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The Sea Stone Sisters
Not yet published
Expected 16 Jun 26Escape across the oceans in the start to an epic, spellbinding series of family mysteries, unexpected love and enduring courage
Four great stones once stood on a remote Scottish headland - the Sisters of Skara.
Legend has it they were raised by a grieving father, to guide his abducted daughters home.
A curse was placed on anyone who laid the stones low:
their family, too, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
1931. When Iris Blackmore's father knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, a dark shadow falls on the Blackmore family. With his fortune lost and wife dead, his four daughters are forced to leave their home, taking only the rings they inherited from their beloved mother.
Iris is the first to depart, travelling east in search of an uncle who might be able to help the family.
Present day. Roz Chatton moves to London from Australia, bringing very little with her other than her mother's old ring. Grieving and adrift, she stumbles on a painting of four ancient standing stones which ignites an uncanny connection to the ring on her finger.
Determined to learn more about the origin of the painting, Roz unearths the full story of Iris Blackmore, unravelling a family history she could never have imagined.
Four lost sisters. A family scattered. An epic journey home. Will you follow?
Four great stones once stood on a remote Scottish headland - the Sisters of Skara.
Legend has it they were raised by a grieving father, to guide his abducted daughters home.
A curse was placed on anyone who laid the stones low:
their family, too, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
1931. When Iris Blackmore's father knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, a dark shadow falls on the Blackmore family. With his fortune lost and wife dead, his four daughters are forced to leave their home, taking only the rings they inherited from their beloved mother.
Iris is the first to depart, travelling east in search of an uncle who might be able to help the family.
Present day. Roz Chatton moves to London from Australia, bringing very little with her other than her mother's old ring. Grieving and adrift, she stumbles on a painting of four ancient standing stones which ignites an uncanny connection to the ring on her finger.
Determined to learn more about the origin of the painting, Roz unearths the full story of Iris Blackmore, unravelling a family history she could never have imagined.
Four lost sisters. A family scattered. An epic journey home. Will you follow?
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2026
63 people are currently reading
807 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
November 1, 2025
Take your time to note characters and read slowly. This is an alluring setting and an intriguing plot. There's lots for historical fiction lovers to appreciate. It’s the first of a new series for this author.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A captivating dual-timeline saga that tugs on the heartstrings and finishes with a promise of more books to come!
March 16, 2026
Review to follow on my tour stop
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Als iemand mij had verteld dat ik zo snel na het starten van @glutenvrij.leesplezier al een ARC zou krijgen om te recenseren, had ik hem of haar niet geloofd. Maar, niets bleek minder waar. Uitgeverij Xander gaf mij de kans om Opaal van Eleanor Buchanan te lezen voordat het uitkwam. Wauw, wat was ik daar blij mee. Toen het boek werd aangekondigd heb ik het meteen op mijn TBR geplaatst. Waarom? Heb je de voorkant al gezien? Die trok mij dus meteen. Het verhaal speelt zich af in 1931, de tijd van mijn opa's en oma's. Een tijd waarover ik graag lees en waarover ik hen ook graag hoor(de) vertellen. En dan gecombineerd met het heden. Wat een fijne combinatie vind ik dat altijd. En toen las ik Australië, het land waar ik zo graag heen wil op vakantie. Het geld dat ik bespaard heb met dit exemplaar gaat dan ook in het Australië-spaarpotje.
Wie mijn unboxing heeft gezien kon de 😍 in mijn stem horen. Want zeg nou zelf: hoe mooi is de kaft van dit boek! Het is meteen duidelijk dat de uitgever veel verwacht van dit debuut en dat er gekozen is voor een combinatie van een dikkere kaft, mooie versiering en dan ook nog subtiele gouden letters. Gouden letters kunnen soms wat 'goedkoop' overkomen vind ik, maar dat is hier totaal niet aan de orde. Het ontwerp vind ik juist erg stijlvol.
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit drie hoofdpersonen en dit vind ik vernieuwend. Daardoor duurde het wel even voor ik in het verhaal zat. Maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat, zat ik er ook goed in. De brieven zijn vrij fragmentarisch opgeschreven en worden onderbroken door gedachten. Dit is anders dan ik gewend ben, maar maakt het juist speels. Ingewikkelde familiebanden liepen als rode draad door het boek heen en daar kan ik altijd erg van genieten. Zo ook in dit boek.
Een mooie wijze les die ik uit het verhaal heb gehaald: je gaat mensen pas echt waarderen als je beseft dat ze je afgenomen kunnen worden. Dit komt op meerdere plekken terug in het boek. Een mooie zin die mij bij is gebleven na het lezen: "Ze vertelde dat ze als kind bang was geweest dat ze de pijn om dat verlies niet te boven zou komen, en dat ze doodsbang was geweest om opnieuw van iemand te houden en diegene dan weer kwijt te raken."
Ben ik dan alleen maar positief? Nou, ik heb wel een verbeterpuntje voor de volgende druk en ook voor de volgende delen. De wereldkaart en de stamboom zou ik héél graag in het Nederlands zien. Ik weet niet of het een gevalletje van vergeten is, maar ik kan me echt niet bedenken waarom in een Nederlandstalig boek deze twee in het Engels zijn afgedrukt.
Iets dat ik niet zo realistisch vind is hoe lang intercontinentale post erover deed in die tijd. In het verhaal lijkt dat allemaal vrij snel te gaan, maar van mijn oma weet ik dat dat niet zo was. Toen zij als kind in Indonesië woonde, duurde het echt heel lang voor de post over en weer ging naar Nederland. Ik hoop dan ook dat in de volgende delen dit net even wat realistischer in het boek zal staan.
Ik vond het heel interessant om over het klimaat op Sri Lanka te leren. De grote verschillen tussen het oosten en westen van het eiland had ik niet verwacht, maar werden mooi in het verhaal beschreven. Sowieso vond ik de beschrijving van het leven in de tropen goed gelukt. Het komt ook goed overeen met hoe mijn oma en tante er altijd over hebben verteld.
Het boek wordt in de markt gezet als 'voor de lezers van Lucinda Riley en Corina Bomann'. Dat zorgt voor hoge verwachtingen, maar wat mij betreft maakt Eleanor Buchanan deze allemaal waar. Ook voelde ik de 'magie' uit de serie De bloementuin van Harper House van Nora Roberts. Dus ben je fan van Nora Roberts, ook dan zou ik Opaal van Eleanor Buchanan aanraden.
Het grote nadeel aan een boek vooruit lezen is wel dat het daardoor nóg langer duurt voordat het vervolg op de markt komt. Dus Xander: ik bied me bij deze graag aan om ook de volgende delen voor jullie te recenseren. Ik vind het al lastig genoeg om zo lang te wachten op het vervolg! Ik kan echt niet wachten om te ontdekken hoe het verdergaat met Rose, Lily en Daisy. In dit boek kregen we al een stiekem vooruitkijkje over waar hun verhalen zich af zouden kunnen gaan spelen.
Ik geef Opaal van Eleanor Buchanan 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍪 (4,5 ster)
Wie mijn unboxing heeft gezien kon de 😍 in mijn stem horen. Want zeg nou zelf: hoe mooi is de kaft van dit boek! Het is meteen duidelijk dat de uitgever veel verwacht van dit debuut en dat er gekozen is voor een combinatie van een dikkere kaft, mooie versiering en dan ook nog subtiele gouden letters. Gouden letters kunnen soms wat 'goedkoop' overkomen vind ik, maar dat is hier totaal niet aan de orde. Het ontwerp vind ik juist erg stijlvol.
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit drie hoofdpersonen en dit vind ik vernieuwend. Daardoor duurde het wel even voor ik in het verhaal zat. Maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat, zat ik er ook goed in. De brieven zijn vrij fragmentarisch opgeschreven en worden onderbroken door gedachten. Dit is anders dan ik gewend ben, maar maakt het juist speels. Ingewikkelde familiebanden liepen als rode draad door het boek heen en daar kan ik altijd erg van genieten. Zo ook in dit boek.
Een mooie wijze les die ik uit het verhaal heb gehaald: je gaat mensen pas echt waarderen als je beseft dat ze je afgenomen kunnen worden. Dit komt op meerdere plekken terug in het boek. Een mooie zin die mij bij is gebleven na het lezen: "Ze vertelde dat ze als kind bang was geweest dat ze de pijn om dat verlies niet te boven zou komen, en dat ze doodsbang was geweest om opnieuw van iemand te houden en diegene dan weer kwijt te raken."
Ben ik dan alleen maar positief? Nou, ik heb wel een verbeterpuntje voor de volgende druk en ook voor de volgende delen. De wereldkaart en de stamboom zou ik héél graag in het Nederlands zien. Ik weet niet of het een gevalletje van vergeten is, maar ik kan me echt niet bedenken waarom in een Nederlandstalig boek deze twee in het Engels zijn afgedrukt.
Iets dat ik niet zo realistisch vind is hoe lang intercontinentale post erover deed in die tijd. In het verhaal lijkt dat allemaal vrij snel te gaan, maar van mijn oma weet ik dat dat niet zo was. Toen zij als kind in Indonesië woonde, duurde het echt heel lang voor de post over en weer ging naar Nederland. Ik hoop dan ook dat in de volgende delen dit net even wat realistischer in het boek zal staan.
Ik vond het heel interessant om over het klimaat op Sri Lanka te leren. De grote verschillen tussen het oosten en westen van het eiland had ik niet verwacht, maar werden mooi in het verhaal beschreven. Sowieso vond ik de beschrijving van het leven in de tropen goed gelukt. Het komt ook goed overeen met hoe mijn oma en tante er altijd over hebben verteld.
Het boek wordt in de markt gezet als 'voor de lezers van Lucinda Riley en Corina Bomann'. Dat zorgt voor hoge verwachtingen, maar wat mij betreft maakt Eleanor Buchanan deze allemaal waar. Ook voelde ik de 'magie' uit de serie De bloementuin van Harper House van Nora Roberts. Dus ben je fan van Nora Roberts, ook dan zou ik Opaal van Eleanor Buchanan aanraden.
Het grote nadeel aan een boek vooruit lezen is wel dat het daardoor nóg langer duurt voordat het vervolg op de markt komt. Dus Xander: ik bied me bij deze graag aan om ook de volgende delen voor jullie te recenseren. Ik vind het al lastig genoeg om zo lang te wachten op het vervolg! Ik kan echt niet wachten om te ontdekken hoe het verdergaat met Rose, Lily en Daisy. In dit boek kregen we al een stiekem vooruitkijkje over waar hun verhalen zich af zouden kunnen gaan spelen.
Ik geef Opaal van Eleanor Buchanan 🍰🍰🍰🍰🍪 (4,5 ster)
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was WONDERFUL!
