I was given this ebook for review for Fresh Fiction by the wonderful Molly O'Keefe, one of the authors who is an auto- buy author for me. All proceeds from the sale of this charity romance anthology go to support the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States.(www.rainn.org)

The overarching concept in these short stories is a summer rain falling during a time of personal discovery or growth. The nine authors were asked to write a story of love and hope to benefit RAINN. Author Alexandra Haughton tells us, "There's nothing in romance I enjoy so much as a second chance. Because we've all been there, and sometimes the only thing that gets us through is focusing on love and hope."

All of the characters in this book had lost their way somehow. Some had suffered severe psychological or physical trauma. Some had lost their dream-of being an artist, of being in a happy marriage, or of being considered normal. Each man and woman comes to the point of acceptance and starts the healing process in their short story with a romantic partner, leaving the reader with a sense of optimism for their future.

Author Mary Ann Rivers says of her story, "The reason no one ever wants to change their life is because it is the most awful and the most joyful thing you can go through, all at the same time, and something as equally awful as it is joyful is intolerable." The characters in this anthology do suffer as they figure out how to pursue their own happiness and a loving relationship.

Some stories are Happy Ever After, some are only Happy For Now. The stories are short, but the message packed in each few chapters is deep and also uplifting, if you sit and breathe it in and let the stories' summer rain fall on your soul to nourish it. Not only does buying this book give you the opportunity to try out some wonderful authors who may be new to you, but you can feel good about supporting a very worthy cause as well. What a winning opportunity!