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Rising Storm #1
Tempest Rising
Secrets, Sex and Scandals ...
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy... Get ready. The storm is coming. Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection. But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.
Ginny Moreno didn't mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury...
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy... Get ready. The storm is coming. Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection. But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.
Ginny Moreno didn't mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury...
106 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2015
124 people are currently reading
546 people want to read
About the author
Julie Kenner
161 books1,241 followersJ. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.
Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication. Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).
Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.
In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.
Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.
Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication. Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.
JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).
Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.
In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
September 15, 2015
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review
Scandal. Sex. Lies. Drama. Secrets.... Ahhh...the perfect elements to brew a rising storm. And in this small town called Storm, trouble, scandal, death, temptations, deceit, and lust begins to cause a fury as this small town must prepare itself for impact of this deadly storm that may cause a wave of destruction. When Ginny Moreno returns home for the summer, she didn't expect that her arrival to cause a destruction.
The Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner reads like a daytime soap-opera. So if you have ever watched All My Children, One Life to Live, or The Days of Our Lives and found yourself getting sucked into the character's drama, then The Tempest Rising is the book for you. In this small town of Storm, the chaos of destruction is crazy. You have adultery, political scandal, pregnancy, secrets, and so much more.... If the first installment was just a taste of what is to come, I can't wait to see what awaits in the next installment.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Julie Kenner
Scandal. Sex. Lies. Drama. Secrets.... Ahhh...the perfect elements to brew a rising storm. And in this small town called Storm, trouble, scandal, death, temptations, deceit, and lust begins to cause a fury as this small town must prepare itself for impact of this deadly storm that may cause a wave of destruction. When Ginny Moreno returns home for the summer, she didn't expect that her arrival to cause a destruction.
The Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner reads like a daytime soap-opera. So if you have ever watched All My Children, One Life to Live, or The Days of Our Lives and found yourself getting sucked into the character's drama, then The Tempest Rising is the book for you. In this small town of Storm, the chaos of destruction is crazy. You have adultery, political scandal, pregnancy, secrets, and so much more.... If the first installment was just a taste of what is to come, I can't wait to see what awaits in the next installment.
Review can also be found on Four Chicks Flipping Pages: http://fourchicksflippingpages.weebly...Julie Kenner
September 24, 2015
Ah, the webs we weave. The lies, the scandals, and the lust are alive and well in Storm. Welcome to a daytime soap opera in a book, one volume at a time, and we are sucked into the maelstrom of angst filled with users and the used.
First out of the gate, Tempest Risng by Julie Kenner as she lays the foundation, sets the scenes and recruits the characters we will learn to love, hate and just shake our heads at. Who will be evil? Who is too powerful for the town’s good? Who is too good to die? Who has been used? Who is desperate enough to lie to avoid the consequences of the truth?
I felt I was part of the set on a TV show, my mind provided the music, the pregnant pauses and I was even lucky enough to call the cliff hanger! Action, angst, suspense, and CUT! End of episode one and I am drooling for episode two. Can’t wait to discover who is cheating who and who got caught!
I received this ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rising Storm - Book 1
Publication Date: September 24, 2015
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Genre: Erotic Drama
Print Length: 101 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
First out of the gate, Tempest Risng by Julie Kenner as she lays the foundation, sets the scenes and recruits the characters we will learn to love, hate and just shake our heads at. Who will be evil? Who is too powerful for the town’s good? Who is too good to die? Who has been used? Who is desperate enough to lie to avoid the consequences of the truth?
I felt I was part of the set on a TV show, my mind provided the music, the pregnant pauses and I was even lucky enough to call the cliff hanger! Action, angst, suspense, and CUT! End of episode one and I am drooling for episode two. Can’t wait to discover who is cheating who and who got caught!
I received this ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Rising Storm - Book 1
Publication Date: September 24, 2015
Publisher: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated
Genre: Erotic Drama
Print Length: 101 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com
September 25, 2015
4 - "Little Bit." Stars!
Its difficult to give you any real details about Tempest Rising; Julie Kenner, has been tasked with opening the Rising Storm series, and because of that, there are a lot of introductions to characters, and the families of Storm, Texas, but she does it well, and although there is a lot going on, nothing is confusing or hard to integrate into the overall scheme of the story.
This series promises a lot of twists, turns, shocks and surprises with plenty of stories to be told. The list of characters and POVs introduced in this book is long and their backgrounds, not to mention the secrets they are carrying are varied and diverse. A car crash, brings about new life, not to mention death with the return of Ginny Moreno to town.
But all is not it seems with Ginny and I am interested to see how her story develops, not to mention everyone else's throughout the future books in the series as they are released. You have a Sheriff who isn't afraid to step outside the law to protect those that he cares about, marriages that aren't as solid as you are initially led to believe, secrets and lies, and let's face it neither end up staying undiscovered for long in a small town such as Storm.
ARC generously provided via InkSlinger PR, in exchange to the above honest review.
Its difficult to give you any real details about Tempest Rising; Julie Kenner, has been tasked with opening the Rising Storm series, and because of that, there are a lot of introductions to characters, and the families of Storm, Texas, but she does it well, and although there is a lot going on, nothing is confusing or hard to integrate into the overall scheme of the story.
This series promises a lot of twists, turns, shocks and surprises with plenty of stories to be told. The list of characters and POVs introduced in this book is long and their backgrounds, not to mention the secrets they are carrying are varied and diverse. A car crash, brings about new life, not to mention death with the return of Ginny Moreno to town.
But all is not it seems with Ginny and I am interested to see how her story develops, not to mention everyone else's throughout the future books in the series as they are released. You have a Sheriff who isn't afraid to step outside the law to protect those that he cares about, marriages that aren't as solid as you are initially led to believe, secrets and lies, and let's face it neither end up staying undiscovered for long in a small town such as Storm.
ARC generously provided via InkSlinger PR, in exchange to the above honest review.
September 24, 2015
This was pure soap opera goodness, a definite guilty pleasure! Great introduction to the series!
This was just full of everything that keeps you hooked and on the edge of your seat. So much angst and intrigue. Lies, affairs, deceit. So much deception and a ton of secrets. Tons! There is a pretty big cast of interesting characters - to many to mention - I think I might need a chart to keep everyone straight. Some of them are real stand outs and I have a million questions. There are a lot of different connections between the characters and a ton of depth, it definitely leaves you wanting the next episode.
Excellent writing that pulls you in. There was a lot going on with lots of details. I thought it was very fast paced with a ton of intriguing stories lines being introduced... I'm going to need a map to connect the dots. It’s a great intro but it's a lot at once to take in but I think it's a great foundation of what's to come. Waiting for the next book is going to feel like a really long commercial break!
Awesome kick off to this exciting concept of story telling. Love the idea if a series and episodes. :-)
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
This was just full of everything that keeps you hooked and on the edge of your seat. So much angst and intrigue. Lies, affairs, deceit. So much deception and a ton of secrets. Tons! There is a pretty big cast of interesting characters - to many to mention - I think I might need a chart to keep everyone straight. Some of them are real stand outs and I have a million questions. There are a lot of different connections between the characters and a ton of depth, it definitely leaves you wanting the next episode.
Excellent writing that pulls you in. There was a lot going on with lots of details. I thought it was very fast paced with a ton of intriguing stories lines being introduced... I'm going to need a map to connect the dots. It’s a great intro but it's a lot at once to take in but I think it's a great foundation of what's to come. Waiting for the next book is going to feel like a really long commercial break!
Awesome kick off to this exciting concept of story telling. Love the idea if a series and episodes. :-)
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
September 20, 2015
4.25 stars--
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 24, 2015
Secrets, Sex and Scandals …
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.
Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.
But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.
Ginny Moreno didn’t mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury…
•••••••
REVIEW: 4.25 stars--TEMPEST RISING by Julie Kenner is the first installment in the multi-authored RISING STORM episodic serial focusing on the people of small town Storm, Texas.
Told from several third person points of view TEMPEST RISING is the premier storyline that introduces the ensemble cast of characters from Storm, Texas-their loves, their lies, their secrets, and their dark and dangerous pasts.
Ginny Moreno and Jacob Salt are college students returning home for summer vacation when the unthinkable happens throwing the town into turmoil, exposing secrets , lies, deceit and betrayal behind the closed doors and quiet façades. From the local Sheriff who’s in love with a married woman in an abusive relationship to a college student who hides a secret affair, TEMPEST RISING and thusly Rising Storm reads like a ‘soap opera’-a ‘Peyton’s Place’-where nothing is as it seems, betrayal and lies are a fact of life, and everyone has secrets that will destroy their lives.
The premise follows several building storylines; the characters are charismatic, colorful and hiding a lifetime of lies; their secrets are dangerous and many. Welcome to Storm, Texas where the weather is about to get ugly!
Copy supplied by the author.
www.thereadingcafe.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 24, 2015
Secrets, Sex and Scandals …
Welcome to Storm, Texas, where passion runs hot, desire runs deep, and secrets have the power to destroy… Get ready. The storm is coming.
Nestled among rolling hills and painted with vibrant wildflowers, the bucolic town of Storm, Texas, seems like nothing short of perfection.
But there are secrets beneath the facade. Dark secrets. Powerful secrets. The kind that can destroy lives and tear families apart. The kind that can cut through a town like a tempest, leaving jealousy and destruction in its wake, along with shattered hopes and broken dreams. All it takes is one little thing to shatter that polish.
Ginny Moreno didn’t mean to do it, but when she came home to Storm, she brought the tempest with her. And now everyone will be caught in its fury…
•••••••
REVIEW: 4.25 stars--TEMPEST RISING by Julie Kenner is the first installment in the multi-authored RISING STORM episodic serial focusing on the people of small town Storm, Texas.
Told from several third person points of view TEMPEST RISING is the premier storyline that introduces the ensemble cast of characters from Storm, Texas-their loves, their lies, their secrets, and their dark and dangerous pasts.
Ginny Moreno and Jacob Salt are college students returning home for summer vacation when the unthinkable happens throwing the town into turmoil, exposing secrets , lies, deceit and betrayal behind the closed doors and quiet façades. From the local Sheriff who’s in love with a married woman in an abusive relationship to a college student who hides a secret affair, TEMPEST RISING and thusly Rising Storm reads like a ‘soap opera’-a ‘Peyton’s Place’-where nothing is as it seems, betrayal and lies are a fact of life, and everyone has secrets that will destroy their lives.
The premise follows several building storylines; the characters are charismatic, colorful and hiding a lifetime of lies; their secrets are dangerous and many. Welcome to Storm, Texas where the weather is about to get ugly!
Copy supplied by the author.
www.thereadingcafe.com
April 25, 2016
This serial was really entertaining. It truly reads as a tv drama. If you enjoy evening tv dramas revolving around 3-4 families, then this book would appeal to you. Tempest Rising introduces us to Storm, Texas where the residents are connected in some way.
We start off with best friends Ginny Moreno and Jacob Salt coming home from college to visit their hometown Storm, when tragedy strikes. Ginny is in love with a married man and has a one-night stand with her best friend. In the aftermath of her heartbreak Ginny makes choices that seriously impact everyone’s lives. Book 1 sets a very solid foundation to a series that already features loss, betrayal, lies, love and family.
This book is my first book from the author Julie Kenner and I was impressed. It was well written, the characters were pretty well introduced for a short novella. I am now curious to try her other books. As for this series, I can’t wait for the subsequent authors to continue weaving this tale using their own unique writing styles.
**Special thanks to InkSlinger PR for the e-arc, which was given in exchange for an honest review
We start off with best friends Ginny Moreno and Jacob Salt coming home from college to visit their hometown Storm, when tragedy strikes. Ginny is in love with a married man and has a one-night stand with her best friend. In the aftermath of her heartbreak Ginny makes choices that seriously impact everyone’s lives. Book 1 sets a very solid foundation to a series that already features loss, betrayal, lies, love and family.
This book is my first book from the author Julie Kenner and I was impressed. It was well written, the characters were pretty well introduced for a short novella. I am now curious to try her other books. As for this series, I can’t wait for the subsequent authors to continue weaving this tale using their own unique writing styles.
**Special thanks to InkSlinger PR for the e-arc, which was given in exchange for an honest review
December 23, 2015
Tempest Rising is the perfect storm. A storm can be both beautiful and terrifying, depending on your perspective. The rain pours, lightening strikes and the thunder rumbles and shakes the house around you. The same can be said for Tempest Rising, episode one in The Rising Storm series.
In true soap opera fashion, this episode follows the scandalous lives of the inhabitants of Storm, Texas, proving that the perfect exterior you see is just a façade-- so much more lies behind closed doors.
Tragedy, secrets, lies and infidelity fill the exhilarating pages of this magnificently written novella. J. Kenner wasted no time in getting the excitement started. I was completely enthralled from page one and bereft when the episode ended. I need more. This was not nearly enough. J. Kenner has laid a rock solid foundation for this series and I am eager to see how the story plays out. Until next week, when the storm rises again.
September 19, 2023
I don’t know how to rate this because it was just not what I was expecting at all. This is an episodic serial type read, which I knew, where each book is written by a different author. I didn’t realize that each book was going to follow all the same characters of this town throughout. I thought each book would follow like one couple and their storyline and we would get a HEA at the end of each episode. Not the case. It very much is like a written version of a soap opera episode. The writing was good though. I didn’t like any of the characters and since the book itself is a concept that I didn’t love I am not going to be continuing on.
June 16, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
This was a fantastic start to a soap opera/serial drama about a small town in Texas with big problems.
My book club was gifted this book from Verve Romance for an honest review and I can’t wait to pick up the next one. It’s not my normal read, but the characters sucked me in big time. Thank you to Verve for the book.
This was a fantastic start to a soap opera/serial drama about a small town in Texas with big problems.
My book club was gifted this book from Verve Romance for an honest review and I can’t wait to pick up the next one. It’s not my normal read, but the characters sucked me in big time. Thank you to Verve for the book.
October 7, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Tempest Rising is the opening salvo in a soap opera war with plenty of drama, intrigue and deceptions. This first installment didn’t have much in the way of romance but it did have some passionate scenes.
Opening Sentence: Pounding rain battered the roof of Ginny Moreno’s twenty-year-old Toyota Camry, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel even as she leaned forward, as if that would somehow help her see through the impenetrable sheets of rain.
