While the setting was lovely and atmospheric, the characters seemed one-dimensional and the plot was never fully explained - the problems Stella faced were very surmountable if everyone had just communicated better. So I was unable to suspend disbelief in order to get fully involved in this novel, and it fell flat for me.

As always Sarah Painter has created another great story. This one isn't about magic but it's got a really good plot and an interesting set of characters.

Loved this book so much. I was drawn to the fact that the story is set in Arisaig, the wilds of Scotland, and being a Scottish lass I love to read how our gorgeous and remote places and portrayed, and I absolutely was not disappointed. A "cursed" big house, village folklore, mysterious historical letters, and the wee village pub all help to paint a picture of "incomers" and deep rooted suspicions surrounding the "laird". All in all a gorgeous story that keeps you guessing until the end! And the beautiful lyrical descriptions of my gorgeous Scotland will definitely whet your appetite for a visit.

Full "What I Learned" review post to follow on my blog at www.turadh.blogspot.com

I received a ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really don't know how I feel about this book. I liked the description and couldn't wait to read it. The first half was really good and I became really attached to the main character, wanting all good things for her, but then it just got sort of confusing and slow. I don't know what it could have done to be better, it wasn't terrible. I guess it just wasn't what I had expected.

This is one of those books I love to read. I love when a book has different time periods and I can learn something from both. It’s a very easy to follow book and will keep you turning pages until the very end. Loved it!!

This is a compelling exciting book told over two timelines, 1840 and present day. The author has a talent for a seamless transition between both periods of history. Set in Scotland the location descriptions are rich and enjoyable travel .
Devastated by a broken engagement, Stella Jackson leaves her old life behind for a new start in rural Scotland. She arrives in the remote coastal village of Arisaig, finding that nothing is what she expected.

At the edge of Arisaig sits Munro House; grand and said to be cursed by a string of tragic deaths. The intriguing handsome young owner, Jamie Munro hires Stella as his assistant while he pursues working through the great house’s archives, Stella soon finds herself drawn in by a cache of increasingly erratic letters from a young Victorian woman about her husband, Dr James Lockhart, a man whose ambition has strange parallels to her own life. Soon she is drawn not only to her employer but to the mystery she discovers.
I loved this book and look forward to further works by the author. This was the perfect match of location,, mystery and great characters. I highly recommend this book for everyone that enjoys historical fiction and mystery. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

When Stella leaves London for Scotland after a broken engagement, she's looking for a solace. But after she finds a bundle of old letters in her new employer's attic, she is thrown into a mystery and family secrets that go back over 100 years.

I absolutely loved this book, a mix of mystery, romance and adventure, but I particularly loved the exploration of chronic illness and self control.

Highly recommended.

Stella, heartbroken by the end of her relationship, flees London to go stay with friends from her Uni days, in Arisaig, Scotland. She then finds herself working as an assistant for a local eccentric/author and whilst helping with some research comes across letters written by a Victorian lady with similarities to her own situation. This was a lovely read with a great storyline, excellent descriptions of the water/ village, mystery and romance. Plenty to keep most people engrossed!

This was a very enjoyable read. It featured a solid, steady plot and interesting characters.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

#BeneathTheWater #NetGalley

*Sigh* I really wanted to like this book. I really wanted my boredom of the story to pass and the plot suddenly change to be exciting and drawing me in completely. I really wanted to be able to give a review for a Lake Union Publishing book that I enjoyed recently. There are have been many in the past but that was before I found NetGalley. But none of what I really wanted was going to happen during this book. I'm so disappointed. The story just fell. I could never figure out why the characters did or didn't do things or even why some characters were part of the story. I gave up before I had even finished the book.
I seem to be finding many unenjoyable books recently. I hope my dry spell changes soon!

Unfortunately, this one never really took off for me. I felt like the setting was great. It kept seeming like it was working up to this great mystery, but then it just never got there. I felt like the characters weren't developed all that well. Aside from Stella, there wasn't really enough character development for any of the major or minor characters for us to really understand them or why they acted the way they did. Overall, I was disappointed. Every time things got a little interesting and looked like the story was going to perk up, it just fell flat. I have no idea why the characters did (or didn't do) the things they did and I honestly don't even know why she bothered mentioning other characters at all since their storylines weren't fleshed out enough to understand why they mattered to the story. Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC I received in exchange for my feedback.

