Hurricane Kiss

Deborah Blumenthal

N/A

For sixteen-year-old Jillian McKay, the threat of Hurricane Danielle means a long car ride with her neighbors–including River Daughtry, the former star quarterback of Harrison High. The guy who was headed to glory until suddenly he disappeared to a West Texas juvenile detention center. Once cocky and flirtatious, he’s now silent and angry. When their evacuation route is gridlocked, River is the first to recognize the danger they’re in. Together he and Jillian set out to seek shelter in their abandoned high school. As they wait out the storm, they confront the past and realize survival is about more than just staying alive–it’s about fighting for yourself.

Hurricane Kiss by Deborah Blumenthal was a huge surprise for me. I expected something along the lines of a YA sweet romance with a bad boy. What I found was a real deep view into the characters that only looked on the surface like a light romance. And I must admit there were many times during reading that I felt Jillian and River were more acting more as the grown ups than their actual parents. I actually totally forgot Jillian was only 16… and think the author could have made her 17 – 18 or 19 and River – well lets say I read books with 25 year old male leads that acted more childish than him.Totally liking the two leads of this story I have to say it was their parents where I drew a total blanc – they were like totally not developed – at least it felt like that to me – but that honestly did not matter that much. The author managed to carry the hole story just with this clever mixture of “flashbacks” that explain how certain things became the way they are now. Usually I dislike “Present & Past” chapter but the way this author implements them is just perfect. They are cleverly embedded inside the ongoing plot. This was my first book by this author and it was well written and good developed – I would love to read more books like that.