Sometimes in delving into the complexities of family relationships one goes a little too far, managing to tangle things up in an inextricable way. This is a bit like what happens to Nigel Jay Cooper, who for a start gets a woman to marry her dead fiancé's twin brother, and from there goes through a series of guilt feelings, obstacles and unspoken things. Too many things are forced in this novel, which is, however, very well written and therefore reads through to the end despite its flaws. The most interesting thing is the narrator of the story, in the spirit that those about to die relive their whole lives.

I literally couldn’t put this book down, I became completely immersed in the somewhat dysfunctional lives of the characters. The end twisted and turned for me and I found myself reeling along with the characters, often finding myself gasping and open mouthed.

Due to personal circumstances I was not able to download the book before the archive date so I cannot give an informed opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Roundfire for this free readers edition. In exchange I am providing an honest review.

What a strange, sad, interesting read. It wasn't bad, at all, just not what I was anticipating - which is probably a good thing!
Louise and Tom have been together for years and just like that Tom is gone. Dead without any warning to anyone. Louise is undone, Tom's twin brother Adam is left missing half of himself, and Tom's parents are trying to keep a stiff upper lip - as good British do. Six months after Tom's death Louise and Adam find their way to each other and forge a new life with each other having grieved Tom. A few years later and they have a girl and a boy, Adam is a published author, and Louise owns her own cafe and has made it successful. But Louise is unhappy. Actually she is desolate and she doesn't know why. She is not the mother she thought she would be, she is not the wife she thought she would be - she loves Adam but something is missing. Are Louise and Adam together just because Tom suggested it posthumus or is their relationship real and worth fighting for?
Told through chapters alternating between Adam's perspective and Louise's, Beat the Rain, is the story of a relationship that travels through the mountains and valleys. What waits for Adam and Louise at the end of the winding roads?

3 stars or 4 stars? I gave it 4 because it is very well written, reasonably interesting and something you can imagine being pretty much true. I can see why it would win awards. Perhaps it is my fault, as I didn't empathise with anyone so it was hard to keep going - I only did so because I had a review copy. If it is the kind of writing that you like, this book is great. I guess I prefer to escape when reading, and so this did not do that for me.

Interesting view into a marriage between two troubled people, both difficult to root for. Despite this, their story is compelling and heartbreaking. Insight into desire, needs, relationships within a family, and the choices we make and how they define us.

Nigel Jay Cooper delves into the far corners of his characters' minds and brings us there with him to twist and turn in their emotions and thought processes.. We find ourselves making the same decisions as the story progresses because there doesn't seem to be a way out of the inevitable truths. I would have preferred a bit more eroticism, but that's just me. Enjoy the humanity in this novel of raw experiences.

I gave up on this book after the first couple of chapters. It just didn't hold my interest.

Beat the rain by nigel Jay Cooper is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
Louise, grieving the death of her lover Tom, does the only thing she can think of to make the pain go away - she marries his twin brother Adam. But letting go of her past isnt as easy as she thought. After a seemingly chance encounter with a charming stranger called Jarvis, all of their lives begin to unravel. Beat The Rain is a moving and vulnerable psychological thriller, depicting the reality of a relationship in decline. At times humorous, at times heartbreaking, it explores what it means to live, to love and to lose.
Really good read. Loved the story and the characters. Recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.