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A Witch in Time by Catherine Kean

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


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Finished reading A Witch in Time by Catherine Kean and Wynter Daniels last night. It’s the first book in the “Cat’s Paw Cove” series of...paranormal romance, I guess. The main characters are Luna Halpern (witch, baker, cat rescuer) and Colin Wilshire (17th century inventor).

While sailing to a new life in Barbados with his pregnant bride, the ship Colin is aboard encounters a fierce storm and sinks. He wakes up in an odd place with a strange, blue-haired beauty standing over him. Luna discovers one of the historic reenactors on the beach, soaking wet and injured. At first she believes he’s stubbornly staying in character, but Luna soon realizes that Colin has traveled through time to Cat’s Paw Cove. He’s not the first stray she’s rescued, but she finds herself oddly reluctant to see him leave, even if it’s for the best. Colin is confused and amazed by the time and place he’s found himself. He feels a responsibility to return to his wife, but he realizes he is fast falling for the spirited witch who rescued him.

The premise of the story was interesting, but the book was far too short to do it justice. Colin adjusted remarkably well and quickly to the 21st century. One would imagine his circumstances alone should have broken his brain. Characterizations were marginal at best. This is the first in a series, but I felt I’d been dropped into Cat’s Paw Cove, too. There wasn’t much plot; it was more a series of scenes or events. Very little made sense. And, of course, our main characters fell in love in a matter of days, which is so cringe.

Favorite line: “It could have been worse, but I wish it had been better.”

I wanted to like this, but it left me very meh. Two stars.

Love's Labyrinth by Anne Kelleher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I almost finished my work book today. I brought it home just to read the brief epilogue. The book was Love's Labyrinth by Anne Kelleher. It's a time-travel romance in the "Time Passages" line. The main characters were Olivia Lindsley and Lord Nicholas Talcott.

Olivia has made a trip to England to finish some historical research that her late father had been working on. Her best friend, Allison, accompanies her. While dressed in period costumes for an elaborate event, Olivia and Allison get lost in the maze at Talcott Forest and emerge in the 1580's, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. There, they meet the Talcott brothers, Lord Nicholas and his younger brother Geoffrey. It was Geoffrey whose tinkering with the arcane led him to build the maze in hopes of time travel. Stuck in this era for the time being, Olivia and Allison play the part of distant Talcott cousins from the north. In spite of the circumstances, Olivia is enchanted with the situation, as she has studied this era extensively. While she accompanies Nicholas on a journey, posing as his wife, to intercept some treasonous documents, Allison stays behind and assists Geoffrey with his mathematical calculations as they attempt to send the ladies back to their own time. Unbeknownst to Nicholas and Olivia, however, an enemy has set Nicholas up to take a fall. It will take the combined wits of the others, along with an assist from William Shakespeare himself, to set things back to rights.

This was certainly an intriguing story. Very well-written and researched. The characters were portrayed marvelously, even the Queen when she put in an appearance or two. I appreciated that the author didn't paint the time period as all sunshine and romance and ball gowns. There was mention of the dangers involved, as well as streets teeming with vermin and refuse.

Favorite line: If ever there was an Excedrin moment, this had to be it.

A wonderful example of time-travel romance. Four stars.

Then and Now by Willa Hix

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Finally, I finished reading my work book today, at work, even! It was Then and Now by Willa Hix, and it's part of Jove's "Time Passages" line. This was a bit of a different time travel romance, in that the heroine, Ginny Thornton, came forward in time, rather than traveling back.

Just as Ginny is beginning to realize that her husband, Thomas, is keeping secrets, he kills himself while they have a house full of guests, who are waiting to celebrate the turn of the century. Even worse, Ginny learns that Thomas has left her destitute, and she may lose Malmaison, the house that her parents bequeathed her. Morose, Ginny ventures into the conservatory, where she falls asleep, only to awaken 100 years in the future.

Dr Samuel Sutter loves his work with botanicals. He's trying to find a cure for age-related dementia, and he would just as soon skip the lavish party his mother wants him to host at Malmaison, the house that's been in his family for a century. Fortunately for Sam, his mother hired a curator to get the house in shape before the big event. When he comes across a woman slumbering in the conservatory, he assumes it's the curator.

Ginny is confused and adrift, but she is reluctant to confide her true circumstances to anyone, lest they think her mad. She plays along with the role of curator, gradually becoming used to the odd gadgets, mannerisms, and fashions of this new time. Eventually, however, Sam puts two and two together. He finds Ginny's tale remarkable, yet credible at the same time. Together, the two of them begin working together to restore Malmaison to its former glory. Ginny, however, wants to return to her own time to set things right. By now, Sam has fallen in love with her, and he insists on accompanying her to the past. They accomplish the feat, but will Ginny want to return to Sam's time to be with him, or remain in the past, where she belongs?

The story was lovely, although I no longer consume time travel romances the way I used to. My only complaints are that Sam and Ginny fell in love far too quickly, especially considering that, in her reality at least, she'd only lost her husband weeks earlier. I also wasn't overly fond of the traveling forward, as it seems that would be much more difficult to adjust to, as compared to someone going back in time.

Favorite line: She was either the best scam artist in the world or she was nuttier than his aunt Mildred's banana bread.

Eh, I'll give it four stars. The story was well-written, and my "complaints" are purely subjective.

On my afternoon break at work, I finished reading Everything In Its Time by Dee Davis. It's from Jove's "Time Passages" line. I used to snap those books up as soon as I found them. Now, I couldn't even tell you if Jove still has a "Time Passages" line or not.

:D

The story follows modern-day Katherine St Clair, who experiences one night of passion with a stranger while on holiday in Scotland. In the morning, Katherine feels the entire experience was a dream, but she is missing one earring, and she has some (ahem) marks that could only have been made by a lover. In the fifteenth century, Iain MacKintosh is haunted by the memory of one night spent with a remarkable woman. All he has to remember her by is an earring...

After Katherine returns to the States, she continues to have dreams of her fantasy lover. Finally, years later, the dreams are becoming more vivid, and she is compelled to return to Scotland to solve the mystery of what really happened that night. Accompanying Katherine is her brother Jeff, who is eager for his sister to lay this madness to rest.

Of course, Katherine ends up returning to Iain, but this time, she is determined to stay where she feels she belongs. Iain has returned to Duncreag after years away, due to the death of his father. He is surprised to find Alasdair Davidson and his sister Ailis in residence, but he has no time for them when Katherine finally appears again. The two of them share an idyllic few weeks, but then Katherine is abducted, and Iain has no idea where to look for her.

( Major Spoilers and Mini Rant )

It was a good story, a compelling tale, and I was ready to give it a solid four out of five, but too many things aggravated me; therefore, it gets three out of five.

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