Summer RainRating: 4.5 of 5 stars
My Review:
So all of these stories revolve around rain, which I didn't actually take note of while I was reading. Go figure. Some of the stories revolve around the idea of consent and acceptance, others find hope and transformation. I enjoyed each of the stories although there was very little I Love You's or happily-ever-afters. There was the hope of more, but some of the stories were more of an exploration of life and a character's journey to love themselves through their interactions with others.
Redemption by Ruthie Knox is the story of Mike Kaminsky and Julie; a couple who have been casually hooking up for a while. But when bankruptcy threatens for Julie, she needs to decide if she's ready to ask for what she wants or move on the way she normally does. It's a sad story with a heavy feeling. The writing and the characters are real and excellently drawn, but the end is not sunshine and roses – it's a step in the direction of trust, both characters putting themselves out there, moving toward each other and accepting where they are.
Molly O'Keefe's story, The Heart Of It, is pretty much the most sweet and poignant story ever. I cried through nearly the whole thing. Gabe is so messed up, he hires an escort to help him get over his abuse flashbacks. But he can't seem to go through with it. This is attempt four with the same woman. Both characters are so compelling and damaged, but full of caring and hope. This story felt like the memory of a first crush: that shy time when you daydream about someone but never really pin your worth onto them and only find out later that they were thinking about you too.
Cecelia Tan's story, Sacrifice, was the most obvious exploration of consent - with a demigod and a woman given to him as a sex slave. Two characters with separate languages, no prior interactions, but a need for intercourse to fulfill the natural order of things. The glimpse I got of the characters felt very small, considering all the space needed for world building. The story was interesting, but it was recording this journey to consent more so than the lives of the characters themselves.
Real Feelings by Charlotte Stein is a little bit of futuristic Pinocchio. It's another story that deals with the understanding of consent and desire. Moira buys a sex android but finds she wants someone who wants her back. I think this is the one I thought about the most afterwards, philosophically speaking. The infinite loops you're mind can travel with this story are awe-inspiring, and the characters are so caring and sweet.
Rainy Season by Mary Ann Rivers was what I considered much less of a couple love story. It was a story about Lisa finding herself and fulfilling her own desires. Mark gives her permission to look at herself instead of only trying to be what everyone else would want. It was a very hopeful story and so well written; with a little bit of magic, some art, and a buoyant feeling.
The Rain In Spain by AJ Cousins sets Magda and Javi in Spain after having been married for a year. They're both unsure if their relationship will last; feeling isolated from each other and having such different personalities. Another story that I cried through. There's something so moving about people being together but still trying to figure out if they're worth something. It's one of the tropes that has no easy answers – Magda travels for work more than she's home and Javi likes being a homebody. In this story, AJ struck the perfect balance of acceptance without epiloguing out the difficulties.
Fitting In by Audra North is college-ish with two characters who know about shame. The son of gay immigrants and a girl who had an abortion. Leila is farther along in her journey than Stas and she's able to help him let go of the shame and fear of rejection. The story was such an interesting journey and an original take on trying to fit in vs. being true to yourself.
In Private Study by Shari Slade ,Tess was a very sheltered child and is breaking out of that mold in college. But when her college classmates find her vlog posts about sexuality and sex toys, she's not prepared for the jerks and she's not sure how to deal with the nice guy. It's one of those first love stories with lots of floundering and miscommunications. Their love story is sweet and fragile and made me hope they'd keep pushing through the awkward missteps they're sure to have.
Storm Warning by Alexandra Haughton was a fun Texas tale of second chances. Misunderstandings and hurt feelings kept Amy and Tom emotionally apart while Amy chased her dreams, but she's come home with her tail between her legs to regroup and reinvent herself. This story reminded me of some of the older Diana Palmer stories, without the old skool patriarchy. There was Texas, obviously, and a certain surprising passion to these characters that's reminiscent of what I always loved about Diana Palmer's older stories.
I received a complementary ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review
**This review is archived on my blog: The Theory of LietoFine
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