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

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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 book is told in two halves. Before describes Effy’s life on St Kilda before the evacuation and After details Effy’s life after the evacuation as the villagers adjust to life on the mainland. I initially felt very sad when the story switched to After as I had really enjoyed the fabulous descriptions of life on St Kilda but I actually ended up loving following life at the house and all the fabulous people Effy meets. 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 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? Summer on St Kilda – a wild, remote Scottish island. In the 1930s, t wo strangers from drastically different worlds meet . . .

I really enjoyed reading The Last Summer. It is mostly set in St Kilda and it was so interesting to read about that community. I cannot imagine living somewhere so isolated and cut off from everywhere for a large part of the year due to the weather. You get a good sense of what it would be like living in such a close knit community where everyone obviously knew everyone’s else’s business and everyone had to support each other. At the time we meet the islanders, it is the last few months before St Kilda was evacuated and at that point there were only 36 people living on the island. Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy of this book. I’ve been a long term fan of Karen Swan’s books, always enjoying the flowing prose filled with descriptive sentences that allow the readers to really immerse themselves in the setting as well as the story. Whether the setting is Spain, Rome, Norway or Canada, there is a real sense of place in her books. This time her setting is St Kilda and the Scottish mainland in the 1930s, at the time of the evacuation of the inhabitants of the island of St Kilda, whose meagre population struggles for survival in a centuries old manner, cut off from much of modern conveniences. It is told through the eyes of Effie Gillies, a wild tom boy type whose skill at all the men’s work required for their survival, including rope work along the cliffs, captures the attention of Lord Sholto when he visits with his father, the Earl of Dumfries, just before the evacuation. She becomes their guide, her knowledge and understanding of birds catching the earl’s attention and admiration. But it’s his son who finds her more than a source of information, and his attention becomes irresistible to Effie. The two are drawn together, ever closer, until circumstances forces them apart. This wild and dramatic setting off the western coast of Scotland has much to add to the storyline in this book. It is the isolation and weather that forges the personalities of its inhabitants. Effie Gillies is eighteen and lives with her father in close proximity to the rest of the thirty-six people who share this island. With the death of her brother and her father’s physical ineptness, it falls on her to take on the role of provider for her family. To do this, she has to prove that she can do most of the work of the other male inhabitants. This often creates tension in a society that rests on traditional ways and earns her the label of ‘wild thing’ (41). She feels that she can never replace her brother in her father’s mind and that she is ‘an embarrassment and a disgrace’ (74) within the community. I'm a fan of Karen Swan's books, always enjoying her flowing prose full of descriptive sentences that allow readers to really immerse themselves in the setting, as well as the story. She is an author that I am very glad to have discovered.Oh my goodness I absolutely adored this book. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to read one of her books. I went on such an amazing journey with Effy and just fell in love with all the wonderful characters. 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.

Wild-spirited Effie Gillies has lived all her life on the small island of St Kilda but when Lord Sholto, heir to the Earl of Dumfries, visits, the attraction between them is instant. For one glorious week she guides the handsome young visitor around the isle, falling in love for the first time - until a storm hits and her world falls apart. The book is in two parts, following the life of eighteen year old Effie before and after the evacuation from the island in 1930. Into this world comes a yacht carrying a father and son who wish to study the birdlife. Effie is tasked with showing them around and the attraction between her and the son soon becomes apparent. But they are from worlds apart. He is heir to the Earl of Dumfries, and she runs around barefooted in her brother’s clothes.Throughout the many hours listening I was kept hooked and I didn't want this to end! Especially like it did! Literally a cliff hanger - excuse the pun! 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

I was drawn to request this book to review due to the setting being in St Kilda, an island in the Outer Hebrides off Scotland. I have read other books about the inhabitants of St Kilda and have been intrigued by their bleak desolate environment and hardship, surviving on an island dominated by cliffs, seabirds and extreme weather conditions. It is evident the author thoroughly researched her subject and her descriptions of surviving the harsh conditions by eating the meat and eggs of the seabirds, collecting the oil and feathers from the fulmars, puffins and other seabirds was so interesting.Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you'll simultaneously want to savour and race through. I loved it and can't wait for the next in the series!' - Jill Mansell Such delightful writing, this book has everything! Romance, history, mystery, period drama, comedy & lots lots more.... (Warnings re sexual harassment & animal death). 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.