Erin McLellan - Natural Disaster

When two tornado chasers form a reluctant team, the pressure between them builds….
Human-interest reporter—and son of a famous storm chaser—Guthrie Gale wants nothing to do with severe weather. But his station’s director insists he join the storm chasing team, or else, and worse yet, she pairs him with hotshot rookie chaser Luke Masters.
All Luke wants is to be a part of the KTTY family, and he won’t let prickly Guthrie Gale spoil his chance. Little does he realize Guthrie’s anxiety around storms is more than justified.
As Oklahoma’s unpredictable tornado season picks up, Guthrie and Luke strike up a turbulent working relationship that shifts between lust and bickering. But when they are forced to outrun a dangerous twister, their trust is tested and the desire between them flashes quick as lightning, threatening to burn more than just their careers.

Comment: More or less three years ago was when I added this book to the TBR. Another case where I must have noticed some positive opinion and decided to give it a go. I've finally read and while it wasn't a bad story, neither was it amazing...

Guthrie Gale is reporter who prefers to do human interest pieces, as opposed to lengthy investigations or riskier jobs. However, he does have a past where he went storm chasing with his famous father, and now the TV station wnats him to team up with a co worker for the storm season, mainly chasing tornadoes. Guthrie had a meltdown the last time he did it with his father and that is why he prefers quiet things now, but he is aware that refusing might mean his co worker Luke might be out of a job...

Luke Masters loved the idea of a smaller station in Oklahoma, because he was sold on the team spirit and cozier atmosphere. He loves the adventure and the outdoors too, and being on the weather team suits him. He also finds Guthrie very attractive but they don't seem to get along until they are forced to team up. However, close proximity does force people to become closer too, perhaps more than they imagined...

What initially fascinated me about this book was the mix between a job that, quite honestly, we don't have where I am (traditionally, not many storms to justify having people chasing them ah ah) and a couple that would have the type of romance beginning I like, where they like each other but are reluctant to admit it or to do something about it.

At first, I was quite motivated and wanted to see how the two guys would get along, how long it would take for them to feel the spark, wanted to see how compatible they could be, both at work and personally. I liked things even more when we got to learn about their pasts, especially Luke's (he had been in foster care) and how this would play out between them, I imagined sharing and confidences would be in their future, more so with the being in a car working for some time.

Well, these things did happen and they weren't only focused on one thing at a time, so I felt they were really working and dealing with their stuff too. This added some veracity to the notion they were busy and would not simply start having sex at all times. In fact, they become intimate but agree to take time to get to know each other, so they could be certain of their feelings. I was quite impressed with this too, because they both suffered in the past, for this or that reason, and being cautious while still looking at one another with longing did please my romance reader persona.

Unfortunately, not every element seemed to work out that well. I've felt that the story was quite basic, in the sense that despite the food for thought, the author didn't really delve into deeper situations or emotions and, perhaps, this is linked with the notion I got that there was more telling than showing. The edition I got isn't very big, and I believe certain details should have been explored better or with more depth. I also felt that many secondary things, related to their families/past experiences were too superficial, as if they were said/included just to justify why they had to be part of the plot, and had no real expression or meaning.

After a certain point, there are some predictable situations which I think are meant to reinforce why a few elements were used in the story (anyone could predict a serious storm that affects Guthrie's response or a scene where they say things that make Luke feel abandoned again...) but that don't really advance things and there were some chapters that, having only superficial information and situations, were kind of boring to me.

I can't truly say, but I believe there is enough weather references and definitions to make this a realistic enough story about characters who are storm chasing, therefore this element might be competent enough to justify the blurb and the expectations in that regard. However, the characterization didn't go beyond the obvious, the chemistry was there but I don't think the author developed the relationship (and the guys' emotions) in the best, or more romantic way. All said, this story was so-so.

Grade: 6/10