What a great way to start off my romantic suspense reading for 2018. I could not figure out who the bad guys were until they were revealed. I love that!

Shauna is trying to make a life for herself and her 5 year old son after her husband dies while on a rock climbing adventure with his best friend Zach. Zach has never been able to forgive himself for the death of Jack. One day while Shauna was visiting a family friend he gives her a box and told her to give it to his estranged wife for safekeeping. As she is driving away the house explodes killing her friend. Shauna realizes it was no ordinary explosion and that the mysterious box and its contents have something to do with the explosion. Shauna enlists the help of Zack even though she blames him for her husbands death. Can Shauna and Zach figure out why the box is so important before others are killed or worse them?

You will be on the edge of your seat reading The View from Rainshadow Bay. There are several mysteries tied into the main mystery and your mind will be continuing to think about what is happening next. I caught myself several times still reading at 3am as I could not put the book down. The characters are well thought out and every action and reaction is true life.

I cannot wait for the second book in the series to be released this July.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for an advanced copy in exchange for a review based on my own thoughts and opinions.

The View From Rainshadow Bay is the first installment in Colleen Coble's new series set just north of the Olympic National Forest along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Navy veteran, helicopter pilot, mother, and widow Shauna McDade is about to enter another very difficult stretch in her life. Since her husband's death a year ago she has faced financial, as well as emotional, struggles. One struggle she will face is asking her husband's best friend Zach Bannister to take her son Alex on a father-son hike. She has barely been civil to Zach since Jack's death as she blamed Zach for her loss. But the fact is, Zach blames himself, too, and would do anything to help Shauna and Alex. He just doesn't expect what all that will entail.

Once Shauna talks to Zach she goes to visit Clarence Glennons at his request. Clarence had been not only a mentor, but also a father figure, since she returned from the navy. He had taught her about mechanics and aerial photography. His fear was obvious as he told Shauna he had to disappear for awhile and asked her to mail a box to his estranged wife, Lucy. They had separated after the supposed overdose death of their daughter about a year ago. As she drove away there was a terrible explosion and Clarence's cute little house was reduced to a pile of splinters. With shaking hands, Shauna called 911 and before long Sheriff Burchell and Zach as a volunteer fire fighter arrived.

And thus begins an intense thriller that is hard to put down. This is a story of family and the lengths some people will go to to protect the ones they love. And as the sociopathic murderer adds more people to his list, and threatens Shauna and Alex, Zach becomes determined to protect them. When it is discovered the role this mysterious villain has played in other deaths, it is apparent that Shauna and Alex need that protection.

This heart pounding tale will keep you guessing right up until the end. And as that end unfolds it is hard to turn the pages fast enough to keep up with your racing heart. Ms. Coble once again opens the lens on the sociopath/psychopath and spins a tale you can't wait to finish yet never want to end. I do recommend this thriller!

The story starts with a terrifying moment that makes you want to keep reading to figure out who is in danger and where the story will lead. Then we meet Shauna and Zach and get to know them as characters. I quickly felt for both Shauna and Zach, both lost someone important to them and this caused a major wedge in their friendship. I was sad for Shauna and how she felt she had lost her one chance at happiness and was now meant to be alone forever. It frustrated me the way Shauna and Jack’s mom treated Zach. He placed enough guilt on himself without having to deal with their treatment.

Shauna is trying to cope with her new reality as a single mom after losing her husband in a climbing accident. She blames Zach for the death of her husband so their once close friendship has crumbled and she hasn’t spoken with him for quite a while, but she will do anything for her son. He asks her to ask Zach to go on a father-son hike with him, forcing her to speak with Zach. This moment ends up being the start of a renewed interaction between them.

Shauna witnesses the murder of a friend right after he gave her something to pass on to someone else. Shortly after this incident Shauna’s life gets threatened and Zach’s home becomes the safest place for her and her son. The forced time together makes Shauna have to interact with Zach, making her remember the good friendship they once shared, but she still holds onto her hatred towards him. When another person dies and Shauna discovers that her husband’s death may not have happened the way she thinks it did, this leads her to trying to figure out what really happened and who is behind everything going on. I tried to figure it out along with Shauna and Zach, but was surprised by the reveal. The “product” the killer is selling felt a little unbelievable to me, and their actions didn’t seem to line up between the various crimes. I found the story to drag a bit in the middle, after starting off with a bang, deaths of a few characters and the threat to Shauna, nothing really happened again until almost near the end, where the action definitely picked up again.

