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Hurricane Lily
Lily Sawyer flees her controlling, wealthy family in New York City for a solitary existence on Cape Cod. Three months later, a mounting anxiety binds her to the house she can no longer leave.
With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley--an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer--to storm-proof her house.
Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them that could either destroy--or save--everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?
With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley--an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer--to storm-proof her house.
Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them that could either destroy--or save--everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?
120 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 15, 2013
73 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Rogers Maher
11 books58 followersRebecca Rogers Maher writes gritty, realistic stories that push the boundaries of contemporary romance. Publishers Weekly describes her writing as “gripping and touching,” Library Journal calls it “gut-wrenching,” and USA TODAY declares it “very well-done romance…so satisfying.”
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June 8, 2020Not my favourite RRM book - apparently Cliff (the hero) is the half-brother of Henry and Jack from The Bridge/Tanya. I'm having seriously difficulty keeping up with this family, and whose siblings are banging other people's signals.
Anyway, Lily is a hyper-privileged Manhattanite who moves to the summer house she used to visit with her (now deceased) mother for one month a year - pretty much the only place she used to be happy. She's hoping if she gets it renovated she can live there, her rich, emotionally distant father will let her live there, away from everything in New York that makes her miserable. She's very much a poor little rich girl in the mould of Henry from The Bridge, equally lost and riddled with mental health issues, although the deep anger in her is nothing like Henry's gentle hopelessness.
I am always here for an angry heroine. And I continually enjoy how flawed and damaged and sharp-edged RRM allows her heroines to be.
Cliff is the equally angry carpenter who is helping Lily renovate the house. He does not like rich people. He hates the world with the same intensity that Lily fears it.
Their early relationship is highly antagonistic - since they each represent a class stereotype the other simultaneously desires and despises. As the book unfurls they begin to see themselves and each other more clearly, and it's, you know, super hot and raw as you'd expect from a RRM book.
I didn't, however, ultimately warm to this one as much as The Bridge or Tanya. It has the same ... THIS IS JUST A MOMENT quality that I really appreciated in those two, but just like The Bridge has what I personally felt was an unnecessary bomb, this one has what I feel is an unnecessary hurricane. Basically, Lily is clinically anxious, paranoid, and agoraphobic: she stockpiles supplies in case of emergency like a survivalist. (Again, I really like how unglamorously messed up, RRM lets her characters be).
And then there's a literal hurricane that blows down the house.
And I know the deal with both the bomb and the hurricane is this idea that ... you can be knocked out of a mental health rut by a truly shocking event. But, uh, I can only speak for me and my mental health ... but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. I don't believe either a bomb or a hurricane happening to my face would contribute positively to my mental health or my romantic life.
I think it might make both objectively worse.
But a lot of this is just personal romance reader prejudice stuff: I like my internal conflict to be addressed through internal action. And while I think I would feel more cheated if someone's mental health was miraculously solved by sex and/or love I often feel a hurricane, bomb, or zombie apocalpyse doesn't so much feel like a happy ending so much as...
Anyway, Lily is a hyper-privileged Manhattanite who moves to the summer house she used to visit with her (now deceased) mother for one month a year - pretty much the only place she used to be happy. She's hoping if she gets it renovated she can live there, her rich, emotionally distant father will let her live there, away from everything in New York that makes her miserable. She's very much a poor little rich girl in the mould of Henry from The Bridge, equally lost and riddled with mental health issues, although the deep anger in her is nothing like Henry's gentle hopelessness.
I am always here for an angry heroine. And I continually enjoy how flawed and damaged and sharp-edged RRM allows her heroines to be.
Cliff is the equally angry carpenter who is helping Lily renovate the house. He does not like rich people. He hates the world with the same intensity that Lily fears it.
Their early relationship is highly antagonistic - since they each represent a class stereotype the other simultaneously desires and despises. As the book unfurls they begin to see themselves and each other more clearly, and it's, you know, super hot and raw as you'd expect from a RRM book.
I didn't, however, ultimately warm to this one as much as The Bridge or Tanya. It has the same ... THIS IS JUST A MOMENT quality that I really appreciated in those two, but just like The Bridge has what I personally felt was an unnecessary bomb, this one has what I feel is an unnecessary hurricane. Basically, Lily is clinically anxious, paranoid, and agoraphobic: she stockpiles supplies in case of emergency like a survivalist. (Again, I really like how unglamorously messed up, RRM lets her characters be).
And then there's a literal hurricane that blows down the house.
And I know the deal with both the bomb and the hurricane is this idea that ... you can be knocked out of a mental health rut by a truly shocking event. But, uh, I can only speak for me and my mental health ... but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works. I don't believe either a bomb or a hurricane happening to my face would contribute positively to my mental health or my romantic life.
I think it might make both objectively worse.
But a lot of this is just personal romance reader prejudice stuff: I like my internal conflict to be addressed through internal action. And while I think I would feel more cheated if someone's mental health was miraculously solved by sex and/or love I often feel a hurricane, bomb, or zombie apocalpyse doesn't so much feel like a happy ending so much as...
April 24, 2013
Favorite Quote: For the love of all that was holy, she was about to be fucked by the handyman.
And the handyman has a beard! Anyone else excited? The heroine does get dirty with her handyman but it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. This author starts this book with two characters deliciously layered with deep, emotional problems. By all accounts they should have never hooked up, but the author makes it work pretty well. I think the last quarter of the book loses steam and unravels a bit but I’ll get to that in a minute. First let me talk about the good stuff.
Lily Sawyer grew up in New York, wealthy, privileged and miserable. From infancy, she has had severe anxiety and the fact that her father treats her horribly and her mother committed suicide when she was fifteen did not help things. She is obsessed with the world ending or horrible events that could take place. She has meticulously hoarded tons of emergency supplies to be prepared for any situation. She always assumes the worst. Needing to get away from her judgmental friends and family, she tells her father she is going to renovate a falling down house they own at the Cape. This is the house her mother would take her to every summer, where they could dress down and just relax away from the high society of New York. When Lily arrives, she knows the house will need a lot of work but she loves it. She also moves in and literally can’t step back outside. Inside for the past five months, the outside world has become a very scary place.
Using all of her internal effort, she hires a contractor to come out and totally renovate the house. For as much as this scares her, she knows if she doesn’t take this step, she won’t have this house to live in the next year. When Cliff Buckley knocks on her door to start construction, it changes her life.
Cliff hates rich people who come out from the city and demand he work for them. He likes the money they are willing to throw around, but he hates the rich’s pretension and that they are better than he is. He is an inherently angry man. As he says, “to his mind, a person who was not angry at the state of the world was not awake.” He lost his father to cancer awhile ago and has just a sour outlook on life. When he first meets Lily, he thinks “ice queen.” He mistakes her nervousness and anxiety as snooty and snobby.
I found Lily and Cliff to be so interesting in the first half of this book. Cliff is so explosive and angry and his character was so intense and real. He literally hates Lily and she has complex thoughts about him as well. Lily is so damaged and nervous – together I just couldn’t get enough of their interactions. He is so rude to her, yet you could sympathize a little with his emotions.
The way they come together physically is just as intense. The author makes their first couple of sexual encounters gritty and dark and sexy. I really enjoyed.
Once they break through that barrier and start to realize the other person might actually be a good person, the book became a bit weaker to me. I liked that they go to a happy place but I needed more time for Lily to overcome her mental and emotional issues. She is on a rigid medication schedule, she hasn’t left the house for months..these are things I wanted to be addressed and unfold more slowly. Instead it felt rushed. The very end felt too dramatic.
But I liked most of this book enough to recommend. It was different and I’m glad I read it.
Rating: B-
And the handyman has a beard! Anyone else excited? The heroine does get dirty with her handyman but it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. This author starts this book with two characters deliciously layered with deep, emotional problems. By all accounts they should have never hooked up, but the author makes it work pretty well. I think the last quarter of the book loses steam and unravels a bit but I’ll get to that in a minute. First let me talk about the good stuff.
Lily Sawyer grew up in New York, wealthy, privileged and miserable. From infancy, she has had severe anxiety and the fact that her father treats her horribly and her mother committed suicide when she was fifteen did not help things. She is obsessed with the world ending or horrible events that could take place. She has meticulously hoarded tons of emergency supplies to be prepared for any situation. She always assumes the worst. Needing to get away from her judgmental friends and family, she tells her father she is going to renovate a falling down house they own at the Cape. This is the house her mother would take her to every summer, where they could dress down and just relax away from the high society of New York. When Lily arrives, she knows the house will need a lot of work but she loves it. She also moves in and literally can’t step back outside. Inside for the past five months, the outside world has become a very scary place.
Using all of her internal effort, she hires a contractor to come out and totally renovate the house. For as much as this scares her, she knows if she doesn’t take this step, she won’t have this house to live in the next year. When Cliff Buckley knocks on her door to start construction, it changes her life.
Cliff hates rich people who come out from the city and demand he work for them. He likes the money they are willing to throw around, but he hates the rich’s pretension and that they are better than he is. He is an inherently angry man. As he says, “to his mind, a person who was not angry at the state of the world was not awake.” He lost his father to cancer awhile ago and has just a sour outlook on life. When he first meets Lily, he thinks “ice queen.” He mistakes her nervousness and anxiety as snooty and snobby.
I found Lily and Cliff to be so interesting in the first half of this book. Cliff is so explosive and angry and his character was so intense and real. He literally hates Lily and she has complex thoughts about him as well. Lily is so damaged and nervous – together I just couldn’t get enough of their interactions. He is so rude to her, yet you could sympathize a little with his emotions.
The way they come together physically is just as intense. The author makes their first couple of sexual encounters gritty and dark and sexy. I really enjoyed.
Once they break through that barrier and start to realize the other person might actually be a good person, the book became a bit weaker to me. I liked that they go to a happy place but I needed more time for Lily to overcome her mental and emotional issues. She is on a rigid medication schedule, she hasn’t left the house for months..these are things I wanted to be addressed and unfold more slowly. Instead it felt rushed. The very end felt too dramatic.
But I liked most of this book enough to recommend. It was different and I’m glad I read it.
Rating: B-
April 11, 2013
I love it when I get a hold of a book with a really strong voice to it that drives the pace, the plot and the characters. This one felt so raw and tumultuous as it built to that grand finale ending. The title truly is apropos.
Lily is an agoraphobic woman with fears that involve being prepared for various natural disasters. She left her job, friends, home and what was left of her family back in NYC to come here to this small house on the Cape- the only place she and her mother had been happy. Unfortunately, the little home is falling down about her ears and she wants it ready for the hurricane season. This brings her to hire Cliff Buckley a local contractor to do all the necessary repairs.
Cliff takes the job with plans to bank enough from this last job for the summer to spend time writing his book. Cliff hates working for these elitist types who toss money and demands around when they descend on the Cape, but its good money so he takes it. From the moment he sees Lily, all those angry thoughts toward the spoiled rich all stir to the surface and focus on the woman he thinks is ice cold. His anger is reciprocated and they spend the next several weeks hating each other until one unexpected erotic moment punches through their anger and turns their emotion into something different- something unexpected.
