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The UnTied Kingdom
The portal to an alternate world was the start of all her troubles – or was it?
When Eve Carpenter lands with a splash in the Thames, it’s not the London or England she’s used to. No one has a telephone or knows what a computer is. England’s a third world country and Princess Di is still alive. But worst of all, everyone thinks Eve’s a spy.
Including Major Harker who has his own problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in Yorkshire. Turns out the best person to help him is Eve.
She claims to be a popstar. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for ‘spy’. Eve knows all about computers, and electricity. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad.
And Harker is falling in love with her.
When Eve Carpenter lands with a splash in the Thames, it’s not the London or England she’s used to. No one has a telephone or knows what a computer is. England’s a third world country and Princess Di is still alive. But worst of all, everyone thinks Eve’s a spy.
Including Major Harker who has his own problems. His sworn enemy is looking for a promotion. The general wants him to undertake some ridiculous mission to capture a computer, which Harker vaguely envisions running wild somewhere in Yorkshire. Turns out the best person to help him is Eve.
She claims to be a popstar. Harker doesn’t know what a popstar is, although he suspects it’s a fancy foreign word for ‘spy’. Eve knows all about computers, and electricity. Eve is dangerous. There’s every possibility she’s mad.
And Harker is falling in love with her.
403 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2011
28 people are currently reading
910 people want to read
About the author
Kate Johnson
55 books554 followersKate Johnson lives in rural Essex where she belongs to a pride of cats and puts up with a demon puppy. She did actually do most of her homework, but quickly so as to have more time to stare out of the window thinking about heroes. Stay in school, kids. Kate has done a variety of not-particularly great jobs, ranging from airport check-in to lab assistant, but much prefers writing for a living. For one thing, the hours are better, and no one ever tells her off for not ironing her shirt. In fact, the lack of ironing might be the single greatest advantage to being an author. Kate loves going off at mad tangents, which you’d surely never have guessed, but also enjoys reading romance and fantasy, watching funny stuff on TV, drinking coffee by the gallon and occasionally leaving the house. The Untied Kingdom is her first novel to be published in the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
September 8, 2022
Unexpectedly, I enjoyed this book. It could be billed as a time travel romance or a dystopian romance. Neither is my favorite genre, but the book engaged me on the visceral level. It held me under its spell and sent my nerves tingling, as I followed the heroine’s harrowing adventures.
Although the novel has many flaws, including mediocre language, interchangeable secondary characters, inadequate world building, and lapses in logic, the story was superb, filled with risks, betrayals, friendships, and star-crossed lovers.
The protagonist Eve is a former British pop star, currently in trouble with the tax office. During a glider accident, she falls through a gap between worlds and ends up in a parallel universe. England is different here – a poverty-stricken third world country with no television and no computers. British Empire has never existed. America was settled by the Japanese. And nobody has heard of Shakespeare. To top it all off, there is a civil war going on, and the country is under military rule.
Of course, the military brass suspects Eve of being a spy: she was flying over the Thames after all. Or maybe she is plain mad: the way she spouts nonsense about internet, Beatles, iPods, or reality TV. Disoriented and utterly alone, Eve is sent to a prison/asylum. Falling into despair, she even begins to doubt herself, when one of the top army officers, Major Harker, is charged with a secret mission to capture a computer from an enemy stronghold.
Harker is a typical alpha-male hero, gruff, unkempt, and absolutely dependable. He has a reputation: he never leaves his men behind. For his mission, he picks Eve as one of his select group of soldiers. She might be a spy or crazy or both but at least she seems to know computers. None of the others has ever seen one.
The group’s journey across the hostile territory serves as the background for the unfolding love story between Harker and Eve. Both resist their burgeoning attraction as long as they can, while the danger builds and the tension mounts. Their personal clashes reflect the chasm between cultures. He is a career soldier, used to issuing and following orders. She is an artist, a product of democracy, where freedom of choices is valued above all else.
Their verbal spats were fun to read, while their sufferings and sacrifices made my heart beat furiously in sympathy. I wanted for Harker and Eve to find their happily-ever-after, but sadly, their love looked doomed from the start. Too many obstacles stood in their way: the oily, devious antagonist, the thick-headed, relentless general, even the lovers’ own frequent misunderstandings. And of course, their alternative realities.
The ending disappointed, although on the surface, it was a good one: Harker follows Eve into her world. But think about it. If Eve was distrusted and suspected in a computer-less England, what would’ve happened to Harker in the computerized England of today? Without a birth certificate or immigration papers, he wouldn’t have fared better in our world than Eve fared in his. Maybe worse. The joy of marriage and family would still be denied them. In any modern country, the lack of proper documents is a disaster practically impossible to overcome, unless one is willing to resort to criminal means. The author should’ve thought this through. How would Shakespeare handle such a situation, I wonder?
Although the novel has many flaws, including mediocre language, interchangeable secondary characters, inadequate world building, and lapses in logic, the story was superb, filled with risks, betrayals, friendships, and star-crossed lovers.
The protagonist Eve is a former British pop star, currently in trouble with the tax office. During a glider accident, she falls through a gap between worlds and ends up in a parallel universe. England is different here – a poverty-stricken third world country with no television and no computers. British Empire has never existed. America was settled by the Japanese. And nobody has heard of Shakespeare. To top it all off, there is a civil war going on, and the country is under military rule.
Of course, the military brass suspects Eve of being a spy: she was flying over the Thames after all. Or maybe she is plain mad: the way she spouts nonsense about internet, Beatles, iPods, or reality TV. Disoriented and utterly alone, Eve is sent to a prison/asylum. Falling into despair, she even begins to doubt herself, when one of the top army officers, Major Harker, is charged with a secret mission to capture a computer from an enemy stronghold.
Harker is a typical alpha-male hero, gruff, unkempt, and absolutely dependable. He has a reputation: he never leaves his men behind. For his mission, he picks Eve as one of his select group of soldiers. She might be a spy or crazy or both but at least she seems to know computers. None of the others has ever seen one.
The group’s journey across the hostile territory serves as the background for the unfolding love story between Harker and Eve. Both resist their burgeoning attraction as long as they can, while the danger builds and the tension mounts. Their personal clashes reflect the chasm between cultures. He is a career soldier, used to issuing and following orders. She is an artist, a product of democracy, where freedom of choices is valued above all else.
Their verbal spats were fun to read, while their sufferings and sacrifices made my heart beat furiously in sympathy. I wanted for Harker and Eve to find their happily-ever-after, but sadly, their love looked doomed from the start. Too many obstacles stood in their way: the oily, devious antagonist, the thick-headed, relentless general, even the lovers’ own frequent misunderstandings. And of course, their alternative realities.
The ending disappointed, although on the surface, it was a good one: Harker follows Eve into her world. But think about it. If Eve was distrusted and suspected in a computer-less England, what would’ve happened to Harker in the computerized England of today? Without a birth certificate or immigration papers, he wouldn’t have fared better in our world than Eve fared in his. Maybe worse. The joy of marriage and family would still be denied them. In any modern country, the lack of proper documents is a disaster practically impossible to overcome, unless one is willing to resort to criminal means. The author should’ve thought this through. How would Shakespeare handle such a situation, I wonder?
May 10, 2014
5 Words: Unexpected, alternate dimensions, awesome, couldn't-stop-reading.
This is not a dystopian novel, so I don't know why so many people have shelved it as such and then complained about it not being a dystopia. It's a light sci-fi about alternate realities and how some things would have come to pass anyway even without the rich history of the UK to propel it.
This was a great book and I enjoyed every second of reading it. I saved it for rainy days because it was just that type of book, the one to take you away from where you are and dump you in another (quite scary) world.
Full review to come.
This is not a dystopian novel, so I don't know why so many people have shelved it as such and then complained about it not being a dystopia. It's a light sci-fi about alternate realities and how some things would have come to pass anyway even without the rich history of the UK to propel it.
This was a great book and I enjoyed every second of reading it. I saved it for rainy days because it was just that type of book, the one to take you away from where you are and dump you in another (quite scary) world.
Full review to come.
August 10, 2016
This author has got imagination, but I liked her other romantic fantasy, Impossible Things, much better. To me, The UnTied Kingdom is bizarre, despite the cool title. The plot is a mess. World-building is incongruous, illogical, and full of holes. Eve falls into a parallel universe, a different England, with Beethoven but not Shakespeare. No trains, no TVs, very few phones, but somehow they get access to the Internet, and make email work?? Villains are caricatures (a problem with Impossible Things, too). Also, Wheeler got bent out of shape, acting way out of character to drive the plot.
I liked the hero, but he smokes like a chimney. He's also dense, distrusting Eve when the reason behind her flirting should have been so obvious. So, his intelligence was sacrificed for a plot contrivance. The hero vaguely resembled Commander Sam Vimes in Night Watch. I love Vimes, so I liked Harker.
In general, I'm not crazy about heroines as rock star celebrities, but I did like Eve.
Frustrating ending. We spent 95% of the book in the parallel universe, then jumped to the "real" modern-day London, never gaining sufficient resolution for characters in parallel world. Echoes of the TV series Fringe. I was sad at some deaths, too.
Rant time: This book may roughly channel Vimes, but it lacked the satire Sir Terry Pratchett is known for -- and there were so many opportunities to satirize. However, Eve expressed herself with absolutely no bite. She's all earnest, discussing how in her world, England colonized the map because it didn't know it was too puny to do so, like a bumblebee not realizing its body isn't aerodynamic enough for flight. No irony, no satire, just Eve conveying facts from England's glorious history. Not even funny when we learn that France supplanted England as world power in the parallel universe. So, what to think? Is Johnson trying to be ironic, satirical, or sarcastic, and I'm missing the cues, or does this Brit see nothing slightly off-putting in glorifying Old Imperial England? Gads, she even spouted on about how -- in her history books, "The sun never set on the British Empire."
Despite this little rant, the book's not horrible. It's got some fun parts, and some great secondary characters.
I liked the hero, but he smokes like a chimney. He's also dense, distrusting Eve when the reason behind her flirting should have been so obvious. So, his intelligence was sacrificed for a plot contrivance. The hero vaguely resembled Commander Sam Vimes in Night Watch. I love Vimes, so I liked Harker.
In general, I'm not crazy about heroines as rock star celebrities, but I did like Eve.
Frustrating ending. We spent 95% of the book in the parallel universe, then jumped to the "real" modern-day London, never gaining sufficient resolution for characters in parallel world. Echoes of the TV series Fringe. I was sad at some deaths, too.
Rant time: This book may roughly channel Vimes, but it lacked the satire Sir Terry Pratchett is known for -- and there were so many opportunities to satirize. However, Eve expressed herself with absolutely no bite. She's all earnest, discussing how in her world, England colonized the map because it didn't know it was too puny to do so, like a bumblebee not realizing its body isn't aerodynamic enough for flight. No irony, no satire, just Eve conveying facts from England's glorious history. Not even funny when we learn that France supplanted England as world power in the parallel universe. So, what to think? Is Johnson trying to be ironic, satirical, or sarcastic, and I'm missing the cues, or does this Brit see nothing slightly off-putting in glorifying Old Imperial England? Gads, she even spouted on about how -- in her history books, "The sun never set on the British Empire."
Despite this little rant, the book's not horrible. It's got some fun parts, and some great secondary characters.
February 10, 2013
Man, I've had a bad run lately. So many books that *could* have been good, but just....aren't. It's so sad! The Untied Kingdom--woman falls through a hole in the world to an alternate universe where the British Empire never existed--instead, England is a developing country in the middle of a war. This could be interesting, right? And I know from the cover that there's a hetero romance at the centre, but...could still be interesting. Maybe.
No. Negative. Instead we get all the cliches about the tough-talking but ultimately vulnerable damsel in distress falling in love with the tough-talking but ultimately vulnerable tough guy, complete with her tending to him after he's been wounded in battle. Fine, bad enough. But at least there's the historical re-imaging...
Wrong again. The main character refers multiple times to how England used to 'own half the world.' Which she sees as something to be proud of, with no reflection on colonisation or its effects on the inhabitants of 'half the world.' At one point the love interest asks the main character how England became so rich in her universe. I thought that this was the moment I've been waiting for...something about enslavement, ruling over people who didn't want to be ruled...instead there was some bullshit about bumblebees. No, really, bumblebees. What? I don't even know, honestly. And as for how England could have turned out as one of the world's poorest country instead of one of the richest...apparently in this universe, France was the more successful colonising power instead. Seriously, how boring is that???
There's so much more that's horrible about this book, but I've spent long enough writing about this dreck, so I believe that'll do.
No. Negative. Instead we get all the cliches about the tough-talking but ultimately vulnerable damsel in distress falling in love with the tough-talking but ultimately vulnerable tough guy, complete with her tending to him after he's been wounded in battle. Fine, bad enough. But at least there's the historical re-imaging...
Wrong again. The main character refers multiple times to how England used to 'own half the world.' Which she sees as something to be proud of, with no reflection on colonisation or its effects on the inhabitants of 'half the world.' At one point the love interest asks the main character how England became so rich in her universe. I thought that this was the moment I've been waiting for...something about enslavement, ruling over people who didn't want to be ruled...instead there was some bullshit about bumblebees. No, really, bumblebees. What? I don't even know, honestly. And as for how England could have turned out as one of the world's poorest country instead of one of the richest...apparently in this universe, France was the more successful colonising power instead. Seriously, how boring is that???
There's so much more that's horrible about this book, but I've spent long enough writing about this dreck, so I believe that'll do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and the twist on a parallel world!
April 8, 2013
I don't think I'd have bought this if it hadn't been recommended, dystopian stories aren't really my kind of thing, but this one really worked. I loved the idea of an alternative or parallel world where Britain was totally different because it lacked an Empire. From this premise, history is completely subverted, the French rule the world, wars didn't happen or their outcomes are different, and more interestingly, how the British (in this case, the English, since the other parts of the UK exist independently) feel about themselves is very different indeed.
But that wasn't all I liked about this story. I loved that Harker was a real soldier, in the sense of a trained killer, with what seemed to me much more of a soldier's (as opposed to mythical warrior's) mentality. I loved that the story was gritty and didn't shy away from the mess that civil war brings and I really loved the notion of an ex-girl-band heroine who has been trashed and left to rot as a heroine. Eve is gutsy and believable, and the chemistry between Eve and Harker really sizzled - I mean, really sizzled. I loved the way she stood up to him, I loved the dialogue between the two, and I loved the fact that Eve gave no quarter.
A wholly unexpected treat and a definite page turner, I really enjoyed this.
But that wasn't all I liked about this story. I loved that Harker was a real soldier, in the sense of a trained killer, with what seemed to me much more of a soldier's (as opposed to mythical warrior's) mentality. I loved that the story was gritty and didn't shy away from the mess that civil war brings and I really loved the notion of an ex-girl-band heroine who has been trashed and left to rot as a heroine. Eve is gutsy and believable, and the chemistry between Eve and Harker really sizzled - I mean, really sizzled. I loved the way she stood up to him, I loved the dialogue between the two, and I loved the fact that Eve gave no quarter.
A wholly unexpected treat and a definite page turner, I really enjoyed this.
June 27, 2014
This book was such a cute story I just can't stop smiling. It took a couple of chapters for me to really get into it; but once I did, I couldn't put the book down. I loved Eve. She is witty, strong, and feisty. She doesn't back down and made such a great complement for Harker. I really enjoyed the banter, and fighting, that went on between the two of them. Harker was a typical military man who has never had anyone, let a lone a small woman, challenge him in any way (thought, order or feeling).
The secondary characters - Banks, Tallulah, Martindale, Daz & Charlie - were also a great complements to the two main characters. Eve and Harker are at the center of it all yet, when the rest of the gang is involved, you get a feeling of comradery and you can see everything just flow as if they were great friends in real life no matter the scene at hand.
I was so scared towards the ending with all the drama that ensued and was really close to screaming my head off at the author for ending a book so horribly; but she then twisted everything around, and I was so happy. Kudos to Ms Johnson because it was an unexpected ending. Also, good luck to Harker, cause he's got a lot of learning and catching up to do.
The secondary characters - Banks, Tallulah, Martindale, Daz & Charlie - were also a great complements to the two main characters. Eve and Harker are at the center of it all yet, when the rest of the gang is involved, you get a feeling of comradery and you can see everything just flow as if they were great friends in real life no matter the scene at hand.
I was so scared towards the ending with all the drama that ensued and was really close to screaming my head off at the author for ending a book so horribly; but she then twisted everything around, and I was so happy. Kudos to Ms Johnson because it was an unexpected ending. Also, good luck to Harker, cause he's got a lot of learning and catching up to do.
January 17, 2014
An interesting and entertaining story, written by an author with obvious talent and imagination. Though the world she has created is not the most uplifting of places (in fact, it was pretty depressing at times, but that was necessary to the story), the book contains its fair share of humour and the central characters are engaging and multi-dimensional. I would have liked to have learned more about how the alternate world had become what it was and how Britain got left on the sidelines, but the story is less an altenative history than it is a romance, as the author clearly intended, and a satisfying one at that.
It is well written and I didn't spot any typos or glaring grammatical errors. I would happily recommend it to all readers of sci-fi/fantasy romance
It is well written and I didn't spot any typos or glaring grammatical errors. I would happily recommend it to all readers of sci-fi/fantasy romance
September 3, 2012
Brilliant. Loved it. Want more of Eve Carpenter ! Why not send her and Harker back ? perhaps in response to a plea by Saskia ? Perhaps a conspiracy or perhaps the French have conquered England and they need a leader. I can't be the first to suggest this Kate !
September 7, 2012
I'd seen this book reviewed and liked the concept, I love the idea of time travel. So when I saw it on kindle for only 99p I snapped it up.
It's from the folks at Choc-lit so I was expecting romance - what I got was super romance I think this is about one of THE most romantic love stories I've ever read.
It begins when Eve, a has been celebrity, ex member of a girl band is taking part in a show something like "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" and has to paraglide above the River Thames, but the jump goes wrong and she plummets into the water - to find she has somehow fallen through a hole into another London. Pulled from the murky waters of the river she finds herself in a parallel England currently at war where only the very rich have any kind of technology and where she is suspected of being a spy. When she tries to explain herself what she says sound completely bonkers so they decide as it can't be proven that she's a spy she must be insane and lock her up in an asylum!
Then she meets Major Will Harker, he's rough, tough grubby and grumpy and determined to find out just what it is Eve's hiding and the 2 are destined to clash and misunderstand each other time and time again whilst being physically attracted to each other.
What ensues is a paranormal romance of a different kind, a passionate love story and a clash of worlds and cultures as well as 2 minds fighting not to be drawn towards each other in a love that's doomed to be hopeless.
Theres a lot of fighting and military events but somehow it all just works really really well. I'm not usually much of a fan of paranormal romances but this is so refreshingly different. As in most Choc-lit romances we are treated to the male perpective as well as the female and this helps us get inside the mind of Will as well as Eve. He really is a hero I'd not think I'd be drawn to, scarred of body, divorced, killer of men, rough at the edges but oh he's SO darned sexy!
If you like lots of love and romance in a different setting do give the Untied Kingdom a try. I really enjoyed it and would like to read a sequel just to find out what happens afterwards.
I think it might appeal to anyone who enjoyed Cross Stitch (Outlander, US) although its much more contemporary.Outlander
It's from the folks at Choc-lit so I was expecting romance - what I got was super romance I think this is about one of THE most romantic love stories I've ever read.
It begins when Eve, a has been celebrity, ex member of a girl band is taking part in a show something like "I'm a celebrity get me out of here" and has to paraglide above the River Thames, but the jump goes wrong and she plummets into the water - to find she has somehow fallen through a hole into another London. Pulled from the murky waters of the river she finds herself in a parallel England currently at war where only the very rich have any kind of technology and where she is suspected of being a spy. When she tries to explain herself what she says sound completely bonkers so they decide as it can't be proven that she's a spy she must be insane and lock her up in an asylum!
Then she meets Major Will Harker, he's rough, tough grubby and grumpy and determined to find out just what it is Eve's hiding and the 2 are destined to clash and misunderstand each other time and time again whilst being physically attracted to each other.
What ensues is a paranormal romance of a different kind, a passionate love story and a clash of worlds and cultures as well as 2 minds fighting not to be drawn towards each other in a love that's doomed to be hopeless.
Theres a lot of fighting and military events but somehow it all just works really really well. I'm not usually much of a fan of paranormal romances but this is so refreshingly different. As in most Choc-lit romances we are treated to the male perpective as well as the female and this helps us get inside the mind of Will as well as Eve. He really is a hero I'd not think I'd be drawn to, scarred of body, divorced, killer of men, rough at the edges but oh he's SO darned sexy!
If you like lots of love and romance in a different setting do give the Untied Kingdom a try. I really enjoyed it and would like to read a sequel just to find out what happens afterwards.
I think it might appeal to anyone who enjoyed Cross Stitch (Outlander, US) although its much more contemporary.Outlander
February 17, 2012
Amazing! This book has been nominated for Contemporary Novel of the Year by the Romantic Novelist's Association for 2012. I can completely understand why after reading it. It definitely stands apart from its competitors, especially in regards to the plot.
And this book is fascinating. It's gripping and enthralling. I could not stop reading it until I finished it because I was so eager to find out what was happening next. Without giving too much away, Eve Carpenter, is a celebrity has been, who's making a fool of herself on a tv show. She goes paragliding and ends up in a London she doesn't recognize. Major Will Harker is the man who sees her free fall into the Thames and rescues her. What follows is something you'll have to pick up the book to read.
What's just as astonishing is that this is the first book by Kate Johnson. If her debut novel is this fantastic, what other goodies does she have in store. I for one am eager to read more by her. I never expected to enjoy a book set in a parallel universe so much.
And this book is fascinating. It's gripping and enthralling. I could not stop reading it until I finished it because I was so eager to find out what was happening next. Without giving too much away, Eve Carpenter, is a celebrity has been, who's making a fool of herself on a tv show. She goes paragliding and ends up in a London she doesn't recognize. Major Will Harker is the man who sees her free fall into the Thames and rescues her. What follows is something you'll have to pick up the book to read.
What's just as astonishing is that this is the first book by Kate Johnson. If her debut novel is this fantastic, what other goodies does she have in store. I for one am eager to read more by her. I never expected to enjoy a book set in a parallel universe so much.
February 17, 2012
A romance novel about a woman who accidentally falls through a portal into a parallel reality where the UK is a poverty-ridden backwater in the middle of a civil war and France is the sole global superpower. Which for 72p seemed worth a punt.
Not entirely surprisingly, perhaps, it couldn't quite live up to the high concept; creating a convincing alternative history is an ambitious thing to try and it just doesn't work on various levels. The history she has come up with doesn't seem to make sense, the interactions between our heroine and the characters in the parallel world don't make sense — why isn't she being fiercely interrogated within a couple of hours of arrival? — and there doesn't seem to be any logic to which things the two words do or don't have in common.
But nitpicking aside, it's an amiable enough bit of light reading.
Not entirely surprisingly, perhaps, it couldn't quite live up to the high concept; creating a convincing alternative history is an ambitious thing to try and it just doesn't work on various levels. The history she has come up with doesn't seem to make sense, the interactions between our heroine and the characters in the parallel world don't make sense — why isn't she being fiercely interrogated within a couple of hours of arrival? — and there doesn't seem to be any logic to which things the two words do or don't have in common.
But nitpicking aside, it's an amiable enough bit of light reading.
April 17, 2011
On my TBR pile (artificially placed right near the top)!
Oh I loved this. I've never really read much alternate-history stuff, but I loved the whole 'alternate London' with the view of how it would be if Britain was a downtrodden, ally-less island, embargoed and blockaded to the hilt. Heroine Eve was a nice mixture of feisty and confused, Will Harker was a great hero, and all the other characters rang so true that I was desperately sad when some of them didn't make it. And it made me wonder what the hell I'd do in those circumstances. Brilliant book.
Oh I loved this. I've never really read much alternate-history stuff, but I loved the whole 'alternate London' with the view of how it would be if Britain was a downtrodden, ally-less island, embargoed and blockaded to the hilt. Heroine Eve was a nice mixture of feisty and confused, Will Harker was a great hero, and all the other characters rang so true that I was desperately sad when some of them didn't make it. And it made me wonder what the hell I'd do in those circumstances. Brilliant book.
June 29, 2016
Everyone in the UK should read this book. Set in a parallel universe where the UK is not the power it is today, but considered to be a Third World country.
Eve unwittingly finds a portal from our world into this one where Shakespeare never existed and London only has one bridge. She's either a spy or demented, Major Harker decides, before they embark on a mission to find a computer--something none of his troops understand nor know what it looks like.
The book is hilarious, disturbing and entertaining and I'd love to read a sequel...even a novella?
Eve unwittingly finds a portal from our world into this one where Shakespeare never existed and London only has one bridge. She's either a spy or demented, Major Harker decides, before they embark on a mission to find a computer--something none of his troops understand nor know what it looks like.
The book is hilarious, disturbing and entertaining and I'd love to read a sequel...even a novella?
May 12, 2020
So beautifully penned down.
Eve and Major Harker's entire journey was so absolutely breathtaking. I absolutely loved the journey and the emotions this book gave to me.
The story gave me an actual chance to understand the characters, their lives and their feelings. Neither was it too rushed nor was it too slow. There was a certain anxiousness to genuinely read the next scene and know what was going to happen in their lives.
Eve and Major Harker's entire journey was so absolutely breathtaking. I absolutely loved the journey and the emotions this book gave to me.
The story gave me an actual chance to understand the characters, their lives and their feelings. Neither was it too rushed nor was it too slow. There was a certain anxiousness to genuinely read the next scene and know what was going to happen in their lives.
March 24, 2012
I loved this so much, the romance was a slow burning romance, the storyline was different and really interesting. Everything about this book was amazing :)
Thank you Rea my friend who sent this as a gift on Amazon :) LUV YOU!
Please everyone read this Book
Thank you Rea my friend who sent this as a gift on Amazon :) LUV YOU!
Please everyone read this Book
August 10, 2014
Perfect blend
Perfect blend
The UnIted Kingdom is the perfect blend of a science fiction, a romance, and a war/adventure story. I really enjoyed the characters and the story that unfolded around them.
Perfect blend
The UnIted Kingdom is the perfect blend of a science fiction, a romance, and a war/adventure story. I really enjoyed the characters and the story that unfolded around them.
January 27, 2013
I loved this book.The idea was original and well executed and there was fantastic characterisation. I fell in love with Harker, he was gorgeous.
April 6, 2013
Really enjoyed this book, interesting story, well written and engaging characters!
July 27, 2017
3.5 stars
I bought "UnTied Kingdom" because I loved "Impossible Things" by Kate Johnson SOOOO much, it's one of my favourite books! This novel is quite different but sadly not nearly as good. The characters didn't show as much development and lacked depth. Additionally the story was too predictable and not exactly my type of romance, because I didn't see their connection or any real chemistry between them. They felt lust/attraction but didn't knew each other before they fell in love. Which wasn't that surprising because I didn't really knew Eve and Harker, they were too one-dimensional. Yes, they had a past, but especially Eve handled some things too well. She needed to help Daz amputate injured soldiers and although she was in shock after it happened she wasn't as traumatized as I would've been (I guess). I liked her humour but I didn't feel a real connection to her. Overall the humour was well placed and made the story lighter (it's basically a war story).
And I had some problems with Harker as well. Firstly he SMOKES! Sorry, I might sound ignorant but I think smoking makes every person seem a hundred times less sexy. I just can't stand the smell and honestly wouldn't want to be with someone who smokes.... And I can't get over the fact AND what made me even more furious is that she wasn't angry with him. He didn't had to grovel and make her forgive him because she just accepted that he mistrusted and then left her. Why? If someone did that to me, someone who seemed to care for me I would be so hurt I would be angry for a loooong time.
But the story was entertaining and I liked the idea of an alternate universe where England is like a third-world nation (although the health system seemed quite modern) and France is spread over a third of the world. Eve said something like "this England made all the wrong choices,whereas my England made all the right ones". Of course this made the world-building quite easy, because Kate Johnson could add all the modern stuff she needed (Internet, Modems, ...) which were available in all other countries and could leave out the things she didn't want or need. Nevertheless thinking about our world, the "other England" felt unreal. I mean if they have coal why can't they use it for electricity? Or if the internet exits outside it couldn't be that hard for the Army to get access to computers and the internet. I mean I guess even in North Korea and other isolated countries phones and computers are available, at least for the Army.
Overall this was a nice read but sadly nothing too special. I can only recommend "Impossible Things" though, that book really flashed and amazed me!
I bought "UnTied Kingdom" because I loved "Impossible Things" by Kate Johnson SOOOO much, it's one of my favourite books! This novel is quite different but sadly not nearly as good. The characters didn't show as much development and lacked depth. Additionally the story was too predictable and not exactly my type of romance, because I didn't see their connection or any real chemistry between them. They felt lust/attraction but didn't knew each other before they fell in love. Which wasn't that surprising because I didn't really knew Eve and Harker, they were too one-dimensional. Yes, they had a past, but especially Eve handled some things too well. She needed to help Daz amputate injured soldiers and although she was in shock after it happened she wasn't as traumatized as I would've been (I guess). I liked her humour but I didn't feel a real connection to her. Overall the humour was well placed and made the story lighter (it's basically a war story).
And I had some problems with Harker as well. Firstly he SMOKES! Sorry, I might sound ignorant but I think smoking makes every person seem a hundred times less sexy. I just can't stand the smell and honestly wouldn't want to be with someone who smokes.... And I can't get over the fact AND what made me even more furious is that she wasn't angry with him. He didn't had to grovel and make her forgive him because she just accepted that he mistrusted and then left her. Why? If someone did that to me, someone who seemed to care for me I would be so hurt I would be angry for a loooong time.
But the story was entertaining and I liked the idea of an alternate universe where England is like a third-world nation (although the health system seemed quite modern) and France is spread over a third of the world. Eve said something like "this England made all the wrong choices,whereas my England made all the right ones". Of course this made the world-building quite easy, because Kate Johnson could add all the modern stuff she needed (Internet, Modems, ...) which were available in all other countries and could leave out the things she didn't want or need. Nevertheless thinking about our world, the "other England" felt unreal. I mean if they have coal why can't they use it for electricity? Or if the internet exits outside it couldn't be that hard for the Army to get access to computers and the internet. I mean I guess even in North Korea and other isolated countries phones and computers are available, at least for the Army.
Overall this was a nice read but sadly nothing too special. I can only recommend "Impossible Things" though, that book really flashed and amazed me!
March 6, 2018
A romance novel unlike (m)any others. An intriguing premise of alternative universes that's well and realistically handled. The relationship between Eve and Will burns slowly, and is replete with romantic tropes that give me the warm tinglies (interrupted near-kisses! bed sharing!). It's true that Harker is a little shouty and bad at communication, and I wouldn't date him if he was a real person. But Eve likes him, and is a good match.
Eve handles being dropped through the looking glass with mighty grace. I have no idea from the novel if she showed such strength of character before, or if it was something that she developed as needed. As would probably happen to anyone in such a situation, she acclimatizes to her new life, but regularly freaks out a bit about the strangeness of it all.
As opposed to OTHER reviews, I think the secondary characters are WONDERFULLY fleshed out. I mean, sure, without knowing her motivations Charlie is kinda a two-dimensional guard dog. But there is a definite sense that these characters live and move in their own world, with history going back to pre-story. At first you don't understand Harker's hatred for Sholt, but you get there.
The conclusion was convenient. The twist of the traitor in the Tower was obvious from the moment they got that bit of information. The way it ended was a tidy way to wrap up the story, but I want so much more.
I wish there had been more exploration of the hard questions Eve raises- why do they need to fight? Why not let France annex them- at least then they'd get food? What resources does an England that didn't steal all their wealth through colonization have to offer to the world?
I'm super interested in more stories set in the Untied Kingdom universe. How does a North America left to itself look like? I feel like Kate Johnson messed with history with good intentions, but balances that against other things that would go wrong. Like, ok, the British never had an Empire; good news for the colonies they controlled. But France fills the void as a super-power. And Britain's nowhere near saintly in this version either- they sided with Hitler in the war (not like that didn't nearly happen in this timeline).
Eve handles being dropped through the looking glass with mighty grace. I have no idea from the novel if she showed such strength of character before, or if it was something that she developed as needed. As would probably happen to anyone in such a situation, she acclimatizes to her new life, but regularly freaks out a bit about the strangeness of it all.
As opposed to OTHER reviews, I think the secondary characters are WONDERFULLY fleshed out. I mean, sure, without knowing her motivations Charlie is kinda a two-dimensional guard dog. But there is a definite sense that these characters live and move in their own world, with history going back to pre-story. At first you don't understand Harker's hatred for Sholt, but you get there.
The conclusion was convenient. The twist of the traitor in the Tower was obvious from the moment they got that bit of information. The way it ended was a tidy way to wrap up the story, but I want so much more.
I wish there had been more exploration of the hard questions Eve raises- why do they need to fight? Why not let France annex them- at least then they'd get food? What resources does an England that didn't steal all their wealth through colonization have to offer to the world?
I'm super interested in more stories set in the Untied Kingdom universe. How does a North America left to itself look like? I feel like Kate Johnson messed with history with good intentions, but balances that against other things that would go wrong. Like, ok, the British never had an Empire; good news for the colonies they controlled. But France fills the void as a super-power. And Britain's nowhere near saintly in this version either- they sided with Hitler in the war (not like that didn't nearly happen in this timeline).
March 12, 2018
This is an alternate history romance novel, and I thought the premise was better than the execution. Eve Carpenter is somehow transported from (presumably) our timeline to a world where England is in the middle of a civil war, France is the dominant country, and aiding the rebels, and the Army has been conscripting women because too many men have been killed in the civil war. Eve's sudden appearance in a parasail over war-torn London causes her to be arrested as a possible spy for the rebels. So far, so good, but there's a mixture of modernity, cars, trucks (lorries?), but telephones are not commonplace in homes, nor are TVs. One of the plot points is that the rebels have computers (but the Army does not), and Eve's familiarity with our computers will help with the war effort, despite her basic lack of knowledge about computers beyond turning them on and using email, browser, and Microsoft Office. Oh, and the Army seems to be still heavily into using horses as transportation. because England is a third world country.
Somewhere in the timeline divergence, we seem to have lost Shakespeare, but not the Irish author Bram Stoker, yet the entire current royal family seems to be the same across timelines. Well, not totally, Queen Elizabeth is dead, Charles is King, and Diana is alive, divorced, and in a relationship with some Egyptian guy. WWI never happened, but Hitler did, so there still was a World War around 1940, I guess. I suspect the author comes from a romance genre background, and therefore I found it less believable. If she were an SF author, she would have done a better job of figuring out the timeline divergence, and done a better job of identify what's changed and what hasn't. Hint: from the time of time divergence, most of the main players in history will be the same, but it wouldn't take more than a generation or two things to change until history is basically unrecognizable, at least as far as the names, places, and events.
As far as a romance novel goes, I guess it's all right, if you like characters that are in denial over their mutual attraction for much of the book.
Somewhere in the timeline divergence, we seem to have lost Shakespeare, but not the Irish author Bram Stoker, yet the entire current royal family seems to be the same across timelines. Well, not totally, Queen Elizabeth is dead, Charles is King, and Diana is alive, divorced, and in a relationship with some Egyptian guy. WWI never happened, but Hitler did, so there still was a World War around 1940, I guess. I suspect the author comes from a romance genre background, and therefore I found it less believable. If she were an SF author, she would have done a better job of figuring out the timeline divergence, and done a better job of identify what's changed and what hasn't. Hint: from the time of time divergence, most of the main players in history will be the same, but it wouldn't take more than a generation or two things to change until history is basically unrecognizable, at least as far as the names, places, and events.
As far as a romance novel goes, I guess it's all right, if you like characters that are in denial over their mutual attraction for much of the book.
October 17, 2019
Well I didn't love it as much as I thought I would, but it was still an enjoyable read. The narrator was easy to listen to, and the story for the most part had a lot of action. This book was surprisingly light on romance for a romance novel. It was clear from the beginning who the fated pair would be, but the romance really doesn't blossom until well into the last half of the book.
I am always a little leary of "time travel" books because I find the concept to be so confusing and overdone. I would consider this to be more of a "parallel universe" book with very little explanation as to how the hole between worlds works. The parallel universe Eve lands in is more of an alternate history where the trajectory of significant historical events has been changed, resulting in Britain essentially becoming a third world country that has been torn apart by civil wars. I would have liked to know more about how the rest of this reimagined world works, but you only get snippets here and there throughout the story. In a lot of ways this makes the story very insular and I was left with many questions. It is always interesting to think about how changing the past might affect the future, and it is fascinating to consider how even one decision could change the whole course of history. I suppose Johnson could write a thousand novels based on this topic and I would still have questions, so I must be content with the brief glimpse I am given in this one.
I am always a little leary of "time travel" books because I find the concept to be so confusing and overdone. I would consider this to be more of a "parallel universe" book with very little explanation as to how the hole between worlds works. The parallel universe Eve lands in is more of an alternate history where the trajectory of significant historical events has been changed, resulting in Britain essentially becoming a third world country that has been torn apart by civil wars. I would have liked to know more about how the rest of this reimagined world works, but you only get snippets here and there throughout the story. In a lot of ways this makes the story very insular and I was left with many questions. It is always interesting to think about how changing the past might affect the future, and it is fascinating to consider how even one decision could change the whole course of history. I suppose Johnson could write a thousand novels based on this topic and I would still have questions, so I must be content with the brief glimpse I am given in this one.
October 22, 2016
Chick lit masquerading as an alternative history. I gave up reading it about a third of the way through. England as a third world nation in the 21st century I can accept as a premise. Even a civil war over joining what might be seen as a variation on the EU. However third world doesn't mean living completely in the dark ages. Even third world countries have paved roads, telephones, televisions, airports and computers with access to the web. I can take bunkum but not bad, badly written bunkum like this
February 6, 2019
Otro libro con una buena idea pero con un aburrido y soso desarrollo. No pude conectarme con ningún personaje, a pesar que realmente quería que me gustará. Amo las historias de viajes en el tiempo o como en este caso a otro universo paralelo, la idea general es genial, pero constantemete me topaba con baches en la trama, inconsistencias en el modo de vivir de esta otra realidad. Tal vez es solo que no era para mi. Así que abandono la lectura.
January 1, 2021
A great view on a dystopic British Empire sans the empire part. Main characters have a good flow and are quite believable. The only problem is that the narrative goes too fast and, as a reader I would like to know much more details of how this alternate world came to be. I'm guessing a little more curiosity from the one that falls in an alternate universe would be expected...
March 12, 2018
Addictive Alternate Earth Story
Picked this amazing story up, started reading, before I realized it I read the whole book. This story has everything.
A well written, action, adventure, love story, with a realistic, fully engaging, alternative world.
Picked this amazing story up, started reading, before I realized it I read the whole book. This story has everything.
A well written, action, adventure, love story, with a realistic, fully engaging, alternative world.
October 20, 2020
Finally I’ve finished this book. I found some problems reading it...I really enjoyed the concept but I didn’t feel connected to the characters in the book. Something was missing in some parts. Fast read though.
October 5, 2022
For our first episode of Season Three, we discussed some of the books which got us into the SFF romance genre, including this one! To listen to the podcast, click the link below:
Episode One, Season Three: Gateway Books
Episode One, Season Three: Gateway Books
June 10, 2020
A really fun book, loved "Eva,sassy and hilarious personality.
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