Review: Loving the Chase by Sharla Lovelace (Heart of the Storm #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by Montlake Romance via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Storm chasing is a family enterprise that Zachariah Chase and most of his siblings have been a part of for years. They know the risks involved with continuing to pursue such a dangerous endeavor. They lost their father while he was out chasing a storm and Zach's fiancée left him after realizing she will never be first in his life because of his passion for storm chasing . When the opportunity to have a reality show focused on their family and their love for storm chasing arises, Zach jumps on it but finds himself at a loss when he realizes that Madison Hayes is part of the production team. Seven years may have passed but no one makes him feel the way Maddi does and as they work on the show, he wonders if she thinks the same way.

Loving the Chase is the first novel in the new contemporary romance series from Sharla Lovelace entitled Heart of the Storm, which is about the Chase siblings and their devotion to storm chasing. This first story is about former lovers Zach Chase and Maddi Hayes, whose relationship ended on the day they were supposed to get married seven years ago. They cross paths again when Zach and Maddi find themselves working together on a reality show about storm chasing starring Zach and three of his four siblings. There's a lot of history, not just between Zach and Maddi but between Maddi and the entire Chase family. This was a second chance romance with a lot of action and thrills courtesy of the storm chasing story line.

I've seen movies and television shows about storm chasing, but I think this is the first time I've seen storm chasing as an important element in not just one book but an entire series of books. It isn't merely thrown in or mentioned sporadically because it's such a huge part of the Chase siblings, who are the stars of the Heart of the Storm series. I found myself excited every time Zach and his siblings would hop into their customized SUVs and chase down a storm. My attention wasn't just limited to wanting to find out how Zach and Maddi were going to get back together, especially after such a heartrending end to their relationship seven years prior, which is why this was such an enjoyable overall reading experience for me.

The Chase siblings--Eli, Simon, Zach, and Hannah--each appear to have personalities of their own while all still loving the same thing: storm chasing. They all seem to command attention so I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series and see how the others end up getting their happily-ever-afters. There's another sibling, Hannah's twin Levi, but he isn't a storm chaser and he doesn't live in the area, so naturally, he's the one I'm most curious about. This series starter did the job it was supposed: introduce readers to the recurring cast of characters while presenting a love story that stands on its own. Zach and Maddi's love story was fresh and fun while tugging on my heartstrings. Loving the Chase gets five stars. ♥

Release Date: 25 August 2015

Date Read: 21 August 2015

Learn more about Sharla Lovelace here.

Pre-order Loving the Chase on Amazon.