A Rip in the Veil

From the author:

“Reluctant time traveller meets 17th century fugitive – disaster or romance?

On a muggy August day in 2002 Alex Lind disappears without a trace. On an equally stifling August day in 1658, Matthew Graham finds her on an empty Scottish moor. Life will never be the same for Alex – or for Matthew.

Due to a series of rare occurrences, Alexandra Lind is thrown three centuries backwards in time. She lands at the feet of Matthew Graham – an escaped convict making his way home to Scotland in this the year of our Lord, 1658.

Matthew doesn’t quite know what to make of this concussed and injured woman who has seemingly fallen from the skies- what is she, a witch?

Alex gawks at this tall, gaunt man with hazel eyes, dressed in what to her mostly looks like rags. At first she thinks he might be some sort of hermit, an oddball, but she quickly realises the odd one out is she, not he.

Catapulted from a life of modern comfort, Alex grapples with this new existence, further complicated by the dawning realization that someone from her time has followed her here – and not exactly to extend a helping hand.

Potential compensation for this brutal shift in fate comes in the shape of Matthew – a man she should never have met, not when she was born three centuries after him. But for all that Matthew quickly proves himself a willing and most capable protector he comes with baggage of his own, and on occasion it seems his past will see him killed. At times Alex finds it all excessively exciting, longing for the structured life she used to have.

How will she ever get back? And more importantly, does she want to?”

My review:

This book was interesting in many ways. I liked the present day part and I liked the history part as well. Alex Lind slips through a crevasse in time landing three hundred years prior to her birth. Since I like reading period pieces, the 17th century was good for me. I find this boo to be a genre of Historical/Romance/Drama/Fantasy and not really a sci-fi type of book. Alex had a lot, and I do mean a lot to work through from those she left behind in her first life to being a person who was more like chattel in the 17th century. That’s a lot to take in and it can only be done in small doses. The historical portion is correct. Romance does bloom. A babe is born. This book is woven well. For those who like this style of reading, go for it. For the effort, the history, and how it was well woven, I give it five stars. A good edit would make this book shine brighter. 

Book blurb found on Amazon for Fat Dogs and French Estates: 

When Beth, her beloved dog, Sam, and grumpy husband, Jack, return to France, disaster strikes. As they battle to restore order to their home, French authorities visit with shocking news.

Obliged to sit examinations in French, coping with furred and feathered babies, and wrangling French tradesmen, there’s no let-up in this action-packed episode of the Haslams’ adventures.

My review:

This is the fourth book I’ve read in this series. By far, this book has touched me deeply in many ways. First, a major storm that left major destruction, devastation, and death in its wake reminded me of a tornado that my boys and I lived through in the summer of 1985. I truly felt the fear and the devastation of the trees and more intensely. For a book to move me intensely is the mark of a quality book. Along the way, one dog and one kitten pass away and I was emotionally thrown by both. The dog, Sam, was old and had lived a long life. It was time for him to rest. My first dog, a Cocker Spaniel, was hit by a car and had to be put down. Beth’s dog had to be put down due his age and disease status. Sam is also the name of my youngest son who died after a horrid cancer battle. However, this book isn’t all tragic, not at all! Awesome British humor is found throughout sprinkled in with generous helpings of how the renovations are going and the damage clean up. Descriptions of the furnishings, solid wood, were tantalizing for me as were the granite counters and tile work. I always wanted a home like this, and never will, but now I have lived it vicariously through Beth’s books. I digress, but truly this is one exceptional book rich in the above and all things French! A solid FIVE stars!