Book Review: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas || For Love and Books

Title: Rainshadow Road (Friday Harbor, #2)
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Format: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Romance
Source: Library Copy
Published: February 28th 2012 by Piatkus Books
My Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 1/2

From Goodreads.com

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 fiance 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.

In the last three months, a good friend has recommended two authors (Sarah Addison Allen and Barbara O’Neal) who quickly became favorites! So when she requested Lisa Kleypas and Rainshadow Road? I should have known I was going to love it.

I’ve really been loving books with magical elemnets lately, and this book definitely delivers that! But what I love about that? The magical parts (actual magic, not just an absolutely fabulous romance that is a whole different sort of magic!) are small and simple. They are just the sprinkles on top of the delectable icing on a scrumptious cupcake.

But magic aside? I loved the lack of predictability in this book. There was one moment where I was certain that one of the biggest romance cliches was unfolding, but I was pleasantly surprised when the book took the spin in a completely different direction.

Sam Nolan is definitely in the running for the most fabulous (grown up) book boyfriend this year! I can’t really find anything I do not love about him. His family is flawed, but realistic. And Lucy Marinn? She’s just fantastic. She’s broken, and she knows that a major change in her priorities is the perfect way to start the healing process. The chemistry between these two is so intense that you just keep turning the pages to see what comes next!

And who doesn’t love a book with some good wine, good eats and beautiful scenery? Rainshadow Road is an excellent escape that I would recommend to fans of Sarah Addison Allen’s books – the magical twists and breathtaking boyfriends will suck you in!

Meg says:

August 8, 2012 at 11:16 am

Ah, Sam! I do love that man! The first Friday Harbour book didn’t get me the way this one did. I’ll let you know how “Dream Lake” (Friday Harbour #3, released Aug07/2012) is once I get my hands on a copy. I love the glasswork in this book. Lots of books have characters who garden or bake or knit, but working with glass and stained glass is different.

loveandbooks says:

August 8, 2012 at 3:38 pm

The glass work was different; and a lot of fun!!

I’ve requested both of the others from the library already! Hopefully the wait isn’t too long.

April Books & Wine says:

August 8, 2012 at 2:41 pm

Oh my goodness this totally sounds like a ME book. I like magical realism and Sarah Addison Allen and characters who feel real. Plus I enjoyed the one Lisa Kleypas book I read.

Great review

loveandbooks says:

August 8, 2012 at 3:40 pm

If you like SAA? Then this is DEFINITELY a good book for you!! I’ve heard it’s different from some of her more mainstream romance stuff, but I love Lisa Kleypas so far!

Giselle says:

August 9, 2012 at 8:02 am

Great review, chickie! I love books that catch you off guard when you were expecting one thing to happen for sure and it goes into another direction. Glad you enjoyed it so much!

VeganYANerds says:

August 9, 2012 at 5:16 pm

Getting recommendations from friends can be such a good thing, especially when they turn out to be really good reads! I feel like this plot has been done before but it’s great that it was a fresh take on it!

Lindsay Kiernan says:

August 15, 2012 at 12:40 am

Hate to disagree with Meg above, but I love everything Kleypas does and somehow Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor spoke to me in a way that few books do. This might be because I’ve spent so much time in that area of Washington and all of the little references made me want to fly back and never leave! While not quite as great, I did enjoy Rainshadow Road a lot, Sam yum! Just finished the third this weekend and it is almost interwoven with some of Rainshadow Road so I think you’ll love it! Hope your library gets it into your hands soon!

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loveandbooks says:

August 15, 2012 at 4:32 pm

It’s always fun to see how many people have different favorites among the same author! I’m anxiously awaiting Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor and the newer one (can’t for the life of me think of the name, and I’m on my phone!) to come in to the library so I can read it too!

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