The Stolen Hours

Escape with an epic, romantic tale of forbidden love

By: Karen Swan

Narrated by: Paula Masterton

'A wonderfully satisfying read: love, passion, drama, violence, menace and peril, and characters you fall in love with' – Santa Montefiore

An Island full of secrets . . .

Summer, 1929. Mhairi MacKinnon is in need of a husband. As the eldest girl among nine children, her father has made it clear he can’t support her past the coming winter. On the small, Scottish island of St Kilda, her options are limited. But the MacKinnons’ neighbour, Donald, has a business acquaintance on distant Harris island also in need of a spouse. A plan is hatched for Donald to chaperone Mhairi and make the introduction on his final crossing of the year, before the autumn seas close them off to the outside world.

Mhairi returns as an engaged woman who has lost her heart – but not to her fiancé. In love with the wrong man yet knowing he can never be hers, she awaits the spring with growing dread – for the onset of calm waters will see her sent from home to become a stranger’s wife. . .

When word comes that St Kilda is to be evacuated, the lovers are granted a few months’ reprieve. But will a summer of stolen hours together just lead to more heartbreak . . . ?

The Stolen Hours is the second book in Karen Swan’s bestselling Wild Isle series, which began with The Last Summer.

Praise for The Last Summer

'This sweeping love story gripped us from the start' - The Independent

'The most exciting, enchanting and evocative story of forbidden love I've ever read' - Cathy Bramley

'A delicious, romantic tale' - Rachel Hore

'The queen of destination books' - Woman & Home

'Vividly drawn and beautifully atmospheric' - Heat Magazine

Critic reviews

This sweeping love story gripped us from the start, so we can’t wait for the next in the series.

Meticulously researched and beautifully told by one of our most prolific and talented writers. It contains all the ingredients of a wonderfully satisfying read: love, passion, drama, violence, menace and peril, and characters you fall in love with - and some you hate! (Santa Montefiore, author of An Italian Girl in Brooklyn)

Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you’ll simultaneously want to savour and race through. I loved it and can’t wait for the next in the series! (Jill Mansell, author of Promise Me)

The most exciting, enchanting and evocative story of forbidden love I’ve ever read. I truly loved it and am waiting feverishly for the second instalment (Cathy Bramley, author of The Sunrise Sisterhood)

A delicious romantic tale of wild 1930s Scotland . . . perfect for everyone dreaming of summer (Rachel Hore, author of The Hidden Years and The Secrets of Dragonfly Lodge)

The queen of destination books . . . exciting . . . beguiling . . . The first in a new series, we're already looking forward to meeting these characters again . . .

This second book in the Wild Isles series is beautifully written and has a sweeping love story, making it a wonderful read.

A sweeping page-turner with an engrossing love story at its heart, this is an absolute treat for historical fiction fans. Swan is a superb storyteller. I loved it (Eve Chase, author of The Glass House)

Vividly drawn and beautifully atmospheric, this is a book to savour.

Wonderfully romantic and epic in feel, this beautiful historical novel is a fascinating and deliciously escapist read (Tasmina Perry, author of Guilty Pleasures and Perfect Strangers)

What a great adventure! The perfect way to tell the tale of St Kilda’s population in fiction form. History fans will love the fascinating St Kilda detail woven throughout this thrilling romance. Wonderful! (Jennifer Ryan, author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Kitchen Front)

A promising new series from Swan . . . The vivid beauty and danger of St. Kilda only enhances Swan’s effortlessly intricate plotting. Toeing the line between romance and historical fiction, this gorgeous story and its unconventional heroine are sure to win hearts.