The Darker the Storm, The Deeper the Pain...
Love knows no bounds when two people are destined to be together. One fights to maintain the distance; while the other battles to close the gap.
The Brighter the Light at the End…
Will they move forward together or finally close the last remaining door to their past?
It’s time for Ryan and Ashley to decide. But once that decision is made, there will be no going back…
Always Reach for the Light…
A Neighborhood bar where old wounds heal, friends become family, and some…become lovers…
Danny’s on Main is where their story continues… Where they all shelter each other during the…
4.5 Star Review
Storm Front, is the second novel in Lisa N. Paul’s Charistown Series. I read Thursday Nights a while ago, and I have to say, I enjoyed Storm Front’s plot synopsis even more than the first book. This book left me feeling so darn happy. With all of the sadness that happened in the story, and as angst filled as it was- I was so grateful for how it turned out.
The story is about Ryan and Ashley, childhood friends whose connection was first as friends, but then blossomed into love and then jealousy- and finally ended during a massive hurricane that tears both of their worlds apart.
Three years after tragedy strikes and Ashley left town- Ryan finally finds her in Charistown, Pennsylvania. And he is still so much in love with her, even though she has changed from sweet virginal Ashley, to rock chick personified, Ash! It flips from the past, and then covers a span of seven years after. The plot unfolds slowly, showing love and heartbreak in the past, then angst- SO MUCH ANGST, a couple years in the future.
Ashley’s tragic past has broken her. The only way to describe her as an adult, is Spicy, and that is her nickname when she starts her new job at Danny’s on Main. She carries so much guilt, anger, and shame for things that happened long ago. It is so heartbreaking to watch her go from a blooming flower, to shrinking inside herself. She struggles against her past and acclimates as best she can. But seeing Ryan is going to have her eventually face her demons. Granted- I feel like Ryan makes her better- but she just can’t get over what he did to her in the past.
Ryan struggles with the burden of past choices. I loved his character! Not only is he hot, but he is guarded. He keeps emotions pent up inside. It’s something that happened when his mother died.. Unlike Ashley, he faced his demons and took steps to find closure. Despite both of their unfortunate pasts, they seemed to belong to one another.
Lisa N. Paul has woven a beautiful story; of past and present. She puts forth such attention to detail and it seems so effortlessly done. Her crazy plot twists that had me guessing, and second guessing myself. And finally just a great heart felt story! I can appreciate how well written it was, how much growth there has been in her characters since the first book. The story of her past, was just so sad- its almost like- how could she come back from there? The middle was better, although I was still terribly upset but I got over it because in the end it was happy.
I can’t wait for the next book in this charming series. You will want it with such a feeling of anticipation-it will wreck you!
Two people so bent they can no longer stand tall...
With his sexy looks, his seductive dirty talk, and his resident bad boy reputation,
Kyle Marx was the thrill-ride every woman wanted to experience…at least once.
And once is all he’d ever offer.
Suffocating in his own personal hell, Kyle thought sex, booze, and drugs could numb the pain of his past
Until an angel challenged him to fight…to feel
After living through a childhood that left her vulnerable and exposed, Cate Lockton mastered the art of blending in instead of standing out. She locked herself away to prevent more damage to her already fractured heart. She never imagined a man with a past more broken than her own would crash into her world and force her to let him in.
Their lives first collided on a stormy night.
But Danny’s on Main is where they finally connected. A neighborhood bar where strangers become friends, friends become family and some become lovers, and where the strong learn that while you can bend to exist, sometimes you’ve gotta
Break… so you can Breathe.
5 Star Review
LISA FREAKING PAUL. She did it again. I swear the Charistown series just keeps getting better and better. I thought I loved Thursday Nights and Storm Front, but wow, Breaking to
Breathe was amazing. I've loved Kyle from the first get go, and I know he is a total jerk face, but I was hoping to see him grow and get a happily ever after that her deserved.
The book starts with the story of Cate and her childhood girlfriend, Elliot, driving down the road- when they spot a car crash. Cate jumps out to see a man fighting for his life. And she wants to save him. It just so happens, this man is Kyle, and he believes an Angel has come to save his life- so he fights for it. And she leaves, so he thinks it's a dream.
Then we get to jump into Kyle's world after the accident. It's drunken debauchery at its finest. Booze, drugs, and women- with a fast paced life, is what Kyle was all about. Using women came natural to him, because of how he was raised. His dad instilled in him that he was a piece of sh** so that's what he grew up believing. All Kyle wanted to do
was be happy, and protect his younger brother Nix. We see a vulnerable side to Kyle that I must say is absolutely dreamy. And while Max and Ryan are certainly hunks in their own right, something about Kyle I was drawn to. Soft and sweet, hard and rough- this man had it all. And he never thought he would see his Angel again, but fate had other plans.
Cate has had a rough past, thanks to certain crazy events that are definitely explained, and her horrible parents. She has her own marketing and event planning company she runs with Elliot, about thirty minutes from Charistown, one night Ells suggests that she and Cate go to Danny's on Main. Elliot has certain plans, and hope a certain man from Cate's past might be there. I love Cate, even though she seems so confident and bold on the outside, she is a scared eight year old girl on the inside. When she gets to Danny's on Main, and catches on to Elliot's plan, her life changes forever.
Of course this book was nothing short of fantastically written, and steamy as hell. There weren't any plot holes, and all flowed together perfectly. I wish Cate would have realized sooner her worth, and that her shine would never wear off- that was the only part of this book that upset me, because Kyle did everything in his power to change himself for the better- for her.
This story is a happily ever after, and thank god for those. I can't wait for the next installment, maybe we can catch up on some of Lyla and Gage's drama? I think that's a great way to go. AHEM, Lisa Paul- are you listening?? I love this series, and I love this story- and I can't wait to see what is next for my favorite gang from Charistown!!!
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