3.5 Stars ( )

I love Alex and Matthew and can't wait to start the next book and see where their story takes them next. In this episode, you'll hold your breath as Alex tries to get to Matthew before his almost-certain death. It's a race against the clock, and these poor kids are in a constant uphill struggle, and slow travel back in colonial days doesn't help a bit. Matthew's brother needs to die a slow, agonizing death. ( )

Having read and reviewed book one in the series; you can read that review HERE (http://anglersrest.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-rip-in-veil-graham-saga-book-1-by.html).

The second book in the series set out with Matthew in Edinburgh. There has been bad feeling between him and his brother and much damage has been done to their relationship, to the point of no return.

In Edinburgh, things take a turn for the worse, as Matthew is captured and sold off as an indentured servant to spend his days on the plantations of the Colonies.

Alex is desperate to be reunited with her husband, but does she manage it? As I turned each page I was really caught up with the story line. Does Alex become reunited with her beloved Matthew? - you will have to read the book to find out!

Again, a well laid out plot which has received much research. I just wondered as I read the sentence that explains the indentured ship crossing the Atlantic, when did the ocean receive it's name? There were a few scenes that made me question the plot, but I decided that it was important to not look at the events of the 1600's with a 21st Century mind. I really enjoyed this book and am very glad that I did decide to read them in the published order and am looking forward to reading and reviewing the finale in the series.

Anna has a delightful website (http://www.annabelfrage.com/My-Books-The-Graham-Saga/Like-Chaff-in-the-Wind/)where you can read about the series and download the few chapter in a PDF file. ( )

This book continues the story of time traveling Alex and her 17th century husband Matthew started in A Rip in the Veil. Sadly, while others found this one to be the stronger novel, I have to admit I far preferred A Rip in the Veil!

Set in the 17th century, the story picks up sometime later (months?) after the first book ends. As with the previous novel, the action starts immediately: Matthew is sold into slavery by his villainous brother, shipped over to the Colonies, where he's abused and used. His wife Alex, modern lady that she is, doesn't accept this, and sets off after him. (This is the first ten pages.) From there, Belfrage continues the action -- rescue, attacks, betrayals, more time travel, soap opera-ish twists, and modern sentiments clashing with historical ones.

I can't quite nail down what felt so different in this book than the previous one other than I just was less taken with Alex and Matthew, our romantic leads. Even though I would normally admire a woman like Alex -- tough, pragmatic, capable of being more than just a mother -- I was actually quite put off by the callousness she displayed toward her children. After easily abandoning her first child (and subsequently rejecting him), she left her second one to embark on a trip that could have killed her. (When she's pregnant again, there's a scene where she thinks about how reassuring it is being pregnant, and honestly, all I could think was, when are you leaving this kid behind?)

I also found the sexytimes between Alex and her husband a bit much -- both in frequency -- and at times, the level of violence. Matthew is understandably damaged from his time in near slavery in the Colonies, but regardless of the psychic wounds, I'm never ever going to get behind rape, even when the author tells me the heroine is okay with it.

Still, there's something to be said for an otherwise fluffy-ish novel having some complicated grounding, dark emotions, and a heroine who isn't insta-happy-homemaker. The villains are particularly evil but family ties run deep, and Alex (and we the readers) have to accept brushing elbows with some unsavory people. Her family's ability to evoke 'time nodes' through art is again addressed in this book, a gift and a curse that affects more than just Alex.

For a sense of the novel, the author has the first three chapters available online, and unlike the first book, this one ends on a cliff hanger -- so be prepared to yearn for the third book in the series! ( )

When I accepted this book for review I had no idea it was a time travel novel. I happen to love time travel novels so it didn't bother me in the least - in fact it added a bit for me but for someone who doesn't care for them it might have come as a bit of a shock. I knew this was a second book in a series and I'd not had the opportunity to read the first so I went in a bit blind. All that being said, Like Chaff in the Wind read like a stand alone book for me. I did not feel any great loss at not having read the first book in the series. I do however, very much want to read the next volume - The Prodigal Son. I have the first, A Rip in the Veil on my Nexus and will hopefully find some of the spare time people are always talking about and get around to
reading it.

Matthew and Alex are happily married but there is one major problem in their life - Matthew's brother, Luke hates him with a blinding passion. Luke has Matthew kidnapped and sent to America as an indentured servant. Alex sets off to rescue him but runs into a series of delays so that she doesn't get to him for over a year. He is on death's door when she finally negotiates his "purchase" from his current bondholder with a payment she is loathe to make.

As they try to make their way back to Scotland the hatred of Matthew's former owner and overseer as well as the continued threats from his brother get in the way of their quick return. Alex left their son in the hands of Matthew's best friend and they are both anxious to see him again.

I really liked the characters in this book - well the likable ones anyway. The bad guys were really bad. Over the top bad to tell the truth and I didn't understand the motivation for that level of hate. How many times is this brother going to keep at this? Perhaps this is why I need to read the first book...

That being written I did thoroughly enjoy the novel. With any time travel book a reader has to completely suspend any level of belief and just go with the story. This was basically a good story to be along with for a truly engaging ride. ( )