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Emmeline Truelove #2
A Strange Scottish Shore
Scotland, 1906. A mysterious object discovered inside an ancient castle calls Maximilian Haywood, the new Duke of Olympia, and his fellow researcher Emmeline Truelove, north to the remote Orkney Islands. No stranger to the study of anachronisms in archeological digs, Haywood is nevertheless puzzled by the artifact: a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, once belonged to a selkie who rose from the sea in ancient times and married the castle’s first laird.
But Haywood and Truelove soon discover they’re not the only ones interested in the selkie’s strange hide, and when their mutual friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night from an Edinburgh street, the mystery takes a dangerous turn through time, which only Haywood’s skills and Truelove’s bravery can solve…
But Haywood and Truelove soon discover they’re not the only ones interested in the selkie’s strange hide, and when their mutual friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night from an Edinburgh street, the mystery takes a dangerous turn through time, which only Haywood’s skills and Truelove’s bravery can solve…
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
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November 2, 2017
I have not read the first book in this series so I was not sure what to expect when I started to read this one. I didn't even know that Juliana Gray is a pseudonym for Beatriz Williams (who I haven't read anything by, but have a couple of books to read). However, I quite liked the beginning of this book which starts off with Emmeline Truelove traveling to the Orkney Islands. That she tends to see her dead father and the late Queen add more intrigue to the story. Then, I discovered that this is not an ordinary historical mystery book. It got time travel! I mean I love time travel and books (and movies) and this surprise delighted me.
A Strange Scottish Shore is a book that surprised me in so many ways. I mean I had never ever read anything before by the author so I hoped this would be a pleasant book to read, I did not expect the story to totally charm me. But, I loved reading the book. Sometimes books can feel predictable, but this one felt delightfully surprising to read. Not that I didn't suspect things, rather that the story took turns that I never thought it would and I felt that the story all the way through kept up that way. Delivering a story that felt refreshingly new all the way through.
This book is one of those that sneaked up on me and I definitely need to get myself a copy of the first book in the series. Emmeline Truelove is fa fabulous characters and I enjoyed her working relationship with Maximilian Haywood and I even loved her "relationship" with Lord Silverton. When I started to read this book did I not read the blurb before. I often do that when I have the book as an ebook so knew very little about what would happen. And, that was just a perk in my opinion. You should try that. Much more interesting to read books that way.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
A Strange Scottish Shore is a book that surprised me in so many ways. I mean I had never ever read anything before by the author so I hoped this would be a pleasant book to read, I did not expect the story to totally charm me. But, I loved reading the book. Sometimes books can feel predictable, but this one felt delightfully surprising to read. Not that I didn't suspect things, rather that the story took turns that I never thought it would and I felt that the story all the way through kept up that way. Delivering a story that felt refreshingly new all the way through.
This book is one of those that sneaked up on me and I definitely need to get myself a copy of the first book in the series. Emmeline Truelove is fa fabulous characters and I enjoyed her working relationship with Maximilian Haywood and I even loved her "relationship" with Lord Silverton. When I started to read this book did I not read the blurb before. I often do that when I have the book as an ebook so knew very little about what would happen. And, that was just a perk in my opinion. You should try that. Much more interesting to read books that way.
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
October 17, 2017
I've given this an A- at AAR, so that's 4.5 stars rounded up.
When I read A Most Extraordinary Pursuit, the first of Juliana Gray’s historical mystery series featuring the intrepid Emmeline Truelove, I wasn’t – at first – quite sure what to think. There’s a mystery, yes, and a bit of romance… but I wasn’t expecting the time travel element or the fact that the heroine has regular conversations with both her deceased father and the late Queen Victoria! In the end, however, I enjoyed the story, which is quite unlike anything I’ve read before – or since, really – and in which the author does a great job of interweaving the various plot elements – mystery, romance, time-travel and oddness! – with a caper-type adventure and a hefty dose of Greek mythology. The somewhat starchy Truelove and the gorgeously dashing Lord Silverton made a wonderfully odd couple as they struck sparks off each other throughout their travels and I was sorry to leave them at the end while also looking forward to the next book and hoping for answers to some of the many questions raised.
Before I go on, I should point out that there are likely to be spoilers for A Most Extraordinary Pursuit in this review, so if you haven’t yet read that book, proceed with caution. And I’ll add that while it might be possible to read A Strange Scottish Shore on its own, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Maximillian Haywood – who became the Duke of Olympia upon the death of his formidable great uncle – has made a name for himself as an archaeologist, and specifically as one with expertise in historical anachronisms; in analysing objects discovered in strata at a time and place they shouldn’t have existed. In the previous book, Max had gone missing – had been kidnapped, in fact – which is what led to Silverton and Truelove’s expedition to Greece to find him, and eventually to the discovery that Max is possessed of an incredible power which somehow enables him to reach through time and bring people through to the present or send them back to the past. A Strange Scottish Shore picks up a few months after Truelove and Silverton parted on the Greek island of Skyros, having located the duke and gone their separate ways.
Truelove is no longer working as the Duke of Olympia’s secretary and instead heads up The Haywood Institute for the Study of Time which Max set up following his return from Greece. He has sent for her to join him at a hunting party being held in the north of Scotland by Lord Thurso, where he has come across an object that doesn’t belong – but as she is boarding the train in London, Truelove catches sight of a familiar face, one of the men she, Silverton and Max had encountered on the Greek island of Naxos months earlier. She knows he is likely following her to Scotland to get to Max and to get hold of the documents she is carrying to him – but before she can think more on the matter, she is joined in her first class compartment by none other than the Marquess of Silverton, looking as cheerfully handsome and nonchalant as ever as he informs her he’s received a telegram from Max and is also on the way to join the hunting party.
The sudden appearance of the red-haired man she had glimpsed in London sees Silverton haring off in pursuit, but following a scuffle, the man jumps from the train, and the ensuing delay while the matter is investigated leaves Silverton and Truelove unable to continue to their destination that day and forced to stay in Edinburgh overnight. Worried that perhaps the man is still following them, Silverton announces his intention to stay the night in her room, on the sofa of course – but when she wakes, he – and her document portfolio – are gone.
Truelove continues her journey and is met at Thurso station by Max, whom, she is troubled to discover, has no notion of what could have happened to their friend. Once arrived at the castle, Max is able to show Truelove exactly what he has found that has so intrigued him. Hidden away at the bottom of an old wooden chest is a suit made of a cool, slippery, unknown material that appears to have been fashioned for a tall, adult female. The chest was found during the refurbishment being undertaken at one of the family’s properties in the Orkney Islands – an old, dilapidated castle which the present owner, Mr. Magnusson – the illegitimate son of Lord Thurso – intends to remodel into an exclusive hotel and resort. Neither Max nor Truelove has any idea what the suit is made of or its purpose, when Magnusson tells them it’s a selkie suit and then of the old family legend that tells of their ancestor – a fisherman – who fell in love with a beautiful maiden who came from the sea. Having fallen instantly in love with her, the fisherman found her sealskin suit and hid it so she could never swim away and leave him – she stayed for seven years and bore him two children, but then found her suit and disappeared back into the sea.
Shortly after this discovery, Truelove and Max come face to face one more with their red-headed nemesis – who introduces himself as Hunter – and who seems to want something from them that they do not have. He also has knowledge of the future, telling Max that he will write a book in 1921 about his experiences with time travel and says that he himself was born in 1985; but before he can explain further or harm either of them, Magnusson intervenes and Hunter escapes by diving out the window into the sea below.
When, the next day, Truelove receives a telegram from the duchess asking for information about Silverton’s whereabouts, she is forced to confront the heart-breaking truth; that he really is missing and she has no idea how to find him or even where to look for him. Until something happens that makes her think that perhaps asking where to look is the wrong question…
A Strange Scottish Shore is an incredibly creative and entertaining story that kept me eagerly turning the pages as I wondered what had happened to Silverton, how – and if – Truelove was ever going to find him, exactly what Max’s power entails and how all of it related to the legend of the selkie, which is very cleverly woven throughout the novel with excerpts from it prefacing each chapter. (The author points out in her note at the end that while this legend is her own invention, such stories are frequently to be found in Scottish folklore). The characterisation of both leads is excellent and Truelove’s distinctive narrative voice is as strong as ever. She is intelligent and perceptive, but wary of falling for Silverton, while he is a thoroughly charming rogue who, as her father tells her, should not be judged by the mask he wears. Their relationship continues along the same lines as in the first book until his disappearance, when Truelove is forced to confront the truth of her feelings, and by her willingness to make a potentially life-changing sacrifice in order to find him, to admit that her attempts to resist him were useless.
The mix of romance, mystery and the supernatural is just about right for someone like me, who likes there to be an emphasis on the romance in mystery and adventure stories – and saying that is probably a bit of a spoiler, so I’m not going to say any more about the plot, which is complex without being impenetrable (but you do need to concentrate!) and superbly constructed. Ms. Gray does answer some of the questions I had at the end of book one, but then proceeds to pose more and the book ends… if not quite on a cliffhanger, then certainly at a point at which it is clear that there is more to come.
A Strange Scottish Shore has cemented my commitment to this series, and I am eagerly looking forward to more. I’d definitely recommend both books to anyone who enjoys romantic historical mysteries and is on the lookout for something a little out of the ordinary.
