Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) By Desi Stowe
In Shadows, Desi Stowe takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions as we follow Ella Hawthorne on her journey of healing and self-discovery, after the tragic loss of her fiancé. The raw portrayal of grief, mental health, and unwavering support in the story left me breathless.
As I read Shadows, I found myself rooting for Ella's strength and resilience, especially as an unexpected romance bloomed in her life. The friendships she forms along the way truly shine, with characters like Theo providing comic relief, Stephanie offering emotional support and style advice, lol, and Sam bringing love, patience, and compassion. Ella and Sam's journey serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of empathy and understanding in the face of mental health struggles. I must say that the characters in this story were some of my favorite group of people that I’ve “met” in a long while.
Desi's heartfelt writing drew me into Ella's world, allowing me to experience her pain, joy, and hope firsthand. It brought tears to my eyes at times, and other times laughter. Shadows is a gracefully written and moving novel that will captivate readers from beginning to end, showcasing Desi's storytelling prowess. This must-read book is both engrossing and thought-provoking, delivering a touching and inspiring story of redemption.
Shadows is commendable, as sequels can be challenging to write. This novel, much like Done, will leave a lasting impact on me and is a testament to Desi's talent as a writer. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) Wow! How minutely Desi Stowe has sketched the character Ella. I personally loved the way of using flashbacks in the first person narration. The growth of her character from struggling to accept the past, her dilemma in the present, to her decision to move on in her life and perceive a future with her past experience and her present relations is relatable. Brave girls need to go through a lot of things. And Ella Howthorne is a bold brave confident girl but she is going through a phase like we all go through where we get hurt, break apart and then we start composing us till we are again strong enough to accept life as it is. Ella is us in a way. I should mention my special liking for Sam. He is a gem. Rest of the story you need to find it by yourself. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) Shadows by Desi Stowe is a good book dealing with balancing work, life, relationships and working through trauma while attempting to heal through it. Ella moves to Charleston to start over. She enjoys her new job, is fond of her co-workers, and finds a compassionate boss. While she paces herself to get back on her feet, she takes to therapy and kickboxing, which help her more than she realized she needed.
It is easy to see yourself or someone you know in this story. It is paced well with good character development. I enjoy that the relationships aren’t rushed, there is true friendship built in, setting great foundations for long-term friendships and relationships. I am eager to read more by Desi Stowe and see what comes of Ella and Sam! I enjoyed the slight cameos of the main characters of her previous book, Done. She did a great job of making them subtle enough that they did not overpower this story.
Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) Lovely
A poignant and meditative story about loss, anguish, and learning to love yourself — and maybe even others — again. I normally read fast-paced genre fiction but this kept my attention the whole way. It has a clear, casual writing style that keeps you inside the protagonist’s head. It sometimes felt like I was reading the journal of a beloved friend, filled with gentleness and funny banter as well as deep emotions and thoughts to sort through. At the end, you feel like you were there with her every step of the way. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) Desi Stowe is a new-to-me author.
In Shadows, she has created a brilliant and emotionally powerful story. I was really caught up in the plot. I’d love to find book 1 of the series and find out how everything started.
Thanks to Desi Stowe.
4 stars
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2)
Ella Hawthorne has lost everyone she’s ever loved. Still reeling from her fiance’s tragic death, She relocates to Charleston, SC for a new job, desperate for a fresh start. As she settles into this new life, she forms friendships and an unexpected romance that impacts her in ways she never dared even possible.
However, a history of hurt has a way of bubbling to the surface and littering a clean slate with shadows of the past. Can Ella reconcile the tragedy she’s come from to the life that she longs for?
In the follow up to Desi Stowe’s debut novel DONE, Stowe explores the resilience of the human spirit to seek hope, even when it seems to exist just out of reach.
Trigger warnings for the topics of panic attacks, grief, violent weather, and briefly implied suicidal ideation. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2)
I had no idea where this story was going. I knew somewhat, what it was about, but the impact hit hard. One thing I do know it was exactly what I needed. It has drama, seriousness and humor. I highly recommend it. Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster I just went on reading this book. The details written about Ella's past and what she had to endure makes the reader feel like they are grieving with her. I also loved how the author was also able to show us the journey Ella took to regain her independence and love for herself. This story was beautifully written, and exactly what I needed right now! Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2) 🅂🄷🄰🄳🄾🅆🅂
By Desi Stowe
💛Mental Health Rep
🩶Women’s Fiction
💛Contemporary
🩶Found Family
Shadows is a sequel to Desi novel Done following Ella Hawthorne on her journey of healing after the loss of her fiancé and a natural disaster. She really had other emotions I felt she had not worked through from previous loss.
The book has her starting over and gives us the back story of her thoughts and feelings as she struggles to be “normal” and make new connections and a new job. One of them being Sam the first romantic interest since her loss.
This was a quick read and I enjoyed that the book focused on mental health. The book can certainly be read as a standalone but having read Done I really enjoyed seeing Eugene and V again.
Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2)
free read Shadows (Charleston Harbor #2)
