First Time Available!Following the USA Today bestseller, Lost and Found Sisters, comes Rainy Day Friends, 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 … 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.
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Loved it! I have not met a Shalvis book I didn’t like.
I liked the way Lanie puts aside her own pain to help with River’s baby And the way she finds the courage to love again
Mark Capriotti is my hero! He is able to break through to Lanie’s heart and show her how much she deserves love and happiness. This story shows the strength of love to overcome many obstacles and the soothing power of forgiveness. Also is a good example of showing that family comes in all shapes and sizes, not just by blood. A must read!
It is a warm, friendly book with relatable characters. Friends and love can be found in the most unexpected places.
With there being so many books out there that I want to devour fitting them all in is a challenge. When I came across this one by one of my favorite authors just had to squeeze it in. This one will capture your attention right away thanks to what the deceased had done. This will also be a window on trust which most times and days is hard to come by thanks to today’s pace and ways. You are also given Lanie and Mark in this one with seeing and feeling it unfold gives you their growth and picture. Of course what good one would be without the drama that also unfolds, so does this one have its share.Leaves you satisfied for the reasons you want in a good one.
When Lanie went to work for the “Capriotti’s” (no, not a mob but a winery LOL). She did not just find a great job but she became part of a family. Mark and his twins, especially the twins stole her heart. River went to the winery to get something back, something that was hers and she needed it to move on with her life, she also found a family. Between the daily lunches on the back deck, and the sunny cast of people these two find out there is more to being part of a family then blood, and sometimes it is way better. This book will have you from the first page, and will keep you riveted until you finish!
I fell in love with this story. It happened pretty quickly and steadily.
The Capriotti family is hilarious. The opening chapter when Lanie first met them made me grin from ear to ear. They were nuts but in the best possible way. So many of the conversations in the book were funny to with a lot of sarcastic humor. Don’t worry though there will be a developing romance between Lanie and Mark. It’s more like a dance of 1 step forward and 2 steps back. And it’s like that for quite a while without being boring.
Something else that made me grin was the opening headline for each chapter. Some pretty funny thoughts with Anxiety often doing some talking. Of course one on my favorites had to be the one about cucumbers. “The human body is 90 percent water so basically we’re all just cucumbers with anxiety.” I’m not sure everyone is going to get that but I loved it.
There is plenty of emotional issues going on and I think it was pretty well done.
Cora was the heart of the story too. And she shared with her big heart with everyone but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t be the tough boss when she needed to be.
The twin little girls Samantha (Sam) and Sierra (Sea) were a welcome, loving but so often mischievous hoot!
Every single person in the book was someone interesting in their own right. They also had depth and I was almost sorry to see the book come to an end. A happy ending but still. Everyone became a part of the Capriotti family even if it’s not by blood. They pulled people into their heart often and when you were in you were in.
Even with all of the serious issues facing the people in the book I also never laughed so hard or so much in a long time while reading a book.
This book shot up to the top of my favorites list. It was a book that I borrowed but I loved it so much that I will just have to get my own copy so that I can re-read it.
It’s really hard to properly grieve for your husband when you find out that he’s actually cheating scum. Because it turns out that Lanie Jacob’s husband wasn’t just her husband. No, he had multiple other wives, all of which started showing up after his unexpected death. Needing a break from the emotional wreckage caused by Kyle’s death, Lanie takes a short term job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. Lanie’s hope is that it’ll be a fresh start- no one knows her there, so no one will know the shame of her husband not thinking she was enough for him. Except the Capriottis are nosy and pushy and… wonderful. Especially the Air Force veteran turned sheriff deputy and single father, Mark Capriotti. But Mark has his own set of issues. After his wife’s betrayal, the only women he has room for in his heart are his rambunctious twin girls. But the more time he spends with Lanie, and the more he witnesses her interactions with his girls and the rest of his family, the more he finds himself warming to her.
But just when life is starting to settle down for Lanie, River Brown shows up. Young and very pregnant, the Capriotti family immediately makes her an honorary part of the family too. Except River is hiding a secret, and it’s a big one.
I’ve loved some of Jill Shalvis’s books, but I think I love this one the most. It wasn’t entirely what I was expecting and that turned out to be the best thing about it. While I adored Lanie from the very beginning, as other supporting and main characters were introduced, I grew to love them just as much. I think the best choice Shalvis made was to not only include the point of view of Lanie, and later Mark, but then to eventually add in River’s POV as well. It helped make someone who could have been painted as a villain someone you were rooting for. While you didn’t immediately know all of her secrets, you got enough insight into River’s life that you could understand the emotional turmoil she was dealing with and it helped you see all sides of the story as it unfolded.
While the drama occasionally got a little over the top, it worked for me. At its core, this book was really a “feel good” kind of book and all the love and tenderness the Capriotti family held for each other and their found family grounded the insane drama in something that felt real and honest. There was a great balance between funny, crazy family antics and quiet, emotionally raw moments that made me want to read the whole book in one sitting.
Note: This review contains NO spoilers
Just incredibly emotional and heart-wrenching. I am just in love with Jill Shalvis’ books… Well, I am loving this Wildstone series. I’ve read the first book, Lost and Found Sisters, and now, I am just reeling with a whole lot of feels with this second book, Rainy Day Friends. Two separate stories happening in the same cozy small coastal town called Wildstone.
Yes, we are back in the coastal town of Wildstone. This time, we follow Lanie and her journey on the loss and betrayal of her now dead husband. The synopsis pretty much gives readers an idea of where Lanie is coming from. Although the titles in this series can be read as standalone novels, I think it best to read the first book, Lost and Found Sisters, to get a beautiful description of this quaint coastal town where these stories take place, especially when various locations in this small town is mentioned in this second book. Moreover, every descriptive detail is still filled with lush and beautiful scenery that can wake up the imagination.
