Charlena Miller

I have to be honest. When I first started this novel I thought it was going to be a plain romance and wondered how on earth I would get through it. The story was definitely not I expected but more about that later on.
Nothing has ever been easy for Ellie Jameson and she has had to learn the hard way that the only one you can rely on is yourself. Then a letter arrives informing Ellie about an unexpected inheritance in faraway Scotland. She decides to leave America behind and see what awaits her on the Glenbroch Estate. Yes, there is a romance with a absolutely perfect Scot but there is also a lot of intrigue and mystery as Ellie tries to get Glenbroch up and running.
Now I will explain what I meant when I said the story was not what I expected. This would have been typical romance with intrigue in a foreign land except for one important fact. Charlena Miller's description of Scotland and it's people is so very lush and detailed that you feel as if you are there with Ellie. That isn't surprising since I understand that the author did in fact visit Scotland but it takes talent to be able to describe it in such detail. I always wanted to visit Scotland and now with "What Lies Between" by Charlena Miller I really want to go there. Highly recommended. I received a copy of this book from the author (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review.… (mehr)

This is a wonderful story about a woman, Ellie, who has suffered much in her life, who receives a bequest, from her estranged birth father, of an estate I Scotland. There is some mystery involved in the story, as Ellie tries to continue renovations to the estate and figure out her future. In addition, there was romance which added to the plot and lightened things up for the reader. Finally, the author presented wonderful descriptions of Scottish Highlands, its people and their culture, which only made the book more enjoyable for me. The book is a steady read, and held my attention from the very beginning, as I wondered whether she will find love or whether what will happen with the estate. I found the characters interesting and developed, the plot likewise developed and fascinating and, as I said, the setting interesting and holding my attention. This the first book by this author I have read, but I am sure there will be more, as I suspect they will be equally as enjoyable and well written as this one. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.… (mehr)

***ARC given by the author in exchange for an honest review***
I really enjoyed this book because it was set in modern-day Scotland, and I had just read another novel, prior to this one ('At the Water's Edge' by Sara Gruen), which took place in Scotland during WWII. Both take place near Inverness, which is an area I, myself, would love to explore someday. Both had American women basically transplanted to these areas, relying on the kindness of strangers who don't much take to Americans. It was fun reading about the kinds of food that are available, the differences in the weather, the clothing, the different holidays that are celebrated, etc. (Our heroine, Ellie, brings a Thanksgiving celebration to her estate, and the locals (who, obviously, wouldn't celebrate an American holiday like that), and it's a huge hit! The descriptions of the surroundings are beautiful--I feel like I can see them in my mind's eye.

The meat of the story, though, is the best part--it's a romance and a mystery all-in-one. I've only recently begun reading mysteries, and I'm only a romance-fan if the romance is incidental to the story, rather than the focal point. This book was the PERFECT combination! I appreciated that Ellie is a strong, independent woman who is giving everything she's got to save her estate... yet she's learning to let her guard down a bit, trust new friends, and allow herself to fall in love.… (mehr)