The Prodigal Son (The Graham Saga 3) by Anna Belfrage

Safely returned from an involuntary stay on a plantation in Virginia, Matthew Graham finds the Scottish Lowlands torn asunder by religious strife. His Restored Majesty, Charles II, requires all his subjects to swear fealty to him and the Church of England, riding roughshod over any opposition.

In Ayrshire, people close ranks around their evicted Presbyterian ministers. But disobedience comes at a heavy price and Alex becomes increasingly more nervous as to what her Matthew is risking by his support of the clandestine ministers – foremost amongst them the charismatic Sandy Peden.

Privately, Alex considers Sandy an enervating fanatic and all this religious fervour is totally incomprehensible to her. So when Matthew repeatedly sets his faith and ministers before his own safety he puts their marriage under severe strain.

The situation is further complicated by the presence of Ian, the son Matthew was cruelly duped into disowning several years ago. Now Matthew wants Ian back and Alex isn’t entirely sure this is a good thing.

Things are brought to a head when Matthew places all their lives in the balance to save his dear preacher from the dragoons.

How much is Matthew willing to risk? How much will he ultimately lose? (publisher)

The book starts where the last one ended; Matthew is back from Virginia after his wife Alex saved him. Religious situation in Scotland is escalating and Matthew finds it hard choosing between his belief and his family. It puts him at odds with his wife and causes some trouble in their lives.

In this book Alex and Matthew spends the whole book together and it was nice to see more of their day-to-day life. In the previous books has been rescuing, long separations and the like while in this book they have time to have quarrels and problems in their marriage too. Made it feel more like a “real marriage”.
In the previous books there’s been chapters with persons from Alex’s old life but there wasn’t any in this. I don’t know if that’s because she’s settled more firmly in the 17th century and has kind of let go of the past?

Majority of the book deals with religious situation in Scotland and while I’m not very familiar with the subject it didn’t bore me down. At times I wanted to punch Matthew so hard because he can be so idiot and stubborn! But it shows the different look on religion in the past.

I was so happy to see that Alex has started to warm towards Ian. Poor boy! But hopefully things start to look better for him. The conflict between Matthew and his brother Luke is there but not so prominently as in the previous books.

I’ve really enjoyed this serie so far and I look forward seeing what happens in the future for them!

4,5

Published: Matador (2013)
Format: ebook
Pages: 392
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

About the Author

I was raised abroad, on a pungent mix of Latin American culture, English history and Swedish traditions. As a result I’m multilingual and most of my reading is historical – both non-fiction and fiction.

I was always going to be a writer – or a historian, preferably both. Instead I ended up with a degree in Business and Finance, with very little time to spare for my most favourite pursuit. Still, one does as one must, and in between juggling a challenging career I raised my four children on a potent combination of invented stories, historical debates and masses of good food and homemade cakes. They seem to thrive … Nowadays I spend most of my spare time at my writing desk. The children are half grown, the house is at times eerily silent and I slip away into my imaginary world, with my imaginary characters. Every now and then the one and only man in my life pops his head in to ensure I’m still there. I like that – just as I like how he makes me laugh so often I’ll probably live to well over a hundred.

I was always going to be a writer. Now I am – I have achieved my dream.

For more information, please visit Anna Belfrage’s WEBSITE.

Like Chaff in the Wind (The Graham Saga 2) by Anna Belfrage

Matthew Graham committed the mistake of his life when he cut off his brother’s nose. In revenge, Luke Graham has Matthew abducted and transported to the colony of Virginia to be sold as indentured labour.

Matthew arrives in Virginia in May 1661 and any hope he had of finding someone willing to listen to his story of unlawful abduction is quickly extinguished. If anything, Matthew’s insistence that he is an innocent man leads him to being singled out for the heaviest tasks. Insufficient food, gruelling days and the humid heat combine to wear him down. With a sinking feeling, he realises no one has ever survived their seven years of service on the plantation Suffolk Rose.

Fortunately for Matthew, he has a remarkable wife. Alex Graham has no intention of letting her husband suffer and die. So she sets off from Scotland on a perilous journey to bring her husband home.

Alex is plagued by nightmares in which Matthew is reduced to a wheezing wreck by his tormentors. Sailing to Virginia, she prays for a miracle to carry her swiftly to his side. But fate has other plans, and what should have been a two month crossing turns into a year long adventure – from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

Will Alex find Matthew in time? Will she be able to pay the price of setting him free? (publisher)

Alex Graham is settling in into the 17th century life with her husband Matthew. Their lives are shattered when Matthew is abducted by the orders of Mathew’s brother and sent to Virginia. Alex is determined to find her husband but it proves to be more difficult than she expected.

It was nice to see how well Alex has settled in into the 17th century and how she reacted to some situations with modern time mind. But I thought it was kind of weird that the people didn’t react more strongly when she acted “unwomanly” and had too modern view of things. Also, she tells Matthew quite freely about things that will happen in the future which I find weird.

Both Alex and Matthew are still likeable and while it was interesting to see them apart and how determined Alex was to save him, I like when they’re together more. And I hope we’ll see Mrs. Gordon again! She was a great character and I liked the relationship that grew between her and Alex. I don’t know how to feel about Alex’s feelings towards Isaac though. I get that he was result from a rape but I still feel it overly harsh that she doesn’t feel anything for the child itself.

It was great to see more about the people Alex left behind in the future and especially her father Magnus. But I wonder if we will see Mercedes at some point? Because if I remember correctly she’s not dead.

3,5/5

Published: Matador (2012)
Format: ebook
Pages: 392
Source: author

A Rip in the Veil (The Graham Saga 1) by Anna Belfrage

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.

When Alexandra Lind is unexpectedly thrown several centuries backwards in time, she lands at the feet of Matthew Graham – an escaped convict making his way home to Scotland. 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 she is the odd one out. 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. He quickly proves himself a willing and most capable protector, but he comes with baggage of his own, and on occasion it seems his past will see him killed.

Alex finds her new situation desperately exciting, but also longs for the structure of the life she used to have. Can Alex get home? And does she want to? (Goodreads)

Alex Lind’s car breaks down in the middle of nowhere in Scotland on her way to a business meeting. While trying to figure out what’s wrong with the car, a terrible storm springs to life, she’s struck by a lightning and pulled through a tunnel in the earth – and she wakes up in 17th century Scotland. There she meets Matthew Graham who is an escaped convict and he takes care of Alex.

Back in the present day, Alex’s family is trying to figure out what happened to her and they’re worried because she’s disappeared before which resulted in her son. They learn something new about Alex’s mother who also disappeared years ago.

This was fun to read with enough action. It’s not just about time traveling and I liked the relationship between Alex and Graham. I thought the reactions were believable and Alex didn’t spend the whole book being in shock about the difference.
It was interesting to read the meeting between Alex and Matthew’s ex-wife. I could understand Alex’s reaction. Sometimes men are idiots no matter the time period…

I had few things that bothered me one was that the first sex scene felt little rushed and little too soon, so I prefer to use Cheap Phone Sex to enjoy contact with women sometimes. The second was how easily she was starting to forget her son. Apparently she hadn’t really loved him from the start anyway but still.

And how I wanted to punch Luke! What an idiot! I’m curious to see how that matter will be settled.

3,5/5

Published: Matador (2012)
Format: ebook
Pages: 370
Source: author