An engrossing Victorian Scotland Saga
(Silver Sampler Series Book 3)
Escape In Paradise Evasion
1870 Scotland
Fleeing from Peterhead, Margaret Law makes Aberdeen her refuge. Menial jobs keep her and her toddler son fed– till an unusual tutoring task boosts her finances, and self-worth. Letters to best friend Jessie contain the absolute truth, especially when Johnny Fraser re-enters her life. Is he the man for Margaret to grow old with? When better employment emerges in St. Andrews, Margaret is torn. Will the move mean losing Johnny?
When Johnny follows Margaret to St. Andrews, their life together is idyllic. But when menacing secrets unfold, will Johnny’s past indiscretions be their undoing? Will he lose the cherished family he is establishing with Margaret?
Review - Five Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I settled into Fraying Skeins much more quickly than I expected to, especially considering I hadn't read the previous books in the series. There is something very easy and comfortable about Nancy Jardine's writing, and before long I felt as though I had been dropped straight into Margaret's world and was simply following along beside her.
One of the things I enjoyed most was the Scottish setting. Aberdeen in particular felt incredibly vivid to me. I could picture Margaret walking through the streets, the harbour, the ships and the cold sea beyond, and I loved all the little snippets of Doric that cropped up in conversations. There is even a moment when Margaret and Johnny laugh about both having needed help understanding some of the local words, which made me smile. The dialect gives the characters personality without making the dialogue difficult to follow, which I appreciated.
I also really liked the people Margaret meets. There is a lovely sense that, despite everything she has been through, she keeps finding kindness in unexpected places. Maisie was one of my favourites. I enjoyed the friendship that develops between the two women and the little bits of humour they share. There are quite a few moments like this throughout the book where nothing particularly dramatic is happening, but the characters are chatting, laughing or helping one another, and those scenes made the story feel very warm and genuine.
Jamie was probably the character who made me smile the most. He is such a believable little boy, interested in everything and often completely unaware of whatever the adults around him are worrying about. His excitement over trains, ferries and ships was adorable. I thought he brought a lot of lightness to the story, particularly when Margaret was dealing with more difficult things.
I enjoyed Johnny as well, although I wasn't always entirely sure what to make of him. He's charming and funny, and the scenes between him, Margaret and Jamie were some of my favourites. I particularly liked their outings together because they felt so ordinary. Walking around the harbour looking at ships or heading down to the beach might not sound terribly exciting, but those were the moments when I really began to care about the three of them. There is a lovely sense of them becoming comfortable around each other rather than the romance suddenly taking over the story.
What surprised me was how invested I became in Margaret simply finding somewhere she could be happy. She has obviously had a difficult past, and although I didn't know all the details from the earlier books, I knew enough to understand why a fresh start mattered so much to her. When she begins to feel settled and excited about her future, I genuinely felt pleased for her. There is a lovely moment when she describes feeling as though she is finally shedding something that has been weighing her down, and that feeling of a new beginning really comes through.
Of course, because things start going well, I spent a fair amount of time waiting for something to go wrong! There is always that slight feeling that the past hasn't completely finished with these characters. I liked that because it stopped the book from becoming too cosy while still allowing plenty of quieter and happier moments.
Despite coming into the series at Book 3, I really enjoyed Fraying Skeins. It was one of those books where I became attached to the characters without really noticing it happening. By the end, I wanted things to work out for Margaret, Johnny and Jamie, and I'd definitely be interested in reading more of Margaret's story.
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Nancy Jardine
Nancy Jardine writes historical adventure fiction, historical saga, time travel historical adventure and contemporary mysteries. Research gobbles up lots of time but it’s a delight, and never a chore. Her garden wouldn’t win any prizes but tending it is a great way to unwind and gives her some lovely plants to post on Instagram!
When not creating her novels, or promoting her writing, she loves to interact with readers at Book and Craft Fairs where she signs / sells paperback versions of her novels. Recently she’s taken part in author panels at Book Festivals.
Memberships include: Historical Novel Society; Society of Authors; Scottish Association of Writers; Federation of Writers Scotland; Romantic Novelists’ Association; and Alliance of Independent Authors. She’s self-published with Ocelot Press.
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