Rainy Day Friends audiobook

Rainy Day Friends is book two in the Wildstone series by Jill Shalvis. I have often proclaimed my love of all things Jill Shalvis. But just when I think I couldn’t love her any more, she writes a book like this one, and more love spills out. I don’t know how she does it but I love her more with every book!Lanie Jacobs is broken. She lost her husband of five years, six months ago. But while grieving for the man she thought loved her, she found out that a lot of other women thought the same thing. He had four other wives. Needing a change of scenery, she took a two month contract as a graphic designer for Capriotti Winery which was in Wildstone, an old Wild West California town. The wide open countryside, the clean air and the beautiful beaches are just what she needed. What she hadn’t anticipated is this huge family that had no sense of personal space. They were loud, they were crazy, and they loved with their whole hearts. “Work and family. Family and work. It was all the same here, and that was just beginning to sink in.” Mark Capriotti thought that his career was in the Air Force. Until his wife abandoned their twin daughters who were now six. So he left the military and came home to Wildstone. He is now the deputy sheriff of Wildstone and is living on his family’s winery. They help with the kids since his hours are so crazy and his big family is just what the girls needed. One of his girls hasn’t spoken since their mother left them. Mark has promised himself that he will be everything that these two precious girls needs. That he will not let himself love again until they are grown up. Then he met Lanie. The connection was instant. That sizzle of attraction that can’t be denied. She’s only here for two months. She’s a distraction he can’t allow himself. Or can he? “He’d honestly believed that he could keep his heart safe. But that had been before Lanie slid in beneath his barriers. Now the only thing he was sure of was the one thing he didn’t want to admit to himself. She was going to have him breaking his every rule for her.” Lanie had walls around her heart three feet thick. It was the two girls that first started breaking down those walls and worming themselves in to her heart. In Mark’s mother, her boss, Cora, she found a connection she never had with her own mother, a closeness she could so get used to. And then there was Mark. He was sexy and she was crazy attracted to him. But the last thing she needs right now is a man. Oddly, it was at the beach, riding the waves on boogie boards, that they finally found the connection they both craved. Where they finally let down their defenses. “Her life had been a train in a dark tunnel for a very long time. But it was like she’d somehow changed course and now she could see a little bit of light.” Just when she was starting to think that she had finally found a place where she fit, a new addition arrived. River, twenty one years old and seven months pregnant with obviously no place else to go. Lanie feels an odd connection to this woman and they become friends. Until River admits to her secret. A secret that exposes everything that Lanie had kept hidden from the Capriottis. This book was amazing. I was drawn in on the very first page. Lanie had been through so much. You couldn’t help but to love her. And Mark…with all those muscles stuffed into his uniform. My heart was working overtime! I will say, though, that it was his girls that stole the show. They were adorable. And Mark was an amazing dad to them. His life was a mess and he was barely hanging on but he was everything those little girls needed. This whole family really stole my heart. Their love and closeness was so heartwarming. And there was an adorable epilogue. I have no idea where Jill Shalvis is going next with this series. If we’ll get more from this family or something else entirely. All I do know is that I will be waiting, maybe not so patiently, to find out. “Courage doesn’t always roar, you know. Sometimes it’s just a quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, ‘You can try again tomorrow.’”

READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOGI swear, everytime I'm done with a Jill Shalvis book I cry. Not because it's sad. Not even because my emotions are all over the place. No, the fact that I'm done always gets to me. Every single time. If I had my way, I would live in a Jill Shalvis book so that it would never end, that's how beautiful her stories are. Ever since discovering this author I've had a huge fan-girlish crush on her. In Rainy Days Friends we are back in Wildstone.The Capriottis are a loud bunch of people. A big Italian family who runs a winery, has family lunches with all their employees every day. They collect strays along the way and welcome them to their family without blinking. They are a rambunctious, crazy, lively clan with a disregard of personal space and every member has their nose in everybody's business. Sounds wonderful, right? They totally sound like my kind of people.When Lanie was offered a temporary job to re-design the Capriotti's brand she accepted to get her life back in order. After finding out that her late husband was a polygamist, married to four other women, she needs space and time to regroup. The winery, away from her home, promises to be a new start. She has every intention to make the best of these two months. A fairly reasonable young woman and sometimes a little stand-offish, she is determined to stay detached but the Capriottis, especially the two twin heathens and their father to Mark Capriotti, charm her. And while she falls for Mark and his girls, she falls in love with the whole family.Lanie is a complex character who has been deeply hurt by what her husband had done to her. Their relationship was already dying a slow death nevertheless the betrayal of her trust has made her suspicious and closed off. What's more is that her parents never made her feel wanted or loved. I hurt for her because this was a woman trapped in her past, feeling unwanted and so incredibly fragile, despite her immense strength. Her feelings for Mark become obvious very soon and her instinct is to run away from him and run to him at the same time. Lanie's wit and intelligence really spoke to me. As did her hurt - I could really understand why she was so scared of love. And now he had her in his arms, this amazing, prickly, suspicious, hardheaded woman that he was falling for in spite of himself because she was also sweet and kind and had the biggest heart of anyone he’d ever met. Falling hard. It was going to take a lot to convince her that he was a good idea, although he was pretty sure her body might’ve already made its decision. He had no idea what it would take to persuade the rest of her. Mark! Oh my. He is a single dad who adores his kids. I loved how he was with them - even when they needed a firm hand he gave it with a kindness that was so natural to him. He is such a charmer, sweet, understanding and so level-headed. Mark and his girls stole my heart from the first moment and didn't let go until the very end. I was so enchanted by this trio. He didn't intend to fall in love after being burned by his ex but he recognized a good thing when he saw it. "I’ve learned that life is a crapshoot, and at any moment someone can walk into it and change it forever.” - Mark Mark was just wonderful with Lanie but it was the joint effort of the whole family that actually helped bring down her walls. Learning acceptance from a family who didn't have a reason to welcome her into their fold other than liking her and feeling her need for love made her feel her mother's distance even more. Cora, the matriarch, united smartness and kindness, her wisdom and a keen understanding of people. Courage doesn’t always roar, you know. Sometimes it’s just a quiet voice at the end of the day, saying, “You can try again tomorrow.” And don't get me started on the two heathens - they were just adorable with their antics. So, so sweet. The family's witty banter had me in stitches. I also loved River, who totally upsets Lanie's life again, and Holden. Their love story was woven into the story so effortlessly - I wish we'd have had more of them.Jill Shalvis writes toe-curling romance and although it's not as explicit as I'm used to it still packs a lot of sexy chemistry and steam. I love her stories, from the small-town setting to the good people with the huge hearts, to the humor, to the romance that grabs your heart and squeezes tightly. Although this is labeled as women's fiction I'd actually call it contemporary romance. Now I'll start waiting for the next Jill Shalvis book. They are like a breeze of fresh air and I just can't get enough. “Started to go to the gym,” she said. “You know, to work off some of the baby fat. Only I couldn’t find my membership card and a new one was ten bucks. And since a doughnut and coffee was only three bucks, guess who saved seven bucks this morning?” - Alyssa

5 - "...Still wow!" Stars!We return to Wildstone for the second book in Jill Shalvis’ series of the same name. And I can hands-down say that Rainy Day Friends is one of the best books I have read by this author.From the introduction to the whole of the Capriotti family and their winery business in general, to Lanie Jacobs and Mark Capriotti, and their relationship specifically. There aren’t many authors that can tell a story with such heavy themes with so lightness of hand. She was away from the city and she was in a gorgeous place with a fun job, and she was going to take her first deep breath in months and find herself again… Lanie arrives in Wildstone to take up a short-term marketing position at the winery, cutting a solitary figure, and holding onto more secrets than she is looking to or even willing share, it comes as quite a shock at how quickly she finds herself immersed in all things Capriotti, from family Matriarch Cora all the way down to Mark’s twin daughters Sam and Sierra, they all manage to gradually worm their way into her heart as the story progresses."It’s not blood that connects us… "Told from several points of view, although mainly from Lanie, you are given the full HD Shalvis writing experience in this one. Both Mark and Lanie are not looking for commitment, but as I have come to expect with a hero written by this author, I still fell in love with him from his first introduction. Full on Alpha, and a bit grouchy to begin with, I don’t know how she does it, but just his mere presence on the page gives-good-tingle to the reader, and this single daddy had all my important lady parts standing to attention and swooning with lust/love and all the in-between as he worked through the fact that not all women, and Lanie in particular are like his ex-wife. I think seeing his daughters fall in love with her gave him the push he needed, but working through everything as he does while Lanie’s story plays out as well, just kept me hooked."We share orgasms when it suits us, but we’re not sharing emotions, remember…? You decreed that."You cannot help but like each and every character, and although the issues from Lanie’s past, ones that she’s spent six months unsuccessfully trying to run from are pretty much the main theme of the book this is a story that encompasses a lot of people. But with lines blurring between Lanie and Mark relationship wise, as well as Lanie’s inclusion (albeit with reluctance initially) into the family in general it covers a lot of characters in its telling. "There’s more for you here if you want it and you know that."Heavily pregnant and somewhat elusive River Green is a young woman whose story as it is revealed just pulls at your heart strings, and I hope that Jill sees fit to give her and Holden a novella at some point in the future."You’re a part of us now."If you have read a book by this author before, you are not going to be disappointed this is some of her best writing to date, if you haven’t then I think this would be the perfect introduction to her awesome story-telling skills. There is nothing, and I mean nothing I did not love about this book. The drama was relevant, the characters in all their individuality were likeable, relatable and people you wanted to get to know. The banter entertaining, and the locale somewhere I wish I could move to myself. It was perfect, I cannot wait for more.ARC generously provided, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review in exchange.

