LOVING THE CHASE (HEART OF THE STORM #1) introduces us to a multitude of characters - the Chase family of which there are many plus Maddi and her brother Monroe, the Boudreau's, Quinn plus all the network people, producers, cameramen, etc. involved in the show only some of which are secondary. They all have very different personalities but it works as we get to know them little by little.


Lovelace's LOVING THE CHASE has a lot of heartache in it from the moment the book starts. We are given background on the death of Josiah Chase while chasing a storm as well as Maddi and Zach's history, the grandmother's involvement in their storm chasing business as well as the roles the others play in the business and outside of it. Their mom, Miss Lou, wanted to take care of everyone and always was willing to share her wisdom and her food. While Maddi and Zach are awkward around each other they still have a lot of chemistry and it's so much better when they act on it than trying to ignore the elephant in the room. Zach is so much more than he's perceived by his family but he doesn't let them in to a large part of his life. Maddi is sometimes strong but oftentimes wishy washy as she lets her memories take over at times. Watching the interactions and give and take between the Chase family members and with Maddi was interesting to watch.

There were family and friends, sorrow, loss, fear, storms, damage, injuries, loves lost, tears, sadness, laughter and happiness. There were a lot of stories going on and a lot of twists and turns. Most of the loose ends were tied up and there was some closure and a happily ever after in the offing. I for one am glad this is the start of a new series.

Lovelace is a fairly new to me author only having read DON'T LET GO that also engaged my emotions. I look forward to reading more books in the HEART OF THE STORM SERIES as well as her other books. There was an excerpt of book two, THE SWEETEST CHASE, which only left me wanting more!

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

Zach loves to chase storms and now he will have to chase someone if he really wants second chance...
Maddie left small town to pursue her career in television and someone. She never wanted revisit until her past showed up right in front. She never thought she would see Zach again and its inevitable she might have to work with him... He brings up lots of unwanted to memories.
Zach's family is storm chasers and they were pitching a reality TV show. This interview was something he wanted to do and never thought he would face Maddie. They were ready to take a next step until stormy day that change everything for both.
Maddie thought she would be able to handle working with Zach and she will need to put her feelings aside if she wants to move up from her position.
Feelings gets tangled and it will be difficult for both. They will have to work together but their past will catch up to them and will they move on or get their second chance...
Zach's brothers will be interesting to read. Zach and Maddie had their second chance and storm chasing scenes were pretty intense.
Thanks to net galley and Montlake Romance for ARC in exchange for honest review.

This is the first book in the Heart of the Storm series by Sharla Lovelace. I am looking forward to this series and what the author is going to bring to us with it. Her writing is so smooth and intriguing that you will not want to put this book down until you know how it is all going to end for Zach and Maddie.

Zach, as well as his siblings, have the storm chasing gene in them that they all inherited from their dad. Zach's dad had a goal in mind though when he was chasing these storms, to provide information to help others. Although these storms get your adrenaline going, he not only liked the chase but wanted to do something good with it all.

When a TV producer contacts Zach about his family's business and making a show about it, he is pumped. This will help them in a lot of ways. What Zach does not expect is the punch in the gut when he goes to the meeting they have set up about the show and sees his ex, Maddie. Can Zach get past their past and move on to be able to produce the show?

Maddie made the difficult choice to leave Zach years ago when she was almost killed because he chose the storms over her. Maddie knew that she would never be able to compete with the storms and what Zach wanted to do for a living, she would always come second place. She was not ok with that and made the choice to move on.

The sparks between Maddie and Zach are still there and as they grow closer again, will the storms still be in the way of their relationship Maddie wants? This is a great read about second chances and makes you realize that not every story you hear about broken hearts ends bad. Sharla Lovelace also introduces us to side characters that I am sure we will be seeing more of in the next books in this series. This series is going to be a steamy one for sure!