Storm by Carian Cole

Swept away by this Storm

Okay, you might think I would be turned off by a love interest with a name like Storm - Storm Valentine.  And this is his real name mind you, not a nickname or stage name. Well...you’d be wrong! I’m totally feeling it, haha.  Of course, it helps that he is a totally hot, badass character. We’re not talking a nerd type like Louis from Ghostbusters (Thank God).  No, Storm is big, muscular, tattooed, a musician - in my head I pictured a Jason Mamoa type - but you feel free to change it up to your preference.  The other bit of nudge nudge wink wink the author plays with is that the main characters meet by chance in the middle of a snowstorm.  I know - a bit on the nose.  But if you just let that go, this book really will sweep you away.
This is the first in Cole’s Ashes and Embers series of rockstar romances. We meet Evelyn, who is an anxious, neurotic mess. She gets lost on her way to a work conference, her car gets stuck and Storm finds her in the snow.  They go to his truck only to crash and get stuck together for 2 days until the storm passes, their only chaperone - Storm’s dog. Talk about a Meet Cute.  I like beginnings like this because the characters are in forced proximity with each other and can’t escape. They are forced to learn about each other and they both have an impact on the other.  Storm realizes there’s something about Evelyn - underneath all her complicated layers - and he wants to pursue her. The only problem - she’s been in a long term relationship with someone for 12 years and has no plans to break up with her childhood sweetheart - no matter how drawn to Storm she is, or how much she is starting to notice the flaws in her current relationship.
The author does a really good job of showing us Evelyn’s internal turmoil.  She doesn’t just throw caution to the wind and jump into Storm’s muscular, tattooed arms.  She torments herself for even thinking of it.  And yes, at some points throughout the book, I was shouting at her to “wake the bleep up!” but I think the slow burn between Evelyn and Storm in this case is actually really great.  Storm is a complex character, and really, he’s very sweet.  At one point he takes care of Evelyn when she is sick and it’s pretty darn swoon-worthy.
I think you should definitely pick up this book. Cole was a new author to me and I will definitely be coming back for more.
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