REVIEW: Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

A bit mystical in the storytelling, Lisa Kleypas has created a fun story about personal growth and love.

Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas
Series: Friday Harbor, Book 2
Publication date: February 28, 2012
Mass Market available June 4, 2013
ISBN: 978-1429938372
Rated 4 out of 5 Stars
Format Read – eBook from purchased TBR

Lucy Marinn learned as a young child that her sister, Alice, was enabled by everyone in their family. It shouldn’t really surprise Lucy when Alice causes an ultimate betrayal, but when it involves her longtime boyfriend who she trusts; Lucy can’t fathom how she missed the clues.

Alice was diagnosed with Meningitis when Lucy was seven-years-old and Alice was five-years-old. From that moment, their parents catered to Alice, and demanded understanding and consideration from Lucy. After years of dealing with the differences between them, Lucy begins to indulge Alice when she can’t seem to cope with real life, managing money, or anything else Lucy can help her with.

When Lucy’s live-in boyfriend breaks up with her to be with her sister, Lucy assumes their parents will side with Alice as usual. To her surprise, their parents are just as appalled as Lucy, but Alice still can’t see that she’s done anything wrong. Can Lucy ever forgive her sister, or will her ultimate betrayal be the wedge that’s permanently driven between them?

Sam Nolan’s life changed when his sister died and he agreed to help care for her daughter, Holly, with his oldest brother, Mark. Sam had enough space in his old Victorian home, so Mark and young Holly moved in with Sam to make the care of Holly much easier. Their youngest brother, Alex, happily married, or so they thought, announces his upcoming divorce. The three brothers are pretty sure that marriage for the Nolans is off-limits since their childhood didn’t give them any faith in the venture, and Alex’s pending divorce is just more proof.

Sam has commitment issues with women, but his devotion to his family proves he’s not opposed to love. When he meets Lucy the day she was told about her sister and her boyfriend’s relationship, Sam can’t help being attracted to her, even in her moment of distress. Can he convince Lucy to let go enough to live for just today?

Lucy and Sam are both creative individuals who believe in a bit of magic due to their talents they’ve kept hidden from others. They seem well-suited for one another from the beginning but it’s not so easy for them to realize that they belong together. Lucy’s unexpected needs and Sam’s big heart suddenly force them to spend much more time together, which is the ideal setting for falling in love.

Lucy and Sam’s magical talents add a bit of whimsy to an otherwise contemporary romance. I found it charming and part of what makes Sam and Lucy perfect for one another. I also really enjoyed reading about Lucy and Sam’s professions. It made them interesting people to me, plus intriguing enough to want to know what happens in their future. Both of their professions are a good tie-in to the mystery of Sam’s Victorian home. There’s also time spent with Sam’s brothers, Mark and Alex, as well as comedic relief from their niece, Holly. I laughed out loud several times at the interactions between Lucy and her friends, or Sam and his relatives, plus Sam and Lucy were charismatic together.

RAINSHADOW ROAD is an entertaining introduction to Lisa Kleypas’ talent as my first time reading one of her novels. This book was on my wishlist for a long time because the cover drew me in, but it was the special discounted eBook price that made me finally take a chance and I’m so glad that I did. After reading the sneak peek of DREAM LAKE in the back of RAINSHADOW ROAD, I’m very intrigued to find out what happens next because it contains one of my favorite subjects…ghosts!