I really enjoyed this book, despite it's sad storyline. I loved Drew and Peyton. Their situation and pain felt real and Jamieson does a fantastic job of making me really care about the entire family and their heartwrenching situation. This is another great book by Jamieson and so far she has not disappointed.

4.5 stars
Dancing in the Rain was such a wonderful read, one that reminded me of why I adore Ms. Jamieson’s writing.

Dancing in the Rain introduces the reader to Drew Seller, a retired professional hockey player who finds himself in a whirlwind when he learns a one night stand from his college days had him fathering a now pre-teen daughter, Chloe.

The use of Chloe throughout this book was outstanding!!! As Drew folds himself into his life the author painted some wonderful scenes that really show his bonding with her, his wanting to take an active part in her life, his desire to stand up for his daughter and his desire to parent. Yes really parent—taking on tough issues not just wanting to be fun.

Though the blurb shares a bit about Peyton Watt, I am going to choose not to. I think it is best to experience the relationship between Drew and Peyton grow organically as the story evolves.

I think the author did a wonderful job at making this story work. I understood why Drew didn’t know about Chloe, I understand why her mother couldn’t find him and I really understand why now, why in the moments we meet Drew did she step forward.

This book made me feel. It did have me shedding a tear or two and I closed it with a full heart!

By the end of this one, I loved Drew for more reason that I can even list!

This book seemed a bit of a departure from Jamieson's norm. I enjoyed the story of Peyton and Drew. They were great characters and I enjoyed watching their relationship develop.

Drew's world as he knew it has ended when a knee injury shut the door on his hockey career. He is reeling and not finding a way to pick up the pieces of his life when he learns that a one night stand years ago resulted in him having a daughter. As he becomes part of her life and gets to know her, he begins to develop feelings for her aunt, Peyton.

Peyton has put her life on hold to care for her dying sister and her niece, Chloe. When Drew comes into their lives, Peyton is soon involved with him. They have to figure out what they might have together in the future.

Great characters, sweet love story!

There is so much going on in this book that I was left like the feeling you have getting off of a giant roller-coaster. It really has been a long time that a book has gotten to me like this one. Frist the characters are great. Drew Sellers is a retired hockey player, and is retired because of an injury, so he feels he should still be playing. His day starts around noon, and usually ends up at night in a bar somewhere close by. His now ex-wife took off with another hockey player, so in between feeling sorry for himself he does find time to play video games. His life changes the day he begins his day at 11:00am and goes to the local corner coffee house, when a women calls his name. she is talking to him and he vaguely remembers her name does remember parts of the night many years ago at Notre Dame, when he was playing for Boston College and after the hockey they stayed for a party and he hooked up with a girl, and yes this is her and yes she had his child 11 years ago almost 12. He is shocked and does not believe it, only when she says she does not want anything from him accept if he wants to meet her and that she is dying. Weeks go by and after he gets the results back he is the father he goes to the house to talk to the mom again and there with her is her sister who came in from New York. After agreeing to meet his daughter for the upcoming Saturday he chickens out in the middle of the week and while drunk calls the house to cancel. The sister or Aunt doesn’t say anything but goes over to his place to talk him out of cancelling, when he decides to answer the door naked because he figures it is one of those groups that comes around. It’s not, it’s Peyton or Auntie “P” surprise her response is I hope you don’t always answer your door this way. This begins there time together since from then on he decides to become part of Chloe’s life but also Peyton’s and Sarah’s. There are so many things about this story that touched me, the loss and the emotion you feel as a reader when Sarah passes. The acting out of Chloe after her mother’s passing. But what I really want to talk about is the scene where Drew is called down to the school because of her dress code violation and a commit that a male student made. He calls out the Vice principle and wants the boy and his parents in the office and won’t leave until he has his piece. “Once they are there he tells the parents that their son was out of line and that what girls are wearing are not a distraction for boys to learn”, what you are doing “is perpetuating rape culture to bring boys up to think that what a girl wears is responsible for their actions”. This has been something my wife and I have been fighting our local school about for years, and it was great to see that same argument in a book. There is so much in this book I could keep going on but I am not. You can see that I like this book more than just a little but a lot. So take a Dance in the rain and see what happens.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow! This has to be Kelly Jamieson’s most powerful writing yet. I started crying in the first chapter and I honestly couldn’t put it down. This is the story of a family losing a mother and a sister to cancer. It is also the story of two people who never expected to be sharing parental responsibilities for a grieving twelve-year-old girl.

The family moments between Sara, Peyton, and Chloe at the start of this book are heartbreaking. The bond between the sisters is beautiful and the struggle for Chloe to come to terms with her mother’s death is raw and real. There is an intense honesty in the depiction of this family’s journey through palliative care.

Drew is in self-destruct mode when he finds out he has an eleven-year-old daughter. This story looks at the darker side of being a professional athlete and Drew’s struggle to find an identity after hockey is a messy and ugly one. Drew’s tentative relationship with his daughter is awkward and sweet. I love the way the relationship between father and daughter makes both stronger as they both struggle to cope. I love the way he slowly won Sara and Peyton’s confidence.

Peyton is a career focused overachiever who finds herself unable to control her sister’s illness. The fun aunt is forced into a very serious parental role she never expected or wished for. And as her life spirals out of her control, she finds her priorities shifting and herself without a plan for the first time in her life.

There is romance between Drew and Peyton. Their connection is sweet and sexy. But the romance is in the background for most of this book. There is attraction between the two from the outset, but much of their romance takes place in brief interludes from their grim reality and overwhelming new responsibilities. I really loved these two as a couple because of the realism and the slow burn romance, but it definitely wasn’t what I was expecting,

I feel that this book marks a shift for this author. In the past, I’ve read Kelly Jamieson for light and easy romance. This isn’t light or easy. The complexity of the characters and their intricate relationships makes this a more substantial book. The subject matter makes this a difficult book – though I never found it too dark or depressing. I really loved this story and I look forward to more writing like this from Kelly Jamieson.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
Having never read a story I didn't enjoy by Ms. Jamieson, I was delighted to get the opportunity to read and review this latest book from her. My faith was well founded.

I am a big sports fan, and sure this falls in the category, but actually it is much bigger than that – as it looks hard at a man whose career is over, and now he has to think about what comes next... and initially he is floundering. But thanks to being recognised in an article, he's discovering that his future is completely different to the pity party in which he currently indulges. I love the turn about, even if the reason is terribly sad. And that there is a spark of hope not just due to his daughter but also her aunt, is a delicious bonus. Very delicious indeed.

A story which could have been beset by recriminations and sadness is in fact filled with hope and family. Given Ms. Jamieson often writes series, I have inevitably been wondering where this could go next, and I always think that is a sign of a good book – wanting more!

Drew Sellers is figuring out what he's going to do now that an injury has forced him to retire from professional sports. He doesn't know quite what to do with himself, but when he runs into a very old acquaintance, his life is going to change yet again. Turns out he has a twelve year old daughter he never knew about...and her mother is terminally ill.

Peyton has a successful career in New York, and when she comes to Chicago to help her sister and daughter, she becomes friends with Drew as he's getting to know his daughter. I loved this first part of this story. There's a ton of emotion here -- Drew's interest in his daughter, his budding relationship with Peyton, all dealing with the loss of a parent. I thought Kelly Jamieson did a wonderful job of keeping this from getting too maudlin, while giving a realistic portrayal of the final moments of someone's life. Make no mistake, this book has some sad parts to it, but it is balanced nicely with the happy.

As Drew gets to know his daughter, Peyton is faced with a tough decision between Chicago and New York once she becomes Chloe's guardian. And then there's what she feels for Drew.

I really liked Dancing in the Rain. It had a ton of feelings, which I love. Drew, Peyton and Chloe held my interest throughout the book and I really liked them. In spite of the sad circumstances of the book, it left me feeling good, and I liked that too.

If you are looking for a secret-baby romance that is both sad and sweet, you might like Dancing in the Rain.

ARC provided for review.

I was not able to get into this title, which has happened to me a couple of times with this author. And, this is odd as I generally like her titles. I appreciate the opportunity to review and regret that I was not able to finish the book.

Thanks,
Laura

Wow!!! This novel is just WOW! This is my first venture into a Kelly Jamieson novel and I was NOT disappointed. This novel has all the "feels". It had me laughing out loud one minute, crying the next. I don't generally like to cry when reading a novel, but it was cathartic.

Drew, a star ex-hockey player, is trying to find his role or purpose in life. His whole life revolved around hockey, until his knee forced him into early retirement. He drinks in excess, plays video games, eats junk food, and has random hookups. During this time, he's approached by Sara. Sara and Drew attended a college party 11yrs ago where a one-night-stand resulted in a child. They never gave last names, so Sara had no way of contacting Drew. Needless to say, Drew is stunned and not sure what to do with the information.

Sara, an accomplished attorney, has metastatic melanoma. Sara wishes to "give" her daughter the dad she always dreamed of having. When she realizes it's Drew, she contacts him and gives him the option of getting to know his daughter. Sara only has a few months to live, so her sister Peyton, flies in from New York to help. Peyton is a successful corporate "reputation, tech" specialist. She's a self-proclaimed workaholic who's not sure if she's "mom" material.

Peyton and Drew are thrown together in efforts to make Sara's last days easier. What they don't expect, is to fall for each other while falling more in love with his daughter/her niece. This novel struggles with death, living life, and blended families. Also, finding your purpose in life isn't always what you've carefully planned. Sometimes, you just have to dance in the rain....I read a gifted copy and all opinions stated are my own.

4 stars

Dancing in the Rain was a well written and enjoyable read.
I found the storyline easy to follow and it held my interest all throughout the book.
The characters Drew and Peyton were likable, passionate and watching their relationship unfold warmed my heart.

Dancing in the Rain by Kelly Jamieson is one of those books once you start reading you won't want to put it down and I highly recommend it.

*Thank you to the publisher via NetGalley for the advance copy*

A new standalone book from Kelly Jamieson but never fear there is still a hint of hockey about this one. Drew has hit rock bottom. At thirty he is a washed up ex-NHL player. Surgery on his knee has been unsuccessful and for the first time in over twenty years hockey isn’t at the centre of his life. Now he has no job, no wife – she cheated on him with one of his team-mates – and has lost everything apart from a love of beer and whiskey. His future seems to feature a life spent in his shorts on the sofa playing video games and drinking himself into a stupor.
When he is approached on the street by a woman calling his name he thinks that it is just a fan who recognises him. Little does he realise that this meeting with Sara will change his entire life. She has an eleven year old daughter from a one night stand when they were just eighteen and it turns out that Drew is a father.
This is such a poignant and emotional story. You can’t fail to be moved by Sara, her sister Peyton and their struggles to provide for Chloe. To give her the life that she deserves. Drew has his own battles too as he finally comes to realise that there is life after hockey and that he still has some worth, a purpose.
Dancing in the Rain is a bit different to Kelly’s normal books. The main protagonists are that little bit older than her usual characters with a bit more life experience and a whole heap of baggage.
Supplied by Net Galley and Loveswept in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication Date: Apr 11 2017. 311 pages
<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01M5I070G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B01M5I070G&linkCode=as2&tag=angelrevie-21">Dancing in the Rain</a><img src="http://ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=angelrevie-21&l=as2&o=2&a=B01M5I070G" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

I really loved Drew and Peyton. I loved all the secondary characters too. Peyton was my favorite. She was so strong for everyone in this book including Drew. Drew was written very well also. He was in a transitional period and then learns he had a daughter. He feels like he hasn’t accomplished what he wanted in his life and is confused as to how he should handle this situation. Even though he is a grown ass man, he had a lot of growth in this story.

I really liked the connection between Peyton and Drew. It didn’t seem forced to me. They had great chemistry and the sexy times between them were really good. A romance like this can get kind of weird for many reasons. Dating someone your sister slept with, who is also your niece’s father and all this while your sister is dying. I think the author really crafted the story well where all these things were taken into account and still made it a good love story. I rarely cry over books but this one got me a little emotional. I think Chloe was also written very well and she was a great character. I think her actions due to all of the changes in her life were also very relatable even though I’m not a twelve year old girl. The conflict in the story seemed very realistic. I had a feeling that would happen but I really liked the resolution.

I really enjoyed this story. The story was sweet but also had a romance underneath it all that was very entertaining. I read this in about a day and I haven’t been doing that lately with any books.

I loved this beautiful story that packs a powerful emotional punch! The plot was genuine and the author writes about a darker subject matter with strong emotional resonance. Dancing in the Rain was in equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting.

Drew is a former hockey star forced to retire after a bad injury. He has lost his routine, his focus ad his purpose. He hasn’t yet figured out what he will do in the future when his world is turned upside down and he discovers that he has a 12 years old daughter, Chloe. He met his mother, Sara, at a party when they were in college, and Chloe is the result of their one-night-stand. Sara is terminally ill and even though Drew is in shock about the news, her illness helps him to put his own retirement problems in perspective and to stop wallowing in self-pity.

Sara’s sister Peyton will be Chloe’s legal guardian. She has a lot on her plate and she is scared of the future. Drew and Peyton’s world is in a state of chaos, but they are able to make the best of it and help each other out. Even if Drew doesn’t know yet how to be a dad, Chloe is an adorable daughter and she needs her father. Life isn’t rainbow and butterflies, there are tough times ahead, but Drew has found his place. Step by step, he is regaining control of his life, all the while figuring out how to rebuild his life and find a new purpose.

This story was beautiful, touching and heart grabbing. I could feel the characters’ pain, their fear and their love. Their story wrecks you, but it shows that there is hope in the tragedy. The cast of characters was absolutely fantastic. Peyton and Drew are generous and caring and they find strength in each other. Dancing in the Rain is an emotion filled read that takes you on a journey to a new family’s happily ever after. It was my second book by Kelly Jamieson, and I’m now definitely a fan of her fluid writing, strong characterization and emotional storytelling.

ARC generously provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.

I don’t know what it is with the books I have read lately. They have all been surprise tear jerkers. I think I was blindsided because the Dancing in the Rain’s blurb didn’t show much information. I am not complaining and was very pleasantly surprised when I was brought to tears a few times during the book.

I thought the romance aspect of the book was fantastic. Sure there was mind blowing sex (we will get to that a little later in the review) but I loved that Drew and Peyton actually built a relationship, of sorts, before they had sex. It was very refreshing to read because the relationship was established and the sexual chemistry was built up way before they bumped uglies. What I didn’t like was that they thought that they had to hide their relationship from Chloe and I could see where that hurt their relationship. Also, they didn’t communicate and both jumped to conclusions about the other person. I actually cringed during those parts because I am guilty of doing the same things in my relationship (don’t let BK ever read that…lol). But it added to their romance, if that makes sense, and made it seem more real to me.

Drew was such a complicated character and I loved it. I really enjoyed that the author started him off with so many flaws. He drank too much and was wallowing in self-pity. The self-pity part I totally got. Any normal person would do that after being told that they couldn’t do what they loved ever again. Plus, his personal life kinda fell apart after his injury too. I mean, he found out that his ex-wife was cheating on him with his ex-best friend. What a blow to someone’s self-confidence. But the drinking part, I didn’t like and I agreed with Peyton when she made the assessment that he was on his way to becoming an alcoholic. As much as I didn’t like it, though, again, it was part of what made this book really good and it humanized Drew. His reaction to having a tween daughter was great. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon when Sarah told him, he did the right thing and got a paternity test done. Which made me go “Hallelujah, Praise the Lord”. Why? Because I have read so many books where the hero is told that the kid is his and goes “Ok” with no questions ask. So when it was revealed that he had a paternity test done, I got up and did the happy dance.

