The House on the Shore

By: Victoria Howard

Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Terror haunts a remote Scottish Glen. Heartbroken Anna MacDonald leaves Edinburgh to find peace at the edge of a Scottish loch. Safely ensconced in her late grandmother's cottage, she can finally heal her heart and write the novel that has burned inside her for years.

Her peace is short-lived. When debonair artist Luke Tallantyre's yacht gets stranded in the loch, he seeks help at the nearest residence - Anna's croft. She finds him annoying. He instantly dislikes the stunning, but cranky hermit.

But there's indisputable evidence that a hit man is on the prowl in the village. Is he after Anna? And what is Luke keeping from her that could deepen the danger? Against their wills, they join forces and embark on an adventure neither ever imagined... including a chance at true love.

The House on the Shore is written in British English, using standard British spelling and grammar.

©2009 Jeanette Woodall (P)2014 Jeanette Woodall

The House on the Shore

THE HOUSE ON THE SHORE was an intriguing story set in Scotland. It was a suspenseful romance but at times I found myself lost in the plot. Anna MacDonald has moved to her grandmother's croft when Luke Tallantyre comes knocking. He claims his yacht is stranded in the loch. She allows him in and it seems he makes himself more than welcome. Shortly after, they begin a love affair.

I wish there had been more of a back story with the characters, especially Luke. I wanted to get to know them and identify with them better. The story was mostly monotone and perhaps that's where I felt lost.

With scenes like the footbridge over the gorge and the heather covered hills I still had difficulty grasping the beauty of the landscape that I know existed. I wanted to smell the heather, feel the cottage, and see the shore. The love-making scenes were clear and descriptive but I wanted the whole picture. The story had some twists towards the end that were good.

Overall, I'm on the fence with this one. I would say it definitely wasn't a bad book but it could have been much better for me.

Ruth Urquhart did a good job narrating this story with her lovely accent. She had a nice tone and kept a perfect pace. I think it's worth a listen if someone is pondering this audiobook.

AUDIOBOOK RECEIVED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

The house on the shore

Any additional comments?

I recommend this one highly enough. It's a worthy successor to Howard's other fine work, Three Weeks Last Spring. Well written with heart breakingly real characters and a great story. I really enjoyed this audiobook.

The House on The Shore

Any additional comments?

This was a great read!Well,it was a great LISTEN as I listened to the audible version narrated wonderfully by Ruth Urquhart. Anna is let down by her boyfriend and heads to her grandmothers empty cottage to regroup.There she becomes friendly with a man needing assistance due to a broken down boat.The love story seems too fast for real life,but it may happen.Town intrigue and drama ensconces Anna and her friend.
"I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com."

The House on the Shore

I really enjoyed this sweet story. There was romance, intrigue, mystery, a bit of action, and a fantastic setting.

Victoria Howard’s writing style is just perfect for this story. I could really see it all in my mind.

I also enjoyed Ruth Urquhart’s narration. She did a fantastic job with bringing out all of the emotions.

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

The house on the shore

Any additional comments?

A wonderful read! The characters were wonderfully loveable. The descriptions of the house and town were so rich that I was able to quickly picture of the setting in my mind. Effortlessly heartwarming and compellingly mysterious, The House on the Shore is one audiobook I recommend.

Anna & Luke great story

I loved how th book was suspenseful and slightly romantic! When I thought I knew how dunnit I was wrong! I love love love the heavy accent work in the book and all were easy to diferentiate! The story line was great and intrigued me that I couldn't stop listening

Excellent!!

Scottish Romance?

Would you try another book from Victoria Howard and/or Ruth Urquhart?

I'm torn by this novel. I had high hopes, and in places, I was very engaged in the listening, but overall it had a disconnected feel to the plot. I felt I needed more connection with the main characters in general. The chemistry between the hero and heroine felt forced at times. I'm not sure if I would read something else by the author.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect was the interactions between the villagers & Anna (the heroine) as well as as viewing day to day activities in Scotland. The least interesting was the "suspense" storyline. At first I couldn't understand the motivation behind the "villain" which bugged me, but I could predict the actions of the character. Overall my impression of the plot was one without flow.

Did Ruth Urquhart do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Ms. Urquhart female voices were excellent as well as the Scottish accent, however her male character voices seemed flat.

Was The House on the Shore worth the listening time?

It passed the time, but isn't a novel I would revisit.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBlast dot com

The House on the Shore

The House on the Shore was really entertaining, not something I would usually pick to read but as it was in the Romance package thought I would try it. Really pleased I did. A little slow to start but a great story.

I felt like I was in Scotland

I enjoyed this audio book, the story kept my interest, the pace is not to slow or to fast, a little bit mystery, a little bit romance and the authors descriptions made me feel like I was part of the Scottish Highlands. I also enjoyed the narration, a couple of times I had to back up to understand what the narrator had said, but her accent added to my immersion into the Scottish countryside.

I was given this audio book for review.

Love, Drama, and Mystery all in one book.

What made the experience of listening to The House on the Shore the most enjoyable?

I love that it is placed in Scotland and the discription of the countryside.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Morrag. She was such a loveable and helpful friend. One which everyone wishes they had in their own life.

Which character – as performed by Ruth Urquhart – was your favorite?

Anna was my favorite character. She performed her just as I think the author would want her loveable, independent, yet just a little stubborn.

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

My favorite moment in the book is where Luke is doing the stake out waiting to rescue Anna.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.