This is the wonderful first book of an equally wonderful series.
I think Sandra Sooko dealt with the anxiety and anger issues of the hero very, very well. Andrew is not an agreeable character at the beginning and the fact that I came to love him and root for his redemption at the end is all due to the author’s beautiful writing and astounding character development. I heartily recommend to read the following books, because they are even better!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book deals with anxiety and depression in a very modern fashion. The way both words are bandied about seems way to modern for me. I liked Sarah. She was strong, kind and considerate. However, it was hard to like Drew, especially after the wedding night.

This is my first book by this author and I found myself disappointed. I was very excited with the premise of the book, but it just did not resonate with me. I found myself disliking Andrew immensely, from the very beginning, and was actually hoping Sarah would find someone more likable. Toward the end of the book he began a metamorphosis, but it was much too late to change the overall reading experience.
Thank you Sandra Sookoo, Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

This is my first story by author Sandra Sookoo and I had a little bit of trouble with the first 65% of the book. I found myself very put off by the Earls behavior and honestly hoped he may die during one of his attacks. I skimmed over a lot of his parts simply because his behavior was so appalling.

The Earl does start to pull his head out of his ….. in the last third of the story. He is able to overcome the demons he has been battling and he starts learning to live for the future.

I am curious about his brothers stories so I will probably check them out. Overall, I am just not sure about this book, and no epilogue.

2.5 Stars | 3 Flames | Content warning for a horrible wedding night with dubious consent & for a male MC who is a grade A Jerk.

Thanks to Netgalley and Dragon Blade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me at around 30%. I just could not get into the story. It had a slow pace and I couldn’t connect with the characters.

The Soul of a Storme is the first in a trilogy about the Storme brothers. Andrew is the eldest and now the 8th Earl of Hadleigh - but he doesn't know how to be an Earl, and struggles with extreme anxiety because of his father's dying words. He feels responsible for the injuries his brothers suffered in the war, and it paralyzes him. He knows, however, that he must marry and produce an heir.

Sarah was a governess - not really by choice, but because of penury. She meets Andrew by chance - and he is her way out, or is he?

I enjoyed the book and the plot, but some of the writing was a bit awkward and stilted.

#netgalley #soulofastorme

This is the first book in a series focused around the Storme brothers. The book follows the eldest brother, Andrew Storme, and our female lead is Miss Sarah Copeland. I enjoyed this book for it's plot, but wasn't a huge fan of the characters. While I did like Miss Copeland, and enjoyed the role she played, I found it difficult to relate to Andrew. While I think it is great that this book tried to shed light on real world issues such as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, etc. I found that it missed the mark with Andrew. His outbursts, rude behavior, and inability to keep his temperature in check all made it difficult to connect to him, and while there were times when I felt sorry for him, it was not enough to overcome my general dislike.

Miss Copeland, on the other hand, I enjoyed as a character much more. I understood her desire to get out of her current situation with her great uncle, and was unsurprised when she accepted Andrew's marriage proposal. While I thought she put up with much more than she should have, I admired her strength and desire to see the best in Andrew and help him see the best in himself.

Overall, I think this book had some great ideas, but execution could have been a bit better in my opinion. I like the plot twists and will definitely read the next book in the series to see if I enjoy one of the brother's stories more. I encourage you to give this a try though, if you enjoy historical romance books with older characters (late 30's, early 40's) with some real world issues brought to light.

Crossing Paths with Destiny

He almost ran her down with his horse. This happenstance meeting is about to change both their lives. Andrew is riddled with anxiety. When his father died, the burden of the earldom fell on his shoulders. Andrew was not prepared. He is a bitter and angry man. Could an encounter with strong-willed Sarah change the course of his life?

Sarah is a poor relation who works as a governess for her uncle. She is not well-treated, but that has not broken her spirit. When she derides the earl for his recklessness, she catches his attention. As an earl, he is not used to people standing up to him. However, neither Sarah, nor Andrew anticipate a marriage proposal as a result of this encounter. Will this marriage save them, or will it be their undoing? Andrew needs serious help; can love be the answer? He must let it into his heart first. Sarah is a strong woman, but she cannot do the work alone. For Andrew to heal, he must learn to be vulnerable.

This is a story, where happiness is within reach, but it is not easily won. I enjoyed the read and would recommend it to those who like historical romance that does not shy away from discussing serious issues such as mental illness and other disabilities.

This story had some dark moments. Andrew is caught up in anxiety and self loathing. He meets Sarah, a spinster who challenges him. They get married and the struggles are overwhelming! No spoiler here, but if you are up for some sadness and some joy, you will not be able to put this story down!

