The Winter Sea

By: Susanna Kearsley

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

History has all but forgotten...

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Please note: This novel has also been published under a different title: Sophia's Secret.

Please note, this title is the original recording, which is now known as Sophia's Secret

©2010 Susanna Kearsley (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Winner, Romance, 2012

"Rosalyn Landor provides delightful Scottish accents for many of the characters Carrie meets inside and outside her novel....Landor adds a poetic edge to her storytelling while at the same time giving a dreamy aura to the historical side of the story." ( Audiofile)

Story is fine, but narrator lacks

The narrator reduced my enjoyment of this story. Her attempts at the Scottish accent reveal that she tried and perhaps studied in preparation. It was the lack of variation in the voice for the aged Scottish father, and that of his younger (30'ish) son that threw me off I think.

Scottish romance with a twist - Historical

I loved this book--with the modern and historical twist. I thought it was similar in style to Lauren Willig a fantastic author. I think anyone who enjoys Scottish history would enjoy this.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I was skeptical about the email I received from Audible stating that if I liked Diana Gabaldon that I would enjoy The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. They were right, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Ms. Kearsley has a different style than Ms. Gabaldon but she's able to make you see and feel what she's writing much like Gabaldon does. The storyline was very interesting and the twist at the end made the book for me. Her characters are well developed and very likable. Overall I give this a 4 out of 5 only because it could have been longer...I'm a sucker for long, drawn-out storylines that twist and turn. I suppose that's one reason I've loved Gabaldon's work so much. Cheers to The Winter Sea, well done!

OH MY GOSH, I Loved It!

What a wonderful story. Listening to stories of long ago, stir something deep within me. The author was brilliant in going from current day to a long ago time. The story flowed easily and kept my interest.

A Book to Reread

I’ve listened to this book several times, which is something I rarely if ever do with books. It’s a comforting book, meaning the story is intriguing without the necessity of violence and sex that seems to be a common “necessity” in writing of contemporary authors.
I enjoy how the author easily goes back & forth in time.
Although, I have to say that I don’t like the narrator’s depiction of the voice of the main character.

A beautiful story.

This a beautifully written book that transports you from modern day Scotland to the Scotland of 1708. Carrie is an author of many books and begins writing her newest novel when she is magnetically drawn to Slain Castle in Scotland while on vacation. She has never had the voices of her characters speak so loudly or as insistently like they do when she is writing about her distant relative Sophia Patterson. As the story unfolds she is shocked when she discovers the fictional tale she has been writing ends up in fact being true.


Both the heroines of Carrie and Sophia are likable strong characters and the beautiful prose Kearsley uses is like a slow steady rhythm that draws you into the story. Romance develops for both ladies but the real charm is with the side characters and the Scottish setting. It is a slow progression into the book but worth the meandering pace because you get to really get the feel for the characters. It is a tale of love, dedication, history, and the hope the Jacobites clung to while trying to get their bonnie King James back to Scotland. I laughed and cried during the book and warmed so much to a few characters so much that I am starting to miss them already.


I listened to it from the audibles download and while the accents were not the best I have heard they did not interfere or pull me out of the story. I highly recommend this book. If you liked The Thirteenth Tale, Juliet, or the Forgotten Garden I am sure you will like this book.

Awesome narrator!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this book to a friend and to my daughter. A wonderfully unique story that incorporates romance and history.

What other book might you compare The Winter Sea to and why?

I can't think of a book...but this reminded me of the movie

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Perfectly narrated! The narrator was exceptionally talented and I look forward to listening to a book by her again.

Outstanding story! Outstanding narrator!

More please. More Susanna Kearsley with Roselyn Landor. I was totally swept away. PERFECT balance of suspense and romance AND history! I was there.. every moment! Past and present presented so credibly. So refreshing to have romance and love scenes described so beautifully and WITHOUT detailed sexual descriptions!!! Roselyn Landor is perfect for this story! I was totally absorbed throughout. . . . A perfect read!

Entralling

If you could sum up The Winter Sea in three words, what would they be?

It was a wonderful story, with such appealing characters, and I just loved it.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

The most wonderful narrator I have ever heard. Such a beautiful voice, and such wonderful character differences.

A bodice ripper twist.

Bought this book in error. The femme history romance doesnt appeal - listened to it anyway and found it okay.

Would appeal to someone who likes the genre.