. When her sister had broken Lucy's glass sculpture, the pieces turned into lightening bugs as her emotions rose.
One of the things I love about this story is the symbolism associated with each creature Lucy magically creates, whether it is stated or not. In the first chapter (which may end up becoming a prologue), Lucy's father profoundly states that a lightening bug is an ordinary looking creature, but "the darkness brings out its most beautiful gift." I think a lightening bug would definitely represent Lucy and her abilities and would probably be her totem animal. Likewise, a butterfly symbolizes "acceptance of each new phase in life. To keep faith as everything around you changes." That is definitely what Lucy needed to know when she found herself on the beach shortly after Kevin dropped his bomb.
As I stated in my 'teaser' book description, the way you handle yourself in your darkest moments is said to define you. Lucy handled herself much better than I would have. She didn't attempt revenge verbally or physically by destroying something of either her former boyfriend's of 3 years or her sister's. While she let her sister know she was not okay with her steeling her boyfriend, she did use a touch of colorful language to make her point, but who could blame her?
I loved how Lisa wove into the story little bits of information about the island's history. I had never heard of the Pig War prior to reading about it in this book. Plus, I wonder if the story she included about the woman who married the sea was her own invention or truly a bit of island lore? I'm a sucker for a good folklore story and even took a class on it when I was in College. I have to admit the tale reminded me a little of the lore about Selkies.
Sam, what can I say except I just love the man? We learn more about how bad the family life was for the young Nolan children and how it effected all three Nolan brothers. He grew up in an environment where the primary person he could rely on was himself. One of the things that makes Lisa's stories so special is you know she has to have some knowledge of whatever subject matter she writes. In this case, it's about children who grow up after being raised by parents who suffer from alcoholism. I don't know where she gets her knowledge--if she does extensive research via psychology related material or if she studied psychology while in college. Whatever means she uses to get into the mindset of the characters she portrays, she magically transforms them from a one dimensional piece of paper with writing on it into a full blown three dimensional character you swear could be your next door neighbor. In the instance of 'Rainshadow Road', Sam denies how he feels about Lucy because it's not something he's ever pictured himself feeling for another individual. I liked how he had to overcome his fear of becoming attached to anyone. His trust issues stemming from what happened with his parents.
The relationship between Lucy and Sam starts out in a fun way. Moments after the scene where the sea glass transforms into a butterfly, Sam and Lucy meet. At first she worried he was a stalker, but gradually realizes they are just two people going the same direction at the same time. I liked how the two don't immediately become a couple but become one gradually, with a little nudge from a couple of friends. I thought it was a nice touch that Lucy was just as relationship shy as Sam due to her break up with Kevin and some experiences she'd had with some of her previous boyfriends. If Lucy had handled things differently, I think it would have taken a lot longer for Sam to realize his feelings for her. I loved how sparks ignited every time the two got close to each other and were not easily tamed. At the beginning interruptions seemed to be the norm and it was fun to see how the two handled things.
The book had two songs alternately dancing through my head as I read. The first being 'Magic' by Pilot, "Oh, oh, oh it's magic you know. Never believe it's not so." The second being 'Do You Believe in Magic' by Lovin' Spoonfuls, "Do you believe in magic in a young girls heart..." Of course if I had to pick a theme song for Kevin it would be 'Cold Hearted Snake' by Paula Abdul. Need I say more?
Some of my favorite quotes:
-"The problem with chasing after happiness was that it wasn't a destination you could reach. It was something that happened along the way."
-"Past experience had taught her that when you loved a man, you had to take him "as is," knowing that although you might be able to influence some of his habits or his taste in neckties, you would never be able to change who he really was deep down."
On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed and are grinning from ear to ear. Overall, this one get 5 out 5 roses. I thought it was a great combination of romance, drama, and whimsy.
Notes to keep you in the know:
-"The very savvy Native Americans approached the realm of animals from a position of honor - knowing that all things are connected. They understood that seeing the bat with fear in the heart would be the same as being terrified of their own children. Ridiculous.
The Native American animal symbolism of the bat comes from a keen observation of this magnificent animal. These people recognized that the bat was highly sensitive to their surroundings and so therefore was considered a symbol of intuition, dreaming and vision. This made the bat a powerful symbol for Native American shamans and medicine people. Often the spirit of the bat would be invoked when special energy was needed, like "night-sight" which is the ability to see through illusion or ambiguity and dive straight to the truth of matters." (Gotten from )
-"Hummingbird is the creature that opens the heart. When the hurt that caused us to close our hearts gets a chance to heal, our hearts are free to open again." (Gotten from )
-"In ANIMAL SPEAK, Ted Andrews says hummingbirds teach us how to draw the life essence from flowers. "They can teach us how to use flowers to heal and win hearts in love." Hummingbirds teach us fierce independence. They teach us to fight in a way where no one really gets hurt. They teach us simple courage. Andrews says the twittering, vibrating sounds of the hummingbirds bring us an internal masage that restores health and balance." (Gotten from )
The following images of Friday Harbor that I found on Photobucket. After seeing these pictures I can see why Lisa was inspired to write about this place. It does seem like a place anything could happen even something magical.
Order of series:
1) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor
2) Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor) (Coming February 28, 2012)
3) Crystal Cove (Coming tentatively August 7, 2012)
4) Dream Lake (Coming tentatively February 13.2013)
Disclaimer: I am one of Lisa's Divas and receive benefits such as this ARC to read and swag. For more information on what being one of Lisa's Divas entails, see my disclaimer page or visit Lisa Kleypas' webesite at .
If you like this review, please visit my blog at
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