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Sophia's Secret cover art

Sophia's Secret

By: Susanna Kearsley
Narrated by: Carolyn Bonnyman
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Summary

When best-selling author Carrie McClelland visits the stark and beautiful Slains Casle, she decides to use the castle as the setting for her new novel, and one of her own ancestors, Sophia, as her heroine. Then Carrie realises her writing is taking on a life of its own and the lines between fact and fiction become increasingly blurred. As Sophias' memories draw Carrie more deeply into the intrigue of 1708, she discovers a captivating love story lost in time. Please note this title was previously recorded as The Winter Sea
©2009 Susanna Kearsley (P)2009 Oakhill Publishing Ltd

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Critic reviews

"A deeply-engaging romance and a compelling historical novel ... Susanna Kearsley has written a marvelous book." ( Bernard Cornwell)

What listeners say about Sophia's Secret

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A lovely story

I liked this timeslip style romance and would probably seek out the author's other work after a bit of a break. The narrator had a nice voice and seemed to have the correct Scots (Doric?) dialect for the story (the dialect was mentioned more than once in the story itself). The plot was a tiny bit unconvincing in parts, and you'll probably see the denouement coming a mile off, but it was a nice, easy listen. Perfect for plugging the ears while doing the housework.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen

There was a moment when I wanted to give up on this book. But I did listen till the end and I am happy I did. The end has really a gorgeous twist :-))) Good job, Mrs. Kearsley!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not for me

This one veers very close to the 'Mills and Boon' genre. Nothing against romantic fiction, it's a matter of taste and I don't enjoy it. The narration was rather masterful though - taking on an Aberdeenshire dialect is a big ask and she seemed to pull it off.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

If you like ships and history then this is for you

I found this audio book rather hard work at times, and although I liked the narrators accents and voice I found the history and ships was not for me, but to be fair if you do like ships and historic battles all entwined with past and present love story's then you will enjoy it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If you like Barbara Erskine, you'll love this!.

Would you listen to Sophia's Secret again? Why?

Yes but in a few years as the story is still clear in my head.

What other book might you compare Sophia's Secret to, and why?

Lady of Hay by Barbare Erskine which is one of my favourite historical fiction books.

What does Carolyn Bonnyman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The lovely gentle accent…makes you feel like you're really there

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh and cry..there are scenes for every emotion

Any additional comments?

I'll definitely be looking for other audiobooks by this author…can't wait.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Intriguing

What made the experience of listening to Sophia's Secret the most enjoyable?

Another good book from Susanna and I love to hear Carolyn narrate her books, a perfect pair.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sophia's Secret?

When Sofia realises Murray loves her

Which character – as performed by Carolyn Bonnyman – was your favourite?

Jimmy

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Sofia gave her daughter away

Any additional comments?

Carolyn who made all the characters come alive, The realisation that after giving her daughter away she found her true love again. This is the third Susanna and Carolyn combination I have listened to and I have another ready to start...Good Stuff

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant

Would you consider the audio edition of Sophia's Secret to be better than the print version?

Not read the print version

Any additional comments?

Very disappointed to learn that the sequel was not on audio books

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too slow

Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy this book because it was just too slow and very little happened.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it.

I absolutely loved this story though it was a bit predictable at times. It kept me in thrall throughout though and I loved the historical context as well as the romance. I was rather interested in the Jacobite risings having listened to the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, and it was very interesting to hear of the earlier rising and the history surrounding it in this novel.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Better as the Book

I read this in book form several years ago and enjoyed it so much I decided to listen to it in Audible. Somehow it didn't have the same impact. I found the narrator quite lazy, as if she was reading it to herself. I became bored very early on, couldn't get involved in the story, and decided I would probably not finish it in its Audible form. The two stories got lost in Audible somehow. It needed someone of the calibration of narrator Davina Porter to bring the characters to life.

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