Review: Come Rain or Shine

Title: Come Rain or Shine

Author: Tricia Stringer

Publisher: 23 October 2017 by Harlequin (Australia), TEEN / MIRA

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: romance, contemporary, women's fiction, Australia

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

A wedding and a will, a bushfire and a baby: who said the country was quiet?

Paula knew when she moved to the country that the life would be tough. Nearly a year into her marriage with farmer Dan, and now pregnant, she is proud of her ability to feed shearers, bake a pasty and fix a fence while still running her accountancy business from home. With a wedding to plan, the farm to run and neighbours to help out, life is busy but good.

But there are clouds on the horizon. Dan is increasingly tired and distant. He promised he would always tell her the truth, so why is he being so mysterious about his late father’s will?  And why is his abrasive Aunt Rowena suddenly so interested in the sex and due date of Paula’s baby? As bushfires rage, Paula makes a discovery that shocks her and threatens all she holds dear.

Come Rain Or Shine follows on from Chance of Stormy Weather.

My Thoughts

‘Come Rain or Shine’ by Aussie author Tricia Stringer, is a follow-on story to ‘A Chance of Stormy Weather’. I had not read the first, however, this was not an issue - it can be read as a standalone. This book continues on the life of Paula and Dan after their marriage and it would appear the same type of themes exist from book 1 to book 2 - life on the land and loads of secrets!

Having read Tricia Stringer before, I knew that her portrayal of life on the land would realistically capture the essence of what it would be like - everything from battling the elements, to the benefits of being part of a close knit community. A strong theme of the many worries farmers face and the effect on those around them, was true and on point as Stringer accurately captures drought, fire and all else that them at the mercy of the weather.

Apart from that, I just found this book to be incredibly slow - nothing really  happens (until the last fifty pages and by then it’s too late). It is very repetitive because little occurs. The same lines are repeated time and again and the characters are too one dimensional for me.  I was increasingly frustrated with them, especially Dan and his tiresome mood swings - I get he’s a worried farmer and father-to-be, but really!

If you read the first book then you will enjoy this sequel. It’s not a bad book by Tricia, just an everyday account of life on the land that doesn’t really go anywhere.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release