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The Forgotten

Echoes from the Past, Book 2

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The Forgotten

By: Irina Shapiro
Narrated by: Wendy Wolfson
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About this listen

Some secrets span centuries. Some loves transcend death.

Dunwich, 1346. Petra’s world shattered the day the Church took her beloved Avery, forcing him into holy orders and leaving her to face a brutal arranged marriage. Twelve years later, Petra is a widow struggling to care for her three children when Father Avery returns. But religious hysteria is sweeping through their crumbling port town, and when Petra’s son’s violent seizures mark him as cursed, can she turn to the only man she ever loved for help, or will a terrible secret she hid condemn them all?

Present day. Quinn Allenby’s psychic ability to see into the past through touch feels more like a curse when skeletal remains are discovered near medieval Dunwich. The woman and child are buried face-down in unmarked graves, an iron cross between them. It’s an unheard-of practice, and Quinn knows she must uncover their story.

As Quinn witnesses Petra’s desperate fight for survival, she faces an impossible choice of her own—one that will reshape her future and teach her that sometimes the greatest love requires the greatest sacrifice…

An epic story of passion, betrayal, and the timeless power of love to triumph over tragedy, that will captivate fans of Diana Gabaldon, Barbara Erskine, and Susanna Kearsley.

©2017 Irina Shapiro (P)2018 Irina Shapiro
Historical Historical Fiction Romance Fiction

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Having enjoyed the first book in this series, The Lovers, I was looking forward to catching up with Quinn and Gabe in book two. It was interesting to see their relationship grow, especially given the momentous changes that were unsuspectingly thrust upon them fairly early-on; in both their relationship and the story. I thought this complication (for want of a better spoiler-free term) was fairly obvious from the moment Gabe received the phonecalls, and felt the same way about the other surprise later on in the book. It was hard to believe that Quinn had not been more proactive with regards to the second bombshell, especially considering the issues she was experiencing with Sylvia. Both surprises were a little too convenient, and not terribly consistent given how responsible and conscientious the characters generally purport to be. These developments each felt a little forced at first, but ultimately served to cement the newly affianced couple as a family by the end.

I found Gabe's vulnerability during his conversation with his mother very commendable. It was lovely to glimpse their relationship in more detail, and his sensitivity was shown to be a strength and not a weakness. Such representation is so important, and it was very sweetly done without being over the top.

The historical flashbacks seemed fairly well researched and painted an evocative picture of medieval life. Despite knowing from the earliest moments of the book that Petra and Edwin would meet a difficult fate, I still found myself wishing for a happier end. It was impossible not to be drawn into their heartbreak, but the hardships they endured were lightened because of the way Shapiro wove Quinn's contemporary experiences with Petra's.

The narrator, Wendy Wolfson, once again delivered an entertaining performance. I still find Quinn's sing-song voice a little weak and wishy-washy but am beginning to notice it less as I get to know Quinn better. Wolfson coped very well with the challenge of portraying a child's voice, helping endear the listener to four-year-old Emma.

I am looking forward to seeing where Quinn's search for answers takes her next, and how the repercussions affect her nascent, fragile, family.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical mysteries with a supernatural twist, though I would urge listeners to start with Book 1, The Lovers , as it plays a very important part in setting up the series.

*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

More echoes from the past...

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Loved it. Great series for romance historical fiction fans. Really looking forward to book 3.

Great story

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Listener received this title free

1346: A youthful indiscretion forces Petra Ordell to marry in haste in order to hide her growing belly. Unfortunately her husband turns out to be a tyrant who later dies, leaving her alone to provide for her three children and an elderly mother. While working as a companion for Lady Blythe, Petra is reacquainted with Lord Thomas Devon who is also recently widowed. It transpires that Thomas has always had feelings for Petra and is more than happy to take on her children if she would marry him. Petra still pines for her futile first love, the father of her son, who is now an ambitious priest. Faced with a choice, will she choose a man who can offer her financial security or a man who is married to the church?

2014: When the skeletal remains of a woman and child are found buried face down in non consecrated ground on the fringes of a leper cemetery, Dr Quinn Allenby is assigned to the case. With little to go on other than a cross and the circumstances surrounding their burial, a punishment which is usually reserved for the truly wicked and depraved of society, Quinn attempts to piece together the events that led to them ending up in their makeshift graves. As she delves deeper into a past full of hope, pain, betrayal and ultimately murder, Quinn must confront secrets closer to home, some threatening her new found happiness with Gabe while others shedding light on her parentage and possibly the source of her gifts.

The Forgotten is the second instalment of the Echoes from the Past series and spans the centuries between Medieval England and the present day. Once again the author has managed to paint an evocative picture in bringing the 14th century to life. The limited choices that many women faced in a largely patriarchal society, is once again highlighted in this instalment. However, while I had felt empathy towards the tragic Elise in The Lovers, I found myself frustrated with the choices that Petra made at times. A part of me desperately wanted her to realise that there was and never would be a future with Avery and to appreciate all that Thomas was willing to offer her. Despite this, when the moment of reckoning came as foretold in the epilogue, it was not for the reasons I was expecting. The misconceptions towards epilepsy, a condition which was woefully misunderstood at the time, unfortunately having far reaching consequences.

Quinn and Gabe really went through the wringer in this instalment, at times dominating the dual timeline story. Quinn’s search for her biological father sees her rule out another particularly nasty candidate only to learn of a possible fourth. Meanwhile Gabe learns that’s he’s the father of 4 year old Emma, whose mother has died in an car accident, leaving him with sole custody. Much of the book deals with the repercussions of this new development on their relationship as Quinn tries to piece together Petra’s life.

I received an advanced free audible copy of The Forgotten and I am voluntarily reviewing it. Again I was impressed by Wendy Wolfson’s smooth and concise narration. Her excellent pacing had me getting lost in her recitation without ever noticing the time. I recommend this series for fans of dual time mysteries, historical fiction and psychic abilities.

Great follow up to The Lovers

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This the second book in the triogly is another good read with a gripping story line that passes between two different times in history. Looking forward to the final book in this series.

Very good

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Enjoy both past & present. Present a bit more, which is good as the present keeps going. Quinn’s voice is just pathetically grating which makes listening difficult at times.

Thankfully Future

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