As for all those quirky residents of Wildstone, each character having their own strong personalities and individual and independent thinking. Of course, living in a small town, everyone knows everyone…. Right?!? So, it was no surprise to me that even I fell in love with these locals. Yes, the development of these characters was well-rounded and distinct in allowing each to stand on their own as individuals. I enjoyed how Jill Shalvis distinguished the different family dynamics that these characters “grew up” in. Not only that, Jill Shalvis has this ability to bring out the emotional hardships and success that these characters have experienced and overcome. It even brought tears to my eyes as I followed Lanie on her journey to “start over.” All together, there’s a touch of realism that people can relate to in one way or another. Of course, there was the right amount of sexy romance that did not take away from the heartfelt story.
Rainy Day Friends is an emotional and gripping story that can rip your heart out, break it in to little pieces, and put it all back together again. This is a read that can make readers fall in love with these characters and this beautiful coastal town.
4.5 stars
Whew! I’m so happy to report this story is amazing. I adored the first book in the series, Lost and Found Sisters. But the last book, The Good Luck Sister, was a bit of a clunker for me. So I went into this one with a bit of trepidation. But it was awesome!
Poor Lanie, she’s really been through the ringer. Her husband not only cheated on her, but he married the women he cheated on her with while still married to her! Then he up and dies so she find all of this out and is completely humiliated. Lanie goes to Wildstone for a job at the Capriotti Winery, but also to get away to a place where her past isn’t known. She looks at this temporary job at the winery as a place to heal and restart.
This story has quite a bit more romance than the first book in the series, which I felt was more Chick Lit. But with the relationships Lanie develops with River and the other women of the winery, it definitely has its own splash of chick lit. Her bond with River is by times heartwarming and heartbreaking. And poor River has so much to deal with herself.
The Capriotti family is a bit much to take, especially for an introvert like Lanie who grew up without much affection. But they pull her in anyway…kicking and screaming. Mostly because of twin little girls who belong to a strapping, handsome deputy sheriff. Mark has had his own bad luck with marriage, but he hasn’t let it make him quite so bitter and closed off as Lanie. He lives his life for his twin daughters and is okay with that. Until Lanie steps into his life.
The friendship that Lanie and Mark form is touching. They’ve both been hurt so much and are, quite frankly, embarrassed by those hurts. So they both are holding back a piece of themselves from each other, not quite letting the other in on the whole story.
This story can truly be read as a standalone. There are not really crossover characters from the first two books, at least not in any significant way. But if you happen to come across this book first, do yourself a favor and go back to read Lost and Found Sisters after you read this. They are both such amazing stories.
https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2018/09/06/rainy-day-friends-book-review/
One of those books you hate to see end!
I loved this book. The characters were wonderful. One of Jill Shalvis’ best. I didn’t want it to end!
Another wonderful story by Jill Shalvis! Lately I have been reading books only in ebook form, but when I saw the paperback in the store I had to grab it. Added bonus it was signed!
This book brought out all the feels for me. I was heart-broken, frustrated, laughed out loud and then my heart warmed right up with the HEA.
When Lanie’s husband of 5 years died, she found out about all the lies he had been keeping. She had to get away so when the opportunity to move and work for 2 months, away from it all, she had to take it. The winery she is to work as a graphic artist is run by the Capriotti family. This bunch is a hoot! They are loud, nosy, a bit crazy, but oh so wonderful. Cora the CEO and matriarch welcomed her with open arms. And Mark, oh man, Mark, I loved him but he too had a lot of issues. He is an Air Force veteran, who had to come back home to raise his twin daughters after their mother abandoned them. He now works as a deputy sheriff, I love those small town law enforcement officers! The two clashes a bit in the beginning but there is that spark the neither one wants to acknowledge but can’t help themselves. They are drawn to each other. This is where my frustration came in, Mark was adamant that nothing can come of this, I hated that. Granted he did not know Lanie’s heartbreak and she too did not want another man, but I still did not like it. But when feelings started to change, I was very very happy lol. Then we have the twin girls, Samantha and Sierra, what sweet and hilarious little girls. I loved the relationship they have with their dad. Its tough since Sierra is still not speaking but the love Mark shows, it really is swoon-worthy. And the way Lanie speaks to the girls is so heart-warming. Lanie tries so hard to keep that wall up, but those girls just tears it right down!
Then the twist of River, oh boy, you know going in that when the truth gets out, its going to be tough one. And it was, but it shows the strength of Lanie. Both have been betrayed so horribly, but with the Capriottis and also Holden in the mix, they finally find a family.
I so loved this book. I loved all the characters in this story. The Capriottis are crazy but I would want to meet them! A definite must read
This book had EVERYTHING. Feel-good read of 2018 indeed! More sexy moments than the title and cover suggests, but so well done and full of burst-your-heart feels. Hard as it is to believe, I don’t think I’ve ever cried over a fictional couple before, but these two went through such a realistic struggle that by the time everything came together, it was just waterworks for me. Absolutely lovely.
Wow, I couldn’t put it down!
I think this book was sweet. I love big family stories. I think the characters had a believability that made them endearing
I loved this book! I loved all the characters but especially Lanie. The journey to her HEA was fantastic. There were laugh out loud and ugly cry moments. Such a great book.
Love her characters and how the people her books!
Like all of Jill Shalvis’ books, this one does not disappoint. It is well-written, with a well developed plot and her quirky sense of humor in evidence. The characters feel real.
I wanted to jump inside of this book and become part of the Capriotti clan! Jill Shalvis does a fantastic job of portraying vibrant characters the reader will fall in love with. This was my first book by Shalvis but I will be sure to read her others!