Debra Hart is moving on. Maybe. Hopefully. One day. As a radio show host, Debra spends her mornings as Miss Lonely Heart on air, empathizing with all the broken hearts in the Denver metro area. She spends her evenings watching old musicals and trying not to think about the guy who broke up with her and subsequently fell in love with one of her best friends. Alone in a new city, Debra questions … new city, Debra questions where she belongs and who she is now.
When she stumbles into the indie music scene, Debra meets singer Ben Price. Rock star appeal, with a day job as a worship pastor, Ben is everything Debra wants to avoid. But he’s determined to be her friend, and it so happens she could really use one. Because try as she might, nothing seems to erase the anger and betrayal she feels.
It’s time for a new dream. But how does she start over when she doesn’t even know what she wants anymore?
“Brandy Bruce has weaved together a bittersweet tale that had me laughing and crying within a mere three words. Filled with loss, love, and beautiful life, After the Rain will forever be in my heart, sitting on my shelf of favorites.” ~V. Joy Palmer, Author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations
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“I decided then….my dance with God might look different now, but I was still willing to dance. In fact, this dance seemed more real to me.”
So if you haven’t read The Last Summer prior to reading this book, you will likely sympathize with Debra from page one of the book, maybe even empathize with her. After all, Debra was the one who was spurned and then one of her best friends and her ex got together pretty quickly after she exited their life in Texas. I read the first book and was absolutely Team Luke (her ex) and Sara (one of Debra’s best friends)….and didn’t care too much for Debra then and felt my irritation rise in this book at first as Debra wallows in her self-pity, anger, disillusionment, and doubt. And yet, I felt drawn to Debra’s honesty, tangled-up mess of emotions, and palpable heartbreak after losing a part of herself from the break up and not knowing who she is anymore. She is confused, alone, lonely, and running away from God, friends, and family when she meets Ben in Denver. And Ben is the epitome of God’s love and grace, one who never lets go and pursues with patience and unconditional love even when Debra runs away. This is a story of God’s grace reaching down, even to those of us who feel abandoned or don’t feel worthy. This is a story of growing up, maturing in life and love and faith and friendship, and looking at the painful past through those matured eyes to offer forgiveness and learn from the pain. If you’ve ever had your heart broken or felt lost and wondered who you are and where you are going, you will see Debra. And yet the best part of her story is what she does to come out of the ordeal as someone who more mature, yet still true to herself. I am glad that I traveled this road with Debra and saw her at a place of contentment at the end of the road.
I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.
“Knowing who we are takes years. Twists and turns and mistakes and growth.”
After the Rain is the story of a broken, hurting, realistic heroine trying to find her way after the crushing heartache of rejection. As Debra makes a new life for herself in Denver away from her group of friends, she meets other friends, including Ben, a worship leader/band singer, who takes an interest in Debra. The author created some fascinating, endearing, and multi-layered characters that came alive on the page and drew me in from the first. I loved the growth I saw in Debra as she got to know her new friends and began to get over her heartache.
“The difficulty with happiness being tied up in another person is that we have no control over that person. So they have the power to destroy our happiness.”
Brandy Bruce is a talented writer who can bring out all the emotions. Her adept weaving of uplifting messages of healing, forgiveness, of hope brought an additional dimension to this gripping story. I’ll be looking forward to more books from this author in the future.
A great follow up to The Last Summer!
No more Miss Lonely Heart!
My rating is 4.5 stars
From the first page, my heart cried out and I was invested in this story! Not because I had read and loved the first book – this one is a treasure on its own.
It isn’t often I think about the girl who is dumped so the heroine can get her guy when I read books like The Last Summer. Most of the time, the author is having you feel for the heroine and details all the reasons the other girl is wrong for “him”. Well, After the Rain is about the other girl. The one who was left behind. Rejected. Not good enough.
At least that is what Debra feels. Her devastation over losing Luke (on Christmas Eve!) led her to move away from Texas to Colorado so she can start over. And her grief has her family concerned enough she finally ends up going to a counselor.
In Debra’s poignantstory, she has to learn to live again. To hope again. To trust again. To love again. Prepare for a heart-wrenching journey as she struggles to get her life together and see that life can look different and that not everyone’s faith looks the same.
Ben was great! His deep love for the Lord, his heart for worship. Wow! I loved the way he was able to see into Debra’s heart and wasn’t afraid of her rejection. He seemed to know intuitively how to work his way past her defenses to provide what she really needed. It was amazing how he didn’t give up on her after the many ways she continued to reject him.
Don’t think this book was all heartache and tears, though! It was full of hope and had many touching moments as Debra’s heart began to open up. The fun non-dates that Ben took her on were great.
After the Rain results from the events in The Last Summer. Both are such compelling stories, though this stands alone, be prepared to want to re-read the other once you’ve finished this one.
I would not recommend it for a younger audience.
Read with a Preview at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.