Carly is a young, pregnant widow in 1970 who learns that the baby she is carrying has a birth defect that pretty muchOh. My. Gahd. All the feels!
Carly is a young, pregnant widow in 1970 who learns that the baby she is carrying has a birth defect that pretty much guarantees she won't survive more than a day outside the womb. As this child is the only piece of her beloved husband that she has left, she is despondent at hearing this news.
Enter her quirky, but very lovable brother-in-law, who tells her there is a way to save her baby. However, what is required is so far 'out there', that it seems an impossible, or at the very least, highly improbable answer to her dilemma. Travel to the future where (when?) a medical procedure exists that will save her unborn child.
I love me a good time travel book, and this one did not disappoint. I even found the method of achieving time travel to be interesting, and my heart was pumping in shared anxiety with the main character as she took the first plunge (literally).
As the mother of a little girl myself, I truly connected with Carly, and reading about her time leading up to delivery, as well as the time spent in the hospital with her newborn, brought my own memories of that time to the forefront.
However, I have to say I struggled with certain plot twists. Without going into 'spoiler-alert' style details, I will say I had to put the book down at one point and take a break because I Just. Could. Not. Continue. Could not imagine being there and making the kind of decisions she was faced with. Could not answer those questions for myself with 100% certainty, which was why I had to step away for a few days before returning to see how the author resolved the issues.
Even more plot twists awaited, but in the end, I felt that satisfying sense of a story well-told. Closure was achieved, and I could once again rest easy.
Highly recommended - but with a trigger warning for mothers....more
I enjoyed this new edition to the Summerhouse series. Ms. Deveraux has once again created authentic characters with real-life struggles, and thenI enjoyed this new edition to the Summerhouse series. Ms. Deveraux has once again created authentic characters with real-life struggles, and then provided them with a "do-over".
Despite the fact that I have shelved this as 'romance' - and I did so because there is quite a bit of focus on the three women's romantic relationships - I particularly liked the fact that they all came to the same conclusion in terms of how best to alter the course of their lives for themselves - self-realization, as opposed to true love (though they each get their HEA, as well).
It also sounds like this may not be the last of the Summerhouse series...? Let's hope not! I've enjoyed all of them so far, and would happily welcome more.
** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.**...more
I always love me some good time travel fiction. This was a fast-paced, enjoyable read peopled with solid characters (though some could have been moreI always love me some good time travel fiction. This was a fast-paced, enjoyable read peopled with solid characters (though some could have been more fully developed) and interesting historical details. Plenty of last-minute "saves" when things seem doomed to go wrong, but not so many as to cause the reader to lose interest. Oh, and thank goodness there was no cliffhanger ending! Those are frustrating in general, but even worse (I think) when you're reading a pre-pub copy of the book.
I look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out. Hopefully, we'll learn a bit more back story, allowing us to know/see/understand the characters more deeply....more
I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, thanks to the helpful comments from friends here on GoodReads. Following is my review ofI received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley, thanks to the helpful comments from friends here on GoodReads. Following is my review of the book.
This story begins at the same point where A Discovery of Witches left off, with Diana & Matthew landing safely in Elizabethan England. Diana is enthralled with the idea of “living” the historical events she has spent her life studying, and is a bit nonplussed by the fact that even with all her knowledge of the times and people, she is woefully unprepared for the smaller details of daily life. Not to mention, it is obvious to everyone around that she is not from there and does not belong (though they assume she is from another place, not another time). It takes her awhile, and not a few missteps, to become more familiar with customs and habits, but with the help of friends and family she eventually passes for a woman of the times.
Of course, what good romance novel would be complete without a little relationship drama, and this is no exception. Though they have known each other only a short time, and were married only a few days before traveling back in time, Diana believes she knows Matthew better than anyone else. She assumes he will remain the same man she knows from modern times, and is surprised by the changes in his personality and behavior in this period. This provides for some drama-filled scenes of major mis-communication, but also allows for the relationship between the two of them to grow and mature, ultimately bringing them closer.
I will admit, I found it difficult to immediately delve into the story, as the first several chapters introduce new characters based on historical figures some of whom I am only dimly aware, but who I felt I should know better based on how they were presented. I was reading the galley on my Nook, so it wasn’t until I finished reading the whole thing that I found there is a glossary of characters included at the END of the book. Of course, when you're reading a digital copy, you rarely think to skip all the way to the end to see what's there (that feels like cheating!), so I didn't know about it when I needed it.
However, this detail aside, I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot, and the development of continuing characters as well as newly introduced ones. I soon sorted out who most of them were and what their roles were, though there were still some places where my brain would have trouble keeping some of the tertiary characters straight. Also, there is a short scene of amusing meta-fiction towards the middle of the book that will give fans of paranormal romance something to chuckle over.
There were a few plot lines that were not totally cleared up and tied nicely in a bow at the end. I was left with questions. But I have faith in Harkness’ ability to do again as she did here and pick up the story where she left off, answering all my queries in the third installment. May it come soon, for I am not exactly known for my patience (especially when it comes to really good books)!...more
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