Tamara Ledbetter, dumped by her arrogant husband, travels to Cornwall, England, to research her ancestors. A trip first planned with her soon-to-be ex. While in a neglected cemetery, she scrapes two fallen headstones together to read what’s beneath, faints, and awakes in 1789. Certain she’s caught in a reenactment, she fast discovers she’s in the year of the French Revolution, grain riots in … England, miners out of work, and she’s mistrusted by the young farmer, Colum Polwhele, who’s come to her aid.Can a sassy San Francisco gal survive in this primitive time where women have few rights? Could she fall for Colum, a man active in underhanded dealings that involve stolen grain, or will she struggle to return to her own time before danger stalks them both?
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FANTASTIC time travel. So rich in setting and the characters were fabulous. I really felt like I had traveled back in time with Tamara. And Colum is swoon-worthy indeed. A compelling, exciting read I didn’t want to put down.
What would you do if you found yourself more than 200 hundred years in the past? That’s what Beyond the Fall’s main character, Tamara, has to figure out. Her marriage is irreparable. She needs a change in her life. But, she has a job and family she doesn’t want to leave behind. When she finds two headstones in a Cornish cemetery her wild ride begins.
I give the author an A in character development. By observing the behaviors of people in the past, Tamara gains a new perspective and better understanding of the situation she’s left in her own time.
One of the things I truly liked about the story: When Tamara tries to explain where she came from the two people she confides in don’t take her story hook-line-and-sinker. Another event final convinces them she isn’t completely off her rocker.
The second thing I appreciated: Unlike so many time travel stories, she gives an explanation for the portal that carries her character into the past. Is it a believable explanation? Not really – but this is fantasy/fiction, people. What do expect?
Here’s the biggest thing that sold me on this book: The dialogue. Her characters in the year 1789 spoke in perfect 18th-century dialogue. Try as she might, our 21st-century heroin often slipped up and has to cover her faux-pas. In her mind, she sounded as modern as you or me. This was an amazing juggling act for the author.
I wouldn’t want to leave out a little about the hero of the story, Colum. Not only is he incredibly hot, but also a man who fights for the down-trodden without fear. If I were to fall in love with an 18th-century man I would hope it would be this guy.
So, does Tamara stay in the past with her new love where women have no rights – does she take him back to the present to reunite with her family where they’ll be safe – or do they part ways and return to the way things were before it all happened? I encourage you to read the book and find out.
Tamara’s husband drops a big bomb on her one night letting her know that he has been cheating on her and that he is also leaving her that night too and that he wants a divorce. She expects to be more devastated but deep in her heart she knows that her marriage had been falling apart for a while, even though it does hurt knowing that the bastard was cheating on her. She had planned a big trip on Cornwall, England with her husband before all this happened because she wanted to research her ancestors. She to take the trip anyway, by herself.
While she is there, she ends up at a neglected cemetery, she scrapes the old headstones to read them but ends up fainting and when she wakes up ends up in 1789. She finds herself in the year of the French Revolution, grain riots in England, miners out of work and somehow mistrusted by a young farmer, Colum Polwhele, who’s come to her aid.
From here, she finds herself in trouble more than she likes, always having Colum helping her, and at the same time having herself helping Colum when he ends up in trouble in that time era.
The story line felt a little like Outlander, but too fast paced at times, missing pieces at other times. There were some interesting characters, like Colum’s aunt, she ended up being my favorite character, believe it or not. Tamara, felt like she was missing something, I’m not sure what, I liked here at some chapters and then not some much at others. I couldn’t connect with Colum, he was just there.
Overall, it was a cute and quick story, I enjoyed the story more towards the end so I ended up giving it a 3 out 5 stars.
Beyond the Fall by Diane Scott Lewis is a fabulous and compelling, time-travel, romance story that readers will revel in. The story follows Tamara Ledbetter who lives in San Francisco and has just gone through a troublesome divorce. She goes to a cemetery in Cornwall, England, to research her ancestors. While there, she rubs two collapsed headstones together and then passes out. Suddenly, she awakes to find herself in 1789 during the French Revolution. A handsome farmer, Colum Polwhele, shows up to help her. He thinks she is a spy, but he isn’t all that trustful himself, as he is a thief and deals in robbing grain. Can this modern woman live in such a primitive setting without all the contemporary amenities that she took for granted? Or will love prevail?
Beyond the Fall is filled with twists and turns as Tamara’s life grows more and more complicated. While danger lurks, she must learn to survive it all, in a time and place that is foreign to her. This story is captivating and full of eye-opening surprises as author, Diane Scott Lewis, weaves a tale that is compelling and engaging. The historical aspects are well researched, written and brilliantly assessed. She takes readers on an adventurous journey as they follow the life of the main character, Tamara Ledbetter. The character development is skillful and impressive. They are well developed with interesting personalities that readers will immediately connect with and relate to. I was intrigued by Tamara’s predicament and whether she would be able to conform to life in 1789, Cornwall, England, or return to her modern day life that she was so used to.
Beyond the Fall is a multidimensional story that all sorts of readers will certainly enjoy. The descriptive writing is fabulous and had me on the scene feeling like I was actually there in England during the French Revolution, the grain riots and the miners that were out of work. The clothing and settings are clearly and vividly described and I was very captivated with it all. I couldn’t put this book down and turned the pages quickly and late into the night. This book will be a favorite for time-travel, romance enthusiasts and Chick Lit Café highly recommends it. It is an original work of fiction written with a unique and extraordinary voice. Diane Scott Lewis is an exceptional writer and I am eagerly looking forward to reading more of her amazing books.