Review: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Posted 28 November, 2013 by Pushy in Blog, Featured, Pushy, Pushy Book Review / 5 Comments

Review: The Winter Sea by Susanna KearsleyThe Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Series: Slains
Published by Sourcebooks on January 1st 2008
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Historical Romance, Historical Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal
Pages: 527 pages
Format: Audiobook
Source: Borrowed From Library
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4 Stars

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Mystery And Love

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley is the sort of book that wraps you in a soft cashmere blanket of a story and then draws you, inexorably, closer and closer to the fire at the heart of it’s tale. I stumbled upon this book while trolling through the audiobook offerings at my local library and was intrigued by the history and mystery in it’s synopsis. Thank goodness!

I absolutely adored this story. As you all know, I’m a sucker for a good historical novel and I loved the detail that was interwoven into this book. I also really enjoyed the author-telling-a-tale-that-winds-up-involving-her device, one I haven’t read in some time. A book within a book can be a tricky thing to work, but Susanna Kearsley did so quite well.

So what’s so mysterious you ask? Oh just the everyday machinations of the Jacobite’s in England. There’s nothing like political intrigue and period dress to make this reader ignore her family and hide in the bathroom and read. BUT! Susanna Kearsley kicks this up a notch further by adding in a sweet/awkward/sexy romance into the mix. Needless to say…kids were neglected.

The story progresses in a well paced fashion, drawing the reader deeper and deeper into the tale. In the end, the past and the present merge in a supremely satisfying way and I finished this book with a sigh, thoroughly sated.

Bottom Line

Do your self a favor and escape in this excellent, romantic novel!

Rating 4

      

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Lover of words and authors; absolute fan girl of books! Give me a good story, with characters I can love (and hate) and I'll follow you anywhere. Sing me a song of worlds I can dream of, and I'll listen forever.

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5 Responses to “Review: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley”

  1. So glad you loved this one! I stumbled across it at my library too, but I read it didn’t listen to the audiobook. I loved the story, it was so good. I have her other books on my TBR now, I think I’m going to read Rose Garden next! I just got it 🙂 and You’re def right about it being hard to pull off a story in a story.. She did though. I liked the romance part, but I felt the historical details was a little too specific sometimes. *shrug*

    Great Review! 🙂
    Diamond @ Dee’s reads recently posted..Book Review: Released (Romani Realms #1) by Mia FoxMy Profile

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  2. Jan

    I read this when it was published under Sophia’s Choice and loved it! Have you read some of her other books like Mariana or The Rose Garden? They’re also totally escapist, romantic books to get wrapped up in!

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