Do to his health of his father Andrew Charles Storme, the ninth Earl of Hadleigh was unable to join the fight against Napoleon, instead his two brothers went to war. His two brothers came back with severer injuries. Drew has a monstrous temper, the weight of the title is weighing heavy on his mind, can he be the same kind of Earl his father was, can he become the Earl he knows he can be? Out for a morning ride at his country estate he little runs over Miss Sarah Copeland a poor relation to his neighbor the Baron. Oh I love a feisty woman, one who keep Drew on his toes with her witty banter. Drew is quite intrigued with Sarah and proceeds to befriend her and continue their acquaintance, maybe even marriage. He continues to have a monstrous temper, most of the time he has anxiety over his responsibilities they overwhelms him, but Sarah is more than ready to tame the beast within. I voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent book filled adventure and romance.

Andrew, the Earl of Hadleigh, is the eldest of three sons. He feels a tremendous responsibility to live up to his father's image, and is crushed by guilt to have to stay at home when his brothers go off to fight against Napoleon. Andrew feels such anxiety that he must take care of everyone or they will leave him.
Miss Sarah Copeland is all alone in life except for her great uncle, and she becomes governess to his sons.
Andrew practically runs Sarah down one day while out riding and finds that she is the first person that has stood up to him in ages. He feels drawn to her, and finds safety and comfort in Sarah's company.
This is not your normal romance story. I highly recommend you read this book.

A Storme is brewing in more ways than one and that describes out hero, who has stepped into his responsibility as an Earl, feeling he could never live up to the title or take care of the family. He was overwhelmed, stressed and angry.. Very angry.

She had her own problems being a governess to two unruly children. Her life had not turned out as she thought when her parents had died and left her penniless, with all her dreams coming to an end.

Then in an unexpected, almost collison, they met. Let the banter and adventure begin!

I have to say I really did not like the Earl at all, but the two definately needed each other and it kept me wondering how it would turn out! Really interest in the other brothers so cannot wait for their stories!

The Soul of a Storme by Sandra Sookoo is the first in a new Series" The Storme Brothers. It is a different kind of regency romance. Andrew, Earl of Hadleigh is the eldest of three damaged men in his family. The other two suffer wounds from fighting in the war but Andrew's are more psychological: anxiety and guilt, and his are not fun to live with. His mother is threatening to have the title taken from him and given to a cousin if he doesn't mend his ways. He has retreated to his house in Derbyshire where the servants all remember him as a boy and are broken-hearted at what has happened to him as an adult. There he meets Sarah, rather her nearly runs her over when he is galloping his horse. He is an earl and can ride where he wants, after all. She doesn't see it that way and reprimands him with the clearest possible words. All he can see is the first person in years that has dared speak to him that way and he immediately feels drawn to her, and some lust for her as well. Beyond all odds he appears at her uncle's house the next day and proposes to her. She is aghast, but upon thinking it through decides it can be no worse than her present situation and so, accepts.

Andrew is truly a mess. His self-esteem is at a low point and he feels totally incapable of carrying out his duties or even being the head of his family. He is drawn to Sarah, but that affinity frightens him into behaving even more poorly than he normally does, thereby backing her into a corner. Sarah is not one to be mistreated, now that she has a legal document backing her up. She is angry and hurt and doesn't know what to do when the valet comes to her and tells her Andrew is on the edge and she may be the only one who can help him. This is an intriguing novel with headstrong people trying to navigate a relationship fraught with time bombs. Sarah and Andrew both want to be loved, but feel they are unlovable. Andrew especially. It is like he wants to be the worst he can be so people will have an excuse to not love him. He knows it and wants to change but doesn't know how. Sarah has had to listen to herself being denigrated by her uncle and aunt and even the children until it is difficult to know what to do. She wants to help Andrew, but she doesn't know how. This was a different, intriguing book. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free E-ARC of The Soul of a Storme by Dragonblade through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #thesouldofastorme

This is the first book in a new series about the Storme brothers. The eldest, Andrew, the Earl of Hadleigh, is a hard hero to like. I spent much of the book disliking him but also rooting for him at the same time. All three Storme brothers are damaged, two by war and the Earl by being the brother with survivor's guilt who did not have to go off to defend England as the heir.

Andrew is not an alpha hero. He has low self esteem, tantrums and anger issues which are calmed by Sarah, a spinster who was working as an unpaid governess to a distant family member. Sarah and Andrew both just want to be loved, but also don't feel that they deserve love or a happily ever after.

This book also sets the stage for the brothers' stories and I am very excited to see where Ms. Sookoo takes these characters as each will need an unconventional and strong woman to see past their internal and external scars.

The tropes are class difference, PTSD, and mental health issues.

