The Beauty of Perhaps

By: Eryn Scott

Narrated by: Elizabeth Klett

Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

Teacher required. Must have boat.

Molly is a predictable, no surprises, plan ahead kind of girl, and the last person who should answer the ad for a teaching job on the remote Scottish island of Lilliebrae. She's never been the type of adventurous spirit that would even consider such a radical change. And truthfully, she only took the job after her life in America went from bad to worse. From day one on the island, Molly's sure she's not meant to stay. When a rugged journeyman arrives, things get even more complicated, and she's pushed even further outside her comfort zone. With his help, Molly works on finding the beauty of perhaps.

In this snapshot of modern day Scotland, Eryn Scott weaves one woman's journey of self-discovery with Scottish tradition and a sprinkling of windswept love.

©2017 Eryn Carpenter (P)2017 Eryn Carpenter

A bit of a Scottish flavor

The Beauty of Perhaps, by Eryn Scott, is a book about the journey of a woman trying to find herself and building relationships through the world. It’s my first book by this author and though I found the story predicable, it’s by no means lacking in fun and sincerity and a bit of a Scottish flavor. I think that’s what got me and made me really enjoy this book. I liked Molly (the main character) enough, but it’s the beautiful descriptions of the Scottish countryside, the picture of Lilliebrae and its inhabitants, all the adventures she finds there, what brings this story to life and make listening to it a unique experience. Elizabeth Klett has a great range of voices for male and female characters, making all characters very easily identifiable and real in their own way, and her Scottish brogue was simply a relish to listen to. She was outstanding with the delivery of the story, improving the listener experience.

I was given a copy of the audio book in exchange of an honest review and I would recommend it to everyone, but specially fans of a good Scottish story.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

A Beautifully Written Journey

This is an absolutely beautifully written story of a woman's journey to self-discovery. Molly Baker is so determined to be the opposite of her impulsive mother that she plans every detail of her life. She has a predictable teaching job and a predictable boyfriend. When her boyfriend ends their relationship and her sister confronts her about her wasted life, Molly makes an impulsive decision and accepts a teaching job on the remote Scottish island of Lilliebrae.

The moment she steps off the boat onto the island, Molly begins to doubt herself. She thinks it's impossible to give up her plans and simply experience life. Then Gates arrives, a man her polar opposite, taking odd carpentry jobs and unable to settle in one place. Against her will, Molly loses her heart to him. But how can such different people make a relationship work?

I enjoyed every moment of this book. The writing was so detailed and descriptive I felt like I'd been picked up and plunked down in the middle of the Scottish highlands. I wanted to stay there drinking in the beauty forever. The plot was fairly drama free, all the angst arose from Molly's own insecurities and not from external forces, but the story is worth a listen just for its ability to transport the reader to Scotland.

The characters were interesting, especially the secondary characters like Alan. Molly's insecurities could be frustrating, and I felt sorry for the children she was supposed to be teaching. But by the end, I was cheering her on as she finally came into her own. Gates was a dream, he had a magnetic charm visible through the pages. I smiled through the entire chapter when he and Molly met.

There are books that are better experienced in audio form, and this is one of them. Elizabeth Klett's narration was outstanding, and that word isn't used lightly. Her accents were perfection, and made the entire performance a pleasure. I received a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review. I do plan on re-listening to this book soon.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

I would give this story 10 stars if I could

Where does The Beauty of Perhaps rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of my favorite audiobooks I've ever listened to this year. The story line while some might say predictable it was one of the best stories I've read this year. While it was a romance it was more of a woman finding who she was from who she thought she was.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Beauty of Perhaps?

When Molly released she could paint and finally was able to do get a painting done

What about Elizabeth Klett’s performance did you like?

I loved how she brought the Scottish language and sounds to life. This is one of the only times I've said that the audio version is much better than the print or ebook version. The audio version brings the Scottish language to life so much better than if you are reading it.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I just feel in love with this book from the beginning. There was so many times I was moved by this story its hard to pick just one.

Any additional comments?

I was gifted a copy of this book by the author but that in no way effected my review as I would have happily given a credit to purchase this book. I feel in love so much I've already purchases the ebook version. This is a story well worth your time

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A highland love story and dream come true

This was such a delightful book. It made me want to chuck it all and go to Scotland and teach. The narrator, Elizabeth Klett, was excellent, and the story was so dreamy, especially meeting Graeme Gates, the kind-hearted and sexy Scottish handyman who was a wanderer. The theme of the book had to do with opposites. Molly is a planner who has to have everything scheduled whereas Gates lives by the seat of his pants. Each has a parent who was the opposite and was determined not to be like that parent, but on the other side, in trying so hard to be what their parent was not, they hurt themselves and each other.

Predictably, there was the falling love and then the realization that things weren't going to work. The breakup was long, but necessary for Molly to find herself and to be herself. Finally, she became the strong woman she'd always wanted to be, and well, there was a happy ending where they met each other halfway but in no way compromised.

The writing is so well done that I can easily picture myself in the Highlands, especially that picturesque island of Lilliebrae. I loved the pace of the story, that it wasn't rushed, and that we got to stick with Molly through her entire transformation. The side characters were colorful and made the entire community feel like home.

I absolutely love the narrator and the way she brought the Scots language to life. It was easy to listen to and follow and her voice transports you into the story so you forget that you're not a part of it.

I love the Scots language and the narrator's accent as well as the final realization that Scotland had become Molly's home too.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Delightful surprise

I absolutely LOVED this book! I was drawn in from the very beginning and could not stop listening. I stayed up all night and finished in one sitting. The narration is EXCELLENT! I've found a new favorite author and narrator to add to my list of go to's.
I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an honest review. I would definitely recommend this book; and, in fact, already have recommended to my mom, sister and mom-in-law. My mom-in-law has already read it and enjoyed it, too.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderful Journey Through Scotland

This is a beautifully written book about a woman's journey of discovery and change. I really enjoyed the descriptions and getting a snapshot of Scotland and their people. It is a well paced book with some humor and sweet romance.

The narrator did an amazing job bringing the story to life. Her Scottish accent was perfect for the book.

The characters were well developed and unlike most writers she leaves the love scenes to our imagination. I really enjoyed this book and I will look forward to reading more books by Eryn Scott.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A beautifully written story of losing oneself to truly find life and love.

The Beauty of Perhaps is a beautifully written story of a not-so-young lady, in her eyes, running away from her perfectly planned, predictable life in Seattle, on an uncharacteristic whim, to teach at a tiny country school in the Scottish Highlands, without an inkling that she will actually find herself and gain an independence and confidence she never dreamed of. Molly Baker, a teacher, with dreams of being an artist like her Gran, has no idea what adventures await and what freedom she'll find as she steps off the boat onto the island of Lily Brae. (I hope I spelled it correctly, having listened to it, not read it.) She conquers her fear of taking life as it comes and rolling with it, as she rebuilds her relationship with her sister and finds love, deeply, in so many more ways than she ever thought possible. The author, Eryn Scott, leads the listeners along in such a way that they really aren't sure what will happen between Molly and the man she falls hard for, Graham Gates, or "Gates," as everyone calls him. She uses discretion in her writing, leaving love scenes to the imagination, without being explicit, which is as appreciated as it is unusual in our day.
Elizabeth Klett's narration is captivating. Her talent and versatility for bringing characters to life, as people we actually think we know, shines in her presentation of this delightful story.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Cute Story

This was another cute story by Eryn Scott.
The performance of the narrator was really good too.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Easy, entertaining listen...

The Beauty of Perhaps by Eryn Scott is an easy, entertaining listen. It does follow a pretty standard format and is a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. It's the story of Molly and Gates. Molly takes a teaching job in Scotland to escape her life for a bit. She's got a putz of an ex boyfriend and a family that she needs to take a break from. Gates is the handsome Scot handyman that she meets when she gets there. Romance blooms. You get your HEA. I don't want to give anything away, but like I said, it's a bit predictable, but still a fun listen and I'd recommend it.

Elizabeth Klett did a fabulous job narrating this story. Her accents, the emotion and unique voices that she brought to the characters was all done so well. I'd definitely listen to more of her performances. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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Magical!

I’m so happy I took a chance on this new author. This is now one of my favorite reads of the year! The writing was so beautiful in its description and emotion depicted within the characters. The picturesque island of Lilliebrae took my breath away. The island is a character all on its own. The setting is what makes the story so magical. I could close my eyes and imagine myself there. This was also due in great part to the narrator’s gorgeous accent. Elizabeth Klett’s choices of different inflections and accents for the characters work perfectly. She has a great range and it allows for all the characters to be distinguishable.

The story itself is cute and sweet, albeit predictable. There isn’t much angst or drama, as this is more of a character focused story. Molly is finding herself as she explores this new Scottish island. The teaching job forces her to navigate hurdles and gain strength and confidence that she’s severely lacking. New adventures especially follow once she meets Graeme Gates. He is a kind-hearted handyman who is known to never stick to one place for too long. He’s the complete opposite of Molly who lives on planning and organization. Their interactions showed how natural and meant to be they are for one another. They help each other grow despite not realizing it as it happens.

The two are also opposites from their parents and we see Graeme and Molly try their hardest to not be like them. This focus eventually hinders and hurts themselves and their relationships, but seeing them finally realize was so heartwarming. THE BEAUTY OF PERHAPS is a delightful reading experience and has made me want to go to Scotland to teach!


*I was provided this audiobook from the author/narrator via Audiobook Boom at no charge, for my unbiased review.