03 Mar Book Review Love Lost in Time Cathie Dunn #LoveLostInTime #CathieDunn #DualTimeline #WomenAcrossTime#BlogTour #YardeBookPromotions @cathiedunn @maryanneyarde

FEATURED AUTHOR: CATHIE DUNN

I’m delighted to welcome Cathie Dunn as the featured author in the Yarde Book Promotions Blog Tour being held between March 2nd – March 6th, 2026. Cathie Dunn is the author of the Duel Time-Line / Historical Mystery / Romance, Love Lost in Time, published by Ocelot Press on 28^th November 2018 (ebook; 274 pages).

Below are highlights of Love Lost in Time, Cathie Dunn’s author bio, and my 5-star review of her enthralling duel timeline tale set in 9th century and modern-day France.

Tour Schedule Page: https://maryanneyarde.blogspot.com/2025/12/blog-tour-love-lost-in-time-by-cathie.html

HIGHLIGHTS: LOVE LOST IN TIME

Love Lost in Time
By Cathie Dunn

Blurb:
A reluctant daughter. A dutiful wife. A mystery of the ages.

Languedoc, France, 2018

Historian Madeleine Winters would rather research her next project than rehash the strained relationship she had with her late mother. However, to claim her inheritance, she reluctantly agrees to stay the one year required in her late mother’s French home and begins renovations. But when she’s haunted by a female voice inside the house and tremors emanating from beneath her kitchen floorboards, she’s shocked to discover ancient human bones.

The Mediterranean coast, AD 777

Seventeen-year-old Nanthild is wise enough to know her place. Hiding her Pagan wisdom and dutifully accepting her political marriage, she’s surprised when she falls for her Christian husband, the Count of Carcassonne. But she struggles to keep her forbidden religious beliefs and her healing skills secret while her spouse goes off to fight in a terrible, bloody war.

As Maddie settles into her rustic village life, she becomes obsessed with unraveling the mysterious history buried in her new home. And when Nanthild is caught in the snare of an envious man, she’s terrified she’ll never embrace her beloved again.

Can two women torn apart by centuries help each other finally find peace?

Love Lost in Time is a vivid standalone historical fiction novel for fans of epoch-spanning enigmas. If you like dark mysteries, romantic connections, and hints of the paranormal, then you’ll adore Cathie Dunn’s tale of redemption and self-discovery. 

Any Triggers: Implied attack on a female character. Some minor fighting scenes.

Praise

“From the richness of Charlemagne’s court and the regret of a daughter, as she stands over her mother’s grave, to the realisation of an enemy and a skeleton under the kitchen floor, Love Lost in Time: A Tale of Love, Death and Redemption by Cathie Dunn is the unforgettable story that traverses two very different times.” The Coffee Pot Book Club, 5* Editorial Review

“The narrative is ripe with emotions as two independent women are pulled in unexpected directions… Both landscapes are beautifully penned for readers to easily get lost in. Additionally, the storylines are engaging, and each helped bring a satisfying conclusion to the other. An enjoyable tale about love, sacrifice, and self-discovery.” Historical Novel Society

“The historical details are beautiful, and a book which could easily feel oppressively sad is cleverly lightened with the use of romance and a satisfying ending. Well written and easy to read, the historical side may be a little more compelling, but the contemporary details add a layer that cannot be ignored!” In’DTale Magazine

“In Love Lost in Time, Ms Dunn creates a fascinating balance between a tragic love story set in the Visigoth empire of the eighth century, and a very modern historian on a quest to find her own personal history in picturesque Languedoc…

Thoroughly researched and beautifully told, both stories complement each other in narrative power and colourful scene-setting; and in the dual narrative the main characters are compelling – each a product of destiny and following their fate, regardless of the cost. Fans of Kate Mosse will relish this book…” Discovering Diamonds Reviews

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/mq7DM9

This book is available on #KindleUnlimited

AUTHOR BIO: CATHIE DUNN

Cathie is an Amazon-bestselling author of historical fiction, dual-timeline, mystery, and romance. She loves to infuse her stories with a strong sense of place and time, combined with a dark secret or mystery – and a touch of romance. Often, you can find her deep down the rabbit hole of historical research…

In addition, she is also a historical fiction book promoter with The Coffee Pot Book Club, a novel-writing tutor, and a keen reviewer on her blog, Ruins & Reading.

After having lived in Scotland for almost two decades, Cathie is now enjoying the sunshine in the south of France with her husband, and her rescued pets, Ellie Dog & Charlie Cat. 

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Richard III Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Social Media Links:

Website     Instagram     Twitter / X     Facebook

Bluesky     BookBub     Amazon Author Page     Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: LOVE LOST IN TIME

The prologue of Love Lost in Time by Cathie Dunn begins in with a murder of a woman buried alive in AD 793 near Carcassonne, France. The story then alternates between the stories of two women, one in eighth century southern France and the other in the modern day Languedoc region of France. Historian Madeleine Winters inherits her mother’s house in Languedoc where she must reside for a year before she can sell it. Their relationship had been strained because her mother refused to tell Madeleine about her biological father. 

The other story is about Nanthild, a young Frank noblewoman who marries the Count of Carcassonne, a Christian Visigoth loyal to King Charlemagne. Secretly a pagan, she is swept into political turmoil as her husband fights various factions for control of the region. When Madeleine renovates the house, she is haunted by a mysterious voice and the fragrance of lavender. Discovering a skeleton buried beneath the kitchen floorboards, she senses a connection to the woman from the past. As she falls in love with a local vineyard owner, she must come to terms with her mother’s past 

Author Cathie Dunn has masterfully written two stories, each spanning different time periods, and ties them together for a deeply moving ending. Nanthild is a tragic figure who must learn to maneuver and to survive in a Christian, patriarchal society rife with danger. Madeleine is a divorcee reluctant to find new love, but her journey to uncover the secrets of her mother’s past opens the door for a new life and romance. 

What I enjoyed most was how the story about Nanthild seamlessly weaves into the backdrop of Charlemagne’s military campaigns to gain control over Western Europe. The vivid details about the customs, cultural conflicts, and historical accounts demonstrate the author’s meticulous research. The action scenes from some of the battles and regional conflicts are riveting. 

Love Lost in Time is a compelling dual timeline tale of love, survival and self-discovery of two women from different eras whose lives mysteriously connect. 

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Twitter / X Handle: @maryanneyarde
Instagram Handle: @yardereviews
Bluesky Handle: @maryanneyarde.bsky.social