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Tbascoebuzz

Brilliantly told...

Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2016

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Once again Ms. Belfrage wastes little time with preliminaries and sets the action into motion beginning with Matthew shanghaied onto a ship and sold into slavery in the Colonies. His wife, Alex, is immediately on the fastest slow moving 17th century ship to his rescue. Lots of drama. Lots of nail biting suspense as Alex journeys across the Atlantic. This second installment of THE GRAHAM SAGA was a home run. Ms. Belfrage hit that ball outta the park!

I liked how, now and then, Alex is able to get a hopeful message to the 21st century. With various time portals available to her, she sometimes see's her family that she's left behind in 2002, and they can see her as well. Still she has no way of knowing if she's dreaming or if it's a wishful thought from her homesickness when this happens to her. And if true, she has no way of knowing if her verbal messages have successfully been heard or intercepted. Once these portals open, they come alive and try to take her into them with a great force. Alex is learning and figuring out the mystery and danger behind these time portals. While on her long journey to rescue Matthew, she experiences "thoughts" and "feelings" (psychic visions??) of Matthew and the hell he's in. And they each are so connected to each other that they're both able to draw strength and hope from the other.

This author has an excellent talent of conveying the enormous love and devotion that Matthew and Alex hold for each other. A perfect knack of relaying the velocity of their devotion. And the barriers that they each must overcome once Matthew is rescued are profound. So much has happened --- so much has changed within Matthew because of the hell he lives through. So much has been destroyed within him and he is faced with tremendous bitterness and rage at the injustice of it all. His anger towards the person(s) who contrived to have him abducted causes a deep resentment to grow; forcing Matthew to stop and think and deal with the possible repercussions should he take his revenge. Through everything that Matthew goes through, he comes out of it no longer able to forgive his enemy. Even though he's a God fearing man and holds his faith dear...he begins to nurture his hate that is overtaking his soul, vowing to get his revenge.

I loved this second installment. It drags a little bit with the hell that Matthew and Alex are experiencing and how they face each other's changed life. The point was pounded home with perfect precision...but I understood (while reading) that it was necessary for this author to convey the enormous hellish injustices that have been dumped over and over again on these two people. It wasn't overplayed...it was necessary. And yes...this story DID remind me now and then of the original Outlander . The journey to the West Indies; being indentured; scarred back from whippings; apothecary visits etc. It was sort of like Ms. Belfrage used OUTLANDER as a guide for her storytelling...taking a few scenes from that fabulous saga and then changes it up a bit. Even so, I loved this story enough to continue onto the third installment. Ms. Belfrage perfectly reiterates past events from book #1 bringing any new readers up to date. This second installment could stand alone....but why miss out on the time-traveling adventure and suspense of the first installment? Without reading the first installment A Rip in the Veil (The Graham Saga Book 1) , you miss the beginning of this brilliant story.

seattlejanie

Good read, sex scenes tmi & Mathew needs his head put on straight

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015

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I loved book number 1, I would say this 2nd book in the series is very good but not quite the level of the first book. As is so often the case in a series. Detractions, the overly numerous and increasingly graphic bedroom scenes between Alex and Mathew. Yes, we gather that they have a great chemistry. Its still a little tough for me to relate to a husband who won't take no for an answer no matter how Alex feels at the moment - yes these were the times but she is a modern woman. At the very least I would expect for her to not take it with a wink & a nod and all in good humor. Spoiler alert: details included that you may not wish to read if they could spoil the book for you.

The 2nd thing that really aggravated me is the number of times Mathew suffers grievous injury due to his psychotic / sociopath brother Luke, and in the course of a life & death battle decides to spare his life. Being kidnapped & shipped off as an indentured servant / basically a death sentence given the conditions, beating Alex to the point of making her miscarry, & various attempts on their lives all traced back to Luke. Then instead of killing him he permanently & grotesquely disfigures Luke's face by cutting off his nose. So take an already vicious & ruthless psychopath & do something that will only embitter him further, while removing none of his ability to seek retribution. At times Mathew is so bone headed I wonder if he got dropped on his head as a ween, lol.
It's still a very well written book & hugely entertaining. It is lovely to see the interplay of the midwife from the first book, be her companion & good friend / travel partner to journey to America to attempt to find Mathew & buy back his indenture. Also having her son pop back through time where she can see him once more.

JanChris

Enjoying the Graham Saga very much!

