Raining Men by Rick R. Reed

Title: Raining Men

Series: Sequel to Chaser

Author: Rick R. Reed

Genre: MM / Contemporary Romance

Length: Novel (300 pg)

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 31^st, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: The character you loved to hate in Chaser becomes the character you will simply love in Raining Men.

It’s been raining men for most of Bobby Nelson’s adult life. Normally, he wouldn’t have it any other way, but lately something’s missing. Now, he wants the deluge to slow to a single special drop. But is it even possible for Bobby to find “the one” after endless years of hooking up?

When Bobby’s father passes away, Bobby finally examines his rocky relationship with the man and how it might have contributed to his inability to find the love he yearns for. Guided by a sexy therapist, a Sex Addicts Anonymous group, a well-endowed Chihuahua named Johnny Wadd, and Bobby’s own cache of memories, Bobby takes a spiritual, sexual, and emotional journey to discover that life’s most satisfactory love connections lie in quality, not quantity. And when he’s ready to love not only himself but someone else, sex and love fit, at last, into one perfect package.

Product Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3826

Review: A character I loved to hate? Boy is that an understatement. I despised Bobby with a passion. I despised him so much that I was seriously considering not reading this book. I despised him so much, that even the title of this book made me furious. In the end, the only reason I started reading this sequel was the old friend of mine called curiosity. Now? Now I’m glad I did and I’m truly happy to admit that Mr. Reed outdid himself. Reading this book was quite a delight and a lovely experience of so many, many feelings and emotions that I’d literally hate to have missed.

So, this is Bobby’s story. We met him at Chaser and probably most of us saw a sad leaning to pathetic guy, with all sorts of problems and issues that in the end turned truly despicable hurting his best friend. No scratch that, his only friend, Caden, and the guy he tried to steal away from him, Kevin.

And now we get to know Bobby better and he starts the same shitty Bobby we all knew and loved (not) and the wonder of wonders he actually admits it to himself. It also starts with the appearance of that beloved shrink Caden used to go to for his own issues (she rocks by the way).

Slowly, but steadily we get to read through Bobby’s life. see things through his eyes and see back into his past and family. Yes, it was expected that the reasons that turned Bobby into the person he is today would run into his childhood, but what I loved the most about this character and the way he evolved was the blindness he suffered. The feeling of totally deserving being used and abused and being nothing more than a hole, Bobby constantly felt was overwhelming. I admit it; I did not want to like him. I did not want to sympathize with him, but the fact that this character doesn’t require that of you is what makes you fall for him in the end. That and his absolute stupidity that frustrated the hell out of me during 70% of the book.

So, as I got to really know Bobby, I had these incredible moments where I was left with my eyes bulging and my jaw hanging and my mind reeling and thinking over and over Is this the same Bobby I saw at Chaser? Yes, he is, but is this… this… and how old is he? And oh God no, just no.. Don’t do that, don’t go in there… Yeah, those were some of my thoughts, my nails suffered the agony I was feeling and the frustration and the angst that Bobby would once again fell prey to his own self-destructive behavior. Because, while the character finally starts seeing that something is wrong with him, not understanding exactly what at the beginning, he starts a journey trying to find the root of his problem and solve it. That journey though is not easy and we get to feel all that along with Bobby, we get to witness him – and how very apt that word is – laps and succumbing to his demons.

I felt powerless there. Really I was reading this book and in a matter of minutes I felt as if I was witnessing someone commit suicide and I was unable to do anything about it, but watch the fall. And I got to feel that nausea and lump in my throat, but unable to stop reading the way Bobby just let himself drop low. So low that I feared there was no way he could get out of that dark hole.

But he did, and as the blurb says in the end he did get his package deal. It was an amazing trip till he got there. There were many surprises along the way, and characters that truly did the unexpected thing. Characters that did a hell of a lot of growing up. And while this is definitely a romance with a HEA, I’ve got to say that the achievement of that HEA has never felt more realistic and approachable to me. The entire book felt as if the author handpicked the characters straight from out the streets, stripped them of their stories and wrote their life for us to have a glimpse of.

A very remarkable book that the forever-romantics would not want to miss.