The Storms Between Us

Grovewood Ink #1

by Sage St. Claire

Ember Blake isn’t looking for love. After graduating college and escaping her abusive ex, she’s only interested in moving on with her life. But the shadows of her past send her running as fast as she can to the safety of her twin brother… and his dangerously handsome best friend. Elijah Harding is content to live his life one tattoo at a time. At 29, he’s worked hard to create a legitimate name for himself by opening a tattoo shop of his own. But when his best friend's twin sister comes barreling into his life unexpectedly, he finds himself drawn to her despite his best efforts to stay away. Ember would give anything to be free of the darkness following her. Elijah will stop at nothing to keep her out of harm's way. Will their love be strong enough to weather the storms between them?

This novel contains content intended for a mature audience only. Due to explicit language, graphic sex, detailed depictions of violence, and other possible triggers, reader discretion is advised.

Genres: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

266 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2022

Reviews

[Nerdy.Scientist.Reads || NERDY · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐️ 2.5/5🌶

Sage St Claire, an upcoming author, asked me to ARC read her debut book in exchange for an honest review. Let’s do it!

I started out loving the book…it had a strong storyline, great tension between the MCs, and hot af characters. As the story went on, there were a few disconnects in the storyline for me and, I was a little confused by it. It also moved super fast paced, whereas I think it had so much potential to be a tension filled slow/medium burn. But it wasn’t enough for me to deter from reading. I did enjoy it a lot once I got further into it.

Elijah is an ex military, inked up, man bun having, motorcycle riding tattoo artist. Like I said, hot af.
Ember is the sexy in a modest way, shy, book loving, twin of Elijah’s best friend.

It’s a love at first sight type deal and once it gets going, it moves really fast. The smut scenes were incredible and the love between the two, however long or short, is very sweet. Elijah worships the ground Ember walks on, and I am here for it! Who doesn’t love a big, muscled up guy who’s sweet only for his woman?

Other than love and smut, the plot is pretty suspenseful. Crazy things go down that give the book an action edge, and have you wondering what would happen next.

Overall, I think Sage did a great job with her first novel. I recommend it as a good, light read. Releases November 7th.

Favorite Quote:

I’ll spend the rest of my life showing him we can weather any storm that comes between us.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

all my least favorite tropes in one book.

[Krissys Bookshelf Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a difficult time getting through some of this book simply because I got emotionally invested on a personal level with Embers journey.
The Storms Between Us is an insta love story for a domestic violence victim - be aware there may be triggers for some in this book.
I really liked Eli and he grew on me fairly quickly but I was hoping for more development from the author when it came to everyone involved. We get a bit of Ember who is the focus but I wanted so much more from the rest of our characters as well.
Still a great read.

[Danyale Coutee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved how this book not only had a good love story but also an intriguing story line all the way around. Since having my children and suffering from ppd reading (something I absolutely loved to do) has been hard for me. This book was so good I finished it in a day, after not reading a book in 3 years.

I love how the book is told in both of the main characters povs. It really allows you understand they whole story and get to know each character individually. Can’t wait for the next book in this series.

[Mindy Menotti bookishly_mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked to be an ARC reader for this book & give an honest review, and boy let me tell you…. I’m honored to have been able to do so! This is only the 2nd book I’ve ever read from front to back in a few hours! Because it’s that GOOD!

I’ve never been into spicy books—— but darn it if the spice in this book didn’t knock the socks off my feet with the SEXY YUMMY HOT 🥵 🔥🌶🍆👄 scenes in this story! What a masterpiece!! Thanks to this author for converting me!

The writing style was great, super fast and easy an read. The character development was also very well constructed.

This book is deliciously written with the perfect amount of spice!!! 🌶🌶🌶 The fact that some of the main characters are twins, pulled at my heart string because I’m a mama of twins! The bantering back and forth between these two siblings and the bond that they share was AMAZING! I think twin telepathy is a thing, and this book describes it perfectly!

Also, the troupe in this book is one of my favs and I don’t want to completely spoil it, so you must read it yourselves to find out! But it’s so well written. And there was not a lot of “building up” to one of the relationships. It was very straight to the point which I think turned the smut of it up a few notches for me 🤌🏻

There is also a little twist that I NEVER saw coming with one of the JERKS in the book, and boy am I glad it ended with him the way it did.

Also, who in their right mind doesn’t love a man in uniform, much less a whole crew of military guys 🫶🏻🇺🇸

➡️ And a piercing——whatttttttt 🥵🤭

Do yourselves a favor and devour this book as soon as possible!!! Available for pre-order, and I’ll be purchasing a a copy for myself and my besties!!

🌶🌶🌶 Spice is On Point! 🔥
🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 one of my favorite troupes 🤭
➡️➡️➡️ sibling bantering 😅
🔥🔥🔥 some sexy, yummy characters 👄🍌
And a lot of heat 🥵🥵🥵
And best Of all— men in uniform 🇺🇸🇺🇸

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all have to say Sage St. Claire will gut you to the core with not just her men but the way she grabs your attention from beginning to the end. Right away you can tell how much this story and the characters will stay with you once you finish that is how awesome this book is by this author. I loved that Ember is a strong woman who knows what she wants but it takes a strong man like Elijah to give her the strength to fight. Now Ember has a way of bringing something to a person no one thought was missing and yet with Elijah he is sees love is what is missing. He has never had anybody needing him and loving him like Ember does yet in many ways it scares him. The thing about these two is there is a connection like a soul binding love no one expected to happen. The passion between them is explosive and gets hotter and hotten in each chapter yet it's more than sex for them. I was so captured by this book you can see right away how right they are but it takes a lot of trust between these two and boy Sage St. Claire sure doesn't make it easy for them. All in all this is a great way to start this series filled with love, friendship and a bond that cannot be broken even when fear rises. Totally rocked.

[Sara Reads Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If life hadn’t gotten in my way multiple times, I would’ve finished this book in one sitting. This book seriously sucked me in from the very beginning. It was cute. It had some spicy scenes, and it was definitely emotional. This newly discovered author did a great job with telling Ember and Elijah's story. The one little thing I didn’t like was that this was an Insta-Love trope. I don’t mind them, but they’re definitely not my favorite. I like to be pulled through the mud a little before the main characters finally get together. Other than that, I thought this author did a really great job. From my understanding this is her debut novel and it’s such a great start. I highly recommend giving her a try!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Christina Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest at first, I was put off due to the instant love, however after continuing I found there was way more to the story, and I was there for all of it.
Nothing like a tattooed, fit, military man that is willing to do anything within his power to make you happy and safe!

[Kamron Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story! Definitely kept me reading! Can't wait to read more❤

[Chelsea Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Brother’s Best Friend stories I’ve read! Ember and Elijah’s chemistry is off the charts and I love the development of not only their relationship but the world around them.

Spice? Check. Consensual healthy relationship goals? Check. Alpha male energy and strong willed sunshine woman? Yup. Drama and build up? Yesssss.

I can’t wait to see wear Sage St. Claire takes this story next! Wherever it goes, it’s worth a read!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Melody Kahmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! What a page turner! I fell in love with the characters right away and wasn’t left waiting for the story to develop. I flew through this book! The end of each chapter made me want to keep reading until I finished Ember and Elijah’s story.

The spice is about a 3 out of 5 on the steamy scale, enough to make you blush but not enough to hide. I would recommend reading this if you devour romance novels and love a good climax!

[Rebekahs.Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of The Storms Between Us by the author, Sage St. Claire.

The Storms Between Us follows the story of Ember and Elijah and shows us how love can endure all. This book gave me all the romance I needed with a touch of ✨✨spice✨✨.

Ember, just graduating from college moves in with her twin brother, Everett, and his HOT roommate (also coworker) Elijah. Ember and Elijah are immediately drawn to one another, but Ember has a past with an ex that doesn’t seem to be resolved…

5/5. There were so many little twists and turns that I enjoyed in this book…ones that had me hooked. I finished this book in less than a day! Thank you, Sage St. Claire for your amazing work and I will be hoping for a sequel of Ember and Elijah’s journey.

[Pricila Ventura · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW just wow i actually really enjoyed her book, it was super fast and easy to read! I loved that could easily connect to the characters of the book & just wanna say I LOVE ELI 😛🤤🤤🤤 Spice was just enough 🌶🌶 love love & book is super hard to put down will have you wanting more & more can’t wait to see what comes next for this love birds ♥️

Thank you sage for a advance copy in exchange for a review ♥️ ( I also bought my self a physical copy 🤗 )

[Krysta Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could NOT get enough of this book!! I immediately fell in love with Ember’s character. I felt like I was right beside her through every part of this journey! & of course I immediately fell in love with Eli’s character too! The immediate connection, the friendships, the sibling relationships, the loyalty, the military brotherhood, the bikers, the tattoos, the SPICE. 😍🫣🤭🥵🤤🌶️🌶️🌶️ 10/10 would recommend!!!!

[Courtney P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and cute read. I enjoyed that it was brothers best friend and how protective he was of her.

[Book Review Collective · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Storms Between Us had me all in my feelings!! There was love, spice, hurt, trauma... I genuinely loved this book. Very grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this eARC.

Ember is a young woman who recently graduated from college and finally getting the chance to leave her college town and move in with her brother a few hours away. Ember gets the chance to put her ex behind her and start fresh, or so she thinks. Elijah... former military, best friend, and business partner to Ember's brother is not looking for anything serious and is finally focusing on his business and renovating his house. Blindsided by each other, Ember and Elijah barreled down every boundary they had for themselves. What happens when the past comes back to haunt them?

This instant love story tugs at all the heart strings. I loved the characters and the storyline. Very well written. It was very instant love!! I did wish for a slower beginning and I thought I was losing out on getting to know each character individually, but Sage did an excellent job in this novel. I knew them individually and together. I always enjoy a dual POV, and can we talk about the spice??? 🤤 so so good!

Hoping there will be a 2nd book to this one!!

[Emma Banton · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Ember runs from her past and some bad memories, she unknowingly runs right into the arms of her twin brother’s best friend. Elliot is a man straight from the cover of a romance novel, complete with a man bun and tattoos. For Ember, he’s a safe haven from everything she’s trying to escape. As her past threatens to catch up to her, can the two men she loves the most protect her? Or will this new life she’s attempting to build slip through her fingers?

Thank you, Sage, for sending me a copy of The Storm Between Us in exchange for an honest review! This is Sage St. Claire’s debut novel and I really enjoyed it. It read extremely fast, I finished it almost in one sitting. The characters were lovable and I wanted so desperately for them to be happy, not to mention the spice was great(; I do wish that there was more time between when Ember and Elliot first met and when they started dating. It felt a little rushed at times and I would love to have more tension and angst between them to set the stage. I could’ve easily read 100 or so more pages of this! Overall, this was a great debut and I’m so excited to get my hands on the second book when it comes out February 1st. Thank you, Sage, you did a wonderful job!!

[Confessions of a Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Don't hide that beautiful blush from me."

Ember is just graduating college and moving in with her twin brother, Everett. The main reason, to escape her pretty delusional ex! What she wasn't anticipating is his extremely hot and tattooed roommate/business partner, Elijah.

Elijah is content with his life. His tattoo shop is doing great and he runs it with his best friend. So naturally his world is knocked off balance when he sees Everett's sister for the first time. He cannot get over her beauty and is drawn to her. It isn't long before his protectiveness kicks in when he overhears one phone call and finds out about her ex.

The attraction between these two is INSTANT! If you are a fan of insta-love then this couple is most definitely for you. It isn't your typical brother's best friend story, I mean it is but there were a few things done differently and I honestly loved the switch up vs what I normally find when reading those. Elijah and Everett both with their Alpha sides for Ember...beautiful! I swear Elijah and Ember are each other's soulmates. I cannot wait to see what Ms. St. Claire brings us in the rest of the series!

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of The Storms Between Us by Sage St. Claire in exchange for an honest review*

I was contacted by Sage to read her book (Which I believe is a debut novel) and leave a review in time for release day which is soon. After we talked and I knew more about the book I was like “yeah! Sign me up!”

The Storms Between Us is a Brother’s Best Friend romance and deals with hurt and trauma in the story. The story is dual POV between Ember our Female Main Character (FMC) and Elijah our Male Main Character (MMC) who is best friends with Everett who is Ember’s twin brother. Elijah is just living his life working in his tattoo shop that he owns and thinking nothing of anyone until he meets Ember for the first time.
If anyone knows or has read any of my other reviews, you know that “instant love” is not something that I find enjoyable or something that I really agree with because it doesn’t seem real and I feel a disconnect as the reader learning about these characters. The Storms Between Us feels like an “instant love” situation with how Elijah is just blown away by how amazing and beautiful Ember is and almost instantly starts to “protect her” in an alphahole way.
I do enjoy possessive males in my story, and this was a nice representation of that as well I just wish it didn’t feel so “instant”.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. It wasn’t for me only in the way that “instant love” is my own personal issue, but it is a good story for anyone who enjoys that trope and loves a good, fun, and dramatic Brother’s Best Friend read.

[Sam Naranjo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read an ARC of this book! 🥰

This story follows Ember as she is just graduating college, and moves to South Carolina to live with her twin brother and his best friend. However, it’s not all that she hoped it would be, as her ex-boyfriend can’t seem to let her move on.

If you love a “brothers best friend” trope that is NOT a slow burn—this one is for you! 😉 This book has some spice, romance, humor and is told from a double POV between Ember and Elijah (brother’s best friend). This was overall a pretty cute read and I’m interested to see where the author takes the series, as I am curious to know more about the other characters within this book 👀

[Cheryl Filipiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that captures so many different emotions. The story of Ember and Eli is explored so perfectly, with enough spice to keep things interesting, while also showing the tenderness and emotions. The supporting characters are just as engaging and make you want to know more about their stories as well. There's also a bit of suspense as well. This book had me laughing, crying and wondering what would happen next. Definitely a 5 star read for me and I would highly recommend to anyone who loves contemporary romance books.

[Tyler Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the the author for giving me an Arc of this book.

First of all this book absolutely blew me away! Ember and Elijah were such a cute couple, I loved the double Povs and the instant connection when the two Mc first met.

The storm between us had the perfect amount of spice and if you’re looking for a cute read that’s brothers best friend / instant attraction where he is protective of her and wants to keep her safe this is for you!

[Leslie Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free ARC of this story for an honest review, so here it goes!

First of all, I loved that this was a quick and easy read. I’m in the middle of reading Priory of the Orange Tree, so this was a good lil palette cleanser!

I believe this was my very first “Brother’s Best Friend” trope and dare I say, I’m wanting more?! I’m usually a fantasy or horror type of gal but I am now intrigued! The spice was juuuust right for me 🌶.

I also loved the “Found Family” elements, especially on their weekend getaway. That made me feel warm and fuzzy.

I loved Ember’s story and really connected with her. It made me happy that she found happiness. Thank you for letting me preview this book! I can’t wait for more!

[Michelle Wells hissong · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️📖Book Review📖⭐️

The Storms Between Us by Sage St. Claire

Wow, Is all I can say! I was apprehensive going into this one because of the length(because I just read FBAA and it was a super long series). But boyyyyy am I so glad I read it!

With shorter books, from time to time you tend to feel like it’s rushed, or that there’s no plot at all, and that was not the case with this book. The plot is GOOD, and all fits beautifully.

I absolutely LOVE Ember’s independence, she’s a twin, who falls for her brothers best friend, Elijah. Boy oh boy. Elijah. He’s an ex Vet tattoo artist who is just absolutely yummy!

This didn’t have the normal drama of best friends sister, which I enjoyed. It’s nice when the siblings aren’t bratty but supportive!

There were plenty of moments when I literally laughed out loud! The twist and turns in the plot also kept me sucked in.

This is book one in a series, and I cannot wait for the rest of the series to be released!

Book rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

[Alison Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing I couldn’t put it down! Both the story line and the intimacy of this book had me obsessed! I cannot wait for other books in this series. You will not be disappointed if you give this book a read!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

[Kirstan Puryear · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy from the author to read. This book had me on the edge of my seat!! I feel like even though it was great book, it could've used a little more interaction between the ex and the current bf/fiancée. Hope there will be a book 2 to continue on the adventures between Ember Elija and the soon to be twin babies.

[Talklessreadmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book, I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved it!! Brothers Best Friend is one of my favorite tropes and this one is at the top of the list now. Run don't walk to read this today.

[Lena Schmitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The love between to people was so strong and so sweet. It brought worry and tears and happiness to my soul.

[Shaena · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10. You can’t ask for more out of a book. Brilliantly written. I am so in love with all the characters. *immediately dives into book 2* *claps for Sage St. Claire*

[Lauren Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go run and get this book now!

I finished reading The Storm Between Us by Sage St. Claire! 🖤🖤🖤

I rated it a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! It was a quick read at just over 200 pages. The flow of this book was great. The writing was amazing. The spice was 🤌🏼. I have NO complaints. It was an amazing page turning debut novel and I can wait to read this next one in the series! ❤️