Nina, also known as Little Bit, leaves her small hometown to become a successful lawyer in the big city. One tragedy and hardship after another keeps leading her back home to help with family and friends.

I really loved this book. Part coming of age, part coming home. Friendships, family, grief and tragedy prove to unite loved ones again and again.

Leslie Hooton is a gifted storyteller. With strong character development and vivid setting descriptions, this was a fast and excellent read.

**huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I could not get past the narrator's lack of distinguishing various character nor the many were from the south yet lacked any accent.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook

This story thats takes place in a small southern town. Friendships are formed with realistic insecurities, growing pains and bonds that will stand the test of time. There was love, loss and many fun times.
I originally shied away from novel because of the cover. But once I figured out Cassandra Campbell was the narrator I quickly jump on board. She’s a favorite and I’ve loved every book she’s done. I knew then that this was going to be special.
The main character had many struggles and it seemed like she was never going to figure her life out. And I think she only accomplished that because of her lasting relationships. Really enjoyed this and it was well written. I highly recommend listening to this. It’s 12 hours and 2 minutes long.
Thanks Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.
#TheSecretofRainyDays #NetGalley

Title: The Secret of Rainy Days
Author: Leslie Hooten
Pub date: 11-9-2021

Nina Barnes Enloe or “Little Bit” as she is known in Erob, Alabama has an unbreakable friendship since childhood with Carter, Win, Avery and her brother, Haynes. But she is growing up and is trying to escape Alabama. She is tired of living under the watchful eye of her southern matriarch and grandmother also Nina Barnes Enlo ,or “Biggie”.

This is a story about friendship, hardship and true love. Although those seem like great topics, this book was a real snore for me. I don’t know if it was because it was an audiobook since I don’t often listen to them, but I just felt like nothing was happening.

The book has some great tidbits of southern charm and culture and made me hungry for casseroles and iced tea, but that’s where my investment in this story ended.

Let me save you the trouble and fill you in on The Secret of Rainy Days. “The Secret of Rainy Days is that they expect so much less of us” Too bad I expected so much more from this book

Grab this one or listen only if you like a real slow burn about friendship through the years.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for a copy of ALC. This was a great Southern fiction about family relationships, friendships and the intricacies of living in a small town. The narration was great with her accent and giving me all the southern vibes. I was wrapped up in seeing how Itty handles her relationships with her family and friends. There was a twist that I didn’t see coming and felt it brought me to tears. I love how the town rallied and helped each other out.

Having lived in small town Alabama most of my life, I found myself enjoying this book very much. I loved the relationships between family and friends. This book is entertaining as well as inspirational at times. The narrator was very good and I encourage you to read and/or listen to this book. You'll want these characters as friends!

If you're from a small town you'll either love this book or feel a bit confused by it.

Nina (Bit) has grown up with a tight knit group of friends in the shadow of her formidable grandmother "Biggie" in a little town where everyone knows everything about everybody. Nina wants nothing more than to leave Erob, Alabama and create her own identity.

However once she does she cannot resist the pull of her hometown, her friends, her family.

A small town native myself I was not the target audience. It'll always be home, but it doesn't fit anymore. Some of the realities of small town life was glossed over, or ignored as the main character is a bit self focused.

The ending was expected and there weren't many surprises, but for those who feel the deep connection to their hometown I know this story would be a homerun.

*A little thing, but when describing how Avery decorated cardboard boxes for a birthday party she mentions one is painted to look like the slab Cinderalla laid on, but Cinderella didn't lay on a slab. Snow White did or Sleeping Beauty.*

3.5*
Thank you netgalley & publishers for this audio arc.

"Bit (MC) discovers her true identity, learns the hard lessons of acceptance and forgiveness, finds herself falling in love in unexpected places, and finds comfort in the secrets of rainy days."

This is a novel about leaving home and coming home. A novel about family, friendships, leaving a small town, finding oneself and coming back, complex relations, and change.

Although this audio was not my cup of tea, the writing was good and audio voice was good.

I would recommend to lovers of southern fiction, family/friendship fiction. It was an easy listen.

THE SECRET OF RAINY DAYS is a heart-warming southern saga. Leslie Hooton crafts a story with delicately swirled language that creates an atmosphere filled with loving and supportive friends and family. Each character is unique, and multi-dimensional, with his or her own set of challenges and quirks.
Nina Barnes Enloe, or “Bit”, was raised in Erob, Alabama, around involved friends and family. She moved to New York City and started a prominent career in law, and she made some wonderful friends. Her grandmother, Biggie, was a defining figure in her life, and she tries to bring Bit back to Erob as much as possible. Bit tries to outrun her ties to her hometown, but will the place where she grew up with her family and friends always be as comfortable to her as a perfectly executed Sunday dinner?
Cassandra Campbell was a lovely narrator. I was impressed by her different inflections. I could usually tell the character from her tone, and I thought she did an especially good job with Win.
I enjoyed the audiobook. Having the story narrated gave me a chance to feel the language and appreciate the flow of the story. I felt a strong theme of family and friendship, and the trials and accomplishments were received differently by each character.
I recommend the story to readers who enjoy stories with southern appeal and that have elements of unwavering friendship.
Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the advanced reader audio copy for my honest review.

Oh my goodness! This one had me on an emotional rollercoaster and I could not stop listening! Nina "Little Bit" Enloe was named after her grandmother Nina "Biggie" Enloe and from the small town of Erob, Alabama. She has budding career as a lawyer in New York along with a life until Biggie passes away and she is called home. This is the start of learning the past and present of the lives of Bit, Win, Avery, and Carter. This was a look at Southern living and the friendships and navigating through life. This had me laughing and crying my way through this one. I highly recommend this one whether you grab it in print, ebook, or audio as I did.

**Received this ARC for review in audio from the publisher via NetGalley**

This book follows the life of Nina “Little Bits” Barnes Enloe and her family throughout the years. Nina has felt like she lives in the shadows of her grandmother and namesake, Nina (“Biggue”). An unexpected life event requires Nina to return to her hometown and re-evaluate life long relationships and maybe see them in a new light. I think most people can relate to “Little Bit” feeling, at times, like she doesn’t measure up. A very enjoyable read in getting to explore the family dynamics within the Barnes Enloe family.