Beyond the Moon Tour – Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor

Publication Date: June 25, 2019 The Cameo Press Ltd eBook & Paperback; 496 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction/Time Travel

Outlander meets Birdsong is this haunting debut timeslip novel, where a strange twist of fate connects a British soldier fighting in the First World War and a young woman living in modern-day England a century later. *Shortlisted for the Eharmony/Orion Write Your Own Love Story Prize 2018/19 In 1916 1st Lieutenant Robert Lovett is a patient at Coldbrook Hall military hospital in Sussex, England. A gifted artist, he’s been wounded fighting in the Great War. Shell shocked and suffering from hysterical blindness he can no longer see his own face, let alone paint, and life seems increasingly hopeless. A century later in 2017, medical student Louisa Casson has just lost her beloved grandmother – her only family. Heartbroken, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol on the South Downs cliffs – only to fall accidentally part-way down. Doctors fear she may have attempted suicide, and Louisa finds herself involuntarily admitted to Coldbrook Hall – now a psychiatric hospital, an unfriendly and chaotic place. Then one day, while secretly exploring the old Victorian hospital’s ruined, abandoned wing, Louisa hears a voice calling for help, and stumbles across a dark, old-fashioned hospital room. Inside, lying on the floor, is a mysterious, sightless young man, who tells her he was hurt at the Battle of the Somme, a WW1 battle a century ago. And that his name is Lieutenant Robert Lovett… Two people, two battles: one against the invading Germans on the battlefields of 1916 France, the other against a substandard, uncaring mental health facility in modern-day England. Two journeys begun a century apart, but somehow destined to coincide – and become one desperate struggle to be together. Part WW1 historical fiction, part timeslip love story – and at the same time a meditation on the themes of war, mental illness, identity and art – Beyond The Moon sweeps the reader on an unforgettable journey through time. An intelligent read, perfect for book clubs. For fans of Diana Gabaldon, Amy Harmon, Beatriz Williams, Kate Quinn, Kristin Hannah, Kate Morton, Susanna Kearsley and Paullina Simons.

“A poignant and stirring love story… Taylor’s accomplished, genre-bending book succeeds as a WW1 historical novel and a beguiling, time travel romance… The sharply written narrative deftly moves back and forth between the past and present.” — Kirkus Reviews

“A time travel romance, yet so much more than that. It is also an unflinching portrait of the horrors of war, and a look at the torturous extremes a human soul can endure. It is a sonnet to the transformative power of love, even as it is also a criticism of the futility and pointless destructiveness of war.” — Shaylin Gandhi, author of By The Light of Embers

Amazon

IndieBound

Review

Time travel is something I didn’t realize I needed in books until earlier this year when I read Outlander. Now I need all the time travel books! Beyond the Moon is one of those time travel books that hooks you as soon as you start reading (trust me, I stayed up to late reading it a couple of nights). The POV flips back and forth between our two main characters, and thus back and forth between time.

I love the time periods selected for this book. It changes between present day, which doesn’t always feel so present, and World War I. The war details are quite harrowing leading up to the blinding of Lieutenant Robert Lovett. Taylor took us to the frontlines and had us bear witness to gas attacks and losing one’s platoon members. Meanwhile, in the present we go through the troubled life of Louisa Casson and how she got sent to one of the most antiquated psychiatric hospitals around. Seriously, I couldn’t believe anything like this would still exist (and you know I’m going to be spending all of my free time reading about it).

Now, so weird things happen and bada bing bada boom, these two characters from two very different time periods find each other and (hopefully, no spoilers here!) heal together.

About the Author

Catherine Taylor was born and grew up on the island of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands. She is a former journalist, most recently for Dow Jones News and The Wall Street Journal in London. Beyond The Moon is her first novel. She lives in Ealing, London with her husband and two children.

Tour Schedule

Monday, December 9
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, December 10
Review at @bookishbellee
Review at Gwendalyn’s Books
Feature at I’m All About Books
Feature at Books In Their Natural Habitat
Review & Guest Post at Jackie & Angela’s Book Reviews

Wednesday, December 11
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Instagram Feature at Just a Girl and Her Books

Thursday, December 12
Review at @thisbibliolife
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Friday, December 13
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Saturday, December 14
Review at Books and Zebras
Feature at What Is That Book About

Sunday, December 15
Review at Rose is Reading
Review at Carole Rae’s Random Ramblings

Monday, December 16
Review at @ya.its.lit
Interview at Liberty’s Literary Loves

Tuesday, December 17
Excerpt at Let Them Read Books
Review & Guest Post at Tales from the Book Dragon

Wednesday, December 18
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Review & Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Thursday, December 19
Review at Pencils & Pages
Review at Impressions In Ink

Friday, December 20
Review at A Darn Good Read
Review at Red Headed Book Lady
Excerpt at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperback copies of Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor! To enter, please use the Gleam form below. Giveaway Rules – Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 20th. You must be 18 or older to enter. – Paperback giveaway is open to the US only. – Only one entry per household. – All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion. – The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen. https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js