A Question of Trust

I had a hard time locating this book but it was worth it. I don't wholeheartedly like all of Alexandra Raife's books, so it's a gamble paying the higher price for hard-to-find books--Mountain Heather and The Way Home come to mind as not being worth the price--but this one was worth it, defnitely a keeper. If you've read Wild Highland Home or (The Larach, if it's the UK version), Drumveyn, or Until Spring (Sun on Snow in the UK) and loved those stories, you will love this story also. The characters are absorbing and likable in the same way. A Question of Trust tells the story of Jon and Philippa (she is briefly mentioned in Drumveyn) who meet by chance in the Scottish highlands near the village of Muirend (also mentioned in other Raife books). Jon is one of the most unlikable characters you will ever encounter in a romance novel. He's determined to make bad choices, he's moody, a mean drunk--just an all around unlikable fellow. When Jon falls deeply in love with Philippa at first sight, Raife takes you into his head and makes you understand what makes him tick. In spite of his off-putting personality, you come to know and love him as do the other characters in the novel. You are cheered by how he manages to put an appalling childhood behind him and raise an extremely low self-image to lose the chip on his shoulder. How he becomes the man that Philippa deserves, makes for a great story. Especially in these modern times where so many troubled adults cannot be, or are not given the chance to be redeemed. You are less involved with Philippa than you are with Jon in this story. She's already made the journey to rid herself of the horrors of her past and reclaim herself before the story begins. The self-assurance and sunny outlook that she's won for herself is what attracts Jon to her. A prequel to her story (hint, hint) would give you some insight into her journey--much like Catriona Finlay's character in first, Wild Highland Home and then, Among Friends. The village is a secondary character that contributes to the story's charm. Much like Wild Highland Home and Among Friends, the village is so realistically drawn that you feel physically chilled (even while reading on the beach) when they are cold and depressed when they are depressed. As in all Raife's novels, even the stories that I didn't like as much as this one, the characters that live in and outside of the village, some who are struggling with ancient estate homes, are wonderfully drawn. You are left hoping that they all get a story of their own. Max and his mother, Eleanor Munro from Until Spring (Sun on Snow) are mentioned in this story as well as the folks from Drumveyn. I feel that there must be a story about Penny and Andrew Forsyth out there or that needs to be told as their famous August barbeque is mentioned in few Alexandra Raife novels. If you can locate this book, it's worth it.