When I first finished the book, I wasn't sure what kind of genre it was supposed to be in. It was a weird mix leading to an okayish read but ultimately, it didn't work for me.

Reading the blurb for 'Beneath the Water' I expected foremost a mystery novel mixed with romance. Or some kind of historic novel thrown in there.
It's the story of Stella who recently ended her engagement to her long-term boyfriend Ben. After not doing much for a couple of weeks and slowly losing grip on her life she decides to take up her friends invitation to visit them in rural Scotland. After the initial urge to leave her friends and move back to London, Stella decides to stay a little longer. One aspect of this decision is her new job at Munro House with its wacky owner and the small-town life that slowly grows on her.

What can I say about the characters?
Stella was not easy for me to relate to. Now, I understand that it's hard to lose all your life goals and just wake up one morning with nothing. I even can relate to the fact that you just want to leave all this behind and move to some other place. A small village, old friends - just some fresh air to get back on your feet. And this is where Stella lost me. During the course of the story, the reader learns that she was treated badly by her fiancé. And instead of taking some time off to focus on yourself and your goals, she takes up a new job (understandable, as we all need money) but lets her new boss treat her badly. Honestly, I don't think there's an excuse for this.
This brings me to Jamie who, surprisingly, wasn't my biggest problem in the book. I couldn't stand him and the way he treated the people around him. I wonder, why they still cared deeply for him. I usually have a soft spot for writers in books but I couldn't warm up to him. (He also somehow reminded me of Will Traynor of 'Me Before You' - never a good thing).
I don't want to say too much about Caitlin and Rob because I don't want to spoil the story but honestly, there are a lot of question marks when it comes to their relationship.

Now the setting - I love stories set in Scotland. Another plus is those set in a small-town community. Although the book features both I couldn't care less. Maybe because they hardly played a role.

The story itself - I was looking for some dark mystery, some connection to the past that must be uncovered. What I got were letters written by someone I couldn't connect to the story thrown in my face right from the beginning. They were just there at the beginning of each chapter without any kind of effect on the story. By the time they become important I wasn't invested enough to care anymore. If I remember correctly, there was an interaction between the past and the present far into the second half of the book. The first half was spent setting up for the big showdown which wasn't really worth it. As for the big mystery - there hardly was any. The story literally presented the mysterious incident of the past and quickly solved it a couple of pages later. No guessing involved.
And then the story just headed for the big showdown - out of nowhere and if you asked me for the flimsiest reasons possible. Needless to say, I was happy once the book finished but the ending did nothing for me.

All in all, I was disappointed and annoyed by the characters. Maybe because it wasn't my cup of tea. 'Beneath the Water' was definitely not what I expected it to be and looking at the blurb, I believe it could be marketed better to a more suitable audience by stating more prominent facts about the story.

Thanks Lake Union Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

i just can't get into this one. It's hard to explain how much I wanted to like it but I just kept falling asleep.

I received this from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.

Stella is starting a new life in rural Scotland. She finds a job at Munro House and is intrigued by her employer, Jamie.

This book just never got going for me. There were too many loose threads at the end which made me feel like I wasted my time reading a mystery book that was really not much of a mystery.

2.75☆

EXCERPT: Downstairs, her second mug of coffee was on the low table in the living room, cold, and the television was playing, the sound muted. At once, Stella knew she couldn't stay in this house any longer. She had managed four months, had imagined that she had turned a corner, was on an even keel - and a million other trite phrases for the ability to get through the day without falling into a black hole - but the jacket had shattered that illusion. 'I am not okay,' Stella said to the table. The words came out very quietly, almost a whisper. It was like a promise. I am not okay. I am not okay.

THE BLURB: Munro House is the new start Stella needs. But it will also draw her back to a dark past…

Devastated by a broken engagement, Stella Jackson leaves her old life behind for a new start in rural Scotland. But when she arrives in the remote coastal village of Arisaig, nothing is what she expected.

At the edge of Arisaig sits Munro House; grand, imposing and said to be cursed by a string of tragic deaths. No less intriguing is its eccentric and handsome young owner, Jamie Munro, who hires Stella as his assistant while he pursues a seemingly impossible aim. Working through the great house’s archives, Stella soon finds herself drawn in by a cache of increasingly erratic letters from a young Victorian woman about her husband, Dr James Lockhart, a man whose single-minded ambition has strange parallels with Jamie’s.

Just as Stella begins developing feelings for Jamie, she discovers that the connection between the Lockharts and the Munros could have sinister repercussions for them both. She’s finally found the life she wants to live—but is it all an illusion?

MY THOUGHTS: I wasn't particularly enamoured with the first part of Beneath the Water by Sarah Painter. I wanted to shake Stella and tell her to get a grip. It took me until I was half way through the book to really come to grips with it, and then it gripped me.

Told over two timelines, the current day and the 1840's, I at first failed to see the relevance of the letters from a young, frightened, newly married woman. But it is worth persevering, all becomes clear and several secrets are revealed.

As you may have noted, I didn't particularly like Stella in the beginning. I thought she was wimpy and weak. But as the story progresses and Stella is forced to deal with a variety of situations, her strength of character is revealed.

Jamie, Stella's new boss, at first comes across as 'superior' and, in my eyes, slightly unhinged. But as his character developed and the reasons for his behavior were revealed, he began to grow on me.

The second part of the book was definitely superior to the first, in my humble opinion. It was full of suspense, surprises, and revelations, and I found it hard to put down.

3.5 stars from me for this romantic suspense mystery novel, Beneath the Water.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Beneath the Water by Sarah Painter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.

This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

You can always rely on Sarah Painter to come up with something a little bit quirky, with a touch of the supernatural. In Beneath the Water there are two parallel stories being told. Letters from new wife Jessie back to her family from 19th century Edinburgh and the very modern tale of Stella. Having recently had her heart broken by fiance Ben she decides to take up an offer from her friends Caitlin and Rob to visit them at their home in Scotland.
The remote coastal town of Arisaig is a welcome break from the grief and despair that she has been feeling since the split but Stella soon discovers that there is a terrible secret lurking in the town. The dark and imposing Munro House has a strange attraction for her and the prospect of a temporary job there is an intriguing break from her real life.
Author Jamie lives the life of a recluse keeping well away from the locals and the more that Stella learns about the Munros and their interaction with the villagers it seems like a sensible choice. Desperate to keep his business private and demanding signed NDAs as soon as she walks through the door Stella finds herself torn but takes the job.
Painter weaves the stories from different centuries together with ease as both Stella and the reader start to realise just what Jessie has married into. A dark and terrible work of nineteenth century medicine and experimentation. This is a gripping tale that will have you right on the edge of your seat. Will Stella’s growing feelings for Jamie ultimately be her undoing?
Supplied by Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
UK Publication date: Feb 8 2018. 334 pages.

I love a story that has an element of historical mystery to it, whether it's a major or minor component, and so I was instantly intrigued by Sarah Painter’s latest novel, Beneath the Water, and hit the request button on Netgalley without hesitation.

Needing to escape the house that she shared with her (now ex) fiancé, Stella visits her friend Caitlin in Arisaig, Scotland, and is immediately taken with the area with its rugged beauty and harsh weather, and she is thrilled to land a job at Munro House working as a personal assistant to the intensely private Jamie Munro which means that she can prolong her stay.

Jamie quickly proves to be anything other than a regular boss, and some of the demands that he makes are a little unusual, but nothing that Stella can’t handle, and nothing untoward. And Jamie is an intriguing character – supposedly writing his next book, but easily distracted by anything and everything, his latest project is rooting out the secrets of the family home that he has recently returned to.

In going through old documents, Stella stumbles across a set of letters written in the mid-nineteenth century from Jessie Lockwood to her sister, Mary. Jessie was newly married at the time, and had moved to her husband’s residence in Edinburgh. The letters become increasingly fraught as Stella reads on, however, and both Stella and Jamie are keen to understand what happened to Jessie, and how she is linked to Munro House.

Stella is a wonderful character, and I warmed to her straightaway, even though I did occasionally want to give her a (gentle) shake. Her breakup with Ben (his doing, not hers) left her feeling distraught, and she’s feeling quite sorry for herself at the outset of the novel. Whilst this makes her seem fragile and vulnerable, there is also something extremely resilient about Stella, and I liked this contrast in her character. Stella has suffered with a heart condition throughout her life and wasn’t expected to make it as far as adulthood, and even though it wasn’t entirely within her gift to control, I think that this hints at a perseverance in her character.

Needing to get away from it all, Stella visits her friend Caitlin in Arisaig, a small community on the west coast of Scotland. Painter perfectly captures the small community vibe where everyone knows everyone else, and where very little remains a secret, and Stella is soon subjected to (and the subject of) the local gossip, much of which focuses on Jamie Munro – her new employer – and his family. Jamie is extremely private, and even makes Stella sign a non-disclosure agreement when she begins working for him. Having spent much of his time at boarding school and more latterly abroad, the locals don’t know him well, but are quick to judge him by the sins of his father, who had quite the reputation.

There are a few mysteries to solve in the novel – including the letters from Jessie Lockwood and their connection to Munro House. I like this element of the novel, and I liked the way in which the letters were distributed throughout the novel in such a way as to tease the reader – I had to keep reading just to find out what happened to Jessie! Whilst I did find out her fate, I don’t think that the connection between the Lockwoods and the Munro family was answered in full – there is speculation, but I don’t believe that it was confirmed, although it’s possible that I missed it, and I would have liked a little more focus on this aspect of the story, although this is a purely personal preference.

I’ve been deliberately light on plot detail, as it’s difficult to talk about this novel without giving too much away, but Beneath the Water combines the historical mystery with some slightly more modern family secrets, with a little romance thrown in for good measure. There were a couple of elements to the story that I wasn't wholly convinced by, but overall this was an easy and enjoyable read.

Beneath the Water will be published on 8 February by Lake Union Publishing. Many thanks to the publisher and Emma Finnigan for allowing me to read and review this title via Netgalley.

Stella was born with a heart defect that was repaired at birth but caused her some serious issues as a young adult. A new valve gave her a new lease on life, but only partially so; she’s skimming through things, working as a temp, engaged to Ben, who is good but not perfect, as if in a reflection of her understanding of the shorter time she might have to live. When Ben dumps her (a typical start to any contemporary romance, sure) she heads off to coastal Scotland to visit her friends from Uni, Caitlin and Rob. They’re settled down and have a baby on the way, everything that Stella wants but has yet to achieve. Drawn in by the fresh air and beautiful scenery (and distance from her ex back in London) she tries to start over in the tiny village of Arisaig. The only one hiring is an eccentric best-selling novelist, Jamie Munro, who is far behind on his next deadline and needs a personal assistant. Romance blossoms (of course!) but so does a historical mystery and a revenge plot. There is a lot going on in this book! While it might be a hard read for some, since it is a little all over the place, I say just sit back and enjoy the ride. The characters are compelling, and while it could have used a little tightening up on the plot points towards the end (someone dies and yet there doesn’t seem to be any police involvement?) all in all it was a highly readable book. I enjoyed her last novel, In the Light of What We See, thought this one was even better, and will look forward to reading her next one.

Thanks Lake Union Publishing and netgalley for this ARC.

A mystery, gothic horror, and modern story all jumbled up and thrown out like puzzle pieces.

Before we move on to the spotlight feature, here are my thoughts on the book. I really enjoyed this story about secrets in the past and present. Sarah Painter created a great sense of place in the village of Arisaig with the cold and wet weather adding to the atmosphere of the book, creating a sense of claustrophobia in this small place where everyone knows everyone. A close knit community, rumours abound and grow and spread so quickly. 

I particularly liked Stella. It was interesting to see how the heart condition she had as a child still affected her decision making, how sometimes she settled for 'good enough' in case good enough was all she had time to experience. Throughout the book she really developed as a character and became more confident in standing up for what she wanted and believed in. She began to trust in the strength of her body and began to recognise that she deserved to be valued and loved.

The letters at the beginning of the chapters were very intriguing, letters from Jessie Lockhart in 19th century Edinburgh, telling her sister of the early days of her marriage. Set amidst a time of great medical advances, there is a link to the present day where Jamie, the current owner of Munro House, is also looking to make his own kind of medical breakthrough. I would perhaps have liked there to have been more about Jessie and her husband and especially about how her letters ended up in Munro House. I don't mean that in a negative way, more that this part of the story was so clearly well researched and really piqued my interest.

I also very much enjoyed the romantic element to the story and the rather dramatic conclusion to the book. Overall, a very compelling read.