REVIEW: Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis

In Rainy Day Friends (Wildstone #2) by Jill Shalvis, Lanie Jacobs had never felt like she was loved or even special in anyone’s eye until she met Kyle. Things were great for the first couple of years after they married. But something changed and she realized they weren’t connecting the way they once were. Unsure of whether the issue was her fault or just the nature of marriages cooling off after the honeymoon phase, Lanie was shocked when first her husband died, and then she discovered that he had a few other “wives” he’d been hiding on the side. Feeling betrayed and completely devastated, she travels several months later to the Capriotti Winery in Wildstone and takes a temporary job there, hoping to gain some clarity and a plan for her future. But what Lanie finds is a second chance at love, friendships to last a lifetime, and an acceptance she’s never known before.

“Tell me what you want tonight.”
“Your body on mine.”
His eyes both darkened and softened. “Lanie–”
She put a finger on his lips. “I know the rules. No need to complicate anything,” she whispered and went up on tiptoe to kiss him.

When Lanie arrived at the winery, Mark Capriotti felt the pull between them but wouldn’t acknowledge it. His focus has to remain on keeping his twin daughters safe and feeling loved and secure after what their mom did to them all. However, watching Samantha and Sierra pick away at Lanie’s cool exterior, showing the loving, giving nature that she holds so inherently, well, that’s when Mark knows he’s in trouble. He’s not sure he trusts in love anymore, but he doesn’t know if he can let Lanie leave without giving things between them a try.

‘Lanie’s protective layer was thick, but it was no match for his girls, who were like windows into her soul. It was through their eyes that he was slowly discovering just how deep he’d fallen for her.’

River Brown is definitely down on her luck. Basically homeless, jobless, and penniless, she coasts down the Capriotti’s driveway with nothing left lose. Not used to having a big, nosy, raucous family taking care of her, River is wowed by how much they seem to care about her. If they only knew the truth behind her ending up their doorstep, they might not be so welcoming. But the friendships that she strikes up with both Lanie and Holden, a man who’s had some trouble in his past as well, has River wondering if she tells the truth, will it be enough to keep all the good she’s found at the Capriotti’s in her life for the long haul?

‘Had she really thought her past was behind her?
Had she really believed that she could let it all go and live in the present? Because her past had just shown up without an evite.’

Jill Shalvis’ Rainy Day Friends knocked me off my feet with its soul-searching characters, shocking secrets, a whole bunch of family dramatics, and two burgeoning relationships. Not to mention the heart and laughter I’ve come to expect from Shalvis’ stellar work.

Jill Shalvis is another one of my go-to authors. I adore her sense of humor and the way she can create a cast of characters I want to hang out with in real life. It was so much fun meeting Lanie, River and the entire Capriotti clan. What a riot they all were! While there were some serious moments that will sweetly melt your heart, break your heart, or just make you want to shed a tear, there was a wonderful thread of lightheartedness–heavy on the pop culture and funny meme references–that had me entertained to no end. And there was something so tangible about each character’s emotions here. I just *got* where they were coming from, regardless of their background or situation. The way Shalvis wrote the dialogue and their inner thoughts made me feel like I understood them completely. Gotta love that.

Okay, without giving away too much of the surprises we found out along the way, I can say that our main female characters Lanie and River had some things in common and some parts of their lives very much *not* in common. But they both ended up on the doorstep of the Capriotti Winery with a whole lot of healing to do and some choices about their futures to decide upon. I’ll be honest that I wanted for a few moments to not like River based on something she was planning to do, but when I looked at things from her perspective, I just couldn’t do it. My heart went out to her–and Lanie–for their predicaments. And I loved watching them build a friendship, to the point of being as close as sisters, out of their unique set of circumstances. It was tough for both of them but it felt realistic the way it all worked out.

The Capriotti family was a huge part of the book, too. And I loved every chaotic, loving, nosy-filled moment we spent with them. They had a hand in helping Lanie and River find their way. Especially the matriarch Cora. Loved. Her. So much. She was even able to keep her (grown) son Mark in line. Mostly. She helped him as well with his newish role of being a cop and a single dad to his ridiculously cute twin daughters Sierra and Samantha. Those two…oh my goodness but they were adorable, sweet, and wise beyond their years. They enhanced the story and ended up being a connecting thread between Mark and Lanie in the long run, as the two adults kept pushing away from each other; neither wanting a relationship after being hurt before.

Unbelievably heartfelt and thoroughly enjoyable, Rainy Day Friends is the type of story that gives readers a warm and cozy feeling all while they cheer on the characters and lose themselves in the absorbing plot. Highly recommended.

Book Info:

Publication: June 19th 2018 | William Morrow Paperbacks | Wildstone #2

Following the USA Today bestselling author of Lost and Found Sisters comes 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 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 Brown 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.