A Time for the Heart

Time #3

by Nancy Campbell Allen

For Claire O'Brian, a bright and beautiful archaeologist, working at a newly discovered archaeological site in the wilds of Guatemala is her opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, the dig is being funded by Darren Stark, her manipulative ex-boyfriend. And if that isn't enough, several rare artifacts have disappeared -- and Claire suspects everyone. Enter "Bump" St. James, a handsome and capable private investigator. As Claire and Bump work together to unearth the mystery, their mutual attraction deepens. However, in a dramatic confrontation, Claire learns that Darren Stark will do anything to keep her from learning the truth about the missing artifacts. Anything.

Genres: Lds Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Lds, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Time Travel

243 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is the third book in the series. They can all be read interdependently but I like to read them in order. I love this author.

[Sharon Hogenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite of this series and one I read over and over. Again, the only thing it is lacking is an audio version.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun mystery novel. There are a few different possibilities of who has been stealing the artifacts and it was fun trying to figure out who it was. I really enjoyed Claire’s character. I liked that she was strong, hard working, passionate and loyal. I also thought Allen did a great job giving her characters believable problems, like Claire’s eating disorder. None of the characters were perfect and aside from all the work related problems they also had personal problems to deal with as well. I’ve visited a few Mayan ruins before so I really enjoyed reading about that aspect of the story. Wouldn’t it be so fun to be an archaeologist! This was a fun read and would recommend it to anyone who likes mystery, archaeology, and of course a good romance.

[Melissa’s Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this third book in the series. It was my least favorite, but it was still good. The villain was not a surprise and the story seemed to drag in spots, but I still enjoyed it. I'll definitely read the next book in the series.

[Whittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

My all time FAVORITE book!! Silly romance novel, but so fun!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nancy Campbell Allen continues to write excellent books. This book was set in the jungle at a made-up Mayan archeological dig. I'm glad she made up her own dig. A real site would have required a few too many details to make it realistic. As it is I can tell she did a fair amount of research about Mayan archeology and digs (I didn't run it by my archeology major husband or anything, but based on the second hand knowledge I have from him it sounded pretty accurate).

The things I liked best about this book: First the characters were interesting and believable. The only one that I had a hard time understanding was Darren Stark. That could be because he was supposed to be illogical and so self-centered. I enjoyed the conflicts brought up (both the inner conflicts and the outward strife). I also really like the romance between Bump and Claire. Some may say that it's unrealistic for them to fall for each other so quickly, but I've seen enough happy marriages that started the same way to believe it (given different circumstances I think mine would probably started the same way. . . Living in different cities many miles apart tends to make a relationship start slower!).

I'm glad I've been ably to slowly pick up all of these books. I like how each book connects to the other while still acting as a stand alone. I can tell there is another book in the works about some of the other characters (Jon and Claire's sister I think. . .), but the author does an excellent job giving closure to Claire and Bump's story. I know I will probably pick up another book by Nancy Campbell Allen when I have the opportunity, but I won't be cursing her name for writing too slowly :-).

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good LDS romance.

[Sara ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sitting here, reflecting on the book... and I'm trying to think how on earth it could possibly have been 243 pages long. The font was quite large, I guess... I mean, I enjoyed it, but almost NOTHING happened the ENTIRE TIME except for Claire going on and on about not wanting to eat because she was so stressed out, Bump interviewing people around the archaeological site and promising he'd find out who was stealing stuff, Bump's friend Jon going on about his druggie past and how he had no goals for the future, and YEAH, that was pretty much it until the last... like 50 pages. And yet, I read it in about a day, so there was obviously something keeping me going... *shrugs* I mean, I felt like it was supposed to be a mystery, because the whole point of Bump even GOING to Guatemala was to figure out who was stealing stuff, but then it seemed like he was there for 5 years and didn't accomplish anything. The romance definitely overshadowed the mysterious element... and it was a bit too.... unrealistic to me as well. It was very much a hero-complex/damsel-in-distress romance, which isn't my favorite in the universe. I prefer stronger heroines who don't need men to "rescue" them all the time. Not that I'm anti-man or anything (I love mine), but helpless females irk me.

So overall, an okay LDS romance with interesting characters, but not the most complex plot of all time, by any means. I prefered the first two in the series.

I wonder if Jon gets a book.... Ooh... indeed! Echoes

[Rosemary Cantrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series. Again, it is by an LDS author, so is a clean romance. That is one thing in its favor. The characters are again different than the previous books, but related to them in various ways.

