Rainshadow Road: A Novel (Friday Harbor Book 2)

FINAL DECISION: This was a fine story and parts were really good, but I thought the first half was better than the conclusion and nothing about it was really memorable.THE STORY: Lucy Marinn discovers that her live-in boyfriend of two years has dumped her for her younger sister. Lucy asks herself why she keeps getting involved with the wrong kind of man. When she meets Sam Nolan, owner of a local vineyard, she knows she bad man streak continues. Sam is a nice man but he is upfront that he never intends to marry and any relationship with him can only be physical. The two cannot seem to avoid one another, however, as accidents, matchmaking and coincidences keep bringing them together.OPINION: I wanted to really love this book, but I only ended up liking it and that was primarily because of the characters. In some ways this felt like a book made up of jumbled genres. Contemporary romance, women's fiction, and paranormal just didn't work together in this book.I loved the characters and wish this was more like a true contemporary romance. Instead, this book has a women's fiction feel where the story is more about Lucy's personal growth than the romance. We don't get enough about Sam and Lucy together. In fact, much of their story ends up taking place in the space of a couple of paragraphs noting that they spent months together as a couple.I liked the characters and the story, but I thought the romance ended up a bit disconnected even though it had great potential.The book also has paranormal elements that seemed to have no real purpose in the story. They were weirdly placed and didn't really contribute to the story. They were neither fully integrated into the characters nor significant enough to the story to make their placement worth breaking the contemporary romance rules.Parts of the book were really good. I loved the parts where the deep emotions between Lucy and Sam are allowed to be the focus, but those moments were only enough to make the overall book likable.The book feels like an experiment that I didn't find entirely successful.WORTH MENTIONING: I think the blurb for this book doesn't really describe the story in this book as it suggests that Sam and Lucy get together because of her ex's interference. That is just not true.CONNECTED BOOKS: RAINSHADOW ROAD is the second book in the Friday Harbor series. It can be read as a standalone although there are overlapping characters.STAR RATING: I give this book 3 stars.

Lisa Kleypas is gifted with the unique ability to breathe life into the pages of her novels, to paint such emotion within the pages that it curves your lips and overflows from your eyes as you read. She elegantly taps into the complexities of hearts and how our lives shape us, and reshape us. There is so much to love about this book, and this series, that I cannot put it into words. I want to visit Friday Harbor and meet in person everyone I've grown to love within this series.

A lovely book that lived up to its preview in Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor.The story is about Lucy, an artist who has been burned one too many times by love, and Sam, a wine maker who grew up with two alcoholic parents and has a strong aversion to commitment. In classic Kleypas stye (which is why her series books are so terrific) we are treated to glimpses into the lives of past characters Maggie, Mark, Holly (the child), and Alex (star of next book). We also meet cousins Zoe and Justine who will both also have books of their own.There is an element of magic to the story, but it doesn't drive the plot or even the resolution, in a way, it's more symbolic than significant to character development. I've read a couple complaints about the magic and also the "geeky" hero, and neither are particularly major elements of this story. Sam rarely talks like a geek and certainly doesn't live or look like a geek, if that is a stumbling block for you, it's insignificant.What Rainshadow Road has in common with Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor, is the story arc is more tied to personal development and emotional growth rather than external factors with a significant peak/finale. While this book has that to a degree, it isn't explosive - a bit more quiet.Another commonality, and significant difference from LK's other books is the lack of sensuality. In the 20 odd books I've read, LK always gives attention and detail to the love scene. This book has them, not doubt, but written rather differently. The scenes are relatively brief and sparse. A bit of a disappointment for this reader, but the book is still a winner.

Once again, Lisa Kleypas has written a flawless, amazing love story with awesome characters that you can't help but love and some you will love to hate. The story deals with significant issues for both the H/h. The hero, Sam grew up with alcoholic parents and doesn't believe in marriage and will not commit to any one woman as a result. The heroine, Lucy grew up with a sister, Alice who almost died at age 5 from meningitis and was always catered to by their parents after her near death experience causing Lucy to be jealous and resentful of Alice. The sister, Alice grows up expecting to get handed everything she wants because she has always had it that way. Alice ends up sleeping with Lucy's boyfriend, Kevin who she lived with and had been with for 2 years. Kevin tells Lucy about Alice and breaks up with her. Lucy meets Sam within an hour of her break up and they are immediately attracted to each other but both are very weary. Kevin runs into Lucy again and tries to pursue her but she isn't interested, especially when he lets her know that he will only ever be a friend with benefits but nothing more. At first, Lucy knows she isn't ready to jump into any kind of relationship after her break up with the douche bag, Kevin. But after more interaction with Sam, Lucy decides maybe she should experience a relationship without promises or commitment because if there are no promises then they can't be broken. Then the story gets really good! I'm not going to spoil it for you because I know you will enjoy reading it yourself. There is an element of magic in this book that didn't take it into the paranormal range but definitely added nicely to the story. I can't say enough good things about this book...just buy it now because it is that good! I loved this book so it will definitely be added to my keeper list and be read again many times I'm sure.

I really like Lisa Kleypas, although I've never read any of her historical novels choosing instead to stick to the contemporary ones which have been excellent.This is such a nice feel good book, her books seem to be enriched by colours, flavours and textures that always make them come alive. Lucy Marinn is about to get dumped by her boyfriend for her younger sister. Sam Nolan who owns a local vineyard is about to meet Lucy and along the process he's going to help her find true love instead of crappy love.The characters are lovely, Sam is just the right side of Alpha, and Lucy is sweet. This is romance writing at it's best; it's not too cheesey or slushy or tiresome. It's heart-warming and does your soul good.Apparently this is the 2nd in the series, I didn't read the first which is a novella and I don't think it's necessary to the story.Enjoy!

Enjoyable contemporary romance, however I do agree with one of the other reviewers in that I found the magic element a trifle strange, almost as if bunged in as an afterthought. Sarah Addison Allen includes magic to her novels in a way that appears natural, and I felt that Kleypas was trying to copy her, but in a way that didn't quite come off.Ignoring that, it was a nice novel. The two central characters both had had difficulties in their childhoods which had affected them in adult life, making one a commitment phobe and the other resenting her over spoilt and indulged sister.Unfortunately, when I ordered and read this book I didn't realise that it was the second one in a trilogy, Doh! So I've missed the elder brother's story, which I may still read out of order.Enjoyable romance.

I didn't put this book down until I finished it. The magic twist to it was intriguing! great plot, highs and lows perfect romance!

Lisa Kleypas has become a favourite author she writes in several genres and is equally at home in all of them, her books are charming and tastefully written, and she handles sex scenes with a skill that I really wish some of the aspiring authors I tried on Kindle would be capable of learning. This book is a keeper.

I liked the story but it all went a little fast for me. The characters in the book are good but not developed thoroughly. I guess she had some time issues to finish this one or just tried to write a short story (just as Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor). As a consequence you cannot go in the story completely. I liked the magic in the story, but I can guess some people just think it's a little too much because of the lack in elaboration of the story and so it turns out to be an enumeration of events which the characters go through. I hope her new novel in this series will be better developed.

I enjoyed reading this book so much and didn't want it to end. Over the last few months I have reread most of it half a dozen times.I love LK's books and this one is up there with her best.

This was a sweet, pleasant, holiday read. I'll read the next one in the series.

its ok have read better by this author

Bought this for the wife. she absolutely loved it. kleypas at her romantic best, she didn't want the book to end

Oh, Lisa, please, please go back to regency romances - I beg you!

Não é um dos melhores romances que já li da autora, mas é uma história interessante e que prende o leitor. Lucy acabou de sofrer uma dupla traição, já que seu ex-namorado a trocou por sua irmã, quando conhece Sam, um homem lindo que não acredita em relacionamentos sérios. Apesar da atração física imediata, eles tentam manter uma relação de amizade, que, aos poucos, vai se tornando algo mais, sem que os dois percebam. Há uma luta interna dentro de Sam, pois ele resiste em reconhecer seus sentimentos verdadeiros, dada a absoluta falta de amor no ambiente em que foi criado. Mas, quando o sentimento é tão forte, especial e mágico, como o que os personagens compartilham, não há real escapatória. Um bom romance!

Rainshadow Road is a rather good read by well-known romance writer LIsa Kleypas. After the novella Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour, Rainshadow Road focuses on middle brother Sam Nolan and his love story with glass artist Lucy Marinn. Lucy is a fulfilled artist who has to face a bitter betrayal when her fiancée tells her he's leaving her for her younger sister. She gradually finds comfort in the company of wine maker Sam Nola. Unsurprisingly, this book is 100 % romantic, and also features magic, which is new for Lisa Kleypas fans. However, it lacks the appeal and the sparkle her other books have, and I couldn't but feel a bit disappointed after finishing it.

LK vom Feinsten. Liebenswerte und menschliche Charaktere, die wie gewohnt dreidimensional beschrieben werden und es dem Leser leicht machen, der Geschichte zu folgen. Typische Gute-Laune-Lektüre!

Absolutely amazing just like all the books in this series. It is funny, and romantic and lovely and you just HAVE to read all 4 books when you started with one (I didn't even read them in order, but that didn't matter!)!

romantic as usual with Lisa Kleypas. Characters and places always nicely described, the first non-historical novel from her that I have read and I loved it.