I loved THINGS TO DO WHEN IT’S RAINING. Mae and Gabe’s childhood friendship takes a romantic turn as teenagers. Gabe’s sudden and unexplained departure from Alexandria Bay leaves Mae hurt and bewildered. Now an adult, Mae’s fiancé has deserted her so she returns home to heal. Gabe is called back to take care of his ailing father. Naturally Gabe and Mae meet and their story begins again.
I found the story engaging. It was easy to read and would be a great book to read on vacation.

2.5 stars rounded up. The cover of Things To Do When It's Raining really appealed to me - I imagined a cozy and quaint read of sorts that would pull on the old heartstrings. I imagined a plot with rich description and perhaps even some historical detail about the area surrounding the St. Lawrence river. I imagined a gripping story about intergenerational secrets with twists and turns leading to an emotional reveal that would leave me a blubbering.mess. I waited patiently for the right moment to dig in. Maybe my expectations were too high but I was kind of disappointed with this book.

I would describe the story as a heartwarming tale that takes the reader on a somewhat emotional journey of love, loss and secrets. We meet Mae, who has just been hoodwinked and jilted by her financé Peter. He has swindled millions of dollars through their joint company and has left Mae with his dog and to pick up the pieces. In all honesty, I was a little confused by the dog and unsure of what the point was in having him in the story. We also meet Gabe, recently divorced and following in his father's footsteps using alcohol as a crutch for his unhappy life. He finds out his father is dying and must face the decision of returning to a place he left behind years ago. Both characters return to their childhood homes in order to pick up the pieces and that's when old relationships start to rekindle and the deceptions from long ago surface. The book seems to focus more on the dialogue and aftermath of the betrayals. The origins of the secrets come out fairly early on.

At the start of the story, there were too many characters introduced at once. I found myself confused as to who was who and who was saying what. I had to keep going back to figure it out. The author uses a third perspective, which for me worked at some points but not all. It sometimes read like an ongoing narrative which didn't seem to add anything to plot or character development. I also felt like there could have been more emphasis on Gabe's background, for instance, to understand him better and the intergenerational impact of his father (and grandfather?) I also found the story lacked depth when it came to Mae's grandparents. We learn about past events and how the characters are shaped by them to a degree but what about their relationship today? I felt disconnected from many of the characters and left with many questions.

There were moments during the story that captured me and even brought a tear to my eye. I just didn't experience those moments enough. I'll even admit I skimmed a bit in this one just to get to the end. I kind of knew where it was going anyway. When reading a story dealing with tragedy, I need to feel the characters' depth of emotion. This book just didn't do that for me. I think people looking for more of a quick "surface" read might enjoy this more than I did.

I’m really sorry. I just couldn’t finish this book. I wasn’t even 20% in & so confused that it was causing a headache reading it. It jumped around so much I couldn’t keep up.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mae Summers and Gabriel Broadbent were childhood friends. They grew up together at the Summers' Inn which is owned by Mae's grandparents, Lilly and George. Mae and Gabriel were raised together—Mae was orphaned at a young age, and Gabriel needed protection from his abusive alcoholic father. Their relationship progressed into their first loves, and the young couple were torn apart when Gabe abruptly left Alexandria Bay.

Fast forward and Mae and Gabe are grown. Both end up back in Alexandria Bay—Mae after a romantic setback, and Gabe because of his father. Mae returns to her grandparents Inn and finds that her grandparents relationship is suffering because of past secrets that also impact her. Are these relationships worth salvaging and the past worth reclaiming?

Stapley's latest offering is a story about love, loss, forgiveness, and truth. Families are complicated, and this book doesn't shy away from family drama and complex relationships.

I enjoyed the character development, setting, and premise for this story. Sometimes when a narrative incorporates both the past and the present, it can be cumbersome for the reader particularly if they have connected with one storyline over the other. In this case, this type of narrative worked because of well-written characters with solid development. My only criticisms were that I wanted more of Gabe's present story, and that the ending felt rushed. Given the pace throughout the book, the ending should not have unfolded as abruptly as it did.

Things to do When it’s Raining takes place in Alexandria Bay, New York, on the beautiful St. Lawrence River. It’s a real place, and coincidentally it’s only about 100km away from where I live! I didn’t realize this when I requested the advance reader copy. I’ve seen the 1000 Islands area and it’s absolutely stunning. If you’ve never been, I suggest taking a trip there someday.

This story touches on themes that I think many of us can relate to: family secrets, struggling to forgive, grief, regret, and the power of love. Mae Summers grew up in Alexandria Bay. She was raised by her grandparents George and Lily after her parents Virginia and Chase died when Mae was a child. We meet Mae as an adult, living in New York City, engaged to Peter. We find out Peter has committed fraud and up and left Mae with nothing but a short note scribbled on paper. She ends up losing everything, and finds herself back at the inn her grandparents own in Alexandria Bay. After 67 years of marriage, Mae’s grandfather George finds out that his best friend who was killed in the war is the real father of Virginia (Mae’s mother). He leaves Lily to stay at a hotel. Meanwhile Lily is losing her mind and has been forgetting the names of people, places, and objects. George finds out Gabe’s father, Jonah, is in the hospital and isn’t doing well, so he calls Gabe to tell him he should probably come back to Alexandria Bay. Gabe’s mother left when he was really young, and Jonah is a drunk who used to physically and emotionally abuse Gabe. Gabe he decides he should go back to check on his Dad. Gabe and Mae get to see each other after many years, work through current life challenges and in the process reveal many secrets that have been buried for too long.

Mae was extremely naive. I mean…she’s an adult, and somehow had no idea what Peter was doing behind her back when she worked with him? I dunno, I found that slightly unbelievable. I had a hard time getting into the story, but once we arrived in Alexandria Bay and I got to meet George, Lily, and Jonah, I became more engaged in their stories.

Gabe is my favourite character. He’s been through some real crap in his life. You would think the ability to love someone else would have died in him long ago. I would have liked more info about Gabe’s life after he left Alexandria Bay.

If this story wasn’t written in third person narrative I would have been able to felt more connected to the characters. There was too much telling, not enough showing.

Overall, this is an easy read with a compelling story. If you like romance stories with family drama and secrets, then you’ll like Things to do When it’s Raining.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of Things to Do when it's Raining by Marissa Stapley in exchange for an honest review. This is the story of Mae and Gabe who grew up together in Alexandria Bay at Mae's grandparents' summer inn. Their childhood friendship, over time, morphed into first love for both. During their teenage years, they became separated due to events beyond their control. Many years later, fate brings them back to Alexandria Bay and you will want to read this novel to discover all the secrets and mysteries that could again keep Mae and Gabe apart. This is a love story with much drama and suspense. I very much enjoyed Things to Do when it's Raining. Highly recommended. Marissa Stapley is also the author of the critically acclaimed novel Mating for Life.

A young girl living with grandparents, her parents had died in a tragic accident on the river. A young lad, who couldn't be bothered to do some final work on the hovercraft which resulted in the accident. The young lad was abused by his father and was adopted by the grandparents of the young girl. They were of a similar age and played together all the time. But they became more than brother and sister, they fell in love, and the grandmother sent him away. Both devasted they got on with their own lives, only to meet again later. Many twists and turns and secrets that make this story worth reading. Very well written..

A sweet read for those long winter nights, sitting on a beach or flying to a destination. Written with gentle wisdom, this book is filled with characters that you will know and like. Family secrets, enduring love, human behaviour and reactions to Life, make this an endearing read to be shared with family and friends.

Link to blog's review to be provided after release date.

Love this book. From childhood to old age you feel the joy and sadness the characters experience in their lives. This is a book I would read again. Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the Author for allowing me to read and review this book.