The View from Rainshadow Bay (Lavender Tides #1) by Colleen Coble

January 2018
Christian romance, fiction

I received a digital ARC of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Shauna McDade is a young widow with a 5-year-old son, Alex, who lives in Lavender Tides, a small town near Seattle. She enjoys her work flying a helicopter to get aerial photographs of Puget Sound and Mount Ranier.

Zach Bannister operates an emergency plane transport business at Harriman Roost Airport, a small busy airport he built after getting out of the Coast Guard. He had been best friend’s with Shauna’s husband, Jack, until his accidental death for which he grieves everyday. He had been with Jack that day during one of Zach’s thrill seeking adventures which ultimately cost Jack his life. Once an integral part of their life, Zach has now been outcasted by many who blame him for encouraging Jack to participate in his risky mountain climbing trek.

A year later, Shauna and Zach are brought together after the mysterious death of a close friend. They begin to unravel a secret which seems to explain a few deaths which were once deemed “accidental”. The book had many overlapping stories which add depth to the characters as well as the novel itself.

This novel would appeal to anyone who enjoys a dramatic story with mystery and romance. The Christian undertones in the book provide a supportive aspect to the characters rather than overshadow the theme of the story.

Cover is very pretty. Story was okay but slow moving for me.

Even if I hadn't previously read and enjoyed Colleen Coble's work, the cover alone would have been enough to get me to read this. I LOVE lavender.
I enjoyed The View from Rainshadow Bay but there are a few things preventing me from giving this more than 3 stars. The pacing was a bit slower than I would have liked - not much happens for a majority of the story and as for the characters, I wasn't a huge fan of Shauna. She's supposed to be ex-Navy but at times she reads more like a damsel in distress. I understand she's still grieving and having trouble making ends meet but there were a few instances where I felt she could have reacted better given her background. I liked Zach well enough but....I wasn't really feeling their romance - I appreciate that it was a bit of a slow-burn though. After all, Shauna did blame him for her husband's death which occurred only a year prior so I'm glad she harbored some animosity toward him for a while.
The mystery/suspense was great though. As more deaths occur Shauna and Zach begin uncovering clues that lead them to believe that maybe Jack's death wasn't an accident. And that maybe, everything is connected.
Looking forward to the next book in the Lavender Tides series!

This was a very suspenseful, fast-paced book with likable, believable characters. A good who-done-it with a little romance thrown in and a surprising twist at the end. Very enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Colleen Coble's books - she's a must read author for me. THE VIEW FROM RAINSHADOW BAY is a wonderful example of why. Zach is an ex-Coastguardsman, a hotdogger and he works flying into Alaska and back with medical patients. Shauna is trying to recover from losing her husband -- a tragedy she blames Zach for because Zach is into extreme sports.


Shauna is definitely hurting, her son is adorable, and she just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a man gives her a package and tells her to send it to his estranged wife. She agrees and is leaving when the man's house blows up from a bomb....


I loved how sweet Shauna is and how she was willing (with reservations) to allow Zach to try to protect her and Alex, and I also loved Zach. He's a doll.


Ms. Coble writes real characters, with real emotions that I easily can identify with, and draws me into her stories, hook, line, and sinker. I had a hard time putting the book down to attend to my own jobs.



There isn't much of a faith message, but the suspense is top-notch. I know how suspense works, and from the beginning tried to figure out who-dun-it. I didn't have it figured out until it was revealed, but my suspicions was running in the right direction.



A great book. If you love romantic suspense, you will love THE VIEW FROM RAINSHADOW BAY.



I was given a copy free. All opinions are my own.

Fast paced romantic suspense. Strong believable characters. Great beginning to a new series.Was given a free book by Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing. My review is freely and honestly given

