Rainshadow Road

January 2, 2012
Kleypas launches the Friday Harbor trilogy with a delightful portrait of a picturesque town where people know everything about everyone and look out for each other. Friday Harbor, Wash., gets claustrophobic for Lucy Marinn when her boyfriend of two years dumps her in favor of her younger sister, Alice. Lucy meets and falls for Sam Nolan and they discover how to love and trust together against the backdrop of his vineyard and her work on a stained glass window. The subtle element of magic is unnecessary, but it evokes sweetness and gives Sam and Lucy a way to build their trust. The relationship between Lucy and Alice is complex, dating back to their childhood, and gives Alice more definition than the usual man-stealing antagonist. Kleypas enchantingly weaves together additional connections with relatives and friends, leaving many dangling threads that will lead the reader straight to book two. Agent: Mel Berger at William Morris Agency.

March 15, 2012
A little romance and a little magic make for a surprising page-turner as a glass artist falls for a vintner on an island in the Puget Sound. It comes as quite a shock when Kevin tells Lucy their relationship is over. It's even worse when he tells her she needs to quickly move out as his new girlfriend will be moving in. And then devastating when he confesses that the new girlfriend is her younger sister Alice. Criminal, but all of a piece--ever since a childhood bout of meningitis left her fragile, Alice has always gotten her way; her parents spoiled her into a beautiful, unbearable young woman. Reeling from the news, Lucy takes a walk on the beach and runs into Sam Nolan, a handsome, rakish grape grower and confirmed bachelor. The two strike up a saucy friendship, but agree that anything more would be disastrous given Lucy's recent breakup and Sam's admittedly cynical perspective on all things love. Sam's romantic skepticism has deep roots: his parents were the town drunks, raging and embarrassing to their four children, creating in each a fatalism that encourages superficial relationships. The exception is Holly, Sam's niece who he and his brother Mark are raising after the death of their sister. The three live in a rambling Victorian attached to Sam's vineyard and soon enough (due to an accident that leaves her leg temporarily immobile) Lucy moves in. They both resist the sexual energy, but then confess their deepest secrets: Lucy can convert glass into living things (like fireflies) and Sam can will plants to grow. Will Sam admit he's in love with Lucy? Will Kevin and Alice really marry? Will Lucy take the art grant in New York or stay pining for Sam? Happily, everyone gets exactly what they deserve. Strengthened by characters with depth and something interesting to say, this winning first installment in a trilogy is sure to thrill fans of modern romantic fiction.

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February 15, 2012

Shaken when her boyfriend of two years throws her over for her younger, self-centered sister, glass artist Lucy Marinn is not about to be drawn into another serious relationship--especially not with the attractive man she encounters on the beach right after her breakup. Vintner Sam Nolan isn't into committed relationships either, so a casual, no-strings affair with Lucy is the perfect thing--until their feelings get in the way. VERDICT A hero who's afraid of commitment, a heroine who never felt loved quite enough, and an abundance of memorable characters combine in a story that brings families and their varying dynamics into sharp focus. With a dash of enchantingly believable magic, Kleypas nicely progresses the story begun in the series opener, Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. She lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2012
In one afternoon, glass-artist Lucy Marinn lost her boyfriend, Kevin; her home; and her sister. The fact that Kevin dumps her for her younger sister, Alice, who is moving in with him, forcing Lucy to move out, makes the whole affair that much more painful. As Lucy slowly tries to put the shattered pieces of her life back together, she promises herself that if she should ever become involved with another man, she is never again going to make the same stupid mistakes she made with Kevin. So when Lucy first runs into Sam Nolan, a man who is not now nor will ever be interested in a long-term relationship, Lucy's first thought is to immediately run in the opposite direction. In the latest flawlessly written addition to her contemporary Friday Harbor books and the first in a new trilogy, Kleypas brings together richly nuanced characters, an emotionally riveting plot, and a subtle touch of the paranormal to create an unforgettable romance that is pure reading magic.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)