The Words Between Us

By: Erin Bartels

Narrated by: Stina Nielsen

Robin Windsor has spent most of her life under an assumed name, running from her family's ignominious past. She thought she'd finally found sanctuary in her rather unremarkable used bookstore just up the street from the marina in River City, Michigan. But the store is struggling and the past is hot on her heels.

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 long-lost summer she met Peter Flynt, the perfect boy who ruined everything. That book - a first edition Catcher in the Rye - is soon followed by the other books she shared with Peter nearly 20 years ago, with one arriving in the mail each day.

But why would Peter be making contact after all these years? And why does she have a sinking feeling that she's about to be exposed all over again?

With evocative prose that recalls the classic novels we love, Erin Bartels pens a story that shows that words - the ones we say, the ones we read, and the ones we write - have more power than we imagine.

©2019 Erin Bartels (P)2019 Recorded Books

Loved this book!

Story felt original and held my interest throughout. Compelling and deeply developed characters, was sad when it was over.

That's it?

I would have enjoyed this book more if it had had a real ending. So many issues are still questionable. I'll gladly change my review if there's a sequel to tie up the ends.

engaging

This book was excellent. the author did a fantastic job blending past and present and the narrator tied it together beautifully. very enjoyable listen.

Enjoyable

This book was a bit difficult for me to get through to the core of the book. I kept going because I could tell I was going to enjoy it once the introduction finished. The characters were very well described and the descriptions of the scenes transported me there, but I just had a difficult time connecting to Robin. Somewhere in the book though I started to really look forward to hearing what was going to happen next and by the end, I didn't want the book to end.

I’d like to see a sequel

Another great listen from Erin; a sequel to this would be great, many wonderful loose ends that have much potential for another great listen. The only thing that was not really believable in the main character was the part about not talking to the older man for 12 years (kinda weird, not realistic at all)

Heroine is so annoying

The heroine is self-absorbed throughout the book, to the point that I found her really annoying. It’s too bad because the story concept is good. I quit with just 45 minutes remaining because I realized I didn’t care how it ends.

Good choice from Plus Catalog

The storyline follows a bookish, creative 13-year-old girl into early womanhood, as she copes with the imprisonment of her parents, causing her to have to leave her childhood home to live with a relative she has never met. The author uses no profanity and injects no sexuality, which I appreciate. The story uses a dual timeline, going back and forth in segments that are easy to follow. I felt the story would have benefitted from some editing to reduce its length, but the story still kept my interest throughout. Narration was very good and would have earned 5 stars except for instances of poor editing (not the narrator's fault) that sounded like the narrator turned away from the microphone to speak a phrase or sentence into a tin can.

Dark beginning but ended well, great narrator!

Story starts out dark and depressing, and is rather crazy throughout, but ended well. Narration is great, as usual!!

Delightful!

The performance of this story was exceptional! I found it relaxing to hear, the vocal pleasant and expression emotional. I listened to this in one sitting; that is something I never did before! The story never drags, and I kept wanting to hear “just one bit more.” It isn’t a heavy tale, but still thought-provoking. It’d make a great chick-flick!

So what ever happened to mom and dad?

Great book. This author is a great writer! But at the end leaves us with no answers regarding mom or dad? Part 2 coming?