Fantastic book with great core characters. Recommend to friends for anyone who loves this genre of book!

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

This was delightfully creepy, chilling, and a little gross. (The consistency of the rain, and the vivid descriptions of it, made my skin crawl). I’m not always a fan of seeing the story from a bunch of different POVs, with different characters taking the lead in different chapters, but I think the story worked out much better this way. We get little strands that help connect everyone as the story moves forward, and you can feel the tension building even before the rain begins to fall. A quick horror read that’s sure to give you some chills, and maybe a slimy feeling sliding across your skin…

I almost went with a 3.5, but the ending tipped it over into a 4 for me. While this novella did ultimately feel a bit too brief and like it needed some fleshing out, it was still a quick and satisfying read. As someone who worked through Covid (nursing home) and likely still has PTSD from it, some parts of this hit home quite hard.

But without saying too much about the ending, that was definitely what sets the book apart from similar others- it's nasty and cruel and doesn't give you a ton of answers... which is unfortunately very reflective of how life can be at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a quick little horror read that I did enjoy. I liked the multiple pov’s and how parts felt somewhat related in a way to our current day situations. I did feel it could have been a longer book maybe to flesh things out a bit more.

This book reminded me of The Rain on Netflix. I liked that show so I was intrigued to read this book.
It was a really nice read. It did put me on a spot when I was thinking about the pandemic. I could understand the feelings of the characters more.
It was an easy read for non English native speakers.

When it Rains is a quick read full of high tension and action. I read it under 24 hours and was pretty hooked the whole time. Even though there are a lot of characters, and the POV switches from character to character, I was surprisingly able to keep track of who was who and differentiate everyone. The Big Twist wound up being one I didn't see coming, which is always a good surprise, and I like the moral questions that the book brings up, especially since the world has been through similar stuff with COVID. (The book also touches on people's behavior during COVID, and I liked that little nod to current day events!) The characters involved aren't particularly complex, and some of their backstories seem a little unnecessary to the whole scheme of the plot (sometimes it felt more like to fill space than anything else), but it was a quick, thrilling read, good for summertime reading!

A disturbing binge worthy novella that will make you want to have a shower.


The story follows a group of strangers that are trapped in a cafeteria while a very unusual rain is pouring down in the city. The news will soon ask all citizens to stay inside until they can provide more information about this phenomenon.


When strangers are in imminent danger and are trapped in the same space, secrets come to light, fights are bound to happen and uncertainty always reveals the uglier sides of mankind.

Perfect for: People that love The Mist by Stephen King.

Whoa! What a ride. It was very fast-paced. The writing style kept me hooked and I didn't find myself losing any interest. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and how real the story felt. The author did a great job painting the setting, so it was easy for me to visualize the scene played out before me. I recommend giving this one a chance!

Stars: 2 out of 5

I think part of why I was so disappointed in this book is because it was listed as horror on NetGalley, so I was expecting a horror story. That is not what I got. This could be classified as a research on the ugly side of human nature, or a satirical retelling of the pandemic along with the mask mandate and vaccinated vs. non-vaccinated debate that turned ugly... but horror it is not.

It doesn't help that the real story doesn't seem to start until the very end, after the rain is gone. While I was reading this short novella, I kept waiting for something to happen, anything, to justify putting it in the horror genre... and when it happens, the book ends. I felt like a was forced to read a very long and rather boring prolog where the characters are introduced and nothing much happens. The story should have dwelled on the rain only a little and really started AFTER it stopped. Let the survivors come to terms with what happened. Let them deal with the aftermath of such a horrible event. THAT'S the story I wanted to read. 

As it stands, I found that everything was resolved too neatly in the epilogue. The current world population is 7.6 billion people. If 3.4 billion die, that's more than one third of the human population decimated overnight. The world would not be the same as it was before that event. There would be major disruptions to our power grid, internet, supply chain, not to mention a wide-spread panic. Also, let's mention the fact that the survivors would have an enormous clean up challenge in front of them to prevent the spreading of diseases.

No, they won't be driving their cars and chatting in online chat rooms and meeting up in a college coffee shop to catch up barely 6 months later. They would be struggling to find food and shelter and to rebuild a society that would have crumbled in the aftermath of that event. And honestly? THAT'S a book I would have been onboard with. 

So if you are a horror fan, don't bother with this. There are better horror books out there. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend this. 

PS: I received an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come to my blog May 31st (also goodreads/other sites).

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

First up, cover. I am a big cover lover and I can tell you that I just ADORE a great cover. And this one was the big main reason why I wanted to read the book!

I really liked that we didn't just have multiple POVs, we also get a time. The rain lasts three hours and we get a detailed few of each moment in those 3 hours. Oh, and also some part before it all went to hell. It definitely made it more engaging and fun.

The rain was just scary. I mean, I would be freaking terrified if it started raining like this. Suddenly. A rain full of goo and stickiness. Is it safe? Is it deadly? What will happen? Will it ever stop? Is it biowarfare or something else entirely? There are so many questions and I loved it.

I loved the articles that popped up between the story. Gave some more insight in the rain, in what was going on, and also discussed important points like was it handy to talk about deaths if you don't know if they are related or not?

But what I hated was how people got. How heated. How full of paranoia. How hateful. How disgusting. I mean, Baldy? They should have just yeeted him out of the fucking bookstore. Idiotic wappie (yes, I need to use this Dutch word as it is perfect for this piece of poop). And Pamela, who I was already on the fence about... should also just have been yeeted out. Good lord that woman is so easily influenced, I wonder how she is not yet part of a cult given how she just goes with things so easily. How she is easily swayed. It really ruined my experience of the book. I mean, I have read other books about scary events and dystopian/post-apocalyptic things, and things like this happen to, but they are often NOT the whole focus of the book. Things just went from worse to even worse to wtf is wrong with you people? Right in these times we should bond together. My rating went from a OHHHH scary + rating of 4.5 stars to a 3 stars.

The ending? Well, that I didn't expect. Haha. I had many suspicions, but that wasn't one of them. it was horrific and gruesome and I was very shocked (and maybe also a bit angry). I guess I know what I will pick if a strange rain hits the world. Well, OK, first testing it though.

I was happy with the epilogue, it gave some extra conclusion to the story.

All in all, I did enjoy this one and read it in one hour, I just couldn't stop. There is lots of good. A spooky rain, a dash of love and what about the future, THAT ending. But yeah, Baldy and his nitwit group of wappies just made me love it less.

A short but intense story about a strange phenomenon that forces a group of strangers together in a campus library. When the slimy rain starts, nobody knows what's going on, but soon the confusion turns into accusations and aggression when someone remarks that the rain may carry some dangerous contagious kind of virus. Those who got in contact with the strange substance are 'quarantined' in a section of the store and soon voices get loud that they must even leave the building. As the situation escalates, it reveals some nasty aspects of human nature, and I absolutely loved the unusual ending. However, while the plot was what kept me glued to the pages, I didn't care much for the characters and even less for the relationship dramas which occupied too much space.

When it rains, it pours.

Out of nowhere, on a bright and sunny day, it begins to rain. Over the next several minutes, the rain spreads to the entire globe. However, this is no ordinary rain. A strange, gelatinous goo falls from the sky. A group of strangers seek refuge from the odd downpour in a small university bookstore. As news reports flood television sets and the mysterious rain continues, fear and paranoia begin to set in. Is the rain some kind of bio-weapon? An extraterrestrial substance? Are people who were caught in the rain now infected with some kind of deadly virus? Panic ensues in the bookstore, and everyone who has come into physical contact in with the rain is cordoned off to their own area. Loyalties are tested, relationships are strained, and human nature is revealed in all its ugliness. Is it the rain that should be feared? Or the human race?
I was definitely intrigued by the premise of this horror novella. Anything that tests the fragility of human decency makes for a thrilling read, and I was absolutely not disappointed. I loved the steady build of tension as the events of the story progressed and the characters were forced to make difficult decisions as they navigated unknown territory. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the story unfolded, and will definitely be reading more from Mark Allan Gunnells! I recommend this novella to anyone who loves a good horror read!

