Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ Storm ~ Michelle Mankin

*I received a free copy of Storm from Selfpublished via Author. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

He wants her, but he can’t have her.

She wants him even though she doesn’t know who he really is.

Storm Hardy left Ocean Beach to pursue a career in the music industry.

Lotus Irving stayed behind, her world rocked by one terrible tragedy after another.

What if all your best memories are behind you? What if you lost the one friend who understood you better than anyone else? What if your greatest wish is to recreate the past instead of imagining a brighter future?

Storm by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Mankin is a novel about never giving up, no matter what life throws at you. It’s about the importance of love and learning to dream again. It’s about looking beyond the wind, rain, and lightning to find the calm. It’s about holding on to the right person who helps you to be strong.

Well, wifey, I feel MMankin has outdone herself with Storm. She delivered everything I’ve come to expect from her and more! My fingers are crossed for books for Saber, Shield, and Cork. 😉

Oh my gosh, I so agree! It was so, so good. I loved every single word, lyric, look, and touch. It was really well written, and the characters were out of this world.

I admired how MMankin built the story of Lotus and Storm being childhood friends. They both experienced traumatic things in their young lives and were anchors for each other. Eventually, though, Storm had to leave. His leaving was realistically portrayed and I appreciated even more how MMankin brought Lotus and Storm back together. What did you think of how she built the story?

I loved them being childhood friends, too. Because it made them a truly solid foundation, even if they were apart for a long time. His leaving was definitely well done, because he had to leave in order to save himself. There was no other solution. So, I thought the story-building was awesome.

MMankin always makes family and friends a focal element in her stories. I’ve always loved this element because I believe in their importance too. The way Lotus was with her dad and her taking guardianship of her brother, Cork, was indicative of that importance and of her spirit. The way she and Storm were in the past and present spoke to the deeply rooted feelings between them. And the friends they have surrounding and supporting them exemplify how they each feel about who they spend their time with. Even the healing in Storm’s family showed that when those you care about most put forth the effort you can get past, well, the past. Did you appreciate the family/friends element the way I did?

I agree with you, of course. The family and friends element is so important – both in stories and in real life. I think that the fact that Lotus would do everything possible for her family – even taking guardianship of Cork showed her immense strength of character. Especially because of what happened with her mother when she was younger. She put family first, and she was still content. 

I also adored the cameos from the Dirt Dogs, especially Ash. He played an instrumental role in setting Lotus, Storm, and those closest to them on the path to happiness. What did you think of the cameos?

Ash is one of my favorite Dirt Dogs characters, and I loved that he was so important in Storm. It was like he was both a big brother and a father figure to Lotus, and she needed both. At the same time, he saw the worth of other characters in an uncanny way, and he not only worked for his own benefit, but for everybody else’s too.

The chemistry between Lotus and Storm was sizzling! I mean, these two lit up for each other with just a look. But they were also kind and considerate – taking care of each other’s needs, emotionally as well as physically. What they had was very special and they seemed to each know it’d be worth the effort. How did you feel about their chemistry and their romance?

Oh yeah, baby! Lotus and Storm *fans self* they were definitely hot. And I loved that as they got closer again, they didn’t have just their childhood friendship, they had so much more. This brought more than love to their relationship, it also brought loyalty and respect, and it made me love them all the more.

MMankin’s love of music and concert-going is evident in all her stories and Storm was no different. She has a talent with lyrics (poetry!) and she deftly conveys the emotions of both being on-stage as well as a member of the audience. What did you think of the music and performances?

Yes! Her lyrics are poetry for sure. I would actually pay to buy an album with her lyrics on it – even in poem form – because they pack a huge punch. Of course, I sometimes could hear music in my head while writing, as I love music and concerts, too.

Wifey, we’re going to have to Travel by the Book someday and hit Ocean Beach! I’ve been there once and her descriptions of the sounds, smells, and sights of Ocean Beach make it clear MMankin has a certain affinity for the beach. She uses her prose to take you right there and she made me miss the beach. You spend more time on the beach than I do, wifey. Do you think she did it right?

That’s an excellent plan, wifey. We will travel to Ocean Beach together one day, we have to! It would be so lovely, and I love the ocean and the beach, too. If we can find a small concert venue and a nice little place to have some good food (and drinks), that would make it even better.

I’ve always been a fan of MMankin but become an even greater one with each book as her writing continues to develop. Storm touched me, resonated with me. Lotus and Storm’s story was so deeply emotional and I was rooting for them the entire way. I’m also completely invested in this new cast of characters and will eagerly awaiting the next book! Your final thoughts?

I agree, each book is better, with more rounded characters, with deeper connections, and with themes that touch my heart in such a way the story stays with me for a long time after I finish reading. I can’t wait for the next book either – and in some ways, I’d love for that book to be Cork’s. But I’d be happy with any of them, and I have a feeling it just might be Saber who’ll be up next 😉 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2020 New Release Challenge

About Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Brandee is a mom of 3 and a soon-to-be empty nester. She is also an avid reader, a genre omnivore, and a compulsive one-clicker - but she's in recovery. Besides being a reader, she's also a writer and hopes to divide the vast quantities of spare time she'll soon have between reading and finally publishing her first book.

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