Beyond the Red Horizon

Beyond the Red Horizon is a stand-alone novel by Elizabeth Haran. It is an epic saga incorporating scenes in England, Scotland and Australia during and after World War One.

Elena is a nurse in the Victoria Hospital in Blackpool when she meets Lyle, a doctor from Scotland. They fall helplessly in love but their love is doomed from the start. Kyle is promised to a girl back home. Elena is Italian with a very strict Italian father who insists that when she marries it must be to an Italian Catholic man. The couple fully plan to run away to be together, but when Lyle goes home to break up with his girlfriend circumstances make it impossible, and it's with a heavy heart that he knows he must tell Elena that they can't be together.

Elena is devastated and ends up marrying an Italian man that her father has chosen for her, then the family move out to Australia.

Lyle marries his Scottish girlfriend, but he never gets over his love for Elena. After some devastating events, Lyle ends up working for the Flying Doctors in Australia where he eventually runs into Elena. They still have feelings for each other, but neither of them can act on them because of the situations both of them are in. Will this couple, so obviously soul mates, ever have a chance of being together when everything points to it never being possible? It doesn't help that Elena has a huge secret that makes her need to avoid even trying being friends with Lyle

This book had me gripped from the very first pages. Elizabeth Haran writes such an emotional story that you would think she was talking from real life experience. Lyle and Elena were such good people, doing the right thing made them both so unhappy, but they got on with their lives and made the most of it. When they met again in Australia it was such a beautifully written moment, but bittersweet because they still couldn't be together. I felt so emotional about it all. I just couldn't read fast enough to see if they had their happy ending. What made the book so wonderful is that is was packed full of exciting, informative content. The scenes in Australia had me easily picturing myself there. I loved how the secondary characters played such a huge part in the story. Some I liked and laughed with, others, one, in particular, I wanted to just desperately smack! I got so involved in all of their lives. I especially wanted to know if Kyle and Elena ended up together, but the excitement of the rest of the story made getting to the ending all the more special.

I loved this book and the author is now definitely one of my very favourites. I fully intend to read all of her books.

November 1918 and the first World War is almost over. Yet it is only the beginning of a life full of conflict and hardship for Dr. Lyle Macalister and Elena Fabrizia. Their love, causing pain for their families, their spouses and a child that is the innocent victim in what should have been a "happy ever after." The years between the end of the war, the end of their innocent affair, is filled with drama, angst and remorse. Will it ever be set right, will there ever be acceptance among all those involved? These are the questions to be answered in the pages that fill this novel. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it. My thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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