Blurb:

Following the bestselling The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister is the second book in Lucinda Riley’s spellbinding series of love and loss, based loosely on the mythology surrounding the famous star constellation.

Ally D’Aplièse is about to compete in one of the world’s most perilous yacht races, when she hears the news of her adoptive father’s sudden, mysterious death. Rushing back to meet her five sisters at their family home, she discovers that her father – an elusive billionaire affectionately known to his daughters as Pa Salt – has left each of them a tantalizing clue to their true heritage.

Ally has also recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway . . .

There, Ally begins to discover her roots – and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over a hundred years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg’s iconic music set to Ibsen’s play ‘Peer Gynt’. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And why is the seventh sister missing?

Review:

It’s a while since I read The Seven Sisters, the first book in this series, and once more, I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to continue. I absolutely love Lucinda Riley’s storytelling and I was completely captivated by Ally’s story and the stories of her ancestors.

When I read The Seven Sisters, Ally was my favourite sister and I really wanted to find out more about her. Lucinda Riley has developed her character really well and I loved her determination and passion which gave her a personality that appeared strong but also betrayed her vulnerability. I wanted her to discover more about her family and have the happy ending she deserved.

As with The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister has a dual timeline, so that we could learn more about Ally’s ancestors. Lucinda Riley takes us back firstly to the late nineteenth century and later, to the rise of Germany shortly before World War II. She does so effortlessly and I was immediately transported to these times and feeling so much emotion in what, for large parts, are harrowing stories. Her research is thorough and I actually increased my learning about the periods about which she writes, especially the treatment of Jews by the Nazis at that time. She explores a lot of social issues that were present in society in both historical timelines, and I loved that the historical characters were also strong willed enough to try and break down some of the barriers presented to them.

I can’t wait to continue reading – and I’ll try not to leave it so long next time!

The Storm Sister is available from Amazon.