Get ready for a gripping journey in Colleen Coble's The View from Rainshadow Bay as we meet Shauna, who believes her husband's best friend Zach is the one responsible for his death and her son to grow up without a father.

Zach lives life with risks. He convinced his friend Jack, Shauna’s husband, to go climbing with him. While the two are out, they agree to race to a certain point. While doing this, Jack gets killed, and Zach feels responsible for his death.

I have read a few other books by Coble, but this is the first time I am getting to start at the beginning of the series.

This book is my favorite by Coble so far. She wove together a complicated story with many different facets that kept me guessing. I enjoyed the setting of the story and felt as though I was watching the story unfold. Coble took me from merely reading the book to being transported, and that is what I love about a great book!

At one point in the book, Zach and Shauna are getting shot at in the woods. I felt like I was standing in the woods as Shauna took cover while Zach tried to track down the shooter.

Shauna owns a helicopter charter business, and there were a few times in the story when we got to go on the trip with Shauna. I enjoyed the imagery Coble used as it brought the story to life.

This book was so good that I jumped on Goodreads as soon as I finished it to find out about the next book. With what I know after reading this book, I can already tell The House at Saltwater Point is one I don't want to miss!

If you are looking for a thrilling, exciting read, The View from Rainshadow Bay is the book for you! Colleen Coble's books are always on my to read list and this one does not disappoint. You will be swept away into the mystery of this story as you read about the perils that main character, Shauna, and her family have to experience. Shauna is trying to deal with loss in her life while raising her young son who is everything to her. After losing her husband, she doesn't ever think she can love like that again, but sometimes love surprises you when you least expect it. This book is filled with suspense, excitement, and a little romance, too! I also really appreciated the message that was focused on in this book, which is from my favorite scripture of Romans 8:28. We all have bad things happen to us. That is out of our control. But we can trust God when he tells us that there will be good things that come from our troubles. God is bigger than whatever we are facing and He will be with us every step of the way. I received this book from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Whenever I feel the need to center myself a bit, I reach for a good inspirational romance. When I read the blurb for The View from Rainshadow Bay I knew I had to give the book, and the author, a try.

This book was pretty darn close to perfection. The hero and heroine were flawed, yet supremely likable. Their love story was woven seamlessly with a suspense plot that was dark and twisty. Even though I was able to predict the ending to the mystery about 50% of the way through, the journey that Coble put Shauna and Zach through was, nevertheless, magnificent.

I'm not quite sure this book can be labeled as inspirational romance, it probably fits better under Christian fiction or women's fiction with inspirational elements. Either way, I'm all in for this new series.

You better believe I'm going to do a deep, deep dive into Coble's previous works after finishing The View from Rainshadow Bay.

When I first saw this book I was quite intrigued. The cover was really pretty and it's set in Washington state, which is where I'm from. While I enjoyed the story, it wasn't quite as good as I had hoped it would be. It was a bit slow at times and it took me way longer to get through than I would have expected. It just wasn't a real page-turner.

The characters were okay. There were a lot of characters to keep track of which made it a bit confusing at times as I couldn't always remember who each of the minor characters were. I also didn't really connect with Shauna or Zach. Shauna was the one I had the biggest issue with. She is supposed to be a Navy veteran yet none of her actions reflect that. For instance, she doesn't want to have or use a gun. I can maybe understand that she might just not like guns or something, but I would think wanting to protect your son from a killer would outweigh that fear. She was too much of a damsel in distress. Not capable to taking care of herself and always needing a man to do things for her.

The killer was another big issue for me. It was fairly easy to figure out who it was early on, and while I can live with that, the killer was just so inconsistent. He kills multiple people without a second thought, and then other times he has a conscience and doesn't want to kill. Each time he kills he does it in a totally different and extravagant way. And considering he wasn't a trained assassin, it just really made it unbelievable. Some instances being completely impossible to pull off.

There is also an instance where the killer is hiding out in Shauna's house waiting to kill her when she is home alone. Yet she is able to walk around, charge a phone enough to be able to look through it, and then leave and the killer never makes a move. I mean, come on! You have the perfect opportunity to make your move and you don't.

There were also quite a few inconsistencies in this book that frustrated me. One of the main ones being the plot line that is mentioned in the first paragraph of the synopsis is never finished. It's something that seems like it's going to play a big role in the story but then is never mentioned again.

Also the ending didn't make any sense. How exactly can one person overpower three men, tie them up, and keep a gun on them at the same time?

And while I did figure out who the killer was early on, the actual story behind what was going on was quite interesting. Without giving anything away, the plot revolved around something that was definitely unique (in a good way!) and not something I had ever really thought about before. I appreciated the author's creativity with it.

Overall, I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. There were parts of the story I did enjoy, and it had all the right ingredients to make a great story, but the execution just wasn't quite right. I've read quite a few of Colleen Coble's books and enjoyed them, but this one was just really lacking in a lot of places for me. I will probably pick up the next book in the series just to see where it goes.

Colleen Coble is one of my favorite writers and this was another excellent book!

I loved Shauna! She was real on so many levels. She struggled with anger and bitterness toward the man she felt was responsible for her husband’s death. She grieved at the loss of her mentor. Watching her grow throughout the story was heartwarming.

The story itself was full of action and engaging. I love it when the author gives clues throughout the story to allow the reader to try and figure out who the guilty one is. Of course, in this particular story, I didn’t figure it out until close to the end.

Definitely, recommend this to a Coble fan. If you’ve never read Colleen Coble this will give you a great taste of her style. I’m looking forward to more from this series.

4.5 Star Rating on the Amazon Scale
3.5 Star Rating on Goodreads
Disclaimer: I did receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.com, I was not required to give a review and the opinions here are my own.

The View From Rainshadow bay love, trust, answer, protection and God. Alex is a helicopter pilot taking people to and fro from lavender ties to Vancouver. She snack have a serious background which did he really really become the cause of it? Alex of him responsible but when a bomber become that is the only one who protects her and her son. David will love Blossom Way danger intensifies? Alex to the Lord to give her strength. Should we all? Colleen cable is such a wonderfully creative writer and I can't wait for the next book in the series. I hope I am blessed to read them.

I liked this story but felt like some things were brought up but never explained, so maybe that is for the next book in the series. Shauna lost her husband Jack to an accident that involved his best friend Zach, when Shauna and her son Alex's lives are threatened, Jack steps in to help. A story of forgiveness and redemption with suspense throughout. The plot took several twists and turns that made you wonder, "who did it". Looking forward to the next book in the series.

I love books written by Colleen Coble, so I was super excited to review this first book in the Lavender Tides series and overall it was a great read that didn't disappoint. There is action from the first chapter, with people dying, someone stalking & trying to attack the female lead character Shauna. I enjoyed watching the story come together, seeing how all the murders connected and why they were committed. The ending was great! I love when a story ends completely as it did in this book. I recommend this read for anyone who enjoys clean suspense fiction.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

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 another excellent book from the author. I enjoyed it so much!!

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