This is a book I borrowed from Prime Reading, which is free if you're a member. Being a lover of free things I stopped to look at this one because of the number of reviews it had.
I always pay attention to popular books in my genre and read as many as I can. I enjoy trying to learn how the top authors do it. It's not always easy to meet reader expectations, so reading helps me write better.
Women's fiction can be a very broad term so narrowing the types of books I like to read in this genre can be difficult. You only have to look at the books on the virtual shelf labelled 'women's fiction' to see that there are some you would like to read for yourself and others that won't even come close. For me, I'll click Next if I see a bare chested male on the cover of any book. Not for me at all. But the cover of this one really stood out for me. It's simple but really apt for the book as you begin to delve into When The Rain Ends.
The Blurb:
When artist Dani Manchester learns she’s slowly losing her vision, she becomes unmoored. Her ex-husband died only months before, leaving Dani and her preteen daughter grief stricken. Suddenly, the life Dani built for her family on the Outer Banks feels like a painful reminder of all they’ve lost.
On a whim, Dani sells her waterfront home and buys an old farm inland near the Virginia state line. But Dani’s daughter recoils at the sudden, drastic change. The Outer Banks’ sun-swept beaches, pink dawns, and savage storms are all she’s ever known.
But Dani is resolute, and the pair move to Virginia to embark on a challenging renovation. That summer, their efforts to turn a run-down silo into an art studio bring forth new friends, new loves, and new challenges.
As mother and daughter navigate the fiercest storm of their lives, they learn that instead of waiting for the skies to clear, they can withstand the wind and rain, so long as they do it together.
My Review:
It was such a pleasure to read and write a book review of When The Rain Ends. First off, I love a mother and daughter drama, so the description really spoke to me. Though in some respects the blurb is not the selling point of this book. I think I was sold by having read into the sample a bit more.
In the main, I think  the beauty of this book is in the way the author can take a common situation and make it into something fresh and real and new to read.
The author writes with sensitivity to her subject and there are a lot of deeply personal and moving tales interwoven into the main thread of the lead female character's narrative.
The pace is slow but the content is so engaging that it didn't bother me at all. Even as we are taken from hour to hour, sometimes from the point of view of two other characters, the story neatly unfolds and you are gently transported into what are deeply traumatic moments in the characters' lives.
Each of the characters spoke to me and I was feeling their pain and emotions. It's great when a writer can really put you into the character's situation so that you are seeing the world through their eyes and really getting to know and understand them.
This book is for you if you love idyllic scenes, tender moments and a story that unfolds at a gentle pace. I'll certainly be picking up more of the author's other works.
More reviews to come!