Review: Waiting for Rain by Susan Mac Nicol
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 15, 2014
Toby Prentiss and Rain Engel, of 'Waiting for Rain' by Susan Mac Nicol, are searching for the same thing—a partner they can trust. One would think that with their instant strong attraction they'd both be delighted to find each other; but things aren't that simple, especially when romance is involved. Toby and Rain's track record with men leaves a lot to be desired in the success department. It's going to take a lot of convincing to bring these two together.Toby and Rain come from quite different backgrounds. Toby's background is foster homes failure, a life on the streets, abuse, and a string of unsuitable boyfriends. Toby may be on the small side, but he is not a pushover. He can definitely do some damage when provoked, which often got him into trouble. His life was not going well until he met Simon, who sees Toby's potential and gives him a chance and hires him. Toby works long and hard, is now the assistant manager of Simon's luxury hotel, and has gained the respect of the employees there. Toby has buried himself in his work and ignored his need for companionship.Rain, tall and strong, comes from South Africa and has a loving, close family who fully support him. He's a genius with woodworking which is how he manages to get the job building an ornate bar at Toby's hotel which brings them together. At first, I found Rain to be coarse and abrasive, but later realized that it was more of a defense mechanism than his true personality. Rain is quicker to give in to impulses which lead to their first argument when Toby inadvertently insults him. Both men have quick tempers and lose them frequently, but fortunately, the conflicts are over almost as soon as they begin. They can both be quite persuasive when they need to be and positively irresistible. They give makeup sex a new definition as far as heat and passion go.  I loved the pole dancing element, indicating what a big heart Rain has and how willing he is to help. Although there were bumps in the road, there wasn't much angst even though it involved ex-boyfriends, unrequited love, and tension as to the possibility of Toby and Rain not staying together.I loved the humor in this story. Each man had their own quirks which, at times, made the dialogue hilarious. As much as I loved the story, I have to admit that even though clearly indicated, switching narration between Toby and Rain was disconcerting at times. There wasn't enough difference in their speech for me to remember who it was that was speaking, i.e., an accent, colloquialisms, a stutter, etc. While it was informative to learn what each character was thinking and feeling, it seemed like each chapter was being told twice. It's the first book I've read by Susan Mac Nicol so it could be a technique that she employs often. It didn't, however, take away the fact that I loved the characters, particularly Toby, and was very invested in them working things out. In addition to the gloriously steaming sex, I appreciated their determination to communicate, talk things out when times got rocky, before they proceeded to a more serious level. If you like humorous, sexy, endearing love stories with little angst and a whole lot of hotness, you may enjoy this book. Thanks, Susan, for introducing me to Toby and Rain.Originally posted at Rainbow Book Reviews.