The Review:
If you are a huge fan of soap operas, than you must check out the Rising Storm series. This soap opera event in print from was spearheaded by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis. A total of eight authors (including Lexi Blake, Elisabeth Naughton, Jennifer Probst, Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti and Lisa Mondello) have come together to each write an episode set in Storm, Texas to tell the trials and tribulations of the residents.
Tempest Rising is the set up novel laying out the cast of characters and the drama in this little town in Texas. Unfortunately, this review is going to be pretty short because I can’t say too much without giving a lot away. I will highlight the character of Ginny Moreno because it is upon her return to Storm that the secrets and lies come to light. Soap opera staples that you will read are a tragic accident, a surprise pregnancy, a game of “Who’s the Daddy?” plus much more.
As with all soap operas there are many characters and many stories to tell so there are many POV’s. If you don’t like multiple views then you will not like this, but it is a soap opera and you can’t tell it without having all the different views, insights and secrets. I was a little surprised by the actual lack of romance (and considering the only hook up is a cheating couple, I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to read that). There is lots of passion and emotions are flowing after the death of the young man in town.
I kind of wished that there had been a list of the characters and how they are related to the other characters in the novel because I did find I was forgetting who was who as the stories were laid out. Other than that, I really enjoyed the Sherriff’s story. I can’t wait to find out the fallout of what he did.
Tempest Rising is everything you love and hate about soap operas. I really enjoyed Chapter One in the opening saga of Storm, Texas. I’m already hooked on the drama and I can’t wait to see how some of these stories play out.
Notable Scene:
Ginny glanced between the two of them, and as she did, she saw Luis and Jeffry standing outside the glass—and Sebastian Rush was standing there with them.
Senator Sebastian Rush.
The senator she’d slept with.
The senator whose baby she was probably carrying.
Was he there now to see her? To tell her how worried he’d been? To squeeze her hand in a silent, secret moment of compassion?
“For Jacob’s best friend?” Celeste was saying. “For Ginny? Of course we’ll do whatever we can.”
Ginny barely heard the woman. Instead, she was focused beyond the glass, on where Senator Rush pressed his hand on Luis’s shoulder. Ginny’s breath hitched and she stiffened, preparing for the moment he walked through her door.
But he didn’t.
He just took one more quick glance at her through the glass, then turned away and disappeared down the hall, not even bothering to ask if he could come in and say hello.
FTC Advisory: Evil Eye Concepts, Inc/Inkslinger PR provided me with a copy of Tempest Rising. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Tempest Rising is the opening salvo in a soap opera war with plenty of drama, intrigue and deceptions. This first installment didn’t have much in the way of romance but it did have some passionate scenes.
Opening Sentence: Pounding rain battered the roof of Ginny Moreno’s twenty-year-old Toyota Camry, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel even as she leaned forward, as if that would somehow help her see through the impenetrable sheets of rain.
The Review:
If you are a huge fan of soap operas, than you must check out the Rising Storm series. This soap opera event in print from was spearheaded by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis. A total of eight authors (including Lexi Blake, Elisabeth Naughton, Jennifer Probst, Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti and Lisa Mondello) have come together to each write an episode set in Storm, Texas to tell the trials and tribulations of the residents.
Tempest Rising is the set up novel laying out the cast of characters and the drama in this little town in Texas. Unfortunately, this review is going to be pretty short because I can’t say too much without giving a lot away. I will highlight the character of Ginny Moreno because it is upon her return to Storm that the secrets and lies come to light. Soap opera staples that you will read are a tragic accident, a surprise pregnancy, a game of “Who’s the Daddy?” plus much more.
As with all soap operas there are many characters and many stories to tell so there are many POV’s. If you don’t like multiple views then you will not like this, but it is a soap opera and you can’t tell it without having all the different views, insights and secrets. I was a little surprised by the actual lack of romance (and considering the only hook up is a cheating couple, I’m kind of glad I didn’t have to read that). There is lots of passion and emotions are flowing after the death of the young man in town.
I kind of wished that there had been a list of the characters and how they are related to the other characters in the novel because I did find I was forgetting who was who as the stories were laid out. Other than that, I really enjoyed the Sherriff’s story. I can’t wait to find out the fallout of what he did.
Tempest Rising is everything you love and hate about soap operas. I really enjoyed Chapter One in the opening saga of Storm, Texas. I’m already hooked on the drama and I can’t wait to see how some of these stories play out.
Notable Scene:
Ginny glanced between the two of them, and as she did, she saw Luis and Jeffry standing outside the glass—and Sebastian Rush was standing there with them.
Senator Sebastian Rush.
The senator she’d slept with.
The senator whose baby she was probably carrying.
Was he there now to see her? To tell her how worried he’d been? To squeeze her hand in a silent, secret moment of compassion?
“For Jacob’s best friend?” Celeste was saying. “For Ginny? Of course we’ll do whatever we can.”
Ginny barely heard the woman. Instead, she was focused beyond the glass, on where Senator Rush pressed his hand on Luis’s shoulder. Ginny’s breath hitched and she stiffened, preparing for the moment he walked through her door.
But he didn’t.
He just took one more quick glance at her through the glass, then turned away and disappeared down the hall, not even bothering to ask if he could come in and say hello.
FTC Advisory: Evil Eye Concepts, Inc/Inkslinger PR provided me with a copy of Tempest Rising. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
September 16, 2015
Wow - cracking start to a new series.
There was multiple characters, secrets to discover all set in a sleepy little town called Storm Texas.
The first book does a fabulous job of setting the scene for the story to come and I am looking forward to reading episode 2.
There was multiple characters, secrets to discover all set in a sleepy little town called Storm Texas.
The first book does a fabulous job of setting the scene for the story to come and I am looking forward to reading episode 2.
April 24, 2016
mise en bouche et présentation des personnages, ça va être du soap de haute volée ^^
vivement le deuxième épisode, je suis bien accrochée !
vivement le deuxième épisode, je suis bien accrochée !
July 1, 2024
This was a 2.5 for me. I was excited to read a novella since I’m still struggling with my reading and I really liked the premise of this book and even excited about a soap opera drama that would continue as a series. However, that’s where the excitement ended. Being from a small town, I was looking forward to reading about small town drama and small town romance. But the book felt all over the place with various characters and not sure how they all fit together.
I thought the book would primarily be about Ginny, but she’s only seen several times throughout the book. And the drama with Jacob and the Senator (spoiler so not saying) fell a little flat for me. No confrontation with the Senator, unless that comes later in the series, and no resolution to be had with Jacob unfortunately.
There was other drama hinted at with other characters but ultimately isn’t revealed til the end. I expected a cliff hanger but this just doesn’t even give you an idea of where the series might lead.
I would’ve preferred the focus to be on a few main characters not the town as a whole and let each subsequent book flesh the town out.
I appreciate Verve Romance for gifting my book club with this book and allowing us to review it.
I thought the book would primarily be about Ginny, but she’s only seen several times throughout the book. And the drama with Jacob and the Senator (spoiler so not saying) fell a little flat for me. No confrontation with the Senator, unless that comes later in the series, and no resolution to be had with Jacob unfortunately.
There was other drama hinted at with other characters but ultimately isn’t revealed til the end. I expected a cliff hanger but this just doesn’t even give you an idea of where the series might lead.
I would’ve preferred the focus to be on a few main characters not the town as a whole and let each subsequent book flesh the town out.
I appreciate Verve Romance for gifting my book club with this book and allowing us to review it.
August 10, 2018
This was a very short RU introducing the inhabitants of Storm, TX. The first episode is about Ginny and Jake returning home to Storm from college. They've been best friends since childhood. In a moment of weakness they slept together. They talk about it on the way home and just when they seems to get past it a deer runs out in front of them. The resulting accident kills Jake and hospitalized Ginny discovers she's pregnant, only Ginny has secrets.
This series is like a soap opera. It seems everyone in town has secrets.
This series is like a soap opera. It seems everyone in town has secrets.
September 24, 2015
ARC REVIEW
From the evil master minds of 1001 Dark Nights, Evil Eye Concepts brings us a soap opera in novella form. A Julie Kenner and Dee Davis brain child together they brought together six other authors to bring life to the strife filled town of Storm, Texas. As first books in a series go this was really good. It had a great catch your attention first chapter. It introduced all the major characters and gave great insight to their personality and character. However much like every soap opera out there a lot and nothing at all happened at the same time. What it did was introduce the characters and hint and tell you where their individual story would be going. I was a little disappointed, I was expecting more. I hate half the characters already, lots of selfish people. I hope when I get to their respective books I see them in a different light.
Ginny Moreno and her best friend, Jacob Salt were on their way back home for a college break. Things had been awkward between them ever since they made the drunken mistake of sleeping together. They just talked about things and hopefully were going to get things figured out on this trip home. The drive home was slowed by a raging storm and when a deer jumped in front of the car Ginny swerved and the car flipped. Ginny survives, Jacob doesn't. Ginny also discovers she's pregnant but the big secret is that she is almost certain it is her ex's. Her forbidden lover, a married man, a politician. But she lies and tells everyone it's Jacob's baby. Jacob's parents embrace Ginny like a long lost daughter. Marisol was left to raise her two siblings after their parents death. She loves both Ginny and Luis and as much as it hurts she must come to realize Ginny needs to do do what she must for the good of her and the baby.
Sheriff Dillon Murphy is and has always been in love with Joanne, but she married a bastard, Hector Alvarez. Dillon knows in his gut the Hector abuses Joanne but has not proof of it. Dillon is tired of waiting for Hector to mess up he has made his feelings clear toward Joanne clear to her now he just has to wait for the right time to make his move.
Dakota Alvarez is dying to get out of Storm, she thinks her ticket out is Jacob Salt, but then he dies and she feels even more trapped and she blames Ginny and doesn't want to believe that the baby is his. Mallory Alvarez hates her life, the only good thing about it is her boyfriend Luis, her mother is weak and her sister is conceited, her brother Marcus was the smart one and left as soon as he could, and her father is a hateful manipulator she know he hits her mother. Lacey Salt is struggling dealing with the death of her brother and now she has to deal with Ginny moving in pregnant, and her mother Celeste coddling Ginny. Joanne has no one to talk to, he father disowned her when she married Hector and she has to sneak around just to see her mother and her sister, Hannah. Kristin Douglas knows something is up with her employee Joanne, but is willing to let it go because Joanne knows something about her that is better left unsaid.
Overall, I look forward to the rest of the series. I am glad because the characters I actually like in the series so far their books are written by my favorite authors.
From the evil master minds of 1001 Dark Nights, Evil Eye Concepts brings us a soap opera in novella form. A Julie Kenner and Dee Davis brain child together they brought together six other authors to bring life to the strife filled town of Storm, Texas. As first books in a series go this was really good. It had a great catch your attention first chapter. It introduced all the major characters and gave great insight to their personality and character. However much like every soap opera out there a lot and nothing at all happened at the same time. What it did was introduce the characters and hint and tell you where their individual story would be going. I was a little disappointed, I was expecting more. I hate half the characters already, lots of selfish people. I hope when I get to their respective books I see them in a different light.
Ginny Moreno and her best friend, Jacob Salt were on their way back home for a college break. Things had been awkward between them ever since they made the drunken mistake of sleeping together. They just talked about things and hopefully were going to get things figured out on this trip home. The drive home was slowed by a raging storm and when a deer jumped in front of the car Ginny swerved and the car flipped. Ginny survives, Jacob doesn't. Ginny also discovers she's pregnant but the big secret is that she is almost certain it is her ex's. Her forbidden lover, a married man, a politician. But she lies and tells everyone it's Jacob's baby. Jacob's parents embrace Ginny like a long lost daughter. Marisol was left to raise her two siblings after their parents death. She loves both Ginny and Luis and as much as it hurts she must come to realize Ginny needs to do do what she must for the good of her and the baby.
Sheriff Dillon Murphy is and has always been in love with Joanne, but she married a bastard, Hector Alvarez. Dillon knows in his gut the Hector abuses Joanne but has not proof of it. Dillon is tired of waiting for Hector to mess up he has made his feelings clear toward Joanne clear to her now he just has to wait for the right time to make his move.
Dakota Alvarez is dying to get out of Storm, she thinks her ticket out is Jacob Salt, but then he dies and she feels even more trapped and she blames Ginny and doesn't want to believe that the baby is his. Mallory Alvarez hates her life, the only good thing about it is her boyfriend Luis, her mother is weak and her sister is conceited, her brother Marcus was the smart one and left as soon as he could, and her father is a hateful manipulator she know he hits her mother. Lacey Salt is struggling dealing with the death of her brother and now she has to deal with Ginny moving in pregnant, and her mother Celeste coddling Ginny. Joanne has no one to talk to, he father disowned her when she married Hector and she has to sneak around just to see her mother and her sister, Hannah. Kristin Douglas knows something is up with her employee Joanne, but is willing to let it go because Joanne knows something about her that is better left unsaid.
Overall, I look forward to the rest of the series. I am glad because the characters I actually like in the series so far their books are written by my favorite authors.
September 25, 2015
recensione già pubblicata su www.romanticamentefantasy.it
Tempest Rising is the first installment in a new series called Rising Storm, an innovative project created by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis. Weekly will be published eight novels in this series, written by several famous authors such as Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti, Lexi Blake, Jennifer Prosbt, Elizabeth Naughton and Lisa Mondello. The basic idea is to realize a “book soap opera” as those one so popular on TV in the ’80, with its dramas, twists, secrets and scandals, all set in Storm, a little town in Texas, where everyone knows each other and they know “everything”, or so they believe.
The first episode in the series is written by Julie Kenner, and it’s perfect. I think it was a really difficult task to introduce the beginning of the story, with so many characters and at the same time be able to create the right atmosphere, hooking the attention of the readers. Mission accomplished for this author and in a very brilliant way.
Storm is a small town, its inhabitants live a quite and boring life, it’s the classic place from where smart young people feel the need to run away. Gossip involve everyone, as well as the façade that you must show the people, for being perfect and respectable, but actually underneath the surface everyone have secrets, more or less harrowing.
Their lives are incredibly intricate to each other and the coming home of Ginny Moreno, which coincides with a terrible tragedy, is going to cause a real domino effect that will involve all the members of the community, changing their lives forever. In Tempest Rising there isn’t one protagonist, but are told and carried out all the stories of several characters featured in the book, with various points of view. As one door closes with a protagonist, another one opens, following precisely the model of television soap operas. And the cards brought into play by Ms Kenner are many and she did it so wisely, creating a fast pace in the plot, filled with “Oooh …”, “But…” and “Nooo!”. Yes, I was hooked in all these twists. I just said to myself: this is a beautiful couple, and here it turns out the flaw. I admit I have a respectable pedigree in my past, as teenager I watched a lot of soap operas on TV, it was a real addiction. Then with my history, now I’m here pending, waiting to know what will happen to Ginny, Travis and Celeste and if the dear “Dad’s Little Princess” Dakota will always be so hateful in the future, and so much more that I don’t want to talk, because they’re spoilers. However, I believe this is what Ms Keller wanted from her book, capturing the readers’ attention and keeping them awaiting for the upcoming episode White Lightning by Lexi Blake. Can’t wait for it!
Tempest Rising is the first installment in a new series called Rising Storm, an innovative project created by Julie Kenner and Dee Davis. Weekly will be published eight novels in this series, written by several famous authors such as Larissa Ione, Rebecca Zanetti, Lexi Blake, Jennifer Prosbt, Elizabeth Naughton and Lisa Mondello. The basic idea is to realize a “book soap opera” as those one so popular on TV in the ’80, with its dramas, twists, secrets and scandals, all set in Storm, a little town in Texas, where everyone knows each other and they know “everything”, or so they believe.
The first episode in the series is written by Julie Kenner, and it’s perfect. I think it was a really difficult task to introduce the beginning of the story, with so many characters and at the same time be able to create the right atmosphere, hooking the attention of the readers. Mission accomplished for this author and in a very brilliant way.
Storm is a small town, its inhabitants live a quite and boring life, it’s the classic place from where smart young people feel the need to run away. Gossip involve everyone, as well as the façade that you must show the people, for being perfect and respectable, but actually underneath the surface everyone have secrets, more or less harrowing.
Their lives are incredibly intricate to each other and the coming home of Ginny Moreno, which coincides with a terrible tragedy, is going to cause a real domino effect that will involve all the members of the community, changing their lives forever. In Tempest Rising there isn’t one protagonist, but are told and carried out all the stories of several characters featured in the book, with various points of view. As one door closes with a protagonist, another one opens, following precisely the model of television soap operas. And the cards brought into play by Ms Kenner are many and she did it so wisely, creating a fast pace in the plot, filled with “Oooh …”, “But…” and “Nooo!”. Yes, I was hooked in all these twists. I just said to myself: this is a beautiful couple, and here it turns out the flaw. I admit I have a respectable pedigree in my past, as teenager I watched a lot of soap operas on TV, it was a real addiction. Then with my history, now I’m here pending, waiting to know what will happen to Ginny, Travis and Celeste and if the dear “Dad’s Little Princess” Dakota will always be so hateful in the future, and so much more that I don’t want to talk, because they’re spoilers. However, I believe this is what Ms Keller wanted from her book, capturing the readers’ attention and keeping them awaiting for the upcoming episode White Lightning by Lexi Blake. Can’t wait for it!
December 2, 2015
I had first heard about this series of books via Christopher Rice, who is apparently writing an episode for Season 2 (which I am super-excited about). When I heard it was a soap opera in book form, I was definitely intrigued.
I bought the first episode, and by halfway through it, I knew I'd need to get the rest of the series, so I did. It is just like all the best soap operas that I've watched. And I've watched a fair number of them, from primetime (like Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knot's Landing, Dynasty, etc.) to daytime (All My Children and One Life to Live were my favorites, when they were still on *shakes fist at network runners*).
This book is basically an introduction to all the families in Storm, Texas. There are a lot of families to keep track of, which might be a turnoff for some readers. I definitely need a couple more episodes to really know who is who, but that's nothing new for someone who watches soaps. Or frankly, Game of Thrones. There are helpful family trees available on the Rising Storm website, though it's not so helpful if you're someplace without wi-fi. But still.
Being that it was an introduction, I wasn't expecting a whole lot. But it exceeded my expectations quite a bit. The drama starts right off the bat with two friends-slash-lovers being awkward with each other, a car accident, and a death of one of those friends. If that isn't a kickstart to the action, I don't know what is.
The rest of the episode deals with the funeral of the kid who died and each family's reaction to it, along with introducing all the problems that each family is having before the death even takes place. Considering it was right around 100 pages, it's amazing that there was so much info given, yet it didn't feel like it was REALLY exposition-y. And the last chapter gives us a few plot twists (one of which I inadvertently spoiled myself for by reading episode descriptions on the website) that are effective cliffhangers for the rest of the series.
Basically, if you like soaps and all that come with them (secrets, forbidden love, love triangles, tragedy, dysfunctional families), you'll like this book. And like me, you'll probably want to read the rest of the series (which I have already started).
I bought the first episode, and by halfway through it, I knew I'd need to get the rest of the series, so I did. It is just like all the best soap operas that I've watched. And I've watched a fair number of them, from primetime (like Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knot's Landing, Dynasty, etc.) to daytime (All My Children and One Life to Live were my favorites, when they were still on *shakes fist at network runners*).
This book is basically an introduction to all the families in Storm, Texas. There are a lot of families to keep track of, which might be a turnoff for some readers. I definitely need a couple more episodes to really know who is who, but that's nothing new for someone who watches soaps. Or frankly, Game of Thrones. There are helpful family trees available on the Rising Storm website, though it's not so helpful if you're someplace without wi-fi. But still.
Being that it was an introduction, I wasn't expecting a whole lot. But it exceeded my expectations quite a bit. The drama starts right off the bat with two friends-slash-lovers being awkward with each other, a car accident, and a death of one of those friends. If that isn't a kickstart to the action, I don't know what is.
The rest of the episode deals with the funeral of the kid who died and each family's reaction to it, along with introducing all the problems that each family is having before the death even takes place. Considering it was right around 100 pages, it's amazing that there was so much info given, yet it didn't feel like it was REALLY exposition-y. And the last chapter gives us a few plot twists (one of which I inadvertently spoiled myself for by reading episode descriptions on the website) that are effective cliffhangers for the rest of the series.
Basically, if you like soaps and all that come with them (secrets, forbidden love, love triangles, tragedy, dysfunctional families), you'll like this book. And like me, you'll probably want to read the rest of the series (which I have already started).
October 18, 2015
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. To read more reviews like this one, check out Obsessive Book Nerd!
A soap opera. That's what Rising Storm is. Its a soap on steroids and addicted to books. When I read about the way this series was gonna work, excuse me, season, was going work, I was intrigued...eight installments...eh, episodes, one each week, written by a different, well-known romance author. Sign me up!
First off, these books are uber quick reads. Which makes since and it's perfect. I was slightly worried that once these books start rolling out, I was going to be overwhelmed with them but no way, took in total about 5 hours to read. Anyway, now that I've got the first one under my belt, and here's what I thought.
Tears at the Heartstrings - right off the bat, break my hear Ms. Kenner. I didn't know Jacob well, but you broke my heart. Talk about a way to kick start said rising storm!
Character Overload. For the first 50% of the book I was on character overload. It's one thing to read about a lot of characters, but to read from at least eight different POV's is pure madness. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage, but once I hit that halfway mark, it didn't matter, go head, throw some more POV's at me. Do It!
Who are these people? I want to say, that with a population of so many characters, there is bound to at least five normal people out of the bunch. Nope. I truly think every single one of them are either liars, cheaters, abusers or just plain troublemakers. EVERY. Single. One.
But...I love it. The crazy twists and turns and drama, Drama, DRAMA. Strange this is, I don't watch soaps, can't keep up with them. I think they are dumb, really. How can one story line go on for like 20 years? But this, I like.
Move along now, I'm gonna go watch, er...read my stories.
A soap opera. That's what Rising Storm is. Its a soap on steroids and addicted to books. When I read about the way this series was gonna work, excuse me, season, was going work, I was intrigued...eight installments...eh, episodes, one each week, written by a different, well-known romance author. Sign me up!
First off, these books are uber quick reads. Which makes since and it's perfect. I was slightly worried that once these books start rolling out, I was going to be overwhelmed with them but no way, took in total about 5 hours to read. Anyway, now that I've got the first one under my belt, and here's what I thought.
Tears at the Heartstrings - right off the bat, break my hear Ms. Kenner. I didn't know Jacob well, but you broke my heart. Talk about a way to kick start said rising storm!
Character Overload. For the first 50% of the book I was on character overload. It's one thing to read about a lot of characters, but to read from at least eight different POV's is pure madness. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage, but once I hit that halfway mark, it didn't matter, go head, throw some more POV's at me. Do It!
Who are these people? I want to say, that with a population of so many characters, there is bound to at least five normal people out of the bunch. Nope. I truly think every single one of them are either liars, cheaters, abusers or just plain troublemakers. EVERY. Single. One.
But...I love it. The crazy twists and turns and drama, Drama, DRAMA. Strange this is, I don't watch soaps, can't keep up with them. I think they are dumb, really. How can one story line go on for like 20 years? But this, I like.
Move along now, I'm gonna go watch, er...read my stories.
September 10, 2015
Rising Storm Episode 1: Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner, kicks off the brainchild of authors Julie Kenner and Dee Davis, presented by 1,001 Dark Nights, and is what I can only describe as one of the most exciting and unique versions of storytelling that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. I loved it!
Ok, quick confession…growing up I was addicted to two T.V. shows: the old daytime soap, Santa Barbara, and when I got older, Beverly Hills 90210 (…and maybe some Melrose Place but I was probably a bit too young to be watching that so don’t tell anyone!). I loved everything about those shows. The drama. The relationships. The scandal. The beautiful people living a life I certainly wouldn’t want for myself, but it was so juicy to watch on the screen. Well, this is like all of the best parts of those shows mashed up and typed onto pages. It’s the best of both worlds!
From the very first few pages, I was totally hooked. The people. The town. It’s all just so fascinating! We are hit with a one-two punch right out of the gate and the hits just kept coming. Good hits for the reader, maybe not so good for the characters. That, of course, just made it even juicier and more engrossing. I was having so many thoughts while reading and it reminded me so much of when Kelly would try to steal Dylan from Brenda in 90210, or when the wife was sleeping with the gardener in Santa Barbara. I had more than a few moments talking to my e-reader, saying things like: “oh, no WAY!”. I waded through a ton of emotions while reading and I’m totally invested in seeing what is going to happen to the characters and this town.
I certainly don’t want to give any spoilers away (and let me tell you, there are some doozies!) so you just have to take my word that this is one hell of a reading experience and one I highly recommend. I can’t wait to get my hands on more episodes of this amazing project!
Ok, quick confession…growing up I was addicted to two T.V. shows: the old daytime soap, Santa Barbara, and when I got older, Beverly Hills 90210 (…and maybe some Melrose Place but I was probably a bit too young to be watching that so don’t tell anyone!). I loved everything about those shows. The drama. The relationships. The scandal. The beautiful people living a life I certainly wouldn’t want for myself, but it was so juicy to watch on the screen. Well, this is like all of the best parts of those shows mashed up and typed onto pages. It’s the best of both worlds!
From the very first few pages, I was totally hooked. The people. The town. It’s all just so fascinating! We are hit with a one-two punch right out of the gate and the hits just kept coming. Good hits for the reader, maybe not so good for the characters. That, of course, just made it even juicier and more engrossing. I was having so many thoughts while reading and it reminded me so much of when Kelly would try to steal Dylan from Brenda in 90210, or when the wife was sleeping with the gardener in Santa Barbara. I had more than a few moments talking to my e-reader, saying things like: “oh, no WAY!”. I waded through a ton of emotions while reading and I’m totally invested in seeing what is going to happen to the characters and this town.
I certainly don’t want to give any spoilers away (and let me tell you, there are some doozies!) so you just have to take my word that this is one hell of a reading experience and one I highly recommend. I can’t wait to get my hands on more episodes of this amazing project!
June 21, 2016
3.5 stars
TEMPEST RISING is the start of an 8 part multi-author soap opera set in the small town of Storm, Texas. Why soap opera you may ask? It’s because of the storyline as much as the writing. This is a series you need to read all the way through to know what happens to everyone. The novellas are not featuring a different couple in each one. I give you this right off the bat as a warning because I know a lot of people don’t have the patience or commitment for something like this. And if you start this one, you’ll want to finish it!
So this first episode starts off with Ginny Moreno coming back to her hometown with her life long friend, Jacob when tragedy strikes and they have an accident. The wheels are set in motion for a lot of heartache and deceit for all involved. The lives of everyone in Storm are about to be upended. What you can expect from this installment: Drama. Death. Infidelity. Scandal. Politicians. Secret babies. Abusive husbands. A sexy cop.
This being my first read in this format, I found that Ms. Kenner did an excellent job at stringing so many storylines along and at the same time connecting them to give the reader a full understanding of what’s going on in the town. I was a bit distracted at the very beginning by the multiple POVs and kept wanting to go back to the storylines that interested me most, but then I just sat back and enjoyed seeing the bigger picture. And much like a good soap opera tends to leave me wanting the next episode right away! Good thing we don’t have long to wait between releases.
TEMPEST RISING is the start of an 8 part multi-author soap opera set in the small town of Storm, Texas. Why soap opera you may ask? It’s because of the storyline as much as the writing. This is a series you need to read all the way through to know what happens to everyone. The novellas are not featuring a different couple in each one. I give you this right off the bat as a warning because I know a lot of people don’t have the patience or commitment for something like this. And if you start this one, you’ll want to finish it!
So this first episode starts off with Ginny Moreno coming back to her hometown with her life long friend, Jacob when tragedy strikes and they have an accident. The wheels are set in motion for a lot of heartache and deceit for all involved. The lives of everyone in Storm are about to be upended. What you can expect from this installment: Drama. Death. Infidelity. Scandal. Politicians. Secret babies. Abusive husbands. A sexy cop.
This being my first read in this format, I found that Ms. Kenner did an excellent job at stringing so many storylines along and at the same time connecting them to give the reader a full understanding of what’s going on in the town. I was a bit distracted at the very beginning by the multiple POVs and kept wanting to go back to the storylines that interested me most, but then I just sat back and enjoyed seeing the bigger picture. And much like a good soap opera tends to leave me wanting the next episode right away! Good thing we don’t have long to wait between releases.
September 24, 2015
I received an ARC of this book from InkSlinger PR in exchange for an honest review and as part of the book's release promotions.
So... the publishers of the 1001 Dark Nights series decided to create a soap opera in words. Thus, Rising Storm was born. This serial is a multi-author soap opera-ish series with many characters, plots, subplots, conflicts, and resolutions over its 8-epiode run. I have read TV series-like serials, but they were all written by the same author. This is the first time I will be reading something of this format which is also written by different authors.
Being the first part, I believe that Ms, Kenner was the best person to write episode 1. Ms. Kenner did a wonderful job of introducing the series and the characters. We also get to have a taste of what to expect out of this series in its entirety. While all the other authors are amazing, and I am a big fan of some of them, I don't see anyone else writing the first episode other than Julie Kenner. I've always loved her writing style.
Like I've already mentioned, this serial reads as a soap opera. Therefore, once you start reading the first episode, you have to stick with it until the last one. That's the best way to enjoy the whole story. This is not meant to turn you away from the book or the series. In fact, this is a challenge. Over the next eight weeks, an episode will come out, so before you know it, you already have the entire story in your hands. It's a good, enjoyable read that will take you back to the time when soap operas were really big on TV with their larger than life conflicts like politcs, scandal, betrayal, and everything you can come up with.
So... the publishers of the 1001 Dark Nights series decided to create a soap opera in words. Thus, Rising Storm was born. This serial is a multi-author soap opera-ish series with many characters, plots, subplots, conflicts, and resolutions over its 8-epiode run. I have read TV series-like serials, but they were all written by the same author. This is the first time I will be reading something of this format which is also written by different authors.
Being the first part, I believe that Ms, Kenner was the best person to write episode 1. Ms. Kenner did a wonderful job of introducing the series and the characters. We also get to have a taste of what to expect out of this series in its entirety. While all the other authors are amazing, and I am a big fan of some of them, I don't see anyone else writing the first episode other than Julie Kenner. I've always loved her writing style.
Like I've already mentioned, this serial reads as a soap opera. Therefore, once you start reading the first episode, you have to stick with it until the last one. That's the best way to enjoy the whole story. This is not meant to turn you away from the book or the series. In fact, this is a challenge. Over the next eight weeks, an episode will come out, so before you know it, you already have the entire story in your hands. It's a good, enjoyable read that will take you back to the time when soap operas were really big on TV with their larger than life conflicts like politcs, scandal, betrayal, and everything you can come up with.
September 17, 2015
Fantastic!
Written as a soap opera. And what do you want from each episode of your soap opera? Drama, tension, fulfillment, and a hook to bring you back for the next episode. You want the several story-lines to mesh and be cohesive, so you're not lost each time you visit a scene.
Tempest Rising is full of all of that. We meet the characters. We are introduced to their personalities, their secrets, their lies, and we start to wonder what else Storm, TX, has to offer. Not once in the reading of episode one was I scratching my head and wondering where I was in the "episode". It seemed to flow just perfectly.
Chapter one hooked me. I felt so immersed in this town of Storm, and it's inhabitants, that I felt almost like I was part of the town. I looked forward to the gossip (horrible of me!), I felt sorrow, I felt the frustration, and I wondered what tomorrow will bring.
I do have two favorite characters from episode one. Ginny and Sheriff Dillon. I won't tell you why, because just like a soap opera, it's up to you to decide who your favorites are, who's story-line you look forward to the most.
I have high hopes for the rest of this soap opera series. I'm looking forward to what will happen in the next episode. The tension is already building, and I'm already wondering what the fall-out will be from some of the decisions made.
Everyone needs to read this. Everyone!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Written as a soap opera. And what do you want from each episode of your soap opera? Drama, tension, fulfillment, and a hook to bring you back for the next episode. You want the several story-lines to mesh and be cohesive, so you're not lost each time you visit a scene.
Tempest Rising is full of all of that. We meet the characters. We are introduced to their personalities, their secrets, their lies, and we start to wonder what else Storm, TX, has to offer. Not once in the reading of episode one was I scratching my head and wondering where I was in the "episode". It seemed to flow just perfectly.
Chapter one hooked me. I felt so immersed in this town of Storm, and it's inhabitants, that I felt almost like I was part of the town. I looked forward to the gossip (horrible of me!), I felt sorrow, I felt the frustration, and I wondered what tomorrow will bring.
I do have two favorite characters from episode one. Ginny and Sheriff Dillon. I won't tell you why, because just like a soap opera, it's up to you to decide who your favorites are, who's story-line you look forward to the most.
I have high hopes for the rest of this soap opera series. I'm looking forward to what will happen in the next episode. The tension is already building, and I'm already wondering what the fall-out will be from some of the decisions made.
Everyone needs to read this. Everyone!
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2015
This is the beginning of a soap opera like story about a little town in Texas called Storm! It reminded me of the good old days when I watched One Life to Live and All My Children. This book had so many interesting characters and juicy plot line after juicy plot line. My head is swimming with the possibilities! So many secret relationships, bad relationships, secret obsessions and one tragic event. Everyone in this town in connected in some way like all small towns. There are plenty of shenanigans, lies and deceit to keep even the most picky reader interested.
This story is well written and paced nicely. Even though it's a short book, I didn't feel anything was rushed. It had just the right amount of everything and I feel I'm getting to know these characters. What I liked most, being a Texan, is that it is set in Texas and I know a lot of the places and products mentioned. It almost felt like I was reading about my old hometown!
This is a great start to a series and I cannot wait to read more!
This story is well written and paced nicely. Even though it's a short book, I didn't feel anything was rushed. It had just the right amount of everything and I feel I'm getting to know these characters. What I liked most, being a Texan, is that it is set in Texas and I know a lot of the places and products mentioned. It almost felt like I was reading about my old hometown!
This is a great start to a series and I cannot wait to read more!
September 24, 2015
I love the concept of this new series, so dived into Tempest Rising, the first book in the Rising Storm series with high expectations.
Julie Kenner has done a tremendous job introducing us to the inhabitants of Storm, giving us a tiny glimpse into their worlds before we spend more time with them in subsequent books. This is done in a surprisingly enticing way, which doesn't leave you overwhelmed by name and places. Formatted like a soap opera we learn just enough about everyone to set a scene.
Unsurprisingly, Storm has a fabulous collection of interesting inhabitants. Many are clichés of small town living, but I'd be disappointed if they were not! We begin this episode with a tragedy, but deception, lies and lust are all part of the mix too.
I finished and wanted more and can't wait for the next instalment – White Lightening by Lexi Blake.
Warning – a very strong chance this series is going to be addictive.
4 stars
***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***
Julie Kenner has done a tremendous job introducing us to the inhabitants of Storm, giving us a tiny glimpse into their worlds before we spend more time with them in subsequent books. This is done in a surprisingly enticing way, which doesn't leave you overwhelmed by name and places. Formatted like a soap opera we learn just enough about everyone to set a scene.
Unsurprisingly, Storm has a fabulous collection of interesting inhabitants. Many are clichés of small town living, but I'd be disappointed if they were not! We begin this episode with a tragedy, but deception, lies and lust are all part of the mix too.
I finished and wanted more and can't wait for the next instalment – White Lightening by Lexi Blake.
Warning – a very strong chance this series is going to be addictive.
4 stars
***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***
September 23, 2015
When I heard about the Rising Storm series of books, I was both excited and had trepidations at the same time. I was thrilled to see the authors participating but also wondered how this was all going to work and have everything flow as it wuld in a book that's written by just one author. Let's face it, eight different authors each writing an episode, it can't be easy to make it work.
Well, if Book 1, Tempest Rising, is any indication of how this whole series will go, I'm NOT going to be disappointed. The author Julie Kenner did a wonderful job of setting up all the players in this small town in Texas. There's love, passion, great friendships, intrigue, deception, and some very powerful secrets in tiny Storm, Texas. Way beyond what you think might be happening!
As Episode 1 closes, I sat in shock with what was revealed and did a little evil laugh and thought, "it's getting good now!" I wasn't let down and neither will you. Get this book before the next one is released so you can enjoy all the dealings of Storm, Texas!!
Well, if Book 1, Tempest Rising, is any indication of how this whole series will go, I'm NOT going to be disappointed. The author Julie Kenner did a wonderful job of setting up all the players in this small town in Texas. There's love, passion, great friendships, intrigue, deception, and some very powerful secrets in tiny Storm, Texas. Way beyond what you think might be happening!
As Episode 1 closes, I sat in shock with what was revealed and did a little evil laugh and thought, "it's getting good now!" I wasn't let down and neither will you. Get this book before the next one is released so you can enjoy all the dealings of Storm, Texas!!
September 24, 2015
Amazing first Episode. The quiet little town of Storm is quaint and apparently full of secrets. Its inhabitants all know each other since the town is relatively small. Beneath the social acceptabilities lies an undercurrent that encompasses all the emotional turmoils possible for human beings.
This first episode sets the stage introducing all the main characters. In an easy going approach, we learn all about them and their everyday lives. Tragedy has struck the town with the death of one of their own. In the process of dealing with this, we get to take a second look at our main characters and are privy to the underbelly of what seemingly are outstanding citizens. There is adultery, greed, hate, abuse, et al. Somehow it reminded me of a place called Peyton Place. Yes, I am dating myself now, since this was a little town wrought with all kinds of sinful behaviors.
I am definitely hooked and awaiting to read these weekly episodes. It is like reading a juicy and devilishly delightful TV mini series and we the readers are the voyeurs!
This first episode sets the stage introducing all the main characters. In an easy going approach, we learn all about them and their everyday lives. Tragedy has struck the town with the death of one of their own. In the process of dealing with this, we get to take a second look at our main characters and are privy to the underbelly of what seemingly are outstanding citizens. There is adultery, greed, hate, abuse, et al. Somehow it reminded me of a place called Peyton Place. Yes, I am dating myself now, since this was a little town wrought with all kinds of sinful behaviors.
I am definitely hooked and awaiting to read these weekly episodes. It is like reading a juicy and devilishly delightful TV mini series and we the readers are the voyeurs!
April 24, 2016
Aaaaaahhhh soap soap soap!!!
C'est comme si j'avais regardé le pilot d'une nouvelle série! On m'a présenté les personnages (et il y en a!!! ) , les situations plus "soapesques" les unes que les autres ... Il y a de la morue, du connard, de la gentille et pas mal de détraqués! Enfin, on est dans un soap.
C'est du Aaron Spelling!!!! Si avec Bourbon king de JR Ward, on était dans une sorte de Titan et autre Dynastie (pour les plus vieux), là c'est plus Savannah ou Sunset beach (j'ai révisé mes classiques, et c'est plus Savannah que Sunset beach en fait). Une ville où tout le monde connait tout le monde, où les familles s'entrecroisent ... Un bonheur!!!
Ca sera mon petit plaisir du dimanche, la novella du week-end <3 (j'espère donc ne pas être spoilée si par hasard quelqu'un devait marathoner :/ )
C'est comme si j'avais regardé le pilot d'une nouvelle série! On m'a présenté les personnages (et il y en a!!! ) , les situations plus "soapesques" les unes que les autres ... Il y a de la morue, du connard, de la gentille et pas mal de détraqués! Enfin, on est dans un soap.
C'est du Aaron Spelling!!!! Si avec Bourbon king de JR Ward, on était dans une sorte de Titan et autre Dynastie (pour les plus vieux), là c'est plus Savannah ou Sunset beach (j'ai révisé mes classiques, et c'est plus Savannah que Sunset beach en fait). Une ville où tout le monde connait tout le monde, où les familles s'entrecroisent ... Un bonheur!!!
Ca sera mon petit plaisir du dimanche, la novella du week-end <3 (j'espère donc ne pas être spoilée si par hasard quelqu'un devait marathoner :/ )
February 29, 2016
Final Score - 4 Soap-y Stars!
Oh boy! There was a LOT of secrets that people in this town are keeping - people sleeping with others who are NOT their spouse; teen angst/drama; car crashes; death; lies; secrets; pregnancy & more!
It's all twisted up together and the town of Storm, TX will NEVER be the same when these actions come to light.
I'm almost nervous/afraid to continue reading because quite a few people won't be getting a happy ending - and they shouldn't.
Can't wait for the next book in this latest series! And I'd given up on watching soap operas, but I guess I'm not immune to reading them *wink*
Oh boy! There was a LOT of secrets that people in this town are keeping - people sleeping with others who are NOT their spouse; teen angst/drama; car crashes; death; lies; secrets; pregnancy & more!
It's all twisted up together and the town of Storm, TX will NEVER be the same when these actions come to light.
I'm almost nervous/afraid to continue reading because quite a few people won't be getting a happy ending - and they shouldn't.
Can't wait for the next book in this latest series! And I'd given up on watching soap operas, but I guess I'm not immune to reading them *wink*
October 2, 2015
Back in the '80s I loved all those trashy soaps - Falcon Crest, Santa Barbara, Bold and the Beautiful, DOOL - and reading this new series is just like reliving those stories. Set in a small, Texas town, we have a sudden death, multiple affairs, bitchy teens, unrequited love, a baby of unknown parentage and spousal abuse, all crammed into about 100 perfect pages. This is the start of a serial, each part written by a different author, so I am looking forward to the next installment to see in which direction a new author will take it. I haven't read any Julie Kenner before but I will certainly check out her other work now, too.
September 16, 2015
Tempest Rising is one of the story in a collection in Rising Storm. Tempest Rising is about a town, Storm Texas. This is great stories of a town with love, lies, and sex. In the beginning tragedy strikes this town. As you read on you find the tragedy touches every family in the town. Everyone's life starts opening up like an onion. With Ginny not sure where she should live after she lie. To Jacob's dad Travis having a hard time trying to be strong for his family but wanting to be somewhere else and with someone else. This book end with you wanting no begging for the next one to see what happens.
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