"The Words between Us" is general fiction about a hurting girl who hurts other hurting people. Part of the story occurred when she was 14 years old. The "now" part of the story happened when she's 32 years old. It's a depressing story because Robin was depressed and hopeless for 80% of the book. I didn't even find the ending very satisfying, partly because it wrapped up so fast that there were loose ends.

Robin blamed everyone else for messing up her life, but she made a lot of bad choices of her own. Anyway, when 14 years old, Robin began loving an older boy named Peter because he shared his mother's books with her, allowing her to escape her own life for a while. Even though she only knew Peter for 6 months and believes he betrayed her trust, 18 years later she still "loves" him because she shared more of her inner thoughts and feelings with him (in poems) than with anyone else. She doesn't even know the guy anymore, but that doesn't matter. I suppose the ending is supposed to be impulsively romantic and touching, but I thought it was rather foolish.

Throughout the story, Robin uncovered the truth about some things in the past that prompted her to look at her life, forgive some people, and take responsibility for her own actions. A few characters (not Robin or Peter) were Christians who went to church. There was no sex. There were two uses of cr*p but no other bad language.

This is a fantastic read. I loved how Robin needs to learn who she is after so many years. This book goes from past to present to show how Robin and Peter have learned to grow. Robins parents did something when Robin was a teen and she has to grow up quicker. I love the whole story. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

I loved this book! Books about books are so much fun to read. I really enjoyed the alternating timelines and the mystery leading up to what happened between Peter and Robin back in high school. This was a fun, heartfelt read. I did have some unanswered questions at the end, I wish there would be a sequel to explain some of the things I was left wondering. Overall though I did enjoy this book and would recommend it to friends.

I've been branching out a little bit with a few different authors this year, and I've really enjoyed the variety of writing. This is my first book by Erin Bartels and I'm happy to say that I'm now a fan!
The cover, title, and description of this book really drew me in. This is not your average, neat and tidy story with a happy ending. I like those kind of books, too, but this is a lot more raw and gritty. Complex characters that are each trying to navigate the trauma they experienced as children as they grow into adulthood. The story hops from one time period to another: childhood, teen years, and adulthood, all told from Robin's perspective. At times I was kind of surprised at some of the plot twists and directions the story went, but it was all part of the revelation of the trauma and coping mechanisms of the main character, Robin. Even though Robin's life has been one trauma after another, she finds acceptance, friendship, and even a degree of love through the words she shares with a young man she meets at the cemetery near her house. Later finding out that they went to the same school, him being a popular senior and she being a younger, new girl, it didn't stop them from exchanging books and poetry with one another.
All Peter has left of his mother are the books she left behind. He shares this part of himself with Robin and she "pays" for them by writing poems to Peter, also sharing a piece of herself that no one else knows. Even though so many words are exchanged, a miscommunication drives them apart until Peter begins to reach out to Robin the only way he knows how...through the beloved books she hastily left on his doorstep before she disappeared.
This novel had a little bit of everything...all of which created stirs of emotion. I love the title...it is a perfect fit in so many ways. I would definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Erin Bartels!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley, in order to give my honest opinion and review, which I did.**

The Words Between Us is a story of loss and discovery. Loss of friends, loss of love, loss of family and what happens when we discover it was only ever lost because we were the ones that misplaced it.

This narrative is told in a first person, dual timeline format, beginning in the present. The day her father is to be executed, Robin Windsor carefully avoids the news. She’s never been much of a watcher or listener to the media anyway and today especially the reports can do nothing but stir painful memories for her. Besides, she is determined to finally set the past behind her and forge towards a brighter and better future, and she begins by holding a sale in her beloved (failing) used bookstore. Hopefully, bargains will draw customers in and the charm of her quirky little shop will turn them into regulars who will help her stave off the soon-to-be-inevitable closure.

But while Robin is more than happy to ignore the journalists, they are all too eager to seek her out. Instead of buyers for her books, she finds her little emporium surrounded by news vans and eager correspondents anxious to hear how the daughter of a man held responsible for the deaths of many, many people feels about his impending demise.

She is able to lock the reporters out of the store but unable to do the same with the past. Amongst the bills and advertisements in her mail is a package with a first printing, first edition copy of Catcher in the Rye, a novel which harkens back to the last time she had felt utterly vulnerable. The year her parents were arrested for unspeakable crimes and when her fourteen year old self was sent to live with a grandmother she’d never known in a town she’d never visited. It was there, in a lonely cemetery adjacent to her grandmother’s trailer, that she’d met Peter Flynt, a boy who was mourning the loss of his mother. The books that he used to place on her grave he soon began to share with Robin instead and the two bereft kids found themselves bonding over classic literature.

As the days go by, the newscasters lose interest in her, but the volumes Robin shared with Peter appear with increasing frequency.  She can’t help but wonder why he is making contact with her now - and if anything good can ever come from revisiting a past as troubled as hers.

From almost the very start of the story, we know Robin feels Peter betrayed her, but the author is coy with her information. We don’t know why Robin is convinced of this treachery nor exactly what terrible, awful things her parents did that has her labeling them monsters. This information is parcelled out in pieces as we move back and forth in time through the story, watching the burgeoning romance between Robin and Peter in the past and contrasting that with Robin’s modern day fight to save her business, Brick and Mortar Books, from imminent closure.

The novel hinges on Robin’s ability to totally shut people out. While many would question the guilt of beloved parents, Robin accepts completely and almost immediately that the evidence against them is credible and that they deserve never to see or hear from her again. She rejects the loving overtures of her grandmother and any attempts at friendship from the girls in her school. When she believes Peter has been disloyal, she doesn’t give him the opportunity to defend himself, and in spite of his many, many acts of kindness towards her, is able to cut him thoroughly out of her life. It is only slowly, as the story progresses, that we see Robin change with the help of her best (and only) friend Sarah and her employee Dawt Pi  Both ladies have to work extra hard to breach the emotional and relational defenses Robin has erected over the years.

Typically, I would find a character as isolated and unforgiving as Robin unlikable, but the author does an excellent job of making her heroine vulnerable and engaging. It was easy to see that young Robin was in shock, likely suffering from PTSD or an attachment disorder as a result of the complete upheaval of her life. She wasn’t so much trying to be detached, judgmental and aloof as she was being careful, making sure to limit how susceptible she would be to further disappointment. It was understandable that she believed Peter had hurt her because her parents had done such a thorough job of it. She bumps along through most of adulthood as a cold and distant person until Sarah and Dawt Pi breach the barriers she has placed around herself. Once she lets them in, she begins to see the past through different eyes.

Which is deeply important to the tale because Robin’s past and present are tangled together like a ball of yarn after a cat’s done playing with it. She longs for family but can’t build a new one until she resolves the issue with the old one. She longs to create a better future for herself but can’t until she can come to terms with all the pieces of her past. She longs for a new love but will never have one till she makes peace with her old love. A lot happens in this book, but all of it is emotionally driven and revolves around Robin and her ability to deal with her storied history. I can’t emphasize enough what a great job Ms. Bartel does of connecting the plot points - the fight to save the bookstore, the truth about what happened with Robin’s parents and the link between Robin and Peter - with the emotional arc of her heroine.

Most books have faults and while this novel’s are minor, they are still worth mentioning. One, which isn’t so much a defect as a point of interest, is that while listed as Christian/Inspirational, this tale does not meet the typical evangelical slant of that definition. God is mentioned, Robin crashes a church service when looking for Dawt Pi and prays to “Dawt Pi’s God” at another and she gives some thought to metaphysical issues, but the predominant tone is of someone seeking spiritual answers, not of a certain belief in salvation through Jesus.  Certainly in terms of morality, this tale most likely won’t suit conservative believers.  The second issue is that the story has more than a few implausibilities/improbabilities. They are woven into the narrative well enough that I was able to hold on to my suspension of disbelief and just accept things as they came.

There is a love story here, which follows an unusual format. While the book ends with a happy for now, I think there are strong signs that it will be a happily ever after.

The Words Between Us is a women’s fiction/mystery mix which I think will be pleasing to the fans of either genre. It’s a unique, beautifully written tale that packs a nice emotional punch and has just enough of a puzzle to leave you guessing through the very end.

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The Words Between Us is a wonderful read. I loved this fun and delightful story. I enjoyed getting to know Robin. I felt connection to her right from the start. She is one of those true to life characters that I can relate to.

I am giving The Words Between Us four stars. I look forward to more like this from Erin Bartels in the future. I recommend it for readers who enjoy a well written and clean read.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

As a lover of books and reading, I always enjoy stories that include a lot of references to classic books. The setting in a bookstore immediately makes me at ease and gives me a comfortable, cozy feeling.

This book drew me in from the start. “Most people only die once. But my father is not most people. He is a monster” (location 37). Robin has spent the past decade or so trying to keep her identity secret and she has gone to great lengths to do so. It’s come with a cost. One of many is losing her best friend, Peter.

This story goes back and forth from the early days when her father was arrested and Robin got to know Peter to the present. Robin owns a faltering bookstore. Just as things are getting desperate, books she and Peter had shared start arriving. My favorite parts were Robin and Peter as teens figuring out life together through books and a few adventures.

This book highlights the importance of our words, both spoken and written. They are powerful and not quickly forgotten. Sometimes it’s the words that go unsaid that haunt us the most. This was an intriguing, thoughtful read. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Revell for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

#Netgalley #TheWordsBetweenUs

I absolutely love the cover of this book!

The story within was a timeslip with the same characters then and now. I appreciated how clearly marked the transitions were, but timeslips are not my favorite.

I loved the initial friendship between Emily and Peter in the "then" parts. It was my favorite story arc in the whole book.

I also loved how some of the friendships and characters from "then" resurfaced in the "now."

Emily was an amazing friend and employer to Dawt Pi. The inclusion of a refugee in the story was a great part. I especially appreciated the research that obviously went into the book for language barriers and also using Dawt Pi's name correctly since people from Myanmar don't have a first and last name, but rather just one full name. I have many refugee students at my school from Myanmar and I related a lot to her part of the story.

The story overall wasn't one I really connected with, but was excellent writing.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. These are my honest opinions.

Thank you to Revell and Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book. I really enjoyed this book, and all the references to so many of the great classics. I thought it was really unique how the author wove a story around books and a bookstore. It was also interesting how the books were what held Robin and Peter together, through good times and bad. Highly recommend!.

This was a unique story that kept me interested throughout the whole book. It actually surprised me where it went and what happened. Very highly recommended!

As a book lover, the cover of this novel was the first thing I noticed. Then, within the pages, Robin and Peter form a friendship through shared books.

Erin Bartels latest release is a love story told over twenty years. Robin and Peter fell in love as teenagers, but assumptions and rash decisions tear them apart. The Words Between Us shifts between now (present day) and then (those teenage years), peeling back the layers of Robin’s life and what, exactly, happened between these two.

The supporting characters are varied—some lifting Robin up, encouraging her to move forward and one, in particular, dragging her down in the past.

Robin has a lot of emotional baggage she carries with her, mostly around her parents and their choices. Too often she runs or hides from dealing with it, which does get a little annoying by the end of the books. And while there is a satisfying conclusion to the story, there are some unanswered questions as to whether Robin is going to find her way to grace and forgiveness.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The Words between us is a beautifully written inspirational book. I enjoyed the plot and the used book store setting. The author is new to me and I was impressed with the writing style and will be reading more books by this author. My thanks to the publisher for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

The Words Between Us is an utterly captivating book. The writing is stellar, and the plot pretty much had me in its grips from the first page. Many times I had to stop myself from skipping to the end to find out what happened.

Robin, the central character in this book, is very intriguing. Most of the time, I found her unlikeable and her choices very frustrating. About half of the book is focused on her 14-year old self, and I initially thought her so self-absorbed until I realised that I was viewing her character through adult lenses. The thing is, her character is so mature (not in an unbelievable way that seems mismatched to her age) that it was easy to have adult expectations of her. In the narration of her life 18 years later as a 32-year old, there were moments of unfiltered self-awareness that seemed to right her 'self-kilter-ed' perspective. However, the portrayal of her character mirrors humanity so well that her unlikeability was like the proverbial three fingers pointing back at me. I could write a whole thesis on this character, but this is not the time or place (and I haven't even started on the supporting characters). :-D

As faith-centred literature, this book, however, does fall a bit flat. There are threads of Jesus woven into it here and there - enough so that one hopes if there were a couple more chapters, she'd have made it 'there'. Robin barely finds real resolutions to the plot questions. Christ as an anchor for her doesn't even come in. However, I wouldn't classify this as what I call faith-lite literature (with some abstract and very loose allusions to God and Jesus). Not at all. I'd say it's probably deeper than some of the faith-filled books I've read. But it definitely can't be called faith-centred. In light of this, I daresay I wouldn't change a thing about this book, and the fact that she barely finds total resolution can be interpreted as the missing link that Christ would provide. But there I go again doing the literature class style thesis proposal.

All-in-all, I would recommend this because it's so thought-provoking and well-written. Honestly, it's a great bit of literature that's worth the read, some of the best prose I've read in a while. It gets 4.7 stars from me. It's 5 stars for the writing alone. This is my first book by this author, and I've just discovered that she has a previous release. I plan on getting myself a copy of that

Many thanks to Revell and Erin Bartels for a complimentary copy via NetGalley. These opinions are mine.

Thought-provoking, interesting, and intriguing are three words that come to mind after reading this story. I’ve never read anything quite like it. The story flow and character development is spot on. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like it since it started out talking about death, but as the story progressed I found I couldn’t put it down. There were many references to classic stories, and poems written in response to those. The ending brought healing and closure to the main character, for the most part. There is one story thread that I hope they continue maybe in another book regarding the main character’s parents. Recommended.

Such a sweet, enduring love story that withstands time! The author does a great job in alternating between two time periods, 19997 (then) and current (now). I couldn't read this fast enough!

I really don't know where to begin with this review. I have never had this much trouble expressing my feelings on a book. I think this author is exceptional. I had never read anything by her before. She is such a talented wordsmith. And a well written book about a bookstore, classic books, poetry and words in general is an extraordinary accomplishment. Now, after saying all that, I need to say that I wasn't all that into this book. The book is for the most part a mystery. The romance was at the beginning and end but for me there was too much time and not enough connection between the two. I was anxious for the story to move on and mostly I felt it dragged. I don't know whether I will read her books again but I hope so.
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley but the opinions stated are all my own.

The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels is timeslip novel with a present timeline and a past timeline. The story centers around books and how important they can become to readers. They might help a little girl out while she is trying to discover who she is, which is exactly what the heroine in Bartes novel does. With the help of Peter and novels, Robin Windsor finds her way in the world by clinging to her imaginary worlds and her ability to create story with her own words. As an avid reader, I could relate to Robin as she explores and understands the world through the eyes and minds of a number of readers. I wonder if Bartels actually enjoyed the novels she had Robin relate to. Most of them were required reading for high school, and I couldn't stand majority of them. Nothing to remember later in life. The plot feels like it has been done before, even though I haven't been sure I have read this trope before. This would make a good Hallmark movie or after school specials, if they even run those anymore. The romance is young love and how it did not come to reality. But since it is a contemporary novel, the happily-ever-after moment does occur. Overall, The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels is a delightful Hallmark style feel good movie with a nod to the love of books and the writing process. The romance isn't that big of a story line. Fans of Courtney Walsh and Catherine West might devour this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Book lovers will enjoy this story as the main character is one who gets through life by immersing herself in books. Robin Dickinson owns a bookstore in River City, Michigan, where she sells her beloved books and lives above the shop. Told in present day with flashbacks to eighteen years prior, we get a glimpse into Robin's life when as a fourteen year old, her posh life in Amherst, Massachusetts, was been turned upside down by the arrest of her parents. Her father, Norman Windsor, a US Senator, was arrested on various charges, including murder of three people and her mother for trying to cover up the crimes. Robin was sent to live in Sussex, Michigan, with a grandmother, that she doesn't know, along with The Professor, her grandmother's African Grey parrot, and now goes by Robin Dickinson instead of Windsor to avoid being recognized. Peter Flynt and Robin meet at his mom's grave at a cemetery near where Robin and her grandmother live and become friends. After hearing of Robin's love of books, Peter begins leaving his mom's Classic novels in Robin's school locker one at a time. Her payment to him is to write a poem about the book for him. Books are a lifeblood for Robin, living, breathing friends who leave a mark on society.
The Words Between Us is deep, multilayered and centers around Robin having to deal with so many emotions and problems caused by her parents' lifestyle and choices, choices that Robin had no control over. The story touches on trust issues caused by betrayal, pain and loss-a lot for an adult but especially tough for a young teenage woman with life thrust on her before she is ready. She finds it hard to open up to others but as she progresses through life, she finally has to deal with issues to go forward. There is mystery with a touch of romance and faith. There are some issues that I would have liked to see resolved so I am wondering if there is a sequel in the future.
I received a complimentary ARC from Revell Publishing through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

#TheWordsBetweenUs. #NetGalley

I love the cover of this book. The Words Between Us, was a different type of book, it is written in the present and the past. Robin Dickenson is hiding from her past life, she owns a used bookstore and doesn't let many people get close to her. When she starts receiving books from her past, she feels it is time to mesh the two worlds together and find out what really happened to her parents. I liked the past part of the story, because Peter is a great character. There were a few things that felt off about this book - why have a character who is an alcoholic when, this is catergerized as Christian fiction, but had very little elements of religion in the story line.

Robin Windsor has tried to escape her past by secluding herself first in the wilderness and then in her bookstore. But the past catches up with her. Will she allow it to open her world or prompt her to close up even tighter?
I liked the book theme of "The Words Between Us." The story is also clean, which I appreciate, and the mystery about what happened to her friend Peter's mom is interesting.
The story didn't "wow" me, though. I never really connected with the plot or the characters except for maybe Dawt Pi, Robin's immigrant employee. The faith element is also very subtle.
"The Words Between Us" is a good book but just not great in my opinion. However, it would be a good book for readers who appreciate literature and a clean, beach read.