Whirlwind Romance

by Kris Bryant

For the past six seasons, Tristan Stark has been chasing storms throughout the Midwest for the University of Oklahoma. Teaching during the winters and hitting the road during the spring, Tristan has little time for herself, let alone time to have a solid relationship. Rival storm chaser Kate Brighten is just starting out and winds up riding along with Tristan for two weeks. It doesn’t take long for the two to begin a tumultuous love affair on the road. But the road can’t last forever and Kate isn’t everything she seems. Once trust is broken, it’s difficult to rebuild. Can Tristan accept Kate’s secrets? Or will their love be washed away in the spring storms?

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian Romance, Lesbian, Contemporary, Audiobook, Academics

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2016

About the author

Podcast with Tara Scott at queerlyrecommended.com

Multi-award winning author Kris Bryant was born in Tacoma, WA but has lived all over the world and now considers Kansas City her home. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Missouri and spends a lot of her time buried in books. She enjoys hiking, photography, spending time with her family, and her dog, Molly (who gets more attention than she does on Facebook).

Her first novel, Jolt, was a Lambda Literary Finalist. Forget Me Not was selected by the American Library Association's 2018 Over the Rainbow book list and was a Golden Crown Finalist for Contemporary Romance. Breakthrough won a 2019 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Listen won a 2020 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Temptation won a 2021 Goldie for Contemporary Romance. Not Guilty written under Bryant's pen name - Brit Ryder - won a 2022 Goldie for Erotica. Kris can be reached at krisbryantbooks@gmail or ww.krisbryant.net, @krisbryant14.

Jolt - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Whirlwind Romance - ebook, paperback
Just Say Yes (Novella in the wedding series) - ebook only
Taste - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forget Me Not - ebook, paperback
Shameless (written as Brit Ryder) - ebook, audiobook
Girl Next Door Anthology - "Dog Day of Summer" - ebook, paperback
Touch - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Breakthrough - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Against All Odds - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Travel Anthology (short by Brit Ryder) - ebook, paperback
Listen - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Falling - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Tinsel - ebook, audiobook
Temptation - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Lucky - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Home - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Scent - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Not Guilty writing as Brit Ryder - ebook, paperback (audiobook in the works)
Always - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Forever - ebook, paperback, audiobook
Stranded Hearts (with Amanda Radley & Emily Smith) - ebook, paperback
Serendipity - ebook, paperback, audiobook

Reviews

[Pin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros:
- believable and likable main characters
- very good secondary characters (especially Maddox the pit bull)
- very good description of storm chasing with lots of interesting facts
- sweet love story
- nice satisfying ending (with an epilogue -- I love epilogues! ♥ ) which nicely wrapped up the story

Cons:
- book is written in first person present tense, from the point of view of the protagonist Tristan, so that we get to know the other main character Kate better only towards the end
- reason for breaking up was weak -- a real betrayal or deception would be much stronger and more convincing
- the plot is a little bit stretched out in the middle, but nothing major

Conclusion: A nice enjoyable romance, but not re-reading material. Will read the author's first book Jolt, as well as future books.

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked mc Tristan but mc Kate seemed phony and lacking personality. The tornado storm chases were interesting especially since it takes place where I live.

[~ * K E L L I E * ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by Kris Bryant, the first being her debut novel Jolt. I must admit I liked this one more.

I was really excited when I first read the book description for Whirlwind Romance. I don’t know what fascinates me about the whole idea of being a storm chaser, however, it’s intrigued me ever since I first watched the Helen Hunt / Bill Paxton movie, Twister. Every time a ‘tornado/storm chasing’ book is released I seem to be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Anyway, I digress, back to the book review…

Whirlwind Romance follows the life of Tristan Stark, a Midwest storm chaser, and her storm chasing partner, Hunter. Along the way Tris meets Kate Brighten who is chasing with a rival team. Circumstances happen and Kate finds herself chasing with Tris, Hunter and Maddox (Tristan’s dog).

I really enjoyed this book. Ms Bryant provided in depth descriptions – I could really visualize the storms/tornadoes and scenery/landscape (this may have been enhanced due to my love of the movie Twister which I have seen numerous times).

