Book review
When Officer Clara Bertelli of the Washington DC major crime unit was asked by the FBI to go undercover to help bring down an international car theft ring involving the Russian mob, she practically jumped at the chance. Becoming an FBI agent would be a dream come true for Clara. Finally, she would have an opportunity to prove herself as a worthy candidate for FBI consideration.
Career goals aside, Clara was determined to bring down the criminals responsible for the death of Wayne Billings and others like him. Wayne Billings, a husband and father of two young boys, was murdered for the Cherry-Red Ford F-250 he was attempting to sell on Craig’s list. Innocent people were being hurt, all in the name of greed, and Clara would do just about anything to help put a stop to it. Hence, from that moment forward, Clara Bertelli became Rain Martines.
Luke Boone is young, attractive, and addicted to the finer things in life. His uncle, Rust Markov, has raised Luke like a son, and over the years, he has spoiled him with lavish gifts—a Rolex, a million-dollar condo, and a Porsche 911, to name just a few. Although Rust Markov owns two legitimate businesses (a car repair garage and an international online vehicle sales company), Luke suspects that his uncle also has a secret “side business” that is both shady and quite lucrative. Luke is slowly being groomed in all areas of his uncle’s business ventures, and Luke is eager to finally be brought into the folds.
As part of her undercover assignment, Clara (aka Rain) must get close to her target—Luke Boone (aka #12)—in any way that she can. Prior investigative work into Luke Boone’s lifestyle & habits reveals his attraction towards a certain type of female. Rain Marines is exactly the type of woman that Luke is typically attracted to. And so begins Rain’s efforts to get noticed by Luke–to slowly integrate herself into his life and gather the evidence that will eventually bring him down.
With pressure bearing down on her from Assistant Director Sinclair, Rain decides to do “whatever it takes” to quickly further her efforts—even if that means crossing some very dangerous lines. Despite warnings from her handler, Special Agent Warner Briggs, it isn’t long before Rain allows her heart to rule her actions.
Luke is not the monster that Rain once thought him to be. Instead, she sees the good in Luke. She recognizes that Luke is just a young man being led astray by the uncle he trusts and by the overpowering lure of wealth. Her goal shifts from trying to implicate Luke to trying to save him—to keep him from making a mistake that will only ruin his life. But how can Rain save Luke without jeopardizing her job in the process? With their every conversation and encounter recorded and monitored, Rain goes to extremes to keep her actions secret from her team.
If you have read the first book in this series, “Burying Water,” then you are already familiar with Luke Boone. You also know, that beneath the façade, Luke Boone is a good person at heart. But, blinded by money and power, Luke is heading down a dangerous path. Having seen the good side of Luke, I was rooting for him to come out ahead. I desperately wanted Rain to help Luke “save himself,” and for the couple to eventually find their way to each other for “real.” Yet, I didn’t know if that was even possible. The challenges they both faced seemed insurmountable and the odds of things ending well, daunting. Still, I held out hope that the author had a “plan” for the couple and that in the end, they would prevail. I was NOT disappointed!
While “Becoming Rain” can be read as a stand-alone, I strongly suggest reading “Burying Water” first–it gives the reader some much-needed background information on Luke. “Burying Water” touches on Luke’s relationship with his uncle, gives insight into his relationship with his best friend, Jesse Welles, and sheds light on his unspoken devotion/connection to Alexandra Petrova.
There’s not one thing that I didn’t love about this book. From the very first page, I was hooked. The story is gripping; it is also sexy, sweet and funny. This book has it all! I was constantly enthralled with how the story would play out… the “secret” private moments shared between Rain & Luke were hot… other moments between the pair were often sweet… and the times shared with their dogs (Stanley and Licks) had me grinning from ear to ear. I also had a soft spot for Special Agent Warner Briggs. His feelings for Claire (Rain) were apparent from the start, but he kept himself in check, always keeping her safety and best interests at heart.
“Becoming Rain” is NOT a quick read. The book is long—64 chapters + an epilogue, to be exact. But this only makes sense. It takes time for the author to not only establish the story, but to establish a relationship between Rain and Luke, as well. As a reader, I felt it essential to watch their relationship develop and build… to watch their connection grow… to see them struggle with the choices that they both faced. And to build up my anticipation as I worried and wondered how everything would eventually play out. So, if you are willing to pick up this book and give it the time it deserves, I’m sure that you’ll discover for yourself that it’s worth every single word.
- Goodreads rating – 4.16
- REVIEW – Susan Staudinger