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Seasons #1
Hurricane Season
Shawn Richards (aka S.K. Richardson) is a romance author. She’s had her heart broken badly again and is done with love. Ditching San Francisco, she moves back home to Southwest Florida to get her feet back under her and finish her latest novel.
Carrie Alexander is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. She does, however, like the looks of the new neighbor down the street, Shawn Richards. Drawn to each other as friends, Shawn still tries to keep some distance in spite of what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie. Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. Carrie’s the kind you fall in love with and make love to, and live happily ever after with—but she just can’t let herself trust her heart yet. After all, the last time she fell for one of her fans, it ended badly. Carrie is looking for ‘happy ever after’ just like in all those romance novels she reads. Shawn could be the one, or maybe Carrie’s fooling herself and there’s really no such thing as all that romantic stuff in Shawn’s books. Shawn is afraid she can’t deliver on that ‘happy ever after’ she knows Carrie wants—and she wants, too, truth be told. Destiny might have given them a push when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. But fear could cost Shawn the woman of her dreams.
Words: 64,530
Carrie Alexander is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. She does, however, like the looks of the new neighbor down the street, Shawn Richards. Drawn to each other as friends, Shawn still tries to keep some distance in spite of what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie. Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. Carrie’s the kind you fall in love with and make love to, and live happily ever after with—but she just can’t let herself trust her heart yet. After all, the last time she fell for one of her fans, it ended badly. Carrie is looking for ‘happy ever after’ just like in all those romance novels she reads. Shawn could be the one, or maybe Carrie’s fooling herself and there’s really no such thing as all that romantic stuff in Shawn’s books. Shawn is afraid she can’t deliver on that ‘happy ever after’ she knows Carrie wants—and she wants, too, truth be told. Destiny might have given them a push when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. But fear could cost Shawn the woman of her dreams.
Words: 64,530
201 pages, ebook
Published June 5, 2016
11 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
About the author
B.J. Phillips
4 books10 followersBJ Phillips writes romance novels set in her home state of Florida. She grew up in the South, spending most of her growing up years in Florida, barefoot or in flip flops. She lives with her partner and their two four-legged girls, in central Florida in an honest to goodness resort (it says so on the sign out front). When not writing or reading, she enjoys watching baseball, sitting on their front porch chatting with neighbors and friends, people watching and shopping at flea markets, and watching way too many mysteries and police shows.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 15, 2016
Definitely an excellent love story.
When you meet someone and you feel an instant connection, that feeling can be very scary. Shawn is afraid of this feelings and runs away from it. Everything becomes complicated. Finding her trust in love again she has to learn to face her demon. Has Shawn the courage to embrace love or will she remain content with playing it safe? The characters are engaging and very likeable. The descriptions of the hurricane made me feel like I was experiencing the storm just as they experience it. I could feel the wind and hear the rain pattering on the roof. Very well done. I'm a sucker for a great love story and this is definitely an excellent one. I'm already looking forward to her next book.
When you meet someone and you feel an instant connection, that feeling can be very scary. Shawn is afraid of this feelings and runs away from it. Everything becomes complicated. Finding her trust in love again she has to learn to face her demon. Has Shawn the courage to embrace love or will she remain content with playing it safe? The characters are engaging and very likeable. The descriptions of the hurricane made me feel like I was experiencing the storm just as they experience it. I could feel the wind and hear the rain pattering on the roof. Very well done. I'm a sucker for a great love story and this is definitely an excellent one. I'm already looking forward to her next book.
July 16, 2016
2 stars. I considered rating it 3 stars, but because I had to force myself to finish, I couldn't justify it. It wasn't a horrible book, nor badly written. I just couldn't get into the romance and I really disliked Shawn, especially after she visited Tracie. I just didn't feel the connection between Shawn & Carrie. Carrie was too quick to forgive. Personally, I was rooting for Carrie & Kelly - they seemed to have more chemistry together.
November 2, 2016
Romance author Shawn Richards moves back to her home to Florida. She is ready to move on from her ex-girlfriend but doesn’t expect to fall for her gorgeous neighbor, Carrie. Carrie is looking for a storybook romance and who better to give her that than the sexy romance novelist lying on her street. Unfortunately Shawn isn’t ready for what she and Carrie feel for one another…
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I hoped I would. When I originally read the synopsis it ticked all the boxes of a novel I would normally devour in 2 days max but it took more like 5 days to finish it and I nearly stopped reading it a few times. The storyline felt a little disjointed and erratic. I was enjoying the book up until a third of the way in when I started to loose interest.
I actually liked the characters in the book and could understand there desire for one another but the journey to their happy ending came and went a few times and then when it did finally happen the focus wasn't on them anymore but on the pending hurricane. I actually learnt more in the last 20% of the novel about hurricanes in Florida than I did about the couple.