When they start really working at talking and listening to each other beyond preconceived notions, they both discover real people who are bruised and hurting. Lily wonders if Cliff will even like the Lily she is beneath the ice and anger. Cliff is concerned that Lily will never show forth who she really is even with his help.
My impressions of this story are mixed. Whereas the story really reached out and grabbed me with all its emotions and power, there is a part of me that wasn't comfortable with all the anger and pain. I was a bit bruised and low in spirit after dealing with the main characters' angst and the social/political issues that saturated the backdrop of the story. Now this reaction is on me because I am an escapist reader (feel good stories) when it comes to my pleasure reading, so it might not even be an issue for those who lean more toward substantial literature for their pleasure reading.
I found the physical descriptions of the characters and the growth arcs something refreshing in that they are average looking people and they are flawed people. I liked that I got both their perspectives that alternated throughout the story.
Breaking it all down to its bare bones, I could see that Cliff and Lily were really angry over personal loss and transferred it to other things and people. I know people don't always handle their anger rationally, but I felt this was extreme on both their parts. On one side, I don't mind an ‘enemies to lovers’ style romance, but on the other these two were hateful to each other with little or no provocation other than notions about economic-based class system. I'm not even sure I liked either of them much though I softened when they finally set all the drama aside and just tried to get to know each other. In the end, I still enjoyed the story. I liked seeing them battle through their issues and come together for the beginning of what promised to be a good solid relationship.
The novella will appeal to those who enjoy strong personality types in their hero and heroine and those enjoy Contemporary Romance.
Lily is an agoraphobic woman with fears that involve being prepared for various natural disasters. She left her job, friends, home and what was left of her family back in NYC to come here to this small house on the Cape- the only place she and her mother had been happy. Unfortunately, the little home is falling down about her ears and she wants it ready for the hurricane season. This brings her to hire Cliff Buckley a local contractor to do all the necessary repairs.
Cliff takes the job with plans to bank enough from this last job for the summer to spend time writing his book. Cliff hates working for these elitist types who toss money and demands around when they descend on the Cape, but its good money so he takes it. From the moment he sees Lily, all those angry thoughts toward the spoiled rich all stir to the surface and focus on the woman he thinks is ice cold. His anger is reciprocated and they spend the next several weeks hating each other until one unexpected erotic moment punches through their anger and turns their emotion into something different- something unexpected.
When they start really working at talking and listening to each other beyond preconceived notions, they both discover real people who are bruised and hurting. Lily wonders if Cliff will even like the Lily she is beneath the ice and anger. Cliff is concerned that Lily will never show forth who she really is even with his help.
My impressions of this story are mixed. Whereas the story really reached out and grabbed me with all its emotions and power, there is a part of me that wasn't comfortable with all the anger and pain. I was a bit bruised and low in spirit after dealing with the main characters' angst and the social/political issues that saturated the backdrop of the story. Now this reaction is on me because I am an escapist reader (feel good stories) when it comes to my pleasure reading, so it might not even be an issue for those who lean more toward substantial literature for their pleasure reading.
I found the physical descriptions of the characters and the growth arcs something refreshing in that they are average looking people and they are flawed people. I liked that I got both their perspectives that alternated throughout the story.
Breaking it all down to its bare bones, I could see that Cliff and Lily were really angry over personal loss and transferred it to other things and people. I know people don't always handle their anger rationally, but I felt this was extreme on both their parts. On one side, I don't mind an ‘enemies to lovers’ style romance, but on the other these two were hateful to each other with little or no provocation other than notions about economic-based class system. I'm not even sure I liked either of them much though I softened when they finally set all the drama aside and just tried to get to know each other. In the end, I still enjoyed the story. I liked seeing them battle through their issues and come together for the beginning of what promised to be a good solid relationship.
The novella will appeal to those who enjoy strong personality types in their hero and heroine and those enjoy Contemporary Romance.
April 17, 2013
*******3.5 stars******
Lily Sawyer is suffering from paranoia and a serious case of pent-up anger. She's left everything behind to escape to the Cape Cod home she visited in the summers with her family, only to develop a terrifying phobia of leaving the house. Not much of an escape, it would seem, but she's resigned herself to being a virtual shut-in thanks to her embarrassing stockpile of necessities should the world ever come to an end. She was all set for whatever came her way, unless his name was Cliff Buckley. Now, he would turn out to be the one thing she could never have prepared herself for, but he was also the one thing she desperately needed.
This wasn't your typical romance story, where the man meets the beautiful woman and immediately they're swooning. Cliff, a hard-working carpenter who'd had enough of the stuck-up rich snobs he'd spent years dealing with, took one look at Lily and thought she was just like the rest of them. She comes from money and is taking off from the city to laze around in his neck of the woods, so he figures she's your typical spoiled brat. Meanwhile, Lily just wants to be left alone, but the house is falling apart around her. It was a strange dynamic between these two for quite some time, and I wasn't sold on Lily and Cliff at first. Both of them were a bit too much in their own heads, Lily in particular. They both had a lot of angst about the state of the world and the people inhabiting it for different reasons, and their thoughts were heavy on their minds and a bit much at times. It wasn't until they stopped dwelling so much on the state of things they weren't able to fix that Lily and Cliff showed a less jaded side of their personalities, and I was so relieved to see them finally let down the icy walls for each other!! They became the cute, funny, oh-so-sexy couple that I was hoping they could be, and it was a joy to see. As they forced each other to face the skeletons hiding in their closets, there were some very steamy moments that really took me by surprise...in a good way! Things wrapped up a little too quickly for my tastes, but I was happy with the way things turned out.
Overall, I liked that Cliff and Lily's journey strays from the typical path of romance stories a bit, and it was a quick but enjoyable read!
This and other of my reviews can be found at: http://www.autumnreview.com/search/la...
Lily Sawyer is suffering from paranoia and a serious case of pent-up anger. She's left everything behind to escape to the Cape Cod home she visited in the summers with her family, only to develop a terrifying phobia of leaving the house. Not much of an escape, it would seem, but she's resigned herself to being a virtual shut-in thanks to her embarrassing stockpile of necessities should the world ever come to an end. She was all set for whatever came her way, unless his name was Cliff Buckley. Now, he would turn out to be the one thing she could never have prepared herself for, but he was also the one thing she desperately needed.
This wasn't your typical romance story, where the man meets the beautiful woman and immediately they're swooning. Cliff, a hard-working carpenter who'd had enough of the stuck-up rich snobs he'd spent years dealing with, took one look at Lily and thought she was just like the rest of them. She comes from money and is taking off from the city to laze around in his neck of the woods, so he figures she's your typical spoiled brat. Meanwhile, Lily just wants to be left alone, but the house is falling apart around her. It was a strange dynamic between these two for quite some time, and I wasn't sold on Lily and Cliff at first. Both of them were a bit too much in their own heads, Lily in particular. They both had a lot of angst about the state of the world and the people inhabiting it for different reasons, and their thoughts were heavy on their minds and a bit much at times. It wasn't until they stopped dwelling so much on the state of things they weren't able to fix that Lily and Cliff showed a less jaded side of their personalities, and I was so relieved to see them finally let down the icy walls for each other!! They became the cute, funny, oh-so-sexy couple that I was hoping they could be, and it was a joy to see. As they forced each other to face the skeletons hiding in their closets, there were some very steamy moments that really took me by surprise...in a good way! Things wrapped up a little too quickly for my tastes, but I was happy with the way things turned out.
Overall, I liked that Cliff and Lily's journey strays from the typical path of romance stories a bit, and it was a quick but enjoyable read!
This and other of my reviews can be found at: http://www.autumnreview.com/search/la...
March 27, 2014
I am torn...
So dark and broody, but it seems to be working for me. Usually I want a lot more dialogue, but both these two have non-stop rants in their minds...so we the reader know what going down.
That was my status update while reading...now after finishing the book, quite frankly, I am torn. Did I like it? Did I want more? Did I care what happens to these two?
I wanted more from these characters and yet I wanted less from them. I wanted Lily to stop thinking and hiding and work at getting herself healthy again. I wanted Cliff to go all alpha and see what Lily was doing to herself and make her go outside, make her realize what she was missing in life. I wanted them to talk more to the other. I even wanted to snatch up some of Lily's gorgeous creations that she crafted so skillfully and sell them at a local market!
Whew...that ramble seems to have gotten a lot off my chest. The story was not neat and tidy, but what in life is? Likely, the events, the process and even the resolution (an HEA of sorts) are true to real life. I just get very frustrated when a story focuses so heavily on an issue and then poof, it disappears. A complex, thought jarring, and sometime intimate story...worth the read. Enjoy!
Note: second book this week with no bad boys, no true alpha, no cowboys...what is going on? Still liked him though....
So dark and broody, but it seems to be working for me. Usually I want a lot more dialogue, but both these two have non-stop rants in their minds...so we the reader know what going down.
That was my status update while reading...now after finishing the book, quite frankly, I am torn. Did I like it? Did I want more? Did I care what happens to these two?
I wanted more from these characters and yet I wanted less from them. I wanted Lily to stop thinking and hiding and work at getting herself healthy again. I wanted Cliff to go all alpha and see what Lily was doing to herself and make her go outside, make her realize what she was missing in life. I wanted them to talk more to the other. I even wanted to snatch up some of Lily's gorgeous creations that she crafted so skillfully and sell them at a local market!
Whew...that ramble seems to have gotten a lot off my chest. The story was not neat and tidy, but what in life is? Likely, the events, the process and even the resolution (an HEA of sorts) are true to real life. I just get very frustrated when a story focuses so heavily on an issue and then poof, it disappears. A complex, thought jarring, and sometime intimate story...worth the read. Enjoy!
Note: second book this week with no bad boys, no true alpha, no cowboys...what is going on? Still liked him though....
April 10, 2013
This is my second read from Rebecca and like the first one, Fault Lines, it made me think but in this case it didn't hit me as hard as the first story. We have a good story of two people who are very quick to judge based on surface appearances but I enjoyed the war that plays out between them as I felt both of them had things to learn about life in general. It is another story that makes you think about things that are often uncomfortable but is brought out in such a way you are interested even if you disagree with the positions the characters take.
Lily has always been uncomfortable in her own skin and paranoid in such extremes that she is now a prisoner in a home that is falling down around her. She is extremely worried about a major storm coming in and blowing everything away so she decides to make the home a fortress that can withstand this doomsday scenario. She hires a contractor to do the work but wants the house to be redone not torn down. As she is forced to accept strangers in her sanctuary we get to see her slowly come out of her shell and allow this angry yet compelling man in. She pushes back at him even when all she wants to do is curl up and hide from the outside world. She's also a bit of a puzzle as we get to see this picture of a lonely child who only ever wanted to be loved by her rich, overbearing father. She's not crazy but others see her as such since she seems to disappear off the face of the earth and in to her own head.
Cliff was a bit of a puzzle. He's so angry about class and wealth that it colors his views of the outside world. He is like Lily in his tendency to think the worst of everything. As he gets to know more about Lily he's intrigued by her seeming aloofness but senses vulnerability about her he really doesn't want to see. He ends up responding to her from a purely sexual standpoint but then starts to wonder what if she isn't the horrible person he assumed just because she's wealthy. Sure he was around elitists when he was in school and working his tail off to afford school and living expenses while his fellow students were spending money like water… But something about her doesn't feel the same and as he spends more time around her he finds his protective instincts coming out more and more as he studies the puzzle that is her behavior.
I found myself struggling at times with both characters as I don't completely understand the doomsday mentality but I enjoyed watching them both overcome extreme anger and anxiety to find a middle ground that works for both of them. We get to see two people heal deep-seated wounds and heal each other even though at times they truly hurt one another to the quick with their comments.
Thanks to Rebecca for giving me the chance to read this in hopes of a review. I enjoyed this very much even though it made me scratch my head at times. I've enjoyed both reads I've had of yours. I will definitely keep my eye out for more.
Lily has always been uncomfortable in her own skin and paranoid in such extremes that she is now a prisoner in a home that is falling down around her. She is extremely worried about a major storm coming in and blowing everything away so she decides to make the home a fortress that can withstand this doomsday scenario. She hires a contractor to do the work but wants the house to be redone not torn down. As she is forced to accept strangers in her sanctuary we get to see her slowly come out of her shell and allow this angry yet compelling man in. She pushes back at him even when all she wants to do is curl up and hide from the outside world. She's also a bit of a puzzle as we get to see this picture of a lonely child who only ever wanted to be loved by her rich, overbearing father. She's not crazy but others see her as such since she seems to disappear off the face of the earth and in to her own head.
Cliff was a bit of a puzzle. He's so angry about class and wealth that it colors his views of the outside world. He is like Lily in his tendency to think the worst of everything. As he gets to know more about Lily he's intrigued by her seeming aloofness but senses vulnerability about her he really doesn't want to see. He ends up responding to her from a purely sexual standpoint but then starts to wonder what if she isn't the horrible person he assumed just because she's wealthy. Sure he was around elitists when he was in school and working his tail off to afford school and living expenses while his fellow students were spending money like water… But something about her doesn't feel the same and as he spends more time around her he finds his protective instincts coming out more and more as he studies the puzzle that is her behavior.
I found myself struggling at times with both characters as I don't completely understand the doomsday mentality but I enjoyed watching them both overcome extreme anger and anxiety to find a middle ground that works for both of them. We get to see two people heal deep-seated wounds and heal each other even though at times they truly hurt one another to the quick with their comments.
Thanks to Rebecca for giving me the chance to read this in hopes of a review. I enjoyed this very much even though it made me scratch my head at times. I've enjoyed both reads I've had of yours. I will definitely keep my eye out for more.
April 4, 2013
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com
This is the second book by Rebecca I’ve read. I went into reading Hurricane Lily, prepared for an emotional roller coaster. Rebecca writes romances that aren’t sweet. They’re painful and real. She draws from real experiences women go through. The characters from Hurricane Lily without a doubt are real. This book was different from what I expected. It didn’t rip away at me and leave me feeling exposed.
Lily Sawyer leaves New York City to spend some time away from everything, at an old family house on Cape Cod. With hurricane season underway, Lily needs a contractor to make some much needed repairs on the neglected house. Cliff Buckley is the contractor who comes in and turns Lily’s life around.
Lily and Cliff are BOTH highly flawed characters. Lily grew up a rich kid in New York City, who at the age of fifteen found her mother dead as a result of a suicide. Lily’s mother, Sylvia, was the only parent who seemed to love and care for her. Her father is very aloof and doesn’t like that at times, Lily causes disruption in his life. Cliff was raised by his single, blue-collar, hard working father. His mother abandoned the family, saying that she didn't want to be tied down with children. However, she married a wealthy Cape Cod visitor and went on to have three more children. Before Cliff’s father died, he eventually married his longtime girlfriend Bonnie, who in a sense was always Cliff’s stepmother and to a certain extent, his “light”.
The beginning of the story is a little tiring with both Lily and Cliff going back and forth with their dislike for one another. Cliff sees Lily as being cold and stiff. She’s exactly the type of person he despises, wealthy with a sense of entitlement. Someone who puts her nose down at people who are “below” her class. But she’s confusing in that she leaves him and his crew beverages and fresh baked goods. Lily sees Cliff as being a hard-pressed jerk, to put it mildly, with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. He listens to NPR and complains about everything.
Their opinions of each other and the way they react with one another based on those opinions make up a lot of the book. One thing that’s certain from the very beginning is the strange, uneasy attraction they have for one another.
Through what might be considered very odd encounters, Lily and Cliff start a physical relationship with each other. Though they know absolutely nothing about who the other really is, they are able to break down the walls they have each built up against the world. Lily has several understandable, yet bizarre issues, one being that she hasn’t stepped foot out of the house in five months.
What transpires in Hurricane Lily is a show of love that I didn’t see coming. Lily and Cliff are able to help one another heal from their past and forge, what I can only hope is a relationship that’s more than happy for now.
Source: Author
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com
This is the second book by Rebecca I’ve read. I went into reading Hurricane Lily, prepared for an emotional roller coaster. Rebecca writes romances that aren’t sweet. They’re painful and real. She draws from real experiences women go through. The characters from Hurricane Lily without a doubt are real. This book was different from what I expected. It didn’t rip away at me and leave me feeling exposed.
Lily Sawyer leaves New York City to spend some time away from everything, at an old family house on Cape Cod. With hurricane season underway, Lily needs a contractor to make some much needed repairs on the neglected house. Cliff Buckley is the contractor who comes in and turns Lily’s life around.
Lily and Cliff are BOTH highly flawed characters. Lily grew up a rich kid in New York City, who at the age of fifteen found her mother dead as a result of a suicide. Lily’s mother, Sylvia, was the only parent who seemed to love and care for her. Her father is very aloof and doesn’t like that at times, Lily causes disruption in his life. Cliff was raised by his single, blue-collar, hard working father. His mother abandoned the family, saying that she didn't want to be tied down with children. However, she married a wealthy Cape Cod visitor and went on to have three more children. Before Cliff’s father died, he eventually married his longtime girlfriend Bonnie, who in a sense was always Cliff’s stepmother and to a certain extent, his “light”.
The beginning of the story is a little tiring with both Lily and Cliff going back and forth with their dislike for one another. Cliff sees Lily as being cold and stiff. She’s exactly the type of person he despises, wealthy with a sense of entitlement. Someone who puts her nose down at people who are “below” her class. But she’s confusing in that she leaves him and his crew beverages and fresh baked goods. Lily sees Cliff as being a hard-pressed jerk, to put it mildly, with a HUGE chip on his shoulder. He listens to NPR and complains about everything.
Their opinions of each other and the way they react with one another based on those opinions make up a lot of the book. One thing that’s certain from the very beginning is the strange, uneasy attraction they have for one another.
Through what might be considered very odd encounters, Lily and Cliff start a physical relationship with each other. Though they know absolutely nothing about who the other really is, they are able to break down the walls they have each built up against the world. Lily has several understandable, yet bizarre issues, one being that she hasn’t stepped foot out of the house in five months.
What transpires in Hurricane Lily is a show of love that I didn’t see coming. Lily and Cliff are able to help one another heal from their past and forge, what I can only hope is a relationship that’s more than happy for now.
Source: Author
May 1, 2013
From Goodreads.com:
Lily Sawyer flees her controlling, wealthy family in New York City for a solitary existence on Cape Cod. Three months later, a mounting anxiety binds her to the house she can no longer leave.
With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley—an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer—to storm-proof her house.
Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them could either destroy—or save—everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?
My Thoughts:
Well let me start this review with WOW! This book is 110 pages, and within those pages are 4 majorly hot sex scenes. I mean I guess you can look at the cover and get that there will probably be a little love making. But I am very naive and just thought a hurricane would bring them together. I didn’t realize that the storm was coming from within!
With that said, as I let me cheeks begin to lose their flush, this book was short and sweet, but there is a lot of punch packed in. You have Lily who has a slew of problems. On the outside, she looks like your normal trust fund kid. But on the inside, it’s a completely different story. She has a major anxiety/panic issue and has come to the Cape to hide away in a house where she has wonderful memories of her childhood and mother.
Then you have Cliff, who went to a very prestigious school, but came from a different type of family. The kind of family who did work for Lily’s kind of family. And boy is he bitttter about that. He sees Lily as a girl blowing money on a pit of a house with nothing better to do with her life. What he doesn’t see, at first is that they may be just the perfect match.
Now, obviously both of these characters have major deep-rooted issues. And I like to see some not-so-perfect characters for a change! They need therapy and lots of it. But, even with knowing about those issues, I wanted to smack them both. I tried to feel for them, but I wanted to tell them to get over their problems, and get on with their lives. And wanted to tell them to quit being so darn rude to each other.
But beneath all the anxiety and hatred, there is a love story that you just can’t get enough of. And not only because of the steamy pages.
While the ending of this book gives you some closure, I was left wanting more. I don’t want to give anything away, but I wish I could have had more time with both characters once they finally reach a somewhat happy place in their lives.
I give Hurricane Lily 3.5 out of 5 bookmarks.
Lily Sawyer flees her controlling, wealthy family in New York City for a solitary existence on Cape Cod. Three months later, a mounting anxiety binds her to the house she can no longer leave.
With hurricane season approaching, Lily hires Cliff Buckley—an angry carpenter with an immediate disgust for his elitist employer—to storm-proof her house.
Cliff soon discovers they have more in common than he thinks, as well as a raging spark between them could either destroy—or save—everything they care about. The question is, can either of them survive Hurricane Lily?
My Thoughts:
Well let me start this review with WOW! This book is 110 pages, and within those pages are 4 majorly hot sex scenes. I mean I guess you can look at the cover and get that there will probably be a little love making. But I am very naive and just thought a hurricane would bring them together. I didn’t realize that the storm was coming from within!
With that said, as I let me cheeks begin to lose their flush, this book was short and sweet, but there is a lot of punch packed in. You have Lily who has a slew of problems. On the outside, she looks like your normal trust fund kid. But on the inside, it’s a completely different story. She has a major anxiety/panic issue and has come to the Cape to hide away in a house where she has wonderful memories of her childhood and mother.
Then you have Cliff, who went to a very prestigious school, but came from a different type of family. The kind of family who did work for Lily’s kind of family. And boy is he bitttter about that. He sees Lily as a girl blowing money on a pit of a house with nothing better to do with her life. What he doesn’t see, at first is that they may be just the perfect match.
Now, obviously both of these characters have major deep-rooted issues. And I like to see some not-so-perfect characters for a change! They need therapy and lots of it. But, even with knowing about those issues, I wanted to smack them both. I tried to feel for them, but I wanted to tell them to get over their problems, and get on with their lives. And wanted to tell them to quit being so darn rude to each other.
But beneath all the anxiety and hatred, there is a love story that you just can’t get enough of. And not only because of the steamy pages.
While the ending of this book gives you some closure, I was left wanting more. I don’t want to give anything away, but I wish I could have had more time with both characters once they finally reach a somewhat happy place in their lives.
I give Hurricane Lily 3.5 out of 5 bookmarks.
April 16, 2013
I enjoyed this story although there's much to be said about Lily and Cliff. The concept behind the story was interesting and although the author, Rebecca Rogers Maher, did a great job in its execution I can't help but point out my disappointment with the characters.
Don't get me wrong, Lily and Cliff were perfect for each other, but personally, I didn't like them one bit. They were too negative and their opinions and ramblings just made me want to smack them upside the head. I found myself muttering "Such is Life!" and "OMG, get over it!" more than once throughout the story.
Having said that, the story was enjoyable and the romance was very good. The characters, although insufferable at times, did have great chemistry and when these two got together?! Phew, they were HOT! Those scenes I thoroughly enjoyed.
I did find that the pace dragged a bit in places, especially when Lily or Cliff went on and on and on and on about ALL that's wrong with the world, but that's just my take on it. I don't particularly see the half glass empty most of the time, so that might have something to do with it.
In any case, Hurricane Lily was engaging and entertaining. I wanted to find out what what happened to Lily and Cliff to make them think and act as they did and although I understood some of their issues, there were still some things that were unclear. Even though Lily and Cliff had chemistry in spades I don't believe that their pairing will last long, not unless they put some work into it. I didn't get the feeling that they were ready for any kind of emotional connection.
All in all, Hurricane Lily was a short, sexy read with characters that even with annoying personalities managed to keep me interested in the outcome of their story.
I received this title from the author in exchange of my honest opinion.
Don't get me wrong, Lily and Cliff were perfect for each other, but personally, I didn't like them one bit. They were too negative and their opinions and ramblings just made me want to smack them upside the head. I found myself muttering "Such is Life!" and "OMG, get over it!" more than once throughout the story.
Having said that, the story was enjoyable and the romance was very good. The characters, although insufferable at times, did have great chemistry and when these two got together?! Phew, they were HOT! Those scenes I thoroughly enjoyed.
I did find that the pace dragged a bit in places, especially when Lily or Cliff went on and on and on and on about ALL that's wrong with the world, but that's just my take on it. I don't particularly see the half glass empty most of the time, so that might have something to do with it.
In any case, Hurricane Lily was engaging and entertaining. I wanted to find out what what happened to Lily and Cliff to make them think and act as they did and although I understood some of their issues, there were still some things that were unclear. Even though Lily and Cliff had chemistry in spades I don't believe that their pairing will last long, not unless they put some work into it. I didn't get the feeling that they were ready for any kind of emotional connection.
All in all, Hurricane Lily was a short, sexy read with characters that even with annoying personalities managed to keep me interested in the outcome of their story.
I received this title from the author in exchange of my honest opinion.
April 5, 2013
This short novel is an ode to liberal, university educated angst. Warfare played out between the sheets as the wealthy but fragile Lily attempts to tame her anger by mis-directing it at equally angry Cliff, the Vassar educated handy-man who longs to write for a living. The sex is steamy and the concept intriguing. Lily, a shy damaged woman overwhelmed with anxiety caused by the suicide of her mother and her father's neglect seeks refuge in the childhood vacation home she shared with her mother. She distracts herself by stock piling supplies with the hope that enough stock piles will keep her from having to interact with the world outside her bungalow. An agoraphobic's heaven steeped in childhood memories and isolated from her family and friends.
Cliff is the righteous contractor who disdains the wealthy summer residents that are the mainstay of his business. Simmering under his angry exterior is the niggling thought that he may have more in common with the rich clients he holds in contempt than he does with the blue collar island regulars he employs.
The story is short. The sex scenes are hot. The story line of wealth and privilege as certain means to bankrupt morality and greed are just a bit much. The characters are quite content to complain about society's ills without any attempt to eradicate them. These moments are the weakest in the story and leave me to wonder what could have been achieved with a defter touch. After all, this is a classic theme in literature - opposites attract and love over comes all. But does anyone really buy into the idea that an Ivy League educated contractor with his own company is really a bad boy from the other side of the tracks?
This novella hits the stands on April 14th and is currently priced at $1.99.
Cliff is the righteous contractor who disdains the wealthy summer residents that are the mainstay of his business. Simmering under his angry exterior is the niggling thought that he may have more in common with the rich clients he holds in contempt than he does with the blue collar island regulars he employs.
The story is short. The sex scenes are hot. The story line of wealth and privilege as certain means to bankrupt morality and greed are just a bit much. The characters are quite content to complain about society's ills without any attempt to eradicate them. These moments are the weakest in the story and leave me to wonder what could have been achieved with a defter touch. After all, this is a classic theme in literature - opposites attract and love over comes all. But does anyone really buy into the idea that an Ivy League educated contractor with his own company is really a bad boy from the other side of the tracks?
This novella hits the stands on April 14th and is currently priced at $1.99.
April 14, 2014
I have been going back over some of my older reviews and finding stories that I loved and still remember.
The story still lingers with me and I remember more about the feelings that the book evoked in me than the actual names and details.
So…here is a refresh of my review and tell me what you think…
So dark and broody, but it seems to be working for me. Usually I want a
lot more dialogue, but both these two have non-stop rants in their
minds…so we the reader know what going down.
That was my status update while reading…now after finishing the book,
quite frankly, I am torn. Did I like it? Did I want more? Did I care
what happens to these two?
I wanted more from these characters and yet I wanted less from them. I
wanted Lily to stop thinking and hiding and work at getting herself
healthy again. I wanted Cliff to go all alpha and see what Lily was
doing to herself and make her go outside, make her realize what she was
missing in life. I wanted them to talk more to the other. I even
wanted to snatch up some of Lily’s gorgeous creations that she crafted
so skillfully and sell them at a local market!
Whew…that ramble seems to have gotten a lot off my chest. The story
was not neat and tidy, but what in life is? Likely, the events, the
process and even the resolution (an HEA of sorts) are true to real life.
I just get very frustrated when a story focuses so heavily on an issue
and then poof, it disappears. A complex, thought jarring, and sometime
intimate story…worth the read. Enjoy!
Reviewed by Karia
The story still lingers with me and I remember more about the feelings that the book evoked in me than the actual names and details.
So…here is a refresh of my review and tell me what you think…
So dark and broody, but it seems to be working for me. Usually I want a
lot more dialogue, but both these two have non-stop rants in their
minds…so we the reader know what going down.
That was my status update while reading…now after finishing the book,
quite frankly, I am torn. Did I like it? Did I want more? Did I care
what happens to these two?
I wanted more from these characters and yet I wanted less from them. I
wanted Lily to stop thinking and hiding and work at getting herself
healthy again. I wanted Cliff to go all alpha and see what Lily was
doing to herself and make her go outside, make her realize what she was
missing in life. I wanted them to talk more to the other. I even
wanted to snatch up some of Lily’s gorgeous creations that she crafted
so skillfully and sell them at a local market!
Whew…that ramble seems to have gotten a lot off my chest. The story
was not neat and tidy, but what in life is? Likely, the events, the
process and even the resolution (an HEA of sorts) are true to real life.
I just get very frustrated when a story focuses so heavily on an issue
and then poof, it disappears. A complex, thought jarring, and sometime
intimate story…worth the read. Enjoy!
Reviewed by Karia
October 18, 2013
If I could give this 10 stars I would have.
I loved this book because it is a reality romance. The 2 main characters are Lily and Cliff and they are both broken (not broke / brokern). Lily comes from a wealthy family and has issues to the point where she is hiding in one of her family homes and she hires Cliff to work on the house. He has his own issues and can't stand rich families to the point where he lumps them all together as obnoxious, etc.
After spending so much time working on Lily's house and seeing her every day he is starting to have feeling he doesn't understand and she is having the same feelings.
What I love is there here are 2 people with issues (like real life issues) and they still find love and survie.
Thank you Rebecca Rogers Maher for writing a reality romance.
I loved this book because it is a reality romance. The 2 main characters are Lily and Cliff and they are both broken (not broke / brokern). Lily comes from a wealthy family and has issues to the point where she is hiding in one of her family homes and she hires Cliff to work on the house. He has his own issues and can't stand rich families to the point where he lumps them all together as obnoxious, etc.
After spending so much time working on Lily's house and seeing her every day he is starting to have feeling he doesn't understand and she is having the same feelings.
What I love is there here are 2 people with issues (like real life issues) and they still find love and survie.
Thank you Rebecca Rogers Maher for writing a reality romance.
May 20, 2013
HURRICANE LILY by Rebecca Rogers Maher is an interesting contemporary romance set in Cape Cod. Follow, Lily Sawyer and Cliff Buckley on a journey of love. What happens when an angry carpenter and a wealthy tourist with paranoia issues meet,well first you have strong emotional issues,then there is the mental illness issue,next you have some steamy passion and last but not least you have a hurricane on the horizon. A powerful,dark,quick read filled with flawed people,and emotions. If you enjoy contemporary romance with a bit of a twist than "Hurricane Lily" is just the deal for you to pick up and read. Received for an honest review from the author.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR,Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
April 15, 2013
Rebecca Rogers Maher’s Hurricane Lily is an emotional and realistic love story between two very unlikely lovers. It is not a typical romance but the growth of the characters and the story’s resolution make it a worthwhile and satisfying read. Please click HERE to read my review in its entirety.
April 19, 2013
Complicated characters, interesting baggage. Liked the author's voice and writing style, and enjoyed that she was able to convey her characters' emotional growth over the course of the novella. A solid B read for me.
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November 29, 2013
Perhaps not the best book to read on a day where I was already feeling very stressed and anxious. But I did. And it was tough to read at the start - the hero and heroine are just so locked in their misery, the anxiety and anger was palpable. And then it starts to lift. They fit together well, and begin to heal. It ends with a pitch-perfect HFN. I highly recommend.
May 23, 2013
Lily and Cliff are from two very different worlds and conflict ensues as their worlds collide. The confusing part they both struggle with is an undeniable attraction that neither one understands.
Read more about what we think at griffinshoney(dot)com.
Read more about what we think at griffinshoney(dot)com.
December 30, 2013
3.5 stars
This was really quirky. I loved the characters but the novella length just didn't work for this particular story. Lily has deeper issues that just couldn't be tackled with the depth they deserved but Hurricane Lily was still a very nice story with beautiful writing by Maher, as always.
This was really quirky. I loved the characters but the novella length just didn't work for this particular story. Lily has deeper issues that just couldn't be tackled with the depth they deserved but Hurricane Lily was still a very nice story with beautiful writing by Maher, as always.
May 19, 2013
3.5 star
It was at times a bit depressing to read this book with both of their apocalyptic views of the world.
It was at times a bit depressing to read this book with both of their apocalyptic views of the world.
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November 6, 2013That was a very abrupt ending.
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