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West Coast Trilogy #2
Belonging
Fleeing a hectic life in Edinburgh, a young woman seeks refuge at the family estate, Ardlonach, on the west coast of Scotland, where she sets out to overcome the pain she has left behind, until she encounters a strong-willed man she cannot manage
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 19, 2015
Maybe 2.5 stars. I feel generous. There were a few things I liked about this book, but overall I found it a problematic read. My biggest problem? Holy cow, was I ever bored by the second half!
As the book opens, Rebecca Urquhart is fleeing her successful career and life in Edinburgh. And I do mean fleeing. In the opening scene, we learn that she is leavingn her life with her widowed mother to stay at the family home in the country, Ardlonach, which is now an inn run by a cousin. The author hints at a painful reason for Rebecca's flight, one so painful she cannot speak of it to anyone (drama!)
When she arrives at Ardlonach, she finds her cousin's wife Una there alone. Looks like the feckless cousin has run off to the Caymans with his mistress and left Una to run the inn - and the new survival school that is set to open any day.
Una is pretty much scared of her own shadow, and thoroughly in awe of the husband, so it's a good thing that Rebecca jumps right to the rescue. She brings herself up to speed on managing the inn's books and works with the hired survival school leaders to get the courses started. Along the way, we see her starting to fall for Dan, an instructor and former military man.
So, what's good here? Well, readers do get a good sense of Ardlonach and its community. I felt as if I was starting to fall into the routine of this sleepy little place, and if you enjoy a languidly paced read, this isn't a bad group character study. In addition, Una starts to grow a spine along the way, and that's a pretty satisfying character arc.
However, most of the book focuses on the minutiae of running Ardlonach. Occasionally, the little daily dramas are entertaining (such as when the male chauvinist instructor finally gets an overdue comeuppance), but unless you're really into hotel management, it can be dry stuff.
And then there's the unsatisfying nature of the drama. We learn Rebecca's secret way too far into the story. Also, the romantic subplot is not helped by the "hero", Dan, being quite a jerk. He yells at Rebecca way too much and is completely unsupportive when he learns about some of the more painful parts of her life (a classic, "Well, what do you want from ME?" whine). Rebecca appears drawn to him because he is something of a man's man, but his purported manliness often came off as macho strutting to cover up insecurities and I just couldn't find that attractive. However, the real deal breaker for me came when we learn that
I did like the evocative quality of Raife's writing, and I might end up liking some of her other books, but this one just wasn't for me.
As the book opens, Rebecca Urquhart is fleeing her successful career and life in Edinburgh. And I do mean fleeing. In the opening scene, we learn that she is leavingn her life with her widowed mother to stay at the family home in the country, Ardlonach, which is now an inn run by a cousin. The author hints at a painful reason for Rebecca's flight, one so painful she cannot speak of it to anyone (drama!)
When she arrives at Ardlonach, she finds her cousin's wife Una there alone. Looks like the feckless cousin has run off to the Caymans with his mistress and left Una to run the inn - and the new survival school that is set to open any day.
Una is pretty much scared of her own shadow, and thoroughly in awe of the husband, so it's a good thing that Rebecca jumps right to the rescue. She brings herself up to speed on managing the inn's books and works with the hired survival school leaders to get the courses started. Along the way, we see her starting to fall for Dan, an instructor and former military man.
So, what's good here? Well, readers do get a good sense of Ardlonach and its community. I felt as if I was starting to fall into the routine of this sleepy little place, and if you enjoy a languidly paced read, this isn't a bad group character study. In addition, Una starts to grow a spine along the way, and that's a pretty satisfying character arc.
However, most of the book focuses on the minutiae of running Ardlonach. Occasionally, the little daily dramas are entertaining (such as when the male chauvinist instructor finally gets an overdue comeuppance), but unless you're really into hotel management, it can be dry stuff.
And then there's the unsatisfying nature of the drama. We learn Rebecca's secret way too far into the story. Also, the romantic subplot is not helped by the "hero", Dan, being quite a jerk. He yells at Rebecca way too much and is completely unsupportive when he learns about some of the more painful parts of her life (a classic, "Well, what do you want from ME?" whine). Rebecca appears drawn to him because he is something of a man's man, but his purported manliness often came off as macho strutting to cover up insecurities and I just couldn't find that attractive. However, the real deal breaker for me came when we learn that
I did like the evocative quality of Raife's writing, and I might end up liking some of her other books, but this one just wasn't for me.
July 19, 2011
And yet another highly readable foray into Raife's western Scottish highlands world.
I enjoyed finding out about the onging lives of some of the characters from previous Raife books, and as always her style of writing just sucks me right into her stories. What I find so fascinating about her books is that she manages to engage me even when her characters and their actions don't. The lead male hero was absolutely one of the most obnoxious, personally disgusting and off-putting leads I've ever read about (and this is coming from one who did their fair sharing of reading 1970's Harlequin romances in my day with all their bossy alpha-males). Had Dan been a real man, I would have just as soon seen him castrated as not. And yet...and yet Raife makes her characters "real" in a way that is hard to explain. Their struggles, their experiences and their quirks make them believable to the reader, and in no way does Raife ever write her characters as Mary Sue's/Gary Stu's. They are often unlikable. Often obnoxious. Often quick to rush to judgement or fly into a temper.
Just like a good many of us.
If you're looking for books about unrealistically beautiful people who act in unrealistic ways, Raife is not the writer for you. But if you like stories about people who act much like you or people you know (except they live in this beautiful Scottish highland glen while you're stuck in Podunksville, USA), then I encourage you to give Raife a try.
I enjoyed finding out about the onging lives of some of the characters from previous Raife books, and as always her style of writing just sucks me right into her stories. What I find so fascinating about her books is that she manages to engage me even when her characters and their actions don't. The lead male hero was absolutely one of the most obnoxious, personally disgusting and off-putting leads I've ever read about (and this is coming from one who did their fair sharing of reading 1970's Harlequin romances in my day with all their bossy alpha-males). Had Dan been a real man, I would have just as soon seen him castrated as not. And yet...and yet Raife makes her characters "real" in a way that is hard to explain. Their struggles, their experiences and their quirks make them believable to the reader, and in no way does Raife ever write her characters as Mary Sue's/Gary Stu's. They are often unlikable. Often obnoxious. Often quick to rush to judgement or fly into a temper.
Just like a good many of us.
If you're looking for books about unrealistically beautiful people who act in unrealistic ways, Raife is not the writer for you. But if you like stories about people who act much like you or people you know (except they live in this beautiful Scottish highland glen while you're stuck in Podunksville, USA), then I encourage you to give Raife a try.
May 5, 2013
I like this author and the type of books she writes. They all concern woman starting over and searching for a life that suits them. The books are set in Scotland, and I love that.
The problem I have with this book was that I couldn't stand the male lead. He was supposed to be a romantic flawed male. Maybe he was supposed to be something along of "Rochester" or "Darcy" That just doesn't wash for me. This "hero" goes off like Vesuvius at the least provocation. He yells and screeches terrible insults and obscenities at the woman he supposedly loves. She reacts by accepting that he is "troubled, and works at helping him to learn to talk things though reasonably.
Personally, I think unfaithfulness is more understandable and ultimately forgivable than unprovoked verbal attacks at anything a guy perceives as an "invasion of his space". This happened multiple times. That abuse, pure and simple, and I for one did not appreciate it.
I freely admit to liking dominate males who are not afraid to call a woman out for inappropriate actions and attitude. I am an unapologetic "50 Shades" fan. But in my opinion the right to that sort of relationship has to be earned. If a guy expects to dominate me, he had better demand and model the same standards of himself,
The problem I have with this book was that I couldn't stand the male lead. He was supposed to be a romantic flawed male. Maybe he was supposed to be something along of "Rochester" or "Darcy" That just doesn't wash for me. This "hero" goes off like Vesuvius at the least provocation. He yells and screeches terrible insults and obscenities at the woman he supposedly loves. She reacts by accepting that he is "troubled, and works at helping him to learn to talk things though reasonably.
Personally, I think unfaithfulness is more understandable and ultimately forgivable than unprovoked verbal attacks at anything a guy perceives as an "invasion of his space". This happened multiple times. That abuse, pure and simple, and I for one did not appreciate it.
I freely admit to liking dominate males who are not afraid to call a woman out for inappropriate actions and attitude. I am an unapologetic "50 Shades" fan. But in my opinion the right to that sort of relationship has to be earned. If a guy expects to dominate me, he had better demand and model the same standards of himself,
March 15, 2021
Su ritmo es lento por ser demasiado descriptiva, nombra a demasiados personajes sin profundidad e innecesarios para la trama y el final no me ha terminado de convencer. Habría preferido que fuese menos detallista y con personajes más redondos, porque ni Rebecca ni Dan son del todo tan tridimensionales como cabría esperar dado su bagaje vital.
August 10, 2017
So many errors!
A delightful story, but appallingly badly presented. Punctuation all over the place, sentences all wrong,names confused. Needs deleted and proof read thoroughly. Poor work, Amazon
A delightful story, but appallingly badly presented. Punctuation all over the place, sentences all wrong,names confused. Needs deleted and proof read thoroughly. Poor work, Amazon
June 17, 2020
Mostly good, a few bad minutes that work out
December 8, 2016
I enjoyed this romance, though I would have appreciated fewer typos (starting a sentence lowercase? come on). ;) I intend to read it again when I'm feeling homesick for Scotland, as it has lots of detail about the West Coast and some about Glencoe...such beautiful places. I especially enjoyed the writer craft of the quotes below.
+ 53 trudy's loft living space: "tiny kitchen at one end, unmade bed at the other, its head pulled a couple of feet away from the wall presumably so that its occupant could look out one of the new dormer windows that faced the loch" 99 proper tea with Lilias: "tea with their knees under the kitchen table, with two kinds of scones and honey in the comb and Lilias' special raspberry-and-red currant jam, with coffee-walnut cake and a lemon sponge insubstantial as a breath of air" lilias after husband's death: 'but she had adjusted, and even to think of all that pointless contending exhausted her now" 229 Una's highland bbq menu: "The meat had been basted in its marinades for hours, the leg of lamb baked beforehand, the deviled turkey legs were tender and spicy, the liver and sage kebabs delicately flavored, the duck with is orange and chili sauce rich and tangy..."[there's more] 286 crux of rebecca's flaw: "She had been so used to trampling over the men she was involved with that to find she valued someone's respectsufficiently to modify her behavior was salutary but oddly satisfying." 293 dan's long-secret cottage description: "...a surprising number of books stacked on a small side table covered with a grubby green-check seersucker cloth. There was a pile of logs on a modern tiled hearth, the gray remains of a fire in the grate. There were plates and a couple of mugs on the draining rack, washing-up bowl tilted to drain in the sink (??), a J-cloth (??) draped over its rim 338 objective self-analysis: "As an organized, punctual, and energetic person she had suffered a good deal of frustration in her life from the casual, disorderly, last-minute scrambling of most of the people she knew or worked with."
-2 why 'esme' & so well turned out? country club attire typos: 17, 25, 40, 42, 60, 244, 248, 260, 273, 298, 308, 334,343, 344, 358 (continuity-nurture/nature) awk sentences 121,159, 165, 262 (rebecca?)
+ 53 trudy's loft living space: "tiny kitchen at one end, unmade bed at the other, its head pulled a couple of feet away from the wall presumably so that its occupant could look out one of the new dormer windows that faced the loch" 99 proper tea with Lilias: "tea with their knees under the kitchen table, with two kinds of scones and honey in the comb and Lilias' special raspberry-and-red currant jam, with coffee-walnut cake and a lemon sponge insubstantial as a breath of air" lilias after husband's death: 'but she had adjusted, and even to think of all that pointless contending exhausted her now" 229 Una's highland bbq menu: "The meat had been basted in its marinades for hours, the leg of lamb baked beforehand, the deviled turkey legs were tender and spicy, the liver and sage kebabs delicately flavored, the duck with is orange and chili sauce rich and tangy..."[there's more] 286 crux of rebecca's flaw: "She had been so used to trampling over the men she was involved with that to find she valued someone's respectsufficiently to modify her behavior was salutary but oddly satisfying." 293 dan's long-secret cottage description: "...a surprising number of books stacked on a small side table covered with a grubby green-check seersucker cloth. There was a pile of logs on a modern tiled hearth, the gray remains of a fire in the grate. There were plates and a couple of mugs on the draining rack, washing-up bowl tilted to drain in the sink (??), a J-cloth (??) draped over its rim 338 objective self-analysis: "As an organized, punctual, and energetic person she had suffered a good deal of frustration in her life from the casual, disorderly, last-minute scrambling of most of the people she knew or worked with."
-2 why 'esme' & so well turned out? country club attire typos: 17, 25, 40, 42, 60, 244, 248, 260, 273, 298, 308, 334,343, 344, 358 (continuity-nurture/nature) awk sentences 121,159, 165, 262 (rebecca?)
November 18, 2013
I had a hard time finding this book. It is older, but even the libraries didn't have it. It became annoying not to be able to find it anywhere so I ended up buying it from AbeBooks for a small price and free shipping. I guess it was worth the couple of bucks I paid for it, but I wouldn't read it again.
The edition was very strange as well. This was a paperback, but the print was so tiny, I really had a hard time reading it. That is the first time that has EVER happened, so either suddenly I am really old or there was a printing problem. I am going with the latter.
I got the impression the whole time that there was a prequel and there was a lot going on that I had missed. The feeling wasn't enough to disrupt the story, but kept coming up. The story was entertaining. I am glad I found the book, read it. Now I am moving on.
The edition was very strange as well. This was a paperback, but the print was so tiny, I really had a hard time reading it. That is the first time that has EVER happened, so either suddenly I am really old or there was a printing problem. I am going with the latter.
I got the impression the whole time that there was a prequel and there was a lot going on that I had missed. The feeling wasn't enough to disrupt the story, but kept coming up. The story was entertaining. I am glad I found the book, read it. Now I am moving on.
June 22, 2017
Rebecca leaves her high-powered city job and goes to stay at the family ancestral home, now converted to a hotel. There life becomes even more complicated..
There are many side storylines, and in part it’s a story of growth and development for Rebecca's cousin's wife Una, as well as something to distract Rebecca herself. There are many insights into the world of running a hotel and ‘survival’ courses alongside it. There are brief appearances from people and places that featured in earlier novels by this author, although it's not necessary to have read any of the earlier books.
All in all, I liked this novel very much. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful women’s fiction with realistic, warm characters and interesting locations.
There are many side storylines, and in part it’s a story of growth and development for Rebecca's cousin's wife Una, as well as something to distract Rebecca herself. There are many insights into the world of running a hotel and ‘survival’ courses alongside it. There are brief appearances from people and places that featured in earlier novels by this author, although it's not necessary to have read any of the earlier books.
All in all, I liked this novel very much. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes thoughtful women’s fiction with realistic, warm characters and interesting locations.
August 4, 2013
Una agradable Lectura
Cuando compre este libro fue en una Feria, a un bajo costo, no tenia ningún tipo de expectativa, hasta llegue a pensar que seria para pasar el Tiempo, y aunque no sea la mejor lectura que he tenido, me gusto mucho. Al comienzo la narración de la Autora me confundía un poco pues tiene la tendencia a involucrarnos en un suceso detallándolo después de ser presentado, pero después al comprender su manera de escribir, fue fácil, hay muchos detalles, que podría molestar a algunos pero para mí está bien, hasta el Final estuve en ascuas por saber por lo que la Protagonista tenía que decidir, ya que Ella muestra tener un disyuntiva, en fin es un libro que nos describe la búsqueda de un lugar donde Pertenecer.
Cuando compre este libro fue en una Feria, a un bajo costo, no tenia ningún tipo de expectativa, hasta llegue a pensar que seria para pasar el Tiempo, y aunque no sea la mejor lectura que he tenido, me gusto mucho. Al comienzo la narración de la Autora me confundía un poco pues tiene la tendencia a involucrarnos en un suceso detallándolo después de ser presentado, pero después al comprender su manera de escribir, fue fácil, hay muchos detalles, que podría molestar a algunos pero para mí está bien, hasta el Final estuve en ascuas por saber por lo que la Protagonista tenía que decidir, ya que Ella muestra tener un disyuntiva, en fin es un libro que nos describe la búsqueda de un lugar donde Pertenecer.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews