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Between
Anna Riggs, just out of high school, and her archaeologist dad travel to the historic town of Apalachicola, Florida, where Anna has inherited an old Victorian home left to her by her great uncle Archie. But the house needs work. Anna and her dad begin an 8-month-long restoration project—with plans to sell the old house when it’s finished to pay for Anna’s college tuition. Soon, normally shy Anna makes a few local friends, including handsome Eric Bennett, who plans to study architecture at Florida State University in the fall. He willingly helps with the home’s restoration and helps Anna climb out of her shell. It doesn’t take long before Wyatt, a ghostly inhabitant of the house, makes himself known to Anna. She is fascinated by him. Will Anna be entranced by the specter and his world, or can she pull out of her feelings long enough to realize her life should be spent among the living?Praise for BETWEEN—“Between the pages of BETWEEN, a classic ghost story, are delicate, atmospheric moments of illusion and trust in the impossible, impossible, improbable . . . yet love blooms for Anna, who is seventeen, and Wyatt, who died in battle decades before Anna was born. The two share longing and boundless passion, body and spirit affirming Shakespeare’s “Parting is such sweet sorrow.” Author Dora Hilburn brings her characters to rich life in a romantic triangle, a tender tale of first love, and a battle of good and evil, ultimately reminding us that love is, indeed, eternal.”—Lois F. Ruby, author of Rebel Spirits and Steal Away Home“In Anna, Hilburn has created a heroine who is real and relatable. One moment heart-warming, the next moment heart-breaking, BETWEEN movingly explores the wrenching choices Anna must make when she discovers love in the unlikeliest of places. The seaside town of Apalachicola provides a beautiful and haunting backdrop for this otherworldly coming-of-age romance.”—Denise Getson, author of Dry Souls“Dora’s lyrical way with story-telling draws you in from the first word and doesn’t let you go until long after the last word. After reading BETWEEN, you’ll never think of ghosts the same way. Dora has hit a definite home run with her debut.”—K. Anne Raines, author of Shattered Grace
- GenresRomanceParanormalDeath
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 11, 2015
If you want to read the review in a proper layout, you'll find it here at our blog YouthCultureDenmark.com
"17 year old Anna moves into the haunted Fenway House with her dad.”
And already at that point, it sounded like one of those novels I’m addicted to scare myself with in the late hours and with only the reading lamp on. But the story was really slow-paced, and the author couldn’t get deep into the characters to build up catching moments. I had so high hopes for this one, but it ended up feeling like preparing for a fabulous teenage road trip — in a car without spark plugs.
The YA checklist has most certainly been followed:
- A teen girl (Anna) moves into a haunted manison (Fenway House) with her dad.
- They are both sad because someone’s missing (Mom).
- Then girl meets boy (Eric).
- Boy needs to be close to girl if anything romantic’s supposed to happen (He can renovate ol’ Fenway House).
- And in order to prevent a too simple insta-love story, we’d better spice it up (A ghost – hey now we can make a love triangle).
But something’s missing; not an element on the YA checklist, but in the way the story is written.
The excitement didn’t even start to build
Anna’s an introvert, and she’s also our first person narrator. She describes herself as a person who “can’t keep up a steady stream of conversation”. And that could be the good reason why the lines in the dialogues are so short and superficial. But I don’t think it is.
There are no funny or charming guys here, no exciting hidden messages between her and Eric. What-you-see-is-what-you-get; conversations simply feel like formalities, the pace is low, and the excitement didn’t even start to build because the ghost presents himself in the prologue.
To me, Anna – our 17 year old protagonist – was the major problem. She didn’t feel like a real teenager, because she sometimes talks and acts like she’s her dads fiancé:
Anna sounds more like the author
When Anna suddenly sounds like an adult and omniscient third person narrator; and very much like the author, the illusion breaks. If you as an author want to show a teenagers concern about her dads well being, there are so many elegant ways to do it with actions or in lines in a teenage way. Letting the teenager do the job as the omniscient narrator and telling it instead of showing it, isn’t one of them.
Had hoped for shivers …
I’m really into stories about haunted houses, and I think the ones where the protagonist is a teenager most often are the best. That’s because teens are feeling and sensing so much more than adults. Everything is getting so intense.
But in this ordinary plot I couldn’t even find strong emotions nor any important themes about ‘teenagers in love’ or the very interesting ‘father-daughter relationship’, which can be so giving in YA, when it’s done right.
I had hoped ‘Between’ could send shivers down my spine, when I first saw it at NetGalley. I didn’t even get a single goosebump.
(Thanks NetGalley for ARC PDF)
"17 year old Anna moves into the haunted Fenway House with her dad.”
And already at that point, it sounded like one of those novels I’m addicted to scare myself with in the late hours and with only the reading lamp on. But the story was really slow-paced, and the author couldn’t get deep into the characters to build up catching moments. I had so high hopes for this one, but it ended up feeling like preparing for a fabulous teenage road trip — in a car without spark plugs.
The YA checklist has most certainly been followed:
- A teen girl (Anna) moves into a haunted manison (Fenway House) with her dad.
- They are both sad because someone’s missing (Mom).
- Then girl meets boy (Eric).
- Boy needs to be close to girl if anything romantic’s supposed to happen (He can renovate ol’ Fenway House).
- And in order to prevent a too simple insta-love story, we’d better spice it up (A ghost – hey now we can make a love triangle).
But something’s missing; not an element on the YA checklist, but in the way the story is written.
The excitement didn’t even start to build
Anna’s an introvert, and she’s also our first person narrator. She describes herself as a person who “can’t keep up a steady stream of conversation”. And that could be the good reason why the lines in the dialogues are so short and superficial. But I don’t think it is.
There are no funny or charming guys here, no exciting hidden messages between her and Eric. What-you-see-is-what-you-get; conversations simply feel like formalities, the pace is low, and the excitement didn’t even start to build because the ghost presents himself in the prologue.
To me, Anna – our 17 year old protagonist – was the major problem. She didn’t feel like a real teenager, because she sometimes talks and acts like she’s her dads fiancé:
Excerpt from ‘Between’, page 20, When Anna talks about her old house and her dad
“They wanted to buy it, but Walter and I weren’t prepared for that.”
Excerpt from ‘Between’, page 21, when she analyzes her dads career
“I could tell Walter was feeling a sense of freedom too. He had taken a sabbatical from the university, and the next six month were his and to do with as he pleased”
Anna sounds more like the author
When Anna suddenly sounds like an adult and omniscient third person narrator; and very much like the author, the illusion breaks. If you as an author want to show a teenagers concern about her dads well being, there are so many elegant ways to do it with actions or in lines in a teenage way. Letting the teenager do the job as the omniscient narrator and telling it instead of showing it, isn’t one of them.
Had hoped for shivers …
I’m really into stories about haunted houses, and I think the ones where the protagonist is a teenager most often are the best. That’s because teens are feeling and sensing so much more than adults. Everything is getting so intense.
But in this ordinary plot I couldn’t even find strong emotions nor any important themes about ‘teenagers in love’ or the very interesting ‘father-daughter relationship’, which can be so giving in YA, when it’s done right.
I had hoped ‘Between’ could send shivers down my spine, when I first saw it at NetGalley. I didn’t even get a single goosebump.
(Thanks NetGalley for ARC PDF)
February 25, 2015
I enjoyed this book very much. The main character, Anna, fell in love with a ghost. It was a good ghost story for me but I was hoping for a better ending. It wasn't a bad ending but I was wanting a happy ever after for some reason. I liked the book anyway. * I received this book from Netgalley and Rainbow Books, Inc. in exchange for an honest review*
February 6, 2017
Video Review Here (:
The perfect book for us paranormal + strong protagonist lovers. I'm not gonna lie, I cried multiple times.
Anna has graduated early from high school, so she decides to spent her last semester before college renovating the old and beautiful Victorian house that her Uncle left her, and sell it to pay for her post secondary education. We follow Anna from the moment she arrives to the house and through meeting the ghost haunting it.
One of my favourite things about this book was how much I was rooting for everything to turn out the way Anna wanted —even if it didn't make sense. As some who lives with an almost-always-absent-in-some-way father, she is strong, smart, and independent. But most importantly, she doesn't scare easily. That's why Wyatt, our ghost, is so interested in her.
After Wyatt shows himself to Anna, they start talking to each other often, and even hang out outside of the house.
Wyatt is a wonderful, charming, and adorable 19-year-old boy. He is perfect. And above all, he cares about Anna deeply. The only thing is. . . he is, well, dead.
Then there is Eric, another wonderfully amazing (alive!) boy, that quickly takes interest in the renovation of the old Victorian house —and the new occupant.
So yes, there is a sort of a love triangle. . . HOWEVER IT MAKES SENSE! I don't like love triangles unless makes sense somehow in the story, and it this one it did! I feel like I need to say this a thousand times because, how many books are out there with a love triangle that makes sense? Not that many.
