Tag: Rach Random Resources

This book contains:

• References to drug use
• Set up of illicit drugs with the intent to distribute
• Attempted and committed murder
• Attempted rape
• Various forms of theft.

Skye lives in a remote part of Scotland where she’s easily gone months without seeing another human. While part of this comes down to the success of her self-sufficient property, some of this comes down to an unwillingness to be go into town unless strictly necessary.

Rafe on the other hand has been living on the road for a couple of years and is looking for something, not that he knows what that is just yet. When he hears about Skye potentially needing an extra set of hands for the summer, he offers his services in exchange for a place to park his camper van and food. He’s a fairly simple man, just wants to live a happy life, but he’s found that difficult in recent years for reasons you’ll discover as you read.

Skye’s been trying to do everything herself after her husband left, and money is fast running out. Trying to make her slice of Scottish heaven profitable so she can remain on the land is difficult to say the least. Especially after everything her husband has done to her and the village locals.

Cue Rafe coming into town and needing some seasonal work, who just also happens to have the skillset Skye needs to make a difference.

As they work together they come to grips with their own pasts and what they want from the future, while also facing down the history of the area (in a very time-slip kinda way) and their own pasts that keep wanting to be a part of their present.

While this Viking era-esque novel is quite different to the previous books I’ve read from Christina Courtenay, it keeps the hallmarks of her style. Romance, danger, time travel, a mystery and forces beyond their knowledge and comprehension pushing the main characters in a certain direction.

The best part about this was actually the little nugget of info I got from reading the Author’s Acknowledgements (I never read these and I think I accidentally started accidentally) which gave me an insight I wouldn’t have otherwise known. In this case, that Christina has actually never been to the part of Scotland this story is set in and she normally likes to travel to the locations she writes about to ensure it’s authenticity.

I was following along some of the locations on Google Maps, and as an Aussie who’s never been to Europe let alone Scotland, I would never have known she’d never been! Instead, she enlisted the help of some friends who lived in the area and made sure she stuck to that area to ensure it stayed authentic. That’s the kind of dedication you don’t expect from an author when they write a book while stuck in lockdown!

This dedication is also part of why Christina’s books feel so real. You can imagine the trees, the smell, the feel of the earth and all the sights wherever she set’s her books. That’s the kind of immersion into a book not all authors are capable of achieving, especially about a location they don’t live in themselves.

Continue to read further down to find out about the author and any extra giveaways available.

Author Bio

Giveaway – Win a signed copy of Hidden in the Mists Viking tea-towel and Viking carved butter knife (open internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.