If you want a good sob, then The Beauty of Rain is for you. I am still recovering. It is the story of two sisters. One of whom tragically lost her husband and young son and is grieving and battling with her own suicidal thoughts. The other is her sister who is trying to support her but also has her own struggles trying to balance being a working mom (a lawyer at a law firm trying to make partner and also the breadwinner in her family) and a mom to two young kids who are grieving the loss of their uncle and cousin. This book is heavy. It is a deep look at loss, grief, love, and guilt. But also resilience and strength and learning to ask for and receive help. It broke my heart so many times and was so emotional and beautifully written with honest and raw feelings. My only real gripe was the sister’s storyline as a lawyer, working hard and trying to prove herself against her male colleagues with no kids or with stay at home wives to handle the mental load. All with a husband who wasn’t making any money. No spoilers but let’s just say that it didn’t turn out how I wanted. We as women need to stop the toxic narrative that moms cannot be successful with high power jobs while still being good moms. Otherwise we will have a society where every doctor, lawyer, banker, CEO, engineer, etc is a man and I am not raising my daughter to live in that kind of a world. If you are still reading this, I am off my soapbox now

Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for gifting me a digital ARC of this wonderful book by Jamie Beck - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Amy and her husband, Sean, are parents to Scotty, who is on the autism spectrum. When Amy wins the lottery, their future seems much brighter as they will be able to afford those needed special services for Scotty. They decide to take a much-needed vacation, which results in a tragic loss. Amy struggles to move forward and eventually moves in with her sister, Kristin, and her family. While Kristin is relieved to be able to keep an eye on Amy, her perfectionist nature and drive to do everything herself results in her feeling like a failure at work and at home. Meanwhile, Amy has plans of her own and is trying to make Kristin see that she needs to put her family first.

At its heart, this is a story of two sisters who are coping with huge changes in their lives. It's full of life lessons to value each day, making sure your priorities are the ones that serve you best. It's about grief, survivor guilt, and trying to move forward. I thought both main characters felt so real in their different struggles and I loved the close relationship they shared. This was a new-to-me author and I loved the writing style and story.

This was my first read by this author. It was kind of hard for me to get into this book. It wasn’t bad by any means - I just think it wasn’t for me personally. If you read the synopsis for it and have any interest, I encourage you to try this one out!

A strong sisterly bond where both sisters are going through turmoil in their lives. Amy is going through a tragic loss after winning the lottery and now wants no part of the winnings. Kristin is dealing a high powered job, family life, drug addiction and trying to find balance in her life. Will they both be able to move forward and find happiness in their future.

This a heart wrenching story that will keep you turning the pages. Loved how they tried to help each other in their lives. Sisters are so important, no other bond like it. Have tissues near by. Live each day to the fullest and enjoy the little things. I read through my kindle unlimited.

The Beauty of Rain is a story that I will think about for a long time. It was a heart-breaking book that left me in tears. The book focuses of two sisters, Amy and Kristin, and deals with loss, marriage, and life priorities. I have read all of Jamie Beck’s books, and this one is her best. Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for the advance reader copy of this book.

**spoliers kinda**

Oh, my heart.
I wasn't ready. I just wasn't.
Having lost a sibling this book just hit me differently. I was hoping and wishing with everything for a happy ending and in a way it clearly was. But just not the way my heart wanted.

Another well written book, where the characters feel like your friends.

Thanks #netgalley

This book is an emotional read about two sisters and how they each deal with grief in a different way.
This book will make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between and will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
I received a complimentary copy from Montlake via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opions expressed are my own.

I received a complimentary copy from Montlake and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Beauty of rain is an ode to sisterhood and resilience. The book tells the story of two sisters all carrying a burden -one is a lottery winner and the other is a mother . Amy lost her family but won the lottery which seems to be an omen for how can you lose the ones you love and gain what people deem as a lifeline. The book touched on grief, strength and how far the human spirit will go. The author wrote a brilliant book that will make you cry ,, sad and it's so nerve wrecking.

The Beauty of Rain by Jamie Beck, is a beautiful, heartbreaking, heart-wrenching exploration of the relationship between two sisters whose lives are marked by a number of challenges and how they deal with truly tragic heartbreaking events. True love, loss, friendship, forgiveness and caring; be prepared to not be able to put it down. Themes of loss, grief, suicide, and prescription drug dependency are found throughout the story and while intense and emotional, each is handled with sensitivity and compassion. A solid, well-thought out, realistic story, but be forewarned, this is not a “feel-good,” escapist read. I was not prepared for how heavy this book was so here is a warning. And do keep the tissues nearby.

Ms Beck has so beautifully taken us on a journey of what’s really important, and what we all need to do to just stop and enjoy the little moments from time to time. I highly recommend The Beauty of Rain to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Jamie Beck is an author that I always look forward to reading. The Beauty of Rain is no exception. I picked up this book one afternoon and did not want to put it down. The story is not always easy to read but it is real and full of family dynamics.

