THE SWEETEST CHASE (HEART OF THE STORM #2)

Photographer Quinn Parker is getting married in a month, and she’s almost happy about it. Even though her mother is planning the whole wedding. Even though she’s secretly had the hots for Simon Chase forever. But he’s her best friend’s brother and her coworker…off-limits even if she were single. So she’s marrying the man who should be her perfect match—and that’s that.

Simon Chase’s life revolves around his family’s storm-chasing business. The meteorologist of the bunch, he’d rather be out in the weather than reporting it—especially if Quinn Parker is along to photograph the run. He’s been hiding his crush on her for a long time, and it’s only intensified. But she’s marrying someone else—and that’s that.

Or is it? When a Chase family wedding sets the stage for body temperatures to rise and the pressure of Quinn’s impending wedding to build, a new reality breaks. Quinn and Simon discover their unrequited affections have been mutual all along. When the gathering storm of their attraction finally reaches its peak, will it leave their lives in shambles? Or will they find shelter in each other?

Release Date: February 23, 2016

Montlake Romance

Heart of the Storm series book #2

Review copy provided by the publisher

Nikki’s Review:

Sharla Lovelace is a fabulous writer. It’s clear that she's researched tornados and those who track them. I love getting on board with the Chase family and going for a bumpy ride through a storm! It's exhilarating and scary all at once! I really enjoyed book 1 in this series, so I was eager to dive into this one!

Simon Chase has been secretly in love with Quinn Parker for years. She's engaged to another man, which means keeping himself in check. I love friends to lovers stories! I like that there was a relationship before lust enters the picture. Simon and Quinn are best friends, so the waters are a bit murky when changing things up, and the whole fiancé thing puts a damper on it too! 

Here's where I struggled in this book. Quinn's fiancé, Eric, is a nice guy! I wanted to hate him because then Quinn could just ditch his ass and get together with Simon. But that's not the case here. While, Eric isn't perfect, he has flaws like anyone else, he was a good guy. I wouldn't say he was the guy for Quinn though. He did stifle her in some areas, she lost a bit of her true self with him. There were moments were I felt like the story was bordering on cheating. Not true cheating, but a few passionate kisses between Quinn and Simon. It was enough to make me mad. I felt like Quinn was stringing Eric along, with him thinking that everything was ok. This went on until almost the end of the book. I really would have liked for her to let him go a lot sooner. Again, if Eric had been a jerk, I wouldn't have cared as much, but he loved Quinn and was a pretty good guy.

Lawd, it took FOREVER for Simon and Quinn to finally get together! Somewhere around the 90% mark. This went on for far too long. I would have liked to have seen them more as a couple finding their footing. Most of the book was the constant tug of war with Quinn's heart and the decisions she needed to make. The end seemed rushed. It was like, they weren't together, and then they were engaged and Eric was left dumbfounded. 

The writing is strong in this book, Ms. Lovelace is certainly talented! And though I struggled with a few aspects, I'm really looking forward to the other books in this series. This is a family saga, and I love those! If you're looking for a series with strong and likeable characters, give this one a try!

LOVING THE CHASE

Charming, adventurous Zach Chase has always craved the spotlight, and now he’s on the hunt for publicity for his family’s storm-chasing business. So when a reality TV network approaches him with the idea for a show profiling their work, he can’t resist. But the last person he expects to walk into the meeting is the former love of his life.

Production assistant Maddi Hayes was once engaged to Zach—until she was almost killed by a tornado he was out chasing. She walked away from her fiancé and their future together, convinced she’d always come second to his dangerous career.

Dreading the show and anxious over working so closely with Zach, Maddi also knows this project could mean big things for her career. If only Zach weren’t still so infuriating…and so infuriatingly sexy. Can they finally let go of their stormy past? Or will the passion still raging between them win in the end?

Release Date: August 25, 2015

Montlake Romance

Heart of the Storm #1

Review copy provided by publisher

Nikki’s Review:

When I open a book by a new to me author, I'm always filled with a certain amount of trepidation. I can always count on my favourite authors to deliver the stories that I want to read. So, reading someone new sets me a little off balance. Let me tell you, Ms. Lovelace has a new fan! I was completely engrossed in her writing from the first page!

I love watching documentaries about tornados. I have this morbid fascination with the destructive beauty of them. They completely terrify me; the very thought of them makes me shiver. But I can't look away when they are on the tv screen. Initially, the fact that the hero, Zach, is a storm chaser, is what drew me to the book. But this whole book wasn't just about the storms that our Earth creates, it was also about the storms that we create on our own. The turbulence that our hearts go through when love is involved.

Maddi never stopped loving Zach. And when they are thrown together to create the pilot for a reality show based on storm chasing, her feelings come roaring to the surface. Maddi left Zach seven years earlier because she couldn't compete with his adrenaline junkie lifestyle. She had met a tornado up close and personal, and it nearly killed her. She had to get away from it all. I can't imagine always wondering if the person you love will come home at the end of the day. I imagine Maddi always waiting for that phone call. And when she is swallowed up in her home by a tornado, she does what most people would do; she looks for a place of calm and safety. And that isn't with someone who runs right into these violent winds and debris.

Zach loves what he does. He loves working with his siblings and carrying on his fathers legacy. But he's also completely misunderstood. He's so much more than what his family gives him credit for. They all think he fools around and takes nothing seriously when he isn't chasing funnel clouds. So it's no surprise that he doesn't tell them about his budding woodworking company. He's always regretted never going after Maddi. He's always missed her and kept her deep in his heart. And when he has the chance to make things right, he doesn't necessarily say all the right things!

Man, these two are so hot together! And I don't mean just all lovey dovey and stuff. Their arguments and yelling matches are epic. There is so much pent up hurt and love. I was practically squeezing my kindle violently with anxiety, waiting for these two to make up and make out! Maddi has groveling to do for the way she left. She has rights to make wrong. And when things come to a head with Hannah, her former best friend and Zach's sister, the crap hits the fan. As I was reading the words that Maddi was ripping from her soul...well it just tore me to shreds. Listening to her talk about how Zach was her everything and she loved him with her whole heart...yup, there were some tears! These two were so in love and they couldn't see beyond there own hurt. I wanted to knock some sense into them.

There's always a moment in a book that I feel those little butterflies flutter their wings in my tummy. Sometimes my heart gallops a bit too. And it isn't always for the same reasons. In this book, the butterflies visited when Maddi and Zach get caught in the rain. When they can no longer deny anything. When all their hurt and love comes barreling forward. It was like a scene from a movie playing in my head. The hero pulls the heroine in close, they're all wet, water dripping from their eyelids, and then they close the gap completely and kiss. I could practically hear the music that would have been playing. The love scene certainly wasn't anything kinky or over the top, but it was beautiful and romantic. And it was in the rain. Kind of fitting for them really. My only complaint is that it took a little longer than I would have liked to get to that point. I'm impatient that way.

Of course there's some regret and not everything is worked out by a beautiful bump and grind in the rain. There's some truly fabulous climatic stuff that I won't spoil. They have their own storms to overcome and one big ass tornado to outrun! I'm so happy that I opened this book. Like I said, reading new stuff is always a little nerve wracking. I love being in a book high and when I'm thrown off course, it's awful. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series and visiting with Zach's crazy and completely loveable family. This book is beautifully written and with a solid plot, it just captivated me. There are so many great characters in this story that deserve their own book. I will definitely be adding Sharla Lovelace to my TBR!