Remember back in the dark ages when you were a kid, and your big brother's friends hung out at your house so much they were almost your own brothers? With a big difference—your brother was, well, a brother, but his friend was a dream, a fantasy, the perfect guy for you. You sensed even then he was perfect for you. But he thought you were – invisible. Or off limits because you were his buddy's little sister. Or...who knows why, you just never managed to get together, except maybe once for a kiss that just blew you away. Then he went off and married somebody, and put a quash on your dreams for all time.

That's the history behind Jaci Burton's Spring Rain. Kaitlyn is now an adult, and widowed Brett has always been the one who made her hot. Now that they're both technically free, Kaitlyn is going to make it happen. But there's a small complication. Brett is being held hostage. He's got a blockade in his life, something that made him stop painting, though he is an amazing talent. Something that made his private life come to a stop six years ago when his wife died. Something that made his creative life die along with his wife. But that's not going to stop Kaitlyn. She's bound and determined to find the key to unlocking Brett and their future happiness. Even if it takes having Brett paint her in the nude. Even if she has to unleash her "Storm family" magic.

Jaci Burton leaves behind the D/s ambiance, leather and chains and frankly, I miss them. The big brother's friend fantasy was never one of mine; maybe that's why Kaitlyn and her obsession with Brett struck me as juvenile, predictable and uninteresting. Plus, if she's so devoted to him, why did she wait six years after his wife's death to go after him? How did she spend that time? And I know it's a series, but sometimes I wonder where the Storm family offspring would be if they had to stand on their own two feet. But maybe that's just me. Please disregard my personal perversions. This is a sweet hot vanilla (okay, okay, there's a little spanking) story of rescue, magic and redemption. Yes, Jaci again brings her own sensory magic to bear in the frequent hot foreplay and explicit sex scenes.

For those interested in more of the potent Storm magic, read Burton's Summer Heat, Fall Fury, and Winter Ice.

Reviewer: Maîtresse
© November 2005