Book Review: Cloud Walking

Cloud Walking by A. Meredith Walters
(Companion novella to Find You in the Dark)
January 22, 2013
127 pages
Source: Personal ebook purchase


Goodreads Summary:

While Clay and Maggie were falling apart...

Daniel and Rachel were falling in love.

Rachel Bradfield has loved Daniel Lowe for most of her life. She has had to sit quietly by while he throws his feelings away on a girl who doesn’t deserve them. Rachel knows she can be everything he needs.

Daniel has always known Rachel was special. She is one of his best friends. But what Daniel doesn’t realize is that the girl he has known forever might just be the one he really wants.

Love pulls two people together, while tearing two others apart. As Daniel and Rachel discover the beauty of first love their best friend loses her heart to the deepest darkness. Unable to hold Maggie together, Rachel and Daniel find out that love doesn’t have to hurt and that it can change your life.

My Review:

You can find my other reviews for this series by clicking the titles here:

Find You in the Dark

Light in the Shadows

First, do NOT read this before you read Find You in the Dark. It is a companion novella, but follows the same timeline as FYITD, so it is riddled with spoilers. The reading order is: 1) Find You in the Dark, 2) Cloud Walking (an optional novella), then 3) Light in the Shadows. I read this after LITS and am completely fine with that order. It gave me the little bit more of these characters, whom I loved, that I needed after reading the other two major novels. Cloud Walking isn't a necessity for the series, but if you loved Daniel and Rachel, and you want to know what was going on in their heads during Clay and Maggie's drama, and during the progression of their relationship, then this might be a nice companion piece for you. And although this novella follows the timeline of FYITD, the author does not 'cut and paste' the scenes and dialogue from the novel. She refers to scenes and may summarize things briefly, but doesn't rehash everything. I found this really nice, because I wanted Daniel and Rachel's story, and more stuff happening behind-the-scenes, so I appreciate Ms. Walters maintaining the purpose of this novella.

I enjoyed going back into the work of Clay and Maggie, but this time through Daniel and Rachel's eyes. I enjoyed reading Daniel and Rachel's blossoming love story. Rachel's misery is again obvious, but I liked the acknowledgment that her growth in her character and not being a doormat is really what helped push her, and her relationship with Daniel, to the next level. No one should be a doormat. I also enjoyed seeing Daniel stop being the 'oblivious idiot' he kept trying to remain, and finally recognizing and 'manning-up' to his feelings. No one likes a guy who hides behind the idiot card. Reading how they finally get a clue how to communicate with each other was a relief because during FYITD I just wanted to shake the two of them at times. But still, I did like Daniel and Rachel, and having already read LITS, I can confirm how much I enjoy their role in these stories. Clay and Maggie's love and relationship is so intense, and I appreciate that Ms. Walters was also able to portray a more 'normal' relationship and love story. Because as fun as all that drama is to read about, falling in love and staying in love should also be "as natural as breathing," according to Daniel. And that's what this novella shows.

 

4 STARS