When It Rains (Book Review: Raining Men, Rick R Reed)

You can see on the cover of "Raining Men," by Rick R. Reed that this novel is being touted as "the sequel to Chaser." I saw that and was instantly intrigued because I liked Chaser.    I thought, though, that we would be following the lives of Caden and Kevin but this book is centered around Bobby, the antagonist of that earlier book. I knew Bobby was a troubled character, and I can see why Mr. Reed chose to focus on him, for there really is a story to tell about him. Its your classic gay boy gone awry: a sex addict who engages in multiple anonymous sexual encounters, and inadvertently he ruins his friendships and other people's lives because of it. Caden, his best friend, has severed their relationship, and he now wanders aimlessly. He hits rock bottom, and goes on a spiritual journey. I liked this story a lot, even if it is a bit familiar and kind of predictable. Mr. Reed infuses it with enough touches that make it interesting. He gives him a background story of an unfulfilled relationship with a father who passes away, and a romance with a high school acquaintance. Along the way, Bobby joins a Sex Addicts Anonymous group and he meets Aaron, who may or may not be a love interest. I was instantly engaged in the story, and the pay off was pretty good. I think the title is a bit misleading. This isn't a fun rollick with men but a more sobering look at a sex addict and his rehabilitation. But I find that good gay books are very hard to find nowadays in the proliferation gay pulp so finding a fulfilling one is always a treat. 

BC-43