Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

  • The Stolen Hours

  • Wild Isle, Book 2
  • By: Karen Swan
  • Narrated by: Paula Masterton
  • Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (26 ratings)
Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
The Stolen Hours cover art

The Stolen Hours

By: Karen Swan
Narrated by: Paula Masterton
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Christmas by Candlelight cover art
The Hidden Beach cover art
Christmas at Tiffany's cover art
The Christmas Postcards cover art
That Festive Feeling cover art
Follow the Dove cover art
The Summer Without You cover art
The Christmas Lights cover art
The Christmas Secret cover art
The Perfect Present cover art
The Spanish Promise cover art
The Greek Escape cover art
Together by Christmas cover art
The Christmas Party cover art
Midnight in the Snow cover art
The Graham Saga, Books 1-3 cover art

Summary

A reluctant bride. A forbidden romance. An island full of secrets . . .

It’s the summer of 1929 and Mhairi MacKinnon is in need of a husband. As the eldest girl among nine children, her father has made it clear he can’t support her past the coming winter. On the small, Scottish island of St Kilda, her options are limited. But the MacKinnons’ neighbour, Donald, has a business acquaintance on distant Harris also in need of a spouse. A plan is hatched for Donald to chaperone Mhairi and make the introduction on his final crossing of the year, before the autumn seas close them off to the outside world.

Mhairi returns as an engaged woman who has lost her heart – but not to her fiancé. In love with the wrong man yet knowing he can never be hers, she awaits the spring with growing dread, for the onset of calm waters will see her sent from home to become a stranger’s wife.

When word comes that St Kilda is to be evacuated, the lovers are granted a few months’ reprieve, enjoying a summer of stolen hours together. Only, those last days on St Kilda will also bring trauma and heartache for Mhairi and her friends, Effie and Flora. And when a dead body is later found on the abandoned isle, all three have reason enough to find themselves under the shadow of suspicion . . .

The Stolen Hours is Book Two in Karen Swan's bestselling Wild Isle Series.

©2023 Karen Swan (P)2023 Macmillan Publishers International Limited

Critic reviews

A lovely novel which I hugely enjoyed. I envy Karen Swan's skill to evoke a landscape and a very different past so effortlessly. The love story was all that one would wish and the characters are terrific. (Elizabeth Buchan, author of Against Her Nature)
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, author of The Summer That Changed Us)
A delicious romantic tale of wild 1930s Scotland . . . perfect for everyone dreaming of summer (Rachel Hore, author of One Moonlit Night)

What listeners say about The Stolen Hours

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    25
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    22
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    21
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stolen hours of excellent reading

I loved this 2nd book in the Wild Isle series - as good as the first and I look forward to the next. I couldn't listen to it fast enough and definitely stole hours to listen in a couple of days. I don't want to say anything about the story, other than to say, definitely worth reading. I really enjoy Karen Swan's books and this is particularly good in terms of the history behind the story, the continuity from book 1 and the excellent narration. I wanted the story to go on...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

As good as the first book

Loved it from start to finish.
Bring on book 3 please I need to know what happens next!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

The characters

Absolutely brilliant x loved this book as good as the first and can’t wait for the next instalment x

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

A bleaker but absorbing tale

Another character’s view of that last year on St Kilda and the aftermath. Bleaker, but more absorbing as it unfolds. Mhairi is not such a likeable person as Effie for most of the novel. However she grows on you! I re-listened to The Last Summer to get me up to speed and would recommend everyone to do the same…….then listen to them both again! A year is a long time to await Flora’s story and the suggestion that there will be 5 books will keep us all on tenterhooks for years! Beautifully narrated, thank you.


Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Beautifully written and read

The narration is superb and brings the characters to life without being the focus and overpowering the storyline. Karen Swan writes beautifully using her thorough research to describe a lost life style but expressing sensitively the challenges the St Kilda community faced. Her characters are so credible and their stories take hold in a way that makes me want to move on quickly with the novel whilst at the same time fearing what I might read in case it turns out badly. Another cliffhanger and a whole year to wait for part three and even longer for final resolution! I loved the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Brilliant

Story excellent narration brilliant. Factual and so descriptive. Good sequel and still no conclusion to the mystery but look forward to next book. Thank you. Will re listen to both books

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

A captivating read transporting you to another world

I loved the Last Summer listening to it three times whilst I waited impatiently for The Stolen Hours and couldn't wait to go back to this world. It goes back to 1929 telling Mharis story which is sad with some heartwarming moments. I loved Jesse and Murdo characters and being reunited with Effie. I kept looking to see how many minutes were left as I didn’t want it to end. Now to wait another year! Well done Karen Swan another captivating read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

LOVE this series

Love everything about this series! Love the characters and storyline. The narrator also works perfectly for this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Great book - defo recommend

Loving the wild isle series. Second book just as good at the first. Can’t wait for the next one already.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Fantastic

I honestly couldn't stop listening. I cannot wait for the next book to be published!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!