Small Town Big Storm is the first book in the new Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes series and finds us following Storm Harrison home to Cedar Hollow where he learns a shocking truth about his high school love, Poppy Baker.
About Small Town Big Storm
Storm was born and raised in Cedar Hollow. It is the place he hates most. It is a small town where gossip is overabundant and never in short supply. While growing up, he and his family were the source of a lot of the town’s gossip, and Storm hated it. When his brother, Rain, went off to college, life in Cedar Hollow took a horrible turn for Storm and he was forced to leave behind everything and everyone, including the one girl he had fallen for.
Poppy is an only child and sadly lost her parents young. She hung out with the local teenagers and had a crush on one of the local boys. She would watch him when she thought he was not looking, but he never paid her any attention. Until the night he broke her heart.
When Storm is forced to return to Cedar Hollow for his father’s funeral, he is beyond frustrated and angry. He never wanted to return to this town after growing up here. He never wanted to do anything for the man who caused him more pain than anyone else in his life.
The entire town shows up for the funeral, but Storm does not really see them. He sits where he is expected to sit. All the while hating that he is there. There is no love lost between him and his father. And there is animosity between him and his brother, Rain. He just wants to get through the funeral and get out of town again. But fate is working against him and forcing him to stay.
When Storm sees Poppy, memories come flooding back of his last night in Cedar Hollow. Of the girl who spent one night with him and broke his heart by leaving him while he slept. Of the last run in with his father that nearly broke him completely. Memories he would rather not remember.
But what happens next shocks Storm beyond belief.
Poppy has been keep secrets from Storm. She tried to locate him when she found out she was pregnant, but had to leave messages everywhere. Now those people she called and spoke to claim to not remember her ever calling. What is he to believe?
So Poppy assumed Storm wanted nothing to do with either her or their daughter. She has raised her for the last six years after suffering through morning sickness and childbirth alone. So when he asks her if Holly is his, she does not deny it. But she also tells him she wants nothing from him. She has managed on her own for this long, she can continue to do so. But Storm is not having this.
Storm sets out to get to know his daughter, Holly, while getting reacquainted with Poppy. They need to clear the air about what happened that night. He also needs to tell her about what happened to him later that night, when he went home. They truly need to get to know each other.
Over the next few weeks, they talk. They take Holly out to the park, to get ice cream, pick her up from camp. Storm helps Poppy close down the bar at night, trying to ease her workload. He is integrating himself into their lives and making no effort to leave.
When it comes time for the Home Ice Classic, the biggest fundraiser of the year for the town museum that hosts the summer camps and many other learning experiences, Storm agrees to play in it, and gets his teammates to play as well.
Storm is making an effort to show Poppy he is there for both her and Holly. But is she ready to trust him? Is he really going to stay this time? He has always left before, why not now? Will he expect her to give up the bar? Is she willing to give up her sense of autonomy and independence?
Impressions
This book is full of a lot of emotions. It will keep you on your toes. But there is an underlying theme of trust, or lack of it, that runs through this story.
Poppy has a hard time trusting Storm. He has always left before so why would this time be any different? No matter what he does, there is a seed deeply rooted, that he will leave again. Add in the conversation with Paige and now she questions what he expects from her.
Storm has his own trust issues. Growing up, he believed the town was just a gossip mill and his family was their favorite subject. It takes Poppy telling him everything the town did for her, and for Holly, to make him start looking at things differently.
There are so many side stories going on in this book, I cannot wait for the rest of the series. I am guessing we will see Clem, Clover and Riley in future books. But I am really hoping Paige finds her way out of town. That woman is trouble and I really can not see her with any of the male characters we met in this book.
I have to admit that Gertie steals the show in this story. How that woman manages to be everywhere, all at the same time, just blows my mind. She is kooky, crazy, fun and a live wire. Look out future couples of Cedar Hollow. This woman is everywhere.
Availability
Small Town Big Storm is currently available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited and for purchase in eBook and Paperback formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- Small Town Big Storm (Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes Book 1)
- Small Town Big Trouble (Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes Book 2)
- Small Town Big Scandal (Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes Book 3)
- Small Town Big Promises (Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes Book 4)
- Small Town Big Mistake (Cedar Hollow: Home Ice Heroes Book 5)
About Elise Faber
USA Today bestselling author, Elise Faber, loves chocolate, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and hockey (the order depending on the day and how well her team—the Sharks!—are playing). She and her husband also play as much hockey as they can squeeze into their schedules, so much so that their typical date night is spent on the ice. Elise changes her hair color more often than some people change their socks, loves sparkly things, and is the mom to two exuberant boys.
She lives in Northern California. Connect with her in her Facebook group, the Fabinators or email her at elisefaberauthor@gmail.com
