"But then again, everything reminds me of you..." 
 There are authors who write stories and authors who tell stories. The latter is where Renee Carlino falls under. In After The Rain, the author enthralled us once again with her ability to weave characters that will stay with us long after reading the whole story. I read the book almost non-stop and had to stop every now and then to really ponder upon what I just read on a particular page or chapter. This book centers on Avelina Belo and Nate Meyers - living worlds apart, both young and full of hopes and dreams. Avelina is an eighteen year old woman who falls for a handsome cowboy and settled into a married life in a ranch in Montana full of hopes for the future until a freak accident halted this dream leaving her unable to move on with life and mend her heart. Nate is following the footsteps of his father who is the best cardiothoracic surgeon in Los Angeles but when he found himself being sued for medical malpractice, he began to doubt himself and relented to take some time off to clear his head and headed to a ranch Montana. There, he meets Avelina and began the journey of healing and understanding the way the heart truly works. 
 I've read all of Renee Carlino's novels and I am always in awe on how her works influenced the way I appreciate reading a romance novel. This book isn't just a romantic novel - it's more profound than that. Avelina and Nate's story is the testament of how short life really is; how an instant could change everything. This is a book that delivers hope, inspires forgiveness and gives us a guide on letting go. 
 I adored Mia and Will in the Sweet Thing, I loved Kate and Jamie in Nowhere But Here but Avelina and Nate took me into a deeper journey where you realized that there's always second chances if you allow your heart to feel and be open about what its saying. It may not always be right but if it feels right, why not take the risk? Let it hurt, let it bleed, let it break because one way or another - someone or something will be able to fix it or put the broken pieces altogether. Avelina and Nate lets their heart be free and somehow, they found each other at the end - rebuilding their future, feeling the beat of their hearts that will only beat for each other - because for me, that is what love is. And yes, sappy as this may sound but there's a rainbow always after the rain... 
 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars