Review: Love Beyond Time

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It began nearly four hundred years ago. The Conall clan and all their people were murdered in a surprise attack, their beloved castle and all evidence of who destroyed them burned to the ground with their bodies. In the centuries following, archaeologists searched through the ruins looking for any evidence of what or who had caused the untimely demise of such a powerful Scottish clan. All efforts were fruitless, until a spell put in place by an ancient Conall ancestor finally began to work its magic...

Texas kindergarten teacher, Brielle Montgomery, finds comfort in the mundane routines of her life, but when her archaeologist mother asks her to accompany her on a dig in Scotland, she decides to step out of her comfort zone. Once in Scotland, they discover a secret spell room below the castle ruins, and Bri finds herself transported back in time and suddenly married to the castle's ill-fated Laird. Now, she must work to change the fate of his people, all while trying to find a way to return to her home and century. But with each passing day, Bri finds herself falling more deeply in love with her new husband. If she can find a spell to bring her home, will she use it? And if she stays, will it ultimately mean her own death as well?

Genre: time travel romance

Publication date: November 2013

Mature content: yes

Review: I love time travel romances but, to be honest, I was a bit disappointed with this book.

What I liked: 

• The general direction of the plot, especially how Bri goes back in time and tries to save the Conall clan from what seemed to be their fate.
• Bri and Eoin's sweet romance and how they become friends before anything else.
• The fact that Bri and her mother manage to pass messages back and forth through time, that adds a different twist to the story.

 

What I didn't like so much: 

• I would have liked to have a bit more background about Morna and her predictions. I know that there's a series of books before this one that probably contains more information, but at the beginning of a new series readers should be given some more insight. 
• That Bri's time travel was predetermined and that people in the 17th century believed it to be possible baffled me. That they accepted and discussed freely that Morna was a witch seems difficult to accept from and historical point of view. 
• The archaeological expedition led my Bri's mother also seems a bit of a sham. She goes alone, without any backup other than a grant and enrolls her daughter, who seems to lack any relevant experience in the field as her assistant. Convenient for the story, but unrealistic. 
• That Bri could read documents from the 17th century as if she was reading yesterday's newspaper. Even assuming they were written in English - which they had to be as a bit further on we are told she doesn't speak Gaelic, written English at that time was different from today's. Not impossible to read but for someone untrained it would certainly take some time to digest.
• Blaire is a totally inconsistent character. The first time we meet her she behaves like a spoiled brat, loud and rude. But a few days later she's apologizing and apparently falling in love with Eoin's brother Arran and afterwards she also seems perfectly reasonable.

I found too many holes in the plot, especially in the beginning, to be able to rate Love Beyond Time with more than three stars. It's not overall bad though, and I confess I am curious about the other books in the series, especially the next one, Love Beyond Reason: A Scottish, Time-Traveling Romance (Book 2 of Morna's Legacy Series), which is supposed to reunite Arran and Blaire.

Happy readings,