Breathe in. Breathe out. Survive.
Marilyn Ellis is finally putting her life back together. The domestic abuse she suffered may be labeled textbook by therapists, but it's the parts she's never told anyone that haunt her.
She refuses to get trapped in that hell ever again.
Former Special Forces soldier turned rancher Noah Dempsey is more than capable of training the delicate single mom in moves and tactics that will help her feel safe. But his own tortured past makes him decidedly less qualified for anything more.
No matter how much her big eyes--and even bigger heart--draw him in.
However, when unexpected danger arrives in their small town, Noah knows this is a woman worth fighting for. Worth fighting beside. And he's going to be the one to do it.
She needs a hero.
He'll have to remember how to be one.
This was a fantastic book that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. It was also a little different than previous books in the Linear Tactical world. Noah is not a member of the LT team, but served with some of them and has appeared in some of the LT books. Zac and Annie (Cyclone) make several appearances in this book. In another unusual tactic, Storm takes place concurrently with the book Risk Everything, from the Bree and Tanner series, this time from Noah and Marilyn's perspectives. Having met them in that book, I loved the opportunity to get to know them both better. There is also a walk-on character from Susan Stoker's Special Forces series, which I have not (yet) read. Though I already knew the suspense outcome from reading the other book, in many ways, this felt like an entirely different story, thanks to the different perspectives.
Marilyn is the survivor of some horrific domestic abuse. She and her two children finally escaped and began a new life in Risk Peak, where Marilyn is the New Journeys abuse shelter building manager. Marilyn has PTSD and blames herself for not getting away sooner. She is still wary around men, especially those that she doesn't know. This is especially noticeable when Tanner brings in some friends to help move things into the shelter.
Tanner's brother, Noah, is one of those helping. Noah retired from the Special Forces after a devastating mission. Always a quiet, introverted man, he became even more reserved and more withdrawn after his return. While helping at the shelter, Noah was increasingly aware of Marilyn and recognized a kindred spirit. He was impressed by her quiet strength, and more so by her resilience during a later encounter. I loved his support and understanding as he helped her through that episode.
I loved the development of the relationship between Noah and Marilyn. It begins with Noah's kindnesses to her and her children and her feeling that she can trust him. Marilyn asks Noah to teach her how to defend herself, and he is more than willing to do so. I loved that Noah didn't look at Marilyn as fragile or broken, but saw a fighter and a survivor. On the other hand, Marilyn did not have a high opinion of herself, thanks to Jared's abuse. Over their months of lessons, Noah worked hard to reinstate Marilyn's belief in herself. At the same time, helping Marilyn helped Noah overcome the memories that haunt him. I especially liked it when Noah showed her how much she had learned and changed. There were some sweet scenes between them as they grew closer, and each realized that their feelings were changing.
However, before Noah and Marilyn can explore those feelings, Marilyn's past comes calling. Trouble comes in the form of a suspicious fire, followed by an interrupted camping trip and a flight through the woods. Noah is in full protector mode, but he also sees that Marilyn needed to fight her own battles. I loved seeing them work together, along with Noah's increasing love and respect for Marilyn, and Marilyn's unending trust in Noah. The tension built quickly as Jared's whereabouts came into question. The final confrontation was intense, as Marilyn's worst nightmare came to pass. I loved seeing the new Marilyn take charge of her fears and deal with the threat that faced her.
I loved the ending of this book. There is an awesome scene with Noah having a man-to-man talk with Marilyn's son, Sam, and getting advice from her daughter, Eva. Noah, who doesn't think he has a romantic bone in his body, has something special in mind for Marilyn. There's an unexpected twist that nearly ends in tragedy, but Noah's big moment happens with a little help from his friends.
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