Beyond This Moment

This is book 2 of Ms. Alexander's Timber Ridge series. It is set in Colorado, post-Civil War, and is a competent and enjoyable story, concerning a teacher who has lost her position at a Georgia college after being seduced and abandoned by a fellow professor. She has taken a job as a school teacher in a frontier town, and is posing as a widow, since she has a baby on the way. The town sheriff is smitten, but there are too many secrets in the way.

This is Ms. Alexander's first series, and it doesn’t have the historical depth of her later series. The plot is fairly predictable. It's pleasant, but if you really want to know what she's capable of, read the Belle Meade of Carnton series.

Dr. Molly Whitcomb, Professor of Romance Languages, is forced from her position at Franklin College because of a one time indiscretion and a betrayal by the man who seduced her and got her pregnant. She is shipped off to a school teaching job in Timber Ridge, CO. The trip is fraught with danger and a near death experience. To cover for her pregnancy she buys and ring and so begins her life dishonesty in this new town. It is 1876 and teaching in a small town comes with a lot of rules. The story is a series of great characters and events that seem very realistic for the time. Well done.

Reading the back cover blurb for the book a reader knows that the main character Molly Whitcomb has a secret that is reputation-ruin worthy. After reading the first chapter a reader knows what that secret is. I am quite certain there will be some readers who will give up right there on this book, but oh how I wish you would not. This is not a story about making mistakes and moving on with life. This is a story about being a fallible human and living with it. There are times in life where your insides are screaming to just let this moment be gone, or just to be "beyond the moment". Yet, our heavenly Father knows what is best for us. This novel is a sequel, but is quite a stand alone. It is powerful and edgy and really pushes the limits show more of your conscience and what-if scenarios. I highly recommend this read as one to deepen your heart and convictions and see the inside of some people you might have just ignored in different circumstances. Think hard about casting those stones. Read this book and grow and learn from the experience. show less

Reading the back cover blurb for the book a reader knows that the main character Molly Whitcomb has a secret that is reputation-ruin worthy. After reading the first chapter a reader knows what that secret is. I am quite certain there will be some readers who will give up right there on this book, but oh how I wish you would not. This is not a story about making mistakes and moving on with life. This is a story about being a fallible human and living with it. There are times in life where your insides are screaming to just let this moment be gone, or just to be "beyond the moment". Yet, our heavenly Father knows what is best for us. This novel is a sequel, but is quite a stand alone. It is powerful and edgy and really pushes the limits show more of your conscience and what-if scenarios. I highly recommend this read as one to deepen your heart and convictions and see the inside of some people you might have just ignored in different circumstances. Think hard about casting those stones. Read this book and grow and learn from the experience. show less

This is book 2 in the Timber Ridge Reflections series and I enjoyed it even more than I did book 1. It is a story of learning the hard way that the choices we make can and will effect more than just ourselves. A story of secrets, of prejudices, of love and of forgiveness.
Dr. Molly Whitcomb, a professor at college, finds herself being dismissed from her school because of a bad choice and finding herself taking a position as a teacher in the Colorado Territory at Timber Ridge. She is with child and no husband, so she tries to hide her disgrace by putting a ring on her finger and saying her husband has died. Sheriff James McPherson has a feeling things are not quite as they seem when she first gets to town, but he can't figure out what show more Molly Whitcomb is hiding. He also can't stop his growing feelings for her. The problem is, when he finds out the truth, what will that do to the love that is building between both of them?
Tamera Alexander does a great job of making the characters seem real and helping you understanding the thoughts and standards of that time for a woman like Dr. Molly Whitcomb. It is a story well worth reading. You can easily read this as a stand alone, but reading book one first will help you understand the characters that much more. show less

Professor (Doctor) Molly Whitcomb has one moment of indiscretion with a fellow professor which leads to her being forced to resign her teaching position at a prestigious university. She takes a position as school teacher in Timber Ridge, Colorado. Molly hopes to start fresh, but secrets don't stay hidden forever. Molly's secret not only causes her pain, but also threatens her relationship with the people of Timber Ridge; most especially her friendship and budding romance with Sheriff James McPherson.

Sheriff McPherson has new troubles on his plate what with immigrant workers moving into town to work on the resort being constructed. Some townspeople have little patience for these newcomers with strange customs. Sheriff McPherson realizes show more he is falling in love with Molly Whitcomb. However, he too is carrying burdens from the past that could cause Molly to see him in a negative light. They both have to learn to entrust their future to God.

Tamara Alexander really fleshes out her character and the reader comes to know them as friends. I also liked how she tied one of her other books, the Inheritance, into this one with a cameo by one of The inheritance's main characters. It was a great creative touch that added to the story for me. Alexander's writing style truly transported me to another place and time. I was sad to leave Timber Ridge behind when the story was over. I look forward to her next novel set in this growing Colorado town. show less

NCLA Review - Well educated and with a gift for languages, Dr. Molly Whitcomb yearns to teach and make a mark in this word. Molly leaves her position at a prominent East Coast college in disgrace. Seeing no other options, she accepts a position teaching public school in Colorado. Upon arriving, she makes a decision to hide facts about her life from the community that has invited her to become their teacher. As Molly learns to appreciate and love these people of the west and Colorado becomes a state, she learns about herself, her heart and God’s will for her life. The story and characters are engaging and well written. If you enjoy escaping with a book, this one will please. Rating: 4 —JD