Kissed by the Rain by Claudia Winters | Rating: ★★★☆☆

A copy of this novel was provided through NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Despite the concept and general speed, I wasn't all that impressed by Kissed by the Rain. I thought it was a solid release but also very, very standard in terms of plots and characters--almost feeling familiar in the wrong sort of way. You know the type, right? It's a decent enough book (and the writing is quite velvety and smooth) and all, but I had this feeling the entire time that I'd already read it several times before. For me, that makes reading the novel itself very tedious and because of it, I almost put the story down on more than one occasion. 

This isn't to say that it didn't have its good parts--I did find myself enjoying a few scenes and characters, which is why it's right in the middle in terms of my own rating. You've got to remember while reading my thoughts on it that they are mine and mine alone; it doesn't determine your taste or the overall quality of the novel. I did like the twist of mystery in it--the whole idea that a ring was something that would determine the fate of our main character. Something about this superstition lifted the quality higher and put the plot in a direction that gave it a much-needed boost. 


That, paired with the settings, and the characters, spiced up an otherwise standard story. I appreciate that a lot. However, it wasn't enough for me to feel compelled to pick up the novel ever again or give another star to my rating. I thought Kissed by the Rain did what it could with its plot and at times felt like it was going to lose its footing but didn't.

Kissed by the Rain has a series of likable characters to connect with, that find a balance between heart and soul as well as sport a solid approach to someone making a decision of coming into their own. This is what will make the read satisfying for its target audience--and keep them on the edge of their seat in curiosity and enjoyment.

Fans of a quick, fluffy yet mysterious read, will enjoy reading this one, though. I see it as a really good beach read for the coming summertime and don't doubt that it will find a steady fan base in the future. It just wasn't for me, personally.