Beyond the Storm

By: Joseph Pittman

Narrated by: Mindy Grall

They chose their own roads, but they couldn't change their destination....

Twenty years ago, Vanessa Massey couldn't wait to graduate from high school and make her small hometown of Danton Hill a distant memory - despite an indelible friendship she'd recently forged. But life has largely ignored her plans, and time has summoned her back to the shores of Lake Ontario for a school reunion that could change everything.

After four years as Danton Hill High's resident outcast, Adam Blackburn went on to a successful career in New York City. Yet now he's drawn homeward for a reunion he's surprisingly curious to attend - if he and his car survive the fierce summer storm that's hit. Adam always hated storms and their destruction. And sure enough, he soon collides with another vehicle in the blinding rain. But it turns out the driver is the one person he'd hoped to see: Vanessa.

Reunited by Mother Nature, the two take shelter in an abandoned farmhouse where they are forced to decipher their unresolved history. Together, they'll unravel the twists of fate that have brought them to the present - and discover the remarkable truth that may carry them through the future....

©2012 Joseph Pittman (P)2017 Linden Corners Press

Beyond the Storm

Beyond the Storm is a different kind of love story. It bounces back and forth between the past and present of our two main characters while also telling of an unending love story. I won't go into details about the two love stories because the way they unfold is part of the enjoyment of the story. The narrator did a good job, however I would have preferred a little more differentiation between characters and a little more emotion. All listeners are different though and that's just my little old opinion. To someone else it might have been perfect. I received a copy of this title free in exchange for an honest review.

Beyond the Storm

Any additional comments?

3.5 stars

This was completely different from what I was expecting. How to describe this story without giving too much away. A well written, engaging and entertaining story. A love story with a paranormal twist.

If you want a story that is fast paced and full of action this is not it. The story unfolds slowly, giving you little clues here and there to what is really going on. The story is told between the past and present. While the story has enough little twists to keep your attention it is told slowly developing the current relationship as well as the backstory between the characters.

A reunion like no other. Vanessa Massey and Adam Blackburn are two souls that are intertwined in an inescapable way. Have you ever had Deja' Vu, or just felt like you needed to be somewhere or see someone. Vanessa and Adam have that pull for reasons they can't explain. They have a destiny waiting for them. Vanessa and Adam have loved before. There is a HEA, but not in a traditional sense.

I was able to figure out what was going on pretty early on in the story. I was really hoping it wasn't going to turn out the way that it did.

Mindy Grall did a good job with the narration overall. Pleasant voice. Easy to listen to for long periods of time. Clearly spoken with a smooth even pace. Some really good character voices. Her male character voices need more distinction from the female voices. Vanessa and Adam sounded the same which takes away from the overall experience of the story. She was able to make you feel all the emotions of the characters and bring the story to life.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Love story with a bit of the supernatural

What about Mindy Grall’s performance did you like?

I thought the timing of Mindy Grail's narration was a bit fast. There were many times where I caught myself wondering who said what in the dialogue because the natural pausing that I expect in the narration to indicate a change in the speaker was missing.

Any additional comments?

The story was interesting and kept me listening. It takes place "now" and then jumps back to "then" to provide the back story as needed throughout. The supernatural elements were not apparent until towards the end when there were little glimmers that all was not what it seemed.This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Beyond the Storm

BEYOND THE STORM : Joseph Pittman


An intriguing listen about high school classmates that reunite by accident twenty years later. Their story is interwoven with a couple from the past. Mystery, suspense , and possibility of reincarnation hold the listener on the egde of reality.The ending was a bit predictable. This was a first listen to this author for me. I will look for more from him.


The narration was well done.The characters were well portrayed by Mindy Grall.



"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."

Romance With A Supernatural Twist

Any additional comments?

Vanessa and Adam are two high school friends who have come home for their twenty-year reunion, each with the express purpose of seeing the other. After colliding with each other on a stormy road, they make their way to an vacant farmhouse for shelter. After reminiscing about the past, they reconnect and painful memories and secrets come to the surface. I won't give away any spoilers, other than to say that there is a supernatural aspect to the story. I would have given the story a 5 rating but the twist at the end was not what I was hoping for.

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. This review is my honest opinion.

WOW, WOW, and just WOW!

What a well written, beautiful love story. I enjoyed the fact that it kept me guessing and wanting more. The author gives just enough at a time leaving the reader wanting more of that topic to explore before adding another. Narrator was the perfect mix to the audiobook.

I received this audiobook free of charge from Audiobook blast, in exchange for an unbiased review

Unexpected finish!

I started this book, had to stop and wait for the right time. I knew right away that this would be a story that required emotional investment. From the first few minutes I knew this would not be a light, fun read... this would require commitment and a bit of myself. When the weekend came and I could listen uninterrupted, I came back to Beyond the Storm and I'm glad I waited. I would have missed a lot of important moments had I listened while distracted.

This is a love story but there is a depth, a tragic and mysterious unknown that is unexpected and just at the surface until the end. There are hints and clues along the way with twists and turns that happen throughout. Narration was flat and at times I craved more inflection and enthusiasm. In the beginning I felt the narration was too monotone to bring the story to life, but I got used to it and didn't notice midway through. If you're not pleased with the narration in the beginning, stick with it. She finds her groove. Overall, a good weekend read. Worth a credit!

I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator. This did not impact my review in any way.

Slow and Complicated

I got this story via audiobook boom and this is my voluntary review. This story was well written and told a complete story with more than one HEA but boy did it take it's time to get there. Two people who had to not only unravel their own secrets but the secrets that were more than 50 years old. This is one of those stories that you want to listen to in order to find out what happened next and you can't skip ahead because you will miss something. It is also one in which you want to sit at home with your favorite beverage and listen to. It is not for that long car ride. Yes it is worth the listen but it is not fast-paced. The narrator uses only one voice to tell the story but you are able to follow along because of the way the story is written.

Good performance and a pretty good story.

What made the experience of listening to Beyond the Storm the most enjoyable?

I was voluntarily provided a free review copy of this audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher, and I'm happy I got to listen to it. It was a complex story involving characters and plot lines from various time periods and lots of vivid sensory descriptions of a quiet northern New York town on the shores of Lake Ontario. A couple loved fiercely and deeply in the waning years of the 19th century, but cruelties of nature doomed their love and left their spirits yearning for each other across time and space. There's a twist in the story (which I didn't absolutely love) that I saw coming about 2/3 of the way in which might please some while it annoys others. I would definitely listen to other books narrated by Mindy Grail and will probably enjoy other books by Joseph Pittman.

Contemporary romance with a paranormal twist

This book has a lot of descriptions and lots of details throughout. I found the story slow paced and it was hard to keep focused. The story went back and forth between past and present. There were more secrets than I expected it and the paranormal twist caught me by surprise, not my favorite conclusion...

The narration was ok but there was not much difference between characters.

It was a unique love story with some mystery woven in. I felt like the story dragged on and on. The tale of previous lovers separated by death and expecting to meet again in another lifetime was different than what I'm used to.

The book was well written but perhaps just not for me. I prefer a much faster paced book.

**This audiobook was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion**