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When the Storm Breaks
This is the romantic and spellbinding novel of Amber Barrett and Jake Rayburn and the intertwining of their families and friends.
A gypsy’s premonitory prophecy of impending disaster obsesses Amber, and springs to her mind to ruin her happiest moments, reminding her of the prophecy for ‘a path of tears and sorrow’. Amber chances upon Astrid, the gypsy, on three occasions, but each time Astrid is interrupted and unable to complete her prediction. One day, while Amber is strolling in the park, she meets the gypsy by pure chance. She asks the gypsy to tell her the things she did not say on three previous occasions. The gypsy studies the lines on Amber’s palm, and, having seen something disagreeable, is reluctant to reveal her what it is. When Amber insists, she advises Amber to be strong for ‘when the storm breaks’. The only consolation is that, at the end, ‘there will be a light’. As time passes, Amber‘s plans for a blissful future with Jake go ahead full swing. her obsession of Astrid's prophecy receeds to the back of her mind. She is convinced that her mother is right, after all, and that the soothsayer cannot predict her future. Amber’s happiness is at its peak, when, without warning, the storm breaks. With a broken heart, she is left to face the final, catastrophic situation involving Jake, her one and only love.
How does she cope? Find out from the pages of this story, which combines a soothsayer’s prediction and a spiritual experience.
A gypsy’s premonitory prophecy of impending disaster obsesses Amber, and springs to her mind to ruin her happiest moments, reminding her of the prophecy for ‘a path of tears and sorrow’. Amber chances upon Astrid, the gypsy, on three occasions, but each time Astrid is interrupted and unable to complete her prediction. One day, while Amber is strolling in the park, she meets the gypsy by pure chance. She asks the gypsy to tell her the things she did not say on three previous occasions. The gypsy studies the lines on Amber’s palm, and, having seen something disagreeable, is reluctant to reveal her what it is. When Amber insists, she advises Amber to be strong for ‘when the storm breaks’. The only consolation is that, at the end, ‘there will be a light’. As time passes, Amber‘s plans for a blissful future with Jake go ahead full swing. her obsession of Astrid's prophecy receeds to the back of her mind. She is convinced that her mother is right, after all, and that the soothsayer cannot predict her future. Amber’s happiness is at its peak, when, without warning, the storm breaks. With a broken heart, she is left to face the final, catastrophic situation involving Jake, her one and only love.
How does she cope? Find out from the pages of this story, which combines a soothsayer’s prediction and a spiritual experience.
401 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2013
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Lilian J. Gardner
4 books32 followersLilian J. Gardner was born in Quetta, Pakistan, which was part of British India until partition.
From the age of eight, she was a boarder at the St: Denys’ Girls High School in Murree, a hill station at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.
After completing her studies, she obtained a diploma from the University of Cambridge. Immediately after, she studied at the St: Denys’ Teacher’s Training College, Murree, where she qualified as a ‘Froebel’ Kinder Garden and Junior schoolteacher. Lilian taught in St. Denys’ School for a short period, for a special role with problem children.
Since her marriage in 1958, to an Italian engineer, she taught English privately to foreign students of all ages in different countries.
At present, she is living in Italy in a small town situated in the Po delta. She does voluntary teaching in State Schools, for Elementary and Middle school immigrant students, to bring them up to class level.
Her desire is to write. She admits, “I love writing! Be it short stories, fantasy, fairy tales, poetry. I have a completed novel and a rough copy of another, set in the country of my birth, plus a variety of fiction stories, for children and adults.”
Lilian refined her writing after successfully completing a study in ‘Writing for Children and Teenagers’ from the Institute of Children’s Literature, Connecticut, USA.
She has decided to publish her collection of stories of every genre, as e-books, many of which will be free downloads.
Lilian loves children, people and cats, and trees in blossom in the springtime, and letting her fantasy roam.
Lilian has published two ebooks on amazon.com A novel, When the Storm Breaks, a fictional romance story and Freakout, an uncanny/horror story. Link to both books: amzn.to/12hPGRW
From the age of eight, she was a boarder at the St: Denys’ Girls High School in Murree, a hill station at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.
After completing her studies, she obtained a diploma from the University of Cambridge. Immediately after, she studied at the St: Denys’ Teacher’s Training College, Murree, where she qualified as a ‘Froebel’ Kinder Garden and Junior schoolteacher. Lilian taught in St. Denys’ School for a short period, for a special role with problem children.
Since her marriage in 1958, to an Italian engineer, she taught English privately to foreign students of all ages in different countries.
At present, she is living in Italy in a small town situated in the Po delta. She does voluntary teaching in State Schools, for Elementary and Middle school immigrant students, to bring them up to class level.
Her desire is to write. She admits, “I love writing! Be it short stories, fantasy, fairy tales, poetry. I have a completed novel and a rough copy of another, set in the country of my birth, plus a variety of fiction stories, for children and adults.”
Lilian refined her writing after successfully completing a study in ‘Writing for Children and Teenagers’ from the Institute of Children’s Literature, Connecticut, USA.
She has decided to publish her collection of stories of every genre, as e-books, many of which will be free downloads.
Lilian loves children, people and cats, and trees in blossom in the springtime, and letting her fantasy roam.
Lilian has published two ebooks on amazon.com A novel, When the Storm Breaks, a fictional romance story and Freakout, an uncanny/horror story. Link to both books: amzn.to/12hPGRW
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 12, 2014
I've just recently finished reading “When the Storm Breaks” by author Lilian J. Gardner. “When the Storm Breaks” is a romance type novel and as such it is not my usual reading genre. I am, however, happy I accepted the review request as it was a good book.
In “When the Storm Breaks” we meet Amber, the main character of the story. She's an intelligent and sweet girl who hasn't quite lost that innocence of childhood. She has a summer job at a small town pharmacy and she still lives with her mother; not because she has to but because she and her mom have a fantastic (and rather enviable) relationship.
Some months previously Amber and her mother had happened upon a group of gypsies - one of whom had offered to read their fortunes. While Amber's mother doesn't believe that one can predict another's fate, Amber on the other hand was curious. She returned later for that reading, and yet she was less than happy when she walked away. The gypsy had predicted great love followed by catastrophe. It didn't help that Amber's reading was interrupted and consequently, she was left wondering which path was the correct one for her to choose.
Fast forward a bit and Amber does meet a man, as predicted. He's warm, kind, considerate and... Oh so dreamy… Sadly, Amber struggles to enjoy this new relationship in its entirety because she's always waiting for the other gloomy shoe of doom to fall.
I don't want to give away any more of the story, but I will state that it was a good read. Gardner writes with a lovely style and her characters and their various situations are, for the most part, utterly believable. Because of this, readers will no doubt be able to relate to the characters, both personally and possibly with shared experiences.
In summary, a fun read and a beautiful story of learning, growth and love. Five Stars…
In “When the Storm Breaks” we meet Amber, the main character of the story. She's an intelligent and sweet girl who hasn't quite lost that innocence of childhood. She has a summer job at a small town pharmacy and she still lives with her mother; not because she has to but because she and her mom have a fantastic (and rather enviable) relationship.
Some months previously Amber and her mother had happened upon a group of gypsies - one of whom had offered to read their fortunes. While Amber's mother doesn't believe that one can predict another's fate, Amber on the other hand was curious. She returned later for that reading, and yet she was less than happy when she walked away. The gypsy had predicted great love followed by catastrophe. It didn't help that Amber's reading was interrupted and consequently, she was left wondering which path was the correct one for her to choose.
Fast forward a bit and Amber does meet a man, as predicted. He's warm, kind, considerate and... Oh so dreamy… Sadly, Amber struggles to enjoy this new relationship in its entirety because she's always waiting for the other gloomy shoe of doom to fall.
I don't want to give away any more of the story, but I will state that it was a good read. Gardner writes with a lovely style and her characters and their various situations are, for the most part, utterly believable. Because of this, readers will no doubt be able to relate to the characters, both personally and possibly with shared experiences.
In summary, a fun read and a beautiful story of learning, growth and love. Five Stars…
April 12, 2015
A DEEPER THAN YOU THINK ROMANCE
I really enjoyed this book. A sweet, non-graphic romance that, along with its gentle pace and well-defined characters, had an undercurrent of tension—whether or not a gypsy’s prediction was going to come true; a prediction that always lay just below the surface and kept me turning pages. Then there was the ‘human side’: The dichotomy of a rock musician’s heady world and his love for not only the main heroine but also for his young son and mother was very touching. But as if smoldering tension weren’t enough, Ms. Gardner added a psychological conflict––the heroine’s fear of commitment, presented in such a way that made me begin to wonder if ‘predictions’ do come true based only on factual events or are they simply manufactured from people’s paranoia. Recommended!
I really enjoyed this book. A sweet, non-graphic romance that, along with its gentle pace and well-defined characters, had an undercurrent of tension—whether or not a gypsy’s prediction was going to come true; a prediction that always lay just below the surface and kept me turning pages. Then there was the ‘human side’: The dichotomy of a rock musician’s heady world and his love for not only the main heroine but also for his young son and mother was very touching. But as if smoldering tension weren’t enough, Ms. Gardner added a psychological conflict––the heroine’s fear of commitment, presented in such a way that made me begin to wonder if ‘predictions’ do come true based only on factual events or are they simply manufactured from people’s paranoia. Recommended!
October 6, 2015
Amber is a sweet innocent girl, who has a summer job at a small town pharmacy, where she lives with her mother.
Months earlier, Amber and her mother had come upon a party of gypsies and one offered to read their fortunes. Ambers mother is hesitant, strongly believing there is no truth to one predicting, but Amber was curious and later returned to the gypsy to have her fortune read. Will the gypsy see Amber’s future? Will it be the future Amber hopes for? I guess the only way to find these answers is to read the book.
I have been looking for something different to read and when I saw this book on Goodreads, I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed. This was a clean book, filled with mystery, suspense and of course romance. I enjoyed it and so will you.
Months earlier, Amber and her mother had come upon a party of gypsies and one offered to read their fortunes. Ambers mother is hesitant, strongly believing there is no truth to one predicting, but Amber was curious and later returned to the gypsy to have her fortune read. Will the gypsy see Amber’s future? Will it be the future Amber hopes for? I guess the only way to find these answers is to read the book.
I have been looking for something different to read and when I saw this book on Goodreads, I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed. This was a clean book, filled with mystery, suspense and of course romance. I enjoyed it and so will you.
November 14, 2013
This is a beautiful story with beautiful language! I agree with other readers that When the Storm Breaks is heart warming. Lilian Gardner has opened my eyes to a new genre of literature. My favorite quote is "Peace soaked into her as she closed her eyes..." I could just feel and imagine Amber in that moment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews