Mel and Flynn’s journey is moving and authentic, with no shortcuts taken when it comes to exploring grief, healing, and love. The author delves into the inner workings of Mel’s mind with incredible sensitivity, making her pain over the loss of her son profoundly relatable. Her coping mechanism—running—feels raw and genuine, and the story challenges the notion that time alone heals wounds.

Mel’s gradual awakening to the truth that she hasn’t truly moved on is both painful and inspiring. Her courage to confront the past, accept her mistakes, and open up is powerful. And Flynn is the heart of this story’s hope—steadfast, patient, and endlessly compassionate. His quiet devotion is a beautiful example of enduring love.

The secondary storyline, including the renovation project and Alice’s recovery from her own trauma, adds even more emotional depth. The friendship that grows between Mel and Alice is especially touching, showing how healing often comes through connection.

This installment in the series is a standout—emotional, honest, and ultimately uplifting. A must-read for fans of stories that tackle loss and love with grace and realism.

After seven years away, Mel returns to Willowdale carrying grief she’s never fully unpacked. But with a new job, family reconnections, and unexpected moments of joy (hello, alpacas!), the shadows start to lift. As she begins to rediscover herself, she must also confront the one man she left behind—and the future that might still be waiting. Emotional and uplifting, this story is a gentle reminder that even after the storm, the sun can shine again.

After thinking that the third book in this series wasn’t as good as the first two, Sunshine After the Rain was a real return to form for the series in what could be the best book so far.

This book is largely an exploration of grief rather than a straight romance. The book begins with Mel, who has spent the previous seven years running away from the grief she felt after her son died, divorcing her husband and refusing to return home until she finally does and spends the novel coming to terms with her grief, reconciling with her family and making new friends.

This was a beautiful book. You really feel for Mel as she struggles to understand why her son died and you can understand why she ran. It is heartwarming to read her starting to come to terms with everything and starting to live her life again after seven years of just existing. Her family are wonderful. Her sister is supportive and her ex-husband is a lovely man. It’s just a fantastic book with no unexpected twists and no randomly evil characters causing bother.

Sunshine After the Rain is my favourite book in this series so far. The characters are wonderful and the story feels so real. I loved reading Mel’s story and it was heartwarming to read her start to live again. There is, of course, a happy ending and, in this case, it was a well earned one.

The is the latest in Jessica Redland's Lake series, a must read author for me. This works as a standalone, but I definitely recommend reading the previous books as well!

Mel has been hiding in Newcastle from her old life in the Lakes for seven years. When she returns home for a family event, she has to face her feelings, and more importantly, the family she left behind - can she use her time to heal?

This was a very emotional book, with lots of sensitive subject matter. I found it quite a tough read at times, but it is a great book nonetheless, with the most perfect title. I loved revisiting the alpacas and all of the characters from the previous boo, it is always lovely to get updates on their lives.

Melanie has ran from the lakes after her son tragically died, she knew she was running, but why. She goes home and has decided she will change. This was a lovely read about family, trauma and new beginnings. It had a lovely message, everything can get better after the worst things happen. The characters were likable and it was easy to follow even though there are a lot of them. A 4 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

Sunshine After the Rain

by Jessica Redland

Can there be “sunshine after the rain” or will tragedy and bad choices just keep pushing Mel down with no hope of escape from her past? Mel is a conservation architect. She specializes in the “preservation of historic buildings.” She worked alongside her husband Flynn who handled the construction end of the business until the untimely death of their son. Mel needed answers; she wanted to blame someone. In a totally irrational response to the death, she left her husband and her home. She thought she needed time and space so she cut almost all ties with her family, not considering that all of them were grieving too.

Mel grew up in a village near Derwent Water in the Lake District National Park. Seven years after her split from Flynn, a trip back to Willowdale to celebrate her mom’s eightieth birthday cracks open the tough shell Mel has built around herself. She discovers that the owners of the historic Willowdale Hall, a local landmark, are embarking on a reconstruction. This would be a dream job for Mel. There are a lot of characters who have ties to Willowdale Hall. Many of those characters have been previously introduced in the Escape to the Lakes series, and the author uses their kindness to bring together a supportive structure for Mel as she heals. There is another large piece of sadness in the story that adds to Mel’s struggles.

There is so much grief, despair, and despondency in Sunshine After the Rain that at times it is difficult to read. At the same time, it is uplifting to see familiar characters who have gone through tough times themselves reaching out to help Mel. In addition to the obvious themes of grief and loss, there are also themes of enduring and steadfast love and hope for a better tomorrow. There is a lot of symbolism as Willowdale Hall is being transformed from a place with a lot of past sorrow into a place of restoration. There is also a motif of broken vessels being repaired to a new state of beauty.

I particularly identified with the characters’ love of the library at Willowdale Hall along with another small reading room introduced later in the book. I would love to spend time in either room surrounded by books!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Notes: #4 in the Escape to the Lakes series. By the time you get to this fourth book, there are a lot of characters and relationships. I recommend you start at the beginning of the series and keep going. You will be happy you read them in sequence. Redland is aware of how many characters are involved at this point, and she includes a “Cast of Recurring Characters” as a reference for readers.

Publication:  May 15, 2025—Boldwood Books

Memorable Lines:

The biting cold wind whipped my hair across my face and took my breath away. The lake was choppy but the sound of the water slapping against the beach was both mesmerizing and comforting. Closing my eyes, I breathed in several deep lungfuls of fresh air, trying to quieten the battle inside my head.

Georgia laughed at me when I told her I could hear old buildings breathe, which was rich from somebody who talked to books. I loved the phrase if walls could talk. I wish! The things these walls must have seen—the good times and bad, the joy and the pain.

Even the things that seem the most broken can be fixed with enough time, love and will.

Another enjoyable book in the Lakes series. The setting was lovely and it was nice to catch up with characters from previous books. There were quite a lot of dark parts to the story which deals with a couple of bereavements, one of which is the teenage son of the protagonist and her husband which might be triggering for some readers but there were also moments of happiness, kindness and romance. I never really warmed to Mel who seemed quite immature for a lady in her 50's and who seemed to put her own feelings above everyone else. She did redeem herself slightly towards the end. Flynn was an absolute saint but perhaps a bit too much so being treated so badly and never complaining. Was he really that perfect or just a hopeless romantic? I think I'll go with the latter!
Overall, a good read and I look forward to the next in the Lakes series. My thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgally for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The location of the Lake district made for a great backdrop for this story of Love, friendship and family support. Heart breaking at times but it really gave a true sense of hope following what was a very difficult and sad tragedy. I loved the sound of hedgehog hollow. It certainly keeps the reader on their toes with the many twists and turns. Beautifully written.

When a tragedy occurs in Mel's life she knows the only way to deal with her pain is to get away, to leave her friends and loved ones behind and start again.
Seven years later Mel returns to the lakes but only for a short visit, but will the pull of family encourage her to stay and start actually living her life instead of hiding away ?

This was a lovely story and I'm loving The Lakes series of books. It's good to hear how everyone we have met in previous books is getting on and how their lives are turning out.
Jessica Redladland can do no wrong in my eyes. I always wonder how she keeps track of all the characters in her different series of books,
Looking forward to reading more in this series.

Great sequel and also standalone book, very thought provoking and compelling story. I liked catching up with the village folk and seeing how they cope with lifes up and downs. Melanies story was sad and emotional. Running away from her life was ok until she realised that life would simply follow her until she dealt with her emotions. Coming back after 7 years to her old community reignited her emotions and now she has those and 7 more years of life baggage to deal with. The scenery of this book and the characters was brilliant. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood books. It was an absolute pleasure to have been giving the opportunity to read this. Jessica redland has a way with words that makes you feel like you are in the Lake District as you are reading. This story follows a new character but old characters appear too. It can be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading the beginning of this series first you won’t regret it. Sunshine after the rain is a heartwarming and humbling story about finding love again. Looking forward to the next book already! Thank you!

I thought this book was as heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, as the main character Mel struggles to deal with grief but with the help of family and friends she discovers that you can get through it. I just loved the story and the many new characters as they just bring this book to life.

I just love this book and I would highly recommend reading this book and the other books in this series.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

It was great to be back in Willowdale again, with the amazing Lake District as its backdrop. This series is amazing, such deeply moving storylines, such depth and realism to the characters. Mel and Flynn have been through so much, and nothing was just glossed over, the author really got stuck in to the inner mind of Mel which made her so much more relatable and real. I could totally empathise with her pain over her son and how running was her only way of surviving. It’s interesting to think that you assume after a certain amount of time you must have processed and accepted what’s happened, but really you haven’t, pain can stay hidden and mashed for many many years, and sometimes it makes it even harder to process it.

I loved how Mel slowly worked through her pain, after finally realising she still hadn’t moved on. She saw what she’d done wrong, she was brave and opened up. And Flynn was just amazing, true love at its best. He never lost hope, such a kind and patient man.

I liked the rest of the story moving forward, the renovation and Alice finally coming out the other side of her past trauma, so touching that she and Mel became such good friends.

A heartbreakingly beautiful read that perfectly compliments this series.

Sunshine After the Rain
Jessica Redland

The fourth in the Escape to the Lakes series, which I’m absolutely loving, Sunshine After the Rain is the story of Mel, who’s grieving her son and returns to Willowdale, her old home. At first she has no intention of staying but she begins to realise how much healing she has to do and that staying away so long hasn’t helped as much as she’d hoped it would.

