A wonderful story, interesting characters and a setting and period of history that appealed to my sense of curiosity. I did struggle a little with the narration as personally I’ve not been immersed in Scottish accents before so found I had to really concentrate. Great job by the author though, I would read more of her offerings in the future.

This book was absolutely fascinating. I hadn't heard of St Kilda until reading this book and it was great to get an insight into such a different way of life and one untouched by the industrial revolution until the lure of the mainland becomes too great. Effie's story is fraught with hardship, but her and Sholto's relationship is something quite wonderful in such turbulent times and with the dark, sinister shadow of the secrets not quite left behind on St Kilda forever present. I can't wait to see what happens in the next title in the series.

Wow this was such a fantastic story. I was so engrossed from the very start and quickly lost track of all time. I loved the female protagonist Effie. She was strong, confident and such a lovable character. In fact they all were I don't think there was a character I didn't like. I especially loved the characters you love to hate. They are were realistic, believable and so well developed. 

I listened to the audiobook and completely loved the narrator she was so perfect for this novel and really brought out the wonderful sense of atmosphere that the author created in this book. I adored her Scottish accent and her posh voice the most. I love this author as she develops not only a incredible story like this one but you become so involved emotional with the story. I had a real connection and it made me feel so happy and relaxed while listening to it. I did speed up the audiobook a bit but that's to peoples tastes. This book had a great medium pace to it which felt so right for the genre. 

I loved the setting of this book st kilda Scotland outer hebradies. I loved how the author moved the characters from a poor small community to the world of the rich in mainland Scotland. It really allowed you to experience the problem and issues that the author so cleverly created. I really couldn't put this page turner down it was a real roller coaster ride. I hated leaving it to go to bed. There were plenty of unexpected events and the ending left my jaw on the floor. 

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author, narrator and publishers for creating such an exciting, engaging novel that I know you will just love. This author is definitely one to watch. I have everything crossed for further books by this very talented author. 

I only just noticed this is the first book in what will be the best series I have probably ever read if the first book is anything to go off. Eek I'm already impatiently awaiting the next book.
The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog today https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/the-last-summer-by-karen-swan-macmillian-audio-5-star either under my name or ladyreading365

I absolutely adored this book!
Normally I like dark and twisted stories but I'm also a huge fan of historical fiction and if it's set in Scotland it's a bonus.
Karen Swan is an extremely clever author and her writing seems effortless. She is a natural storyteller who keeps your attention from the first page till the last twist on the last page!
I've always been fascinated by the story of the island of St Kilda where the last inhabitants left in 1930 and were relocated to Scotland. This story combines fiction with fact and therefore makes for a fascinating book.
The narrator also did a wonderful job although it took me a little while to get used to the accent.
Highly recommended!!

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan audio UK for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

A perfect slice of relaxing romance.

Summer 1930. Effie lives with her elderly father on the remote Isle of St Kilda. Sparks fly when she meets the visiting Lord Sholto heir to a sprawling Scottish estate. Love blossoms amongst the rugged sea stacks and rocky beaches.

Three months later the residents are evacuated to the mainland, leaving the island for the final time.

Now working for Sholto’s father, Effie is catapulted into a glitzy world of high society where nobody is quite what they seem and a dark secret from the island is brought to light.

Forbidden love, a menacing villain and stunning settings. This book has it all.

The Last Summer is the first in the Wild Isle series by Karen Swan one of of my favourite authors.

It beautifully portrays the end of a community, recreatining a bygone world in fullness and with painstaking attention to detail, bringing the customs and landscape of St Kilda to life.

And I just loved the main character. Effie is strong, feisty and willing to defy convention to provide for her family. Determined she is the equal to any man she is wild, untamed and gloriously vulnerable and she fast became one of my most loved heroines.

The audiobook was wonderfully narrated with just a hint of a real Scottish accent.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thankyou #netgalley #karenswan #macmillanaudio for the arc copy of this book for a honest review .
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- slow paced , at first I thought it will be the same other historical story about the guy and the girl met and fall inlove with each other in a instant. But this story, comes on different battles on how they were meeting again and how they will be together . Effie, is the one I love on this character . I love her enthusiasm. Wonderful setting too when you are big fan of historical romances .


❤️Shaye.reads

This was a slow burner for me. It took me a few chapters to warm to and get into but once I did, it was a runner from there! It’s worth sticking with if you feel like you can’t get into it at the start.

Set in the 1930’s, it’s a wonderfully charming historical fiction, following Effie’s life. First on her life at St Kilda and to her subsequent forced moving off island.

I really started to warm to Effie’s character, trying to pull her own weight in a mans world and dealing with the difficulties that come with it. And her relationship with Lord Sholto, the well to do man who first comes to visit the isle was intriguing! Wild child v an aristocratic lord makes for an interesting plot!

Effie ends up in Lord Sholto’s household as a member of staff after the Earl employs her to sort through some precious artefacts and bird eggs given her experience on the island. But their meeting again is far from Effie’s dreams. And she’s running away from demons she thought she’d left on the island but they have a way of coming back to you…

Watching her try to adjust to off island life had me feeling all kinds of sorry for her as she tries to navigate in this new world: a life far away from what she’s known. It’s greatly written and an entertaining read (or listen in my case, I had an audiobook) and would recommend if you’re looking for a lovely historical fiction.

What a joy to listen to……. 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.

Three months later, St Kilda falls silent as the islanders are evacuated for a better life on the mainland. With her friends and family scattered, Effie is surprised to be offered a position working on the Earl’s estate. Sholto is back in her life but their differences now seem insurmountable, even as the simmering tension between them grows. And when a shocking discovery is made back on St Kilda, all her dreams for this bright new life are threatened by the dark secrets Effie and her friends thought they had left behind.

Karen Swan has the ability to transport the reader to another time and place with effortless ease. I loved this book from start to finish. If you’re looking to be swept away to the wilds of Scotland this is the perfect book

I loved this book!
Karen Swan always writes amazingly. The research is second to none some of the writing was incredibly hard to swallow, but it made sense during the time set.
Due to Swan’s writing capacity I was swept away on St Kilda’s and have since read some information about the island that another reader shared with me.

The story goes on to the mainland and that was just fabulous and I couldn’t help but urge something to happen several times!

A perfect summer read

I’ve read and mostly enjoyed several books by Karen Swan, so The Last Summer took me by surprise as it’s completely different from her others, and by far my favourite one. A wonderful atmospheric setting, fascinating historical details and interesting characters were masterfully brought to life by the outstanding narration. I can’t wait to book number two. I understand that this is a first instalment in a trilogy, which partly explains the sudden ending, but I still feel that it was a little too abrupt.

Wow! I can see this as a Sunday night tv drama, smashing awards. This gave me an incredible feeling whilst reading it. I adored the story, the setting of St Kilda and the feelings the book invoked in me.

In this new novel, Karen Swan is taking us to St Kilda in that last summer before the evacuation of the Island in 1930.
Effie Gillies has lived there all her life, working hard to support herself and her dad. Because her brother died and her father is getting older, she has to take on the chores they would have normally done and she becomes a very independent, wild and free spirited young woman. Shortly before the evacuation, she guides one of the visitors to the Island, the Earl of Dumfries, and her son Sholto for a birding tour. There is instant connection but they are from such different worlds. She is pursued by the unpleasant factor Matthieson and Sholto goes back to Scotland. The evacuation brings Effie and her father to Scotland and the employ of the Earl of Dumfries. Effie has one foot in the past and her eyes set on the future. Where will her new life take her?
This well researched story gives us a glimpse of the life on St Kilda in 1930. An island inhabited by 36 people who were still living in the old ways. Fetching eggs, birds and puffins to feed themselves, having very little material comfort and very isolated. The visit of tourists like the Earl of Dumfries gave the St Kildans an idea that they could have a better life and they decided to ask for their evacuation. But their new lives were not simple either. The story is full of really strong and interesting characters. St Kilda is beautifully depicted in its roughness and natural beauty, the contrast of the love St Kildans have for it and the wish they have to leave it because their life is so harsh there. The story also illustrates the strength they draw from their simple and mindful life.
I was totally absorbed in this novel and felt sad when the last page came a little abruptly. I was not ready for the end and I felt there were still so many questions left hanging. And then, I learned that this is the first novel of a series. I cannot wait now to read the next ones.
A very good novel and enjoyable read.

The audiobook is excellent. The story is narrated with an accent that brings it really to life. It is read at a good pace, with a pleasant voice that clearly switches between the characters. The narration really made me feel part of this group of people and it was very immersive.

This is an engaging story that takes you to a remote island off the coast of Scotland. Effie is a tomboy, and it’s up to her to care for her father and put food on the table. She meets the object of her affection after he visits the island to tour with her father. Effie knows all about birds and can easily scale rock cliffs. When the community of the island are evacuated to the mainland, she struggles to fit in. It’s a story of coming of age and love, finding belonging, and survival. This is the first in a series with the story stopping at a point where the next book will pick up.

I chose this audiobook as part of it is set on the now uninhabited island of St Kilda.

The book is in two parts, following the life of eighteen year old Effie before and after the evacuation from the island in 1930.

Sholto, the heir to the Earl of Dumfries, visits the island and despite their different backgrounds they end up falling for each other. Effie is offered a job as ornithological advisor to the Earl, assisting him in organising his collection of eggs.

Unfortunately, I didn’t warm to Effie’s character at all.

I found the narrator’s voice extremely slow and had to speed up the audio to listen to it. I also thought she over enunciated some words which made her a bit irritating to listen to.

For me, I thought the book was too long and it really dragged at times, especially the first half. It picks up a little in the second half but I found the conclusion a bit convenient.

I like the idea of a book set on a remote island and the descriptions of the location were very good. Unfortunately, the story didn’t grab me.

The cover is very pretty and suits the setting of the book.

2.5 rounded to 2.

Thanks to MacMillan UK Audio and NetGalley for a copy to review.

The Last Summer is the first book from Karen Swan I’ve read in a long time but when it came up on Amazon first reads I thought I’d give it a go! I actually listened to the audiobook which I received from Netgalley and it made for a really enjoyable experience.

The story follows the life of Effie Gillies who lives on St Kilda until the evacuation of the island. Prior to leaving the island she meets the Earl of Dumfries and there is a rather instant connection with them. What follows is a rather star crossed romance and a will they, won’t they story.

The story is inspired by real events surrounding the voluntary evacuation of St Kilda in 1930s and I really liked this historical element and imagining how it might have been for the people of St Kilda to adapt to their new life.

Wow ...Great book! I've read a few books about St Kilda and aim to visit there one day. This book is fiction but I presume based on fact. I loved Effie and was fascinated by her life on St Kilda and how she had to adapt to mainland life in the 1930s. This book is history, mystery and romance. You'll love it!

The last summer.....
Wow this book will stay with me forever! EVERYONE SHOULD READ!
Such delightful writing, this book has everything! Romance, history, mystery, period drama, comedy & lots lots more.... (Warnings re sexual harassment & animal death).
Initially I Romance, history, mystery, period drama, comedy & lots lots more.... (Warnings re sexual harassment & animal death). I would struggle with the narration being such a strong Scottish accent, however, within minutes I was hooked and I feel that it actually bought more delight and realism to the characters in this already delightful book.
The story starts on a small remote island off the North of Scotland called St kilder, set in the 1930s, with the inhabitants living in a manner we could not even imagine with no idea of mainland life. They are all controlled by a few misely characters and currency is materials.
Effie,18, is the main character. A delight and so inspirational and such a fiery girl!
After losing her mother and her brother it is just her and her father, with poor health, surviving and she is desperate for her father's attention as not being his son Effy has to compete with the male islanders to provide for her father.
Description of life on the island is unimaginable and yet so real. Cold baths, hay beds, hunting for own food to survive, no trees, rock-climbing being effys unique barefoot talent!
Effy has to compete and win against the males and it seems no challenge is too small for this young girl.
Being so strong and independent and outspoken causes many upsets among all the islanders and wearing her dead brothers clothes she really does not conform to the expected behaviours of the women of the era. Effys enthusiasm to learn from the rare gifted books given by the Factor is kept a secret from her father and later is revealed as a dark alteria motive.
When a unique visit from the mainlands Earl and his son throws Effy into being a guide for a week she easily impresses with her knowledge of the island and the bird inhabitants and obviously her amazing climbing skills! Of which will never be forgotten. Effy also has her first experience of that loving spark but sadly once again Effys actions are not well received by her father and the others!
The islanders are begrudgingly (by some) evacuated to the mainland in light of a harsh winter approaching and this new life brings unimaginable developments.
Not only shops and trees but new rules and discrimination never known to Effy before and yes she causes chaos! However, her ambition and her spark creates many open doors for exploring and despite initial prejudices for her name sake, she wins the hearts of many surprising characters! I can imagine in the 1930s this spirited girl existed and I hope it's true!
Despite romance seemingly the focus initially, all is definately not what it seems and the reader's endure an unforgettable adventure with fun, sadness hardships and so much laughter and unpredictability even a pet cheetah & food fights!
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!
The author certainly leaving us wanting more and I do hope we get to find out who owned the brooch. I actually want to relisten to see if there are any hidden clues!
I believe the quality and the education captured within the pages of this novel could and should become a classic to be studied in schools. It is defintely one of the best books I have ever read!
I can't thank you enough NetGally, Macmillan UK audio and the author Karen Swan and the superb narrator for this advanced copy of this audiobook.
Best book of the year for me! Unforgettable !

Awesome - Amazing - Staggering - a book that will make you consider life. Careful and beautiful tone. Loved it!

I love this Historical Romance book, which has vibes of Downton Abbey and contains a bit of everything - romance, drama, adventure, murder mystery ... Effie and Sholto are such sweet characters, who come from very different backgrounds, but who are just perfect together. I'm wondering if the evacuation of St Kilda (an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland) in the 1930's was an actual event in history - either way, it feels real and authentic.

I wish the story had carried on for slightly longer, since I like things tied up nicely with a bow on top, but I am lead to believe that this is the first of a series (It's book 1 of the Wild Isle Series). It doesn't finish on a cliffhanger per se (which is good) but it does leave threads open for the next in the series and it feels unfinished - I'll certainly be picking up the next in the series to find out what happens next.

Many thanks to NetGallery and Macmillan UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of the book - I thoroughly enjoyed it and would urge romance lovers who are after something slightly different to pick up a copy when it is out on 1st July - or 21st July for the audio version (which is expertly narrated by a scottish accented narrator).