This is a feel-good romance which follows Lucy Shakespeare, the oldest sister in this series of books and her meeting with Lachlan, a rich businessman who employs Lucy as his lawyer after inheriting property.
I thought Lucy was a great character, she is a bit of a perfectionist and likes to be in control. Her job as a successful lawyer is very important to her. She finds herself attracted to Lachlan but knows that as his lawyer she cannot cross the line to have a relationship with him.
Lachlan is instantly attracted to Lucy and I feel he falls first and is determined to beat his half-brother in a legal case around his inheritance. He persuades her to become involved in the case and soon Lucy finds herself travelling from Edinburgh to Paris and New York.
A lovely read which I enjoyed and perfect for springtime if you are looking for a cute and feel-good romance.
I have one book left in the series but I have really enjoyed them.
Would recommend to any romance readers who like being whisked away across the world.

Absent In The Spring is perhaps my favorite book in this series. There was something particularly enticing about this story line and characters, Lucy Shakespeare and Lachlan MacLeish. Ahh yes, from the moment they meet there's magic.

As the oldest of the Shakespeare sisters, Lucy has always been the one taking care of the necessities when there's a parent with failing health She tales responsibility very seriously and is the one with the most conservative professional role. It's her job as a lawyer that brings Lucy and Lachlan together. There's an element of the forbidden (he's her client), and one of adventure. And something about Lachlan that has Lucy experiencing feelings completely foreign to her. He's intriguing and the attraction is instantaneous.

"As soon as the elevator doors closed behind her, Lucy leaned her head on the mirrored wall, holding on to the handrail as it began to ascend. Though he was in the lobby, she could still smell his cologne, still see that dimpled smile. She’d never met somebody with so much presence, with such an easy ability to take her breath away. He was danger, dressed in a designer suit."

This story is probably the sexiest of the three. It's one of those cases where I swear the pheromones were coming off the page. Lachlan pulls Lucy out of her head and she begins taking chances where this "follow the rules" girl excels. Maybe it's allure that Lachlan provides. I for one loved seeing her shed her inhibitions. But Lachlan is pretty dreamy, hes a very balanced character, a little broken and as with Lucy's attraction to him, Lachlan finds himself taking emotional risks

"That was another thing about him, he knew how to say all the right things. But more than that, the way he looked at her only underscored his words, making her feel as though she was the most important person in his life."

Aside from the noticeable heat between them, they do build a friendship based on mutual respect and that points to one of the reasons why I love reading book by Carrie Elks. They are multifaceted with characters and situations that are well thought out and fully developed. As with the other Shakespeare Sisters book, the family comes together to support each other and even through perceived wrong doings.

In it all, Elks takes us on a vacation to the Scottish Highlands and Paris. And of course there's Miami and New York. Maybe Lucy does get a little something from her two youngest sisters and their ability embrace the unknown. Another 5 star addition to the series

*I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 ⭐

I read the first book in the Shakespeare Sisters series ‘Summer’s Lease’ in July of 2017. And I loved that so much. I read it as fast as I could and I was immediately a new Carrie Elks fan. The second book ‘A Winter’s Tale’ I read in November of 2017 and I loved it just as much as the first book. Since I haven’t been reading and reviewing as much due to my pregnancy, I hadn’t been able to read the newest book in the series ‘Absent in the Spring’. But since my maternity leave started, and I have more time to read I decided to get my hands on this new book and started reading as soon as possible.

In ‘Absent in the Spring’ we follow the oldest Shakespeare Sister Lucy. Lucy has always been the one in control, taking care of her younger sisters, and working hard to be the best lawyer she can possible be. And with success. Lucy works long days and hours and is very successful. So when Lucy gets asked to take on a new client, the rich Lachlan MacLeish she is determined to make this new case in a success. But when Lucy flies to Miami to meet Lachlan she isn’t prepared for the things she feels when she sees the handsome American.
Lachlan is a workaholic and great in what he does. His life consists of working hard, every day and flying from his one investment to the next. But when he meets Lucy, he starts seeing how empty his life really is.

Just as with the first two books in this series I devoured every page of this book. I really loved every single page and the romance was just so good. What I loved most about ‘Absent in the Spring’ was the main characters Lucy and Lachlan. I could really relate to Lucy in the wanting to keep everything in control, and making list way. Obviously not the workaholic, and flying all around the world way. LOL!! And this made reading this book even more fun. And I loved getting to know Lucy and Lachlan. There characters were so much more than you would first expect.

The romance between Lucy and Lachlan was just so sweet and addictive. I loved reading about these two. The way they met, and the way they got to know each other. It was just so good and romantic and I couldn’t get enough. And what also was a great part about this book was the traveling. Through this book I visited Paris, New York, Edinburgh and Miami. Definitely really fun to read.

If you haven’t read the Shakespeare Sisters series I’d definitely recommend you start as soon as possible. It’s one of my favorite series and I can’t wait to read the fourth and final book at the end of the year.

This wasn't my first book by the author but it was my first read from the Shakespeare sisters series. (As a side note - how beautiful are the covers?!)

This book is the story of Lucy & Lachlan - lawyer & client. The attraction between the two of them is clear from the first meeting, but I could tell that one of them was going to fight it - understandable, given their professional relationship! But, our heart doesn't always go the way we want, does it?

Both MC's are fighting their own demons but won't open to each other, which frustrated me a little as they were so perfect for each other otherwise, and I was truly hoping for a happy ending.

The book is mostly set between two locations - Lucy's home of Scotland, and Lachlan's of New York. Elks' writing is so descriptive that I could actually imagine myself in the setting and wanted to jump into the book!

We briefly meet the other Shakespeare sisters in this book, and although it's a standalone I would probably want to read the series in order, as I think this one gives away what happens in the others.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading the rest of the series!

4.5*

Loved reading more about Lucy Shakespeare. Perhaps my favourite book in the serie.