TAKEN BY STORM

As I was looking for my twelve-year-old at the library, I walked by the teen section. There, sitting on top of one of the selves was a book that captured my eye, "Taken By Storm". I admit it, I'm a romance fanatic. Love to read a good romance, and not necessarily the mushy kind. Actually that's not really my preference in reading or writing.

I took the book from the metal cradle holding it and flipped it over. Not much there to give me any real hint of what it was about. Inside, there was a better synopsis.

Now I'm intrigued.

I leave the teen section with book in hand as I seek out my daughter. Mind you this is the first book I can remember, other then non-fiction, that I've personally checked out from a library in so many years I can't even remember the last time I had. I love books, and would rather own them. But the book was there and beckoned me to read it...now.

I took the book home but first needed to finish the book I was currently reading, Isolation, by Travis Thrasher. A great book by the way. You should also check out his amazing love stories. I had flipped through the pages of Taken By Storm, several times, and was actually thinking of returning it. There were Chatspot Logs, Dive Logs and poems, all amongst what you would normally see between the pages of a fictional romance. I'm so not a poems person.

When I finished the book I'd been reading, I hesitated to start this one. My daughter wouldn't allow that. She made a big deal about, "When are you going to read that, mom?" So I picked it up and started to read. And as I read, I quickly found I couldn't put it down. As I was looking for my twelve-year-old at the library, I walked by the teen section. There, sitting on top of one of the selves was a book that captured my eye, "Taken By Storm". I admit it, I'm a romance fanatic. Love to read a good romance, and not necessarily the mushy, kind. Actually that's not really my preference in reading or writing.

The writing was amazing. The story was amazing. I loved the whole idea of the story, two young people who desperately need someone, and how their paths cross and intertwine. The message of need, love, grief, beliefs and one finding their self is emotionally wonderful.

Needless to say, I loved the story of Michael and Leesie. I loved how Michael went from being a full-of-himself teen male, to one that learned to respect a woman's wishes and beliefs. I loved how Leesie was so rooted in her beliefs and though she swayed at times, stuck to them...at least most of them.

The reason for titling this review, "I'll still give it five stars", is because I did not like the ending. In fact, I was upset when reading it. The last section before the poem wasn't too bad, though not what I'd expected but the ending poem through me off. Remember, I'm not a poem person. I didn't get it, though most of the pomes in the book were actually pretty good...I got them. Maybe I just didn't want to believe how the author chose to end it.

Although the story ended as maybe it should have, and I do see the point in ending it the way it did, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I WANTED them to... Okay, I won't say it, ruining it for those that haven't yet read it. Oh how I would love to see a second book continuing their story.

Needless to say, I will be looking for the next book by this author. Being a writer myself, I'm once again feeling nudged to one day write YA.