Building Storm
(A Hawke Family Novel)
by Gwyn McNamee
🌟🌟🌟🌟
"Never have I disliked a hero so much, yet still loved the book"
So don't let the fact that I spent half the book wanting to throat punch Landon put you off this fantastic read. The writing, plot, heroine (Storm), the rest of the Hawke clan and the steaming hot sexy times kept me gripped.
I'm going to get my Landon issues out of the way, so that I can concentrate on the better stuff. He was just a bit too full on, at times, for me. The first time he met Storm, he didn't know her story, so fair dues. However when he did discover she was a recent widow with a very young child, I just felt that his 'sex will cure everything' mantra, and his forceful pursuit was just a bit too much. Bear in mind, THAT WAS JUST ME - it's a very personal and subjective observation, but he irritated me enough that I needed to rant a little.
What was less subjective was his insistence on knowing everything about Storm, whilst keeping a humdinger of a secret. So I'd be up in arms about his as-good-as-lying holding back, and then he'd admit he was out of line. Then he'd push again whilst deliberately not being honest, before admitting his hypocrisy. However this was fully acknowledged by the author, so I'm not taking any stars away and actually sneakily admire her for it.
Why is it so hard for her to just tell me what's going on in that damn
beautiful head of hers?
...but I hate keeping this from Storm. I expect her to open up to me, but I can't do
the same with her. Not yet.......
Hypocrite much?
"All I want is the truth." A bit hypocritical of me to be demanding it from her when I
haven't been fully honest.
Storm I absolutely loved, yes she blew hot and cold but this was TOTALLY understandable. She was a confused, grieving, depressed, hot mess. I felt her pain, I felt her conflict and I definitely felt her lust too :) I also loved how the plot raised the issue of judging those who move on from loss 'too quickly' - especially as it brought me up short!
It was fantastic to catch up with the rest of the Hawkes and their SO's. The banter, the subtle digs, the outright meddling made me laugh on more than one occasion. You can feel their love and respect for one another. The suspense was excellent, even when I semi-guessed some aspects, I didn't have the faintest about others. And boy did Ms McNamee wring every drop of pain that she could from the situation. Bravo!
The heat levels in this are very high and the language is 'industrial', but they both fit the plot and characters extremely well. It never felt gratuitous, cheap or sleazy - just gritty and hot in all the right way! Roll on Saint's story.
She hasn’t been living. He’s looking for a way to forget it all.
My life went up in flames. All I’m left with is my daughter and ashes. The simple act of breathing is so excruciating, there are days I wish I could stop altogether. So I have no business being at the party, and I definitely shouldn’t be in the arms of the handsome stranger. When his lips meet mine, he breathes life into me for the first time since the day the inferno disintegrated my world. But loving again isn’t in the cards, and there are even greater dangers to face than trying to keep Landon McCabe out of my heart.
Running is my only option. I have to get away from Chicago and the betrayal that shattered my world. I need a new life-one without attachments. The vibrancy of New Orleans convinces me it’s possible to start over. Yet in all the excitement of a new city, it’s Storm Hawke’s dark, sad beauty that draws me in. She isn’t looking for love, and we both need a hot, sweaty release without feelings getting involved. But even the best laid plans fail, and life can leave you burned.
Love can build, and love can destroy. But in the end, love is what raises you from the ashes.
***Building Storm is the fourth and final full-length novel in The Hawke Family Series. While it is a complete story, it is NOT meant to be read as a standalone. The story of the Hawke siblings starts in Savage Collision and continues in book two, Tortured Skye, and book three, Stone Sober before reaching the plot in Building Storm. These stories all build on one another and are intertwined. They need to be read in order to fully enjoy and understand the plots and characters. ***
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