Review: The Twisted Tale Of Stormy Gale

Upfront, I have to say that yes, Christine Bell is a friend of mine. Which is more to explain how I got an ARC of a book that isn't out until April 25th than anything else. Because friend or not, if I don't like the book, I'm not going to lie.

I did not like this book.

I LOVED this book.

(Scared you for second there, didn't I?)

So here's the premise–Stormy Gale is a time traveler who, along with her adopted brother Bacon (whom you can't help but love and want to cuddle and smack in the back of the head sometimes) uses a watch-looking device devised by their adoptive father to right wrongs in the past. (Don't worry, there's explanations on how this is okay. Stormy isn't about to go back in time and set off the Butterfly Effect, she's not that kinda girl) But when Bacon loses his, Stormy has to get the device back. Immediately. The man she has to get it from, however, turns out to be far more of an adventure than Stormy has faced ever before.

Why Did I Love This Book: Well, first off, the emotion. From her oft-exasperated big sister love for her brother to her bewildered love for her hero, Stormy is honest, and far more fleshed out than one would think could happen in a novella sized book. I loved Bacon, the equally sweet and occasionally clueless guy who would go to the ends of the earth (and has) for his big sister. I fell totally for Dev, Stormy's hero, who actually made me cry for all the things he'd been through and boy, if ever a man deserved his happy ending (and yes, take that any way you like). But ultimately, I loved Stormy. For someone so tough and jaded, in her heart she's a marshmallow and it's great to see her drop those layers and walls one by one for the guy who deserves the girl inside.

Things That Might Not Work For Folks: Well, I don't claim to be an expert on steampunk, but I think if you're looking for traditional steampunk, this might not be what you're expecting. It's a great story, don't get me wrong. There's some awesome details to the Time Travel Machine, but you shouldn't go in expecting corsets and trains, if you know what I mean.

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is, in a word, a triumph. For the author to create so realistic a set of characters and the worlds they inhabit, it's what I would call a master class on short writing. I read, I laughed, I cried and I sighed. I think, when April rolls around, so will you. Keep an eye out for this one and anything else you can find from Christine Bell.