Even a hurricane can't blow enough life into “Miss Julia Weathers the Storm” (2017) by Ann B. Ross to make it as eventful or as interesting as most of the other entries in this long and usually amusing series.

Virtually all of the major continuing characters are guests of Sam and Julia when they rent a large house along the Atlantic for a few days. Lillian, Julia's longtime maid, stays behind to have foot surgery, but they take along Latisha, Lillian's granddaughter. Also along is LuAnne, Julia's annoying friend, who is convinced her husband, Leonard, is seeing another woman. She will talk about nothing else, while at the same time worrying that everyone else knows about her problems.

After they are at the beach for a few days, Hurricane Marty changes course suddenly and forces their evacuation, though not before some money, perhaps thrown overboard by smugglers intercepted by the Coast Guard, washes up on the shore.

Julia and her friends don't find any of the money, yet still they are followed back home by three people in a black van who seemed to be particularly interested in Latisha.

The ending of this installment in the series proves quite exciting, yet the buildup gets a bit tedious. There is too much of we-did-this and then we-did-that and then we-did-something-else. Mostly this is routine stuff, not what one reads these books to discover. The hurricane amounts to little more than an inconvenience, and LuAnne's problems with her husband are never even fully resolved. The ending is terrific; the problem is just getting there.

So unless you are fan enough to want to read every book in the Miss Julia series, this would be a good one to skip. ( )

Miss Julia and her wide extended family and a few friends decide to spend two weeks at the beach near Charleston. The group includes Lillian's great granddaughter, Latisha, who is charming but a bit of a handful sometimes. Lillian is staying home to have a bunion removed and to recover in peace and quiet.

Miss Julia, as usual, is uncomfortable when outside her norm of home, church, friends and family. However, she has LuAnne with her, as well as Etta Mae, as well as Hazel Marie and family and Coleman and Bitsy and family. Unfortunately, after the first week they are chased back to Abbotsville by a hurricane named "Marty", that followed them all the way home.

The conflict came from what appears to be someone(s) trailing after Lloyd, no matter where he goes. They think it might somehow be related to a large amount of money that washed up on the shore the day before they left the beach, money that none of them chased nor took home. So, why is someone trailing behind Lloyd?

As usual I truly enjoy visiting with Miss Julia and the wide group of family, friends and acquaintances that circle around her world. I knew who was being followed but I couldn't for the life of me figure out why? That was a total surprise and those, to me, are they best kinds of mysteries. ( )

Miss Julia has managed to surround herself with a great family of her choosing throughout these books. When her husband Sam proposes a family vacation to the beach, Miss Julia shudders about all the sand, but steps up to the occasion as only she can. After a week of beachcombing, eating and watching the weather channel, a tropical storm that becomes a hurricane sends all of the families back to Abbotsville. Unknown to everyone is what really lies in Latisha's bag of treasures from all those walks on the beach. This is a long running series that never fails to entertain with its' southern charm and fun storylines. ( )