A romance about two men in Edwardian England who fall in love. Anton and Robbie become devoted to each other, but they must deal with a society that will not accept their love.

This is definitely a more serious romance. I liked the premise and plot, but the writing style wasn't for me. I found it a bit dense.

I thought this book was just okay. I found that it dragged on in some places. But I liked the overall story. I don't think I will read another book by this author though.

3.75. I really enjoyed this book. Set in the early 20th century in Edwardian England, story deals with forbidden loves, secrecy, fear, ambition versus love, personal growth and challenges, and the strict moral code of the time. Anton and Robbie strike up a deep romance as young men. Over the years, the relationship experiences tumultuous ups and downs, compounded by the shame and fear caused by being homesexual in that era. Character development is good. I felt like I knew the characters by the end of the story, which is not predictable, at least not to this reader. Recommend the book.

I'm a little conflicted on this. I tend to like historical novels that explore a character's life over an extended period of time, which this does, and the narrative was very emotionally moving, but I struggled to fully connect with the writing style here. At times it felt like it was dragging, but then it would leap forward unexpectedly. However, I appreciated how flawed Robbie was; that felt authentic and non-sugar coated.

This was such a stunning and gorgeous read. Will definitely be recommending it to my friends and queer family. Thank you so much for the ARC.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction + Romance + LGBTQ

"The Boy in the Rain" is a historical novel set in Edwardian England over the course of a decade, from 1900 to 1910. It is a love tale between two men, a shy young artist named Robbie and a rising socialist speaker named Anton, as they try to establish a life together in the face of personal hurdles as well as the risks of being prosecuted under the indecency laws of that era.

The story had my attention from the very first page. This is the first time I've read a book by Stephanie Cowell, and I must say that she is an excellent storyteller. I think that everything about this book, including the atmosphere of that era, the setting, the plot, and the characters, is outstanding. I highly recommend it. Everything seemed incredibly genuine. I find that the stories that center on characters with flaws appeal to me the most. It felt to me like I was reading the autobiographies of actual people.

Reading about these characters over the span of a decade, you will notice a significant amount of change and progression in their personalities. This is true not only of the primary protagonists but also of the supporting characters as well. The tale is heavily reliant on the romantic relationship that develops between Robbie and Anton. The two had really great chemistry with one another, and I believe it will make the readers root for them. The ending was both stunning and devastating in equal measure. This book blew my mind in every possible way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

This sensitive historical novel. An insight into how the bonds of love are tested, broken, and re-created as two people mature; the heartbreaking impact of England's criminal laws against homosexuality, which shockingly were not fully repealed till 1967. "The Boy in the Rain" bears comparison to the films "Casablanca" and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" in its exquisite depiction of a love that must be sacrificed to society's demands, but that will endure forever in the heart.

The Boy in the Rain

Set amidst the backdrop of politically fractured England at the beginning of the 20th century, The Boy in the Rain is a captivating story about two young men locked in a passionate years-long romance. In the early 1900’s through 1967, homosexuality was a crime punishable by years of hard labor and prison.

Both Anton and Robbie were aware of the dangers their relationship posed and tried to skirt the notice of society while Anton fought publicly for the underprivileged during the creation of the Socialist Labour Party and Robbie became a well known portrait artist—mingling with London’s elite in Edwardian England.

The rapture, tension and pain of this immersive love story is one I will not soon forget. Anton and Robbie’s struggle to be together and remain public figures was challenging and heartbreaking.

The main characters were so fully developed, I felt as though I were there living with them, as if I knew them so well: their quirks, their dreams, their desires.

This book was immense in its detail to paint the scenes so vividly it read like a motion picture and I was so engrossed , I never wanted it to end.

This was a difficult, emotional read. The realities of Edwardian politics and social norms around homosexuality and being in love—it all hit viscerally. However. I disliked both of the main characters, particularly Robbie. The writing style also was overly simple, a lot of telling and no showing, no greater descriptions, which made it harder to connect with already difficult to connect with characters. It was a bit of a mess and ended with a bit of a splat that I really felt nothing for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Regal House Publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a slog, tbh. I didn’t want to finish. It’s so depressing and miserable at times. I love the LGBTQ themes and felt like I was back in the Edwardian era here. Just not my favorite book, again probably because it was such a slow moving plot.

“You should burn this, perhaps?”

“Perhaps this is growing up, he thought: learning to be unhappy and alone.”

The atmosphere of the story was breathtaking, utterly engrossing. Easily a highlight of the story, as well as the descriptions of the scenery and writing.

The story started off with such a passionate and heart wrenching letter and I wish it kept that energy.

Unfortunately the story felt rather predictable with Anton and Robbie breaking up and getting back together multiple times. By the end, what was supposed to be a dramatic end more like “AGAIN?”

I wished I routed for Anton and Robbie more. I never felt super connected to them or their love story.

The Boy in the Rain
by Stephanie Cowell

Friendship, love, the world of art, and fighting for workers’ rights enrich this book and the lives of Robbie and Anton and the kindly vicar who is their teacher, guide, and protector. All the good, though, including achievements that I won’t “spoil,” is overshadowed by the threat of “The Gross Indecency Laws” (1885-1967) which made their love punishable by imprisonment, under such harsh conditions that “three years” could literally be a death sentence. Two accusers could be enough to convict, and allies could try to deflect and conceal, warn and help to escape, but couldn’t do much more, not even visit the prison. How wrong and cruel to try to control whom people can love!

Reading THE BOY IN THE RAIN and IVY ABERDEEN'S LETTER TO THE WORLD at about the same time was enlightening. Both books feature young artists and their struggle to find themselves in a world that doesn't accept differences, but BOY was so much sadder, set as it was in a crueler time with the threat of prison and fewer allies. This was not an easy book, but it is a powerful reminder of why we stand up for others. May we all move toward more kindness, not less.

Socialism, workers’ rights Painting Queen Alexandra

I found the story blurb very intriguing and found the writing to be very engaging. It was also very interesting learning about England’s labor movement’s history.

That being said I was not a fan of either character nor the course of their relationship. It really seemed the two were together because they found each other in a small village and not out of true desire or love.

I have to give this book 3 out of 5 stars. Neither recommending nor discouraging others from reading it. I’m sure many other people will, and reading other reviews, have enjoyed it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing this book to me to read and review.

I received this book for free from Netgalley. That did not influence this review.

Now available for pre-order!

The Boy in the Rain by Stephanie Cowell is a stunning, emotionally rich novel of illicit love in Edwardian England. It was hard to put this book down.

Robbie is a young, talented painter. Anton Harrington is a wealthy banker who is, at the core, a socialist reformer. They meet when Robbie, thrown out of the house by his uncle, comes to live in the vicarage in Nottinghamshire where the vicar is supposed to tutor him for the university. Anton owns a house in Nottinghamshire and is friends with the vicar.

The two men are swiftly smitten with each other. But love between men is forbidden. Illegal. Anton is older than Robbie, 30 to Robbie’s 19, and there are wounds in his past that complicate matters further. Robbie is an innocent in many ways, but more open and giving.

The novel follows the course of their relationship through its times of comfort and leisure as well as the more frequent times of strain. They pursue their own careers – Robbie becoming a celebrated London portraitist and Anton leaving banking to return to his political endeavors. Communication is sometimes fraught. They break up and reunite. But always, they are better, happier, together. The fact that the world does not permit them to love, and that there is danger in loving, gives this novel its conflict and its poignancy.

The writing is superb. The author climbs inside the hearts of the protagonists and the reader’s heart will break along with theirs. Highly recommended.

I did enjoy this book. I loved the time period, and I did find myself really liking Robbie as the main character. I found his highs, lows, and struggles to be emotional and relatable in one way or another. If you like period pieces, I do recommend this book and found many similarities to the book Maurice by E.M. Forster in this book. However, I did find the pacing to be off for me. I couldn't put the book down for the first hundred or so pages, but then when there were about a hundred pages left, I found myself struggling to get through them. I found that many of the conflicts between Anton and Robbie were just repeating themselves over and over, and I understand that relationships have ups and downs, but I think in the book, it was more circular than progressive when they tried to work on their relationship and the event of the story. Robbie was the person who kept me involved, and then the last twenty, so many things happened that I wished we had more time to explore, like the portrait of the Queen and the last stages of Robbie and Anton's relationship.

I did enjoy this book, though, and I do recommend it to people who like historical fiction and period pieces.

I’ll be honest…I wasn’t a big fan of this one. The cover grabbed my attention and the blurb pulled me in, but between the detached writing and the lackluster plot and the awakened, deeply troubled relationship, I just wasn’t impressed. Maybe if you’re in the mood for a more “cinematic-type” storytelling with lots of telling and self-pitying, you’d like this one.

Let me also mention Robbie’s immaturity. Even though Anton is the other MC, Robbie tended to look elsewhere. Not quite cheating, BUT…why? If he’s already stressing about Anton and being accepted, why add in that wandering eye? It didn’t fit in with the angst.

Maybe this is a me thing? Maybe? Regardless, I received the ARC from NetGalley and I despise leaving negative reviews but I’m being honest. I always recommend people follow their gut when reading so if you’re still on the fence, don’t hesitate. It wasn’t for me but it may be for you.

This sensitive historical novel moved me so deeply that it's hard to find words for a review. I've been sitting with the impact of this book for days after finishing it. Where to begin? The meditative, introspective prose; the insight into how the bonds of love are tested, broken, and re-created as two people mature; the heartbreaking impact of England's criminal laws against homosexuality, which shockingly were not fully repealed till 1967. "The Boy in the Rain" bears comparison to the films "Casablanca" and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" in its exquisite depiction of a love that must be sacrificed to society's demands, but that will endure forever in the heart.

DNF -- I really loved the concept, the time period, and the descriptions of the setting. But the primary relationship, the dialogue, and the chemistry just did not click for me. Overall, the writing felt rushed and clunky, the protagonists completely underdeveloped and their romance underwhelming.

I read an ARC for NetGalley, and I’m glad I was able to though the book was emotional gut wrenching. DO NOT read this book unless you want to experience an intensely angst-ridden relationship.

It’s a beautifully written novel that felt like it spring full form from someone’s deep pool of emotion.

The author explores themes of love and at what cost it comes. She sets the novel in a historical context when it was forbidden for men to be together, so the interpersonal tension is credible and not artificially dramatized. It also heightens the price one must pay.

The misery was sometimes too much to bear, so I caution the reader who wants a lighter historical romance. .

All of that aside, it was a moving book. The ending was not one I would have wanted, so it left me with food for thought.

There were also some typos and indentations missing

Rob Stillman wants to study art and follow his heart. He meets socialist Anton Harrington after he is sent away from his hometown to study under George, the vicar. Rob and Anton begin a a secret love affair in a time where Oscar Wilde has just been sent to jail for indecent acts with other men. Will they end up together?

This book was slow paced, but has so much yearning. There are things that Robbie did that I don't condone even if your relationship is secret. I think he needed to find himself. I think the setting is very interesting, as well as the time period. I did get bored at times, but I did end up really liking Louise.