Review and Giveaway: "To Catch a Falling Star" by Anna Belfrage

Synopsis:  To Catch a Falling Star is the eighth book in Anna Belfrage’s series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham.

Some gifts are double-edged swords …

For Matthew Graham, being given the gift of his former Scottish manor is a dream come true. For his wife, Alex, this gift will force her to undertake a perilous sea journey, leaving most of their extensive family in the Colony of Maryland. Alex is torn apart by this, but staying behind while her husband travels to Scotland is no option.

Scotland in 1688 is a divided country, torn between the papist Stuart king and the foreign but Protestant William of Orange. In the Lowlands, popular opinion is with Dutch William, and Matthew’s reluctance to openly support him does not endear him to his former friends and neighbours.

While Matthew struggles to come to terms with the fact that Scotland of 1688 bears little resemblance to his lovingly conserved memories, Alex is forced to confront unresolved issues from her past, including her overly curious brother-in-law, Luke Graham. And then there’s the further complication of the dashing, flamboyant Viscount Dundee, a man who knocks Alex completely off her feet.

All the turmoil that accompanies their return to Scotland pales into insignificance when a letter arrives, detailing the calamities threatening their youngest daughter in Maryland – at the hand of that most obnoxious minister, Richard Campbell. Matthew and Alex have no choice but to hasten back, no matter the heartache this causes.

Will they make it back in time? And what will Richard Campbell do?

My Thoughts: I can't believe the series is over!  As sad I am that it has come to an end, I cannot think of a better way to end the series.  We get to see Alex and Matthew grow old together with their grown children and friends and I kind of felt like they got a 'happily ever after'.  I will miss them but Ms. Belfrage gave us the perfect ending to their story.

Have  I mentioned that I love these books? Because I do...so much.  I thought it was perfect that Matthew got to return to Scotland; I don't think he would have ever been truly happy in America if he hadn't been able to go back and realize where his true home was.  Even though leaving wasn't his choice, I think it was important for him to see that, in the end, it was the right choice. 

Speaking of Matthew, I liked that he and Luke came to terms with each other (kind of).  Luke is still a rat bastard (excuse the language, I'm only speaking the truth) but he and Matthew at least could function in each others presence in this book.  Even though I hate Luke, I didn't hate him as much in this book as I did in the past; I felt like I could finally see where he was coming from, even though I still don't agree with his bad behavior.

This book was mostly Alex and Matthew's story but I loved that we got to see Isaac again.  I've been wondering about him for several books.  His storyline wasn't what I expected at all but I'm glad that he made an appearance for the last book.   We also got to see Father Carlos again which was fun for me since he's one of my favorite side characters. 

One of the things I love most about these books, is how well Ms. Belfrage is able to evoke emotion from the reader and make the reader truly care about the characters. There was a scene where Alex visited a loved ones' grave and the way the scene was set just broke my heart and left me in tears.  I couldn't help but feel for Alex and all of the losses she endured.

Okay, I think I've babbled on long enough about this book.  Needless to say, I loved it and while I'm sad to say goodbye, I'm excited to see what Ms. Belfrage has in store for us in the future.  4 stars.

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 and blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

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I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.