What do you think?
Rate this book
Four Seasons Quartet #2
That Autumn in Edinburgh
That Autumn in Edinburgh
Dateline: 250 years later…
Can memories of a tragic, eighteenth century love triangle be passed down through a descendant’s DNA?
A compelling, almost mystical attraction draws American designer Fiona Fraser into the force field of visiting Scotsman, Alexander Maxwell, through an eerie happenstance one steamy summer’s day in New York City.
When Fiona’s mercurial boss dispatches her to Edinburgh to create a Scottish Home Furnishings Collection, the chemistry deepens as she and Alex discover their ancestral bonds to the star-crossed lovers Thomas Fraser—the “Lost Lieutenant”—and Jane Maxwell, the flamboyant 4th Duchess of Gordon who died in 1812.
From the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to the tartan and cashmere mills of the Scottish border country, the modern lovers grapple with the imminent threat of financial ruin to their respective firms, along with ancient wounds echoing down through time—and a heartbreaking mystery, hidden for more than two centuries, that will dictate their own destinies…
Dateline: 250 years later…
Can memories of a tragic, eighteenth century love triangle be passed down through a descendant’s DNA?
A compelling, almost mystical attraction draws American designer Fiona Fraser into the force field of visiting Scotsman, Alexander Maxwell, through an eerie happenstance one steamy summer’s day in New York City.
When Fiona’s mercurial boss dispatches her to Edinburgh to create a Scottish Home Furnishings Collection, the chemistry deepens as she and Alex discover their ancestral bonds to the star-crossed lovers Thomas Fraser—the “Lost Lieutenant”—and Jane Maxwell, the flamboyant 4th Duchess of Gordon who died in 1812.
From the cobbled streets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile to the tartan and cashmere mills of the Scottish border country, the modern lovers grapple with the imminent threat of financial ruin to their respective firms, along with ancient wounds echoing down through time—and a heartbreaking mystery, hidden for more than two centuries, that will dictate their own destinies…
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2013
68 people are currently reading
645 people want to read
About the author
Ciji Ware
44 books260 followersCIJI WARE is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling novelist, an Emmy-award winning television producer, reporter, writer, lecturer, and host. Her latest work, THE SPY WORE LONG WHITE GLOVES (Book 4, American Spy Sisters series), published October 14, 2025 , was inspired by the exceptional American women who volunteered as "Churchill's Angles"--secret agents during WW II, fighting enemy infiltration within Britain, as well as parachuting into occupied France to fight the Nazis. As with her other novels, author Ware invites her readers to view her research photos at www.pinterest.com/cijiware/the-spy-wo...
Ware's Four Seasons Quartet "THAT..." series includes stand-alone titles set in CORNWALL, EDINBURGH, VENICE and PARIS that were released betweeen 2013-2017. A novella "The Ring of Kerry Hannigan," part of the RING OF TRUTH anthology with novelists Diana Dempsey and Kate Moore, was released as a single title in the spring of 2015.
Ware has won numerous awards for her 15 works of fiction, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence; the 'Golden Quill' award for Historical Fiction; 'Best Fictionalized Biography' for her 18th c. historical novel, ISLAND OF THE SWANS. For the latter work, she was bestowed in Edinburgh the honor of FSA Scot, of which she is exceedingly proud. Another historical novel, A RACE TO SPLENDOR, debuted in April, 2011 on the 105th anniversary of the devastating 1905 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorm and was short-listed for the WILLA (Cather) Literary Award in 2012.
In 2015, Ware was named to the Martha's Vineyard Writers-in-Residence program where she began a long-term project: REINVENTING...ME, a memoir of her years in all aspects of media. Currently, she is working on the second of two novels in her Spy Sisters series set in WWII based on the lives of several American women secret agents in the armed conflict.
Ware's most recent nonfiction, RIGHTSIZING YOUR LIFE: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most, was named by the Wall Street Journal as "One of the Top 5 Books on Retirement Issues." She is at work on a sequel, SIMPLIFYING FOR SENIORS: Decluttering, Divesting, and Downsizing. She continues to lecture extensively on the subject of domestic downsizing for people age 50+ as she relates her own journey from 4000sq. feet of living space in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara, down to a "cottage by the sea" of around 1000 square feet in the San Francisco Bay Area--and loving it! She is also the author of JOINT CUSTODY: Making Shared Parenting Work.
For eighteen years, Ware was heard daily as a commentator on ABC Radio & TV in Los Angeles. During her noted career as a broadcaster, she has worked as a reporter or anchor for PBS and all three major network affiliates, covering a wide range of topics in the areas of health, consumer, lifestyle and women's issues.
Ciji Ware is also a sought-after event speaker, print journalist, (AARP, Travel & Leisure and other national magazines) and has the distinction of being elected as the first woman graduate of Harvard College to serve as President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Worldwide. The author is married four decades+ to Internet marketing executive, Tony Cook. The "Cook-Wares" have a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Visit Ciji's website at www.cijiware.com; her Facebook page: Ciji Ware, Novelist
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ciji-Wa... and her Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/cijiware/
Ware's Four Seasons Quartet "THAT..." series includes stand-alone titles set in CORNWALL, EDINBURGH, VENICE and PARIS that were released betweeen 2013-2017. A novella "The Ring of Kerry Hannigan," part of the RING OF TRUTH anthology with novelists Diana Dempsey and Kate Moore, was released as a single title in the spring of 2015.
Ware has won numerous awards for her 15 works of fiction, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence; the 'Golden Quill' award for Historical Fiction; 'Best Fictionalized Biography' for her 18th c. historical novel, ISLAND OF THE SWANS. For the latter work, she was bestowed in Edinburgh the honor of FSA Scot, of which she is exceedingly proud. Another historical novel, A RACE TO SPLENDOR, debuted in April, 2011 on the 105th anniversary of the devastating 1905 San Francisco Earthquake and Firestorm and was short-listed for the WILLA (Cather) Literary Award in 2012.
In 2015, Ware was named to the Martha's Vineyard Writers-in-Residence program where she began a long-term project: REINVENTING...ME, a memoir of her years in all aspects of media. Currently, she is working on the second of two novels in her Spy Sisters series set in WWII based on the lives of several American women secret agents in the armed conflict.
Ware's most recent nonfiction, RIGHTSIZING YOUR LIFE: Simplifying Your Surroundings While Keeping What Matters Most, was named by the Wall Street Journal as "One of the Top 5 Books on Retirement Issues." She is at work on a sequel, SIMPLIFYING FOR SENIORS: Decluttering, Divesting, and Downsizing. She continues to lecture extensively on the subject of domestic downsizing for people age 50+ as she relates her own journey from 4000sq. feet of living space in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara, down to a "cottage by the sea" of around 1000 square feet in the San Francisco Bay Area--and loving it! She is also the author of JOINT CUSTODY: Making Shared Parenting Work.
For eighteen years, Ware was heard daily as a commentator on ABC Radio & TV in Los Angeles. During her noted career as a broadcaster, she has worked as a reporter or anchor for PBS and all three major network affiliates, covering a wide range of topics in the areas of health, consumer, lifestyle and women's issues.
Ciji Ware is also a sought-after event speaker, print journalist, (AARP, Travel & Leisure and other national magazines) and has the distinction of being elected as the first woman graduate of Harvard College to serve as President of the Harvard Alumni Association, Worldwide. The author is married four decades+ to Internet marketing executive, Tony Cook. The "Cook-Wares" have a son, daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Visit Ciji's website at www.cijiware.com; her Facebook page: Ciji Ware, Novelist
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ciji-Wa... and her Pinterest page at http://pinterest.com/cijiware/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
March 2, 2015
The main characters in this book are Fiona Fraser and Alexander Maxwell. After an impromptu "meet cute" in New York City in 2009 and fall instantly in love. Too bad that Alexander is already married. Alexander goes back to Scotland and dreams of Fiona. And Fiona stays in New York and dreams of Alexander.
Fast forward five years later when Fiona contacts Alexander again in order for her to create a Scottish home furnishings collection (yeah I forgot to mention Fiona is a designer and Alexander is an owner of a mill that weaves tartan cloth). Combine all of this with more baggage than a normal relationship could carry, shallow development of secondary characters, and Fiona and Alexander investigating their relatives from 250 years ago you will end up ready to scream.
The main problem I have with this four seasons quartet books is that they are actually spin-offs of Ms. Ware's earlier books. I had no idea about that going in since if I wanted to actually read the back story of the relatives that Fiona and Alexander are investigating I should have started with "Island of the Swans". I assumed (stupidly) that the quartets were connected to each other, but they are not.
I could maybe have overlooked that if this book was just not boring and wrong regarding bloodlines and a few other things.
First of all, reading about people investigating their ancestors is boring. About 60-70 percent of this book was Alexander telling Fiona the history of Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon and Thomas Fraser (supposedly Alexander and Fiona's ancestors). You know how exciting it is to read a book where one character is telling you about everything that went on 250 years ago. And honestly there is no rhyme or reason for this plot to take up so much of the book. Who cares if your ancestors were in love 250 years ago? The fact that Fiona and Alexander spend so much time investigating them made the romance between them when it does occur seem like an after thought and assured since hey if my ancestor sexed up your ancestor 250 years ago this means we are meant to be together!
Second, Ms. Ware tries to bring in a plot-line involving memories through DNA (I hate romance novels that have been doing this lately). It is beyond absurd and just crazy. I felt like screeching DNA does not work like that while I was reading. I could have maybe ignored all of this mess except for one problem. Alexander Maxwell is not a freaking descendant of Jane Maxwell so it makes no sense how he somehow got memories from her. It is explained in pain staking detail in the book and through a genealogy chart that he is descended from her brother. And that the descendant from her brother was a nephew at best who then slept with a chamber maid. Apparently in Ms. Maxwell's world that doesn't matter since DNA just kinds of hangs out for 200 plus years and provides random relatives several times removed with memories. There is a reason for this of course when we read on later in the book but it just jarred me to keep reading about this whole thing and everything saying that Maxwell's family was direct descendants. At one point the character Alex refers to Jane Maxwell as his great grandmother (big sigh).
Third, at times when you read about Fiona's past you think she was raised in the 1950s, 1960s south. I don't want to divulge too much but seriously, it makes no sense about any of the events that she later spills to Alexander. I swear her whole storyline just gave me heartburn. Plus the 180 with her family was not heartwarming to read about. I just rolled my eyes.
Fourth, the author got the main premise behind "When Harry Met Sally" wrong! At one point Alexander tells Fiona about his past relationship and likens it to When Harry Met Sally by saying that he and another woman were not in "love" with one another that way. Seriously? Did the author not see this freaking movie? That is not what the movie is about. It's about the fact that two people who initially could not stand each other met decades later, became friends, slept together, stopped being friends, and then fell in love. It is a movie I break out every time I am having a bad day since it just warms me up from the inside out. To have a misunderstanding this big regarding this movie just kind of thrown into this novel just soured me from that point on.
Fifth, there were just sentences that made no sense. Such as:
"Expensive leather pumps shod her aristocratic-looking feet, and small, simple gold earrings complimented her stylish attire."
I don't even get how your feet can look aristocratic. Are they smoking a pipe?
"Looking directly at her boss, she announced, "There are thirteen million citizens of Scottish descent in the U.S. and Canada alone, and probably another three million outside of Scotland worldwide. There are millions more in North America and elsewhere with some claim to Scottish heritage, and even more who wished they had Scottish DNA."
Good grief. The U.S and Canada are in North America so that next part of the sentence is just basic geographic fail. Second, who the heck is running around claiming to be Scottish or wishing to be Scottish? Is this a thing now? What am I saying. Apparently people like to decorate their homes in Scottish furnishings (the whole point of Fiona going to Scotland to hunt down Alexander). Suffice it to say because of the above speech everyone in the boardroom feels shaken to their core about taking something from another culture and turning it into furniture for people to buy. She even at one point says this furniture may appeal to Saudi princes and Russian billionaires...
So yep, I am done. Happily with this book. I am going off to read "Little Women" to soothe myself.
Fast forward five years later when Fiona contacts Alexander again in order for her to create a Scottish home furnishings collection (yeah I forgot to mention Fiona is a designer and Alexander is an owner of a mill that weaves tartan cloth). Combine all of this with more baggage than a normal relationship could carry, shallow development of secondary characters, and Fiona and Alexander investigating their relatives from 250 years ago you will end up ready to scream.
The main problem I have with this four seasons quartet books is that they are actually spin-offs of Ms. Ware's earlier books. I had no idea about that going in since if I wanted to actually read the back story of the relatives that Fiona and Alexander are investigating I should have started with "Island of the Swans". I assumed (stupidly) that the quartets were connected to each other, but they are not.
I could maybe have overlooked that if this book was just not boring and wrong regarding bloodlines and a few other things.
First of all, reading about people investigating their ancestors is boring. About 60-70 percent of this book was Alexander telling Fiona the history of Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon and Thomas Fraser (supposedly Alexander and Fiona's ancestors). You know how exciting it is to read a book where one character is telling you about everything that went on 250 years ago. And honestly there is no rhyme or reason for this plot to take up so much of the book. Who cares if your ancestors were in love 250 years ago? The fact that Fiona and Alexander spend so much time investigating them made the romance between them when it does occur seem like an after thought and assured since hey if my ancestor sexed up your ancestor 250 years ago this means we are meant to be together!
Second, Ms. Ware tries to bring in a plot-line involving memories through DNA (I hate romance novels that have been doing this lately). It is beyond absurd and just crazy. I felt like screeching DNA does not work like that while I was reading. I could have maybe ignored all of this mess except for one problem. Alexander Maxwell is not a freaking descendant of Jane Maxwell so it makes no sense how he somehow got memories from her. It is explained in pain staking detail in the book and through a genealogy chart that he is descended from her brother. And that the descendant from her brother was a nephew at best who then slept with a chamber maid. Apparently in Ms. Maxwell's world that doesn't matter since DNA just kinds of hangs out for 200 plus years and provides random relatives several times removed with memories. There is a reason for this of course when we read on later in the book but it just jarred me to keep reading about this whole thing and everything saying that Maxwell's family was direct descendants. At one point the character Alex refers to Jane Maxwell as his great grandmother (big sigh).
Third, at times when you read about Fiona's past you think she was raised in the 1950s, 1960s south. I don't want to divulge too much but seriously, it makes no sense about any of the events that she later spills to Alexander. I swear her whole storyline just gave me heartburn. Plus the 180 with her family was not heartwarming to read about. I just rolled my eyes.
Fourth, the author got the main premise behind "When Harry Met Sally" wrong! At one point Alexander tells Fiona about his past relationship and likens it to When Harry Met Sally by saying that he and another woman were not in "love" with one another that way. Seriously? Did the author not see this freaking movie? That is not what the movie is about. It's about the fact that two people who initially could not stand each other met decades later, became friends, slept together, stopped being friends, and then fell in love. It is a movie I break out every time I am having a bad day since it just warms me up from the inside out. To have a misunderstanding this big regarding this movie just kind of thrown into this novel just soured me from that point on.
Fifth, there were just sentences that made no sense. Such as:
"Expensive leather pumps shod her aristocratic-looking feet, and small, simple gold earrings complimented her stylish attire."
I don't even get how your feet can look aristocratic. Are they smoking a pipe?
"Looking directly at her boss, she announced, "There are thirteen million citizens of Scottish descent in the U.S. and Canada alone, and probably another three million outside of Scotland worldwide. There are millions more in North America and elsewhere with some claim to Scottish heritage, and even more who wished they had Scottish DNA."
Good grief. The U.S and Canada are in North America so that next part of the sentence is just basic geographic fail. Second, who the heck is running around claiming to be Scottish or wishing to be Scottish? Is this a thing now? What am I saying. Apparently people like to decorate their homes in Scottish furnishings (the whole point of Fiona going to Scotland to hunt down Alexander). Suffice it to say because of the above speech everyone in the boardroom feels shaken to their core about taking something from another culture and turning it into furniture for people to buy. She even at one point says this furniture may appeal to Saudi princes and Russian billionaires...
So yep, I am done. Happily with this book. I am going off to read "Little Women" to soothe myself.
January 11, 2019
One of the most original stories I've read. Loved the plot, characters, setting and pace. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
My Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
March 4, 2019
I loved Island of the Swans by this author so I picked up this book which tells of descendants of the Island of the Swans characters.
I'm setting it aside as at 24% I'm just bored and disinterested.
I'm setting it aside as at 24% I'm just bored and disinterested.
December 15, 2013
I should first say that I was looking forward to this 'standalone sequel' more than any of the others in the Four Seasons Quartet. After finishing 'Island of the Swans', I immediately contacted the author via Goodreads and sent her a big WHAT HAPPENS??. Well, That Autumn in Edinburgh is the answer and the answer does not disappoint.
With a great present day story that I found just as interesting as the past the characters were trying to dig up, That 'Autumn in Edinburgh' weaves a tale that is not for someone looking for a 'fluffy' read. Like all of Ms. Ware's books, Autumn takes a little commitment. There are numerous characters, past and present to keep track of, not to mention all of the Scottish and English details. But that is what makes all of her books so worth a read. There are is much depth to her characters, but never too much. Her ability to juggle a complex plot (because anytime you're dealing with two different times, the plot is automatically complex), a sea of characters and a lush, unfamiliar landscape easily puts her in my top 5 favorite authors.
Some of my favorites points about That Autumn in Edinburgh (may contain mini-spoilers):
1) A man who is faithful to his wife, even though his marriage is falling apart. That never seems to happen.
2) Showing how your family can REALLY screw you up.
3) Ms. Ware's descriptions of Scotland and the Scottish businesses. Again, in depth but never too much that I felt like I was lost in the description.
4) Two believable main characters with real problems.
5) A beautiful connection between the main characters and the characters from Island of the Swans.
Finally, I do not believe that you need to read Island of the Swans first. In fact, Swans may be an easier read if you read That Autumn in Edinburgh first. Either way, both are worth a read...maybe several reads.
With a great present day story that I found just as interesting as the past the characters were trying to dig up, That 'Autumn in Edinburgh' weaves a tale that is not for someone looking for a 'fluffy' read. Like all of Ms. Ware's books, Autumn takes a little commitment. There are numerous characters, past and present to keep track of, not to mention all of the Scottish and English details. But that is what makes all of her books so worth a read. There are is much depth to her characters, but never too much. Her ability to juggle a complex plot (because anytime you're dealing with two different times, the plot is automatically complex), a sea of characters and a lush, unfamiliar landscape easily puts her in my top 5 favorite authors.
Some of my favorites points about That Autumn in Edinburgh (may contain mini-spoilers):
1) A man who is faithful to his wife, even though his marriage is falling apart. That never seems to happen.
2) Showing how your family can REALLY screw you up.
3) Ms. Ware's descriptions of Scotland and the Scottish businesses. Again, in depth but never too much that I felt like I was lost in the description.
4) Two believable main characters with real problems.
5) A beautiful connection between the main characters and the characters from Island of the Swans.
Finally, I do not believe that you need to read Island of the Swans first. In fact, Swans may be an easier read if you read That Autumn in Edinburgh first. Either way, both are worth a read...maybe several reads.
January 29, 2016
I believe this is my first review. I have read most of Ciji Ware's books and picked this one up because I really enjoyed both Island of the Swans and a Cottage by the Sea which this book seems to be trying to be mixture of. As a scientist who loves fantasy I am fine with metaphysical pseudoscience being thrown into the story line... as long as it follows some logical steps. In this book the author revisits her theory of genetic memory, which may hold a tiny bit of water in the case of direct descendants but not (as in this case) a descendant of a relative of the person whose memory is apparently shared. In order for this theory to even make any sense, the trauma or event would have to imprint on the DNA of a person and their subsequent progeny would perhaps carry the memory. This would not affect progeny prior to the event and especially not progeny of completely unaffected siblings.
Since this part of the story made no sense whatsoever, it seemed like a play to make an otherwise boring love story (the drama is rather contrived), a part of previous well-written one. I found myself wondering if this was written by a ghost writer because it seems so lacking of the imagination found in many of Ware's other novels.
Since this part of the story made no sense whatsoever, it seemed like a play to make an otherwise boring love story (the drama is rather contrived), a part of previous well-written one. I found myself wondering if this was written by a ghost writer because it seems so lacking of the imagination found in many of Ware's other novels.
September 24, 2015
Having just returned from a vacation in Scotland, this book held a lot of interest for me. I could identify where the scenes took place and picture them in my mind. Loved that.
However, I found the storyline to be rather formulaic in it's approach, which I don't like at all. I don't want to feel as if I know exactly what will happen next. Beautiful, unhappy young career woman meets handsome unhappily married Scotsman while shopping in NYC, then meets up with him years later in Scotland, and the magic happens. Sure, there are problems to overcome, but you know they will.
The history and beauty of Scotland are well described and researched, I just wish the story had a few more twists and unexpected turns.
However, I found the storyline to be rather formulaic in it's approach, which I don't like at all. I don't want to feel as if I know exactly what will happen next. Beautiful, unhappy young career woman meets handsome unhappily married Scotsman while shopping in NYC, then meets up with him years later in Scotland, and the magic happens. Sure, there are problems to overcome, but you know they will.
The history and beauty of Scotland are well described and researched, I just wish the story had a few more twists and unexpected turns.
December 5, 2013
I loved this book! It was all I was waiting for. Please be sure to read Island of the Swans first or you won't get it. I love the fact that Mrs. Ware has introduced me to women in history that I had no idea even existed and builds remarkable fact filled fictional story lines that bring the characters to life for me. I like that her extensive research for each book brings her writing skills to full circle. She is extremely talanted and I am so glad I discovered such a jewel of an author.
August 11, 2016
Star crossed lovers who may have met several centuries ago meet again in Edinburgh with this strange feeling of knowing each other. There is also the matter of their Scottish last names and the legends surrounding Janet Maxwell and her lover. The two set out to prove if the legend is true and if these people actually existed.
Beautiful writing.
Beautiful writing.
February 27, 2021
Hated this book, poorly written, author uses many cliches and story lines from other books, names from other books. Had to stop reading, which I almost never do.
February 19, 2014
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
February 4, 2024
I got this book because I had read the author's previous book, Island of the Swans, and the author didn't actually finish it, imo, so I had read about this modern follow-up and though that maybe it would answer the questions I still had after reading "Swans". Well, I never found out if it did or not because I got to about page 130 and gave up because it was just SO boring. The author's No. 1 priority was to give descriptions about EVERYTHING in excruciating -- and I do mean EXCRUCIATING -- detail. So that being said, this is a list of the contents in order of priority:
1. Physical detail about everything -- meals, clothing, furniture and decor, architecture, and on and on. It seemed to me that everything "required" a 200-word description.
2. The Scottish landscape
3. An in-depth explanation of the manufacturing process for furniture and weaving tartans
4. A explanation of Scottish history as it concerned the story
5. Plot -- yes, it seemed that the plot was the author's lowest priority!
The only reason I gave it two stars was because it was evident the author put a great amount of research and work into it -- but the book would have been better if she had not put so much of that research into it! (I even tried setting a goal of 25 pages a day, and even that didn't even work. )
1. Physical detail about everything -- meals, clothing, furniture and decor, architecture, and on and on. It seemed to me that everything "required" a 200-word description.
2. The Scottish landscape
3. An in-depth explanation of the manufacturing process for furniture and weaving tartans
4. A explanation of Scottish history as it concerned the story
5. Plot -- yes, it seemed that the plot was the author's lowest priority!
The only reason I gave it two stars was because it was evident the author put a great amount of research and work into it -- but the book would have been better if she had not put so much of that research into it! (I even tried setting a goal of 25 pages a day, and even that didn't even work. )
January 29, 2019
Loved It
I normally read historical Scottish romances, but lately have looked for modern day romance based in Scotland. This is that book! It was hard to put down with the pull of lovers both in the modern day and in the past. Such an amazing historical twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. True love across hundreds of years. Highly, highly recommend this book. A truly great read!
I normally read historical Scottish romances, but lately have looked for modern day romance based in Scotland. This is that book! It was hard to put down with the pull of lovers both in the modern day and in the past. Such an amazing historical twist that keeps you on the edge of your seat. True love across hundreds of years. Highly, highly recommend this book. A truly great read!
March 10, 2020
This is a sequel to Island of the Swans and provides a good picture of Edinburgh and the Borders. It takes place now with characters gets who are ancestors of those in the previous book. Entertaining for sure. Not great literature and a little predictable. But I will be returning to Scotland this year and felt it provided nice background to the city.
September 19, 2024
I want to love this authors contemporary work (I read her historical fiction a while back and liked it) but there is just something missing here. This is a little bit like a travel itinerary for a large chunk, and I found it a bit dull. It's probably just me but this just doesn't have that special spark.
January 26, 2019
Great story
I enjoyed everything about this book except the sex scenes. The author obviously conducted much research to write such a believable story. Guess I am old fashioned but it would have been an even better read without the descriptive lovemaking.
I enjoyed everything about this book except the sex scenes. The author obviously conducted much research to write such a believable story. Guess I am old fashioned but it would have been an even better read without the descriptive lovemaking.
December 27, 2017
I didn't think this was as good as the others by the same author. The story was superficial and somewhat predictable.
May 6, 2018
*NOT a middle School book. *
Fun read. Not serious. Just something different and relaxing.
Fun read. Not serious. Just something different and relaxing.
January 15, 2019
Scotland tour
Nice trip thru Scotland and lore a happily ever ending but something just didn’t gel with the story and characters.
Nice trip thru Scotland and lore a happily ever ending but something just didn’t gel with the story and characters.
January 27, 2019
I've read other Ciji Ware books and really liked them! But this one was so badly written I skimmed it just to get it over with.
August 6, 2019
Loved this book and the two main characters. I liked the businesses they were in, and how those came together. Interesting secondary characters.
December 1, 2019
Too long. Poor business leaders. Couldn't make good financial decisions and it bothered me. :)
December 21, 2020
Flat out boring. Started great but couldn't keep my interest. This was particularly true with the genealogy parts. I just couldn't care because it got hard to follow imo.
June 26, 2022
Awesome book!!
February 17, 2019
Fiona Fraser works at Bernard Sterling, an interior design company that wants to be on par with Ralph Lauren. At an industry show in NYC, she meets a handsome, charming Scotsman named Alex Maxwell. They spend the day together and she feels an unnatural pull towards him, but at the end of the day, he reveals he's married and she flees into the crowd.
Five years later, she pitches an idea for high-quality Scottish goods for her firm. Bernard Sterling loves the idea and sends her to Scotland to do research. She contacts Alex, as he owns a woolen mill there.
I only gave this one star because I didn't feel anything at all for either Fiona or Alex. I felt there was no chemistry between them and I almost stopped reading because I found their stories (his, her and theirs together) boring.
Five years later, she pitches an idea for high-quality Scottish goods for her firm. Bernard Sterling loves the idea and sends her to Scotland to do research. She contacts Alex, as he owns a woolen mill there.
I only gave this one star because I didn't feel anything at all for either Fiona or Alex. I felt there was no chemistry between them and I almost stopped reading because I found their stories (his, her and theirs together) boring.
July 8, 2023
The tag line read Something along the lines of “don’t start it if you don’t want to be up all night finish it”. The tag line lied.
It’s a good enough fluffy novel, not interesting enough to keep me up even an hour past my bedtime.