The sisters, Amy and Kristin, are so realistic. Amy, with her tragedy, has so much to overcome. I love that Kristin has her husband were willing to take her in and help her try to get her life back on track. While Amy is working on her life, she never takes for granted Kristin. She sees where Kristin is headed and works to help her get her life back in a good place. Their relationship is true to how sisters should always be there for each other, especially in the rough times.

Jamie Beck did a wonderful job writing a book that I could not put down.

4.5- This book is incredibly beautiful and very sad, but absolutely perfect. Inspired by events that the author experienced its one of those books that will either be loved or hated. I’m in the love category.
Amy Walsh is suffering in a way no one should. She lost both her husband, Sean, and her 3 year old Autistic son, Scotty, when the boat they were in exploded. Amy was supposed to be on that boat but ended up skipping out. In dealing with the overwhelming grief she feels she blames herself for their deaths and just can’t cope. Her support system of her sister, Kristin, her niece & nephew, her sweet landlord, and an attorney do what they can to help her out of the funk of grief and back into the land of the living. Told in alternating viewpoints of both Kristin and Amy we see what happened that led to the deaths of Sean and Scotty and we are reminded that generally the people who look like they have it all together and never need help are often the ones who actually do.
I loved the relationship of Kristin and Amy and I loved the relationship of Kristin and her husband Tony. Both of these were so real and so raw and it felt like the book was talking about real people, not just people created from the Ms. Beck’s imagination.
I loved the mention of Amy’s idea of afterlife. It mirrors my idea exactly and this actually brought me comfort knowing that it’s an actual possibility.
I feel like Ms. Beck did brilliant job of capturing grief and how everyone grieves differently and I loved the message that it’s ok to not be ok. This book certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve ever suffered a deep loss and have had profound grief or if you’ve ever been the support for someone who has you might find enjoy this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for an advanced copy of this book. This hits shelves on July 18th.

I’ve been a fan of Ms. Beck for a while. Her previous books are always an enjoyable read with an underlying important message. This book takes Ms. Beck’s writing to a whole new level.

Grief, so dark and all encompassing. Tragedy, like a knife thru our heart. No one knows how they will react when the time comes. It affects everyone differently. When grief is so deep and dark, who do we turn to? Usually our family and what they would do to help make us whole.

Amy has a great husband, an adorable son and has even won the lottery! To some, she has it all, until…she doesn’t. Kristen, her sister, is there for her in every way, even putting her own family second. Their relationship is tested beyond measure.

I love a book that makes me feel, brings all my emotions to a head and shows me a deep side of the characters. A story that takes me out of my comfort zone and makes me look at situations in a whole new light. I love books about sisters and their complexities. From the beautiful cover to the heart wrenching storyline and relatable characters, this story had me sobbing and brought back buried memories. Well done Ms. Beck.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone!

Beck's books aren't always the easiest to read, and this one is no exception. She hits hard topics including autism ,death, grief, guilt, suicide and substance abuse. Her books are heavy on the plot and The Beauty of Rain is a story that will keep you reading sentence after sentence in order to see what plot issue she's going to throw at you next.

Amy's character has been through so much. Way more than one person should ever have to go through. The guilt she feels is absolutely crippling. Her sister is so determine to get her through to the other side that her own life starts to spiral out of control.

The Beauty of Rain is an in depth view into what extreme grief really looks like. It brings awareness and makes you do a lot of soul searching. The ending is one that you will never forget...

Thanks to the author, Montlake Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

The Beauty of Rain by Jamie Beck is a story of loss, grief and finding a greater purpose in life. Winning the lottery had changed Amy Walsh’s life but not in the ways we all dream of. After a tragic accident, she struggles to find joy, purpose and a reason to keep living. She vows to never spend a single cent on herself. Kristin DeMarco is Amy’s older sister and worried about her wellbeing. Amy stays with Kristin and her family while she recovers. However, the arrangement leads to trouble as her attention is divided leaving less time for her career, her husband, and her kids. As Amy decides it is time to live on her own, Kristin worries about their futures. Can Kristin learn that her time with her family is her most valuable asset? Can they learn that with life’s unpredictability, the importance of love, resilience and living in the now?
The Beauty of Rain is an emotionally powerful story of two sisters who must learn the beauty in the tragic moments and painful truths about life, love and family. I highly anticipated this story as I have heard Ms Beck speak about her inspiration. Told between Amy and Kristin’s alternating points of view, the story exposes the struggles and the pains they try to hide. With relatable faults, flaws and admirable qualities, every character felt real and their pain hits home. I recommend bringing tissues. There are moments I teared up and there are moments I openly cried. As I closed the final chapter, there was a smile through the tears. The Beauty of Rain reminded me of a 1990s song that I won’t reveal as it could give hints to the ending of the story and I hate to spoil it for future readers. I highly, highly recommend The Beauty of Rain.


The Beauty of Rain is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Beauty of Rain is such a phenomenal read. You will need some tissues when it comes to this one. The emotions just poor off the pages and your heart will be heavy so many times over. This one will stick with you for days to come. Even with the tears rolling down my face my heart was so full in the end. Amy has not been living since the deaths of her husband and son. You understand why she hasn't as the story goes on. You cheer for her as she gets back a little spark of life in her. Your heart aches for her sister Kristin and her family as they struggle just connecting and their own happiness while trying to keep Amy's spirits up. There is just as much beauty in this one as their is pain and I could not put this down. Amy will stick with you as she moves on from her pain and helps others out. This is one you need to read with a box of tissues and a quiet place to get comfy. Go one click this on today and see what Jamie Beck brings to these pages.

I've enjoyed Jamie Beck books in the past. They've been mostly comfortable reads. Some emotional moments and enjoyable locales. This book drew me in from her beginning note right up until the very emotional ending. There are some trigger warnings spelled out in her notes that should be heeded for some and you find out early on that this will not be an easy read but it ended up being an important read...at least for me. I've not had to deal with the extreme tragedy that some of these characters have to deal with but what I learned is that we all have our ways of coping with the things that DO happen to each of us. None of us are immune to pain and suffering. The key and the takeaway from this story is that you need to BE in the moment, LIVE in the moment. The future is not guaranteed to any of us and we must take the wins as they come to us and make the very best of our lives. I, for one, will definitely look at my life just a little bit differently after reading this story.

My Review
☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️

The beauty of rain.
By jamie beck.

This story, Has a powerful message.
The story is amazing. And will make you think about life. This book was absolutely enthralling. I loved the story. And this one will pull at your heart strings . I know it did mine.

What an amazing story. I'm so glad the author wrote this book.. This is one everyone should read. Because life. And everything about it is precious.

Amy,

Having the hardest time getting through the first year,
The loss. But has so much life to live..
Family that loves her.. But she blames herself for things that happened..

Kristen,
Amy sister 💕 Who's always there for her. Sometimes more than amy wants. But then again that's love. Family. And so much more..

All I can say is this book was absolutely amazing..
Life love and family. Those things are the most important...

The author did a amazing job on this book. I believe folks should really read this one it's that good. And the messages it sends it's powerful..

Jamie Beck
Thank you..

A beautifully written book full of hope and heartbreak. Two sisters that are at different points in their life try to find the paths their lives should be taking after a terrible tragedy. Amy finally feels like she has it all until a sudden accident seemingly takes everything that life has to live for away from her. Kristen tries her best to help Amy find reasons to keep going forward with her life all while hers is falling apart from all the stress she is under trying to keep everyone happy. These sisters have an amazing bond and if any two people can help each other it would be them.

This is one of the most emotion filled books I have read recently. It covers the topics of grief, marriage, trust, suicide, love, family and loss. Though these topics are very heavy this book is written with so much realistic integrity it was an enjoyable immersive experience that reminds us of how much we bring into the lives of others. I felt connected to the characters and my heart broke for each sister, especially Amy. Their stories were perfectly told by alternating points of view, giving both sides of the story throughout the book. The storyline is very well-conceived and extremely well written pulling you into the worlds of Kristen and Amy and feeling their emotions as they struggle through their days and nights to find the true meaning of life.

This book reminds us there is hope and meaning in life even during our darkest days. I highly recommend this powerful, captivating and emotional book. Just make sure you have a full box of tissues nearby as you read.

I am extremely grateful to Montlake Publishing and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this outstanding book. And, of course, I am so grateful to Jamie Beck for bringing these amazing sisters to life and sharing their story in this beautiful book!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is a very moving book – and I had to explain to some colleagues on Teams why my eyes were a little puffy as I did have a bit of a cry over this story. I don't often comment about what I might think would upset people, but this is an emotional read, and so I would suggest that you read the blurb before you start. I think it is well written and it felt written from the heart.

Jamie Beck has done a wonderful job of considering a number of people's points of view and how the dynamics in this situation may play out. It is a tight rope of a story, and I was drawn deeply and affected by the content. I hope that you also find it a worthwhile read.

Beck rolls out the heart punches. It’s a heavy read that deals with death, suicidal thoughts, loss, stress, mild drug abuse, and a litany of emotions.
I could understand both sisters’ perspectives but I felt more of a connection to Kristen, probably because we share similar personality traits.
She juggles a million and one things and it was overwhelming.
In the end, Amy was where she really wanted to be, whether it was acceptable to others or not.
The prevalent messages from the novel are live life on your own terms and grab life because it could all end in a split second.