Storm of Passion (novella) by Dustin Adrian Rhodes

Reviews

I love stories set in the southern states so this one was a winner for me. very sweet love story, the main characters and even the secondary characters are full of life! loved it.

Melanie Tushmore author of The Price of Falling & The Vampire

Storm of Passion, set deep in the heart of the American south, is a heartwarming story of two men, best friends since childhood, who after 10 years apart, finally reunite. One is gay (Jaime), one is straight (Parker) but that had never interfered with their friendship in the past. The reunion brings fond memories of their shared past, but it also sparks something new...

The author's own southern roots are clearly heard in this story - the narrative and dialogue are filled with the charm, wisdom and humor characteristic of the south. Rhodes manages to fit a lifetime of emotion into the few days over which this story (mostly) takes place. His characters are clear individuals, defined by some interesting quirks, while humor and compassion underly the story with a dose of sexual tension on the side.This was a fun read that also made me warm inside.

Sim - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

What makes this story special is that it's a love story between two young men, lifelong friends, set in the South. It's a love story, but Dustin Rhodes sometimes veers into erotic territory--there's an explicit sex scene in the middle of the story. I loved the buildup of sexual tension between the two men, especially as Parker realizes he's falling for Jaime.

STORM OF PASSION veered between romance and erotica and then at the end, almost into soap opera territory. I actually would have liked a love scene that included full-on anal sex between them, just because I would have liked to experience that from Parker's viewpoint (!), but what I kept thinking as I read the book was how much a gay adolescent would LOVE this. (And maybe that's why the author kept it a little less explicit.) The two men are believably horny and lusty, though. I read through this piece at great speed, and hope to see more from Mr. Rhodes.

Gabriella West author of The Leaving

I started reading this and had it confused with another book. But I was pleasantly surprised. I am so glad I found it! This is a nice romantic story and I highly recommend it. I love the characters and the setting. It's a very enjoyable book.

leelee33 - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

It always amazes me how an author can breathe life into the romantic ghosts who reside in the figments of our imaginations. And DAR has done just that in creating this romantic tale of 2 best friends destined to be soul mates. Their journey is angsty, sweet and romantic. I cant wait to read more of them. Thank you Dustin.

jro - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

Damn but I have to say Dustin's book is very poetic.. not for any other reason than sitting there reading it was just beautiful. The story flows very evenly with out a bump. There are a couple of moments when I was feeling overwhelmed and one moment where I was so damned close to tears (sorry for the spoiler). A fulfilling read indeed. I really hope other people enjoy the characters as much. I look forward to reading more as Dustin get's released.

Byron Croft - Goodreads Reviewer Rating

Despite the soap opera title, Storm of Passion is a simple, sweet love story. Two childhood friends, one openly gay and the other ostensibly straight, rekindle a friendship and attempt to move beyond that into love. Each is afraid of losing the recovered friendship to take the next step. External conflict, beyond each of the lover's internal issues, is minimal. The story moved quickly and effortlessly pulls you into the character' lives and makes it easy for us to care about the characters, one, Jaime, a former soldier and Parker, his childhood friend, now the police chief in a small Georgia town. After some emotional and a bit religious confusion the story arrives at a happy ending. Happy endings don't always make great literature, but in an all too frequently hateful world, we should give ourselves as many happy endings as possible.

Ben Haven - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

Great story. Lured you in from the very beginning. Very emotional. I want more.

racrtom - Smashwords Reviewer

a very enjoyable read with good characters and a good plot really found the whole read quiet believable and the ending could be the start of the next story !

Daniel Lees - Smashwords Reviewer

One of the most beautiful and tender stories I have read in a long time. The author has a snsitive and caring attitude towards his subject and is to be commended. We need more from him please.

steven taylor - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

This was a good short read. You really feel for the main characters - Jaime in love with Parker all those years, and now Parker having feelings for Jaime that no straight man should have. And, being men, they can't talk about their feelings. The ending was sweet (as all good romances are).

Marissa Culp - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

I found this to be a an emotionally fulfilling tale. Written in a very poetical way with no description given, to long and/or verbose. The characters are fully developed with both a history and a present. I didn't find the love scene to be to over done or even overly descriptive it was the culmination of desire known/unknown that I can easily perceive happening - (god but don't I wish!!!) I think Dustin has proved beyond a doubt that he is an accomplished story teller, although I think I shudder at just how many rewrites and editing were done to get such a well rounded story.

Thanks for a beautiful read!

Byron Croft - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

Aaawww! I loved it!!

Euce Bo - Smashwords Reviewer

The usual friends turn lovers romance, one gay and the other supposedly straight. Nothing wrong if it is well executed. But both characters here are boring, which is a pity as one is an ex-veteran and the other a sheriff. And the writing seems disjointed in parts. But decent writing.

R.Parklane - Amazon Reviewer Rating

I really loved this book. I'm always drawn to "friends become lovers" stories and this one hit just the right note. Definitely one I'll be re-reading again.

Kimberly Workman - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

Loved this sweet story. The writing is wonderful and the town felt alive.

Erica Pike - Smashwords Reviewer Rating

Okay, I have to tell you that I read the short story from Hot Summer Days days before the extended version. When I read the original, I felt that the story just dropped. I understood that the author was just giving us a glimpse of their life together, the beginning, but I felt longing for more. I wanted to know if they stayed together. When I found out about the extended version today, I was like a kid in the candy store, jumping up and down clapping my hands together.

I flew through the book like it like there was no tomorrow. My heart ached for the roller coaster that Parker and Jaime went through. I cried at the end (won't give it away). I so hope the author allows us to have more glimpses into their lives!

Rosie - Goodreads Reviewer Rating

I really enjoyed this book. The story made me laugh out loud and brought tears to my eyes (although not at the same time :D) What more can you ask for from a love story. I look forward to reading more from this author... that question mark gives me hope!

Susan - Goodreads Reviewer Rating

Excellent story! I like how you slowly developed the character in a short story. Looking forward to read more of your work :)

Zach Sweets - Goodreads Reviewer Rating