Book Review: The Words Between Us

From the Back

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 Reflections:

Erin Bartels captivates her readers from the start with "The Words Between Us." Her story is so all-encompassing that I found my self pondering this tale well after the last page was flipped. Luckily I had a chunk of time to devote to this book because I'm not sure much would get done until I crawled out of this raw and engaging story.

Robin Windsor is a brave and resilient woman. Having endured a rough and traumatic childhood has done her best to create a new and very separate life from what she experienced as a child. 

Her experiences have forged the steel in her spirit and sharpened her abilities, however, that resilience and steel have left its mark, no matter how hard she tries she will need to reopen those wounds so that the festering can be purged, healed and she can become even more. The journey is painful but the outcome is akin to watching a long ravaging storm then the sunshine that is birthed in the morning.

I absolutely adored all the characters in this novel! I'm no doubt a book fan so the references to several good books mentioned in the tale made my heart sing, silly but true!

I also loved the dual timeline the peek into the mind of a teenager then the same character as an adult was very fascinating. The icing on the cake of this story was watching Robin transform. She realizes her growth and claims the balm of forgiveness, this is true living! If you are looking for your next read, this is a perfect treat. It would also make a great Christmas gift!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Erin Bartels

Erin Bartels is the author of We Hope for Better Things and The Words between Us. A publishing professional for seventeen years, she is a member of Capital City Writers and the Women's Fiction Writers Association. Her short story "This...

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