ARC Review: Raine by J.C. Valentine

I have to say that this book was different than I thought it was going to be, and I really enjoyed it. I will go ahead and say that this book will not be for everyone. It deals with some very adult situations, and there is quite a bit of drama that will bother some people. But I liked the characters a lot and I was instantly drawn into this story. I kept turning pages and the next thing I knew it was over! Raine was a very good story, and I really felt the emotions with this one.

When the shy and unnoticed girl Raine Forester is suddenly noticed by popular Camron Moss, she can hardly believe that he is interested in her. After a few months together though, she finally is ready to take the next step with him on prom night. But then Camron suddenly shows a side of himself that Raine has never seen before, and everything changes for her. Finding herself pregnant and alone, Raine sets out to provide for herself and her unborn baby. When Camron's older brother Jarret sees her struggling he offers to help her out. But Raine wants nothing from the Moss family after everything they have put her through. Jarret refuses to let Raine and his niece or nephew live the way they have been though and finally convinces her to let him help. The more time they spend together, the closer they become. But with all the obstacles in their way and the complicate situation they find themselves in, can they possibly have a chance at something together?

I really liked Jarret. At first I wasn't sure what to make of him. But he was really a stand-up guy that was so much more than meets the eye. Jarret was kind and sweet and so protective of Raine. He had been drawn to her and knew that he shouldn't want her, yet he couldn't stay away from her. He was so great with her, and I loved seeing him show Raine that she wasn't alone and that he was always there for her. Raine was strong and independent. She was determined to take a bad situation and make the best of it. She was honest and good, and I loved that she wouldn't allow the Moss family to dictate what she did or buy her off. She was slow to let Jarret in, but I thought that she did the right thing by her and the baby. Jarret and Raine were great together though, and I really enjoyed seeing the feelings develop between them. They had such a great connection and there was so much chemistry with these two.

I will say that part of why I think this story isn't for everyone is that there is a lot of drama. Without going into everything that happens, some of the stuff does happen to be on the verge of being over the top. Pretty much everything bad that could possibly happen does in one way or another, and I think that some people will find it hard to believe. For me, that is usually a problem and it is hard for me to get into a story that I can't see as real. But this book was emotional and well written, and I found myself lost in the story. I enjoyed it for what it was, and loved Raine and Jarret. I will definitely look for more from J.C. Valentine in the future, and I think if you want a deep and emotional NA read that you should definitely give this one a shot.

**ARC Provided by IndieSage PR**

Purchase: | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depository |