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bookslovejenna's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
raaahella's review against another edition
4.0
This is a wonderful book. I loved it. I began reading it, intrigued by the darkness, but it isn't actually that dark, more of a mystery. It is much like Perdita by Hilary Scharper, only Sarah Maine, the author is not a resident of Canada. Only was, but lives in Scotland. As in Perdita, there is a time jump (back and forth from current day to early 1900's. This book took place in present time and 1910/1911. I decided to read this also as I have been to Scotland recently and it definitely had the right tone to help me reminisce. I recommend it for a late fall, early winter read!
sheltzer's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, although I think I would have enjoyed it more had it stayed rooted in the past.
Hetty learns that she is the heiress to a dilapidated manor house in the Hebrides. Her boyfriend convinces her that she should renovate the house, and the island, to make it an upscale retreat with a hotel, golf course, spa, etc. But then bones are discovered buried under the greenhouse. The story then begins to alternate between the modern day story of Hetty learning of the island and its residents and Theo, Beatrice, and their less than idyllic marriage, the residents at the time the bones would have been buried.
Hetty has no real personality. She allows herself to be pushed and pulled by whomever is speaking the loudest around her. As such she doesn't grow and the resolution of her story line is not the big "aha" moment that you've been waiting for. I did enjoy the story of Theo, Beatrice and Cameron. While part of it was obvious, other parts were not. I think their story would have been fine being told without the catalyst of the modern day discovery of the bones.
Hetty learns that she is the heiress to a dilapidated manor house in the Hebrides. Her boyfriend convinces her that she should renovate the house, and the island, to make it an upscale retreat with a hotel, golf course, spa, etc. But then bones are discovered buried under the greenhouse. The story then begins to alternate between the modern day story of Hetty learning of the island and its residents and Theo, Beatrice, and their less than idyllic marriage, the residents at the time the bones would have been buried.
Hetty has no real personality. She allows herself to be pushed and pulled by whomever is speaking the loudest around her. As such she doesn't grow and the resolution of her story line is not the big "aha" moment that you've been waiting for. I did enjoy the story of Theo, Beatrice and Cameron. While part of it was obvious, other parts were not. I think their story would have been fine being told without the catalyst of the modern day discovery of the bones.
zoe_d_marriott's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written, atmospheric historical timeslip novel which sadly suffers from the all-too-common pitfall of novels with dual narratives/timelines playing out simultaneously: one timeline and narrator (the past one, in this case - in which a naive but spirited young bride is brought back to the wild ancestral Scottish home of her much older, brilliant artist husband, only to discover that he is an entirely different man than she had believed) is so much more interesting than the other (the present, in which a largely passive and characterless young woman inherits the now derelict Scottish ancestral home). Liked it, didn't love it.
raciethereader's review against another edition
4.0
If you love Gothic stories with old houses, this is for you.
prof_shoff's review against another edition
3.0
Good but not great. A bit slow and somewhat heavy-handed at times, despite the somewhat foreseeable conflict and mystery.
alisonburnis's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
In 2010, Hetty has inherited Muirlan House, after the death of her parents and her grandmother. Set on restoring the house and creating a hotel out of it, she heads up to the Hebrides to see the house and start her plans. However, she’s met immediately with the extreme neglect of the house and a lack of support from the locals and caretakers - particularly after James Cameron finds human remains under floorboards in the house.
In 1910, Beatrice has married the artist Theo Blake, nearly twice her age. He takes her to his family home, Muirlan House, and despite her hesitance, she ends up falling in love with the house and the island. However, the threads of what gets started that summer end up turning into pains that reverberate one hundred years later.
Part mystery, part romance, all tangled family story, The House Between Tides is an interesting story, though a bit too back and forth. Hetty can be somewhat spineless and irritating - I’m here for the Scots telling her she’s an oppressive despoiler of the land, honestly - but the tangled family drama is quite compelling.
In 1910, Beatrice has married the artist Theo Blake, nearly twice her age. He takes her to his family home, Muirlan House, and despite her hesitance, she ends up falling in love with the house and the island. However, the threads of what gets started that summer end up turning into pains that reverberate one hundred years later.
Part mystery, part romance, all tangled family story, The House Between Tides is an interesting story, though a bit too back and forth. Hetty can be somewhat spineless and irritating - I’m here for the Scots telling her she’s an oppressive despoiler of the land, honestly - but the tangled family drama is quite compelling.
mjmbecky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
festivefun's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
barmyjen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25