Cover Image: When the Stars Sang

When the Stars Sang

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This book was such a comfortable weekend read to curl up with (except it's kinda long, so it took me longer than a weekend to complete). I very much wanted to have a place like Little Sister to move onto in real life.

When we first meet Kathleen, she is coming onto Little Sister again for the first time since she was a child. Her grandmother hasn't been dead for a year yet, and she genuinely regrets not having visited her again while she was alive. However, this is also the perfect place for her to hide out on now that she has cut ties with her abusive ex Susanna, and her toxic father.

Molly has been on Little Sister ever since she finished studying off shore. She is the police presence on the island. Since that doesn't require a lot of work in such a community place, she is also the resident handy-person.

Rightly so, she is very skeptical of Kathleen when she first moves in. It's obvious to anyone looking that she is running away from something.

But Kathleen finds belonging on Little Sister in a way that she hasn't felt since she was last there as a child. Not only do other members of the island find and accept her, but a stray dog Blossom comes into her life and into her home. It's honestly all so beautiful to read.

This is a book without a great deal of drama, but the narrative doesn't seem slow because of Caren's delightful style of writing. It's the second book of hers I've read, after The Beast that Never Was and I can say it's cemented this author as a must read for me.

Was this review helpful?

I can always count on Caren Werlinger to write an immersive, interesting, innovative book full of well-developed characters and a storyline I can't find with any other author. This is no exception. Not only am I totally on board with the main characters, Kathleen and Molly, but the townspeople collectively are a secondary character. The sense of community here is fascinating, as is the story of how the island began. There is not one formulaic thing about Caren's books, which I truly appreciate. The story and the romance are so well developed that the fade-to-black love scenes seem to be enough.

Was this review helpful?

One of my favorite things a book/author can do is make the setting a character. I have to hand it to this author, since Werlinger does just that. Little Sister Island is such a unique place, and so are all the characters living on it. She made me want to visit there if not hope that I had a family line that ran through it!

It's also one of the more complete stories I've read in awhile. The story doesn't just end when the two main characters fall in love, and instead you get a lot more of their life on the island so you won't feel cheated about your ending.

I did dock it down a star, only because I started noticing that the end kind of dragged on a bit for me. If I could dock only half a star I would, it's still that good of a book and deserves the good ratings it's getting.

Was this review helpful?

After Kathleen's grandmother dies, she ends a failing relationship, moves to Little Sister Island and into her grandmother's cottage. She hasn't been back to the island since her brother died the last summer they were there, twenty-five years ago. At last, she must face the pain and the loss, not just of her brother's death but of the grandmother she never saw again and Island she loved and left behind. Molly, Sheriff and all around Miss. Fix-it, doesn't trust that Kathleen is really there to stay. She doesn't like the painful memories Kathleen is stirring up on the island either. The two women are irresistibly drawn to each other, but will they have a fresh chance at happiness or will history keep them apart.

One of the most beautiful books I've ever read! The setting, the people, the mix of traditions...the world the author created on Little Sister Island was just so gorgeous. Every character was well fleshed out, unique, and I fell in love with every single one. This book was a romance, and what a gorgeous romance it was. I loved Holly and Kathleen's communication and the way they became close friends as well as lovers. It was a realistic relationship as much as it was romantic and I couldn't be happier that those two soul mates found each other. I loved Kathleen's road to finding herself as well. More than just the romance was the whole island community - I was invested in every single person's life. The author did a fantastic job. There were so many layers to this story, each magically crafted and expertly weaved together for a rich and beautiful story. I loved it so much.

This is my first book by this author and I'm sure it wont be the last!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

ARc received via NetGalley in exchanged for a fair review.

I’m always a bit hesitant when it comes to trying new authors, but this was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed both main characters, and the fact that the story unfolds over a year, so it’s not an insta-love, they don’t even really know each other kind of thing. The secondary characters were also interesting, and not in an over the top quirky way like Robin Alexander is prone to.

Molly and Kathleen’s relationship is sweet, and I loved how it deepened in time with Kathleen’s continuing realisations about herself and letting go of her past. I was also thankful that there were no contrived breakups and that even the couple of ‘dramatic situations’ that would usually lead to such things were handled differently. Kathleen’s acceptance into the island community was sweet too, and she was a much better sport about their traditions than I would have been.

I did find the situation on the island a little odd though, especially the revelation towards the end. And the fact that they sent all their kids away was also weird, none of these kids harbour resentment over essentially being abandoned for 11 months of the year? It’s little wonder that hardly any of them come back. The housing situation was odd too, as evidenced by Molly’s family, four grown ass kids all living with their parents? Don’t tell me that’s not weird.

Still, the romance was lovely and the build was slow and steady, though fair warning, if you’re looking for sexy times, this is not that book. I enjoyed this a lot, and will go back and read some other by this author now. See spoiler tag on Goodreads if you want to see my main gripe with the book.

Was this review helpful?

I was given access to this book on the day it was archived. How does that happen? I will have to look to the library for this. One star rating pending my being able to find it elsewhere

Was this review helpful?

I was given ad advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Magical, mystical, mesmerizing, a novel that is impossible to put down. Kathleen finds herself living in her grandmother's home, on a small island that belongs to the "first ones". Here people to not own property; and resources such as fuel and land are treated with a deep respect. Kathleen comes to terms with the death of her brother and grandmother as well as the loss of relationships with both her partner and parents. While Kathleen struggles with the past, she is inexplicably drawn to the island and its people. When the Stars Sing will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars

<i>When the Stars Sang</i> is a novel based on the themes of community, love, and friendship, and how we can grow, evolve, forgive, and make peace with our world. It has a very similar premise to another book I read this month, <i>The Moth & Moon</i> by Glenn Quigley. Although set in very different locations (Quigley's novel is off the coast of Cornwall, Werlinger's is off the coast of Maine) and so subject to different mixed of traditions and folklore, both envision a utopian island, in which community is the bedrock and homophobia does not exist. However, as I said these novels do have their differences. The community of Merryapple Island in <i>The Moth & Moon</i> is based on Pagan beliefs, whereas the community on Little Sister directly descends from the 'First Ones' (the indigenous community) and a shipwrecked Irish community, creating an interesting mixture of Celtic and First Nations traditions. Furthermore, <i>When the Stars Sang</i> has a female protagonist and the main relationship is between two women, and there are some attempts in the novel to tackle the misogynist beliefs of the 'mainland', shown through the matrilineal nature of ancestry on the island and mostly by one of the main characters, Molly, who becomes a vessel to single-handedly tackle misogynist stereotypes.

The history and traditions of Little Sister island was incredibly interesting to me, and I loved how the year was marked by events: Samhain, the bonding, solstice, Christmas, Christmas Eve (Oiche Nollag), the wake, the homecoming (tar abháile).... and how each of these events solidified the traditions of the community, Kathleen's place there, and the relationship with Molly. I also loved the moments with Rebecca, exploring the genealogy of the island and the rituals native to it, and I wished there was far more of that in the novel.

The time skips in the novel were sometimes misplaced, for example, the fact that Christmas celebrations, solstice, and the wake were anticipated but then just marked by a time skip was pretty disappointing and made the progression of the novel quite stilted. I feel like with Christmas especially, this could have been a great time for us to really flesh out the different characters in the Cooper family, who all sort of blend together until about 70% of the way through the novel. The side plots of Susannah's and Kathleen's parents' interference in her life were compelling and made me root for Kathleen's relationship with Molly and her life on the island, but I feel like they were dropped too quickly, or simply didn't have enough impact on the relationship. I think this novel could have had an extra 200 words or so just to flesh everything out a little more.

That said, the last 40% of the novel was where I really got into it because I cared about the main characters' relationship, the community, and the bonding. The plot kicked in with the shift to renewable energy on the island and the lawsuit against them, and the bonding ceremony brought the religious and traditional contexts back to the island. Molly's character was by far the most interesting although I wish gender roles as a whole were challenged more thoroughly on the island, rather just through her character, and Kathleen's emotional development/recovery was tumultuous and convincing.

Some of my favourite quotes:

<blockquote> <i> 'The only sound was the crackling of the fire as Molly absorbed this confession. "I can't believe you said that," she said at last. "What?" Kathleen's expression when she turned was guarded, wary. "Whom. You said whom. Who says whom?"'

'"Yeah. I think loving someone is one of the bravest things anyone ever does. Taking the chance of being hurt. Letting yourself need someone else, knowing how hollowed out you'd be if they weren't in your life. What's braver than that?"'

'"This doesn't involved more blood, does it?" Molly smiled. "Actually, it does."' </i> </blockquote>

<i> Thank you to Corgyn Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. </i>

Was this review helpful?

I couldn’t really connect with the main characters. I liked the concept of the book but it was a bit too slow for me, which made it hard to get into the story.

Was this review helpful?

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39075447-when-the-stars-sang" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="When the Stars Sang" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1520465724m/39075447.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39075447-when-the-stars-sang">When the Stars Sang</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4815447.Caren_J_Werlinger">Caren J. Werlinger</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2339913774">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd a copy from NetGalley/Corgyn Publishing in exchange for an honest review. No synopsis needed.<br />Main leads are Molly (Mo) and Katie (Kathleen) in this romance with angst, drama and light comedy. Beautifully written descriptions with an easy flowing realistic storyline and an able, neatly interwoven supporting cast, I found myself reading slowly and at the end - fully satisfied. I easily recommend this read as one of Ms. Werlinger's best.<br />5 stars.
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

Was this review helpful?

I was bored reading this book. I didn't connect to any of the character or the plot.

Was this review helpful?

4.25 Stars. I really enjoyed this read. It was much better than I expected and really a nice surprise. This just reminded me that I need to read more of Werlinger’s books. Her writing was really well done and the book had a great flow. I believe I would put this in the drama-romance category.

Kathleen is running from a dysfunctional relationship, with her girlfriend and parents, to live in her in deceased grandmother’s cottage. The cottage is on a small island off the coast of Maine. Molly is the sheriff of Little Sister Island. The community is close knit and they don’t trust outsiders easily. But Molly can’t stop thinking about Kathleen. Do these two have a chance at a relationship, or will outside forces stop them from being together?

As I said earlier, the writing is just wonderful. This book is actually on the longer side, but I was never bored for a second. Not only did Werlinger write the two main characters well, the whole island came alive. This is one of the better written cast of secondary characters I have read in a drama-romance book. All had their unique personalities; even the damn dog was great. I’m really in awe how well this whole island came alive for me.

I said this is a drama-romance because it is about families and dealing with tragedies, but also love and belonging. I went from tearing up one minute to a huge smile on my face. This book pulled different emotions out of me and I enjoyed every second of it.

There is a romance of course. Though I do have to say the only thing missing in this book for me was a little more chemistry. It took a long time before I saw any spark between the main couple. The sex scenes are all fade to black. I don’t really think that is why the characters had less chemistry for me. But I think it was a missed opportunity to strengthen the chemistry. I do want to make clear though, this couple absolutely had a bond together. I believed that love was happening between them. It is just more about two people connecting through love, than a steamy passionate love. I hope that makes some sense. The point is I still enjoyed the romance.

This is only the third book I have read by Werlinger, but it is absolutely my favorite. If you are a drama-romance fan and are looking for a well written, enjoyable book, give this a chance. I don’t think you will be disappointed. I can’t wait to read more of her books, especially her fantasy series.

Was this review helpful?