CHASE ME IF YOU CAN

Competing storm chasers find themselves traveling together in Frances’ debut novel.

Sloane Michaels spends most of her time photographing six-figure Texas weddings, but her real passion is chasing tornadoes across open country. For six weeks each year, she trades champagne towers for lightning storms, always looking for the perfect shot. Surrounded by skepticism and condescension in a male-dominated field, Sloane is resolved to prove herself. This year, she’s been invited to participate in a prestigious cover-shot competition held by Nature Shots, a magazine that’s never featured a female photographer on the cover. Complicating matters further is “Wild Wes” Talbot, a reckless and frustratingly talented storm chaser who, besides being her competition in the contest, has been a persistent thorn in Sloane’s side for the last decade. With the financial backing of his grandfather’s trust fund, Wes can afford to chase storms throughout the summer, while Sloane must return to her practical responsibilities. Having essentially raised her brothers while managing an emotionally immature mother, she has little energy for taking on anyone else’s burdens. But when Wes’ foolhardy behavior leads to a car wreck, Sloane—wanting to beat him fair and square—reluctantly offers to share her vehicle for the remainder of storm season. As they travel around the rural West, the two find themselves navigating more than the unpredictable weather. The novel’s storm-chasing backdrop makes for an exhilarating setting, blending frequent danger with vividly described landscapes: “Another cloud explodes into pale lavender splinters and thunder rolls lazily across the open fields.…the brilliant oranges and reds and pinks peeking out from the horizon while the storm grumbles in the distance.” Sloane and Wes’ dynamic is equally compelling, as their shared familial struggles add emotional depth and conflict, making their connection feel earned amid the chaos.

A lively and electrifying love story.