Claire is a sister of Tyler, from the second book. Jump is the boss of Liz, also from the previous book, and the owner of the private investigation agency. Claire is working her first archeological site after earning her masters. As valuable pieces begin to disappear, Jump is sent undercover to investigate. Everyone at the site is a potential suspect. Throw in a bad guy - Darren, the ex-boyfriend and the man funding the dig.

I found some of the archeology things interesting, but am not really sure of the accuracy of some of the things described. Some of the characters were rather interesting and the characters are certainly more complex than in the first two books.

Even so, the plot seems rather contrived at times. Like the other two in the series, this book is interesting, but not great. At least it is a clean read.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fairly predictable but pleasant. I needed something to have on my phone for when I had a min here or there so it took me a LONG time to get through it (well, 2 months), so in some ways it felt like it drug on, but I think it was because of that. I loved Bump's character, the girl and all her emotional issues was a bit tiring. The only food disorder I can understand is binge eating so... I had a hard time relating. They "mystery" side of things was pretty lame, it was obvious to me for most of it who had stolen the items, it was just getting to the point of how they would catch them. I was going to finish the series, but I think I need a break, we will see...

[Linnae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire O'Brien has enough problems of her own to deal with, including recovery from an eating disorder, and a manipulative ex-boyfriend, but now there are priceless artifacts disappearing from her archeaological dig. Enter Bump St. James, a PI who's good friends with Claire's brother, and who is confident that he can get to the bottom of the mystery. Add a few ancient ruins, a fledgling branch of the church, and some chemistry, and...you can probably figure out the rest.

The love story overshadowed the mystery most of the time, but the characters were some of her more interesting.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read for anyone who loved the first two books. Again, a stand-alone story with related characters, but completely different. It's set in a Mayan city, the main character an archeologist. There is a "parallel" ancient story with it that adds a different flavor and perspective to the main story.

[Christy VanDerwerken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like the character Bump in this book. I enjoyed reading all the ancient history that was included in this book and since I went to Chichen Itza in Mexico it was easy to imagine all the ruins they were uncovering. Of course there's a love story that reminds me of the way people fall in love and get married quick at BYU.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish these books were listed in series order because I seem to be reading these backwards. Frustrating. I liked this story, although not as well as the first one I read. I could predict "who done it." Already knowing some of the characters and how things turned out in a subsequent book (despite some of the predictability of romance plots themselves) kind of stole this book's thunder.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite book in this series and I loved rereading it. I love the ancient story that starts out each chapter. The characters in this book are fleshed out and feel like real people.

Content: clean

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what you're looking for when you read LDS mystery/romance. (Emphasis on romance) Clever story, great characters, fun insight into archaeology, and a cute falling in love story. I loved Bump from the last book and loved him getting his own story :)

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I liked this one the most out of the series. I love that each book is a separate story but it still connects to the other books. Enjoyable read with romance and suspense. I'd definitely read this one again.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Claire in the previous books, so I was excited to see she had her own story in the series. Bump is an amazing guy and I was in love with him right off! The parallel story of Queliza and Palome added just the right touch of historical intrigue.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMRN

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Archaeologist Claire working in Tikal...working to solve the mystery of the missing artifacts.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huzzah for N.C. Allen!! I think she's officially my favorite author now!!

[Sharee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of slow and predictable, but I still enjoyed getting to know the characters

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good book. A bit slow through the middle but picked up pretty quickly. I really liked the last half of the book.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kinda had it figured out at the beginning but still a fun read. I was so caught up in the imagery that it made me want to go see the actual ruins in South America. It was fun to read.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

After rereading Love Beyond Time, I decided to read a few more of the books by the same author. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as Love Beyond Time, but it was enjoyable to read.

[Chelsea Raadgep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I loved it! It was suspensful, exciting, and it put me on edge the whole time I was reading it. Very well done!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about an LDS archaeologist working at a site in Guatemala. It was a fun read with some suspense and romance.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm such a sucker for a good LDS romance novel. I pretty much like any that I pick up. I love romance and I don't have to worry about any trash when it is written by an LDS author.

[Rebecca Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the images of South America. The underlying story of people who lived there was interesting also.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked it. Want to read other books of hers!

[Torri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supper cute! Now i want to be an Archeologist! This book made me fall in love with not only Bump but Jon too. That made the next book "Echoes" really easy to pick up.