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Thursday, August 4, 2016

The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine


From 1910 to 2010, The ​I​sle of Skye, inherited castles, and human bones.

THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES takes us back to 1910 when Theo and Beatrice Blake spent their summers in Muirlan House in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and then to present day when Hetty inherits the ruins of the house with hopes of turning it into a hotel.

Theo and Beatrice Blake didn't do too much to make Muirlan House a home​ so when Hetty arrived to see her inheritance many years​ later​, she was taken by surprise to see it in ruins and more surprised to find bones buried under the rotting floorboards.

THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES was a lovely read for me especially because of the setting.  I enjoyed going back and forth in time to see how the characters lived then and how they lived now.

The characters themselves were interesting because of the jobs they had on the estate in 1910 and present-day Hetty who really had no clue how to live in this remote area with peat as the heating source, the constant rain, and having to be mindful of the tides.

The connection Hetty had to her ancestral family was not very strong, but strong and interesting enough to want to find things out about the family's history.  And what a history it is.  All she has for information, though, are photographs, paintings, a few letters, and the ruins of Muirlan House.  Will these bits of evidence reveal the answers to whose bones were found as well as the mystery of who Theo Blake was and what his connection is to the girl in his earlier photos?

THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES is a very captivating read. The detailed, marvelous descriptions of the life and the setting are wonderful.  You could just feel yourself at the social gatherings, feel the rain, feel the tension between characters, and feel the dreariness of the landscape.

If you enjoy traveling back and forth in time, mysteries, finding old letters, love affairs, and figuring out family connections, you will love THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES. 

We also can’t forget that alluring, eerie, pull-you-in cover.  It definitely sets the stage for the book.

ENJOY if you read THE HOUSE BETWEEN TIDES.   A marvelous summer read or any-time-of-the-year read.  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.


20 comments:

  1. I'm off to grab this book from my TBR pile. Your review has inspired me to bump it up my reading list.

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    1. Oh yes...I really liked it.

      Thanks for stopping, Yvonne.

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  2. Wow, sounds like a book for me. Interesting review, thank you.

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    1. Thanks, Lisbeth.

      I hope you get to read the book.

      Thanks for stopping, Lisbeth.

      Delete
  3. Wow, I can tell how much you loved this one. Great review!

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    1. Thanks, Kathy.

      It was quite good. Love castles and Scotland. :)

      Thanks for stopping, Kathy.

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  4. This sounds like my kind of book. I love going back in time, and old buildings with hidden mysteries. Definitely one for my TBR list.

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    1. I enjoy going back when there are castles and such. :)

      Mysteries about the family made it even better. :)

      Thanks for stopping, Elizabeth.

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  5. This sounds like a good one.

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    1. It was, Stefanie.

      Thanks for stopping, Stefanie.

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  6. It's sounds as good as the fabulous cover!

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    1. Isn't that cover fantastic?

      I hope you like the book as much as I did, Mary.

      Thanks for stopping, Mary.

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  7. I like the sound of this Elizabeth, great review for it. I don't mind a Back and Now when it is about different characters and love a Scotland setting. Going on my wish list.

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    1. I loved the setting too.

      I think you will like it, Kathryn.

      Thanks for stopping, Kathryn.

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  8. I love time travel, this sounds great.

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    1. I hope you get to read the book, pilch92.

      Thanks for stopping, pilch92.

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  9. This book looks amazing, and I have it marked on my wish list to read later in the year. Ever since The Time Traveler's Wife (my favorite book ever), I've been a time traveling junkie.

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    1. I love this book's setting and the premise with the mystery being an added treat.

      It was a great read for me as you can see.

      I hope you get to read it, Kathy, and thanks for stopping.

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  10. Just finished reading House Between the Tides. Great story. I hope that Sarah Maine continues to write. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Elizabeth.

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    1. It was very good.

      I hope she writes something else too.

      So glad you enjoyed it, and you are welcome about the recommendation.

      Thanks for stopping, Cindy.

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