After the Rain – Simple Harvest Reads

After the Rain is a 570 page novel in the Christian historical fiction genre and was released on September 29, 2015. Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Book

He becomes the love of her life. She becomes his biggest challenge.

It’s 1908, a year in the Edwardian Age, the year J.M. Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows, premiered in Atlantic City and the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when the New Year would heal the wounds of loss. Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a new and thriving community on the outskirts of Washington, DC for the well-to-do. Against the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a loveless marriage and instead searches for what she hopes is her calling in life.

When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything, including the lives of all those around her.

My Two Cents

Just like the hauntingly beautiful cover, About the Rain has a beautifully rich story line. Gerlach has wonderful ideas for her story and it is filled with adventure. The focus on family was really encouraging to see. The twists kept me guessing until the very end.

Although I did love the story line, I struggled a bit reading the book because of the grammatical errors. It was also sometimes confusing who is who (one time the author uses the wrong name when a character is speaking). With a little more editing, this would have been a perfect story.

Even with the above said, I am glad I read After the Rain. It was special to see the bond of family. It is a wonderful story written with historical accuracy.

I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

About the Author

Rita Gerlach is a best-selling author of inspirational fiction with a romantic bent, including The Rebel’s Pledge, Thorns in Eden and The Everlasting Mountains, Surrender the Wind, and The Daughters of the Potomac Series. She lives in Maryland near the Catoctin Mountains with her husband Paul.