Did anyone else reach for stories set in places we could not travel to during this unprecedented time in our world? I did and for Paris, it’s always Tatiana de Rosnay. While the characters in this book navigate relationships against the tragic results from a devastating flood, it is very relatable. How do we hold on to the ties we have through big things? This author never disappoints. I recommend The Rain Watcher.

The Rain Watcher is one of the most enchanting novels I have read this year. This is a family story wrapped in secondary story about the floods of Paris, this book will capture your attention from the beginning. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book, but by the end I was deeply invested in this family. I liked the way various family secrets are revealed throughout the book. I also liked the way Linden was characterized as a gay man and the ways he was accepted or not by his family. Ultimately this was a book of hopefulness and redemption, all set against a dramatic flood in Paris. An enjoyable read.

I really enjoyed the slow, atmospheric pacing of this character-driven novel of family secrets coming to light in Paris, as it experiences a major natural disaster. The descriptions of the city were incredibly vivid, and the nuanced characters were fascinating. Highly recommended!

Felt like the author held the readers at arm's length from the characters - slow build, would've been more emotional had I connected with the characters more.

The writing is wonderfully descriptive. I felt drenched in this city, undergoing this storm, and seeped in the family’s demons hovering over them like this rain. This really is a beautiful story about many things - regrets, forgiveness and understanding of each other, of themselves, about marriage, identity, trauma and how tragedy from the past can influence who you are. Beginning and ending with Paul’s love of trees, this is a sad, contemplative and hopeful story. I loved it.

I am not a huge fan of this author's style. I tried to read Sarah's Key, as well, and found that it just didn't pull me in. The story was interesting enough but the writing style just isn't my thing!

Are you a Francophile? Are you in love with and very familiar with Paris? Do you like introspective novels that have little action, but reveal the innermost thoughts and anxieties of the characters? Then you will love this book. De Rosnay's writing is beautiful in the descriptions of Paris in the midst of a terrible flood. The story focuses on a family in Paris for a reunion to celebrate the father's 70th birthday. When he suffers a crippling stroke, the emotions of the various family members explode on the scene. The story takes place over the course of only a few days, but there are multiple moments of remembrances that explore the relationships between son & daughter, and parents.

I know De Rosnay's writing from her historical fiction and really enjoy the way she puts words and sentences together. Her descriptive passages pull you fully into the story's place and time. That is definitely the case here. I, however, found myself skimming many of the long passages detailing the flood ravaged Paris. I've never been there and really have very little knowledge of the city. Therefore, her long detailed passages describing the streets, neighborhoods, businesses and sites impacted by the flooding left me just puzzled, and frankly a bit bored. In addition, the whole plot was just a bit too "angsty" for me. Yes, each of the characters has issues that need to be addressed, but after a while I found it a bit tiresome.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

A family meets in Paris for a milestone birthday and wedding anniversary celebration. But as they arrive in the city they arrive in the midst of a rainstorm that has been going on for days and is threatening to flood big portions of the city. Determined not to let the weather dampen (see what I did there?) the celebration the family attempts to go forward with their plans. But, as the saying goes, the best laid plans often go awry. As the deluge continues and the Seine overflows each family member grapples with their relationship with one another and the significant others in their life.

I was enjoying this story of the Malegarde family and then it ended, quite suddenly. I felt like it ended abruptly and before its time. It almost felt like the book ended just as it was reaching its climax. After enjoying the story so much that was a disappointment. I'm trying not to let that disappointment color my whole opinion of the book but how a story ends is what makes a story complete. It feels like de Rosnay, with perhaps the exception of Sarah's Key (published in 2006), struggles with either character development or execution of her storyline. This book was succeeding in both of those for me until it wasn't.

This author knows how to create excitement and intrigue in the most amazing of settings. This is set in Paris amidst some major rain and flooding as a group gathers to celebrate a birthday. Vivid descriptions and a brisk narrative keep the plot moving throughout.

What an unusual story! This is a story about an unhappy family. That in itself is obviously not unusual, but in this book, one of the main characters, in my view, is the Seine River.

A brother (a famous photographer) and sister accept their mother's invitation to join their parents in Paris for a reunion. They accept, and that's when everything goes south. Flooding, catastrophic illness, a misbehaving spouse-- you name it, the author has thrown it at this family.

I found the book to be well-written and enjoyable to read, despite all the family's pain. I learned more about the Seine than I ever thought I would know. I had to look up some photographic terms that appeared, but not so many that it detracted from reading.

One thing I could not figure out to my satisfaction was the ending. I read it repeatedly, but no joy. I wondered what the book would have been like if the last chapter had simply been lopped off.

Usually, I don't read other reviews before writing mine but I was going nuts with the ending and HAD to know if others had the same experience. Quite a few wrote they had read another book by Tatiana de Rosnay and, quite simply, they were in raptures about that one and not so much about "The Rain Watcher.".. Since I was completely unfamiliar with this author, I can make no such comparisons. I did find it to be an enjoyable, educational book and I think I may look for that other book by Tatiana de Rosnay.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This book was one that I could not wait to end. I love reading about Paris, but the details in the street names and the sites that used to be present was a little overwhelming and detracted from the story. While there are a lot of issues resolved throughout the pages, there was so much that wasn’t addressed. The book just couldn’t hold my interest. And then the last paragraph was a doozy. I just could not recommend this book to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I was excited for Tatiana de Rosnay's new book. Sarah's key and A Secret Kept are great books. Sarah's key is so memorable. If you haven't read that one, its a must read. That being said; her latest novel did not disappoint. Not as great as the other two, but a worth while read. The story was easy to follow and I was invested in the characters. The writing is so fluid. Anything written by Tatiana is worth reading. This one would be 3/5 stars for me.

I honestly couldn't get more than 50% through this book. I tried reading it in multiple formats and realized I just couldn't handle the family tearing each other apart. That's not entertaining to me. I read to escape and this is not escapist literature. If it had stayed from one perspective, Linden, and followed him through his life and his perspective solely, leaving the family out, I think the book would have been all the better for it. Adding in the family just proved the fatal weakness for this story. I've been warned about de Rosnay before. Obviously I should have listened.

As always, this author;s writing is so wonderful - it brings you into the story, allowing an insight in what the characters are seeing. This is a beautiful story of love, family and all the conflicts each can bring.

This book fell pretty flat for me. It was not very interesting, and I was not invested in the story at all. Such a bummer because I was really looking forward to it!

I hate writing these kinds of reviews, but I have to say that I could not finish this book. After reading the first 25%, I still was not hooked in the story and did not care about the characters. The writing style felt disjointed to me, making me feel like we were bouncing around inside the book but never really getting anywhere. I wanted to like this so badly, especially given de Rosnay's previous book and the setting in The Rain Watcher. Hopefully, her next book will impress me as much as Sarah's Key.

Thanks for gifting me a copy Netgalley and Tatiana de Rosnay.

DNA~ Could not get into the story
Im not sure why but I could not make myself read this book. I kept waiting for the story to take off and I just kept thinking of other books I'd rather be reading.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher
I wanted to start by saying I love Tatiana de Rosnay’s books. I absolutely loved Sarah’s Key.
I unfortunately could not get into this specific story at the time I tried reading it.