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The sea heals all things.

Tempest Island has weathered the worst of storms and still stands proud, providing its residents with the healing power of the sea and sun. When Alayna Scott’s life falls spectacularly apart, both professionally and personally, the executive chef’s only thought is getting back home to the island and her aunt Bea. Between the two, she hopes to put the past behind her and figure out how to move forward.

After being injured during a mission, Navy SEAL Luke Ryan is at a crossroads concerning his future and recognizes that his new neighbor is on a similar journey. But in addition to being in a state of flux, it’s clear to him that Alayna is worried about something besides her future, and Luke wonders what kind of secrets are behind the fear she’s trying to hide. When Alayna’s past comes rushing in, attempting to pull her under, Luke wants nothing more than to help her make it through this storm and on to calm waters.

But are Luke and Tempest Island enough?

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2021

577 people are currently reading
379 people want to read

About the author

Jana Deleon

103 books4,241 followers
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jana DeLeon was raised in southwest Louisiana among the bayous and gators. Her hometown is Carlyss, but you probably won't find it on a map. Her family owned a camp located on a bayou just off the Gulf of Mexico that you could only get there by boat. The most important feature was the rope hammock hanging in the shade on a huge deck that stretched out over the water where Jana spent many hours reading books.

Jana and her brother spent thousands of hours combing the bayous in a flat-bottom aluminum boat, studying the natural habitat of many birds, nutria and alligators. She would like you to know that no animals were injured during these "studies," but they kept makers of peroxide in business.

Jana has never stumbled across a mystery or a ghost like her heroines, but she's still hopeful.

She now resides in Dallas, Texas, with the most spoiled Sheltie in the world.

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5 stars
1,472 (57%)
4 stars
715 (28%)
3 stars
284 (11%)
2 stars
53 (2%)
1 star
20 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
Profile Image for Keri Stone.
764 reviews112 followers
December 28, 2025
Alayna’s life in New York not just falls apart, but explodes. She heads back to her childhood home, Tempest Island. Her Aunt Bea raised her there and had offered her a beach cottage to live in. She soon meets her next door neighbor Luke, who is a Navy Seal and recovering from an injury.

There are sparks immediately, but Alayna’s life is too uncertain to start something… at least that’s what she tells herself. People connected to her past may want something from her, and it could put them all in danger.

This was a pleasant romance. Though listed in suspense genre, it was unfortunately predictable and not very suspenseful. Not only is it instalove, but insta-commitment and promises. It was enjoyable with likable characters, but not much above a 3 for me.
Profile Image for Anita.
2,656 reviews221 followers
September 5, 2021
With so many glowing reviews I feel sad that I just don't feel the same. That isn't to say that this is not a good book, it's just not gushing 5-Star review worthy. I am a real fan of Jana Deleon and absolutely love her Miss Fortune Mystery Series. This book is soooo not that, at all. No querky characters, no snarky dialogue, no twisted mystery plot, no kick ass, really smart heroine. Here we have an aunt and her friend who are nice, normal people, a plot that is suspense, but no twisted mystery, and a heroine who is a victim and needs a man to protect her. A different book, for sure. Not bad, but not what I have come to expect from Jana Deleon. 3 1/2-Stars
Profile Image for HJ.
794 reviews46 followers
October 18, 2022
Okay, I know it’s a very small thing, but it’s so frustrating when authors use terms inaccurately. For example: ‘late model car.’ This means NEW. The LATEST model. Not an old used car.

Sorry, but I was doing a reread and it struck me wrong.
1,383 reviews20 followers
July 22, 2021
I love Jana's writing. It doesn't matter what genre, she just knows how to capture my interest. This is a new series and I really liked it. Alayna runs home after her life falls apart in New York. She has lost everything she thought she had. Her Aunt Bea has a place for her to stay and recover. There she meets Luke who is recovering from a physical injury. What makes this different from boy meets girl is the trouble Alayna thought she left in New York.
I found this a quieter start to a series than I expected. But it does provide a lot of back story for Alayna, Aunt Bea and several other characters that I expect will become more important as the series progresses. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in series.
Profile Image for Emily Higgins.
1,926 reviews6 followers
January 24, 2022
Alana Scott returns to the Florida Island where her aunt lives after finding out her boyfriend was involved in the theft of a large amount of money. The FBI told her she was no longer a suspect and she need not worry about any further problems. That was not so easy to do since she lost her restaurant in the fallout from her boyfriend’s arrest. All she has to do is put her life together from the ground up. Thankfully, she is able to count on her aunt’s help.
Profile Image for Lina Hansen.
Author 7 books67 followers
December 6, 2021
To make one thing clear - I ADORE Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune mysteries. They are clever, witty, funny and an absolute joy to read.
Writing a Romantic Suspense novel made sense from her perspective, and it made sense to buy it. Unfortunately, this isn't quite up to scratch.
The writing's okay, but the plot is so predictable, it hurt.
The characters are like a washed-out version of the Miss Fortune novels, and so is the humour. I kept going "and now X is happening and the protagonist will do z". Not once was I wrong, which is not a good thing.
Add to that a VERY slow beginning, which was basically all told, and you end up with something that isn't bad - but just not good either.
I love DeLeon's writing style in the Miss Fortune novels, it sparkles, is full of pizazz. This novel is flatter than the crepes in Alayna's pan....
Profile Image for Silvia.
1,127 reviews8 followers
August 7, 2021
I know I'm spoiled by the Fortune series and yes this was ok, but it wasn't what I normally expect from Jana DeLeon. It was very predictable and the characters weren't that well developed. I will definitely read her other books after this one, but if this was my first time reading her I definitely wouldn't put her at the top of my list.
Profile Image for Marthy.
57 reviews
September 28, 2021
So disapointed

I'm a fan of the Fortune series so I was expecting more of this one, I think Is so repetitive and has lots of useles "scenes". I don't think will read the next tittle in the series
Profile Image for Melody.
1,355 reviews11 followers
May 27, 2024
Alayna returns home to Tempest Island after she and her boyfriend are arrested by the FBI on charges of money laundering. Alayna is a chef in a very successful NYC restaurant and knew nothing of her financier boyfriend’s business. But because he invested in her restaurant it was seized along with all his assets. After 5 months the fbi is convinced she knew nothing but wants her available to testify at the trial. Her life in ruins she returns home the island she grew up on with her aunt. She stays in one of her aunt’s beach houses and whilst moving patio furniture out of a shed is confronted by a man in his boxers and a gun. He assumed she was stealing furniture. Turns out he is her neighbour and an injured Navy Seal. They become friendly. Alayna’s fear of the criminals coming after her continues and her she senses someone observing her regularly. And indeed someone, or someone seem to be searching for something. More of a thriller than the authors usual books but harks back to her earlier more gothic plots. I look forward to the next in series.
15 reviews
August 27, 2021
Good story

The story is good. I found the characters likeable and I was interested in what happened to them. I did not care for the steamy romance scenes; I will admit to skimming them. I also thought the climatic scene was a little short; I had expected more. Overall, though, a good story.
207 reviews
August 29, 2021
Just OK. For a Jana Book it lacked what you usually look for. There was no comedy, a long drawn out barely a mystery and you couldn't call it a romance novel. Even though there was a little of everything it just didn't excite me. It could have also been a tragic love story but no that didn't happen either.
Profile Image for Lisa Schawe.
75 reviews4 followers
December 12, 2021
DeLeon is normally one of my favorite authors, but for some reason I really struggled to finish this book! It just didn’t flow as smoothly as her other series have, in my opinion. I normally read a book like this in a day, certainly no more than two. It took me nine days to read this one, because I just couldn’t relate to any of the characters. It was very odd!
Profile Image for Diane ~Firefly~.
2,205 reviews86 followers
November 18, 2023
Alayna's career is ruined, so she heads back to home to recover.

What I enjoyed:
* I really liked aunt Bea and her friends
* the food sounded amazing

What could have been better:
* Pretty close to insta-love
* the plot was pretty vanilla
416 reviews1 follower
October 11, 2024
😍Toller Serienauftakt der Lust auf mehr macht - spoilerfreie Rezension😍

Gerade habe ich das Buch „Backrush – die Insel der Stürme“ (Tempest Island-Serienstart) beendet.

Ich gebe generell keine Zusammenfassung des Buches ab, weil ich der Meinung bin, dass diese auch durch den Klappentext des Buches schon aussagefähig ist. Insofern schildere ich hier lediglich meine Eindrücke, da dadurch sichergestellt wird, dass definitiv nicht gespoilert wird 😊

Ich muss gestehen, dass ich vor diesem Buch noch nichts von Jana de Leon gelesen habe. Generell finde ich es spannend, auch „neue“ Autoren zu lesen. Der Klappentext zu diesem Buch hat mich definitiv neugierig werden lassen. Wie finde ich es? Lest selbst!

Schreibstil
Der Schreibstil von Jana de Leon war definitiv mitreißend. Ich war von Beginn an im Buch – und zugegebenermaßen habe ich die Wendung nicht gesehen und auch nicht erwartet. Aber es hat definitiv gepasst und die Spannung, die sich im Buch aufbaute bleibt auch bis zum Ende erhalten.
Besonders gefallen hat mir, dass die beiden Protagonisten, die wir in diesem Buch kennenlernen durften sehr gut beschrieben waren und man mit ihnen mitfühlen – und sich in sie hineinversetzen konnte.
Dass beide auch eine charakterliche (Weiter-) Entwicklung durchmachten, fand ich toll.
Aber diese beiden sind nicht die Einzigen, von denen wir erfahren, sondern auch andere Charaktere tauchen auf. Insofern ist es schon mal vielversprechend, dass es auch einen zweiten Band gibt, der von Tempest Island handelt. Ich bin auf alle Fälle schon jetzt gespannt darauf!
Mir hat das Buch richtig gut gefallen und ich kann nur sagen: die nächsten Bände der Serie sind definitiv gesetzt!
Fazit:
Für mich eine mitreißende, atemraubende Geschichte – und eine tolle Einführung der Reihe – mit interessanten und liebenswerten Bekannten von denen ich in den nächsten Bänden noch Weiteres erfahren möchte.
Von mir gibt es eine absolut überzeugte Leseempfehlung für das Buch mit 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ von 5 Sternen.

PS: Nach dem Buch ist vor dem Buch! Ich bin jetzt schon gespannt, wie es mit den nächsten Protagonisten weitergeht!

Profile Image for Caprice Hokstad.
Author 11 books11 followers
July 30, 2021
This is the first book outside of DeLeon's Mudbug and Miss Fortune series I have been willing to try. I didn't like Mudbug very much, so I have stuck to Miss Fortune, which I LOVE and have read ALL of. But I couldn't resist an island setting and a Navy SEAL. It also didn't look as dark as some of her previous non-Fortune offerings.

This was a good book. Likeable characters. Wonderful setting. Good solid suspense and a nice slow burn romance that actually made sense and didn't try to overpower or detract from the suspense storyline. Nitpick: I thought the Navy SEAL should have figured out who the FBI mole was at least as soon as I did. Or at least put them in suspect category when he figured out there had to be a mole.

Not terribly interested in Aunt Bea's poker buddy's husband having an affair, road trips by minor characters to NOLA, or the town busybody b*tch and all her meddling, but I will put up with those things for the sake of small-town flavor, even if I felt they could be pruned for a more streamlined story. At least those questions I didn't care about were the only questions left unanswered, to be explored later in the series. Not like a cliffhanger ending that doesn't satisfy. You could read this as a standalone easily.

I will definitely read Tempest Island #2.
Profile Image for Valerie Irwin.
317 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2022
A new beginning...

What a great start to a new series!!! Intrigue, suspense and a wee bit of romance set against an ocean background in a sleepy little town. After leaving New York City once her millionaire boyfriend, Warren, was caught in a money laundering scheme, Alana heads back home to Tempest Island, Florida to try to rebuild her shattered life and start anew. The FBI had cleared her of involvement, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. When an injured NAVY SEAL makes his presence known in her life, things heat up in more ways than one. Someone was trying to scare her. Would she face the same tortured death that Warren and his best friend had just faced? When someone shoots out her sliding glass door, she knows the questions will soon be revealed.
Profile Image for SHARON Dianne Qual.
5 reviews
July 19, 2021
Excellent read

I am a big fan of Fortune books and Mudbug series and this although different was wonderful. Little more romance which is a good thing. Loved the characters and saw some familiarity with others in the Fortune books but more a combination of the fortune characters to these. I can see this being a great series. Can’t wait to see how the town of Tempest handle the Whitmores and how Birdie and Tom get their situation unraveled. Already have me guessing what it is but I will wait for the next book. Love the old preacher. Busted out laughing with his get off the cross line.
41 reviews
November 19, 2022
Jana DeLeon has created another masterpiece

I’ve read all her Fortune books, and many others as well. All of them have been riveting. The characters, primary as well as supporting, are so well written that I feel invested in what happens to them. We get our HEA for Alayna and Luke, but I need to know what’ll happen with all the others. AND having a mean character to try and mess with the good guys is just too perfect.
I absolutely recommend this book and this author. She has romance, intrigue and comedy. I know when I open her books to leave my day free as I won’t feel like putting it down.
Profile Image for Ulrika Gustafsson.
169 reviews8 followers
July 15, 2021
I have read most of Jana Deleon’s books and I know she write good books in different genres.
This is the first in a new series and as I know she’s a reliable author I bought and read it as soon as it was avaliable.

This is a love story with a suspense element and even if it’s not a very unique backstory (girl meets boy, boy is not who she thought he was, she starts over and meet a gorgeous and good man) the story feels fresh and new.

There’s a melancholy feel to the story. Life has happened. It doesn’t mean that it’s a tragic book, not at all, but it makes the story ring true to me.

I look forward to the next book in the series.
147 reviews1 follower
July 16, 2021
The rich boyfriend

Alanya thought her boyfriend was a nice guy who didn’t worry about money cause he was rich. He invested in her restaurant and bought her nice things. She went to parties with him and then they went home and laughed about those people who were acting at the parties. Everything was good until it wasn’t.
After the FBI burst in and arrested her and her boyfriend. Her life was forever changed She lost her restaurant and friends. She left New York and returned to her childhood home hoping to have a normal life again.
2 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2021
Jana DeLeon 's Skill As An Author Matches Her Characters' Skill with Guns. She Hits The Bullseye Every Time

Backrush is an exciting start to Jana Deleon's Tempest Island series. Engaging characters, a beautiful, small town setting and fast-paced story line make it a book you want to dive into and not come up for air until you know how it ends. I love that her supporting cast of characters are always quirky and have ongoing stories of their own. Can't wait to see what happens next on Tempest Island.
Profile Image for Mary Turner.
174 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2021
A wonderful start to what I hope will be another great series!

I have been a fan of Jana Deleon for many years, so I was excited to see what she did with Backrush. Once again she did not disappoint. The story is well though out, with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the last chapter of the book, the characters make me want to meet them, and there are plenty of strings to pull for future books (did I mention I am hoping for another long series? 😁). A fantastic read, and I highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Gwen S..
838 reviews15 followers
November 3, 2022
Alayna and Ryan's Deceptive Tryst! 4.35***** Spoiler Alert

ops she returned to her small Florida island to find her self and to start rebuilding her life.
This was predictable and not quite up to Jane's usually story weaving abilities. As expected the theme of money is the root of all evil raves through this nivel. A Fair Reaf!

10/16/22 -10/28/22 COVID-19 s chef reeling from her wealthy boyfriends dangerous, deceitful cartel dealings, got exonerated by the crooked FBI Agent Davies as
Profile Image for Tiffany.
312 reviews
February 4, 2025
I can’t believe I’m giving a Jana de Leon book a one star.⭐️. This book was so completely predictable, dull characters and even worse dialogue. It never piqued my interest. I only finished it because it was from Jana. All her books I have read so far (12) in her Miss Fortune series have been ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.
Sadly, i will not continue with this series. Although I do look forward to reading the Mudbug (ghost-in-law) and Happily Everlasting series and maybe the Wrong side of forty stand alone. Hoping those will be as entertaining as Miss Fortune, will be tough to beat those. 😊
8 reviews
July 15, 2021
Fantastic start to a new series!

If you like strong, independent women, sexy SEALs, and light suspense, along with a little comic relief, this is a book for you. This book will appeal to younger and older readers alike.

The storyline and characters are well developed and relatable. You want to know what is going to happen to the characters after this book. I can't wait for the next book!!
Profile Image for Connie.
97 reviews8 followers
July 18, 2021
Jana DeLeon has brought us another awesome tale of mystery with a bit of love thrown in.

Alayna is drawn to a sexy and wealthy man who doesn’t want to be tied down. She’s an up and coming new chef in town with a great restaurant. What she doesn’t know is he’s a crook. What follows will keep you on your toes. Follow Alayna as she goes home to Tempest Island and the aunt who raised her; meet her sexy neighbor who has mysteries of his own.

You won’t be disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
258 reviews3 followers
August 11, 2021
A GREAT READ

I really enjoyed this book very much , I thought it was a Thriller and I still feel this away, worth reading .From the beginning to the end I stayed on my seat thinking I had it figure out. I thought I know who was having her was watched and who was doing the killing and I boy was I wrong. Can't wait for the next one to come out. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK .To me it's a thrillers day a darn good one too.
Profile Image for Ness.
594 reviews
dnf
November 2, 2021
DNF'd at 35%.

I enjoy her Miss Fortune series, those books are hilarious. Outside of that series, I've yet to get into a single other book of this author. This book just failed to grab and hold my attention. I tried, thinking it'd get more engaging, but it never really did. Also, I have serious doubts regarding the premise of the legal issue, just seems like a better lawyer could have really helped.

Borrowed from the library.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4 reviews
April 28, 2024
Romance , mystery and adventure all combined in a single novel.

I love the characters that Ms.Seldom creates. They aren't the cardboard cutouts you would find in some novels. She makes them real with human emotions and weaknesses. I was not sure I would like the Tempest Island series after reading all the books about Sinful, La. but I am happy I already have all three. I can't wait to start the next one.
Profile Image for Chasity.
111 reviews16 followers
June 26, 2024
This is a light mystery with some romance thrown in with no spice that you come to expect from Jana. I did enjoy this book. This book follows a chef who got caught up in a mess she wasn't expecting. We follow her as she gets herself settled in at her Aunts house while waiting for the trial. There were not many twists in this book until the end. I will continue on with this series to see what happens with the couple and what happens next.
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