Blurb
Some stories change your life. Some help you rebuild it.
After ten years in a toxic relationship, Sadie Reed is done being anyone’s cautionary tale. By day, she edits other people’s stories—polishing their words and pushing their dreams forward—while quietly abandoning her own. So when she’s offered one impossible assignment—to fly to a quiet English village and convince reclusive bestselling author Corbyn Pearce to finish the novel he’s been avoiding—she says yes.
Corbyn is brilliant. Corbyn is infuriating.
Corbyn is absolutely not interested in being “handled.”
Scarred by a tragic accident and locked behind walls he refuses to lower, he has driven away every editor sent his way—until Sadie. Their clash is immediate, marked by sharp wit, creative friction, and a connection neither of them is prepared for.
As professional battles soften into late-night conversations and tentative trust, old wounds resurface—hers from the man she escaped, his from the betrayal he never recovered from. And when a long-buried truth pulls them back to a single, unforgettable moment from their past, Sadie must decide:
Is she brave enough to rewrite her story?
And will Corbyn choose to be part of it?
Review
Developmental editor Sadie Reed has finally left her abusive boyfriend and accepts a position in a small English village to work with a troubled writer. She has the patience of a saint and time away from her real life was exactly what she needed to figure things out.
Mystery crime writer Corbyn Pearce is struggling to finish his contracted manuscript and is far past his deadline. The last thing he wants is an editor butting in and changing his story. After a horrific car accident a few years earlier, he’s shut out the world except for a select few people whom he implicitly trusts.
For the most part, I liked this story. Both Sadie and Corbyn have experienced severe trauma, and Ms. Magruder handled it with care and respect. That stated, I had a hard time sympathizing with Sadie when it came to her defending her abusive ex and not taking the necessary steps to get him out of her life. However, she was smart and formidable when it came to her job.
My favorite character was Corbyn. Even though he was a bit too gruff at times, I completely understood why and sympathized. He was protective over his writing and valued his privacy.
Ms. Magruder’s writing flowed well, though the pacing did slip at times, mostly due to so many scenes taking place in the same location. The characters’ thoughts also became repetitive when they were trying to establish boundaries between their professional relationship and growing friendship.
I’m normally a spicy romance reader, but I wanted to try this book because the blurb sounded so good. Unfortunately, the romance part didn’t begin until about the last 20% of the story. The main characters start as adversaries and slowly become confidants and friends. There was no desire or romantic feelings until the end.
Overall, this is good contemporary fiction with flawed, three-dimensional characters set in the beautiful English countryside. Friendship plays a large role while romance is on the light side. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romance will surely like Between The Lines.
4 Stars
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