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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Warning: Adult Sexual Content and Subject Matter, which you can skip over and still fully enjoy the book
Lanie Jacobs takes a position handling graphic design for the Capriotti Winery and finds herself surrounded by members of the Capriotti family who take her in as one of their own. Lanie is not ready for a relationship since she just recently became a widow. The widow of a man who continued getting married even though he was already married to her. Mark Capriotti swore not to lose his heart again after his wife walked out on him and their daughters years ago. From the eldest to the youngest there is always something going on including you guessed it the budding love story. Just when you are getting the characters straight in walks another addition to the winery, River who will add more chaos to this already busy storyline.
RAINY DAY FRIENDS in the third book in the Wildstone series but I had no problems reading it as a stand alone. I enjoyed it so much that I’ve just ordered the first two books in the series.
Lanie has been a widow for 6 months but she has more anger than grief. After her husband’s death, she found out that he was an adulterer who had several other wives. Because Lanie was the first wife, she felt that her husband’s decisions meant that she was unlovable and unworthy of love. She led a very solitary life until she applied for a temporary job at the Capriotti winery to re-do their logos and website. Once she arrives, she is surrounded by loud and boisterous members of the family. As they take her into their family and as she begins to let down her guard – especially around their son, Mark, she begins to change her attitude toward other people. Can she totally change or will she continue to live her solitary life? Just when she thinks she can change, another new add to the work group threatens to ruin all of the progress she has made in her life.
This is a wonderful book about love and friendship and family. It’s about letting go of your past and learning to embrace the present.
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Great story about a quirky family and a couple of women who find them when they need them most. Definitely worth the read!
This book was so good, that it was unfortunate that I had to go to work and sleep, because everytime I was reading it, I never wanted to put it down. It was a very emotional book at times, and the author did such a good job with developing the characters, that I felt every emotion they had, but it was not emotional all the time. She also had parts intermingled in that had me laughing out loud. It was such a good story, it had me thinking about them, even well after finishing the book. I highly recommend this book to the point, that I consider it a must read.
Loved it !
The synopsis does a good job of giving the highlights of Rainy Day Friends, so there’s no need to spoil with more details. I really adored this book, and it is definitely going on my favorites of 2018 list. It’s not your typical second chance love story.
The Capriotti’s define the word “family” as they are pushy, in everyone’s business and loving and kind to all they care for, including Lanie and River. Cora, the no-nonsense generous matriarch of the family is a delight with her extended family. They’re completely unlike any family Lanie has experienced.
Lanie doesn’t quite know how to handle the family, but she does feel the spark between her and Mark, the sexy sheriff with two adorable little girls. They’ve both been hurt so it’s difficult for them to open up to each other, although it happens anyway. I adored how these two fell in love with each other. It was fun and playful and just right (and hot!). I truly appreciated the lightness to this story — it balanced what happened in the past so perfectly.
River provides an interesting twist to the story that made it feel fresh and kept me turning the pages. The relationships between the women in this story are superb and engaging — it was great to see these friendships and how they supported to each other.
I liked so much about this beautiful story of finding true love that I’m ready to give it a re-read again. It really left me in a happy place, and that’s priceless.
So if you are looking for a contemporary romance with good pacing, likable characters, a very fresh and interesting story line that will leave you wanting more this might be for you! It doesn’t get much better than that!
Rainy day friends is a wonderful hybrid of contemporary romance and chick lit. After her husband passes away, Lanie discovers that she was not his only wife. In an attempt to get her life back on track, she takes a position at the Capriotti winery, where she finds herself immersed in the big, happy extended family. As her time there progresses, she begins to discover who she really is, and in the process, she finds love, accepance and forgiveness. Rainy Day Friends is dramatic, heart-wrenching, romantic, humorous – the perfect book to curl up with on a rainy day!
Rainy Day Friends is a fantastic second chance romance that is filled with lots of heart and is sure to make you swoon….
Ever since Lanie’s husband death, she has been trying to pick up the pieces and move on with her life. Her world has been turned upside in ways no one could imagine. Suddenly, she finds herself questioning any and everything. So, when an opportunity for a fresh start presents itself, Lanie can’t help but go for it. Her new job takes her to the Capriotti Winery. The Capriotti family is one of those families that you can’t help but fall in love with. They take you in and make you feel right at home. And that is just what Lanie needs. The one thing Lanie didn’t plan on though was Mark. Mark who is the town sheriff has his own broken heart and baggage of his own. Mark should stay away from Lanie, but doesn’t have the heart to do it. Just like the rest of his family, Mark will try his hardest to win over Lanie and capture a piece of her heart. Will Lanie take a chance on love again or will one more blast from the past ruin everything?? There’s only one way to find out…..
