I got the audio book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.

I loved the story, but then it plays in Scotland -- a country I'd love to visit one day. The people, customs, and highlands are described in a way that rings true, and makes me want to visit even more.
The fact that the narrator spoke with a (what I think is a true) Scottish accent just blew me. It all seemed so authentic, and I really loved it. To my relief, the narration was very clear, despite being in accent, so I was able to understand it all, which is no mean feat for a non-native speaker.

Kudos to the excellent narrator who made this already enjoyable book so much more enjoyable. ( )

‘The House on the Shore’ by Victoria Howard starts off seeming to be a conventional romance and turns into a satisfying suspense story set in a beautiful, remote Western Scottish loch. The remoteness is central to the plot.
After a love affair turns sour, Anna MacDonald leaves Edinburgh for her remote croft, once her grandmother’s, beside Loch Hourn in the Western Highlands. She longs for peace and quiet to write her book. Tigh na Cladach, a two bedroom cottage alone at the end of a twelve mile track, is her bolt hole where she hopes to nurse her injured pride and heart. When she arrives, an unknown yacht is anchored in the bay. On board is a rather handsome American sailor, stranded as he waits for a part to repair his engine. A combative relationship develops between the two; Anna resents the intrusion of Luke Tallantyre but is driven to help by the local community spirit; Luke bridles at the prickly, aggressive woman he must rely on for help. Meanwhile, Alistair Grant, heir to the Killilan Estate which borders Anna’s land, and who was a teenage friend of hers, returns from his life of luxury in the South of France to run the estate. But Grant’s plans for change upset the villagers. In echoes of the Highland Clearances of the 18th century, rents are raised, livelihoods threatened, sensitivities ignored. Anna inspired, begins to write a novel set during this troubled time, imagining her croft and what happened there.
The pace of the modern-day story changes when her tyres are slashed and someone takes a pot shot at her with a shotgun. Romance becomes romantic suspense. I confess during some romantic passages - eg. ‘his broad suntanned chest’ - I wished for less not more, but that is personal taste. The pace of the story was good alternating between Anna’s historical novel, the political dispute about the Estate’s future, the dark threats, and the growing romance.
This is modern day suspense story, mirroring the unique history of the region, with a touch of romance; rather than a page turning psychological thriller. An enjoyable read which I whizzed through on holiday, guessing the identity of the real villain but not working out the motivation.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/ ( )

Very enjoyable, fast read. Anna has left her job, old boyfriend and life in Edinburgh behind to move to her late grandmother's house in a little village in Scotland. It's not long before "Gaslight" events begin and then a handsome American sails into the lock with a broken down boat. Romance slowly builds while Luke is waiting for the part to be shipped for his boat. He recognizes the danger while Anna thinks it's accidents. This book reminded me very much of a Sandra Brown novel. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. It's set in a remote part of Scotland, which Anna MacDonald moves to when she decides to leave her job, flat and relationship in Edinburgh, after being betrayed by her boyfriend, Mark.

She flees to her late grandmother's croft in Scotland and plans to write her first novel. But soon she meets Luke, an American sailor, who turns up near the croft when a part on his boat breaks. There is a real passion developing between Luke and Anna, but at the same time, somebody is pursuing her and is out to scare her, and maybe even kill her.

When I started reading I realised that this is a romance novel, and I did wonder if I would find it a bit sickly-sweet. However, it's not like that at all and I found it a totally engrossing, well-written novel. The story reels you in until you discover who is out to get Anna and why. I was also loving the relationship and friction/passion between Luke and Anna. Luke is a lovely creation - strong, handsome, caring, with his own demons in his past.

I think that Victoria Howard did a very good job of portraying the Scottish people and surroundings. Unfortunately, her publishers didn't do a good job of having the book proof-read, but the mistakes didn't detract from my reading at all.

I recommend this to anybody who loves Scotland, and who enjoys a love story, with the added bonus of suspense. ( )