stormy

"You're beautiful," I tell him. "I need you to hear that. You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life, and I have wanted to tell you that since the day I found you."

Before I write my reviews, I like reading a variety of other reviews first to see if there's anything I missed or a perspective I hadn't considered. I can honestly say the AI allegations were the last thing I expected to find in the comments 😱😱

Had I known about them before starting this book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. Instead, I found out only after I had already finished it. Whether the allegations are ultimately proven true or false, I still wanted to write my thoughts because I did read the book. That said, I won't be continuing this series unless the author is able to clear their name. I simply don't feel comfortable supporting books that may have been created with generative AI 🤷🤷

The story follows a young man we know only as Stormy—not his real name, which isn't revealed until much later. From the very beginning, it's obvious he's running from someone and is in an absolutely miserable state, both physically and emotionally 😥😥 His life changes when a man named Tex refuses to leave him behind during an incoming Category 5 hurricane. Tex owns a bar and offers Stormy a safe place to stay until the storm passes, and from there, the two slowly begin to build trust, heal, and eventually fall in love.

First and foremost, I think this book should have been at least 150–200 pages shorter ✂️✂️ It became quite repetitive as the story went on. The romance is a very slow burn, and a large part of the novel focuses on Stormy's gradual recovery from his trauma before the romance truly begins. I actually appreciated that. I'd much rather read a realistic healing journey than watch a character magically recover through the power of love overnight 💯💯

My problem was that the healing arc dragged on for far too long 😑😑 Once the relationship finally became established, I expected the external conflict to take center stage again. Instead, the story kept repeating the same emotional beats with only minor differences, making the second half feel much longer than it needed to 🤦🤦

"I want to touch you," he says. "Then touch me. Anywhere. However you want. I'm yours."

As for the characters, I genuinely enjoyed their relationship. Tex's patience, kindness, and understanding toward Stormy were easily my favorite part of the book 🥰🥰 I'm an absolute sucker for the Hurt/Comfort trope, and that's what kept me turning the pages. Watching Stormy slowly find his voice, regain his confidence, and begin healing from everything he'd endured was incredibly satisfying 💘💘

Tex himself was such a lovable character—a big, bearded, intimidating-looking ray of sunshine who never seemed to run out of things to talk about 🤣🤣 Stormy was his complete opposite: quiet, anxious, withdrawn, and deeply traumatized. They balanced each other beautifully, and seeing them become each other's safe place was genuinely heartwarming.

I also liked the side characters. Mama Sheila was an absolute icon 😎😎, and I really enjoyed Mickey and the rest of the town as well. They created a wonderful found family atmosphere that added a lot of warmth to the story 👍👍 My only other complaint—besides the pacing—was Stormy's "You're in my home, bitch" line. I'm sorry, but that scene made me cringe so hard and completely ruined the emotional atmosphere for me 😖😖

I noticed many comments saying the AI-generated writing was obvious. Unfortunately, I can't say I picked up on those signs myself. English isn't my first language, and I wasn't reading the book while looking for signs of AI-generated writing, so I simply didn't notice the things others were pointing out 😅😅

Overall, if these allegations had never surfaced, Stormy would have been a solid four-star read for me despite its pacing issues. That makes this whole situation even more disappointing 😓😓 I genuinely enjoyed parts of the story and was interested enough to continue the series, but I can't ignore the possibility that it may not have been written ethically. Until there's clear evidence clearing the author's name, I'll be stopping here. It's honestly a shame that a book I otherwise enjoyed ended up surrounded by something like this 💔💔 See you in different books’s reviews. 👋👋