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Southern Storms #1
Hurricane Beach
Can a hurricane threatening the Georgia coast reunite the once high school sweethearts?
With her disgruntled teenage daughter in tow, Anna, a recently divorced paramedic, returns to Magnolia Hill to heal and to prove to herself she is capable of providing for them on her own. Soon her old small-town life she had left behind catches up with her—but not all in a good way. Only by facing her fears and the people who’ve told her she’s not worthy can she make room in her heart to love again.
Two years after a car accident that claimed his wife, Chief Meteorologist Jason Morrison is still grieving. However, when he collides with Anna at a community event, memories of his senior year resurface, and he can’t get her out of his mind. He invites her to tag along on an opportunity of a lifetime—to cover Hurricane Gerard’s landfall at Tybee Island—just as friends.
Nothing ever goes as planned, though. Spending time together rekindles the familiar feelings they had for each other when they dated in high school nearly two decades ago. But they can’t be together. Too much has changed. He’s made a sacred promise. She has to learn to trust again. Will they find a way?
If you enjoy clean romances with charming characters and a small-town feel, stories about second chances, and the excitement of stormy weather, then you’ll love Lexie Nicholas’s debut novel.
With her disgruntled teenage daughter in tow, Anna, a recently divorced paramedic, returns to Magnolia Hill to heal and to prove to herself she is capable of providing for them on her own. Soon her old small-town life she had left behind catches up with her—but not all in a good way. Only by facing her fears and the people who’ve told her she’s not worthy can she make room in her heart to love again.
Two years after a car accident that claimed his wife, Chief Meteorologist Jason Morrison is still grieving. However, when he collides with Anna at a community event, memories of his senior year resurface, and he can’t get her out of his mind. He invites her to tag along on an opportunity of a lifetime—to cover Hurricane Gerard’s landfall at Tybee Island—just as friends.
Nothing ever goes as planned, though. Spending time together rekindles the familiar feelings they had for each other when they dated in high school nearly two decades ago. But they can’t be together. Too much has changed. He’s made a sacred promise. She has to learn to trust again. Will they find a way?
If you enjoy clean romances with charming characters and a small-town feel, stories about second chances, and the excitement of stormy weather, then you’ll love Lexie Nicholas’s debut novel.
Audiobook
First published August 1, 2020
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About the author
Lexie Nicholas
6 books49 followers👋🏻 Hi, I'm Lexie. I write clean & wholesome small-town romances. 💞
Do you enjoy sitting out on your back porch, sipping on tea, and watching afternoon storms roll in? Yes? Then we're kindred spirits and you'll love the unruly weather in my Southern Storms series that complicates things considerably for the main characters in my novels.
I live with my hubby smack-dab in the middle of the beautiful state of Alabama. Although it gets hot and muggy in the summer where we live, the beach and inspiration for my next novels are only a weekend trip away.
Not sure if Magnolia Hill and the town's charming characters are your cup of tea? Read Flood Waters, a Southern Storms novella, for free right here: https://bit.ly/3KSHYLd. Flood Waters is exclusive to my email-list subscribers, but you can always click the unsubscribe link if you don't want to receive my newsletter any longer.
If you want to read more, I also write lighthearted sweet mystery romances with ghosties as Nickie Cochran.
And don't forget to follow me on GR!!!
Enjoy!!! ❤️
Do you enjoy sitting out on your back porch, sipping on tea, and watching afternoon storms roll in? Yes? Then we're kindred spirits and you'll love the unruly weather in my Southern Storms series that complicates things considerably for the main characters in my novels.
I live with my hubby smack-dab in the middle of the beautiful state of Alabama. Although it gets hot and muggy in the summer where we live, the beach and inspiration for my next novels are only a weekend trip away.
Not sure if Magnolia Hill and the town's charming characters are your cup of tea? Read Flood Waters, a Southern Storms novella, for free right here: https://bit.ly/3KSHYLd. Flood Waters is exclusive to my email-list subscribers, but you can always click the unsubscribe link if you don't want to receive my newsletter any longer.
If you want to read more, I also write lighthearted sweet mystery romances with ghosties as Nickie Cochran.
And don't forget to follow me on GR!!!
Enjoy!!! ❤️
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 17, 2023
This is a sweet, second chance romance set in a small town near Savannah. The two main characters are Anna, newly divorced from an abusive husband, and Jason, a meteorologist with a local TV station, whose wife died two years ago. The two dated in high school but Jason broke it off because of college. Anna and her daughter are living with Anna's mom for the time until she gets a job. Jason has a daughter the same age and the two girls bond quickly. Anna and Jason get reacquainted while Anna travels with Jason and his cameraman to cover a hurricane on Tybee Island. The spark is still there but both are gun shy. This is a nice story with great small-town characters and a lovely setting. I plan to check out the next in the series.
December 21, 2025
An interesting story about a weatherman/stormchaser re-uniting with his high school girlfriend. It was a solid story. Triggers: Being in a hurricane.
Read
July 2, 2023Hi all,
If you love clean & wholesome second-chance romances with the excitement of unruly weather, then this will be the book for you.
You can grab your copy here: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/...
I'll keep you posted when I have new deals coming up.
Until next time,
Lexie
If you love clean & wholesome second-chance romances with the excitement of unruly weather, then this will be the book for you.
You can grab your copy here: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/audiobook/...
I'll keep you posted when I have new deals coming up.
Until next time,
Lexie
July 29, 2022
Such a sweet, well told story. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and recommend it. I love when an author writes so descriptively that I can envision where it is set. Anna and Jason were a teenage couple who went their separate ways. Years later they reconnect when Anna moves back home. I loved everything about this book: the interesting characters, being able to be in Magnolia Hill, teenage angst, storm chasing and most of all a happily ever after. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway courtesy of the publisher. I willingly offer my honest review.
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway courtesy of the publisher. I willingly offer my honest review.
July 13, 2022
I enjoyed this heartwarming story with compelling characters and a interesting plot. I found this as a daily deal on Chirp. The narrator added to my enjoyment of this book. Happy reading and listening!
July 10, 2022
So this book had good bones. Unfortunately, the lack of editing made it cumbersome and confusing. The language is so rudimentary that it seems like it was written by an angsty teenager. The continuity issues are plentiful. Many parts are rushed and other parts are redundant. The character development is nonexistent. It’s a shame because it could have been so much better than it was!
July 13, 2022
Kissing only book. Sweet story.
June 4, 2023
I thought I'd like this Second Chance small town southern romance between Jason, a widowed TV weatherman, and Anna, a paramedic whose ex-husband had physically abused her.
They reconnect in their gossipy home town near Savannah, Georgia, after Anna escaped her abusive ex in Colorado. They both have teenage daughters, but Anna's inexplicably wants to go back to her abusive father: "he never hurt me, only you." Ugh, really? She seemed like a selfish brat but then, magically, she changes for the better. There's a lot of that.
Other characters suddenly and dramatically change, including one mean-spirited woman who does so after going to church. This is a faith-based community, and no one questions Anna's mom when she says, "You can't argue with the Bible."
Also, and I am not making this up, this is the 4th book in a row where the male MC REPEATEDLY "rakes his hand through his thick hair." Heck, Jason did that at least 4 times in this book.
Anna's mother also constantly called her adult daughter "baby girl." I've been to Georgia many times and don't remember hearing this. But even if it's a common term of endearment, the appellation grated a bit.
There's also a lot of stilted "wholesome" dialogue and descriptions. This book makes Hallmark movies seem edgy.
And I'm too old for G rated romance (unless it's a 2 hour Hallmark movie or a 5 star romance novel that nails everything else). Jason and Anna apparently never had sex in high school, and then, as single adults in their 30s, they spent a night in a hotel room together just "hugging and kissing" before falling asleep. Yeah, right.
Then again, Anna is presented as a self-loathing mess with PTSD and "food issues." She repeatedly describes herself as "overweight." In fact, she notes that she is a "size 20 woman" with a big belly who eats cupcakes and thinks nothing of eating a full pint of ice cream in one sitting. I looked up what a size 20 woman looks like, and I saw some very obese women. But I can't recall EVER seeing an obese paramedic.
Overweight men and women certainly deserve love and happiness. And it's wrong to publicly shame and insult people because of their weight (as one of Anna's old classmates does to Anna at an outdoor movie). People are much more than what they look like physically. Heck, my last 5 star review was for Romantic Comedy, which featured an average looking but smart and witty woman who dates a handsome pop star.
But I don't go to the movies or devote days of reading to finish a book to experience the romantic lives of obese people. I prefer to see and read about the genetic lottery winners or at least people who most people would rate as being at least a 6. You can call that shallow and superficial, but most people, by far, are like me. The most popular books, movies, and TV shows all feature very attractive people. We like living vicariously through them. That's just a fact, and to self righteously claim otherwise is simply dishonest and disingenuous. Plus, obesity is NOT OK and causes a dramatic increase in health problems and shorter life spans. Obese people shouldn't be humiliated, but obesity shouldn't be celebrated.
Again, call me superficial, but stories about overweight women sharing hotel rooms with guys who eat bad eggs and get the "runs from Hell" (chapter 28) is not what I'm looking for in a romance fantasy.
And yet the cover of Hurricane Beach showed a good-looking fit couple (as these books usually do) strolling by the beach. That's false advertising. In contrast, Talia Hibbert and Olivia Dade write well reviewed novels about overweight women. The covers of their books honestly reveal the physical appearance of their heroines. That's great. I'm sure there's an audience for such books, but it's not something I'm interested in.
This book also reminded me too much of the movie Twister, which involved a bunch of idiots chasing after tornadoes. It strikes me as hypocritical when reporters tell people to stay home because of a storm's danger while those reporters are out there in the danger themselves (2 were killed during a storm in North Carolina in 2018).
Ironically, I found all the weather coverage to be a little boring. And it was a bit disturbing to have the storm crew all characterize the damage and destruction as "awesome" and "cool."
There's also a weird backstory involving Anna's long lost father that seemed ridiculous and wildly unrealistic.
Perhaps the most disappointing problem with the book was the absence of humor and witty banter.
I just didn't connect with this book or its characters, and I almost DNF about halfway through when the ghost of Jason's dead wife Caroline showed up. I realize that it's hard to get over the loss of a loved one, but I think it's lazy writing when that problem gets magically resolved by a ghost.
I'm obviously not the target demographic for a book that features, repeatedly, a crochet store called Spinning Yarns.
This was a 1 star read for me but I'm bumping it up to 2 stars because I've imposed a superficiality penalty on myself even though my next 5 star review will hopefully feature a woman who looks more like Charlize Theron.
They reconnect in their gossipy home town near Savannah, Georgia, after Anna escaped her abusive ex in Colorado. They both have teenage daughters, but Anna's inexplicably wants to go back to her abusive father: "he never hurt me, only you." Ugh, really? She seemed like a selfish brat but then, magically, she changes for the better. There's a lot of that.
Other characters suddenly and dramatically change, including one mean-spirited woman who does so after going to church. This is a faith-based community, and no one questions Anna's mom when she says, "You can't argue with the Bible."
Also, and I am not making this up, this is the 4th book in a row where the male MC REPEATEDLY "rakes his hand through his thick hair." Heck, Jason did that at least 4 times in this book.
Anna's mother also constantly called her adult daughter "baby girl." I've been to Georgia many times and don't remember hearing this. But even if it's a common term of endearment, the appellation grated a bit.
There's also a lot of stilted "wholesome" dialogue and descriptions. This book makes Hallmark movies seem edgy.
And I'm too old for G rated romance (unless it's a 2 hour Hallmark movie or a 5 star romance novel that nails everything else). Jason and Anna apparently never had sex in high school, and then, as single adults in their 30s, they spent a night in a hotel room together just "hugging and kissing" before falling asleep. Yeah, right.
Then again, Anna is presented as a self-loathing mess with PTSD and "food issues." She repeatedly describes herself as "overweight." In fact, she notes that she is a "size 20 woman" with a big belly who eats cupcakes and thinks nothing of eating a full pint of ice cream in one sitting. I looked up what a size 20 woman looks like, and I saw some very obese women. But I can't recall EVER seeing an obese paramedic.
Overweight men and women certainly deserve love and happiness. And it's wrong to publicly shame and insult people because of their weight (as one of Anna's old classmates does to Anna at an outdoor movie). People are much more than what they look like physically. Heck, my last 5 star review was for Romantic Comedy, which featured an average looking but smart and witty woman who dates a handsome pop star.
But I don't go to the movies or devote days of reading to finish a book to experience the romantic lives of obese people. I prefer to see and read about the genetic lottery winners or at least people who most people would rate as being at least a 6. You can call that shallow and superficial, but most people, by far, are like me. The most popular books, movies, and TV shows all feature very attractive people. We like living vicariously through them. That's just a fact, and to self righteously claim otherwise is simply dishonest and disingenuous. Plus, obesity is NOT OK and causes a dramatic increase in health problems and shorter life spans. Obese people shouldn't be humiliated, but obesity shouldn't be celebrated.
Again, call me superficial, but stories about overweight women sharing hotel rooms with guys who eat bad eggs and get the "runs from Hell" (chapter 28) is not what I'm looking for in a romance fantasy.
And yet the cover of Hurricane Beach showed a good-looking fit couple (as these books usually do) strolling by the beach. That's false advertising. In contrast, Talia Hibbert and Olivia Dade write well reviewed novels about overweight women. The covers of their books honestly reveal the physical appearance of their heroines. That's great. I'm sure there's an audience for such books, but it's not something I'm interested in.
This book also reminded me too much of the movie Twister, which involved a bunch of idiots chasing after tornadoes. It strikes me as hypocritical when reporters tell people to stay home because of a storm's danger while those reporters are out there in the danger themselves (2 were killed during a storm in North Carolina in 2018).
Ironically, I found all the weather coverage to be a little boring. And it was a bit disturbing to have the storm crew all characterize the damage and destruction as "awesome" and "cool."
There's also a weird backstory involving Anna's long lost father that seemed ridiculous and wildly unrealistic.
Perhaps the most disappointing problem with the book was the absence of humor and witty banter.
I just didn't connect with this book or its characters, and I almost DNF about halfway through when the ghost of Jason's dead wife Caroline showed up. I realize that it's hard to get over the loss of a loved one, but I think it's lazy writing when that problem gets magically resolved by a ghost.
I'm obviously not the target demographic for a book that features, repeatedly, a crochet store called Spinning Yarns.
This was a 1 star read for me but I'm bumping it up to 2 stars because I've imposed a superficiality penalty on myself even though my next 5 star review will hopefully feature a woman who looks more like Charlize Theron.
August 5, 2025
I love a good second chance romance. Storm chasing, but instead of twisters, they are chasing hurricanes. Very clean romance and I liked how the kids were both behind the relationship. They were dating in high school, but he dumped her right after prom. She was heartbroken and marries someone who is very abusive. She moves away, but once her divorce is finalized, she moves back home to help her mom and a fresh start. His wife had died 2 years ago and he is the chief meteorologist for the local station. Once they bump back into each other, they both feel like it was just yesterday but they both have their own personal demons or issues to deal with. Very good read.
November 10, 2022
Cute, but Very simplistic writing, and found myself skipping pages due to redundancy
June 9, 2023
Cute second chance romance
This is a very cute, sweet second chance romance. After divorcing an abusive husband and returning home to Georgia, Anna reconnects with Jason, her high school sweetheart who is now a meteorologist and dealing with the loss of his wife. I love a good second chance romance.
This is a very cute, sweet second chance romance. After divorcing an abusive husband and returning home to Georgia, Anna reconnects with Jason, her high school sweetheart who is now a meteorologist and dealing with the loss of his wife. I love a good second chance romance.
March 19, 2021
Holy mackerals!!! This book was cute with a capital C! I squealed a lot during this book. The characters, the setting, the weather! Perfect.
Hurricane Beach follows Anna who has recently moved back to her hometown with her daughter after a messy divorce. She bumps into Jason, her highschool sweetheart who is still grieving after his wife's passing.
Together they reconnect over both of their daughters and Jason's profession; storm chasing. Anna and Jason go on a wild ride full of highs and lows. The only problem is neither of them is sure if they are ready to make the leap and fall in love.
I had so much fun reading this book, my expectations were shaky but after chapter one I knew this book was going to be a winner. The small town feels were very well done, I felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie before my eyes. I wish there was so much more!!! The ending was a little rushed but other than that it was wonderful!! I cannot stop gushing. Can't wait for more from Nicholas. 5 out of 5 stars!
Hurricane Beach follows Anna who has recently moved back to her hometown with her daughter after a messy divorce. She bumps into Jason, her highschool sweetheart who is still grieving after his wife's passing.
Together they reconnect over both of their daughters and Jason's profession; storm chasing. Anna and Jason go on a wild ride full of highs and lows. The only problem is neither of them is sure if they are ready to make the leap and fall in love.
I had so much fun reading this book, my expectations were shaky but after chapter one I knew this book was going to be a winner. The small town feels were very well done, I felt like I was watching a Hallmark movie before my eyes. I wish there was so much more!!! The ending was a little rushed but other than that it was wonderful!! I cannot stop gushing. Can't wait for more from Nicholas. 5 out of 5 stars!
April 7, 2022
Great story creation but...
I give the author 5 stars for the conceptualization of this story. There is significant description of the characters and scenes to follow along in my mind's eye, as I'm a visual reader. Occasionally, there was too much unnecessary detail that I found myself skipping over.
Sadly, the author is not literate in the English language and clearly did not use a credible editor, because this read was a stumble over nearly every single page, from the poor grammar and awkward sentence structures to proofreading errors of extra words, missing words and incorrect words, along with the grossly obvious technical errors, made up words, and the very irritating incorrect use of set vs sat, objects are set down and people sat/sit down. Augh!
I would ordinarily dump a book with so much frustration in the words, but I was enjoying the story itself, and that is all that saved this one from being deleted. This author is now relegated to my Blacklist as I cannot bear another poorly written story from her. It's a pity because her story creation is so good.
I give the author 5 stars for the conceptualization of this story. There is significant description of the characters and scenes to follow along in my mind's eye, as I'm a visual reader. Occasionally, there was too much unnecessary detail that I found myself skipping over.
Sadly, the author is not literate in the English language and clearly did not use a credible editor, because this read was a stumble over nearly every single page, from the poor grammar and awkward sentence structures to proofreading errors of extra words, missing words and incorrect words, along with the grossly obvious technical errors, made up words, and the very irritating incorrect use of set vs sat, objects are set down and people sat/sit down. Augh!
I would ordinarily dump a book with so much frustration in the words, but I was enjoying the story itself, and that is all that saved this one from being deleted. This author is now relegated to my Blacklist as I cannot bear another poorly written story from her. It's a pity because her story creation is so good.
April 3, 2023
I had to read this book, as it involved a Hurricane and in Savannah. I knew going into this book that it would likely get things incorrect on both sides of that scope, which of course it turned out to be true. The story between Anna and Jason was certainly cheesy and unrealistic as I also expected. I do love how she named the characters, as well as keeping them very down to earth. It felt jumpy towards the end, after the storm and when she was winding the story down. It could have been shorter if she didn’t drawl out the Ending. The only truly enjoyable part was the storm, even with how much was incorrect on that topic. If not so accurate setting and Hallmark level of cheese pleases you, this will be the book for you.
February 21, 2022
An entertaining, sweet, clean, second chance romance. A storm chasing weatherman and a paramedic will get their second chance at romance if they can move beyond their past heartbreaks.
Lexie Nicholas has written a great story with interesting characters. I enjoyed her style and would love to see more from her.
Frances Anderson has delivered another lovely performance. She did a great job of presenting the story and bringing out the character's personalities.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
Lexie Nicholas has written a great story with interesting characters. I enjoyed her style and would love to see more from her.
Frances Anderson has delivered another lovely performance. She did a great job of presenting the story and bringing out the character's personalities.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.
August 1, 2020
A great beginning to a new series. Small town romance at it's best. The characters are great with ones you love and one's you don't exactly like. I love that the teenagers are a big part of the story too. Anna and Jason are great and you really want to see their second chance work out. Really good read.
August 25, 2020
This is the first book by Lexie Nicholas that I have come across. This is a well written and descriptive book which allows the reader to follow a sweet, small town, second chance romance. It's funny and entertaining, with a sweet happy ever after.
I received a review copy of this book via StoryOrigin and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I received a review copy of this book via StoryOrigin and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
September 2, 2020
9/2/2020
January 22, 2021
Great story. Loved the characters and the settings. Can't wait for the next one.
February 1, 2021
Good
A book about how a young woman and her teenage daughter moved back to her home in Georgia after an abusive marriage.
A book about how a young woman and her teenage daughter moved back to her home in Georgia after an abusive marriage.
September 26, 2022
Nice clean refreshing story about lost love refound. Enjoyable romance.
March 5, 2023
I enjoyed this story of love and healing. The characters were great with some fun, humor and angst. The story was based around a hurricane which made it quite interesting. A great story.
March 23, 2023
Good second chance story
I liked that Jason and Anna met again at a good time in their life and their families could merge together.
I liked that Jason and Anna met again at a good time in their life and their families could merge together.
March 26, 2023
Sweet Story
I received a copy of this book.
Sweet story and characters.
Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
I received a copy of this book.
Sweet story and characters.
Looking forward to reading more books by this author.
May 9, 2023
A bit simplistic and cheesy.
June 25, 2023
Storms & Feelings. A lot of feelings.
Another new to me author thanks to the reading challenges I've been doing. I'm really loving clearing out my Kindle. I'm trying out a new review format.
The Cover:
Normally a cover is the first thing to draw my attention but in this case, it was the title. I've found that I love survival stories but more than that, weather and natural disaster survival stories. Toss in the promised beach setting and the sweet romance and I was sold. I do like the cover as well :)
The Writing:
For the most part, I enjoyed the writing but there were a few parts that seemed forced or unnatural. I really liked the beach scenes and would have loved more stormy descriptions. I don't like to mention typos but there were a couple sprinkles of them here and there.
The Characters:
The characters were just ok. I found Brandon annoying. Ash, Sarah, and Grady- I loved their friendship. Maggie was alright. Jason was ok. Anna was hit-and-miss for me sometimes but overall, not bad.
The Plot:
The hurricane was my favorite aspect. I've wanted to write a book about storm chasers but have yet to figure that out. This offered a taste of that thrilling challenge. There was more risk involved than honest-to-goodness danger. There were a lot of subplots that I didn't expect which made the story seem too busy. Some worked great for the story while others I felt didn't add to the story. I really liked the Spinning Yarns plot. Revamping the craft store to bring in more business was fun. The one subplot I wasn't sure of was
The Romance:
Ok. So, I did like Jason and Anna together. There was chemistry and it just worked. But the road there was rough. There was so much flip-flopping on feelings to the point that it seemed to contradict some statements. This is labeled as a sweet romance, but I think that's misleading.
Content Warnings:
Very mild language. A few H's and mentions of cursing without really swearing. Some kissing and "cuddling" as they called it while sleeping together in a hotel. The next chapter starts with Jason waking up and putting his shorts on. Plus there's Domestic abuse.
Overall:
I'm giving this 2.5 stars. I'd probably continue the series just for the survival parts and nothing else.
Another new to me author thanks to the reading challenges I've been doing. I'm really loving clearing out my Kindle. I'm trying out a new review format.
The Cover:
Normally a cover is the first thing to draw my attention but in this case, it was the title. I've found that I love survival stories but more than that, weather and natural disaster survival stories. Toss in the promised beach setting and the sweet romance and I was sold. I do like the cover as well :)
The Writing:
For the most part, I enjoyed the writing but there were a few parts that seemed forced or unnatural. I really liked the beach scenes and would have loved more stormy descriptions. I don't like to mention typos but there were a couple sprinkles of them here and there.
The Characters:
The characters were just ok. I found Brandon annoying. Ash, Sarah, and Grady- I loved their friendship. Maggie was alright. Jason was ok. Anna was hit-and-miss for me sometimes but overall, not bad.
The Plot:
The hurricane was my favorite aspect. I've wanted to write a book about storm chasers but have yet to figure that out. This offered a taste of that thrilling challenge. There was more risk involved than honest-to-goodness danger. There were a lot of subplots that I didn't expect which made the story seem too busy. Some worked great for the story while others I felt didn't add to the story. I really liked the Spinning Yarns plot. Revamping the craft store to bring in more business was fun. The one subplot I wasn't sure of was
The Romance:
Ok. So, I did like Jason and Anna together. There was chemistry and it just worked. But the road there was rough. There was so much flip-flopping on feelings to the point that it seemed to contradict some statements. This is labeled as a sweet romance, but I think that's misleading.
Content Warnings:
Very mild language. A few H's and mentions of cursing without really swearing. Some kissing and "cuddling" as they called it while sleeping together in a hotel. The next chapter starts with Jason waking up and putting his shorts on. Plus there's Domestic abuse.
Overall:
I'm giving this 2.5 stars. I'd probably continue the series just for the survival parts and nothing else.
April 9, 2025
This sweet, clean romance really tugged at my heartstrings! The story follows Anna, a recently divorced paramedic who returns to her small hometown of Magnolia Hill with her teenage daughter, hoping to heal and prove that she can provide for them on her own. Anna’s journey of self-discovery and healing is inspiring, especially as she faces the ghosts of her past and the people who once doubted her.
Enter Jason Morrison, a grieving chief meteorologist still struggling with the loss of his wife in a car accident two years earlier. When he crosses paths with Anna at a community event, sparks fly, and old memories from their high school years resurface. Jason invites Anna to join him on a career-defining trip to cover Hurricane Gerard’s landfall at Tybee Island, but things quickly become complicated as they reconnect.
What I loved about this book was the depth of the characters. Both Anna and Jason are carrying emotional scars that have shaped their lives, but their growing friendship and rekindled feelings are touching. The tension between their past and present is so well done, and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the struggles of trusting and loving again after so much loss.
The small-town setting adds a lovely layer of warmth, but it’s the emotional growth and healing that really make this story stand out. Anna's journey of learning to trust again and Jason’s battle with his grief felt so real and relatable. The slow burn of their romance is perfect, and their chemistry is undeniable.
This book is a beautiful reminder that life doesn’t always go according to plan, but sometimes, taking risks and facing your fears can lead to new beginnings. The way the story unfolds is heartfelt, and the ending left me with a smile on my face.
If you’re a fan of clean romance with emotional depth and a dash of second-chance love, this one is definitely worth reading. I loved it and highly recommend it!
Enter Jason Morrison, a grieving chief meteorologist still struggling with the loss of his wife in a car accident two years earlier. When he crosses paths with Anna at a community event, sparks fly, and old memories from their high school years resurface. Jason invites Anna to join him on a career-defining trip to cover Hurricane Gerard’s landfall at Tybee Island, but things quickly become complicated as they reconnect.
What I loved about this book was the depth of the characters. Both Anna and Jason are carrying emotional scars that have shaped their lives, but their growing friendship and rekindled feelings are touching. The tension between their past and present is so well done, and the author does a wonderful job of portraying the struggles of trusting and loving again after so much loss.
The small-town setting adds a lovely layer of warmth, but it’s the emotional growth and healing that really make this story stand out. Anna's journey of learning to trust again and Jason’s battle with his grief felt so real and relatable. The slow burn of their romance is perfect, and their chemistry is undeniable.
This book is a beautiful reminder that life doesn’t always go according to plan, but sometimes, taking risks and facing your fears can lead to new beginnings. The way the story unfolds is heartfelt, and the ending left me with a smile on my face.
If you’re a fan of clean romance with emotional depth and a dash of second-chance love, this one is definitely worth reading. I loved it and highly recommend it!
January 21, 2022
Anna leaves Colorado after her divorce from an abusive husband to return home to Magnolia Hill, Georgia near Savannah. To say that her teenage daughter was disgruntled is putting it mildly. There she runs into her high school love Jason, now a weatherman for the local station still grieving his wife. He invites her to go storm watching with him to Tybee Island, just as friends. Will they stay just friends? Magnolia Hill is a small town and the book has a pleasant small town feel to it, bringing back memories of days gone by. The characters are those you would meet in any small town and feel like friends. It was a nice respite after several heavier books. I was given a copy of the audiobook by Story Origin and I enjoyed it very much. The narrator did an excellent job.
December 20, 2021
This is the first book in the Southern Storms Series, a Small Town Romance. This is a sweet and clean second chance to love. Anna and Jason are great characters. I liked the teenagers Ashley (Anna’s daughter) and Sarah (Jason’s daughter). The cast of supporting characters is impressive. The storyline is original and interesting. Magnolia Hills’s scenery is beautifully described. Frances Anderson did a good job with the narration. This is a great debut novel by Lexie Nicholas, and I am looking forward to listening to Twist of Fate, the next book in the series.
August 20, 2022
A pleasant, entertaining story, although there were no problems or stressors to speak of. All the stress is in their heads. One moment they're stressed and the next they've decided to get past it. No evil ex-husband, no greedy town bigwig. Even the bully only gets one shot. The teenage girls are only angsty in brief flashes before they revert to loving their parents. Still, I enjoyed the story and was laughing out loud in places.
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