Review ~ The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley

Macmillan
 November 2016

There is no doubt that this ambitious seven book series has captured the imagination of Lucinda Riley fans all over the world. Each book in the series is eagerly anticipated, so when I was given the opportunity by the UK publishers Macmillan to read an early copy I jumped at the chance and wasn't disappointed.

The Shadow Sister focuses on Star's story.

Here's the blurb..

Star D'Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father - the elusive billionaire, named Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted by him from the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to their true heritage, but Star - the most enigmatic of the sisters - is hesitant to step out of the safety of the close relationship she shares with her sister CeCe. In desperation, she decides to follow the first clue she has been left, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world . . .

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in the Lake District, living close to her idol, Beatrix Potter, when machinations outside her control lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society's most notorious players, Alice Keppel. Flora is pulled between passionate love and duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a game - the rules of which are only known to others, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life . . .

As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

Here are my thoughts..

I was hugely excited when I received my copy of The Shadow Sister and couldn't wait to become reacquainted with the story of The Seven Sisters. In this third book in the series we follow the story of enigmatic Star D'Aplièse who seems to have been grossly overshadowed by her more forceful younger sister CeCe. Following the clues to her heritage, which have been left for her by Pa Salt, Star follows the trail to a London book store, there she comes into contact with, Orlando, the enigmatic book shop proprietor, and her story begins.

I'm deliberately not saying anything more about Star's search for her identity as that would spoil things considerably. However, what I will say is that this is by far my favourite of the stories so far. I loved how the story flitted between two times frames which were always perfectly in tune so that neither one tried to outshine the other. Both the twenty-first century and the nineteenth century, nestled very companionably together and each story was compelling in its own unique way. I really enjoyed meeting up with Beatrix Potter but was equally enamoured by Star's growing relationship with the family at High Weald, especially Mouse.

There is no doubt that the author shows great skill in the way she so skilfully brings the stories to life. The strands of the story are all interwoven beautifully and the brilliant way in which all the varying elements come together certainly make for compelling reading.

I am completely enthralled by this series, and such is the pull of the story, that as one book finishes I simply can’t wait for the next to be released and for me Lucinda Riley can’t write the stories of The Seven Sisters quick enough.

I am already eagerly anticipating book #4 and CeCe's story in The Pearl Sister..

Best Read with…One of Star’s delicious chocolate brownies and maybe a cup of tea and gossip with Mrs Alice Keppel..

About the author..

Lucinda Riley was born in Ireland, and after an early career as an actress in film, theatre and television, wrote her first book aged twenty-four. Her novel Hothouse Flower (also called The Orchid House) was selected by the UK's Richard and Judy Book Club in 2011 and has been translated into thirty-four languages and sold over eight million copies worldwide. She is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author.

Find the author on her website by clicking here

Follow on Twitter @lucindariley

All the Seven Sister books standalone however, this is one series

that needs to be read and enjoyed from the beginning.

#1 The Seven Sisters

#2 The Storm Sister

#3 The Shadow Sister

 

My thanks to the author and also to Katie at Macmillan for my review copy of The Shadow Sister

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Review ~ The Angel Tree by Lucinda Riley

Pan
2015

This is an interesting book to review because some readers may have already read this when it was first published in 1995 under the authors' previous pen name of Lucinda Edmonds. Since it would appear that the time is right for a reissue, the story has been redone, keeping some elements of the original but with some sections reworked, thus breathing new life into a story which is as fresh and characterful now, as it was in its original format.

The story begins as Greta returns to Marchmont Hall, in Monmouthshire, Wales after an absence of thirty years. Greta's memory of her life at Marchmont was irretrievably damaged when she was involved in a dreadful accident which altered her memory thus making her recollection of her previous life hazy and filled with shadows.Much has happened to Greta during this time, her life and that of her family has been very eventful, not without tragedy, and always with an element of misfortune. 

What then follows is a cleverly and intricately constructed family saga which spans several years and which flips forwards and backwards in time, mainly following the fortunes of Greta and her daughter Cheska. The peripheral characters who flit into and out of the story are strong and meaningful and add a real sense of continuity. The story is long, coming it at over 600 pages but as always the story draws you in from the beginning. The characters become as familiar as friends, some you learn to like whilst others become deeply unlikable but as always the strength of the story lies with the telling. The fine attention to detail, the authenticity of the setting, and the gloriously good story telling all combine to make this into another commendable novel from this talented author.

I hadn't read the book when it was first published, so was I was perfectly happy to read The Angel Tree with no preconceptions of what had gone before. I'm sure, however, that those readers who  read the novel when it was entitled 'Not Quite An Angel' will find much to enjoy in this reissued version.

Best read with a cinnamon latte and an enticing selection of Dunkin Donuts....

About the Author

Follow Lucinda Riley on Twitter @lucindariley

Find her on Facebook

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Review ~ The Storm Sister by Lucinda Riley

Macmillan
November 2015

Ever since I finished, The Seven Sisters, I have been eagerly awaiting the publication of The Storm Sister, which is book number two in this epic series of novels about the D'Aplièse sisters.

Cleverly, the story of the second sister, Alcyone, starts, as did the first book, with the devastating loss of the sisters' adopted father, Pa Salt. But this time round, we get to follow Ally's reaction to her father's death and of the tantalising trail she must follow in order to find out more about her heritage. The trail will take her far from her home in Geneva, will encompass metaphorical storms in her personal life, and will ultimately lead her towards a destiny she could never have imagined.

As always, the story draws you in from the very beginning; there is much to take in, not just from the point of view of the story but also of how it's all going to fit together in the overall scheme of the entire series. It's like a very sophisticated literary jigsaw puzzle and as you piece together all the complicated clues, you become immersed in a dual time story which flits backwards and forwards with comparative ease. I thought that both strands of the story were compelling for different reasons. The Norwegian thread of the story in the nineteenth century takes on a life of its own with a real sense of history; it weaves together a beautiful story of music and musicality, and speaks of lives that have been irreparably changed by circumstance. The current story that of Ally’s quest to find her true identity, is beautifully written, with a poignancy which at times leaves you feeling quite bereft. 

The story is huge, coming in at a whopping 683 pages but I read the bulk of it quite comfortably over the space of a few days. Overall, I thought that this was a more thoughtful story. In many ways it’s quietly reflective, quite gentle in places, but with an underlying strength, which as always, makes for utterly compelling reading.

Best read with a glass of crisp white wine and a goat’s cheese salad.

About the Author

Find Lucinda Riley on her website
Follow her on Twitter @lucindariley
Find her on Facebook

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Review ~ The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

November 2014
McMillan

Their Future Is Written In The Stars

When Maia D'Apliése and her five sisters gather at their fabulous home, Atlantis, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, they mourn the loss of their beloved father, the enigmatic billionaire, Pa Salt. The six girls all adopted by Pa Salt as babies have no idea where they originally came from, but their final gift from their father is a set of tantalising clues, which if they feel able to pursue, will lead them to the place where they came from and to their true heritage.

Maia, the eldest of the sisters, follows her clues to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, where her story combines with that of Izabela Bonifacio, a young socialite, whose story, some eighty years before, entwines with that of Heitor da Silva Costa, the architect responsible for the construction of the statue of Christ the Redeemer and of an ambitious young sculptor, called Laurent Brouilly.

Maia’s story is beautifully intertwined with memories of the past and as the layers of the story are peeled away the connection between Maia and Izabela is revealed in a story which is rich in wonderful storytelling and faultless in the way both the past and present are allowed to evolve at their own pace. The Belle Epoque of Rio, in 1927 is gloriously described, from the fashions, to the constraints placed upon young women in society, all combine to give a heady description of an era lost forever.

When I first saw the size of the book, coming in at over 620 pages, I must admit to feeling concerned and more than a little daunted as committing to a seven book series is a real undertaking, however, as the pages flashed by and I became engrossed in Maia and Izabela’s story, I truly didn't want the story to end. Finishing the first book is a tantalising snippet of what is to come in the second book and its dramatic cliff hanger, of course, makes me want to read on.

Creating the series based on the legends of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades star constellation is inspired and without doubt, Lucinda Riley combines the best of mythology with wonderful storytelling. Maia’s story gets the series off to a fantastic start and I am sure that the other sisters’ stories will be equally as enthralling.

 I really can’t wait for book two...and Ally's Story..