The Storm by Samantha Towle on December 23, 2015
Genres: Romance
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STORM (noun)—a turbulent disturbance; a disruption or dispute.
Jake Wethers’s life is perfect. He’s married to the woman he’s always loved, and they have three beautiful children. The Mighty Storm is still going strong, and his record label is thriving.
Jake has everything—a life he thought he would never have and one that he didn’t think he deserved.
Not so long ago, Jake’s life wasn’t perfect. The unexpected and untimely death of his best friend, Jonny Creed, sent an already out-of-control Jake spiraling down further.
Drug addiction. Alcohol. Women.
Jake was in the fast lane to following Jonny to the grave until Tru Bennett walked back into his life and changed everything.
But now, the past that Jake left behind has come back to find him. And what the past brings with it is going to be one of the biggest challenges he has ever faced.
Note: The Storm is a novella following on from the international bestselling Storm series. It is advisable to read The Mighty Storm and Wethering the Storm before reading The Storm. Taming the Storm does not need to be read to understand the novella, but if read, it will enhance the reading element.
“I’ve loved you my whole life, Tru. There hasn’t been a single second in it when I haven’t loved you.”
If marriage meant sticking through the hardest of times, Jake and Tru have done it perfectly. That’s one of the reasons why they are one of my all time favorite couples. Together they have survived and come through some of life’s darkest storms.
Drugs. Alcohol. Women.
But their faith in love kept them strong when worst of all possible storms hit them. It was hard. But choosing to stay together made it better.
But after years of working hard to keep things together, life has its own ways of testing a person’s will. It always seems just as soon as things are going good…just as soon as life takes a turn for the best…something else goes wrong…gets lost, confused and messed up.
Will Jake and Tru still have the strength to get up this time? Will they be able to surpass the storm one more time?
Standing in the doorway, I watch her…the first, last and only woman I will ever love. Tru. And my heart fucking breaks at the sight. It breaks because I know I’m about to break hers.
I thought I knew what to expect from this book, but Ms. Towle surprised me at every turn. I loved her writing. I adored the moments of love and joy, and I ached during the scenes of heartbreak and pain. I felt so tied to their emotions. I felt for them. I sympathized with them and yet wanted them to be able to escape its fog.
The Storm was a raw, moving book as Samantha once again explored the highs and lows of Jake and Tru’s relationship – revealing both the sickening side of it and the remarkable capacity for unconditional love and loyalty.
But there’s one final element that sealed the deal for me: the romance. There’s just something truly magical about them together. They felt real. I could tell you about the scenes I’ve re-read over and over since finishing or the moments I can’t get out of my head, but I want you to discover it for yourself. If you want an epic love story, you’ll find one here.
I don’t think my words can do this book justice, but trust me when I tell you to read this. It’s a shining example of why I love Samantha’s books. There’s so much depth – leaving her readers much to discuss. But be warned – this book is an emotional roller coaster. Prepare your heart… and possibly have tissues on hand.
“I’ll continue to love you until my f*** black soul is dragged from this earth, kicking and screaming to hell. Then I’ll continue to love you from there.”
I’m just mid piss when I hear my baby girl’s sleepy voice from behind me, “Dada, why I not have a peenis?”
Shifting to the side so that I’m covering myself from Belle’s view, I glance over my shoulder, a chuckle escaping me. “’Cause you’re a girl, Beauty.”
“But I wanna be a boy, like you, JJ, and Billy.” She juts her lips out, pouting. “I wanna peenis!”
She’s standing there, demanding a penis, in her Disney princess pajamas, with her arms folded across her chest, her foot tapping.
God, she is exactly like her mother. Not that Tru ever wanted a cock—well, aside from mine inside her, of course.
But Belle has Tru’s steely determination, and she looks exactly like her mother, which means trouble for me when she’s older.
But like I know how to handle my wife’s temperament, I know how to handle Belle.
“Okay, Beauty, how about this?” I say in a pacifying tone, holding in my laughter. I tuck myself back into my pajama pants and go to wash my hands. “Why don’t you ask Santa for a penis for Christmas?” The second that I’ve said it, I know that it sounds all kinds of wrong. It’s so wrong that I wish to God I could take it back.
“Santa, give me a peenis!” Belle starts squealing, jumping around and clapping her hands.
“Fuck. Shit! No!” I panic as soon as the words leave my mouth, knowing exactly what Belle is like.
A goddamn parrot is what she’s like.
“Fuck! Shit! Santa, peenis!” Belle starts to mimic, hands still clapping together.
Crap. Tru is going to kill me. Kill me dead.
“Christ.” I cover my face with my hands. “Belle, no.”
I reach down and pick her up. She wraps her little chubby legs around my hips, her hands clutching at my neck.
“Don’t say those words. Bad words.” I touch my fingertip to her nose, staring into her big brown eyes—Tru’s eyes.
“Fuck. Sh—”
“Bad words,” I reiterate, giving her a serious look. “We do not repeat those words. Ever. And especially not in front of Mommy. Okay?”
“So, Santa gimme peenis if I say no bad wowds?”
“Oh God,” I groan.
“Santa! Peenis!” She giggles.
“Breakfast, Belle!” I exclaim. “You want some Frozen cereal?” I say to distract her.
That fucking annoying Disney film is her favorite, and she will only eat that particular brand of cereal.
“Fwozen!” she shrieks.
Then, she launches into the chorus of “Let It Go” as I carry her out of the bathroom, heading downstairs to the kitchen where my tribe should be.
Samantha Towle’s THE STORM Release Week Event
About Samantha Towle
New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and international bestselling author Samantha Towle began her first novel in 2008 while on maternity leave. She completed the manuscript five months later and hasn’t stopped writing since.
She has written contemporary romances, THE MIGHTY STORM, WETHERING THE STORM, TAMING THE STORM and TROUBLE.
She has also written paranormal romances, THE BRINGER and the ALEXANDRA JONES SERIES, all penned to tunes of The Killers, Kings of Leon, Adele, The Doors, Oasis, Fleetwood Mac, and more of her favourite musicians.
A native of Hull and a graduate of Salford University, she lives with her husband, Craig, in East Yorkshire with their son and daughter.
