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Zodius #2

Sterling

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He loved her and lost her...now he needs her help and he wants her back.... A supersoldier created in a government experiment, Sterling Jeter has remarkable powers and has shown himself to be just about indestructible. That is until a beautiful, brilliant scientist he once loved crosses his path again. A woman who can help him save the world from a lethal threat, but will she become his weakness? Will she be the path his enemies have to victory?

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First published November 1, 2011

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About the author

Lisa Renee Jones

372 books14.6k followers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT series. Suzanne Todd (producer of Alice in Wonderland) on the INSIDE OUT series: Lisa has created a beautiful, complicated, and sensual world that is filled with intrigue and suspense. Sara’s character is strong, flawed, complex, and sexy - a modern girl we all can identify with.

In addition to the success of Lisa's INSIDE OUT series, she has published many successful titles. The TALL, DARK AND DEADLY series and THE SECRET LIFE OF AMY BENSEN series, both spent several months on a combination of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling lists. Lisa is presently working on a dark, edgy new series, Dirty Money, for St. Martin's Press.
Prior to publishing Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by the Dallas Women's Magazine. In 1998 Lisa was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at www.lisareneejones.com and she is active on Twitter and Facebook daily.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Profile Image for April.
1,850 reviews73 followers
October 27, 2011
THE STORM THAT IS STERLING by Lisa Renee Jones is an exciting paranormal romanatic suspense that will have you turning pages from the beginning to the last page. It is Book #2 "A Zodius Novel", see "The Legend of Michael".But "The Storm That Is Sterling" can be read as a stand alone. It is full of danger,love,romance,heart pumping adventure,action,good vs evil,a sweet sensuality,captivating suspense,a struggle between two brothers to contol the world,and two hearts finding each other. "The Storm That Is Sterling" is the story about Sterling Jeter,a sexy,handsome,breed of super soldier with super remarkable powers and Rebecca Burns,a astrobiologist,who has cancer and is the only one alive who can save ICE users from this deadly super enhanced street drug(ICE). Rebecca is kidnapped and injected with the deadly ICE drug that has been killing its users. While,the drug has helped her cancer it could be killing her,she must find a cure and reason why it is killing others. Sterling, and Rebecca are old friends from high school and attracted to each other. Sterling will do anything to help his cause and save Rebecca. Together,they take on Adam Rain,the "Zodius"the rebel GTECH leader,and the evil twin to the Caleb Rain,The Renegades leader. This is a fast paced story that is full of sexy,edgy,heart pumping adventure with suspense,danger and romance. A must read. This author will not disappoint any paranormal,suspense,adventure,intrigue or romance reader. What an amazing series "Zodius" is. This book was received for review from the publisher.Details can be found at Sourcebooks Casablanca and My Book Addiction and More.
Profile Image for Terry.
94 reviews
March 6, 2012
Adam, the leader of the evil Zodius soldiers has developed a street drug from his newborn’s DNA that is so addictive that he could easily created a worldwide dependency on him as the only source, as withdrawal kills the user. This drug will give Adam the power to rule the entire population if his plan for mass distribution is achieved. Sterling, and a brilliant, cancer stricken scientist, must stop Adam before it’s too late. But can Sterling trust this woman when he discovers this drug might be her only way of surviving cancer?. Is he in bed, and in love, with the enemy?

The Hero: Sterling

He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery…

Lethally daring. Ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door. Welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus he is danger. A volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is…Sterling.

Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death... or worse...Can the both over-come their mutual past and the paths they crossed in high school? Your just going to have to read this book and find out.
Profile Image for Beth-ann Mason.
Author 3 books60 followers
October 19, 2011
The Storm that is Sterling is the second in the Zodius series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I really recommend reading them in order (especially since the third book is already in the works!)

Someone compared the glossary in the front to Lara Adrian or JR Ward's books. As a reader of both, I can say the story was nothing like those ladies' books, but it was just as well written and had me in a "can't put it down" mood for 2 days!

What happens when you have to go back to your hometown to try to get the "geek girl" from high school, who you crushed on, to help you and your special op unit to help save lives? That's exactly the question that Sterling asks as he goes home to Texas to find the girl has turned into a brilliant and beautiful scientist with a damning secret. Will she ever let him explain what happened all those years ago when he stood her up? Will she forgive him? Can Sterling, the guy who saves lives every day, save the one life he doesn't want to live without?

From the first sentence you're drawn in and Lisa keeps you on the edge and guessing! Who can the duo trust? Who's on which side of the fight? Just when you think you can answer one of the questions, you find out you're grossly mistaken.

If you like fast-paced and high-tech romances, the Zodius series, and The Storm That Is Sterling, is definitely a must read!
Profile Image for Tarisa Marie.
Author 20 books193 followers
May 15, 2018
3.5 stars. Good story and writing, just didn’t grab me like some books do.
Profile Image for Michelle Leah Olson.
924 reviews117 followers
November 14, 2011
The Storm that is Sterling, Book #2 of the Zodius series

Author: Lisa Renee Jones

Synopsis: He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery… Lethally daring and ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door, welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus, he is danger— a volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is…
Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death… or worse…

Our Review [by LITERAL ADDICTION’s Guest Reviewer – Debbie Talbot]:

First things first. reading the Zodius series has been my first foray into any of Lisa Renee Jones’s books. I was asked to read The Storm that is Sterling for my book club. To prepare I started the Zodius series from the beginning with The Legend that is Michael. The series is about a group of soldiers who, being told they were getting a immunization, were actually being forced to participate in a government program to try to make a better soldier. Project Zodius was a Top- Secret Military program that took 200 soldiers and injected them with alien DNA turning them into what they call GTECH Super Soldier. GTECHS are faster, stronger, quicker healing and are all together much, much harder to kill. They can all travel or “windwalk” on the wind, and some are developing other abilities also. They are charged with protecting humanity as we know it; even if they don’t totally consider themselves as “human” anymore.

