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Two weeks… that's all Jonathan said he needed. For two weeks Grace and Jonathan would hide me from an enemy that until recently I didn't even know existed. It sounded logical, but when has love ever proved to be logical? The catch? Grace's plan involved traveling - and traveling meant taking a trip back in time to Marensburg, Pennsylvania, where Jonathan grew up more than 150 years ago. The idea was scary, but kinda cool.

Grace's plan was simple. While I hide in the past, Jonathan would stay in present-day Andersen where he'd train a special regiment of Lebas to fight against the legion of intruders who (according to Eric) are on their way to destroy me. Why me? And why a whole legion? When I finally discovered the answers to those questions it put everyone's nerves on edge. But Jonathan believed keeping me safe would help him focus, so I was willing to go.

But nothing is ever simple. I knew something was wrong when I discovered my mortal body couldn't travel. When I woke up, I was in the body of Eleanor Hastings, Jonathan's first love. I admit that for the first two weeks I didn't mind being Eleanor. Eleanor was beautiful - the absolute embodiment of perfection. More, she had full use of her left hand! But two weeks became three, then four, and eventually months passed with no word from Grace or Jonathan. And where was Eleanor now that I had her body?

So, here I am, trapped in 1864 with no way to return to the present. I hope someone, someday, finds this diary. I'm trying not to consider the possibilities of what went wrong, and it's unbearable to accept the only possible explanation that makes any sense — Jonathan and Grace aren't coming because the intruders won. I may never be Beth Arrington again.

Oh, Jonathan...!

398 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2013

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About the author

Melinda R. Morgan

10 books61 followers
Visit Melinda's author website:

http://www.melindarmorgan.com

I am a mother of four adult children, stepmom to five adult children, and grandma to 20 grandchildren. I LOVE Coke Zero (seriously LOVE it!) and peanut M&M's. I spent five years as a single mom when my children were all very young.

That was then. This is now. I have been married to the love of my life since 2002, I have a BS in Liberal Studies, a teaching license, and an MS in Education and Administration. In 2016, Ron and I relocated to Utah, where I am continuing my 25+ years in education. I have taught high school, elementary school, and middle school; and believe it or not, I am most at home with those crazy, insane middle schoolers! Tweens and Teens! Would someone give me an "Amen" please?

Recently, I have begun a new romantic comedy series, and who knew I would love writing in this genre so much?

Besides my day job, I am also a classically trained pianist. Music is a huge part of who I am and how I express some of my deepest emotions. I also enjoy kayaking, taking long walks, and hanging out with my children and grandchildren.

I write in order to connect with others--soul to soul, heart to heart. I listen to and perform music in order to connect with and ignite creative energy. I like to put it this way:

Music puts me in touch with my emotions. Words, put my emotions in touch with my readers.

n book one of An Unlikely Romance, I get to combine my enjoyment of kayaking with my addiction to romance. I hope you will love reading the series as much as I love writing it.

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Raechel Duplain.
26 reviews1 follower
May 9, 2013
Melinda Morgan does it again! Intermezzo is a page-turner, the kind where you don't even want to put the book down for bathroom breaks. So often in trilogies the book 2's are a let down because they are usually an extension of the problems in book 1, drag on and on, and by the end only feels like a filler until we get to book 3. With Intermezzo, this is not the case. It is an extension of the story in book 1, but it has it's own plot, new characters, it's own resolution, and shoot, even it's own time period. Time travel is always a risk as it gives the opportunity for glaring plot holes and confusion, but Morgan's treatment of it worked well in my opinion. Everyone I know who's read this book loved it and we all can't wait for book 3!
1 review1 follower
February 24, 2014
I didn't think it would be possible to love the second book of this trilogy as much as I enjoyed the first, but alas......Morgan referred back to Etude to refresh my memory at the exact right places. The characters are so well developed. I adored the flawed yet some how still perfect Eleanor and the fact that Beth's love for Johnathan was so deep and genuine that she was somehow able to resist the charms of William! This book not only let me have a detailed and quite interesting peek into life in the 1860's but it also allowed a glimpse into the heaven and purgatory present on earth and alive in each of us. In getting lost in the story, I heard the music Beth and Eleanor played, saw the grandeur of the balls, felt the deep pangs of love and longing and smelled the destruction of evil and death. What more could I ask for? Can't wait for the next one. This is a MUST READ.
1 review2 followers
March 13, 2014
This book was very well written. It constantly left me wanting to know what happened next. I love how it is set in 1864. It is written in a way that you feel like you are in 1864 looking in on the story. It is has a wonderful mix of romance with some suspense. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance but also anyone who like suspenseful books that leave you wanting more.
Profile Image for Jodie Brown.
124 reviews36 followers
September 4, 2013
Review: Intermezzo by Melinda Morgan

