The Book That Had Me Wanting Ally to Catch a Break

There is something quite dangerous about starting a Lucinda Riley book.

You think you’re simply going to read a story. Then, somewhere along the way, you realise you have become emotionally involved with people who don’t actually exist, you’re thinking about them when you’re not reading, and you’ve reached the point where you are silently willing things to work out for them.

That was very much my experience with The Storm Sister.

After reading The Seven Sisters, I was already invested in the world Lucinda Riley had created. Each sister has her own story, her own personality and her own journey to make, and I was curious to discover what would happen when the focus moved to Ally.

What I wasn’t quite prepared for was just how much I would feel for her.

Ally’s Story

If there is one thing I would say about Ally, it is that she really doesn’t have an easy time.

There were so many moments when I found myself feeling incredibly sorry for her. Not in a way that made her feel weak, but in that very human way where you become emotionally invested in someone and simply want life to give them a break.

I wanted to see Ally find her way.

I wanted her to have some happiness.

And, most importantly, I wanted things to start going right for her.

That emotional connection made a huge difference to my enjoyment of the book. I wasn’t simply following the plot to find out what happened. I cared about what happened to Ally.

That is something I think makes a long family saga work particularly well. You need to care about the people at the centre of it, otherwise all the history, secrets and twists can start to feel like information rather than a story.

With Ally, I cared.

A Story With More Than One Time and Place

One of the things I enjoy about the Seven Sisters books is the way they don’t feel confined to one place or one period of time.

The Storm Sister takes you on a journey through different parts of the world and different moments in history, gradually bringing together pieces of a much bigger story.

There is something wonderfully escapist about that.

You can be sitting at home listening to an audiobook, and suddenly you’re somewhere completely different, surrounded by another culture, another period of history and another set of characters.

That sense of travel is one of the things that kept me interested.

I love books that can make you feel as though you’ve gone somewhere without actually leaving the house, and this series does that particularly well.

And because this is part of a much larger series, there is also that feeling that what you’re discovering is only one part of something much bigger.

I definitely found myself wondering what was going to be revealed next.

And, of course, I’m not going to tell you.

This is a spoiler-free review, and I genuinely think The Storm Sister is better experienced without knowing too much beforehand.

The Audiobook Experience

I listened to The Storm Sister as an audiobook, and I was very happy with that choice.

Some books work particularly well when you listen to them because they have that immersive, sweeping quality that allows you to disappear into the story.

And I definitely had that feeling with this one.

Was It Emotional?

Yes.

But I think the emotional side of the book is one of its strengths.

Ally goes through a lot, and because I became so invested in her, some parts were difficult to listen to.

There were definitely moments where I found myself thinking, “Come on, Ally. Surely you deserve a bit of happiness by now.”

That was probably one of my strongest feelings throughout the book.

I wasn’t frustrated with Ally.

I wasn’t impatient with her.

I was simply rooting for her.

And I think there is a big difference.

Who Would Enjoy The Storm Sister?

With the different settings, the history, the relationships and Ally’s personal journey, there is a lot here to enjoy.

It would also suit readers who like discovering a character’s past alongside them rather than being given everything immediately.

And if you’ve already read The Seven Sisters, then naturally you’re going to want to know more about the next sister.

But I don’t think you need to be someone who normally reads huge family sagas to appreciate it.

At its heart, this is also a story about people trying to find their place, deal with difficult circumstances and understand where they have come from.

Take Your Time With It

One thing I would say before starting The Storm Sister is don’t feel as though you need to race through it.

There is a lot to take in.

There are characters, relationships, historical elements, different settings and different threads running through the story.

For me, it worked best when I simply allowed the story to unfold.

And perhaps that’s particularly important with a book like this because part of the enjoyment is not knowing exactly where everything is going.

There are things to discover.

There are things to understand.

And there are moments where you realise that something you have been hearing about is more significant than you first thought.

So I would say settle in, get comfortable and enjoy the journey.

My Final Thoughts

When I think back on The Storm Sister, the thing that immediately comes to mind is Ally.

Not a particular plot point.

Not a particular twist.

Ally.

I genuinely felt for her.

She has such a lot to deal with, and I found myself wanting her to get through everything and find some happiness on the other side.

That emotional connection is probably the biggest reason I enjoyed this book as much as I did.

I also loved the way the story combines the personal with the historical. It feels like a romance and a family story, but there is also a much bigger sense of history and discovery running underneath it.

And then there is the fact that this is only the second step in a much larger journey.

That’s what makes finishing one of these books slightly bittersweet.

You’ve reached the end of one sister’s story, but you haven’t reached the end of the world Lucinda Riley has created.

There are still more sisters.

More stories.

More histories.

More secrets.

And, thankfully, more books waiting for me.

If you’ve read The Seven Sisters and haven’t continued with the series yet, The Storm Sister is waiting for you.

And if you haven’t started the series at all, this is another reason to begin at the beginning and discover the sisters for yourself.

Just don’t expect to remain completely detached.

I certainly didn’t.

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And Now?

I’m moving on to the next sister.

The Moon Sister is already underway, and I’m very curious to see where this journey takes me next.

One thing I know for certain is that I’m not finished with the Seven Sisters yet.