The Winter Sea (Slains, #1) in The Dusty Bookshelf

Aug 24, 2015 Jeanne Bufkin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-on-kindle, read-in-2016, reviewed-in-2016

WOW! This book caught me completely by surprise! It was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend and once I started it, I absolutely COULD NOT put it down. This book is the first book I've ever purchased from Amazon just so I could immediately finish it because my library loan expired and I couldn't wait the weeks it would take for it to be my turn with it again!

The concept of this book absolutely fascinated me. It's written from the point of view of Carrie, a historical fiction author who loves WOW! This book caught me completely by surprise! It was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend and once I started it, I absolutely COULD NOT put it down. This book is the first book I've ever purchased from Amazon just so I could immediately finish it because my library loan expired and I couldn't wait the weeks it would take for it to be my turn with it again!

The concept of this book absolutely fascinated me. It's written from the point of view of Carrie, a historical fiction author who loves to write stories according to how history actually played out, and not necessarily with the happy ending readers expect. Once she settles in Scotland to continue her latest story, she begins to realize she somehow has a tie to how the tale she's telling actually happened, and not in the way you would think based on other books you've read.

I don't want to spoil how she discovers the story hidden at the Slains, but trust me, it's one of the most original ways I've ever read on how to tell a story from the past that switches narrators. I loved how all of the characters had their roles in the history, no matter how large or small. They were actual people. The way the story switched back and forth between the modern and the Jacobite settings helped move the story along and the reader along with it.

The character development in this book made it very easy to get lost in the story. Every time I picked up the book, I was immediately immersed in the story and the surroundings. I was there with the author. All of the story arcs flowed seamlessly into one another with no gaps or unexplained happenings.

This is the first book I've read by Susanna Kearsley, but will definitely not be the last! I've already purchased another of hers, and I will shortly be buying the next in the Slains series. Her writing style is effortless and consuming. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! "The Winter Sea" gets an enthusiastic 5 stars from me with no hesitation or remorse!

Check it out. You won't be sorry!! ...more

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