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Servants of Fate #1
Stealing Time
Father Time’s son, Zeit Geist, must sacrifice a mortal’s lifetime to the Fates each New Year’s Eve.
Last year—inexplicably, really—he made an 11:59 substitution. The Fates are pissed and they’re after his mortal Hannah. With the year ending, he ought to figure out why he’d saved her—and why he keeps doing it.
Following an unlucky year, Hannah Lyons needs a week’s holiday in a lodge to unwind. What she gets is near-death experiences and a sexy immortal who can’t avoid kissing her, but might have to kill her. After all, even Zeit can’t hold back time indefinitely.
Last year—inexplicably, really—he made an 11:59 substitution. The Fates are pissed and they’re after his mortal Hannah. With the year ending, he ought to figure out why he’d saved her—and why he keeps doing it.
Following an unlucky year, Hannah Lyons needs a week’s holiday in a lodge to unwind. What she gets is near-death experiences and a sexy immortal who can’t avoid kissing her, but might have to kill her. After all, even Zeit can’t hold back time indefinitely.
93 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 4, 2013
2 people are currently reading
435 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Sparrow
67 books277 followersAt home in the Pacific Northwest, Wendy Sparrow writes for both an adult and young adult crowd in many genres but always with a happily ever after. She has two wonderfully quirky kids, a supportive husband, and a perpetually messy house because she hates cleaning. She’s an advocate both online and in her community for autistic children in addition to actively trying to raise awareness about obsessive compulsive disorder. Most days she spends on Twitter procrastinating doing the dishes.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 26, 2019
I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH.
Zeit and Hannah FOREVER.
These are annual holiday rereads for me! And they should be for you, too. I have purchased Stealing Time in EVERY SINGLE FORMAT it has been made available and I'll be honest, if they release a paperback anthology of all three in the series (and/or with a Father Time additional installment) I would be ALL OVER THAT TOO.
Dear Hallmark, please option this series and make them next year's holiday romance movies. They're so adorable and sweet and perfect and it needs to be done yesterday.
Onward to Taking Time!
Zeit and Hannah FOREVER.
These are annual holiday rereads for me! And they should be for you, too. I have purchased Stealing Time in EVERY SINGLE FORMAT it has been made available and I'll be honest, if they release a paperback anthology of all three in the series (and/or with a Father Time additional installment) I would be ALL OVER THAT TOO.
Dear Hallmark, please option this series and make them next year's holiday romance movies. They're so adorable and sweet and perfect and it needs to be done yesterday.
Onward to Taking Time!
December 7, 2013
Just in time for the holidays, Wendy Sparrow has written us a gift. Is soft, sweet, and makes you want to just snuggle into it.
Zeit is the son of Father Time and every year he has to take a life. But when he's ordered to take Hanna's life he balks and instead spends the year saving her from multiple attempts to kill her. Finally he deiced to spend one week with her - get her out of his system - before killing her this time around.
Hah! Zeit quickly learns that Hanna CAN'T be gotten out of his system, and he gradually becomes more and more human as he and Hannah fall in love. Because this is Christmas (and a romance!) expect a happy ending to Zeit's crisis. And be prepared for happiness.
Zeit is the son of Father Time and every year he has to take a life. But when he's ordered to take Hanna's life he balks and instead spends the year saving her from multiple attempts to kill her. Finally he deiced to spend one week with her - get her out of his system - before killing her this time around.
Hah! Zeit quickly learns that Hanna CAN'T be gotten out of his system, and he gradually becomes more and more human as he and Hannah fall in love. Because this is Christmas (and a romance!) expect a happy ending to Zeit's crisis. And be prepared for happiness.
November 4, 2016
A fun ride for the holidays, Sparrow earns 4.8 out of five stars for this novella.
She thinks she's losing her mind. He knows he's losing time.
This is a fun, magical tale about one of Father Time's sons who goes against his immortal responsibilities to spend a year protecting a mortal.
Warning: Do not read the end of this book while running on the treadmill. Running with tears blinding you is an unsafe activity.
Not as many laughs as I expected from Sparrow, but oh the feels. A perfect read to get me geared up for the holidays.
She thinks she's losing her mind. He knows he's losing time.
This is a fun, magical tale about one of Father Time's sons who goes against his immortal responsibilities to spend a year protecting a mortal.
Warning: Do not read the end of this book while running on the treadmill. Running with tears blinding you is an unsafe activity.
Not as many laughs as I expected from Sparrow, but oh the feels. A perfect read to get me geared up for the holidays.
December 27, 2020
Quick sweet read
The idea of father's time sons stealing a mortal life at new years is intriguing and I wish that part of the universe got more light. Otherwise this is a quick read for before the new Year.
The idea of father's time sons stealing a mortal life at new years is intriguing and I wish that part of the universe got more light. Otherwise this is a quick read for before the new Year.
December 14, 2013
Absolutely wonderful little novella. I particularly loved Zeit, especially his reaction to the chocolate orange.
I highly recommend it!
I highly recommend it!
January 18, 2019
I--no. No, I can't highly rate something that feels like a Lifetime movie.
There's some minor wit here, I suppose, but it also just strikes me as something my mother would write. I don't mean that in an ageist way--years do not necessarily detract from or supplement someone's talent--but I do mean it in a mindset way. My mother hasn't read fiction in decades, but if she were forced to sit down and pen something, she'd probably try to emulate the old Hallmark movies we used to watch.
She'd use the word "golly" unironically.
She'd be terrible at pacing. Mostly because she's never thought about it.
She'd overuse exclamation marks.
And she'd be very, very genuine and honest about the feelings she was trying to capture. There would be no subtlety, just a straightforward plot and equally snappy resolution. You (or I, especially) would have a hard time critiquing her because she'd have no delusions of grandeur. She wouldn't expect her writing to sell well, wouldn't even brag about it at Thanksgiving. The whole process would be a humble adventure.
That's what this was, for me. Something my mom would write if she could, and something I'm proud of the author for having written. It's just not the kind of good I appreciate.
There's some minor wit here, I suppose, but it also just strikes me as something my mother would write. I don't mean that in an ageist way--years do not necessarily detract from or supplement someone's talent--but I do mean it in a mindset way. My mother hasn't read fiction in decades, but if she were forced to sit down and pen something, she'd probably try to emulate the old Hallmark movies we used to watch.
She'd use the word "golly" unironically.
She'd be terrible at pacing. Mostly because she's never thought about it.
She'd overuse exclamation marks.
And she'd be very, very genuine and honest about the feelings she was trying to capture. There would be no subtlety, just a straightforward plot and equally snappy resolution. You (or I, especially) would have a hard time critiquing her because she'd have no delusions of grandeur. She wouldn't expect her writing to sell well, wouldn't even brag about it at Thanksgiving. The whole process would be a humble adventure.
That's what this was, for me. Something my mom would write if she could, and something I'm proud of the author for having written. It's just not the kind of good I appreciate.
November 23, 2018
This was a fabulously cute, fun read. And just what I needed to get into the holiday spirit. Because nothing says Christmas like the Fates taking potshots while you try to fall in love, right?
August 31, 2022
Quite sweet and charming, despite being basically Final Destination: the romance novel.
March 3, 2025
Sweet story.
September 6, 2016
Wendy Sparrow has a great talent for characterization. You can see, know, and understand her characters as though they exist in your regular life. Her use of humor and dialog carry a novella where a longer plot is absent. I rarely rate any books with 5 stars, and it would take a lot for me to rate a romance 4 stars even when it is well-written...because that just isn't my genre of choice. BUT I can acknowledge an author's skill without loving her medium. For a romance lover, this is a 5 star author.
If you love sweet romances, you'll love Hannah and Zeit. Unlike in many romances, rather than being smitten in a moment by dashing physical characteristics alone, Zeit falls in love with her slowly...rescue by rescue. They say that the deepest love is built by serving another, and he continues to take care of her through the end of the story. That kind of love is much more believable, and gives the reader a realistic hope of a forever kind of love (much less exciting, but more comforting).
Hannah seems a bit too trusting of this strange man, but I suppose naivety is not exactly unusual. She could feel his love for her from the first time she met him. Although you know it's going to work out, you don't know how. Sparrow imbues comfortable suspense all the way to the end. I love her talent for inserting details that guide our opinions without explicitly telling the reader what to think. I prefer authors like her, who assume their reader is as smart as they are. :)
*spoiler*
Was anyone else confused by the foreshadowing of the constantly-present small child? I was convinced that he was another son of Father Time, sent to finish the job that Zeit refused to do. But...that was never revealed. I kept waiting for the plot twist where he gets called off by the Fates or Father Time, and they feel suckered that they never saw the imminent danger. It felt unfinished.
If you love sweet romances, you'll love Hannah and Zeit. Unlike in many romances, rather than being smitten in a moment by dashing physical characteristics alone, Zeit falls in love with her slowly...rescue by rescue. They say that the deepest love is built by serving another, and he continues to take care of her through the end of the story. That kind of love is much more believable, and gives the reader a realistic hope of a forever kind of love (much less exciting, but more comforting).
Hannah seems a bit too trusting of this strange man, but I suppose naivety is not exactly unusual. She could feel his love for her from the first time she met him. Although you know it's going to work out, you don't know how. Sparrow imbues comfortable suspense all the way to the end. I love her talent for inserting details that guide our opinions without explicitly telling the reader what to think. I prefer authors like her, who assume their reader is as smart as they are. :)
*spoiler*
Was anyone else confused by the foreshadowing of the constantly-present small child? I was convinced that he was another son of Father Time, sent to finish the job that Zeit refused to do. But...that was never revealed. I kept waiting for the plot twist where he gets called off by the Fates or Father Time, and they feel suckered that they never saw the imminent danger. It felt unfinished.
June 12, 2017
Here is a summary of what the book is about. Father Time's son, Zeit Geist, must sacrifice a mortal's lifetime to the Fates each New Year's Eve. Last year- inexplicably, really-he made an 11:59 substitution. The Fates are pissed and they're after his mortal Hannah. With the year ending, he ought to figure out why he'd saved her- and why he keeps doing it.
Following an unlucky year, Hannah Lyons needs a week's holiday in a lodge to unwind. What she gets is near- death experiences and a sexy immortal who can't avoid kissing her, but might have to kill her. After all, even Zeit can't hold back time indefinitely.
Even though this book is a romance it is a strange one.
We all know that there is no such thing as Father Time or mortals or immortals so I would say this book is more of a fantasy.
I think people who like fantasy books would enjoy this book.
I guess what I am saying is it wasn't my cup of tea. The plot was very interesting and the characters were developed well.
Those that have a bent toward science fiction and fantasy would find this a delightful read.
Happy Reading Everyone!
Following an unlucky year, Hannah Lyons needs a week's holiday in a lodge to unwind. What she gets is near- death experiences and a sexy immortal who can't avoid kissing her, but might have to kill her. After all, even Zeit can't hold back time indefinitely.
Even though this book is a romance it is a strange one.
We all know that there is no such thing as Father Time or mortals or immortals so I would say this book is more of a fantasy.
I think people who like fantasy books would enjoy this book.
I guess what I am saying is it wasn't my cup of tea. The plot was very interesting and the characters were developed well.
Those that have a bent toward science fiction and fantasy would find this a delightful read.
Happy Reading Everyone!
January 15, 2015
Zeit is AMAZING, and this story is the perfect feel good holiday fantasy romance for the Christmas season. I LOVE how Ms. Sparrow takes old legends/myths and brings them into the modern world in a new and interesting way, from a different perspective. Who thinks of writing a love story for a son of Father Time? Who even considered that Father Time might have sons at all?! Wendy Sparrow, that's who! From start to finish, Zeit just steals the show with his wry humor and wit and his incredible evolution -- how she made a 98 page novella feel like it had a whole novel's worth of character arc packed inside, seamlessly, for Zeit, I do not know, but it's amazingly well done, and I might just be a little bit in love.
Sometimes a book comes to you at just the right time with all the things you need in that moment, and this was definitely one of those stories, for me.
Sometimes a book comes to you at just the right time with all the things you need in that moment, and this was definitely one of those stories, for me.
November 15, 2016
Stealing Time follows the life of Hannah Lyonns, an ordinary woman with a major issue- she keeps losing time. Mysteriously she can be fine one moment only to wake up somewhere different and time has lapsed. Frustrated that there is no explanation for these events, Hannah works hard to find a common thread and it appears in the form of an intense and sexy man.
Zeit, a keeper of the world's natural balance, has experienced all of what this world has to offer and this mortal woman Hannah intrigues him. Problem is Time has run out for her. He must now find ways to keep her alive long enough to know her, not an easy task as fate and her clumsiness are working against him.
Stealing time is a short book that grabs you from the start and leaves you wishing the author wrote more. As one book in a series, I can’t wait to read the rest.
Zeit, a keeper of the world's natural balance, has experienced all of what this world has to offer and this mortal woman Hannah intrigues him. Problem is Time has run out for her. He must now find ways to keep her alive long enough to know her, not an easy task as fate and her clumsiness are working against him.
Stealing time is a short book that grabs you from the start and leaves you wishing the author wrote more. As one book in a series, I can’t wait to read the rest.
December 18, 2013
I received a copy free from the author. This does not influence my review at all.
I really love Christmas books, and this is a very cute Christmas story. The happy ending does seem a bit obvious from the beginning, but Christmas books are like that, and the writing, and how it gets to that ending is a very enjoyable read. I loved this book from the first page. The author's writing style is very comfortable and fun. The characters are instantly likable. The mythology, such as Father Time and his sons and the Fates, are interesting and creatively used. I really enjoyed how everything was put together, and it's a really great, heartwarming, adorable Christmas story :)
I really love Christmas books, and this is a very cute Christmas story. The happy ending does seem a bit obvious from the beginning, but Christmas books are like that, and the writing, and how it gets to that ending is a very enjoyable read. I loved this book from the first page. The author's writing style is very comfortable and fun. The characters are instantly likable. The mythology, such as Father Time and his sons and the Fates, are interesting and creatively used. I really enjoyed how everything was put together, and it's a really great, heartwarming, adorable Christmas story :)
November 25, 2016
This is a fun, light romance. I would classify it as a clean romance, but that is not to say there is no mention of sex. I actually didn't realize it was a holiday story until I read it, so that was a fun surprise! The characters are interesting rather than the clichés you might expect in this kind of story, and the story draws the reader in without sacrificing plot or feeling like it panders to your baser instincts. There were a couple things that seemed inconsistent (like how the male lead knows a lot about certain aspects of being mortal and next to nothing about others), but even those made sense to some degree and didn't pull me out of the story.
February 15, 2017
A quick fun read that gives one of Father's Time sons a chance to make good on his job, but the catch awaits him this time with one mortal woman that for some reason he cannot kill.
Zeit Geist, must sacrifice a mortal’s lifetime to the Fates each New Year’s Eve. He chose to make as substitution and this cost him. He has to spend the coming year watching over the one he spared. Hannah Lyons got a second chance at life. But will it last.
Again I say that I had fun reading this one. I found it refreshingly sweet.
Zeit Geist, must sacrifice a mortal’s lifetime to the Fates each New Year’s Eve. He chose to make as substitution and this cost him. He has to spend the coming year watching over the one he spared. Hannah Lyons got a second chance at life. But will it last.
Again I say that I had fun reading this one. I found it refreshingly sweet.
July 29, 2016
Of all the holiday books I read this year - and I read quite a few - this was one of my favorites. Loved these characters and their story.
The son of father time falls in love with the woman whose life he's supposed to claim. Thinking about this story, a month after I've read it and I find myself kind of wanting to read it again, just because I liked the characters that much.
Full review here: http://amh-reviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
The son of father time falls in love with the woman whose life he's supposed to claim. Thinking about this story, a month after I've read it and I find myself kind of wanting to read it again, just because I liked the characters that much.
Full review here: http://amh-reviews.blogspot.com/2013/...
December 8, 2013
As soon as I heard the hero was Father Time's son, I was immediately interested -- and it definitely didn't disappoint!
Though short, Wendy manages (as always) to pack in plenty of emotion and great writing to make this story just lovely. :)
PS. Where do I sign up for thestalker errr obsessed with Wendy fanclub? :D
Though short, Wendy manages (as always) to pack in plenty of emotion and great writing to make this story just lovely. :)
PS. Where do I sign up for the
November 26, 2016
Great book! The only thing I didn't like about it was that it is so short. I think it could have been longer with more details about Father Time and the Fates. While the book is short there is very good character development and I quickly grew attached to them. Fun quick read that is set during Christmas!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
October 14, 2016
** I volunteered to read an advance reader copy. **
This was cute, heartwarming, and sweet novella. What an engaging plot premise. A very clean and easy read. I enjoyed the journey and fell under its spell.
This was cute, heartwarming, and sweet novella. What an engaging plot premise. A very clean and easy read. I enjoyed the journey and fell under its spell.
March 24, 2014
A delightful, feel-good novella. While not the most original idea (immortal and mortal fall in love), the characters and twists are interesting enough to make it a fun read.
December 18, 2018
what a cute and funny book! I absolutely loved it from beginning to end! Such a great read.
December 13, 2014
I've enjoyed all of Wendy Sparrow's books, and this one did not disappoint. It was such a sweet story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews