Title: Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis
Wildstone Series Book Two
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
First Time Available!
Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes Jill Shalvis’ moving story of heart, loss, betrayal, and friendship.
Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.
Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?
Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.
Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Green changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.
Review:
Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis is a heartfelt novel of healing. This second installment in Wildstone series can easily be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend the previous books as well.
Thirty year old widow Lanie Jacobs is in desperate need of a distraction from the shocking discovery her husband Kyle was a bigamist. Taking a temporary job as a graphic designer at the Capriotti Winery, she is dismayed by how close-knit the family is. Matriarch and CEO Cora is warmly inviting and full of wisdom. But it is Cora’s son Sheriff Mark Capriotti and his adorable six year old twin daughters who quickly inveigle their way past her defenses. When Cora welcomes twenty-one year old River Brown into the fold, Lanie befriends the young woman only to later learn stunning information that sends her reeling. Will Lanie flee from Mark and the Capriotti’s in order to protect herself from further heartbreak?
Lanie still bears the wounds of her parents’ emotional distance and hands’ off approach to childrearing. She opened her heart to Kyle only to later find out she put her trust in the wrong person. Trying to recover her equilibrium, she hopes the short term job at the Capriotti Winery will provide her the breathing room she needs to figure out what to do next. Lanie tries to keep an emotional distance from the caring family, but they easily sneak into her heart. But can Lanie prevent herself from acting on her sizzling hot attraction to Mark?
After his ex-wife walked away from him and their daughters, Sam and Sierra, Mark decides to steer clear of relationships until after his girls grow up. He willingly gave up his Air Force career to return to home, but he does not plan to live with his family indefinitely. Mark works long hours in order to save up enough money to build a home of his own. He is instantly attracted to Lanie, but will Mark convince her to agree to a no strings fling?
River has a bit of a tragic past and she is astonished by how easily Cora and the rest of the Capriotti’s welcome her into their lives. She is even more guarded than Lanie and while she is open about some things in her life, she is very secretive about others. After River is caught in a very outrageous situation, her revelations devastate Lanie and threaten their friendship. Will Lanie find a way to forgive River and let her back into her life?
A captivating addition to the Wildstone series, Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis is a wonderful novel with a cast of endearing characters and an engaging storyline. Lanie and Mark are a wonderful couple but they are quite cautious about allowing their casual hook ups to deepen into a real relationship. Mark is quite charming and he is quick to open up about his past whereas Lanie remains guarded with her defenses firmly in place. She becomes even more closed off when the truth about her marriage is revealed and her first instinct is to run. Will Mark convince Lanie to take a chance on building a future with him? Or is she too wounded by her past to risk her heart?
Great review Kathy