Rainy Day Friends was such a fun read for me. I fell in love with the characters and the setting instantly. The Capriotti Family is one of those that just can’t help but want to be a part of. They’re loud. They’re nosy. They mean well and love deeply. And Mark…he is just trying to do the best with the cards life has dealt him. He’s a good man, but has rules to keep his heart protected. And when he meets Lanie, she proves to be the one woman he wants to break all of his rules for. And then there’s Lanie. Lanie. Lanie. Lanie. How could your heart not ache for her? She thought she found the one only to discover a deep, painful betrayal. That betrayal will change her outlook on everything. She’s guarded and careful about those she lets close, but meeting Mark is just what the doctor ordered. The chemistry between these two is just amazing and I loved watching them fall and figure things out.
Rainy Day Friends was just the read I was looking for. It put a smile on my face and had me swooning like crazy. I fell in love with Mark and Lanie and couldn’t wait to see how their story would play out. Rainy Day Friends isn’t just a love story. It is a story of friendship, heart and moving on. It is a story picking up the pieces and having the courage to open up your heart again. This story is smartly written and thoroughly entertaining. The writing will captivate you and will make you feel like you are experiencing the story right along with the characters. I loved every moment of this story and can not wait to read more from this series.
What a great story. When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. That’s what Lanie did. I love her character and after what she had went through with her late husband she showed she was a strong character and knew she needed to get away and clear her head. I love how she is faced with a few things and then has to figure out how she will go about them. Jill Shalvis the author did a wonderful job with this story. I felt I was part of the story and can picture the setting. Such a beautiful story.
Being a fan of the Heartbreaker Bay series by Jill Shalvis, I knew I needed to read the Wildstone series. As I have read the other books in this series, I think you can read this one as a standalone. This book had me smiling, shaking my head, and even getting tears. I truly have enjoyed every book that I have read by Jill and look forward to reading more. Each book offers smooth writing and easy to relate to characters. Highly recommend for your next winery vacation!
Great story of love, family and forgiveness, I love that Jill Shalvis builds the characters so believable that you get totally swept up in the story and the characters lives. The story isn’t just centered around Lanie and Mark, there are a whole big rowdy family who show you just how amazing and frustrating family can be. This will definitely be on my read again list. Truly amazing love story.
Your husband is dead. You’re devastated. You then find out you’ve been married to a philanderer who has left behind not only you, his wife…but four other women, also his ‘wives’!! You get the opportunity to ‘tune out’ for a while, taking a temporary position away from your ‘real life’, so you can distance yourself from everyone who knows your deep dark secret, and try to figure out why you weren’t enough. Thus begins, Rainy Day Friends.
Following Lainey’s journey was a fabulous read. She is pulled, figuratively kicking and screaming, into a family totally unlike what she grew up with. They’re in your face and in your business and worm their way into your heart. Lainey is soon embedded within the family. She keeps trying to push back, but she can’t do it, until a devastating reveal throws all her carefully guarded secrets to the wind. Can Lainey overcome her past? Can she forgive? Can she find love, or can she finally allow love to envelop her?
Another wonderful book by Jill Shalvis. Laugh out loud funny in some parts, poignant in others. Definitely a stand alone in the Wildstone series since there are only brief mentions of the location and no mention of other people from the first book or the novella.
You guys! Jill Shalvis just keeps outdoing herself! GAH!
Jill Shalvis is never going to write dark/angsty/dramatic kinda books. Her books are going to always be easy like Sunday morning books and she is damn good at it. Okay, wait, at least I think she won’t LOL I’ve read a lot of her work throughout the years and this is how they have always made me feel. Speaking of feels …. The heart that these books have is deep rooted in the prose and oh so warming. There are always #feels in abundance and then some! Magical!
There’s a lot of what I like to term personal/societal situations woven into the journey of Lanie and Mark. The story could have easily been a very heavy story but the author turned the tables and presented those situations with such craftiness that it doesn’t weigh you down. I don’t even know if those words make any sense to you, but basically, she tricks you into reading these heavy, real life situations without bogging your mind down with them. MAD SKILLS, I tell ya!
So yes, I absolutely adored this story. I’ve enjoyed this series immensely. I look forward to such more from this author in any directions she’s willing to write. She just gets it right every single time!
Copy provided for blog tour review
Rainy Day Friends was a good book. I did have a bit of a hard time getting into it, but eventually I wanted to know what happened and the pages just flew by. Lanie and Mark’s story is definitely worth reading.
Favorite Quotes:
I’m giving up on getting a bikini body, so pass the butter, please. Grandma says the good Lord put alcohol and carbs on this planet for a reason and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Him down.
But after Kyle had passed away, some things had come to light. Such as the fact that he’d hidden an addiction from her. A wife addiction. It’d gone a long way toward getting her over the hump of the grieving process.
Most of my wrinkles are from laughter, except for these right between my eyebrows… These are my ‘WTF’ lines and those suckers are deep, all given to me by our family dinners.
