Review: Saving Rain by Karen-Anne Stewart

Title: Saving Rain

Series: Rain Trilogy #1

Author: Karen-Anne Stewart

Pages: 364

Published: 01.31.13

Goodreads Rating: 4.37

My Rating: 5.0


Goodreads Link

Amazon Link

















Goodreads Synopsis:

Raina has tried to forget her past, forget the pain, but when she finds herself staring straight into the fury blazing in her ex-boyfriend's eyes, her dark past comes rushing back. Furious with herself for actually having chosen someone like her father, she uses that anger to her advantage and fights for her life...and for her future that she prays will involve the man she can't seem to get out of her head. Kas is a natural leader, a fierce fighter, the type of man you send in when you need to get the job done. He is a courageous hero who is used to risking his own life to save others, but can he save the one who has captured his heart from her horrific past and the men who are hell-bent on destroying her? As Kas and Raina try to navigate through the twists and turns of a deviously intelligent human trafficking group, they find solace in each other's arms. Can they infiltrate the trafficker's tight ring, saving the innocent lives from imminent danger before it's too late?

***Disclaimer: Due to sensitive issues of abuse, human trafficking, and adult scenes, The Rain Trilogy is intended for readers 18+. Although Saving Rain does not include 'adult' scenes, the final two novels do


My Review: 

Wow what an amazing 1st book! Please do take note of the disclaimer. This book touches on some really heavy topics that may not be suitable for all. It addresses human trafficking, child abuse, abuse, and rape.  I can't believe I had not heard of this series before. I signed up for a blog tour after reading and really liking the synopsis of a book. When I came to add it on goodreads I realized that it was actually the 3rd book in a series, so I had to pick up the first two books. And boy I am glad I did. 

This book probably wins the award for making me cry as much as possible in such a short time. By  the prologue and first chapter I was already in tears. The story is about a 19 year old girl who is working as an translator on a Human Trafficking case for the FBI. Even though she faces some terrifying and brutal cases as she works as a translator and computer hacker, the real tragedy is what you find in past. Kas in a mid-twenties lead agent in the FBI, from the second he meets Raina he is immediately drawn to her. One day Raina is brutally beaten by her Boy friend Chris. As Kas takes care of her, he soon finds out that this was not the first time that she had been abused, but in fact the doctor finds evidence of repeated untreated old scars. 

Kas is determined to find out what happened to Raina, while Raina is trying to come to terms with her past and her new found feelings for Kas. Kas is she gentle and sweet and makes her feel safe, but thanks to a history of men who blamed her for things that were not her fault and made her self esteem so low, she is unable to see the treasure that she actually is. This book ends with a cliff hanger that will make you want to dive in to book 2.

I believe I found this book at the right time in my life. I am currently doing my Psych Nursing rotation and just recently I had the privileged of working and speaking with someone who was seeking help from wife abuse. After speaking with this brave lady I was able to prepare myself for this series. As mentioned above this book is not for everyone. Some of the scenes are very graphic and hard to digest. But the sad reality of this, that even though this story is a work of fiction, situations similar to this are occurring daily.

But don't let this persuade you against reading this book. Seeing Raina thrive and learn to love herself was absolutely amazing. And to have strong men on her side such as Kas and his bestfriend/clincial psychologist Chase is phenomenal. Also the suspenseful action packed mystery is also enough to keep you turning from page to page.