The main characters, Tristan and Kate, were likable (and the love scenes between them were plentiful) and the secondary characters, Hunter and Maddox, were integral to the storyline.

This novel is written in first person from Tristan’s POV. Whilst this doesn’t bother me too much, it does only give one character’s view.

All in all, I really enjoyed this action packed romance and I look forward to Ms Bryant’s next novel…

*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*

[Agirlcandream · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tristan and Kate meet while chasing tornadoes through the Midwest. Tristan is a seasoned veteran and meteorology professor while Kate is storm chasing for the first time with her university team. When Kate is forced to join Tristan and Hunters team for a couple of weeks during the season more than the Doppler radar screen heats up in their chase vehicle.

First person POV is my least favourite form of writing. If I had known this story was narrated by one character I would not have chosen to read this book. The romance is sweet and the sex scenes are well done but I was left feeling like Tristan was the only character we get to know and understand. Kate is a mystery to Tristan and to the readers thanks to Tristan’s constant inner monologue and inability to voice what she is thinking. It made for a repetitive and frustrating read.

I also found Kate’s back-story, or what we are allowed to learn in 1st person POV contradictory. Her family disowns her at 18 and she is forced to make her own way until she gets injured at 24 and suddenly all is forgiven and here comes this loving family to surround her with their love and support? It just didn’t work for me.

ARC received from Bold Strokes Books via Net Galley.

[Pippa D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tristan Stark is a meteorologist researcher and teacher at the University of Oklahoma. Spending the spring each year chasing storms all over the Midwest to collect data for her research, she also gets to spend the time with her best friend Hunter, also a meteorologist, and her loveable dog Maddox.

On the storm chasing trail they come across a team from a rival university. When the team leader has to bolt for a family emergency it leaves the masters student accompanying him in the lurch, so Tristan offers her a choice to ride with them. It doesn’t hurt that Kate Brighten is gorgeous and Tristan has trouble keeping her libido in check.

Passionate about meteorology, and research, Tristan seems older than her 28 years. Settled into a life of academia, research and storm chasing, it’s going to be hard for her to find someone to fit in with her life, no matter how much she wants it. And Kate is young, smart, and cagey about her life, barely revealing the damage that must lie below.

Tristan and Kate are clearly enamoured with one another, and there is a lovely development of the relationship as friends, and with the possibility of something else. It’s all going swimmingly until Tristan finds out a secret held by Kate, which feels like a massive breach of trust.

Bryan has created interesting characters, and given them enough challenges to create tension, but not so many difficulties that they can’t be overcome. The characters sit well within the story, with Tristan particularly well developed. Kate could have used more detail in her back story, but enough was given to make her behaviour make sense.

I liked that Bryan used the storm chasing thrills to create the physical tension rather than using the thug bent on revenge theme that is so common. The storm chasing scenes are evocative, and the science limited so that the book is easy to read. The plot works well, and Bryan has created an interesting romance in a different field. I highly recommend it.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done, well paced and ends with an epilogue! A hint of Insta-lust and a dash of angst between 2 femmes makes this an enjoyable read for me.

High 3s

[MJSam · Rating 3 out of 5]

First up is the disclaimer that I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed Ms Bryant's 'Jolt' and was happy to see she had a new book out. Unfortunately I didn't like this one as much. It's written in first person, which isn't my favourite (because it gives a lopsided view of the leads), and the lack of some contractions and oddly edited phrasing in some areas also brought me out of the story now and then.


The storm chasing angle was interesting and I liked Tris, Kate and Hunter (Maddox was also a highlight), but I was still ready to give up by the time I got to the 30% mark. Their first time together was ridiculous. Do grown adults really have sex in public with their friends nearby? Tris was also referring to Kate as 'doll', which had me grinding my teeth, but thankfully it didn't happen often.

Their relationship then hits a snag, which drags on for awhile, but I was glad we didn't have to endure dating other people, etc in the meantime. There were also a couple of points in the story where I thought an obvious trope was going to come into effect and it didn't, so points for that.

The last part of the book is fairly sappy romance stuff, and Kate's family drama doesn't really seem to amount to much, given the level of drama we're lead to expect. The overarching 'issue' in the book is resolved in a way that was telegraphed earlier on and with no real angst, surprising given the level of angst this had raised previously.

There are good elements in this book, but none of them really hit the mark for me, it felt like it was trying to do too much. I'm not sure it'll make my re-read pile, but it was an ok read.

[Corrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this together with book club buddy D. and it was a most enjoyable sweet love story. We have become Kris Bryant fans ever since we read Taste together. Be it cooking or tornadoes, Kris can handle the subject. The book was entertaining and not too techical so you don't have to be a weather nerd to enjoy the story. The relationship between both main characters progressed nicely and the love scenes were sweet and hot (leave it to Kris to come up with well written and imaginative sexy times!) but sometimes I wanted to smack Tristan upside the head for being so stubborn (thank you Kate for not giving up!).

We give it a 5 stars!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked the main characters. Loved the friendship between Tristan and Hunter. The dog Maddox steals the show! The romance between Tristan and Kate is fast and hot, until it's not. I really liked how the relationship comes back together. How cool is a storm chaser, that's gives the book lots of excitement.

[Lex Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

I use to love watching storm chaser shows, plus there's something about the movie Twister that makes me watch every time it pops up on TV. So, I thought Whirlwind Romance was going to be right up my alley, and boy I was right. I really enjoyed this! Bryant did a nice job immersing the reader into the world of tornado chasing. It wasn't boring, not too much scientific details that would weigh down the plot for people not interested in Meteorology. In fact, as much as I geek out over tornado chasers, I personally would have liked more boring details. The romance aspect was nice. Both characters were slightly flawed to bring some angst into the story, but they were likable, and as a reader you hoped for an HEA.
This is the second book I have read by Bryant, and have enjoyed both. I hope she writes more!

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Jolt better, but I did still like this one. Sweet romance, great characters, and one of the best dog characters going. I didn't love the conflict that split them up, but it was still worth a read. Also, tornado chasers! How cool is that?

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a fair review.*

My first book by this author.

This was a strange one for one specific reason - I've been reading so many books lately wherein the author felt the need to tell the story through many many points of view. This one? Just one point of view. From Tristan 'Tris' Stark. I guess 'strange' isn't exactly the correct word to use there.

Characters
The book has just one point of view, so let's start with her:

Tristan 'Tris' Stark is a 28/29 year old woman who works as a storm chaser during the storm season, and a university professor during the fall semester. If I recall one conversation correctly, Tris works as a teacher during the fall semester, a storm chaser during the spring semester, then spends the summer going over the data/film/pictures recovered during the storm chasing season.

What storms are chased? Well anything really, but mostly tornadoes. She does live and work where tornadoes are quite common.

Tris has worked for the last six years as a storm chaser, the entire time (unless I missed something) with a short-haired woman who looks like a lesbian, named Hunter. That particular aspect, about how attractive to the same sex Hunter could be, is brought up once or twice (or more). She's not actually a lesbian though (nor bisexual, nor interested in anyone but her musician boyfriend).

I got side tracked there mentioning Hunter. I had only meant to say: Tris has worked the last six years as a storm chaser with Hunter. Several times in the book two other people are mentioned, their parts are so small that I will probably get their names wrong. I believe it's Adam and Ryan. Also, 'teams' gets mentioned. About how there are teams sent out under the grant Tris got (and then failed to secure for the next season - major plot point here). But I am uncertain how the team system works. Since they never interact as a team. There's even a passage wherein Tris asked what the plans were for this other two person storm chasing team was for that night, with the expectation that she wouldn't get any information about which direction they planned to go or anything like that. Then internal mention that the storm might go north or south. I kind of got confused here. Two teams. Storm might go north or south. But they don't expect to coordinate at all? Granted, maybe I was wrong, but the reason for my confusion is the simple fact that I thought Tris was talking with people from her own university - on her own extended team. I must have gotten that part wrong.

Hmms. I kind of ruined the 'characters' section, didn't I? Mmphs.

Tris - 28/29 (she has a birthday during the storm season). Storm chaser. University teacher ('relatively new' at that, and forced to teach the 'boring' classes). Works with a woman named Hunter. Tris, apparently, is the one in charge of getting funding - which is a major plot point for two reasons: (1) funding for next season, a grant, fell through and Tris blames herself greatly for this failure; (2) there are trust issues wrapped up in the funding, tied directly to a former girlfriend, Julie, who 'stole' research, about 4 years ago, and screwed Tris -- therefore Tris is kind of naturally distrustful of motives/etc. when it comes to women/girlfriends and funding.

Hunter is a storm chaser who works with Tris. Despite looking like a lesbian (apparently), she has a boyfriend back home. Boyfriend doesn't 'mind' too much that she's on the road during storm season because he himself is a musician and has to go out on the road.

Maddox is a dog, a pitbull mix (I believe). He doesn't have his own point of view or anything like that, nor does the story follow him as he runs around. I've included him because he is quite important to Tris, Hunter, and, to a certain extent, the story.

Kate Brighten is a graduate student at a rival university who Hunter and Tris bump into (along with Gage, her storm chasing partner) while at a . . um . . . I'd like to say 'gas station/truck stop/food place'. Kate seems kind of stand offish and not particularly interested in Tris. Though there are some mixed signals going on. Which I mention because Tris kind of drools over Kate. Finds it hard to pull her eyes off of her.

Gage is the man Kate is chasing storms with. He doesn't really have much scenery to chew, so to speak. He's just there so that there's a reason Kate is out and about chasing storms, then to suddenly need to disappear because of an accident to his girlfriend, so that Kate has to ride with Tris/Hunter/Maddox. Then, later, be shown to be dangerously wild and reckless. He doesn't really have much of a personality or character beyond being a pivot point for other characters and plot points to pivot off of.

Others: there are, in fact, other people in this book.

Plot
Tris, Hunter, and Maddox the dog are out driving around the midwest chasing storms. Getting caught in massive hail storms. Watching clouds to see if tornadoes form, watching radar. Etc. There is some exciting moments while this occurs.

While taking a break from driving, they pull into a rest area (I believe it's a gas station that has food, bathrooms, etc.). They bump into two other storm chasers, Kate and Gage. They interact, then all four go to dinner together (mostly because Tris wants to spend more time drooling over Kate).

Time passes but it isn't always possible to tell how much time has passed; at some point Tris and Hunter encounter Kate and Gage hurriedly rushing from a hotel (might have jumped the gun on conveying that 'time passing' part, since this might be the next morning). Gage had received a call that his girlfriend had been in an auto accident and he needs to get to her hospital. Unlike her normal attitude on having students in her car (isn't keen on the idea), Tris suggests that Kate ride with Hunter and herself until Gage can get back. Everyone agrees.

So, for two weeks or so, Kate, Hunter, Tris, and Maddox drive around chasing storms.

More or less immediately, the story turns. One night, Tris' birthday night to be exact, the not-very-talkative Kate follows Tris when Tris takes a break from the party. To get air. To walk Maddox. The 'story turns' part involves what happens next. Apparently Kate was, in fact, also attracted to Tris. Unlike herself, Tris finds herself in a rather public sexual situation out in a parking lot. So, yes, the story turns. From being one that follows storm chasers, to one that does that plus has lots and lots of sex.

Naturally, to continue the plot section, 'something' occurs to cause 'issues' with this budding romance. Time must pass before the relationship might move to the next level. If it can.

Romance
The romance in this book was between Tris, a woman of 28/29, and Kate, a woman of, if I recall correctly, 23. I might not recall the ages correctly. I liked how both were described out on the road. I . . um . . . lost my train of thought.

On the one hand, the romance isn't one I've seen, personally, a lot. It's quite possible that others have read stories like this numerous times and will be quite bored with it. But, for me personally, the romance was somewhat refreshing. Two women find that they are attracted to each other, they are in a difficult situation in that it is difficult to find alone time; and in that both are a long way from home in a 'roadtrip' type situation. Instead of just pining away, they actually do something (to a certain extent, that is somewhat the refreshing part; so many times I read something like this and they don't do anything . . . for hundreds of pages). On the other hand, they sure did things backwards. They were friendly-ish with each other first, true, but sex did come before a romantic relationship.

I'm not really sure what I'm trying to convey in this section. There was a romance, it involved Tris and Kate. Not that far apart in age, but 4 or 5 or 6 years is a biggish gap when you are in your twenties (well, see, I lifted that almost directly from the book, that concept). They both find the other attractive. They act on it. One has issues that keep them closed off more than they might otherwise be, while the other has trust issues that can be violated, and if violated will find it difficult to move past the feeling of broken trust.

Scenery/location
The book wasn't located in any one location - even when the storm chasing season was over, the activity still wasn't in the same location. Since Kate lived an hour and a half away from where Tris lived.

I did have a strong sense, most of the time, of being out on the road, of being in the storms, or near, of being next to farmlands, small towns, and the like. Quite well conveyed there.

I had a strongish sense of what Tris's house was like, and what Kate's apartment . . . well, that it . . hmms. I had a strong sense of what Tris' house was like. Kate's place, ah, it's coming back to me. Up scale. Amenities. Located so that the sound of the wind isn't as hearable. I had no sense of the location, the 'place' Tris' house was located. I mean, the town/city/rural area. Nor do I have any impression of what might surround Kate's apartment.

Not necessarily the most important thing in a story like this - more important that the time on the road conveyed what it needed to convey, which it did.

Overall
First off, in terms of the relationship, there were two cliches that popped up that seem to be used in romance books. I liked how they were used in this book here because they both seemed somewhat natural (to a certain extent) and weren't, in the case of the not actually mentioned storm related injuries, not used as a magical relationship cure. The two somewhat cliche like elements being miscommunication and I'm not actually sure what to call the second one (accidents? injuries/massive traumatic events that cause feelings to bounce around). The miscommunication here was more failure to communicate and was reasonable under the circumstances (I'm not sure if I should be purposely vague or not).

Right, so, now that I wrote a gibberish paragraph, let's move on. There was more sex than I expected. Having just one point of view was both somewhat refreshing, and somewhat limiting. Limiting in that I only had Tris view of Kate, and not Kate's own thoughts and desires. Though everything was conveyed quite well. Probably better, on one level, because I kind of ended up liking Kate, while my 'liking' for Tris was on a smaller level. Well, I liked both well enough.

In the end, I rather enjoyed the book and would give it a solid 4 stars (out of 5).

January 27 2016

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

A romance involving storm chasers. Tristan Stark teaches meteorology at University of Oklahoma and chases storms in spring along with her trusty dog Maddox. When a chaser from another university needs to go home for an emergency Tris invites his masters student Kate Brighten to stay in the field with her as a professional curtesy. Of course things heat up between the two.

I enjoyed the story, particularly the storm chasing scenes. Annoyingly, everything is first person from Tris POV, so it takes a while to learn much about Kate. The inevitable parting drama feels weak but is short lived. I would have enjoyed knowing more about Kate's reconciliation with her family. Maddox is almost a full character and best friend Hunter adds to the story as well. Kris Bryant brings a lot of heat in what I think was her second novel.

[AnnMaree Of Oz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun romp, especially liked the friend and dog 'side' characters. Helps makes characters more three dimensional. A little disappointed in Kate's family characters and not being as much resolution there. But overall solid.

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tornadoes scare me to death. The city where I live literally had nine touch down in one day last month. Terrifying! So when Whirlwind Romance by Kris Bryant became available I was super intrigued. I want to read about tornadoes and romance, heck yes I do. So I did, all in one day.

The story is told through the first person perspective, through our main storm chaser & Oklahoma University college professor Tristan “Tris” Stark. Tris spends the majority of the spring and summer months chasing tornadoes across the plains with her BFF, Hunter and her dog, Maddox. So, basically Tris is a bad-ass, super smart, adventure junkie. I mean storm chasing is pretty darn cool, and if you live in tornado alley, you are very thankful for what these gals and guys do.

The other protagonist and romantic lead is Kate Brighten. Kate is a masters student at Oklahoma State (ugh oh rival schools) and is having her turn at storm chasing while on break from her studies. Kate is extremely quiet and very reserved. It takes chapters for Tris to pull even the most basic information from Miss Brighten. Tris on the other hand is an open book, overly talkative and guess what, she is instantly smitten with the beautiful, mysterious Kate. Literally, Kate is described as beautiful time and time again.

So tornadoes are chased, sexy time is made, accidents happen, information gets crossed, makeup sex and voilà we have a love connection that will last the span of time. I loved the premise of this book. I thought it was interesting and fun, and totally different from what is out there in this genre right now. Tornadoes, as scary as they can be, are also wildly fascinating. Incorporate that with romance and you have an interesting story. The problem that I had was Kate needed to be more than beautiful, it took forever to find out her story, and even then it was still pretty thin. Tris and Kate needed to have more dialogue between them in the first half of the book. I needed more than Kate is hot, to know why Tris would be interested and stay interested. Why was Kate interested in Tris? Less sex, more dialogue please!

Overall, this is a short book that is perfect if you need a few hours to escape. You probably will never re-read it but the time you spend with it will be exciting.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because I really liked Kris Bryant's Jolt. I was unsure about the subject about storm chasing, not something that interested me. I was pleasantly surprised that I really enjoyed the story line. I knew nothing about storm chasing and really enjoyed learning about it.

In saying all this the part I enjoyed the most was the characters. Tristan is a great lead that I found endearing, funny and down to earth. Kate was the perfect mysterious love interest who you couldn't help but love. Hunter was great secondary character and best friend, I loved what she added to story. As a dog lover I loved that we had Maddox as a major part of the book.

One thing I did struggle with was that about half way I was eager for the story to move a bit quicker, the relationship is very sex driven and I felt there was maybe one too many sex scenes which started to become repetitive for me. Also the reason for their fight was a bit weak. I would have liked the secret to be a bit more juicy.

At the end of the day I really enjoy Kris Bryant's writing and characters. I look forward to any future books written by her.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a 3.5 for me. It's so hard to pull off a book in a first person POV without the readers feeling disconnected to the other characters. I think there was a lot to Kates backstory and frame of mind that we missed because the book focuses on Tristan's thoughts.

That being said I did enjoy this book, the interactions between the two women were sweet, believable and it's a nice love story. Getting an insight into the lives of storm chasers was also interesting. I will definitely read more from this author as there were definitely elements of the story that had me hooked.

ARC received from NetGalley

[Ocean . · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance and Storm-Chasers. A great combination. 'Whirlwind Romance' is a simply wonderful love story told from Tristan’s perspective. I found her voice to be real and complex, reflecting her personality, a well-balanced mix of hopes and insecurities. Her sharing of thoughts is relatable as we all have similar feelings when going through the beginnings of a new relationships and are plagued with doubts and fears. Her love interest, Kate, I also found to be intriguing as she harbors a mystery that baffles Tristan. The storm chaser thread of the book was fascinating. If you love romance, definitely check out ‘Whirlwind Romance’.

[Vita L. Licari · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reread for me. I love the excitement of chasing tornadoes. Tristan Stark has been chasing storms for six seasons. The rest of the year, shes cataloged them during the summer and teaches meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. This season she meets Kate Brighten a masters student from a rival school. When Kate's chasing partner has to go home for a family emergency Tristan and her chasing partner Hunter invite Kate to join them.
It's not long before Tristanand Kate fall for one another.
What an exciting and hot book! So worthy of multiple reads, and 5 stars!

[Sarah Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I read it all in one sitting and up ALL night. I was sad when it ended and I still miss these characters. I may have to reread it this weekend.
It has everything I wanted in a book...Romance, action, drama, love and a very cute dog. I really enjoyed the humor in the book and immediately fell in love with not only the two main characters but also the best friend.
I really enjoyed Kris Bryant's first book - Jolt - but in my opinion this one is better. I am really looking forward to future books by this author.
I could go into much more detail but I don't want to give spoilers. I strongly recommend this book and hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. I will be re-reading it again and again.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't have very high expectations going into yet another lesbian romance, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I was worried this would turn into Twister with lesbians, but the storm chasing is exciting and a breath of fresh air. The story falters a bit actually in the last half or third after the chasing is over. My only other quibble is that the incident/event that breaks up the two leads, setting up the second half of the book is just a little ridiculous and benign. Otherwise, the story was quite enjoyable to lose oneself in for a few hours.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Lezfic Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I didn’t consider the Pineapple Express of torrential rain that would be causing extreme weather in my local area when I chose to finally read this book. It paired very well with the thunder, lightening, wind and rainfall. So that was a pleasant distraction from the extreme weather. Now on to the story, itself. Loved it. Lately I’ve been reading a lot of books which are slow burn. This is a medium burn…and I needed that. Faster pace romance, yes please. It was fitting, being they were storm chasers. Fast wind and hard rain deserves faster pace romance…right?! I really liked the love interests, Tristan and Kate. I was really rooting for them, in every sense of the word. Them as a couple, them as storm chasers, and even them as rivals. The adventure of being a storm chaser added some excitement and drama to the storyline, which had me turning pages. The flow felt normal, not contrived. And you can’t forget Maddox, the dog. So adorable. If you haven’t already read this and like WLW romance mixed with adventure…this is definitely your gem.

[Jess]

DNF very early.

I already wasn’t completely vibing with the author’s writing style and then there were some dated diet culture things and then there was this weird “my Cherokee heritage” thing and my lack of connection to the writing couldn’t save it. Maybe there’s another queer storm chaser romance I’ll enjoy (lolsob)

[Ty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and I liked it a lot. The big secret hinted at in the synopsis, though, is not what I'd call a big secret and it's certainly not enough to derail a relationship like it did. It felt like a plot device forcing conflict, rather than actual relationship drama.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely got a girl crush with this one. :D

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I love disaster movies, with Twister being one of my favorites. I love that this book follows Tristan, a stormchaser. The book is told completely in Tristan's POV as she meet Kate, a new rival stormchaser, I really enjoyed the stormchasing aspects and the side characters of Hunter and Maddox. The conflict felt forced but otherwise, I really enjoyed the story.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whirlwind Romance is a well-written romance, which has easily likable characters, and a great storyline. I live in Oklahoma and was very excited that the locations mentioned in the book were well known and easily identifiable. I enjoyed getting to know Tristan and Kate, but the first person POV is not one of my favorites. 1st person is often difficult as we only get one side of the story. I think the author did an excellent job of not head hopping, even if I wanted to know what Kate was thinking.
The story was great, and I spent a great deal of time during the first half of the book attempting to figure Kate out, and the second half of the book thinking that Tristan needed to grow up. While I enjoyed both the characters and the plot the conflict was weak. The end felt a bit spread out, but I did not mind. Overall a great book, and would read other books by this author.

~copy provided by NetGalley in return for honest review~

[Janne Magalhaes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"𝐖𝐞 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞.. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠." Onnwwwwwwwww 😍❤

I loved that book! I loved this couple!
Tris and Kate were very well developed, they had so much chemistry, that WOW!
I was a little afraid to read this book because I was never a fan of meteorology, but this book was light and I ended up liking it! (Think of the surprise) I found myself wanting to see a storm storming program (LOL).

Anyway, I loved it so much! It is not boring, quite the contrary it is very fun, sexy, warm. I really loved it.


PS: Hunter and Mardox won my heart!

[Mirtha Siblesz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

I really loved this book! I was riveted with the description of the tornadoes feeling like I was there with them during the chase scenes. Tristan and Kate are such sweet characters. I love the character of Tristan. She is so sweet and with a good sense of humor. Kate's character develops very well from the "closed off" person at the start of the story to the loving women she becomes getting touch with her feelings. A story well done.

[Kristy Drexel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing story.. It made me laugh out loud at times and also had tears in my eyes. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. I would absolutely recommend this book.