The life of Tony-winning musician Reese Matheson resembles a natural disaster, and caregiver Jude De La Torre is caught in the eye of the storm. But can the love of two opposites survive caring for an ornery octogenarian with wayward balls and a meddling family insistent upon tradition? Fresh off the successful London run of his musical, the last thing Reese expects when he comes home is a house … house surrounded by paparazzi and his girlfriend throwing his stuff into the pool. All he wants to do is spend time with his beloved grandfather and musical mentor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Reese knows he doesn’t have much time left before the elder Matheson forgets who he is. In classic “Hurricane Reese” form, he moves into the cottage by the sea and displaces Jude, the intriguing caregiver he hired two years before. When Grandpa proves too much for Reese to handle on his own, Jude comes to his rescue, taming Grandpa… and the Hurricane as well. Soon all Reese can think about is how to get Jude out of his scrubs and into his bed―permanently. Will Hurricane Reese destroy everything in his path, or will this odd couple learn to harmonize together?
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Reese and Jude
Adorable, adorable ADORABLE. I loved everything about this story. Reese, Jude, and of course grandpa Thomas were so well characterized. It felt honest, natural, and kind.
A lot of crazy ‘Reese’ things are happening and omg he’s such a delight.
Jude, Thomas’s caregiver, is dismissed by Reese. Reese will take care of his grandpa who has Alzheimer. Celebrity Reese thinks everything is simple, but in no time he needs Jude back.
Jude has a busy life, taking care of Thomas, also his brother and sister, he studies and now there is Reese who’s like a hurricane.
“I guess I’m headed into the eye of the storm.”
First I thought Reese was a player, but he was the opposite.
For Jude, his Filipino family traditions got in the way of his happiness.
Some nicely hurt was woven into this story and well done.
In the end, everything was just fine.
The author has a sparkling way of writing. The story was entertaining and captivating, with a well-developed plot and the best characters.
Bi-cultural romance with a cantankerous Cupid (sorta!)
4-4.5stars
This MM romance had a number of good things going for it. I enjoyed the romance, got caught up in Jude’s dilemmas, and thought the ending was a fitting fate for the guys.
Grandpa Matheson, Reese’s well loved grandfather who’s dealing with Alzheimer’s, was one of the bright spots. I loved his brashness and flirting, his care for his Filipino-American caregiver, and his frank insights into his youth. I also really liked his live-in caregiver Jude who got a raw deal repeatedly and yet he had spirit and determination to make the best of the poor hand he was dealt. When romance blooms, rather than resolve his problems it only seems to create more. Jude’s fight to avoid his extended family’s censure and take care of his younger siblings no matter the personal cost felt very real.
I also appreciated the spotlight the story put on health caregivers, and particularly the large community of Filipinos who have dedicated their professional lives to caring for U.S. patients. They don’t get the recognition they deserve but this story helps.
The story did seem to slow some in the middle and wealthy, privileged Reese was a bit of a ostrich with his head in the sand about Jude’s dilemma, but overall it was a fresh, out of the ordinary story for the genre largely thanks to the inclusion of the Filipino cultural element.
I read a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Enjoyable read of a good story.
Reese’s life has away of leaving a Hurricane in his wake. He is a musician who wants to come home and see his grandpa who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Jude is his grandfather’s caregiver. He gets swept up in Reese and his drama. This was a great story with a lot of feels. I loved how the author portrayed the Alzheimer’s angle and how it affects the family dynamics. I am voluntarily leaving a review form an ARC that I received. My reviews are solely based on my thoughts and opinions.
Love this series.
Love it! An interracial romance novel with a Filipino as one of the main characters, Hurricane Reese is totally my jam. R.L. made the characters come alive in her prose and dialogue. She showed the contrasts between Reese and Jude in their physical appearance, temperament, age, and social status. She also showed their similarities, particularly their mutual affection for Reese’s grandfather. The story is engaging with elements of humor and pathos blended pleasingly well. The romance is sweet and steamy at the same time. The message is something I subscribe to: Love is Love.
All these things will usually receive four stars from me. What made Hurricane Reese extra-special is the respect, sensitivity, and love for the Filipino culture that R.L. Merrill exhibited in writing this book. She really understood the dynamics of the Filipino family – the responsibilities of the eldest child towards their younger siblings, the care for the elderly, the role of the Titos and Titas, the importance we place on education, the pride in doing good work, the self-sufficiency, the deliciousness of the food, and the biggie – our Catholic faith.
I am in awe of R.L.’s intuition, talent, and versatility. I thank her for telling this amazing love story. I declare myself a fan.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Sarah –
This story is alternately funny, heartbreaking, and very sweet. Reese is an entitled music star who moves home to care for his grandfather – and falls hard for Jude, his grandfather’s carer. Reese’s grandfather is a wonderful character. He’s a lifelong musician with a Rat Pack past, a foul mouth, and a fondness for talking about his balls.
I have to admit that I was a little bit #metoo squeamish at the start of this story. Reese is a wealthy, successful musician making moves on his employee, a young nursing assistant who is sleeping in his car because he can’t afford to rent a room. The power imbalance is disconcerting and as we see more from Reese’s perspective at the start, it is difficult to know how Jude really feels about Reese.
Fortunately, Jude comes into himself as the story progresses and I was eventually able to accept the two men as partners. I really came to love both Reese and Jude, but Jude’s caregiver role continued to be an issue for me as Reese does seem to expect an awful lot of looking after. The story is pretty low heat, but there are some sweet moments between Reese and Jude.
Jude’s complicated relationships with his family members is as heartbreaking as Reese’s grandfather’s slow slide into his Alzheimer’s. I found the insights into the Filipino community interesting, but I do wonder if Jude is a little bit too much of a cultural stereotype at times.
I loved the music that binds grandfather and grandson. Reese’s passion for his writing and composition is wonderful and I loved Tony, his writing partner.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Hurricane Reese by R.L. Merrill to read and review.
The most carefully plains often miss a few important details.
Reese thinks now it’s the perfect time to spend with his grandfather. Unfortunately he fails to understand the full repercussions of his choices. Maybe he can gain more than just understanding from this experience.