Eleanor Buchanan is a true story teller, she transported me to all these different countries and climates. Oh gosh I love this story so much!
Eleanor Buchanan is a true story teller, she transported me to all these different countries and climates. Oh gosh I love this story so much!
February 15, 2026
Boeken over dochters of zussen met een historische en hedendaagse verhaallijn zijn hot. Opaal is het eerste deel van de Dochters van de oceaan-serie. Je leert de Australische Roz kennen, die na een familiedrama vertrekt naar Europa. Op een dag stuit ze op een schilderij van vier oude staande stenen – een schilderij dat een onverklaarbare verbinding oproept met de ring aan haar vinger…
Opaal heeft verschillende verhaallijnen: Roz in het heden, en in het verleden leer je Iris kennen. Ze woont in Schotland met haar ouders en zusjes, tot er een groot drama voltrekt. Iris moet op zoek naar haar oom en stapt op een schip naar Ceylon. Verder leer je Finn kennen, een jonge advocaat die onderzoek doet naar de Blackmore Trust. Door de drie verhaallijnen is er veel afwisseling en vaart in het verhaal.
Het plot is intrigerend. Het is niet vernieuwend, de zoektocht naar de familieleden en het geheim van de zussen. Toch weet Buchanan een interessant plot vol mysterie neer te zetten. Ik was echt helemaal hooked tijdens het lezen en kon niet wachten om te weten hoe het verder ging. Zelf toen ik het boek uit had: ik wil zo snel mogelijk het volgende deel lezen!
Ondanks het spannende plot en de vlotte vertelstijl, is Opaal een boek waar je eigenlijk je tijd voor moet nemen. De setting is filmisch beschreven: van het Schotse Skaga tot de Australische outback: ik voelde me écht even op die plekken. Opaal weet de balans tussen het plot en de details van de setting precies goed te balanceren.
Tijdens haar verblijf in Europa leert Roz meer over haar familiegeschiedenis, en hoe haar verhaal bij dat van Iris hoort. Haar eigen verhaal biedt ook ruimte voor meer: er zijn ontluikende vriendschappen met Finn en Hugo, waarvan ik de relatie met Hugo hartverwarmend vond. En voor romantiek! Maar anders dan bij bijvoorbeeld de Verloren dochters-serie, is de focus hier minder op de romantische verhaallijn en meer op het familiemysterie.
Ik had niet verwacht dat Opaal me zo zou meeslepen: de combinatie van de fijne setting, het mysterie en de relaties tussen de karakters zorgen voor een page-turner.
Deze recensie verschijnt ook op https://www.readalicious.nl/recensies...
Dit boek heb ik ontvangen van de uitgeverij. Dit had geen invloed op mijn mening over het boek.
Opaal heeft verschillende verhaallijnen: Roz in het heden, en in het verleden leer je Iris kennen. Ze woont in Schotland met haar ouders en zusjes, tot er een groot drama voltrekt. Iris moet op zoek naar haar oom en stapt op een schip naar Ceylon. Verder leer je Finn kennen, een jonge advocaat die onderzoek doet naar de Blackmore Trust. Door de drie verhaallijnen is er veel afwisseling en vaart in het verhaal.
Het plot is intrigerend. Het is niet vernieuwend, de zoektocht naar de familieleden en het geheim van de zussen. Toch weet Buchanan een interessant plot vol mysterie neer te zetten. Ik was echt helemaal hooked tijdens het lezen en kon niet wachten om te weten hoe het verder ging. Zelf toen ik het boek uit had: ik wil zo snel mogelijk het volgende deel lezen!
Ondanks het spannende plot en de vlotte vertelstijl, is Opaal een boek waar je eigenlijk je tijd voor moet nemen. De setting is filmisch beschreven: van het Schotse Skaga tot de Australische outback: ik voelde me écht even op die plekken. Opaal weet de balans tussen het plot en de details van de setting precies goed te balanceren.
Tijdens haar verblijf in Europa leert Roz meer over haar familiegeschiedenis, en hoe haar verhaal bij dat van Iris hoort. Haar eigen verhaal biedt ook ruimte voor meer: er zijn ontluikende vriendschappen met Finn en Hugo, waarvan ik de relatie met Hugo hartverwarmend vond. En voor romantiek! Maar anders dan bij bijvoorbeeld de Verloren dochters-serie, is de focus hier minder op de romantische verhaallijn en meer op het familiemysterie.
Ik had niet verwacht dat Opaal me zo zou meeslepen: de combinatie van de fijne setting, het mysterie en de relaties tussen de karakters zorgen voor een page-turner.
Deze recensie verschijnt ook op https://www.readalicious.nl/recensies...
Dit boek heb ik ontvangen van de uitgeverij. Dit had geen invloed op mijn mening over het boek.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The start of a fabulous new series.
February 25, 2026
This was an excellent introduction to a new series, covering a family saga, differing timelines, time slip and some light mysticism and magic thrown in.
This initial book in the series sets the scene superbly, and follows the adventures of Iris who leaves a remote Scottish setting in 1931 following the death of her mother and her father losing his money to find her uncle who she hopes can rescue the four sisters from the situation they find themselves in. She sets off on a boat to Ceylon not knowing if he is even still on the Island. She is in for a journey,
Alongside this we have Roz in the current timeline who leaves Australia following the death of her mother, and to get away from the dangers posed by her stepfather. In London she encounters a painting of four ancient standing stones which causes a mystical reaction to a ring that has been passed down through her family, without knowing it she too is about to head off on an amazing journey.
This was a truly wonderful book that had me hooked from the very beginning and just never let me go. There is great pacing and story telling in the story, and it is rather like revealing the layers of an onion in both timelines. There is a great group of characters that support the two main characters. You cannot help but fall in love with the two main characters in the story, caring for them deeply, and needing to know their story. The book almost reads itself. The author does a great job through the book, playing with your emotions and along the way there are some sad moments that leave you reeling.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough, and was so pleased to find out it was part of a series and the second book, about another sister, is set up to be published. Now just the agonising wait until January 2027 for that book. As a great fan of Lucinda Riley’s work I cannot pay any higher compliment than say that Eleanor Buchanan reminds me of her and the wonderful Seven Sisters series. A new favourite series and author has been found!
Do whatever you can to get hold of their book when it is published next month!
This initial book in the series sets the scene superbly, and follows the adventures of Iris who leaves a remote Scottish setting in 1931 following the death of her mother and her father losing his money to find her uncle who she hopes can rescue the four sisters from the situation they find themselves in. She sets off on a boat to Ceylon not knowing if he is even still on the Island. She is in for a journey,
Alongside this we have Roz in the current timeline who leaves Australia following the death of her mother, and to get away from the dangers posed by her stepfather. In London she encounters a painting of four ancient standing stones which causes a mystical reaction to a ring that has been passed down through her family, without knowing it she too is about to head off on an amazing journey.
This was a truly wonderful book that had me hooked from the very beginning and just never let me go. There is great pacing and story telling in the story, and it is rather like revealing the layers of an onion in both timelines. There is a great group of characters that support the two main characters. You cannot help but fall in love with the two main characters in the story, caring for them deeply, and needing to know their story. The book almost reads itself. The author does a great job through the book, playing with your emotions and along the way there are some sad moments that leave you reeling.
I really cannot recommend this book highly enough, and was so pleased to find out it was part of a series and the second book, about another sister, is set up to be published. Now just the agonising wait until January 2027 for that book. As a great fan of Lucinda Riley’s work I cannot pay any higher compliment than say that Eleanor Buchanan reminds me of her and the wonderful Seven Sisters series. A new favourite series and author has been found!
Do whatever you can to get hold of their book when it is published next month!
January 8, 2026
“Once, the four stones, the Four Sisters, had stood tall on the headland, but Iris had only known them as they lay tumbled on their sides…”. Iris and her three sisters, Rose, Lily and the youngest, Daisy would go to the stones for thinking, for planning and for a feeling of belonging. It was their father who had uprooted the stones and, as local myth would have it, had cursed the land and the people by so doing.
This is an epic family saga, told on two timelines; the 1930s and present day. I found it gripping and affecting with characters who are sympathetic and very real. Buchanan writes vividly not just about the people she populates the story with and the times they live in, but as the story travels from Scotland to ‘Ceylon’ to Australia, her descriptive powers are outstanding in evoking a sense of place, from the mists and chill winds of Skara to the heavy fragrant heat of Ceylon to the choking, dusty savage heat of the Australian outback.
It’s a story of courage and resolve. When Iris’s father loses his business and the family becomes destitute, Iris promises her dying mother to find their elusive uncle Ralph so he can repay money he owes the family. Unfortunately he never replies to letters and, as far as they know, he lives in Ceylon. And so Iris embarks on a dangerous journey always with the intention of returning to Skara and her sisters. Disaster and tragedy follow and the sisters are scattered to the four winds. Will they ever be together again? Will Iris ever return to her belovéd Scotland?
In the present day we follow Roz. Following a terrible tragedy in her family, Roz flees Australia for London. Passing an antique bookstore one day, she sees an old painting of the Four Sisters standing stones which resonates with her and this is a pivotal moment in her story.
I loved this book and the characters in it. Her descriptions of Scotland, beautiful but wild and remote, resonated very much with me.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys excellent vivid writing and a gripping story with wonderful characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for kindle. This is my honest review after a full read of the book.
This is an epic family saga, told on two timelines; the 1930s and present day. I found it gripping and affecting with characters who are sympathetic and very real. Buchanan writes vividly not just about the people she populates the story with and the times they live in, but as the story travels from Scotland to ‘Ceylon’ to Australia, her descriptive powers are outstanding in evoking a sense of place, from the mists and chill winds of Skara to the heavy fragrant heat of Ceylon to the choking, dusty savage heat of the Australian outback.
It’s a story of courage and resolve. When Iris’s father loses his business and the family becomes destitute, Iris promises her dying mother to find their elusive uncle Ralph so he can repay money he owes the family. Unfortunately he never replies to letters and, as far as they know, he lives in Ceylon. And so Iris embarks on a dangerous journey always with the intention of returning to Skara and her sisters. Disaster and tragedy follow and the sisters are scattered to the four winds. Will they ever be together again? Will Iris ever return to her belovéd Scotland?
In the present day we follow Roz. Following a terrible tragedy in her family, Roz flees Australia for London. Passing an antique bookstore one day, she sees an old painting of the Four Sisters standing stones which resonates with her and this is a pivotal moment in her story.
I loved this book and the characters in it. Her descriptions of Scotland, beautiful but wild and remote, resonated very much with me.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys excellent vivid writing and a gripping story with wonderful characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for kindle. This is my honest review after a full read of the book.
March 7, 2026
I haven’t been this excited for a new series in a such a long time. The Sea Stone Sisters by Eleanor Buchanan completely swept me away.
A dual timeline switching between the 1930s and modern day, the story follows four sisters determined to save their beloved family home. Their journey is filled with courage, loyalty, and the kind of sisterhood that feels both fierce and deeply moving.
Present day, on the other side of the world in Australia, a young girl faces a very different challenge — trying to change the path of her own fate without the support of siblings beside her.
What makes this story so fascinating is how it weaves genealogy, family legacy, and female relationships together so beautifully.
It’s rich, atmospheric historical fiction with adventure, heart, and just a touch of magic. The kind of book that makes you feel completely immersed in the story and deeply invested in the characters.
If you love stories about family, strong women, hidden histories, and connections (and jewellery 💍) that transcend time, generations, and countries, this is absolutely one to add to your TBR. 📖
(Oh, and there’s an actual golden retriever so of course it’s immediately a 5 star!!)
I’m already wishing my life away for the next book! Eleanor please can I have a copy now 🤣💕.
A dual timeline switching between the 1930s and modern day, the story follows four sisters determined to save their beloved family home. Their journey is filled with courage, loyalty, and the kind of sisterhood that feels both fierce and deeply moving.
Present day, on the other side of the world in Australia, a young girl faces a very different challenge — trying to change the path of her own fate without the support of siblings beside her.
What makes this story so fascinating is how it weaves genealogy, family legacy, and female relationships together so beautifully.
It’s rich, atmospheric historical fiction with adventure, heart, and just a touch of magic. The kind of book that makes you feel completely immersed in the story and deeply invested in the characters.
If you love stories about family, strong women, hidden histories, and connections (and jewellery 💍) that transcend time, generations, and countries, this is absolutely one to add to your TBR. 📖
(Oh, and there’s an actual golden retriever so of course it’s immediately a 5 star!!)
I’m already wishing my life away for the next book! Eleanor please can I have a copy now 🤣💕.
February 25, 2026
Het verhaal wordt verteld vanuit drie hoofdpersonen en dit vind ik vernieuwend. Daardoor duurde het wel even voor ik in het verhaal zat. Maar toen ik er eenmaal in zat, zat ik er ook goed in. De brieven zijn vrij fragmentarisch opgeschreven en worden onderbroken door gedachten. Dit is anders dan ik gewend ben, maar maakt het juist speels. Ingewikkelde familiebanden liepen als rode draad door het boek heen en daar kan ik altijd erg van genieten. Zo ook in dit boek.
Een mooie wijze les die ik uit het verhaal heb gehaald: je gaat mensen pas echt waarderen als je beseft dat ze je afgenomen kunnen worden. Dit komt op meerdere plekken terug in het boek. Een mooie zin die mij bij is gebleven na het lezen: "Ze vertelde dat ze als kind bang was geweest dat ze de pijn om dat verlies niet te boven zou komen, en dat ze doodsbang was geweest om opnieuw van iemand te houden en diegene dan weer kwijt te raken."
Een mooie wijze les die ik uit het verhaal heb gehaald: je gaat mensen pas echt waarderen als je beseft dat ze je afgenomen kunnen worden. Dit komt op meerdere plekken terug in het boek. Een mooie zin die mij bij is gebleven na het lezen: "Ze vertelde dat ze als kind bang was geweest dat ze de pijn om dat verlies niet te boven zou komen, en dat ze doodsbang was geweest om opnieuw van iemand te houden en diegene dan weer kwijt te raken."
February 13, 2026
Opaal is het eerste deel van de serie Dochters van de oceaan. De ingrediënten zijn geschiedenis, sterke vrouwen en een mysterie. Tja, 1 keer raden: dat móest ik lezen. Het maakte mijn verwachtingen meer dan waar.
Het verhaal zit slim in elkaar. Er zijn veel (omgekeerde) parallellen tussen heden en verleden. Buchanan heeft een prettige schrijfstijl: onderhoudend, boeiend, fris, goede spanningsboog en een vleugje magie dat precies past. Het leest dan ook als een trein. Echt een heerlijk boek om mee weg te duiken tijdens je vakantie of op een regenachtige dag. Je zit zo in de wereld van Skara. En je wilt er niet meer weg.
Meer over mijn leeservaring lees je op HarmkesLeestips.
Het verhaal zit slim in elkaar. Er zijn veel (omgekeerde) parallellen tussen heden en verleden. Buchanan heeft een prettige schrijfstijl: onderhoudend, boeiend, fris, goede spanningsboog en een vleugje magie dat precies past. Het leest dan ook als een trein. Echt een heerlijk boek om mee weg te duiken tijdens je vakantie of op een regenachtige dag. Je zit zo in de wereld van Skara. En je wilt er niet meer weg.
Meer over mijn leeservaring lees je op HarmkesLeestips.
March 6, 2026
A moving, mysterious, often heartwrenching story of sisterhood, loss and family spanning time periods, countries and characters. Some historical novels take far too long to get going and can sometimes bore me, but the author kept me engaged from the start in every strand of the storyline. I think Iris and her sisters were my favourite to follow - which makes me excited that this is the first in a series! - but I loved how everyone else’s stories wove together. Although some of the ending was a little predictable, there were many unexpected twists, and even a hint of the supernatural, which made it exciting still. A great debut that I’d definitely recommend - thank you to the author, Headline Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
March 12, 2026
A beautiful sweeping family story spanning generations and set mainly on a beautiful Scottish island. This one was a very slow burner for me & although not a fan of the information dumps in the first half I was totally won over by the settings, relationships & generational connections. I was most invested in Iris’ story and enjoyed the suspense leading to a climatic ending. I am now looking forward to the rest of the series.
Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.
Many thanks to Net Galley for the ARC.
March 19, 2026
4.5 (RTC)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What starts with an ancient curse, evolves into a sweeping novel that spans generations and countries. This novel surpassed my expectations. I loved it.
Prologue - The far-reaching story begins in Skara, Orkney, one of the Northern Isles off the coast of Scotland. Back in 2800BC a father goes fishing to feed his family. Upon his return he finds that his four beloved daughters are gone - abducted by raiders. Consumed with grief, he erects four slender standing stones on his land to guide his daughters home again. He evokes a curse that shall anyone fell the stones, they will suffer...
1930s - Charles Blackmore, a wealthy businessman, builds a modern home on the land in Skara. When he realizes that the standing stones are marring his sea view, he has them lowered to the ground. What follows is his descent into ruin. First he loses in the depression, then he makes some gambles that don't pay off, then his wife dies. Before her death, she broke up a valuable necklace and had it made into four separate rings. She gave each of her daughters a ring. Charles, left with his four daughters, drinks himself into a stupor and lives in squalor. The daughters, knowing that they are cannot continue in this way, decide that the eldest, Iris, will travel to Ceylon to find their maternal uncle in the hopes that he will help them. She takes few possessions with her, other than her opal ring.
We then follow Iris's adventure as she travels as a companion to a wealthy woman. First to Ceylon, then finally on to Australia. She eventually finds herself in the Outback on a vast cattle ranch. Iris was a strong character that I really admired. This book is really mainly her story. An alternate title for this book could be "The Opal Sister".
Present Day - We meet Roz Chatton, a young woman whose mother was murdered.. Roz's father had died years previously and her mother met and married a local policeman. This man was controlling and evil. Roz witnessed him leaving the house immediately before she found her mother's body. She testified against her stepfather, putting him in prison. The people, blaming her for the imprisonment of their 'charming' police officer, turn her into a pariah. She travels to London, England to escape...
In London, Roz meets the octogenarian Hugh who runs a antiquarian bookshop and antique business. She sees a picture in Hugh's shop of a Scottish seascape with four tall standing stones. She feels drawn to the picture. Also, the opal ring on her finger throbs when she glances at it.
Also in the present day, we meet Finn, a junior solicitor at an Edinburgh law firm. He is tasked to find the descendants of Charles Blackmore, so as to settle the estate. This precipitates a meeting with Roz Chatton and they become friends. He believes that Roz is somehow related to the deceased Blackmore, but is unable to prove it. They both travel to Skara in Scotland to delve deeper into the Blackmore history.
First may I say that I really liked all of the main characters in this transporting saga. I was fully invested in the novel and loathed to put it down. It encompassed elements of history, romance, loss, danger, magical realism, homesickness, and new beginnings.
Each of the highly divergent settings was so well described that you felt you were there. Atmospheric and immersive in equal measure. The alternating timelines were clearly delineated, so no confusion arose.
When I learned that "The Sea Stone Sisters" is the first book in a series, I put the second book, "The Moonstone Sister" on my TBR immediately. Though in this book Iris's story was brought to a very satisfactory conclusion, we are keen to learn more about her other three sisters.
This was a thoughtful novel that had real emotional depth.I can highly recommended it to fans of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Maine, Susanna Kearsley, and Emilia Hart.
Prologue - The far-reaching story begins in Skara, Orkney, one of the Northern Isles off the coast of Scotland. Back in 2800BC a father goes fishing to feed his family. Upon his return he finds that his four beloved daughters are gone - abducted by raiders. Consumed with grief, he erects four slender standing stones on his land to guide his daughters home again. He evokes a curse that shall anyone fell the stones, they will suffer...
1930s - Charles Blackmore, a wealthy businessman, builds a modern home on the land in Skara. When he realizes that the standing stones are marring his sea view, he has them lowered to the ground. What follows is his descent into ruin. First he loses in the depression, then he makes some gambles that don't pay off, then his wife dies. Before her death, she broke up a valuable necklace and had it made into four separate rings. She gave each of her daughters a ring. Charles, left with his four daughters, drinks himself into a stupor and lives in squalor. The daughters, knowing that they are cannot continue in this way, decide that the eldest, Iris, will travel to Ceylon to find their maternal uncle in the hopes that he will help them. She takes few possessions with her, other than her opal ring.
We then follow Iris's adventure as she travels as a companion to a wealthy woman. First to Ceylon, then finally on to Australia. She eventually finds herself in the Outback on a vast cattle ranch. Iris was a strong character that I really admired. This book is really mainly her story. An alternate title for this book could be "The Opal Sister".
Present Day - We meet Roz Chatton, a young woman whose mother was murdered.. Roz's father had died years previously and her mother met and married a local policeman. This man was controlling and evil. Roz witnessed him leaving the house immediately before she found her mother's body. She testified against her stepfather, putting him in prison. The people, blaming her for the imprisonment of their 'charming' police officer, turn her into a pariah. She travels to London, England to escape...
In London, Roz meets the octogenarian Hugh who runs a antiquarian bookshop and antique business. She sees a picture in Hugh's shop of a Scottish seascape with four tall standing stones. She feels drawn to the picture. Also, the opal ring on her finger throbs when she glances at it.
Also in the present day, we meet Finn, a junior solicitor at an Edinburgh law firm. He is tasked to find the descendants of Charles Blackmore, so as to settle the estate. This precipitates a meeting with Roz Chatton and they become friends. He believes that Roz is somehow related to the deceased Blackmore, but is unable to prove it. They both travel to Skara in Scotland to delve deeper into the Blackmore history.
First may I say that I really liked all of the main characters in this transporting saga. I was fully invested in the novel and loathed to put it down. It encompassed elements of history, romance, loss, danger, magical realism, homesickness, and new beginnings.
Each of the highly divergent settings was so well described that you felt you were there. Atmospheric and immersive in equal measure. The alternating timelines were clearly delineated, so no confusion arose.
When I learned that "The Sea Stone Sisters" is the first book in a series, I put the second book, "The Moonstone Sister" on my TBR immediately. Though in this book Iris's story was brought to a very satisfactory conclusion, we are keen to learn more about her other three sisters.
This was a thoughtful novel that had real emotional depth.I can highly recommended it to fans of Lucinda Riley, Sarah Maine, Susanna Kearsley, and Emilia Hart.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Vier dochters. Vier ringen. Eén geheim dat generaties overspant.
Schotland, 1931. Wanneer Charles Blackmore vier eeuwenoude stenen laat verwijderen, ontketent hij een reeks gebeurtenissen die zijn familie voorgoed zal tekenen. Na de val van hun fortuin worden zijn vier dochters uit elkaar gerukt. Iris draagt een kostbare opalen ring – een erfstuk dat meer betekenis heeft dan ze ooit kan vermoeden.
Heden. Roz Chatton arriveert in Londen met slechts één bezit: een oude ring van haar moeder. Wanneer ze een schilderij ontdekt van vier mysterieuze staande stenen, voelt ze een onverklaarbare verbondenheid. Wat verbindt haar met een familiegeschiedenis die diep in het verleden wortelt?
Opaal is het betoverende eerste deel van Dochters van de oceaan: een meeslepende saga vol familiegeheimen, verloren liefdes en zielen die door de tijd heen met elkaar verbonden zijn.
Mijn ervaring:
Wat een heerlijke, meeslepende en sfeervolle roman. Eleanor Buchanan hanteert een beeldende, vlotte en vloeiende schrijfstijl die rijk aanvoelt zonder overdadig te worden. Ze weet moeiteloos sfeer en emotie te verweven met een prettig tempo, waardoor het verhaal continu blijft boeien en moeilijk weg te leggen is
De personages vormen de kracht van deze roman. Iris Blackmore en Roz Chatton zijn krachtige vrouwen, maar zeker geen onfeilbare heldinnen. Hun twijfels, verlangens en innerlijke conflicten maken hen menselijk en herkenbaar. Eleanor Buchanan geeft haar personages overtuigende psychologische gelaagdheid: hun keuzes worden gevormd door verlies, loyaliteit en een diep verlangen naar verbondenheid. Juist deze kwetsbaarheid is prachtig uitgewerkt en zorgde ervoor dat ik me sterk met hen verbonden voelde.
Het verhaal kent twee zorgvuldig opgebouwde tijdlijnen: Schotland in 1931 en het heden. Door het afwisselen tussen deze verhaallijnen weet Eleanor Buchanan de spanning langzaam maar goed op te bouwen. Elk hoofdstuk voelt als een nieuw puzzelstukje dat bijdraagt aan het grotere geheel, waardoor je als lezer steeds nieuwsgieriger wordt naar de ontknoping.
Thema’s als familiegeheimen, erfgoed, vrouwelijke kracht en de invloed van het verleden op het heden vormen een sterke rode draad. Wat mij vooral raakte, is hoe tastbaar de onderlinge banden en verhoudingen tussen de personages worden beschreven. Het verhaal biedt niet alleen ontspanning, maar zet ook aan tot nadenken over familie, keuzes en hoe deze generaties lang kunnen doorwerken.
Opaal is een sfeervolle, pakkende en emotioneel gelaagde roman met intrigerende, realistische personages en een goed doordachte opbouw. Het is een verhaal dat blijft hangen, ontspanning biedt maar je ook aan het denken zet en absoluut smaakt naar meer.
Schotland, 1931. Wanneer Charles Blackmore vier eeuwenoude stenen laat verwijderen, ontketent hij een reeks gebeurtenissen die zijn familie voorgoed zal tekenen. Na de val van hun fortuin worden zijn vier dochters uit elkaar gerukt. Iris draagt een kostbare opalen ring – een erfstuk dat meer betekenis heeft dan ze ooit kan vermoeden.
Heden. Roz Chatton arriveert in Londen met slechts één bezit: een oude ring van haar moeder. Wanneer ze een schilderij ontdekt van vier mysterieuze staande stenen, voelt ze een onverklaarbare verbondenheid. Wat verbindt haar met een familiegeschiedenis die diep in het verleden wortelt?
Opaal is het betoverende eerste deel van Dochters van de oceaan: een meeslepende saga vol familiegeheimen, verloren liefdes en zielen die door de tijd heen met elkaar verbonden zijn.
Mijn ervaring:
Wat een heerlijke, meeslepende en sfeervolle roman. Eleanor Buchanan hanteert een beeldende, vlotte en vloeiende schrijfstijl die rijk aanvoelt zonder overdadig te worden. Ze weet moeiteloos sfeer en emotie te verweven met een prettig tempo, waardoor het verhaal continu blijft boeien en moeilijk weg te leggen is
De personages vormen de kracht van deze roman. Iris Blackmore en Roz Chatton zijn krachtige vrouwen, maar zeker geen onfeilbare heldinnen. Hun twijfels, verlangens en innerlijke conflicten maken hen menselijk en herkenbaar. Eleanor Buchanan geeft haar personages overtuigende psychologische gelaagdheid: hun keuzes worden gevormd door verlies, loyaliteit en een diep verlangen naar verbondenheid. Juist deze kwetsbaarheid is prachtig uitgewerkt en zorgde ervoor dat ik me sterk met hen verbonden voelde.
Het verhaal kent twee zorgvuldig opgebouwde tijdlijnen: Schotland in 1931 en het heden. Door het afwisselen tussen deze verhaallijnen weet Eleanor Buchanan de spanning langzaam maar goed op te bouwen. Elk hoofdstuk voelt als een nieuw puzzelstukje dat bijdraagt aan het grotere geheel, waardoor je als lezer steeds nieuwsgieriger wordt naar de ontknoping.
Thema’s als familiegeheimen, erfgoed, vrouwelijke kracht en de invloed van het verleden op het heden vormen een sterke rode draad. Wat mij vooral raakte, is hoe tastbaar de onderlinge banden en verhoudingen tussen de personages worden beschreven. Het verhaal biedt niet alleen ontspanning, maar zet ook aan tot nadenken over familie, keuzes en hoe deze generaties lang kunnen doorwerken.
Opaal is een sfeervolle, pakkende en emotioneel gelaagde roman met intrigerende, realistische personages en een goed doordachte opbouw. Het is een verhaal dat blijft hangen, ontspanning biedt maar je ook aan het denken zet en absoluut smaakt naar meer.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really loved this book. It's a great story with lovely locations - Scotland, Ceylon and Australia - and some wonderful characters.
It starts with the tale of a legend in Skara, a peninsula in a remote part of Scotland, where four sisters are taken captive and sailed away from their father. The father erected four stones in their memory. The legend being that if anyone flattens these stones they and their family will be cursed with their children dispersed across the seas and broken like his was.
The main story is in two timeframes. In the 1930s, wealthy businessman Charles Blackmore builds a modern house, Rubha Clachan, at Skara for his wife Amelia and four daughters Iris, Rose, Lily and Daisy. The four stones of the legend are obscuring the view so Charles has them laid flat.
The family grow up alongside the Malcolm family at the nearby 13th century Dundonan Castle. Iris and Ian Malcolm are childhood friends and then fall in love. But then tragedy falls on both families. James Malcolm has gambled away his fortune and then Charles' fortune dwindles because of bad business decisions. Amelia dies and the house if in a bad state as Charles is now drinking too much and not earning. Ian is told he has to marry someone wealthy and not Iris. Before Amelia died she had her special necklace of four stones and diamonds made into four rings, one for each daughter.
In the present day timeframe, Roz, an Australian, escapes to England in fear of her life after her mother has been killed by her second husband, Richard, Richard is in prison but is soon released on a technicality. He blames Roz for his being caught so she is trying to live on cash and off grid. She has found an opal ring in her mother's effects. She remembers it is the item her father was going to collect from the jewellers when he was killed in an accident on the way home.
Roz's ring seems to have mysterious properties when she sees a painting by an Amelia Blackmore in a London art shop. Roz is determined to find out more about the painting that mesmerizes her and has a strange effect on her ring.
The book follows the story of Iris from Scotland to Ceylon and Australia and also Roz around the world as she tries to find out more about her family history. These travel tales are very evocative of the places, cultures and climate and there many characters with much love interest. The ending is satisfying and leaves the plot open to more books in this series which I am eagerly looking forward to
The plot is in the same genre as The Seven Sisters series by the late Lucinda Riley and readers who have enjoyed those books will enjoy The Sea Stone Sisters.
With thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..
It starts with the tale of a legend in Skara, a peninsula in a remote part of Scotland, where four sisters are taken captive and sailed away from their father. The father erected four stones in their memory. The legend being that if anyone flattens these stones they and their family will be cursed with their children dispersed across the seas and broken like his was.
The main story is in two timeframes. In the 1930s, wealthy businessman Charles Blackmore builds a modern house, Rubha Clachan, at Skara for his wife Amelia and four daughters Iris, Rose, Lily and Daisy. The four stones of the legend are obscuring the view so Charles has them laid flat.
The family grow up alongside the Malcolm family at the nearby 13th century Dundonan Castle. Iris and Ian Malcolm are childhood friends and then fall in love. But then tragedy falls on both families. James Malcolm has gambled away his fortune and then Charles' fortune dwindles because of bad business decisions. Amelia dies and the house if in a bad state as Charles is now drinking too much and not earning. Ian is told he has to marry someone wealthy and not Iris. Before Amelia died she had her special necklace of four stones and diamonds made into four rings, one for each daughter.
In the present day timeframe, Roz, an Australian, escapes to England in fear of her life after her mother has been killed by her second husband, Richard, Richard is in prison but is soon released on a technicality. He blames Roz for his being caught so she is trying to live on cash and off grid. She has found an opal ring in her mother's effects. She remembers it is the item her father was going to collect from the jewellers when he was killed in an accident on the way home.
Roz's ring seems to have mysterious properties when she sees a painting by an Amelia Blackmore in a London art shop. Roz is determined to find out more about the painting that mesmerizes her and has a strange effect on her ring.
The book follows the story of Iris from Scotland to Ceylon and Australia and also Roz around the world as she tries to find out more about her family history. These travel tales are very evocative of the places, cultures and climate and there many characters with much love interest. The ending is satisfying and leaves the plot open to more books in this series which I am eagerly looking forward to
The plot is in the same genre as The Seven Sisters series by the late Lucinda Riley and readers who have enjoyed those books will enjoy The Sea Stone Sisters.
With thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is a fabulous book that takes you into the past, trying to discover the truth behind her family. Her past, her present and what the future may hold. I hadn't realised this was the start of a series, so, as soon as I had finished it, I had to come back and check. Yes, the start of a series that I am definitely looking forward to.
The Sea Stone Sisters are four large stones that stood on a remote Scottish headland, also known as the Stones of Skara. These stones were knocked over by the then-new landowner, Charles Blackmore, in 1931. This caused the curse that is spoken about today, as a visitor to the area finds out.
I absolutely adored this book; it is set over two main time periods. The first was the arrival of the Blackmore family. Charles and his wife have four daughters. After her death, the daughters decide to find their Uncle. Iris is the one who manages to find a passage to Ceylon. The second period is the present day one, which starts in Australia with a young woman who has discovered some things in her late mum's possessions. This leads her to take a journey to the UK.
The author tells the story of both journeys around the world, linking them along the way at various points. The journey for young Iris is brilliant; it shows determination as well as an innocent naivety. Luckily, she has a few people around her who have taken her under their wing.
The present-day story is led by Roz, who discovers a ring that she found in her mum's things after her brutal death. Leaving Australia is not just something she wants to do, but something she feels she has to do, especially as her mum's murderer is about to be released. She also finds some close friends who help and guide her, but the danger remains in the background.
I loved the sound of the house and the stone sisters; it was easy to conjure up the scenery and imagine a curse, which added to the enjoyment of the story. The journey of the two women, the people they meet and their own individual backstories were gradually built up. You can see the development through the writing and just how much they are changing with the right support. Starting a book like this, you know there are going to be links; the joy of finding those connections is wonderful through this book.
The story is full of mystery, lost or forgotten connections that link the past to the present, of righting wrongs and discovering more about the past to understand the present. This is one for those who like this sort of time slip novel; it is intriguing, mysterious, emotional and an absolute pleasure to read. I cannot wait for the next one. I would definitely recommend this book.
The Sea Stone Sisters are four large stones that stood on a remote Scottish headland, also known as the Stones of Skara. These stones were knocked over by the then-new landowner, Charles Blackmore, in 1931. This caused the curse that is spoken about today, as a visitor to the area finds out.
I absolutely adored this book; it is set over two main time periods. The first was the arrival of the Blackmore family. Charles and his wife have four daughters. After her death, the daughters decide to find their Uncle. Iris is the one who manages to find a passage to Ceylon. The second period is the present day one, which starts in Australia with a young woman who has discovered some things in her late mum's possessions. This leads her to take a journey to the UK.
The author tells the story of both journeys around the world, linking them along the way at various points. The journey for young Iris is brilliant; it shows determination as well as an innocent naivety. Luckily, she has a few people around her who have taken her under their wing.
The present-day story is led by Roz, who discovers a ring that she found in her mum's things after her brutal death. Leaving Australia is not just something she wants to do, but something she feels she has to do, especially as her mum's murderer is about to be released. She also finds some close friends who help and guide her, but the danger remains in the background.
I loved the sound of the house and the stone sisters; it was easy to conjure up the scenery and imagine a curse, which added to the enjoyment of the story. The journey of the two women, the people they meet and their own individual backstories were gradually built up. You can see the development through the writing and just how much they are changing with the right support. Starting a book like this, you know there are going to be links; the joy of finding those connections is wonderful through this book.
The story is full of mystery, lost or forgotten connections that link the past to the present, of righting wrongs and discovering more about the past to understand the present. This is one for those who like this sort of time slip novel; it is intriguing, mysterious, emotional and an absolute pleasure to read. I cannot wait for the next one. I would definitely recommend this book.
February 17, 2026
Wat een geweldig begin van een nieuwe serie is Opaal, het eerste deel van Dochters van de oceaan. Dit is zo’n boek waarbij je na een paar hoofdstukken al voelt: hier wil ik me helemaal in verliezen. En dat is dan ook precies wat ik heb gedaan.
Eleanor Buchanan kiest niet voor een simpel instapverhaal, maar neemt de tijd om een wereld neer te zetten die rijk is aan geschiedenis, emoties en mysterie. Het verhaal opent groots: met staande stenen en een vloek die als een donkere schaduw door de generaties heen blijft hangen. Vanaf dat moment wist ik: dit wordt een heel fijn verhaal.
We volgen twee vrouwen in twee tijdlijnen: Iris, de oudste dochter van de Blackmore-familie in 1931, en Roz, die in het heden vanuit Australië naar Londen verhuist met weinig meer dan een ring en veel vragen. Die dubbele tijdlijn is één van de sterkste punten van dit boek. De manier waarop Eleanor Buchanan het verleden en het heden met elkaar verweeft, voelt natuurlijk en is erg interessant. Geen moment raakte ik de draad kwijt; integendeel, ik wilde steeds sneller doorlezen om te ontdekken hoe alles met elkaar verbonden was.
Zowel Iris als Roz zijn personages waar je je makkelijk aan hecht. Ze zijn sterk, eigenwijs, onafhankelijk en dragen zichtbaar littekens met zich mee. Ze vertrouwen liever op zichzelf dan op anderen, zelfs als dat hen in gevaar brengt. Juist die kwetsbaarheid onder hun harde buitenkant maakt hen fijne personages. Ondanks de jaren die hen scheiden, voelde je hun verbondenheid. Deze is door de schrijfster mooi uitgewerkt.
Daarnaast is dit boek een feest voor liefhebbers van sfeer en setting. De locaties zijn zó levendig beschreven dat je ze bijna kunt ruiken en voelen: het ruige Schotland met zijn kille kusten, de uitgestrekte Australische outback, maar ook warmere oorden verder weg. Elke plek voegt echt iets toe aan het verhaal.
Wat ik ook erg fijn vond, is dat dit boek duidelijk het begin is van een grotere geschiedenis. Zonder te veel weg te geven, krijg je al subtiele inkijkjes in de levens van de andere zussen. Net genoeg om nieuwsgierig te maken, zonder af te leiden van Iris’ verhaal. Slim gedaan.
Aan het einde had ik het gevoel dat de belangrijkste puzzelstukjes netjes op hun plek vielen, terwijl er tegelijkertijd genoeg vragen openbleven om uit te kijken naar het volgende deel. Opaal is mysterieus, meeslepend en emotioneel, en voelt als het begin van een prachtige nieuwe serie. Ik kan nu al niet wachten om de volgende zus te volgen.
Eleanor Buchanan kiest niet voor een simpel instapverhaal, maar neemt de tijd om een wereld neer te zetten die rijk is aan geschiedenis, emoties en mysterie. Het verhaal opent groots: met staande stenen en een vloek die als een donkere schaduw door de generaties heen blijft hangen. Vanaf dat moment wist ik: dit wordt een heel fijn verhaal.
We volgen twee vrouwen in twee tijdlijnen: Iris, de oudste dochter van de Blackmore-familie in 1931, en Roz, die in het heden vanuit Australië naar Londen verhuist met weinig meer dan een ring en veel vragen. Die dubbele tijdlijn is één van de sterkste punten van dit boek. De manier waarop Eleanor Buchanan het verleden en het heden met elkaar verweeft, voelt natuurlijk en is erg interessant. Geen moment raakte ik de draad kwijt; integendeel, ik wilde steeds sneller doorlezen om te ontdekken hoe alles met elkaar verbonden was.
Zowel Iris als Roz zijn personages waar je je makkelijk aan hecht. Ze zijn sterk, eigenwijs, onafhankelijk en dragen zichtbaar littekens met zich mee. Ze vertrouwen liever op zichzelf dan op anderen, zelfs als dat hen in gevaar brengt. Juist die kwetsbaarheid onder hun harde buitenkant maakt hen fijne personages. Ondanks de jaren die hen scheiden, voelde je hun verbondenheid. Deze is door de schrijfster mooi uitgewerkt.
Daarnaast is dit boek een feest voor liefhebbers van sfeer en setting. De locaties zijn zó levendig beschreven dat je ze bijna kunt ruiken en voelen: het ruige Schotland met zijn kille kusten, de uitgestrekte Australische outback, maar ook warmere oorden verder weg. Elke plek voegt echt iets toe aan het verhaal.
Wat ik ook erg fijn vond, is dat dit boek duidelijk het begin is van een grotere geschiedenis. Zonder te veel weg te geven, krijg je al subtiele inkijkjes in de levens van de andere zussen. Net genoeg om nieuwsgierig te maken, zonder af te leiden van Iris’ verhaal. Slim gedaan.
Aan het einde had ik het gevoel dat de belangrijkste puzzelstukjes netjes op hun plek vielen, terwijl er tegelijkertijd genoeg vragen openbleven om uit te kijken naar het volgende deel. Opaal is mysterieus, meeslepend en emotioneel, en voelt als het begin van een prachtige nieuwe serie. Ik kan nu al niet wachten om de volgende zus te volgen.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’m a huge fan of all things Scotland, so the opportunity to read a book that centers around standing stones on a wild Scottish headland was like a gift.. The standing stones in question were, according to legend, erected nearly 4000 years ago by a father whose four daughters were abducted. The stones stand facing the sea so that the daughters can find their way home. If anyone fells the stones so the daughters cannot find them, their family will be cursed.
With an opening like that you just know that someone is going to desecrate the stones. This comes in the form of a wealthy man who purchases the property in the early 20th century and knocks over the stones because they are blocking his view of the sea. Immediately, disaster strikes. The man loses everything, his wife dies, and his four daughters are forced to scatter to the four winds to try and save their future. In the present day, a woman named Roz comes upon a painting of the stones, which gives her a strange feeling of familiarity. She’s also wearing a family ring which seems to tingle whenever she looks at the painting. Roz’s quest to find the meaning of the painting leads her around the world. As we follow her search, we also follow the story of Iris, one of the daughters of the wealthy man, and the original owner of the ring.
The story is a real page turner. I picked it up and finished it two days later. There is enough mystery, adventure, and even a bit of suspense that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. For me, the book compared favorably to the works of Susannah Kearsley, one of my favorite authors, but unlike Kearsley, the story does not stay in Scotland. This was a bit of a disappointment to me - I would have loved to hear more about the stones, their connection to other standing stones, and Scottish lore surrounding it. I also would have loved more about the ring - what property made it tingle or heat up when near the stones (or paintings of them)? There is a hint that this book might be a series, so perhaps we shall learn more about all of this.
One very positive aspect of this book for me is the fact that the author didn’t fall into the trap of creating an obvious love interest for either Roz or Iris. Both women develop good friends of both genders and all ages throughout the book. It speaks well for the author that these relationships could exist without any one of them immediately becoming romantic.
Many thanks to Headline Books and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to engage with this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.
With an opening like that you just know that someone is going to desecrate the stones. This comes in the form of a wealthy man who purchases the property in the early 20th century and knocks over the stones because they are blocking his view of the sea. Immediately, disaster strikes. The man loses everything, his wife dies, and his four daughters are forced to scatter to the four winds to try and save their future. In the present day, a woman named Roz comes upon a painting of the stones, which gives her a strange feeling of familiarity. She’s also wearing a family ring which seems to tingle whenever she looks at the painting. Roz’s quest to find the meaning of the painting leads her around the world. As we follow her search, we also follow the story of Iris, one of the daughters of the wealthy man, and the original owner of the ring.
The story is a real page turner. I picked it up and finished it two days later. There is enough mystery, adventure, and even a bit of suspense that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. For me, the book compared favorably to the works of Susannah Kearsley, one of my favorite authors, but unlike Kearsley, the story does not stay in Scotland. This was a bit of a disappointment to me - I would have loved to hear more about the stones, their connection to other standing stones, and Scottish lore surrounding it. I also would have loved more about the ring - what property made it tingle or heat up when near the stones (or paintings of them)? There is a hint that this book might be a series, so perhaps we shall learn more about all of this.
One very positive aspect of this book for me is the fact that the author didn’t fall into the trap of creating an obvious love interest for either Roz or Iris. Both women develop good friends of both genders and all ages throughout the book. It speaks well for the author that these relationships could exist without any one of them immediately becoming romantic.
Many thanks to Headline Books and NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to engage with this wonderful book. All opinions are my own.
March 12, 2026
A prologue tells us that in ancient times, a father erected four giant stones on a wild Scottish headland to guide his four abducted daughters home. A curse would befall anyone who brought down the stones. Their family, like the father’s, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
In 1931, when Charles Blackmore knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, his fortune is lost, his wife dies and he turns to drink. His four daughters have no means of support and soon they will all leave, never to return. Taking only her precious opal ring – one of four rings inherited from her mother – eldest daughter, Iris, sets off for Colombo in search of an uncle who might help the family. The people and places she encounters on her adventurous journey will change her forever.
Fleeing personal danger in present-day Australia, Roz switches off her phone and goes to ground in London. By chance she sees a painting of four ancient standing stones in an antique shop window. She senses an uncanny connection between the painting and the ring on her finger, inherited from her late mother. Her search for the painting’s origins takes her to the heart of what happened to Iris Blackmore. But as she unravels a fascinating mystery, the threat to her life circles closer.
This is a pitch-perfect dual timeline novel. As well as providing epic, engaging and romantic historical fiction with Iris in the 1930s, the author offers gripping suspense in Roz’s present-day story and a heart-pounding conclusion. The two plots weave together beautifully, with vividly evoked settings from cosmopolitan London and rugged Scotland to Sri Lanka in its colonially occupied days as Ceylon and an Australian cattle station. We also experience a lavish crossing on an ocean liner, a primitive plane ride and a spin in a helicopter. The writing is excellent, not a word out of place. The 1930s sections show a deftness of touch – authentic without stylised dialogue or a heavy-handed research dumping. This is a page-turning read with a strong cast of characters with whom the reader enjoys spending time. And the author has set everything up brilliantly for three more books about what happened to each of Iris's sisters and their descendants, and hopefully also about young lawyer Finn.
I wrote this independent review of an early copy in October 2025, months ahead of the novel’s publication in March 2026. I already have the feeling it’s going to appear on my list of best books of 2026.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.
In 1931, when Charles Blackmore knocks down the Sisters of Skara standing stones, his fortune is lost, his wife dies and he turns to drink. His four daughters have no means of support and soon they will all leave, never to return. Taking only her precious opal ring – one of four rings inherited from her mother – eldest daughter, Iris, sets off for Colombo in search of an uncle who might help the family. The people and places she encounters on her adventurous journey will change her forever.
Fleeing personal danger in present-day Australia, Roz switches off her phone and goes to ground in London. By chance she sees a painting of four ancient standing stones in an antique shop window. She senses an uncanny connection between the painting and the ring on her finger, inherited from her late mother. Her search for the painting’s origins takes her to the heart of what happened to Iris Blackmore. But as she unravels a fascinating mystery, the threat to her life circles closer.
This is a pitch-perfect dual timeline novel. As well as providing epic, engaging and romantic historical fiction with Iris in the 1930s, the author offers gripping suspense in Roz’s present-day story and a heart-pounding conclusion. The two plots weave together beautifully, with vividly evoked settings from cosmopolitan London and rugged Scotland to Sri Lanka in its colonially occupied days as Ceylon and an Australian cattle station. We also experience a lavish crossing on an ocean liner, a primitive plane ride and a spin in a helicopter. The writing is excellent, not a word out of place. The 1930s sections show a deftness of touch – authentic without stylised dialogue or a heavy-handed research dumping. This is a page-turning read with a strong cast of characters with whom the reader enjoys spending time. And the author has set everything up brilliantly for three more books about what happened to each of Iris's sisters and their descendants, and hopefully also about young lawyer Finn.
I wrote this independent review of an early copy in October 2025, months ahead of the novel’s publication in March 2026. I already have the feeling it’s going to appear on my list of best books of 2026.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
1931. Charles Blackmore flips over four sacred stones on the Scottish headland at Skara, he lost his money in the stock market crash, his wife Amelia passes away and his four daughters, Iris, Rose, Lily, and Daisy are stranded in the crumbling art deco house called Rubba Clachan.
Their mother had a necklace and from this she used the stones to gift each of her daughters with a unique ring, to remember her by and they can pass it down to their own. Iris the eldest, she makes the choice to leave, a job as ladies companion and boards a ship bound for Ceylon and in search of her uncle Ralph who owes her mother money and she wants it back and they need it.
The story has a dual timeline and is told from the main characters Iris and Roz points of view and set in 1931 and 2025 and is very easy to follow.
Present day. Roz Chatton lives in South Australia, when her mother Millie dies she moves to London and away from her controlling stepfather Richard. While exploring she comes across an antique shop run by Hugo Ballantyne and in the window is a painting of old standing stones in Scotland, it seems familiar and it makes the opal ring gifted to her by her mother pulse.
Roz has no idea the estate of Charles Blackmore has never been finalised, Rubba Clachan is deserted and the locals think it’s cursed. Iris, Rose, Lily and Daisy vanished and Roz starts to investigate what happened to the Blackmore girls, and she’s taken on a journey back in time to the 1930's, from Scotland to Ceylon, Australia and it’s an intricate and complexing puzzle she has to put together and with some help along the way from some new friends.
I received a copy of The Sea Stone Sisters (The Sea Stone Sisters, #1) by Eleanor Buchanan from Headline and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Normally I'm not a fan of Magical Realism, I changed my mind after reading this book which I was immersed in from the first and until the last page.
The characters in this narrative are brilliant, so is the mystery and curse that binds them together, it’s a story about taking a risk, being courageous, learning to trust, unexpected love and a connection to the past. This epic tale about one family and what happened to them and if I had to use two words to describe The Sea Stone Sisters it would be enthralling and spellbinding.
Five big stars from me and my guess is this is the first of four books in a series by Ms Buchanan, I highly recommend and a must read.
Their mother had a necklace and from this she used the stones to gift each of her daughters with a unique ring, to remember her by and they can pass it down to their own. Iris the eldest, she makes the choice to leave, a job as ladies companion and boards a ship bound for Ceylon and in search of her uncle Ralph who owes her mother money and she wants it back and they need it.
The story has a dual timeline and is told from the main characters Iris and Roz points of view and set in 1931 and 2025 and is very easy to follow.
Present day. Roz Chatton lives in South Australia, when her mother Millie dies she moves to London and away from her controlling stepfather Richard. While exploring she comes across an antique shop run by Hugo Ballantyne and in the window is a painting of old standing stones in Scotland, it seems familiar and it makes the opal ring gifted to her by her mother pulse.
Roz has no idea the estate of Charles Blackmore has never been finalised, Rubba Clachan is deserted and the locals think it’s cursed. Iris, Rose, Lily and Daisy vanished and Roz starts to investigate what happened to the Blackmore girls, and she’s taken on a journey back in time to the 1930's, from Scotland to Ceylon, Australia and it’s an intricate and complexing puzzle she has to put together and with some help along the way from some new friends.
I received a copy of The Sea Stone Sisters (The Sea Stone Sisters, #1) by Eleanor Buchanan from Headline and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Normally I'm not a fan of Magical Realism, I changed my mind after reading this book which I was immersed in from the first and until the last page.
The characters in this narrative are brilliant, so is the mystery and curse that binds them together, it’s a story about taking a risk, being courageous, learning to trust, unexpected love and a connection to the past. This epic tale about one family and what happened to them and if I had to use two words to describe The Sea Stone Sisters it would be enthralling and spellbinding.
Five big stars from me and my guess is this is the first of four books in a series by Ms Buchanan, I highly recommend and a must read.
March 4, 2026
What a delightful surprise of a gem this book was.
I'm not much of a series reader, usually preferring standalone books, but I was intrigued by the blurb for this and it did not disappoint.
The story begins in 2800 BC in Skara, Scotland where a father returns from a fishing trip to find his four daughters have been kidnapped and never seen again He raised four stones (The Sea Stone Sisters) to guide his daughters home, and curse anyone that moved the stones.
We then are told the stories of Iris in 1931 and Roz in the current day. Iris lives in Skara as one of four sisters and her father Charles Blackmore at their home Rubha Clachan, but following the Great Depression and the death of her mother, the family is in financial ruin. Furthermore, when the family bought the land in Skara,her father moved the cursed stones and laid them flat. In order to help the family survive, Iris decides to track down her Uncle who had borrowed money from her mother, and this takes her on a journey to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and beyond.
Roz, in the current day, we meet in Australia, where she has experienced a terrible family tragedy and is now looking for a change of scenery. She moves to London where she is bewitched by a painting of the Sea Stone Sisters in an antique shop; we see her befriend the owner of the shop and together they put pieces together of where the Stones are. They cross paths with a junior solicitor Finn who is working on a cold case to discover the rightful owner of Rubha Clachan, as it had been abandoned since the death of Charles Blackmore, and the four sisters had all vanished years prior.
I really enjoyed how the stories of both Iris and Roz developed, and the descriptions of the various places throughout the book. The nostalgia of 1930s high society aboard the boat travelling to Ceylon, the descriptions of both Colombia and Nuwara Eliya were both so vivid and enchanting (I have been to Sri Lanka and the descriptions felt very accurate) and the differing descriptions of the Australian outback. I also really enjoyed the mysticism throughout the book, and how this was detailed through the atmospheric scenery of Skara. The story of Roz and why she was desperate to leave Australia was also thrilling, particularly towards the end of the book.
I am looking forward to reading Book 2 in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline Books and Eleanor Buchanan for this ARC.
All opinions are my own.
I'm not much of a series reader, usually preferring standalone books, but I was intrigued by the blurb for this and it did not disappoint.
The story begins in 2800 BC in Skara, Scotland where a father returns from a fishing trip to find his four daughters have been kidnapped and never seen again He raised four stones (The Sea Stone Sisters) to guide his daughters home, and curse anyone that moved the stones.
We then are told the stories of Iris in 1931 and Roz in the current day. Iris lives in Skara as one of four sisters and her father Charles Blackmore at their home Rubha Clachan, but following the Great Depression and the death of her mother, the family is in financial ruin. Furthermore, when the family bought the land in Skara,her father moved the cursed stones and laid them flat. In order to help the family survive, Iris decides to track down her Uncle who had borrowed money from her mother, and this takes her on a journey to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and beyond.
Roz, in the current day, we meet in Australia, where she has experienced a terrible family tragedy and is now looking for a change of scenery. She moves to London where she is bewitched by a painting of the Sea Stone Sisters in an antique shop; we see her befriend the owner of the shop and together they put pieces together of where the Stones are. They cross paths with a junior solicitor Finn who is working on a cold case to discover the rightful owner of Rubha Clachan, as it had been abandoned since the death of Charles Blackmore, and the four sisters had all vanished years prior.
I really enjoyed how the stories of both Iris and Roz developed, and the descriptions of the various places throughout the book. The nostalgia of 1930s high society aboard the boat travelling to Ceylon, the descriptions of both Colombia and Nuwara Eliya were both so vivid and enchanting (I have been to Sri Lanka and the descriptions felt very accurate) and the differing descriptions of the Australian outback. I also really enjoyed the mysticism throughout the book, and how this was detailed through the atmospheric scenery of Skara. The story of Roz and why she was desperate to leave Australia was also thrilling, particularly towards the end of the book.
I am looking forward to reading Book 2 in this series.
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline Books and Eleanor Buchanan for this ARC.
All opinions are my own.
March 12, 2026
🧡 Blurb-
It all begins with The Sea Stone Sisters. In this spellbinding series Eleanor Buchanan intricately weaves together the stories of four sisters and their descendants scattered across the globe from the Scottish home that they all yearn to return to.
Four great stones once stood on a remote Scottish headland - the Sisters of Skara.
Legend has it they were raised by a grieving father, to guide his abducted daughters home.
A curse was placed on anyone who laid the stones
their family, too, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
Let yourself be whisked away from Scotland to Ceylon and from Australia to London in this epic tale about family mysteries, unexpected love and enduring courage.
1931. When businessman Charles Blackmore takes down the stones on the Scottish headland, he soon finds his fortune lost, his wife dead and his four daughters torn apart. They each cling to a ring they inherited from their mother, alongside the hope of one day reuniting.
Iris, the eldest daughter, is the first to leave, making for Ceylon in search of a long-lost uncle who might help keep the family together. Promising to return as soon as she can, her journey takes her from the exotic beauty of Ceylon to the vast Australian outback, but will it ever take her home?
Present day. Roz moves to London from Australia with one singular personal item - an old ring that used to belong to her mother. Feeling adrift, everything changes when she discovers a painting of old standing stones which ignites an uncanny connection to the ring on her finger. Hunting down the history of this painting, Roz starts to piece together the story of Iris's journey, unravelling her own family history in the process. She soon learns that the past has a power that cannot be easily escaped.
💚 Review -
This is the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. This was such a beautifully written story. There was enough content to keep me entertained and reading until the end. The story was easy to follow, beautifully written, had good pacing and a great cast of characters. Plus I loved the place settings in the story. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Eleanor Buchanan and the publisher, Headline publishing for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It all begins with The Sea Stone Sisters. In this spellbinding series Eleanor Buchanan intricately weaves together the stories of four sisters and their descendants scattered across the globe from the Scottish home that they all yearn to return to.
Four great stones once stood on a remote Scottish headland - the Sisters of Skara.
Legend has it they were raised by a grieving father, to guide his abducted daughters home.
A curse was placed on anyone who laid the stones
their family, too, would be scattered to the winds, never to find their way home.
Let yourself be whisked away from Scotland to Ceylon and from Australia to London in this epic tale about family mysteries, unexpected love and enduring courage.
1931. When businessman Charles Blackmore takes down the stones on the Scottish headland, he soon finds his fortune lost, his wife dead and his four daughters torn apart. They each cling to a ring they inherited from their mother, alongside the hope of one day reuniting.
Iris, the eldest daughter, is the first to leave, making for Ceylon in search of a long-lost uncle who might help keep the family together. Promising to return as soon as she can, her journey takes her from the exotic beauty of Ceylon to the vast Australian outback, but will it ever take her home?
Present day. Roz moves to London from Australia with one singular personal item - an old ring that used to belong to her mother. Feeling adrift, everything changes when she discovers a painting of old standing stones which ignites an uncanny connection to the ring on her finger. Hunting down the history of this painting, Roz starts to piece together the story of Iris's journey, unravelling her own family history in the process. She soon learns that the past has a power that cannot be easily escaped.
💚 Review -
This is the first book that I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more by them. This was such a beautifully written story. There was enough content to keep me entertained and reading until the end. The story was easy to follow, beautifully written, had good pacing and a great cast of characters. Plus I loved the place settings in the story. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Random Things Tours, the author Eleanor Buchanan and the publisher, Headline publishing for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 stars
It is 1931 and Iris's family are in crisis. Her mother has just died, her father a drunk who has lost all of their money - and Iris and her three younger sisters are stuck in the house which is apparently cursed due to the actions of their father. If he hadn't have laid the four stones down to renovate the house, the stones that the locals knew not to touch, perhaps they'd never have been in this mess.
Now Iris must find a way to keep the family from losing everything, a journey across the world to try and save herself and her sisters.
In the present day, Roz has fled her home in Australia for her own safety and is now in London. A picture of four stones in an antique shop keeps calling to her and she cannot work out why. When she steps into the shop, she is unaware of how her life is about to change.
The Sea Stone Sisters is the first in a four part series which tells the story of the Blackmore sisters and what happened to them when their lives were changed forever.
This one took me a while to get into, it felt a little slow to start but - as someone who doesn't typically read this genre - that may have also been me getting used to the story I was getting myself into.
Told in both present and past timeline, we follow Iris and Roz as they both go on their own huge journeys and where they both end up but also where their paths may link.
Through the beautifully descriptive writing, I feel that I know both Skara and Stranthann very well and can visualise them so clearly.
Whilst I was so fond of both Iris and Roz, the side characters also became so important and whenever we said goodbye to any of them, my heart broke a little because they had truly become important to me.
I could not read this fast enough and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.
Once I'd finished and the tears had dried up, I sat and thought about Iris for such a long time, her story really had an impact on me.
I don't wish to spoil anything, and I genuinely enjoyed this book but am so sad about certain things and just wish things could have gone a little better.
I simply cannot wait for the next book (but I must) and am thankful to the publisher for reaching out and sending this my way as it is something I'd never have picked up by myself.
It is 1931 and Iris's family are in crisis. Her mother has just died, her father a drunk who has lost all of their money - and Iris and her three younger sisters are stuck in the house which is apparently cursed due to the actions of their father. If he hadn't have laid the four stones down to renovate the house, the stones that the locals knew not to touch, perhaps they'd never have been in this mess.
Now Iris must find a way to keep the family from losing everything, a journey across the world to try and save herself and her sisters.
In the present day, Roz has fled her home in Australia for her own safety and is now in London. A picture of four stones in an antique shop keeps calling to her and she cannot work out why. When she steps into the shop, she is unaware of how her life is about to change.
The Sea Stone Sisters is the first in a four part series which tells the story of the Blackmore sisters and what happened to them when their lives were changed forever.
This one took me a while to get into, it felt a little slow to start but - as someone who doesn't typically read this genre - that may have also been me getting used to the story I was getting myself into.
Told in both present and past timeline, we follow Iris and Roz as they both go on their own huge journeys and where they both end up but also where their paths may link.
Through the beautifully descriptive writing, I feel that I know both Skara and Stranthann very well and can visualise them so clearly.
Whilst I was so fond of both Iris and Roz, the side characters also became so important and whenever we said goodbye to any of them, my heart broke a little because they had truly become important to me.
I could not read this fast enough and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.
Once I'd finished and the tears had dried up, I sat and thought about Iris for such a long time, her story really had an impact on me.
I don't wish to spoil anything, and I genuinely enjoyed this book but am so sad about certain things and just wish things could have gone a little better.
I simply cannot wait for the next book (but I must) and am thankful to the publisher for reaching out and sending this my way as it is something I'd never have picked up by myself.
March 18, 2026
The Sisters of Skara standing stones have watched over the Scottish coast for centuries, until Charles Blackmore tears them down to preserve the view from his new home, unknowingly setting a curse in motion. Once a beacon meant to guide four displaced sisters home, the stones instead mark the unraveling of Blackmore’s own family, sending his own four daughters into lives far from Skara.
1931: Iris Blackmore, the eldest, leaves behind everything she knows in a desperate search for their maternal uncle, the one person she believes can save them. With their father lost to grief and drink after the collapse of his fortune and the death of their mother, Iris takes on work as a lady’s companion to secure passage to Ceylon. Along the way, she meets Guy Henderson, another man searching for her uncle, though his motives are far darker. Their journey continues to Australia, where hope and danger intertwine. Clinging to her mother’s ring and letters from her sisters, Iris pushes forward, determined to secure a future for them all.
Present Day: Roz Chatton is determined to disappear. After helping put her stepfather behind bars, she flees Australia for London with little more than a suitcase and her mother’s ring. But when a mysterious painting in an antique shop seems to call to her, Roz is pulled into a journey she never expected, one that leads her back to Skara. As she traces the painting’s origins, she uncovers a deeply personal ancestry trail that forces her to confront the past she tried to leave behind.
Told in alternating timelines, Iris and Roz’s stories gradually converge, bridging decades of loss, resilience, and discovery. With vivid, atmospheric descriptions of both the rugged Scottish coast and the vast Australian outback, The Sea Stone Sisters sweeps readers into a richly layered tale of family and fate. Fans of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series will find much to love in this fast-paced, immersive read—perfect for anyone drawn to stories of hidden histories and the enduring pull of home.
Thank you to NetGalley, Headline, and author Eleanor Buchanan for the advanced copy of the book. The Sea Stone Sisters is out now. All opinions are my own.
http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose
1931: Iris Blackmore, the eldest, leaves behind everything she knows in a desperate search for their maternal uncle, the one person she believes can save them. With their father lost to grief and drink after the collapse of his fortune and the death of their mother, Iris takes on work as a lady’s companion to secure passage to Ceylon. Along the way, she meets Guy Henderson, another man searching for her uncle, though his motives are far darker. Their journey continues to Australia, where hope and danger intertwine. Clinging to her mother’s ring and letters from her sisters, Iris pushes forward, determined to secure a future for them all.
Present Day: Roz Chatton is determined to disappear. After helping put her stepfather behind bars, she flees Australia for London with little more than a suitcase and her mother’s ring. But when a mysterious painting in an antique shop seems to call to her, Roz is pulled into a journey she never expected, one that leads her back to Skara. As she traces the painting’s origins, she uncovers a deeply personal ancestry trail that forces her to confront the past she tried to leave behind.
Told in alternating timelines, Iris and Roz’s stories gradually converge, bridging decades of loss, resilience, and discovery. With vivid, atmospheric descriptions of both the rugged Scottish coast and the vast Australian outback, The Sea Stone Sisters sweeps readers into a richly layered tale of family and fate. Fans of Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series will find much to love in this fast-paced, immersive read—perfect for anyone drawn to stories of hidden histories and the enduring pull of home.
Thank you to NetGalley, Headline, and author Eleanor Buchanan for the advanced copy of the book. The Sea Stone Sisters is out now. All opinions are my own.
http://www.instagram.com/passionforprose
March 12, 2026
The Sea Stone Sisters is a sweeping and evocative story that moves between two timelines and two remarkable women. In the 1930s Iris finds her life shaped by circumstances that take her far from home, while in the present day Roz begins to uncover long-buried secrets connected to her own past. Central to both stories is the mysterious legend of the Sea Stones - ancient stones said to hold a curse affecting those connected to them. As Roz begins to piece together Iris's history, the past and present gradually intertwine in unexpected and deeply moving ways.
I was absolutely spellbound by this novel and struggled to put it down, reading at every opportunity. The dual timeline follows Iris's story in the 1930s and Roz's in the present day, and while I usually find myself favouring one particular timeline in books structured this way, that wasn't the case here - I loved them both equally.
The writing is beautiful and wonderfully atmospheric. The evocative descriptions of the contrasting landscapes are so vivid that I felt completely transported. I could almost smell the sea and feel the drifting mists of Skara, and then moments later feel the heat and taste the dust of the Australian outback.
This story carries the reader through a whole range of emotions. At times it is breathtakingly sad, yet is also filled with moments of great joy and hope. With perfect pacing and excellent characterisation of the 'supporting cast' Iris's story in particular, will stay with me for a long time. The novel is so skillfully crafted it feels as though you have stepped inside its pages and witnessed the joy, sadness, hope and despair firsthand.
As the first book in a new series, it is an exceptional beginning. I truly cannot praise it highly enough. My only complaint is that I now have to wait almost a year for the next instalment! Fans of sweeping, emotional family sagas such as Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters series will find much to love here. I certainly did!
Enormous thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.
I was absolutely spellbound by this novel and struggled to put it down, reading at every opportunity. The dual timeline follows Iris's story in the 1930s and Roz's in the present day, and while I usually find myself favouring one particular timeline in books structured this way, that wasn't the case here - I loved them both equally.
The writing is beautiful and wonderfully atmospheric. The evocative descriptions of the contrasting landscapes are so vivid that I felt completely transported. I could almost smell the sea and feel the drifting mists of Skara, and then moments later feel the heat and taste the dust of the Australian outback.
This story carries the reader through a whole range of emotions. At times it is breathtakingly sad, yet is also filled with moments of great joy and hope. With perfect pacing and excellent characterisation of the 'supporting cast' Iris's story in particular, will stay with me for a long time. The novel is so skillfully crafted it feels as though you have stepped inside its pages and witnessed the joy, sadness, hope and despair firsthand.
As the first book in a new series, it is an exceptional beginning. I truly cannot praise it highly enough. My only complaint is that I now have to wait almost a year for the next instalment! Fans of sweeping, emotional family sagas such as Lucinda Riley's Seven Sisters series will find much to love here. I certainly did!
Enormous thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
After a slow start I found myself fully engaged with this book. It begins on the west coast of Scotland where four sisters disappear while their father is out fishing. He erects four large standing stones to show them the way home.
Then in the 1930's Charles Blackmore buys some land from a the impoverished owner of a castle around the bay. He built a modern house for his growing family, however 4 large stones block his view so he has them knocked down. The people in the village say this has caused a curse on the family and the village and it certainly appears true for Charles, as his wife dies and leaves him with 4 daughters. The depression of the 1930's bankrupts him and he turns to drink. The eldest daughter, Iris, sets off to try and find her mother's brother who owes the family money, in the hope of returning things to her happy childhood.
This book is the story of Iris and her descendants and is told alternatively from the pov of Iris and Roz, her great granddaughter. Iris travels first to Ceylon and then on to Australia to try and find Uncle Ralph, a journey that takes all her courage and resilience as she is desperately homesick missing both Scotland and her family.
The author's descriptions of the places in the story - Scotland, Ceylon and the Australian sheep station are very evocative. Having lived in Sri Lanka I could fully imagine all the places described.
Both Iris and Roz come across as strong women, even though both admit to being afraid at different points. They both set out to solve their own problems. I very much liked how the relationship between Iris and Guy developed slowly as they both worked out what to do about their futures.
The writing style is good and easy reading and the plot (after a slow start) moves along at pace, cleverly winding the two time lines together. I am certainly intrigued enough by Iris's story to want to find out what happened to her sisters and look forward to the next in the series.
With thanks to the author, Headline and Netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Then in the 1930's Charles Blackmore buys some land from a the impoverished owner of a castle around the bay. He built a modern house for his growing family, however 4 large stones block his view so he has them knocked down. The people in the village say this has caused a curse on the family and the village and it certainly appears true for Charles, as his wife dies and leaves him with 4 daughters. The depression of the 1930's bankrupts him and he turns to drink. The eldest daughter, Iris, sets off to try and find her mother's brother who owes the family money, in the hope of returning things to her happy childhood.
This book is the story of Iris and her descendants and is told alternatively from the pov of Iris and Roz, her great granddaughter. Iris travels first to Ceylon and then on to Australia to try and find Uncle Ralph, a journey that takes all her courage and resilience as she is desperately homesick missing both Scotland and her family.
The author's descriptions of the places in the story - Scotland, Ceylon and the Australian sheep station are very evocative. Having lived in Sri Lanka I could fully imagine all the places described.
Both Iris and Roz come across as strong women, even though both admit to being afraid at different points. They both set out to solve their own problems. I very much liked how the relationship between Iris and Guy developed slowly as they both worked out what to do about their futures.
The writing style is good and easy reading and the plot (after a slow start) moves along at pace, cleverly winding the two time lines together. I am certainly intrigued enough by Iris's story to want to find out what happened to her sisters and look forward to the next in the series.
With thanks to the author, Headline and Netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
March 12, 2026
I have been desperate to read The Sea Stone Sisters ever since I saw the beautiful cover reveal. I thought it sounded like exactly my kind of book and I was right: I loved it!
This book begins way back in 2800BC when a father realises that his four daughters have been abducted by raiders. Grief-stricken, he raises four stones on the headland of Skara to guide them home. Fast forward to the 1900s when Charles Blackmore builds a home on the headland and lays flat the stones thereby unleashing a curse – or so the locals believe. Within a few years, he has lost his wife and his fortune. He too has four daughters and this book follows the eldest, Iris, as she travels to Ceylon to seek help from her uncle. In the present day, Roz has moved from Australia to London hoping to put a traumatic past behind her and is drawn to a painting of the standing stones. She doesn’t know of any connection but is captivated by the painting and wants to find out more.
I adore this kind of book which takes place across different timelines, in different locations and has different strands of the story which gradually pull together. As a reader, you have a fair idea of Roz’s connection to Skara but the enjoyment is watching the story unfold discovering how the past and present will collide. I found the author’s enthralling way of writing drew me in and I was equally invested in both Iris and Roz’s stories.
The Sea Stone Sisters transports the reader from the Scottish Highlands, to Ceylon, Australia and London. It was absolutely compelling with romance, mystery and danger all blending beautifully, I loved reading Iris’s story and, with enigmatic hints in this book about what happened to the other sisters, I am already looking forward to the next in the series, The Moon Stone Sister, although I will have to wait until next year! One of my favourite books of the year so far, I highly recommend this evocative novel to anyone who enjoys the writing of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton and Lulu Taylor.
This book begins way back in 2800BC when a father realises that his four daughters have been abducted by raiders. Grief-stricken, he raises four stones on the headland of Skara to guide them home. Fast forward to the 1900s when Charles Blackmore builds a home on the headland and lays flat the stones thereby unleashing a curse – or so the locals believe. Within a few years, he has lost his wife and his fortune. He too has four daughters and this book follows the eldest, Iris, as she travels to Ceylon to seek help from her uncle. In the present day, Roz has moved from Australia to London hoping to put a traumatic past behind her and is drawn to a painting of the standing stones. She doesn’t know of any connection but is captivated by the painting and wants to find out more.
I adore this kind of book which takes place across different timelines, in different locations and has different strands of the story which gradually pull together. As a reader, you have a fair idea of Roz’s connection to Skara but the enjoyment is watching the story unfold discovering how the past and present will collide. I found the author’s enthralling way of writing drew me in and I was equally invested in both Iris and Roz’s stories.
The Sea Stone Sisters transports the reader from the Scottish Highlands, to Ceylon, Australia and London. It was absolutely compelling with romance, mystery and danger all blending beautifully, I loved reading Iris’s story and, with enigmatic hints in this book about what happened to the other sisters, I am already looking forward to the next in the series, The Moon Stone Sister, although I will have to wait until next year! One of my favourite books of the year so far, I highly recommend this evocative novel to anyone who enjoys the writing of Lucinda Riley, Kate Morton and Lulu Taylor.
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