Tornado Ally

by Lainey Ross

One tornado. Two lives changed forever.Ally had everything in life. A good job, some land with a little house on it, a flock of chickens, and one very spoiled cat. What more could she ask for? Everything was… almost perfect. She just wished she had someone to share it all with. Someone that wasn’t a pretentious cowboy.

Jack’s job demanded everything from him, and then some. His life was filled to the brim with work and stress, but his tank was running on empty. His dad told him it took six figures to get and keep a woman, and he was far from that. What was even the point? Life as he knew it seemed so… impossible.

When a storm strikes in the night, Jack is forced off the road to find protection in Ally’s storm shelter. But when the tornado passes, things don’t go as planned.

Can two strangers from different worlds survive being trapped in a tornado shelter together?

Perfect for fans

One BedForced ProximityOpposites AttractDual POVSweet Romance

Genres: Romance, Rom Com, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Small Town Romance, Contemporary

319 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2024

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hesitate to leave a less than stellar review on an independently published book because I really think the likelihood the author will see this is high, but I also need to write my thoughts down.

I agree with comments calling the writing at times immature. Very quickly I was taken out of the story by the male main character talking about going to the "little boys room". That's something my 86 year old grandmother says, not something I expect any young man of the current generation to say. There were a lot of unanswered background questions, such as: Ally's entire existence and family history in Blink with odd allusions to dead grandparents that never went past heartache; Jack's weird parents and his dad changing his mind in one conversation with his mom, and his unrealistic workplace. Also, does he have any friends? Why would he be worried about his coworkers half the time finding out what he's doing, and why do they tease him about liking country so that it has to be a "private indulgence" for him? Get some headphones at work, dude. It's just strange.

There were also plot holes: do not tell me a character has to pee really badly before entering an enclosed space and then proceeds to hold it in for over a day while in the storm shelter.I know, and you know, deep down, that man peed in a bottle in the corner. From a plot perspective, I understand why they went to town right after being freed from the storm shelter in order to have cute moments exploring Blink and getting to know one another, but from a realistic perspective it makes no sense to me to be spending time going to lunch and just hanging about when his truck has just been destroyed and her property is damaged.

I also found Ally and by extension the author's attitude towards the men in town strange. It went from "oh, I don't want to date anyone I grew up with, I just know everyone too well" to "every single young man in town wants me badly and is leering at me". That coupled with her weird attitude towards being out of her small town (which didn't even sound that small if it's close to 6K?) such as her extended commentary about pumping gas in the dark, looking for a "clean" gas station and locking herself in the car while pumping gas. I don't want to minimize women's safety and experiences, but there was just something about it that felt like the tip of a much larger iceberg, if you know what I mean.

I did find the middle sweet, despite a rough start and end. And it's nice to support an independent author! But it was definitely an interesting ride. Shoutout to my sister for the copy!

[Jaye Winkley · Rating 4 out of 5]

“She was a wildflower in my concrete jungle. I couldn’t get enough of her.” 🥹🥹

And so a city boy fell for a country girl… this was such a wholesome, feel good read. I was in the mood for a pick me up rom com and this did the job so well, I love a little country vibe!!🫶🏻

The song “Out of Oklahoma” by Lainey wilson played in my head the whole time (and I love this song!!)

Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a cute vibe, easy reading, romance🥰

[Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book when I started it, but it’s just hard for me to believe the author has lived in a small town. Saying a town of nearly 6,000 is small (blink and you miss it small at that) and calling people “farm hands” and “city slickers” made it hard for me to settle into the world of the book.

[Brittney Buhnerkempe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a local author so I wanted to give it a go, especially since it’s currently tornado season here in Oklahoma! For me, it was just okay. Some of the word choices seemed odd at times and that made it harder to focus on the characters. I don’t mind a book without spice but it just felt a little slow and I didn’t fully feel like the main characters even had that much of a connection. Their quirks were fun though and I like how the book came together in the end.

[Mary Lohorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tornado Ally is by far one of the sweetest romcoms I’ve ever read! I enjoyed this book tremendously! Such a cute and heartwarming read! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the sweet and romantic hallmark type vibes! Can’t wait to read more from this author.

Ally thought she had everything she wanted in life. A great job, her little farm house on private land, her chickens, and THE BEST and most SPOILED CAT ever named Olivia The older ladies in town kept trying to fix her up with some of the local men but she wasn’t interested in any of them. She did want someone to share her life with but nobody in town was even on her radar.

Jack had a high demand job that forced him to work almost 7 days a week. All the stress from work was definitely getting to him and caused his tank to be running on empty. His dad tried to convince him working all the time was the only way to go and that it was the only way you would ever amount to anything in life!

While on the way home from a business trip Jack ends up lost in the middle of a tornado. He ends up seeing a little house in the middle of nowhere and stops to end up with Ally in her storm shelter. After the tornado passes they end up trapped in the shelter. Can these two strangers that are two very different people survive being trapped in a tornado shelter together with a cat and flock of chickens?

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

🌪️ The vibes:
- dual pov
- instalove

🌪️ My thoughts:
As soon as I saw this was about a tornado that goes through Oklahoma- I knew I had to give it a try (as someone who lived most of my life in Oklahoma). Also the cover is adorable. And the CAT!!!

The writing felt a little young to me (ie. It’s a grown man and his POV sounds like this: “Only a swig though, I didn’t like having to stop to use the little boy’s room often.”)

There were some moments that I just couldn’t make sense. A big one is that Ally and Jack have been full blown sweating their butts off in a tornado shelter for over two days and then are having like a full day date in the town arms linked having a grand ole time after rescue but BEFORE a shower happens. God bless. I would want to die. Like did you have to pee in the shelter with this guy!??? 🙈 I bet so. And then you’re touching and falling in love before you’ve had a wash? Ahhhhhhhhh. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how gross they would be by this point.

The writing is vague at times- groups of people not specified by name and lumped together as “farmer” or men in town, etc. I also felt like there were some generalizations of city folk and country folk that felt a little bit too cliche (like her not knowing what an Uber is and him not knowing what chewing tobacco is). I also would have loved to see his weather anxiety explored.

Overall- there were some cute moments and this book did keep me reading til the end because I was curious how this relationship could work out. Falling in love in the span of a few days is something that’s tough for me to understand. I do think this was an interesting and unique idea- and it made me hope I never get stuck in a tornado shelter!

Note- closed door

[Aletha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea. I was on a Twister(s) kick and thought this would be fun. I imagined more if it taking place in the tornado shelter, so that felt fast. I didn’t really buy into their attraction or “love” for each other. It all seemed underdeveloped which didn’t make me feel any which way about the outcome of the story. What should have been a quick read for me took me like a week because I wasn’t overly drawn in and attached.

[Chesney Snyder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this, but I struggled to get through this. It felt like a middle grade romance :/

[Karen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such the sweetest, closed-door rom-com with the most unique plot line! Jack, an overworked businessman lost on his way home, is rescued just in time by a single wheat farmer, Ally, as a tornado rips through her homestead. The small town references are spot-on and so whimsical-complete with ALL the gossip from the townspeople and the names of the businesses (I should know…I have the same in my town of 1000). The non-physical, yet still intimate relationship development and pacing between the main characters is impeccable too. A wonderful debut from the author-you could tell her heart and souls was poured into the characters and plot.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this early!

[Cortney Haddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack's job demanded everything from him in the city his life filled to the brim with work and stress, but his tank was running on empty. Ally had everything in life. A good job, some land with a little house on it, a flock of chickens, and one very spoiled cat. What more could she ask for? When a storm strikes in the night, Jack is forced off the road to find protection in Ally's storm shelter. But when the tornado passes, things don't go as planned.

