Reviewed by Dan

TITLE:    Gathering Storm

SERIES:     Firsts and Forever #4

AUTHOR:     Alexa Land

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:     364 Pages

BLURB:

Working as a gay porn star has brought twenty-two-year-old Hunter Storm fame and fortune, but it’s cost him a lot, too. He’s learned to think of his body as little more than a commodity, and he copes with his loneliness by giving himself to whoever will have him. The job has also put him in the crosshairs of a stalker, a man so deeply disturbed that Hunter and everyone around him is in danger.

Fortunately, Hunter has allies, including his best friend Christopher and Nana, a feisty senior who’s decided he’s family. And then there’s Brian Nolan. When Hunter first meets the angry, wheelchair-bound former Marine, it’s hate at first sight. But despite his shattered body and tattered psyche, Brian might turn out to be the best ally of all.

REVIEW:

I saw a note on Amazon that these books could be read as standalones. I guess they could, but my question would be why the heck you would want to do that?

Welcome to Gathering Storm, aptly named since the main focus has shifted to porn star Hunter Storm. As readers who have been following along through the series will know, Hunter’s best friend is Christopher from book three, and they have something in common. Christopher was raped, beaten and left for dead in a dumpster. Now Hunter is getting similar threats in the mail from a stalker.

Also moving into the spotlight in this one is Brian Nolan, the brother of Christopher’s fiancé Kieran, who we also met in book three. Brian is a wheelchair bound Marine who lost part of both legs in Afghanistan. He is super bitter, suffers from PTSD, has been a recluse inside his home for three years, hasn’t shaved or cut his hair and looks kind of like Chewbacca, except with a fuck you attitude.

Brian is living in filth when Hunter and he meet for the second time. Hunter is thrown into interaction with Brian when there is an unfortunate incident involving a toilet dropping through the floor to the basement, and Kieran throwing his back out. Someone has to help with Brian, and because Christopher is busy with Kieran, it falls on Hunter. Somehow the two guys turn out to be able to stand each other and Hunter needs something to do to keep him busy while he hides from the stalker. When he tackles cleaning up Brian’s house, he gets more than he counted on.

I liked how Alexa kept the story of the stalker going throughout the book and building towards a resolution. I loved that Nana now has an entourage composed of a bunch of other women in their eighties and she is still carrying a 44 Magnum!

As I’ve said in previous reviews, I really enjoy how much the author wraps us into her stories. I really care about these guys as I’m reading one of her books, and I can’t wait for the next one!

I highly recommend this book, and again, the entire series up to this point. I haven’t read any blurbs ahead, I always read them after I finish the book, but I’m already guessing who some of the upcoming books are about.  I’m definitely an Alexa Land fanboy!

RATING:

BUY LINK: 

Amazon