When it Rains
by Mark Allan Gunnells

The book centers on a group of people all in a campus bookstore, waiting out the rain.
The rain is no ordinary rain…. It’s slimy and no one knows anything about it except that it is raining the same rain all over the world. No one knows if it is safe… No one knows what will happen to the people who got the rain on their skin…
The tension starts to rise when those who did get wet and the ones who didn’t, are at each other's throats. Are the people who got wet in danger? Are the people around them in danger too?

This one was just ok for me. It was a little slow in places and honestly it could have done with a lot less points of view. The only people I connected with were Helen and Eugene. Such a sweet couple but the rest of the characters felt massively undeveloped, which I understand being that it’s a novella but it was a little one dimensional.

Loved the concept of the rain and the unknown. I would have liked some theories on what it could have potentially been but I can overlook that. I felt the whole premise was quite clever, I just needed more. Less points of view and more about the people that were focused on. More newsy articles would have been great too. While I hate not getting satisfactory answers on where the rain came from and what it was, the twist at the end was very well done.

3.5 stars for me.

If you like a little horror with a twist then this book is a must read!

Thank you Netgalley and Booksgosocial for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

This was a quick, memorable read. This was different, in a good way. The author's descriptions were on point. I felt like I was in the rain storm, but I wanted out. I loved the ending as it was unexpected and absolutely perfect! This was a fast moving thrill ride. I highly recommend this book and this author.

i did not enjoy this one. while i don't think there's anything wrong in particular with the book, it just didn't hit me like i was hoping.

This novella shines a light upon humanity and watches as it is tested to its limits. As a species, most humans tend to fear the unknown and react in polar opposite ways when the chips are down. This story portrays those reactions in superb fashion.

Mark Allan Gunnells is an author I hadn’t come across until now. I thank Crystal Lake Publishing so much for introducing me to him with this novella ARC. Mark has such incredible storytelling prowess and a distinct ability to control the narrative of the story from a multitude of directions. Following a story from the eyes of multiple characters with hugely varied personalities, situational beginnings and journeys should be confusing and hard to keep track of but Mark’s technique ensures a engrossing read.

The story itself is incredibly well thought out and designed ensuring gripping action but also intense heart and soul. The character's individuality keeps such an interesting sense of diversity throughout a singular story contained to one location. It is testament to Mark’s ability that this all blends so seamlessly.

When It Rains is a dark look into humanity's responses during a crisis that will have you considering your own reactions to fear and the unknown. Whilst not a typical horror story, the novella’s scary side lies within its realism…What happens in relation to emotion in the story is not at all far-fetched and happens daily throughout the world. Also as an added note, at this point I wouldn't be shocked if it started raining a gelatinous gunk!

The story of a what happens when a group of people find themselves stranded in a university cafe/ bookstore in the midst of a strange deluge, When it Rains is mostly about how humanity behaves under pressure, particularly in a confined space where fears about exposure and infection come into play. The characters are well established and clearly defined, the narrative is engaging, and we spend the course of the novella wondering what exactly it is that makes this rain different than any other strange weather story right up until the end. This is definitely a shorter work than I expected and I do think having more of a complete ending would've helped round out the rougher edges of the conclusion, that doesn't mean it wasn't a worthy read however. Highly recommended for a quiet afternoon read.

This was an interesting journey, to say the least. It talks about humanity, how you’ll act and if you’ll lose it when it comes to extreme situations.
I was definitely surprised by the ending, which added the forth star.
In general, it’s a good book to read especially with the situation we are on and as we got to see the “other side” of people in our extreme situation (the pandemic), I would for sure recommend.

What a good and compelling story! This novella is like a Twilight Zone episode, scary and realistic. Recommended!