The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels

If the cover of this book doesn't capture your attention, than the first few pages will. Erin Bartels is a new author to the scene, and her debut novel is a stunning work that promises great things to come.

This novel has something for everyone. There was heart-wringing romance, believable characters, the twists of intrigue, suspense, grief, and beautiful artistic prose...just to name a few elements of this beautiful written and clever story.

The characters created within the pages of "The Words Between Us" are a strict lesson on how to craft brilliant and vividly real and dynamic characters. The skill with which this story was written is remarkable. I typically don't like novels written on a dual timeline, but both timelines held my interest and switching between the times simply added to the story and suspense - which is a hard thing to do when you are moving back and forth in time. This is likely the best example I've ever read of a book written during two different periods.

Speaking of the story, I really enjoyed the plot and premise behind this book. As the back cover states,

"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?

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."


As you can see, the setting of this novel is epic. Robin, our main character, is the daughter of two notorious criminals. Tainted by her association with them, she is forced to make a new life for herself as the tender age of fourteen. Her story is gripping and believable enough you'd half expect to read it in a newspaper. I would definintely recommend this book and look forward to reading her next work.

Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.