I did like the characters, their story and “connections” to their ancestors, not so much.
After reading it I learned it’s a sequel of a previous novel about said ancestors, real life people. It makes a little more sense and thus the third Star.
Before I read it, I was tempted to grab the other novels in the series, I’m not tempted any longer
It’s a good enough fluffy novel, not interesting enough to keep me up even an hour past my bedtime.
I did like the characters, their story and “connections” to their ancestors, not so much.
After reading it I learned it’s a sequel of a previous novel about said ancestors, real life people. It makes a little more sense and thus the third Star.
Before I read it, I was tempted to grab the other novels in the series, I’m not tempted any longer
June 21, 2014
This book was so frustrating! I'm a pushover for stories set in Scotland, and I wanted to like this one. Unfortunately, it was terribly superficial and the writing was flawed.
Protagonists: Fiona and Alex are likable enough. She's worked hard to get where she is in her career and is good at what she does because she's sharp and creative. Her backstory, though, is too melodramatic, with a painfully stereotypical Southern family. Alex is a good, hard-working man. His backstory is more believable. But I never got to know either of them well enough to be fully invested in their relationship.
Plot: The plight of small family businesses facing international competition that dominates the market with cheap goods is a good setting for a story. The characters' actions make sense. The subplot of Alex and Fiona's families being connected in history was interesting. The magical/mystical connection between the protagonists didn't work for me, though.
Writing: The author clearly did her research for this book. Unfortunately, she conveyed the historical portion through tedious information dumps. Her venture into the world of interior design, however, came across as name-dropping. Her portrayal of the setting of the story did not convey a sense of place. The descriptions of Edinburgh, New York City, and the mountains of North Carolina were superficial. I've been to those places, and this didn't evoke any memories, nor did it paint vivid pictures. When she said that Grandfather Mountain in NC was like Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, I cringed.
Dialogue: This was the worst part of the book -- well, this and the painful and numerous spelling and grammatical errors (really -- bagpipes don't have a "plaintiff" sound, nor is something "bone fide"). But the dialogue -- people just don't talk like they do in this book! The dialogue is stilted and laden with unnecessary detail (again with the information dumping). For instance: "It almost looks like a French chateau, with its various turrets and cream-colored stucco exterior." I don't often hear people talk like guidebooks.
I really wish this had been a better-written book. With some depth and more careful editing, it could have been.
Protagonists: Fiona and Alex are likable enough. She's worked hard to get where she is in her career and is good at what she does because she's sharp and creative. Her backstory, though, is too melodramatic, with a painfully stereotypical Southern family. Alex is a good, hard-working man. His backstory is more believable. But I never got to know either of them well enough to be fully invested in their relationship.
Plot: The plight of small family businesses facing international competition that dominates the market with cheap goods is a good setting for a story. The characters' actions make sense. The subplot of Alex and Fiona's families being connected in history was interesting. The magical/mystical connection between the protagonists didn't work for me, though.
Writing: The author clearly did her research for this book. Unfortunately, she conveyed the historical portion through tedious information dumps. Her venture into the world of interior design, however, came across as name-dropping. Her portrayal of the setting of the story did not convey a sense of place. The descriptions of Edinburgh, New York City, and the mountains of North Carolina were superficial. I've been to those places, and this didn't evoke any memories, nor did it paint vivid pictures. When she said that Grandfather Mountain in NC was like Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, I cringed.
Dialogue: This was the worst part of the book -- well, this and the painful and numerous spelling and grammatical errors (really -- bagpipes don't have a "plaintiff" sound, nor is something "bone fide"). But the dialogue -- people just don't talk like they do in this book! The dialogue is stilted and laden with unnecessary detail (again with the information dumping). For instance: "It almost looks like a French chateau, with its various turrets and cream-colored stucco exterior." I don't often hear people talk like guidebooks.
I really wish this had been a better-written book. With some depth and more careful editing, it could have been.
October 11, 2016
I've read two books by this author. My motivation and interest in reading both extended beyond entertainment to assistance in researching a story I plan to write. "A Race to Splendor" dropped me in the middle of earthquake-ravaged San Francisco circa 1906 into the fictional life of Amelia Hunter Bradshaw, an architect and woman patterned after the real-life struggles and triumphs of Julia Morgan, the first licensed woman architect in California. Over 100 years later, designer Fiona Fraser of High Point, North Carolina struggles still to be recognized and respected by old boys with attitude in the South and New York City.
This is a romance novel of the highest quality, the love story of Fiona and Alexander Maxwell and the tenuous circumstances that bring and keep them together despite a six year time span and an ocean between them. But the author ventures far beyond the boundaries of romance and the star-crossed history of the present-day lovers' descendants to career and livelihood destruction perpetrated by the rogues of international free trade. The families of Fiona and Alex, and the people their respective U.S. furniture manufacturer and Scottish textile mill plants employ, are threatened by deceitful businessmen who steal ideas and profit by paying workers in Far East sweatshops next to nothing.
Ciji Ware's lessons in history, eloquent prose, and extensive place-setting descriptions may a bit more than most romance readers expect from a love story. But once you start this good read, I'm sure you will, as I did, keep turning the pages to the romance genre required happy ending.
This is a romance novel of the highest quality, the love story of Fiona and Alexander Maxwell and the tenuous circumstances that bring and keep them together despite a six year time span and an ocean between them. But the author ventures far beyond the boundaries of romance and the star-crossed history of the present-day lovers' descendants to career and livelihood destruction perpetrated by the rogues of international free trade. The families of Fiona and Alex, and the people their respective U.S. furniture manufacturer and Scottish textile mill plants employ, are threatened by deceitful businessmen who steal ideas and profit by paying workers in Far East sweatshops next to nothing.
Ciji Ware's lessons in history, eloquent prose, and extensive place-setting descriptions may a bit more than most romance readers expect from a love story. But once you start this good read, I'm sure you will, as I did, keep turning the pages to the romance genre required happy ending.
September 10, 2015
Sequel to Island of the Swans which I adored. Here we have Alex and Fiona, both descendents of Thomas Fraser and Jane Maxwell, Duchess of Gordon, the star crossed lovers from IOTS. Fiona and Alex meet for a day in 2008 in NYC and never forgot one another. A few years later they meet again while she is on a design research trip to Edinburgh for her boss, a Ralph Lauren-esque type designer for her idea of a new Scottish line for furnishings. She and Alex renew their friendship and soon - love, which happens quickly, but we are to assume it is attributed to this strange magnetism they have for one another. He runs a textile mill and shows her all around. It was all very sweet, but it had a tendency to include too many details about the locations, much like a travelogue, in parts. I found it distracting from the main storyline of Alex and Fiona reuniting and their blossoming romance. It brought back many memories of when I was there myself a few years ago, but I preferred the 2nd half of book when the plot centers more on their problems that need to be overcome so they can have their HEA ending which brought the story of their ancestors full circle. This gave the reader (such as moi!) much needed closure from The Island of the Swans, which I recommend reading first.
3.5/5
3.5/5
June 13, 2019
Mostly entertaining and a really nice trip to Scotland all for the price of an on-sale Kindle book.
A couple of annoyances: there were far too many punctuation errors (yes, where the comma goes in a sentence is important). And the sex scenes kind of cracked me up (what is it about sex scenes in books that somehow precludes the use of the word "penis"? Why do the authors always use the word "arousal" or something else?). And though the main character was in home design, I honestly did not care what she was wearing in every scene, or what her man was wearing, or other people around her. Not necessary for me.
Just odd coincidences: I've been reading the also newly released novel based on historical figures (one from Scotland and one from America) The Wide and Starry Sky, by Nancy Horan. Just so happened that I'm reading about Robert Louis Stevenson's address on Heriot Street in Edinburgh in both books. And the really weird thing is in both books characters get dogs and name them Walter. Weird indeed.
Aside from the above-mentioned items, this is a serviceable romance.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/that-autumn-ed...
A couple of annoyances: there were far too many punctuation errors (yes, where the comma goes in a sentence is important). And the sex scenes kind of cracked me up (what is it about sex scenes in books that somehow precludes the use of the word "penis"? Why do the authors always use the word "arousal" or something else?). And though the main character was in home design, I honestly did not care what she was wearing in every scene, or what her man was wearing, or other people around her. Not necessary for me.
Just odd coincidences: I've been reading the also newly released novel based on historical figures (one from Scotland and one from America) The Wide and Starry Sky, by Nancy Horan. Just so happened that I'm reading about Robert Louis Stevenson's address on Heriot Street in Edinburgh in both books. And the really weird thing is in both books characters get dogs and name them Walter. Weird indeed.
Aside from the above-mentioned items, this is a serviceable romance.
Read my full review, including a rating for content, at RatedReads.com: https://ratedreads.com/that-autumn-ed...
March 7, 2014
Wish I could give 3.5 stars but felt I should bump it up rather than down. I love historical fiction and the research behind this story seems to have been amazing. I enjoyed it immensely but felt sometimes it dragged on a bit and sometimes there was a bit more detail than necessary. All in all it was a beautiful love story with a theme of genetic memory being passed down for hundreds of years through the generations. Most of all, I love books set in Scotland and Ireland and this one didn't disappoint me there. My e-book had a lot of typos so I do think it could have used some additional editing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews