Storm by Carian Cole (Ashes & Embers #1)
Contemporary Romance
Released: September 28, 2014
E-book, 244 pages
Self Published
Reviewed by Helyce
Blurb: The calm before the storm…
I lived in the quiet stillness.
I felt the wind rustle, warning me, telling me to get out of its path.
But I didn’t.
I never stood a chance.
A series of weather and road mishaps leaves me trapped in the middle of a blizzard with a complete stranger. In the back of a pickup truck. For forty-eight freakin’ hours.
A stranger with long hair, tattoos, and rippling with muscle.
A stranger with an insanely sexy voice and a wicked smile that turned my insides to jelly.
A stranger who held me in his arms, calmed me, and then set a fire in me that I couldn’t put out.
Storm lives up to his name. Beautiful. Dangerously inviting. Tumultuous. Dark. A clash of hot and cold.
He’s used to getting everything he wants.
And now he wants me.
Some people chase storms for the beautiful thrill. What happens when the storm chases you?
I thought it important to include the blurb for this book, because it, along with the cover, is what made me want to read this book. I had no idea what to expect, but I’m happy to say that this story took me by surprise and I really enjoyed it. I feel it necessary to note that the heroine in this story has been in a long-term relationship when she meets the hero, Storm, and some fine lines are crossed where cheating is concerned. If this is a trigger for you, you’ve been warned.
Storm and Evelyn meet when he rescues her after she loses control of her car on a snowy mountain road. Storm stops to assist and is met with a less than appreciative Evelyn who is initially quite put off by Storm’s look.
“Excuse me. Are you wearing eyeliner?” He rolls his eyes and shrugs. “Never mind that. Let’s just go already.” He puts his sunglasses back on.
I can’t let it go. “Are you some kind of cross-dresser or something?
“Fuck to the no.”
After much banter, Storm convinces Evelyn that she really has no choice but to accept his offer of help and she agrees to go with him. The snowstorm continues to rage as they head to Storm’s cabin. Unfortunately, and no thanks to a deer in the road Storm is forced to avoid, Storm also loses control of his truck and crashes into a ravine off the road and they find themselves stuck. With no hope of being found over the weekend, they are forced to settle in and wait and find creative ways to stay warm.
The first half of this story, Storm and Evelyn are stuck in his truck, in total white out conditions. Their witty banter crosses many subjects that incite everything from humor to strong emotion. Evelyn is a chatterbox and in this situation where she is in very close quarters with a man who she finds herself very attracted to, her inner voice doesn’t always stay “inside” her head. These two strangers find that they can talk to each other and they share intimate details about themselves, often without realizing it.
I loved that Evelyn had no idea who Storm was. She runs scenarios in her head when he first approaches her car that he could be a psycho murderer that only wants to lure her to his home just to kill her. He never lets on that he is a famous rock star from a band called Ashes and Embers. He claims to be a motorbike mechanic–which isn’t really a lie…but clearly not the whole truth. This is something novel for Storm who is used to women falling all over him and while he does sense that Evelyn is attracted to him, she is clear that she has a boyfriend, and has been in a relationship for 12 years.
So, this is a good place to talk about the cheating. I personally have very strong feelings about the issue in real life situations. In my reading, however, I tend to be a bit more lenient. In this story we know that Evelyn is in a long-term relationship. She’s been with her boyfriend Michael for 12 years, since the age of 14. He’s the only man she’s been with, and saying their sex life has gotten ‘comfortable’ is an understatement. It sucks. So you can imagine her surprise when Storm makes her come, through her clothes, with just words and some gentle touching. Evelyn is immediately swamped with guilt, but can’t remember the last time Michael made her feel that way. It happens two more times. Once after they’ve been rescued and they are at Storm’s cabin. In a hot tub. No penetration, but definitely less clothing. And then there is one more instance that’s more over the line, though still technically not intercourse.
These two continue their friendship once they are back to their “real” lives and Storm, begins to pursue Evelyn in earnest. The author handles this in such a great way. Storm is patient, though very persistent and Evelyn is unable to resist his pull. She makes major life decisions and changes that allow her to return Storm’s attention without further compromising her values and morals.
I enjoyed very much watching Evelyn change and come into her own. Fourteen is so young to attach yourself to one person. Sometimes it works, but for Evelyn, Michael was not her soul mate. And she seemed so clueless and so stuck in a world that she “thought” was what she wanted. As Evelyn begins to gain self confidence she also finds self worth and a kind of maturity that was always there lurking just underneath.
Storm is so very patient. He knows what he wants and he sets out to get it. But he knows that if he pushes too hard, Evelyn will run and he’ll be back at square one. I adored everything that Storm did to woo Evelyn. He always seemed to pop up whenever Evelyn needed him. Everything about Storm screamed “rock star” yet, we saw his true self repeatedly throughout the story whenever he was with Evelyn.
This is not your typical Rock Star romance. The author brings us a beautiful sort of coming of age love story by showing us a scenario of finding your true love when you’re with someone else. There is real focus on Storm and Evelyn which I also loved. Secondary characters filter in and out and Storm’s band mates tease us with what is to come. I will definitely be keeping up with this series.
Rating: B
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