Well that woman certainly had more patience than I would have! This Earl met his match with a woman who didn't take his temper but who also gave him plenty of advice and kindness to go with her backbone. Finally, in the end, we get a happy ending. There was tension between the couple, but it might have been interesting to see something else in the plot. As it stands, the story was a constant volley between his temper and his apologies, and when will he go too far (like he really sorta did on the wedding night). It was okay, but it could have been better. #thesoulofastorme #netgalley

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋

This story was enjoyable for the most part, although I did have problems liking the main character The Earl.
I know he has his own problems, but after his outburst at his brother in the first chapters of the book, it sort of put my back up against him and I couldn’t get Past it.

That was a shame because the majority of the cast and story was good and held my attention.
Put it down to a personal opinions.

I hope to read more in the series and would definitely tell others to give it a go.

I received an Arc copy of this book and chose to post this review

Andrew Charles Storme,(Drew) the ninth Earl of Hadleigh, suffers from panic attacks and anxiety, yet manages to hide his emotions from his family. All that they can see is a man prone to anger. After an argument with his brother, Drew decides to retreat to his country estate in Derbyshire. It is there that he meets Miss Sarah Copeland, who is acting a governess to her great-uncle’s two children. As they enter in a marriage of convenience, struggles with his emotions, which threatens to destroy their blossoming relationship.
An interesting book, with many confronting issues. Drew’s character was at first difficult to warm to but through Sarah’s eye’s, came an understanding of his emotions. As the first book in the series, I look forward to reading more about the Storme brothers.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley, Dragonblade Publishing and Sandra Sooko.

The Soul of a Storme by Sandra Sookoo is a historical romance novel that aims to tackle real life issues such as anxiety and the way it affects their lives.

The hero is Andrew Charles Storme who has inherited the title of Earl two years prior after the death of his father. The pressure of his new position, his perceived inability to protect his his brothers and the fear that he will never be able to live up to his father causes him great anxiety. This presents in panic attacks and fits of rage to the point that it is becoming detrimental to his life. Enter the heroine Sarah Copeland. Sarah has reached spinsterhood at the age of 34 and is a less then ideal position as her great uncles Governess. After they meet and both feel an undeniable attraction they enter into a deal which they will both benefit. However, Sarah loves a challenge and hopes to help Andrew become a better man.

I struggled a bit with my rating for this book. I do think it is more of a 3.5 in my mind but decided that it deserved to be bumped up to a 4. There are some great quiet moments in this book that have Sarah and Andrew learning about each other while also helping them both unpack their trauma. The author does also really know how to write banter which is a good thing because the two characters argue a lot. Most of the time it is Sarah calling Andrew out for being 'beastly' while other times are misunderstandings brought on because they characters don't know each other well enough yet. On that note it definitely comes across as a loose adaption of a Beauty and the Beast story as much of it is trying to help the hero control his temper.

A few things to note... the timing of the book didn't always make sense. Without spoiling it Sarah makes a decision in which I felt was too quick as their arrangement hadn't been going on that long. I also think anxiety was used a little too much to excuse his anger issues. I understand the context and its not a big issue to me just something I wanted to note. Though there is a laughable scene where a button goes flying.

I want to include a trigger warning for the first sex scene. In my opinion it had some aspects of questionable consent that be a bit uncomfortable for some readers.

This book had great promise and I understand the concept behind overcoming and dealing with crippling anxiety, but the hero came off more as an arse than just anxious. Anxiety is mentioned throughout the book. Never once was Andrew mentioned having seen a doctor. The term "anxiety" wasn't even used until 1869 if I'mnot mistaken. Anxiety is a real issue and I applaud authors writing flawed heroes, but it was a bit much for me. The buttons popping off his waistcoat when he was angry.
When he was being a gentleman, I liked Andrew. I also liked Sarah quite a bit. I think their personalities were lost in all the arguments. I expected some arguments, but it got old. Every cliche thing from a romance novel was probably in this book.
I wasn't really impressed and not sure if I'm interested in book two.
I received this book from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for an honest review.

This romance deals with a number of real-life issues, from survivor's guilt to depression and abuse of privilege. In the beginning, I felt sorry for the Earl of Hadleigh, then I hated him and finally came to admire him. His irrational rages upset me and I felt for Sarah having to deal with the fallout from his unresolved issues. Sarah remains constant throughout. Whilst she is taken for granted and abused by your uncle's family, she rises above her circumstances and finds peace and pleasure where she can. Her initial meeting with Andrew was just what he needed, although Sarah was left with some disquiet over the incident. I found the angry words and arguments in the first part of the book a little tedious but was glad when the couple finally came to a place where they could talk without ranting. This is the first book in a new series, and I look forward to seeing how the Storme brothers come through their background and history and am trusting for a good outcome. I received a copy of this novel as a gift through DragonBlade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.