This book reminds us that while it might be fun to read these stories, it couldn't have been very fun to live in the actual time (which is why I can not stand time travel stories that strand women in the past, where are the stories that bring a lady from that time and strand her in the present and watch her blossom with all the freedoms and opportunity she could have).

I have to say that I like time travel type stories. Louisa and Robert meet at the same place 100 hundred years apart but for them, they are in the same place and time.
The historical part of the story came together fairly well for me. It was the modern day part that didn't seem realistic. The way that part of the story works seemed to fit with the practices of the past rather than modern times. Even so, I liked the characters. I was moved by the look at England and the continent in World War I Europe. It was a nice love story. I don't like the cover of the book on this arc.

Beyond the Moon is a romance story told in two perspectives. One, a dedicated military man battling his way through WWI. The other, a woman who thinks she has lost everything dear to her only to find a new chapter of her life waiting in a most unexpected place.
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The lives of these two characters, brought together suddenly and then torn apart, drives the story beautifully. Catherine Taylor’s descriptions of wartime battles and army hospitals are staggering in their raw reality. Her development of both main and secondary characters is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. There is an element of time travel to this story, which I found interesting but unnecessary to the main drama playing out; I almost wish it hadn’t been a part of the story at all. However, the writing is so beautiful, and I would read another of Taylor’s books in a heart beat!

Louisa is a med school drop out who chose instead to take care of her sick grandmother, who has just passed away. One night she gets drunk and falls partway down a cliff, and wakes up in the local hospital, where the doctors all believe she tried to end her own life. So she is forcibly sent to a private mental institution that is absolutely depressing, from the I'll treatment of the patients to the way that all are lumped in together regardless of illness type. She makes one friend, Kerry, who teaches her how to survive the system by accepting some things so part of her life now, until the doctors deem her fit to leave.

Robert was a soldier in WW1, injured in the trenches, suffering shell shock, depression, and purposelessness. The horrors of war and life in the trenches is revealed in excessively gory, graphic, disturbing detail, alternating back between his time there and the so-called present, with him laid up in a hospital bed unable to see, due to some psychological causes that remain for the reader to discover.

While exploring the mansion turned psych facility, Louisa finds herself wandering in an abandoned separate building, decaying in her time but, upon opening a door and hearing a man's voice, she is transported back. The nurses who attend Robert cannot see her, nor, technically, can the soldier himself. But he can hear her and feel her presence. And so begins her escaping to him in a place where time is suspended, and hours with him are minutes for her. And days apart from him become weeks in his time.

This book contains very graphic, depressing snapshots of war in the trenches, and Louisa's grim life in a mental health facility. The only ray of hope either seems to have is their relationship. For those who don't mind that and are looking for a bit of tragic romance tossed in between war scenes, this book would be a good fit.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Beyond The Moon by Catherine Taylor is a lovely novel, which takes place both in 2017 and 1916. Robert Lovett, a WW! soldier in injured and sent to the Coldbrook Hall Convalescent Center in England to recover from his injuries, including hysterical blindness, suffered in WWI. Louisa Casson, has been sent to the same hospital in 2017 to recover from what is termed a suicide attempt at the same hospital, however she discovers a passage to the past and meets Robert, helping him recover. They fall in love, but she must go back to her time...but will they be able to find each other again?

A beautiful story of love across the ages and the challenges of finding your soulmate, especially if they exist in another place and time. Thank you to the author, The Cameo Press Ltd and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I'll admit, I'm having a hard time figuring out how I feel about this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it.

*spoilers ahead*

I like all the descriptions and scenes of WWI. However, the time travel thing I felt was a bit cliche and just too convenient all the times it happened to happen and work at just the right times... and that someone was able to figure out exactly how to make it happen. I also am a little bit ehhhh about the idea that Louisa happens to fall into Rose's body at a point where she dies, but at the same time we're left wondering if that is the same thing that happened to Louisa on her last time travel trip to the past, where she stays. I take it that we're just supposed to also conveniently believe that Louisa died in the fire at the institution so no one ended up missing her in her current time?
I like historical fiction... however, I rather like my historical fiction to be realistic. And my science-fiction/fantasy to be just that. The combination of the two was just weird to me. If that's your thing, you'll probably love the book. Like I said, I didn't hate it... just struggled with the combination.

