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Verdict: A witty, offbeat romantic “dramedy”: socially awkward sci-fi author India Bell must write a lesbian romance to win a bet and an editing job, and turns for help to the romance writer she is interviewing, Tegan Lowry, who uses crutches and lives her romantic fantasies only on the page. Readers love the sparkling dialogue and flawed characters; some never believed the romance, and one reader strongly objected to how India is portrayed.
Best for: Readers who like snarky dialogue, unconventional leads and a mix of comedy and drama.
Heat level: Heat not rated
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.6/5 — a 3.99 Goodreads average across 485 ratings for this edition, 3.78 on StoryGraph from 33 reviews, and 4.4 stars across 330 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Opposites attract, writer/writer, bet, slow burn, disability representation, dramedy.
Rain Falls is Kelli Jae Baeli’s 2014 contemporary lesbian romance from FemFic Press, the first book in her Rain Falls series. India Bell writes science fiction, not romance: there is none of that confusing touchy-feely stuff in her novels, and if she is a lesbian, she is so far in the closet she cannot find the door.
It holds a 3.99 average across 485 Goodreads ratings for this edition, with 71% of them four or five stars, 3.78 on StoryGraph from 33 reviews, and 4.4 stars across 330 Amazon ratings.
What Is Rain Falls About?
Needing work to supplement her royalties, India lands two assignments: interview up-and-coming lesbian romance writer Tegan Lowry, and win a bet by writing a lesbian romance of her own to secure an editing job.
Tegan is thrilled to be interviewed, even by the awkward India. Not that she sees herself as anyone’s fantasy: she is on crutches, and her deeply romantic dreams are lived out on the page. Maybe she can give India a few pointers.
What Works in This Book
- Dialogue: Readers call it sparkling, snarky and full of zip.
- Flawed leads: Readers enjoy non-conventional, imperfect love interests.
- Tegan: A favourite for readers who loved that she will not let her disability hold her back.
- Atmosphere: One reader describes the constant rain and vivid description as smooth and immersive.
Book Synopsis
A sci-fi writer who does not do feelings. A romance writer who only lives them on the page.
One bet, one interview, and a lot of rain.
My Review
Baeli’s voice is distinctive: straight-talking, funny and quick, with a romance that takes its time as the two women get to know each other. Readers praise vivid description, well-developed secondary characters and background stories, and a cat named Quasar. A couple of readers were pleasantly surprised after expecting little from the title or blurb, and one read it in a single sitting.
The romance is less convincing for some. A couple of readers could not see how the two got together, one felt it lacked pizzazz and ran long, and one grew weary of Tegan calling herself a gimp. The sharpest criticism came from a reader who felt India, arguably on the asexual or aromantic spectrum, was written through harmful stereotypes, equating that with an inability to love.
My honest note: Clever and funny, with caveats worth knowing.
| Element | In Rain Falls |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | India Bell (sci-fi writer) & Tegan Lowry (romance writer, crutches user) |
| Core tropes | Opposites attract, bet, slow burn |
| Setting | A rainy mountain retreat |
| Heat level | Heat not rated |
| Length | 384 pages (Kindle edition) |
| Series | Rain Falls #1 |
| Content notes | Ableist self-talk, some violence, possible acephobic framing |
How Spicy Is Rain Falls?
We could not find enough reader detail to rate the heat; one early Amazon review calls it funny and hot.
Readers mention some grisly, violent moments, Tegan’s self-deprecating language and India’s emotional walls.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a snarky, unusual romance with a disabled romance-writer heroine. It is on our disabled sapphic romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you are sensitive to stereotyped portrayals of asexuality.
In short: Two writers, one storm.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 35% five stars, 36% four, 23% three, 4% two and 2% one.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Dialogue first. Second, humour. Third, flawed leads. Fourth, Tegan.
What readers argue about and complain about: An unconvincing romance, above everything. Second, the portrayal of India. Third, length.
The comparison worth making first: Mending Defects, another witty romance with a disabled lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of book is Rain Falls?
The author calls it a romantic dramedy, and readers agree: it balances real humour with angst and some darker moments.
What is Tegan’s disability?
Tegan uses crutches and often calls herself a “gimp”; one reader grew tired of the self-description, while others loved that she does not let her disability define her.
Is India asexual?
The book does not label her. India appears emotionally walled off and unsure how to define her sexuality, and one reader felt the book treated an arguably acespec character in a harmful, stereotyped way. Readers who might be sensitive to that should be aware of it.
Is there a sequel?
Yes. Rain Falls is the first book in a series, and several readers were eager for book two.
Is Rain Falls on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, when we checked, or $6.99 to buy on Kindle.
If You Loved Rain Falls, Read These Next
Continue the Rain Falls series, or try Mending Defects or Making a Comeback. Browse our disabled sapphic romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Rain Falls sets out to be a funny, dramatic romance between two unlikely writers, and its dialogue and characters deliver for many. What holds it back is a romance some did not buy and a contested portrayal of India. A distinctive Kindle Unlimited read. Check Rain Falls on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Rain Falls ranks as a fair disability-rep pick — witty, contested.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ 3.99 average across 485 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 71% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.78 on StoryGraph from 33 reviews
- ✓ 4.4 stars across 330 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Slow build
- ✓ Opposites
- ✓ Unconvincing for some
- ✓ Unusual
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Walled-off India
- ✓ Tegan
- ✓ Quasar the cat
- ✓ Contested portrayal
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Snarky dialogue
- ✓ Vivid
- ✓ Long
- ✓ Distinctive voice
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ Dramedy
- ✓ Loneliness
- ✓ Laughs
- ✓ Some violence
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Not rated
- ✓ Hot for one
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Romantic
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Series continues
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Open to more
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.5/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ $6.99 Kindle price
- ✓ 384 pages
- ✓ Book two awaits
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