The Past Love

MacLeod Time-Travel Rom Com #2

by J.G. MacLeod

Is the future predetermined? Or do our choices and actions shape the events that come to pass?

Brigid MacDonald is a coffee barista with a black belt who’s been transported from 2019 to 15th-century Glasgow, one year earlier than her first adventure in The Future Bride.

Time is decidedly ‘out of joint’: Ferghus hasn’t been scarred by Tristen; Nyle hasn’t thrown his disastrous party; and Brigid hasn’t taken a life – yet. Linear reality no longer exists, but nor is this a simple time loop or case of déjà vu. As the mystery slowly unfolds, the characters must choose to work together, or against one another, to resolve their clan feuds and repair their broken hearts.

Accompany Brigid on another epic adventure through the Highlands of medieval Scotland. Beware the corsets that bind; the gin that confounds; and the men who ensnare in this lighthearted, romantic comedy with slow-burn romance, karate action, and heart-pounding suspense.

If you’re careful, there may even be time for The Past Love.

Genres: Romance, Mystery

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 1, 2021

About the author

J.G. MacLeod is an award-winning, Canadian author who earned a university degree in Honors English and history with a focus on 19th-century British studies. Her novel, Lady Ellen, which is set in Ireland in the 1840s, won the 2018 Breakthrough Novel Award for Historical Fiction, and a Readers' Favorite Book Award (2019). https://mybook.to/LadyEllenBoxset The Future Bride & The Past Love were both named 'Finalist' in the Independent Author Network Book of the Year Awards for 'Romance' (2020 & 2021). https://mybook.to/MacLeodTimeTravelRom

J.G. MacLeod also possesses a university degree in Education with twenty-two years of teaching experience, including creative writing, English literature, literary theory, psychology, and counselling. Her novel Abalone won the 2018 Online Book Club Book of the Year Award for 'Other Fiction', & is a gritty, psychological novel for readers who loved Gone Girl, Safe Haven, & The Lucky One. https://mybook.to/Abalone

J.G. has been writing extensively for years, everything from essays, to short fiction, novels, and biographies. She is a proud supporter of the online Writing Community and has several gigs on Fiverr, including professional book marketing for X (Twitter), proofreading, and beta reading.

J.G. has three young children and resides in southwestern Ontario where she enjoys cottage country, hiking, gardening, and photography.

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https://x.com/jgmacleodauthor

Author Website
https://www.jgmacleod.com/

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.-G.-M...

Blog
https://www.jgmacleod.com/blog

Fiverr
https://www.fiverr.com/jgmacleod?up_r...

Reviews

[Helena Craggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The timeline of ‘The Past Love’ is entirely different from 'A Future Bride', which was a great and unexpected twist. An alternative turn of events ensures Brigid and Ferghus have yet another adventure that doesn’t disappoint.
The Past Love is a compelling read, with fabulous imagery and incredible characters. I love the fact that Brigid and Ferghus are destined to be together—or I hope they are!
Brigid, the feisty, black belt barista, is a great example of a strong female protagonist, and Ferghus, well, is Ferghus—but I love the grumpy highlander.
Like The Future Bride, this book captured me from the first page to the last, and had me laughing out loud many times.
I love MacLeod’s writing style—it really sucks you in. And the ending? Oh. My. Heart!
I eagerly await the next book in this time travel romcom series. Bravo Ms MacLeod!

[Michele Quirke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading The Past Love is like hanging out with beloved friends, but at a whole new party. When I first picked this up I assumed the events of the story would *follow* those of MacLeod's previous novel, The Future Bride. However, I quickly realized that time was not linear and although the characters were the same, the plot had changed. It's a whole new timeline, which I found quite intriguing.

The Past Love does possess the fun, witty banter banter between Brigid and Fergus that I loved so much in the first book, and Brigid is just as awesome as she was before. It was really neat reading an alternative story of my favorite Black Belt barista and her Scottish lover!

The ending came as a shock and even though there are two alternate endings as well, it's clear that poor Brigid and Fergus are in some sort of weird loop, but not a loop. It's hard to explain, but definitely a fresh spin on time travel romances!!

I definitely recommend you check The Past Love out, even if you haven't yet read The Future Bride!

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the humour in this story.

There was lots of action between the brothers and cousins. They didn't hold back their swordplay!

The twist at the end was unexpected, and gives room to create a third novel to hopefully bring Brigid and Ferghus together again.

Highly recommend this fun story!

[Christine Letizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Past Love is an unexpected sequel to The Future Bride, and it had me questioning everything!

I'm a big fan of time travel and it's unpredictability. J.G. MacLeod plays with this unpredictability in an alternate version of Brigid and Ferghus' meeting. But the two lively characters don't only meet differently, Ferghus' history has changed. And with these changes, other ones are afoot!

Brigid still delights us with her karate moves in new and dangerous situations. While Ferghus is still grumpy but carrying different woes than he was in The Future Bride. It's an intriguing premise to have the same characters unknowingly meet again under completely new circumstances.

And these circumstances don't disappoint! Just like book one, I enjoyed the playful banter and the romantic chemistry between the two as they struggle to understand each other. Great new characters were introduced, and I feel like we got a broader understanding of the world now that we've traveled through it twice but in alternate ways.

A perfect read for those who enjoy historical romance and the Outlander series. I can't wait to see what J.G. MacLeod does in book three!

[W.A. Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need the next book.
I was looking forward to finding out what Brigid and Ferghus got up to next.
I didn't know what was happening as things seemed to have started again.
I enjoyed this new timeline but things didn't work out as I hoped.
I need the next book to find out if this pair get their happy ending.
Highly recommend both books.

[Jupiter Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 2 was wonderful

n The Past Love by JG Macleod, this vivid and fun historical fiction rom-com, Company Brigid embarks on another epic adventure through medieval Scotland's Highlands. Beware the corsets that bind, the gin that confounds, and the men who ensnare in this lighthearted tale. With slow-burn romance, karate action, and heart-pounding suspense, this sequel is as fantastic as book one.

[Tristan B Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Past Love…

...a new rendition.

I am going to reiterate that I was with what many of the other reviewers have mentioned. I believed The Past Love was going to continue directly from The Future Bride.

For a good chunk of the early chapters of the book, I was thinking to myself, "Am I misremembering The Future Bride?"

I'm not going to spoil anything, so you'll have to check out this wonderful, action-packed, time-travel, romantic dramedy if you want to get the story.

MacLeod is the master of witty banter, and as in The Future Bride, between the leads Ferghis and Brigid, it returns beautifully. Brigid and Ferghis fire off their thoughts at a rapid pace at one another in their love-hate relationship as they try to survive together. (Survive what, you'll have to read to find out.)

If you check out The Past Love, check it out for the strong heroine and our main character, Brigid. She is no damsel in distress, and just as capable as the men around her, if not more so. Smart, clever, and not afraid to get her hands dirty, she can hold her own. Especially now, it's very important to have characters like this.

Again, I highly recommend the book, The Past Love. I will say, I think you would need to read The Future Bride first (itself amazing, another highly recommended piece) to get the foundation of this world/universe.

And wow, the ending! I was on the right path with the way this story was, I just wasn't sure how the time-travel component would play out in this one.

[T.A. Bound · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like embarking upon a journey, escaping with old friends. Set one year before the previous book made for an unusual scenario, in that this is more a prequel than sequel, but as you soon discover, they stand on their own. What first struck me was the similarity with the prior book, so we are not on a set timeline--much like J.G. Macleod's characters.

Although the plot is similar to the first book, in a way, I found something more satisfying about this storyline. And the twist at the end may be unexpected but is totally logical in this world and opens up more possibilities for additional sequels--which, I hope, we will be seeing soon!

[Alexandra Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book two is a whole other book. We get to learn about the characters in a whole other light that really draws in the reader.

Just give yourself a day or two from reading book one so you don't get confused in the beginning of book two like I did.

[Carolyn Haynes · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY CAPTIVATING

The Past Love sweeps you into a whirlwind of charm, wit, and unexpected adventure. It’s like rediscovering a familiar love in thrilling, uncharted territory. Absolutely captivating! I couldn’t put it down!

[J.C. Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love, head over heels, with Ferghus in the first book of J.G. MacLeod's series — The Future Bride.
It didn't take long before I cracked the spine on The Past Love. I wanted more of the 15th century Scottish hero, scarred, ethical, handsome, sexy, powerful . . . delicious.
He did not disappoint. It's not terrifically easy to be completely consistent when writing characters in a series, as they grow and develop — or even, as in this case, return to the past. But Ferghus remains himself, thank you so much.
Brigid MacDonald, a contemporary Canadian barista and black belt in karate, is whisked into history for a second time, finding herself not only 500-some years younger (if you see what I mean) but in a different country. Everyone wants to marry her. Some of these men are simply drawn by her feistiness and beauty; others have more nefarious designs.
Ferghus, however, whom she encounters early on, is determined to protect her from all comers, whether that means hiding her in the forest, deflecting his kinsmen or murdering the very bad men.
Strange understandings about her recent past come to Brigid, but I will not go on and spoil this very interesting time-travel concept.
I will say that there had better be a book three, Ms. MacLeod. Or else.

[Sheila Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Love this story

When I finished the Future Bride, I wanted more of that story. Then JG MacLeod throws a wrench and changes the past for Brigid and Ferghus. There’s more adventure, more karate, and a kick-ass ending. Now I can’t wait to read about Ferghus in the 21st Century.

[Aria Ligi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I was disappointed with many aspects of The Future Bride Macleod Time Travel Rom Com Book #1, I decided to read volume two The Once and Future Love Macleod Time Travel Rom Com Book #2 . (Unlike its predecessor, The Future Bride , The Once and Future Love took more effort to get into and sustain interest due to its awkward narration style). It wasn't until chapter three that the story finally broke out of this, as more characters entered the picture, and the structure of the narration sounded less like a diary entry, in which the author is telling her story from 30 thousand feet above and more like a novel.

Again, we are in the 15th Century, which Macleod makes clear more than once, and again, she repeats the same mistakes as in volume one. There are substantial incongruencies that pull one out of the narrative. On pages 190-191, a character quotes John Keats, born in the 18th Century, 1795-1821, almost four hundred years after the 15th Century. There were Scottish poets in the 15th Century, such as Gilbert Hay, Robert Henryson, Richard Holland, Iseabail Ní Mheic Cailéin (who penned some of the first Scottish erotic poetry), and James I of Scotland, any one of whom she could choose. While it is tempting to use the work of poets such as Keats (or Burns, quoted in the preamble of both volumes one and two, who, like Keats, was also born in the 18th Century), given his accessibility and ubiquitousness, if one is to maintain an air of authenticity, then that is not advisable. Another problem is that Keats was English; therefore, a character who is decidedly against the English sees them as enemies, usurpers of their land, and recites their work is absurd.

While there is less blushing in this volume (it's still there, though, to a ridiculous degree), and the character is, in some respects, stronger, there is less sweetness between Brigid and Fergus and more animosity, making his proposal of marriage, her acceptance and their mutual admission of love, seem even more unrealistic than it was in volume one. She continually does things like turning away from him, storming off after a confrontation, and saying she hates him, going so far as to say on page 65, after a disagreement:

"I'm acutely aware of how much I hate him. I hate his muscular thighs, pressing against the back of my own. I hate his strong arms as they grasp the reins beside my ribs. I hate the smell of sweat on his skin, and the sound of his accent as he orders me to move forward. I hate Fergus Macleod more than I've ever hated anyone.

Her back-and-forth between hating him and lusting after him continues throughout the book, yet even as she accepts his proposal, she has second thoughts about her decision, which the conclusion further underscores and explains.
Many of the technical mishaps (see my review of book one, The Future Bride) continue here, with a need to reiterate the necessity of creating a glossary in lieu of footnotes or having both. Further, there are several times in which a Scottish Gaelic word appears without a footnote attached, only to reappear several pages later with a footnote, such as bide, math, and Sasannach , (which appeared in The Future Bride , without a footnote, meaning one had no idea what it referred to until book two. Moreover, there are words which never have a footnote attached, such as paisde, boireannaich, rach, cuddie, cheil, gu math, kent.

Other Concerns:
There are pagination errors throughout this book and book three, which I have purchased.

Stay tuned for that review.

Page numbers are noted at the bottom and written thusly 65 of 66 , with numbers even cited on blank pages. I wonder if the author had problems with the document when uploading it or setting out the layout; either way, this makes one suddenly aware they are reading an Indie book because this is not SOP for any publisher . In addition, separator lines appear above the footnote and the page numbers. These are easy fixes, and I hope that if she decides to reissue the series, she will amend this, making the work more polished in appearance.

There are numerous times wherein the dialogue of the Gaelic speakers veers into modern-day lingo, such as on page 49, where Fergus states: "Ah thought ye should flee from the MacDonalds. Create some distance first, and then, ye can develop a more solid plan."

All of this aside, there were things to merit, and it should be said that writing a time-travel book, especially now when so many have been written, is not easy. The pacing is (despite the shortcomings of the early narration) pretty good. Macleod does have some nice prose when describing the countryside, further drawing us into her world. By the end, one wants to know what will happen next. Will Brigid and Fergus come together as a couple? Will she ever tell him she is not of his world? Will Fergus accept her once he knows the truth? These questions offer the reader something to look forward to and what all authors want; they will have the desire to read more.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Past Love book 2

Brigid goes to the past from a storage closet of a coffee shop. Then finds she is to be married to an evil man. Finally she finds a true love and gets confused to find that she had already married him. Again she opens a door and is back to the coffee shop. Is she alright in the head?

[George Ring]

Lovely timelines

This was another all action thriller set a wee bit North of where I love in a time that I greatly admire. Although Welsh myself I feel closer to the Scottish than to the English probably due to our common Celtic heritage. The story was cleverly written and superbly told, it stands alone as a great read but is the second in a magnificent trilogy.

[Julia Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy time travel romance with a bit of Karate action thrown in then this is the book for you. Descriptive and lovingly put together. - see more at https://simplyhonestreviews.webador.c...

[Jessica Piro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't the sequel I was expecting, especially since I hoped the story would continue where the alternative ending of The Future Bride closed. It took me a while to enjoy this alternative telling of the first book, but again, the characters--or, yet, the change in their personalities--made up for it and the alternative ending for THIS one looks to be the sequel I was hoping for.

[Jas Phoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Past Love, the second instalment in The MacLeod Scottish Time Travel Rom Com series by J.G. MacLeod, is an excellent continuation of a truly engaging series. This time, Brigid MacDonald once again finds herself transported to medieval Glasgow – but with an unexpected twist, as she lands a year earlier than before. The first book was wonderful, and this one is even more captivating. The story twists and turns in ways that keep you constantly guessing about what’s really happening with Brigid. She remains the same feisty yet vulnerable heroine I fell in love with – so real and relatable in her strength and confusion alike. And Ferghus, as ever, is his bullheaded but deeply protective self, making their dynamic just as addictive as before.

I love how the series balances the fascinating time travel premise with the fiery, emotionally charged relationship between Brigid and Ferghus. It’s all so thoughtfully plotted and beautifully written – with just the right mix of warmth, humour, and tension. And that ending! What a twist – completely unexpected and brilliantly done. I can’t wait to see where book three takes Brigid and Ferghus. A must read for anyone who loves romance, history, and a clever dose of time-bending mystery.