I just got done re-reading The Winter Sea and forgot what a great author Susanna Kearsley is! Such a great read. If you liked Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, then you will love this book.
The story is about a historical fiction writer, Carrie McClelland, who is working on a novel about a Jacobite invasion plot in Scotland. She moves to the general area for research purposes and starts to have deep immersion writing episodes where she seems to be tapping into the ancestral memory of Sophia. Sophia lived in the area 300 years ago. Through this memory Carrie lives through Sophia’s experiences with the Jacobite’s plot and, of course, a love story. Meanwhile Carrie meets a gentleman of her own time and romance ensues.
I LOVE historical fiction and this was a fun play on using accurate history and modern research. I thought the ancestral memory was a really fun way to experience the past rather than time travel. The experiences that Sophia go through show her to be a strong educated woman despite the times, as well as her patron aunt (who might be my favorite character in the book). The bookmen (the romantic leads) are dreamy and Scottish, I’m a sucker for accents, and they both have great story lines as well. So you have have the action of the Jacobite plot mixed in with just enough romantic girly stuff without turning it into a full on historical romance. Two thumbs up.
4boyslotsanoise 