Intermezzo, the second installment of the Birthright Legacy, picks up where Etude left off, with Beth Arrington inhabiting the body of Eleanor Hastings during the Civil War period. Without giving too much away, as Beth awaits her return to her own time period and body, we learn some of the backstory about the Intruders and Bailey, as well as Jonathan and Grace.

This book is interesting also in that while it is a YA novel, there is an element of sophistication that was less present in Etude. This is, of course, not to say that YA novels cannot and are not sophisticated. In fact, most of the better YA novels carry a level of sophistication that allows them to appeal to a much wider audience than those intended, and it is in this realm that I would also place Intermezzo.

Three Things I Like:
1. Two characters in one: One of the things I found hugely interesting is the juxtaposition of Beth's 21st century voice against the expectations of Eleanor's 19th century cultural refinement. Beth is constantly aware that she is interfering with Eleanor's life, and the fact that these two women coexist in the same body is an interesting feature of the story. How they communicate with one another and with those around them provides some intense and often comical moments.

2. Reinterpretation of story: As with Etude, I enjoy the reinvention and reinterpretation of story, specifically the Biblical Adam and Eve story. I don't want to give too much away. Although it takes a while to get there, Intermezzo picks up where Etude left off with this reinterpretation and it is one of the more attractive features (for me) of the story.

3. Complex relationships: The relationships between Eleanor and her father, Eleanor and her mother, and Eleanor and Beth are real. They exhibit the intensity and muddiness of all relationships that are real. Father's drawings and "secret" past and Mother's reticence were beautifully handled and crafted parts of the story.

Three Things I Liked Less:
1. Beth seems a bit whiny: In Intermezzo Beth comes across as a bit whiny about not being able to be with Jonathan. True, she is stuck in a seemingly impossible and implausible situation and has little hope of being able to right it all by herself. However, I would have liked more "conversations" with Eleanor and fewer pouts.

2. Delay of Bailey's entrance: Bailey is hinted at a few times throughout most of the book, but when he finally makes his grand entrance, I was thoroughly excited. This part of the novel was dark and murky and sinister; I loved every minute of it and wanted more. Is Bailey the Grey Ghost? Is Bailey more of a factor in the war itself? What happened to the people from the camp? I felt like this was such a rich part of the book and truly was anxiety-provoking--in a really wonderful way--and I wanted more of it and I wanted it earlier.

3. The third book is not yet finished! There were so many nuggets dropped for the last novel that I feel like I'm clawing at the end of the rope--What's the deal with Jonathan's brother? What happens when Beth returns to the 21st century? What's Bailey's ultimate goal? When's the next one coming???

All in all, I recommend Intermezzo to YA readers young and old. I'm anxiously awaiting the third installment, wondering what's in store for Beth and Jonathan. Come on, Mindy: I need the finale!
Profile Image for Julie.
187 reviews12 followers
June 27, 2013
Intermezzo is perfect as the sequel to Etude and the precurser to Coda. I cannot wait to get my hands on Coda - the final book in the Birthright Legacy trilogy. One of the many things I love about Melinda Morgan's books is that the titles perfectly describe the book. Just as Etude was a book that followed the format of an actual etude - beginning simply and growing increasingly complex as it came to the end, Intermezzo serves as a bit of a "break" from the main storyline taking place in the 21st century.

At the end of Etude, Beth Arrrington "travels" to the 1800's in order to escape the evil Bailey. When she arrives in the 1800s however, her soul is trapped within the body of Eleanor Hastings. Not only does Beth struggle to conform to the societal requirements of Civil War period Pennsylvania, but she must find balance between her needs and Eleanor's.

While we get a little break from the war raging between the immortals, we gain much needed insight to the complex relationship between Jonathon and Eleanor - not to mention the relationship between Beth and Eleanor that we didn't even know existed! The glimpse of Jonathan's life in the 1800s that we got in Etude is simplistic at best. With Intermezzo we get so much detail about that time period and we learn so much about Eleanor and begin to glimpse just how complex things can get where immortals are involved.

I experienced a wide range of emotions while devouring this book. At times there was sorrow, then laughter. My heart ached for Beth, Eleanor, William and Jonathan. I was frustrated with Eleanor's parents, but sympathetic also. There is definitely and underlying theme of living up to your birthright - and the consequences that come if you choose not to.

FYI - For the most part a clean read - a couple curse words along with some violence and some reference to intimacy, but no open-door intimate scenes.

Honest disclosure - recieved copiy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Barbara Kondziella.
1 review3 followers
February 20, 2014
Melinda Morgan you have done it again. You have written a wonderful book with so many twists and turns that you can't put it down until the last page and then I was left wanting more. Your attention to details made me feel like I was there. I can't wait for the next book, yet at the same time I don't want the series to end.
1 review
February 1, 2014
Reading Intermezzo often left me feeling as though I was reading a Jane Austen novel, but watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie play out in my mind. Fascinating. Intermezzo is the second book in The Birthright Legacy. Morgan's debut novel, Etude, was romantic, suspenseful, and thought-provoking and generally an all-around intriguing read (see my review of Etude for details), and Morgan's second novel does not disappoint. So often, sequels are a let down; not true with Intermezzo. Book two is set in Pennsylvania during the Civil War and continues to follow Beth Arrington as our main character (the story is told in first person from Beth's POV), but the story is deliciously complex in that Beth is sharing a body with Eleanor Hastings, a rich, beautiful aristocrat, who just happens to be Jonathan Rolling's first love. Beth battles with her jealously demons as she witnesses Jonathan's infatuation with Eleanor evolve. The urge for Beth to "Ah, come on! Just tell him who you really are!" is a temptation throughout the story, but Beth plays by the rules. She has to, or else she risks being stuck in the 1800s forever in another woman's body. Complicating matters, Jonathan's sister, Grace, travels back in time to warn "Beth" that something has happened to upset the natural order of things and that if she continues on the same timeline, she cannot travel back to the present, because she no longer exists in the present. That may sound like a spoiler, but this revelation takes place fairly early in the story, and adds to the tension. Will Beth be able to repair the ripple in the timeline, or is her destiny forever altered? Maybe an alternative destiny isn't such a bad idea? After all, if she stays in the 1800s, she does so as a wealthy, beautiful woman who has not one, but at least three gorgeous men eating out the palm of her hands! Go Beth! I choose what's behind door #2.

Intermezzo isn't all fun and games. There's that nasty Intruder, "Bailey," who just won't get a life of his own. Bailey continues to haunt Beth's mind throughout the book and as one might predict, he manages to stir up a great deal of trouble for our heroine. One of the best parts of Intermezzo is the growing strength and confidence of Beth as she confronts Bailey's attempts to control her mentally and physically. Beth may tend to get a little whiney about her plight, but when she comes head to head with her adversary, she is tough as nails and proves a worthy opponent. But Beth's toughness does not come at the expense of her femininity, thank goodness. I've read too many YA novels that portray women as super human and "manlike." Come on, enough with trying to make women and men exactly the same. Where's the chemistry in that? YA books today level the playing field by making boys seem feminine and girls overly masculine. Enough, please. Intermezzo doesn't do that. Case and point? Enter William. He's a colonel. He's strong. He's incredibly handsome, although a teensy weensy older than your average YA hero. And he's absolutely fantasy-worthy. Sorry Jonathan, but you might have some competition there. Don't roll your eyes, this isn't another Bella-Edward-Jake love triangle. On the contrary, William's arrival on the scene makes the story deliciously complicated. I can't say more without giving too much away, so I'll just say that my only complaint is that there wasn't enough of him in the story.

