Love Beyond

by Grant Leishman

It was a love that should never have been; he, an aristocratic Captain in the Spanish Army of occupation of The Philippines and she, a simple village girl who had joined the revolutionary army of The Philippines (Katastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipuanan – KKK) and wanted nothing more than freedom for her people and her country.

The year is 1896 and after almost 350 years of harsh and corrupt Spanish rule, the Filipino people were preparing to fight back, to reclaim their land stolen from them all those centuries ago. Against this volatile background, two young people sought to find each other in the scourge of battle. What chance for them, against all the odds?

Captain Hernando de Abreu and Luzviminda Torres’ lives will intersect in bloody conflict as both become caught up in the eternal struggle for freedom. Will love triumph against every obstacle in this fast-paced, historical romance adventure. Is there LOVE BEYOND?

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2018

About the author

I am an expatriate New Zealander living in Manila, The Philippines, with my wife and two step-daughters.

At age 55, after careers in Finance and Journalism, I have finally discovered my true passion in life - writing; and I truly believe I am now "living the dream".

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filipinos revolt against Spanish in the 1890s
Love triangle between a Filipina maiden, her filipino swain and a Spainish solider.



Women fighters
“Well, its full name is ‘Katastaasang Kagalanggalangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan’ (Supreme and Most Honourable Society of the Children of the Nation) but we just call it the KKK or the Katipunan for short.” Aturo said to her.

She stamped her foot on the ground. “You mark my words Arturo de la Cruz, I am joining the KKK and no man, or boy, is going to stop me.”



Signing up for the KKK army
After being blindfolded the trio was subjected to a number of ordeals, by the members of the Society. These included Minda being handed a supposedly loaded revolver and instructed to point it in a certain direction and pull the trigger. She was literally shaking at the thought that she might injure or worse kill someone, but the click of the hammer hitting an empty chamber, gave her an immense sigh of relief. She was also instructed to hold her hand over what she was told was a hot flame from a candle. Fortunately, it was just a test to ensure her courage and one she passed with flying colours.
The final part of the initiation involved a blood pact. The ‘bolo’ was removed from the table and held over her arm. She scrunched up her face and gritted her teeth, waiting for the pain, as the sharp blade sliced into her tender, young flesh. As the blood dripped down onto the oath of allegiance, Minda used her finger to symbolically sign her pledge to her Society, in blood.



So you want a revolution
She was now a member of the Kataastaasan, Kagalanggalangang, Katipunan and she Luzviminda Torres was going to be a part of winning independence for her great country, from the oppressors of Spain.

Love and death in the ill-fated war of independence in the Philippines


Enjoy!

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been Grant Leishman’s fan for quite some time now and I was super excited when I learned that he had a new book out, and it was historical fiction on top of it - my favorite genre! I grabbed it right away and I couldn’t be happier that I did. Set in the Philippines in the late 19th century, the plot centers around brave resistance fighters who will stop at nothing to bring the independence to their native land from Spanish rule. One of such resistance fighters is the daring Luzviminda Torres, who is sick to her stomach with the tyranny of the Spanish invaders. Only, it is exactly one of such Spanish invaders that she falls in love with against all odds, and only time will show if their unlikely union will survive in the bloody fight for freedom.
I admit, I’m a huge fan of stories in which two adversaries fall in love, and that’s why I enjoyed reading “Love Beyond” so much. The two heroes just won my heart right away and I couldn’t help but root for the best possible outcome for them. Another reason why I would recommend the story to all fans of the genre would be the exotic setting and a chance to learn about history and traditions of the people, who weren’t afraid to fight and die for their country. This story is both sad and uplifting, inspirational and informative, and it’ll be a real treat for all history buffs. Five stars!

[T R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smartly written, right from the beginning I was caught up in the story about an extremely unlikely love. But as with all great love stories, it’s the character development that lends authenticity to the plot and in this story they deliver. The geography is the Philippines, the time late 1800s, the lovers a privileged Captain in the Spanish Army and she a local Filipino. But she is not a typical village girl; she comes from some family privilege. Her father works for the local municipality, which affords the family members advantages that the ordinary people don’t entertain. The first thing that brought me into and heightened my interest was our young Minda’s aversion to Friars. She had heard dirty rumors about them in back rooms. And her hatred of the Spanish army with their brutal, vile treatment of the locals. The first hint of story conflict arises when the narration mentions that Minda has been forewarned to never go outside when the soldiers are present, to which she ignores. She heads out to her hiding place to discover that a soldier is with another local girl in the throes of a sexual encounter. Consensual. Minda finds this disturbing yet titillating. The plot is now set for this strong-willed girl to encounter her love interest. As the story progresses and she decides she wants to join the resistance fighters she also has a mishap in which she runs into (literally) her soon to be love interest who is in the Spanish army she wants to fight against. There is no lack of tension as our young couple meet amidst bloodshed in the prolonged Spanish rule. Without going into further storyline details suffice it to say this story, with all its surprises and twists and turns, had all the elements to entertain: good writing, a tension filled plot driven by obstacles and conflicts to overcome, and authentic characters filled with a full range of human emotions and reactions. All in all resulting in a really good read.

[Sarah Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amid beauty and humid heat so real you can see and feel them, Minda grows to womanhood certain that her Filipino grandmother was right, she is destined for greatness. How can this be when her parents, indoctrinated into the Catholic Church by the Spanish conquerors of the Philippines, intend her to marry a local village lad? It is he who gets her accepted into the KKK, the revolutionary army, but she loves him only as a friend. She has a passion for Hernando, a captain in the occupying army.

Captain Hernando de Abreu is the second son of a wealthy aristocratic Spanish family who will inherit nothing and has joined the army because he has rejected the church and his father’s corrupt politics. His first kill on secondment to the Philippines is a young boy, ridden down and stabbed after an attack on the Spanish barracks, and it’s a nightmare that haunts him. Love for Minda, and his own conviction that the Spanish have no rights in the Philippines, causes him to change sides, but will he be accepted by the KKK?

Fast-paced and graphically passionate, this is a love story set against a bloody conflict for freedom – gripping and full of surprises.

[Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Luvminda (Minda) is a young free spirited Pilipino teenage girl who has fallen in love with Captain Hernando de Abreu, who equally has fallen for Minda. Problem is, he is the enemy she ends up fighting against during the Spanish occupation of the Philippines. Her parents have chosen a young local boy who is also her friend for her to marry. He's in love with her but the love in unrequited. But who should she choose?
This is a beautifully written love story that will have you in tears.
This novel also gives you a wonderful historic insight of the Pilipino people during the occupation of their country.
Another fabulous five star novel written by Grant Leishman.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful love story set during the time when the Philippines fought for independence from the Spanish in the late 19th century. You can feel the author's love for his adopted country shine through the words he writes, and his pride for people everywhere who fight for their right to independence. The story and characters are captivating from the beginning. War does terrible things to people, and the cost of freedom is high. But sometimes we have to fight for what we believe in.

[Johanna Craven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several of Grant Leishman's books and this one was very different from his other works I'm familiar with. Exceptionally well researched, Love Beyond is an action packed romance with strong and believable characters. While the love story was great, what really drew me in was Leishman's depiction of the Philippines int he 19th Century- his attention detail created an engaging and believable journey back in time.

[Dan Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy actually paints pictures with words. I really felt like I was in the Philippines experiencing Hernando and Mindi’s lives with them. If this is not a true story it aught to. That’s the way it read. Fantastic blend of action and adventure with a big beautiful dose of Romance! Bravo Grant Leishman!