This is the third book that I've read from this author. She has a very good way of telling a story.

I liked that it was based in the late 20's and the historical research that's been carried out by the author.

I feel for Mhairi, in those days women were expected to marry and as she is the eldest of 9 children there was an added pressure on her. A forbidden romance is entwined through the story of Mhairi's marriage search and it's so sad.

This story has mystery, Intrigue, love and excitement throughout and it's truly gripping.

how to give feedback on this book is beyond me it is full of detail and events going on in on a scottish island telling the story of how they lead their lives it is full of excitement merriment heartache and of course a love story or two telling a story not of a modern every day romance but one that as its ups and down but in the end comes up trumps a brill book to read

I absolutely love Karen Swan, this book is awesome, wonderfully written, engaging and page turning, Must read.

This was an intriguing book, but I found it hard to get into it. I am very glad that this part of the series didn't end with so much of a cliffhanger as it was a little frustrating.

It was fascinating to learn about St Kilda and how the St Kildans lived, somewhere that would be incredible to visit. You can understand from the description of the island how tensions would run high.

Thank you for such intriguing characters, I was not expecting the twist at the end of this book.

I must admit I don’t normally read historic novels but the first one The Last Summer gripped me and I had to continue the drama.

Summer 1929 Mhairi MacKinnon is in need of a husband as her parents can’t support her any more.
Their neighbour Donald has an acquaintance off the island who may be suitable and is chaperoned to meet him and returns to the island of St Kilda an engaged woman, in love, with the wrong man.

Then she hears St Kilda is to be evacuated and life will never be the same…

The harshness of being a girl then and on such a remote island is incomprehensible, no electricity or running water and waiting for the seasons for supplies is a whole different life, thankfully.
I was so invested in Mhairi, I went through her turbulent emotions and cried many tears for her. Can’t wait for the next book!

Firstly I didn’t realize this book was part of a series, so I was a bit confused and feel that I can truly only give an honest review after reading the first book in the series

One thing you can guarantee, you can never go wrong with Karen Swan! This is the second book in the Wild Isle series and it didn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the first book, which followed the story of Effie Gillies, and couldn’t wait to see what this one had in store. This book follows the life of Mhairi MacKinnon and I liked the way it crossed over to the first book so, even though I read it a while ago, a lot of it came back to me. It was quite an emotional read and, like the first, you couldn’t help but feel for the islanders and everything they went through. You could read it as a stand-alone but I recommend you start with the first book. I can’t wait to read about Flora in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for letting me read and review this book.

A great read for the second book in the The Wild Isle series. Focusing more on Mhaira in this book and the new life ahead moving to a different isle. Not my usual genre of choice, but I still enjoyed this book/series so far.

What a great book
Perfect book to curl up with and to get lost in
Will have you hooked from the first page
Thanks NetGalley

Fantastic second book in the series. I cannot wait for the conclusion. This is a great series, each book is adding another perspective and layer to the underlying story. I’m not going to give anything away! Historically this period is fascinating and the time is portrayed with facts interwoven with fiction. Great read!

Thank you Netgalley

I love Karen Swan books and had high hopes for this one as expectation now.
I was not disappointed. Loved it from start to finish. Can't wait for the next now.

It had been a while since I had read The Last Summer, and I had read many books in between, but it didn't take long to get back into the swing of St Kilda and remind myself of all the fabulous island characters. I love the strong women that Karen has created, and the sense of place she conjures up is wonderful. So beautifully written and hard to put down. I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series.

A fantastic read which answers many questions left at the end of previous book. Again believable characters and well written story. I would recommend this book.

A worthy successor to The Last Summer, I loved this book. It took up the tale of Mhairi and was a great read on its own, answering questions unanswered from the previous book. The descriptions of the places and people were very carefully thought out and gave the book an extra dimension. A vey good read.

A brilliant read and one I really enjoyed. The characters are loveable and varied, the plot is one that is engaging and medium paced. I found myself completely drawn into the story and enjoyed the writing style.

I haven't read the previous books in th series but it didn't seem to matter. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn't feel anything was missing. Some great characters and the descriptions of their lives brought everything to life. A very positive conclusion after all the trauma which is good!

A heartbreaking story of forbidden love and a tough existence in a remote Scottish island. Well written and engaging.

Mhairi knows she has to marry, but does not expect to fall in love with the wrong man. Growing up on a remote Scottish island, life is hard, and would be easier if she married and went to live on a less remote island .A tale of the hardships suffered, and forbidden love. Hard to put down, powerfully written .

Like many readers, when I finished The Last Summer, the first novel of the Wild Isles series, I was left with so many questions. It was a painful cliffhanger because I had to wait for the next book… And then it came, The Stolen Hours, and it was worth the wait.
The book takes us back to the same timeframe as the previous one, the time just before and during the evacuation of St Kilda, 1929-1930. The first book had focussed on the story of Effie Gillies, one of three friends. This one is the story of Mhairi McKinnon. Living on St Kilda was tough and Mhairi’s family could not sustain everyone so it was necessary for Mhairi to get married and arrangements were made to marry her to a farmer on the neighbour island of Harris. This does not quite go according to plan and through this story we return to some details of the first book with the story of Effie and the death of the factor. Enough said, it is complicated and although we learn quite a lot of new facts about what happened and we make more assumptions, we realise at the end of the book that it is definitely not the end of the story.​
I really enjoyed the story of Mhairi. But more than that, I find the story about St Kilda fascinating. The life on the island was so harsh and yet, people were attached to it and the evacuation was such a difficult time for all of them. Karen Swan is writing beautifully about the island, the scenery, the climate, the sea, the people and how their lives are so difficult and so simple at the same time. There is again a lot of background research behind this book, where we learn a bit about crofting, whaling and the condition of women on the islands at that time.​
And I find myself back to where I was last time…waiting for the next book. This is definitely a powerful series. When I close the book, it is still with me.

Have been longingly waiting for the next episode about the islanders of St Kilda, after the first book ended with such a cliff hanger.
This book focuses on Mhairi and her story. Definitely a great sequel with plenty of unexpected twists.
if you've read the first book, then you will love catching up with all the characters of St Kilda in this tale.