When I read A Most Extraordinary Pursuit, the first of Juliana Gray’s historical mystery series featuring the intrepid Emmeline Truelove, I wasn’t – at first – quite sure what to think. There’s a mystery, yes, and a bit of romance… but I wasn’t expecting the time travel element or the fact that the heroine has regular conversations with both her deceased father and the late Queen Victoria! In the end, however, I enjoyed the story, which is quite unlike anything I’ve read before – or since, really – and in which the author does a great job of interweaving the various plot elements – mystery, romance, time-travel and oddness! – with a caper-type adventure and a hefty dose of Greek mythology. The somewhat starchy Truelove and the gorgeously dashing Lord Silverton made a wonderfully odd couple as they struck sparks off each other throughout their travels and I was sorry to leave them at the end while also looking forward to the next book and hoping for answers to some of the many questions raised.
Before I go on, I should point out that there are likely to be spoilers for A Most Extraordinary Pursuit in this review, so if you haven’t yet read that book, proceed with caution. And I’ll add that while it might be possible to read A Strange Scottish Shore on its own, I wouldn’t recommend it.
Maximillian Haywood – who became the Duke of Olympia upon the death of his formidable great uncle – has made a name for himself as an archaeologist, and specifically as one with expertise in historical anachronisms; in analysing objects discovered in strata at a time and place they shouldn’t have existed. In the previous book, Max had gone missing – had been kidnapped, in fact – which is what led to Silverton and Truelove’s expedition to Greece to find him, and eventually to the discovery that Max is possessed of an incredible power which somehow enables him to reach through time and bring people through to the present or send them back to the past. A Strange Scottish Shore picks up a few months after Truelove and Silverton parted on the Greek island of Skyros, having located the duke and gone their separate ways.
Truelove is no longer working as the Duke of Olympia’s secretary and instead heads up The Haywood Institute for the Study of Time which Max set up following his return from Greece. He has sent for her to join him at a hunting party being held in the north of Scotland by Lord Thurso, where he has come across an object that doesn’t belong – but as she is boarding the train in London, Truelove catches sight of a familiar face, one of the men she, Silverton and Max had encountered on the Greek island of Naxos months earlier. She knows he is likely following her to Scotland to get to Max and to get hold of the documents she is carrying to him – but before she can think more on the matter, she is joined in her first class compartment by none other than the Marquess of Silverton, looking as cheerfully handsome and nonchalant as ever as he informs her he’s received a telegram from Max and is also on the way to join the hunting party.
The sudden appearance of the red-haired man she had glimpsed in London sees Silverton haring off in pursuit, but following a scuffle, the man jumps from the train, and the ensuing delay while the matter is investigated leaves Silverton and Truelove unable to continue to their destination that day and forced to stay in Edinburgh overnight. Worried that perhaps the man is still following them, Silverton announces his intention to stay the night in her room, on the sofa of course – but when she wakes, he – and her document portfolio – are gone.
Truelove continues her journey and is met at Thurso station by Max, whom, she is troubled to discover, has no notion of what could have happened to their friend. Once arrived at the castle, Max is able to show Truelove exactly what he has found that has so intrigued him. Hidden away at the bottom of an old wooden chest is a suit made of a cool, slippery, unknown material that appears to have been fashioned for a tall, adult female. The chest was found during the refurbishment being undertaken at one of the family’s properties in the Orkney Islands – an old, dilapidated castle which the present owner, Mr. Magnusson – the illegitimate son of Lord Thurso – intends to remodel into an exclusive hotel and resort. Neither Max nor Truelove has any idea what the suit is made of or its purpose, when Magnusson tells them it’s a selkie suit and then of the old family legend that tells of their ancestor – a fisherman – who fell in love with a beautiful maiden who came from the sea. Having fallen instantly in love with her, the fisherman found her sealskin suit and hid it so she could never swim away and leave him – she stayed for seven years and bore him two children, but then found her suit and disappeared back into the sea.
Shortly after this discovery, Truelove and Max come face to face one more with their red-headed nemesis – who introduces himself as Hunter – and who seems to want something from them that they do not have. He also has knowledge of the future, telling Max that he will write a book in 1921 about his experiences with time travel and says that he himself was born in 1985; but before he can explain further or harm either of them, Magnusson intervenes and Hunter escapes by diving out the window into the sea below.
When, the next day, Truelove receives a telegram from the duchess asking for information about Silverton’s whereabouts, she is forced to confront the heart-breaking truth; that he really is missing and she has no idea how to find him or even where to look for him. Until something happens that makes her think that perhaps asking where to look is the wrong question…
A Strange Scottish Shore is an incredibly creative and entertaining story that kept me eagerly turning the pages as I wondered what had happened to Silverton, how – and if – Truelove was ever going to find him, exactly what Max’s power entails and how all of it related to the legend of the selkie, which is very cleverly woven throughout the novel with excerpts from it prefacing each chapter. (The author points out in her note at the end that while this legend is her own invention, such stories are frequently to be found in Scottish folklore). The characterisation of both leads is excellent and Truelove’s distinctive narrative voice is as strong as ever. She is intelligent and perceptive, but wary of falling for Silverton, while he is a thoroughly charming rogue who, as her father tells her, should not be judged by the mask he wears. Their relationship continues along the same lines as in the first book until his disappearance, when Truelove is forced to confront the truth of her feelings, and by her willingness to make a potentially life-changing sacrifice in order to find him, to admit that her attempts to resist him were useless.
The mix of romance, mystery and the supernatural is just about right for someone like me, who likes there to be an emphasis on the romance in mystery and adventure stories – and saying that is probably a bit of a spoiler, so I’m not going to say any more about the plot, which is complex without being impenetrable (but you do need to concentrate!) and superbly constructed. Ms. Gray does answer some of the questions I had at the end of book one, but then proceeds to pose more and the book ends… if not quite on a cliffhanger, then certainly at a point at which it is clear that there is more to come.
A Strange Scottish Shore has cemented my commitment to this series, and I am eagerly looking forward to more. I’d definitely recommend both books to anyone who enjoys romantic historical mysteries and is on the lookout for something a little out of the ordinary.
November 13, 2017
A Strange Scottish Shore is book two in the Emmeline Truelove series. I started with the first book, had some niggles so cautiously picked this one up to see if it improved for me by giving the series another chance. It's a blend of genres that is usually an all-systems go for me: history, mystery, strong female lead, compelling side characters including a potential romantic interest, and a dash of the sci-fi just when I wasn't suspecting it.
Mmm, yes, but no. I was no more enamored with the series on my second encounter. There are a few things that just do not work for me, personally, that I wasn't fond of in the first book and continued through into this one. And, there is yet another couple of iffy items that were added to the mix when I attempted A Strange Scottish Shore on audio.
First, what worked. Because yes, this one had a lot of good going for it as well- hence the average rating. I did love the world of the Emmeline Truelove series- both the early twentieth century and the mid-fourteenth because of the time traveling that allowed for both. I also enjoyed that clever time travel element that brings with it a built in aura of mystery because Truelove, Max and Silverton are pretty much winging it with how it works and why people are popping into and out of time. I thought the pairing of a straight-laced, sharp-minded Truelove with a lively, clever and witty Silverton was a great romance and adventure pair. The overall story has some appeal as well.
But... yes, there are some issues for me. While I can respect several facets of Truelove's character. She can also pull some stubborn-stupid and gah, her squirreliness to admit to feelings and be honest with Silverton even after all that time was really starting to grind me. I wanted to shout back at my iPod- She acts like this independent strong-willed woman, but then goes all pokered up school marm when it comes to feelings.
Sigh... but also, the plot is disjointed and loose in many places. It just doesn't stay neat and got me scratching my head. I had a lot of whys in the end and they had nothing to do with the dangling threads leading into book three. No, its just a loose plot that needed to be more focused. The time travel element seems to get out of control and cause some issues. This was my biggest issue in book one. Maybe its just me as a reader that just isn't a good match up.
The narrator was a first time for me, Gemma Massot. Overall, I thought she did well. There were a few times I felt the story was bland, but I'm not sure if that was the fault of narrator so much as written material she was working with. I thought she did a pretty good job with Truelove's voice and several others, but I struggled when it came to Silverton. He's an aristocrat and yet she has him dropping his 'h's and sounding lower class. It was distracting. But otherwise I was pleased with her work and most definitely her narrative voice.
So, while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. I liked it, but I don't really feel a desire to keep going with the series right now. I will still recommend it to those who want to try what's out there when it comes to historical romantic suspense and time-travel blends.
My thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mmm, yes, but no. I was no more enamored with the series on my second encounter. There are a few things that just do not work for me, personally, that I wasn't fond of in the first book and continued through into this one. And, there is yet another couple of iffy items that were added to the mix when I attempted A Strange Scottish Shore on audio.
First, what worked. Because yes, this one had a lot of good going for it as well- hence the average rating. I did love the world of the Emmeline Truelove series- both the early twentieth century and the mid-fourteenth because of the time traveling that allowed for both. I also enjoyed that clever time travel element that brings with it a built in aura of mystery because Truelove, Max and Silverton are pretty much winging it with how it works and why people are popping into and out of time. I thought the pairing of a straight-laced, sharp-minded Truelove with a lively, clever and witty Silverton was a great romance and adventure pair. The overall story has some appeal as well.
But... yes, there are some issues for me. While I can respect several facets of Truelove's character. She can also pull some stubborn-stupid and gah, her squirreliness to admit to feelings and be honest with Silverton even after all that time was really starting to grind me. I wanted to shout back at my iPod- She acts like this independent strong-willed woman, but then goes all pokered up school marm when it comes to feelings.
Sigh... but also, the plot is disjointed and loose in many places. It just doesn't stay neat and got me scratching my head. I had a lot of whys in the end and they had nothing to do with the dangling threads leading into book three. No, its just a loose plot that needed to be more focused. The time travel element seems to get out of control and cause some issues. This was my biggest issue in book one. Maybe its just me as a reader that just isn't a good match up.
The narrator was a first time for me, Gemma Massot. Overall, I thought she did well. There were a few times I felt the story was bland, but I'm not sure if that was the fault of narrator so much as written material she was working with. I thought she did a pretty good job with Truelove's voice and several others, but I struggled when it came to Silverton. He's an aristocrat and yet she has him dropping his 'h's and sounding lower class. It was distracting. But otherwise I was pleased with her work and most definitely her narrative voice.
So, while I didn't hate it, I didn't love it. I liked it, but I don't really feel a desire to keep going with the series right now. I will still recommend it to those who want to try what's out there when it comes to historical romantic suspense and time-travel blends.
My thanks to Penguin Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2017
I received this as an ARC from Penguin Random House. Thank you.
I thought this book was a fun an interesting read. The big bonus it helped me keep my mind off pain related issues.
It was a mix of many genres, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, and Historical fiction. It's perfect for fans of "The Sterkarm Handshake" and Outlander series.
I thought this book was a fun an interesting read. The big bonus it helped me keep my mind off pain related issues.
It was a mix of many genres, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, and Historical fiction. It's perfect for fans of "The Sterkarm Handshake" and Outlander series.
January 11, 2018
4.5 stars
I enjoyed this even more than the first! All the same quirkiness and spunky characters with so much wit. Still full of surprises and a bit more romance here than book 1.
Recommended to readers who want a little something different!
I enjoyed this even more than the first! All the same quirkiness and spunky characters with so much wit. Still full of surprises and a bit more romance here than book 1.
Recommended to readers who want a little something different!
September 25, 2017
I very rarely pick up books out of order in a series but since time was short and I really wanted to read this, I took a chance and dove right into the somewhat murky waters that is this series.
Being that I at the time was craving the historical setting of Scotland, it was hard to resist such a story. I can say without a doubt that while I don't like just diving into a series, I did so with this one with relative ease and little discomfort.
What I didn't expect was this not to be your typical historical mystery. Oh no, not by a long shot. With the added supernatural theme, a romance that is every bit as swoon worthy as you would expect from this time, and an unexpected time traveling element, this book kept me on my toes in a very good way.
Overall it was a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Being that I at the time was craving the historical setting of Scotland, it was hard to resist such a story. I can say without a doubt that while I don't like just diving into a series, I did so with this one with relative ease and little discomfort.
What I didn't expect was this not to be your typical historical mystery. Oh no, not by a long shot. With the added supernatural theme, a romance that is every bit as swoon worthy as you would expect from this time, and an unexpected time traveling element, this book kept me on my toes in a very good way.
Overall it was a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
September 13, 2017
Sometimes you pick up a book in a series and immediately know you are going to love it. That’s what happened with this one.
Just the cover and title alone was enough to entice me to read this one and next thing I know, within a couple of pages, I already know I desperately need the first book in the series.
For a number of reasons though, not just because I liked Emmeline Truelove and wanted more, but mostly because I felt like I needed to know more about what was going on with the characters and the over all story.
Emmeline Truelove reads a little like Amelia Peabody so if you are a fan of those books (and you know I am) then you will find a kindred heroine in Emmeline Truelove. She’s a little bossy, a little know-it-all-y but she’s got sass and charm in spades. I was however frustrated by her inability to fully commit to Lord Silverton which was why I felt like I especially needed to read the first book. Had he wronged her in some way? Was she just stubborn? I wasn’t sure why she fought against him so hard when it was clear that he loved her. I mean she did travel through time to be with him and yet she kept insisting that she wasn’t in love with him which seemed off to me so I felt like I needed more history which I would eventually glean from the first book.
I think my favorite part of the story though was the romance between Emmeline and Lord Silverton. They had a chemistry that can’t be denied and I love how tentative and open Lord Silverton was with his feelings for Emmeline. He clearly wore his heart on his sleeve and knew exactly what he wanted when it came to their future and feelings. Lord Silverton himself is easy to love and pairing him with Emmeline–though predictable—was so right and comfortable that readers will feel at home with the pair.
This one also reminded me a little of Outlander—though not so heavy as all that but still hints of it all the same. I liked the idea of time travel in this book but at times I also felt like it wasn’t explained well enough to make sense. For example when Max and Emmeline are talking about why she can sense Lord Silverton and feel Max’s pull, I found myself scratching my head. Then adding a couple of characters from the future and I finally just had to throw up my hands and be like ‘ok it’s time travel and there are no rules’.
On the whole though the time travel element worked for me. I liked how there were multiple characters that moved through time and the idea of being called back by the master time manipulator. I kept wondering when Lord Silverton and Emmeline were going to be called back so that unknown made the book all the more suspenseful.
The thing that bothered me the most throughout the novel though, was the little excerpts from the Book of Time at the beginning of each chapter. I wasn’t at all interested in that and couldn’t understand how it related at all to the overall narrative. It didn’t seem to have a greater purpose in my opinion, however it does in fact have a purpose in the narrative but not one that I felt entirely invested in.
Also I felt a little at a loss as to who the apparitions were in this book, having not read the others. I was like wait why is the Queen in Emmaline’s room? Where did she come from? I think this might have made more sense had I read the first one.
After about chapter 3 I immediately went to download the first book in the series which I will be reading next. I had planned on reading the first one this summer in preparation for this book, but the summer just got away from me and I didn’t have time to read the first one.
The cover design is also fantastic. It hints at a castle on the cliffs with a hint of mystery as the women suggests someone there to investigate something. Its bright enough to appeal to many readers and eye catching with the colors to grab you while you are searching for a mystery to read.
If you are looking for a new lady gumshoe (like I perpetually am) with a flair for adventure, then I think you will like Emmeline Truelove. This story is part adventure novel, part romance, and part mystery. There is something for everyone to enjoy. I gave it 4 stars only because I felt a little out of place with some of the references to the first book as well as the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, but it was a great read all the same.
As a side note, this author is also a pseudonym for one of my favorite authors, Beatriz Williams, so you know that the writing is going to be fantastic as well as the story!
See my full review here
Just the cover and title alone was enough to entice me to read this one and next thing I know, within a couple of pages, I already know I desperately need the first book in the series.
For a number of reasons though, not just because I liked Emmeline Truelove and wanted more, but mostly because I felt like I needed to know more about what was going on with the characters and the over all story.
Emmeline Truelove reads a little like Amelia Peabody so if you are a fan of those books (and you know I am) then you will find a kindred heroine in Emmeline Truelove. She’s a little bossy, a little know-it-all-y but she’s got sass and charm in spades. I was however frustrated by her inability to fully commit to Lord Silverton which was why I felt like I especially needed to read the first book. Had he wronged her in some way? Was she just stubborn? I wasn’t sure why she fought against him so hard when it was clear that he loved her. I mean she did travel through time to be with him and yet she kept insisting that she wasn’t in love with him which seemed off to me so I felt like I needed more history which I would eventually glean from the first book.
I think my favorite part of the story though was the romance between Emmeline and Lord Silverton. They had a chemistry that can’t be denied and I love how tentative and open Lord Silverton was with his feelings for Emmeline. He clearly wore his heart on his sleeve and knew exactly what he wanted when it came to their future and feelings. Lord Silverton himself is easy to love and pairing him with Emmeline–though predictable—was so right and comfortable that readers will feel at home with the pair.
This one also reminded me a little of Outlander—though not so heavy as all that but still hints of it all the same. I liked the idea of time travel in this book but at times I also felt like it wasn’t explained well enough to make sense. For example when Max and Emmeline are talking about why she can sense Lord Silverton and feel Max’s pull, I found myself scratching my head. Then adding a couple of characters from the future and I finally just had to throw up my hands and be like ‘ok it’s time travel and there are no rules’.
On the whole though the time travel element worked for me. I liked how there were multiple characters that moved through time and the idea of being called back by the master time manipulator. I kept wondering when Lord Silverton and Emmeline were going to be called back so that unknown made the book all the more suspenseful.
The thing that bothered me the most throughout the novel though, was the little excerpts from the Book of Time at the beginning of each chapter. I wasn’t at all interested in that and couldn’t understand how it related at all to the overall narrative. It didn’t seem to have a greater purpose in my opinion, however it does in fact have a purpose in the narrative but not one that I felt entirely invested in.
Also I felt a little at a loss as to who the apparitions were in this book, having not read the others. I was like wait why is the Queen in Emmaline’s room? Where did she come from? I think this might have made more sense had I read the first one.
After about chapter 3 I immediately went to download the first book in the series which I will be reading next. I had planned on reading the first one this summer in preparation for this book, but the summer just got away from me and I didn’t have time to read the first one.
The cover design is also fantastic. It hints at a castle on the cliffs with a hint of mystery as the women suggests someone there to investigate something. Its bright enough to appeal to many readers and eye catching with the colors to grab you while you are searching for a mystery to read.
If you are looking for a new lady gumshoe (like I perpetually am) with a flair for adventure, then I think you will like Emmeline Truelove. This story is part adventure novel, part romance, and part mystery. There is something for everyone to enjoy. I gave it 4 stars only because I felt a little out of place with some of the references to the first book as well as the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter, but it was a great read all the same.
As a side note, this author is also a pseudonym for one of my favorite authors, Beatriz Williams, so you know that the writing is going to be fantastic as well as the story!
See my full review here
May 26, 2024
Review from 2017
I've given this a C- for narration and an A- for content at AudioGals. I gave it the same grade as the book because the narration was so distracting (and boring) that I felt unable to make a proper judgement of the story in audio.
Why do audio publishers employ inexperienced narrators to work on major releases by big-name authors? I know everyone has to start somewhere, which is why I make a point of picking up audios using first time – or very early-in-their-careers – narrators; there have to be some who start out fairly well and then get better over time. Sadly, however, most of the newbies I have listened to recently have turned out to be fairly poor and have not done justice to the stories to which they have been assigned. Giving this book to an untried narrator is akin to giving the kid next door the lead role in Hamlet at the RSC. A Strange Scottish Shore is another title that’s being consigned to the “wish they hadn’t done that” pile, because while Gemma Massot has an attractive speaking voice, she lacks the experience and acting chops necessary to perform a tale of such complexity and bring it to life.
A Strange Scottish Shore is the second book in Juliana Gray’s quirky series of Edwardian era historical mysteries (with an unusual twist) featuring the intrepid Miss Emmeline Truelove and the dashing but enigmatic Marquess of Silverton. When I picked up the first book (A Most Extraordinary Pursuit – and it would be wise to read or listen to that before starting this one) I was expecting a straightforward historical mystery, but quickly had to adjust my expectations when our heroine began routinely having conversations with the deceased Queen Victoria and, later on, her late father. Miss Truelove, who had been secretary to the political colossus that was the Duke of Olympia up until his death, was asked to travel to the Greek islands in order to track down the new duke, who had gone missing, in the company of the unspeakably gorgeous but empty-headed Lord Silverton. Silverton, naturally, turned out to be far from stupid (he’s an early 20th century James Bond!) and what followed was an intriguing and thoroughly entertaining story that combined elements of mystery, mythology and time travel with a soupçon of romance and turned out to be unlike anything else I’ve read in the genre and left me eager for more.
This second book picks up some five months after the events of the previous one, which saw Silverton and Truelove parting on the island of Skyros after she had turned down his proposal of marriage. Ever the pragmatist, Truelove couldn’t conceive that a man of such high rank and extravagant good looks could possibly have been serious and viewed his offer as merely the sort of ridiculous flirting that characterised their relationship. Now, Truelove is running The Haywood Institute for the Study of Time that Max Haywood – the new Duke of Olympia – set up on his return from Greece. Max is an archaeologist of some renown whose specialism is Historical Anachronism; the study of artefacts unearthed in strata in which they clearly do not belong. He is currently attending a hunting party being held in the north of Scotland by Lord Thurso, and has requested Truelove join him in order to examine an unusual item he has discovered there. She is boarding the train in London when she glimpses a familiar face and shock of red hair; one of the men who had followed her and Silverton to Greece and caused them such trouble. Truelove suspects he is out to purloin the documents she is carrying to Max, but is distracted by the unexpected appearance of none other than Lord Silverton, charming and handsome as ever, who explains he’s received a telegram from Max asking him to meet him at the house-party.
When the red-haired man hurries past their compartment, Silverton sets off in pursuit, but he loses him when his quarry jumps from the train which is then forced to stop, delaying his and Truelove’s arrival and forcing them to spend the night in Edinburgh. When, next morning, Truelove discovers that Silverton has gone on without her and that the portfolio she had been taking to Max has also disappeared, she is annoyed and hurt at Silverton’s betrayal. But when she arrives and discovers that Max hasn’t heard from Silverton since he summoned him to Scotland, she is troubled and starts to wonder if perhaps his disappearance wasn’t a voluntary one.
As her concern grows, she is also intrigued to learn of Max’s discovery, which is of a suit of unknown material that seems to have been made to fit an adult female. Their host explains that it’s a selkie suit and tells of the family legend of the selkie who fell in love with a fisherman who so loved her that he hid her sealskin suit so that she couldn’t return to the sea. They lived together for seven years and she bore him two children, until she found the suit and left, never to return. Although this particular story – parts of which preface each chapter – is the author’s creation, such legends abound in the north of Scotland and there are many different versions of it. And keen eared listeners will be able to work out how it relates to the main storyline and what it portends for the next book.
When the dowager Duchess of Olympia telegraphs Max to tell him she hasn’t heard from Silverton recently, Truelove is forced to confront the truth of her feelings for him, which run far deeper than she has admitted to herself. But where is he? And how is she ever going to find him? It’s only when, in a room at a dilapidated castle on the island of Hoy (in the Orkneys) she gets an inkling of the truth, and asks herself if “where?” is the right question to ask.
I can’t say much more for fear of spoiling a complex, creative and engrossing plot which sees Truelove making a potentially life-changing sacrifice for the man she loves. The cleverly interwoven selkie myth, the danger posed by the mysterious red-haired man, the mystery surrounding Silverton’s disappearance, Max’s unusual talent… it all adds up to a cracker of a story.
But I’ll say now that it’s a book best experienced in print, because the narration by newcomer Gemma Massot doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Her voice is pleasant, and she injects a reasonable degree of expression into the narration, but her pacing is on the slow side and her character and gender differentiation is fairly negligible. Oh, and she gives Silverton a sex-change; he’s a marquess but she pronounces it as ‘marquise’. There are times in the opening chapters where I couldn’t tell the difference between Truelove’s dialogue and Silverton’s, and the sexual tension that arises from their banter-filled exchanges is completely lacking. Truelove’s narrative voice (the story is told in the first person) doesn’t capture her intelligence, her independence and slight but endearing starchiness and Silverton, oh, dear; gorgeous, clever, charming and slightly naughty Silverton sounds like a dry stick. I don’t want to give spoilers about the story, but it’s impossible not to give away a teeny bit when I say that in the latter part of the book after the couple is reunited, Ms. Massot has, for some inexplicable reason, chosen to give Silverton a bog-standard, country-bumpkin sort of West Country accent, which might have worked had that part of the story taken place in Cornwall, but it doesn’t – it takes place in the Orkney Islands. The text does indicate that Silverton’s accent at this point is different to the one Truelove is used to, but it’s from the wrong end of the UK. And if that weren’t bad enough, she doesn’t even apply it consistently. This is also the case with the American accent used for the character of Hunter; it’s inconsistent and often bleeds over into the following narrative and bits of dialogue. Then there are little things which, over the length of an audiobook, become major irritants, such as her odd way of pronouncing the word “the” and the way that half the words that should end with a ‘t’ end with a glottal stop.
I could say more, but I think I’ve made it clear why Ms. Massot was a poor choice for this book. It’s the sort of story that needs one to focus and pay attention, and when the narrator is not up to the story’s weight and the narration is this distracting, that just isn’t possible.
Note: I have given the same content grade as I gave the book; I didn’t feel able to make an accurate judgement of it in audio given that the narration didn’t hold my attention.
I've given this a C- for narration and an A- for content at AudioGals. I gave it the same grade as the book because the narration was so distracting (and boring) that I felt unable to make a proper judgement of the story in audio.
Why do audio publishers employ inexperienced narrators to work on major releases by big-name authors? I know everyone has to start somewhere, which is why I make a point of picking up audios using first time – or very early-in-their-careers – narrators; there have to be some who start out fairly well and then get better over time. Sadly, however, most of the newbies I have listened to recently have turned out to be fairly poor and have not done justice to the stories to which they have been assigned. Giving this book to an untried narrator is akin to giving the kid next door the lead role in Hamlet at the RSC. A Strange Scottish Shore is another title that’s being consigned to the “wish they hadn’t done that” pile, because while Gemma Massot has an attractive speaking voice, she lacks the experience and acting chops necessary to perform a tale of such complexity and bring it to life.
A Strange Scottish Shore is the second book in Juliana Gray’s quirky series of Edwardian era historical mysteries (with an unusual twist) featuring the intrepid Miss Emmeline Truelove and the dashing but enigmatic Marquess of Silverton. When I picked up the first book (A Most Extraordinary Pursuit – and it would be wise to read or listen to that before starting this one) I was expecting a straightforward historical mystery, but quickly had to adjust my expectations when our heroine began routinely having conversations with the deceased Queen Victoria and, later on, her late father. Miss Truelove, who had been secretary to the political colossus that was the Duke of Olympia up until his death, was asked to travel to the Greek islands in order to track down the new duke, who had gone missing, in the company of the unspeakably gorgeous but empty-headed Lord Silverton. Silverton, naturally, turned out to be far from stupid (he’s an early 20th century James Bond!) and what followed was an intriguing and thoroughly entertaining story that combined elements of mystery, mythology and time travel with a soupçon of romance and turned out to be unlike anything else I’ve read in the genre and left me eager for more.
This second book picks up some five months after the events of the previous one, which saw Silverton and Truelove parting on the island of Skyros after she had turned down his proposal of marriage. Ever the pragmatist, Truelove couldn’t conceive that a man of such high rank and extravagant good looks could possibly have been serious and viewed his offer as merely the sort of ridiculous flirting that characterised their relationship. Now, Truelove is running The Haywood Institute for the Study of Time that Max Haywood – the new Duke of Olympia – set up on his return from Greece. Max is an archaeologist of some renown whose specialism is Historical Anachronism; the study of artefacts unearthed in strata in which they clearly do not belong. He is currently attending a hunting party being held in the north of Scotland by Lord Thurso, and has requested Truelove join him in order to examine an unusual item he has discovered there. She is boarding the train in London when she glimpses a familiar face and shock of red hair; one of the men who had followed her and Silverton to Greece and caused them such trouble. Truelove suspects he is out to purloin the documents she is carrying to Max, but is distracted by the unexpected appearance of none other than Lord Silverton, charming and handsome as ever, who explains he’s received a telegram from Max asking him to meet him at the house-party.
When the red-haired man hurries past their compartment, Silverton sets off in pursuit, but he loses him when his quarry jumps from the train which is then forced to stop, delaying his and Truelove’s arrival and forcing them to spend the night in Edinburgh. When, next morning, Truelove discovers that Silverton has gone on without her and that the portfolio she had been taking to Max has also disappeared, she is annoyed and hurt at Silverton’s betrayal. But when she arrives and discovers that Max hasn’t heard from Silverton since he summoned him to Scotland, she is troubled and starts to wonder if perhaps his disappearance wasn’t a voluntary one.
As her concern grows, she is also intrigued to learn of Max’s discovery, which is of a suit of unknown material that seems to have been made to fit an adult female. Their host explains that it’s a selkie suit and tells of the family legend of the selkie who fell in love with a fisherman who so loved her that he hid her sealskin suit so that she couldn’t return to the sea. They lived together for seven years and she bore him two children, until she found the suit and left, never to return. Although this particular story – parts of which preface each chapter – is the author’s creation, such legends abound in the north of Scotland and there are many different versions of it. And keen eared listeners will be able to work out how it relates to the main storyline and what it portends for the next book.
When the dowager Duchess of Olympia telegraphs Max to tell him she hasn’t heard from Silverton recently, Truelove is forced to confront the truth of her feelings for him, which run far deeper than she has admitted to herself. But where is he? And how is she ever going to find him? It’s only when, in a room at a dilapidated castle on the island of Hoy (in the Orkneys) she gets an inkling of the truth, and asks herself if “where?” is the right question to ask.
I can’t say much more for fear of spoiling a complex, creative and engrossing plot which sees Truelove making a potentially life-changing sacrifice for the man she loves. The cleverly interwoven selkie myth, the danger posed by the mysterious red-haired man, the mystery surrounding Silverton’s disappearance, Max’s unusual talent… it all adds up to a cracker of a story.
But I’ll say now that it’s a book best experienced in print, because the narration by newcomer Gemma Massot doesn’t even begin to do it justice. Her voice is pleasant, and she injects a reasonable degree of expression into the narration, but her pacing is on the slow side and her character and gender differentiation is fairly negligible. Oh, and she gives Silverton a sex-change; he’s a marquess but she pronounces it as ‘marquise’. There are times in the opening chapters where I couldn’t tell the difference between Truelove’s dialogue and Silverton’s, and the sexual tension that arises from their banter-filled exchanges is completely lacking. Truelove’s narrative voice (the story is told in the first person) doesn’t capture her intelligence, her independence and slight but endearing starchiness and Silverton, oh, dear; gorgeous, clever, charming and slightly naughty Silverton sounds like a dry stick. I don’t want to give spoilers about the story, but it’s impossible not to give away a teeny bit when I say that in the latter part of the book after the couple is reunited, Ms. Massot has, for some inexplicable reason, chosen to give Silverton a bog-standard, country-bumpkin sort of West Country accent, which might have worked had that part of the story taken place in Cornwall, but it doesn’t – it takes place in the Orkney Islands. The text does indicate that Silverton’s accent at this point is different to the one Truelove is used to, but it’s from the wrong end of the UK. And if that weren’t bad enough, she doesn’t even apply it consistently. This is also the case with the American accent used for the character of Hunter; it’s inconsistent and often bleeds over into the following narrative and bits of dialogue. Then there are little things which, over the length of an audiobook, become major irritants, such as her odd way of pronouncing the word “the” and the way that half the words that should end with a ‘t’ end with a glottal stop.
I could say more, but I think I’ve made it clear why Ms. Massot was a poor choice for this book. It’s the sort of story that needs one to focus and pay attention, and when the narrator is not up to the story’s weight and the narration is this distracting, that just isn’t possible.
Note: I have given the same content grade as I gave the book; I didn’t feel able to make an accurate judgement of it in audio given that the narration didn’t hold my attention.
November 2, 2017
Ok, you can say I am conflicted about this book... and I found myself mulling over it in the wee hours of the morning...
Last night, reading the last pages and finding myself in the sort of mood that makes me itch to just stare in the nothingness of the last blank page, I was considering the options.
1- it's me, not you. The writing is good, characters interesting... so maybe there is something wrong in me...
2- it's a marketing problem: I was expecting a quirky historical mystery with a dash of time travel.. and I got... something else...
3- time travel is not exactly my cup of tea...
so the 2 starts.. but really it should be 1.5...
because when I dove deeper in my "un-satisfaction" I found a few things. Warning: spoilers ahead...
the time change was so abrupt... and the depiction of the Orkney Islands left me with a sense of perennial autumn. Miss Truelove is not a narrator who likes to wax lyrically about things, but I found strange that a modern and somewhat unconventional woman would adjust so swiftly. The same goes for Silverton.
I get it, ok, three years have passed... but it's like having a completely different person and only her word that he is who he is. the dashing spy may have changed quite a lot, but old habits die hard, especially for someone who has attuned his senses for the kind of troubles they will have later in the book.
Max has vanished. completely. even before getting in the past. the focus was already in this distant mythical creature, the Max-of-"somewhen"-later, who is a huge puppeteer. one too many...
Hunter is another problem... -as Helen is... there are massive holes in her plot-line -, and he is, even before being put in a dungeon for three years, a borderline jerk, with the moves of a soap-opera bad boy... I am not talking about the swearing,-which irritated me not because of the editing made by Truelove, but because I would have considered more in character with her report to have simply omissis and not the first letter or the beginning of the word.... - but about his actions, completely absurd, and motives, a muddled tangle of partial unknown.. and that's the best way to describe it because his psychology is practically flat.
then we have the clues in the chest.
time travel books have to be careful about things, and I was wondering about the piece of paper with the drawing...
I have a few things form my grand-granny. Her wedding portrait, an old prayer book, and inside a little piece of paper... a simple card to wish the couple well in their life. all dated around the turn of the XX century... and the paper is frayed and faded and the ink almost illegible, and it was carefully conserved inside the book.
and so how is it possible that a piece of paper with a pencil drawing would survive form the XIV century, not crumble at the first touch, and still be legible?
and no, I can't accept the "it's only a story".
also this report made by Miss Truelove, when and to whom? it is a report, it's pretty clear now.. but it's too dispassionate and too explicit. for example: the first time we met Helen on the boat Truelove is pretty uncomfortable when she mentions her pregnancy. but then she reveals glimpses of her intimacy with Silverton.
And were has her inquisitive nature gone in the months then years of living on the island? swept by a gale? So she is just wife and mother and thank you very much.
and I would have much preferred another solution to the Queen Victoria revelation... it doesn't add anything to her story, and the parts when Truelove thinks about her real father are repetitive... I got it the first time, thank you very much, stop insisting and also why should the mention of one father should erase the presence of the other? (this is another sore point, the loss of Mr truelove ghost is just something she remembers accidentally just before the chaos begin..)
lastly, the ending... it's not an ending... it's an hinting. but I do not think that the series has been planned really well. because to leave this many blanks and unresolved issues you have to make sure of two things: the reader will remember well the plot of the previous books and will have new elements to get the whole picture in every part, or resolve an issue to have it form the base for a bigger one.
and it doesn't work...
Last night, reading the last pages and finding myself in the sort of mood that makes me itch to just stare in the nothingness of the last blank page, I was considering the options.
1- it's me, not you. The writing is good, characters interesting... so maybe there is something wrong in me...
2- it's a marketing problem: I was expecting a quirky historical mystery with a dash of time travel.. and I got... something else...
3- time travel is not exactly my cup of tea...
so the 2 starts.. but really it should be 1.5...
because when I dove deeper in my "un-satisfaction" I found a few things. Warning: spoilers ahead...
the time change was so abrupt... and the depiction of the Orkney Islands left me with a sense of perennial autumn. Miss Truelove is not a narrator who likes to wax lyrically about things, but I found strange that a modern and somewhat unconventional woman would adjust so swiftly. The same goes for Silverton.
I get it, ok, three years have passed... but it's like having a completely different person and only her word that he is who he is. the dashing spy may have changed quite a lot, but old habits die hard, especially for someone who has attuned his senses for the kind of troubles they will have later in the book.
Max has vanished. completely. even before getting in the past. the focus was already in this distant mythical creature, the Max-of-"somewhen"-later, who is a huge puppeteer. one too many...
Hunter is another problem... -as Helen is... there are massive holes in her plot-line -, and he is, even before being put in a dungeon for three years, a borderline jerk, with the moves of a soap-opera bad boy... I am not talking about the swearing,-which irritated me not because of the editing made by Truelove, but because I would have considered more in character with her report to have simply omissis and not the first letter or the beginning of the word.... - but about his actions, completely absurd, and motives, a muddled tangle of partial unknown.. and that's the best way to describe it because his psychology is practically flat.
then we have the clues in the chest.
time travel books have to be careful about things, and I was wondering about the piece of paper with the drawing...
I have a few things form my grand-granny. Her wedding portrait, an old prayer book, and inside a little piece of paper... a simple card to wish the couple well in their life. all dated around the turn of the XX century... and the paper is frayed and faded and the ink almost illegible, and it was carefully conserved inside the book.
and so how is it possible that a piece of paper with a pencil drawing would survive form the XIV century, not crumble at the first touch, and still be legible?
and no, I can't accept the "it's only a story".
also this report made by Miss Truelove, when and to whom? it is a report, it's pretty clear now.. but it's too dispassionate and too explicit. for example: the first time we met Helen on the boat Truelove is pretty uncomfortable when she mentions her pregnancy. but then she reveals glimpses of her intimacy with Silverton.
And were has her inquisitive nature gone in the months then years of living on the island? swept by a gale? So she is just wife and mother and thank you very much.
and I would have much preferred another solution to the Queen Victoria revelation... it doesn't add anything to her story, and the parts when Truelove thinks about her real father are repetitive... I got it the first time, thank you very much, stop insisting and also why should the mention of one father should erase the presence of the other? (this is another sore point, the loss of Mr truelove ghost is just something she remembers accidentally just before the chaos begin..)
lastly, the ending... it's not an ending... it's an hinting. but I do not think that the series has been planned really well. because to leave this many blanks and unresolved issues you have to make sure of two things: the reader will remember well the plot of the previous books and will have new elements to get the whole picture in every part, or resolve an issue to have it form the base for a bigger one.
and it doesn't work...
January 3, 2018
My first book of the year left me feeling slightly bemused. I enjoyed the first one immensely because of what it offered me: a mystery, an intriguing protagonist, some satisfying chemistry between the protagonist and a dashing character. The second one in this series is decidedly not in the same genre.
I somewhat understand why and how the novel plays out like it does. But for all the times Emmaline is told Silverton loves her, I never actually felt it. Emmaline's willing slide into domesticity also confounded me because only earlier in the novel I had been loving the chemistry arcing between the characters, the loaded banter, and so much more. Then, all of a sudden, I am in a medieval romance novel.
I possibly am going to continue with this series but I am, as I said, bemused by this turn of events and the ensuing messiness (if what I suspect is true and the story turns on its head as it does).
I somewhat understand why and how the novel plays out like it does. But for all the times Emmaline is told Silverton loves her, I never actually felt it. Emmaline's willing slide into domesticity also confounded me because only earlier in the novel I had been loving the chemistry arcing between the characters, the loaded banter, and so much more. Then, all of a sudden, I am in a medieval romance novel.
I possibly am going to continue with this series but I am, as I said, bemused by this turn of events and the ensuing messiness (if what I suspect is true and the story turns on its head as it does).
August 1, 2017
I'm loving this series and am bummed I'll have to wait another year or so to read the next one! The books are sort of Outlander meets Amelia Peabody. They're less researched and lighter than either of those series, but the heroine, Emmeline Truelove is smart, brave and just a little bossy, like Peabody. Good fun, highly recommended if you like historicals.
March 10, 2024
I actually loved this even more than the first book! Scotland, love story, time travel, mystery, everything I love.
January 31, 2018
I enjoyed the first EmmelineTruelove book. As I said in my review, it didn’t, however, leave me on a satisfied high. I picked up the sequel hoping that the problems I had with book number one would all be solved. Well… Let’s just say I still wasn't completely satisfied.
One problem I had with the first book surrounded Silverton, the love interest. I was unsure about him for most of the first book. I didn’t know whether or not I should be cheering him on, or perhaps my loyalty should have sat with Emmeline’s new boss, Max. This time around, I was much more appreciative of Silverton. I did wonder if this was perhaps due to the new path Gray led him down in this outing (which I can’t go into without spoiling), meaning he almost felt like a whole new character. He was not A Most Extraordinary Pursuit’s completely self assured member of the English peerage who dabbles in spy work/solving crimes. I think I liked him being more vulnerable; more human.
I also enjoyed the concurrently told story used in the chapter openings more this time. This tale (supposedly written by Emmeline’s boss in 1921), was about the legend of Scottish selkies and was much less annoying than the Greek myth of book one. It still didn’t hold any key to the time travel puzzle though.
In fact, if you pick up this book thinking all would be revealed when it comes to how and why characters are time travelling, you’re out of luck. With the inclusion of a new female character, Helen, there is a nice clear explanation as to why the characters are attempting to time travel (in both books really). But there is no real explanation as to how the power works or who is really responsible for the commonly used scifi trick. (I keep thinking Gray might later reveal that Emmeline has the power to send people through time and not Max and her supernatural skills are somehow related to this.)
That last point leads me to say there was also no progress with why Emmeline can see dead people either. Although, I will say, that she does it with less frequency this time round. This might mean that it shouldn’t annoy me considering how few times Queen Victoria et al. turns up but, really, it just proves my point that the idea doesn’t add to the plot in any way.
Gray writing flashback/memory scenes into every chapter also annoyed me last time. She still does it. Obviously it’s her style. I tolerated it but, sometimes, I just wanted her to get on with the story.
I can tell that Gray is experienced with writing love/romantic scenes between her characters.
All those scenes were written with class and subtlety. She also handles the action/fight scenes with aplomb.
There is quite a bit more time travel in this book but I would have liked some more scenes of the difficulties of the characters swapping time periods. Differences in language and clothing are brought up but, really, everyone seems to slip into their new century with alarming ease. (I recommend Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book for those lovely realistic and sharp details of life in the 14th century.)
I’ve made lots of comparisons between the two books in the series and I must say that although A Strange Scottish Shore is technically a stand alone novel, I would highly recommend reading the first book prior to tackling it. All this talk of time travel and dead people and adventure might make much more sense if you do.
Points to Gray for the ending. Somehow she does manage to give the book a real conclusion while still leaving quite a lot unresolved and thus setting up for another sequel. And yes, I think I will read it.
3 and ½ out of 5 again.
One problem I had with the first book surrounded Silverton, the love interest. I was unsure about him for most of the first book. I didn’t know whether or not I should be cheering him on, or perhaps my loyalty should have sat with Emmeline’s new boss, Max. This time around, I was much more appreciative of Silverton. I did wonder if this was perhaps due to the new path Gray led him down in this outing (which I can’t go into without spoiling), meaning he almost felt like a whole new character. He was not A Most Extraordinary Pursuit’s completely self assured member of the English peerage who dabbles in spy work/solving crimes. I think I liked him being more vulnerable; more human.
I also enjoyed the concurrently told story used in the chapter openings more this time. This tale (supposedly written by Emmeline’s boss in 1921), was about the legend of Scottish selkies and was much less annoying than the Greek myth of book one. It still didn’t hold any key to the time travel puzzle though.
In fact, if you pick up this book thinking all would be revealed when it comes to how and why characters are time travelling, you’re out of luck. With the inclusion of a new female character, Helen, there is a nice clear explanation as to why the characters are attempting to time travel (in both books really). But there is no real explanation as to how the power works or who is really responsible for the commonly used scifi trick. (I keep thinking Gray might later reveal that Emmeline has the power to send people through time and not Max and her supernatural skills are somehow related to this.)
That last point leads me to say there was also no progress with why Emmeline can see dead people either. Although, I will say, that she does it with less frequency this time round. This might mean that it shouldn’t annoy me considering how few times Queen Victoria et al. turns up but, really, it just proves my point that the idea doesn’t add to the plot in any way.
Gray writing flashback/memory scenes into every chapter also annoyed me last time. She still does it. Obviously it’s her style. I tolerated it but, sometimes, I just wanted her to get on with the story.
I can tell that Gray is experienced with writing love/romantic scenes between her characters.
All those scenes were written with class and subtlety. She also handles the action/fight scenes with aplomb.
There is quite a bit more time travel in this book but I would have liked some more scenes of the difficulties of the characters swapping time periods. Differences in language and clothing are brought up but, really, everyone seems to slip into their new century with alarming ease. (I recommend Connie Willis’s Doomsday Book for those lovely realistic and sharp details of life in the 14th century.)
I’ve made lots of comparisons between the two books in the series and I must say that although A Strange Scottish Shore is technically a stand alone novel, I would highly recommend reading the first book prior to tackling it. All this talk of time travel and dead people and adventure might make much more sense if you do.
Points to Gray for the ending. Somehow she does manage to give the book a real conclusion while still leaving quite a lot unresolved and thus setting up for another sequel. And yes, I think I will read it.
3 and ½ out of 5 again.
November 15, 2021
One star for the cover; one star for mentioning the old Duke of Olympia occasionally
From which you might infer that the book itself left me cold. Nearly correct: it left me confused.
In the past, I've enjoyed Juliana Gray's well-crafted books; The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match is a DIK (my review here). Her characters are clearly characterised; the plots are (by and large) period-appropriate.
In Emmeline Truelove, JG has created a strong sensible Edwardian woman, whose virtues of commonsense, self-control and dry wit are contrasted with the flightier qualities of Silverton, for whom she pines unrequitedly-ish. So what, in the name of Blind Io, possessed JG to take this corseted heroine and
As a reader, I feel cheated.
I might also mention in passing that I have not really forgiven Juliana Gray for allowing the Duke of Olympia to die (in book 1 of this series - A Most Extraordinary Pursuit).
All in all, a miss.
(Apart of course from the gorgeous but stylistically misleading cover designed by David Moore.)
From which you might infer that the book itself left me cold. Nearly correct: it left me confused.
In the past, I've enjoyed Juliana Gray's well-crafted books; The Duke of Olympia Meets His Match is a DIK (my review here). Her characters are clearly characterised; the plots are (by and large) period-appropriate.
In Emmeline Truelove, JG has created a strong sensible Edwardian woman, whose virtues of commonsense, self-control and dry wit are contrasted with the flightier qualities of Silverton, for whom she pines unrequitedly-ish. So what, in the name of Blind Io, possessed JG to take this corseted heroine and
As a reader, I feel cheated.
I might also mention in passing that I have not really forgiven Juliana Gray for allowing the Duke of Olympia to die (in book 1 of this series - A Most Extraordinary Pursuit).
All in all, a miss.
(Apart of course from the gorgeous but stylistically misleading cover designed by David Moore.)
September 3, 2018
This Emmeline Truelove novel picks up several months after the ending of the first. This one went in a direction I wasn’t expecting at all, and I’m not sure where this series will go next. I really enjoyed it though, and am hoping it won’t be too long before the next one in the series comes out.
June 25, 2018
I liked the story enough to continue, but my belief suspension mechanism may be affected.
Nice narration.
Nice narration.
September 9, 2017
Juliana Gray's Emmaline Truelove series is a bit of a surprise for me. When finishing the first book I was surprised by how much I liked it considering it had the one fantastical element that I avoid like the plague in my fictional adventures: time travel. I suppose that Gray just handles it in a way that appeals to me, which is a good thing considering that this element plays a much larger role in the second book than it did in the first.
In A Strange Scottish Shore Emmaline has traveled to Scotland with her employer, but not before Lord Silverton steals something of importance and promptly disappears. Emmaline is rather displeased by Silverton's apparent betrayal but soon discovers that there is more to his disappearance than meets the eye. Readers of the first book will be aware of Emmaline and Silverton's combustive relationship; those invested will be thrilled with the direction that this relationship takes in book two. I will say no more to avoid spoiling it, other than to say I was a little surprised at how the relationship was resolved considering that this is a series, but left more than a little intrigued about where this is going to go with book three.
In addition to the terrific character of Emmaline Truelove, readers get to see more of Silverton as well as Emmaline's employer, Max. Interestingly enough, it turns out that Max has the ability to control those traveling in time, and its this element that I think will have some rather interesting and compelling consequences in future books. I could see more focus being put on Max as the series goes forward.
A Strange Scottish Shore is a really, really good follow-up to A Most Extraordinary Pursuit. Given the events of this second book I'm left feeling anxious about Emmaline and her apparent happy ending - this can't possibility be the end so I'm rather certain something will disrupt Emmaline's contentment. Gray has truly succeeded in creating a unique series that doesn't follow the expected formula of the many other historical mystery series that I have read, and for that alone, A Strange Scottish Shore stands out as very good book.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
In A Strange Scottish Shore Emmaline has traveled to Scotland with her employer, but not before Lord Silverton steals something of importance and promptly disappears. Emmaline is rather displeased by Silverton's apparent betrayal but soon discovers that there is more to his disappearance than meets the eye. Readers of the first book will be aware of Emmaline and Silverton's combustive relationship; those invested will be thrilled with the direction that this relationship takes in book two. I will say no more to avoid spoiling it, other than to say I was a little surprised at how the relationship was resolved considering that this is a series, but left more than a little intrigued about where this is going to go with book three.
In addition to the terrific character of Emmaline Truelove, readers get to see more of Silverton as well as Emmaline's employer, Max. Interestingly enough, it turns out that Max has the ability to control those traveling in time, and its this element that I think will have some rather interesting and compelling consequences in future books. I could see more focus being put on Max as the series goes forward.
A Strange Scottish Shore is a really, really good follow-up to A Most Extraordinary Pursuit. Given the events of this second book I'm left feeling anxious about Emmaline and her apparent happy ending - this can't possibility be the end so I'm rather certain something will disrupt Emmaline's contentment. Gray has truly succeeded in creating a unique series that doesn't follow the expected formula of the many other historical mystery series that I have read, and for that alone, A Strange Scottish Shore stands out as very good book.
*Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
July 27, 2017
A STRANGE SCOTTISH SHORE(EMMALINE TRUELOVE #2) BY JULIANA GRAY is the second book in the series but for me its the first I have read. The book delves into multiple genres; romance , mystery, time travel and the paranormal. To some that would be too much but I loved it and cant wait to read book one and the next in the series to see what's going to happen. Emmaline is an incredible strong woman who does what she wants even though it does not blend into the timeline she is living at the moment. This gets her in trouble time after time. She is also deepening her love for Lord Silverton.
If you can follow the jumps in time, and the fast paced action you will really love this book.
i received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
If you can follow the jumps in time, and the fast paced action you will really love this book.
i received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2018
I enjoyed the first book - so much so that I picked this up later the same day and began reading. The characters were the same that I had begun to like so much and they were on to their next adventure. Except...
*Spoilers*
Silverton is as flirtatious as ever and he immediately becomes aware that Truelove is carrying an important portfolio. So he steals it and disappears. That's it. Only, as Truelove begins to worry about his disappearance she just decides he's traveled in time. Really? That was the first conclusion? I get time-travel is a thing in this book, but aren't there other possibilities?
Truelove and the Duke of Olympia discuss how to fetch Silverton back. She is sneaking into libraries alone with him, everyone thinks she's his mistress, and then goes so far as to comfort him by leaning on Max's thigh and resting her hands on his knee. Later, Max lifts her hands and kisses her fingertips. That is not friend behavior to me. But this is never remarked upon and she is disturbed everyone thinks she's his mistress. The only remark made about it later is when Hunter casually mentions that it looked like she was "banging" Max. Looked like that to me to.
Finally Truelove travels back in time to find Silverton and he's just a new guy. It was...too convenient for me. He's a flirtatious womanizer and ta-da, he's changed! He's chaste now and loyal and he's ready to settle down forever. I wanted to see him change. And instead it just felt rushed. Like the author didn't know how to actually make his character different so it just happened. It felt fake.
Not to mention that Truelove and Silverton, both accustomed to the luxuries of 1906, are suddenly happy to live centuries before. Antibiotics don't exist yet. Childbirth is incredibly dangerous. Proper nutrition, hygiene, education aren't things. I can understand being happy about living simply - but the author just makes them adjust a little too well.
Lastly, the end, where all the action finally takes place, was boring. It was a little difficult to follow - who's time-traveling from where and why? Silverton is the one that drew the face on the Naxos drawing, but it doesn't really matter anyway. The chest holds the sealskin, but that doesn't really matter either. And those documents Silverton stole at the beginning? Never mentioned again. There were so many loose ends that it became difficult to care.
*Spoilers*
Silverton is as flirtatious as ever and he immediately becomes aware that Truelove is carrying an important portfolio. So he steals it and disappears. That's it. Only, as Truelove begins to worry about his disappearance she just decides he's traveled in time. Really? That was the first conclusion? I get time-travel is a thing in this book, but aren't there other possibilities?
Truelove and the Duke of Olympia discuss how to fetch Silverton back. She is sneaking into libraries alone with him, everyone thinks she's his mistress, and then goes so far as to comfort him by leaning on Max's thigh and resting her hands on his knee. Later, Max lifts her hands and kisses her fingertips. That is not friend behavior to me. But this is never remarked upon and she is disturbed everyone thinks she's his mistress. The only remark made about it later is when Hunter casually mentions that it looked like she was "banging" Max. Looked like that to me to.
Finally Truelove travels back in time to find Silverton and he's just a new guy. It was...too convenient for me. He's a flirtatious womanizer and ta-da, he's changed! He's chaste now and loyal and he's ready to settle down forever. I wanted to see him change. And instead it just felt rushed. Like the author didn't know how to actually make his character different so it just happened. It felt fake.
Not to mention that Truelove and Silverton, both accustomed to the luxuries of 1906, are suddenly happy to live centuries before. Antibiotics don't exist yet. Childbirth is incredibly dangerous. Proper nutrition, hygiene, education aren't things. I can understand being happy about living simply - but the author just makes them adjust a little too well.
Lastly, the end, where all the action finally takes place, was boring. It was a little difficult to follow - who's time-traveling from where and why? Silverton is the one that drew the face on the Naxos drawing, but it doesn't really matter anyway. The chest holds the sealskin, but that doesn't really matter either. And those documents Silverton stole at the beginning? Never mentioned again. There were so many loose ends that it became difficult to care.
March 9, 2018
Such a weird book to review. I really wanted to like it more than I did. I'd give it a 2.5 but I can't say why. I guess because despite all the elements that should have come together, present/past stories, old castle, selkie legend, etc. it somehow just didn't. There were spots where it seemed to get on a roll and it seemed like it was clicking, and then it just ground to a halt. I guess if it wasn't smooth enough to make me want to read the next one, and I have no draw to read the next one, that it was ok but it wasn't anything great.
May 28, 2017
If you read the first book in this series (and you should before reading this one), you'll be surprised. The very pleasant and entertaining themes that show up in the first book are energized and powered up for this second book! It's a strong read that opens up the perspective of time travel to make this second installment a major time-travel episode. I found that unexpected -- but powerful. Good read!
May 14, 2018
If Indiana Jones and Nancy Drew had a daughter it would be Emmeline Truelove. I love this character so much and enjoyed the continued adventures of Emmeline, Silverton and Max, the Duke of Olympia so much.
This book has everything in it I love; mystery, time travel, a spooky castle set on cliff in Scotland, great characters. I could not put it down and are eagerly looking forward to more Emmeline adventures.
This book has everything in it I love; mystery, time travel, a spooky castle set on cliff in Scotland, great characters. I could not put it down and are eagerly looking forward to more Emmeline adventures.
September 13, 2018
I did enjoy this book, but kept coming back to its similarities to the Outlander series. But I was able to get past it and enjoyed the plot with time travel and its basis for an old Selkie legend in Orkney. It is the second in a series and it was ok not to have read the first one, although it might have helped to be somewhat familiar with the characters. I might pick up another in the series, but not just yet.
So, overall a fun read.
So, overall a fun read.
October 14, 2019
imagine my utter devastation to find out there's no more books left in this series... it. just. ended. vaguely. like. that. askdk;sjdfksjgksdl;fksdl
February 2, 2021
DNF - I was hoping for a Scotland feel but it’s mostly time travel which I hate.
October 8, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/a-...
A Strange Scottish Shore
Emmeline Truelove #2
By Juliana Gray
ISBN#9780425277089
http://www.julianagray.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Scotland, 1906. A mysterious object discovered inside an ancient castle calls Maximilian Haywood, the new Duke of Olympia, and his fellow researcher Emmeline Truelove, north to the remote Orkney Islands. No stranger to the study of anachronisms in archeological digs, Haywood is nevertheless puzzled by the artifact: a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, once belonged to a selkie who rose from the sea in ancient times and married the castle’s first laird.
But Haywood and Truelove soon discover they’re not the only ones interested in the selkie’s strange hide, and when their mutual friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night from an Edinburgh street, the mystery takes a dangerous turn through time, which only Haywood’s skills and Truelove’s bravery can solve…. (Goodreads)
Review:
A Strange Scottish Shore is the follow up to the first book in the Emmeline Truelove series A Most Extraordinary Pursuit. Whereas I thought Pursuit suffered from an identity crisis, and I was so unsatisfied with it that I almost did not give this second book in the series a try. I am really glad that I did as it is a vast improvement. This time around, all of the elements – Mystery, Romance, Time Travel – all work together to make an exciting adventure worthy of reading.
Emmeline Truelove has resigned her position as secretary for the new Duke of Olympia Max Haywood to be the director of his new Institute for the Study of Time. When Max is away at a shooting party in Scotland, while there to get to know a potential bride he comes across a strange suit. Could the legends of a selkie who married the first laird of the area be true? He beckons Emmeline to join him and, unbeknownst to her, asks his friend Lord Silverton to keep an eye on her and the important papers she carries. Of course, Silverton has additional instructions, and when he disappears while chasing down the thief of said papers, Emmeline cannot help but believe that something bigger is going on. When she and Max encounter the redheaded stranger again, he makes some pretty fantastic claims. This leads Emmeline to believe she knows “when” Silverton has disappeared to, and asks Max to “send” her there, even though neither of them knows how the time travel works. Emmeline does indeed find Silverton…in the fourteenth century. Now what to do? How to get back home? Regardless of the outcome, they are in for one heck of a ride.
Emmeline is a fantastic protagonist written in the same vein as Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody and Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell. She is a bit bossy, a little know-it-all, but with a huge heart and intellect that makes her wise beyond her years. This book focuses mostly on her relationship with Lord Silverton, and their chemistry and growing relationship is a lot of fun to watch as it unfolds. I am a little surprised by the turn things took but pleased. I cannot wait to see what is in store for them next. Silverton was my favorite character in Pursuit and he continues to be my favorite here. Considering he was all glitter and charisma before, here he is sincere, humble, and quite lovely. We do not see much of Max, but her plays a crucial role. The supporting characters are varied and interesting, and I love seeing how various people and plot threads are beginning to come together to show the bigger picture.
There are still a lot of questions to be answered about how Max’s abilities and the time travel work, and I am sure they are not easy to write about. You can tell that Gray has put a great deal of thought into her time travel scenario, and we are just beginning to see how it will all unravel. Complicated, indeed.
I really enjoyed A Strange Scottish Shore and impatiently wait for the next installment. Though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading A Most Extraordinary Pursuit first for better understanding of the characters and events that have led up to book two. Recommended for fans of Edwardian heroines, time travel, and romance with a bit of mystery.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
A Strange Scottish Shore
Emmeline Truelove #2
By Juliana Gray
ISBN#9780425277089
http://www.julianagray.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
Synopsis:
Scotland, 1906. A mysterious object discovered inside an ancient castle calls Maximilian Haywood, the new Duke of Olympia, and his fellow researcher Emmeline Truelove, north to the remote Orkney Islands. No stranger to the study of anachronisms in archeological digs, Haywood is nevertheless puzzled by the artifact: a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, once belonged to a selkie who rose from the sea in ancient times and married the castle’s first laird.
But Haywood and Truelove soon discover they’re not the only ones interested in the selkie’s strange hide, and when their mutual friend Lord Silverton vanishes in the night from an Edinburgh street, the mystery takes a dangerous turn through time, which only Haywood’s skills and Truelove’s bravery can solve…. (Goodreads)
Review:
A Strange Scottish Shore is the follow up to the first book in the Emmeline Truelove series A Most Extraordinary Pursuit. Whereas I thought Pursuit suffered from an identity crisis, and I was so unsatisfied with it that I almost did not give this second book in the series a try. I am really glad that I did as it is a vast improvement. This time around, all of the elements – Mystery, Romance, Time Travel – all work together to make an exciting adventure worthy of reading.
Emmeline Truelove has resigned her position as secretary for the new Duke of Olympia Max Haywood to be the director of his new Institute for the Study of Time. When Max is away at a shooting party in Scotland, while there to get to know a potential bride he comes across a strange suit. Could the legends of a selkie who married the first laird of the area be true? He beckons Emmeline to join him and, unbeknownst to her, asks his friend Lord Silverton to keep an eye on her and the important papers she carries. Of course, Silverton has additional instructions, and when he disappears while chasing down the thief of said papers, Emmeline cannot help but believe that something bigger is going on. When she and Max encounter the redheaded stranger again, he makes some pretty fantastic claims. This leads Emmeline to believe she knows “when” Silverton has disappeared to, and asks Max to “send” her there, even though neither of them knows how the time travel works. Emmeline does indeed find Silverton…in the fourteenth century. Now what to do? How to get back home? Regardless of the outcome, they are in for one heck of a ride.
Emmeline is a fantastic protagonist written in the same vein as Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody and Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell. She is a bit bossy, a little know-it-all, but with a huge heart and intellect that makes her wise beyond her years. This book focuses mostly on her relationship with Lord Silverton, and their chemistry and growing relationship is a lot of fun to watch as it unfolds. I am a little surprised by the turn things took but pleased. I cannot wait to see what is in store for them next. Silverton was my favorite character in Pursuit and he continues to be my favorite here. Considering he was all glitter and charisma before, here he is sincere, humble, and quite lovely. We do not see much of Max, but her plays a crucial role. The supporting characters are varied and interesting, and I love seeing how various people and plot threads are beginning to come together to show the bigger picture.
There are still a lot of questions to be answered about how Max’s abilities and the time travel work, and I am sure they are not easy to write about. You can tell that Gray has put a great deal of thought into her time travel scenario, and we are just beginning to see how it will all unravel. Complicated, indeed.
I really enjoyed A Strange Scottish Shore and impatiently wait for the next installment. Though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading A Most Extraordinary Pursuit first for better understanding of the characters and events that have led up to book two. Recommended for fans of Edwardian heroines, time travel, and romance with a bit of mystery.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
September 13, 2017
Truelove and Silverton are back again. I enjoyed them together in the first book. In this book their relationship is reaching the next level. They made a good couple. Some of the witty banter between them makes for some entertaining and charming moments.
This new mystery that Truelove and Silverton encounter had me intrigued. Readers may be familiar with legends of selkies. As the legend goes, if someone captures a selkie's skin, they possess the selkie. The selkie can't return to the water unless they get their skin back. In this case the Duke of Olympia has in his possession a selkie skin. Yet, someone else wants the skin. In fact, Silverton's life becomes endangered. Yet, not one to sit back and be an observer, Truelove sets out to solve the mystery surrounding the skin and save Silverton.
What I enjoyed about this story is the mystery surrounding the legend. I have read many selkie stories but they are usually aimed as romances. So it was refreshing to read one that was more mystery based. Plus the location for this story was nice. I am slowly warming up more to this series and Truelove and Silverton. Fans of Beatriz Williams will enjoy this other side. Cozy mystery fans as well.
This new mystery that Truelove and Silverton encounter had me intrigued. Readers may be familiar with legends of selkies. As the legend goes, if someone captures a selkie's skin, they possess the selkie. The selkie can't return to the water unless they get their skin back. In this case the Duke of Olympia has in his possession a selkie skin. Yet, someone else wants the skin. In fact, Silverton's life becomes endangered. Yet, not one to sit back and be an observer, Truelove sets out to solve the mystery surrounding the skin and save Silverton.
What I enjoyed about this story is the mystery surrounding the legend. I have read many selkie stories but they are usually aimed as romances. So it was refreshing to read one that was more mystery based. Plus the location for this story was nice. I am slowly warming up more to this series and Truelove and Silverton. Fans of Beatriz Williams will enjoy this other side. Cozy mystery fans as well.
November 14, 2017
I really loved this! I'll admit I didn't expect time travel when I read the first in the series, so if you're not prepared for that this won't be the book for you. Hopefully I'll write more about this later, but for now I'm just hoping the author plans to continue the series. I do want more of Emmaline and Silverton! And Max!
August 15, 2018
Mystery, suspense, with a touch of paranormal.
I won an uncorrected proof advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
I won an uncorrected proof advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to my local library.
May 30, 2024
I think I would have liked these more if they were longer... I like the story, and Emmeline Truelove is very well-developed, but there was a lot of rushing around when the guns come out, and I think the Hunter character is trop de trope. The time travel element is interesting, as is its link to mythmaking.
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