The 1st book sets up the series and gives you a strong desire to see these guys rise above all that is done to them and win in that all time struggle between Good and Evil. One thing you figure out is that everything isn’t black and white or good or evil.

When I started the book, The Storm that is Sterling, I had already fallen in love with Sterling. He is 100% my kind of Hero. He is cocky, dangerous and sexy too. His life has been hard. He has lost all of his family. His friends, the other GTECH Renegades, are all he has now and he will risk everything he is in the fight to keep Adam and his Zodius soldiers from trying to take over the world.

Rebecca is a strong independent woman who is used to handling all life gives her without burdening anyone else. She grew up with her Father and Brothers being in Special Forces in the military. After losing them she knows that she doesn’t ever want to feel the fear again that comes from being a wife or child of a soldier.

When Sterling and Rebecca come face to face in the beginning of the book they already have a history together. Since they had grown up in the same town, the leader of the Renegades Caleb sends Sterling to try to get Rebecca to help their cause. She is one of the only astrobiologist’s left in the world that might be able to come up with a cure for the people Adam is selling ICE to. The only problem is the night he finds her Adam attacks them at her house and Sterling is seriously injured. Adam wanting control over Rebecca forces her to take the drug or he will kill Sterling right in front of her. She’s knows that taking it, even one time will make her completely addicted to Ice and to miss even one dose will kill her. What she didn’t know is that the drug that is like a synthetic version of what made the GTECH soldiers also will cure her of the illness that is killing her.

I can say that this book by Lisa Renee Jones surprised me by the range of emotion I felt. I went from biting my nails suspense, to heart wrenching tears, from steam up the windows heat, to laughing so loud I woke my whole house up. I will be anxiously waiting for the next Zodius book THE DANGER THAT IS DAMION. As I wait, I plan on reading many more of her books.

LITERAL ADDICTION’s Guest Reviewer gives The Storm that is Sterling 5 skulls and would eagerly recommend the Zodius series to all Paranormal Romance fans or anyone who wants a great emotion filled, action packed read.
Profile Image for Kelly at.
1,145 reviews13 followers
September 22, 2011
The Storm that is Sterling takes us on a wild ride of love & lust, betrayal & trust, misunderstands and a very uncertain future.

My Summary:

The Storm that is Sterling is perfectly named and poor Sterling is in for the ride of his life. But let me back up a bit and give you a little history. The Storm that is Sterling is book 2 in Lisa Renee Jones Zodius series. Book 1 is The Legend of Michael (add review link at posting) in which we are introduced to the world of the Super Soldiers, soldiers who have been injected with an experimental Alien DNA. With this change in their DNA the soldiers are gifted with more strength, speed and other special gifts. Becoming a Super Solider comes with a great responsible to protect and keep the world safe. But not all of the soldiers are out to keep the world safe, some feel that it is their right to be better than others and therefore feel they should rule the world.

The Storm that is Sterling

When Sterling is asked by Cabel (his leader) to go get a scientist to help find a cure for ICE (their enemy’s newest weapon to try to take over the world), his world is forever changed by two words. Rebecca Burns. Becca is the sweet, innocent, little future NASA scientist he was forced to walk away from fourteen years ago.

When Sterling show up at Becca’s house to ask for her help; everything falls apart. The next thing Sterling knows they are being attacked at all sides. The last thing Sterling remembers is handing Becca off to Damion his teammates only to see Damion hand Becca off to the enemy. When Sterling wakes he finds that he has been captured by his enemy also. Then he learns that his enemy has forever changed Becca’s life by forcing her to become addicted to the very drug they were seeking her help to find a cure for.

My thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed Sterling and Becca’s story. I have to admit that even while reading Michael’s book I wanted to learn more about Sterling. So when Lisa gave me the opportunity to read The Strom that is Sterling there was no way I was going to say NO.

Lisa did a great job of showing the struggle that Sterling goes through to realize what and who he needs in his life. Sterling is a man who has always thought that he didn’t need people in his life. His motto was live life fast and hard, that was until Becca came back in his life. Only to learn that life has other plans for Becca.

Becca on the other had has always had the support and love of a family, until death took them away. Not wanting to be a burdened to anyone with her health issues she runs away to hide. That is until Sterling walks back into her life

Lisa sucked me back into the Zodius world with a heart wrenching story of a young love lost before it was ever explored, only to be found again under dire circumstances. And with time is quickly running out can these two find a way to save the world and each other

A Huge Thank you to Lisa for allowing me to read Sterling. I enjoyed very, very much.
Profile Image for Carla-Everything Romance.
115 reviews196 followers
January 12, 2012
Carla's Review

When I read the first book, "The Legend of Michael", I could not put it down until I finished the book and "The Storm That Is Sterling" was no different. It's another action packed, rollercoaster ride of emotions and twists that keeps you hooked until the very last page.
Sterling is a cocky and dedicated soldier to the GTECH Renegades. All of his family passed away and the only family he has now are his friends, the other GTECH Renegades. Sterling and the other Renegades will risk everything to keep Adam and his Zodius soldiers from trying to take over the world.