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.I had a fantastic time reading this book! I just didn't want to put it down once I started reading. I fell in love with this wonderful group of characters and couldn't wait to see how things would work out for them. This is the second full length book in the Wildstone series but it really reads as a stand alone with little connection to the previous installments beyond being set in the same town. I expected great things when I picked up this book and I am happy to report that it lived up to all of them.Lanie hasn't had an easy time of things lately. Her husband died only six months ago. That is bad enough but after her husband's passing, she discovered that she wasn't the only wife. She takes a temporary position at the winery in Wildstone as a way to get away and regroup for a bit. She does not expect to be surrounded by a family like the Capriotti clan. I loved the characters in this book. The Capriotti family were all wonderful. They were all genuinely caring people that never hesitated to take those in need under their wing. They were all just a lot of fun. I thought that the banter between the family members added a level of authenticity to their characters. Usually when there is a large cast of characters, I have a bit of difficulty keeping everyone straight but these characters were all so unique and had very distinct personalities from the start of the story. I think that Shalvis did a fantastic job with the character development in this book.I loved Mark and Lanie together. They were just perfect together and complimented each other wonderfully. I like that they were both coming from a place where they didn't want a relationship but couldn't resist the draw towards each other. They had so much chemistry but the parts of the book that really made their relationship feel real were the more touching ones, such as Mark being there for Lanie when she needed him, or Lanie's interactions with Mark's girls. This book had no shortage of excitement. I liked River's character but I had a feeling that she would make things interesting as soon as she entered the story. River and Lanie have so much in common and I loved how all kinds of relationships were explored in this story. I felt like we really had the chance to see these characters grow and learn how to deal with some of the hardships that have been a part of their lives.I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that this was a wonderfully written story filled with swoony and heartwarming moments. I can't wait to read more from Shalvis and I hope that we get to see some of these characters again in future installments in the series.I received a digital review copy of this book from William Morrow Paperbacks via Edelweiss.Initial ThoughtsThis was great! I may bump my rating up after I give myself just a bit more time to think about the book. I loved Mark and Lanie together and Mark's family was wonderful. River's situation really added to the story. And those twin girls :)

4 StarsOverall Opinion: This blurb and the reviews from my trusted GR friends sold me to this instantly! I thought I'd give this author antoher shot since I've always seen her books around but none had really grabbed me before like this one had, and the one book I did read from her I didn't write a review for and frankly don't remember it. I'm glad I did! This was an enjoyable read that has the community/family aspect that I really enjoy! I especially like these type of books to jump into after reading books that are dark, I struggle with the depth of characters, or are overly angsty. I really liked the H and especially his relationship with his daughters! Gotta love the single dad Hs!! This is what I would classify as "low heat", and I really would have like a little more steam tbh. I also felt like there was too much focus on the side character, River. I didn't necessarily like River, so that could've been my issue with so much time being spent on her. The ending is also a big reason for not being rating this higher (see closure section below). BUT -- all in all a good read that I enjoyed.Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Lanie and Mark's story. Lanie had lost her husband and her world has been turned upside down for the past six months. She takes a job at a vineyard to revamp all of their graphics while living on site for two months to try to escape it all. Mark's family, who owns the vineyard, quickly takes Lanie into their fold even though she is reluctant to form any attachments. Mark is trying to navigate his new reality of being a single dad to six year old twin daughters after his ex abandoned them. Mark and Lanie are instantly attracted to one another, but neither of them is interested in the mess they consider love to be because of their past experiences. They eventually give in to their connection, become friends with benefits, and also eventually fall in love. There are some funny and cute scenes with Mark's daughters, a twist that forces Lanie to confront her past, and some self discovery for both of them...and they get a HEA ending. POV: This alternated between focusing on Lanie (mainly), Mark, and River (a side character) in 3rd person narrative.Overall Pace of Story: Good until the end (see closure section below). I never skimmed and I thought it flowed well.Instalove:No, they take a while to develop stronger feelings.H rating: 4.5 stars. Mark. I really liked him. He was such a good dad! I think that says enough -- but he was also sweet, hot, and the right amount of alpha too!h rating: 4 stars. Lanie. I liked her. She was pretty strong considering all that she went through. I did want to shake her towards the end though.Sadness level: Low/moderate. I cried a few times, but I never needed any tissues.Push/Pull: Yes (view spoiler)[ They both push away at times, and I would say the H is the main pursuer of the relationship. (hide spoiler)]Heat level: Low. They have some tension and chemistry. There aren't that many scenes and it is what I would call low heat -- and not so many scenes that it takes away from the story.Descriptive sex: Kind of. Not quite fade-to-black, but close.OW/OM drama: Not in the typical sense and not between the h and H (view spoiler)[The h has to deal with an OW that had "married" her dead husband (hide spoiler)]Sex scene with OW or OM: NoCheating: Not with the mcs (view spoiler)[ The h found out that her husband that died had been cheating on her and actually married 4 other women. (hide spoiler)]Separation: Not really. Once they are together they stay together.Possible Triggers: Yes (view spoiler)[ Loss of a spouse (off page), the h found out that her dead husband was married to 4 other women (off page, but still dealing with it on page), and the H is divorced and has twin daughters that were abandoned by their mother (on page) (hide spoiler)]Closure: This ending was a lackluster for me. While I enjoyed the cute epilogue, I wanted more. It felt like I barely got the h confessing her love and making things right and then bam! a HEA in the epilogue! I think it would've been nicer to have them figure out their feelings and experience them as an official couple (and not just secret friends with benefits) before jumping into their HEA. I also was left with some rather big questions unanswered (view spoiler)[Does the H's ex come around or sign off rights? Does the h adopt the H's daughters? Does the h fix the relationships with her parents? What happens with the life insurance money and the other wives? etc. (hide spoiler)].Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers(view spoiler)[- Does Not have cheating by mcs- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM- Does have both the h and H pushing away- Does Not have a separation between the h and H- Does Not have abuse- Does have a HEA ending (hide spoiler)]

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.

Wow I feel like I’ve been through an emotional mangle, this book had me laughing and crying at the same time!!Lanie’s husband has died so she moves to Wildstone to work as a graphic artist at a Vinery for 2 months, to escape the lies and deceit her late husband left her with.The Capriotti’s welcome her into the bosom of their family, you can’t help but love this family. They may be nosy and have their faults but they stick together and the twins Samantha and Sierra are adorable. What wasn’t there to love about Mark, good looking and his gentle way he is around his twin girls would melt anybody’s heart. But Lanie has been hurt before and is reluctant to make that mistake again!!River turns up at the Vinery heavily pregnant and alone, she is also taken in by the Capriotti family, but she is hiding a secret which may be why she is there in the first place!!This is a feel good book, I sank into this family drama like sliding into a hot bath, warm and comforting. I wanted to find out how it all ends but at the same time I didn’t want to leave this great family. Adopt me please!!Love to find out what happens with River and Holden. Definitely won’t be my first and last Jill Shalvis book.Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I’ve always felt like I should have been born into a large Italian family and after reading Jill Shalvis’ Rainy Day Friends; I know I was meant to be part of the Capriotti family. I’ve read this author for many years and I’ve always enjoyed her work, but this book seems to be to be on a different level. It showed the goodness in people and had me wishing there were more people like this in our world today. This was absolutely a slow burn romance between two people who had been hurt in different ways and were trying to move on the best way they knew how; they just didn’t expect the feeling of completeness they found in one another. Heartwarming, emotional, and impossible to put down I loved Rainy Day Friends.Laine Jacobs’ live was turned upside down when her husband of 5 years passed away, but in more ways than one. Six months after she’s accepted a temporary job offer at a winery in an effort to get back her life and move forward, but nothing prepared her for the Capriotti family especially single father Mark and his precious and precocious twin daughters.One of my criteria for a perfect book is one I want to drop into and be a part of and that absolutely describes Rainy Day Friends. While Laine was a bit prickly and tried to maintain distance with everyone she came into contact with at her new job, she soon found it was impossible to do so. I loved how each and every one of the Capriotti family got under her skin and somehow made it impossible for her to retreat into herself. Neither Laine or Mark was looking for a relationship yet there was a pull between them they found impossible to ignore, oh they tried and even when they moved to a physical relationship they both did so knowing there was an expiration date but the more they tried to deny their growing feelings the deeper they both fell.While the relationship between Laine and Mark was a big part of this story there was so much more to Rainy Day Friends; family, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, hope and most of all love. This complex story contained characters with depth, witty dialog, and intricate plot, an innate sense of goodness, and it is absolutely one of my favorite books by this author.

