“The only thing holding me back was my heart. You know, the broken one.
It knew if Jake and I got back together we’d make our past relationship look like child’s play. It would be a sweet footnote to this new, torrid love affair. ‘Jake and Eve 2.0’ would be an uncontrolled explosion of sex and adoration.
Uncontrolled explosions were dangerous. Everyone knew that.
And yet, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from playing with the matches…” ~Eve
Loving someone and being in love aren’t always the same thing.
That’s what Eve Daniels is trying to come to terms with when Jake Spencer suddenly returns to her life after ten years of silence. Haunted by a past he had no power to control, Jake left everyone and everything behind in hopes of saving Eve from his demons. His one regret was breaking her heart.
From the moment they reconnect, it is clear to Eve the passion, brilliance, and determination that first attracted her to Jake are stronger than ever. So strong that fighting their pull seems useless. But falling back in love isn’t as easy as letting the walls down. Eve soon realizes the choices they’ve both made come with consequences. Ones that will test how deep her love runs for a man living with a storm inside.
**Recommended for ages 17+ due to explicit language and sexual situations**
Alexis Anne lives in Central Florida with her very own real-life tall, dark, and handsome husband and their two adorable superheroes. Their crazy lives have taken them from archaeology digs to breaking news as they traversed the worlds of anthropology and television news. When she's not reading or writing, Alexis can be found at the beach or on the water with her family. Her first series FILTERS is a Contemporary Romance with a splash of science fiction. The Storm Inside is her first full-length novel.
December 9
Made For You Book Reviews / Book Fanatic / Read More - Sleep Less / Love Romance Books / Scandalous Book Blog
December 10
Cafebiblioart / My Daily Romance / Book Bliss / Books Unhinged Book Blog / Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
December 11
Book Worms / A Generous Helping of Romance / Author Raine Delight's World / My Journeys Into Pure Imagination / Anny Books
December 12
Miscellaneous Thought of a Bookaholic / Blushing Divas Book Reviews / Brenda's Book Beat / Lustful Literature
December 13
Mia's Point of View / Storm Goddess Book Reviews / Wicked Book Addict's Reviews / The Book Obsessed Momma
Jake continued his uninvited tour of my room, and I let him. For some reason seeing him in my intimate space had me paralyzed. It was like the past and the present were colliding in front of my eyes. The new Jake in my new room. It was so different: the suit, the swagger, the confidence… and it wasn’t like I had cheap posters decorating my ratty walls anymore. He paused in front of a picture of all of us, the whole gang.
“I’m kind of impressed you didn’t cut me out of this picture.”
I smirked, “That’s the replacement. You should have seen what I did to the original.”
He turned to look back at me, his hands back in his pockets, his eyes unmistakably seductive. “We’re all grown up now. What are your plans for your life?”
His question confused me. I was living my life. But then again, it hadn’t taken me until this year to figure myself out. “What I’m doing right now. I work, hang out with the gang, visit my family… what else is there?”
He was burning a hole right through me. “That’s not what I meant. No boyfriends? You planning on settling down with Mr. Right and having kids?” He was so different. He was demanding, almost angry. His questions seemed more like an accusation than anything else.
Something flipped inside me. An anger erupted out of nowhere. “Jake that is none of your damn business.”
He grimaced, “I think it is. Why aren’t you married, Eve? You are beautiful and smart. There are a million men lined up at your door… but you’re here alone. So, I’ll ask you again. What are your plans, Eve?”
I stood up very slowly, attempting to control the eruption taking place inside me, walked out into the hallway, and growled, “Get. Out.”
“No.” he replied just as firmly, not leaving my room. In fact, I was pretty sure I heard him sit on my bed.
“Get. Out.” I repeated through my clenched teeth.
“Get. Back. In. Here.” he growled back.
I rolled my eyes. Jake had definitely changed. He never, ever would have stood up to me, let alone ordered me to do anything.
Suddenly he was in front of me and glaring down from above, “Please, just talk to me for few minutes. I promise I won’t bite.”
“I’m more worried about a kiss,” I said before I could stop myself.
Jake’s eyebrows shot up, “I’m not going to kiss you, darlin’.”
A part of me was pretty disappointed by that piece of information. “Fine.” I replied, stomping back into my room.
Jake strolled in behind me, sighing, “I just want to make sure I haven’t completely fucked up the rest of your life, Eve. Why aren’t you married?”
Because I’ve never met anyone as good as you? There hasn’t been a man since you who has made me weak in the knees or throbbing for his touch.
“I haven’t met anyone worth marrying, Jake. You don’t just put your name in a bowl and hope to be picked.”
He eyed me, gauging my reaction, looking for the lie. “Alright. As long as it isn’t because of me.”
It is absolutely because of you.
“You think you ruined men for me, Jake?”
He grinned his cocky half-smile I used to love so much. I loved it because it was one of the few times his dimple showed. My dimple. I couldn’t help it, my eyes were drawn right to it, and he saw. I’m pretty sure he stopped breathing, his eyes burning into me.
“Eve…” he murmured.
My heart stopped; there was an explosive combination of lust, passion, and longing circulating around my bedroom. Anything would set us off.
I love Mumford and Sons. They are a huge inspiration to me. Every single time I listen to their music I hear lyrics I've never heard before and have songs resonate with me (and my characters) in ways I never expected.
They are freaking geniuses. They are poets. Every song represents a very real emotion or experience relating to life and love. The thing I love about good songs is that they can take a single moment or experience and expand it in a way that novel writers sometimes can’t. They write about the feeling of falling in love (or losing love) in a single chorus, where we might take five chapters. Song writers and singers can take that emotion and blow it up so that you feel it with every sense in your body. So when I’m trying to capture that same emotion for a character, I will listen to a song over and over until I feel like I can properly explain the way the character feels.
The one song that really encapsulates The Storm Inside is Mumford and Sons I Will Wait. If there is a theme song of the book—that is it. Eve waited for Jake to find his way out of the darkness and back to her. Jake waited until he could be the man Eve needed before he came back for her. Their love wasn’t the kind that diminished simply because they were apart for ten years. They loved each other and that was both the beginning and the end of everything. It is the kind of love that was pure and all-encompassing. They would have loved each other forever even if they never saw each other again. They were best friends and lovers. They loved each other through and through.
With the next two books in the series about to launch I’ve realized that while I Will Wait is the theme song of The Storm Inside, Ghosts That We Knew is the theme song of Jake and Eve. It is true in all three books, and especially in the third.
This song speaks to me on so many levels, but the final lines (which are in the US/Live versions of the song) knock me on my ass every time I hear them:
"But the ghosts that we knew made us black and all blue
But we'll live a long life
And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we'll live a long life"
They sing about how things in our lives will beat us almost to death, but as long as we have each other, we can hang on… and eventually all this horribleness will be in the past (and only the past). We still have a lot of life and love to live. I really don’t think there is a more real or beautiful love song ever written. I cry every time I listen to it!
Before I write each book I sit down with my husband and scroll through YouTube and our iTunes collection putting together a list of songs that represent the kind of story I’m trying to tell. I play the list the whole time I’m writing the book and when I go back through for revisions I almost always catch lines or paragraphs that were directly influenced by a specific set of lyrics.
Jake’s song is definitely Imagine Dragon’s Demons. If you know the song, there is no other explanation needed. If I want to write about a flawed character, I listen to Demons.
Eve never specifically had a song while I was writing, but I did fall back on Little Lion Man by Mumford and Sons (again… I know… I just love them!) I could picture her screaming this song at Jake (you lying man who only saw the world from your side!) Ok, I may have screamed this song a few times… probably where I got the inspiration!
Last but certainly not least, there is an ongoing theme in The Storm Inside that I used Justin Timberlake’s Mirrors for inspiration. “I’m looking at the other half of me. Show me how to fight for now.” Jake and Eve, like any good partnership, are reflections of each other, but more importantly, they don’t shy away from what they see.
“It was easy coming back to you once I figured it out
You were right here all along
It’s like you’re my mirror staring back at me
I couldn’t get any bigger with anyone else beside me.”
Please stop by and chat with me about music (or books) any time! I love hearing about how music influences and inspires everyone!
REVIEW: Brenda's Book Beat
The Storm Inside by Alexis Anne
4 stars
I loved the writers portrayal of what life can throw at
young love. It shows some of the reasons why its sometimes a good idea to wait
a while before getting all serious with someone.
Eve and Jake were madly in love when they were young, so much
so that each would die for the other, would give up everything and anything in
order to be with each other, to the inclusion of losing themselves.
Jake left town 10 years ago without a word to anyone. He was
just gone. And Eve was broken. Now, 10
years later, and Jake is standing on her lawn wanting a second chance. The ups and downs of their relationship will
have your laughing, crying, screaming and cheering. It is a great read.
Book was given in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you for having me on the blog! xoxo
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