What would you do, if you found out your fiancé’s family were not the people you thought they were? I’m honestly not sure how I would react. I’d probably feel betrayed, and I’d find some way to find the truth, no matter how long it took.
Please Note: I read Cleansing Rain as a judge for the Indie Ink Book Awards. My review here is different from my judging responses.
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Synopsis
Zoe wants nothing more than a quiet date night with her fiancé. But, when she inadvertently runs late at work, and finds someone stealing from her company, she ends up in a dire situation, from which she may never recover.
The man who kidnapped her, tells her that the company she works for and even the family she’s marrying into, are part of a global plot to save the planet, in any way necessary.
Can Zoe find out the truth about her future family, and is it as bad as she thinks? Or will Cleansing Rain wash the world clean?
My Thoughts
I’m not sure what I expected from Cleansing Rain. I read it as part of judging for the Indie Ink Book Awards, and had never heard of it before. That’s actually not a bad thing, because I love going into books almost blind. Same with movies. The less I know to expect, the more honest my reaction will be.
I absolutely loved the book. It was so fun, and the dynamic between Zoe and Cole was adorable. I found myself reading snippets to my husband, telling him “This is US! Holy Crap!” I loved their relationship, and how much fun they had together. My husband and I are told all the time how adorable we are together, and I feel like Zoe and Cole would probably get the same treatment.
The Cover
I really like the cover of Cleansing Rain. Its quite simple, in relation to other books I’ve seen, but at the same time, it creates a sense of curiosity in what the book is about. In that regard, its simplicity is perfect.
I’ve told a story before, on my podcast I believe, about a book I saw at the Dollar Tree once. The cover was white, with just the title in a pretty blue on the front. No images, and the font was super simple.
That simplicity was what made me grab the book, and Cleansing Rain has that same type of simplicity, even though it has more detail than a simple white cover. I honestly believe that indie authors have embraced the fact that people judge books by their covers, so have learned how to make their covers as attractive as possible.
The Characters
Cleansing Rain had a bunch of different characters, but if I mention too many of them, I might accidentally spoil something. So, I’m going to mention the two main characters, and a couple other things, because I want you to be able to go buy the book and read it, without fearing that I told you too much.
Zoe
I loved Zoe. She has a sense of right and wrong that I really appreciate. When she’s kidnapped, she doesn’t just lay down and accept her fate, either. She fights back in the ways she can, and when she finds out the truth behind her kidnapping, she works tirelessly to right a wrong situation.
Cole
Cole wasn’t my favorite character. He and Zoe had a fantastic relationship, and I loved their dynamic together, but by himself, Cole just kind of gave in and let his family run things. I get that it’s necessary to let police handle things like kidnappings, but if my husband were in Cole’s situation, I can’t see him lying down and accepting anything.
The Arrow Equilibrium
The villain, otherwise known as The Arrow Equilibrium, was fantastic. Not fantastic in the way that I agree with them, but they were wonderfully written. They were kind of like the silent partner in the background, because I never really found out exactly who they were. I found out about certain members, but I never found out specifics, despite their being a huge part of the story.
I actually liked this, because it increased the mystery, and any twists that happened were even more surprising.
The Pace
Cleansing Rain is only 256 pages, but Holly smushed A LOT into those pages. At no point did it feel overwhelming, and at no point did it feel like it was moving too fast, but there was enough action to keep me turning pages. I think I devoured the book in just a couple of days.
Who would I invite to a Dinner Party?
I’d totally have Cole and Zoe over for dinner. Like I said before, their dynamic reminds me of my husband and me, and I think we’d have a lot of fun just hanging out.
What I didn’t like about Cleansing Rain
I was quite upset about who the leader of The Arrow Equilibrium was. I won’t say who, and it sort of made sense for the story, but I think I would have liked for it to be someone else. I felt about the leader similar to how I feel when the bad guy in a movie is the redheaded woman. “Why does it gotta be THEM!?”
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Recommendation
If you enjoy urban science fiction, or mysterious societies hellbent on the destruction of the world, you’ll probably enjoy Cleansing Rain. I had no idea what to expect from the story, other than what little I saw in the blurb, and I found the story quite enjoyable. I find it funny that I personally prefer to go into a story as blind as possible, but I love writing comprehensive book reviews. It’s ironic, yeah? But seriously, if you need a light read, with a cool, villainous secret group, you should check out Cleansing Rain.
Interested? Purchase Cleansing Rain on Amazon!
Conclusion
Cleansing Rain is only 256 pages, so why not give it a shot? Let me know in the comments if you’ve read it, or want to read it! Our TBRs are growing faster than we can shrink them, but what’s a library without books, right? I hope you’ll consider Cleansing Rain, and even if you’re not, you probably know someone who would like it, so share this review and recommend it to someone!
Until Next Time, Friends!
