Unexpected Arrivals

by Stephie Walls

From the blurb, you would be mistaken in thinking you had any idea where this story was going because the author certainly keeps the best bits under wraps and as I wound my way through the story I couldn’t help but wonder what was going to come next. This was a meticulous creation that cleverly built the anticipation of events and harnessed my engagement with the characters and resulted in the fact that I effectively felt as if I was reading it while precariously perched on the very edge of my seat.

From the beginning, there was an affinity with the characters, whether that was because of the blurb and the fact that I thought I had the gist of what was to come or whether it was down to the fact that this was not a hit and run sort of story, I am not too sure. This story does nothing fast, it is a real grower, it takes years to show its true colours and rightly so. The author piled the depth of the story on layer by layer, taking her time to lay the groundwork and giving just enough initial detail of their back story that when it all came into play the pieces quickly fell into place.

This is James and Cora story and it is one that doesn’t just dwell on the fact that they are a couple that have a strength that is tested in a way that many would never wish to face, nope, this lifts the corners of their life and peeks under the surface to get at the reality of what it is like to be them, to face the obstacles that they have before them and to examine what part their past actions have played in them being where they are now, accountability in its many guises come into play and it isn’t all one sided!.

 Is the love they share enough…well that is the question and I had my fingers crossed that they were strong enough to survive the ride but that didn’t mean that it was going to easy, far from it I just hoped that they had what it took to stick together.

There wasn’t as much angst in the story as I had anticipated but there were plenty of secrets to be divulged, no matter how much some may have preferred them to have remained hidden.

There were some fabulous secondary characters, who much like in real life were able to support them, but the reality of their situation was primarily a solo venture, as two souls fought to keep their status quo, to hold on to their relationship and to acknowledge a love that they hope would be unbreakable.

This was a great read, with a strong emotional pull but that rings the bell for love, life and friendship.