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A Love for All Time
Haunted by tantalizing visions of Colonel John Hawke, a man who lived more than two centuries ago, Summer Winslow is swept back in time and into a tempestuous love affair. Original.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 26, 2015
Started out rather slow. Failed to engage me, in fact. But I kept picking it up, after several false starts, because I really hate to DNF a book. Well, I stuck with it (at last) and it paid off. Somewhere past the midway point, after the introduction of a love triangle that became a love square (a quadrilateral?), things got interesting. Saucy. Scandalous. And yum. Or perhaps I was finally in the mood for it.
It went from being a snoozer to being an epic adventure and delectable romance. That being said, the game changer came in the form of secondary characters who were much more likeable and three-dimensional than the protagonists themselves.
It went from being a snoozer to being an epic adventure and delectable romance. That being said, the game changer came in the form of secondary characters who were much more likeable and three-dimensional than the protagonists themselves.
December 29, 2020
Good book. Pulled from the depths of my TBR shelves, this 1993 story held up pretty well. Colonial America isn't an era often visited in romances, so this made a nice change in my reading. The story opens as Summer stands over the grave of Elizabeth Hawke and feels an unnerving connection. Over the next months, she researches everything she can find on Elizabeth and the woman's husband, John Hawke. Even more than to Elizabeth, Summer is drawn to John. When she discovers that her local museum owns John's sword, she convinces a friend and fellow museum employee to help her gain access to and hold the sword. She never expected what happened next. Later that night, Summer found herself facing John himself. Rather than the romanticized figure she'd built in her mind, John was a flesh-and-blood man who was stunned to have the woman who'd haunted his dreams for a year show up in his room. He didn't care where she came from; he was ready to make those fantasies real.
John did not make the best impression on me at the beginning. He wanted Summer, and it didn't seem to matter to him that she disagreed. The fact that he was married made no difference to him, though it was a showstopper for Summer. Even convincing John that she was from the future made no difference - he used her desire to return home as a bargaining chip. Summer's problem is that she wants him just as much, but she doesn't want to chance changing anything with her knowledge of the future.
With Summer stuck in the 18th century, she finds herself needing to make the best of her situation. I enjoyed seeing her settle into the lifestyle with very few problems. However, complications continue to pile up. Summer learns some surprising information about John and Elizabeth's marriage, making it harder to resist his advances. Then John's half-brother, Caleb, returns home from time spent with his Indian family members. I loved the first tempestuous meeting between Summer and Caleb, including the follow-up. It made quite the impression on Caleb, who makes his interest in her obvious. The party isn't complete until John's wife Elizabeth returns home also.
Love triangles are not uncommon in romances, but this was something else entirely. John wants Summer, who wants him too, but he is married to Elizabeth for reasons revealed in the book. Elizabeth has been in love with Caleb all her life but married John to protect her reputation when Caleb returned to his people after his father's death. Caleb had loved Elizabeth but felt he had nothing to offer her at that time and left to try to forget her. He is attracted to Summer, and with Elizabeth out of reach, ready to marry her.
There are plenty of emotional moments throughout the book as secrets are revealed, jealousies create drama, and hearts look for answers. I ached for each of these characters whose hearts found true love but fate seemed determined to keep them apart. Added into the mix is a creepy preacher who wants Summer for himself and trouble with a marauding Frenchman with a grudge against the Hawkes. Things get very intense when he kidnaps Summer, Elizabeth, and her daughter. I loved Summer's strength of will and determination to survive, while John and Caleb are hot on their heels. The pursuit is full of twists and turns and kept me glued to the pages until it was all over. In the midst of it all, Caleb figured out the solution to the relationships problem, and I loved how it all worked out.
John did not make the best impression on me at the beginning. He wanted Summer, and it didn't seem to matter to him that she disagreed. The fact that he was married made no difference to him, though it was a showstopper for Summer. Even convincing John that she was from the future made no difference - he used her desire to return home as a bargaining chip. Summer's problem is that she wants him just as much, but she doesn't want to chance changing anything with her knowledge of the future.
With Summer stuck in the 18th century, she finds herself needing to make the best of her situation. I enjoyed seeing her settle into the lifestyle with very few problems. However, complications continue to pile up. Summer learns some surprising information about John and Elizabeth's marriage, making it harder to resist his advances. Then John's half-brother, Caleb, returns home from time spent with his Indian family members. I loved the first tempestuous meeting between Summer and Caleb, including the follow-up. It made quite the impression on Caleb, who makes his interest in her obvious. The party isn't complete until John's wife Elizabeth returns home also.
Love triangles are not uncommon in romances, but this was something else entirely. John wants Summer, who wants him too, but he is married to Elizabeth for reasons revealed in the book. Elizabeth has been in love with Caleb all her life but married John to protect her reputation when Caleb returned to his people after his father's death. Caleb had loved Elizabeth but felt he had nothing to offer her at that time and left to try to forget her. He is attracted to Summer, and with Elizabeth out of reach, ready to marry her.
There are plenty of emotional moments throughout the book as secrets are revealed, jealousies create drama, and hearts look for answers. I ached for each of these characters whose hearts found true love but fate seemed determined to keep them apart. Added into the mix is a creepy preacher who wants Summer for himself and trouble with a marauding Frenchman with a grudge against the Hawkes. Things get very intense when he kidnaps Summer, Elizabeth, and her daughter. I loved Summer's strength of will and determination to survive, while John and Caleb are hot on their heels. The pursuit is full of twists and turns and kept me glued to the pages until it was all over. In the midst of it all, Caleb figured out the solution to the relationships problem, and I loved how it all worked out.
December 1, 2025
This was a bizarre book. I didn't much care for it, but after the first part of the book, it kept my interest. If I was rating this as a historical fiction, it would probably be a 3.5. As a historical romance, a 2 at best.
I didn't feel there was much romance in this book. Lust, yes. Romance, not so much. Summer Winslow was obsessed with Colonel John Hawke and his wife, Elizabeth. By touching John's sword (no pun intended), she travels from 1993 to the 1790's, meeting John Hawke himself.
John was mostly a jerk throughout the book. He hides his sword (again, no pun intended), so that Summer cannot return to her time. He basically just wants to get frisky with Summer, having seen her in his dreams for months. Summer lusts after John, but doesn't go after him because he's married.
That, in essence, is a ridiculous plot point. John is married to Elizabeth, but she's in love with his brother, Caleb, having a baby by Caleb, who was unaware of it, living with his native people (Caleb and John are stepbrothers) for 5 years. So, John married Elizabeth to give the baby the Hawke last name. Rather than making things ever so uncomplicated by Elizabeth actually telling Caleb she was pregnant and telling him she loved him, we have this complicated back story that Summer is in love with John, who loves her back, but is married to his stepbrother's woman, because she had a baby by the stepbrother and was too stubborn and stupid to tell him. Now, Caleb comes back into the picture and lusts after Summer. What makes this already unbelievable story even more ridiculous is that Summer has some feelings for Caleb, too, thinking that John is unattainable because he's married and is supposed to have 2 sons by Elizabeth. So, thinking she's stuck in the 1700's, she has a one time smexual encounter with Caleb and accepts his offer of marriage; very soon finding out she's pregnant with John's baby. Oi vay!
If this book couldn't be any more unromantic, there are multiple people that are taken out by the violent marauding locals. And let me tell you, Sandra Davidson pissed me off royally by offing a beloved character. Like...wtf? There is certainly action with a few villains, Major Robillard and another few men who I won't name. But the main characters annoyed me to no end.
Summer was completely dense the entire story, thinking John and Elizabeth were supposed to have 2 sons and not wanting to mess up history...even though she got pregnant with John's child and he told her over and over that he and Elizabeth never had relations...ever. Plus, Summer turning around and playing hide the sword with John's stepbrother, Caleb (pun Intended) caused me to lose all respect for the tart. John was a flat character and not all that likeable. He always seemed in a bad mood. And how on earth was everyone okay with him and "his cousin" Summer getting together?
The only thing I liked about this book was the secondary characters: John's brothers, Nat and Caleb, Hannah (the kindly older woman who helps Summer), and Alisha, Elizabeth's daughter. Plus, it was such a train wreck, you couldn't stop reading.
Oh, and another bone to pick...whatever happened to Asperenzah after she and Summer got into it in the end? Plus, there was no mention of Elizabeth in the epilogue. Like months or years later...we were just left to wonder or imagine her fate.
Yeah, too many loose ends, minimal romance (though some good steamy scenes), cheating, and a complicated love quadrant. Not my cuppa. However, if you want a crazy historical fiction book set in American Colonial times, I recommend it.
I didn't feel there was much romance in this book. Lust, yes. Romance, not so much. Summer Winslow was obsessed with Colonel John Hawke and his wife, Elizabeth. By touching John's sword (no pun intended), she travels from 1993 to the 1790's, meeting John Hawke himself.
John was mostly a jerk throughout the book. He hides his sword (again, no pun intended), so that Summer cannot return to her time. He basically just wants to get frisky with Summer, having seen her in his dreams for months. Summer lusts after John, but doesn't go after him because he's married.
That, in essence, is a ridiculous plot point. John is married to Elizabeth, but she's in love with his brother, Caleb, having a baby by Caleb, who was unaware of it, living with his native people (Caleb and John are stepbrothers) for 5 years. So, John married Elizabeth to give the baby the Hawke last name. Rather than making things ever so uncomplicated by Elizabeth actually telling Caleb she was pregnant and telling him she loved him, we have this complicated back story that Summer is in love with John, who loves her back, but is married to his stepbrother's woman, because she had a baby by the stepbrother and was too stubborn and stupid to tell him. Now, Caleb comes back into the picture and lusts after Summer. What makes this already unbelievable story even more ridiculous is that Summer has some feelings for Caleb, too, thinking that John is unattainable because he's married and is supposed to have 2 sons by Elizabeth. So, thinking she's stuck in the 1700's, she has a one time smexual encounter with Caleb and accepts his offer of marriage; very soon finding out she's pregnant with John's baby. Oi vay!
If this book couldn't be any more unromantic, there are multiple people that are taken out by the violent marauding locals. And let me tell you, Sandra Davidson pissed me off royally by offing a beloved character. Like...wtf? There is certainly action with a few villains, Major Robillard and another few men who I won't name. But the main characters annoyed me to no end.
Summer was completely dense the entire story, thinking John and Elizabeth were supposed to have 2 sons and not wanting to mess up history...even though she got pregnant with John's child and he told her over and over that he and Elizabeth never had relations...ever. Plus, Summer turning around and playing hide the sword with John's stepbrother, Caleb (pun Intended) caused me to lose all respect for the tart. John was a flat character and not all that likeable. He always seemed in a bad mood. And how on earth was everyone okay with him and "his cousin" Summer getting together?
The only thing I liked about this book was the secondary characters: John's brothers, Nat and Caleb, Hannah (the kindly older woman who helps Summer), and Alisha, Elizabeth's daughter. Plus, it was such a train wreck, you couldn't stop reading.
Oh, and another bone to pick...whatever happened to Asperenzah after she and Summer got into it in the end? Plus, there was no mention of Elizabeth in the epilogue. Like months or years later...we were just left to wonder or imagine her fate.
Yeah, too many loose ends, minimal romance (though some good steamy scenes), cheating, and a complicated love quadrant. Not my cuppa. However, if you want a crazy historical fiction book set in American Colonial times, I recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2016
Vintage 1993 throwback A Love for All Time by Sandra Davidson is a time travel romance. Although I am not all that fond of bringing a heroine from the now to the past, this one did keep my interest. Although I do not believe it was well researched as far as a historical novel should be, it was accurate enough not to call farkle. The book kept my interest, and I could not put it down until I found out what would happen. It was a treat to read on a cold winter's day.
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