Rainy Day Friends: A Novel

Laine’s husband died six months ago and she is trying to deal with mess he left behind. She isn’t missing him since his death lead her to discover his double/triple/dirty life. She has come to realize that she was the only one who cared about her marriage. Her husband had :married” several other women who all thought they were his legal wife. Turns out that Laine is the only one legally married to him which also means that she is the one who is entitled to his insurance money. She has put that money into the bank and left town to try and heal. Laine’s impulsively accepts a job at a family owned coastal winery for six months. She is looking to heal and learn to trust again. She isn’t too sure how to fit in with the boisterous Capriotti family. They accept everyone and if you work for them, you are a part of their family. You are expected to eat lunch with the family daily during the family meal. Your business is the family’s business. It isn’t something she is sure she can deal with or accept. Laine has never really had a family so the dynamics of a large family are totally foreign to her. Laine is especially not sure how to deal with her attraction to Mark Capriotti. Mark left his career in the military to take care of his slightly mischievous twins. His ex-wife left the girls and Mark left the service to take care of them and moved back home to start a new career in law enforcement. Mark has chosen to move back into family compound on the winery since his family has…

*This book can be read as a complete standalone. Interestingly enough this book felt more like a women’s fiction story than the first book in the series but isn’t labeled that way. Don’t get me wrong, the romance element was a very strong centerpiece to this story but there was so much more to this story than just the budding relationship between Lanie and Mark. I feel like the strength of the story lied within Lanie’s journey to move on from the hurt caused by her husband and the relationships that she forged with the Capriotti’s and the most unlikely friendship she forges with River. I was really impressed with the way that Jill Shalvis told the story of Lanie and the betrayals she encounters with a raw honesty that felt thoroughly justified and real. If you’ve read Jill Shalvis before, you know that you can expect the best sort of hero. Mark, a single father two the most amazing 6-year-old twin girls, was extremely easy to fall for. A hardworking, morally fit, single father who has vowed to put his children before anything else and who loves his mother and sisters, you can’t help but fall for him. He was the perfect fit to Lanie’s closed-off, angry but still sweet character who was doing her best to move forward but had trouble letting go. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that besides the flirty banter with Mark, my favorite parts of Lanie’s story were when she was interacting with Sam and Sea. Having been betrayed and let down by pretty much everyone in her life, they…

Review MY REVIEW OF "RAINY DAY FRIENDS " BY Jill Shalvis Kindle Edition William Morrow Paperback June 19, 2018 "Rainy Day Friends" by Jill Shalvis is an entertaining, captivating, emotional read. The Genres for this story are Fiction, Women's Fiction and Romance. The timeline of the story is in the present and goes only to the past when it pertains to the events or characters of the story. The story takes place mostly at the Capriotti family run Winery. The author describes her characters as complicated and complex possibly due to the circumstances in their lives. This is novel about betrayal, heartbreak, second chances, family, friends, love and hope The Capriotti family is an outgoing, boisterous, and friendly family. One of the things that I like best in this story,is that the Capriottis seem to be a family that believes in second chances and being kind and to others. Lanie Jacobs takes a graphic design job at the Winery, after she finds out that her deceased husband holds a deep dark secret that embarrasses and torments her. Lanie tries to keep to herself, but finds it is very hard to do so with this family. River Brown, also arrives at the Winery, pregnant, and under false pretenses takes a job there as well. Little does Lanie realize that Riley has some dark secrets that can cause a rippling effect. I would recommend this novel to those readers that enjoy Women's Fiction, Romance, second chances, with a touch of suspense. (less)

It wasn't until her husband had passed away that Lainie Jacobs learned she wasn't Kyle's only widow. He didn't leave just one widow, not even two widows. He left four widows. She could not believe how she had never even suspected anything. She didn't realize she wasn't enough for him. All she wanted to do was escape to some unknown place to sort out her anger and grief. Lainie takes a job at Capriotti Winery as their new graphic artist. It is there that she is welcomed with open arms and made to feel as one of the family. Having been an only child the banter amongst all the Capriotti's is unknow to her and she feels out of sorts. The entrance of Mark, who is the deputy sheriff, makes her want to really sit up and take notice. But she knows she can never love again. She does not want to go through that kind of hurt again and feels she made a fool of herself. This job is only temporary so she feels safe. She can do her job and leave and the walls around her heart will still be intact. Everyone is so nice to her she finds it hard to accept. And Mark has two little girls that steal her heart. The oldest girl, Samantha, is 'too smart for her own good' as she has been told that many times. She will keep you chuckling. There will also be a few times you will really need that box of tissues. This is a journey you won't want to miss. Will Mark and Lainie come together or each go their separate way? I read this book in one sitting . I just could not put it down. This is one of Jill…

While there is plenty of the classic Jill Shalvis humor in Rainy Day Friends, this one hit me right in the feels. I’m a sucker for a strong single dad Hero, trying to keep it all together, putting love on the back burner. Single dad to 6-year-old twin girls, I might add. Oh, and did I say he was a Deputy Sheriff and veteran? Catnip city! Mark is part of a sprawling family, by blood and by choice. A collection of strays, employees, and family that all live on his family’s winery compound in Wildstone, CA. What I wouldn’t give to hang out with them! Everybody’s all up in your biz every minute of every day, to the great chagrin of new temporary contract employee Lanie. Widowed, and on the run from the secrets she discovered after her husband’s death. Lanie just wants to get in and get out. Mark’s family has other plans for this reticent couple, though! The cast of characters in this book is strong and varied, and as always, makes me yearn for their stories, also! Strong silent cowboy soldier, young pregnant single girl, feisty sister looking for love in all the wrong places, married with children sister in love with her husband since grade school, grandpa and grandma throwing out their witticisms at every turn, and at the heart of the whole family, Cora. Mother, grandmother, sister, friend, CEO. The heartbeat of the winery. Never overstepping, but always there. Constant and wise. One of the best secondary characters I’ve ever read. If you’ve never read a Jill Shalvis book, I…