Blogger’s note: I’m going through my backlog of books to review, and Whirlwind is one of them. Which is to say, I read this literal months ago and am going off notes I made then. Because of that, it’ll be brief. I’ve backdated the review to reflect when I read it.

Rating: 🤩

Are you looking for a book that feels like the movie Twisters but with more forbidden romance, more banging, more developed side characters, and also just as much storm fun? Have I got a book rec for you: Whirlwind, by Kayla Grosse.

A brief synopsis

Brilliant and gorgeous master’s student, Finley, and her hot professor/storm chaser, Professor West, chase storms together and the professional boundaries crumble. There’s a very fun dance scene at a bar in Oklahoma when they’re out chasing with his crew. And also if we rewind a little there’s a very hot moment after they almost die (because tornado) earlier in the book. This is not a good synopsis and I’m admittedly not sorry about that.

A brief review

This book was so. Much. Fun. As someone who’s been listening to “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” fairly regularly since I saw the movie in theaters over a year ago, this book satisfied a craving in me I didn’t really even know I had. It had adventure and real danger for the characters. It had steaming sexual tension. It had some very hot open-door scenes (unsurprising if you’re familiar with Grosse’s work). And, as I prefer when reading a romance I would heavily side eye (and probably outright criticize) in real life, the characters did really struggle with the nature of their relationship and the appropriateness of it.

(Even so, I shipped it.)

This was a fun, quick read with excellent banter (especially from one of the other characters)—and I kind of wish I could read it again for the first time.