Peyton kinda rubbed me the wrong way during certain scenes but I could totally get that she was stressing over losing her sister, having to raise her niece and she is falling in love with Drew…who is Chloe’s father. I would have probably acted the same way. But, she was a very strong woman who dealt with life’s blows with grace. She dropped everything to go be with Sarah when it was becoming pretty clear that she didn’t have long to live (and for the record, Peyton’s boss was a jerk). Then she had to mediate visitations with Drew until she felt that he would be ok to be left alone with Chloe. Plus, she was caretaking for Sarah until it was time to go to hospice. It was a lot.

I liked that the author chose to deal with tween/teen issues in a realistic way. Like when Chloe was asked to leave school because what she was wearing violated the dress code. The way that Drew handled it was a dream and for the record, I agree with him. If a girl is asked to leave because what they are wearing calls a boy to comment on their body, it wasn’t right. The boy should be called out on why he thinks it is ok to make comments like that to a girl. Like I said above, the way Drew handled that situation was perfect. Also what I liked was when Chloe was caught shoplifting. While it was on video, the other girl’s mother refused to look at it, has the mentality that her special snowflake would never do something like that and leaves. I could go on a rant about parents like that, but I won’t. I do think that the way that Drew and Peyton handled it was perfect.

When they finally had sex, it was off the pages hot and every time after that was scorching. Like I said above, what made it even hotter for me is that they had a relationship before hand. Something about feeling and sex gets me in the feels.

The end of the book was what I thought it was going to be and the decisions that were made were what I thought were going to be made. The epilogue was perfect!! I love it when the HEA is perfect for the book!!

How many stars will I give Dancing in the Rain: 4

Why: If you want to read a book that will get you in the feels, pick this book up. Seriously. It was well-developed characters, deals with heart-wrenching and real life issues in ways that you can only hope people in real life would and the sex scenes were through the roof hot. I will definitely be reading this book again!!!

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex and some mild language. Also some triggers for cancer, hospice, and death.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Dancing in the Rain is the kind of book that evokes a whirlwind of emotions throughout. One minute I was laughing, the next I was crying. It's the type of story that takes you on a journey filled with joy and pain, happiness and sadness. It's a story that I was able to imagine happening in real life the more I read. The characters are realistic---damaged and flawed yet lovable despite being broken at times. Jamieson always writes stories that hook me and Dancing in the Rain is no exception. It's an emotionally beautiful story that shouldn't be missed.

As you might know I already read a few of Kelly Jamieson's books and I loved those so I was super excited to read this one. Dancing in the Rain ended up being my least favorite Kelly Jamieson book but that doesn't mean I didn't like it because I did, it just wasn't as good as the previous ones I read.

First of all, this book started out quite slowly. It took me a long time to read it even if I was enjoying it. However, I can understand why that happened since this is one of those books that spans for a long time instead of being set in only a few weeks. I did love that this book was set in a span of months because it worked really well for the character development and for the story itself, especially for the growing bond between Drew and Chloe.

I really like the characters too. Drew was such an awesome guy. In the beginning of the book he's kind of lost due to things that happened in his life but he's such a great guy. I loved him with Chole and with Peyton. I loved that while he was scared about Chloe and finding out he had a teenage daughter he was still an amazing dad and their relationship was the cutest thing ever. I also loved him with Peyton because they pushed each other's buttons and they helped each other a lot. I also really liked Peyton. While she had a perfect job she still had some rough years after losing her parents and her sister. She was also such a strong female character. I have to be honest, there were some points where I wasn't happy with her because she wasn't seeing the whole picture about what was happening and she was too worried with her job but she still did everything to make Chloe happy. Oh yeah, and Chloe was the most awesome girl ever. I LOVED HER! I also loved that even when the things between Drew and Peyton weren't in the best shape they still did everything so she could be happy.

Being that this wasn't my first Kelly Jamieson book I already kind of knew what to expect from the writing even if this book was slower than the previous ones I read. I still loved that the story was told in a dual POV so we could have both perspectives.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and while it wasn't my favorite Kelly Jamieson's book it was still enjoyable and I loved the overall story. I 100% recommend this book to everyone who loves romances.

4.5 stars.
Beautiful story about love and loss. This was an emotional story with characters that were so very real and my heart broke at times for all of them. Everybody in this novel is faced with some degree of loss at some time - Drew with the loss of a career that he loved and Peyton and Chloe with the impending death of a beloved sister and mother. Despite the heavy themes present here this was not a depressing book and though there is sadness there is also joy, kindness and positivity.
I really loved this story and this author brought it to life so wonderfully.

Awesome contemporary romance between an injured/retired hockey player and an assertive career woman. Drew is trying to reinvent himself while wallowing in self-pity over his forced retirement. Suddenly, Drew finds out he is the father of an 11 year old girl whose mother is dying. Peyton is back in Chicago to help her sister and neice. Sara only has a few months left and Peyton is her legal guardian. Drew knows nothing about being a parent but tries his best while feeling an attraction to Peyton. The author has me laughing and crying during this book. I received a complementary copy of this book and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by this author.

Book Review
Title: Dancing in the Rain
Author: Kelly Jamieson
Genre: Contemporary Sports Romance
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Cliff Hanger: No

4 Stars

*This story is for mature audiences only. Contains explicit scenes and language intended for adults 18+
Synopsis:
A retired athlete meets the daughter he never knew—along with the woman who reignites his passions—in this powerful standalone romance from the bestselling author of Hot Shot and the Heller Brothers series.

Drew Sellers is drowning in broken dreams and empty beer bottles. Hockey was his world, until a bum knee reduced him from superstar to has-been. Then he learns that, thanks to a one-night-stand back in college, he’s the father of a preteen girl with major issues. Her protective aunt sees right through Drew’s BS, but “Auntie P” is no stereotypical spinster. With her slender curves, toned legs, and luscious lips, she has Drew indulging in fantasies that aren’t exactly family-friendly.

At another point in her life, Peyton Watt would have been all over a cocky alpha male who pushes all her buttons like Drew. Right now, though, she needs to focus on taking care of her niece during her sister’s health crisis, all while holding down a job and keeping her own head above water. Besides, Drew’s clearly no father of the year. He’s unemployed. He drinks too much. And he’s living in the past. But after Peyton gets a glimpse of the genuine man behind his tough-guy façade, she’s hooked—and there’s no going back.

My Thoughts:
This is my favorite by this author thus far! It has a different feel to it than what I have read from her in the past. This book had a lot of feels to it.

This book deals with so many issues that tug at your heart and soul. A man that had to walk away from his career in his prime after playing with an injury that there was no coming back from. He is lost and he has lost his identity. He is drinking too much. Fighting too much. Using women too much. He is having the ultimate pity party that he doesn’t see an end to. There are fears and self-doubt. Until one day he gets a drop in the gut from a frail woman that claims she is the mother of his 12-year-old daughter after a drunken one-night-stand in college. She leaves the ball in his court, gave him her business card and dropped a bomb on him that she was dying.

Peyton is a successful business woman living her dream in NYC. She has the job of her dreams even though her boss is a major ass. Then she gets a call from her niece telling her that her mom and Peyton’s sister was not doing well and asked if she could please come home. Peyton dropped everything and flew back to Chicago to a devastating discovering. The reality of her losing her sister was really hitting home. She is trying to work from home for her job, trying to take care of her niece, her sister and now trying to help her niece forge a relationship with her new found father.

This book took me on such a roller coaster of emotions! There was fun banter and laugh out loud times. There were times my heart hurt for all of them and yes, I shed a few tears. There was a connection between Peyton and Drew that just couldn’t be denied. Believe me they tried. Their chemistry was through the roof! It was such a great touching journey to watch as the dynamics changed for these four people and how that all changed their lives forever! The characters went on a journey of self-discovery that taught them they were capable of so much more than they ever thought possible.

This is such a sweet and emotionally charged love story and I highly recommend it!

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley for an honest opinion.

Sara Watt a successful lawyer and protective mom wouldn’t have approached her one night stand from college, if she had other choices. She remembered Drew from a drunken and fun night, that resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. Still, she had no regrets. Chloe was a blessing. She never knew his last name. Didn’t know which school he went to, and not until recently did she learn he played hockey. Or used to. But fate had given her this chance and for Chloe she would bite the bullet. Drew Sellers had hit bottom. His marriage was over, thanks to a cheating ex wife. His career was over, thanks to a bum knee. Feeling sorry for himself was the highlight of his days. That and a six pack or two. Then Sara walks back into his life and tells him he is the father of a nearly 12 year old girl. And that she is dying. But it took Sara's very pissed off sister, Peyton Watt, to put him to shame, his life into perspective and his ass into gear. Peyton would trade places with her big sister in a heart beat. Seeing Sara fade right in front of her eyes was killing her. Seeing the pain in Chloe's eyes was even worse. How was she going to become this young girl's everything? Still waiting for a miracle that would save Sara, Peyton took on the role of care taker. She also took on the challenge of bringing Drew into their midst. Drew was gorgeous, sweet, attentive and the attraction between them was explosive. He made her laugh and when they were together she couldn’t deny the connection she felt. But they could never work. He was the father of her niece. Not that he was Sara's ex. They hadn't had a relationship per se. But still, it felt weird. Drew was pulled to Peyton's confidence, warmth and love for his daughter. He was so scared to disappoint them all, he didn’t know what to do. But with Peyton by his side, he felt like he could do this. Sara was dying and there was no turning back. Meanwhile, the relationships between father and daughter, and between Peyton and Drew developed each day… They were a family. United by pain, loss but above all by love. Dancing in the Rain is a poignant family romance about a former NHL superstar and a woman, both new to parenting a pre-teen. It's about losing a loved one to cancer and surviving it. About learning to live after it and to love and to laugh and to be happy for the life lived. It's a beautiful story with wonderful characters and a few pretty strong messages about girls and boys. I loved it!

An interesting concept in the book, with the inspirational quotes and phrases that were shared with every twist in the story. Even the name of the book is based on one of them, that you most likely have seen a million and one times in the social media - "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain". And there are plenty of these inserted into the story, enough to notice them. A cute idea, but is it original?

When it comes to the characters, I really liked both Sara and Chloe. Sara's mature and generous spirit when facing the terrible disease and death at the young age was admirable. I was sobbing when it came time to say goodbye to her. Chloe was so brave while facing SO much turbulence in a young life. Her mother was dying, she finally had a father in her life, her aunt was living with them, and she is just starting to face the world of the teens, that in itself, is a big change in a girl's life. I loved her spirit, I loved her spunk, and her open heart and mind.
I liked the male lead, Drew Sellers, as well. His life changed at one big swoop, and anyone would find it hard to cope with the adjustments he had to make. Just losing your career is a big thing, but your wife as well, especially the way that went about. Then finding out you have a twelve-year-old daughter, finding out the child's mother is dying - logical that one would be an emotional mess.

The first half of the story is heartbreaking with the preparations to the death the family will be facing. The love and bond between the family members are obvious and brought out all the feelings in me as well. It was a tear-filled feast of emotional turmoil for sure.
After Sara death, the story changed and that is where my opinion of it tanked. I was struggling with Peyton's decisions, some of her actions are so selfish, I nearly didn't finish the book because I was annoyed with her.

The ending is a predictable love story, there wasn't anything that stood out, it felt like all the emotions were spent on Sara's death, and the rest of the story was just steps taken to the HEA.

I struggled with this review because I have such a split opinion of the story. I enjoyed the first half, the second one not so much. Payton isn't my favorite character, and I could not connect with her, or understand her and her actions. Yet the story is well written, it has a natural flow, and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the tale as it is, just surprisingly, the second half wasn't for me.
~ Three Spoons