Product Description

This visually magical tale takes the reader on a journey from the remote shores of Loch Hourn in the Scottish Highlands to the singular beauty of Cape Cod. When Anna MacDonald leaves Edinburgh to find peace in the Scottish Highlands, she gets a twofold surprise: a lost sailor teaches her to love again...while a mysterious stranger has plans to kill her. Passed over for promotion by her boss-and boyfriend, Anna walks off the job in anger. But being reactionary has its price. Now she can no longer afford the rent on her Edinburgh apartment. So she retreats to the only place she has ever felt happy - her grandmother's croft on the edge of a Highland loch. With no phone or neighbours, and only two border collies for company, Anna sets out to finally achieve her lifelong dream; to write-and sell-the novel that has burned within her for years. Luke Tallantyre, a renowned Cape Cod artist, has sailed across the Atlantic to escape an artistic dry spell, and come to terms with his dangerous past. When his yacht develops a problem he drops anchor in Loch Hourn. He rows ashore, and knocking on the door of the croft, asks to use the telephone, but the reception he receives is less than welcoming - in fact it's downright frosty. Anna resents the cranky American's intrusion to her seemingly idyllic life. Luke thinks she's an ill-mannered hermit. But an unseen assassin is after one of them. So they unwillingly join forces and embark on an adventure neither ever imagined, including a chance at true love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #395933 in Books
• Published on: 2009-02-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

Review
Anna MacDonald has been betrayed! The coveted teaching position she has been waiting to get has been given to the other woman that her boss, and boyfriend, has been sleeping with. In anger, Anna quits her job, gives up her flat in Edinburgh, and takes off for the only place that she has ever felt truly happy - Anna's late grandmother's croft, located on the shores of Loch Hourn, in the Scottish Highlands. The croft is isolated. Anna has no phone, no close neighbors, and only her two border collies for company. Her plan for the summer is to nurse her broken heart and pride back to normal while working on the novel she has been yearning to write for years. She doesn't plan for company during this time. Especially not the unexpectedly handsome company offered in the form of the slightly rude American who knocks at her door one morning. Luke Tallantyre is a well-known artist from Cape Cod Massachusetts. Faced with an artistic dry spell, he has set sail for the unknown wilds of Scotland. He has braved the Atlantic Ocean alone, and has come to Loch Hourn. When his yacht develops a navigational problem, he ends up knocking on Anna's door for help. Anna is more than a little resentful of Luke's intrusion. Faced with an attraction she doesn't know how to handle after her last rejection, she finds him an unwelcome distraction into her hermetic life. However, when an unknown assassin tries several times to kill both Anna and Luke, they find themselves thrown together in an attempt to find out why. Will Anna and Luke find out who is trying to kill them and why? Will either of them realize the opportunity for true love that arises during the time they spend together? I really enjoyed this book. The story drew me in quickly. I found myself having to pace my reading in order not to rush through the book. I enjoyed Victoria Howard s descriptions of the Scottish Highlands, and Loch Hourn. --Armchair Interviews, Jenny Saylers, Reviewer

The House on the Shore is a sensually suspenseful story filled with non-stop action, romance, and mystery. The facts of Scotland are told with brilliant description that bring the land to life and leave you feeling as if you have stepped out of your world and into the pages. Ms. Howard uses such passion and emotion when telling her story, making the tale flow right along until the last page is turned. With many different characters that will keep you guessing, this novel is the perfect example of how a suspenseful story should be told. Thrilling until the very end, this book has a who-done-it attitude with such an aching tone of sensuality and love, it will keep you up all night just so you can finish this fantastic tale. The House on the Shore is an enjoyable read. In it, Victoria Howard presents a well-crafted page turner that unfolds at just the right pace, ensuring that the reader's attention is held captive with each new mysterious development. Howard also does a commendable job of infusing her characters with vivid, palpable personality, framing their inclinations and reactions in the three-dimensional, thus making it easy for readers to relate to them in very real, practical terms. A quick but compelling read, The House on the Shore is a can't miss suspense thriller with a surprisingly potent punch, and one that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. --Danielle, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

The House on the Shore is an enjoyable read. In it, Victoria Howard presents a well-crafted page turner that unfolds at just the right pace, ensuring that the reader's attention is held captive with each new mysterious development. Howard also does a commendable job of infusing her characters with vivid, palpable personality, framing their inclinations and reactions in the three-dimensional, thus making it easy for readers to relate to them in very real, practical terms. A quick but compelling read, The House on the Shore is a can't miss suspense thriller with a surprisingly potent punch, and one that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. --Renee Washburn, Apex Reviews

About the Author
Victoria Howard was born in Liverpool, England, at a time when the Beatles (Twist and Shout!) were becoming popular. Her family moved to the Wirral on the posh side of the river Mersey when she was eleven. She attended the local girls grammar school, going on to college where she graduated with a Medical Secretarial Diploma. She worked as a medical secretary to an ophthalmic surgeon before going on to work as a legal secretary. In 1980 she moved to Scotland with her husband. She spent the next twenty years living in a croft on the outskirts of a village in the Highlands, and while there, managed a company involved in the offshore oil industry. She feels Scotland is her spiritual home, which is probably the reason why she used it for the setting of her second novel. In October 2000, Victoria moved to South Yorkshire to be with her new partner, Stephen, and until recently, she worked for Britain's National Health Service. An avid reader, Victoria has always enjoyed writing and recounting stories mainly in the form of letters to friends. She recently completed an Open University course in writing fiction, and has attended a number of writers conferences. Victoria is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. A frequent traveller to the United States and Europe, Victoria also enjoys walking her border collie, Lucy, gardening, listening to music, and designing knitwear. The House on the Shore is her second novel. She is currently working on a third manuscript, Ring of Lies.

Customer Reviews

A Great Read
For someone who is of Scots-Irish descent, reading a romantic suspense set on the shores of Loch Hourn was a delight. The House on the Shore had romance, suspense, and a glimpse into the lives of Scots past and present. The heartrending `story within the story' added just enough background to truly appreciate Anna's determination to protect her land.

Don't miss the latest from romance author Victoria Howard.

A Terrific Love Story
Anna MacDonald and Luke Tallantyre are destined to be counted in as one of the great love stories - This suspenseful novel was filled with passion and intrigue. Ms. Howard kept me turning the pages NEEDING to know what happened next.

Her description of the Scottish countryside was phenomenal and allowed the reader to feel the beauty of the land as if they were actually there.

I look forward to reading more of Victoria Howard's work.

I couldn't put it down!
Can't recommend this one highly enough. It's a worthy successor to Howard's other fine work, Three Weeks Last Spring. Well written with heartbreakingly real characters and a great story. I love it!!!