The Last Summer: A wild, romantic tale of opposites attract . . .: 1 (The Wild Isle Series, 1)

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After losing her mother and her brother it is just her and her father, with poor health, surviving and she is desperate for her father's attention as not being his son Effy has to compete with the male islanders to provide for her father. Santa Montefiore, author of An Italian Girl in Brooklyn This sweeping love story gripped us from the start, so we can’t wait for the next in the series. Best historical romance of 2022 The author certainly leaving us wanting more and I do hope we get to find out who owned the brooch. I actually want to relisten to see if there are any hidden clues! During her last summer on St Kilda, Effie had been Sholto’s guide, and their attraction had seemed irresistible. But, in the glamorous polite society of Ayrshire, it is clear they are worlds apart. When a body is discovered on the island, soon after the evacuation, a scandal erupts as Effie is implicated. Sholto knows she’s keeping secrets – but are they even her own?

Dinsdag 14 maart '23 stond voor mij in het teken van de verschijning van 'Het wilde eiland', van Karen Swan, het allereerste deel in haar gloednieuwe, gelijknamige en vooral historische reeks. Ik mocht van de uitgeverij al een exemplaar ontvangen en ik kan je zeggen: de auteur stelt wederom niet teleur! The most exciting, enchanting and evocative story of forbidden love I’ve ever read. I truly loved it and am waiting feverishly for the second instalment' - Cathy Bramley, author of The Summer That Changed Us Such delightful writing, this book has everything! Romance, history, mystery, period drama, comedy & lots lots more.... (Warnings re sexual harassment & animal death). Life changes forever three months later when all the residents of the island are relocated to the mainland. The island residents are no longer together and Effie after a disastrous beginning is offered a job by the very man who had come to the island previously. It is here that the reader is made well aware of British society in the 1900s and where Effie finds herself belonging to neither upstairs or downstairs in the home of her employer and her first love interest. It was wonderful to read about Effie’s experiences in this situation and her reaction to seeing herself in a mirror for the first time. The story starts out by introducing us to three friends, Effie, Flora and Mhairi who live on the island of St. Kilda off the northern coast of Scotland, set in the year 1930. We’re introduced to their primitive and rustic ways of life, tending sheep, knitting, fishing and climbing the cliffs around the island. The island’s main source of income (and excitement) comes from the tourists that visit the island to witness how this community lives. The story primarily follows Effie, who becomes the tour guide for a wealthy earl, staying on the island for a week. She strikes up a friendship with the son of the earl and a romance blooms between the two of them. When the inhabitants of St. Kilda are evacuated to the mainland by the government, Effie never would have imagined that she would end up living in the home of this earl and his son! Adapting to this new way of life, some unresolved feelings and learning of a murder that took place on the island before they all left are just some of the things Effie has to deal with in her new home.I preferred the first part of the book, mainly due to its historical research and slower pace, but I can see other readers will prefer the faster paced second part developing the characters and their relationships. I believe this is the first in a series and I look forward to meeting up with Effie and Sholto again. On another note, I did not feel the cover matches the book, I would have preferred a more accurate representation of St Kilda- the bird life, the cliffs and the rugged sea. I can’t remember ever hearing about the island of St. Kilda which is sometimes the best kind of historical fiction to read. I was immediately intrigued and plan on learning more about it before the next book in the series is published. It was such an interesting time period to read about for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the story takes place in the years between two wars. The characters, of course, have no idea but the reader does. Second, the residents of St. Kilda weren’t living as their contemporaries who lived on the mainland of Scotland (can you call a country that’s part of an island “mainland”?). When word comes that St Kilda is to be evacuated, the lovers are granted a few months’ reprieve, enjoying a summer of stolen hours together. Only, those last days on St Kilda will also bring trauma and heartache for Mhairi and her friends, Effie and Flora. And when a dead body is later found on the abandoned isle, all three have reason enough to find themselves under the shadow of suspicion . . . However, her ambition and her spark creates many open doors for exploring and despite initial prejudices for her name sake, she wins the hearts of many surprising characters! I can imagine in the 1930s this spirited girl existed and I hope it's true!

Effy has to compete and win against the males and it seems no challenge is too small for this young girl.Unfortunately, these questions were not answered in this book. Though disappointing, it ensures the reader will look for the books to come in this series. Overall, this was a very interesting read. The Last Summer is meticulously researched and beautifully told . . . a wonderfully satisfying read' – Santa Montefiore Effie is a great heroine. Karen Swan explains in her author note that she is not based on any one real person from St Kilda but that instead she has combined common names from the island for her protagonist, something she will do again in the rest of the series. Effie was a hard worker and a true support for her father. She knew so much about birds and was just as able as the men to scale the cliffs and catch the birds which would keep them fed. It was so frustrating for her, and for me as a reader, to see how sometimes her skills were overlooked simply because she was a woman. I loved the author’s vivid descriptions of St Hilda which told of a very different life to the one I know. The author writes the book so I felt like I was actually there scaling the cliffs and hunting for birds alongside Effy. I was so intrigued that I spent a lot of time googling the Isle to see how it looked in real life. I doubt I’d have been able to cope with the harsh life there but it was interesting to live it through Effy. The description of the house and the community there amongst the servants was also really wonderful. I loved following Effy as she adjusted to life at the house and made new friends.