Shauna and Zach both learn to make peace with the past. Through the help of the pastor Shauna learns that even though she experiences feelings for another man it does not take away what she once had with her husband. Zach learns he is not to blame for the death and he is not betraying his friend by caring for Shauna and her son. I really enjoyed the way this second chance story was presented and how the characters learned to let go of the past and embrace the future God has in store for them.

A wonderful new series by top suspense author Colleen Coble! This story grabbed me from page one and kept me turning the pages. I fell in love with the characters and hated to see someone terrifying them . . . but, of course, that is why it is a suspense novel! :) I had to find out who the villain was and slowly but surely, the pieces all fit together. A nicely plotted storyline with loveable characters. Recommended!

The View from Rainshadow Bay is vintage Colleen Coble at its best! Lavender Tides, a small Victorian style town reminiscent of a Thomas Kinkade painting, will leave the readers' senses soaring over Rainshadow Bay—with its white foamy waves throwing themselves against soaring cliffs and beauteous waterfalls. Ms. Coble is a master of descriptive imagery, breathtaking suspense, romantic tension, and who-dun-its that not even the expert at figuring them out (me -- lol) is able to do so!

I felt the romance was fairly predictable, but we usually know who's going to end up with whom in the novels we read anyway. Zach is your typical perfect hero, Shauna, the beautiful, grieving widow, and Alex, her 5 yr old is perfectly adorable. I had a problem with the plot because in certain places it was so intricate my brain felt scrambled...or fried...take your pick. But isn't that the mark of a great suspense writer? To keep the reader guessing til the very end? Speaking of which, fans of Colleen Coble's books will receive a delightful surprise at the end...nooo peeking. Now I'LL leave you in suspense!

Two stars for "it was okay."

Much of the story was fast-paced and enjoyable, but honestly the stuff in between was not. Evidently no one read it over for consistency. I also had some issues with character/theological aspects. It made it into a real disappointment, because the cover is stunning, and I had planned to buy a hardcover copy. Money well saved.

I'm going to put the inconsistencies in spoilers, just so no one's clues are messed up.
<spoiler>
-Shauna is former Navy. Not one bit of Navy, but ten years of it. We are given to assume that's where she learned to fly. She shrinks from danger and doesn't want to do more than keep Mace in her purse. She whines about carrying a gun, even though her son's safety is at stake. She continues to be a fearful milksop until the very end, when she becomes Wonder Woman and is ready to use her dad's arsenal to take out the bad guys. Absolute character shift.

-Shauna goes into the house unprotected and finds her husband's cell phone dead in a jacket pocket. The bad guy is hiding in a closet to snatch her. But somehow she has time to charge the phone up from being dead (probably fifteen minutes or so) and walks out the front door without harm.

-Her lavender allergy. She sneezes any time Karl, who uses lavender oil, is near her outdoors, except when he sits directly behind her in church and reeks of lavender oil.

-The blob in the water. Yeah, that blob in the water. "Shouldn't we get a closer look?".....What was the blob in the water???

-"Why is my truck dying?? Why won't it go any farther?" Yeah, baby, your gas gauge is down. You mean to tell me you don't have an indicator light to get your attention? You don't just run out of gas without seeing something light up on the dash.

-"Give me the box." He knows everything, right? Then how did he not know the sheriff had the box all along?

-Kidnapping Marilyn. Why not just tie her up in her own closet so she doesn't hear you speak? Dumb bad guy award. This guy's wall is decorated.

-He's a pilot who flies to rural places to pick up people for hospital transport, etc. Yet somehow he can't fly a helicopter? Granted, I'm not a pilot, but I would like a word of explanation why you can fly one thing professionally but not the other.

-Bad guy partner gets three strong guys at gunpoint. Next scene: she escorts them along the way, tied up securely with vines. Can someone tell me how she can harvest vines and tie people's hands without getting close enough to have the gun knocked out of her hands? Without letting her gun down when she is supposedly tying those special knots?

It goes on and on. Missing clues, changes of attitude, etc, which make it hard to mentally assemble clues or get comfortable with the characters.
</spoiler>

Next is a moral issue. First, I'm tired of reading books where characters get mad at God because something happened in their lives. It is SO cliched and overdone. It's done here. Second, we jump right into having FMC move into MMC's home. When she protests, he says, "People will say what they want to say. A little gossip won't hurt us...[your safety is most important.]" If he wanted to be honorable, why not ask a friend to come stay with them? Christians are told to refrain from even the appearance of evil. This does not make the guy a hero in my eyes at all. Then he "forgets" he should perhaps be wearing more than shorts to sleep in when he has a single woman in mortal danger in his house. And, yes, he went running into the yard in nothing but shorts to chase an active shooter. Sounds really smart, no?

Then Zach comforts Alex by telling him his daddy is "watching him from heaven." He quotes the verse about "encompassed by a great cloud of witnesses" to back himself up...and Shauna loves him for the words to her son. Whew!! What a case of eisegesis. No, that's not what that verse means. Does anyone really think it does? Reading that chapter was like nails on a chalkboard.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free review copy. Favorable review not required.

As with most of her books, I found Coble focuses on the character's stories and wraps the plot around the characters. At points, the storyline was less believable and it was easy to forget that Shauna was ex-navy, although I can understand how grief changes a person. Maybe I wasn't paying as much attention as I normally did, but when it was revealed who the antagonist was, I had completely forgotten who he was and where he had been introduced before in the book. I liked Zach's character and how he wanted to make up for his guilt at the death of his best friend by looking out for Shauna and Alex. Overall, it was a decent book that pulled in several murders, although the motivation seemed a little far-fetched.

An exciting combination of romantic suspense and cozy mystery. Lots of action. Interesting back stories. Many surprises along the way. I look forward to reading the next one in this series.

Colleen Coble keeps up the suspense in "The View from Rainshadow Bay". We know from the beginning that Shauna and Zach have been separated since her husband died while out climbing with him. When some of her friends die in mysterious circumstances, Zach insists that Shauna and her young son live with him for protection as they try to figure out what's going on. The suspense pacing is good; the romance is predictable.
I am baffled by the author's decision to refer to some characters as Asian and comment on their Asian skin and looks. Asia is a continent. What is the issue with having them be from a specific country or culture? I'm surprised this wasn't caught in editing. The only POC who aren't generically labelled are the caricatures of bad guys who are Chinese.

A great start to another series! Shauna and Zach were very likeable characters. I loved the way Zach was so protective of Shauna and her son. Emotions ran high in this story with so many deaths and unanswered questions. I'm looking forward to the next book. Highly recommended!

"The past has a way of rising up and stepping into view when we least expect it."

There are so many interconnected mysteries and crimes in this novel, I was trying like crazy to discover the culprit, all to no avail. I have long enjoyed Colleen Coble's books and next to her Rock Harbor series, my all time favorite, this is her best yet! Suspenseful to the max. Loved it!


*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. All opinions are entirely my own.

The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble is a fictional story of romance and mystery set in modern times.
Shauna’s husband, Jack, was killed in a mountain climbing accident a year ago leaving her with a son, Alex. She blames his best friend, Zach for his death as he was the one to get Jack to try risky sports. She avoids Zach as much as possible though she flies her helicopter tours out of the small airport he built in Lavender Tides, WA. Their lives are thrown together in ways they could never imagine when friends are murdered. They are both suspects as they were the last two people to see the victims. Can they come together to solve the mystery and clear themselves? There is also the aspect of trust as Shauna has to decide if she can trust Zach with her life as well as the life of Alex. She also questions where God was when Jack died and how can she trust God to watch over Alex now? Zach is carrying around guilt from the day of the accident and involves himself in many risky behaviors. Can God show him how to let go and trust again?
This is a great start to a new series. There is a lot of suspense and excitement throughout the story. The writer weaves in several possibilities as to what is happening and why which keeps the reader intrigued and guessing who might be behind all that is going on. The characters are well written and their backgrounds explained so the reader understands why they behave as they do for the most part. Not giving too much away but the sheriff at times did dumb things, in my opinion, and at one point I wondered if he was involved in the murders or sabotaging the investigation intentionally. The ending did leave a couple of loose ends, at least for me, but maybe we will see them tied together in the next book. I rate this book 5 of 5 stars; the author kept me engaged and I didn’t want to put the book down. I recommend it anyone who enjoys a good romantic mystery. Looking forward to the next one.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The View from Rainshadow Bay is a good book! I enjoy Colleen Cobles writing style and she can tell a good story.

Suspense, danger and romance are what you can look forward to when you meet Shauna a widow who is struggling after her husband death five years earlier. And Zach who was his best friend and feels responsible for his death. There are secrets to uncover and Shauna needs Zach's help to keep her and her son safe. Looking foward to more of Colleen's books.

I received this an ebook from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Coble has crafted a good novel with a balance of character development, suspense, and romance. While the action is current, the roots of the suspense are in earlier events. Shauna is a private helicopter pilot whose husband had been killed in a climbing accident. He was climbing with his good friend Zach and Shauna blames him for the fact that she is a widow and single mother. People close to Shauna are being murdered and then it becomes apparent Shauna's life is in danger. When Zach comes to her aid, she has lots of pain and anger to work through. The suspense increases as Shauna and Zach find clues from the past, items someone is willing to kill to get.

The best part of the novel for me was the setting. I love it when I find a novel taking place in my native Washington State. The location for this one is the north part of the Olympic Peninsula where there are several lavender farms. The name Rainshadow Bay is descriptive as I live on an island that is in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains. I've included a photo I recently took of the very area Coble has chosen to set this novel. You can see the mountains that Shauna says takes her breath away.

I recommend this novel to readers who like a good balance of character development, suspense and romance. There is a strong Christian message woven through the novel, encouragement to trust God when we are going through difficult times.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

If you're looking for a healthy dose of suspense and a late night date with a good book, this book will fit the bill! Coble has started another series, this one set in Lavender Tides, Washington. Shauna McDade, recent widow, single mom, and helicopter pilot, uncovers the threads of a sinister plot in her peaceful little town.

To make matters worse, she can't name the plot or the mastermind behind it. The string of 'accidental' deaths, including her husband's, has her questioning everything and everyone she knows. In addition, someone has started stalking her and her young son. The only person she feels as if she could trust is the one person she blames for her husband, Jack's, untimely death.

Zach Bannister, pilot and airport owner, feels responsible for Shauna's husband's death, just not in the same way. Sure, they knew how to egg each other on to find the ultimate adrenalin rush, but he can't believe that Shauna actually blames him for Jack's death.

Their uneasy alliance to figure out who's responsible for the deaths brings them into each other's company in ways that make them both rethink their former friendship as well as their future. Only by working together can they unravel the truth and prevent more deaths.

Fans of Cara Putman, Terri Blackstock, and Lynette Eason will love this book!

If there's one good thing about all the traveling we've done over the last couple of weeks, it's that I've had plenty of extra reading time! I dug into Colleen Coble's newest book The View from Rainshadow Bay last weekend, and it is now my favorite that she's written. I know, I say it nearly every time, but, honestly, they just keep getting better and better!

The View from Rainshadow Bay is the first book in a brand-new series that takes place on the west coast. Lavender Tides still boasts all of Colleen's trademark gorgeous scenery and a cast of colorful local characters. Her books always have a romantic angle, but, once again, the mystery is at the forefront of this thriller. And, as usual, her books manage to be edgy and interesting, while remaining clean and inspirational. I'm never ashamed or even hesitant to recommend her books.
In this latest novel, Shauna is struggling since the death of her husband, Jack, a year ago. The bank is about to repossess her helicopter, which will mean she will no longer have any way to support herself, or her young son, Alex. The only person she can think to turn to is, Zach, her husband's best friend. However, Shauna blames Zach for Jack's death, and she won't even speak to him. But, when Shauna is the last person to see a friend before he is brutally murdered, she is swept into a dangerous situation, and only Zach can protect her. As Zach and Shauna dig deeper into the mystery, and draw closer together, old secrets are uncovered, and everything Shauna believed about her past turns out to be a lie. Who can be trusted? How many deaths have really been caused by the mysterious murderer? What do the earthquakes have to do with the death of a recovering drug addict? Why did the murdered man have a necklace that was buried with Shauna's mom years earlier? Does Shauna's alcoholic father have the clue that will solve the mystery? The questions pile up fast, and the solution will really blow your mind!
I have to say, the plot of this book is totally unique and new. The earthquakes brought an interesting plot twist that totally surprised me--and that's not really easy to do any more! The characters here are my favorites of any of her series so far, maybe because they really kept me guessing! I loved Zach, and his loyalty to Shauna and Alex. His desire to take care of them, even though Shauna hated him, made him really admirable. Shauna is also a great character. I love that she flies a helicopter, and is doing everything she can to take care of her son. I also admired her for continuing to take care of her father, even though he never took care of her. Zach's attitude towards her father made me love him more, too! I also really loved the sheriff and his wife in this book. I honestly wasn't sure what side he was on at first, and his younger, model wife really kept me guessing! I won't tell you what happens, but I will say they are one of my favorite parts of this story.
I have long been a fan of Colleen Coble, and I'm so excited that she's started this new series! I can tell it's going to be a great one, and I'm already excited for the next one coming out this summer. I love that I can recommend good, clean thrillers that won't leave the reader feeling dirty at the end. Faith is woven through the pages of all of Colleen's novels, and it adds to the interest of the story.
If you're looking for a great new series to start out the new year, I highly recommend that you start with The View from Rainshadow Bay!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions are my own, and a favorable review was not required.

THE VIEW FROM RAINSHADOW BAY. by Colleen Coble
Shauna and Zack, had once been friends, now her husband is in the grave. To ask a favor from him, only because of her son. Clarence who was like a mentor for her, ask a favor of her, and he would be gone for awhile. Then a deadly fire and what's with the box. He was a business partner and so much more to her. Then the wife is killed. Shauna had secrets from her pass, she never spoke of, to find out her Dad was more than just some one always drinking. This is murder, mystery and woven in is a love story, takes awhile to put them together. This is the first in her new series, so maybe we will read more of the same characters in the next book or two.
Given ARC by Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.

This novel takes place in Washington State amid the Lavender fields and Cobble does not disappoint her readers in this mystery/suspense..... A climbing "accident" leaves a young woman a widow and their 4 year old boy fatherless. Then her partner and father figure is killed and a few days later his wife is killed. The young woman is their sole heir and this causes suspicion to be cast her way. Then she is sent a warning that she will be next if she does not give back what is not hers. But what do they want? She has no clue as to what they could want. She has to protect her child and her husband's best friend helps by having her and her son move into his home which has watch dogs and strong security.......there is so much excitement and danger in this one book. You'll think you have figured out who the murderer is...then it's not them, so it must be...no not them. Your mind will be in a whirl with all that's happening. You will keep turning the pages until the surprising ending.There is a romance beginning and ending in The View From Rainshadow Bay, such a good book.....I was gifted this book from the publisher via Netgally and this review is my own thoughts.

Colleen Coble is a wonderful author. All of her books are awesome, and The View From Rainshadow Bay is no exception. I was immediately hooked and did not want to put it down. Read it! You will not be disappointed!

Folding back the cover of my kindle, I cozied down under the duvet to tuck into the latest from Colleen Coble, The View from Rainshadow Bay. 10 minutes in, I snapped it closed, eyes wide, and vowed to read the rest in daylight! It is a brilliant thriller from the first page to the last! I read it in one, day-time, sitting enjoying its fast pace and interesting plot. It is spine-chillingly realistic with great, unexpected twists. Both Shauna and Zach are easy to connect with and I hope to see them both in future books in this series. The writing is rich with wonderful descriptions of the area and multi-faceted characters. It's a five out of five, I highly recommend it!