Review: Absent in the Spring (Shakespeare Sisters #3) by Carrie Elks
Losing control never felt so good . . .A successful lawyer, and the eldest of four sisters, Lucy Shakespeare is used to being in control of everything and everyone around her, most particularly herself - that is until she meets the gorgeous Lachlan MacLeish.
Lachlan's hired Lucy because he needs the best. His inheritance, the Lairdship of Glencarraig, is suddenly in doubt, thanks to his devious half-brother. Glencarraig is the only place where his memories of his family are happy ones and there's no way he's going down without a fight. The very last thing he wants is a distraction, but as soon as he sees Lucy, he knows he's in trouble.
Despite their efforts to resist, it isn't long before Lachlan has Lucy longing to break all her careful rules. As they travel from Scotland, to Paris and on to New York, Lucy can't help but wonder: is it sometimes worth risking it all?
REVIEW
Although this series of books is centred around one family, all three of the books in the series so far are completely different, and can each be read as standalone stories. The settings, the season, and the characters, particularly the male leads, are worlds apart, and they all make for delightful reading.
Each book is based around the life of one Shakespeare sister - Cecsa, Kitty and Lucy respectively - and each sister has their own distinct personality to bring to the stories. In this instance Lucy, the eldest sister, is proudly independent, fiercely protective of her sisters and determined to succeed in her career in law. She works so hard she has little time for herself, let alone time to establish a relationship with someone.
Lachlan too is career-minded. He's built his business empire from nothing and wants to maintain his reputation whatever the cost. When I realised Lucy's love interest was an American businessman and not a Scottish laird (at least not yet - not a spoiler), I have to admit I was a little disappointed. But I quickly grew to like Lachlan, love him even, and he was a perfect match for Lucy.
Lucy and Lachlan are both determined, motivated individuals, whose personal lives have suffered as a result of their success. Although they live on separate continents they have more in common than anyone would ever have thought, and quickly struggle to keep their relationship strictly professional. As in the other books in the series I love that the narrative reflects the perspective of both characters, enabling us to view their relationship from both sides, and giving us an insight into both Lucy and Lachlan's thoughts and feelings.
A Winter's Tale is still my personal favourite of the Shakespeare Sisters series so far, but Absent in the Spring comes a close second! I was expecting/hoping for a bit more of Scotland and the country estate, but that doesn't take away from what is a great story, one that left me with a smile on my face.
I'm very pleased to notice that Carrie has paved the way for the fourth book in the series (initially I wasn't sure whether Juliet, the fourth sister, would have a story to tell). There's also plenty to come from the other three sisters I'm sure, and I can't wait to find out what happens next!
*Thanks to Clara Diaz at Piatkus for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a review!*
Check out my reviews of Summer's Lease and A Winter's Tale for more about this brilliant series!
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