This was a fast paced(less than 2 weeks) very sweet clean small town girl meets city boy in the middle of a TORNADO romance. after coming out of a tornado alive jack has no way to go and decides to stick with ally for a couple of days it was really sweet watching these two learn about each other and with the dual pov seeing how they started to fall for each other. slowly seeing jack realize working all the time isn’t the only way to life and the development of other characters in the book was nice to see as well such as jacks dad. 4✨

[ThatBookishWriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m seriously obsessed with this book!!! I adore Jack and Ally so much. They bring the best out of one another. Such a perfect small town romance with a tornado throwing these two on the same path. I couldn’t put it down! I started and finished in one day. This book is filled with many moments of laughing out loud, grinning like a fool at my kindle, swooning, even shedding some tears. Will definitely be reading this book over and over again. Can’t wait to get my physical copy!

One last thing, I love Olivia so much!!! A adorable white cat who has such personality and I just adore her!

[Alexandra Jaszczak❤️‍ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It was a cute and quick read. I thought it was a unique story line but I thought she was kind of childish. And he acted like he has never had ice cream before. I would have also liked to know more about why she was alone on this farm. Where were her parents???

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entretenido.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a cute and cozy read!

[E.L. Irwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super sweet, clean romance between two people from two very different worlds. It’s the first romance I’ve read where a tornado was the catalyst, but it worked well, bringing these two together.

[jazmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was cute! i love a clean love story!! definitely some plot holes but nothing that wasn’t easy to overlook! i loved the ending and i hope we see more of ally and jack soon !!

[Katrinalee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever premise. As a tornado rips through Oklahoma, two strangers end up sheltering together. It's just him and her, the chickens and the cat. Once the storm passes, they discover they are trapped in the shelter with no idea when someone will discover them.

I loved Ally. She's a farm mechanic and an independent young woman, but when she gets a brief experience of sharing her life with another person, she likes it. Too bad the other person lives in the next state over.

Jack is very intrigued by this independent country girl. He's living the corporate life and not loving it. Maybe this woman can show him a better way of life.

This debut sweet romance was interesting and fun to read. Thank you, Lainey, for letting me read an Advanced copy of your book.

[Alsterus (Alyssa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this for the fact it was slow and sweet. I also like how the man in this book had a softer side as opposed to all the other guy characters I’ve read this year.

4 🌟

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This debut novel is a small town, closed-door romance set in the cozy town of Blink, Okalahoma. The story follows Ally, a farm girl with a cute cat named Olivia and a lot of chickens, and Jack, a city man desperate to break away from his corporate life. When the pair find themselves together and in the path of a tornado, they seek shelter and end up getting trapped together for two days. After that, due to the destruction and aftermath, the pair are forced to live together in Ally's home.

The chemistry between the characters is sweet, and the romance leans heavily on instalove which I kind of understood since trauma bonding and all, but even after they just fell head over heels for each other quite quickly. I also felt like for a romance book, it was limited to just swooning over each other, and hardly any kissing or anything, which once more I get that romance isn't always physical contact, but the characters yearned for it so I'm kind of conflicted about the lack of it.

The writing feels choppy and a bit immature at times but is still easy to read. Some actions didn’t quite make sense—like going to grab food right after being trapped in a shelter for almost two days. There were also plot holes, such as the absence of Ally’s parents. However, the character development shines brightly, with Ally and Jack balancing each other out- he wants a break and to be free, and she craves someone to care for her, despite being independent.

Though the plot is predictable, the cute teasing moments and a happy ever after ending made it an enjoyable read overall, but not quite memorable.

3/5 🌟

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I REALL tried to read this book. I saw someone recommend it on Facebook to someone else looking for Twisters vibes with more romance…

But I couldn’t do it.
Calling a place “small town” when it has more than 2,000 people in it is ridiculous, coupled with the constant “farm hands” comments on the single men in town - was pushing it for me. Then I got to the “I would PASS AWAY of embarrassment” line and that was it.

No thanks. I’ll save myself the time and DNF this one. #sorrynotsorry

[Larisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

To be honest, I had high hopes for this book since the premise looked so unique and interesting.

I was in the mood for something fun and light however, this book was perhaps just a bit too light. To be honest, I was close to DNF'ing it.

Even though there are plenty of "clean" romance books out there I was still hoping for a bit more than what I got. For example, the MMC felt he was taking a risk by giving the MFC a peck on the forehead. Like seriously???? Even though they haven't known each other very long, I get that, but it still felt so juvenile throughout the entire book. I mean, she's a 28 year old woman for crying out loud. All the blushing and little flirtations really didn't amount to much and it just made me wonder if both characters are virgins by the way they behaved. Which again I have no idea really because us readers get no information on their sexual history. On that point, there is barely any information on the characters backgrounds, which makes it difficult to really get to know them.

Plus, the story dragged on a bit for me, too many boring filler scenes, and some things that were overly detailed. For example the MFC is getting slushies at a gas station. "The cups made my hands cold, so I set them down, than grabbed a few napkins to pick them back up." At first this line made me think perhaps an AI actually wrote this whole book. Like why did we as readers need to know that??? Lines like this just need to be cut because they make the story drag on even more and it adds nothing to the plot or the characters. I kept mentally begging for the author to just get to the point already. Sometimes less is more.

Also, there were maybe a few moments where I actually laughed a bit but most of the time I kept thinking "this is supposed to be funny?"

In addition, I didn't quite like the characters very much. Besides the immaturity, despite their ages, she was just too manly and he wasn't manly enough. I wished he could have owned his thoughts and feelings a bit more and showcased a bit more confidence. Those traits alone would have added to his appeal. He didn't need to be a brooding alpha of a man but I needed something more than what I got.

There is also the relationship of the MMC and his dad. All the strain between them seemed to get fixed and tied up in a neat little bow at the end after just one conversation which is ridiculous. A realistic version would have shown the dad with a bit of doubt, a bit of guilt, but not a man who seems to have seen the light and has changed and tells his son to basically "go get your girl". It's a bit far fetched for a grown man who has spent decades set in his ways. There would still be some resistance to change and a need to justify his actions as a man and as a father.

Even though this is a Rom Com, this scene could have been a bit more real and emotional. This could have been a heart to heart moment between father and son. The father could have explained to his son and us readers why he is the way he is and in doing so we would better understand the MMC's homelife, childhood, and a bit more about what helped shape him into the man he is, insecurities and all. However, the scene just felt flat.

Overall, the plot of this book has so much potential and could still be a cute, sweet, clean story without it sounding so juvenile. If only with a bit more editing done and with characters fleshed out a bit better this story could be a real nice Rom Com.

[~ • { Elizabeth } • ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧺🌾 Book Review: Blink, Oklahoma Series by Lainey Ross @authorlaineyross
⭐ 4.5/5 Stars for these sweet, small-town romances
Books Reviewed:
🌪️ Tornado Alley (Book 1)
🌻 Hayley’s Hayfield (Book 2)

From page one, I felt like I’d settled onto a warm front porch with sweet tea in hand, the scent of hay in the air. Lainey Ross writes with such tender honesty, blending heart, humor, and romance into stories that feel like home.

Tornado Alley brings the laughs with Southern sass and stormy chemistry. It’s witty, clean, and full of sharp banter and slow-burn tension — the kind of love story that simmers.

Hayley’s Hayfield softens the pace with a coming-of-age sweetness. Hayley is a heroine full of faith, grit, and grace, learning to trust her heart in a world that feels both heavy and hopeful. Her story is like a quiet sunrise — gentle, real, and full of purpose.

Together, these books offer everything I crave in clean romance — meaningful characters, small-town charm, and love that grows steady and true.

If you love:
🌿 Slow-burn, no-spice romance
🐇 Enemies-to-lovers & second chances
☕ Cozy settings + Southern charm
…this series might be your next favorite escape.

🌸 Vibe: Wildflowers, porches, cozy quilts, lantern light, and the quiet strength of a Southern heart.

⚠️ Content Warnings:
Mild language (very minimal)
Family tension and emotional miscommunication
Minor romantic conflict
Some small-town drama

📖✨ Final Thoughts:
Lainey Ross’s Blink, Oklahoma series is like a slow dance in a summer storm — stirring, sweet, and full of heart. From the whirlwind romance of Tornado Alley to the tender roots of Hayley’s Hayfield, this is the kind of series that reminds you why love and home matter most.

- Elizabeth

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangers Ally and Jack get trapped in a storm shelter after a tornado, changing theirs lives forever. Very sweet book, I loved every minute of it. Ally and Jack were perfect for each other. The cat Olivia was the best. The town Blink was cute and it made me want to go back to my hometown. It was a clean book as in nothing even to be closed door about.

Now for some of the other reviews.
*I didn't think it was immature. I think that when some poeple get together and have fun you let go and stop worrying about what other people think.
*I grew up and have lived in many different sized towns and cities and depending on how it's build I didn't think it was crazy how she described it.
*I think a lot of people don't understand just how crazy corporate America can be.
*I don't get the criticism of the difference between small town and city people because all my life I have be back and forth between small towns and big cities and I felt it was rather accurate.
*And yes the man was written for the female gaze because that's what we like.
*It was a good book and I think people are being a little to harsh.


This might be spoilers!!!
Now for the things that weren't that big of a deal for me but I wish were different.
*When the chapter ended on her choosing dare and we never knew what happened next.
*We get a lot of his backstory but not much of hers. Like I'm guessing she was raised by her grandparents but it's never said what happened to her parents.

Good book I recommend it for anyone who loves small town romances or clean romances.

[Amber Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll start by saying I've known the author for years. I feel like that's only fair to mention. I don't generally pick up anything listed as a romcom, they don't tend to be my style, but I wanted to give this a chance since I've read other stories by her. It definitely wasn't strong in chapter one, and I wasn't sure it would get better, but that chapter felt like it was written by someone else. This ended up being a real fun story about a tomboy woman named Ally and a man named Jack who gets lost on back roads in the middle of a stormy night. Being stuck together in a storm shelter for a few nights made them hit it off and the story goes from there. I'm not used to reading what would be considered "clean" books, so I know I'm not who this was marketed toward. I felt like she did a good job but certainly wish she'd use better editors who would point certain things out. On more than one occasion I was removed from the story due to discrepancies in the plot. So I would begin to get into it and then statements like "little boy's room" and "martini with an umbrella" instantly broke any hold the book had in the moment. And Jack showing up to Ally's house and not seeing her truck even though she'd been picked up by someone else. These are things a gutsy editor would say "don't do this" too. If you're looking to blow through an easy read with no negative aspects to it than yes, I would recommend it because in the end it was a cute idea for a plot.

[Caitlin Loggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn't put it down! It's such a cute and sweet story! 🥰

I loved the uniqueness of both the storyline and setting of the book, the two main characters getting trapped in a tornado shelter is a totally different storyline and setting from any other romance books that I've ever read but it made for a great story and I enjoyed every page of this book. 🙂

I loved Ally and Jack as a couple, they are so cute together and their banter throughout the story is so funny! All of the different little ways that Jack takes care of Ally is really sweet too. 🩷

My favorite scenes from "Tornado Ally" were when they were fixing the tractor and then the one almost at the very end of the book when Ally is at the dance.

One of my favorite quotes from the book was this one from chapter 1;
"I was pretty sure men were actually for being a pain in the butt, but I bit my tongue before that escaped my brain and tripped out of my mouth."  

Tornado Ally is definitely one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year and I look forward to reading whatever Lainey Ross decides to write next! ❤️

*I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caitie · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨Tornado Ally
🤍 @authorlaineyross

Wow, what a lovely story! 🥰 I’ve never really been interested in rom-coms, but this book has inspired me to dive deeper into this genre! Thank you Lainey Ross for opening me up to a whole new world of wonderful stories. 🤍

Ally is a small-town girl who works on a farm and even has a few chickens of her own. Jack is a businessman on a work trip. Because he is scared of planes due to claustrophobia, he makes his long journey back home to Texas in his own truck. As he is lost on Oklahoma’s backroads with no cell service, he notices what appears to be a tornado. Jack ends up in a random driveway, where he sees a young woman making her way into her storm shelter. Ally invites him to safety where they will end up spending a lot more time together than anticipated!

I really enjoyed the dual POV, hearing from both sides as Jack and Ally start to fall for each other. Although they are from separate worlds, the two get along better than two peas in a pod. The author does a great job of pulling you into the story and keeping the reader engaged. I highly recommend this book to anyone who already loves wholesome rom-coms and especially to those dipping their toes into this genre, like myself. 😊❤️

[Hazel Mitchell]

There will be no star rating from me on this book since I DNFd. I don’t want to impact the star rating if I didn’t read all the way through. I really tried to finish this book, but I think it was putting me in a slump. I do want to vocalize my thought on the book though so I can maybe help open up more of a discussion on it.

I didn’t get very far into the book when I decided to DNF, but the most memorable thing was the “little boys room”. I don’t feel like that should’ve been the wording coming from a grown man, and it kinda felt like he was being infantilized. It just gave me the ick, and ruined any redemption for the character as a whole.

The last thought I have is not regarding this book specifically,but the next one in the oklahoma series. I cannot allow myself morally to read a book that uses AI in anyway shape or form. Even for the cover. I know I am not the only person to bring this up, but I am mentioning it in helps that it prevents people from using it in future projects. I was going to try out other books written by this author, but now I am not sure I want to.

@hazelmbooks on IG

[Samantha C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was…good. Not bad, not amazing, but good. I don’t regret reading it at all. I think it may have been a good palate cleanser for me after some stinkers in book club the last few months. I thought Ally and Jack were cute. But Jack’s character was way too innocent to be a man in his 20’s with a father like he had. And I feel like Ally lacked a lot of background information. Also, I’ve lived in Alabama my entire life so I know the first thing you do after a tornado is not run into town and have a good time. Was she the ONLY one who had damage from the tornado. If so, talk about luck lol. It has some good moments that made me smile and some that left me wanting but overall, I enjoyed it. I would recommend it for someone looking for a quick read. It was funny hearing some of the southern idioms and quirks that surround the south. Which brings up another question about Jack…where was he from? He had only been living in Texas for a short time I believe, but yet he acted like he had no idea about tornadoes and didn’t know what an opossum was. So obviously not from the southern United States.

[Ashley Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

One tornado. Two lives changed forever.
Ally had everything in life. A good job, some land with a little house on it, a flock of chickens, and one very spoiled cat. What more could she ask for? Everything was… almost perfect. She just wished she had someone to share it all with. Someone that wasn’t a pretentious cowboy.

Jack’s job demanded everything from him, and then some. His life was filled to the brim with work and stress, but his tank was running on empty. His dad told him it took six figures to get and keep a woman, and he was far from that. What was even the point? Life as he knew it seemed so… impossible.

When a storm strikes in the night, Jack is forced off the road to find protection in Ally’s storm shelter. But when the tornado passes, things don’t go as planned.

Can two strangers from different worlds survive being trapped in a tornado shelter together?

this book was supper cute funny parts in it love story. I definitely recommend anyone reading it ♡ and I really loved enjoyed this book 📖 💕

[Sabelle C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Clean Romantic Comedy

This was a cute story, but severely unrealistic.
When I say very clean, I mean VERY clean! Which normally, I’m ok with. But it felt too weird. The age, mixed with the lingo…I don’t know. Just everything about it felt “not real”.
Honestly, that’s hard for me to say because I feel like it’s a cop-out, but truly! Who can hold their pee in a storm shelter for almost 24 hrs after already complaining they had to go before even getting stuck? 🤨

These two MC’s are in their mid 20’s and finally share their first kiss 85% into the book. And he has been staying in her house for almost a week and they were already telling themselves they were in love. They shared so much about themselves to each other, but didn’t even hold hands.

I loved the comedic banter between the two, but again, very clean and innocent given the age of the characters.

I enjoyed the character development, but the complete 180° of the MC’s father and boss at work was a little “fairytale”ish to be honest. Definitely doesn’t hold true with reality very well.