Title: Rainy Day FriendsSeries: Wildstone #2Author: Jill ShalvisRelease date: June 19, 2018Cliffhanger: NoHEA(view spoiler)[Yes (hide spoiler)]It was as if her life had been a fresh painting and then it'd rained, smearing that old life away to nothing but a soggy canvas.Jill Shalvis is one of those authors that you can depend on to deliver a story with laugh out loud, witty humor from characters who effortlessly steal your heart. The friends and family that she creates feel like coming home even when you've never met them before. And that's the magic that she gives us in Rainy Day Friends. Within the first few pages, I knew immediately that the Capriotti family was special. Not just for their sarcastic and hilarious sense of humor, but most of all the strength of their love and unconditional acceptance. These are people that love so fiercely that you can't be too bothered by their nosiness and meddling. In essence, Capriotti Winery was a small town all on its own where there were no secrets and the gossip mill was alive and well. They're large, loud, and never give you a minute's privacy. Unfortunately that's one thing that Lanie is desperate to have, especially at this juncture in her life. Her two month job there gives her an opportunity to get away and lick her wounds in the aftermath of losing her husband and discovering his shocking betrayal. I really empathized with her as I grew to understand the cause of her anxiety and sadness. She's the kind of person who internalizes everything, so it helped to be able to get inside her head, because she's as stubborn as a mule about letting people in and allowing herself to be vulnerable. Externally she's friendly but distant, not that Cora or the rest of the family are deterred. If they have anything to say about it, she's going to have a permanent place in their business and their lives. Cora's son Mark is a single father of two adorable twin girls who's nursing some heavy heartache himself. After his wife decided she wasn't cut out to be a mother, she split town and never looked back. He's been picking up the pieces ever since. He works endless hours trying to make a better life for his girls, and his utter devotion for them was apparent in every word and action. He puts them first in his priorities, in fact, not wanting to even consider a serious relationship again until they're all grown. Lainey starts to grow attached little by little. Mark's girls have burrowed into her heart when she wasn't looking, Cora has watched over her with an eagle eye, even Uncle Jack's bad jokes have her cracking a reluctant smile. Mark...he's a whole other story. Each of them dance around their attraction for a bit. This felt like a nice slow burn between them, because they weren't even sure that exploring their chemistry was worth the risk. Her time there had an expiration date, and neither was even remotely looking for love. In the beginning stages of their relationship, I wasn't loving their casual arrangement. It messed with her mind badly, making her wonder once again if she was not enough. First by her parents, and then her cheating husband. But I could see that Mark was scared too, and things changed quickly once he understood her better. He just didn't know how to get through to her and help her see that it was okay for her to put her trust in him. She'd really thought she'd known everything about him and their relationship, and yet he'd betrayed her. So she no longer believed in her own judgement and other people.My one frustration ended up being in Lainey. While I sympathized and even empathized with everything she had gone through, she was continuously and stubbornly pushing everyone away. Even after Mark changed and made his feelings clear, and tried to be patient with her while she decided if she was going to stay, it was like she never gave the man an inch. She was the same way with River, even after their road trip where I thought she had resolved a lot of her animosity between them, but then afterwards, she completely shut down again. I wish I could have seen her let go of her fears a little earlier, and trust in the people who were showing her that they genuinely cared. The family was absolutely endearing and it made me a little envious of Lainey as she was welcomed into their fold. River's appearance, and her own path to healing was an interesting addition to the story as it eventually intersected with Lainey's. They both needed to completely let go of the past, because it was holding them back from seeing the promise in their future. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the winery. You can't go wrong with Jill Shalvis, and this one was no exception. I'd really like to read Holden and River's story as well, they were the absolute sweetest together! If you're thinking of reading this, jump right in! It's not necessary to read the other full length or novella first. FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: ["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

4.5 stars.