The Shadow Sister (The Seven Sisters Book 3)

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A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter. But when circumstances carry her to London, and into the home of one of Edwardian England’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel, she finds herself a pawn in a larger game; forced to choose between passionate love and duty to her family. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman reveals answers Flora has been searching for…

As far as I was aware, it was the only secret that CeCe had ever kept from me in our entire relationship, and I still had no idea where all this money had come from. Georg Hoffman had explained to us that Pa’s will made it clear that we would continue to receive only our very basic allowances. But also that we were free to go to him for extra money if necessary. So perhaps we simply needed to ask, just as CeCe presumably had. As Star learns more about Flora’s incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of her sister’s shadow and opening herself to the possibility of love. I got very engaged in both Star's and Flora's lives. Sure there were times I wanted to scream at them to not be stupid and think of themselves, but they are both very undemanding and their love for their sisters makes them make decisions that go against what they really want. I did have moments when I just wanted them both to be a bit more selfish, and tell them to reach for the stars! As Star learns more of Flora's incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

Star’s voyage of discovery takes her deep into Flora’s remarkable story, and into her own past. But the more she uncovers, the more Star begins to question herself, and her place in the world. I know this is a well worn phrase but Lucinda really is a born storyteller. I am as fascinated now as I was at the beginning of book one and even more hungry than ever for the rest of this amazing tale! CeCe went to the kitchen and I heard the whoosh of the tap being turned on full blast, knowing that the water had most likely spattered all over the worktops I had painstakingly wiped down earlier. I have previously reviewed The Seven Sisters and The Storm Sister so please take a look in my archives, you can search on my blog.

Riley is survived by Stephen, their two children, Leonora and Kit, the two children of her first marriage, Harry and Bella, and three stepchildren, Olivia, William and Max, as well as her mother and her sister, Georgia. I love how the author skips between modern day and the past. It really feels like a journey through time, with such amazing descriptions that you can't help but feel that you are there. It's great how the origin of the sisters is never quite expected, and I always end up surprised. Following on from the bestselling The Seven Sisters and The Storm Sister , The Shadow Sister is the third book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series, loosely based on the mythology of the Seven Sisters star cluster. I found the title of this book to be very fitting, both the main characters in the present time Star D'Aplièse and Flora MacNichol that lived in the beginning of the 20th-century are both shadow sisters. They both have to find their own way in life. Star by daring to finally break free from living her life in symbiosis with her sister CeCe and Flora who has always lived in the shadow of her beautiful younger sisters will one day have to choose between her own happiness or her sisters. Don’t be silly, you know what’s mine is yours, and vice versa. Besides, if you ever decide to open that envelope he left for you, there’s no telling what you might find out,” she encouraged.

The Missing Sister, the final book in the series, published in May this year, follows the sextet on a search for another daughter adopted by the wealthy Pa Salt, whose death and burial at sea sparked their quest to solve the mystery of why he adopted girls from all corners of the globe. From the very moment Star finds her way to the bookstore, I could smell and feel the books as well as her excitement as making a step closer to the truth. The brothers – Orlando and ‘Mouse’ were such funny and vivid characters and I was as wrapped up in their story as I was in the fate of the shop. I do love a good brooding hero and these two were very distinct but equally fascinating. The past histories of two old country houses reveal a path of hidden secrets and brotherly spats. The ways families hang together, expectation and duty get in the way of free spirit and how a house can destroy as well as bring a family together – and what it means to love and be loved. There is such detail and warmth in this story, and it reads like a song. Asterope - known as Star by her family, has always lived in the shadow of her more outgoing sister CeCe. After the death of their mysterious adoptive father, Pa Salt, the 3rd and 4th sisters move to London so CeCe can embark on an art course. Star, who has an English degree but no vocation, feels adrift in the big city so decides to follow the clues left to her about her heritage - starting in a rare book shop run by the eccentric Orlando. From here she learns about Flora MacNichol, a feisty young aristocrat from the Lake District who was obsessed with animals and plants - but what is Star’s connection to Flora?

Fortunately we are given a little taste of CeCe’s state of mind and where her travels may take her (and the reader) in the next book The Pearl Sister, (due for release November 2017) at the end of Star’s story. I cannot wait to visit Thailand and Australia with her in the now, and then Australia of a hundred years ago to see where her origins derive and who the author manages to pull into the story from the history-books to keep things interesting. Shortly before the publication of The Missing Sister , Lucinda announced an eighth and final book in The Seven Sisters series, promising to answer the question at the heart of the story: Who is Pa Salt? Before her death, Lucinda was able to write several important passages and detailed notes on the story. She expressed a clear wish that her eldest son, Harry, should complete the series if the worst were to happen. In legend, she is always accompanied by her sister Celaeno, who is stronger and louder than her. Their close relationship really fascinated me as, squashed into the middle of their six-sister family, Star and CeCe are forced into co-dependency and develop their own special relationship.

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Star is one of many characters who was adopted as a child. What kind of complex emotions does she feel when she finally meets her mother? What are the underlying messages that Lucinda conveys regarding adoption – from the points of view of the adopted children, and the parents who adopt them?