Thursday 5 April 2018

#BookReview The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley @lucindariley @panmacmillan

The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From the breathtaking beaches of Thailand to the barely tamed wilds of colonial Australia, The Pearl Sister is the next captivating story in New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley’s epic series about two women searching for a place to call home.

CeCe D’Aplièse has always felt like an outcast. But following the death of her father—the reclusive billionaire affectionately called Pa Salt by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe—she finds herself more alone than ever. With nothing left to lose, CeCe delves into the mystery of her familial origins. The only clues she holds are a black and white photograph and the name of a female pioneer who once traversed the globe from Scotland to Australia.

One hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, a clergyman's daughter, abandoned her conservative upbringing to serve as the companion to a wealthy woman traveling from Edinburgh to Adelaide. Her ticket to a new land brings the adventure she dreamed of…and a love that she had never imagined.

When CeCe reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, and her soul reawakens. As she comes closer to finding the truth of her ancestry, CeCe begins to believe that this untamed, vast continent could offer her what she’s always yearned for: a sense of belonging.


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I have so far read all the books published in this series except the second one and it's such a wonderful series. I really love how reach book takes one of the sisters through a journey, not only to a faraway country, like Australia in this book, but also a journey into the past.

The best dual storyline books are the ones where both tales are equally interesting and Lucinda Riley has managed to achieve that with this book. I loved how the contemporary story first takes the reader to Thailand and then to Australia as CeCe searches for clues to her past. One thing I really liked was that the expected love story didn't occur. I'm always pleased when a writer managed to surprise me and I'm delighted with the way the storyline took when it came to CeCe's private life. 

The second storyline, the one set a century before with Kitty McBride traveling from Edinburgh to Adelaide, it was just as interesting, although the romantic part in this storyline was a much more expected. Still, I love getting a story set in Australia, learning more about the Aboriginal people and the unjust treatment they got. If there is one subject that always makes my blood boil is the white man's treatment of the natives in whatever land they set their eyes on.

I want to end this review by saying that the books don't need to be read in order, yes it's probably wise to read from the beginning, but you quickly get to hang on the story, the background for all the adoptions, etc. in each book. The different sisters make appearances in each other's stories and I quite liked that since I grew fond of each sister I get to know.

I want to thank Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy through Netgalley for an honest review!

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