In conclusion, I 100% recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal and romance. I don't usually mix those two, but sometimes it's good to have the best of both worlds. I did have some issues with it, hence the 4 out of 5 stars, however my copy was an ARC and I believe most of those diminutive issues were related to that.
I wished I could share some of my favourite quotes with you, but I'm afraid it would spoil the story greatly. Let's just say that they are beautifully heartbreaking, and made me cry more than once.
The perfect book for us paranormal + strong protagonist lovers. I'm not gonna lie, I cried multiple times.
Anna has graduated early from high school, so she decides to spent her last semester before college renovating the old and beautiful Victorian house that her Uncle left her, and sell it to pay for her post secondary education. We follow Anna from the moment she arrives to the house and through meeting the ghost haunting it.
One of my favourite things about this book was how much I was rooting for everything to turn out the way Anna wanted —even if it didn't make sense. As some who lives with an almost-always-absent-in-some-way father, she is strong, smart, and independent. But most importantly, she doesn't scare easily. That's why Wyatt, our ghost, is so interested in her.
After Wyatt shows himself to Anna, they start talking to each other often, and even hang out outside of the house.
Wyatt is a wonderful, charming, and adorable 19-year-old boy. He is perfect. And above all, he cares about Anna deeply. The only thing is. . . he is, well, dead.
Then there is Eric, another wonderfully amazing (alive!) boy, that quickly takes interest in the renovation of the old Victorian house —and the new occupant.
So yes, there is a sort of a love triangle. . . HOWEVER IT MAKES SENSE! I don't like love triangles unless makes sense somehow in the story, and it this one it did! I feel like I need to say this a thousand times because, how many books are out there with a love triangle that makes sense? Not that many.
In conclusion, I 100% recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal and romance. I don't usually mix those two, but sometimes it's good to have the best of both worlds. I did have some issues with it, hence the 4 out of 5 stars, however my copy was an ARC and I believe most of those diminutive issues were related to that.
I wished I could share some of my favourite quotes with you, but I'm afraid it would spoil the story greatly. Let's just say that they are beautifully heartbreaking, and made me cry more than once.
October 23, 2014
I received an ARC vis Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Aggghhh. This is another one of those books where I feel kind of awful saying how much this book sucked because it seemed like the author really did tried, but at the same time, this book kind of sucked.
The writing in this book was no bad, it was a solid read, but there were many things that were way too rushed and quite awfully corny.
1. WTF world building?
I think the biggest issue with this book is it’s lack of worldbuilding. There isn’t even all that much world to build, but just a bit more explanation about how the weird energy world works and why there’s evil and what the heck this portal thing is would have help anchor the whole story down a lot more. The first time this “evil” was introduced, I was wtfing so hard, because, what the hell? Where did any of this come from?
I can understand the whole ghost and chill thing because that’s pretty much common knowledge. This whole portal and evil ghost wants to kill you thing was just a little too much. Not only so, we never quite find out why it had to be Anna the evil thing wanted to go after.
2. Insta-love-triangle?
I can kind of understand the insta love between Wyatt and Anna if we just completely push it off as paranormal romance. That being said, I still thought it was awful. Insta-love is never a good idea.
At one point, Anna was sporting a love triangle, being in love with Wyatt and Eric in love with her. Somehow she’s strangely fascinating. I, however, cannot agree to such “fascinating”.
The love is also so corny. Multiple times, I’ve had to stop and stare and try to remind myself that I was reading the same book that moments ago was perfectly un-cringe worthy at all.
3. The Dialogue
I could not deal with the back and forths between most of the characters. Wyatt is just constantly sad, but somehow sarcastic, but then he feels awfully out of character and such... Anna is supposedly a fascinating person, but I’m not sure how. She certainly talks and acts like a normal person. Eric... is just Eric. Something about him is weird. He’s too happy go lucky, too unrealistic and way too insta-love.
It’s hard to explain but dialogue just feels like a jumbled mess of corny.
4. The Characters
I usually complain about the characters first, but for this book... I’m not sure what I feel about the characters since their dialogues’ been botched so badly. I have to say though, Wyatt is technically at least 50 years old (I forget when he died, but doesn’t matter, he’s old). Even if he lurked around the house for that many years, he should at least have the maturity of a whatever years he’s been around year old. Not a 19 insta-love boy.
Conclusion
I would not recommend this book. Unfortunately, there’s too much corny, a little too cliche. That being said, I think the author definitely has the potential to write better books and I’m interested in reading more of her books in the future.
Aggghhh. This is another one of those books where I feel kind of awful saying how much this book sucked because it seemed like the author really did tried, but at the same time, this book kind of sucked.
The writing in this book was no bad, it was a solid read, but there were many things that were way too rushed and quite awfully corny.
1. WTF world building?
I think the biggest issue with this book is it’s lack of worldbuilding. There isn’t even all that much world to build, but just a bit more explanation about how the weird energy world works and why there’s evil and what the heck this portal thing is would have help anchor the whole story down a lot more. The first time this “evil” was introduced, I was wtfing so hard, because, what the hell? Where did any of this come from?
I can understand the whole ghost and chill thing because that’s pretty much common knowledge. This whole portal and evil ghost wants to kill you thing was just a little too much. Not only so, we never quite find out why it had to be Anna the evil thing wanted to go after.
2. Insta-love-triangle?
I can kind of understand the insta love between Wyatt and Anna if we just completely push it off as paranormal romance. That being said, I still thought it was awful. Insta-love is never a good idea.
At one point, Anna was sporting a love triangle, being in love with Wyatt and Eric in love with her. Somehow she’s strangely fascinating. I, however, cannot agree to such “fascinating”.
The love is also so corny. Multiple times, I’ve had to stop and stare and try to remind myself that I was reading the same book that moments ago was perfectly un-cringe worthy at all.
3. The Dialogue
I could not deal with the back and forths between most of the characters. Wyatt is just constantly sad, but somehow sarcastic, but then he feels awfully out of character and such... Anna is supposedly a fascinating person, but I’m not sure how. She certainly talks and acts like a normal person. Eric... is just Eric. Something about him is weird. He’s too happy go lucky, too unrealistic and way too insta-love.
It’s hard to explain but dialogue just feels like a jumbled mess of corny.
4. The Characters
I usually complain about the characters first, but for this book... I’m not sure what I feel about the characters since their dialogues’ been botched so badly. I have to say though, Wyatt is technically at least 50 years old (I forget when he died, but doesn’t matter, he’s old). Even if he lurked around the house for that many years, he should at least have the maturity of a whatever years he’s been around year old. Not a 19 insta-love boy.
Conclusion
I would not recommend this book. Unfortunately, there’s too much corny, a little too cliche. That being said, I think the author definitely has the potential to write better books and I’m interested in reading more of her books in the future.
February 21, 2015
I got a copy from Netgalley when this was available as a read it now.
The idea was an interesting one, but I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters. The story was very slow and very dull, and I just did not like the main character. The writing was okay, nicely descriptive in parts, don't think I spotted hardly any typos or anything.
I loved the setting, the small town by the sea, and the idea of restoring a house rumoured to be haunted. But as I mentioned I did not like Anna, the main character. To be fair, for a seventeen year old she was extremely mature and responsible, but I found she had no personality whatsoever and was very very boring. I fail to see how everyone else in this novel was so wowed by her. She was dull beyond belief.
Anna's friends Eric and Gabby were the enjoy people I liked in this book, they were friendly, accepting and fun, and had personalities. Unfortunately for my tastes, Anna's relationship with Eric turned into a love triangle.
The plot was very very slow, most of it revolving around restoring the old house, the rumour it was haunted and the appearance of the ghost. And Anna subsequently falling in love with him. The love story itself was fairly sweet, but again, the ghost was so infatuated with Anna it became ridiculous and annoying. I came close to giving up several times as the story seemed to be going nowhere. Then about half way through a potential bad guy was introduced.
But it went nowhere. There were a few nicely written seems of Anna being very frightened of this news threat to her new love and world, but it trickled out in a very pathetic way without any explationation was to who the evil was, and why it was so obsessed with Anna.
It wrapped up okay, and to be fair, it was reasonably realistic and logical. There was just too much about this book that was frustrating and nonsensical for my tastes.
The idea was an interesting one, but I just couldn't connect to the story or the characters. The story was very slow and very dull, and I just did not like the main character. The writing was okay, nicely descriptive in parts, don't think I spotted hardly any typos or anything.
I loved the setting, the small town by the sea, and the idea of restoring a house rumoured to be haunted. But as I mentioned I did not like Anna, the main character. To be fair, for a seventeen year old she was extremely mature and responsible, but I found she had no personality whatsoever and was very very boring. I fail to see how everyone else in this novel was so wowed by her. She was dull beyond belief.
Anna's friends Eric and Gabby were the enjoy people I liked in this book, they were friendly, accepting and fun, and had personalities. Unfortunately for my tastes, Anna's relationship with Eric turned into a love triangle.
The plot was very very slow, most of it revolving around restoring the old house, the rumour it was haunted and the appearance of the ghost. And Anna subsequently falling in love with him. The love story itself was fairly sweet, but again, the ghost was so infatuated with Anna it became ridiculous and annoying. I came close to giving up several times as the story seemed to be going nowhere. Then about half way through a potential bad guy was introduced.
But it went nowhere. There were a few nicely written seems of Anna being very frightened of this news threat to her new love and world, but it trickled out in a very pathetic way without any explationation was to who the evil was, and why it was so obsessed with Anna.
It wrapped up okay, and to be fair, it was reasonably realistic and logical. There was just too much about this book that was frustrating and nonsensical for my tastes.
January 5, 2016
Anna has inherited a house from her great Uncle Archie. She is 17 years old and has already graduated from high school. She calls her dad Walter instead of dad due to their relationship. They are going to renovate the house so it can be sold for Anna's college education. Anna discovers she has inherited a haunted house. Why is it haunted? Anna decides to sleep in the house rather than with her dad in the Airstream (trailer). Anna draws a sketch of a face on paper --a face she doesn't know. When Anna meets the ghost, she discovers that it is his face. How did she know? Anna and her dad work on the house with help from a boy, Eric, she meets at the hardware store. Eric tells her what little he knows about the haunted house. When Anna meets the ghost and gets to know him, she falls in love with him. Will she and Dylan, the ghost have a relationship? Will she have a relationship with Eric?
The novel is a ghost story that has romance, mystery and surprises. It is not a fast paced story but it does move along. I couldn't help but get involved as I related to Anna being an introvert who discovers the joys of friendship. Anna also learns not to judge people by their looks while learning that she has more to offer to others than she did. The author has written a good ghost story. I hope she writes more.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
The novel is a ghost story that has romance, mystery and surprises. It is not a fast paced story but it does move along. I couldn't help but get involved as I related to Anna being an introvert who discovers the joys of friendship. Anna also learns not to judge people by their looks while learning that she has more to offer to others than she did. The author has written a good ghost story. I hope she writes more.
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
December 8, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Rainbow Books, Inc and NetGalley.)
This was a touching story about a girl and the ghost she fell in love with.
Anna was a sweet girl, and it was clear how hard she worked to bring her house back to its original condition. She obviously loved her father, and I liked how much she also cared for both Wyatt and Eric.
The storyline in this was good, and even though there was a love triangle the story was enjoyable. It was clear that Anna loved Wyatt, whilst she really only thought of Eric as a friend, but I actually thought that Eric was pretty hot at times! Eric and Anna were really quite cute together, and there was obviously the added benefit that Eric was alive!
The ending to this was okay, even though Anna didn’t really get the happily ever after that she wanted. The ending was positive though, and things turned out for the best really.
Overall; good ‘girl loves a ghost’ story,
6.5 out of 10
This was a touching story about a girl and the ghost she fell in love with.
Anna was a sweet girl, and it was clear how hard she worked to bring her house back to its original condition. She obviously loved her father, and I liked how much she also cared for both Wyatt and Eric.
The storyline in this was good, and even though there was a love triangle the story was enjoyable. It was clear that Anna loved Wyatt, whilst she really only thought of Eric as a friend, but I actually thought that Eric was pretty hot at times! Eric and Anna were really quite cute together, and there was obviously the added benefit that Eric was alive!
The ending to this was okay, even though Anna didn’t really get the happily ever after that she wanted. The ending was positive though, and things turned out for the best really.
Overall; good ‘girl loves a ghost’ story,
6.5 out of 10
October 19, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Once I started reading this book there wasn't much of a hope for me stopping, I was into it instantly. The flow in which the story is told engaged me and kept me reading to find out just what was going to happen in this haunted house. The main character was likeable with her loner traits, and her easy-going nature regardless of her not-so-childish childhood. Her strong work-ethic matched with her desire to make her newly inherited house beautiful was inspiring.
Although the author did not constantly give out hints of how much time passed, the writing was well enough that I could easily sense the time passing-this is a huge thing that I find authors have trouble with and this author managed to pass time efficiently without affecting the story.
The book does have a slower build up with a different peak of excitement than I was expecting but it was good :)
Once I started reading this book there wasn't much of a hope for me stopping, I was into it instantly. The flow in which the story is told engaged me and kept me reading to find out just what was going to happen in this haunted house. The main character was likeable with her loner traits, and her easy-going nature regardless of her not-so-childish childhood. Her strong work-ethic matched with her desire to make her newly inherited house beautiful was inspiring.
Although the author did not constantly give out hints of how much time passed, the writing was well enough that I could easily sense the time passing-this is a huge thing that I find authors have trouble with and this author managed to pass time efficiently without affecting the story.
The book does have a slower build up with a different peak of excitement than I was expecting but it was good :)
August 18, 2016
Between By dora Hilburn is a teens and ya read.
Anna’s House Is Haunted
Anna Riggs, just out of high school, and her archeologist dad travel from Chicago to the historic town of Apalachicola, in the panhandle of Florida, where Anna has inherited a Victorian home from her great uncle Archie. Anna’s ticket to college, the gracious old house needs work, so Anna and her dad begin a summer-long renovation--with plans to sell it.
Introverted since the death of her mother when she was seven, Anna begrudgingly manages to make a few friends, including handsome Eric Bennett, who plans to study architecture at Florida State University in the fall, and his twin sister Gabby, a live wire. Eric helps with the home's restoration and helps Anna climb out of her shell.
I loved this book. A lovely story with brilliant characters. Anna being my favourite. I loved the ending too. highly recommended. 5* from me. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
Anna’s House Is Haunted
Anna Riggs, just out of high school, and her archeologist dad travel from Chicago to the historic town of Apalachicola, in the panhandle of Florida, where Anna has inherited a Victorian home from her great uncle Archie. Anna’s ticket to college, the gracious old house needs work, so Anna and her dad begin a summer-long renovation--with plans to sell it.
Introverted since the death of her mother when she was seven, Anna begrudgingly manages to make a few friends, including handsome Eric Bennett, who plans to study architecture at Florida State University in the fall, and his twin sister Gabby, a live wire. Eric helps with the home's restoration and helps Anna climb out of her shell.
I loved this book. A lovely story with brilliant characters. Anna being my favourite. I loved the ending too. highly recommended. 5* from me. Thanks to netgalley for the arc.
June 18, 2016
*This book was received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
*Actual Rating 2.5/5*
I liked this book however the plot seemed a bit unoriginal and there was no real plot twist that made the story really interesting. It was well-written and a good book, but it just didn't have any pizzazz. I also didn't like how Anna used Eric and I found the ending to be disappointing. Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great.
*Actual Rating 2.5/5*
I liked this book however the plot seemed a bit unoriginal and there was no real plot twist that made the story really interesting. It was well-written and a good book, but it just didn't have any pizzazz. I also didn't like how Anna used Eric and I found the ending to be disappointing. Overall, this wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't great.
never-finished
January 5, 2015I just couldn't get into it
September 24, 2022
Anna Riggs, fresh out of high school, inherits an old Victorian house in Apalachicola, Florida and goes there with her archeologist father to rehab it so she can sell it to help her pay for college. She hears that everyone in town thinks it's haunted, and sure enough, she starts experiencing some odd things herself. In fact, she ends up meeting the ghost, Wyatt, and develops feelings for him. To complicate matters, she also meets a flesh and blood guy from town, Eric, who quickly falls in serious like with her.
I thought the characters were all likeable, but I didn't really get excited about either Anna with Wyatt or Anna with Eric. The story started out interesting, but after a while, I just wanted Anna to pick someone, anyone, because it started dragging. I thought it would be spooky, being a ghost story and everything, but it just wasn't. I feel like there was potential there that just wasn't realized.
3/5 stars.
I thought the characters were all likeable, but I didn't really get excited about either Anna with Wyatt or Anna with Eric. The story started out interesting, but after a while, I just wanted Anna to pick someone, anyone, because it started dragging. I thought it would be spooky, being a ghost story and everything, but it just wasn't. I feel like there was potential there that just wasn't realized.
3/5 stars.
January 16, 2020
I really shouldn't read YA romances. I just don't care enough about young love to enjoy the story unless the characters are really well drawn and unusual people. That wasn't the case in this book. Everyone in the book was pretty normal and low-key, even the ghosts. (The demon isn't a character, just a force of supernature.) The narrator (for most of the book) is really insecure in many ways, which is probably realistic, but I just found her annoying. That, I think, is part of the genre and not really a criticism of the book. Here's an actual criticism: The same scene played out over and over again and that got boring really fast. (As in: We shouldn't do this. This is a bad idea. But we can't help ourselves.)
June 2, 2015
Between is a ghost story. And a love story. And the story of a couple of solitary beings, unwilling or unable to change who they are or become more than they are - until they meet.
Anna Riggs is the daughter of Walter, an academic who is more interested in digging up past lives than connecting with his daughter. It's just the two of them now. They are comfortable with each other, yet distant. He does his thing, and she does hers. It's a silence that works for them. Anna has always been mature and solitary, and she easily overtook the household duties when her mother died.
As the only remaining heir, Anna is bequeathed a house in Apalachicola, Florida by her great uncle. She and her father decide to move to the small town for a few months in order to make repairs and updates to the old Victorian-era home. The plan is to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college. No one has lived there for quite a while, and the last updates were made at least fifty years prior. Apparently the last people to inhabit the house had left in quite a hurry, leaving their furniture and a study full of books. Something lived there along with them, something that made noises and moved things and left pockets of cold air. Something that did not want to share its space with them.
At the hardware store, Anna meets Eric, movie-star handsome and two years older. He's going to be an architecture major, so when he hears that Anna and Walter are working on Fenway House, he invites himself over to help out. He is obviously interested in Anna as well as the architecture. He and his twin sister, Gabby, become sort-of friends with Anna, though Anna isn't used to attention and never has had many close friends.
Since the first time exploring the house, Anna felt like she was being watched. The freezing air, the book that falls from the shelves in the study, the movement she sees out of the corner of her eye...she knows that it's her mind playing tricks on her. She's heard the ghost stories told about the house, and until she actually hears a voice speak to her, that's all they were: stories. Then she begins having vivid dreams about Wyatt, a nineteen-year-old boy who supposedly haunts Fenway House. It's his family's home, and he died almost 100 years before in France during World War I. He returned along with his body and has remained ever since, waiting...but for what, he never knew. Until now.
A good ghost story raises the gooseflesh, gets the heart racing and keeps you from dangling your leg over the side of the bed at night. But even when a more sinister element is introduced here, it still remains a love story at heart. You know that Anna is going to be the one who gets the ghost to reveal itself; you also know that they will fall in love. But what kind of future is there for a spirit and a flesh-and-blood girl? The answer, of course, is none. But good sense aside, solid Anna, good ol' solitary, mature Anna, gets overly-attached. I can imagine that it would be very painful for two people to meet each other and fall in love under strange circumstances. Examples of other books that have covered this territory include Twilight (an obvious choice), along with the Tamara Ireland Stone time-travel romance Time Between Us. The only way Anna and Wyatt can be shipped is if he returns to the flesh...or the not-so-pleasant second choice.
The story goes on, sweet with their meetings, his explanations of what he can do and can't do, their getting to know each other. You know, like normal couples. Wyatt might even call it "courting." But the "can't" specter looms large, no matter how many days they spend together. It's obvious that the author loves these characters and has thought about them and their relationship a lot. That laser focus is also what ultimately makes the addition of an evil spirit to feel tacked on. It could really have been a frightening part of the story had it been developed more fully.
There are definitely typical YA motifs here, from the absentee parents, to the awkward, solitary girl (yet mature and trustworthy) who doesn't think she's interesting, to the gorgeous guy who sees through her unease and pursues her (he's the Adonis; she's a mess). And Anna's hysterical reaction to the very real possibility of her not being able to choose Wyatt was a little surprising.
Wyatt, who was born in 1896, must have picked up some of the lingo during recent years. He does get out among the people, but it would have seemed more realistic of him to use language that was more suited to his time period. He doesn't seem the least bit old-fashioned or shocked by Anna. Also, and I know this is stupid to say, but the lack of dust and dirt in that house, the use of fifty-year-old sheets on the bed, and the relatively good shape that the furniture was in was unbelievable. And, speaking as a former remodeler, Anna and Walter sure sailed through all of their projects quickly. That's a trite something to say, I realize, but the background needs to be just as convincing as the story line.
Those things aside, it is an engaging story by an author with a winning writing style and palpable love for the both the area and her characters.
Between by Dora Hilburn was published March 19, 2015 by Rainbow Books. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to the Publisher, the Author and NetGalley.
Rating: 3
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult Fiction Fantasy Paranormal Romance
Ages: 13 and up
Anna Riggs is the daughter of Walter, an academic who is more interested in digging up past lives than connecting with his daughter. It's just the two of them now. They are comfortable with each other, yet distant. He does his thing, and she does hers. It's a silence that works for them. Anna has always been mature and solitary, and she easily overtook the household duties when her mother died.
As the only remaining heir, Anna is bequeathed a house in Apalachicola, Florida by her great uncle. She and her father decide to move to the small town for a few months in order to make repairs and updates to the old Victorian-era home. The plan is to sell it and use the proceeds to pay for college. No one has lived there for quite a while, and the last updates were made at least fifty years prior. Apparently the last people to inhabit the house had left in quite a hurry, leaving their furniture and a study full of books. Something lived there along with them, something that made noises and moved things and left pockets of cold air. Something that did not want to share its space with them.
At the hardware store, Anna meets Eric, movie-star handsome and two years older. He's going to be an architecture major, so when he hears that Anna and Walter are working on Fenway House, he invites himself over to help out. He is obviously interested in Anna as well as the architecture. He and his twin sister, Gabby, become sort-of friends with Anna, though Anna isn't used to attention and never has had many close friends.
Since the first time exploring the house, Anna felt like she was being watched. The freezing air, the book that falls from the shelves in the study, the movement she sees out of the corner of her eye...she knows that it's her mind playing tricks on her. She's heard the ghost stories told about the house, and until she actually hears a voice speak to her, that's all they were: stories. Then she begins having vivid dreams about Wyatt, a nineteen-year-old boy who supposedly haunts Fenway House. It's his family's home, and he died almost 100 years before in France during World War I. He returned along with his body and has remained ever since, waiting...but for what, he never knew. Until now.
A good ghost story raises the gooseflesh, gets the heart racing and keeps you from dangling your leg over the side of the bed at night. But even when a more sinister element is introduced here, it still remains a love story at heart. You know that Anna is going to be the one who gets the ghost to reveal itself; you also know that they will fall in love. But what kind of future is there for a spirit and a flesh-and-blood girl? The answer, of course, is none. But good sense aside, solid Anna, good ol' solitary, mature Anna, gets overly-attached. I can imagine that it would be very painful for two people to meet each other and fall in love under strange circumstances. Examples of other books that have covered this territory include Twilight (an obvious choice), along with the Tamara Ireland Stone time-travel romance Time Between Us. The only way Anna and Wyatt can be shipped is if he returns to the flesh...or the not-so-pleasant second choice.
The story goes on, sweet with their meetings, his explanations of what he can do and can't do, their getting to know each other. You know, like normal couples. Wyatt might even call it "courting." But the "can't" specter looms large, no matter how many days they spend together. It's obvious that the author loves these characters and has thought about them and their relationship a lot. That laser focus is also what ultimately makes the addition of an evil spirit to feel tacked on. It could really have been a frightening part of the story had it been developed more fully.
There are definitely typical YA motifs here, from the absentee parents, to the awkward, solitary girl (yet mature and trustworthy) who doesn't think she's interesting, to the gorgeous guy who sees through her unease and pursues her (he's the Adonis; she's a mess). And Anna's hysterical reaction to the very real possibility of her not being able to choose Wyatt was a little surprising.
Wyatt, who was born in 1896, must have picked up some of the lingo during recent years. He does get out among the people, but it would have seemed more realistic of him to use language that was more suited to his time period. He doesn't seem the least bit old-fashioned or shocked by Anna. Also, and I know this is stupid to say, but the lack of dust and dirt in that house, the use of fifty-year-old sheets on the bed, and the relatively good shape that the furniture was in was unbelievable. And, speaking as a former remodeler, Anna and Walter sure sailed through all of their projects quickly. That's a trite something to say, I realize, but the background needs to be just as convincing as the story line.
Those things aside, it is an engaging story by an author with a winning writing style and palpable love for the both the area and her characters.
Between by Dora Hilburn was published March 19, 2015 by Rainbow Books. A free copy of this book was given to Ink and Page in return for an honest review. Big thanks to the Publisher, the Author and NetGalley.
Rating: 3
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult Fiction Fantasy Paranormal Romance
Ages: 13 and up
May 2, 2020
A delightful story! This book was recommended by a friend who told me it's a cute paranormal romance (it is indeed), but I wasn't expecting my heartstrings to be tugged on as much as they were. Looking forward to more books from the author!
October 24, 2014
3.5 Stars
“I can’t let you love me, Anna.” he said. “Love should be given to the living. You should be living not hiding away with a spirit of a man.”
In honour of Halloween season, I shall be reviewing a ghost story for today’s review. Every now and then I find a hidden gem on NetGalley, and this was one of them. The idea behind the story intrigued me; a girl works to restore a house rumoured to be haunted and meets the ghost, a WW I soldier, falling for him in the process. It’s one of those stories where the ending is inevitable; the entire time you know they can’t be together. Either you choose to accept this, or you spend the entire story wondering how the author is going to twist the plot in order for them to live happily ever after. I was the former, but that didn’t spare me from the heartbreak I felt when Wyatt left. It captured my attention immediately, and I read the entire thing in one sitting. It had its flaws, but doesn’t every book?
I’m giving it three and a half stars, because I want to love this book. I really do, but it was missing so much. It started strong, but then near the middle it started feeling quite rushed, and the author threw in several unnecessary plot twists, without fulling fleshing out the the previous plot twist. There was no full explanation of anything. The world building, the characters, the storyline, even the love triangle had so much potential, but the author didn’t fully explore it. Given about another 100 pages of detail, this book could have been truly amazing. Instead, it felt very rushed.
I didn’t necessarily love Anna as a character, but I really loved Wyatt and Eric. I felt bad for both of them, because Anna is one of the most indecisive and nonsensical love interests I have ever read. She knows there is no future, no real one at least, for her and Wyatt, but she refuses to accept that. Eric is right there, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, who loves her and can offer her a full life, but she refuses to consider him. Her only excuse is that she “doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. He’s too nice of a friend.” You’re supposed to be best friends with your significant other. That’s what makes true love, a combination of passion and friendship. Their relationship had both, but Anna refused to pursue it. Yet, she spends a significant amount of time talking about how she can’t believe a guy as perfect as Eric would fall for a girl like her. And she constantly used him physically, since she couldn’t have a physical relationship with Wyatt. Poor Eric. Even after Wyatt left for good, she still didn’t admit to her feelings for Eric. I was mentally screaming at her the whole time. Despite all this though, I did not dislike Wyatt. He was sweet and sensitive; I don’t blame Anna for falling for him, I would have too. However I would have been able to acknowledge it would never work out. Wyatt was funny and caring, and did what was best for Anna, even when she hurt him by running to Eric for her physical needs. What really would have helped this story work would have been if her relationship with Wyatt had taught her some valuable lesson about herself and love, but in the end have her end up with Eric, who really was a great guy who really loved her. That would have been ideal.
When I began writing this review, I had no intention of bashing Anna and the book quite so horribly. But when I start writing, whatever is in my mind is what transfers onto the page. I guess I had some unresolved feelings I had buried due to intense determination to love the book. So please, don’t read this review and think “Anna is a bitch and this book would be a waste of my time” because that is so wrong. It is a great, quick read that really does deserve a chance. Do it for Wyatt. Do it for Eric. It is a painful yet sweet love story with a twist of chilling haunts, because it is a ghost story after all. It is definitely worth a read!
“I can’t let you love me, Anna.” he said. “Love should be given to the living. You should be living not hiding away with a spirit of a man.”
In honour of Halloween season, I shall be reviewing a ghost story for today’s review. Every now and then I find a hidden gem on NetGalley, and this was one of them. The idea behind the story intrigued me; a girl works to restore a house rumoured to be haunted and meets the ghost, a WW I soldier, falling for him in the process. It’s one of those stories where the ending is inevitable; the entire time you know they can’t be together. Either you choose to accept this, or you spend the entire story wondering how the author is going to twist the plot in order for them to live happily ever after. I was the former, but that didn’t spare me from the heartbreak I felt when Wyatt left. It captured my attention immediately, and I read the entire thing in one sitting. It had its flaws, but doesn’t every book?
I’m giving it three and a half stars, because I want to love this book. I really do, but it was missing so much. It started strong, but then near the middle it started feeling quite rushed, and the author threw in several unnecessary plot twists, without fulling fleshing out the the previous plot twist. There was no full explanation of anything. The world building, the characters, the storyline, even the love triangle had so much potential, but the author didn’t fully explore it. Given about another 100 pages of detail, this book could have been truly amazing. Instead, it felt very rushed.
I didn’t necessarily love Anna as a character, but I really loved Wyatt and Eric. I felt bad for both of them, because Anna is one of the most indecisive and nonsensical love interests I have ever read. She knows there is no future, no real one at least, for her and Wyatt, but she refuses to accept that. Eric is right there, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome, who loves her and can offer her a full life, but she refuses to consider him. Her only excuse is that she “doesn’t want to ruin their friendship. He’s too nice of a friend.” You’re supposed to be best friends with your significant other. That’s what makes true love, a combination of passion and friendship. Their relationship had both, but Anna refused to pursue it. Yet, she spends a significant amount of time talking about how she can’t believe a guy as perfect as Eric would fall for a girl like her. And she constantly used him physically, since she couldn’t have a physical relationship with Wyatt. Poor Eric. Even after Wyatt left for good, she still didn’t admit to her feelings for Eric. I was mentally screaming at her the whole time. Despite all this though, I did not dislike Wyatt. He was sweet and sensitive; I don’t blame Anna for falling for him, I would have too. However I would have been able to acknowledge it would never work out. Wyatt was funny and caring, and did what was best for Anna, even when she hurt him by running to Eric for her physical needs. What really would have helped this story work would have been if her relationship with Wyatt had taught her some valuable lesson about herself and love, but in the end have her end up with Eric, who really was a great guy who really loved her. That would have been ideal.
When I began writing this review, I had no intention of bashing Anna and the book quite so horribly. But when I start writing, whatever is in my mind is what transfers onto the page. I guess I had some unresolved feelings I had buried due to intense determination to love the book. So please, don’t read this review and think “Anna is a bitch and this book would be a waste of my time” because that is so wrong. It is a great, quick read that really does deserve a chance. Do it for Wyatt. Do it for Eric. It is a painful yet sweet love story with a twist of chilling haunts, because it is a ghost story after all. It is definitely worth a read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2016
Between Between is the debut novel from Dora Hilburn. It's a bit of an odd love triangle, a small town yet worldly boy, a big town innocent girl, and a ghost.
Anna Riggs, fresh out of high school, has just inherited an old, supposedly haunted house in Florida. Her father Walter, an archaeologist, comes along to help remodel the house so Anna can put it up for sale to finance her college education. But as soon as they get to Apalachicola, Anna meets Eric Bennett. Eric volunteers to help Anna renovate the house, hoping to "meet" whomever is haunting it.
During the beginning of the renovation, Anna feels like she's being watched. And she hears a strange voice. Enter Wyatt, the ghost in the house. Anna and Wyatt start spending every night together, talking. Until the day Wyatt decides to become corporeal. He and Anna spend the day together, but Wyatt notices something strange in the ether.
After becoming flesh, Wyatt warns Anna that he'll have to go away for a while to gain his strength back. While he's gone he meets the strange thing that he saw at the fort. It's something evil, something that wants Anna. And it's up to Wyatt to try to defeat it in the space Between.
While Wyatt is gone, fighting the being stalking Anna, Eric and Anna begin to spend more and more time together, introducing Anna to his family, and taking her to see FSU. Anna decided that she wants to stay near Apalachicola, after all, she has a house, she has friends, and she has Wyatt. At least she has Wyatt for now.
Between is a YA paranormal romance. It's not a bad book, it's not very well edited, and there are some serious formatting issues. At least there were in the ARC that I received. These may have been fixed, but there is at least one other comment on Amazon about the formatting and editing issues. That did distract from my being able to immerse myself in the book. Also, the character of Anna was extremely naive. For being a HS graduate from Chicago, she just didn't seem to have enough life experience.
I can't say that I didn't like Between, but it wasn't fantastic. It really had a great idea for a story, just some of it didn't live up to the promise. Anna came across as very desperate to be in a relationship, either with Wyatt or Eric. Eric had his moments, but just seemed to be the sidekick. For being an essential character, he wasn't that fleshed out. Wyatt was probably my favourite character. And he was just lost until Anna came along. He hung out in an unoccupied house for a century, being given several chances to "go into the light", but didn't because he felt he was missing something. And the something was Anna.
I don't have much of a recommendation for it. It didn't grab me enough to tell my adult friends about it, and I don't think there's enough action (for lack of a better word) to interest the young people I know. It's not a bad book, not at all, it just didn't grab me as much as I expected. Like I said, the plot has some awesome potential, and as Ms. Hilburn is currently writing the sequel, it does have an opportunity to grab that potential again.
Anna Riggs, fresh out of high school, has just inherited an old, supposedly haunted house in Florida. Her father Walter, an archaeologist, comes along to help remodel the house so Anna can put it up for sale to finance her college education. But as soon as they get to Apalachicola, Anna meets Eric Bennett. Eric volunteers to help Anna renovate the house, hoping to "meet" whomever is haunting it.
During the beginning of the renovation, Anna feels like she's being watched. And she hears a strange voice. Enter Wyatt, the ghost in the house. Anna and Wyatt start spending every night together, talking. Until the day Wyatt decides to become corporeal. He and Anna spend the day together, but Wyatt notices something strange in the ether.
After becoming flesh, Wyatt warns Anna that he'll have to go away for a while to gain his strength back. While he's gone he meets the strange thing that he saw at the fort. It's something evil, something that wants Anna. And it's up to Wyatt to try to defeat it in the space Between.
While Wyatt is gone, fighting the being stalking Anna, Eric and Anna begin to spend more and more time together, introducing Anna to his family, and taking her to see FSU. Anna decided that she wants to stay near Apalachicola, after all, she has a house, she has friends, and she has Wyatt. At least she has Wyatt for now.
Between is a YA paranormal romance. It's not a bad book, it's not very well edited, and there are some serious formatting issues. At least there were in the ARC that I received. These may have been fixed, but there is at least one other comment on Amazon about the formatting and editing issues. That did distract from my being able to immerse myself in the book. Also, the character of Anna was extremely naive. For being a HS graduate from Chicago, she just didn't seem to have enough life experience.
I can't say that I didn't like Between, but it wasn't fantastic. It really had a great idea for a story, just some of it didn't live up to the promise. Anna came across as very desperate to be in a relationship, either with Wyatt or Eric. Eric had his moments, but just seemed to be the sidekick. For being an essential character, he wasn't that fleshed out. Wyatt was probably my favourite character. And he was just lost until Anna came along. He hung out in an unoccupied house for a century, being given several chances to "go into the light", but didn't because he felt he was missing something. And the something was Anna.
I don't have much of a recommendation for it. It didn't grab me enough to tell my adult friends about it, and I don't think there's enough action (for lack of a better word) to interest the young people I know. It's not a bad book, not at all, it just didn't grab me as much as I expected. Like I said, the plot has some awesome potential, and as Ms. Hilburn is currently writing the sequel, it does have an opportunity to grab that potential again.
September 3, 2015
I had great hopes for this book but sadly the story did disappoint. For example: the story of the house in the first couple of chapters is not real enough. What is the space of time? Forty years since some-one lived there? Surely things like mattresses would be unfit to sleep on, curtains would have rotted away and as for the furniture and household items in a real world they would have been looted long ago?
I also couldn’t come to terms with the trunk in the attic. Surely the spare room would have been discovered by the previous family and by the ghost hunters and would have been completely ransacked, if not destroyed, so the whole framework of the story was not credible enough to get me to believe in it.
I also got annoyed by the spelling mistakes (must have been an uncorrected copy that I read), the unnecessary waffling on and the need to describe every movement. The book I read was possibly a good first script but it needs proof reading, spell checking, editing, more thought to the plot and character development. I guess some teenagers would read it but can’t see it as a best seller in this state which is a shame because the Twilight type love story had great potential. The Bella/Edward Twilight love story (aka Anna/Wyatt/Eric) is in parts written extremely well in a hypnotic and lyrical way, but often the author waffles on so much that the reader gets bored.
Unfortunately the one sided narrative became boring – it may have been more interesting to hear more from or about Wyatt and from Eric’s perspective rather than have Anna narrate the entire story. And as for the weird bad ghost v good ghost story that appears halfway through the novel well it felt as if the writer is grasping at straws to put some action into the story well if this plot line had begun earlier and been expertly woven into the fabric of the story then it would have been a bit more believable instead of being so cheesy that it is almost funny.
I also noticed the way the story tries to emulate the Twilight formula and fleeces a lot of the ideas from the trilogy but by failing to put depth into characterisation and a cohesive plot the story line becomes so far-fetched and long winded in places that you could lose interest in it.
Another dislike was the constant referral to Diet Coke like this book is an advert for the stuff!!! May be it is!
Now all of this is such a shame because there are pockets of wonderful prose that are a pleasure to read it is just the story that needs improving.
I also couldn’t come to terms with the trunk in the attic. Surely the spare room would have been discovered by the previous family and by the ghost hunters and would have been completely ransacked, if not destroyed, so the whole framework of the story was not credible enough to get me to believe in it.
I also got annoyed by the spelling mistakes (must have been an uncorrected copy that I read), the unnecessary waffling on and the need to describe every movement. The book I read was possibly a good first script but it needs proof reading, spell checking, editing, more thought to the plot and character development. I guess some teenagers would read it but can’t see it as a best seller in this state which is a shame because the Twilight type love story had great potential. The Bella/Edward Twilight love story (aka Anna/Wyatt/Eric) is in parts written extremely well in a hypnotic and lyrical way, but often the author waffles on so much that the reader gets bored.
Unfortunately the one sided narrative became boring – it may have been more interesting to hear more from or about Wyatt and from Eric’s perspective rather than have Anna narrate the entire story. And as for the weird bad ghost v good ghost story that appears halfway through the novel well it felt as if the writer is grasping at straws to put some action into the story well if this plot line had begun earlier and been expertly woven into the fabric of the story then it would have been a bit more believable instead of being so cheesy that it is almost funny.
I also noticed the way the story tries to emulate the Twilight formula and fleeces a lot of the ideas from the trilogy but by failing to put depth into characterisation and a cohesive plot the story line becomes so far-fetched and long winded in places that you could lose interest in it.
Another dislike was the constant referral to Diet Coke like this book is an advert for the stuff!!! May be it is!
Now all of this is such a shame because there are pockets of wonderful prose that are a pleasure to read it is just the story that needs improving.
June 18, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
Anna Riggs, just out of high school, and her archeologist dad travel from Chicago to the historic town of Apalachicola, in the panhandle of Florida, where Anna has inherited a Victorian home from her great uncle Archie. Anna’s ticket to college, the gracious old house needs work, so Anna and her dad begin a summer-long renovation--with plans to sell it.
Introverted since the death of her mother when she was seven, Anna begrudgingly manages to make a few friends, including handsome Eric Bennett, who plans to study architecture at Florida State University in the fall, and his twin sister Gabby, a live wire. Eric helps with the home's restoration and helps Anna climb out of her shell.
It doesn’t take long before ghostly inhabitant and original resident of the house, 19-year-old Wyatt--dead 100+ years--makes himself known to Anna, who is fascinated by him. She can do much more than see and hear him; she's able to take him away from the house for short jaunts into town. And then she falls in love with him. Who wouldn’t? He’s gorgeous! And charming. Who cares if he’s dead?
Anna and Wyatt know their romance might not survive the differences between life and death, but they can't get enough of each other. Anna’s relationship with Wyatt results in danger, however, when an evil spirit from Wyatt's realm--between life and death--threatens them. Wyatt, worried about Anna's safety, makes a difficult choice and disappears.
Anna believes Wyatt is gone for good and falls into a serious depression out of which even Eric (the fun, charming, living boy) can’t seem to help her. But time heals, and eventually Anna picks herself up, dusts off her broken heart, and sets out to continue her life.
Will Anna reconnect with Wyatt, who desperately loves Anna and who watches from the shadows, or is she destined for a life with the living?
I had a hard time reading this. Filled with such promise and intrigue, it did leave me just feeling disinterested and bored. There were the usual things that get on my nerves like "insta-love" between to two characters, highly prevalent in YA Fiction, and some cheesy dialogue that just made me cringe. Add to that a MC (Anna) who was barely likeable, it just ended up being more than I could really take.
Paul
ARH
Anna Riggs, just out of high school, and her archeologist dad travel from Chicago to the historic town of Apalachicola, in the panhandle of Florida, where Anna has inherited a Victorian home from her great uncle Archie. Anna’s ticket to college, the gracious old house needs work, so Anna and her dad begin a summer-long renovation--with plans to sell it.
Introverted since the death of her mother when she was seven, Anna begrudgingly manages to make a few friends, including handsome Eric Bennett, who plans to study architecture at Florida State University in the fall, and his twin sister Gabby, a live wire. Eric helps with the home's restoration and helps Anna climb out of her shell.
It doesn’t take long before ghostly inhabitant and original resident of the house, 19-year-old Wyatt--dead 100+ years--makes himself known to Anna, who is fascinated by him. She can do much more than see and hear him; she's able to take him away from the house for short jaunts into town. And then she falls in love with him. Who wouldn’t? He’s gorgeous! And charming. Who cares if he’s dead?
Anna and Wyatt know their romance might not survive the differences between life and death, but they can't get enough of each other. Anna’s relationship with Wyatt results in danger, however, when an evil spirit from Wyatt's realm--between life and death--threatens them. Wyatt, worried about Anna's safety, makes a difficult choice and disappears.
Anna believes Wyatt is gone for good and falls into a serious depression out of which even Eric (the fun, charming, living boy) can’t seem to help her. But time heals, and eventually Anna picks herself up, dusts off her broken heart, and sets out to continue her life.
Will Anna reconnect with Wyatt, who desperately loves Anna and who watches from the shadows, or is she destined for a life with the living?
I had a hard time reading this. Filled with such promise and intrigue, it did leave me just feeling disinterested and bored. There were the usual things that get on my nerves like "insta-love" between to two characters, highly prevalent in YA Fiction, and some cheesy dialogue that just made me cringe. Add to that a MC (Anna) who was barely likeable, it just ended up being more than I could really take.
Paul
ARH
May 31, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
Paranormal romance can be hit or miss these days, ever since Twilight shot to the top of the charts for a few years. On one hand, it can be thrilling to incorporate the paranormal and legends into a romance, on the other hand, it can be redundant and or chilling. As always, it depends on the writing.
Anna herself wasn't very fascinating; strong-willed and independent she has never really had close friendships with anyone, except for her father- who she calls by his first name. This is apparently related to the death of her mother from her childhood. At the most, this is the deepest characterization or back story we get for anyone in this book. Her friend Gabby is sidelined by her hunky brother Eric who inexplicably falls for Anna, despite her inexperience and aloofness. He is kind, funny, intelligent, and persistent. And oh-so-irresistable.
What makes this interesting is that Anna isn't really interested in him, as she is falling for the ghost of her new house- 19 year old Wyatt, who apparently stayed behind to meet his soul mate, though he didn't know it until he met Anna. We don't learn much about Wyatt except that his mother loved him and that he went off to war and died. It seems as if his past life isn't much important, even as we learn that Eric's great grandfather was his best friend, which is never broached again after it is imparted upon us.
The writing and the romance is quite giddy and enticing, and I read it all through very quickly. My main criticism is, as always, a lack of depth for any of the characters outside romance. I want to know what makes Eric so kind despite his privileged upbringing and good looks. Why is Gabby friends with Anna, even after Anna admits to being a bad friend? Why does Wyatt not seem to care about his past, only his present, which is strange for a ghost? Shouldn't he be constantly lingering on what he's lost? The idea of a sentient and present ghost needs to be-pardon the pun- fleshed out more. And what is it about Anna that makes her attract such well-meaning people all of a sudden, when she's never had friendship in her life?
All in all, I'd be ready for another book, one where we can delve deeper into who these people really are.
Paranormal romance can be hit or miss these days, ever since Twilight shot to the top of the charts for a few years. On one hand, it can be thrilling to incorporate the paranormal and legends into a romance, on the other hand, it can be redundant and or chilling. As always, it depends on the writing.
Anna herself wasn't very fascinating; strong-willed and independent she has never really had close friendships with anyone, except for her father- who she calls by his first name. This is apparently related to the death of her mother from her childhood. At the most, this is the deepest characterization or back story we get for anyone in this book. Her friend Gabby is sidelined by her hunky brother Eric who inexplicably falls for Anna, despite her inexperience and aloofness. He is kind, funny, intelligent, and persistent. And oh-so-irresistable.
What makes this interesting is that Anna isn't really interested in him, as she is falling for the ghost of her new house- 19 year old Wyatt, who apparently stayed behind to meet his soul mate, though he didn't know it until he met Anna. We don't learn much about Wyatt except that his mother loved him and that he went off to war and died. It seems as if his past life isn't much important, even as we learn that Eric's great grandfather was his best friend, which is never broached again after it is imparted upon us.
The writing and the romance is quite giddy and enticing, and I read it all through very quickly. My main criticism is, as always, a lack of depth for any of the characters outside romance. I want to know what makes Eric so kind despite his privileged upbringing and good looks. Why is Gabby friends with Anna, even after Anna admits to being a bad friend? Why does Wyatt not seem to care about his past, only his present, which is strange for a ghost? Shouldn't he be constantly lingering on what he's lost? The idea of a sentient and present ghost needs to be-pardon the pun- fleshed out more. And what is it about Anna that makes her attract such well-meaning people all of a sudden, when she's never had friendship in her life?
All in all, I'd be ready for another book, one where we can delve deeper into who these people really are.
January 11, 2016
Thank you to the Author/Publisher for my copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I really liked the concept of the book and I did eventually get into it and wanted to keep reading on to find out what was going to happen. Parts of the book made me cringe that much I had to skim read some of it and I just wanted Anna to stop talking but then other parts I did honestly like and I felt it had the potential to be a really good book.
A young girl Anna receives an old house left in an uncle's will, she moves to the town to fix the old place up with her father. She claims to be this shy introvert who is not a people person at all but the hottest guy in the new town has a soft spot for her, Anna, however, has a soft spot for Wyatt the ghost that is haunting the old house.
She claims to be shy and inexperienced but mature for her age, although it is usually Anna making the moves on Wyatt or Eric which I found pretty annoying because it's the usual "I'm so shy I don't know what I'm doing" said most girls.. everywhere! At times, I cringed ALOT for her and she came across as immature and selfish.
I was following the story until the whole he made himself into a solid form... ? What even? No just no! I laughed then skim read till I got back into it and then forgot about this whole part of the book.
I like how Dora introduced the evil spirit but I think she could have done so much more with it as it went a bit flat, I would have loved to have seen a bit more action there but nevertheless, it was still a good read.
My favourite had to be Eric, yes he was far too good to be true yet even when Anna sounded like a crazy nutcase he still had her back and took in everything she says and never once had a second thought that she could be making it up. You go and find yourself a decent woman Eric you deserve it!!
All in all the book is an ok read, I did enjoy parts of it and I am glad I read it and will probably read it again at some point. The layout was kind of screwed up and the spelling in some bits were dodgy but I don't know if it's because I got a version sent to my kindle.
I really liked the concept of the book and I did eventually get into it and wanted to keep reading on to find out what was going to happen. Parts of the book made me cringe that much I had to skim read some of it and I just wanted Anna to stop talking but then other parts I did honestly like and I felt it had the potential to be a really good book.
A young girl Anna receives an old house left in an uncle's will, she moves to the town to fix the old place up with her father. She claims to be this shy introvert who is not a people person at all but the hottest guy in the new town has a soft spot for her, Anna, however, has a soft spot for Wyatt the ghost that is haunting the old house.
She claims to be shy and inexperienced but mature for her age, although it is usually Anna making the moves on Wyatt or Eric which I found pretty annoying because it's the usual "I'm so shy I don't know what I'm doing" said most girls.. everywhere! At times, I cringed ALOT for her and she came across as immature and selfish.
I was following the story until the whole he made himself into a solid form... ? What even? No just no! I laughed then skim read till I got back into it and then forgot about this whole part of the book.
I like how Dora introduced the evil spirit but I think she could have done so much more with it as it went a bit flat, I would have loved to have seen a bit more action there but nevertheless, it was still a good read.
My favourite had to be Eric, yes he was far too good to be true yet even when Anna sounded like a crazy nutcase he still had her back and took in everything she says and never once had a second thought that she could be making it up. You go and find yourself a decent woman Eric you deserve it!!
All in all the book is an ok read, I did enjoy parts of it and I am glad I read it and will probably read it again at some point. The layout was kind of screwed up and the spelling in some bits were dodgy but I don't know if it's because I got a version sent to my kindle.
January 24, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Oh to have a ghost of my own...not really, but this book sure made it sound dreamy. Wyatt has haunted HIS house for more than a hundred years when Anna inherits it from an uncle. She isn't one to be run off by fear of the unknown. Instead, she invites her ghost to sit with her in the study and chat. And he does. OK. I'll admit. It's more complicated than that, but the gist is... this is a beautifully written love story about a girl and her ghost and the lengths he will go to keep her safe.
Not to be a downer, but I had really high hopes for this book--all the way through, but the ending fell a little flat for me. I liked it and would read it again because the beauty of the romance was almost perfectly poetic, but I will always long for a change in the dynamic at the end.
Not to say that the book was bad or disappointing, it was just that my romantic soul for something more for Anna. The beauty of this character was that while I didn't like her and knew in life we would never be besties, the story is written in such a way I wanted to be her friend. I wanted her to have what she wanted and I wanted a happy ending, even when she made me angry for the way she treated Eric. I didn't like that she fell back on her self-imposed isolation as a way to excuse how she treated others, but I did understand it and it made me feel something about her. I think feeling something about a character, like or dislike, is a sign that the character is well rounded enough to elicit an emotion and that is good stuff.
Four shining stars for a wonderful book.
Oh to have a ghost of my own...not really, but this book sure made it sound dreamy. Wyatt has haunted HIS house for more than a hundred years when Anna inherits it from an uncle. She isn't one to be run off by fear of the unknown. Instead, she invites her ghost to sit with her in the study and chat. And he does. OK. I'll admit. It's more complicated than that, but the gist is... this is a beautifully written love story about a girl and her ghost and the lengths he will go to keep her safe.
Not to be a downer, but I had really high hopes for this book--all the way through, but the ending fell a little flat for me. I liked it and would read it again because the beauty of the romance was almost perfectly poetic, but I will always long for a change in the dynamic at the end.
Not to say that the book was bad or disappointing, it was just that my romantic soul for something more for Anna. The beauty of this character was that while I didn't like her and knew in life we would never be besties, the story is written in such a way I wanted to be her friend. I wanted her to have what she wanted and I wanted a happy ending, even when she made me angry for the way she treated Eric. I didn't like that she fell back on her self-imposed isolation as a way to excuse how she treated others, but I did understand it and it made me feel something about her. I think feeling something about a character, like or dislike, is a sign that the character is well rounded enough to elicit an emotion and that is good stuff.
Four shining stars for a wonderful book.
May 11, 2016
Between is a love story, a ghost story, and a coming-of-age story. Seventeen-year-old Anna has inherited an old Victorian house in Florida, and she and her father have moved there from Chicago to fix it up and sell it. Anna is an introvert and perfectly happy to keep to herself, but a local guy, Eric, becomes interested in her and offers to help Anna and her dad work on the house over the summer and she reluctantly accepts his help.
The house is supposedly haunted, and it doesn’t take long for Anna to notice a chill in the air that comes and goes, along with the sensation that she’s being watched. And then, one day, she hears a voice ask why she’s there, and when she responds, her relationship with Wyatt begins.
Wyatt is a nineteen-year-old who died in combat during World War I. He is caught in the “between,” no longer alive, but not ready to cross over to the light. He has chosen to remain as a spirit in the Victorian, the house of his childhood, where he does his best to discourage newcomers from sticking around. But Anna is not scared off; instead, she is the first person to acknowledge his presence without fear. And Wyatt realizes he finally has what he lost because of his premature death—he has found the love of his life. Unfortunately, she is of the real world, and he is not.
The story covers young love in all its painful stages, with an otherworldly threat and a few other complications thrown in for good measure. Anna learns new things about herself and is forced to make hard decisions that will affect the rest of her life.
The house is supposedly haunted, and it doesn’t take long for Anna to notice a chill in the air that comes and goes, along with the sensation that she’s being watched. And then, one day, she hears a voice ask why she’s there, and when she responds, her relationship with Wyatt begins.
Wyatt is a nineteen-year-old who died in combat during World War I. He is caught in the “between,” no longer alive, but not ready to cross over to the light. He has chosen to remain as a spirit in the Victorian, the house of his childhood, where he does his best to discourage newcomers from sticking around. But Anna is not scared off; instead, she is the first person to acknowledge his presence without fear. And Wyatt realizes he finally has what he lost because of his premature death—he has found the love of his life. Unfortunately, she is of the real world, and he is not.
The story covers young love in all its painful stages, with an otherworldly threat and a few other complications thrown in for good measure. Anna learns new things about herself and is forced to make hard decisions that will affect the rest of her life.
April 22, 2015
I received a copy for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. As far as ghost stories go, this is not very scary. A little creepy at times but it doesn't keep you at the edge of your seat or reading with the lights on. The love story definitely gave me butterflies and on more than one occasion, I caught fellow commuters staring at me while I made squeals of joy and giddy smiles as I was reading on the train. Yes, it was really corny but it was incredibly cute. Although I was sad with the outcome, I'm kind of glad it ended the way it did. We are left with the opportunity to read a sequel but if there isn't one, I think it could end as is.
The flow of the story was really engaging and I had a hard time putting it down. In general, the characters were likeable. All-in-all, this was a cute, sweet, easy read. I would definitely recommend it!
I really enjoyed this book. As far as ghost stories go, this is not very scary. A little creepy at times but it doesn't keep you at the edge of your seat or reading with the lights on. The love story definitely gave me butterflies and on more than one occasion, I caught fellow commuters staring at me while I made squeals of joy and giddy smiles as I was reading on the train. Yes, it was really corny but it was incredibly cute. Although I was sad with the outcome, I'm kind of glad it ended the way it did. We are left with the opportunity to read a sequel but if there isn't one, I think it could end as is.
The flow of the story was really engaging and I had a hard time putting it down. In general, the characters were likeable. All-in-all, this was a cute, sweet, easy read. I would definitely recommend it!
December 5, 2014
Between by Dora Hilburn is a young adult love story. Anna has inherited Fenway house from her uncle and has come to fix it up with her father before selling it to pay for her college education. No one has lived in the house for a long time. It is reputed to be haunted. Even Anna’s uncle never lived in the house. He purchased it and just visited it on occasion. Anna senses that there is something or someone in the house and catches glimpses of someone out of the corner of her eye. One night she sketches a face of a man that she has never seen or met and then dreams about him. Wyatt has been in the house since he died. His family lived in the house before he passed away and he returned to it after his death. This is the beginning of Anna and Wyatt time together. Between is such a lovely and heartbreaking love story. I enjoyed Between and I hope that Dora Hilburn plans to write another book to continue Anna and Wyatt’s story. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of the book. Happy Reading!
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March 18, 2015
When seventeen year old Anna moves into the house she inherited, she plans to restore it and sell it to fund her college education. Her plan goes sideways when she encounters a ghost, a WW 1 soldier who grew up in the house, and develops an intense interest in him. Things become more confusing when she is befriended by a local who wants to help her restore her house and an attraction sparks between them. This was a sweet paranormal romance appropriate for all ages, but would be most enjoyed by middle school and high school readers. While not scary, there was adequate suspense and a creepy threat to the protagonist. There were holes -- some things were resolved in a way that felt too pat, and there was insta-love which might annoy more discerning readers. The ending was satisfying. Appropriate language and light sensuality. I would add it to my classroom library and encourage my paranormal romance readers to give it a try. I received this book as an ARC through Net Galley, but this is my unbiased opinion.
August 8, 2015
I liked the premise of the story....BUT...there were a lot of things that really annoyed me. It is cliched, from the characters to the dialogue it just lacked originality. It felt a lot like Twilight in places but with characters that were never completely developed and generally one dimensional. I found myself cringing sometimes at the dialogue which again was frequently cliched but mostly felt forced an inauthentic. A huge amount of time was spent describing how Anna was renovating the house to the point that it frequently sounded a lot like a recount of a renovation rather than a ghost story and the relationship between Bella and Edward (I mean Anna and Wyatt). It was told first person past tense and personally I think this was a bad choice as the reader lost the sense of being in the moment.
All of this is a dreaded shame because I really liked the story. I just think it needs a big rewrite, less telling and more development of character.
All of this is a dreaded shame because I really liked the story. I just think it needs a big rewrite, less telling and more development of character.
August 2, 2016
Between is a YA book about a girl and her widower father restoring a house in Apalachicola, Florida. After her uncle leaves her an old vacant home in his will, Anna and her father determine to fix the place up and sell it to pay for her future college education.
Between opens as a story with a great prologue and lots of potential. The story progresses nicely until it hits a standstill which makes this book more romance than paranormal. This story could have been truly great, but the heavy romance took away from character development and the realism of the story.
Suitable for older readers, Between includes scenes and moments of heavy physical attraction. The titillating drama stops short of making it inappropriate for YA readers, but only just so. The ending, although ties up most loose ends, is unfulfilling.
Between opens as a story with a great prologue and lots of potential. The story progresses nicely until it hits a standstill which makes this book more romance than paranormal. This story could have been truly great, but the heavy romance took away from character development and the realism of the story.
Suitable for older readers, Between includes scenes and moments of heavy physical attraction. The titillating drama stops short of making it inappropriate for YA readers, but only just so. The ending, although ties up most loose ends, is unfulfilling.
March 6, 2016
I enjoyed the book a solid story line with up's and downs that pulled readers in. A great build up leading you to the end. I liked the idea behind the story and how it played out and while I would have loved a happier ending but it was also easy to like the reality that not all books have the ending you think you want and you learn that sometimes the best endings are the ones you don't see coming.
There are a few things that I would have liked the book to have been longer and more depth but that's just me being picky. The book is a nice fast read that was easy to get into and like with an end that might leave you feeling more than you thought you would.
There are a few things that I would have liked the book to have been longer and more depth but that's just me being picky. The book is a nice fast read that was easy to get into and like with an end that might leave you feeling more than you thought you would.
October 13, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It was a great mix of YA and Sci-fi. The character building was well done and the scene was well set for Anna and her ghost friend to meet. Not much world building was done or even needed but that was ok. It was set in modern day so the intro to the character's lives were enough. My only real beef with this story was the lack of potential to dive into the "evil" character. And maybe that is something that will be explored in a sequel so I won't harp on it. Also, it's kind of left open ended as to whether or not Wyatt is actually gone so I'm hoping that is left open for a sequel as well. All in all, nice addition to the YA genre.
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