Once Upon a Time Travel by Sariah Wilson

Once Upon a Time Travel by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Super fun!

This was just the distraction I needed! I thought this was a fun and unique story and was sucked in from the start. It combines my two favorite genres, contemporary and regency, into one delightful story.

After loosing her parents at a young age, Emma Damon spent her early years bouncing from one foster home to the next. Never really having an actual home to call her own. She overcomes her trials and works hard putting herself through school. After graduation college she lands an internship (or something like that) at Hartley Hall in England, she jumps at the chance and figures this will be a good chance to figure out her next step in life. She is drawn to Hartley Hall and her life is changed forever when she's snooping one night and discovers a hidden door.

From the synopsis you already know that Emma gets transported back 200 years to 1816. It's always fun to think about time-travel, wondering what it would be like to go back in time, or jump 200 years in the future! I can't even imagine what the world will be like in 2217! I think going back in time would be a little easier since we have so many books about the time period and would sort of know what to expect. I thought Ms. Wilson did a great job showing the differences between the time periods and how hard it would be to acclimate to such different customs, etc.

I loved the characters, Emma, Hartley and Aunt Charles as well as the other supporting cast. Emma is a likable heroine who is struggling to adapt to 1816 norms and give up all our modern conveniences. Harley was a great broody regency hero. There's lots of tension and chemistry between the two and of course some swoony kisses! One thing I liked that sets this apart from other regencies, is I just didn't know how it would end. The time-travel element leaves things up in the air as you read so you're never really sure if Emma will stay or go or what will happen. I liked being kept on my toes, but knew Ms. Wilson would find a way for them (and me) to get a HEA.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend to any contemporary/regency fan!

Content
Romance: Clean - a few steamy kisses, but stays clean
Language: None, that I remember
Violence: None-very mild
Religious: None
Series: I SURE HOPE SO!

Looking for something similar? Try Once Upon a Lifetime, Prada & Prejudice

Source: Netgally




View all my reviews

Bewitching the Knight by Diane Darcy

In Medieval Scotland if she dresses, talks and curses like a witch.... Archaeologist Dr. Samantha Ryan does not want or need the public relations firm her boss hired to give her advice on how to speak, act, or charm. She’s busy. She’s just found out where the Scottish Crown of the MacGregor’s is hidden and needs to beat her lying, cheating competitor, Jerry, to the Scottish highlands and claim it for her University! After finding it, and her nemesis, a struggle ensues and they travel back in time to medieval Scotland where Jerry calls her a very ugly name. Unfortunately the villagers think he said “witch”, tie her up, and start gathering wood for a bonfire.

Laird MacGregor is a dead man walking. It’s only a matter of time before one of the many attempts on his life will succeed. When Ian is informed that the villagers are burning another witch, he is determined to save the hapless female. While trying to find out who is trying to murder him, keep the crown entrusted to him by his father safe, and control a rowdy woman who may indeed be gifted with foresight, Ian decides he more than willing to give her the firstborn she’d initially demanded.

I've been waiting for this one for a while now and couldn't wait to get started when I saw it had finally been released. I loved the first book, She Owns the Knight, and couldn't wait to go back to this setting.

We meet Ian MacGregor in the first book and I was excited to see his story and see what kind of women would win him over. Samantha Ryan is a modern-day Indiana Jones. She has been traveling the world working as an archeologist practically her whole life. She loves history and over the past couple years became interested in one Ian MacGregor, she's studied his life and knows all there is about him. She couldn't be more pleased when she is transported back in time and able to meet him in person. I thought this was a fun read, I loved Samantha and Ian and thought they were really cute together. The overall story was fun, there is a bit of a mystery, someone is trying to kill Ian and he's trying to figure out who. We're also briefly reunited with Gillian and Kellen from the first book, it was SO fun seeing them again and I loved how they were worked into the story.

Overall, a really fun read. I liked the mix of the modern with the medieval. Can't wait for more!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Mild-Moderate, medieval violence/fighting, nothing too graphic
Nominated for a 2014 Swoony Award, to vote click here.
Source: Amazon Kindle

Dreamspell by Tamara Leigh

A TIME TO LIVE. A TIME TO DIE. A TIME TO DREAM. Sleep disorders specialist Kennedy Plain has been diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. When her research subject dies after trying to convince her he has achieved dream-induced time travel and her study is shelved, she enlists herself as a subject to complete her research. But when she dreams herself into 14th-century England and falls into the hands of Fulke Wynland, a man history has condemned as a murderer, she must not only stay alive long enough to find a way to return to her own time, but prevent Fulke from murdering his young nephews. And yet, the more time she spends with the medieval warrior, the more difficult it is to believe he is capable of committing the heinous crime for which he has been reviled for 600 years. Baron Fulke Wynland has been granted guardianship of his brother’s heirs despite suspicions that he seeks to steal their inheritance. When the king sends a mysterious woman to care for the boys, Fulke is surprised by the lady's hostility toward him--and more surprised to learn she is to be his wife. But when his nephews are abducted, the two must overcome their mutual dislike to discover the boys' fate. What Fulke never expects is to feel for this woman whose peculiar speech, behavior, and talk of dream travel could see her burned as a witch

I love the new cover for this one. I grabbed a copy of this a couple years ago when it was on sale, I started it but for some reason didn't connect with it and put it aside to try another time. Now that I have read Ms. Leigh's other medieval stories I had to give this a try again and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed it so much more this time around.

Kennedy Plain is a doctor who studies dreams and sleep patterns. One of her patients comes to her and tells her he is able to travel back through time in his dreams. The time-travel aspect I had a hard time wrapping my mind around. In this case, they were able to travel through time after they had deprived themselves of sleep for so long and then I guess went into an extremely deep sleep, awakening in the past. Not only did they travel back in time, but they physically went from our present Las Angeles to Medieval England. I can suspend belief enough to accept time travel, but I usually like it if the traveler comes and goes from the same location (i.e. leaves LA our time and arrives in LA in the past). Not sure why it matters to me, but it makes it easier for me to buy into I guess.

Anyway, I ended up really enjoying this one. I liked Kennedy's story and how the past and present worked into the story. I loved the ending. Kennedy arrives in the past and takes on the identity of Lady Lark, it takes her a long time to realize she wasn't just dreaming. She is rescued by Baron Fulke Wynland, who she thinks is a bad guy from things she read in our present time. I thought Fulke and Lark/Nedy had a fun relationship. I liked how it progressed from "enemies" to friends to true love. There is a mystery going on, took me a little while to figure out who the "bad guy" was. 

I had a hard time putting this one down and stayed up way too late to finish it. I had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. As usual, Ms. Leigh was able to weave in the historical details without making it feel like a history lesson. I do wonder about some of their practices though (view spoiler) A fun read and one I would recommend.

Content
Romance: Clean, mild innuendo
Violence: Mild-Moderate
Religious: None-mild, nothing preachy just true to the time period

Source: Kindle Freebie, 11/2012

The Dreamer by May Nicole Abbey

Synopsis:
A dream in the night. A leap of faith. A quest for truth and treasure. From term papers and instant coffee to blood-thirsty pirates and buried treasure, Rachel Madera, a gifted university professor, finds herself travelling through time on a journey of discovery and danger, all because of a simple dream. Despite the threat, Rachel is undaunted, certain she holds the keys to unlock the mystery of a Pharaoh’s treasure … and alter the course of history. The only thing that stands between her and peril is Captain Mallory Tucker, a man with a tragic past and intractable moral code. Born of the sea, he is among the leading mariners of 18th century Europe. But the derelicts who make up his crew and the capriciousness of the ocean have taken their toll, and Captain Tucker is tired and jaded. The last thing he needs is a precocious young woman dropping onto his ship and creating havoc. But he’ll fight to the death for her honor, her beliefs…and her love.

Review:
I had my doubts about this when I first started; I didn’t hit it off with our main character Rachel. But, I knew my good friend Deb loved it, so I buckled down and before I knew it I was sucked into the story. I loved The Captain. He was a great lead and he really kept me wanting to read more. I also loved the pirate Captain Fredericks, he was hilarious. I even thought the villain was well done. My only problem with the book was Rachel; I just didn’t care for her. Luckily, as the book progresses she gets better. I did think that she had good chemistry with the captain and I enjoyed their scenes together. I thought it had a fun plot and was well written.

 Content:  Clean.

She Owns the Knight by Diane Darcy

Review:

I really loved this one. It kind of reminded me of a more lighthearted Waterfall by Lisa Bergren. Gillian was a very likable heroine, as Kellen says, she’s charming. She seems to charm all those around her, you just can’t help but like her. She is visiting England and sketching an old rundown castle when some guys approach her with not the nicest intent. As she runs from them she is transported 700 years back in time and ends up at Kellen Marshalls castle. Kellen is expecting his new bride and assumes Gillian is his betrothed. She knows his real fiancé is on her way and only has a few weeks to figure out how to get back to the present day, but decides to make the best of the situation. I mean Kellen is hot, so why not?

Kellen has been hurt by his first wife and has a lot of baggage. It was so cute to see Gillian break down his walls, just by being kind and flirty. Kellen falls for Gillian right away, it was fun to see how loyal he was to her right from the get go. They are really cute together. I admit, the whole time I was nervous for how Kellen would react when he learned Gillian was not Edith, but was pleasantly surprised with how everything wraps up. I also liked the tiny side story of Marissa and her husband (Kellen’s dad), thought they also had a sweet story.

I thought the author did a great job of tying up loose ends, even some I had forgotten about. I thought this was a great lighthearted romance, with still enough tension to keep things interesting.

Content: Clean. Flirty innuendo.

GoodReads Synopsis: When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society. But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

Kathy’s Review: This started out so good. I loved the beginning, poor Tory is shunned by her family when it is discovered she has magical abilities. As a last resort to cure her they send her away to a boarding school devoted to riding students of their magic. Tory is all for getting rid of her magic and as quickly as possible. Once there she meets others like herself and begins to see magic in a different light. She even discovers a secret group of students who actively use magic and actually like it. Unfortunately, the story loses its steam and Tory loses her voice once the whole time-travel aspect is introduced. The setting was already perfect, they already have a war coming for them, so there was really no need to add the time-travel element to the story. Personally, I think Putney should have written a trilogy that takes place in 1803, and then write a spin-off series with their descendants that takes place in 1940. That would have been better, in my opinion.

The 1803 characters didn’t act or talk like they were from 1803, the dialog and attitudes did not match with that time period. Their situation was too easily accepted from both the 1803 cast and the 1940 cast. Also, all the problems they faced were all easily overcome, except for maybe the slight headache and need for a nap. I also took a little offense when one character compared what they were doing to real soldiers. Certainly they were tired and drained from there weather manipulations and there was a certain amount of stress. But, nothing they did remotely compares to what real soldiers go through. Lastly, I thought the names “Irregulars” and “Weather Brigade” were too cheesy.

The majority of the book takes place in 1940, so I would not consider this a Regency story at all. I do think a younger audience would probably enjoy the story, especially going into it knowing it takes place during WWII and not Regency times.

Bookworm Rating: 2
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publication Date: March 2011
One Word Review: Disappointing
Author Website: www.mjputney.com

Reading Order:
Book One: Dark Mirror
Bonus Book: Fallen From Grace
Book Two: Dark Passage
Book Three: Dark Destiney

Torrent by Lisa T Bergren

GoodReads Synopsis: Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population.

Kathy’s Review: Have I mentioned how much I love this series? It is so good. I can’t remember the last time I read a series where each book was equally awesome. I love all the characters in this book. Gabi is a great leading lady and you can see why everyone around her loves her as well. Marcello is dreamy and you can’t help but love him. Luca and Lia are also amazing and I hope that we get another trilogy with their story. There is once again a lot of adventure in this story, Bergren weaves the historical elements in so nicely that you hardly realize your learning something as you’re reading. While the story takes place in 1344 Italy, you don’t really feel like you’re reading a historical novel. Bergren really brings everything to life. The plot is great and executed well, you have to keep reading to find out what is going to happen and how Gabi is every going to get out of the trouble she finds herself in. There is even a bit of a love triangle in this one, which added a lot to the story.

The series is awesome and keeps you reading; you love the characters and setting and any series that is this good deserves five stars. My only complaint is that I wanted a tiny bit more at the end, and epilog or something. I wanted to know what happened with certain characters. I also wanted to see more of Lia and Luca in the story, they both were awesome in book two and I missed seeing them in this book. I really do hope that Bergren writes a series about them.

If you haven’t read these books…DO IT. It’s such a fun series that anyone would enjoy.

Bookworm Rating: 5

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication Date: September 2011
One Word Review: Excellent
Author Website: www.lisatawnbergren.com

Reading Order:
Book One: Waterfall
Book Two: Cascade
Book Three: Torrent

Cascade by Lisa T Bergren

GoodReads Synopsis: Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead. But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

Kathy’s Review: Wow. I can’t remember the last time a sequel was as good as its predecessor. I loved this book! Once I got going I couldn’t put it down. Once again it ends with an amazing cliff hanger that has been antsy to read the next book!

This book starts off right were the last one ended. I was a little surprised by that, and for some odd reason I did have a little bit of a hard time getting into this one. However, once I had the chance to really sit down and read I was totally hooked. I HAD to know what was going to happen next. Gabi is a great heroine. She is easy to relate to and very easy to like. I like that her toughness is believable, I like her courage and loyalty. When everything seems overwhelming and futile, she is still brave and speaks her mind. She uses her wits and I just loved being along for the ride. Her sister Lia is equally cool. I liked that they were together a lot during this book. Marcello and Luca were awesome as usual. Both are very dreamy, and all-male. Their individual relationships were fun to read. Lia and Luca have a fun banter between them. I also liked our bad guy Lord Greco. He’s very mysterious and I’m very curious to see what happens with him in the next book. I hope there is more of him.

While I totally loved this book, I think I liked Waterfall a touch more. It’s still an awesome book though and definitely holds its own. I have no idea what’s coming in the last book, but I can’t wait to find out!

Bookworm Rating: 4.5

Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publication Date: June 2011
One Word Review: Awesome
Author Website: www.lisatawnbergren.com

Reading Order:
Book One: Waterfall
Book Two: Cascade
Book Three: Torrent