Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey

You know why I love June? Johanna Lindsey’s annual new book! You all know how much I love Johanna Lindsey, but in case you are new JL was the first romance writer I ever read. As a 13 year old she introduced love and passion in a sweeping story that carried me away. 14 years later and I am still hooked.

Last year, JL released her 50^th book – One Heart to Win. I had been worried because her work had definitely entered into a downward slope. One Heart to Win gave me hope that the old JL was on her way back.

If you have never read a JL book, she has a mega saga based on the Malory-Anderson family. These characters are near and dear to my heart. Her newest book, Stormy Persuasion is the 11^th installment in this series, but what made it so important was that the lead character of Judith is the daughter of the legendary Anthony and Roslynn from Tender Rebel. I worried how JL would handle this story, because Judy has been featured in many Maloy novels (along with her cousin Jacqueline aka Jack – daughter of James and Georgina). If you are a fan of JL and of the Malory-Anderson series, then you become attached to these characters.

I couldn’t wait for my library to process our copy of Stormy Persuasion so BF and I took a field trip to the bookstore. I will say that as I started reading, my hopes began to dwindle. The character of Judith did not stand out, the dialogue did not flow well, and the storyline wasn’t clear. Even though Stormy Persuasion had a rocky start, the chemistry between Judy and Nathan was there. As the story progressed this became clear and the characters became more of the main focus. JL put in a lot of backstory so a new reader could be caught up. There was also a lot of Jack, Judy’s sister like cousin. If you are a fan of Jack, JL sets up her story for the next installment.

Now back to Nathan and Judith. The dialogue was full of sweetness, humor, and plenty of steam. The novel takes a turn for the better about halfway through. It seemed like I was reading an old JL novel. One of my complaints about One Heart to Win was that JL completely skipped the sex scene. I’m glad to report that she fixes that issue in Stormy Persuasion.

Though it starts out a little rocky, Stormy Persuasion is another wonderful edition to Johanna Lindsey’s writing repertoire. If you are a fan of the Malory-Anderson series then you will enjoy seeing all the old characters up to their antics.  If you are new to JL, then I would suggest either Tender Rebel (#2) or A Gentle Rogue (#3). 

Cover Reveal: Johanna Lindsey's Stormy Persuasion

On June 10, 2014, Johanna Lindsey will release her 51st book, Stormy Persuasion, which is the 11th in the Malory-Anderson Family series.  Here is a quick overview:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Johanna Lindsey returns to the dazzlingly passionate world of the Malorys, an aristocratic family of rakehell adventurers and spirited ladies, in a thrilling new tale of unbridled desires.

James Malory sets sail for America to honor a promise he made to his in-laws: His and Georgina’s daughter, Jacqueline, will have her come-out in America. Judith and Jacqueline Malory are not simply cousins; they are inseparable best friends. Refusing to miss Jacqueline’s come-out in Connecticut, Judith convinces her parents to let her delay her London debut by a few weeks so she can accompany her cousin. Neither girl intends to fall in love during her first Season. But Judith’s plans are overturned when aboard ship she comes face-to-face with the ghost who has been haunting her dreams.

Unknown to the Malorys, deckhand Nathan Tremayne is a smuggler with a noose around his neck. Determined to carry out a covert mission in America that could gain him a pardon, Nathan senses that beautiful Judith Malory is trouble. Somehow the minx knows his secret—and now she’s blackmailing him into doing her bidding. While passions can soar on the high seas, Nathan knows this aristocratic beauty is merely amusing herself with a scoundrel like him.

When the unthinkable happens in Connecticut and the elder Malorys’ hands are tied, Nathan takes command of a dire situation. Captaining his own ship, he turns the tables on Judith, as he steers them into some intense Caribbean heat where he will fight with all his mettle to win the right to her heart.

Reasons Why I Am Beyond Excited About Stormy Persuasion:
1. I'm a big fan of the Malory Series. My all time favorite book is Gentle Rogue, which stars James and Georgina. Lindsey has written a great deal of the Malory family, and while some are forgettable, I think Stormy Persuasion will be a throwback to the original Malory clan that made Lindsey so famous. Since Judith is Tony and Roslynn's (Tender Rebel, #2) daughter, I feel that Lindsey will take great care crafting this story.
2. Lindsey's 50th novel showed me that the old Johanna Lindsey was still there. While she might have written some mediocre novels as of late, One Heart to Win gave me hope that the author I fell in love with as a preteen could still sweep me up into a fantastic story. 
3. The heroine has my name! Seriously, no one ever has my name! 
4. Look at the cover? Yum. Definitely a whole Chris Hemsworth thing going on and I'm totally ok with that. 

I'm thinking I need to pre-order this book. Mark your calendars! 

Grave Mercy....ahhhhmazing!

I could write a really nice review about Grave Mercy and you might say "Hmmm, sounds like a good book. Maybe I'll read it." Fast forward 3 years later and it is still on your Goodreads To-Be-Shelf. That is not where this book belongs!

 

or you can absolutely trust me on this and go read this book. Like right now. Stop reading this blog and read this book. Why? Here are some simple reasons:

1. With a tag line, "Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?" how can this book not be awesome?

2.  The first chapter will hook you in!

3. Devious plots and lots of intrigue.

4. Assassin nuns.

If reason 4 isn't enough for you, then I don't know what is. I would have put amazing cover, but lots of YA books have awesome covers, but it's the material that's crap. 

Seriously, this book is a great YA read and it is one of the books that I intend to buy for my personal collection (ie, I'm about to spend money for a book.....librarians don't really tend to do that). You will not regret moving this book up to the top of your TBR list. Trust me.