I'll definitely try another novel by B.J Philips because the groundwork was there for a great romance, but for me it just needed something more to keep me wanting to turn the page.
2.5 Stars
Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this novel as much as I hoped I would. When I originally read the synopsis it ticked all the boxes of a novel I would normally devour in 2 days max but it took more like 5 days to finish it and I nearly stopped reading it a few times. The storyline felt a little disjointed and erratic. I was enjoying the book up until a third of the way in when I started to loose interest.
I actually liked the characters in the book and could understand there desire for one another but the journey to their happy ending came and went a few times and then when it did finally happen the focus wasn't on them anymore but on the pending hurricane. I actually learnt more in the last 20% of the novel about hurricanes in Florida than I did about the couple.
I'll definitely try another novel by B.J Philips because the groundwork was there for a great romance, but for me it just needed something more to keep me wanting to turn the page.
2.5 Stars
June 17, 2016
This is the first book I have read from this author and I think it is her first book as well. I liked the concept behind the book but I don't feel that characters and situations were as developed as they could have been which would have enhanced the story and even the connection between Shawn and Carrie. For example, the situation with Jess and Carrie was very briefly touched upon but never addressed again. Carrie said no and Jess just sorta dropped out completely. Then there was the issue with Tracey...which personally if I'm Carrie despite what did or did not happen, I would be pissed off not forgive and forget because they had no "claim" on each other. Then, the last 25% or so of the book was describing a hurricane coming through...
I know it sounds like I didn't like the book but in all honesty I liked about 70% of it. Like I mentioned before, it just feel short of being really captivating and good. Minor errors throughout but nothing glaring and the sentence structure, though simple, was done well. Like other reviewers have said, this is a decent summer read and I would say something to read when in between books or looking for something not mind boggling.
I know it sounds like I didn't like the book but in all honesty I liked about 70% of it. Like I mentioned before, it just feel short of being really captivating and good. Minor errors throughout but nothing glaring and the sentence structure, though simple, was done well. Like other reviewers have said, this is a decent summer read and I would say something to read when in between books or looking for something not mind boggling.
July 11, 2016
This is a pretty good debut novel. Shawn and Carrie meet by accident and are drawn together by attraction and desire. The problem? Shawn's last relationship was a trainwreck and she's still trying to recover from it. It makes her wary and closed off to taking a chance on the possibilities she senses she'd have with Carrie. And that's a lot of the plot, and possibly the problem as well. Carrie does a lot of waiting around for Shawn to get her stuff together, and gives her more than one second chance. That's a lot of waiting for someone she isn't sure will ever take the chance to be with her, and truthfully, as nice as Carrie seems, she also seems like a doormat because she's so passive about letting Shawn make all the moves. And it doesn't help that anytime Shawn does make a move, 30 seconds later she runs away, then hides for the next week. I'd say on paper, that doesn't necessarily sound like a good story, but I actually enjoyed following along as the two try to find their way to each other. Besides occasionally wanting to smack each upside the head to make them wake up, the characters are basically likable, and they do make you root for a happy resolution. I liked hearing about all the stuff they did to weather the hurricane at the end, however it seems to me there was a lot of hype about the storm but not much happened, unless you count the way they spent their time waiting. It seemed like a buildup of tension about the storm, but the storm didn't actually do much. Anyway, the book is sweet and romantic, and an enjoyable way to spend some time.
I received a copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
July 24, 2016
3.5
This is the most trad of trad romances. Sweet, gooey and as soppy as can be.
Shawn Richards is a well known romance writer under the name S.K. Richardson. She has retreated to her Florida home to escape the heartbreak she cannot seem to get over, and to finish her next novel. Carrie is a huge S.K. Richardson fan but with no jacket photo she has no idea the cute woman she falls over in the grocery store is her idol.
While Shawn is instantly attracted, her heartache and bad experience dating a fan make her fight to keep Carrie at a distance, and the usual romantic dance ensues. Carrie will need all her patience and Shawn all her nerve, to get past the emotional roadblocks in their way.
The characters are warm and likeable, their heartache and fears all recognizable and its very easy to want them to succeed. Their small dramas over misunderstandings and hurt feeling are easy to empathize with, we have all been there. The backing characters are well done, from the solid Kelly to the conniving Tracy, they provide gently subplots to the main event.
BJ Phillips provides tension between the women with their gentle battle over fear and hurt, and a wider tension in the build to hurricane Grace, which they are right in the path off. She makes good use of the hurricane to add drama to the story, and gives an excellent description of the impact the storm has on those impacted by it.
This is an nice summer read, perfect for a lazy day by the pool or on the beech. An enjoyable and pleasant way to get lost in a very sweet romance.
This is the most trad of trad romances. Sweet, gooey and as soppy as can be.
Shawn Richards is a well known romance writer under the name S.K. Richardson. She has retreated to her Florida home to escape the heartbreak she cannot seem to get over, and to finish her next novel. Carrie is a huge S.K. Richardson fan but with no jacket photo she has no idea the cute woman she falls over in the grocery store is her idol.
While Shawn is instantly attracted, her heartache and bad experience dating a fan make her fight to keep Carrie at a distance, and the usual romantic dance ensues. Carrie will need all her patience and Shawn all her nerve, to get past the emotional roadblocks in their way.
The characters are warm and likeable, their heartache and fears all recognizable and its very easy to want them to succeed. Their small dramas over misunderstandings and hurt feeling are easy to empathize with, we have all been there. The backing characters are well done, from the solid Kelly to the conniving Tracy, they provide gently subplots to the main event.
BJ Phillips provides tension between the women with their gentle battle over fear and hurt, and a wider tension in the build to hurricane Grace, which they are right in the path off. She makes good use of the hurricane to add drama to the story, and gives an excellent description of the impact the storm has on those impacted by it.
This is an nice summer read, perfect for a lazy day by the pool or on the beech. An enjoyable and pleasant way to get lost in a very sweet romance.
July 30, 2017
Enjoyable Easy Read
Quite a good first debut effort. It was a “proper” romance story. Shawn a writer of Romance novels has had her heart broken by a fan turned lover. Carrie is a reader of romance novels looking for Ms Right.
Carrie falls for Shawn not knowing she is her favourite author. Shawn won’t commit because she is too afraid of getting her heart broken again. The romance “Chase” is on. I was enjoying it until I got to Tracy. I couldn’t see why Carrie thought the Shawn and Tracy incident was ‘funny’. More should have been made of Carrie’s reaction to this. Kelly was a well written character, would like to see more of her in the future. I particularly enjoyed the perfect ending. Good easy pleasant read. I will definitely be buying the next book Snowbird Season.
Quite a good first debut effort. It was a “proper” romance story. Shawn a writer of Romance novels has had her heart broken by a fan turned lover. Carrie is a reader of romance novels looking for Ms Right.
Carrie falls for Shawn not knowing she is her favourite author. Shawn won’t commit because she is too afraid of getting her heart broken again. The romance “Chase” is on. I was enjoying it until I got to Tracy. I couldn’t see why Carrie thought the Shawn and Tracy incident was ‘funny’. More should have been made of Carrie’s reaction to this. Kelly was a well written character, would like to see more of her in the future. I particularly enjoyed the perfect ending. Good easy pleasant read. I will definitely be buying the next book Snowbird Season.
Read
December 8, 2017This is my own book, so I can't review it. I hope readers enjoy it.
April 30, 2021
It was kind of half baked. Definitely not bad, but there were a lot of potential interesting plot points that the author touched upon and then studiously ignored for the rest of the story. It could have been very good, but now it's just meh.
May 28, 2022
Know a lot about Hurricanes now.
August 10, 2019
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚👩❤️💋👩☔️🌪 ⚢📖👭🏳️🌈
There are so many books to discover that it’s still very rare for me to re-read one …
I wanted to re-read HURRICANE SEASON because I’ve loved it the 1st time and, also because I wanted to refresh my memory before reading its sequel « Snowbird Season » …
My rating : 5 ⭐️
The story sets high in Southwest Florida and focus on Shawn Richards (aka S.K. Richardson) ,a romance author, & Carrie Alexander, a secretary in a construction firm who is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. Leaving San Francisco behind, Shawn moves back home to Florida to get her feet back under her and finish her latest novel. They met when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. They soon discover that they are neighbors& they are unmistably drawn to each other as friends. Following her cousin’s advice, Shawn hires the construction firm in which Carrie works in to add some rooms to her house. That’s the perfect excuse to spend more and more time together … They go out a couple times. But, in spite of what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie, Shawn still tries to keep some distance because the knows that Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. … Carrie is a romantic at heart and hope for a HEA like in the romance novels she reads & Shawn doesn’t feel ready to get involved seriously with a woman after having had her heart broken. Shawn needs to get her things together otherwise fear could cost her the woman of her dreams. And, then, hurricane Grace strikes …
Nope ! The story is not full of suspense. It’s even quite predictable as a matter of fact.
Nope ! There isn’t a lot of drama.
Nope ! There aren’t numerous hot lovemakings scenes (there are a few intimates moments, though) …
But some times, a simple, sweet and tender quite slow-burn romance is just what you need to unwind… And Shawn and Carrie ‘s love story is just like that !!
Personally I like the author’s writing and subtil touches of humor. The characters are funny and touching in the same time. There are good secondary characters and the description of what living a hurricane experience is very good (I know the topic very well since I live under the tropics … even if, over here, we call this kind of storms « cyclones » …).
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Yes ! Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have read it a 2nd time …
- Did I find the characters believable? => Yes !! Very realistic.
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Yes, definitely … someday there’ll be a 3rd reading, that’s for sure.
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes ! And I won’t waste any time since my 2 next paperback readings are « Snowbird Season » & « Changing Seasons » (Seasons Series - Book 2 & 3)
- Would I recommend this book => Yes … to everyone !!
Hey guys and gals, you know that now it’s your turn to live a hurricane experience … So … Grab your own copy and make your own opinion …
Enjoy (or not) your reading … 😉
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚👩❤️💋👩☔️🌪 ⚢📖👭🏳️🌈
There are so many books to discover that it’s still very rare for me to re-read one …
I wanted to re-read HURRICANE SEASON because I’ve loved it the 1st time and, also because I wanted to refresh my memory before reading its sequel « Snowbird Season » …
My rating : 5 ⭐️
The story sets high in Southwest Florida and focus on Shawn Richards (aka S.K. Richardson) ,a romance author, & Carrie Alexander, a secretary in a construction firm who is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. Leaving San Francisco behind, Shawn moves back home to Florida to get her feet back under her and finish her latest novel. They met when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. They soon discover that they are neighbors& they are unmistably drawn to each other as friends. Following her cousin’s advice, Shawn hires the construction firm in which Carrie works in to add some rooms to her house. That’s the perfect excuse to spend more and more time together … They go out a couple times. But, in spite of what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie, Shawn still tries to keep some distance because the knows that Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. … Carrie is a romantic at heart and hope for a HEA like in the romance novels she reads & Shawn doesn’t feel ready to get involved seriously with a woman after having had her heart broken. Shawn needs to get her things together otherwise fear could cost her the woman of her dreams. And, then, hurricane Grace strikes …
Nope ! The story is not full of suspense. It’s even quite predictable as a matter of fact.
Nope ! There isn’t a lot of drama.
Nope ! There aren’t numerous hot lovemakings scenes (there are a few intimates moments, though) …
But some times, a simple, sweet and tender quite slow-burn romance is just what you need to unwind… And Shawn and Carrie ‘s love story is just like that !!
Personally I like the author’s writing and subtil touches of humor. The characters are funny and touching in the same time. There are good secondary characters and the description of what living a hurricane experience is very good (I know the topic very well since I live under the tropics … even if, over here, we call this kind of storms « cyclones » …).
If I had to make a very short and quite different version of my review, it’d be something like this :
- Did I enjoy this book? => Yes ! Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t have read it a 2nd time …
- Did I find the characters believable? => Yes !! Very realistic.
- Is this book now included in my « must be re-read »-list? => Yes, definitely … someday there’ll be a 3rd reading, that’s for sure.
- Would I read another book by this author? => Yes ! And I won’t waste any time since my 2 next paperback readings are « Snowbird Season » & « Changing Seasons » (Seasons Series - Book 2 & 3)
- Would I recommend this book => Yes … to everyone !!
Hey guys and gals, you know that now it’s your turn to live a hurricane experience … So … Grab your own copy and make your own opinion …
Enjoy (or not) your reading … 😉
🏳️🌈👩❤️👩📚👩❤️💋👩☔️🌪 ⚢📖👭🏳️🌈
November 8, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Hurricane Season by B.J. Phillips
Pretty good debut story. Some dialogue was a little quirky in my opinion. I really liked both MC's but the supporting cast could have been developed a bit more. The ending was a little drawn out as well. I would read other works from this author.
Pretty good debut story. Some dialogue was a little quirky in my opinion. I really liked both MC's but the supporting cast could have been developed a bit more. The ending was a little drawn out as well. I would read other works from this author.
November 15, 2016
This was quick read. Enjoyed the characters very much. The setting was spectacular. Glad Shawn was able to clear her head and allow herself to love Carrie. Don't know what I will do tonight not being able to see what they are up to. When is Hurricane Season Two coming out? I want to read more.
July 17, 2016
Not what I expected
I read the first 2 chapters of this book and was captured by the story ahead...of boy was I disappointed. The characters are in their late 30s but the voices and actions were more teenagers like. I liked Carrie but Shawn wasn't well developed.
I read the first 2 chapters of this book and was captured by the story ahead...of boy was I disappointed. The characters are in their late 30s but the voices and actions were more teenagers like. I liked Carrie but Shawn wasn't well developed.
July 2, 2016
Good book
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters and the relationships they had with each other. I recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the characters and the relationships they had with each other. I recommend this book.
August 23, 2016
loved the premise, liked the characters, but the internal dialogue ruined it for me. DNF at chapter 5.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews