Recent Reads: The Time Travel Edition

The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick (2020)

Amy (Robsart) Dudley is married to Robert Dudley, favorite courtier of Queen Elizabeth I.  Amy wants to escape her loveless marriage, but her actions have repercussions that apparently trickle down through the centuries.  In the present day, pop star Lizzie finds herself in a scandal with her best friend and his wife's family, with links to the past.  I wanted to love this book - I love the Tudor era, I love dual-timeline stories - but it was such a mess.  The "past" timeline was really good - I enjoyed learning about Amy and more about a side of the Tudor era I don't normally come across.  However, the "present" timeline was a total dud.  Silly names, convoluted characters and backstories, extraneous details, magical realism that felt gimmicky.  Unfortunately, it brought the whole reading experience down for me.  3 stars

The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve (2025)

Sometime in the near future, the ability to time travel has been achieved by a large company, allowing people to visit one hour in their past without repercussions for their future.  Unfortunately, while in the past, four "travelers" are stranded for more than their allotted hour.  As they cross paths with one another, they are all forced to take a closer look at this pivotal time in their lives.  I really enjoyed this book!  I loved the fairly new take on the time travel genre.  Seeing how all these seemingly unrelated people and stories were actually quite intertwined was beautiful storytelling - I loved seeing all the connections and how the travelers used their future knowledge to maybe, perhaps change their circumstances from what happened previously.  I have to admit, this book was a lot more introspective than I anticipated - I was expecting a thriller, but it delved more into themes about being present in a moment and how we can create our own second chances.  4 stars

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Recent Reads

Gradchanted by Morgan Matson (2025)

Cass is celebrating her high school graduation at Disneyland's Grad Nite.  After spending her childhood constantly moving for her dads' work, she wants one magical night before she leaves again.  However, the night is a total disaster and Cass is shocked to find herself reliving the night, over and over and over again.. I love a time loop novel, from the main character discovering and accepting they're in one to how they figure out how to get out of it - it's always fun!  I loved the Disneyland setting of this one, and I appreciated how Cass finally came to terms with how her childhood affected her ability to get close to people.  I thought there was WAY too much time spent on Cass trying to help musician Freddie, believing that was her key to escaping the loop.  Clearly, it had to be about her and the mistakes she's made.  But overall, I thought this was a clever, spirited addition to the time loop genre!  4 stars

Meet Me on the Bridge by Sarah J. Harris (2024)

Julia discovers she has the ability to time travel, and she uses it to hopefully meet the man of her literal dreams, who she discovers died a year ago while trying to save others.  However, Julia realizes that her attempts to change the past have effects on the future that she never anticipated.  I love a time travel romance, so I was excited for this one; however, it was a bit of a letdown.  The writing is so clunky; the transitions aren't good, things are not explained well, and Julia is not a character I found myself sympathizing with.  I wanted to like her, but she was so over-written, almost to the point of caricature.  3 stars

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Romance Mini Reviews

 The Jewel of the Isle by Kerry Rea (2024)

Another hit from Kerry Rea!  Grieving her father but determined to complete his bucket list, Emily travels to Isle Royale National Park and hires Ryder to be her tour guide.  He's also grieving and isn't really an expert on the outdoors.  The two get caught up in a dangerous plot of archaeologists looking for a famous jewel and willing to do anything to get it.  I just loved this story.  Rea's writing style immediately enveloped me in the story; there's just something about it that made me feel so comforted.  She perfectly balances humor, adventure, romance, and grief, creating an almost campy feel in some parts (but in the best way) while truly making the characters come to life in such realistic ways.  5 stars

Puck & Prejudice by Lia Riley (2024)

Pro hockey player Tucker accidentally travels back to Regency Era England, where he is greeted by Lizzy, an aspiring writer.  The two decide that the best way to manage the situation is to enter into a marriage of convenience, and once Tucker is able to return to his time, Lizzy will be afforded a life of freedom as a "widow."  I thought this book was really fun.  I love time travel and seeing how the characters explain the past and present to each other.  Tucker was just kind of a meh character for me - he never really leapt off the page.  The true star was Lizzy, a woman who definitely doesn't conform to the social norms of her time.  Jane Austen herself makes a few fun appearances, and while I initially thought the story would be sweet and chaste, it definitely gets spicy.  I loved the ending and how Tucker and Lizzy embrace their situation, after falling in love.  4 stars

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Quick Reviews

 She Wouldn't Change a Thing by Sarah Adlakha (2021)

Maria is a 39-year-old wife and mother, totally overwhelmed by her job and family - until the day she wakes up as her 17-year-old self, unsure of how she got there or how to get back to her family.  She comes to realize that she has a chance to change history, but the change will prevent her from meeting her husband or having her children in the future - how does she make this impossible choice?  I love time travel stories and I was so taken with the premise of this one, but unfortunately, I was left with more questions than answers and it hindered my enjoyment of this book.  We find out that a certain event propels Maria into the past, where she learns she isn't the only one this has happened to.  She then discovers she has been sent back for a "purpose," which to me wasn't super clear - like, if you couldn't figure out this purpose, what was the point?  And also, there's basically no going back, but completing your purpose will change the future you thought you knew.  So, why these people?  Why this purpose?  And since you can't go back to your old life, what is the point of you reliving your life, albeit very differently?  Would certain things still happen, regardless?  And should you (or could you) try to change those things, too?  I didn't care for the bit of insta-love that was thrown in as well.  I did enjoy the connections between the characters and trying to figure out how it would all work out.  Incredible premise, but the execution didn't work well for me.  3 stars

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace (2023)

 

When a college hockey team and ice skating team are forced to share a rink, sparks fly between the captain and the star skater.  Anastasia doesn't have time for a relationship, but will she make room for a new partner?  I have to admit, I'm not quite sure what to think about this one - it's definitely going to end up being 3 stars for me, though.  There were parts I liked - the college setting is one I don't read often, so it was nice to revisit that.  It was way spicier than the cover might make you think (although sometimes it felt like the sex scenes were taking over the story).  The timeline is realistic (no real insta-love here).  But, I did have issues with it.  First off, there were WAY too many side characters to keep track of and after awhile I just stopped caring.  The book is at least 100 pages too long (it's well over 400 pages, there's a lot of repetition in the forming of the relationship between Anastasia and Nathan, and there were plot points that could have been omitted entirely while important ones were totally glossed over).  While it makes sense than Anastasia would be deeply in touch with her emotions after many years of therapy, I felt like the characters were a little too self-aware (and mature, maybe?) for their ages, and there's so much talking at the expense of actual plot.  And don't get me started on that epilogue!  3 stars

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Time Travel Quick Reviews

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub (2023)

Alice is content with her life, except for the fact that her beloved father is ill and doesn't seem to be getting any better.  On her 40th birthday, after a night of drinking, Alice finds herself waking in her childhood bedroom, the day of her 16th birthday.  Here, her dad is young and vibrant - is there a way she can change their future?  I love time travel stories and this was a slightly different take on it - Alice spends one day in the past and then returns to the present, which can change depending on what happened back then.  The relationship between Alice and her dad is quite amazing - without a mother figure for her, Leonard has found a way to be both parent and friend to his daughter.  The lengths Alice will go to, to save her father in the future, was touching.  I did think the story was a bit overwritten and the pacing was off - very slow to start, then sped up way too fast - but this look at the love between a father and daughter was very special.  4 stars

Come Back To Me by Leslie Hachtel (2023)

When Skye spies a centuries-old painting of a Scottish laird at an estate sale, she feels an immediate connection with him, so much so that she decides to find a way to him, no matter how impossible that may be.  I love a good time travel romance, so even though the blurb for this book was rather vague, I was intrigued.  Unfortunately, it missed the mark a bit for me.  I thought the way Skye discovered a way to the past was way too convenient and trite, although I did like the way she researched her trip and tried to prepare as much as possible for living in the past.  The connection between Skye and Ian is palpable, but the writing is lackluster at times and there were some typos that I wish had been caught in editing.  The author does a good job of creating some tension in what might have been too predictable of a story, with the addition of a rival for Skye, but at the same time, I wanted more.  I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  3 stars

 

 

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