Book Review: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

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Synopsis of the book:

Robin Windsor has spent much of her life under an assumed name to avoid association with her infamous parents. She thought she’d finally found sanctuary running her used bookstore in quiet River City, Michigan. But when she receives an eerily familiar book in the mail on the morning of her father’s scheduled execution, Robin is thrown back to the summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. Why would Peter be making contact now? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she’s about to be exposed all over again?

My review:

Words matter. The spoken and the written. They can breathe life and cut us to our core. I loved how this story brought to life our reliance on words.

I admit that I completely judged this book by its cover. How could a book so beautifully portraying a bibliophile’s shelf steer me wrong? I was not prepared for the lovely, yet haunting, way that Robin’s story unfolded. From the first line, which pulled me into the tragedy of her life to the very end where the lost is redeemed, I turned the pages as if the story would disappear if I placed my bookmark in it.

How could I not sympathize with Robin for living a life clinging to the words in those precious books? Her real life had taught her that the words of actual people couldn’t be trusted. But then she learned that people will surprise you. Assumptions are meant to be challenged and hers were. In the end, all of the words—written or spoken—trustworthy or not—they mattered. I closed the book with a sense of having drawn a tiny cup of wisdom from a raging waterfall.

What I enjoyed most about this book:

The relationship between Robin and Peter.

What I didn’t like about this book:

Ironically, the poems that Robin bared her soul in were the parts that I tended to skim over.

Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this book to others? Definitely. This story was well told and grabbed at so many of my emotions.

Note: I received this book complimentary as a participant in the Revell blog tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.

Where can I learn more about this author and their books?

Erin Bartels, author website

Erin Bartels, Revell page

-Loraine Nunley

 

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