Riding the Storm

I've been looking forward to Sydney Croft's first release, Riding the Storm, so you can imagine how excited I was to get a signed ARC at RWA. I started reading the book the evening of the RITA awards, and I had a fleeting thought of missing the ceremony so I could keep reading. How's that for a compliment? (I attended the ceremony after reminding myself that the book would be waiting for me afterward.)

He can summon lightning at will. Emerge unscathed from the center of a tornado. Strip a woman down to her barest defenses through the sheer force of sexuality. He's gorgeous, dangerous, and the target of parameteorologist Haley Holmes's latest mission. Haley has been dispatched to the Louisiana bayous to investigate the phenomenon known as Remy Begnaud--a man with a gift he never wanted: the ability to control a storm's fury.

But even a woman trained in bizarre weather phenomena has no defense against the electrifying power of the ex-Navy SEAL. Haley's job is to seduce Remy, gain his trust--and help him harness his extraordinary gift. But who will protect her from this voracious lover who's introducing her to a new world of erotic thrills . . . and from her greatest fear of all: falling in love with this magnificent man, then having to betray him . . .

Riding the Storm was different than I expected. I figured it would be hot, but this book was scorching . . . in a good way. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me reading. One thing I especially liked was the hint of deeper feelings right from the start. Yes, Remy and Haley are swept up in lust and other motivations, but there's an undeniable emotional component from the start. That said, the I-love-yous came a bit early. Or maybe I wanted them to know more about each other before they reached that point. Ultimately, though, I finished the book feeling like Haley and Remy had a good foundation to build on.

The ACRO world is fascinating, definitely one I'll enjoy revisiting by rereading this book and reading upcoming books. There are a couple of subplots, and I was just as intrigued by the Annika and Creed story as by the main couple. In fact, when I finished the book, I raced to Croft's website to see if they take the spotlight in the next book. They don't (ACK! ), but I have faith we'll see Creed and Annika again. If not, well . . . Not that I'm threatening, or anything.

This book was very good: 4 out of 5.