So disappointing! :(

Would you try another book from Lucinda Riley and/or Jessica Preddy?

I am a huge fan of Lucinda Riley, this however was not her best in my humble opinion. I understand that Star is subdued and quiet but I found her pretty boring. Everyone seems to go out of their way to enthusiastically support her and be there for her, but I'm not sure why. I didn't find her very appealing and it was therefore hard to stay interested in her story.

The first two in this series were so fun to follow and explore with the characters. With Star I just felt like she needs to hear her own voice and be with herself. Since she's fallen in love with Mouse (I cannot get used to calling a grown man "Mouse") she will just end up falling into the same co-dependant weirdness with him as she had with her sister. So I wasn't even that happy for her when things began to solidify with him.

What didn’t you like about Jessica Preddy’s performance?

The narrator didn't have a male voice so I got confused often as to who was talking. There wasn't enough definition between accents and voices. Beyond that, Star and she sister Cici seemed to have a part French part German accent. I'm not sure if this was intentional or not but I found it peculiar.

9 people found this helpful

The best in the series yet

I loved this book so much ! Lucinda Riley did amazing job and and relatively new narrator Jessica Preddy was divine I loved her ! I loved this book and as well as the other too but I love England and the time period and it was so well written I didn't want it to end . It was different than the other too with out giving spoiler alerts it was just exquisite. Really Lucinda well done Bravo from across the pond . Someday I will visit all those lovely places . And Jessica I hope to hear your voice on some lovely books your voice was spot on and perfect .

6 people found this helpful

I love this series!

Ms. Riley doesn't disappoint. Star's story is wonderful. She can't write these books fast enough.

This narrator is MUCH better, thank you!!

4 people found this helpful

Best Book Series I've read in years

Lucinda Riley is an expert storyteller. I've been enthralled with the 7 sisters series since day 1 and this installment about Star was perfect. I so appreciate that the author isn't afraid to embrace love and compassion, truth and courage. I will now begin waiting for the next book!

3 people found this helpful

Joy, Sorrow, Sacrifice, A Wonderful Emotional Read

Any additional comments?

So far, I have greatly enjoyed The Seven Sisters series. I have been anticipating this story since the moment we were introduced to Star in the first book. Lucinda Riley exceeded my expectations, giving us a story packed with emotion.

The story starts with Star, who is realizing she needs to step out of the shadow of her sister and be her own person. I think the way Ms. Riley did this was perfect for Star's personality (through, truthfully, at times, I wanted Star to shout at her sister and tell her off - though that wouldn't have been Star at all).

Then we learn Flora's story, and I loved many of the parallels between her and Star and at times felt so involved with Flora's story I felt nervous for her! Her story was so satisfying.

I think one of my favorite things about this story is the growth of the characters Star and Mouse. They really grow and change throughout the story and have such depth.

I would say that there is really not as much romance in this book as the previous two, it's more on the periphery (for Star, at least). This isn't a bad thing at all, though I'd have to say my only complaint is feeling like Star's story ended a bit soon. I would have liked to see an epilogue, but perhaps as the other stories move forward we can learn more of how her story ends.

Also, we have a couple more instances of them seeing a person who looks mysteriously like a certain person (no spoilers here!). I can't wait to find out more of this mystery!

Overall, this is one of my favorite books of Ms. Riley's so far and will for sure be listening again. Jessica Preddy does an excellent job with the voices and accents and she's a real pleasure to listen to. I intend to look for more books narrated by her!

7 people found this helpful

Irritating narrators put on accent...

Really didn't enjoy how the narrator put an accent on for each of the characters, especially Star who is French. Made it difficult to get through the book without being irritated by it, so didn't actually take in the story.

2 people found this helpful

Best of the series so far

I enjoyed this book much more than the other two in the series. I'm not sure why that is, except perhaps that the characters and their specific struggles appealed to me more.

2 people found this helpful

One is best, 3 is better than 2! Maus not Mouse

Where does The Shadow Sister rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I've fallen in love with Lucinda Riley's story telling. Girl On The Cliff and The Light Behind The Window are my favorites. She can take factual history and weave a fictitious story around it: Mrs. Keppel was the favorite mistress of the Prince/King of England and her eldest daughter had a lesbian relationship with Vita Sackville-West and how Lucinda tied the name of Orlando into this story. Also how Beatrix Potter was their neighbor in the Lakes District in the 1909 story.I had to go back a re-listen to several chapters to get the story clear, especially towards the end, as it became confusing with who was the illegitimate child of who and how the past influenced the present.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shadow Sister?

When she does Rory, the 6 year old deaf boy, with his excitement and innocence. Yes, Star was a quiet girl, perhaps mildly autistic/Asperger's. I had to google why Mouse (or rather Maus) was chosen as the older brothers nickname. I could see Matthias Schoenaerts as Mouse, and Scarlett Johansson, Léa Seydoux or Blake Lively as Star.

What does Jessica Preddy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I swear she said Laura as many times as she did Flora!

1 person found this helpful

It was only "fair"

Would you try another book from Lucinda Riley and/or Jessica Preddy?

Yes. I'm intrigued by the premise of the 7-book series, but overall, the stories are getting more implausible.

Any additional comments?

While the series is entertaining, if you give the story a little bit of thought it falls apart. In this book as well as the last one, any number of problems would be resolved if only the sisters would leave their cell phones ON. There's a convenient "lack of cell service" even when they are on. For such a close family, they are remarkably selfish (not really willing to go to sisters' fiance's funeral for example). And while the historical back story is interesting, it's pretty convoluted - what they're describing happened two, or maybe it's three, generations ago (I think) and I'm still not sure of the connection between Flora and Star.

1 person found this helpful

Love these stories despite myself

I've read the first two books and have been looking forward to Star's story. It took me awhile to warm up to this one, in part because I found the bad French accents irritating, made more so by the fact that Star thought with one accent and spoke with another. Was the French accent really necessary?
As always, Lucinda's story-telling completely won me over in the end, and made me not care about the flaws. Don't miss the author's note at the end of the book. I forgave everything that bothered me.
I have to note however, that I feel trepidations about Cece's story to come. Cece was distinctly unlikable in this book. There are hints in Cece's chapter that she has some insight into her unlikability, so of course I will have to pick up the next book when it comes out, curious, as always, where Lucinda will spirit me next.

1 person found this helpful