NetGalley Buddy Readers discussion

We will be buddy reading The Storm. Everyone is welcome to join. No date has been set yet.



New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense set in a Gulf Coast beach motel where hurricane season can be murder.

St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn’t come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

I'm thinking the weekish before or the week after Thanksgiving. Like Nov 17th or Dec 1.

I'm starting to gather a collection of 2026 ARCs, so I'd probably rather read earlier than later. I think Nov 17th would work better for me, but I could also do Dec 1st if that works for more people.

I am open. Either is fine for me.
I am trying to get caught up (again) before end of year.

I am in. I live in coastal Alabama. This should be fun! Katrina was the biggest hurricane I lived through in Mobile, Al. Got hit pretty hard. Biloxi, MS is an hour away. The damage! New Orleans is 2 hours a way.

That was huge, debbicat. Glad you were ok.

It was huge! Lots of devastation on the gulf coast. It took a long time to recover. Went over to MS even a year later to see the damage. I cried. Everything was gone. Lots of places we used to visit couldn’t be built back.

That's so sad.

Right? It was heartbreaking. My nephews were young. I often took them to an aquarium on the water near ocean springs, MS. When we went back a year later and saw the devastation my 8 year nephew cried so hard. We picked up remnants of the gift shop, memorabilia things that have been sitting in the sand for a year.

Hi ladies! Just bumping this because we planned it a while ago and it's only about 3 weeks away now. Are you all still ok with Nov 17th? I'm looking forward to it! :)

Yeah I'm still game for the 17th!

Excellent! I have it on my calendar so I don't forget. :)

I’m good with the 17th too. Will be my first 2026 read.

Mine too!

Same here!

Me too!

Good for me too.

I ended up reading this one with my book club in the end. Looking forward to everyone's thoughts!

I’m looking forward to this one since the plot and setting are so familiar to me.

I will Join I have this one.

Can't wait to start next week!

Excellent! Looks like quite a few of us for this one. :)

I’m ready the it! I have read a little. It sounds like a very good book. And I have experienced many of the things in the plot. It’s set very close to me.

Oh I have this one! I can join you!

Hooray!

I've fallen a bit behind and am not quite ready to start today. . .but hope to start tomorrow !

Perfect. I just finished my previous book and will probably barely start tonight.

Tomorrow for me. I’m ready.

I'm about 10% through. There's a lot thrown at you at the beginning but it's making more sense now. I don't think Hawkins has written a book set in the 80's before. This bounces between 1985 and 2025.

I am finishing up one and then will start this one next.

I only got through 4%, up to chapter 1. lol I have both the ebook and audio and I started listening and was confused, so I went back and read it. It starts out with newspaper articles and emails. It's a little confusing if you're unprepared.

I just started this morning and am pretty much going into the book blind. I read the prologue (4%) and think this is a fantastic setup for a story. Maybe it hits a bit different living in the south but the description of the dread hurricanes bring is spot on.

Not to jinx anything since hurricane season goes until the end of November but this year was uneventful- knocking on all the wood.

Ok through 9%
Kristie I see where the audio may be confusing (I’m reading) and it’s a little choppy when it moves POV.

I'm hoping I can get back into the audio. We'll see how it goes. I'm glad I have the ebook too though.

Through chapter 3 (30%)

The chapters are longish for a thriller. Sometimes shorter chapter increase the tension for me but this book has plenty of that.

(view spoiler)[ I really like the Lo Bailey character. She seems to shrug off other people’s opinions which is impressive.
Chapter 3 ended with the story of Delphine and Lo’s mom showing the same gumption. The face kick was well deserved lol. (hide spoiler)]

Marnie wrote: "Through chapter 3 (30%)

The chapters are longish for a thriller. Sometimes shorter chapter increase the tension for me but this book has plenty of that...."

VERY long chapters!

Just got to 9%. I’m
Liking it. Love a good mystery. Orange Beach is an hour from me. I want to google a few things. I’m very curious.

I am on vacation right now and am planning on starting when I get back on Thursday

Thru Chapter 3 30% (view spoiler)[ Not sure what the significance is with Linus and Beth Anne. I think she might be a resident of St. Medard's Bay. Lo Bailey is sure a character. I don't think she killed the Senator's son though. (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 5 (47%)

I like the way this story is unfolding. How Hawkins is using different Hurricanes as plot points.
A couple cool reveals (view spoiler)[
The Governor’s son (I forget his name) was also writing letters and talking to a girl E- Geneva’s mom. He was such a cad. Also Edie is Frieda who was in the trio of friends (Lo, Ellen.) I knew there was history there because in current time Edie is being so cold to Lo. We learn some history to their falling out.

Trouble does seem to follow Lo and Edie is right it doesn’t matter if Lo means to be a walking hurricane. The destruction is the same. (hide spoiler)]

Through chapter 10 (70%)

My cat had dental surgery yesterday and today has decided my lap will be her recovery spot so I’m reading instead of getting anything done.

So much has happened (view spoiler)[ Edie is in a coma. They suggest she fell but she has a head wound like Landon. The author wants you to suspect Lo but I’m thinking August is going to be the bad guy. Oh and Geneva is Landon’s kid. Talk about a twist. Gosh Landon was a creep! (hide spoiler)]

I've had a busy week so far and have only made it to about 17%. I'm enjoying it already and making some connections. I'm curious to see where the story goes.

I agree that the chapters are long, but they are also broken up by publications, emails, etc, so they don't feel long at all. However, when you get to the next chapter it does seem like you've already read 5 different chapters. lol

I agree that the chapters break up nicely with the emails etc.

I finished and thought it was good. It definitely kept my interest

14 %. Just wanna say that tee shirt from the seafood restaurant.. when my family visited me in Mobile my brother in law bought that tee shirt from Wintzells, a popular seafood restaurant here. He wore it to a Mardi Gras parade. Got lots of throws that year!

Thru Chapter 9, 62% A lot going on for sure (view spoiler)[ So maybe Lo is a bad guy but I'm not convinced. I am still a little confused as to why Edie (Freida) didn't fess up sooner to Geneva. It seems like Geneva was with Landon before Lo. I'm guessing that is why their friendship didn't last?? (hide spoiler)]

I haven't started yet reading Holly should be done tonight then I can start this one.

Thru Chapter 13, 82% (view spoiler)[ Well dang, sounds like Lo might have killed Landon after all. Because he also slept with her best friend, Ellen. She didn't even know at the point that Ellen was pregnant with Landon's child, if that i really true. (hide spoiler)]

Done. (view spoiler)[ Well, that was good. Both of them, Lo and Ellen, killed Landon. I am kind of sad about August though. Not sure he deserved to die but it is what it is. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3. The Line is a real place. But it’s called Flora-bama. Right on the Florida Alabama line. Lo is a very interesting character. I’m ready for more to be revealed.

Thanks for looking into that debbicat! Always love little tidbits of info. :)

I am at 47% and still have a couple of theories that I am waiting to see if they come true. I was surprised that (view spoiler)[ Edie is Frieda. Somehow I pictured her younger. Closer to Geneva's age. (hide spoiler)]

Edit: Just a note - the percentages for the audiobook and the ebook are off quite a bit. I'm at 47% in the audio, but the ebook says 42%. I'm near the end of chapter 5, up to Audrey - May 5, 1977. There seems to be a larger discrepancy between the percentages the further I read.

I'm 42% and not really enjoying it. Lo is annoying lol