When It Rains by Lisa De jong

5/5 EPIC STARS!

WHEN IT RAINS tore my heart into a million fractured pieces and put it back together over and over again in the course of few pages. 

One night changed my life forever.

Beau Bennett has been my best friend since I can remember. He was my first crush before everything came crashing down, and now he wants more, but it's more than I can give him. Things are different now. I wish I could tell him why, but I can't. 

I haven’t told anyone.

I never knew how much I really needed him until the day he left for college, and I was completely alone.

Then one day, Asher Hunt rides into town with his dark, captivating eyes and cocky grin. He doesn't care who I used to be, he's simply breathing life into what’s left. People warn me to stay away from him, but he helps me forget the pain that has held me hostage for so long; something I thought was impossible before he walked into my life.

I’ve been hurt. 

I’ve been saved. 

And I’ve found hope. 

I thought my story was written that night, but now I know it was only a new beginning. Until one secret turns my world upside down…

Again.

I had to wait before I started writing this review. I tried going at it right after I finished reading the book but I could barely even compose myself enough to put my thoughts to paper, much less see the actual words through my tears. 

I'm a total sucker for gut-twisting, heart-wrenching romances. WHEN IT RAINS is no exception. Rarely do I come across a book that is so utterly and simply beautiful that when I do, I get so hung up over it, I can barely start another book. 

I thought WHEN IT RAINS was going to be yet another love-triangle sort of thing. That premise kind of made me feel iffy to start it. But start it, I did, and if not for my classes and exams, I'm pretty sure I would have finished the whole thing in one sitting. I DEVOURED every word. 

WHEN IT RAINS starts with a prologue explaining what happened to make Kate Alexander the way she is. She was not always this broody girl with anti-social tendencies. One terrible decision during a high school party left Kate scarred for life (in her eyes, at least). She withdrew into herself making her somewhat of a pariah through the rest of highschool. She refused to tell anyone what had happened. She lost all her friends. All, except one that is: Beau Bennett, her childhood bestfriend. 

Kate has loved Beau for most of her life but she can't seem to allow herself to love him because she truly believes that she's damaged beyond repair. It put a strain in their friendship; a strain made even more taut when Beau moves away for college, leaving Kate all-alone in a town that she does not want to be in but can't find the strength to leave.

While working at the local diner, she instantly felt an immediate connection to the mysterious stranger who walked in. Random notes on napkins and curious glances started it all. Asher Hunt slowly drew Kate out of her shell. For the first time in two years, Kate is laughing... and she finds herself quickly falling head over heels for this man. What drew Kate to Asher the most is that she sees the pain reflected in his eyes, and she's no stranger to pain. What she doesn't know is how much pain Asher Hunt is hiding behind those blue eyes.

"Life's not fair. Life's often complicated, leaving us to deal with things that we shouldn't have to. Life can make you smile one day, only to leave you broken into tiny little pieces the next."

Before I even reached half of this book, I was already trying to choke back tears. I don't know how to continue describing the book without giving any of the goodies away. So, I'll stop here and let you guys experience the heartache on your own.

I'm so glad I read this book. This is not your typical love triangle story. Yes, it does have a smidgen of that love triangle thing but it does not become the ONLY conflict in Kate, Asher, and Beau's story. WHEN IT RAINS is their journey of finding love in the most unusual places, at the most unusual circumstances. 

WHEN IT RAINS brings its own flavor of angst, drama, and romance; of laughs and tears. It all comes in such a beautifully written package! I loved how the story flows, how the author Lisa De Jong inserted flashbacks from Kate's life before the incident to show how Asher is bringing Kate back to life, how he is reviving the old Kate and pulling her out of the darkness she has been stuck in for so long. Asher helps Kate face all her fears. I just loved how he RECREATED every fear she had, every bad memory, and made new good ones to replace the old fears.

"From now on..."
kiss.
"When it rains..."
kiss.
"Think of me."

But I guess the most beautiful thing about WHEN IT RAINS is that it wasn't just Kate who was healed. Asher, in a way, was revived by Kate... which makes everything that happened all the more heart-wrenching. They were each other's redemption, each other's comfort, each other's salvation. As cliche and lame as this might sound, their love healed them.

"It's preparing me for what's to come.
I want her to be okay... it's what I pray for every time I feel myself drifting... I pray for a miracle, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that I was already given one.
Kate."

"He's the person who showed me there is a way to get past everything that ever held me down.
He gave me a second chance."

I can't say this enough but WHEN IT RAINS truly is such a beautifully haunting read that will keep your heart pounding with emotion from the beginning to the very last page. Lisa De Jong delivers a wonderful balance of light-hearted and gut-twisting romance with WHEN IT RAINS. Exquisite. 

I'm going to end this review right here before I give away any more spoilers. For all you romance and/or new adult fans out there, THIS ONE IS A DEFINITE MUST-READ!