It could have been that I was just excited to read what would happen, it could be that I just wanted to see Maddie with Angus and not Ellis. My only complaint is that it felt like the story got overly long about three quarters of the way in.

Sara makes sure that you see the world as Maddie sees it – when her naive bubble bursts, yours does as well, due to masterful writing. And on the other hand, you don’t see Angus as the gentle protector or love interest until Maddie sees him that way. You don’t see Ellis for the monster he truly is right away – it’s a gradual realization that comes along as Maddie sees it. One thing I love about Sara Gruen’s writing is the way that she handles abuse and manipulation. Warning: Spoilers for the book from this point on. While there, in a little inn in Scotland with the backdrop of the Great War, Maddie learns about herself, about her husband, about monsters, and about love – there are monsters all around her. When they lose everything, Maddie goes to Scotland with Ellis and their wealthy friend Hank, in an effort to regain Ellis’ dignity back by finding the Loch Ness monster (though his father had fakes the pictures years before). In the book, Maddie is married to Ellis, who is dependent on his family’s wealth. I had read Water for Elephants when it first came out years ago, and loved it, so I was pumped to pick up At the Water’s Edge and find Gruen’s style similar to her debut novel – lyrical and surprisingly contemporary for a historical fiction.

So I went into At the Water’s Edge blind, in that I knew the author’s name, but not a thing about the book.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen