St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is known for its deadly hurricanes, the long-standing Rosalie Inn, and the infamous murder of Landon Fitzroy during Hurricane Marie in 1984, a crime that cemented Lo Bailey’s name in local legend. When true-crime writer August Fletcher arrives in town to revisit the case, inn owner Geneva Corliss hopes the attention might revive her struggling hotel. But August doesn’t come alone and Lo Bailey herself returns, claiming she’s ready to clear her name. As another powerful storm approaches, old secrets resurface, and Geneva begins to realize that hurricanes aren’t the only destructive forces threatening St. Medard’s Bay.
I know a lot of people are loving this book, but it just wasn’t my favorite but hear me out. I felt like I was gearing up to be in hurricane weather, and having lived through that myself, I think Hawkins did a stunning job creating the stormy, suffocating atmosphere. The execution of the story was strong, and I loved the flashbacks and mixed-media inserts. The stories about storms being named after women, and the way all the women in the book were interconnected, were especially well done.
That said… I really hated the ending. It felt like so much was carefully built up, only for the conclusion to arrive with a sudden “bam, here’s something wild” moment that didn’t land for me at all. I kept forgetting this was technically a mystery because it read more like beautifully written historical fiction. At times, it felt like a blend of Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, The Love Haters by Katherine Center, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, just with an added mystery/thriller element. I’m honestly just sad about how everything wrapped up but I can absolutely see why so many readers will love this one, even if it ultimately missed the mark for me.
Rachel Hawkins Reviews
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★
The Storm comes out January 6, 2026! Huge thank you to St. Martin’s for my advanced copy and McMillian Audio for my audiobook, in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.