f you, like myself, enjoy a good suspense Christian fiction with romance thrown in, you won't be disappointed. AND, if you are a fan (as I am) of Colleen Coble, you won't be disappointed. This book had me hooked from the beginning.
Shauna is raising her young son, Alex, alone after losing her husband in a mountain climbing accident. She holds his best friend, Zach responsible.
Then, there are some murders and someone is following Shauna. She stays with Zach as she needs protection for herself and her son.
Wonderful story of suspense, romance, mystery and forgiveness.
I thought I had figured out who the murderer was two different times, but was totally wrong on both my suspicions. My only disappointment with this book was when I finished it. I just hated for it to end. This one is a real page turner.
I was given a free ecopy of this from the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am not one of the multitude that chooses books by their covers. I mean I appreciate a pretty picture now and then but for the most part covers play little to no actual role in my choosing to read a book. If that were the case I would never have chosen to read ‘The View from Rainshadow Bay’. It’s no big secret, though I am judged for it constantly, that I do not like the color purple or any variation thereof. If I had chosen to skip this book because of the cover I would have missed out on a pretty intriguing reading experience. That being admitted to I also have to say that many times reviewing ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) or galleys can be hard. They aren’t ‘final’ and sometimes there are still errors and quirks and you don’t know if they were cleared up before the final edits and copies went out. Sometimes you hope so and other times it really doesn’t make a wit of difference. A missing word here, a made up word (mouther? I think you meant mouthed but I’m just guessing) there. A character with a two instance name change that you are pretty sure was just a trial name that was changed later but two instances were overlooked and hopefully found before the final print. Hopefully. These things make for fun and quirky reading and sharing experiences but make for a harder time knowing if they actually need to be addressed. Wait, I sorta just did 😀

Let’s talk characters for a minute. I really liked the characters and the way they were developed. It broke my heart when a few of them turned up dead, I mean people were dropping like flies here! Shauna was an interesting mix. Emotionally wounded by the loss of her husband a year prior and the loss of dear friends right at the beginning of the book, she was a shell of the person you could tell she had been. However, despite all of this she felt overly needy of ‘help’ or ‘protection’ for someone who was former military. Don’t get me wrong, I get some of this need but for the love of gravy woman stand up for yourself! That takes me to Zach, the husband’s best friend who took the blame for Jack’s accident. He lost me at about 16% and I didn’t care how great he turned out to be later, he is a jerk with a capital J. ‘You need a man between you and danger, someone the killer won’t mess around with.’ Really? You’re kidding right? A man? Because a woman can’t protect herself even if she tired and even with her military training? You sir, are a toadnugget. I don’t care that you went on through the book and were really kind and helpful and caring and well who voluntarily cleans up vomit. You are still a jerkwad toadnugget.

Let’s talk the mystery and twists and turns and whatnot. I was pretty sure I knew exactly who was behind all of this by about 20ish% into the book. I was right, just so ya know, partially. The reasons I was leaning toward never materialized however. By the time it all came into play there were things that took me completely by surprise. There were things that almost made me feel like I was reading a middle grade version of Dean Koontz (I mean that solely in the idea that we take something that seems improbable mixed with something that is legitimate and come up with a scenario that you can kinda buy into). While I did figure out one fractional part of the whole there was so much more to take me off guard. There was another side thread that I believe is where the series is going to take us next. Shauna’s background includes a rather large earthquake that ultimately took her mother’s life. She also had a younger brother at the time and a baby sister who was actually born just after the earthquake. Both went missing and were presumed dead. Presumed being the operative word. Many unidentified/unclaimed children were turned over to CPS under the assumption that their parents had died as well. Threads through the story led back to those children. The epilogue hints to probably location of her brother which leads me to believe very strongly that we will get to know him in the next Lavender Tides novel, and I can’t wait to read it.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by NetGalley. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I was not required to write a positive review.

The View from Rainshadow Bay
by Colleen Coble
Thomas Nelson--FICTION

Thomas Nelson
Mystery & Thrillers , Romance
Pub Date 23 Jan 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The View From Rainbow Bay through Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley:


Shauna has only her five year old son and her Helicopter Charter business to keep her going after she looses her husband Jack in a climbing accident. Or was it an accident?


Day by day she finds herself struggling to make ends meet, afraid of loosing even more than she already has.


After her business partner is murdered, his final words are able to convince Shauna she is in danger too. But who can she turn to for help, when she's not even sure who she can trust?


Zach was her husbands best friend, and the person she believes responsible for her husbands climbing accident, but she finds he is the only one he can turn to, to protect her and her young son?


Will he be able to protect hom?


Find out in The View From Rainbow Bay!

Five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!

The “View from Rainshadow Bay” is the first book in a new series by well know Christian writer Colleen Coble. The story takes place in Washington State in the Pacific Northwest. Shauna is the mother of 5 year old Alex whose father was killed a year previously while mountain climbing with his best friend Zach. Zach loves extreme sports, and Shauna blames Zach for her husband’s death. Shauna is a helicopter pilot and her business partner is murdered and when some close friends are murdered, it becomes apparent that she also is in danger. Shauna turns to Zach who she hasn’t spoken to in a year and he gets involved in protecting her and her son and works wih the sheriff to help solve the murder.

The author does a good job of building the suspense throughout the book as the story takes many unexpected turns. I could easily picture the beauty of Washington State through the author’s excellent use of imagery. I also like that faith in God is a central theme throughout the story.

I am a fan of all of Colleen Coble’s books and this one did not disappoint. I was provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All in all, I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next book in this new series!

The cover of this book is gorgeous and is what first caught my attention! This is my first Colleen Coble book, but not my last. I look forward to trying another book of hers, even though this one was just okay for me. I liked it, but I didn't love it as much as I had hoped. While I enjoyed most of the characters and the mystery aspect, I felt there were a few inconsistencies and confusions. There were times the story dragged on and there were times that it felt too fast. For the most part, it was still entertaining, so I'd definitely like to try another of her books.

On a side note, my ARC didn't import to my Kindle cloud correctly, so the formatting was off a bit and made for some interesting reading. I received an ARC via Net Galley - thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for this opportunity!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2263228636

The View From Rainshadow Bay is the first book in Colleen Coble's latest series, Lavender Tides. If you are a fan of Christian mystery books, this author is probably one you are familiar with; if you aren’t familiar with her books, you should definitely give them a chance. I love that she always offers good, clean books that keep me glued to the pages and have Christian characters.

I liked the main characters in this story and hope that they show up in future books in the series. The main characters, Zach and Shauna, have things from the past that they need to work through, and Coble does a terrific job of showing how they struggle with their emotions and and issues of trust. I also loved Shauna’s mother-in-law who was so very protective of Shauna and her son. There is a depth to the characters that helped me get to know them.

I’m giving this book 5 stars because it’s definitely a wonderful example of a great Christian mystery.

Colleen Coble has written a fantastic christian murder mystery book. I never even knew there was such a category before now!
Now I'm hooked after reading The View from Rainshadow Bay.
From the beginning I immmediately felt my heartstrings tugged and they stayed twisted up and tugged to the end.
Five stars.

I am not an overly religious person, but I absolutely love Colleen Coble's books and this one is no different! Her novels blend religion, romance and suspense.

"The View From Rainshadow Bay," grips you from the very beginning as the plot revolves around several seemingly unrelated "accidental" deaths. The main character, Shauna McDade is a widower raising her 5 year-old son Alex after her husband dies in a tragic accident while climbing with his daredevil best friend, Zach Bannister.

A year has passed since Jack's death and Shauna still blames Zach for it. As things heat up, Shauna realizes she needs Zach's help and slowly her guard comes down long enough to see Zach is a good man. Together they seek to find out what is really going on in their small Washington state town.

This mystery was good. It had some romance as well. I did not figure out who the killer was ahead of time.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes mystery, romance and christian books.

This story starts off with a bang - literally. I was surprised at how fast the action started, before getting to know the characters or foundation of the story, but it definitely kept things moving. There is a slot of big mystery in this book and it's fun to figure out if any connections exist. There seemed to be a romantic undertone in parts of the story but it wasn't a main storyline. A few religious references made me wonder what genre this book was under - they seemed to be inserted a little awkwardly. Overall, some good suspense.

Colleen Coble is one of those authors who you know is going to give you a good read any time you pick up a book with her name on the front.
In her newest series, Coble takes readers to the Puget Sound area of Washington state.
When her mentor and friend dies in a suspicious accident, Shauna’s only option to keep her son safe is accepting help from the man she blames for her husband’s death. And Zach is willing to do anything to prove how much he regrets his part in his friend’s demise.
Throughout A View from Rainshadow Bay, there are plenty of suspicious characters. So much so I kept changing my mind about who I believed was behind everything. As the pieces fall into place to reveal the big picture, the tension, action, and chemistry heat up.
Experience the beauty and ruggedness of Washington, introduce yourself to small town living, and sit back to enjoy another heart pounding thrilling read from Coble.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The View from Rainshadow Bay mainly focuses on Shauna, a charter pilot. A year before the main events of the book take place, Shauna’s husband, Jack, is killed in a climbing accident, leaving Shauna with only her business and their son, Alex. However, recent events in the town, including the murder of Shauna’s business partner, points to Shauna no longer being safe. She and her son have no where to turn, except Zach Bannister, the man Shauna blames for her husband’s death.