Rebecca is the daughter and sister of men that were in the military so she's weary of living a life full of worry like her mother had. She's a strong willed and independent woman who is used to handling her business on her own. She's also a very prominent NASA astrobiologist, and the Renegade's only hope of coming up with a cure for ICE, the very addictive and lethal drug Adam is selling on the streets.

Sterling and Rebecca first met back when they were in high school. Sterling asked Rebecca out on a date but he was never able to show up and then disappeared. Rebecca comes home one day to find Sterling on her front porch. While Sterling is explaining to Rebecca that he needs her help, they are attacked by Adam's men and both kidnapped. Adam wants to control Rebecca and force her to work for him, so he forces her to take ICE by threatening to kill Sterling. Taking ICE only one time will make her completely addicted to it and if one dose is missed, it will kill her.

Rebecca is very confused, as she does not know who to trust. Adam is trying to turn her against Sterling to get her on his side but she also feels a very strong connection and attraction to Sterling. I loved watching their relationship grow. Rebecca began to trust Sterling and Sterling began to trust himself. He feels that he is not good enough for Rebecca. You can feel their chemistry coming off the pages from their very first meeting back in high school.

So much happens in the storyline, and I don't want to spoil anything but it had me on the edge of the seat until the very end and I'm now clamoring for the next release, "The Danger That Is Damion".

Lisa Renee Jones is a very talented author who grabs you and wheels you in from the very first page. I definitely recommend checking out ALL of her books because they are all AMAZING stories.

I give "The Storm That Is Sterling" 5 Stars
Profile Image for Jess.
812 reviews62 followers
December 7, 2011
With Adam still intent on his plan of creating a Zodius nation continuing on from the first book, he is using a drug called “ICE” which leaves the users with strength and healing as long as they keep taking regular doses, but miss a dose and you get nothing but death. Adam seeks the expertise of Becca to help him improve the “ICE” formula, but Sterling is there to put a spanner in the works of his plan and to get Becca away from his grasp. Becca and Sterling have a history of sorts, Sterling standing Becca up on a date years before but little does she realise that the reason he stood her up is because he was signed up to the army and the GTECH program. When they are captured by Adam’s people Becca is forced to down a vial is ICE or risk Sterling being shot, due to the fact she isn’t aware he is GTECH, she does what is demanded of her;

“He meant it. She saw it in his eyes. He hated Sterling. He wanted to kill him, if he hadn’t already succeeded. There was too much of Sterling’s blood on the steel floor pooling around his body for him to survive. Too many bullets were buried deep inside him, but she couldn’t-wouldn’t-give up on him.
“I’ll take it.” She held out her hand and received a gloating smile in return.”


But although the ICE has the terrible effect of death if not continuously consumed, it also heals Becca from the death sentence she was facing. This ended with a bit of a cliff hanger of sorts, leaving you wanting more, with Adam’s plan with his son Dorian, which is bound to have some disastrous effects for The Renegades and Cassandra’s father from the last book, General Powell, making a reappearance. I really like how Lisa Renee Jones balances out the romantic aspects with the action and suspense. I loved the twists throughout this read, and finding out what Tad could do, even though he was fighting on the wrong side, his ability would be damn cool to have. It was pretty crushing how Damion caught so much bad wrap in this because of what Tad had done when Sterling was saving Becca, when I first read it I was totally against Damion and couldn’t believe it, but I am glad it all turned out right in the end. I was a little bit frustrated by Becca at times, mostly due to her pulling away from Sterling and from hiding her Lifeblood mark from him, what the heck girl! You can’t help but swoon over Sterling, just how I like my lead male characters, strong, protective but also sensitive, can’t beat that. This story wasn’t quite as good as the first but still fantastic, I’d give this four and a half stars if I could.
Profile Image for Kate Anders.
Author 2 books24 followers
October 25, 2011
Check out my review on http://www.UFReviews.com

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book follows its two main characters, Rebecca and Sterling and there journey together. Rebecca is a brilliant scientist who worked for NASA, and Sterling is a special operations soldier who is trying to find and way to stop an evil man’s plan to essentially enslave humanity with an alien made drug. Sterling needs Rebecca to help combat this new drug, only it turns out that Rebecca and Sterling have a history together, and as it turns out they still have chemistry together.


Part of the reason I really enjoyed this book is the unique premise. I read a lot of paranormal romance and urban fantasy books, and most of them focus on some type of paranormal creature or person. This book really does not rely on those at all. In fact the only other “non human” people are people who have been injected with alien DNA which alters their own DNA structure and gives them “powers” or special abilities. But the reality of it is almost everyone in this book was born human. Even though everyone was born human, it still felt like a paranormal romance book.


The book is really fast paced; in fact I am pretty sure the entire book takes place in at most a week. This basically translates into a lot of action, and not a lot of down time for the characters or the reader. This certainly helped to keep me engaged in the story, and is probably why I read the book in one sitting. That is not to say that the characters did not have any down time, Jones did a good job at slowing the book down and showing the reader the more personal side of the characters.


Another thing I really liked about the book is that the relationship between Rebecca and Sterling was really well written. The intimate scenes did not feel cheesy or contrived, they all felt really natural to the characters, the plot, and well written in such a manner that made them believable.


If you are looking for a good paranormal romance then this is for sure a book for you, especially if you are looking for a new take on the paranormal element. If you aren't looking for a story with a strong romantic element then maybe this isn't the book for you. But that being said I would highly recommend this book, I thought it was great read, very fresh and inventive, and highly enjoyable; I couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Christine B.
554 reviews103 followers
May 19, 2018
Sterling made a date with Rebecca Burns to meet her later that night, he always liked her but now he willing to show her because she not reading his signs, but Rebecca can't believe a boy like Sterling would be interested in a nerd like her. Sterling is smart he's in his last days of high school about to graduate a computer genius, a hacker. Sterling hacked into a government site for $10,000, the next day the government shows up and gives him 2 options, join the army special forces or go to jail.So now Sterling was chosen for the government experiment to turn elite soldiers G-Tech.

Rebecca Burns a scientist working for NASA returned home from receiving treatment for the cancer she had. Once Caleb finds out about Adams his identical twin wanted Rebecca on his team. Caleb send Sterling because they had already had knew each other and wanted Rebecca to feel safe. As Sterling see Rebecca he realize he still had feeling for her. Now the race is on to convince Rebecca she is danger and she safer with him while also explaining why Sterling stood her up in high school.

Profile Image for Danielle  Gypsy Soul.
3,174 reviews80 followers
November 30, 2016
I like this series and the world that it takes place in and although it has some similarities to a few other series I've read I think it also has enough differences to keep it entertaining and engaging. I wouldn't recommend reading this one without having read the 1st book in the series. This book centers around Sterling and Becky. I enjoyed both Sterling and Becky as characters and the romance had a lot of potential but fell a bit short IMO. There was plenty of action and a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. There were a few scenes that I had to go back and re-read that seemed a bit confusing and I wanted more insight into Caleb. I feel like we know Adam and his motivations more than we do Caleb's. But overall, I enjoyed this book and will continue to read the series.
Profile Image for Coral.
776 reviews31 followers
January 8, 2013
You've got the old villains, the new villains, sidekicks and yet all these new addition doesn't clutter the story. Its a really tightly compact story with chock-full of plots and the romance weave in smoothly throughout the story. I love it.
I also enjoyed the further explorations on what a Lifebond is, the same way that was done in the first book.
Profile Image for Pamela Howell.
295 reviews8 followers
October 19, 2011
What a THRILLING adventure!! Fantastic new world I am excited to explore!!! Great read!
Profile Image for Brigitte .
1,611 reviews23 followers
March 21, 2017
This second instalment of the Zodius series is another fantastic read. Although it can be read as a standalone, it's advisable to read book one first.

Sterling is the computer geek for the Renegades. He is in charge of fighting against ICE, a drug concocted by Zodius to amass an army against humankind.

Rebecca is a scientist who is at a crossroad in her life. Not a good one. She crushed on Sterling in High School but never got the chance to get to know him.

The Renegades are trying to recruit scientists to help with the side effects of ICE and as usual Zodius gets in the way. Rebecca happens to be one of the candidates and Sterling gets the task of getting to her before the enemy. Rebecca can't believe that she is face to face with Sterling. Coincidence or fate? The attraction between them hasn't waned over the years and it's not something that either of them can ignore.

Danger is not far away and Sterling discovers that he is not as fearless as he thought. He has this profound sense of protection towards Rebecca and fears for her life. There are various players involved and it would appear that everyone wants a piece of her. She has something that they all want.

This novel is very well portrayed. The Renegades have a real battle on their hands. The enemy is ruthless, calculating, cruel, manipulative, deceptive, power hungry and intent on ruling the world. This instalment is full of angst and it's a real emotional rollercoaster. There were times when I felt like knocking some sense into Rebecca and Sterling. Their feelings are so fierce that they would do anything to protect each other. There are quite a few surprises and the suspense is agonising. The plot is very intricate and kept me on my toes. It's brilliant!

I received a complimentary ecopy of this book and the views expressed are my personal opinion.
Profile Image for Kathy Davie.
4,876 reviews737 followers
March 29, 2017
Second in the Zodius romantic science-fiction series based in Las Vegas.

My Take
On the whole, there's a touch of Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac and a dollop of Feehan's Ghostwalker in The Storm That is Sterling with some great tension and nice drama. I suspect that if Jones deepened it and provided more lead-up to it, it could be better. That said, towards the end, I was racing through it dying to find out if the Renegades can take Dorian? Does Madame turn on the Renegades or Tad? If Becca does Lifebond to Sterling, would the blood exchange cure her??

Only time will tell…

Jones does need to work on her drama and tension. It was all just a little too easy. Becca believes Sterling too fast, especially after her earlier distrust. What's with Sterling's sudden need to see Becca's neck…there was no lead up to this. Almost like a bullet point that got tucked in before Jones forgot it. At first Becca is telling us she has these fantasies and now, all of a sudden, she's a good girl. Then, I do gotta wonder just how bad Sterling's eyesight is when he's got Becca's legs spread, she's not wearing underwear, and he can't tell how wet she is?

Whoa, whiplash. The confrontation in the casino at the end was too easy, too quick. And why was Dorian running around on his own?? As valuable and essential as he is to his father's plans, it doesn't make sense…unless…there are plans within plans… There was that bullet point effect again when a suddenly-transformed Tad stepped up next to Adam a little too quickly. At the end, when they were moving Becca's stuff, that was too quick. That whole scene read like an epilogue…and then the epilogue showed up.

Quibbles: No one ever explained why Damion didn't answer Sterling when he was first picking up Becca at the start of the story. At one point, Becca claims Sterling killed Milton when it was the young Dorian giving him a pill at the lab. Why is Tad thinking about himself as a separate individual? I would have thought that "throw her to the lions" would make more sense with "wolves" considering Adam's preferences.

Good Bits: I love that phrase, "like the best science project in the world". It's so Becca! I especially liked the research angle for Becca approaching sex with Sterling; it would have been nice if this had been a more consistent approach from the beginning. Nice. Unique.

Dang, that was pretty suggestive, having Becca say "like there might not be a tomorrow" when it's very unlikely she will have a tomorrow. I liked that real-world reference to fortune cookies with Becca's "in bed" reference to having to be careful. Too funny.

The Story
There's a new drug in Las Vegas, and it is deadly. Once hooked, you can never, ever stop taking it. The Renegades know that the Zodius leader, Adam Rain, is the source for it, and they are desperately searching for both the distributors and the source. They also need to find out how to get its users through the withdrawal…alive.

Still, Sterling balks at picking up the only scientist left in the world with a chance of finding an antidote until he finds out her identity. Damn. Becca. Rebecca Burns still makes his heart beat fast.

The Characters
Rebecca "Becca" Burns is an old wanna-be, high school girlfriend of Sterling's. Yup, he dumped her before their first date. Of course, he had a good excuse, Special Ops made him do it. Seems ol' Sterling Jeter picked up more than dad's genes…got his computer hacking skills too!

The Zodius Project is…
…an off-the-books military experiment creating GTECH super soldiers some of whom have powers unique to the individual; it was run by General Powell…Cassandra's father. The experiment backfired in, oh, so many ways into two groups: the Renegades and Zodius.

The Renegades take…
…the moral high ground placing an emphasis on each soldier's individual moral compass and are loosely partnered with the U.S. Army and led by Caleb Rain, Adam's twin. Sterling, Damion, and Michael are Super Soldiers while Dr. Kelly Peterson is the chief of staff as well as their lead scientist. Cassandra Powell is a psychologist, Michael's Lifebond mate, and Gen. Powell's daughter.

Zodius is…
…a rebel group led by Adam rain, Caleb's twin wants to rule the world and use humans as slaves. Tad Bensen is Adam's second-in-command while Dorian is Adam's 6-month-old son — yeah, don't let his size fool ya — and a very valuable commodity. Iceman is the distributor for Adam's little drug operation while Sabrina Walker, alias Madame, is a cocktail waitress at Magnolia Resort as well as an ICE dealer, and Iceman's lover.

Marcus Lyons is head of security for three separate casinos including the Magnolia Resort in Las Vegas, a hotel-casino and has a loose sort of partnership with Sterling whom he knows as a bounty hunter teetering on the edge of that law-and-order line.

Eddie is Sterling's plainclothes police informant while Lt. Riker is the ICE Task Force leader for the regular Army.

The Title
The title and the initial paragraph belong together. I love how that paragraph swirls Sterling into our awareness. Unfortunately, the only storming Sterling does in the story is getting pissy with Damion and Michael.
Profile Image for Melanie Marnell.
4,225 reviews34 followers
May 30, 2020
As the battle between Zodius and the Renegades rages on Sterling Jeter and Rebecca Burns are caught up in the middle of the drug war that the Renegades are trying to win. Keeping Becca safe and alive becomes Sterling's sole focus. Zodius wants her dead. Headstrong and refusing to hide away, Becca keeps charging into the fray at Sterling's side. Becca is withholding something from Sterling that could be a game changer for them but she refuses it reveal it until she's sure of his feelings for her.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,158 reviews5 followers
December 6, 2016
4.5 Stars

I enjoyed this book very much. I love the storyline and the characters. My only dislike, as I mentioned on book 1, was the indecision with Becca and Sterling regarding if they should be together. I also would have liked written confirmation that Becca was cured of cancer. I can assume but it'd been nice if they ran tests and confirmed for us.
But anyway, I loved the story. The writing was great. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Chanteal Justice.
140 reviews6 followers
August 5, 2018
Fun read

This was book 2 in the series. T focuses on Sterling and Rebecca’s relationship. They are still fighting Zodius and Dorian Adams son looks like a teenager with special powers. Heading to the next book.
Profile Image for Kaye Arnold.
342 reviews
October 20, 2021
Having not been able to find the first book, I thought this may have been a waste of time starting. However, after a couple of chapters I got the gist. Some confusing character parts, but otherwise okay. Probably won't rush out to find the next book though.
Profile Image for Delia.
277 reviews3 followers
October 18, 2017
Good second book in the series, I'm disappointed that the next book is not in either paperback or hard cover but only in digital. I don't read digital books. Very disappointed.
Profile Image for Ms Rachel Bolsover.
132 reviews
May 27, 2018
Good book

This book was better than the last standalone in this series. Hence the fact i gave it a better rating. Easier to follow and a better grip of the characters
Profile Image for Monique.
925 reviews69 followers
September 4, 2016
I received this book for review as the result of a call for reviews.

The Storm that is Sterling
2 _ stars

Let me start with the things I either didn__t like or had a really hard time with.

First, in my opinion, a glossary belongs at the back of the book, not the front. In this case, because it was at the front, and because I was reading this book for a review, I read the glossary before reading any of this book. Its placement is particularly unfortunate because after reading the glossary, I was so struck by the similarities to Lara Adrian__s Breed series that I was never able to recover from that and read Sterling__s book without constantly comparing and seeing similarities. This undermined the whole book and to a lesser extent, also undermined Michael__s book (the first in this series). Additionally, after reading the first book, I couldn__t miss the similarities between this series and Christine Feehan__s Ghostwalker series as well.

Second, the book starts off terribly slowly for me. It__s not that there isn__t action fairly quickly; there is. It__s that the glossary and then the prologue come before the actual beginning of the story and there is no __hook__. Had I picked this book up at a bookstore and just read the first few pages to get a feel for it, the book would have gone back on the shelf. I could make a guess and say that this is because it is assumed you have read the first book in the series, but it didn__t work for me and I had not read the first book in this series.

Third, books should try to stand on their own a bit even in a series. This book would have trouble standing alone. There are a number of misleading statements made in this book that really do require you to have read the first book to properly understand. One line in particular tells the reader something very specific, but is completely wrong based on events we learn about in the first book.

Now that we have that out of the way, here__s what I liked about it.

First, I really like the concept of wind walking and I would like to see that expanded on, some discussion of how it works, something. Kudos to Ms. Jones for it, different enough from anything else I have read to pique my interest.

Second, Sterling is a pretty angsty character __ right up my alley. While I would have liked to have seen more of his __flirting with death__ attitude, I got to see glimpses of it. Rebecca is one tough cookie; she__s certainly no shrinking violet. I liked that about her. She was a good match for Sterling in that sense. She wasn__t going to back down. While she tended to be self-sacrificing, she was so realistically, no martyr complex here. I would say I liked Rebecca better than Sterling in this book.

Third, this book not only had a self-contained romance, but it furthered the plot arc of the series and even tossed in a nice twist at the end. I like it when a author can still surprise me. I also always enjoy well done dramatic irony and the ending had plenty of that. There was lots of action and romance with a good blend of both. Definitely no TSTL moments. A quick read, which is always a plus for me since I prefer to read a book in one go instead of over several days.

Bottom line, I wanted to like this book better than I did. I really do think that the glossary placement managed to ruin what could have been a way better experience for me. I also think that my inability to connect emotionally with Sterling affected my rating as well and I think that the Prologue actually held me back from connecting with him. I think I needed to see more of the man he is now first.

Additional notes on the series as a whole:

Along with the Ghostwalker and Breed similarities, Ms. Jones uses a lot of comic book similarities. She actually refers to Michael several times as Batman as a way of describing him. While I am a fan of Batman, I am less of a fan of using shorthand like that to tell me about the character. Show me who he is and I__ll get the comparison myself. She also refers to Caleb as Superman, comparing Michael and Caleb. Again, um__ unless you want me to think of Caleb as a static __good guy__ because he__s good, then I__d suggest against it.

It__s very telling, in my opinion, when the nominal __bad guy__, in this case, Adam Rain, is better fleshed out than the __good guy__ Caleb. I feel like I understand Adam better and in some ways I am driven to be more sympathetic toward him. He feels like Magneto to Caleb__s Professor Xavier and let me tell you, I am no fan of the Professor. Caleb feels like a cardboard cut-out, he__s your foil but there is no substance to him, at least not yet. This is a double-edged sword. I__m glad Adam wasn__t a cardboard cut-out villain, I just wish it hadn__t been at Caleb__s expense.
4 reviews
November 11, 2018
Wowzer

Graphic, colorful fantasy with action. Charming characters with links to the other books. Easy to read, put down & pick back up.
Profile Image for Ellie.
686 reviews13 followers
November 8, 2011
The Storm that is Sterling, Zodius Book #2, by Lisa Renee Jones
Grade: B-

“You’re dangerous.” Her chin lifted defiantly. “Says the wolf to Little Red Riding Hood. If anyone is dangerous, it’s you.” “That’s right little girl, and we both know how easy it would be for me to gobble you up.”

Fourteen years ago, Sterling Jeter asked Rebecca Black out on a date, he never showed and was never heard from again. Imagine Rebecca’s surprise when Sterling suddenly appears at her doorstep asking for her help in discovering an antidote for a new street drug that is becoming very popular and even more deadly. As soon as she agrees to help they are attacked and captured by Sterling’s enemy. While captured Rebecca is given the street drug, ICE, which cures her cancer that was killing her but makes her highly addicted and withdrawal could kill her. She must now find an antidote to save not only humanity but herself.

Sterling Jeter knows he messed up never showing up for his date with Rebecca all those years ago but he was given no choice by the men who showed up at his door and recruited him to a special unit of the military. In the military Sterling and his fellow soldiers were given a special vaccine that would hopefully give them super powers. The vaccine was successful but split the group into two factions, one evil and one good. The evil faction, the Zodius, made ICE and are using it to take over the world. Sterling and his group, the Renegades, are determined to stop ICE and take down the Zodius. Sterling and Rebecca must work together to save not only the world but her own life.

This is the second book in Mrs. Jones’ Zodius Series and I found myself highly entertained while reading it. There is a lot of past information that you need to know before starting this book and I loved that a glossary was given at the beginning of the book providing everything that you need to know. After reading the glossary I felt that I had all the essential information about the Zodius and the Renegades that I needed and was able to drive right into this series.

There is a lot going on in this book with ICE, the GTECH (the Zodius and Renegades super soldiers), Lifebonds, cancer, the United States Army and government but even with all of this going on it never seemed too much or overwhelming which I was afraid about happening. I liked that the book was very fast paced and the fact that so much was going on kept the book from getting boring. I loved that all the men are former military and now are super soldiers that have special powers. That’s a big time, double fantasy man for me and something I have not come across yet.

I really enjoyed Sterling and Rebecca as a couple. I liked that they already knew each other and history together and this made it easier for me to believe that they were falling in love so fast. Sterling is a good old southern boy, a soldier and wants to save the world which pretty much makes him the hottest man ever. All of the women in the book are scientists and super smart. The men rely on them to be the brains of the Renegade operation and to find a cure for ICE. It was great to see women be so involved and have a group of warrior men listen and depend on this brilliant women so much.

The biggest problem that I had with the book was how Rebecca treated Sterling. She seems to trust and believe almost everyone except for Sterling especially after he takes a round of bullets from her. She wants proof over and over again that she can trust him even though he keeps going out of his way to protect her and after awhile this gets very frustrating. I really disliked her when she discovered they were Lifebonds and that by bonding with Sterling she would be cured of both her cancer and her addiction and she keeps the information to herself. I found Rebecca to be both unlikeable and very selfish which made it difficult to cheer for her and her HEA.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book and it’s characters. I think that it’s very fun and very different from all the other books out there. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book that was so wonderfully set up at the end of this book and to see which of these fine soldiers’ stories we will get next. If you are looking for a really well written, fast paced romance this is the series for you.
Profile Image for Brianna (The Book Vixen).
665 reviews6 followers
December 24, 2015
Review copy provided by publisher

Why I Read this Book: After reading the first book in this series, The Legend of Michael , I was interested to see what would happen next in the world of Renegades v. Zodius.

What I Liked: I like me a romance where the hero and heroine knew each other in the past (usually high school crushes or sweethearts) then reconnect some odd years later and get together. Me likes those kinds of romances.

Before reading this series, I avoided anything remotely science fiction. But having read The Legend of Michael, and now The Storm That is Sterling, I’m open to the genre. The sci-fi element is there in this book, and it is heavy, but it was okay and I liked it. There wasn’t anything sci-fi that was confusing or daunting. Lisa Renee Jones has opened the door to science fiction for me.

Speaking of sci-fi elements, the authors keeps the storyline fresh with new details. There’s an interesting talent that Tad’s character possesses. And there’s a new drug, ICE, brought into the mix.

We find out what happened to General Powell! When I finished reading The Legend of Michael, one of the things I wanted to find out most about was what happened to Powell. I have to say, I was looking out for this while reading The Storm That is Sterling and yes, I got my answer. A very interesting answer indeed.

There was an interesting revelation regarding Iceman’s character that I totally did not see coming. When I was reading about him, I kept thinking why is he getting this much page time? and in the end, it all made perfect sense.

And here’s a little teaser, involving our boy Sterling, for you to ponder over:

He couldn’t get rid of the tension charging through his body; he dropped and did a hundred push-ups. Cock still throbbed. Shit. Damn thing was as stubborn as a woman. He did another hundred.


What I Didn’t Like: There were a couple of scenes that fell short: (1) the confrontation between Sterling and Tad at the apartment building and (2) the confrontation between Caleb and Adam at the casino. In both cases, I felt the scenes ended abruptly and confusingly.

Case 1: There’s a confrontation between Sterling and Tad at an apartment complex. One minute Tad’s there; the next he’s out of the picture. Next thing I know, the book shifts to a completely different scene. Where did Tad go? What happened to him at the end of that scene? The book’s told from third person narrative from quite a few characters’ prospective, so why didn’t we get anything from Tad’s prospective during or after that scene? I read and re-read that part and still found myself scratching my head.

Case 2: Caleb and Adam are “toe to toe”, with Michael by Caleb’s side and Tad by Adam’s. I was expecting a scuffle of some sort, at least an exchange of words, to take place (especially with what just happened only a moment before) but it didn’t. The next few paragraphs are focused on Sterling and Becca. Then Caleb says to his guys, “It’s over, Adam’s not foolish enough to bring down the wrath of the army, or the Renegades, while he’s not in a position to win.”. What happened with the “toe to toe” show down that was starting to happen just a few paragraphs ago? Where’d Adam and Tad go?

Seems like Tad is making a habit out of disappearing prematurely…

Overall Impression: Head scratching moments aside, The Storm That is Sterling was an enjoyable read. You’ll definitely need to read the first book in this series before reading this book. And if it’s been a while since you’ve read The Legend of Michael then I highly recommend reading through the glossary in the beginning of this book. It definitely helped refresh my memory. I’m still waiting for Caleb’s book; hopefully the next one will be his.
Profile Image for Debbie Talbot.
77 reviews3 followers
October 31, 2011
He was created, molded, formed from life, love, and misery… Lethally daring and ruthlessly passionate. He invites death to his door, welcomes it with each breath he draws, each step he takes. And thus, he is danger a volatile storm that will sweep across the calm realms of humanity and shake it to the depths of its core. And that storm is…
Sterling Jeter, Renegade Super Soldier, is fearless, powerful, and wildly unpredictable. His life-threatening mission is to save the beautiful, brilliant astrobiologist Rebecca Burns from ruthless villain Adam Rain. But their immutable mutual attraction threatens to put them in the path of death… or worse…

First things first. Reading the Zodius series has been my first foray into any of Lisa Renee Jones’s books. I was asked to read The Storm that is Sterling for my book club. To prepare I started the Zodius series from the beginning with The Legend that is Michael. The series is about a group of soldiers who, being told they were getting a immunization were actually being forced to participate in a government program to try to make a better soldier. Project Zodius was a Top- Secret Military program that took 200 soldiers and injected them with alien DNA turning them into what they call GTECH Super Soldier. GTECHS are faster, stronger, quicker healing and are all together much much harder to kill. They can all travel or “windwalk” on the wind and some are developing other abilities also. They are charged with protect humanity as we know it. Even if they don’t totally consider themselves as “human” anymore.
The 1st book sets up the series and gives you strong desire to see these guys rise above all that is done to them and win in that all time struggle between Good and Evil. One thing you figure out is that everything isn’t black and white or good or evil.
When I started the book The Storm that is Sterling I already had fallen in love with Sterling. He is 100% my kind of Hero. He is cocky, dangerous and sexy too. His life has been hard. He has lost all of his family. His friends, the other GTECH Renegades are all he has now and he will risk everything he is in the fight to keep Adam and his Zodius soldiers from trying to take over the world.
Rebecca is a strong independent woman who is used to handling all life gives her without burdening anyone else. She grew up with her Father and Brothers being in Special Forces in the military. After losing them she knows that she doesn’t ever want to feel the fear again that comes from being a wife or child of a soldier.
When Sterling and Rebecca come face to face in the beginning of the book they already have a history together. Since they had grown up in the same town, the leader of the Renegades Caleb sends Sterling to try to get Rebecca to help their cause. She is one of the only astrobiologist’s left in the world that might be able to come up with a cure for the people Adam is selling ICE to. The only problem is the night he finds her Adam attacks them at her house and Sterling is seriously injured. Adam wanting control over Rebecca forces her to take the drug or he will kill Sterling right in front of her. She’s knows that taking it, even one time will make her completely addicted to Ice and to miss even one dose will kill her. What she didn’t know is that the drug that is like a synthetic version of what made the GTECH soldiers also will cure her of the illness that is killing her.
I can say that this book by Lisa Renee Jones surprised me by the range of emotion I felt. I went from biting my nails suspense to heart wrenching tears, from steam up the windows heat to laughing so loud I woke my whole house up. I will be anxiously waiting for the next Zodius book THE DANGER THAT IS DAMION. As I wait I plan on reading many more of her books.
Reviewed on behalf of Literal Addiction http://www.literaladdiction.com/
Profile Image for Sierra Fiske .
106 reviews4 followers
March 12, 2017
Great

It's a short read, but it entertained me from the start. There are a lot of twists and turns that I did not expect, so Lisa is still keeping me on my toes.
Profile Image for Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club.
1,556 reviews329 followers
December 5, 2011
Lisa Renee Jones combines romantic suspense and paranormal romance creating a fresh story with captivating characters in an intriguing world!

At nineteen, Sterling Jeter was enlisted by the military for a special team, leaving his grandmother and young love behind. Now fourteen years later; Rebecca Burns, the girl he stood up, might be the only person who can stop a deadly drug from spreading throughout the Vegas streets. With the Zodius’ pumping the dangerous and addictive ICE into the human population it is up to the Renegades to stop them, and since they aren’t getting any help from the government they must convince astrobiologist, Becca, to help them find a cure for the fatalities. However, the Zodius want Becca too and will go to any lengths to get their hands on her, even killing more innocent humans. But Sterling won’t give Becca up without a fight, not when he’s just found her again. Becca doesn’t know who she can trust though, and when she is forced to take ICE and becomes dependent on it her situation goes from bad to worse. Can she find a cure for the addiction and a way to stop their enemies in time? Or will it be too late to save herself and the newfound love she has found with Sterling?

The Storm that is Sterling was great read packed with heart pounding danger, fast paced action, sweet romance and a destined love that kept me up late turning the pages until the very end. Giving readers not two, but three opposing sides and a sexy hero that puts the ‘super’ on super soldier Lisa Renee Jones creates a unique premise. I loved the suspense and mystery, and with a dash of intrigue the plot flowed at quick and captivating pace. The world building was well developed and intense but I loved the characters above all else. Sterling is the total package; smart, sexy, and protective with just enough faults to flesh him out. From the outside he seems totally secure with his person but inside Sterling is a tortured soul who blames himself for his grandmother’s alcoholism, his lack of abilities in the Renegades and the missing link for the life bond with Becca. *sigh* Doesn’t that just make your heart squeeze? Becca is smart and keeps Sterling on his toes, I really enjoyed her character. She was inexperienced in relationships and real although I didn’t like the fact that she hid some things from Sterling, though I do understand her reasoning. She and Sterling's relationship felt natural and well paced. I was easily engaged by the whole cast of characters and plan on going back to read the first book in the Zodius series, The Legend of Michael, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in Danger that is Damion. Especially with Adam’s son, Dorian, who seems a evil and soulless child!
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