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A Stitch in Time #2
A Twist of Fate
Three years ago, Rosalind Courtenay stumbled from the nineteenth century to the twenty-first, where she has been trapped ever since, leaving her husband and infant son behind. Now she’s found her way back.
The problem, of course, is how to explain her absence to her husband. Does he think she abandoned him? Has he remarried? Is he happy in a new life? Rosalind decides to don a disguise in hopes of answering her questions before showing up on his doorstep. Instead, a twist of fate has her mistaken for her young son’s new governess.
Rosalind has every intention of revealing herself as soon as August returns home from business. Until then, she’ll get to know her son, a quiet child who has inexplicably been abandoned by an endless stream of governesses. That’s when the hauntings begin. Rosalind has finally come home and something—or someone—doesn’t just want her gone. They want her dead.
The problem, of course, is how to explain her absence to her husband. Does he think she abandoned him? Has he remarried? Is he happy in a new life? Rosalind decides to don a disguise in hopes of answering her questions before showing up on his doorstep. Instead, a twist of fate has her mistaken for her young son’s new governess.
Rosalind has every intention of revealing herself as soon as August returns home from business. Until then, she’ll get to know her son, a quiet child who has inexplicably been abandoned by an endless stream of governesses. That’s when the hauntings begin. Rosalind has finally come home and something—or someone—doesn’t just want her gone. They want her dead.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2021
561 people are currently reading
3617 people want to read
About the author
Kelley Armstrong
291 books33.5k followersKelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 535 reviews
May 9, 2023
4.5 stars
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind traveled from the 19th century to present day, leaving behind her beloved husband and infant son. Now, she has found a way back and yet she does not know how to explain her absence in a way that will be believed. Disguising herself as a governess, she returns to her husband and son (without them knowing it's her). But someone doesn't want Rosalind there and will do anything to keep her away.
Kelley Armstrong is a favorite of mine, and lately she seems to really love writing time travel books set in Victorian times (I don't mind, they are highly entertaining). This is the second in a series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be less confusing if one read A Stitch in Time first. I listened to the audiobook and found I didn't want to stop listening, I loved following along with Rosalind as she reacquainted herself with her family and how she navigated a very complicated situation. The mystery thrown in was a tad bit predictable but I enjoyed it all the same.
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind traveled from the 19th century to present day, leaving behind her beloved husband and infant son. Now, she has found a way back and yet she does not know how to explain her absence in a way that will be believed. Disguising herself as a governess, she returns to her husband and son (without them knowing it's her). But someone doesn't want Rosalind there and will do anything to keep her away.
Kelley Armstrong is a favorite of mine, and lately she seems to really love writing time travel books set in Victorian times (I don't mind, they are highly entertaining). This is the second in a series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be less confusing if one read A Stitch in Time first. I listened to the audiobook and found I didn't want to stop listening, I loved following along with Rosalind as she reacquainted herself with her family and how she navigated a very complicated situation. The mystery thrown in was a tad bit predictable but I enjoyed it all the same.
October 5, 2021
A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong
2nd book in A Stitch in Time series. Paranormal romance with time travel and ghosts. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series in order.
Rosalind accidentally falls through the time-slip in Thorne Manor and it takes several years for her to figure out how to return home to her husband and son. Those years have passed at the same rate and when she finally does return her son is five. He thinks she died while her husband refuses to “see” beyond his business duties. Rosalind becomes the governess to try to find a way back to her family. But someone doesn’t want Rosalind in the house and tries to scare her away.
Engrossing and thrilling. A little suspense and a lot of character growth.
Edmund is so reticent for five years old. I wanted to hug him and was glad to see him become comfortable with Rosalind.
Husband August had jealousy issues when Rosalind accidentally left him. It was gratifying to see him playing with his son. I won’t say more for spoilers.
William and Bronwyn (from book 1 and 1.5) return to help Rosalind.
I loved this story so much. I will definitely be watching for the next book in the series.
2nd book in A Stitch in Time series. Paranormal romance with time travel and ghosts. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series in order.
Rosalind accidentally falls through the time-slip in Thorne Manor and it takes several years for her to figure out how to return home to her husband and son. Those years have passed at the same rate and when she finally does return her son is five. He thinks she died while her husband refuses to “see” beyond his business duties. Rosalind becomes the governess to try to find a way back to her family. But someone doesn’t want Rosalind in the house and tries to scare her away.
Engrossing and thrilling. A little suspense and a lot of character growth.
Edmund is so reticent for five years old. I wanted to hug him and was glad to see him become comfortable with Rosalind.
Husband August had jealousy issues when Rosalind accidentally left him. It was gratifying to see him playing with his son. I won’t say more for spoilers.
William and Bronwyn (from book 1 and 1.5) return to help Rosalind.
I loved this story so much. I will definitely be watching for the next book in the series.
October 13, 2021
2.5 "dope...if you didn't Sparknote the entirety of Jane Eyre in 10th grade" stars
I liked, but did not love A Stitch in Time, and this one even less. The premise was awesome, and definitely perfect as an October read, but the execution fell kinda flat?
There's been a noticeable shift in the style of Armstrong's writing, and I suspect it has to do with her experimentation with different publishers/self-publishing. She's a veteran author, so it's natural she'd take a stab at cutting out the middle-man, but I do hope she brings aboard someone who can steer the editing process a bit more in future.
I also don't know how I feel about this series doing the whole standalone thing...
It's such a complicated plot—a woman being transported to Victorian England through a haunted manor, uncovering a murder, battling insidious forces...and supernatural ones.
Major DUH, DUH, DUHHHHH energy.
But that's A LOT to breeze through in 1 book. Not to mention...pretty repetitive when it's the framework for each novel. There's more time travel, more murder—I couldn't help feeling like I was re-reading #1.
The circumstances surrounding Rosalind's disappearance were a big part of the mystery in Bronwyn & William's story, so this book did sate my curiosity in that respect. The romance was kinda irrelevant up until the last 1/4, but I didn't necessarily feel its absence because we got great scenes between Rosalind and her son, Edmund. The fact they'd been estranged for 4 years and he was meeting her under the pretence of her being a Governess made for a really heartbreaking, albeit fascinating reunion.
There's also a lot to love in the contemporary messaging—Rosalind repeatedly saves her own skin and stands up for herself against Victorian ideas surrounding womanhood, and in particular, wifehood.
Some readers might be slow to forgive her husband August for his toxic behaviour in the beginning, but it really allowed me to appreciate the extent to which their marriage evolved. You also get to understand that "toxicity" and "true love" are not mutually exclusive. August truly loved her, respected her...and yet his insecurities would've doomed their relationship had fate not intervened and forced them both to get some much needed perspective.
I'm a bit torn, if you can't tell 😂 the depth of E.Q. in Armstrong's writing is a constant. She writes great characters and their struggles are always super relevant and fantastically complex...but the story, the mystery, the scheming...was a bit of a mess.
I might be done with this series, guys...what about you?
I liked, but did not love A Stitch in Time, and this one even less. The premise was awesome, and definitely perfect as an October read, but the execution fell kinda flat?
There's been a noticeable shift in the style of Armstrong's writing, and I suspect it has to do with her experimentation with different publishers/self-publishing. She's a veteran author, so it's natural she'd take a stab at cutting out the middle-man, but I do hope she brings aboard someone who can steer the editing process a bit more in future.
I also don't know how I feel about this series doing the whole standalone thing...
It's such a complicated plot—a woman being transported to Victorian England through a haunted manor, uncovering a murder, battling insidious forces...and supernatural ones.
Major DUH, DUH, DUHHHHH energy.
But that's A LOT to breeze through in 1 book. Not to mention...pretty repetitive when it's the framework for each novel. There's more time travel, more murder—I couldn't help feeling like I was re-reading #1.
The circumstances surrounding Rosalind's disappearance were a big part of the mystery in Bronwyn & William's story, so this book did sate my curiosity in that respect. The romance was kinda irrelevant up until the last 1/4, but I didn't necessarily feel its absence because we got great scenes between Rosalind and her son, Edmund. The fact they'd been estranged for 4 years and he was meeting her under the pretence of her being a Governess made for a really heartbreaking, albeit fascinating reunion.
There's also a lot to love in the contemporary messaging—Rosalind repeatedly saves her own skin and stands up for herself against Victorian ideas surrounding womanhood, and in particular, wifehood.
Some readers might be slow to forgive her husband August for his toxic behaviour in the beginning, but it really allowed me to appreciate the extent to which their marriage evolved. You also get to understand that "toxicity" and "true love" are not mutually exclusive. August truly loved her, respected her...and yet his insecurities would've doomed their relationship had fate not intervened and forced them both to get some much needed perspective.
I'm a bit torn, if you can't tell 😂 the depth of E.Q. in Armstrong's writing is a constant. She writes great characters and their struggles are always super relevant and fantastically complex...but the story, the mystery, the scheming...was a bit of a mess.
I might be done with this series, guys...what about you?
October 31, 2021
A Twist of Fate is the terrific follow-up to Kelley Armstrong’s first foray into time travel, A Stitch in Time . In this story of time travel, Rosalind Courtenay, the wife of August Courtenay, accidentally falls into the same slip or switch in time that brought the William Thorne and Bronwyn together in the first book.
Instead of all of the gothic elements of the first book, this story is more about the personalities than about ghosts and murder.
August had a miserable upbringing, with a mother dead in childbirth and a father who hated him. As the third son of an Earl, he wasn’t even the all important spare. Although August was loving and sunny, he did have a jealous and controlling side. So much so that it is Rosalind’s midnight ride to Thorne Manor to retrieve a wedding ring that causes her to fall through the time slip; also once again a calico cat helps. That darn cat.
Rosalind tries for months to return to August and her baby boy. Finally after months of hiding out in deserted Throne Manor, Rosalind decides to make her way into the modern world. This part of the book, which I should have found engrossing, left me flat. It's mostly skimmed over.
Four years later Rosalind realizes the time slip has reopened-not well explained in this book-she makes plans to return. Rosalind goes about this in a logical manner as she realizes her infant son is now five and August may have remarried in the four years she has been missing.
Rosalind is also very worried about what August thinks of her for being gone. Does he think she is dead? Or does he think she has done what he has always feared; deserting him as most everyone else he loved has done.
Rosalind has learned a lot in the modern world, especially patience and strength. Attributes she uses to plan her return. Rosalind makes her plans, knowing nothing of what awaits her. Armstrong reminds us time travel is not all fun and games; that loved ones are already dead, buried, and turned to dust. Rosalind resists the urge research her loved ones and their fates knowing she could not bear to see death dates even if long into their futures.
Despite Rosalind misleading her family with the best of intentions when she returns as a governess, their reunion does not go anything as she thought it might.
There were hauntings, kidnapping and murder, yet I thought all of disparate parts came together in a rushed manner.
Also please, all writers, ban waggling eyebrows. I counted at least three instances of waggling eyebrows.
I thought the characters were fully realized, easy to care about. There were interesting glimpses into “below stairs” of an Earl’s family seat. The ghost and her story was wrenching, but explained so much, even it was a bit rushed and mostly delivered through a convenient letter.
With a A Twist of Fate Armstrong has delivered another outstanding book. Can the woman even write a mediocre book? I doubt it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes.
Instead of all of the gothic elements of the first book, this story is more about the personalities than about ghosts and murder.
August had a miserable upbringing, with a mother dead in childbirth and a father who hated him. As the third son of an Earl, he wasn’t even the all important spare. Although August was loving and sunny, he did have a jealous and controlling side. So much so that it is Rosalind’s midnight ride to Thorne Manor to retrieve a wedding ring that causes her to fall through the time slip; also once again a calico cat helps. That darn cat.
Rosalind tries for months to return to August and her baby boy. Finally after months of hiding out in deserted Throne Manor, Rosalind decides to make her way into the modern world. This part of the book, which I should have found engrossing, left me flat. It's mostly skimmed over.
Four years later Rosalind realizes the time slip has reopened-not well explained in this book-she makes plans to return. Rosalind goes about this in a logical manner as she realizes her infant son is now five and August may have remarried in the four years she has been missing.
Rosalind is also very worried about what August thinks of her for being gone. Does he think she is dead? Or does he think she has done what he has always feared; deserting him as most everyone else he loved has done.
Rosalind has learned a lot in the modern world, especially patience and strength. Attributes she uses to plan her return. Rosalind makes her plans, knowing nothing of what awaits her. Armstrong reminds us time travel is not all fun and games; that loved ones are already dead, buried, and turned to dust. Rosalind resists the urge research her loved ones and their fates knowing she could not bear to see death dates even if long into their futures.
Despite Rosalind misleading her family with the best of intentions when she returns as a governess, their reunion does not go anything as she thought it might.
There were hauntings, kidnapping and murder, yet I thought all of disparate parts came together in a rushed manner.
Also please, all writers, ban waggling eyebrows. I counted at least three instances of waggling eyebrows.
I thought the characters were fully realized, easy to care about. There were interesting glimpses into “below stairs” of an Earl’s family seat. The ghost and her story was wrenching, but explained so much, even it was a bit rushed and mostly delivered through a convenient letter.
With a A Twist of Fate Armstrong has delivered another outstanding book. Can the woman even write a mediocre book? I doubt it.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC for review purposes.
October 11, 2021
I would have liked to read more about how Rosalind managed to settle in the future! It was skipped and just told us from Rosalind's POV that it was difficult, but nothing more specific...
The story is more focused on what happened when she returns to her time period.
Also we're too much in Rosalind's head as she thinks about how to reveal herself to her husband and son. She thinks logically - that's not an issue, but she blames him, then, she gives too much excuses to her him... over and over, page after page...
Unfortuantely that was repetitive...
On the other hand, the mystery remained mysterious until the end and I liked it!
Good. Not excellent, but good. 3,5 stars rounded to 4 for the mystery part! LOL
The story is more focused on what happened when she returns to her time period.
Also we're too much in Rosalind's head as she thinks about how to reveal herself to her husband and son. She thinks logically - that's not an issue, but she blames him, then, she gives too much excuses to her him... over and over, page after page...
Unfortuantely that was repetitive...
On the other hand, the mystery remained mysterious until the end and I liked it!
Good. Not excellent, but good. 3,5 stars rounded to 4 for the mystery part! LOL
November 22, 2021
I enjoyed this sequel, but it was merely good despite having the potential to be great. I found the plotline where Rosalind impersonates another woman to be a nanny to her own son, to be just incredibly ridiculous. I sighed and went along with it, but the silliness hampered my enjoyment quite a bit. Furthermore the romance portion of the book is extremely minimal. August doesn't even show up until 30%, and by 50% they've had maybe two short, vague conversations. I could get more on board with this if the horror was as strong as in the first book, but that is very background as well in this book, with the majority of the book spent in Rosalind's musings and daily life as a nanny to her son. But the most disappointing aspect, was how underwhelming the part that most readers are probably looking forward to most - the big reveal of who Rosalind is - ended up being. This scene was a complete fizzle-out and incredibly anticlimactic. And a lot of significance is given to August's controlling and overprotective nature throughout both books, so one might expect some tension and drama for them to have to deal with once Rosalind returns, but actually the moment she reveals herself everything is hunky-dory and she finds out August has magically cured himself of these issues surrounding his jealousy over Rosalind long before she returned, because absence makes the heart grow fonder or some such. Idk. Just underwhelming all around.
Oh, I also had no idea how exactly Rosalind went from utterly destitute time traveller with only the shirt on her back to successful and educated London business owner in 4 years. Even most people born in this time can't accomplish this. This bothered my sense of believability as well.
And another thing I need to ask the romance industry in general - WHEN is an author going to finally write a book about a female from the past time travelling to the present? I've been looking for this plotline for ages, and when I first read the first few sentences of the blurb for this book I was briefly thrilled thinking that's what this was about.
Oh, I also had no idea how exactly Rosalind went from utterly destitute time traveller with only the shirt on her back to successful and educated London business owner in 4 years. Even most people born in this time can't accomplish this. This bothered my sense of believability as well.
And another thing I need to ask the romance industry in general - WHEN is an author going to finally write a book about a female from the past time travelling to the present? I've been looking for this plotline for ages, and when I first read the first few sentences of the blurb for this book I was briefly thrilled thinking that's what this was about.
October 21, 2021
This may be my most disappointing read this year. I loved A Stitch in Time so I was eagerly awaiting this one. But the fist half of the book was just Rosalind's continuous inner monologue going back and forth about how she should reveal herself to her family. Literally back and forth. And in that time she only had like two interactions with either August or Edmund. So there was no dialogue - just inner monologue. I lost track how many times she would just keep changing her mind or internally debating back and forth.
Which brings us to my other serious problem. Rosalind chooses to disguise herself as a governess to work herself back into her household rather than take the MUCH easier path and LOGICAL path of revealing herself to William in the future and having him reintroduce her to her family by acting as a witness to what she went to. WHHHHHYYYY?! This is really where it lost me. The plot was just so contrived and pointless. There was no point in so much that followed.
And while the secondary plot with the hauntings/ghost started off fine, the reasoning behind the culprit was so stupid in the end.
Which brings us to my other serious problem. Rosalind chooses to disguise herself as a governess to work herself back into her household rather than take the MUCH easier path and LOGICAL path of revealing herself to William in the future and having him reintroduce her to her family by acting as a witness to what she went to. WHHHHHYYYY?! This is really where it lost me. The plot was just so contrived and pointless. There was no point in so much that followed.
And while the secondary plot with the hauntings/ghost started off fine, the reasoning behind the culprit was so stupid in the end.
October 13, 2021
A Twist of Fate combined a gothic mystery, a second chance romance, and time travel elements to provide an easily engaging and often riveting tale that I listened to in two sittings. Kelley Armstrong’s books often hit me this way.
After reading a few high-praise reviews, for the first book, I was gung-ho to try the series. I took the chance and dove into this second book in the Stitch in Time series and the gamble worked out because I had no trouble missing the first book. A new couple and situation were presented and there was good background details so I was up to speed on what came before even if some of the worldbuilding details were probably introduced in the first book- like how the time stitch came about- and I missed that.
The story is that of a woman who has a wonderful life with a few difficulties including her husband’s trouble with jealousy, but it is a life she wouldn’t voluntarily give up. So, when faced with purgatory in the future for three to four years, Rosalind makes the most of it, but then doesn’t hesitate when she can finally return to the past. However, the Rosalind who left was a fairly conventional Victorian lady who used to run a bakeshop and now married into aristocracy while the Rosalind who returned has ingested modern thinking and culture. She has survived and thrived and came back a stronger woman who will settle the issues with her husband and embrace her old life.
Only, she wasn’t the only one who struggled and changed. There is a brooding mystery in this household and a resident ghost who has made it clear that the new governess is not welcome even while her husband, August, has made it clear that there will be no reminders of his runaway wife. How is she to fix all this?
Time travel can be a tricky story element, but I thought it was done superbly well in A Twist of Fate. It was both a major source of conflict, but also a great aid. I loved how there were situations presented where Rosalind was able to use what she learned to make a huge difference, but it wasn’t so blatant that it didn’t fit. I liked how she showed obvious maturity from her travels, but also had moments of vulnerability. I loved the inclusion of her baking career and her shared learning disability with her son to add bits of extra. August’s struggles with not being a ‘man’s man’ in the eyes of his father and older brother and his issue with abandonment by deceased mother and sister were also coloring in the background.
I confess the mysterious goings on and the gothic atmosphere were as big a hook as the precarious romance between Rosalind and August. For the longest time, I had no idea if the ghost was real or if someone alive was trying to scare Rosalind and her son. It all built to some exciting moments including the big money climax near the end with a few twists.
Gemma Dawson is a familiar narrator and I thought she was a fab match for Rosalind who does all the narration and for the tone of the story. She voiced all the cast well including young Edmund.
A Twist of Fate was all-around awesome and I didn’t want to stop listening. I might go back for the earlier story because I loved this one, but I never felt like I was missing out by jumping in here. Those who love time travel romance, romantic suspense, and gothic mystery are the target listening audience
My thanks to Tantor Audio for providing a copy for me to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
After reading a few high-praise reviews, for the first book, I was gung-ho to try the series. I took the chance and dove into this second book in the Stitch in Time series and the gamble worked out because I had no trouble missing the first book. A new couple and situation were presented and there was good background details so I was up to speed on what came before even if some of the worldbuilding details were probably introduced in the first book- like how the time stitch came about- and I missed that.
The story is that of a woman who has a wonderful life with a few difficulties including her husband’s trouble with jealousy, but it is a life she wouldn’t voluntarily give up. So, when faced with purgatory in the future for three to four years, Rosalind makes the most of it, but then doesn’t hesitate when she can finally return to the past. However, the Rosalind who left was a fairly conventional Victorian lady who used to run a bakeshop and now married into aristocracy while the Rosalind who returned has ingested modern thinking and culture. She has survived and thrived and came back a stronger woman who will settle the issues with her husband and embrace her old life.
Only, she wasn’t the only one who struggled and changed. There is a brooding mystery in this household and a resident ghost who has made it clear that the new governess is not welcome even while her husband, August, has made it clear that there will be no reminders of his runaway wife. How is she to fix all this?
Time travel can be a tricky story element, but I thought it was done superbly well in A Twist of Fate. It was both a major source of conflict, but also a great aid. I loved how there were situations presented where Rosalind was able to use what she learned to make a huge difference, but it wasn’t so blatant that it didn’t fit. I liked how she showed obvious maturity from her travels, but also had moments of vulnerability. I loved the inclusion of her baking career and her shared learning disability with her son to add bits of extra. August’s struggles with not being a ‘man’s man’ in the eyes of his father and older brother and his issue with abandonment by deceased mother and sister were also coloring in the background.
I confess the mysterious goings on and the gothic atmosphere were as big a hook as the precarious romance between Rosalind and August. For the longest time, I had no idea if the ghost was real or if someone alive was trying to scare Rosalind and her son. It all built to some exciting moments including the big money climax near the end with a few twists.
Gemma Dawson is a familiar narrator and I thought she was a fab match for Rosalind who does all the narration and for the tone of the story. She voiced all the cast well including young Edmund.
A Twist of Fate was all-around awesome and I didn’t want to stop listening. I might go back for the earlier story because I loved this one, but I never felt like I was missing out by jumping in here. Those who love time travel romance, romantic suspense, and gothic mystery are the target listening audience
My thanks to Tantor Audio for providing a copy for me to listen to in exchange for an honest review.
October 5, 2021
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Twist of Fate is the second book in the gothic romance series A Stitch in Time. Rosalind Courtenay left for a ride on her horse one night and was presumed dead. No one has seen her in 5 years. Nothing could be farther from the truth; she is alive and well and accidentally living in the 21st century instead of the 19th. She thought herself forever stuck until she found a way back to the time period she left and the husband and child who think her gone forever.
I had such a great time with the first story in this series that I didn't think there was any possibly way I could like this one more. But I was so wrong. In A Twist of Fate, Rosalind is back in her time but it has been five years and what if her husband remarried. In a bid to ascertain some information on the last five years, she is tricked into becoming a governess in the home of her husband and child. This is a chance to build a bond with the baby turned young boy and bide her time until she can be reunited with her husband currently out on business. There is just one pesky problem, all the governesses so far have been run off by a ghost and now someone or something is trying to do the same to Rosalind as well.
The plot to this story was so much more than I thought it would be. It was great getting to see Rosalind and Edmund (her son) spend time together and really start to build a relationship. August was a bit of a dolt in the beginning as he didn't recognize her through her disguise but you could tell that even after five years he still pined for the wife he lost either to his jealousy or her death. Kelley Armstrong got me again in the end as I didn't guess the identity of the ghost until she hit me in the face with it. A fine twist it was and while I didn't get any hints for if there would be a next book in the series, I hope there is one. Both A Stitch in Time and A Twist of Fate can be read as standalone novels.
Narration:
Gemma Dawson is a great fit to the 19th century gothic feel of the story. She gives the story a real haunted vibe when needed. I enjoyed her performance and she was able to make Rosalind really come to life in her struggle to put her family back together and the doubt she has in her ability to do just that. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5X speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Twist of Fate is the second book in the gothic romance series A Stitch in Time. Rosalind Courtenay left for a ride on her horse one night and was presumed dead. No one has seen her in 5 years. Nothing could be farther from the truth; she is alive and well and accidentally living in the 21st century instead of the 19th. She thought herself forever stuck until she found a way back to the time period she left and the husband and child who think her gone forever.
I had such a great time with the first story in this series that I didn't think there was any possibly way I could like this one more. But I was so wrong. In A Twist of Fate, Rosalind is back in her time but it has been five years and what if her husband remarried. In a bid to ascertain some information on the last five years, she is tricked into becoming a governess in the home of her husband and child. This is a chance to build a bond with the baby turned young boy and bide her time until she can be reunited with her husband currently out on business. There is just one pesky problem, all the governesses so far have been run off by a ghost and now someone or something is trying to do the same to Rosalind as well.
The plot to this story was so much more than I thought it would be. It was great getting to see Rosalind and Edmund (her son) spend time together and really start to build a relationship. August was a bit of a dolt in the beginning as he didn't recognize her through her disguise but you could tell that even after five years he still pined for the wife he lost either to his jealousy or her death. Kelley Armstrong got me again in the end as I didn't guess the identity of the ghost until she hit me in the face with it. A fine twist it was and while I didn't get any hints for if there would be a next book in the series, I hope there is one. Both A Stitch in Time and A Twist of Fate can be read as standalone novels.
Narration:
Gemma Dawson is a great fit to the 19th century gothic feel of the story. She gives the story a real haunted vibe when needed. I enjoyed her performance and she was able to make Rosalind really come to life in her struggle to put her family back together and the doubt she has in her ability to do just that. I was able to listen to this at my usual 1.5X speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
October 21, 2021
4.5/5 stars
A Twist of Fate is the second book in the A Stitch in Time/Thorne Manor trilogy. There are also two novellas. This series is a time travel Victorian mystery romance trilogy with some paranormal elements.
Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. I wouldn't normally read historical or time travel. But somehow she mixes these genres (plus mystery and romance) and creates a magical story.
I am honestly glad that I did not read the book blurb before starting this book. I only knew that Bronwyn was not the narrator of this book. The blurb definitely spoils too much of the story for me. So if you enjoyed A Stitch in Time then just go into this book blindly. You won't be disappointed.
My main questions before starting this book were:
1)Is there much time travel in this book? There is not a lot of going back and forth. But we do see both the past and the present.
2) Are Bronwyn and William in this book? Yes although for the most part not a lot. Ballgowns & Butterflies (the novella) is their extra story. But we definitely do get to see them.
3) What is the time frame of this book compared to where we left off at Christmas in Ballgowns & Butterflies? I would say that this takes place a bit less than 2 years after that novella.
4) Can this be read as a standalone? Technically yes. There is a different narrator. However the books are closely linked. And the characters from the first book are in this book. And the stories are related. So I would highly recommend reading books 1 + 1.5 first.
The narrator of A Twist of Fate is Rosalind Courtenay (1st person POV). She is August's wife who disappeared. The book takes place in the UK.
This book made me teary at times. I was not sure if I would love this book as much as A Stitch in Time as I loved Bronwyn. But the premise of this book was so good. I love seeing 2020 characters in the 19th century. And I love seeing 21st century characters go to the past. I don't normally love historical reads. But this makes the historical aspect work for me.
The mystery in this book was so interesting. I loved this book so much and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the novella 2.5 will be about. And I am so excited about book 3!
A Twist of Fate is the second book in the A Stitch in Time/Thorne Manor trilogy. There are also two novellas. This series is a time travel Victorian mystery romance trilogy with some paranormal elements.
Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. I wouldn't normally read historical or time travel. But somehow she mixes these genres (plus mystery and romance) and creates a magical story.
I am honestly glad that I did not read the book blurb before starting this book. I only knew that Bronwyn was not the narrator of this book. The blurb definitely spoils too much of the story for me. So if you enjoyed A Stitch in Time then just go into this book blindly. You won't be disappointed.
My main questions before starting this book were:
1)Is there much time travel in this book? There is not a lot of going back and forth. But we do see both the past and the present.
2) Are Bronwyn and William in this book? Yes although for the most part not a lot. Ballgowns & Butterflies (the novella) is their extra story. But we definitely do get to see them.
3) What is the time frame of this book compared to where we left off at Christmas in Ballgowns & Butterflies? I would say that this takes place a bit less than 2 years after that novella.
4) Can this be read as a standalone? Technically yes. There is a different narrator. However the books are closely linked. And the characters from the first book are in this book. And the stories are related. So I would highly recommend reading books 1 + 1.5 first.
The narrator of A Twist of Fate is Rosalind Courtenay (1st person POV). She is August's wife who disappeared. The book takes place in the UK.
This book made me teary at times. I was not sure if I would love this book as much as A Stitch in Time as I loved Bronwyn. But the premise of this book was so good. I love seeing 2020 characters in the 19th century. And I love seeing 21st century characters go to the past. I don't normally love historical reads. But this makes the historical aspect work for me.
The mystery in this book was so interesting. I loved this book so much and I absolutely cannot wait to see what the novella 2.5 will be about. And I am so excited about book 3!
August 25, 2023
Okay, look. It’s not how I would’ve revealed myself after four years of being lost in time, but Rosalind and August are such a lovely pair that I will overlook the very strange decisions that Rosalind made at points in this book. I love them. I love sweet Edmund. I love Bronwyn and William. I love the cats. I love seeing more of this little world that Kelley Armstrong has created.
September 18, 2021
Unsurprisingly I loved this book as I do pretty much anything Kelley Armstrong writes. This is book two in this gothic time traveling series and while a third was not necessarily hinted at I do hope this will not be the end of this series. Rosalind was thought to have disappeared either died or run off and abandoned her husband August and son Edmund. This book shows what really happened - she snuck out to retrieve a belonging from Thorne Manor and she accidentally falls through the rip in time and finds herself in murders day trapped. Despite her best efforts she cannot manage to get home and years pass with her slowly adjusting to modern day. When she does find her way back to her own time she wants to proceed slowly as four years have gone by and she’s unsure how her husband will react. The writing is amazing and the characters are very compelling. Like the first book a large portion of the story is a ghost story which I love.
October 31, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
The cover drew me in and three things convinced me to read this book:
1. I love Kelley Armstrong! I discovered her through her young adult book, sea of shadows, and she became me most read author of 2016;
2. It is a Subterranean Press book and they do great work; and
3. This is the second book in the a stitch in time series.
This book was much better than the first! This story follows Rosalind, who accidentally enters the time slip and lands in the 21st century leaving her husband and son in the past. When she gets back to the past, she finds out that everyone believes she is dead. Fate takes a hand by getting her a job as a governess to her son. How can she convince her family that she is back especially when ghosts are afoot and someone wants the governess dead?
The first book's relationship problems could have been solved with some honest communication. I am glad there was less of that in book two. Both books require some heavy suspension of disbelief. I was annoyed that how Rosalind survives her many years in the 21st century are skipped over. I also thought how threads of the plot tied together in the end were hasty stitched together.
Overall though, I focused on the story being a silly fun melodrama with ghosts and let it be light entertainment. I did enjoy the relationship between Rosalind and her son. I enjoyed watching the husband realize his mistakes. It was a fun read for halloween.
Happy Halloween! Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Subterranean Press!
The cover drew me in and three things convinced me to read this book:
1. I love Kelley Armstrong! I discovered her through her young adult book, sea of shadows, and she became me most read author of 2016;
2. It is a Subterranean Press book and they do great work; and
3. This is the second book in the a stitch in time series.
This book was much better than the first! This story follows Rosalind, who accidentally enters the time slip and lands in the 21st century leaving her husband and son in the past. When she gets back to the past, she finds out that everyone believes she is dead. Fate takes a hand by getting her a job as a governess to her son. How can she convince her family that she is back especially when ghosts are afoot and someone wants the governess dead?
The first book's relationship problems could have been solved with some honest communication. I am glad there was less of that in book two. Both books require some heavy suspension of disbelief. I was annoyed that how Rosalind survives her many years in the 21st century are skipped over. I also thought how threads of the plot tied together in the end were hasty stitched together.
Overall though, I focused on the story being a silly fun melodrama with ghosts and let it be light entertainment. I did enjoy the relationship between Rosalind and her son. I enjoyed watching the husband realize his mistakes. It was a fun read for halloween.
Happy Halloween! Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank you Subterranean Press!
October 8, 2021
I really enjoyed this! It was ultimately a more straightforward book than the first one, I think, and I think less spooky, though there are still enough ghosts and scares to make it feel gothic.
December 29, 2021
Another DNF for me. I really liked the first book in this series but this one had 2 problems: it felt like a rehash of that book and the whole premise was seriously a wtf.
Once again, we have a time traveling woman who encounters paranormal activity related to a murder(s) near Thorne Manor. It is just not believable to me that Rosalind spent 2 years basically scrounging for survival in modern times and then somehow, a mere 2 years after that, she opens her own bakery. Without ID, money, or help. She spends 4 years trying to go back to her time to no avail until one day, bam, she is able to go. She sees William (her husband's BFF) and his wife Bronwyn, who is a customer in her bakery and Rosalind is convinced knows who she is. Yet despite this, instead of doing the smart thing and talking to them so that they can go back to tell August she's alive and didn't abandon him and their son, she goes back to Thorne Manor, where this time she magically time-travels. And THEN she decides to wait for William and Bronwyn in the 1800s. Wat?
Then she concocts a ridiculous plan to travel in disguise using modern makeup (with contouring! fancy!), colored contacts (with no solution?), a wig etc so no one would recognize her and tell August and through a misunderstanding, she ends up being a governess to her own son. Where she continues with the disguise. Did I miss the part where she packed weeks and weeks worth of heavy makeup to keep re-creating her disguise?
I finally set it aside at 52% because nothing was happening. We just had her same interior monologue over and over, which became rather tedious. I could deal with the implausible aforementioned plot elements, but then there needs to be some action or some something to engage the reader. I ended up just not picking it back up to read due to lack of interest.
Once again, we have a time traveling woman who encounters paranormal activity related to a murder(s) near Thorne Manor. It is just not believable to me that Rosalind spent 2 years basically scrounging for survival in modern times and then somehow, a mere 2 years after that, she opens her own bakery. Without ID, money, or help. She spends 4 years trying to go back to her time to no avail until one day, bam, she is able to go. She sees William (her husband's BFF) and his wife Bronwyn, who is a customer in her bakery and Rosalind is convinced knows who she is. Yet despite this, instead of doing the smart thing and talking to them so that they can go back to tell August she's alive and didn't abandon him and their son, she goes back to Thorne Manor, where this time she magically time-travels. And THEN she decides to wait for William and Bronwyn in the 1800s. Wat?
Then she concocts a ridiculous plan to travel in disguise using modern makeup (with contouring! fancy!), colored contacts (with no solution?), a wig etc so no one would recognize her and tell August and through a misunderstanding, she ends up being a governess to her own son. Where she continues with the disguise. Did I miss the part where she packed weeks and weeks worth of heavy makeup to keep re-creating her disguise?
I finally set it aside at 52% because nothing was happening. We just had her same interior monologue over and over, which became rather tedious. I could deal with the implausible aforementioned plot elements, but then there needs to be some action or some something to engage the reader. I ended up just not picking it back up to read due to lack of interest.
September 21, 2021
I loved the first book in the series and this was one was just as good if not better. Rosalind is a Victorian woman who has been transported into the 21st century. She learns to adapt yet can't stop yearning for her own time with her husband and child. One day she encounters Bronwyn and realizes eventually who she is. Rosalind figures out how to get back to who own time. Once back she realizes that she can't just go to her husband August. He is angry with her as he believes she abandoned him. She must figure out a plan that will not get her thrown in an asylum if she claims she was transported to the future. A twist of fate happens and she ends up at her husband's estate only to find that there is a mystery surrounding her son and his former governesses. She must figure out how to help her family without destroying herself.
This novel was a sequel yet it could be read as a standalone. It's focus was on Rosalind and not the other characters from the previous book. I found this book fascinating and loved the mystery, adventure, romance, and of course time travel!!! There were twists and surprises that kept me reading. I really hope that there are more books in this series. This was a fantastic book and I recommend it to anyone as it had so many elements from all different genres.
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for this advanced readers copy.
This novel was a sequel yet it could be read as a standalone. It's focus was on Rosalind and not the other characters from the previous book. I found this book fascinating and loved the mystery, adventure, romance, and of course time travel!!! There were twists and surprises that kept me reading. I really hope that there are more books in this series. This was a fantastic book and I recommend it to anyone as it had so many elements from all different genres.
Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for this advanced readers copy.
October 7, 2021
I have loved Kelley Armstrong since Bitten was her only book, but honestly, as much as I was dying to read this sequel, I was disappointed in how it was written. I never write reviews, but I am shocked that this book still 4 stars.
Am I the only one who felt like this book spent a lot of time apologizing for what it was? It was narrated by someone who wanted us to know every reason behind her thoughts and actions, to the point that I felt it kind of sucked out the best part of a romance—letting the emotions overtake. I get that Rosalind is sensible, and a sensible person may not have landed in such a series of unfortunate events, but that’s our job as readers, to suspend our disbelief! In absolutely every scene, the narrator makes a point to say that she is acting as Clara the Governess, as if every one of her emotions of wanting her past life needs to be reasoned through. And, I must say, I just didn’t love the reunion between her and August. I get that he had changed and the reason behind the way he accepted her return, but I feel like the emotional climax was missing from this, what is at its core, romance novel.
I love strong heroines, and I loved the concept of the Time Stitch series (I’ve reread the first book at least twice), this book just missed the mark for me as a novel, especially given that Kelley Armstrong has so much talent for building up romance.
Am I the only one who felt like this book spent a lot of time apologizing for what it was? It was narrated by someone who wanted us to know every reason behind her thoughts and actions, to the point that I felt it kind of sucked out the best part of a romance—letting the emotions overtake. I get that Rosalind is sensible, and a sensible person may not have landed in such a series of unfortunate events, but that’s our job as readers, to suspend our disbelief! In absolutely every scene, the narrator makes a point to say that she is acting as Clara the Governess, as if every one of her emotions of wanting her past life needs to be reasoned through. And, I must say, I just didn’t love the reunion between her and August. I get that he had changed and the reason behind the way he accepted her return, but I feel like the emotional climax was missing from this, what is at its core, romance novel.
I love strong heroines, and I loved the concept of the Time Stitch series (I’ve reread the first book at least twice), this book just missed the mark for me as a novel, especially given that Kelley Armstrong has so much talent for building up romance.
December 29, 2021
I'm actually quite impressed. Just to show that you should always went into a book with zero expectation.
Anyhow, for a clean romance, this story is right up my alley. Sure, there was some cheesy parts but I really enjoyed the whole storytelling.
Anyhow, for a clean romance, this story is right up my alley. Sure, there was some cheesy parts but I really enjoyed the whole storytelling.
October 11, 2021
I liked this one a lot more than book 1 and I think that is just because this book is way more straightforward and there was never any doubt that Rosalind and August loved each other. I am a sucker for second chance stories and watching Rosalind find her way back to her husband and son made me very happy. I also appreciate how she never planned nor wanted to deceive August in not revealing who she truly was, that was a plot twist I was expecting but it never came thank goodness. Instead Rosalind did everything carefully and with a good reason behind it even if it meant deceiving her husband a little while longer and I really liked that.
Also Edmund, their young son, was great in this. The author understands five year olds and didn't make him either too young or too mature for his age which was nice to read especially because he was in many scenes. The ghost stuff was also interesting and kept my attention. Like the first book I was also wrong on the "ghost" but that's okay because it's still nice to be surprised in literature. It did seem towards the end that the author was possibly setting up one of Rosalind's sister's for a future book (the one with The Sight) and if so, I will be reading it. This is a good series for someone who likes both romance and non-scary ghost mysteries. Which means it's right up my alley!
Also Edmund, their young son, was great in this. The author understands five year olds and didn't make him either too young or too mature for his age which was nice to read especially because he was in many scenes. The ghost stuff was also interesting and kept my attention. Like the first book I was also wrong on the "ghost" but that's okay because it's still nice to be surprised in literature. It did seem towards the end that the author was possibly setting up one of Rosalind's sister's for a future book (the one with The Sight) and if so, I will be reading it. This is a good series for someone who likes both romance and non-scary ghost mysteries. Which means it's right up my alley!
September 29, 2021
Series Info/Source: This is the second book in the A Stitch in Time series. I got a copy of this from NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: This was a decent read. It follows a different couple than the first book; although we do see some of Bronwyn and William too. This time we are following Rosalind as she desperately tries to get back to her own time and back to her husband (August) and her son. You hear some about August and Rosalind in the first book of this series and it was nice to hear their story.
The story primarily focuses on Rosalind trying to get back to her family, spending time with them, and revealing her secrets to her husband August. There is a mystery around some hauntings and strange-going-ons as well.
I enjoyed it, it was a sweet and cute story. The mystery feels a bit forced and there is a lot of action toward the end of the book that feels a bit rushed. It was still a quick and entertaining read though. This series is fairly different from other Armstrong series in that it has that serial romance feel to it. I am enjoying these but they are more a guilty pleasure than anything and definitely not Armstrong’s strongest series, but still well done.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This was a sweet time travel love story with some ghosts and a bit of a mystery. I like the characters and the premise. The pacing did feel a bit uneven to me and this is a pretty simple and quick read. However, I still had fun reading it. This is a great Halloween read with spooky ghosts and a creepy setting. I am unsure if there will be more books in this series but I am guessing there could be a couple additional books featuring Rosalind’s sisters...time will tell.
Thoughts: This was a decent read. It follows a different couple than the first book; although we do see some of Bronwyn and William too. This time we are following Rosalind as she desperately tries to get back to her own time and back to her husband (August) and her son. You hear some about August and Rosalind in the first book of this series and it was nice to hear their story.
The story primarily focuses on Rosalind trying to get back to her family, spending time with them, and revealing her secrets to her husband August. There is a mystery around some hauntings and strange-going-ons as well.
I enjoyed it, it was a sweet and cute story. The mystery feels a bit forced and there is a lot of action toward the end of the book that feels a bit rushed. It was still a quick and entertaining read though. This series is fairly different from other Armstrong series in that it has that serial romance feel to it. I am enjoying these but they are more a guilty pleasure than anything and definitely not Armstrong’s strongest series, but still well done.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. This was a sweet time travel love story with some ghosts and a bit of a mystery. I like the characters and the premise. The pacing did feel a bit uneven to me and this is a pretty simple and quick read. However, I still had fun reading it. This is a great Halloween read with spooky ghosts and a creepy setting. I am unsure if there will be more books in this series but I am guessing there could be a couple additional books featuring Rosalind’s sisters...time will tell.
November 25, 2022
This was an excellent gothic romance, but it wasn't quite what I wanted from this story based on the set up from the previous book.
October 18, 2021
I absolutely loved A Stitch in Time and was delighted we would head back to Thorne Manor. In Twist of Fate, Rosalind Courtenay accidentally steps through a time slip at Thorne Manor, leaving behind her husband and infant son. She finds herself in the twenty-first century and unable to return. When she sees Bronwyn and William Thorne, she realizes they must have used the time slip. After four years, she can finally go home. Her son is a stranger and worse, she is believed to be dead. Posing as her son’s new governess, she waits for her husband August to return… but foul play is afoot and her son is seeing ghosts.
Imagine finding yourself in another time! Rosalind did well for herself, but longed to return home. I liked her confidence and felt for her as she becomes a servant in her own home. I would have liked for her to present herself as herself, but understood why she waited for her husband to return. The two had some rough patches before her disappearance, and it seems August believes she abandoned them.
The ghost of the moor, the domineering housekeeper and the mystery, all added to the sweet family romance. I easily devoured this in a few sittings. The flow, characters and storyline kept me engaged. I loved seeing Bronwyn and William.
The mystery built to a rushed frenzy before giving us a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to more of this series. I read book one and later grabbed the audiobook. The stories are perfect for audio and with the paranormal elements and mysteries. This is the perfect listen for fall.
Gemma Dawson delivered a wonderful narration. She captured the characters, the atmospheric vibe and enhanced the overall story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Imagine finding yourself in another time! Rosalind did well for herself, but longed to return home. I liked her confidence and felt for her as she becomes a servant in her own home. I would have liked for her to present herself as herself, but understood why she waited for her husband to return. The two had some rough patches before her disappearance, and it seems August believes she abandoned them.
The ghost of the moor, the domineering housekeeper and the mystery, all added to the sweet family romance. I easily devoured this in a few sittings. The flow, characters and storyline kept me engaged. I loved seeing Bronwyn and William.
The mystery built to a rushed frenzy before giving us a satisfying conclusion. I am looking forward to more of this series. I read book one and later grabbed the audiobook. The stories are perfect for audio and with the paranormal elements and mysteries. This is the perfect listen for fall.
Gemma Dawson delivered a wonderful narration. She captured the characters, the atmospheric vibe and enhanced the overall story. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
October 6, 2021
My initial thought when I sat down to write this review, was to give the book 4 stars. The main reason I didn't do so, was because I got so annoyed at the MC in the first half of the book! I understand the situation and predicament, but I'm a person that always feel that open communication is best, so story-ARCs like this one are very annoying to me. I'm not saying they're always the kindest, though, which is the lynch-pin in this story.
Other than that, I liked it. I enjoyed a romance that wasn't about people becoming lovers, but about established lovers instead. I feel like there's a lot of books about people falling madly in love, and nothing about their HEA as stable couple, which is doing more harm than good, in my opinion. So I really liked that aspect of this book, as well as how August and Rosy communicated. After the first half.
The mystery was interesting, and I have to admit to not having figured it out beforehand - which is a rarity for me these days - so I really liked that, and the writing was as great as I would expect from Kelley Armstrong. I also liked that we got to see how things were going for Bronwyn and William. On that front, however, I have to admit that I preferred Bronwyn as an MC rather than Rosalynd, but that's more of a personal thing. And I found book 1 more to my liking, as it was rather straight forward in its communications.
Anyway, I'm looking forwards to this years Yule-story very much!
Other than that, I liked it. I enjoyed a romance that wasn't about people becoming lovers, but about established lovers instead. I feel like there's a lot of books about people falling madly in love, and nothing about their HEA as stable couple, which is doing more harm than good, in my opinion. So I really liked that aspect of this book, as well as how August and Rosy communicated. After the first half.
The mystery was interesting, and I have to admit to not having figured it out beforehand - which is a rarity for me these days - so I really liked that, and the writing was as great as I would expect from Kelley Armstrong. I also liked that we got to see how things were going for Bronwyn and William. On that front, however, I have to admit that I preferred Bronwyn as an MC rather than Rosalynd, but that's more of a personal thing. And I found book 1 more to my liking, as it was rather straight forward in its communications.
Anyway, I'm looking forwards to this years Yule-story very much!
October 14, 2023
I loved this one just as much as the first in the series. It was again the same great mix of genres: historical, romance, mystery, ghost story. And again, it nicely circumvented the pitfalls of a main character in a historical novel having too modern sensibilities and thoughts. For Bronwyn in book #1, this made perfect sense since she came from modern times. Here, Rosalind has the "excuse" of having spent four years trapped in modern day, so of course that explains how she absorbed some of that. I also liked the little nods to the kind of books that might have inspired parts of this story, like Jane Eyre or Rebecca.
Parts of this were sweet, parts of it were funny, parts of it were... not exactly frustrating to read, but frustrating on behalf of the characters. All of it was so much fun to read! I can't wait for book #3, which will follow one of Rosalind's sisters.
[February 2023: reread in audio format]
Parts of this were sweet, parts of it were funny, parts of it were... not exactly frustrating to read, but frustrating on behalf of the characters. All of it was so much fun to read! I can't wait for book #3, which will follow one of Rosalind's sisters.
[February 2023: reread in audio format]
October 17, 2021
Not as good as the first book, but still pretty good!! It wasn’t as scary, and the time travel element took a serious backseat in this sequel.
October 6, 2021
This series has all my favorite elements: a mystery, gothic, historical, romance, time travel with a bit of paranormal thrown in. As always with Kelley Armstrong, the writing is superb, the characters are smart and the mystery is clever. I loved the first book and the following related novella's. This latest addition solves a great mystery from the first book and it was equally as good as that first book. It's a great series by a very talented author!
April 7, 2022
I liked this much better than the first one. Very Jane Eyre/Rebecca inspired. Quick read. The main romance wasn't super well done but Rosie's relationship with her son was sweet. Would have liked to see more about her adjusting to the future.
December 14, 2022
Not as good as the first in the series, but still pretty cute.
April 21, 2024
Fabulous 2nd novel in a lovely, fascinating series involving timeslips and ghosts. Highly recommended.
December 30, 2022
4.5 stars
As much as I enjoyed A Stitch in Time, I believe I enjoyed A Twist of Fate even more. Rosalind was a character we were introduced to - in that she's August's missing (dead?) wife - and I longed to truly meet her and get her story.
I think what made this slightly stronger was two-fold. (1) While Bronwynn time traveled into the past and was able to return to her time easily, Rosalind time traveled into the future and could not get back to her time. Bronwynn went into a world we know - even if it's been misremembered in finer details, it's not wholly unknown. Rosalind had nothing to guide her as she's cast into the future. (2) Rosalind had an infant that her accidental time traveling made her leave behind.
These two elements made Rosalind's story more tragic and more desperate. Watching her able to finally return and the anxiety, the challenges, the heartache of seeing her son -all of that made for a very compelling story and you couldn't but hope for her to have a happy ending.
And yet, on top of that, the mystery and ghost element of this book also felt so much more significant and dire. I was not sure for most the book what was actually happening and found the resolution very satisfying. I loved getting to know Rosalind, her young son Edmund, and her husband August better. And I'm very excited to get to know her sister in the third book!
I listened to A Twist of Fate, narrated by Gemma Dawson. I enjoyed the narration quite a lot, though I was surprised to have a different narrator than in the first book. It was a comfortable transition between books and the characters voices carried between books well. I was able to listen at my normal 2x speed comfortably.
As much as I enjoyed A Stitch in Time, I believe I enjoyed A Twist of Fate even more. Rosalind was a character we were introduced to - in that she's August's missing (dead?) wife - and I longed to truly meet her and get her story.
I think what made this slightly stronger was two-fold. (1) While Bronwynn time traveled into the past and was able to return to her time easily, Rosalind time traveled into the future and could not get back to her time. Bronwynn went into a world we know - even if it's been misremembered in finer details, it's not wholly unknown. Rosalind had nothing to guide her as she's cast into the future. (2) Rosalind had an infant that her accidental time traveling made her leave behind.
These two elements made Rosalind's story more tragic and more desperate. Watching her able to finally return and the anxiety, the challenges, the heartache of seeing her son -all of that made for a very compelling story and you couldn't but hope for her to have a happy ending.
And yet, on top of that, the mystery and ghost element of this book also felt so much more significant and dire. I was not sure for most the book what was actually happening and found the resolution very satisfying. I loved getting to know Rosalind, her young son Edmund, and her husband August better. And I'm very excited to get to know her sister in the third book!
I listened to A Twist of Fate, narrated by Gemma Dawson. I enjoyed the narration quite a lot, though I was surprised to have a different narrator than in the first book. It was a comfortable transition between books and the characters voices carried between books well. I was able to listen at my normal 2x speed comfortably.
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