Overall, I enjoyed the View from Rainshadow Bay. It was different from other books I’ve read in terms of the characters and the plot. Everything connects, even if you don’t think it does. I was actually surprised by the outcome/ending. Some things seemed obvious as you read the book, but still, you’re left guessing who done it every page until the end.

Pros:
-I loved the mysterious, but still very real, atmosphere of the book. I felt like I was in the town as everything was happening. The mystery itself left me guessing until the very end, and I was anxious throughout the book trying to figure it out.
-The characters! I feel like each character, even little Alex, was very dynamic. Each person had a complex background and history, which made the plot of the book even more intriguing. The characters have each been through so much and have different things going for them. I don’t think I’ve read a book where either/both of the main characters are pilots!
-The prologue had me so confused and anxious for such a large part of the book. You have no idea who it is until much later. This prologue was such a great way to open the book and had me wanting to finish the book immediately. It also ties in very nicely with later events in the book.
-I felt like the flashbacks to prior events added a nice touch to the story. In the story, people will refer to things that have happened long before the start of the first chapter, such as the prologue, and I liked being able to see what happened with my own eyes instead of relying on the characters.
-I LOVED having the point of view of the person behind it all. It was interesting seeing how the person would do something and then right after that, the book would switch back POV’s and you would see the main characters reacting to it. I loved this aspect of the book, and it made everything so much more interesting. I would honestly be overjoyed if I could get an entire book from just their perspective. I liked knowing how they thought, even if I didn’t know who it was.

Cons:
-As much as I love this book, the writing fell flat at times. It wasn’t always as descriptive as I would have liked, however, this can be up to personal preference.
-I felt that the characters were very much real, however, it is mentioned in the book that Shauna is ex-Navy. I felt that her actions and reactions throughout the book didn’t much reflect this, but again, I might be wrong. The story is told where you see each character and their thoughts, but not everything all at once. Other than that, I had no problems!

This book was nothing spectacular, but I would still recommend it. I kept wanting to read it just so that I could see what happened. I’m glad that I read it. This book was very unique, despite a few cliches. I loved the town and its people, and especially the lavender fields. They added quite a nice touch. If you want a mystery with lighter topics, such as romance, entwined with it, then this is the book for you!

The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble is a romantic suspense novel readers like myself won't forget. The characters have a way of pulling me further into their lives. I was frightened for them and hoping they would make it out fine. As with any suspense novel, I wasn't sure of the outcome nor who the killer was.

Shauna lost her husband due to a dare competition. She never forgave her friend Zach's for daring her husband too, far. However, it's been a year later and now, she's facing another loss. An older man and friend of hers dies from an explosion. But that didn't happen until after he gaveled a box to give to his wife and his burner phone number. Shauna can't ignore the gut feeling that the sweet older man was murdered...

Zach owns an emergency airway place in town. He and Shauna haven't spoken since the day they loss Shauna's husband. Now, it's just Shauna raising her son alone and blaming Zach for the loss. Zach is torn inside about the whole situation. Out of the blue, Shauna comes to him asking him to take her son on a father-son picnic only because her son begged her. Zach is filled with hope to mend things between them. But then fate has other plans.

Colleen Coble has created a fascinating world of fiction in this book. I was impressed. The danger, risks, and romance caught my full attention. Sexy Zach and compassionate yet daring Shauna...made for a fun journey. I enjoyed reading this, and I recommend to all readers.

Thank you to netgalley, publishing house in the other for the opportunity to read this book return for my honest opinion.

This was a great suspense novel. I was hooked right by the first chapter. I love the characters of Shauna and Zach. They were so easy to read and so well written. Shauna blames Zach for her husband’s death and they haven’t spoken since his death but this mystery brings them together and as they try to solve this mystery they realize they have feeling for one another.

I can with the say I didn’t suspect the villain in the story. it had a great ending.

Would definitely check out more books by this author