What do you think?
Rate this book
Heritage Time Travel Romance #1
Out of the Past
This is a PG-13 version of the original novel with minimal sexual content, some adult situations, language and violence. If you prefer a steamy more erotic content, then the original version is also available on amazon. Just search by my name or by title. Torie Mills is beautiful, successful and a New York Times best-selling historical romance author. Determined to find some solace from her fast paced and demanding life, she decides to move to Mahaska County, Iowa--a mile outside of the tiny town of Fremont and into her great-great-grandparent's old homestead. Her plan is to restore the property to its 1870 glory days. She hires handsome, renovation expert Dave Cameron to do the work and together they bring the old Victorian house back to life. When Torie moves in, she discovers that restoring the house has opened a portal into the past. Time traveling each night to the Fremont of old, becomes her wonderful escape and her secret obsession as she learns about family, loss and to cherish the moments, from her long lost loved ones. When she and Dave become lovers, he gets swept into the travels as well--until they both realize, much too late, that there was evil in the past that would have been better left alone...
244 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2012
179 people are currently reading
1041 people want to read
About the author
Dana Roquet
7 books44 followersWriting had always been what I wanted to do with my life until life got in the way. Throughout the years of marriage and raising my two daughters though, eit was forever my goal, to simply write stories.
My first novel Love's Vengeance was written in the classic bodice ripping style of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss or Joanna Lindsey. I even had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Lindsey about my writing one time on the Larry King show!
My 2nd novel Out of the Past which is the first in my ongoing time travel romance series, was a 2nd place finisher of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards which is judged by professional critics of Publisher's Weekly.
My entire Heritage Romance series is now available
Book 1 Out of the Past
Book 2 Into the Future
Book 3 Forevermore
Book 4 Enduring Gift will be published in autumn of 2017
My first novel Love's Vengeance was written in the classic bodice ripping style of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss or Joanna Lindsey. I even had the opportunity to speak with Ms. Lindsey about my writing one time on the Larry King show!
My 2nd novel Out of the Past which is the first in my ongoing time travel romance series, was a 2nd place finisher of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards which is judged by professional critics of Publisher's Weekly.
My entire Heritage Romance series is now available
Book 1 Out of the Past
Book 2 Into the Future
Book 3 Forevermore
Book 4 Enduring Gift will be published in autumn of 2017
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 6, 2013
When I read the synopsis for Out of the Past I was immediately intrigued. I’ve always loved a good time travel story (Time Traveler’s Wife, Outlander series are a couple favorites). Throw in some romance and I’m a happy camper. The main character, Torie Mills, is a bestselling historical romance author who gets to enjoy early retirement due to the phenomenal success of her books. Her desire to discover her own personal history leads her to purchase and restore her family’s ancestral farmhouse. With the help of photographs and the skills of Dave Cameron, a local carpenter, she brings the house back to life…in more ways than one.
When Torie moves into the home she discovers a time portal that sends her back to inhabit the body of one of her female ancestors for a certain period of time. This only happens while she’s sleeping and the amount of time she is gone ranges from a few hours to the entire night. She is given intimate knowledge of the house, the town and the family and becomes a little obsessed with it. She also has the ability to manipulate the past in small ways. She hides photographs and small items places that they won’t be discovered and when she is back in her own time she unearths them.
A side story is her relationship with Dave Cameron. Beginning as just friends, it leads to more once Torie’s current relationship ends. Eventually, Dave experiences the time warps as well, finding himself transported into the bodies of his ancestors, another local family.
The story is told from Torie’s point of view mainly. It’s in first person however, I never really felt as if I could get into Torie’s head. I was told everything that happened, in minute detail, and this bogged down the story considerably. There could have been significant edits made to the text that wouldn’t have harmed the overall story (for example, I don’t really need to know she gets up, brushes her teeth, goes to the bathroom, walks down the hall, etc etc) and it would have been nice if there was more showing and less telling. There were also way too many names given of her numerous relatives. It was difficult to keep them all straight.
Overall, I wasn’t really sure what the point of the story was. Why was Torie’s family home allowing her to be transported into the past? What was she supposed to learn from her experiences? How was it doing this? It would have been nice to have some answers by the end of the novel regarding the house. All we are told is that she decides to give the house to the town as a museum and stipulates no overnight visits allowed preventing anyone else being transported into the past. I’m not sure if this is even a valid concern since Torie’s friend who stayed overnight with her did not experience anything. Perhaps if there had been more clarification as to exactly how this portal worked and why it worked for Torie and Dave this concern would be validated.
I think the story could have been much stronger if Torie was transported into a specific individual’s life and allowed to experience a series of events that answered a mystery of the family or something. Out of the Past had potential to be an engrossing, tension filled and entertaining novel but it fell flat for me.
2.5 out of 3 stars
I was provided a copy of this novel by the author for an honest review. No other compensation was given.
When Torie moves into the home she discovers a time portal that sends her back to inhabit the body of one of her female ancestors for a certain period of time. This only happens while she’s sleeping and the amount of time she is gone ranges from a few hours to the entire night. She is given intimate knowledge of the house, the town and the family and becomes a little obsessed with it. She also has the ability to manipulate the past in small ways. She hides photographs and small items places that they won’t be discovered and when she is back in her own time she unearths them.
A side story is her relationship with Dave Cameron. Beginning as just friends, it leads to more once Torie’s current relationship ends. Eventually, Dave experiences the time warps as well, finding himself transported into the bodies of his ancestors, another local family.
The story is told from Torie’s point of view mainly. It’s in first person however, I never really felt as if I could get into Torie’s head. I was told everything that happened, in minute detail, and this bogged down the story considerably. There could have been significant edits made to the text that wouldn’t have harmed the overall story (for example, I don’t really need to know she gets up, brushes her teeth, goes to the bathroom, walks down the hall, etc etc) and it would have been nice if there was more showing and less telling. There were also way too many names given of her numerous relatives. It was difficult to keep them all straight.
Overall, I wasn’t really sure what the point of the story was. Why was Torie’s family home allowing her to be transported into the past? What was she supposed to learn from her experiences? How was it doing this? It would have been nice to have some answers by the end of the novel regarding the house. All we are told is that she decides to give the house to the town as a museum and stipulates no overnight visits allowed preventing anyone else being transported into the past. I’m not sure if this is even a valid concern since Torie’s friend who stayed overnight with her did not experience anything. Perhaps if there had been more clarification as to exactly how this portal worked and why it worked for Torie and Dave this concern would be validated.
I think the story could have been much stronger if Torie was transported into a specific individual’s life and allowed to experience a series of events that answered a mystery of the family or something. Out of the Past had potential to be an engrossing, tension filled and entertaining novel but it fell flat for me.
2.5 out of 3 stars
I was provided a copy of this novel by the author for an honest review. No other compensation was given.
May 16, 2019
Free on Amazon, this book certainly fell into the "you get what you pay for" category.
I'm not even going to get into all the issues with how the author handled time travel, other than to say that Roquet should probably read more sci-fi. Instead, I'll focus on the romance aspects.
Everytime the author defied traditional romance novel rules, the choice felt less like intentional experimentation and more like a faux pas. For example: in a romance, even if the heroine has a boyfriend at the beginning of the story, the reader only witnesses her love scenes with the hero. The reason is simple. Sex with the guy she ditches for the hero must be unsatisfying for the heroine because no one reads a romance novel to fantasize about having worse sex. That said, no one wants to actually read that unsatisfying love scene either, so romance writers generally just skip it.
(Also, this should go without saying, but apparently it doesn't, so I'll say it: sex scenes with great uncles? Also a no-no.)
There is a lot of wish fulfillment in this book, which isn't unusual for the genre, but the author takes it a bit far. (i.e. her protagonist is a multi-millionaire romance novelist so beloved that a dying teenager uses her "Make a Wish" to meet her).
Roquet needed an editor to help with catching grammar issues, smoothing logical inconsistencies, and cutting a hundred or so pages.
Reading this novel, I was reminded of a famous Elmore Leonard quote about how to write: "Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip."
I'm not even going to get into all the issues with how the author handled time travel, other than to say that Roquet should probably read more sci-fi. Instead, I'll focus on the romance aspects.
Everytime the author defied traditional romance novel rules, the choice felt less like intentional experimentation and more like a faux pas. For example: in a romance, even if the heroine has a boyfriend at the beginning of the story, the reader only witnesses her love scenes with the hero. The reason is simple. Sex with the guy she ditches for the hero must be unsatisfying for the heroine because no one reads a romance novel to fantasize about having worse sex. That said, no one wants to actually read that unsatisfying love scene either, so romance writers generally just skip it.
(Also, this should go without saying, but apparently it doesn't, so I'll say it: sex scenes with great uncles? Also a no-no.)
There is a lot of wish fulfillment in this book, which isn't unusual for the genre, but the author takes it a bit far. (i.e. her protagonist is a multi-millionaire romance novelist so beloved that a dying teenager uses her "Make a Wish" to meet her).
Roquet needed an editor to help with catching grammar issues, smoothing logical inconsistencies, and cutting a hundred or so pages.
Reading this novel, I was reminded of a famous Elmore Leonard quote about how to write: "Try to leave out the parts that readers tend to skip."
May 26, 2014
I really liked this book. I love time travel, but this book was unlike any I have ever read.
Warping into the lives of different people at different places in time could be pretty confusing for most, but Torie's interest in family history helped in most situations.
Dave and Torie's last warp was frightening even for me. Just so thrilled it all worked out.
I will definitely look for more books by Dana Roquet.
Warping into the lives of different people at different places in time could be pretty confusing for most, but Torie's interest in family history helped in most situations.
Dave and Torie's last warp was frightening even for me. Just so thrilled it all worked out.
I will definitely look for more books by Dana Roquet.
April 9, 2013
I love time traveler books and perhaps my favorite is the Time Traveler’s Wife, so I was very curious about Dana Roquet’s novel Out of the Past. It has an unusual twist in that the couple both live in the present day, but while they sleep they slip into the past lives of those from the same small town in Mahaska County, Iowa. The tale is filled with romance, touching moments, memories of the past and hidden danger. I easily consumed this engaging tale in a single afternoon and look forward to reading the next book in this series.
We meet protagonist Torie Mills, a New York Times best-selling historical romance author as she arrives in Mahaska County, Iowa to a homestead she has recently purchased outside of Fremont. Torie bought her great-great grandmother’s home and plans to reform it to its 1870 glory. She befriends her renovation expert Dave Cameron and together they prepare her new home. When Torie moves in she discovers that she slips back in time as she sleeps and at first she is excited but as her romantic life becomes complicated, she begins to worry about what is happening to her as she sleeps. The tale that unfolded had many threads that took me on an emotional ride from laughter, to tears, to fear.
I connected with Torie immediately; she is funny, a writer and loves family history. Her passion for history and renovations quickly drew me into the tale. She is confident, successful and genuine; however her love life is a mess. She has commitment issues and is currently in the longest relationship of her life with a man I thought was shallow and cold. Dave Cameron on the other hand oozes smexy without even trying. He loves small town life and has had trouble finding a mate who embraces this small-town lifestyle They are both initially attracted to each other both physical and intellectual but respect that Torie is in a relationship. The romance was predictable, but felt genuine and sweet. Along the way we meet family from their pasts through time-travel and we meet an aspiring young author suffering from cancer who touched my heart.
The time-travel aspect of this romance was fascinating as the author slowly raised questions and concerns that make us fearful as she builds towards climatic scenes weaving paranormal elements into this contemporary romance. Each time Torie time-travels she finds herself in another family member, experiencing what they experienced and I found it fascinating. When Dave spends the night he begins time-traveling and it led to some interesting slides involving them both. The author cleverly adds sinister elements to the travel and gave us some hair-raising moments. Wonderfully paced, the paranormal elements added some mystery to an otherwise sweet and predictable romance. There is some heat and it was passionate and sweet.
ARC received from author in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
We meet protagonist Torie Mills, a New York Times best-selling historical romance author as she arrives in Mahaska County, Iowa to a homestead she has recently purchased outside of Fremont. Torie bought her great-great grandmother’s home and plans to reform it to its 1870 glory. She befriends her renovation expert Dave Cameron and together they prepare her new home. When Torie moves in she discovers that she slips back in time as she sleeps and at first she is excited but as her romantic life becomes complicated, she begins to worry about what is happening to her as she sleeps. The tale that unfolded had many threads that took me on an emotional ride from laughter, to tears, to fear.
I connected with Torie immediately; she is funny, a writer and loves family history. Her passion for history and renovations quickly drew me into the tale. She is confident, successful and genuine; however her love life is a mess. She has commitment issues and is currently in the longest relationship of her life with a man I thought was shallow and cold. Dave Cameron on the other hand oozes smexy without even trying. He loves small town life and has had trouble finding a mate who embraces this small-town lifestyle They are both initially attracted to each other both physical and intellectual but respect that Torie is in a relationship. The romance was predictable, but felt genuine and sweet. Along the way we meet family from their pasts through time-travel and we meet an aspiring young author suffering from cancer who touched my heart.
The time-travel aspect of this romance was fascinating as the author slowly raised questions and concerns that make us fearful as she builds towards climatic scenes weaving paranormal elements into this contemporary romance. Each time Torie time-travels she finds herself in another family member, experiencing what they experienced and I found it fascinating. When Dave spends the night he begins time-traveling and it led to some interesting slides involving them both. The author cleverly adds sinister elements to the travel and gave us some hair-raising moments. Wonderfully paced, the paranormal elements added some mystery to an otherwise sweet and predictable romance. There is some heat and it was passionate and sweet.
ARC received from author in exchange for my unbiased review.
Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer
October 25, 2015
I have mixed feelings about Out of the Past by Dana Roquet. Going in, I was under the impression that this was a time travel romance—and it both was and wasn’t. I’d expected maybe your typical endearing romance with some steamy sex and some time travel thrown in to mess things up for the characters, but that isn’t what I got. Instead, I got a story that revolved mostly around dreams of the past heritage of two families with a little bit of romance, and very little time travel involved at all.
Technically speaking, the story was decently written. The plot was new and interesting. I liked the characters, and with a few small exceptions for some flowery writing, the narrative was clean and easy to read. There were no obvious spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation or grammar, and the sentence structures flowed well.
Unfortunately, the pace was also painfully slow. The detail lever was a bit distracting at times, often with the characters rambling on for two or three pages at a time about the histories of certain objects, complicated genealogical lines, and endless lists of replaced historical artifacts. Frankly, I was bored when the main character droned on about the history of her house and family. I had expected the book to be all about the romance and time travel but soon discovered that it had little to do with either. The story was more often about the love of the character’s restoration work and historical research, and I just wasn’t interested.
To make matters worse, the time travel wasn’t really time travel at all, and as far as I could tell, served no purpose in the plot. The characters didn’t learn anything or solve any problems by traveling (I use this term lightly) into the past. The most it did was fill in some blanks on the family tree and spur on the main character’s shopping sprees for antiques for her newly refurbished historical home.
The romance itself was a bit watered down, and in a way, almost too perfect. There was little to no tension between the couple and they never made any mistakes. The male lead said the right things at the right time, and overall, it came across as bland and contrived.
In the end, I had to give the book a 3-star rating. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t great either. I wasn’t engaged by the story or characters. Instead, it felt like a very long, drawn-out history lesson. It just wasn’t my idea of a gripping romance, and not what I thought I was going to be reading when I picked it up.
Technically speaking, the story was decently written. The plot was new and interesting. I liked the characters, and with a few small exceptions for some flowery writing, the narrative was clean and easy to read. There were no obvious spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation or grammar, and the sentence structures flowed well.
Unfortunately, the pace was also painfully slow. The detail lever was a bit distracting at times, often with the characters rambling on for two or three pages at a time about the histories of certain objects, complicated genealogical lines, and endless lists of replaced historical artifacts. Frankly, I was bored when the main character droned on about the history of her house and family. I had expected the book to be all about the romance and time travel but soon discovered that it had little to do with either. The story was more often about the love of the character’s restoration work and historical research, and I just wasn’t interested.
To make matters worse, the time travel wasn’t really time travel at all, and as far as I could tell, served no purpose in the plot. The characters didn’t learn anything or solve any problems by traveling (I use this term lightly) into the past. The most it did was fill in some blanks on the family tree and spur on the main character’s shopping sprees for antiques for her newly refurbished historical home.
The romance itself was a bit watered down, and in a way, almost too perfect. There was little to no tension between the couple and they never made any mistakes. The male lead said the right things at the right time, and overall, it came across as bland and contrived.
In the end, I had to give the book a 3-star rating. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t great either. I wasn’t engaged by the story or characters. Instead, it felt like a very long, drawn-out history lesson. It just wasn’t my idea of a gripping romance, and not what I thought I was going to be reading when I picked it up.
March 14, 2015
Torie Mills had the perfect job as a best-selling author. She had the perfect relationship, a long distance boyfriend who doesn’t take up too much of her time. She has the means now to leave the city and live out in the country where she longs to be. Torie hires Dave Cameron to renovate her old family homestead. Generation of Mills lived in the house and it has quickly become her passion. Dave is as interested in Torie as the renovations, but Torie is taken. As the renovation comes to an end, Dave and Torie realize they have developed a great friendship. Things change when Torie’s long distance relationship comes to an end and they see each other in a different light. After Torie moves into the old homestead she begins to time travel at night. She spends hours in an alternate universe, a world that has long since passed away. She learns more about her ancestors and herself while sleeping at night. Torie has to decide if her time travel is more important than her day to day life as it begins to consume more of her time. Dave has to decide if Tori is worth fighting for…is she his one? This is a great story line with a sweet romance thrown in. It is a great read for historical romance lovers and lovers of contemporary romance.
April 6, 2013
I enjoy time travel books & this was no exception. The idea that Torie is such a family historian & actually lives her family's past through their eyes was a fascinating twist to the time travel theme. I also loved the author's attention to detail in mentioning actual places & events in Iowa. Enjoyed the story & looking forward to book 2 in the series.
October 12, 2013
3.5/5.0
Time travel while one sleeps is an exciting idea and fans of genealogy would most likely jump at the chance to experience in person the way people lived and see their relatives at various ages.
Read full review in the October 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Time travel while one sleeps is an exciting idea and fans of genealogy would most likely jump at the chance to experience in person the way people lived and see their relatives at various ages.
Read full review in the October 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.
March 2, 2013
This story flew by quite nicely. I enjoyed the read, except I think Derek should have been outta the picture sooner than he was. Thanks so much for this read it was definitely worth the read.
July 20, 2021
A SLOW BURN ROMANCE AND AN UNPREDICTABLE NOVEL. WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS TERMINAL ILLNESS, DEATH, ABUSE, VIOLENCE, AND A LOT OF STEAMY SEX SCENES. SO, IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE READING NOVELS WITH THESE ELEMENTS, PLEASE PICK UP ANOTHER TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE BOOK.
ALRIGHT SO, THIS IS NOT AN EASY BOOK TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE SOME OF THE SCENE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART. IT HAS A LOVELY STORY PLOT ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS A SUCKER FOR HIS FAMILY HERITAGE AND WANTED TO LIVE AND TO RENOVATE THEIR FAMILY'S HOUSE IN FREMONT IOWA WITH THE HELP OF DAVE CAMERON WHO IS A HISTORIC RESTORATION CONTRACTOR. THE TIME TRAVEL ELEMENT OF THE STORY IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE TYPICALLY KNOW OF TIME TRAVELING NOVEL. ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCE IS NOT THAT GREAT BUT IT'S NOT BAD EITHER. I ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE TIME TRAVEL TRIP. IT'S LIKE I'M WITH HER WHEN SHE TRAVELS BACK IN TIME, THE WAY SHE DESCRIBE THINGS AND PLACES ARE VERY CLEAR.
MY FAVORITE SCENE IS WHEN TORIE MILLS SPENT TIME WITH ONE OF HER FANS WHO REQUESTED TO SEE HER DURING HER BOOK SIGNING TOUR. IT WAS A WONDERFUL SCENE AND HEARTWRENCHING AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S A MEDIUM PACED STORY. TOO MUCH INFORMATION AND NAMES THAT MAKES IT CONFUSING SOMETIMES. IT'S VERY DISCONCERTING TO HEAR THE NAME OF GOD USED IN VAIN A LOT OF TIMES. NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. THE LOVE STORY WOULD BE BETTER IF NOT FOR TOO MUCH SEX SCENES THAT I THINK IS UNNECESSARY FOR SOME PARTS OF IT.
OVERALL, IF YOU ENJOY TIME TRAVEL, TRY TO READ IT. IN ANY CASE, I HAVE MENTIONED ALL OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS IF YOU READ THIS BOOK. IT'S NOT A BAD READING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, IT'S JUST THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SO THAT YOU DON'T GET DUMBFOUND ONCE YOU'RE IN IT THINKING IT'S A SIMPLE TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. OH, AND DID I FORGET TO TELL YOU IT'S GOT A MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE TOO? OH, YES, IT DOES. CHECK OUT SOME OF MY REVIEWS ON MY WEBSITE, www.writingescapade.com
ALRIGHT SO, THIS IS NOT AN EASY BOOK TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE SOME OF THE SCENE WILL BREAK YOUR HEART. IT HAS A LOVELY STORY PLOT ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS A SUCKER FOR HIS FAMILY HERITAGE AND WANTED TO LIVE AND TO RENOVATE THEIR FAMILY'S HOUSE IN FREMONT IOWA WITH THE HELP OF DAVE CAMERON WHO IS A HISTORIC RESTORATION CONTRACTOR. THE TIME TRAVEL ELEMENT OF THE STORY IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE TYPICALLY KNOW OF TIME TRAVELING NOVEL. ALTHOUGH THE EXPERIENCE IS NOT THAT GREAT BUT IT'S NOT BAD EITHER. I ACTUALLY ENJOYED THE TIME TRAVEL TRIP. IT'S LIKE I'M WITH HER WHEN SHE TRAVELS BACK IN TIME, THE WAY SHE DESCRIBE THINGS AND PLACES ARE VERY CLEAR.
MY FAVORITE SCENE IS WHEN TORIE MILLS SPENT TIME WITH ONE OF HER FANS WHO REQUESTED TO SEE HER DURING HER BOOK SIGNING TOUR. IT WAS A WONDERFUL SCENE AND HEARTWRENCHING AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S A MEDIUM PACED STORY. TOO MUCH INFORMATION AND NAMES THAT MAKES IT CONFUSING SOMETIMES. IT'S VERY DISCONCERTING TO HEAR THE NAME OF GOD USED IN VAIN A LOT OF TIMES. NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. THE LOVE STORY WOULD BE BETTER IF NOT FOR TOO MUCH SEX SCENES THAT I THINK IS UNNECESSARY FOR SOME PARTS OF IT.
OVERALL, IF YOU ENJOY TIME TRAVEL, TRY TO READ IT. IN ANY CASE, I HAVE MENTIONED ALL OF THE TRIGGER WARNINGS IF YOU READ THIS BOOK. IT'S NOT A BAD READING EXPERIENCE FOR ME, IT'S JUST THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED SO THAT YOU DON'T GET DUMBFOUND ONCE YOU'RE IN IT THINKING IT'S A SIMPLE TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE. OH, AND DID I FORGET TO TELL YOU IT'S GOT A MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE TOO? OH, YES, IT DOES. CHECK OUT SOME OF MY REVIEWS ON MY WEBSITE, www.writingescapade.com
January 31, 2020
Torie is a writer that meets the man of her dreams when she decides to renovate the family home of her ancestors. After she moves in she gets caught up in what you would call an impossibility cause she lives the lives of her ancestors in the past. Every time she is someone different and has to figure out who she is before she can just experience the life that person lived. Once she and Dave start sleeping together he begins to experience the same time warp as Torie calls it. The last night they spend in the house becomes a nightmare for both Torie and Dave but in different ways. Torie knows what is going to happen to who Dave is and she can’t do. My thing about it. Dave manages to wake up just in time but the experience gives him a slight PTSD and Torie decides to give the house to the historical society with an emphasis that no one ever sleeps in it ever again.
April 29, 2019
Out of the Past
Tori’s Mills had dreams of her new old home. She wanted the house to look like it did in the late 1800’s. Contractor Dave Cameron did the renovations. When it was finished Torie moved in and started dreaming of the past as she became one of her relations. Later when she and Dave be came lovers Dave stayed the night with her and fell into the dreams also. Once Torie dreamt she was a relation that was dying. Then Dave dreamt of being shot. Torie then moved out and into Dave’s house. She gave her house and property to the genealogy society with rules that it should never be a residence. No overnight visitors or school related retreats and no reunions or conventions. Then Torie and Dave married.
Tori’s Mills had dreams of her new old home. She wanted the house to look like it did in the late 1800’s. Contractor Dave Cameron did the renovations. When it was finished Torie moved in and started dreaming of the past as she became one of her relations. Later when she and Dave be came lovers Dave stayed the night with her and fell into the dreams also. Once Torie dreamt she was a relation that was dying. Then Dave dreamt of being shot. Torie then moved out and into Dave’s house. She gave her house and property to the genealogy society with rules that it should never be a residence. No overnight visitors or school related retreats and no reunions or conventions. Then Torie and Dave married.
December 29, 2018
I found the author to be very good at describing places and people, and the actions fit the personalities. I chose the book because the story involved genealogy, one of my own interests, and I much prefer that topic to the time travel and the steamy romance also included in this book.
When I bought the book, I made a note that the author is a distant cousin of mine. However, I neglected to note our common ancestor if I knew who he/she was at that time. I kept hoping the storyline would reveal to me that ancestor, but I am still wondering.
There were only a few editing errors that I noticed, and I consider that very good.
When I bought the book, I made a note that the author is a distant cousin of mine. However, I neglected to note our common ancestor if I knew who he/she was at that time. I kept hoping the storyline would reveal to me that ancestor, but I am still wondering.
There were only a few editing errors that I noticed, and I consider that very good.
February 14, 2024
Very strange book. Not sure how to categorize it — part genealogical (but not enough for my liking), part time-travel of a sort, and part romance. And almost entirely unbelievable. The heroine, Torie, has written two best-selling romance novels so is able to quit her job, buy and refurbish the old family home! The hero, Dave, is her contractor. Life is perfect. Except for the strangely vivid dreams they experience in her house — dreams that take them into the past, into other people's bodies . . .
September 16, 2021
Wow, Intense
This was definitely not the time travel romance I was expecting. It actually got a little creepy towards the end. A story filled with intrigue, mystery, and lots of suspense. On the edge of your seat til the end, do not miss reading this story.
This was definitely not the time travel romance I was expecting. It actually got a little creepy towards the end. A story filled with intrigue, mystery, and lots of suspense. On the edge of your seat til the end, do not miss reading this story.
January 17, 2014
The time travel in this book is a bit different from other books I have read. In this book you go to sleep at night only to be in the past and inhabiting anothers body as soon as you drop off, but only if you are living in Torie's house. Torie hired handyman Dave to restore her grandparents old farmhouse on the outskirts of a very small town in Iowa. As soon as Torie moved into the house the time travel started and she went back in time to inhabit the body of someone either in her family or associated with her family every night. She added a lot of history to her family tree from these excursions and they became very addictive.
When Dave and Torie fell in love he started spending nights with her and from the first night he was transported back in time also but not knowing the history that Torie knew made it very hard for him. However, he became as addicted, if not more so, to the time travel as Torie was and did not want to stop when Torie wanted to leave the house and stop it.
There was evil and danger in the past also. The question is, if you are from the future and inhabiting the body of someone from the past and they get killed during this time does your body in the future die also?
Torie knows the story of the young man whose body Dave is inhabiting that fateful night and she knows what is to happen but she can not change the past only observe. Torie is returned early to her bed yet many hours later Dave has still not returned and Torie fears for his life.
This part is where I started crying.
And at the beginning of the next chapter I cried some more as Torie deeded the house over to the Historical Society to use as a museum with the stipulation that no one, but NO one, is to ever stay overnight in the house.
I received this book through the first reads program and enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to my friends who like romance and time travel to read. I hope to read more of Dana's books in the future.
When Dave and Torie fell in love he started spending nights with her and from the first night he was transported back in time also but not knowing the history that Torie knew made it very hard for him. However, he became as addicted, if not more so, to the time travel as Torie was and did not want to stop when Torie wanted to leave the house and stop it.
There was evil and danger in the past also. The question is, if you are from the future and inhabiting the body of someone from the past and they get killed during this time does your body in the future die also?
Torie knows the story of the young man whose body Dave is inhabiting that fateful night and she knows what is to happen but she can not change the past only observe. Torie is returned early to her bed yet many hours later Dave has still not returned and Torie fears for his life.
This part is where I started crying.
And at the beginning of the next chapter I cried some more as Torie deeded the house over to the Historical Society to use as a museum with the stipulation that no one, but NO one, is to ever stay overnight in the house.
I received this book through the first reads program and enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to my friends who like romance and time travel to read. I hope to read more of Dana's books in the future.
October 2, 2013
The cover of the book is a couple lying down in grass with an old photo on the top. If I was going to guess what the book was about just using the cover I would have said it was about a couple who find each other in another life. The cover is very pretty and the couple is cute. As a romance reader the cover is exactly what you would expect.
To summarize the book a woman, Tori, moves back into her family house and renovates it to look like it did in the 1800’s. Her contractor, Dave, is a mega hunk who falls for her at first sight. (Don’t we all wish that would happen to us!!) When Tori moves into the newly renovated home she starts visiting the past in her dreams only she is an active participant. She doesn’t know why this happens or what the dreams mean but she is enjoying it while it last.
That is the basic summary of the book. I found the book a nice read but had a few issues with it. The first big issue I had was that the author never explains why Tori is going back in time in her dreams. She just takes it for granted, never questioning why. As a reader and explanation would have been helpful and help the book along. The author does not give a reason for the time travel either. Tori doesn’t know if she is supposed to change things or just live out the past. If the author had explained the “how” of the travel then a “why” would have been easy to incorporate. Other than those two issues I thought the book was good. It has a lot of history in it so if you don’t like that you wouldn’t like this book.
Based on everything said about the book it was a nice romance novel instilled with some history. If you like romance + history this book is for you. I would recommend to adults only as there is some sexual content. I give this book
To summarize the book a woman, Tori, moves back into her family house and renovates it to look like it did in the 1800’s. Her contractor, Dave, is a mega hunk who falls for her at first sight. (Don’t we all wish that would happen to us!!) When Tori moves into the newly renovated home she starts visiting the past in her dreams only she is an active participant. She doesn’t know why this happens or what the dreams mean but she is enjoying it while it last.
That is the basic summary of the book. I found the book a nice read but had a few issues with it. The first big issue I had was that the author never explains why Tori is going back in time in her dreams. She just takes it for granted, never questioning why. As a reader and explanation would have been helpful and help the book along. The author does not give a reason for the time travel either. Tori doesn’t know if she is supposed to change things or just live out the past. If the author had explained the “how” of the travel then a “why” would have been easy to incorporate. Other than those two issues I thought the book was good. It has a lot of history in it so if you don’t like that you wouldn’t like this book.
Based on everything said about the book it was a nice romance novel instilled with some history. If you like romance + history this book is for you. I would recommend to adults only as there is some sexual content. I give this book
December 29, 2015
I read the PG 13 version. Author Dana Roquet does an excellent job of bringing her characters to life in ‘Out of the Past’. She weaves her love of genealogy with historical places as her main character, New York best selling author, Torie Mills buys her ancestral home in Mahaska County, Iowa that was her great-great grandparents, with the intention to retire to a slower pace of the acreage. There she and her investment broker boyfriend, Derek Bonner, can find peace from the rat race.
She hires a renovation contractor, David Cameron, to bring the homestead back to its original glory. David is a ‘shirt tail’ cousin. Armed with albums of family history David and Torie launch into renovations. All too soon, Torie realizes that the relationship she has with Derek is nothing more than a crutch and the feeling blossoming for David is true love.
Once the renovations are done Tori moves in only to find out that each night once she falls to sleep she time warps back into her family’s past. Her first experience Torie lives as her great-great grandmother, Rose Wyman, at her husband, Judson’s funeral. Tori is having a ball learning more facts that her wildest dreams could imagine. She can even change minute events and take pictures of long lost relatives. So David also joins in on the fun although they find their selves in some sticky sexy situations which heightens their enjoyment. Until they warp back to 1959. David is sixteen year old Tim Thompson and Torie is Lisa Walters. Torie realizes they have warped into terrible danger for the summer of 1959 is when the Thompson family is murdered by the deranged father. Can Torie stop this from happening to save David? If killed in the past will it also destroy David in the present
She hires a renovation contractor, David Cameron, to bring the homestead back to its original glory. David is a ‘shirt tail’ cousin. Armed with albums of family history David and Torie launch into renovations. All too soon, Torie realizes that the relationship she has with Derek is nothing more than a crutch and the feeling blossoming for David is true love.
Once the renovations are done Tori moves in only to find out that each night once she falls to sleep she time warps back into her family’s past. Her first experience Torie lives as her great-great grandmother, Rose Wyman, at her husband, Judson’s funeral. Tori is having a ball learning more facts that her wildest dreams could imagine. She can even change minute events and take pictures of long lost relatives. So David also joins in on the fun although they find their selves in some sticky sexy situations which heightens their enjoyment. Until they warp back to 1959. David is sixteen year old Tim Thompson and Torie is Lisa Walters. Torie realizes they have warped into terrible danger for the summer of 1959 is when the Thompson family is murdered by the deranged father. Can Torie stop this from happening to save David? If killed in the past will it also destroy David in the present
February 5, 2014
free book for free review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
Torie Mills is beautiful, successful and a New York Times best-selling historical romance author. Determined to find some solace from her fast paced and demanding life, she decides to move to Mahaska County, Iowa--a mile outside of the tiny town of Fremont and into her great-great-grandparent's old homestead. Her plan is to restore the property to its 1870 glory days. She hires handsome, renovation expert Dave Cameron to do the work and together they bring the old Victorian house back to life. When Torie moves in, she discovers that restoring the house has opened a portal into the past. Time traveling each night to the Fremont of old, becomes her wonderful escape and her secret obsession as she learns about family, loss and to cherish the moments, from her long lost loved ones. When she and Dave become lovers, he gets swept into the travels as well--until they both realize, much too late, that there was evil in the past that would have been better left alone.
time travel with a different twist. She dreams of her past family, and each time she is a different relative in the dream. She is at times her great great grandmother, cousin, sister. and many other people in her family.. very new to me i read other time travel's i have to say i found this book very amazing.. it was funny and crazy all wrap in one.. loved how torie and dave slow got together getting know each other over the months... putting history and timelines all that was great....
Olivia R.
Torie Mills is beautiful, successful and a New York Times best-selling historical romance author. Determined to find some solace from her fast paced and demanding life, she decides to move to Mahaska County, Iowa--a mile outside of the tiny town of Fremont and into her great-great-grandparent's old homestead. Her plan is to restore the property to its 1870 glory days. She hires handsome, renovation expert Dave Cameron to do the work and together they bring the old Victorian house back to life. When Torie moves in, she discovers that restoring the house has opened a portal into the past. Time traveling each night to the Fremont of old, becomes her wonderful escape and her secret obsession as she learns about family, loss and to cherish the moments, from her long lost loved ones. When she and Dave become lovers, he gets swept into the travels as well--until they both realize, much too late, that there was evil in the past that would have been better left alone.
time travel with a different twist. She dreams of her past family, and each time she is a different relative in the dream. She is at times her great great grandmother, cousin, sister. and many other people in her family.. very new to me i read other time travel's i have to say i found this book very amazing.. it was funny and crazy all wrap in one.. loved how torie and dave slow got together getting know each other over the months... putting history and timelines all that was great....
Olivia R.
August 17, 2013
Torie is an author who has bought her dream home in the country. It makes her happy as it is a renovated home over 100 years old. And the man helping with the renovations, Dave, isn't so bad either... Only, Torie is involved with someone else.
One the first night that Torie stays in her home, she travels back in time. Not quite sure what is going on, after all it must be a dream, Torie continues on her time traveling adventures each night. When she starts to suspect that it might not be a dream, she devises a plan to discover if it is a dream or if she really is time traveling.
Time traveling is holding her interest, nut her current boyfriend is not. After calling it quits, she decides to take a chance with Dave, and soon things are heating up considerably there as well. Surprisingly, Dave gets drawn into the time traveling escapades as well. And they discover almost too late how dangerous that is.
I've been fascinated by time travel since I was a kid and read Madeline L'Engle's A Winkle in Time. This book was a quick, easy read, with interesting characters. I liked Torie and Dave. Dave was absolutely yummy. I suppose my major complaint of this book was that there seemed to be a few gaps in the story. There were a few parts of the storyline that I felt were unanswered or not really wrapped up. All in all a descent book, and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys time travel ad romance. Be prepared, it gets a bit heart-wrenching in the end.
One the first night that Torie stays in her home, she travels back in time. Not quite sure what is going on, after all it must be a dream, Torie continues on her time traveling adventures each night. When she starts to suspect that it might not be a dream, she devises a plan to discover if it is a dream or if she really is time traveling.
Time traveling is holding her interest, nut her current boyfriend is not. After calling it quits, she decides to take a chance with Dave, and soon things are heating up considerably there as well. Surprisingly, Dave gets drawn into the time traveling escapades as well. And they discover almost too late how dangerous that is.
I've been fascinated by time travel since I was a kid and read Madeline L'Engle's A Winkle in Time. This book was a quick, easy read, with interesting characters. I liked Torie and Dave. Dave was absolutely yummy. I suppose my major complaint of this book was that there seemed to be a few gaps in the story. There were a few parts of the storyline that I felt were unanswered or not really wrapped up. All in all a descent book, and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys time travel ad romance. Be prepared, it gets a bit heart-wrenching in the end.
December 10, 2014
I love time travel stories. But this is more of a romance.
Out of the Past tells the story of Torie Mills who restores a family home and moves in, and suddenly begins to travel through time leaning of her family first hand. Torie has done her homework on her relatives - dating all the way back to the early 1800s. When she first moves to her new home, she has a boyfriend, she soon discovers that long distance romances don't work too well. She eventually starts to date the carpenter that restored her home, and finds he is her true love.
Roquet writes her characters well. They have depth and are engaging. She is certainly deft in the writing of romance. However, there was just too much description of everything in the story, and then there was a slew of relatives and names given all at one time, making them hard to remember. Initially, the time warps back into the past were mentioned only in passing, no explanation of why they happened or what happened during them nor even a big reaction to it happening. As the book progresses, however, the story during the warps are told. That's the part that I wanted to read about. I wished it had of been more about the time traveling. The ending, although it was easy to figure out, did quicken the pace of my heart. Roquet's writing evinced a thrill at that point and kept me turning the page.
If you like romance, you'll certainly enjoy this book.
Out of the Past tells the story of Torie Mills who restores a family home and moves in, and suddenly begins to travel through time leaning of her family first hand. Torie has done her homework on her relatives - dating all the way back to the early 1800s. When she first moves to her new home, she has a boyfriend, she soon discovers that long distance romances don't work too well. She eventually starts to date the carpenter that restored her home, and finds he is her true love.
Roquet writes her characters well. They have depth and are engaging. She is certainly deft in the writing of romance. However, there was just too much description of everything in the story, and then there was a slew of relatives and names given all at one time, making them hard to remember. Initially, the time warps back into the past were mentioned only in passing, no explanation of why they happened or what happened during them nor even a big reaction to it happening. As the book progresses, however, the story during the warps are told. That's the part that I wanted to read about. I wished it had of been more about the time traveling. The ending, although it was easy to figure out, did quicken the pace of my heart. Roquet's writing evinced a thrill at that point and kept me turning the page.
If you like romance, you'll certainly enjoy this book.
February 7, 2016
This was an amazing trip through time. The Main characters Torie Mills and Dave Cameron were very vivid characters. The book really let you see what kind of people they were and how their minds worked.
The time travel was exceptional. While sleeping in the newly refurbished family home, Torie would travel to different times and different lives. There seemed to be no harm in it. She enjoyed getting to know her ancestors and seeing how the town looked long ago. During her waking hours she was writing her romance novels and trying to find real love in her life.
When Dave is drawn into her travels they find it is not always fun and easy. I was unable to stop reading this book until I finished. It was so engrossing and made me feel like I knew the families as well as Torie did. A wonderful book!
The author did a fabulous job with bringing this to life. I want to read more by Ms. Roquet.
The time travel was exceptional. While sleeping in the newly refurbished family home, Torie would travel to different times and different lives. There seemed to be no harm in it. She enjoyed getting to know her ancestors and seeing how the town looked long ago. During her waking hours she was writing her romance novels and trying to find real love in her life.
