The Shadow Sister - Lucinda Riley

 My final review of the year is going to be filled with love for this wonderful novel and series of novels. The third book in the Seven Sisters series, The Shadow Sister has been my favourite yet. It follows Asterope, known as Star, who is a timid and uncertain character living in the shadow of her confident and possessive sister CeCe.

After the death of their adoptive father, the sisters are all presented with a letter and set of  clues to discover where they came from. Star is reluctant at first, living under the protective wing of her sister, but soon decides that she must step out and live her own life. The sisters have always shared everything - an apartment, even a bedroom - and Star longs for a taste of freedom.

Her clues lead her to an ancient bookshop in the heart of London and a story which jumps back in time to the early 20th Century, to a free-spirited girl named Flora MacNichol who lives in the beautiful Lake District. A close friend of Beatrix Potter, Flora's life was filled with difficult decisions and self-discovery, and Star finds a kinship with Flora through her journals.

The scenery of the Lakes as well as the backdrop of ancient bookshops and crumbling country estates makes for the perfect novel in my eyes. I really found a connection with this protagonist and simply didn't want the novel to end! Perfect for cosying up with, this was the ideal book to end the year with