The only way to move forward was to go back to the very beginning….
After three miserable weeks without Charli, Adam makes the decision to follow her, desperately hoping to find a way of following through on his promise of a happy ending.
He finds her back in Pipers Cove, healing her broken heart by spending time with the one person who never lets her down.
Both know nothing has changed. They're desperately in love, hopelessly stuck in limbo, and unable to find common ground.
When fate offers them a chance at a different kind of ending, it’s a one-shot deal. Running with it means changing their plans – something neither of them has ever been willing to do before, even for each other.
Just as one begins to find their way, the other completely loses direction – and neither of them realise that time is running out.
My review:
And so my love affair with Gemma Walker-Smith's Wishes series continues. First, there was Saving Wishes. Absolutely sublime. Next came Second Hearts. An emotional rollercoaster of the very best variety. Then there's a little aside in the form of Sand Jewels - a novella telling Gabrielle and Alex's story, which I haven't reviewed, but loved the socks off of. Now, finally, we have Storm Shells.
I don't know how to talk about this book without revealing spoilers - at least from the first two books. So I'm going to tell you now, if you've not read them, go away now. Read them, love them, then come back to me. So now it's just us, the Wishes fans, and I know that you know who I'm talking about when I say...
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Much as I still love Charli, it was Alex, who really made this book for me. Because everything that Charli is, was put together by Alex. I think I might love him. He's a free spirit, someone who is happy in his own skin, content with his small life and big horizons. He has so much love and respect for Charli, that I, having grown up mostly without a father, feel inordinately jealous of Charli for having him. Yeah, I know he's not real, but I'm pretty sure there must be flesh-and-blood dads out there who are equally as awesome.
Alright, that's my Alex love-fest dealt with, so let's look at Charli and Adam's story - the continuation. Throughout the 3 books, the Wishes series covers a fair period of time, and it's interesting because Charli and Adam are at such impressionable ages, we get to see them change quite a bit in that time. They grow up, they expand their horizons, they become bigger and better (eventually). One thing that never changes through it all though, is their love. Walker-Smith has created the perfect depiction of true love. I know this, because I'm lucky enough to have it myself, and when things are going bad and no-one understands the way Charli feels and berate her for being willing to accept his return into her life, I understand. That kind of pure love might not always be good for you, but there's no denying it.
Saving Wishes was about fate, Second Hearts was about life, and Storm Shells is about love.
Loose ends are mostly tied up, with a few surprises along the way. Supporting characters we've come to know and love get to shine (I still desperately want a Ryan spin-off!), and the Charli-and-Adam showboat doesn't let us down. Walker-Smith truly has created something to be proud of in this series. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll never want to leave La La Land. Oh yeah, and I just checked - there's another book in the series still to come, and I've got a rather lovely feeling that this one's Ryan's. Happy dance!
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