Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Drops of Rain (Hale Brothers, #1) written by Kathryn Andrews (377 pgs) – finished reading 1/10/15 – 4.5 stars - Young Adult


Another angsty read for me. I just can’t seem to avoid distressing novels. The sadness. The love story that is built on heartache. But, this one was special. It was beautiful. It was fresh. It had me sighing and smiling. Why? Because both main characters were strong. They were brave. And, the life that they were dealt, was just not fair. Allyson Rain loses her mom to cancer, and with that her father picks up and moves them both clear across the country to Florida. He changes jobs to accommodate their new move. But, he deserts his daughter. While he’s off residing in a condo further away from his daughter trying to jump-start his new life, she’s trying to just breath every day. Ali is just so sad over the loss of her mother and her father can’t see what his absence is doing to her. Naturally with the new move comes a new school. New classmates. New teachers. And, of course, a new love interest. And, that’s when Drew Hale shows up. Quiet and gorgeous Drew. Taking everything in and not really having too much to say. He’s a sweetheart. A really nice guy. But, his life is less than perfect. What he and is family are hiding is a disturbing and heartbreaking secret. It affects the whole family both physically and emotionally. Drew and Ali accidentally meet at the beach one morning, and they’re both smitten with each other. But, it’s Drew’s terrifying secret that threatens to keep them apart. He can’t bear for Ali to know his embarrassing and painful secret. Aly is just so understanding, though. What could it possibly hurt to tell her his tormenting truth? It gets all messed up, however, and will Ali ever forgive Drew for hurting her so miserably?

So many poignant moments to this story. The words were beautiful and meaningful. A few times I just stopped, took a breath, and smiled. It was a feel-good book even though there were parts that were agonizing. It was a hopeful book. The main characters together were cute and sweet. Caring so much for each other. It was a little bit low on the heat factor, however. But, that was okay because it fit the dynamic of the novel. There were some tender moments, and then some of the intimacy was implied while the reader could get a feel for what was actually going on. Incredible prose that was beautifully depicted amongst the pages of an emotionally heartfelt story. So many intimate thoughts expressed privately among the two main characters. It was almost like they read each other’s minds. Loved this book so much!!! Just can’t express how I enjoyed these characters and their story. Looking forward to reading Beau’s story next. He’s the middle Hale brother. And, he seems to be quite a charmer...

“But besides the things that everyone can see, it’s the things that can’t be seen at all that I love the most about him. Over the last year, I’ve heard people call him arrogant, proud, and self-entitled, but he isn’t any of those things. Drew is quiet, private, and a little shy. He’s sweet, thoughtful, and kind. He’s overprotective and he always knows the things that I need, even before I do. He’s easygoing and he doesn’t sweat the small stuff. He finishes the things he says he’s going to and he always stands by his word. Drew has provided me with a sense of of home. He’s made me realize that I have more strength and determination in me than I thought possible. I’ll never be able to thank him enough for the love and confidence he’s given me.”  ~ Ali (Chap. 22)

“Someone once said, we all learn everything we need in kindergarten. Nope. I learned it from a brown eyed, gorgeous girl who grew up in the snow and never asks for anything of anyone because she’s always too busy giving. She’s taught me that it’s the simple things in life that are best. Life is only hard if you want it to be that way. And every day, you get to choose what you want to do, how you’re going to react, and how you’re going to treat people.”  ~ Drew (Chap. 22)

Review Written, 1/13/15

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