On August 25th, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall 30 miles Northwest of Corpus Christi, Texas as a category 4 storm. It was the first major hurricane to strike the United States coast since 2005, and brought record-setting rain and devastating flooding to an area the size of Maryland. By the end, more than a thousand homes were destroyed, and 107 people lay dead. It was a storm Shannon and … Kyle would never forget.
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Rating:
Sometimes when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place!”
While reading this book what comes to mind most is introspection amidst disaster. This is a story of a girl caught in a hurricane and the guy she met online. Both main characters have a lot of time for introspection and a lot of thoughts go through their minds before, during and after the hurricane. I can see this happening in real life and so many of the thoughts they have seem real.
There are a few instances when both Shannon and Kyle are lost in their thoughts during times when they either should be acting not thinking or times when really people aren’t able to have a coherent thought, like while are in the waters of a flood trying not to drown and a few cases of the author waxing a bit too poetic. However, for the most part I really enjoyed all the introspection and felt it could and might happen just like it did.
Shannon lives in the trailer home that she grew up in with her Mom. They had weathered more than one hurricane in that trailer, though the last big one they were forced to evacuate and they ended up losing some valuables because the roof leaked. They promised each other that next hurricane they would stay in the house because if they did that last time, the losses could have been prevented.
Shannon and Kyle met on the internet and have been having an online and Skype based relationship. They both admit to being in love with the other and they Skype every day, sometimes for hours at a time. They are planning to meet in two weeks, and Kyle lives four hours north of Houston where Shannon lives. Hurricane Harvey is closing in and Shannon doesn’t plan to evacuate.
Kyle is working throughout the hurricane, as it hadn’t really affected his area other than some light rain and winds. Shannon is in the midst of the hurricane which pretty much stalled right over Houston and is dropping record amounts of rain and high winds non-stop for days. At one point, the flood waters start breaching her house and she is able to get ahold of Kyle long enough to let him know she is in trouble.
Kyle and his three friends take off to go get Shannon and the description of the drive is pretty awesome. It conveys the adrenaline rush when they first get his friend’s boat and supplies along the first hour or so, to the time when their heartbeats finally slow and they realize there are hours left to drive. To the tension when they get turned around by the cops at a barricade and go to some backroads. Then the worry as the water gets deeper even though they have 50 miles yet to go.
I really liked this part though I think during the drive they would have come up with a game plan of how they would handle things. I mean they have a boat and have to search for one girl. However, if it were me I would be worried about coming across a bunch of others that need help. I think that despite the moral and ethical issues, they should have decided to get straight to searching for Shannon. But what happens is that before they even get the boat launched, a bunch of people come up to the truck needing help and Kyle’s three friends stay behind with the truck to help while Kyle goes after Shannon alone.
That just seems stupid to me. It is the middle of the night and electricity is out so it is pitch black. How is one guy going to search for one flooded mobile home, or one girl if she had to abandon her home? He would have to be driving the boat and should at least have 1 friend there to point a flashlight around and be a lookout. Though it does not seem smart to me, I can’t say that it detracts from the story by being too unrealistic. People do dumb things sometimes, and it would be very difficult to turn away from people needing help. The story does seem real in that sense.
“If I were to say being out here alone in this storm like this were anything other than absolutely terrifying, I’d be lying. When I first set off from Tim and Mike and Aaron, this fear is manageable, noticeable only by my fast-beating heart, my clenched teeth and my strained focus on the endless lake of water before me. But with every impediment I encounter and then overcome, my terror grows. It’s as if for the first time I’m starting to truly realize just what being out here could mean.”
“I could die.”
“With this thought I freeze, though for no more than a nanosecond. The next thought is powerful enough to push me right on through the terror that has seized hold of my very soul.”
“You might. But without you, Shannon will surely die.”
The romance between Kyle and Shannon is true and deep despite their never having met in person. Though for some reason their pet names rubbed me the wrong way. “My darling, darling baby…” They do love each other but Shannon also has fears and insecurities. She is afraid that Kyle won’t really love her and also that he won’t live up to her fantasies and expectations. I thought that these get right to the heart of what would happen in a relationship like theirs. Though once they are together the story gets a bit sappy. I think the story should have gone into the search a bit longer and should have ended prior to the Epilogue(s).
Overall, the book was terrific. It was an in depth, minute by minute look into the minds of people going through a disaster and I found it truly fascinating. Though there could be a bit more editing and there was one part that seemed a bit too coincidental or possibly unbelievable. Though that does happen in books, especially romances. So I give it a solid 4 stars, and recommend this book as definitely worth reading.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Rising Waters by Sloan Murray is a wonderful story to read. I loved reading this story very much it was written by a brand new author for me and can not wait to read what this author will write about next. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about romantic suspense and sweet romance in their stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow! Just wow! This is a fairly new indie publisher with a couple of books under her belt, and one of the best-kept secrets in contemporary romance. One that truly deserves to be in the spotlight. I’m so glad I took a chance on her, because this book is unbelievably, astonishingly amazing!
Shannon and Kyle are young and in love, but they have yet to meet in person. They’ve been texting, talking and video chatting for months and have plans to meet in the next couple of weeks. Finally.
Before they can work out all the details, hurricane Harvey threatens Texas, and Shannon’s mobile home is right in it’s path. She thinks she’ll be fine, since she lived through other hurricane disasters. Additionally, she had promised her dying mother she wouldn’t leave their home. Maybe Harvey will pass her by. Maybe she can ride it out. As the storm descends and the water starts rising, Shannon may need to come up with another plan.
When a book takes place over a matter of a few days, with basically two characters featured, there’s a big potential for it to be weighed down by narrative and introspection, and, quite frankly, boring at best. That is absolutely not the case here, because this book is the polar opposite of boring! The suspense and impending doom stole my breath, my eyes were glued to the page, and my heart was grasped in this story’s clutches from the first page to the last.
Not only is Shannon and Kyle’s story in the midst of a hurricane riveting and nail biting, it’s an exploration of determination, the human spirit, and life priorities. It’s a story of fortitude and perseverance, and of fully understanding what really matters. It shines a light on helping others and the kindness of strangers while celebrating life and love.
If you love to find fresh, new writing, this is the book for you. With every ounce of human weakness, goodness and triumph packed into a harrowing, gripping setting, this story will leave its permanent mark on your soul. Compelling, engrossing and all-consuming, Shannon and Kyle’s story is spellbinding, exceptional and unforgettable!
Rising Waters felt like two stories to me. The beginning is fast-paced and the tension rises bit by bit from the time Shannon wakes up to rain to the point of rescue. I’ve been blessed to have never experienced a hurricane up close and personal, and I’m thankful for that, but the author captures the intensity so well that I was sitting on the edge of my seat, reading as quickly as I could to see if Kyle would get to Shannon in time. Murray captures the terror and I felt it right along with Shannon.
Then we have the second part of the story, the part after the hurricane, and it was more drawn out. It also felt choppy at times, which I think is a result of the time jumps in the story. On the one hand, it was nice to get the closure of seeing how this couple would fare through the years, but three epilogues felt like too much. For me, I would’ve rather seen more of the time right after the hurricane, the time when Shannon would be getting her bearings and figuring things out. Even with Kyle’s help, I would’ve expected some strong emotions and turmoil for her as she worked through the trauma. I just felt like there were some pretty big chunks of time missing that could’ve been a better closing point for me than so many years into the future.
In the end, there were things I liked and things I didn’t, but I have no doubt of this author’s talent, and she does intensity very well. The story is a fairly quick read, easily finished in a day, and Sloan Murray definitely has a gift for drawing a reader in.
Sloan Murray is a new author to me. Rising waters it was emotional, suspense and captivated. The main two characters were likable. I enjoy the suspense and rescue mission. The chemistry between the main characters were great. Their relationship was sweet and lovable. I felt that the story was missing something like the background of their families and their life. Overall I did enjoy reading this story, it was a good read.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a super enjoyable read and detailed for being on the shorter end. I loved how relatable Shannon and Kyle were and how incredibly accurate Hurricane Harvey was depicted (living in Florida I know my hurricanes lol) This story had suspense cause of Harvey and I absolutely loved how Kyle was generally very very worried about Shannon not evacuating her home. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future
4 Star Review of Rising Waters by Sloan Murray
Sloan Murray is a new author to me and I have no idea why that is. Rising Waters is a book with a difference about surviving a hurricane and is Shannon and Kyle’s Story. Although not a particularly long book, it packs a lot in to it and at times had me reeling.
When danger rears it’s head, we can all make knee jerk decisions, some of them good, some of them bad. Shannon regrets the fear that had her decide to stay when Hurricane Harvey hit despite Kyle urging her to leave .
I loved the strength of Kyle as he is determined to save Shannon, a young woman he has never physically met but has come to love. There was something about his strength, his determined focus to save her that really got to me.
I was on the edge of my seat reading this book, fearing that Kyle would not be able to save Shannon. It is a book that shows what true love is when you are prepared to put yourself on the line for the one you have come to love.
I have no idea whether this story is based on real life events for these characters or if the author went through or new people who went t through Hurricane Harvey. Regardless, this is a well written, emotional, suspenseful story that was realistic in that it made me feel as though I was there going through the hurricane myself.
This book is very suspenseful and will keep you on the edge of your seat at times. Hurricane Harvey was a very powerful hurricane and this book makes you feel like you’re right in the middle of it. Kyle and Shannon met online and had started developing feelings for each other. He urged her to evacuate and get of of harms way with the hurricane approaching. Out of fear she chose to stay behind. This story gets very intense at times but their back and forth banter is slow moving at times. A love story that’s full of danger, suspense, drama and romance. I read an arc and voluntarily chose to review
My first read from this author. I really enjoyed the scene setting. It takes place in 2017 during Hurrican Harvey in Texas. It’s the story of Shannon and Kyle who are due to meet after a long distance relationship when Harvey makes landfall.
I recieved an early copy from the author. I would be interested in reading more from them.
ROMANTIC AND SWEET BUT DEFINITELY INTENSE
This was a sweet and romantic read and I loved the characters Kyle and Shannon. Kyle’s the kind of man most woman dream about. Kind, thoughtful,Sexu handsome, rugged and definitely heroic. Through the book, starting with the odd way they meet, the start of their relationship and the emotions getting deeper, this book reads like a true romance.
The romantic relationship these two are building feeds into a major premise of this book which is the devastation that Hurricane Harvey brought to Texas.
Things definitely get dicey when Shannon is stranded at her home with no help available to her. Sick with worry, she is unsure and totally unprepared for the costs of her stubbornness and not leaving to flea for safety.
Kyle is so deeply in love with Shannon that no one, nothing and not even a hurricane can stop him from trying to find his true love.
If you like a clean and wholesome romance with a bite of intensity then you definitely should read this book.
I was given this book by the author in return for an honest review
This is a standalone novel about something very close to the authors heart. It is something based on a very true devastation that occured a couple of years ago. Something the author grew up with and unfortunately had to live through!!
First off I would just like to say that the author really knows how to tell a story. I can absolutely see in my head the trailer the main heroine lived in, and everything that happened outside. Seriously it was like I was watching a movie it was that vivid.
This book even had me about screaming haha!! In the first few chapters we saw Shannon go outside to check the rain gauge and omg I was almost shouting out loud for her to get back indoors, seriously stay safe girl. Though to be honest as the book progressed I was shouting OMG girl stop sitting about and get out!!!!
At the start of the book I got the impression that she is a loner with no real life of her own. She pretty much lives for Kyle’s phone conversation and doesn’t seem to enjoy much else. I think she is really struggling with her mother passing away and she really goes in to herself quite a lot. She was obviously very close with her and missing her very much.
Kyle is obviously very unhappy with his life, and wants to get his own business off of the ground. Much to the amusement of his flatmate and workmates he is very smitten with Shannon, and they love to wind him up about his ‘not’ real girlfriend.
We saw the horrible monster that was Harvey, those poor people and what they went through. How does someone ever begin to get over that? So tragic!!! This book was really emotional and very intense, I just couldn’t get it out of my head last night when I was trying to sleep, in the end I just had to pick it up again until I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
I am so happy with the outcome of this book. The whole book gives us hope, hope that we can follow our dreams, hope that life can turn out better than what we ever imagine and hope that we can turn tragedy around and grow stronger from it.
The love this pair share is a real true love, Kyle would do anything for Shannon and he proved this over and over in this book. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter how you meet someone, you just know that they are your person.
Thanks again for this book, it truly was a privilege to read it.
Rising Waters take place during the events of Hurricane Harvey that rocked Texas in 2017. This story was full of love, hope, and suspense.
Shannon and Kyle met online, they quickly formed a relationship but haven’t met in person. They plan to meet for the first time in 8 days when the story starts, however, Hurricane Harvey is about to make landfall. Shannon lives right in its path but she didn’t evacuate like the others, which worried Kyle. Will Shannon be safe? Will Kyle get to meet his love?
This book had my one the edge of my seat so many times. I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what was going to happen next. Shannon was a little stubborn when it came to not wanting to leave my home, but I also understand her reasons for not going. Kyle is amazing. You could tell how much and cares for Shannon and how worried he truly was for her.
This was a fairly quick read, but that is fine because you won’t want to put it down. There is a slow build up, you’ll be wondering if Shannon and Kyle ever meet with the events going on. If you’re looking for a romance that will have you on the edge of your seat this one is a must read!
Sloan Murray is a new author to me but that’s about to change because I really enjoyed this emotional love story told through Shannon and Kyle’s eyes as they braved a hurricane. Rising Waters felt very real to me and I found this authors words really painted a picture for what it’s like to live through the natural disasters that hit so many people each year and I’m guessing that this story is told from her heart, I’m also guessing this romance is based on some true facts.
Shannon and Kyle are young and have only communicated through, text, talking and video chars they have never met but that doesn’t mean they haven’t fallen in love with each other and they have put everything in place to meet up but then Hurricane Harvey comes barreling into Texas and heading straight to Shannon’s home ……
What’s follows is a man on a mission to save the woman he loves. This book ticked so many boxes, it’s full of twists and turns and it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat, it’s romantic and it has characters you will fall in love with. It’s a captivating story that’s full of kindness, love and at times human weaknesses and it’s a story that needs to be read. So please one click this gem of a read . I’m looking forward to what’s next from this talented author.
I was given a copy of this book by the author for an honest review