Riding the Storm [Paperback]

Former Navy SEAL Remy Begnaud can really make a girl feel all tingly inside. Literally. All his life, Remy has been able to call storms. Lightning, rain, hail, tornadoes and hurricanes come at his command, and sometimes without it. Mother Nature is very demanding of him. He never wanted the gift, but he's got it. When a storm is brewing outside there's also a storm brewing inside Remy, which can only be released by intense sex which has always frightened the women in his life.

Parameterologist Haley Holmes works for ACRO, the Agency for Covert Rare Operatives. Although she doesn't have a rare gift such as telekinesis, or being a medium, she loves her job. Her boss has sent her to Bayou Blond, in Louisiana, to investigate Remy Begnaud to see if the reports of his abilities are true, and if so, to see if he can be recruited for ACRO. She's heard that he's a firecracker in a storm and Haley have never shied away from sex, and she doesn't plan to start now.

Remy and Haley meet with a bang, and it doesn't let up from there. He's skeptical at first, but when ACRO's rival, the Itor Corporation, shows up to try and recruit Remy, all hell breaks loose, and Remy realizes that he's found the one way he can control his gift: making love with Haley.

This is a tough review for me to write. When I started reading Riding the Storm, I thought, "If this is going to be a lot of sex scenes mixed with a little bit of story, then I'm going to be mad." But the more I got into the book, the more I realized that the early sex scenes were the perfect way for Ms. Croft to showcase Remy's talents, and the troubles that those talents have given him.

The morning after the storm, when Remy and Haley were getting to know one another after their night of passion, I settled in for what became a fantastic read. I liked these two characters separately, and loved them together. Their chemistry is electrifying and will sting the reader, in a good way.

Riding the Storm is full of hunky alpha males and strong, independent women who know what they want and aren't afraid to go after it. For me, Riding the Storm went from a I-have-to-read-for-review book to a I-can't-wait-to-finish-it-and-start-the-next-one book as quickly as a tornado moves through Texas.

Ms. Croft has crafted a Joyfully Reviewed Recommended Read for me, and I'm anxiously awaiting the second book in the ACRO series.

Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Here's a phrase I never thought I'd use: There's just too much sex in this book. I love erotic romance. It's difficult for me to get through a kisses-only romance because I crave the steam, the passion, and the electrically-charged encounters in a spicier book. But I also crave romance. I want to see relationship development and the day-to-day interaction that doesn't involve throbbing, dripping sex organs and screaming orgasms. In PNR and adventure romance, I want to read about science and problem solving. I want the book to engage my inner geek as well as my inner romantic. I want to get to know the characters, and I don't want to sacrifice plot for steam. Above all, I want balance. Riding the Storm isn't balanced.

This book left me feeling cheated. When I first read about a book series that combined science, sex, and superheroes, I thought "Wow! This series is so for me." I've always been a fan of weather phenomena and I'm a bit of a storm chaser, so the weather element of Haley and Remy's story in Riding the Storm really appealed to me. When I opened the book, I was looking forward to geeking out with technical weather lingo, superhero action, and descriptions of cool weather-tracking instruments. I was disappointed to find relatively little superhero action and even less science. What I got instead was an endless sex scene and a less-than-believable romance that equated immediate intense sexual attraction with true love. Love at first sight is difficult enough to pull off, but love at first orgasm really tests my ability to suspend disbelief.

Riding the Storm isn't all bad (far from it!). Remy and Haley are interesting people. They have amazing sexual chemistry and good relationship chemistry (though the latter wasn't explored in detail). Remy is strong and powerful, and Haley is calm and steadfast. Neither is hesitant or afraid to yield to the other when it's appropriate.

Dev, the leader of ACRO, is a pretty cool guy. While he wasn't my favorite character, I enjoyed learning his back story and seeing how he related with the ACRO team. I really enjoyed reading about Wyatt and Ender as well, and I'm hoping their stories are stronger than Remy's story.

I loved the side story about ACRO team members Creed and Annika. Creed is a powerful man that can communicate with ghosts and spirits. He's huge, pierced, tattooed, and hot, and he's clearly in love with tough chick Annika. Annika can control electricity. She can kill with just a touch. No one is immune to her deadly powers except the one man that drives her crazy with both anger and lust. Whew. Their story is sizzling. Apparently Creed and Annika's story runs throughout the series, and they haven't gotten a full book yet. I really hope they do because they're just absolutely amazing together and Creed is one of the hottest Alpha males I've ever met in a book.

The sex, although overwhelmingly abundant and in need of some toning down, is fantastic. Stephanie Tyler and Larissa Ione write amazing sex scenes. I'd call them love scenes, but unfortunately most of them really are just sex. My favorite sex scenes were the ones between Remy and Haley during the worst storms, and all the ones between Creed and Annika.

The superhero element still excites me because it's so rare in erotic romance, and the last third of Riding the Storm did deliver some good superhero action.

Riding the Storm is a good book. What's disappointing to me is that it easily could have been so much better. The book was interesting enough that I went ahead and bought the second and third book, and I do plan to read them. I'm interested in the superhero storylines and I love the characters. I just hope books 2, 3, and beyond focus more on the interesting characters and the fascinating world Ms. Ione and Ms. Tyler have created, and less on the sex that distracts us from the story.

For me this book falls somewhere between a B- and a C+. For readers that don't mind sacrificing plot for incredible and creative sex scenes, it might be an A.

Riding the Storm is a paranormal erotic romance that pulls the reader into a fascinating world where the race is on to control the world's weather. Remy is a ex-Seal whose sexual desire triggers powerful storms which he can't control. Haley is a parameteorologist who wants to recruit Remy for the agency she works for. But she might have gotten a little more than she bargained for when she and Remy explode sexually.

The chemistry between the two lead characters is powerful and steamy. The book is well-written and engages the reader immediately. The secondary characters, especially Annika and Creed, add even more spice to this novel. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a really good erotic romance.

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