Tiggy is interviewing Dr Charlie Kinnard. Charlie is very scientific based as a doctor not much relyed on faith. Charlie needs someone to look after some wildlife in many acres. I loved that animals was a big part of Tiggys life.i loved Tiggy.i loved the older gentleman Chilly and how interacted with Tiggy and spoke of magic. I loved reading about the history and how it connected to Tiggy and the present. I loved the interesting names.

Tiggy D’Aplièse has always been the mysterious sister, sensitive and spiritual. She gets a job caring for endangered Scottish wildcats on a breathtaking estate in the Scottish highlands, and feels a soul connection with the local laird, her boss and also her doctor. She also meets Chilly, an ancient Gypsy who lives in a small cabin on the grounds and regales her with stories. Chilli eventually admits he knows who she is and tells her that it was foretold that he would be the one to send her home, to discover her roots in the small Romani community on the outskirts of Granada, Spain.

Lucia was born in 1912 to a very poor family, but her passion and talent for dancing flamenco made it evident from a young age that she was destined for something more, and she definitely has the personality of a diva. From the time she was 10, she disobeyed her mother and danced professionally in bars and town squares, earning some money and much fame. But as Spain’s devastating civil war loomed closer and closer, Lucia found herself having to flee with a troupe of dancers, leaving her family behind. Eventually she will have to choose between her dance and the people she loves, and it’s hard to imagine anything other than dance stoking the fire in her heart.

The Moon Sister is the fifth book in the series following the adventures of six young women, adopted from all corners of the globe by the enigmatic Pa Salt, named for the seven sisters of the Pleiades and raised in splendor in his mansion on Lake Geneva. His sudden death leaves them all devastated (and there are hints that all may not be as it seems), yet he was prepared enough to leave for each of them instructions that, if followed, will lead each woman back to her birthplace and birth family and history. I have read books two, three, four and now five (linked to my reviews). I have to admit that while I enjoyed books 2 and 3 a lot, books 4 and 5 have not been as good. The Pearl Sister (book four), CeCe’s story, fell a little flat, and Tiggy was a little too mystical for me, and the (SPOILER) deer that was apparently a spirit guide/possibly Pa come back to watch over her had my inner skeptic rolling her eyes. I found that my disbelief could not be suspended. Likewise I simply could not swallow that even the most mystical of humans could remember the ceiling of the room where she was born.

However, Lucinda Riley is a talented storyteller. She always includes an origin story (i.e. the Romani in Madrid) and a modern one (i.e. Tiggy in Scotland), and yes, readers can spot the connections between the two a mile away, but she spins a great yarn with a few good twists and I for one am always up for that. Although I didn’t love this particular story, I am still looking forward to the next installment. This series is worth checking out.

This is book 5 in the Seven Sisters series and it's Tilly's story. She's working in Scotland as a wildlife manager for Charlie Kinnaird the laird. He's a doctor who treats her for a gunshot wound when a poacher shoots a deer on the estate. She is befriended on the estate by Chilly, who is a gypsy that has a tie to her parents. This book can be read as a stand alone but you will get a lot more depth if you read the previous books. Book 1, The Seven Sisters, Book 2, The Storm Sister, Book 3, The Shadow sister, and book 4, The Pearl Sister. The series has 7 adult women, all adopted by a man when they were babies. This is a wonderful set that follows each woman find their birth families after the death of their father. Electra's story is next and I can't wait. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Seven Sisters series is a favorite and one I have kept up to date on. One of the things I have really enjoyed is the different locations of the past storylines. We’ve been to Brazil, Norway, England, Australia and with The Moon Sister, Spain.

The Moon Sister isn’t a small book, coming in at 533 pages and Riley tells a great story. As with the other books she shows her uniqueness in the plots (both past and present) with interesting characters and just enough hints to anticipate the next book.

The blurb does a great job of outlining the story, thankfully I rarely read the whole blurb as I find it sometimes it gives too much of the story away - as it does here. I went into this one blind because I knew I’d be in for a treat. The Moon Sister was a wonderful ride, the historical aspect in Spain with its gypsy/flamenco dancing community was captivating. The author has a knack for creating both likable and unlikable characters.

The Moon Sister (as are the other books) is a journey of self-discovery with some mystery and a touch of romance. While this book could work as a stand-alone I recommend reading the whole series.

I fell in love with this series. This is the fourth and we travel from Scotland to Spain as one of the sister's discovers their heritage.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book, in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5 Stars.

I am not much of a Romance reader, and I have never read books of this nature. Nor have I read the first 4 books in this series. All that being said, I really enjoyed this book. It was such a lyrical read, I couldn’t help but feel the love. Even though I hadn’t read the first 4 books, I had no problem delving into this one.

It had so much depth, and character development. It was so rich in the history of Spain and and Scotland, I felt like I was reading a History book at some points. I love writing, that reaches into your soul, and has you feeling the emotions that your character felt. I hurt when they hurt, I was happy when they were happy, and when they were shocked, I was shocked too. I would love to pick up the first four books, but I am not sure how soon that will be able to happen.

Overall, I am so happy I was pushed outside of my reading bubble, and that I got to experience a book that I may not have picked out for myself.

The Seven Sisters series has been a favorite of mine for the last few years! I have read all of them except the third book, not sure how I missed that one, which ironically was the one I was looking forward to most, but I will definitely be going back to read it as soon as I can.

Riley writes with such an elegance and I love how each “Sister” novel stands alone but all together they form singular parts to a larger story.

This series also explores a lot of different cultures and setting around the globe, it’s like getting to travel to exotic locations without having to leave your house.

Each book is truly a treat to read so when this one came up for review, it was an unequivocal yes!

Summary

Tiggy D’Aplièse spends her days experiencing the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands doing a job she loves at a deer sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is forced to close, she is offered a job as a wildlife consultant on the vast and isolated estate of the elusive and troubled laird, Charlie Kinnaird. She has no idea that the move will not only irrevocably alter her future, but also bring her face-to-face with her past.

At the estate, she meets Chilly, a gypsy who fled from Spain seventy years before. He tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home…

In 1912, in the poor gypsy community outside the city walls of Granada, Lucía Amaya-Albaycin is born. Destined to be the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation—and named La Candela, due to the inner flame that burns through her when she dances— Lucía is whisked away by her ambitious and talented guitarist father at the tender age of ten to dance in the flamenco bars of Barcelona. Her mother is devastated by the loss of her daughter and as civil war threatens in Spain, tragedy strikes the rest of her family. Now in Madrid, Lucía and her troupe of dancers are forced to flee for their lives, their journey taking them far across the water to South America and eventually, to North America and New York—Lucía’s long-held dream. But to pursue it, she must choose between her passion for her career and the man she adores. The Moon Sister follows these two women on their journey to discover their true futures—but at the risk of potentially losing the men they had hoped to build futures with (summary from Goodreads).

Review

Every time I read a ‘Sister’ book, it is so easy to get enveloped in the story and lost for what you think is minutes, which turns out to be hours. I love exploring all the exotic locations and traveling the world with each very different type of woman. In this book, Tiggy, is the spiritual sister. I found that I identified with her less than the others but yet somehow I managed to liked her the best out of the sisters.

I thought that placing Tiggy in the Scottish Highlands fit so perfectly with her spiritual nature and offered an elegant yet mystical backdrop to the novel. The transition from modern day story to historical story was flawless and effortless. Riley is a gifted writer and makes each story unique and exciting while neither manages to eclipse the other. I have read other authors who have attempted this, but no one does it as well as Riley.

One of the things I loved most about this novel was the flamenco dancing descriptions. The author really brought to life the flamenco culture and beauty to life in this book. I love how Spanish culture was sprinkled throughout a book with one character being in the Scottish Highlands. It totally worked for me and I loved how they mixed together to create a memorable story and setting.

I absolutely adore this series and I can’t wait to meet the next sister in this series! While I have electronic copies of these books, I have also bought hard copies because the covers are to die for! These are books that you want on your shelf!

Book Info and Rating

Hardcover, 544 pages
Published February 19th 2019 by Atria Books (first published 2018)
ISBN 1982110619 (ISBN13: 9781982110611)
Free review copy provided by publisher, Atria Books, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 5 stars
Genre: historical fiction, romance

3.5 stars

6 sisters were adopted by one man who named them after the Seven Sisters constellation. When he died, he left each sister a letter telling how he found them and clues about their past.

The book has two timelines: the present day with Tiggy and the past with her grandmother Lucia.
Tiggy lives in Scotland working on a wildlife centre looking after Scottish wildcats. There she meets a man who knows where she comes from and knew her grandmother.

In Spain we follow Lucia and how she became the star flamenco dancer. I didn’t like Lucia who was very selfish and just not likeable, like her father for that matter. She was so oblivious of the world and not knowing anything about the situation in her country.

I liked the Scottish parts but took some time getting into the Spanish setting. I enjoyed the book and it was fairly quick book to read despite the size. This was my second Riley book and I really need to read the first books in the series soon. I’m looking forward to the next book.

The Moon Sister by Lucinda Riley is the fifth novel in the Seven Sisters series. I reviewed The Pearl Sister which was the fourth book for the blog tour. I was delighted to be again selected for the blog tour by Atria, the publisher. I received a review copy from them via Net Galley. This is my review.

I've wanted to read this book ever since I first saw the summary. I loved both female protagonists of this dual period novel.

I admire those who like Tiggy are dedicated to preserving threatened animals and their habitats. Tiggy also faced down sexual harassment and numerous revelations that impacted her sense of identity when she discovered her Romani birth family in Spain. Yet she remained focused on her vocation to protect animals. She has been criticized in a Goodreads review for not being a consistent vegan. A vegan once told me that dairy foods were the most difficult animal products for her to give up, and that she struggled with eliminating dairy for years. Even principled vegans may have difficulties. Becoming a vegan can be a process. I feel that Tiggy is a strong woman who always remained true to the central core of herself throughout the novel.

I've had a love of flamenco dancing and a fascination with the trance state called duende ever since I first learned about its existence in the Highlander: The Series episode Duende. This is why I identified with Lucia's dedication to flamenco. I felt that her strengths lay in being loyal to her gift and to family.

I thought that The Moon Sister was a moving portrayal of these memorable characters.

4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every time I finish a Seven Sisters book, I find myself on pins and needles impatiently waiting for the next one to be released. Yes, they are THAT good!

Adopted by one man - Pa Salt - and raised together as sisters, each book focuses on one of the girls as they discover their ancestry and what part of the world they came from. The Moon Sister is Tiggy’s story. You’ll go from Geneva to Scotland to Spain with Tiggy as she discovers her heritage. Lucinda Riley has the most incredible writing style - so descriptive and captivating that you feel as if you are pulled into the story itself. I am super excited to read Electra’s story in the next one. I only wish I didn’t have to wait so long!

Although it’s not my favorite genre, I’m so glad I started this series. I highly recommend for anyone who loves historical fiction or anyone who is skeptical about reading historical fiction. I promise you will read a terrific story each and every time!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lucinda Riley for an advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

The Seven Sisters series keeps getting better with every book! If you haven't already been reading this series - I would suggest reading them in order starting with The Seven Sisters. You could certainly still enjoy them by jumping in at any point - but I think you will get so much more reading them in order.

This series is about 6 sisters who were all adopted when they were babies and were each named after one of the stars in the Seven Sisters constellation. We come into their story as they are in their 20s/30s and are spread around the world living their own separate lives. Their adoptive father dies and they all come home to Switzerland - where he has left them each a letter, the coordinates to where he found them and a meaningful quote. The first 6 books of this series each focus on one of the sisters and exploring her history - alternating between that sister in the modern (2008) world and her ancestors - in the first four books we've explored Brazil, Norway, England, Thailand and Australia. Reading this series has been a wonderful journey of learning about women in different locations and time periods.

This story - The Moon Sister - is Tiggy's story. Tiggy is the second from the youngest and is very spiritual and into nature. I wasn't sure I would connect with her as much since I am not about nature - however, I never should have doubted. I was just as absorbed in this story as I have been all the others in this series. With Tiggy, we travel between Scotland and Spain - learning about Tiggy's grandmother Lucia, a famous flamenco dancer. Tiggy also faces some pivotal choices about her career and what she wants to do next with her life.

I am continually amazed by how well the author is weaving together all the stories - and the 7th book will answer some ongoing questions (including why a 7th sister wasn't adopted I hope!) There are moments where we see something from one sister's perspective, and then in a later book see it from another sister's perspective. Somehow Lucinda Riley achieves this without ever feeling repetitive but just adding more to the experience. And now that we are getting closer to the end of the series - I am starting to see some threads that have been around since the very first book start to stand out in a bigger way. I can't wait to see what's going to happen in Electra's story and then the finale!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

Without a doubt, this series is going down as one of my favorites! This is the latest installment, book 5, in Lucinda Riley's The Seven Sisters series and with each subsequent book, I fall more in love not only with the D'Apliese family, but also with Lucinda's writing. It is magical and just pulls you into the story so that you don't want to put the book, or audio, down until you have reached the last page. I keep saying with each new book that it's my favorite, but really - they all have been so good that I don't know if I can just single out one over the overs.

I will say, though, that I did have a harder time getting into this book than I have had with the others. And, I didn't necessarily love all the characters as much as I have with the previous books. That's not to say I didn't love the overall book, because I absolutely did and I think it was a brilliant addition to the series. I just felt that with this one, it took me a little longer to warm up to the story, and Lucia, Tiggy's grandmother, grated on my last nerve. But once you read the story, I think you might agree with me on this...and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think it's the way she was meant to be - her character was created this way and believe me, it came across loud and clear!

One of my favorite parts of this series is the cultural education I feel I am getting from each and every one of these books. This time around we go from the Scottish Highlands to the gypsy caves of Granada and then even into South America. I loved learning about the culture of the flamenco dancers and even the bit about the gypsy community. The book is set against the Spanish Civil War and WWII, and you feel the persecution that this community has felt and dealt with. It definitely has sparked an interest in me and now I want to read more about this culture...this is why I love reading historical fiction - it leads me to learn something new and wanting to read more about it.

I also love that there are some more clues dropped on us about the mysterious Pa Salt. I am so curious about him and with only two books left in this series, I cannot imagine how this is going to wrap up. Plus...who is the seventh sister? I know the next book is going to be Electra's story and I am quite excited for that. She is the sister we know the least about so I am quite anxious to dig into her life!

This series is absolutely one of my favorites and I just know that once I have all the books and have read them all, I will certainly be revisiting them to see if I have missed any of the clues along the way. Plus, the stories are just so good that I know I will enjoy them again and again. Do you have a series that you revisit again and again?

I have read almost every book Lucinda Riley has written and I am absolutely excited to read The Moon Sister. This is a really amazing series, the authors writing is awesome and always keeps me engaged from page one until the very end. If you enjoy a huge novel that you can really sink your literary teeth into, get The Moon Sister (and Lucinda Riley’s other books in the series) ASAP!

Tiggy D’Aplièse spends her days experiencing the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands doing a job she loves at a deer sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is forced to close, she is offered a job as a wildlife consultant on the vast and isolated estate of the elusive and troubled laird, Charlie Kinnaird. She has no idea that the move will not only irrevocably alter her future, but also bring her face-to-face with her past.

At the estate, she meets Chilly, a gypsy who fled from Spain seventy years before. He tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home…

In 1912, in the poor gypsy community outside the city walls of Granada, Lucía Amaya-Albaycin is born. Destined to be the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation—and named La Candela, due to the inner flame that burns through her when she dances— Lucía is whisked away by her ambitious and talented guitarist father at the tender age of ten to dance in the flamenco bars of Barcelona. Her mother is devastated by the loss of her daughter and as civil war threatens in Spain, tragedy strikes the rest of her family. Now in Madrid, Lucía and her troupe of dancers are forced to flee for their lives, their journey taking them far across the water to South America and eventually, to North America and New York—Lucía’s long-held dream. But to pursue it, she must choose between her passion for her career and the man she adores. The Moon Sister follows these two women on their journey to discover their true futures—but at the risk of potentially losing the men they had hoped to build futures with.

This is the fifth book in the series. The settings of the stories and the characters will capture your interest and you will be thinking of these books long after they are over. Read it!

Tiggy is the fifth sister in a very interesting family. A man adopts 6 girls and names them after the stars and each girl is from a different country with a different story. This book is the fifth in the series where each book centers around a different sister as they go looking for their past as their adopted father has left interesting clues for each daughter.

I have loved this series from the beginning, some more than others and I have to admit that this one was not one of my favorites. The thing that I missed in this book was a check in or a glimpse of the other sisters. It was so brief that I didn't feel as though I got to get a peek into their lives while reading Tiggy's story.

I did overall like Tiggy's adventure and thought it was interesting that it felt as if the book was more than just her search for the past but also a search for her path in the present. I actually enjoyed her trying to find her passion in her career path a bit more than her search for her heritage.

I am excited to read the next book, it is the last known sister, so I am intrigued to see where it goes!

This installment of the Seven Sisters series is a winner. From a historical perspective, the author really did her
homework. The history about Flaminco dancing was very well researched and interesting. I anxiously await the story of each of the sisters.
Although the books could be read as a "stand alone" , it is recommended to read them from the first book to get
the full enjoyment of the saga.
Highly recommended

Loved this book, I have read every one of this authors book on the seven sisters and can't wait for the next novel to come out. I have recommended this authors to many people and will continue to do so..

This is another winner from
Lucinda Riley. I loved Tiggy and
how she found her identity. I have to admit that I loved the contemporary aspect of the novel rather than the historical. I usually love all of the historical aspects in Mrs. Riley’s novels, but this one didn’t captivate me. Lucía was very selfish, and I couldn’t understand her. Despite that, I loved the exotic settings and the mystery plot in the novel. I can’t wait for Electra’s story! It can’t come soon fast enough! Full review to come later.