I chose to read The Winter Sea after receiving and reading Kearsley's, The Fire Bird at Christmas time. (The Fire Bird was actually written after The Winter Sea, so I read them out of order, but it didn't affect my reading. Though they are both set in Scotland in the late 1600's, and share some of the same characters, the stories are not dependent on each other).
Kearsley's unique skill of intertwining real events from history in with a modern day love story captivated and inspired me as a historical fiction writer. It was like reading two separate stories, both with their own vivid characters, their own engaging romance, and captivating settings, but they were connected together in a most creative manner. And just when I was ready to accept a sad ending to the historical portion of the story--because I knew it was based on actual events, the author gave the story a twist that not only surprised me, but left me pleasantly satisfied.
My only complaint about the book was that it had a slow start. The author spent more time than I cared for setting up the historical background. I found myself skimming though the information until I recognized the story showing through.
For readers of historical fiction and/or a good clean romance, I would highly recommend The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley.
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