Helllllllo readers. It’s been a hell of a week but I’m back with a review that will hopefully make you smile and little on this grey day. I’ve been working really hard on some of my more interesting 101 things in 1001 days tasks and I cannot wait to share them with you. In terms of reviews, I’m keeping up the momentum as much as I can get my hands on whilst trying to continue to read as many classics as possible. I’m a little addicted currently, but as always, enough of me waffling and onto le review.

Black sheep meets good shepherd – can black and white become silver, or just a dangerous grey?

Alastair Black has revealed a secret to his wife in a last ditch attempt to save his marriage. A return to his childhood family home at Chathill Farm is his only respite, although he is far from welcomed back by brother George.

Kate, recently widowed and increasingly put upon by her daughter, sister, and mother, feels her life is over at fifty – until she meets Alastair. He’s everything she isn’t, but he’s a troubled soul with a dark past. When his famous mother leaves an unexpected inheritance, Kate is caught up in the unravelling of his life as Al comes to terms with who he really is.

As the blurb suggests the book follows the struggling Ali, who going through a divorce from his wife Helen and in turn is dating the lovely Jo who is just a little older than his daughter. Struggling to find somewhere stable to live, due to the troubles of the divorce he returns to his childhood home, which is shared between himself and his brother George. Far from an easy reunion due to an ongoing argument between the two, the cracks begin to show between Al, Jo and George. Kate however is there for a holiday of sorts. Recently widowed and a friend of Fran (George’s wife) Kate helps out, trying to smooth over the cracks in not only Fran and George’s withering marriage but also the intermingling awkwardness as a whole. However she begins to fall for Al causing the balance to shift; but is he just a heart-breaker? Will everything finally come to a head? One will have to read ‘Silver Rain’ to find out.

I have to be honest I haven’t read anything from this author before this book but I was suitably impressed with the level of detail brought to the characters. Brought to life by the words written, they are told with gusto and flair. They have a real grittiness about them and their flaws, the turbulence between the relationships and the exasperation reading about each of them at times (especially Al) really helped to make the book feel, well, real. The descriptions of North Wales and Snowdonia are very well depicted and used for full force to take the reader to the new environment helping to cement everything in the story to something authentic.

My only two wobbles were that Al and Kate were such conflicting characters at times it felt a little too differing and caused angst but it feels authentic in comparison to sweet tales with not enough content. I did also find Al difficult to connect to he’s just too all over the place and a little bit laid-back? However I really thought the arguments, the fights, the mystery surrounding George and Al’s dislike of one another and the interweaving secondary characters minor-storylines really intriguing, helping to add to this.

Overall I really enjoyed this book; it doesn’t focus too much on the sickly sweet soppy romances that I  tend to dislike and it has a raw and gritty feel. The characters and locations feel authentic and the feelings feel real in terms of the stories. If Al had had more staying power I think I would have warmed to him more but overall a great tale with a great premise and brilliant writing. Spot on.

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