Hidden agendas, shady characters, heartbreaking events. Episode 1: Tempest Rising was an introduction into a troubled community of people sent reeling from the death of one of their own. Episode 2: White Lightning digs deeper into not just the repercussions of the accident but the inner workings of two marriages with secrets of their own and the bad choices of one woman. I did not like the Senator. He has smarmy written all oven him and I don't believe his wife is as blind as she pretends to be, she just doesn't care. The way he preys on younger, weaker women makes him a sociopath to me. Dakota needed to get over blaming others and start facing the choices she made and stop relying on others for her happiness. The Rising Storm series is a guilty pleasure that is worth experiencing from the beginning. I received an ARC of White Lightning by Lexi Blake in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Blech what a lech this Senator Rush is. I want to just mess up his pretty face. Makes me wonder how desperate and dumb girls can be these days that they would have no qualms about getting involved with married men, old enough to be their fathers. Sadly enough there is a percentage of our youth that falls into this category. Call me old fashioned but what ever happened to respecting the boundaries of marriage or has adultery become the new in thing these days. As for Dakota she needs to wake up and see her mom's bruises for what they are. Jeez talk about being a spoiled brat and blind to other people's misery. Even though this book was great these characters really ticked me off.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Like any good show, there's always the bad guys, the guys you love to hate. This book was, for me, written mostly around those characters, and Lexi Blake wrote those characters well. In the first book/episode so much happened. Lots of events, introductions to the people of Storm Texas and a few secrets and shocking moments were revealed. In this episode - which is the second, it felt a little slower paced as more time was focused on character development. That was not a bad thing of course. I still got to read about a few of my favourite characters Yes, Dillon Murphy is one of them. As well as watch more of the other story lines unfold a little bit more.

I was unsure how these books would play out. At first I thought perhaps after the first book of introductions, each episode/book would deal with their own characters, and their story allowing the other characters to visit throughout it - for lack of a better term. However, this is not the case. Blake just continued where Kenner left off. I find this a very unique and interesting writing situation. I am looking forward to the third book. I am excited to see how things play out. I love the idea of a different author writing a continuation of a story each time. It's kind of like the story game I used to play when I was a kid.. and now play with my children, where I start with an event, and the next person adds to that storyline, etc and so on. It's just even better with these wonderful authors doing it!

The only heaitation I have, and I am trying not to give spoilers here... There are a a few plots lines in this story that I can see them using as pure shock value type drama, in keeping with the soap opera theme. This is probably just the hopeless romantic in me.. but I really hope to see them not do that all the time. I am good with drama and twists and turns, and I understand thats what these authors are specifically trying to create and they are doing a great job. But I read romance for a reason.. I like my "Happily Ever Afters". On another note, the lovely authors of this series have also decided to make a Family Tree! This will come in handy for sure in keeping all the people straight in this little town. I reccommend you read the first book in this series "Tempest Rising by Julie Kenner" before this book as this is just a continuation of the first. This series is to be one long "show" if you will.

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review **

Original Review Posted at: http://paragraphsandpetticoats.blogspot.ca/ ( )

Blech what a lech this Senator Rush is. I want to just mess up his pretty face. Makes me wonder how desperate and dumb girls can be these days that they would have no qualms about getting involved with married men, old enough to be their fathers. Sadly enough there is a percentage of our youth that falls into this category. Call me old fashioned but what ever happened to respecting the boundaries of marriage or has adultery become the new in thing these days. As for Dakota she needs to wake up and see her mom's bruises for what they are. Jeez talk about being a spoiled brat and blind to other people's misery. Even though this book was great these characters really ticked me off.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: White Lightning delves even more into the dramatic and complicated lives of the people of Storm, Texas. This installment focuses on the ever widening chasm of relationships and affairs.

Opening Sentence: Senator Sebastian Rush sighed as he shrugged out of his Charvet dress shirt and hung it neatly on the valet rack where Carmen, the very efficient maid, would pick it up and ready it for cleaning.

The Review:

The soap opera drama continues with White Lightning. It is the second novel in the ongoing soap opera series of Rising Storm. I would recommend that you read Tempest Rising first before getting into this one. I will say I wasn’t as overwhelmed with the characters like I was in the first installment. I am not a huge fan of cheating and cheaters ever but I know that is a huge plot point in soap operas because of the drama and it was a huge point in White Lightning.

Dakota Alvarez’s head is spinning. She is still reeling about the death of Jacob Salt. The love that was going to get her out of the godforsaken town of Storm. Then with the disappearance of her father, she just goes to self-destructive tendencies, one of which includes the sex-crazed Senator.

I didn’t like Dakota in this version. She’s completely stupid and buying into what Sebastian tells her. She also denies, denies, denies how terrible her father is. I’m sure she had to be hard to write for the author, for any author. I couldn’t believe the comments she was making about her mother.

The rest of the story moved along for the rest of the residents of Storm. They are trying to get over the loss of Jacob and move on with a festival. A festival that is supposed to help with the great Senator’s re-election campaign. Although, I will say I’m really looking forward to when Joanne gets over her husband’s disappearance and falls for Dillion.

The writing in White Lightning was excellent. This episode went really fast. I really love the tie in with the name of this episode.

Overall, I say if you like soap operas and the drama they entail then definitely give this series a try. I’m really looking forward to when the real romance hits the page. I am wondering if there will be any real HEA’s in this series.

Notable Scene:

He immediately pulled away. “Sorry. You’re so sexy I’m afraid my hand had a mind of its own. I’ll get that food.”

She reached down and grabbed his hand, bringing it back to her chest. She didn’t want to let go of how he made her feel. It was there in the back of her head that this was wrong, but she didn’t care. She just wanted another couple of moments where she felt good about herself.

He was smiling as his lips descended on hers again and he took her mouth. His hand moved over her, her nipples sparking to life under the material of her blouse. His tongue traced the edge of her lips and when she opened for him, he delved inside. She gave over to him, tasting the liquor on his tongue. That liquor and this man had washed away some of the humiliation of the day.

After a long moment, he lifted his head and stared down at her. “We could have fun this summer, you and I.”

FTC Advisory: Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated provided me with a copy of White Lightning. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )