USA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novel in the sexy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series, a spin-off from the Portland Storm series.He’s in a drought. No rain. No goals. No women.She has what it takes to quench his thirst.Ethan Higgins, a defenseman for the Tulsa Thunderbirds, is in a rut. He hasn’t scored a goal in ages, and he hasn’t had a woman in his bed for … in ages, and he hasn’t had a woman in his bed for even longer. The only thing in his favor is that he gets to spend time with his son when the T-Birds play at home on the weekends. Determined to be nothing like his abusive father, Ethan sets out to show his son how a real man behaves, and Natalie Turner gives him the perfect opportunity to do so.
Natalie has nowhere to turn when her boyfriend gets physical with her, this time in public—at least not until Ethan steps in to offer her a safe place to stay. Wary of trusting anyone, especially another hockey player, and even more so one as rough and tough as Ethan, Natalie attempts to resist the lure she feels toward the protective man. When Ethan’s son does a Rain Dance, the skies open up. But will soaking their hardened and cracked hearts be enough to end the drought?
The Tulsa Thunderbirds series
1) Bury the Hatchet
2) Smoke Signals
3) Ghost Dance
4) Rites of Passage
5) Rain Dance
6) Dream Catcher – coming soon
7) On the Warpath – coming soon
more
There was a lot going on in this book. Domestic abuse and sexual abuse are both involved in this book, and play a role in the slow build of the relationship between Ethan and Natalie. Natalie is a very tragic figure, that has lived through something that no woman should have to contend with. Ethan is very supportive, being a friend when she needs it. I loved the sweetness and the slow build between them.
Hockey plays a role in the book, but is less prominent than in previous books. However, there was lots of action to keep things moving. Reading this book, my feelings ran the gamut: horror, anger, sadness, hope. There were moments were I laughed, and moments where I cried.
Despite the heavy nature of the content of this book, and the possible triggers involved, this was a very enjoyable book, and a great addition to the Tulsa Thunderbirds Series!
I have to start this review by saying to heed the trigger warnings if it is an issue for you, because like with other difficult situations in this Tulsa Thunderbirds series, Catherine Gayle did not sugarcoat this story. Some of the beginning is hard to take because it does feel so real, raw, desperate, and volatile. But with that being said, this is ultimately a positive story of survival and hope.
Natalie Turner has been conditioned to believe that her life will continue to exist as it has for years…isolated and at the mercy of her boyfriend Hayes Lennon who is on the Tulsa Thunderbirds. But one night, an unexpected knight appears and intervenes on her behalf. An unlikely support is initiated that night and soon she would need to ask for help.
Ethan Higgens is also a defenseman on the Thunderbirds. He has always been a bit quiet and reserved. He is a divorced dad who lives for hockey and his son. He is also a survivor of his own traumatic childhood, and he cannot handle seeing a woman being harmed.
She has a long road to recovery both physically and emotionally. She has trust issues, is scared, broken, and feels alone. He becomes Natalie’s protector and support. He is good, kind , patient, caring and understanding. And also brings the Thunderbird family along with him. He begins to make her feel safe. But they both are trying to figure out what is happening between them. Is it temporary? Real Feelings or just obligation? An after effect of the traumatic situation? What happens if she does not need him anymore?
This is Natalie’s journey to finding strength, support, safety, real affection, healing, and hope. Ethan is an absolutely swoonworthy hero. They way he treats his son, his ex, and Natalie is just so sweet, tolerant, and caring. He is big, brawny, and alpha, but also tender, loving, and understanding. This is a case of two people who found each other in the worst of situation and were not looking for love. She really had no hope and he felt powerless to make it better. And he had his own demons. But somehow they began to breathe light into each other’s dark places. But true healing takes time and patience, and they need to proceed with caution for both of their sakes. They are both scared of making mistakes and causing pain. And they both struggle internally with their own issues, while facing external distress and drama as well.
As I stated before this one is pretty graphic at the beginning and really paints the picture of pain, desperation, and hopelessness. It made me wince, cringe, get angry, and I truly hurt for Natalie. Ethan made me believe that good men are out there and that people can overcome anything. This is a heartfelt story of trust, vulnerability, intimacy, open hearts, hope, healing, fighting demons, and moving forward.
It brings back all of the characters from this series that we have seen struggle with their own issues. They are a great support system and provide more understanding and care to a woman who was kept isolated. They both have challenges to face, but they are easier with a group like this to stand by them.
**I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
WOW!! This was a very emotional and difficult book to read because it deals with domestic violence and sexual assault. Having said that, it was masterfully written and the story was told very tastefully by Catherine Gayle as she always does with taboo subjects.
I fell in love with Ethan from the get-go. The fact that he cared enough to get involved and do something about his teammate hurting Natalie was very heroic and a wonderful lesson to teach his son Carter. He is such a good man! Being an abuse survivor himself, from his monster of a father (if I ever wanted to run someone over with my car-it’s this jerk) , caused Ethan to stop the abuse he saw from happening even though it was someone he didn’t really know.
Ethan falls so hard for Natalie but he will not push her. Everybody will happen at her pace. It’s beautiful really, how much he cares for her and wants to help her to recover both physically and emotionally. He opens up his home, heart and life to her which includes his adorable son Carter and their dog Snoopy and all of his friends/teammates and their women. What an amazing environment for her to heal.
Natalie is so strong to have endured the physical and emotional abuse from her ex for so long. (Someone else and his friends that I would like to run over with my car). She went through so much and it was just awful and heartbreaking. The emotional trauma is so difficult for her to get through but therapy helps her so much. She really wants to allow herself to love Ethan. She trusts him, cares about him deeply and is very attracted to him, but love? How does she do that again after everything? Can she love again?
This is an emotional 5 star read and well worth the tissues. Amazing once again Ms.Gayle!
Gayle’s contemporary romances are one of my new addictions. She has a nack for tackling topics in a way that shows the real life impact, free of the political/moral soap box. She’s touched on AIDS/HIV, the porn industry, rape, physical abuse, childhood molestation, adult ADHD, etc. This time around, the topic is domestic abuse. She doesn’t handle the subject matter as if it’s a topic. She tells the story of these two people, showing the fall out organically as the story develops. I never feel as if she’s writing to make a point about an issue. Rather, she writes to tell the story.
I LOVE Catherine Gayle and this book did not disappoint!
She pushes hot buttons, tortures your heart and inspires devotion, Catherine Gayle is good at getting noticed. Just when it seems that your emotions cannot stand another blow, Rain Dance entrances your soul. Ethan is no hero, but he is a good man and an ever evolving parent. Natalie wants to be happy. She longs to be loved, yet her choices keep holding her back. Ethan and Natalie will leave you emotionally spent, but yearning for more. The baggage is heavy but the reward is worth the load. (4.5 stars)