I’ve moved on to pizza delivery guys because at least I know they have a job, a car, and pizza… Fifty percent of marriages end in divorce. One hundred percent of pizza deliveries end in happiness.
But the important thing here is to remember to practice self-care in times of stress. Take a walk, paint a picture, murder someone, burn the body, and clean up the crime scene.
Despised is a little strong. It implies that I’d unplug your life support to charge my iPhone, so I save that word for things like chia seeds, infomercials, and slow walkers in the aisles of the grocery store.
My Review:
I giggle-snorted my way through this delightful and crisply written tale. The writing was top-notch and the storylines were well-crafted, cleverly amusing, and totally engaging. I adored every single quirky character who were each provided with unique issues and peculiar traits. Ms. Shalvis’s keen wit and sharply honed levity were smoothly woven into the narrative with a stunning level of skill and agility. I have come to cherish Jill Shalvis and her adorable characters.
This is the story of Mark and Lanie. Lanie is a new arrival to Wildstone. She is still reeling from the death of her husband and learning that he had many other lives (and wives) that she knew nothing about. She needs a new start and moves to Wildstone and accepts a position at a local winery. The family from this family-run business welcomes her with open arms (though she’s not ready to embrace them completely…a lot of trust issues). Mark is a veteran who has recently returned home to Wildwood to take care of his twin girls after his wife (their mother) leaves. He is part of the crazy family that runs the winery that Lanie is working. He takes a job with the local police department and is working very hard to juggle his adjustment to civilian life, becoming a single parent of 2 girls and his new job. It’s a great story of how their friendship/relationship begins and grows and how each are also working through their past relationship issues and learning to trust again. Add in the arrival of River – another new winery employee – and the story takes a new turn. It’s full of love and laughs and if you are a Jill Shalvis fan… you will not be disappointed!
3.5 Stars for a solid and entertaining read from one of my go to authors.
With Raining Day Friends, Ms Shalvis brings us back to Wildstone with a story about learning to trust and opening your heart.
When Lanie arrives at the Capriotti Winery, she’s literally running away from life. It was a pleasure to watch to large and eccentric family pull her in and gradually open her up to emotions she had tried to turn off. I love her interactions with the twins and how she quietly slipped into the role of caretaker without anyone asking. Her romantic relationship with Mark really seemed like a case of the right people finally finding each other and I rooted for them to both sort their issues out.
I struggled just a little bit with how Ms Shalvis handled the reactions to River’s (a key secondary character) reason to showing up at the winery. While I completely understood the family standing behind River, I was a bit frustrated with how Lanie was treated and portrayed after the revelations. Comments made by several secondary characters made it seem like they thought Lanie was the “bad” guy when she and River were both harmed by the same person and River was the only one who knew it. I was troubled by the perception that it was Lanie’s job to make things right.
This was a good story about opening yourself up to friendship and a support network that everyone needs. The romantic storyline was also compelling. I am enjoying this series and hope to see more of the secondary characters in the future.
Mark is now officially my favorite hero by Jill Shalvis, which is saying a lot because she writes some amazing heroes. He captured my heart from the very beginning & I love his entire family. The Capriottis are the best! I loved Lanie & Mark’s emotional love story. Rainy Day Friends is definitely a book that I would read again.
I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary Advance Reader Copy.
I enjoyed Rainy Day Friends a great deal. I love this story of betrayal, love, compassion and friendship. I laughed and cried and stayed up to 5am reading Lanie’s story.
Lanie accepts a graphic design job at a family winery about 2 hours from her home in Santa Barbara to escape her life. She is a recent widow (6 months) and more recently found out her deceased husband had multiple (secret) wives. She needs a break. She temporarily moves to Wildstone and meet the huge, lovable and nosey Capriotti family. She tries hard not to get close to them, but it is so hard especially the sexy single dad, Mark and his two adorable twin girls. When things seem to be going well, a pregnant stranger shows up at the winery. She is offered a job and soon her and Lanie becomes friends. However, once again, Lanie is deceived and founds out River isn’t who Lanie thought she was. How can Lanie be so unlucky in relationships? Will she learn to trust and love again? or Will she continue to build walls and isolate herself? I love this story of betrayal, love, compassion, and friendship. I think I am now hooked on Jill Shalvis’ books.
Wonderful from the first page to the last! Jill Shalvis “gets” kids Loved the relationship between the young twin girls, Samantha and Siera and their dad, Mark. Loved some of the quotes in the book: “Dessert doesn’t go to the stomach, dessert goes to the heart.” Rainy Day Friends responds with the theme that family can be chosen not only through blood lines. “It’s not blood that connects us. Which means you’re one of us now.” Rainy Day Friends is a great comforting read with food, family, dogs, friendship and romance!