Book Review: The Deja Glitch

Title: The Deja Glitch

Author: Holly James

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Time Travel, Science Fiction

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

To break out of a 24-hour time loop, all Jack needs is for Gemma to fall in love with him in a single day. All Gemma needs is to remember him first . . .

Gemma Peters is doing fine. She’s making a name for herself in the L.A. music biz as a radio producer. She’s got a ride-or-die best friend in Lila, and she gets to come home to Rex, her loving Labrador, every night. But ever since her rock star ex-boyfriend used her to get a record deal from her rock legend dad, she’s made a “no musicians” rule when it comes to dating that’s becoming more like a “no dating” rule, period.

So, when Gemma crashes (literally) into Jack one Thursday morning, at first she feels like fate might finally be doing her a favor. After all this guy is cute and, wait, is she imagining it, or is he staring a little too deeply into her eyes? And how does he know her name? Even harder to explain is the funny feeling of déjà vu she gets every time she looks at him. It’s not at all like Gemma to kiss a man and forget him completely, so then how can she explain the dreamlike memory of his lips on hers?

The truth is this is no ordinary Thursday. Not for them. In fact, they’ve lived this day over and over for months. And while Gemma has been totally oblivious to the time loop, Jack has been agonizingly aware of every single iteration. Luckily, Jack has a theory to bring his own personal Groundhog Day to an end. And it’s simple. Before the day is over, he just has to get Gemma to fall in love with him.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

I had so much fun reading this book. I’ve always been a sucker for a good time travel or in this case, a time loop, story. There’s freedom in being stuck in a time loop in a way because the day can be predictable, but also, you have the chance to try new things, see new outcomes, and dare to do things you never would have before had there been finite consequences.

In the case of this book particularly, it was nice to see a “stuck” character that wasn’t just a jerk, trying to “be good” for the sake of escaping. There was no “perfect day” to aspire to. Jack wasn’t a bad guy. He was bored with his life and deeply unhappy, but he was a good person deep down, stuck in the never-ending loop of meeting a stranger in a coffee shop. More importantly, the time loop wasn’t necessarily about him.

He was the domino tumbling into Gemma’s life.

Gemma’s life was a mess. She was beyond just unhappy and bored. She was estranged from her father, betrayed by her ex, separated from her brother, and immobilized by her fear to change anything in her life… until Jack. I loved the premise that these two strangers that should have never met, somehow did, and the world around them stumbled to a halt until they could get their lives together enough to fall in love. It was incredibly sweet to see their last day in the loop, and I adored them both as characters and as a couple.

Writing-wise, the book was very well put together. Even having read an uncorrected proof, there weren’t a lot of typos or grammatical errors. The narrative flowed smoothly, and as crazy as that last day in the loop was, everything fit together seamlessly. This is one of those books that I would happily read again and again just to get to experience that last day with Gemma and Jack. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves time-loop stories.

Book Review: Where Ivy Dares To Grow

Title: Where Ivy Dares To Grow

Author: Marielle Thompson

Genre: Gothic, Romance, Time Travel

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

Traveling to be with her fiancé’s terminally ill mother in her last days, Saoirse Read expected her introduction to the family’s ancestral home would be bittersweet. But the stark thrust of Langdon Hall against the cliff and the hundred darkened windows in its battered walls are almost as forbidding as the woman who lies wasting inside. Her fiancé’s parents make no secret of their distaste for Saoirse, and their feelings have long since spread to their son. Or perhaps it is only the shadows of her mind suggesting she’s unwelcome, seizing on her fears while her beloved grieves?

As Saoirse takes to wandering the estate’s winding, dreamlike gardens, overgrown and half-wild with neglect, she slips back through time to 1818. There she meets Theo Page, a man like her fiancé but softer, with all the charms of that gentler age, and who clearly harbors a fervent interest in her. As it becomes clear that Theo is her fiancé’s ancestor, and the tenuous peace of Langdon Hall crumbles around her, Saoirse finds she’s no longer sure which dreams and doubts belong to the present—and which might not be dreams at all . . .

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

This book broke my heart. It was such a beautifully written and captivating story. It was written like a gothic novel, including the eerie and isolating estate out on the seaside cliffs of England. The house is haunted – not in the way you’d expect, by ghosts, but by the people who have and do live there.

The book bears elements of grief, lost connections, depression, and loss of self as the main character, Saoirse, deals with both her mental illness, and her failing relationship amidst the decline of her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s health. There are a lot of very heavy topics in this book, but don’t let that put you off, because there are some gloriously brilliant ones as well.

An unexpected and welcome part of the story for me was the time travel. The estate is alive, and it occasionally flexes its bones to bring people together, and in Saoirse’s case, it brings her to the year 1818, and one handsome gentleman, Theo Page. Their relationship is one of like-souls finding each other amidst their loneliness and isolation, and their love for one another is endearing and heartbreakingly beautiful. The contrast between Saoirse’s life in 1994, and 1818 is startling, and over time, it helps Saoirse discover the joy in her life that she’s lost.

I don’t want to give too much away, especially considering the ending, so I’ll say this: It was a beautiful book. I enjoyed reading it, and I’m very glad I did. I would gladly recommend it to anyone who enjoys Gothic romances. Well worth the read.

Book Review: Only A Monster

Title: Only A Monster [Monsters 1]

Author: Vanessa Len

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Time-Travel

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.

But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.

As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .

. . . she is not the hero.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

I adored this book. Time travel is one of my favorite genres, and this story was a fascinating mix of time travel, urban fantasy, and adventure story.

Both the characters and the narrative were incredibly well written. I loved Joan as the main character, and the tension between her and Nick was glorious. Though I’ll admit, I wish the romance subplot had gone a little further. I was kind of cheering for Aaron to get a little closer to Joan – like… Come on. He totally loved her. I feel like we are missing a huge chunk of Aaron’s story, and well, Joan and Nick’s as well. I desperately need there to be a 2nd book.

Writing-wise, this book was so well put-together. It was well-paced, flowed well, and I was sucked into it from the very beginning of the story. I didn’t run across any major typos, even in the ARC. The world-building was complex and had a very magical feel to it in how alien the monster world was from the human world.

Honestly, I’m feeling withdrawals from the ending of this book. This story was fantastic; complex, vivid, and enthralling. I would recommend it to anyone who likes time-travel stories, urban fantasy, or Young Adult Romance.

Book Review: The Lighthouse Witches

Title: The Lighthouse Witches

Author: C.J. Cooke

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rating: 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

When single mother Liv is commissioned to paint a mural in a 100-year-old lighthouse on a remote Scottish island, it’s an opportunity to start over with her three daughters–Luna, Sapphire, and Clover. When two of her daughters go missing, she’s frantic. She learns that the cave beneath the lighthouse was once a prison for women accused of witchcraft. The locals warn her about wildlings, supernatural beings who mimic human children, created by witches for revenge. Liv is told wildlings are dangerous and must be killed.

Twenty-two years later, Luna has been searching for her missing sisters and mother. When she receives a call about her youngest sister, Clover, she’s initially ecstatic. Clover is the sister she remembers–except she’s still seven years old, the age she was when she vanished. Luna is worried Clover is a wildling. Luna has few memories of her time on the island, but she’ll have to return to find the truth of what happened to her family. But she doesn’t realize just how much the truth will change her.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

I had a difficult time rating this book – to be honest, I very nearly didn’t finish it. The beginning of the book was slow and laborious to read though – there was some beautiful prose in the beginning pages, but that quickly disappeared. I was left floundering a bit with the constantly changing viewpoints and timelines that sometimes made the story hard to follow. I grew tired of reading it and set it aside. I very nearly DNFed it.

But I decided to give it one more try – and I pushed on.

I’m so glad I did.

It was around the midpoint of the story when things started to pick up. The timeline switches and the unraveling of the mystery behind what had happened to the family in the lighthouse and the many missing children began to make sense. By the last few chapters, I was riveted and somewhat horrified. Plot-wise, this book is fantastic, gripping, and tragic. I can’t even truly fault the way the author organized the story, because, in the end, it makes sense – but those first few chapters were pure chaos to try and piece together.

The writing was so-so. There wasn’t a lot of atmospheric description after the beginning chapter, and the characterization was weak. I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the characters, and they didn’t have clear desires or fears to help me empathize with them. This was very much a story that happened to the characters, and not something character-driven, which isn’t my favorite sort of fiction. There were a lot of viewpoints, and a lot of side characters, which made it difficult to focus on any one main character and get a feel for them.

Overall, I gave this book 3 stars, because although I think the plot was fascinating, I think the narrative could have been written better, and the characters could have been stronger. It was an okay book. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t great either. I think if you can push past the first half of the book, the story is worth finishing, but it will be hard for some readers to push past that initial chaos.

Book Review: Down World

Title: Down World

Author: Rebecca Phelps

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Alternate Realities

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

As the site of a former military base, there have always been rumors that East Township High School was the site of experiments with space and time. For years, students have whispered in the hallways of a doorway created within the school, one that can access multiple timelines and realities, a place known as the Down World.

As the new kid in school and still reeling from the unexplained death of her brother Robbie, Marina O’Connell is only interested in one thing: leaving the past behind. But a chance encounter with handsome Brady Picelli changes everything. He will lead Marina to a startling discovery. The Down World is real and the past, present, and future are falling out of balance.

Brady is determined to help Marina discover what really happened to her brother. However, what is taken from one world, must be repaid by another. And Marina is about to discover that even a realm of infinite possibilities has rules that must be obeyed.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

Down World by Rebecca Phelps was an amazing, if not bittersweet, read. The writing itself was technically well-done. The narrative flowed easily, the dialogue was well-developed and felt realistic. I loved the characters, and each came across as distinct. The protagonist was easy to like and relate to, and the plot was full of time-travel and alternate-reality twists and turns that kept the small town scenery from getting stale.

I loved it. I was a little upset about the ending, but not in an “I don’t like this!” way, but just… sad. I don’t want to give anything away to any future readers out there, but I wish everyone had gotten more of a happy ending, even if I understood why it had to turn out the way it did. It was beautiful and painful at the same time – and that’s all I can say about it.

If you enjoy Young Adult Science Fiction stories, particularly with an emphasis on dimension-hopping and time travel, you’ll likely really enjoy this book, as I did.

Free Fiction Friday #91

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Free Fiction Friday #91! For those of you who are new to this blog, or who may have missed out on the previous Free Fiction Fridays—every Friday I post an article containing 10 fiction e-books that are 100% FREE on Amazon at the time of posting and an additional 5 that are roughly of the same genre, and on sale for less than $5.

I try my best to make sure they are all 4+ stars, have over 40+ reviews, and are 100 pages minimum—so you can have a hand-picked list of the best-of-the-best to choose from and enjoy over the long weekend (while I do more important things, like laundry). I try to switch up the genres every week, and this week our theme is: Time Travel Romance!

THE FREE

THE BARGAINS

Book Review: Splintered Souls

Title: Splintered Souls [Flames of Time 1]

Author: Erica Lucke Dean

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Time-Travel

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

When Ava Flynn walks away from a scholarship to Georgetown and moves into her grandmother’s abandoned summer home in coastal Maine, she steps into the center of a centuries-old curse. On her first night, she notices a mysterious leather-clad stranger looking up at her third-story window. For weeks, everywhere she goes, Ava catches more glimpses of him, but she can never get close enough to find out who he is.

Over three hundred years ago, Lady Catherine Fairchild risked everything to protect her unborn child, sending a ripple through time that would change Ava’s future. As the mystery unravels, the horrifying consequences of Lady Catherine’s choices drag Ava deeper into a world she never knew existed, trapping her in a conflict that’s been raging since before she was born. A winner-take-all battle for her soul.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

Why did this book have to end?

That’s what I shouted when I closed the cover of Splintered Souls by Erica Lucke Dean. It was that good. From the very beginning, the book drew me in with its rich narrative voice and complex characters, and by the time the romance kicked in—well… I was done for.

The plot was engaging, and the characters were equal parts complex and heartbreakingly perfect. The pace moved at a steady jaunt and didn’t let up even as the book ended. Honestly, I can’t think of a single problem to complain about. I loved this book. Maddox, Laith, and Ava were only a few of the amazing cast of characters, and I can’t even begin to pick which was my favorite.

If you like New Adult Romance, particularly with a bent towards the paranormal and time travel, I would highly recommend that you pick up this book. I can’t wait to read more into the series. Now excuse me while I go look up everything the author’s ever written.

Book Review: Dunstable Park House

Title: Dunstable Park House

Author: Therese Stenzel

Genre: Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Time Travel

Rating: 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

After her fiancé’s death, Brenna Keelin travels to England, stumbles up hidden stairs in a cathedral and comes out in 1871 Yorkshire. To keep from starving, she becomes a servant in a great estate. More than anything she wants to return to her modern life, especially in time for her sister’s wedding, but falling in love has changed everything.

Lord Garren Buntingford left Scotland to take over an earldom. He has a lot to learn about the subtleties of being an aristocrat—and a title he never wanted. He desires to

return to his vast farm and family in Scotland until a beautiful housemaid is injured by a horse and he carries her back to the estate where she works in his arms.

Brenna must hide the truth about where she is from and find her purpose for being sent through time before the stairs will open again. But soon discovers that her calling is to help Lord Garren marry an aristocratic wife. Her heart is torn between fulfilling her call and a desperate passion for a braw Scotsman that society says she can never have. Both must choose between the home they long for and a forbidden love, between duty and devotion, the upstairs and the downstairs, all under the roof of Dunstable Park House.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

Honestly, I’m on the fence with this one. The writing was subpar, and often littered with typos. It didn’t grip me like I’d expected from a time travel romance—one of my favorite genre’s, and I wasn’t a huge fan of the overall narrative voice. In fact, I very nearly put the book down in the first fifteen minutes.

But… I stuck it out, and in the end, I did enjoy the book, even if it wasn’t my favorite. It was a quick, light read, and though it was also light on historical world building and believability most of the time (something I generally look for in a time-travel romance), I did find it entertaining.

Overall, the story was… meh. It wasn’t awful, and it wasn’t great, but it was an okay read. If you’re looking for a light romantic read to peruse while sitting in a waiting room somewhere—this may be something you want to pick up. If you’re looking for a more intricate historical read… this may not be the book for you.

Book Review: Forever His

Title: Forever His [Stolen Brides 1]

Author: Shelly Thacker

Genre: TIme Travel, Fantasy, Romance, Historical

Rating: 5 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

She is Celine Fontaine, the American darling of the venerable Fontaine family, celebrating the New Year at the family’s ancestral French chateau. As the clock strikes midnight, Celine is alone in her bedroom, barely aware of a lunar eclipse, until she is blinded by a sudden light and loses consciousness. She awakens to total darkness — in bed with a naked stranger — and a world that is not her own.

The man who shares Celine’s bed is Sir Gaston de Varennes and the year is 1300. Gaston believes that the beautiful redhead is Christiane de la Fontaine, whom the King has decreed he marry in order to end a generation of bitter feuding. Yet despite his resolve to shun her, Gaston finds Celine irresistible. Overwhelmed by passion, they dare to steal the magic moments that may be all to brief — to surrender to desires that promise forever . . . and a love that spans the centuries.

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

I adored Forever His by Shelly Thacker. I’ve been on a bit of a time travel romance bender the past week and being the 7th of it’s kind that I’ve read in a row, I was starting to get used to the idea that I wasn’t going to run into any 5-star reads in the genre. After all, I picked up this book on a whim from Amazon back when it was FREE—and the FREE section on Amazon is often very hit or miss when it comes to quality. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find a genuinely solid read.

Technically speaking, the book was exceedingly well written. I ran into  maybe one or two typos the entire book. The grammar, punctuation, spelling, and the structure was spot-on. The narrative was clear and easy to follow, and I sunk into the story effortlessly. I found the world building to be well fleshed out without being overbearing, and the characters seemed to be genuine people with thought-out personalities.

I fell in love with Celine and Gaston as a couple. Celine was a genuine character, and I found it easy to relate to her. Gaston was hopelessly pig-headed at times and more than a little jaded, but the challenge of watching Celine bring him out of his shell against his will was an entertaining ride. They made a magnificent couple.

I honestly don’t have any complaints about the book. That is so incredibly rare for me to say, so bravo Ms. Thacker! I loved this book and the rich story of Celine and Gaston and their escapades in time, and I’d be happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a solid time travel romance to sink into.

Book Review: A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court

Title: A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court [Twisted Time 1]

Author: Mari Macusi

Genre: Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Time Travel

Rating: 3 Stars

Description/Synopsis:

Once upon a time there lived an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly was not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sent her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she found she’d need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity – all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos – takes some doing!

Luckily, she’s got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she’s not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn’t he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved lattes, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot’s forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot?

WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW

It took a long time for me to decide what rating to give A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court by Mari Mancusi. This was the fun, sometimes silly, often thrilling adventure of Kat—a fashion editor who’s all about Starbucks and her Manolo’s, and not so much about medieval life—but it wasn’t without its snares.

Technically speaking, the writing was pretty decent. I found a small handful of typos throughout the book, but nothing terribly jarring. The writing overall was fluid, clear, and fast-paced. I didn’t feel like I was stumbling through awkward word choices or grammar issues. The romance between Lancelot and Kat was believable and steamy, and I rooted for them throughout the book. The world building was familiar and stuck pretty true to the core tale of Arthur and Camelot, and I enjoyed the idea behind the plot.

The problem for me, unfortunately, was Kat herself. I found it very difficult to like Kat. Honestly, she was kind of obnoxious and definitely more than a little self-centered. Her words and choices throughout the book were made with little forethought, often resulting in misunderstandings and trouble for the people around her, and instead of outright apologizing, most of the time she just pouted in her head about how no one liked her because she made bad first impressions. She certainly did at that—I hated her personality and found her more than a little annoying.

Still, the book was fun and a certainly interesting mash-up of an old classic tale and modern day drama.  Overall, I rated the book a “meh”. I liked it, I’m glad I read it, but I would have liked it a lot more had Kat not been as obnoxious, and had her actions had more realistic consequences. She just wasn’t my idea of a fun heroine to follow around for the entirety of a book.