While finishing this story, I had tears in my eyes. This story was filled with passion, romance and hope for second chances. The characterization was top of the line and it had such unique characteristics that forces you to keep scrolling/turning pages to have more. Mystery, romance, passion, drama and intensity brought together brings you Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin.
I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate this opportunity and all views expressed are my own.

I just finished this wonderful book while sitting in a doctor's office with tears streaming down my face. Charles Martin does not disappoint!! This is a great story of man named "Jo-Jo". You quickly learn some of his life and the rest opens up over the entire book. You will fall for this man and will root for him after meeting him for the first time. Send Down the Rain was a great account of history, drama, and a wonderful love story. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! This is the second Charles Martin book that I have read and I would love to read more. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and storytellers.
#Tnzfiction #NetGalley

Send Down the Rain is a wonderful read. It is probably my new favorite that I have read by Charles Martin. The characters are true to life to me and I felt like I knew them and understood them. A beautiful story of healing, hope, and faith.
I believe many readers will be inspired by Send Down the Rain. I give it 5+ stars. Highly recommended for readers who are wanting to discover the truth with themselves.

There are so many fictional books set during World War II, but it is harder to find any that deal with the Vietnam War. I came of age during the Vietnam War, so I am drawn to anything set during that time period. This story does tend to jump back and forth in time. It took me a while to figure out who all the characters were in relation to each other. I have read several books by Charles Martin and would recommend him to those who enjoy Nicholas Sparks.

OMG!! Tears and more tears. Just loved this book, shows how family and brotherly love is always there. Great book.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin
Joseph, a Viet Nam vet, has been beaten down by life. His father left his family when he was a boy. He is estranged from his brother. He has served well in the military and returns to a country who despises him. His girl did not wait for him and married another man. He lives by himself in a secluded cabin, but is called upon to rescue an abused mother and her 2 children from a Mexican drug lord. He helps them get to family and then leaves them to meander by his hometown, which he hasn’t visited in years. While there, he reconnects with an old girlfriend, Allie, who has just tragically lost her husband. But his death is not what it seems and she and Joseph work to solve the mystery. As events progress we learn the pasts of Jo-jo and Allie. Although he thinks he has found happiness, his heart has been damaged by the past. Nothing, or so he thinks, can change that.
This book grabbed me by the throat and hung on until the last page. It was a masterfully-told, multi-layered story covering forgiveness, love, second chances, loyalty, self-sacrifice and deceit. The characters were thoroughly explored. The plot twists were amazing and I often didn’t know what to believe about Joseph, the main character. Although this book contains a romance, it has enough action in it to satisfy the suspense reader in me. I heartily recommend it. I read a digital arc in exchange for this my honest review.

This book was incredible! I can't nail down what it was that kept me reading. There were so many aspects of this book that I loved! It is the first one by this author for me but I will search out others by Charles Martin!
This book made me get mad, laugh, be happy, be sad and cry. My feelings changed from page to page. The story was so believable that I am sure there are men/soldiers whose life was exactly this way, which really makes me feel for them. Toward the end of the story I had tears falling almost every paragraph. I would just dry one set when another would start to fall!
I loved the main character, Joseph and his dog Rosco. I enjoyed reading about his present and his past and found myself wishing for a wonderful future for him. I also loved all the other characters (the good ones) that were introduced throughout his story. The family Jo-jo "rescued", his brother, Bobby and his girlfriend, Allie. I miss them now that I am done!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for allowing me the opportunity to read this beautiful story!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was a beautiful story. I have been hearing a lot about Charles Martin and seen a lot of great reviews of his books.
This is the first one I have read and I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
The story initially captivated me as he introduced these, seemingly unrelated, stories and I was eager to see how it would all come together.
There were parts of the story that seemed to drag on, some twists I saw before they were introduced but there were a lot of twists to keep me on my toes,
a lot of twists that kept me captivated and at the end of the emotional roller coaster I smiled at the beauty of the whole story.
I smiled at the changes that had occurred in the characters. I smiled at the relationships the characters had and the hope they held.
I smiled when the storms of life ended and when the rain came.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading the first chapter, I was thinking, "This is a really odd beginning of a book." However, different is not bad. Knowing Charles Martin's writing, I knew it would be good. And, it really was. Once I got started, I didn't want to put the book down.

There are some parts of the story that work together strangely, but that's a lot like real life. The path from point A to point B is rarely straight. Life has its twists and turns. Yet, in the end it made sense. Roads can merge in odd ways. I'd also add that you can't always judge a person by their past. It definitely plays a part, but it is not the total of who they are. It is hard to not judge yourself by those past circumstances. Sometimes you have to forgive yourself in order to forgive others.

Yes, this is a vague review, but I don't want to give away any of the story. You just need to pick it up and read it!

Feb 17, 2018 · edit
it was amazing
bookshelves: 2018-reading-challenge, first-reads

Wow, what a tale! Masterful storytelling, with realistic characters, drama, and action made this a powerful read. A story that leaves a lasting impression.

Told in part with flash backs through the main character's point of view, the author brings the reader along for an amazing series of events in Joseph 'Jo-Jo' Brooks' life. There are some gritty moments, including war scenes, and violence, key to understanding what has shaped his life and made him who he has become today. His acts of generosity, honor and compassion, demonstrate a sacrificial love for others, though he is a troubled soul fighting his own personal battles; a savior-like character seeking his own redemption. This really was his story, from childhood to the present, and his battle to heal, inside and out, including damaged relationships with his brother and childhood sweetheart. The destructive force of hate versus the healing power of love and forgiveness were clearly demonstrated in his life.
Difficult topics such as addiction, abuse, divorce, abandonment, and PTSD are included.

Recomend to adult readers who enjoy a story with realistic drama, including the Vietnam War era. A solid 5 star read!

(I received a complimentary e-book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. All views expressed are completely my own.)

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin is a romantic novel with a difference. The Author searches the depths of his characters' very souls. It is a story of hope, hatred and love. It is the story of Joseph Brooks, who feels unworthy of living when so many died around him, and especially unworthy of the gift of life he received from a man who died to save him. It is the story of broken hearts and second chances.
Jo-Jo is a broken man when he comes back from Vietnam. He is full of hatred for his brother for stealing his girl while he is away, and for wasting his life with drugs. He has always been stronger than Bobby, although he is two years younger than him. He longs for the innocence of youth and to be able to feel love again.
We see his gentleness with Catalina and her children, and his affection for Rosco, the stray dog who has become his companion.
He wants to become a better person, but the evil in the world just won't leave him alone.
He listens to Suzy's very popular talk show and feels especially close to her. She interviews men who fought for their country, so many of whom were treated like dirt when they came home. She is trying to find out what happened to her father in Vietnam.
Jo-Jo has a secret which he has kept to himself for forty five years. The story keeps hinting at it and it is only in the end that it all comes out. It is a beautifully written book.

Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin This novel had a little bit of everything. Mountains, beaches and shark teeth,  drug dealers and war, carnival rides and cotton candy, trucks and fast cars, dogs and puppies, politics and courtroom drama. Oh my gosh so many twists and turns and so much drama.  Easy and smooth read. I almost stopped reading in the beginning. Thought it was the same old story, but then the first twist grabs you and you can't stop.  I don't believe I had such a great understanding of the characters and the rationale for their actions. I am sure book clubs will have great discussions over Send Down the Rain.

Charles Martin is my favorite novelist. In Send Down the Rain, he once again does a fantastic job helping the reader see, sense, taste, and feel what the characters in the book are. Send Down the Rain is about suffering and redemption, truth and honor, sacrifice and loyalty. I found it deeply moving and impossible to put down!

Charles Martin is a master storyteller. His latest, Send Down the Rain, explores the impact of good and evil in the lives of Joseph, Bobby, and Allie. I love how he develops the characters.

Twists abound until the last page. Make sure you add this one to your TBR pile.

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I just finished my arc copy of this book from NetGalley. JoJo was a loner with a lot of history that revolved around Allie. But it's not just their story, there are many other people involved that will keep you guessing until the end. I have read most of Charles Martin's books and I have to say this is my favorite. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley for advanced digital copy. Couldn’t put this one down. What a story, with several interesting stories within. While mostly set in the present day, we experience the heartbreaks and lives of the main characters dating back to their childhood and the impact of decisions, secrets, the depths we go to protect those we love, and the Vietnam war. This is a book about second chances, brothers and first love. It’s an emotional book. For me I also enjoyed the Florida setting and love the way the author details the outdoors. A special read.

This book was so great!! I loved how you come to really love the characters of the book. There is so much brokenness, and yet healing comes through the broken. I loved the way Jo Jo's character was fully developed and unfolded. He was great in that he wasn't perfect, he had done bad things, yet you really saw the good heart in him. It was also really great the way Charles Martin shed light on the war, and truly what men had to suffer for our freedom. How that never really leaves them. Overall, a really good book. I cried good tears, and will be thinking about the characters even though the book is over. Thank you!

Charles Martin doesn't disappoint in this new book. A very emotional telling of the very real effects of war on the body and spirit of Joseph. Lots of twists and turns keep the story moving along and how the sacrifices we make for others may cause struggles for ourselves.