3.5/5 stars
**Many thanks to Goodreads First Reads for providing me with a copy!**

Another sweet love story from Lisa Kleypas! I've been a fan of her contemporary romance novels (check out her Travises series!), and this one did not disappoint. I found myself rooting for Lucy and Sam all throughout the story as they find their way together, overcoming obstacles like Lucy's petty sister and fickle ex and their own reservations about committing to love.

My main gripe about this novel had to do with the magic. If a book contains magic or some other deviation from the normal world, I want to understand what kind purpose it serves in the story or why it is important to the story's world. The magic in Rainshadow Road, while whimsical and sweet, was unnecessary. The book could easily have functioned as a contemporary romance novel without the smattering of magic here and there. I could not fathom how the magic contributed to the story (other than to offer some rather cheesy, in-your-face symbolism) or what kind of system it followed. The randomness of the magic and it's uselessness (Lucy's power is to glass into fireflies, butterflies, and birds...) made it seem superfluous--like it had been included just in the hope of appealing to fantasy readers as well as romance fans. In short, if magic is included in the story, I want to know why it needs to be there.

All-in-all, Rainshadow Road is a charming, relaxing novel to settle down with on a cozy afternoon. I recommend it to all Lisa Kleypas fans and any fans of well-written romances in general!