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016

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I love a good time-travel story, and this is another very interesting concept for "how it happens". As for life in the 17th Century, it's got similarities to the Outlander series, which takes place in the 18th Century. Both are very interesting as to how they experience the adjustments a modern person makes to life in another era! Love the little anachronisms, like Alex's verbal expressions that are such a curiosity to Matthew. Very nice love story-- and agonizing "hate" story too, which causes a lot of the drama-- but all these types of stories have to have that drama-- it's just hard to take sometimes. Anyway, I finished the Gabaldon series years ago, and it's nice to have found the Graham saga.

Sofia Marlú

A promise delivered!

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2013

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Having enjoyed A Rip in the Veil, I approached Like Chaff in the Wind with some trepidation. Would the second book be as good as the first, or was I up for a disappointment?
Halfway through chapter one, I knew I was in for as exciting a read as in book one, and for the coming days it was all I could do to lay the book aside for such minor irritants as work and household chores, so eager was I to return to the world of Alex and Matthew, Ms Belfrage’s vivid – and very human – main characters.

The dialogue is great, the descriptions evoque smells and sounds, and sometimes it feels as if I’m watching a movie in my head. Historical detail is inserted skillfully, there are a number of endearing cameo characters ( I love Mrs Gordon) and in general the language is very enjoyable – at times even poetic. The story as such is fastpaced, with twists and turns that kept me glued to the book, and yet despite all this action this book is mostly about love, the enduring kind of love that has Alex traipsing halfway round the world in search of her man. I guess I’m a sucker for that kind of story, because with Matthew and Alex Ms Belfrage has created a couple that has me totally hooked. I like how they interact, how they love and fight, I love the honesty between them and how vulnerable they dare to be with each other.

It was with relief I discovered the next Matthew and Alex book is due this summer. I for one can’t wait to find out what happens next!

Sofia Marlú

Top reviews from other countries

Alison Morton

Another ripping yarn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2014

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Having enjoyed A Rip in the Veil, I was a little anxious about whether this sequel would be as good. I needn’t have worried. In fact, I think I liked it better! The relationship between Alex and Matthew is developing nicely, stabilising as they add to their family. All the good guys and bad guys are there, both the addition of some exceedingly unsavoury new bad guys.

Occasionally, I wanted to shout “Noooo!” as either Alex or Matthew (mostly Matthew!) did something silly, but that “something” usually racked up the suspense which was deliciously tense throughout. The harshness of the 17th century colonial America for indentured - read slave - labour was grimly described: meagre rations, gruelling, long days of work, beatings and ground-in indifference reminded me of accounts of 1930/40s Nazi Germany.

The timeslip story adds another layer and allows us to engage well with Alex. I hope it’s not a spoiler, but I thought Isaac’s visit was a little short and would have liked to have seen him stranded until the next book, but that’s a personal niggle. The writing is vivid and succinct, drawing you on inexorably to the next chapter. Ms Belfrage, I will be reading your next book very soon.

Mrs Yvonne Payne

Batten down the hatches and settle in, you won't want to pause in your reading.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 13, 2016

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In want of an absorbing read, I turned to this second book in the series. When I enjoyed the first book, I thought the time slip element was hardly necessary; it was such a good historical novel. During this book, I suddenly ‘got it’ and became hooked and the importance of the time slip gripped me. I was pleased to have more glimpses into the ‘current day’ our heroine, Alex had left behind. Some of my unanswered questions from the first book were dealt with very neatly and convincingly. Anna Belfrage is certainly a wonderful storyteller. I feel lucky to have so much of the series ahead of me.

Mrs. J. Dalbeith

Like chaff in the wind

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 6, 2020

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It was not always easy to follow the story but for me i t was good completely different to most books I have read and enjoyed historical fiction was my specialty yes I would read another book by this authoress

Magpie

Totally absorbing.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 14, 2018

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This is only the second book that I read by this author and already I'm clamouring for more. Getting totally absorbed in the storyline I find it hard to put down, always wanting to begin the next chapter even though the end of a chapter is the best way stop reading. What does it matter if the potatoes boil over, I'm enjoying this.

Penny Whiting

Oh Matthew and Alex where art thou?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 24, 2015

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Amazing. Truly. Have not read a book or series I enjoyed so much for years...not since Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. Historically accurate, enticingly written...I feel utterly lost now that I have finished the series to date. Matthew and Alex get under your skin. I want more!!! I can't recommend this author enough.

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