Stormed by Paula Quinene - Book Tour - Book Trailer - Book Review - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hey, lovelies!  It gives me great pleasure today to host Paula Quinene and her new book, “Stormed”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Paula and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!

Stormed

by Paula Quinene

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GENRE: Contemporary Romance

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BLURB:

A medical doctor educated in the United States, passionate and fierce Liz Taimanglo must now fulfill her promise and return to her island home. Liz makes the long flight across the US and the North Pacific Ocean to Guam, uncertain of what her future holds. Heading into the epicenter of her family and prime typhoon season for the Mariana Islands chain, the disquiet of her heart threatens to do more damage than any typhoon might inflict on Guam. Little does Liz know, the man featured in the newspaper would indeed unleash delicious torment rivaling even a Category 5 super typhoon.

Manny Artero is adamant about fighting for his island, his culture, and the rights of Guam’s Chamorro people, after having been fired from his teaching job. That is, until Liz walks up to him with her machete-wielding eyes and her undying respect for the American military. Manny had vowed never to risk his heart again and to become a more vocal activist, but this woman threatens to challenge all his intentions about love and life on Guam. Brushing off the safer choice, he plots a series of surprises to change her mind.

For Liz, becoming a doctor of medicine was supposed to be the right path, but her universe imploded when her training failed to save the life of the most important person in her world. Though a former US Marine, Manny could no longer accept the loss of land, rights, and freedom that Chamorros continue to suffer in their own homeland. Helpless against the strengthening attraction between them, Liz and Manny must face not only their opposing political views, but the storms stirring in their hearts and the very land upon which they stand.

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EXCERPT TWO:

Liz stood still, blindfolded. Rearranging furniture? We haven’t gone in the house yet. Water tumbled against rock perhaps, not too far from her. The striking of a match. A whiff of smoke brushed by her nose. Soft music filled the air, but Liz couldn’t make out the words because she was on edge. His surprise must be out here.

“Almost done.”

She bit her lip and swayed side to side. I might regurgitate my lunch if he doesn’t hurry up. The sun had already set so whatever he was planning, he needed to be quick. “You have about killed me with all this secrecy.” After another minute, Liz felt Manny standing behind her.

“I hope you’ll think it was worth it. Ready?”

“Very.” Liz bit her bottom lip.

“Ai, nangga hit. Wait sa’ I need to close the light.”

Oh my God I’m going to burst. It took a moment for Manny to return to her side. Liz shivered even though it wasn’t cold. It was warmer where she stood. Wood crackled. A stronger scent of burning tångantångan wood filled the air. If she bit her bottom lip any harder her teeth would puncture the gum.

The blindfold fell away. She opened her eyes and her jaw hung open; not a word came out. Liz looked at Manny then back at the firepit in front of her, a low orange flame dancing. The sound of cascading water caught her attention again. A small statue of Sirena, Guam’s mermaid, sat atop a rock. It was set off to the far-right corner with water flowing around her in a waterscape. Liz looked up. Only dusk hung over them.

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BOOK TRAILER:

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MY BOOK REVIEW:

Wow!  I have never felt so immersed in the cultural content of a book before!  The author transported me to Guam with every detailed passage!

The author provided such extensive detail I truly believe I pictured every scene just as the author had intended when she wrote it.

I absolutely loved the historical enrichment and authentic narrative!!

It is clear the author did a thorough and extensive amount of research while constructing this book.  That plus her own unique advantage of growing up on Guam created reliable and credible details throughout the story line.

I honestly had very little knowledge about Guam or her people before reading this book series.  This book provided such strong insight and gave this reader a better understanding of how Guam became liberated, the people of Guam aka the Chamorro, and Guam’s beautiful culture and traditions.  Quinene made the story both educational and intriguing without sounding monotone.

I really enjoyed the main characters, Liz and Manny.  There was an obvious attraction and an enjoyable lead up of them trying to fight their feelings.  I also really enjoyed catching back up with the main characters from book one, Jesi and Johan!  It was great to see how their lives had unfolded and played out.

However, I felt that this book had a bit of an overwhelming amount of characters with multiple nicknames.  Thankfully the author provided a names and character reference section at the back of the book which really helped for a quick check to identify the character's details.

I loved all the extras at the end of the book!  The author included a map of Guam in 1992, a recipe section for chocolate sugar cookies and custard pie, a glossary, a names and characters reference section, a places reference section, and a list of the many books and online articles used while writing this book!  These extras really enhanced the story and provided important details for the reader to follow along in the story.  I also can’t wait to try the recipe for the chocolate sugar cookies!

I enjoyed that the author used many Chamorro written phrases throughout the book which only added to the genuineness of the story!  However, at times it felt a bit confusing.  Thankfully, the author included a glossary at the end of the book which provided a Chamorro to English translation and came in very handy for this reader.

There are some predictable scenes.  However, there are still a few very unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!

This book is Book Two in The Set in Guam Book Series.  I had previously read book one before reading this book.  This book can absolutely be read as a standalone without any confusion.  However, there is significant story line and character overlap that I believe this book would be even better enjoyed having started with book one.

All in all, there were just a couple hang-ups for me, but overall, I still enjoyed reading this book and would still recommend it!  I think all historical and contemporary romance readers will like this book too!  So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading – you won’t be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

Did you find this review helpful?

If so, please, please, please mark it as helpful on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/review/RIP1P8HUVVJGL

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AUTHOR BIO:

Born and raised on Guam, Paula Quinene continues to take pride in her Chamorro heritage. The Chamorros are the native people of Guam and the Mariana Islands. Paula, like many of her fellow islanders, left home to pursue a higher education. A resident of North Carolina since 2000, Paula’s homesickness has resulted in her Guam cookbooks, A Taste of Guam and Remember Guam, and her Guam romance novels, Conquered and Stormed. 

Follow Paula’s Guam food and romance novel antics at the links below.

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CONNECT WITH PAULA:

Website:

http://www.paulaq.com/index.html

Blog:

http://guamromancenovel.blogspot.com

Email:

pquinene@paulaq.com

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pquinene

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pquinene

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/ceps92/featured

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4375964.Paula_Ann_Lujan_Quinene

Goodreads Book Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53452804-stormed

Amazon Author Page:

https://amzn.to/2XUULFV

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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon Kindle eBook:

https://amzn.to/2zRCGR3

Amazon Paperback:

https://amzn.to/2yRWAe6

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Paula will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.