When Dave is drawn into her travels they find it is not always fun and easy. I was unable to stop reading this book until I finished. It was so engrossing and made me feel like I knew the families as well as Torie did. A wonderful book!
The author did a fabulous job with bringing this to life. I want to read more by Ms. Roquet.
September 15, 2014
Since reading my first book in the time travel genre I have been an avid fan. This book just reinforced that opinion. It is different from any other book I've read (so far)...and I loved it!
In this book rather than the protagonist finding themselves traveling through time by one means or another and remaining there, Torie (protagonist)finds herself warping back and forth between the past and present. Not only that, it is different each time. Loved this idea. Add to this a the dreamy Dave who is helping to restore Torie's home and I was anxiously waiting my "reading" time each evening.
I've never read the author before, but I will definitely be reading the next book in this series. I enjoyed the story and her writing. I recommend the book, especially to lovers of the time travel genre, however I feel that almost anyone would enjoy it.
In this book rather than the protagonist finding themselves traveling through time by one means or another and remaining there, Torie (protagonist)finds herself warping back and forth between the past and present. Not only that, it is different each time. Loved this idea. Add to this a the dreamy Dave who is helping to restore Torie's home and I was anxiously waiting my "reading" time each evening.
I've never read the author before, but I will definitely be reading the next book in this series. I enjoyed the story and her writing. I recommend the book, especially to lovers of the time travel genre, however I feel that almost anyone would enjoy it.
December 11, 2014
Heritage Time Travel Romance #1 I got this book for free on amazon.
Torie is a successful author. She decided to buy her family home in Iowa and restore it. Torie hires Dave Cameron to renovate for her. She thinks he is very good looking but she has a boyfriend.
Torie really in getting into the genealogy of her family. Once she moved in the house, she started having strange dreams of being a family member in the past. She was stashing things during her dreams like photographs and retrieving them in the mornings. This is happening almost every night. Torie and Dave start dating and the first night he spends with her he has the same dream that she does. What is going on??
This book was okay. I felt the dreams or time warping could have been a bit more descriptive. I do not know if I would read anymore of these.
Torie is a successful author. She decided to buy her family home in Iowa and restore it. Torie hires Dave Cameron to renovate for her. She thinks he is very good looking but she has a boyfriend.
Torie really in getting into the genealogy of her family. Once she moved in the house, she started having strange dreams of being a family member in the past. She was stashing things during her dreams like photographs and retrieving them in the mornings. This is happening almost every night. Torie and Dave start dating and the first night he spends with her he has the same dream that she does. What is going on??
This book was okay. I felt the dreams or time warping could have been a bit more descriptive. I do not know if I would read anymore of these.
January 12, 2017
I bought this book at a local author's fair and was intrigued by the premise of the book being about time travel. The fact that it's set in a small town in Iowa where my husband lived for a short while added to my desire to read it.
The story line itself was good and interesting, and that's what the author should have focused on. Did I mention it was a book about romance time travel? Yeah, that should have been my first clue. Dana - more on the time travel and less on the romance, please. Some of the scenes made this ole lady blush.
Although the story line concept was good, the writing was horrid - run-on sentences, improper use and placement of punctuation - just in need of a good editor/proofreader.
And, the language! I'm sorry, I personally don't need or appreciate such colorful language to enjoy a book.
Dana, again, the story line was good. The rest - not so much.
The story line itself was good and interesting, and that's what the author should have focused on. Did I mention it was a book about romance time travel? Yeah, that should have been my first clue. Dana - more on the time travel and less on the romance, please. Some of the scenes made this ole lady blush.
Although the story line concept was good, the writing was horrid - run-on sentences, improper use and placement of punctuation - just in need of a good editor/proofreader.
And, the language! I'm sorry, I personally don't need or appreciate such colorful language to enjoy a book.
Dana, again, the story line was good. The rest - not so much.
November 6, 2023
Interesting ideas. A couple travel back in time within their own families. The don’t have control over when they appear or for how long, but it occurs during their sleep. Most of the writing was fantastic which made the use of sentence fragments and incorrect pronouns really annoying. Roquet, please pay a professional editor to go over your work before publication. Dropped to three stars from four because of this.
First read 24-26/6/2019. Rated 3 stars
Reread November 2023. Rerated 4 stars.
Corrections have been made so that there are not as many editing errors, although I did not like the tense changes. Most of the book is written in past tense but one section uses past and simple present tense in the same sentences and it is very disjointed.
First read 24-26/6/2019. Rated 3 stars
Reread November 2023. Rerated 4 stars.
Corrections have been made so that there are not as many editing errors, although I did not like the tense changes. Most of the book is written in past tense but one section uses past and simple present tense in the same sentences and it is very disjointed.
August 30, 2014
I read this as part of a challenge, as time travel isn't a sub-genre I would normally choose to read. That being said, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I loved hearing about the renovations and work being done by Dave. I also fell in love with him immediately. I liked Torie and her passion for writing and researching geneology. I thought Claire was a wonderful addition to the story. I enjoyed the time warps experienced and thought it was interesting how much she knew based on her own family research. I'm pleased I picked this book to read. If the same characters are involved, I could even see myself reading more of this series.
February 20, 2014
This book did not hold my interest at all. I was bored from the start. I generally like time travel. This had too many sexual details, too many details regarding Torie's ancesters. This could have been a short story instead of a novel.
The premise was good, time warping while sleeping. I will not be reading the rest of this series.
The premise was good, time warping while sleeping. I will not be reading the rest of this series.
March 4, 2015
Another one with an intriguing premise but which doesn't deliver. when I read the blurb that mysterious line at the end made me wonder yet as I read the story it got really dull and when finally I thought the author was going to surprise me after a particularly good sequence she disappointed me instead. Oh well...
April 22, 2015
I had this on my Kindle for awhile. Finally read it. Since it involved time travel I wasn't sure how I would like it, but it was incorporated very well. Had me hooked. Liked the characters and the unexpected events toward the end. I couldn't sleep until I finished it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews