Sea of Memories
Top rated in Romance
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Best price: £2.79
Product Summary
In 1937, seventeen-year-old Ella’s life changes forever when she is sent to spend the summer on the beautiful Île de Ré and meets the charismatic, creative Christophe. They spend the summer together, exploring the island’s sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, and, for the first time in her life, Ella feels truly free.
Description
In 1937, seventeen-year-old Ella’s life changes forever when she is sent to spend the summer on the beautiful Île de Ré and meets the charismatic, creative Christophe. They spend the summer together, exploring the island’s sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, and, for the first time in her life, Ella feels truly free. But the outbreak of war casts everything in a new light. Ella is forced to return to Scotland, where she volunteers for the war effort alongside the dashing Angus. In this new world, Ella feels herself drifting further and further from who she was on the Île de Ré. Can she ever find her way back? And does she want to?
Compare with other product in Romance category
Product Review Analysis*
Positives |
Neutrals |
Negatives |
| 86.8% | 6.9% | 6.3% |
Senti score [93.7%] |
||
* hover your mouse over a word to see more details
boring
difficult circumstances
autistic
repetitive
weepy
leave
rushed
love
difficult
great
beautiful
best
happy
overly descriptive
really beautiful
absolutely brilliant
rushed pairs
poignant
disappointed
enjoy
brilliant
excellent
spoil
amazing
simply beautiful
bleak
Pros & Cons
|
Pros [164]
|
Strength |
|---|---|
really beautiful"a really beautiful love story"
|
100.0% |
simply beautiful"simply beautiful"
|
100.0% |
absolutely brilliant"one of the most beautiful books i have ever read had many a tear reading this lovely story felt like i was in france with them absolutely brilliant loved it thank you"
|
100.0% |
very exciting"it was very exciting in places descriptive in other parts and the characters were very real"
|
100.0% |
excellent story"excellent story very well told"
|
100.0% |
amazingly beautiful"i found this book profound and amazingly beautiful"
|
100.0% |
delightful treasure"this book is a delightful treasure and i resented having it end"
|
100.0% |
most beautiful"one of the most beautiful books i have ever read had many a tear reading this lovely story felt like i was in france with them absolutely brilliant loved it thank you"
|
100.0% |
wonderful experience"thank you fi on a valpy for such a wonderful experience"
|
100.0% |
brilliant story"what an absolutely fantastic book this is i read this book because of the reviews it got and i have not been disappointed brilliant book brilliant story i just wanted to keep turning the pages but at ten the same time didn't want the book to end "
|
100.0% |
truly exceptional"the story of ella's life told to and written by her granddaughter kendra is a truly exceptional read"
|
100.0% |
superb story"and a superb story within a story"
|
100.0% |
very likeable"i very much enjoyed reading this book the story was interesting and the characters very likeable particularly caroline who was a very gentle and generous person a wonderful friend to ella and sister to christophe"
|
100.0% |
truly beautiful"her relationships with both men was truly beautiful"
|
100.0% |
great storyline"great storyline with not to many characters"
|
100.0% |
captivating story"a gentle captivating story set in two eras & two locations separated by many decades & many miles"
|
99.9% |
absolutely excellent"absolutely excellent read"
|
99.9% |
exceedingly likeable"all the characters are exceedingly likeable although i feel her daughter was particularly harsh and unforgiving"
|
99.9% |
really enjoyable"really enjoyable read"
|
99.9% |
absolutely fantastic"what an absolutely fantastic book this is i read this book because of the reviews it got and i have not been disappointed brilliant book brilliant story i just wanted to keep turning the pages but at ten the same time didn't want the book to end "
|
99.9% |
excellent holiday read"an excellent holiday read"
|
99.9% |
charming story"i visited the island many years ago and can truly appreciate its beauty retraced in this charming story of love"
|
99.9% |
beautifully told"it was a beautifully told story in more ways than one read the book and you’ll understand "
|
99.9% |
beautifully written"beautifully written i found myself being transported to the island tasting the salty air feeling the warmth of the sun and hearing the waves on the"
|
99.9% |
pure delight"pure delight"
|
99.9% |
wonderfully descriptive"i love the wonderfully descriptive background you feel like you are there with the characters"
|
99.9% |
most wonderful"it’s been an emotional roller coaster and the most wonderful holiday read"
|
99.8% |
amazing clarity"she writes beautifully and manages to invoke images scenery and people with amazing clarity"
|
99.8% |
great writer"the story had my heart soaring at points and plumbing the depths at others the marks of a great writer and a great read!"
|
99.8% |
very enjoyable"very enjoyable book"
|
99.7% |
amazing story"an amazing story from start to finish"
|
99.7% |
dreamy pace"a slow dreamy pace but worth reading to the end"
|
99.7% |
enjoyed this positive"even i a mere male enjoyed this positive and we'll elaborated tale"
|
99.6% |
highly recommend"highly recommend"
|
99.6% |
strongly recommend"strongly recommend"
|
99.4% |
really good"of course this is not world literature but this book was really good company to me especially the beautiful descriptions of their many holidays by the french seaside"
|
99.3% |
swept along"this book especially has several life lessons between the pages and i enjoyed every minute of being swept along on the wave"
|
99.2% |
wonderful sentiments"wonderful sentiments"
|
99.0% |
well crafted"it is gentle sensitive and well crafted with descriptions of a french summer that catch your breath"
|
98.9% |
nice piece"it made a change from thrillers mass murders and blood letting to read a nice piece of narrative"
|
98.8% |
thoroughly enjoy"a book that you should make time to read in peace and thoroughly enjoy"
|
98.7% |
fascinating story"this is a fascinating story"
|
98.6% |
wonderfully memorable"i lived in east lothian and edinburgh for many years so it was all wonderfully memorable for me i have been once many years ago to la rochelle and am now inspired to go back!"
|
97.9% |
great story"what a great story"
|
97.5% |
treasure beauty"i treasure beauty and this is a beautiful story"
|
97.5% |
wonderful story"what a wonderful story and so well written"
|
97.1% |
really super"this book is a really super story from the start to the finish"
|
96.9% |
wonderful friend"i very much enjoyed reading this book the story was interesting and the characters very likeable particularly caroline who was a very gentle and generous person a wonderful friend to ella and sister to christophe"
|
96.4% |
amazing loved"it was amazing loved it"
|
96.3% |
superb author"fiona valpy is a superb author and i look forward to reading more of her works"
|
96.3% |
precious life"made me feel how precious life is and always be "the better person" loved it"
|
95.6% |
wonderful character"ella is a wonderful character expertly written and the book is very descriptive i felt i was in her shoes"
|
94.7% |
literary triumph"well done fiona valpy a literary triumph"
|
94.0% |
finely drawn"the characters were finely drawn and believable"
|
93.9% |
well structured"but this is a well structured novel full of colours and with real depth to the characters and some good insights into human nature"
|
93.6% |
absolutely loved"i absolutely loved it"
|
93.5% |
truly amazing"what a truly amazing well written book"
|
93.5% |
portrayed finn"as a former worker with adults with learning difficulties i appreciated the accurate manner you portrayed finn"
|
93.1% |
told so beautifully"i loved this book it is told so beautifully and keeps you guessing and hoping for the outcome of the stories running parallel throughout i would recommend this to all women"
|
93.1% |
loved it loved"loved it loved it!"
|
93.1% |
wonderful and beautiful"a wonderful and beautiful described story of love against all challenges and adversity"
|
93.1% |
wrenching and beautiful"i found the story heart wrenching and beautiful"
|
93.0% |
just wonderful"descriptions of the ile de re where parts of the story are set are just wonderful"
|
93.0% |
love shines"the characters are all believable they have to deal with what life has given them but through it all love shines through"
|
93.0% |
amazing author"what an amazing author"
|
92.9% |
clever writer"i absolutely loved it fiona valpy is such a clever writer it was so moving and it just goes to show that although people will judge you for supposedly not doing the right thing nothing is ever straightforward where love is concerned but don’t take my word for it read it yourself am confident you will not be disappointed"
|
92.1% |
hope you enjoy it"i hope you enjoy it too"
|
92.1% |
utterly brilliant"i actually felt that i was right there in the middle of the story utterly brilliant"
|
91.6% |
all the more fascinating"it kept my attention right the way through and the changes in time made it all the more fascinating"
|
91.5% |
well written"what a truly amazing well written book"
|
91.2% |
enthralling & romantic"i really enjoyed reading this story once i got into it because it was intriguing enthralling & romantic"
|
91.0% |
everybody else i loved"like everybody else i loved this book"
|
91.0% |
wonderful tale"it was a wonderful tale of love heartache and realisation that you are never too old to dream"
|
90.8% |
interested not too much"just enough information to keep you interested not too much that it confused or bored"
|
90.8% |
neat and perfect"however i did feel that it was all a little too neat and perfect despite the more realistic modern narrative"
|
90.6% |
truly lovely"what a truly lovely story"
|
90.6% |
smile lots"i couldn't put it down its just so real it's a beautiful book made me cry smile lots of emotions i felt like i was reading someone's dairy like i was there it's the best book i've read for a while and i read lots of books i look forward to reading more from this author"
|
90.2% |
good stories"a real page turner for lovers of good stories"
|
89.4% |
just loved"just loved every thing about the way it was written"
|
89.2% |
wonderfully inspirational"your book is so full of love and emotion as well as being wonderfully inspirational"
|
89.2% |
very well told"excellent story very well told"
|
89.2% |
wonderfully engaging"a wonderfully engaging and descriptive story"
|
89.2% |
wonderful love story"she weaves an intriguing fascinating inter generational story that transports the reader through physical and emotional dangers drawing one into the centre of a wonderful love story"
|
88.8% |
very good and interesting"a very good and interesting story which kept my attention throughout as it traced through the years"
|
88.8% |
eloquently written"so eloquently written making one feel part of the story"
|
88.6% |
believable and charming"the characters felt believable and charming"
|
88.6% |
vibrant and alive"her descriptive passages and her characters were vibrant and alive"
|
88.6% |
believable and satisfying"the love stories were a delight also very believable and satisfying"
|
88.6% |
hope and happiness"the pain of life and learning to see beauty and find hope and happiness through it all"
|
88.5% |
just brilliant"just brilliant"
|
88.5% |
loved it thank"one of the most beautiful books i have ever read had many a tear reading this lovely story felt like i was in france with them absolutely brilliant loved it thank you"
|
88.4% |
delight to read"it was a delight to read "
|
88.0% |
well honed"i chose this rating because it told a wonderful story with well honed and believable characters"
|
87.7% |
were amazing"beautifully written two of the letters sent were amazing and brought me to tears"
|
75.0% |
magical setting"how vivid was the magical setting of this wonderful story"
|
75.0% |
great sensitivity"she treats the themes of love in its many guises of friendship family loyalty and the challenges of parenting with great sensitivity"
|
75.0% |
gentle sensitive"it is gentle sensitive and well crafted with descriptions of a french summer that catch your breath"
|
75.0% |
living happily"which allowed me to keep on living happily"
|
75.0% |
good ending"a good ending"
|
75.0% |
timeless themes"timeless themes "
|
75.0% |
very believable"the characters were all very believable i loved the switch of the storyline from edinburgh which i know very well to france and the reflections of èlla` during the second world war and then the way in which this ran n parallel with the storyline of kendra and her family in todays world"
|
75.0% |
such inspiration"fiona s book filled me with such inspiration and joy"
|
75.0% |
happy ending"don't we all like a happy ending even if this one is a bit too tidy"
|
75.0% |
very compelling"a very compelling read"
|
75.0% |
gripping tale"the location of the island where ella finds love for the first time and is woven into all her story and the surrounding ocean linked to the title sea of memories made this story a gripping tale"
|
75.0% |
perfect book"this is the perfect book for a holiday or commuting as the chapters sections are quite short"
|
75.0% |
good emotion"a story that felt strangely familiar but kept twisting through the turns of life fantastic read really enjoyed it good emotion and factually very well set in history"
|
74.9% |
were beautiful"the descriptions of isle de rey were beautiful"
|
74.9% |
good research"a lovely story good research and brought characters alive"
|
74.9% |
emotional investment"read it and enjoy for both it's descriptive detail and the emotional investment in the characters involved"
|
74.9% |
very engaged"at first i thought it would be too romantic for me but then the story picked up pace and i was very engaged by it"
|
74.9% |
felt wonderfully"i love reading and i love art so it felt wonderfully relaxing to get lost in the beauty of this book whilst also acknowledging the fears of war and the desolation of losing loved ones"
|
74.9% |
just enough information"just enough information to keep you interested not too much that it confused or bored"
|
74.9% |
emotional maturity"i enjoyed fiona's first three books and had noticed that with each one her characters gained in depth and emotional maturity despite the relatively easy subject matter"
|
74.9% |
look forward"a wonderful ending and a time to look forward to the future and happy times ahead"
|
74.8% |
good insights"but this is a well structured novel full of colours and with real depth to the characters and some good insights into human nature"
|
74.8% |
love relationships"i really enjoyed this tale of love relationships and the difficulties that life can sometimes bring"
|
74.8% |
emotional tribute"a throughl a great read heartfelt warming an emotional tribute to prove that even in the darkest of times there is still a loving light that can burn bright"
|
74.7% |
lovely ending"i enjoyed this book and found it both gripping and emotional with a lovely ending telling the story from her great first love to her second love with all the struggles but finding peace and finally giving happiness and security to her granddaughter"
|
74.7% |
lovely journey"it was a very moving read and took me on a lovely journey with her story and my own life memories colliding beautifully"
|
74.7% |
with confidence"a strong well written story told with confidence"
|
74.7% |
lovely story"a lovely story of ella's life told to her granddaughter kendra"
|
74.7% |
very uplifting"it is also very uplifting i would highly recommend reading this fantastic book and can’t wait to read the next fiona valpy book!"
|
74.7% |
five stars"i give it five stars for its easy reading and my desire to see this novel through"
|
74.7% |
real feeling"the characters were written with real feeling and i felt i knew them all"
|
74.7% |
more tranquil"the descriptions of this magical land part sea part island are beautifully crafted and evoke a way of life more tranquil than city life"
|
74.7% |
heartfelt emotions"i rarely write reviews but had to for this beautiful story telling heartfelt emotions of smiles and tears"
|
74.7% |
unadulterated enjoyment"what a great story pure unadulterated enjoyment"
|
74.6% |
refreshing ideas"i like this writer and enjoy her refreshing ideas"
|
74.6% |
provide life"pausing to think what is important in life collecting the broken fragments of a crisis and sticking them all together again to provide life with a new beauty "
|
74.6% |
human nature"but this is a well structured novel full of colours and with real depth to the characters and some good insights into human nature"
|
74.6% |
carefully constructed"the book was carefully constructed and paced without losing its heart"
|
74.6% |
relatively easy"i enjoyed fiona's first three books and had noticed that with each one her characters gained in depth and emotional maturity despite the relatively easy subject matter"
|
74.6% |
grand daughter"part of ella's story told to her grand daughter as ends her days must be so like many others stories of her generation who went through the hardship and trauma of war but with an extra touch of suspense"
|
74.6% |
lovely twists"loved this story the way it used three generations and lovely twists"
|
74.6% |
fantastic story"what a fantastic story"
|
74.6% |
care homes"often older people in care homes are dismissed as just poor old people unable to look after themselves but take a closer look and many have have life stories which are amazing"
|
74.6% |
beautiful thought"sea of memories is a beautiful thought provoking story that i thoroughly enjoyed reading"
|
74.6% |
poignant moments"there are so many poignant moments in this book that could act as a real life guide now i may very well read it again"
|
74.6% |
beautiful descriptions"of course this is not world literature but this book was really good company to me especially the beautiful descriptions of their many holidays by the french seaside"
|
74.6% |
riveting reading"this added an extra dimension and made riveting reading"
|
74.5% |
riveting read"a fascinating riveting read"
|
74.5% |
vivid picture"the author paints a vivid picture of the french resort that is irresistible and exquisite"
|
74.5% |
loving light"a throughl a great read heartfelt warming an emotional tribute to prove that even in the darkest of times there is still a loving light that can burn bright"
|
74.5% |
beautiful island"a wonderful story of a love that spanned time and of a beautiful island that i think everyone of us would secretly like to live"
|
74.5% |
lovely part"lovely part of france"
|
74.5% |
really recommend"really recommend"
|
74.5% |
liked both"i loved every minute of this book and would recommend anyone who likes a good love story beautifully written todo as well this is the second book i have read of the author and i liked both for different reasons"
|
74.5% |
gloriously descriptive"she transports you to another world which she describes with gloriously descriptive language"
|
74.4% |
emotions convincingly"storyline reflects emotions convincingly and would recommend this as a good meaningful read with depth and not in the least shallow"
|
74.4% |
best of stories"this is a wonderful story of love and despair but love conquers all as in the best of stories despite the tragedies"
|
74.4% |
very easily"very interesting believable and captivating story really enjoyed reading it created great scenes and could imagine the locations very easily"
|
74.4% |
great book"what a great book!"
|
74.4% |
immensely hard"i many times was transported to the island and found it immensely hard to put down"
|
74.3% |
relationships choices"really enjoyed the story line exploring love relationships choices and how we often can make decisions that affect family relationships and dynamics without full understanding"
|
74.3% |
asks her granddaughter"a great holiday read following the life of ella as she asks her granddaughter to write her life story"
|
74.3% |
very moving"i found this book a very moving story i was surprised that even with the swapping from the years ie:1935to 2017 all through the book it was still easy to follow"
|
74.3% |
better person"made me feel how precious life is and always be "the better person" loved it"
|
74.3% |
expertly written"ella is a wonderful character expertly written and the book is very descriptive i felt i was in her shoes"
|
74.3% |
convincing story"rarely does a book make me cry and this one did a sure sign to me of a convincing story"
|
74.3% |
lovely memories"i really enjoyed the descriptions on isle de re having been there in holiday it was great reliving lovely memories"
|
74.3% |
helped the granddaughter"i enjoyed the book it was a good storyline and brought a family together and helped the granddaughter with her difficulties with her autistic son"
|
74.3% |
loved ones"it prompted so many thoughts and reactions to notice love and be close to your loved ones to appreciate the beauty that is around us especially the sea and the wind in your face when you sail"
|
74.3% |
pleasantly surprised"i have not found a book as well written for a while so was pleasantly surprised!"
|
74.3% |
| ... | |
|
Cons [82]
|
Strength |
|---|---|
difficult circumstances"different kinds of love and how it is nurtured in difficult circumstances"
|
99.5% |
rushed pairs"except for occasional relief in a few attractivly delivered scottish sentences the delivery seems to be in rushed pairs of identically inflected phrases delivered with mechanical monotony"
|
75.0% |
overly descriptive"i'm afraid i found it boring overly descriptive and repetitive not my kind of novel at all certainly not the page turner that i like to read"
|
75.0% |
very difficult"i read it in my comfortable reading chair and found it very difficult to put down"
|
74.9% |
rather cumbersome"the literary style is rather cumbersome and detracts from the rather clever plot"
|
74.9% |
pale golds"pale golds and turquoise shimmering from the pages"
|
74.9% |
plain polyester"didn’t care much for these don’t like the material would have preferred plain polyester"
|
74.9% |
dying grandmother"then a busy kendra is asked to visit her dying grandmother and write her life story and what a life story that is!"
|
74.8% |
became completely"not my usual sort of book but i became completely absorbed by this story"
|
74.6% |
grim years"from ella's carefree days as a young girl falling in love for the first time through the grim years of the second world war to the inevitable ending"
|
74.6% |
pretty badly"i so nearly missed reading this book i have a weird aversion to anything french which possibly stems from being treated pretty badly by the 'french' car showroom admin and the border officers on return journey to germany "
|
74.6% |
real cruelty of"it also shows the rawness and real cruelty of war in every way imaginable"
|
74.5% |
busy kendra"then a busy kendra is asked to visit her dying grandmother and write her life story and what a life story that is!"
|
73.7% |
totally wrong"i was totally wrong and not only have i really enjoyed the book but spent plenty of time reflecting on the poignant messages which unfold"
|
73.4% |
autistic disabled child"firstly the realisation by ella that lasting love will endure but the sub plot of a family living with an autistic disabled child was written by someone who either writes from experience or has amazing empathy"
|
73.0% |
feeling upset"several nerve endings disturbed and left feeling upset"
|
72.4% |
spying experience"this is a rather twee love story with only one tale of wartime spying experience"
|
71.4% |
broke me apart"this broke me apart and put me back together"
|
70.5% |
weird aversion"i so nearly missed reading this book i have a weird aversion to anything french which possibly stems from being treated pretty badly by the 'french' car showroom admin and the border officers on return journey to germany "
|
69.1% |
difficult war times"it also grounds you to reality during the difficult war times and what dangers people went through to help their countries"
|
68.9% |
bleak picture"only criticism is it paints a bleak picture of edinburgh which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world"
|
68.9% |
shed tears"i’ve smiled frowned and shed tears over all the characters !"
|
68.7% |
dangers people"it also grounds you to reality during the difficult war times and what dangers people went through to help their countries"
|
66.6% |
awful war years"the awful war years written with honesty but still with hope"
|
66.1% |
autistic child"the emotions of relationships and trials of an autistic child are truthful and real"
|
64.7% |
bored with a story"i often find i get bored with a story and can't finish the book but not with this one"
|
63.6% |
losing a relationship"the sorrow of losing a relationship and the death of dear relatives and friends comes just too close to home and left me in a puddle of tears the description of such loss is painfully accurate"
|
63.2% |
rather twee"this is a rather twee love story with only one tale of wartime spying experience"
|
62.9% |
absent father"having been born during the second world war and having an absent father i am always interested to read storylines that show how families and individuals are affected by war"
|
62.6% |
lose myself"first time i have read fiona valpy can't wait to lose myself in another sumptuous story"
|
60.4% |
very well done"it was essential for the rest of the book that one understood the strength of the love between ella and christophe but for me it was just not very well done"
|
60.0% |
bleak scottish winter"the settings from the bleak scottish winter to the wonder and beauty of the island were beautifully painted"
|
59.6% |
their hopes fears"a story of brave women their hopes fears loves and loss"
|
59.3% |
her dreams unfulfilled"so sad when i got to the end but happy to see kendra has all her dreams unfulfilled"
|
58.6% |
gets rescued"u hold your breath anticipating whether or not ella gets caught or gets rescued"
|
58.2% |
little insight"whilst a book can not go on forever it would have been lovely to have a little insight into her later life"
|
57.6% |
not miss this book"do not miss this book"
|
57.5% |
description of such loss"the sorrow of losing a relationship and the death of dear relatives and friends comes just too close to home and left me in a puddle of tears the description of such loss is painfully accurate"
|
57.3% |
it's empty"it's empty"
|
57.1% |
shall definitely"i shall definitely be downloading more of this author"
|
57.0% |
nothing much"nothing much happened in the first 5% apart from she goes to a french island next 20% she is on the island but nothing much happens apart from swimming and picnics"
|
56.0% |
and dying lady"the story surrounded an old and dying lady who was desperate for her life's story to be told and encouraged her granddaughter to write it for her in the style of a book or novel"
|
56.0% |
overused at times"i felt the author's research was overused at times as it came across as intrusive and educational"
|
55.9% |
they good or"it also brought us close the ways that history repeats itself within families and that we have always got choices be they good or bad"
|
55.8% |
entwines past war years"the story lines entwines past war years with the present"
|
55.7% |
hard to put down"took a little time to get into this book but then i was hooked and found it hard to put down"
|
55.7% |
were hard times"although there were hard times in it the characters survived it was a feel good book"
|
55.6% |
have no such history"i have no such history in my family but i felt as though i knew the characters and deeply felt their emotions"
|
55.2% |
know nothing about"after reading this it makes you think about your own family going through tough times that you know nothing about"
|
55.2% |
have an autistic"i also have an autistic son"
|
55.1% |
failed marriage"as a product of a failed marriage and estranged from my father for most of my life i would have preferred to hear how rhona felt"
|
54.9% |
it's a weepy"get your tissues ready it's a weepy"
|
54.9% |
author imprints"even the tragedy that inevitably time produces is tamed by the images that the author imprints"
|
54.8% |
very little story"in the first few chapters there is very little story with every scene being described in great detail"
|
54.7% |
could not put it down"i absolutely loved this book and completely lost myself in it it was like time stood still while reading i could not put it down"
|
54.7% |
rushed like some"not rushed like some but absorbing enough that i didn't get bored"
|
54.4% |
some of the war parts"i had to skim some of the war parts as i am so apprehensive of violence during suspense passages but hasten to add that this is not a violent book"
|
54.4% |
estranged from my father"as a product of a failed marriage and estranged from my father for most of my life i would have preferred to hear how rhona felt"
|
54.4% |
made me sad and emotional"this story made me sad and emotional at times"
|
54.3% |
apprehensive of violence"i had to skim some of the war parts as i am so apprehensive of violence during suspense passages but hasten to add that this is not a violent book"
|
54.2% |
an obvious ending"i really enjoyed this book not too many characters and not an obvious ending"
|
54.0% |
will not be the last"this is the first book i have read by this author but it will not be the last"
|
53.9% |
not guess the ending"there are many twists and turns in the story line cannot guess the ending"
|
53.9% |
then i gave"then i gave up"
|
53.7% |
introduced to the trio"christophe and his sister caroline are a similar age and we are introduced to the trio during a summer holiday to the family holiday residence on the ile de ré just prior to the commencement of the second world war"
|
53.7% |
irritating to listen"the audio presentation has proved too irritating to listen to"
|
53.6% |
small personal details"however i felt there was too much unnecessary small personal details which hampered the flow"
|
53.4% |
long time sine"but i was hooked by the characters the writing and it is a long time sine i cried at the end so thank you for a lovely read"
|
53.4% |
taxing as a read"it's not taxing as a read but never the less it is a good book to while a few hours away"
|
53.3% |
very begging"this book captures you from the very begging"
|
53.3% |
enough no spoiling"but that's enough no spoiling: i'll leave you to try it for yourself"
|
53.1% |
horrors of what happened"the story is something that you can relate to as so many people have got some association with the second world war and the horrors of what happened"
|
52.8% |
strains and stresses"the story evoked the ambiance of the ile de re and very much the strains and stresses of war"
|
52.6% |
not a violent book"i had to skim some of the war parts as i am so apprehensive of violence during suspense passages but hasten to add that this is not a violent book"
|
52.1% |
very short time"in fact i couldn't wait to get back to it when i had the chance and i finished it in a very short time"
|
52.0% |
left feeling frustrated"an easy read but left feeling frustrated"
|
51.3% |
hampered the flow"however i felt there was too much unnecessary small personal details which hampered the flow"
|
51.3% |
difficult to listen"my only complaint is that i find the narrator very difficult to listen to"
|
51.3% |
n't spoil my enjoyment"i liked all the characters even though to be honest they were all too good to be true but that didn't spoil my enjoyment"
|
50.9% |
never really forgetting"ella went through what a lot of women did during wars losing a love moving on but never really forgetting"
|
50.8% |
only read crime"not my usual genre as i only read crime "
|
50.7% |
book would never"i really wished the book would never end"
|
50.6% |
| ... | |
Top positive statements
| Statement | Strength** |
|---|---|
| "Marvellous storytelling and descriptions." | 99.0% |
| "Wonderful sentiments." | 99.0% |
| "A beautiful book beautifully written." | 93.1% |
| "Exquisite captivating powerful emotional moving." | 93.1% |
| "A beautiful story to treasure." | 93.1% |
| "Excellent story very well told." | 93.1% |
| "The descriptions of this magical land part sea part island are beautifully crafted and evoke a way of life more tranquil than city life." | 93.1% |
| "Very well written and a joy to read excellent book both sad and beautiful I Found myself drawn in to the story ut was captivating." | 93.1% |
Top negative statements
| Statement | Strength |
|---|---|
| "Boring Repetitive overly descriptive predictable." | 99.4% |
Top rated in Romance
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Positive mentions
| Mentioned | Object | Mentioned in | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Beekeepers Promise |
"strongly recommend this and The Beekeepers Promise"
|
73.8% | |
| summer |
"great summer read very light and drew me in"
"this is an excellent summer read"
|
73.4% | |
| France |
"if you love France you will love the book"
"lovely part of France"
"the bit where she delivers the phone to the resistance in France it just superbly written"
|
73.1% | |
| Ella |
"lovely believable characters Ella is a true heroine!"
|
71.7% | |
| Fiona |
"magnificent Fiona thank you"
"well done Fiona another favourite author to add to my list"
"a lovely story from Fiona"
|
71.4% | |
| Kendra |
"a lovely story of ella's life told to her granddaughter Kendra"
"we see most of it as a flashback and some through the eyes of her granddaughter Kendra"
|
67.6% | |
| Sunday |
"it would make a lovely Sunday afternoon film"
|
62.8% | |
| 1938 |
"telling ella’s story in flashback between 1938 and 2014"
|
56.8% | |
| 2014 |
"telling ella’s story in flashback between 1938 and 2014"
|
56.8% | |
| Edinburgh |
"i have looked at ile de re and Edinburgh in detail and hope to visit both"
|
53.3% |
Negative mentions
| Mentioned | Object | Mentioned in | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ella |
"i felt like i was there watching Ella and christophe fall in love"
|
46.8% |
Emotion analysis
Positive tone |
Neutral tone |
Negative tone |
| 42.8% | 18.7% | 38.5% |
worry 20.9%
happiness 19.4%
neutral 18.7%
sadness 15.6%
fun 9.4%
love 8.0%
relief 3.8%
joy 1.3%
fear 1.1%
surprise 0.9%
anger 0.7%
hate 0.2%
* analysis performed using Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, data for the analysis has been gathered from multiple publicly accessible sources.
** strength is the level of sentiment expressed in a sentence, phrase or keyword. It ranges from 0 to 100%
prices and sales statistics are updated daily
last analysis update 2024-12-14