Back in Willowdale, conservation architect, Mel gets the opportunity to work on Willowdale Hall and throws herself into work as she also attempts to reconnect with her family after years spent away.

I’ve read all the books in the series so far but I’m not one for recalling every little detail so that the fact that the author gave a good summary about the previous couples from past books; Autumn and Dane from book 1, Oliver and Rosie from book 2 as well as Emma, Killian and the alpacas from book 3. Whilst they’re all mentioned in Sunshine After the Rain, it could still be read as a stand-alone as the author does as excellent job of explaining enough about their history and none of it is mega key to the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed Sunshine After the Rain and following Mel’s journey. Firstly I love that she’s an older FMC, in her fifties as it’s nice to see someone a bit older having the spotlight.

I teared up a lot as I read, seeing Mel begin to heal, enjoy her work at Willowdale Hall and discover the joys of Emma’s alpacas. Mostly though, I loved the way she bravely reconnected with her family and her ex husband, Flynn, even when it was hard.

I’ve never come across a Jessica Redland book I didn’t love but the Escape to the Lakes series is a strong contender for my absolute favourite. Sunshine After the Rain didn’t disappoint and I can’t wait to continue spending time in Willowdale.

A good addition to the series, though I do wish the author had made Flynn's character more human. Honestly, the way she depicted him, it was as though he was a saint. I don't believe it was realistic for him to behave the way he did towards Mel after the way she had treated him. So, Mel. The main character. Not all that likeable to be honest. I get that she went through something traumatic, and the more we learnt about her helped me to understand her behaviour a bit more, but the way she behaved towards Flynn in the present day was appalling., rude for one thing. She said a lot about feeling sorry and that she had to tell Flynn that, but although we're told they had a heart to heart, I would have liked to hear Mel actually say she was sorry to Flynn. She owed him a massive apology. Seeing him for the first time in years and not able to speak to him, saying 'I can't' and running out of the pub, how immature. Most of their interactions in the present day were quite negative, due to Mel's behaviour, and this was supposed to be a 50+ year old woman. More contrition and humility was needed to be shown from her. So I have mixed feelings about this book. Love the setting, lovely to catch up with the other characters, but I didn't really warm to Mel. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book brought me joy, just like all the other Jessica Redland books. They always make me feel warm & fuzzy & cozy, this was no different. I feel like I was mad at the lead character at first, but Jessica's writing really helped me to understand what she had been through. I grew to love her & root for her!

This was a gorgeous yet devastating second chance read between Mel and Flynn. I loved seeing Mel reclaim her life that she had spent years filled with grief and resentment she didn't even realise she was holding on to. Whilst there were many heavy topics that will pull at your heart strings, there was also so much sunshine through the rain, as the title also states. It was a delight returning to familiar characters and seeing how their stories had also progressed, Mel and Flynn were the perfect addition.

I always look forward to reading a new book by Jessica. She has become a must read for me over the past few years. Her writing is so beautiful and the characters are so relatable. Sunshine After The Rain was another great read. It's the fourth book in The Escape to the Lakes series and in it we're introduced to Mel. Like with most of Jessica's books, there is a tragic back story which of course will break your heart, but Jessica's fantastic way with words will eventually put it back together. I will look forward to continuing this series (and any other one that Jessica writes) along with revisiting the characters I've come to know and love so well.

This was a beautiful read. Grief, in all its forms was dealt with sensitively and caringly be that for what is lost, or what might have been. A lot of time is spent on the day to day looking at behaviours, relationships and how outside influences make life harder or easier. Nothing happens and yet everything happens in this book and it was a pleasure to read.
I didn’t read the books in order and I absolutely should have done. This is an excellent standalone book but reading the series in order brings extra joy as the character from earlier books get a look in and a bit of a future!

This series about the Lakes is beautiful and the characters feel familiar when we meet them.

We start the book with Mel who is in Newcastle where she wanted to make a fresh start from an event that we do not yet know about, this means she has left her family behind her, and memories that she doesn't want to deal with.

A big family birthday party is the step she needs to make to heal and change her life for the better. She is stuck on a road to nowhere in Newcastle... and the rest of the book is so exciting!

She is offered a chance at her dream job at Willowdale Hall. Mel has no idea where this adventure will take her - from new friendships, healing from traumas that we learn about with her family, in no small part due to the fact she's finally home in the Lakes and becoming her old self, and learning from Alice, who we met in the last book in the series.

The Hall is a dream in itself, I think anyone can aspire to live in a grand hall, especially with a secret room .

I would recommend anyone to read this book (and series). It is a feel-good book, tinged with tragedy and regrets, leading to the hope Mel didn't know she needed or wanted.