Rain Shadow by Tess Oliver (The Barringer Brothers #1)

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Suspense, Romance
Publication Date: July 16th 2014
POV: Alternating - First-person, Past tense
Smut-O-Meter: 7 out of 10
My Rating: 4 out of 5

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Luke Barringer finds himself in the desert near death, unsure of his name and with no recollection of his past. As the hot sun bears down on him, his will to live slips away, but he can't close his eyes. Sleep is the enemy and now it seems he has found his own slice of hell. But through the mist of his agony, a girl's soft voice drifts over him and the sound of it draws him away from the darkness.

While riding her horse, Evangeline "Angel" Sharpe finds a man bloodied and beaten. Despite knowing that she'll be in trouble for bringing him to the Bedlam MC compound, she takes him home to tend his wounds. While the handsome stranger heals, Angel finds herself falling for him. As the mystery of his past is revealed, she helps him struggle with the truth, a truth that will lead to his true identity . . . an identity that could destroy Angel's world.

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Tess Oliver has an incredible ability to write characters and relationships that are real and believable. The pace of this story was a bit fast but Luke and Angel's relationship was keeping up fine. They had an instant connection and a playfulness with each other that was a joy to watch. They already feel inseparable to me. 

Angel was an interesting combination of sweetness and balls. As Luke liked to point out, she was full of inconsistencies. But that is what happens when you are a good-natured person raised in a motorcycle club. Luke was an interesting combination of traits as well. He was light and funny, seemingly not taking anything seriously. But at the same time I got the sense that he could be stone cold when he had to be. He was dangerous. They made a perfect couple and I am anxious about where the story will go from here.

I really enjoyed the different twist of a hero with no memory of himself. It was like falling for a clean slate, but he was still himself, he just didn't know it. I don't think that having his memories back has changed Luke. It may have put his priorities and motives into perspective, but he is still going to be the Luke that Angel fell for, or the Reno that Angel fell for. I am not really sure if the story will still focus on Luke and Angel. The excerpt from book 2 at the end of my ARC made it seem as if it will, but the series is called The Barringer Brothers, so I don't know if they will later be introduced as heroes. But either way, I am a bit nervous for Luke and the situation he has found himself in. Dreygon is a dangerous man and I hope that Luke can get himself and Angel out of there safely. But with 4 more books in the series, a lot could happen.

I felt like this book was a bit short and incomplete though. It seemed to end abruptly. I know the story is far from complete, but I felt like the first book should have been longer. Not enough happened in regards to the suspense of the story to satisfy me yet. Nothing really major happened between the MC and Luke as of yet. But he did remember his identity which is a big step for him, but the book didn't have a real climax. I will just have to wait for book 2 to get that I guess, which is fine. I will certainly be back to see more of Luke. He has totally won me over with his devil may care attitude, and I am curious to discover if and how his memories have changed him and his relationship with Angel, and what he plans to do next. 

"You can call me Angel when you're in a hurry, or when we're laughing, or when you're mad at me, but don't ever be mad at me. But whenever you're looking at me like the way you're looking at me right now, then call me by my real name. Call me Evangeline."