Eye Of The Storm

By this point in the story, Rain has returned home from London after her grandmother's death. In typical V.C. Andrews fashion, she lives in the lap of luxury but is so utterly alone. Her only companion is a horse with no name and it felt good to be out of the rain. Actually the horse's name is also Rain, a gift from her chauffeur and only friend, Jake.

Chapter One is titled Jake's Secret. The secret being that he and Grandmother Hudson were lovers and that Aunt Victoria is his child. Great a confession from one boring character involving an even more boring character. Why bother in the first place?

Corbette, Rain's love interest from the first novel pays her a visit. He apologizes for seducing, then dumping her and wants a second chance. Rain soon realizes that he's only there because she is rich. In a funny scene, she convinces him that she is poor and is working as a maid in the mansion. He disappears as quickly as he came.

Her mother, stepfather, and Aunt Victoria confront Rain. They waste an entire chapter trying to convince Rain to take a settlement and forfeit her inheritance. Or face a lengthy court battle. Later, Rain receives a call from Roy who is in jail for going AWOL to visit Rain. After a life changing horseback ride, she decides to fight Victoria

She later has a quiet dinner with her half-brother Brody. Even though he's her brother and she knows he wants her, she makes a point of putting on some lipstick. Brody gets increasingly drunk and refuses to leave. Rain calls her mother in an attempt to get him to go.

Later, a drunk Brody tries to force himself on her. Rather than tell him the truth and get it over with, Rain stupidly continues to keep her mother's secret. A hurt Brody drives off into the night. Brody dies in a car accident. Rain collapses in a fetal position in the bathroom and is of course rescued by Jake.

Aunt Victoria forces Rain to go to the funeral but not as a part of the family. Her devastated mother tells her that she is evil. Anybody who reads this boring book would be inclined to agree. Rain's biological father writes her a moving letter telling her that he wants her in his life. Do they not have phones in this stinking book?

Since the author felt that Rain hasn't suffered enough, he throws in a horse riding accident and paralyzes her. Why couldn't the horse have just finished her off and freed me from this awful book? Luckily she gets a visit from a heroic paraplegic doctor who tells her that she can still live a full and productive life. She could invent a new wheelchair rugby game called don't feel sorry for us ball.

Victoria takes over and gives her a typical Nurse Ratchett to boss her around. Rain is so very sad and afraid. Here's where a normal character decides to take charge of her life and make some changes. Rain however will cry and feel sorry for herself like she does in every book so far.

Fate comes in the form of Austin, the studly physical therapist who Rain instantly likes. There is more of the same old same old. Victoria is mean, Jake is supportive, Rain cries, and her father continues to support the U.S. postal service with his sappy letters. Oh, and Mommie Dearest tries to overdose on pills. Rain learns Roy tried to go AWOL again to see her. Roy is a moron but so is most everyone in this book.

Austin starts a special kind therapy with Rain involving his penis. I'm surprised she didn't instantly walk again after their night of passion. Jake dies, Victoria's mean, Austin's supportive and Rain cries some more. Rain finally tells Victoria who her father really was. Victoria threatens to make her life even more of a living Hell than it already was.

Victoria manages to get Austin fired and moves on in. She takes a cue from Tony Tatterton and makes Rain a prisoner in her own mansion. Austin assures her that he will rescue her. As they are hooking up, Aunt Victoria busts in and accuses Austin of rape. She throws him out and insists that Rain sign a power of attorney form.

Rain tries to escape but finds her wheelchair ramp is missing. She attempts to crawl away but is found by Victoria. She is forced to have dinner with Victoria who has descended further into madness. She has put on make up and according to Rain it's caked on, clownish, and artificial. I imagine Victoria to look something like this.
Rain attempts to sneak into Grandmother Hudson's room in order to find a phone. Instead she finds a mannequin in a wig that Victoria believes to be her mother. She realizes that she is pregnant and begs Victoria to let her out. Austin shows up to see Rain but is told that she moved to London.

Victoria decides to give Rain a bath and finally Rain gets the nerve to fight back. In the struggle Victoria is killed. Austin arrives on his white horse and whisks Rain off to the hospital. Everything is wonderful, Rain's mother forgives her. Austin is over the moon about the pregnancy and she marries in a fairytale wedding.

Rain has a girl named Summer. Roy is released from jail and moves in with Rain and Austin. I get the vision of Roy peeking at Rain through a hole in the shower every chance he gets. During the book, he wistfully claims that Summer could've been their baby. This is not a stable man.

And they all lived happily ever after. Never mind there's one more book in this series. Bring on the pain.