Things to Do When It's Raining

From New York Times bestselling author Marissa Stapley comes a sweeping family drama anchored by an enduring love story. Set in a small Canadian river town where long-held secrets linger, it's perfect for fans of Carley Fortune and These Summer Storms.

When the past resurfaces, can love survive the truth?

Mae Summers and Gabe Broadbent grew up together at Summers’ Inn, perched on the edge of the St. Lawrence River. Orphaned at six, Mae was raised by her grandparents, Lilly and George, alongside Gabe, who needed refuge from his alcoholic father. What began as childhood companionship deepened into first love — until Gabe’s sudden departure fractured their shared world.

More than a decade later, Mae is pulled back to Gananoque after her carefully constructed life in Toronto collapses. She returns expecting comfort but instead finds her grandparents faltering and long-suppressed family secrets beginning to emerge. As Mae confronts the tangled legacy of love, betrayal, and sacrifice that has shaped her family, the reappearance of Gabe forces her to face a past that was never as simple as she believed, and a history she has never been able to leave behind.

This multi-generational story of loss and inheritance explores the ways family binds and shapes us, the enduring pull of home, and the cost — and necessity — of being brave enough to reckon with the past.