Thunder on the Moor: Book 2
Publication Date: November 25, 2020
After rescuing sixteenth-century Border reiver Will Foster from certain death at her family’s hands, time traveler Maggie Armstrong finally admits her love for the handsome Englishman, though she can’t rid herself of the sinking suspicion that her Scottish kin are not about to let them live in peace. What she doesn’t expect is the danger that lurks on Will’s own side of the Border.
When news of their plans to marry reaches the warden, he charges Will with March treason for trysting with a Scot. Will and Maggie attempt to escape by fleeing to the hills, but when Will is declared an outlaw and allowed to be killed on sight, they can no longer evade the authorities. Will is sentenced to hang, while Maggie is to be sent back to her family. Heartbroken, she has no choice but to return to Scotland, where her uncle continues to make plans for her to wed Ian Rutherford, the wicked Scotsman who she now realizes murdered her father in cold blood. With Will facing the gallows in England, and herself practically under house arrest in Scotland, she continues to resist her uncle’s plans, but her efforts are thwarted at every turn.
Will’s family, however, is not about to stand by and watch their youngest lad executed simply because he’s lost his heart to a Scottish lass. A daring plan is set into motion, but will it be in time to save Will’s life and reunite the lovers? Or will Ian’s lies prompt Maggie’s family to ensure the bond between them is forever destroyed?
If there’s one thing that will get my attention, it’s a time travel romance involving Scotland. In the tradition of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series of novels, author Andrea Matthews forges her own path with what has expanded into a quartet of books.
The series includes Thunder on the Moor, Ride with the Moonlight, Shake Loose the Border, and With Fire and Sword (expected at the end of 2022). Since many of the characters are featured throughout the series, I recommend enjoying the books in sequence. The basic premise centers around two time travelers living in the present day who want to return to 16th century Scotland. However, one of the men has a daughter he wants to accompany them. While Maggie Armstrong is skeptical, she soon finds herself transported 450 years into the past.
The first installment focuses on the travelers, including a grad student who tags along, as they find themselves in a time period where no love is lost between the English and the Scots. Twenty-five years have passed since Robert Armstrong first traveled through time, so the author does an excellent job getting everyone reacquainted. From a character standpoint, I enjoyed watching Maggie’s adjustment to life in 1538, especially since she’s a modern woman with her own opinions. The speech patterns among the Scottish add to the story’s flavor, too. Thank goodness for the glossary at the end of the book.
Moving into the second installment, the author continues to build upon the foundation created in the first book as the historical romance flavor takes center stage. There’s plenty of drama and intrigue, particularly involving the man Maggie has chosen to love (as opposed to the one her clan arranges for her to marry). However, the storyline packs much more depth by involving multiple characters and the continued animosity between the Scots and the English.
The third installment provides fresh challenges as Maggie fights for a happily ever after with her chosen man. It’s also interesting to see the development of danger within the two factions, demonstrating that sometimes the worst enemy is actually someone masquerading as a friend. While the author took pity on us and didn’t leave us with a cliffhanger, she accomplished the goal of making us want more.
Will Maggie find happiness in the past, or will she be forced to escape to a lonely future? Those are only a few of the questions that linger. Ride with the Moonlight (and the series as a whole) hits all the high points for an enjoyable historical romance. Men in kilts, some fighting, a bit of time travel, and a truly despicable villain combine to make this a series to savor.
Andrea Matthews is the pseudonym for Inez Foster, a historian and librarian who loves to read and write and search around for her roots, genealogical speaking. In fact, it was while doing some genealogical research that she stumbled across the history of the Border reivers. The idea for her first novel came to mind almost at once, gradually growing into the Thunder on the Moor series. And the rest is history, as they say.