There is a downside to Intermezzo, and that is in it's minor attention to Beth's love of the piano. Her connection with music and playing the piano was a strong side story in book one, but definitely takes a back seat during book two. Hopefully, Morgan will resurrect the musical thread with more gusto in book three. Which brings me to my only real problem with The Birthright Legacy. How is Morgan ever going to pull all the facets of her story together in only one more book? It feels like there is too much to resolve to try to force it all into one installment. I am anxiously awaiting the next book, Coda, which I certainly hope will be released soon!

In closing, put this book on your "to read" list and treat yourself to a wonderful literary feast. I believe that Melinda Morgan is on her way to becoming our next J. K. Rowling.
Profile Image for Ellen.
2 reviews4 followers
February 24, 2014
What a cliff hanger! You would think that the cliff hanger for the first book was big just wait until you read this book! I LOOOOVED this book! Usually when reading second books in series you feel like it is a filler, totally out of context, or boring. With this book, though this is not the case! This book was so much more tense yet thrilling. The idea that the main character is thrust back into the past and the genre of this sequel is different then the first was very intriguing and I think pretty unique. Even with a whole new crew of characters, you grow attached to them quicker than you would think. But I also love that as answers to old mysteries are unfolded, new ones begin to form and it really sets the third book off with a great start. I have fallen in love with the characters and the story and I CANNOT wait to see how their story ends!!!
A+++++ form me!!!
Profile Image for Kristina Aziz.
Author 4 books25 followers
February 22, 2014
I got this book through a firstreads giveaway.

This book was extremely well written with special attention given to the feel of the 1800s. Naturally though, having not read the first installment, I was lost a few times. And while this isn't my usual genre, Morgan impressed me with her writing.
Profile Image for Shan.
6 reviews5 followers
February 25, 2014
Fantastic!!!! I was hooked from cover to cover! These books get better and better, my new favorite series. An incredible sequel and I cannot wait for the next one!
Profile Image for D.L. Blade.
Author 12 books623 followers
August 20, 2019
The first book pulled me into this fascinating world of love, magic, time travel and suspense that kept me guessing throughout the entire book. Book two kept me locked into that world, where I didn't want to leave.

Melinda takes you on this journey where Beth is now trapped in Eleanor's body in 1864. She did an AMAZING job with the back and forth banter within her mind, speaking to Eleanor's spirit. I was able to truly see each individual woman, in one body. I felt like I was there in the 19th century with the well written description of places, clothing and dialogue. Melinda did her research. The story continues to wrap you into this world and you feel for these characters and what they're going through, especially how hard it is for Beth to be away from her true love, Jonathan.

You also have this build up of suspense between Beth and Bailey, and when he makes his appearances, the excitement cranks up several notches. Melinda created a intriguing villain and I can't wait to read more about where this story goes with the intruders. The ending was unexpected. My heart ached for certain characters, but I also fell in love with them as they grew with Beth and Eleanor. This series by far is one of my favorite books. Loved it!!
2 reviews
March 11, 2014
I couldn't put this book down!
Once again, Melinda Morgan has left me wanting more. This Book Two of the Birthright Legacy was even more entertaining than Book One, if that’s even possible. Melinda has the uncanny ability to weave happenings from the first book in and around happenings in the second, retaining continuity throughout the time travel theme. I couldn’t put the book down…such an easy read! Melinda makes you believe that time travel can actually happen! Absolutely cannot wait for Book Three of this trilogy to be published!
Profile Image for Mary McDonald.
318 reviews7 followers
March 13, 2014
Book picked up right where the first one left off. I enjoyed this book more, probably because it is set in 1864 Civil War times so there are some historical references. I was getting a little frustrated with the main character in the end....like duh...you don't realize what's going on here??? I will have to get the last book to read the conclusion. Unfortunately, I just found out it is due out sometime in 2015.
1 review
March 11, 2014
I want more!
I love the second book even more so than the first. I couldn't put it down. I reread the first book to make sure I had all the details and characters down pat. I started on the 2nd book this weekend and finished it. FANTASTIC!!!! I want more. Does anyone know when the third book will be release? This is a great series; I love it. Please hurry Melinda, and write, write, write.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews