Storm by Carian Cole is, well, the perfect storm! Main character Evie (Evelyn) winds up getting stuck with famous guitarist, Storm Valentine during a blizzard. The thing is, she doesn’t know he’s famous at first. Despite the attraction between them, Evie is in a long term (but dead end) relationship so she tries to be *just friends* with Storm. Better yet, Storm is a bad boy with a soft heart. If you love forced proximity or slow burn romances, this will be the book for you!
The Plot
The story opens on a series of unfortunate events. Evie is going to a conference for work during a blizzard when she gets stuck on the side of the road. She has no cell service, no food, and no water. Worst of all, she’s alone since her boyfriend refused to accompany her. Then, Storm comes to the rescue… but also ends up stuck. Luckily he has food and water, so they just have to wait together in his truck. The main plot is centered around Evie’s relationship with Storm. You will be glued to every page when it comes to Storm, and when it ends you’ll be begging for more.
Evie’s Development and Relationships
Both Evie and Storm have to grow and change over the course of the novel, but Evie changes more. By the end of the book, Evie is more confident in herself, more secure in her self-worth, and willing to take risks after playing it safe her whole life. She finally learns what she wants in life and in a relationship. Evie also becomes empowered to take charge of her life. She realizes that she deserves better than what she had been settling for before the beginning of the book, and before she met Storm.
The chemistry between Evie and Storm is electric, like lightning. Not only is Storm super hot and wealthy, but he also has the kindest heart. Anyone attracted to men would fantasize about Storm. Their dynamic feels natural throughout the book and the tension is through the roof! There was almost a sense of insta-love/love at first sight in the beginning, but I saw it more as LUST at first sight, so I gave it a pass. If that’s an issue for you, this might not be the book for you. I will say that there is plenty of longing and will they/won’t they in this book, though.
Themes and Tropes in Storm
This book implements some of my favorite tropes. When I found this book, it was because I was specifically looking for a forced proximity romance. Storm does Forced Proximity right. They weren’t trapped together too long, but they spent enough time alone together to satisfy that craving for me. Another trope in this book that Cole did well was the hurt and comfort scenes. As someone who isn’t a huge fan of this trope in general, Storm may have changed my mind. To prevent spoilers, let’s talk about theme. I felt that the theme had a lot to do with overcoming fears.
Writing Style and Narrative Voice
Storm is written in a present tense, first person point of view. Set in current times, everything about this book felt realistic enough to allow me to suspend my disbelief. Is it likely that you’d meet a rockstar and fall in love in the middle of a snowstorm? Absolutely not! But if it were to happen, Storm feels plausible because of the pacing and the respect that grows between the love interests. I enjoyed Evie’s point of view because she is a relatable, flawed character that feels like someone I could meet in real life. The narration really took me into her mind and allowed me to live vicariously through her.
Emotional Impact of Storm
The scene where Storm introduces Evie to his family during the holidays stuck with me as someone who didn’t grow up with a big (or particularly close) family. Over the course of the book Evie, and therefore we, slowly fall in love with Storm, his family, and the world Carian Cole crafted. She allows both characters room to long for each other which also made me long for the story even long after I finished it. If you are in a reading slump and need something easy to tear through, this will become your favorite cure.
Atmosphere
Cole creates a heartwarming, yet sexy atmosphere that you wish you could be in all the time. There is something so romantic about snow and the holidays that always manages to make my insides melt. It is a complete fantasy that brings you all the emotional turmoil you want in a romance novel. Because Storm is a musician, they spend time going to gigs which adds to that bad boy with a heart of gold vibe. Overall it feels big and glamorous at times, and cozy at others. All of this (and more) only work to enhance the emotional journey Cole built.
Conflict Resolution and Conclusion
In this forced proximity romance, Evie evolves, gaining confidence and clarity on what she desires from life and love. The novel excels at creating a believable and tense dynamic between characters, exploring themes of overcoming fear, with a style that captivates readers with emotional depth. I won’t spoil anything other than the fact that this book has a happy ending. Beyond that, it has a SATISFYING ending that makes you want to pick up the next book in the series.
Storm, Ashes and Embers, Stage Dive, and By Your Side.
Storm is tamer than the other installments of the Ashes and Embers series. It is the book that feels the happiest overall and it explores way fewer taboo topics than some of its sequels. Comparing Cole’s Ashes and Embers to Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive, both have a lot in common. They’re both rockstar romances and use some of the same tropes. Overall, Ashes and Embers is darker than Stage Dive, but both are good for what they are.
When it comes to forced proximity romances, the most similar book I can think of is By Your Side by Kasie West. Where Storm is spicy and steamy, By Your Side is cute, and more of a teenage take on these tropes. Storm is a more adult version of a similar story. Both main characters are anxious women, and both love interests are misunderstood bad boy types with good hearts. While there are some plot differences, they are almost the same story for different audiences.
Thoughts and Reflections
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Storm. It did exactly what I wanted it to do for me, and more since I went on to read the rest of the series. I would highly recommend picking this book up if you’re looking for a spicy contemporary romance, NOT a literary masterpiece like Pride and Prejudice. For the type of book it is, I would give storm a 5/5 star rating. However, when grading it overall, It would probably land somewhere around a 4/10. This book is amazing at capturing your attention and serving you a fantasy, but it’s not anything groundbreaking in the grand scheme of things.
Do you plan on reading Storm? Have you read it before, and if so, what are your thoughts?
Check out my post all about creating lovable characters here