The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi
Dealing with grief can be hard. For Rae, it is doubly so. Rae lost her mother and her daughter. She and her father are struggling to keep the farm going. Enter Quinn, a boy who is lost in his own grief and trying to keep it together. His parents threw him out, too inebriated to make any decisions, let alone care for their teenage son. Rae and her father take Quinn in. Together, they manage to find their way through their grief and come out of it with a renewed spirit of hope and renewal.
This book spoke to me on so many levels. It was such a good read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Passing Storm is an enjoyable and engaging read. It pulls atyour heartstrings making you feel the pain, joy, and resilience of the characters. Both Rae and Quinn are well developed, relatablecharacters. Nolfi peels back the layers of the past at exactly the right times. I would highly recommend reading this novel and look forward to reading more by this author.

Even though Rae is uncomfortable around the teen, Quinn, when he gets kicked out and left in the cold by his parents, she takes him under her wing, providing him with a warm haven.

Rae and her father have been through two traumatic losses and are barely functioning when Quinn enters their lives and rips the Band-Aid off the past. The loss of her mother in a blizzard and then, later the sudden death of her daughter has left Rae with scars she doesn’t think will ever heal, but with the help of her best friend, Yuma, an ex-boyfriend, and her father, Rae moves past the grief and finds a way to live.

This is a beautifully written, heartfelt story of loss, bitterness, forgiveness, and love. An emotional read.

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

This was a very emotional book, full of heart and heartbreak. Rae is going through what a human should never have to deal with, the loss of her child. This book explores that dark place, how friends and circumstances eventually help you through it, and how there can be light in a dark place. Well written, held my attention throughout, and very easy to relate and warm to all the various characters. Recommended reading.

This was my first book by Christine Nolfi, and I found her writing to be captivating! She writings with such amazing emotion, you can't help but become invested in the characters and the story!

The Passing Storm introduces the reader to Rae, a mother trying to cope after the unimaginable loss of her daughter. As Rae tries to heal and move forward in some fashion, we watch her work through her grief. She takes a chance on a young teen who needs help, and through him, we hope she can find forgiveness.

I thought this was a beautiful story. It's filled with emotion, but there are also twists and surprises throughout the story. It's quite difficult to put down, and I highly recommend it for readers that enjoy character-driven stories of loss and healing!

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi is an emotional book about grief, friendship, and moving on. I really enjoyed the writer’s ability to tell a beautiful story about grief and give the story plenty of hope and a satisfying ending.

Rae Langdon lives with her father Conner in an old farmhouse in Ohio. Both are recovering from terrible losses. First Rae’s mother, Hestor, perished in a snowstorm when Rae was just a teenager. Now, fourteen years later, they are both recovering from the loss of Rae’s daughter, Lark, who died suddenly at age 14, while at a friend’s sleepover.

Quinn, an eighteen-year-old teenager, and friend of Lark’s has been thrown out of his house by his alcoholic parents and starts to hang out around Rae’s home and barn. Rae and Conner are suspicious as they don’t know Quinn or trust him. He’s the son of no good parents, and they are sure he’s no good too. But, they soon realize he’s nothing like his parents, and he loved their daughter too, so they take him in, and he does chores around the farm for his room and board.

This book is so full of emotion, mostly hope and perseverance. These characters all have such distressing pasts, but they learn to lean on each other and help each other move forward. This book is heartwarming and hopeful and will give you a feeling of hope and community. I will admit that when I read this book was about grief, I was reluctant to start reading as I was worried it would be depressing, but I am happy to report that this book is the opposite of depressing. Instead, it’s uplifting and heartwarming.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves emotional books with a bit of mystery. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Solid 4 stars.

There are a whole lot of themes running through this book - loss, grief, forgiveness, misunderstandings and revelations, family (traditional and not-traditional), secrets, and eventually love. Each of them are handled beautifully, with many of them interwoven together with subtle nuances. The characters are wonderfully developed - their various losses are palpable and heartbreaking. I had to warm up to Rae's character; initially I had a hard time relating or sympathizing with her, even after understanding what she was dealing with emotionally. Quinn was a wonderful character - his outlook and spirit, even after all he had been through, made him hopeful and inspiring.

This book was full of nuances and details that elevated it for me. It created a much more complex and robust story than I was expecting, and took it from an okay, decent book to one that I really enjoyed. My main issue, and this feels like such an oxymoron to me, is that as much as I enjoyed it, it did not stick with me. I finished two more books before I got around to writing this review, and I had to really search my memory (and a few other reviews) to re-familiarize myself with the details of the story.

Wow this book will mess with your emotions!!
Rae is a hard working she’s been through a lot she lost her mother in a horrible storm and then her daughter in an accident. As she works through her grief she lives on her families farm with her father.
Quinn was once friends with Raes daughter he has a horrible home life, parents that could care less about him, he truly feels like he doesn’t belong anywhere. Soon these two broken people paths cross and they each help each-other in more ways than they realize.
This book was somber at times and I love Raes relationship with her father it brought up so many emotions. Quinn oh my gosh Quinn he’s so misunderstood and at times I just wanted to hug him!! As the story grows we see the depth of each character and the journey they go on, grieving, friendship and even second chances. Four stars

Heartbreak…anger….sadness….these are some of the emotions Rae is feeling. The loss of her teenage daughter to questionable circumstances has brought Rae to a dark place. With the addition of an unexpected houseguest, she is able to work through her issues and begin to live again!

It is easy to see why Christine Nolfi is one of my favourite authors. Her gift of storytelling makes it a delight to pick up one of her books and become totally captivated for hours on end.
She really pulled at my heartstrings this time with such an emotionally beautiful story.
Full of surprises and wonderful characters The Passing Storm explores how the human heart overcomes the storms of grief and trauma.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I always love reading anything Nolfi writes. She has a wonderful way with words & connecting readers to her characters. This story was emotional with so much love, loss, grief & secrets.
It’s truly a page-turner & a book that will stick with you. I very highly recommend this book.

The Passing Storm is the autumn 2021 release by wonderful author Christine Nolfi. Rae Langdon has suffered much loss. Her mother, artist Hester Langdon, was lost during the White Hurricane 16 years ago. Her daughter, Lark, was lost after a freak accident the past fall. Her dad, Connor, is aging and is a worry.

Rae missed out on college but gained her beautiful daughter. She missed out on her soul mate, but allowed him to pursue his dreams. She hounds the young trespasser about being on her family farm only to bring him into her fold. And she has avoided life long acquaintances as she heals only to embrace the pain of these women.

This is a beautiful story of love, loss, and once again rising to the light. These characters are so well drawn they can bring tears to the reader’s eyes, and the circumstances are a counterbalance of darkness and coming into the light. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

Whether you have read Christine Nolfi before or this is your first book, You Must Read This Book! The Passing Storm is an amazing story about family, grief, friendships, and dealing with your past. I devoured every word of this book.

The characters have had a tough past. They have suffered losses which changed their lives forever. The lost loves and their hearts never healed completely. I really enjoyed that they were real, with problems, and were trying to work past them. The family lives were not easy but the love they have for each other never waivers.

The book was emotional. The friendships were not always easy, but they were true. The families were real, they had problems, but they were also there for each other. The storyline was so tough. The abuse, the grief, the losses, and most of all the love made this a book that I could not put down.

I will recommend The Passing Storm again and again. I will be anxious to talk to anyone who reads it to see what their thoughts are.

This is a rewarding and emotional read about dealing with guilt and grief and moving forward with hope and forgiveness. There are some twists - no spoilers- which elevated it from what I expected. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Great storytelling.

The Passing Storm by Christine Nolfi is my first book by this amazing author but definitely not my last one! This is a highly emotional book that won’t let stop reading until you you are finished. This story deals with love, loss, abuse, grief, anger, sadness and friendship. Nolfi explores all these subjects and more but handles it with such compassion that you will find yourself in tears and smiling throughout the whole book. This storyline is very real and tough to read at time but I was unable to put it down! The characters are very real to life and complex. You are able to feel all their emotions from sorrow and betrayal to hope and happiness. Christine Nolfi did an amazing job with this book and I highly recommend it for all to read.

Thank you Christine Nolfi and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this impassioned story in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #thepassingstorm #christinenolfi #lakeunionpublishing

A beautiful story of finding shelter in a family with struggles and guilts but all the love to help get you through only to be taken back to the space you felt the least safe. This story of getting out of a bad situation and finding safety in others is written with pure emotion and fluid story lines.

I always know I’ll have a good story when reading a book by this author. A little bit different from her usual writing, but no less enjoyable.

In every lifetime there are passing storms….some are quick, forgettable and others change our lives. Rae has had her share of these storms, one in particular, The White Hurricane, changed her family’s life and set her on a different path. Rae has had a a few tough years; pain, heartache and grief, which has turned her a tad hard and bitter. Those closest to her know what is under this hard exterior, a giving women who has locked her heart away. Resilience, hope and strength are front and foremost in this book.

Thanks to Ms. Nolfi, Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Christine Nolfi is one of my favorite authors, and she didn’t disappoint with her latest. Its based on a true climate event that her family experienced in Ohio in the 70’s. It was a terrifying time and changed many lives, as it did Rae, the featured character in this story.
Rae lost her mother during the White Hurricane, a horrendous snow storm event in Ohio. It left her father devastated and in a state, which left teen age Rae to try and keep life together for them both.
Another tragedy occurs that further devastates their lives, and Rae struggles to keep going. She ends up helping a lonely, neglected local teen, and this has a huge impact on her own life and relationships, as well as putting her in a dangerous situation.
This novel has it all, love, relationships, losses, and renewal, just as there is with every passing storm. The calm returns and life goes on.
My thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. It is a wonderful story and definitely worthy of 5 stars.

This was a beautiful novel of deep emotions! Rae is living with her father Connor on their Ohio farm. They have both experienced loss. Rae’s recent loss is so intense that she has shut herself off. She’s still struggling with another loss from the past and is overwhelmed by grief. A local teenager Quinn is struggling with his own loss. Rae and Connor bring him into their home to help him. Can Rae open up enough to let him and others in? Can she allow herself to have relationships and new beginnings, even though she is struggling with her losses?

Small towns seem to have a lot of similarities across the world. Neighbors think they know everything about every person in the community and often make judgments based on what they see and think they know. The town where Rae Langdon and Quinn Galecki live fits this definition (as do most small towns). Quinn is judged based on who his parents are and their behavior rather than who he is as an individual. Rae Langdon is very aware of being judged by those in her community as she's a single mother and never revealed who fathered her child. The judgment calls made by others in small community can be emotionally and physically taxing for even the strongest person to endure, add in keeping devastating personal secrets and it can be even more burdensome. Although Rae is dealing with some heavy emotions, she has fallen into the trap of judging Quinn and finding him lacking, or at least she was until she got to know him a bit better. Her opinion changes and her family quickly grows with the addition of Quinn to her household. This addition is not without misunderstandings and emotional turmoil.

<i>The Passing Storm</i> by Christine Nolfi is an amazing read. I've found it to be totally engrossing from the first page to the very last on both my initial read and during my recent re-read. This book could be categorized as women's fiction and/or family fiction, I simply classify it as a darn good read. The characters are not only realistic but are realistically flawed. The action is wholly believable. <i>The Passing Storm</i> deals with plenty of different themes and some are incredibly weighty, such as abuse (sexual, emotional, and psychological). Ms. Nolfi has crafted a story that deals with these issues in a skillful manner, not minimizing the impact in anyway, but presenting them with deference and respect for the victims without trivializing their experiences or discussing them in a manner that could be construed as traumatizing for the reader. Some of the other themes presented are keeping secrets (from family and dear friends), forgiveness (of others and of self), tragedy, survival, second chances, love, and family (those we are born into and those we choose). Needless to say, there's a lot more happening in this story than the little I've revealed. I was incredibly excited to learn that <i>The Passing Storm</i> was being offered as one of the Prime Reads choices by Amazon for the month of October. Yes, I already had a digital review copy to read, but I grabbed a digital copy of this book via Prime Reads and have a print copy pre-ordered to give to my almost 87-y.o. mother (her birthday is November 1st). If you've read any titles by Ms. Nolfi in the past, you probably already have this book pre-ordered. If you don't I suggest you do so ASAP. Seriously people, I can't recommend this book enough to you. There may be a few tear-filled moments while you read, but the story is one that will stay with you for quite some time after reading. What more can you ask from any book?!

Happy Reading, y'all!