Amazing story which was also a bit frightening to read. It describes the horrors of war and the horrors of a psychiatric hospital. Louisa is upset at her grandmother’s death. She gets drunk and falls off a cliff. She is found and a psychiatrist deems her unstable and puts her in a psychiatric hospital. Through a timeslip while in hospital she connects with a soldier from 1916. This story will keep you enthralled.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Louisa Casson is having a hard time dealing with the death of her grandmother, her only childhood caretaker, and finds herself on South Downs cliffs.  A storm hits and Louisa falls down the cliffs, she is badly hurt and interned at Coldbrook Hall, a private psychiatric hospital believed to be a suicide risk.  Louisa, who was a medical student before she took care of her grandmother struggles to fit in with the uncompassionate staff and irresponsible medical techniques.  Some patients at Coldbrook help Louisa cope.  One patient shows Louisa the abandoned sector of Coldbrook that served as a hospital during World War I, in this section Louisa finds a room that doesn't look abandoned- and it's not.  Inside, she finds Lieutenant Robert Lovett suffering from shell shock and temporary blindness. Louisa finds that she has somehow traveled to 1916 through Robert's room; however Robert is the only one she can interact with.  After another fall Louisa finds herself in 1917, now she is in France as a VAD nurse, Rose Ashby.  While learning the ins and outs of her new life, she frantically tries searching for Robert again, and wondering which timeline she really belongs to. 
Beyond the Moon is a sweeping time travel romance. Told through alternating views of Louisa and Robert, it seems like the pair might be doomed to be apart in time or space.  From the beginning, Louisa's journey captivated me.  Her passion and willingness to help others shone through.  When Louisa first found Robert, I was worried that it would prolong her time in the psychiatric unit or make her believe that she really did need to be there.  Robert's character is kind and confident.  I loved the first few times that Louisa and Robert were able to be together in 1916, even though no one else was able to see or interact with Louisa, their friendship and romance was able to progress naturally.  Once Louisa falls into 1917 again, the story picks up pace.  I enjoyed seeing Louisa, now living as Rose Ashby, adapt to life 100 years prior and take on the responsibilities of a VAD nurse.  Here, the historical aspects of the story also come to life as the conditions of the field hospital and the patients they received are described in realistic and historically accurate detail.  Robert's experience on the front and as a Prisoner of War was also absorbing, the scenes in the trenches and on the front lines brought the grittiness of the war to light.  Even though Louisa and Robert are both firmly in 1917, it seemed they might still be kept apart, the suspense of them finding one another again kept me rapt right until the end.  I thought the method of time travel and the explanation for Louisa slipping through time was fascinating as well. 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

A time travel romance novel with a twist. This debut author has a hit on her hands as this book combines the suspense of time travel with history and romance.

I found the history to be well researched, the romance to be the right amount of balance and the time travel element to be the best!! We learn about the characters over time and I found them to be realistic and engaging. They are well rounded!

I look forward to reading other books by Catherine Taylor!

A remarkable tale of a young woman who was brave enough to join the WASPs during WWII and their fight for recognition in the military. Well written and descriptive, Beyond the Moon is a powerful novel about women fighters in the military and all of their accomplishments along the way. Recommended for lovers of historical and war fiction.

Not only is Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor set in France and England, one of the characters travels in time from 2017 to 1916 and back at least two times. Personally, I love books about time travel. I am still waiting for a time machine to be on the market.

In 2017, Louisa has been institutionalized since the doctors at the emergency room believe that she attempted suicide by throwing herself off of the South Downs cliff. She really was just drunk and slipped but she was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Her friend,Kerry, shows her a separate part of the Coldbook Hall psychiatric hospital that is closed off. It’s falling apart and set for demolition in the near future.

While wandering through the restricted part of the hospital, she finds Lieutenant Robert Lovett in a room by himself. She noticed that besides being blind, Lovett is dressed in clothing from a different era. Louisa is wearing clothes that belong to WWI nurse aide, Rose Ashby. This was probably all weird enough but then other people appear that cannot see or hear her.

Later, Lovett regains his sight but he can still see Louisa. When he tries to introduce her to his friends, they think he has lost his mind. Louisa tells him that they cannot see her and she is from the future. Lovett doesn’t take it well and distances himself from Louisa.

When Louisa falls through the floor of the restricted area, she is somehow transported to 2016. She is Rose Ashby in the flesh. In her mind, she is still Louisa. It seems that Rose and Louisa look exactly the same. Louisa gets a ride to her new post, where she is to be a nurse aide. Unfortunately, Louisa doesn’t know things like how to start a fire. She is without the luxuries of the 21st century like microwaves, light switches and indoor plumbing.

While Louisa/Rose is in 1916, she tries to find Robert but cannot find him anywhere. She doesn’t know that he has been taken prisoner by the Germans. Louisa/Rose finds a man that has studied psychic activity and hypnotizes her so that she can go back to 2017 and find information about Robert that could help find him in 1916.

If you like time travel, romance, historical fiction or characters that aren’t considered “normal” then you might like this Beyond the Moon.

If you aren’t a believer in romance or the possibility of time travel, then you might not like this book as much as I do. Also, Nazis will not appreciate it. I mean, they are Nazis – they are mostly chaotic evil. So I might read it again to spite Nazis. It’s totally worth the time and effort.

I received this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for doing a review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond the Moon is a beautiful historical novel, but it also includes time travel and a bit of romance. Historical time travel novels are probably my favorite books to read, and this is no exception. Louisa finds herself involuntarily committed in 2017 after a drinking related accident following her grandmother's death. Robert is a World War I soldier lying in the same hospital in 1916. This is the story of how their worlds connect. It is also a tale of substandard modern healthcare, and at the same time also the horrors of World War I. If you love history and time travel, you will enjoy this book. Fans of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and the Chronicles of St. Mary's Series by Jodi Taylor will enjoy this book. If you love books that send you on adventures but also teach you about the past, you will love this book.

“Beyond the Moon” by Catherine Taylor is an interesting tale between two main characters from two different time periods.

Two people, who were at different and difficult points in their lives. They needed to find each other to realize that even through trying period in their life, they can still find love and hope.

I did enjoy both their backstories and meetings. Although not in the best of circumstances for either of them, it was heartfelt and fascinating. I however would have adore more interaction between the two characters but understand why there was their separate stories leading up to their initial meeting and their end meeting.

[** I received a copy of “Beyond the Moon” by Catherine Taylor via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 
Thank you to publishers and Netgallery for the opportunity to review this book.]
#BeyondTheMoon #NetGalley

(I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Netgalley but all opinions provided are my own.)

Catherine Taylor’s Beyond the Moon was a surprise to me, a bold time travel romance with an uber romantic story and compelling (and also disturbing) war imagery that brings the past alive.

In 2017, Louisa’s just lost the grandmother who raised her, and her efforts to self-medicate with alcohol lead to her falling off a cliff. Despite her protests, she’s placed within a psychiatric hospital, presumed to have attempted suicide due to her grief.

On an exploration of the old wing of the hospital, she finds Robert, a man who can’t see anything and whose story suggests that he thinks he’s a WWI soldier.

Only, the more that Louisa meets with Robert—and takes stock of what she sees and doesn’t see on her visits with him—the more likely it seems that he actually is a WWI soldier, and she’s somehow found a way to slip back and forth to the past.

Before Louisa and Robert know it, they’re separated by not only 100 years, but also a war. But Louisa has a chance to bring them together when she’s mysteriously sent back to the past (for good?), winding up near a military hospital in France.

How and why was she sent there? And will she be able to find Robert and convince him that she’s “real” and so is what’s between them?

Beyond the Moon is a star-crossed lovers’ tale with plenty of drama and suspense, and I couldn’t wait to see how the author resolved the BIG obstacles between Louisa & Robert. For so long of the book, every step seems to bring them closer, only they’re still so far away, and that tension lends much excitement to what’s already an engrossing story. Their love story feels real, all-consuming, and grand, in the way of all good love stories.

Set against the backdrop of WWI, Beyond the Moon is also a strong portrayal of war. Gory, visceral, and at times cringe-worthy. Taylor’s book explores the duties of a nurse on the front and the challenges facing an officer and POW with skill and aplomb.

There’s some attempt to explain why/how the time travel might have happened, but the incomplete explanation doesn’t really bother me. That’s because this book is about Louisa and Robert, and a love story that feels all kinds of sweet.

4 stars out of 5.

I found this book to be very interesting and quite easy to read (for the most part!). Being a time-travel story, reverting between 2017 and 1917, and a romance between two individuals, Robert Lovett and Louisa Casson/Rose Ashby, kept me involved in the book from the start. Robert is a soldier and Louisa/Rose is in the medical field. The location, within a rehabilitation/psychiatric hospital, added to the storyline. The story was well written; however, for me, there was a good deal too much detail concerning the war in 1917 between Germany and England that detailed many gory and bloody scenes. I read over these quickly so that I could get back to the time-travel romance. Also there were many scenes (although not as many as the war scenes) in the psychiatric hospital involving the patients which made me angry and upset for the characters. I understand that these scenes (both war and in the psychiatric hospital) were necessary to give the reader the background for both Robert and Louisa/Rose, I feel there could have been somewhat fewer. More details could have been given at the end in regards to Robert and Rose's life after the war. Overall, I found the book good; but not great and that is why I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

I received this book through NetGalley for giving an honest feedback review of it.

A tad slow to get into but i ended up enjoying the story and book. It is my first book by Catherine Taylor. I have to say that book cover was amazing as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book - although it is no longer in advanced of it coming out which is completely my fault due to an incredibly long reading slump.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I liked the characters, they had a lot of depth, the story moved pretty fast, it got a little boring for me when it went into more of the war details but they were needed for the story line so I wouldn't change them at all. I also liked how the author looked for answers on how/why the time travel happened but didn't over explain it.

I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys a war story - especially the medical side of the war, as well as someone who likes a love story that stands the test of time.

A very different type of love story.....one that I found held my interest. It is a story of time travel and love across the span of time. It is a story that may take a bit to get into, but after a few chapters you will be sucked into another era and will wonder what it would be like to be faced with a similar situation. World wars and mental institutions are a strange bedfellow to a love story but I think you will enjoy this book because of the unusual setting!

I absolutely adored this book. The author has a way for creating the characters and making you fall in love with them. I loved meandering through the story with them and was on the edge of my seat when anything happened to them.

After the death of her grandmother, Louisa Casson’s accident near the cliffs was taken as a suicide attempt, and based on her history of depression, she is placed against her will in Coldbrook Hall, a mental hospital. Her exploration of the hospital, an old WWI era building, leads her to Captain Robert Lovett’s room, and their friendship begins.

Robert Lovett is suffering injuries from the WWI battlefield, and his determination to return to France and the front lines is inspiring. Louisa, a medical student in 2017, has suggestions for Robert, though her presence causes more questions. Apparently Robert is the only one who can see her, and Louisa is wearing a robe embroidered with the name Rose Ashby, a VAD nurse on the front lines in France.

I’m a huge fan of time travel and historical romance, and this story was fascinating. The details were wonderfully clear, and I learned a great deal about WWI while reading. Louisa – now Rose – and Robert’s hard fought romance, though filled with challenges, showed their determination to not only survive, but thrive. This was a fascinating story that captured my interest from the beginning.