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srm's review against another edition
Perfectly fine, and I might return some day, but I have other pressing things to read atm.
aliyahdobetter's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
khrischinn's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Meh
purringlion's review against another edition
2.0
Honestly, the ending lost me. It felt neither deserved, nor really an ending. We've seen Robbie pack up and leave before. This time wasn't all that different. I don't believe for a second that Anton wouldn't just fetch him back anyway.
In fact, the book ends at a time when Robbie and Anton's life just got more interesting. How they handle themselves when both of them are experiencing success, how their relationship adjusts, how they navigate society.
In fact, the book ends at a time when Robbie and Anton's life just got more interesting. How they handle themselves when both of them are experiencing success, how their relationship adjusts, how they navigate society.
melaniedctx's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
A nuanced story of the love between two men in Edwardian England as they work their way through politics, art, law, religion, and so many more things. It's a fascinating historical romance but its pace can be a bit lackluster and I did find the repetitive description of their age gap annoying after a while. It took me a bit longer than normal to finish as the pacing and sometimes prose threw up verbal roadblocks for me where I had to set it down and pick it up after a while. The description drew me in but the book wasn't as captivating as I'd hoped.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
craftyanty's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual assault
emersonmorristen's review
5.0
The Boy in the Rain is an artfully written story of the love of two men in England in the early 1900s. There is a wonderful interplay between the artistic community and the political community that each character comes from. It is written almost like a portrait of each main character, all supporting characters are the vivid details in the background as the lovers try to work their way past religion, law, politics, age, and art. A tender rendering of the lives of the two lovers as they work through themselves, their love, and a society that would rather they didn’t exist. A wonderful gay historical romance for lovers of art and the politics that keep people apart.
femke495's review
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
norassick's review
4.0
I got this arc from netgalley and oh my god i just thought it'd be a bit sweet but? They were so messy your honor. To be honest i loved their dynamic and even tho it was slowly built it gave me the feel of a classic somehow. it took me time to get through but I'm glad i did because the writing style is so so good. Recommend.
aphonusbalonus's review
2.0
(ARC exchanged for an honest review via NetGalley)
“You should burn this, perhaps?”
This line, in the opening letter of the book, it was instantly drew me in. It’s so simple yet strikingly effective, In my eyes, that perfectly lays the weight of what it was like to be a queer person in the early 1900s.
Unfortunately, However engrossed I was with the beginning of this book, I found that is didn’t quite meet my hopes or expectations. I found most of the dialogue and pacing a bit lackluster. On the other hand, the setting and atmosphere of the novel was fascinating enough to motivate me to continue reading it.
However, the small areas of discontent were nothing compared to how invalidated I, as a queer man, felt reading certain portions of this book— and I’m not talking about period typical homophobia. I’m talking about the author briefly described Robbie, the main character, getting sexually assaulted by a group of older boys and, because he “instantly became hard” that was how he knew he was gay. Yeah, no. BIG no from me. But because this is an ARC, I am hoping that this can be resolved before the official release, since the rest of the paragraph about Robbie being naturally inclined towards men works perfectly well without the THAT. I won’t lie, reading that so early on in the novel ruined my taste for it as a whole.
“You should burn this, perhaps?”
This line, in the opening letter of the book, it was instantly drew me in. It’s so simple yet strikingly effective, In my eyes, that perfectly lays the weight of what it was like to be a queer person in the early 1900s.
Unfortunately, However engrossed I was with the beginning of this book, I found that is didn’t quite meet my hopes or expectations. I found most of the dialogue and pacing a bit lackluster. On the other hand, the setting and atmosphere of the novel was fascinating enough to motivate me to continue reading it.
However, the small areas of discontent were nothing compared to how invalidated I, as a queer man, felt reading certain portions of this book— and I’m not talking about period typical homophobia. I’m talking about the author briefly described Robbie, the main character, getting sexually assaulted by a group of older boys and, because he “instantly became hard” that was how he knew he was gay. Yeah, no. BIG no from me. But because this is an ARC, I am hoping that this can be resolved before the official release, since the rest of the paragraph about Robbie being naturally inclined towards men works perfectly well without the THAT. I won’t lie, reading that so early on in the novel ruined my taste for it as a whole.