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Settlement
Can love truly heal old wounds? Can the past ever be put peacefully to rest?
If you like a complex, grown-up romance with lots of raw emotion, dramatic and exotic settings, all mixed in with some international politics and laced with elements of a crime thriller, then this is the book for you.
Falling in love is the easy bit. Happy ever after requires work, commitment and honesty.
She wants him to be her friend and lover. He wants her as his wife. Can a compromise be reached? Or are things truly over between them?
When former Edinburgh policeman Jack Baxter met crofter and author Rachel Campbell at her home on the Scottish island of Skye, they fell in love. It was a second chance at happiness for them both.
But after Jack proposes marriage, it becomes clear they want different things.
Then, as Rachel prepares to return to the Middle East to work on a peacemaking project that's close to her heart, and as Jack's past catches up with him, it seems their relationship is doomed.
Can Rachel compromise on her need to maintain her hard-won independence?
Can Jack survive the life-threatening situation in which he finds himself?
Will they get the chance to put things right between them?
Settlement is the sequel to literary romance novel, Displacement, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
If you like a complex, grown-up romance with lots of raw emotion, dramatic and exotic settings, all mixed in with some international politics and laced with elements of a crime thriller, then this is the book for you.
Falling in love is the easy bit. Happy ever after requires work, commitment and honesty.
She wants him to be her friend and lover. He wants her as his wife. Can a compromise be reached? Or are things truly over between them?
When former Edinburgh policeman Jack Baxter met crofter and author Rachel Campbell at her home on the Scottish island of Skye, they fell in love. It was a second chance at happiness for them both.
But after Jack proposes marriage, it becomes clear they want different things.
Then, as Rachel prepares to return to the Middle East to work on a peacemaking project that's close to her heart, and as Jack's past catches up with him, it seems their relationship is doomed.
Can Rachel compromise on her need to maintain her hard-won independence?
Can Jack survive the life-threatening situation in which he finds himself?
Will they get the chance to put things right between them?
Settlement is the sequel to literary romance novel, Displacement, but it can be read as a stand-alone.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2018
5 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stormont
6 books2 followersAnne writes contemporary fiction where her all-too-human characters face up to challenges that involve love, loss and some of life's biggest questions. Her novels are available in bookshops and online.
She blogs at http://putitinwriting.me and her website is at http:// www.annestormont.co.uk .
She describes herself as a subversive old bat, but she does try to maintain a kind heart.
When not writing, she enjoys gardening, hiking and riding pillion on her husband's motor-bike. She enjoys travelling and has visited every continent except Antarctica.
She believes – indeed she knows from personal experience – that there is life after fifty and she writes thoughtful, grown-up novels where the main characters are sometimes older but definitely no wiser.
Anne also writes children's fiction under her other name Anne McAlpine.
She blogs at http://putitinwriting.me and her website is at http:// www.annestormont.co.uk .
She describes herself as a subversive old bat, but she does try to maintain a kind heart.
When not writing, she enjoys gardening, hiking and riding pillion on her husband's motor-bike. She enjoys travelling and has visited every continent except Antarctica.
She believes – indeed she knows from personal experience – that there is life after fifty and she writes thoughtful, grown-up novels where the main characters are sometimes older but definitely no wiser.
Anne also writes children's fiction under her other name Anne McAlpine.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 20, 2020
I read Displacement two years ago (I think). The writing easily reunited me with the characters, Rachel and Jack. Rachel is off to Israel again, writing a book about peace (after she has finished lambing on the farm). Rachel has two possible love interests and Settlement is the story of how she sorts out - everything. There are raw emotions, baggage, grief, frustration, political differences and a perilous situation (for Jack). But this all makes for a great storyline and I particularly enjoyed the reason the book is titled 'Settlement', however, I am not going to spoil by writing it in this review.
September 25, 2018
I loved this book. It was a delight to be reunited with Rachel and Jack again, after being introduced to them in Displacement. Anne Stormont writes so well and her evocative descriptions bring to life both Skye and Israel as the story moves between the two. It is a moving tale of a troubled couple who seek to find their happy ever after, but true romance never does run smooth and this is cetainly true of this pair. Dealing with some difficult issues, both personal and political, this is a compelling read.
March 26, 2019
Yes, it most certainly can be read as a standalone – quite perfectly, and that’s what I did – but I do rather wish I’d read Displacement too. And that’s not because it’s in any way necessary, but just because I so enjoyed this book that I wish I’d discovered Rachel and Jack rather sooner.
All the characters in this book are simply wonderful – Rachel and Jack are a couple with more baggage than many, but I was quite enthralled as I watched their relationship falter, change and develop through the course of the book. But there’s much more to this book than the relationship at its centre – I particularly liked the wider focus on friends and family, with a particular emphasis on daughters (both such well-drawn characters and relationships). But I also enjoyed the introduction of former partners, the steadfast support of friends Alasdair and Morag, and the interventions of the younger family members.
Rachel’s deep-seated grief at the loss of her son has a rawness that hurts, and the emotional content of the whole story is exceptionally handled as its complexity prevents everything being simply happy ever after. The people in this book are real, complete with all the faults and foibles that make them so, as the past casts its shadow over the present. The author really gets beneath the skin of her characters – I found it particularly easy to identify with Rachel, understanding her need for more, her passion about her work, and her overwhelming need to make a difference in her own way despite the collateral pain and damage.
I liked very much the way the story was constructed, with the voices and inner thoughts of both Jack and Rachel, and the dialogues and conversations that move the story forward. Understanding the reasons for some of the characters’ choices gives the whole an immense authenticity and depth of feeling – this is extremely accomplished writing.
The Skye setting is beautifully drawn – far more than a simple backdrop, full of detail, with the eye of an artist or photographer, but also evoking the healing powers of nature. I very much enjoyed Rachel’s research trip to Israel-Palestine too – a whole human context that I was shamefully unfamiliar with, just one facet of the story that gives the book its title, a reality sensitively handled and viewed from different perspectives. The book has elements of a crime thriller too, also superbly handled – we learn what led up to the book’s intriguing opening, and the author handles escalating danger, tension and edge-of-the-seat drama every bit as well as she does the quieter moments of tenderness.
I’d recommend this book most highly. While it has particular resonance for a reader who’s lived a little, with its insights into the challenges of a mature relationship, its appeal is considerably wider. I understand there is a third book to follow – and I’m delighted to see its to be called Fulfilment, because that’s what everyone must yearn for having encountered Rachel and Jack. I know I’m very much looking forward to it…
All the characters in this book are simply wonderful – Rachel and Jack are a couple with more baggage than many, but I was quite enthralled as I watched their relationship falter, change and develop through the course of the book. But there’s much more to this book than the relationship at its centre – I particularly liked the wider focus on friends and family, with a particular emphasis on daughters (both such well-drawn characters and relationships). But I also enjoyed the introduction of former partners, the steadfast support of friends Alasdair and Morag, and the interventions of the younger family members.
Rachel’s deep-seated grief at the loss of her son has a rawness that hurts, and the emotional content of the whole story is exceptionally handled as its complexity prevents everything being simply happy ever after. The people in this book are real, complete with all the faults and foibles that make them so, as the past casts its shadow over the present. The author really gets beneath the skin of her characters – I found it particularly easy to identify with Rachel, understanding her need for more, her passion about her work, and her overwhelming need to make a difference in her own way despite the collateral pain and damage.
I liked very much the way the story was constructed, with the voices and inner thoughts of both Jack and Rachel, and the dialogues and conversations that move the story forward. Understanding the reasons for some of the characters’ choices gives the whole an immense authenticity and depth of feeling – this is extremely accomplished writing.
The Skye setting is beautifully drawn – far more than a simple backdrop, full of detail, with the eye of an artist or photographer, but also evoking the healing powers of nature. I very much enjoyed Rachel’s research trip to Israel-Palestine too – a whole human context that I was shamefully unfamiliar with, just one facet of the story that gives the book its title, a reality sensitively handled and viewed from different perspectives. The book has elements of a crime thriller too, also superbly handled – we learn what led up to the book’s intriguing opening, and the author handles escalating danger, tension and edge-of-the-seat drama every bit as well as she does the quieter moments of tenderness.
I’d recommend this book most highly. While it has particular resonance for a reader who’s lived a little, with its insights into the challenges of a mature relationship, its appeal is considerably wider. I understand there is a third book to follow – and I’m delighted to see its to be called Fulfilment, because that’s what everyone must yearn for having encountered Rachel and Jack. I know I’m very much looking forward to it…
September 15, 2020
An excellent sequel to Displacement, although the story is complete and so can be read as a standalone. However, Jack and Rachel's story is compelling, emotional and realistic, so read the first book too.
The story begins at a devastating time for Jack, his life hangs in the balance, and he regrets how he left it with Rachel. Rachel learns about Jack, and she relives her former loss of her son.
The story then reverts to the recent past from Rachel and Jack's point of view, so the reader understands how they got to this dramatic point in their relationship. The story explores what happens after you fall in love, especially if you have emotional baggage. Jack's track record with long-term relationships impacts on his and Rachel's. Rachel is constantly moving forward and is a positive person despite the loss she's known.
There's politics and crime as Rachel and Jack pursue their lives independently, and they add to the story's depth and realism.
This is an addictive read, maybe because the characters are older and have lived.
I look forward to the final instalment in their love story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
The story begins at a devastating time for Jack, his life hangs in the balance, and he regrets how he left it with Rachel. Rachel learns about Jack, and she relives her former loss of her son.
The story then reverts to the recent past from Rachel and Jack's point of view, so the reader understands how they got to this dramatic point in their relationship. The story explores what happens after you fall in love, especially if you have emotional baggage. Jack's track record with long-term relationships impacts on his and Rachel's. Rachel is constantly moving forward and is a positive person despite the loss she's known.
There's politics and crime as Rachel and Jack pursue their lives independently, and they add to the story's depth and realism.
This is an addictive read, maybe because the characters are older and have lived.
I look forward to the final instalment in their love story.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
October 7, 2020
I know this goes into the genre of contemporary romance. I wish there was a genre called understanding folk. This is what Anne Stormont does and it’s why I’ve read all her books, and will continue to.
It does of course continue with the lives of Rachel and Jack, but it keeps delving deeper into the characters. This is a series that makes you care about the people in the book, root for them and want things to work.
This is never a sweet, sickly love story or I’d never have picked up and got hooked on the series. It gets to the heart of how people are showing their honesty, flaws and quirks without gloss.
Another winner from Anne Stormont.
Thanks to the author and lovebooksgroup for the review copy of this book.
It does of course continue with the lives of Rachel and Jack, but it keeps delving deeper into the characters. This is a series that makes you care about the people in the book, root for them and want things to work.
This is never a sweet, sickly love story or I’d never have picked up and got hooked on the series. It gets to the heart of how people are showing their honesty, flaws and quirks without gloss.
Another winner from Anne Stormont.
Thanks to the author and lovebooksgroup for the review copy of this book.
September 18, 2020
If you haven't read the first story not to worry, they recap throughout. But you should still read it 😁
Jack and Rachel have come along way, its been a year since they first became friends/lovers but at the moment Rachel wants to carry on her jounery back to the middle east and write her new book but then there is Etian in the middle east but she loves Jack.
Jack isn't sure what is going on now his house has finished and everything has calmed down he has started getting nightmares, panic attacks about his past but doesn't speak to well anyone which has pushed Rachel away.
Will they find each other again, will Jack survive when tragedy strikes?
This is a crime thriller with a love story.
I gave Settlement ⭐⭐⭐💫
Jack and Rachel have come along way, its been a year since they first became friends/lovers but at the moment Rachel wants to carry on her jounery back to the middle east and write her new book but then there is Etian in the middle east but she loves Jack.
Jack isn't sure what is going on now his house has finished and everything has calmed down he has started getting nightmares, panic attacks about his past but doesn't speak to well anyone which has pushed Rachel away.
Will they find each other again, will Jack survive when tragedy strikes?
This is a crime thriller with a love story.
I gave Settlement ⭐⭐⭐💫
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews