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The Ripple Effect #2
Aftermath: The Ripple Effect Book 2
One choice can change everything.
Now that Caitlyn has changed the past, she must face the consequences in her present. But so much of her life has been impacted, adjusting seems impossible.
If she could, she’d spend all her time in the 1980’s with Toby. Wrapped in his arms or listening to him play the guitar. But the universe keeps dragging her back to 2022.
How do you connect with family members who don’t share the same memories? How do you move forward when your entire history has been rewritten? These are the questions Caitlyn must answer if she is to forge a new future for herself.
A future without Toby. It’s the last thing she wants, but what choice does she have?
Aftermath is the second book in The Ripple Effect series and the final book told from Caitlyn’s perspective.
Now that Caitlyn has changed the past, she must face the consequences in her present. But so much of her life has been impacted, adjusting seems impossible.
If she could, she’d spend all her time in the 1980’s with Toby. Wrapped in his arms or listening to him play the guitar. But the universe keeps dragging her back to 2022.
How do you connect with family members who don’t share the same memories? How do you move forward when your entire history has been rewritten? These are the questions Caitlyn must answer if she is to forge a new future for herself.
A future without Toby. It’s the last thing she wants, but what choice does she have?
Aftermath is the second book in The Ripple Effect series and the final book told from Caitlyn’s perspective.
- GenresTime Travel
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2023
80 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Cally Jackson
8 books64 followersCally Jackson grew up in the small country town of Gatton, Australia, and has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. After deciding at 17 that a Hollywood acting career was sadly out of reach, Cally turned to a career in professional communication with fictional writing as her labour of love.
In grade two, Cally’s passion for fictional writing proved a little problematic when she got in trouble for penning her own tale instead of copying directly from a story book as she was supposed to be doing – it was a handwriting exercise, after all.
Cally’s first novel, The Big Smoke, was published in 2012. A decade and two children later, The Ripple Effect series was born.
Cally now lives in Brisbane with her husband and children, where she continues to entertain herself and others by letting her imagination run wild.
In grade two, Cally’s passion for fictional writing proved a little problematic when she got in trouble for penning her own tale instead of copying directly from a story book as she was supposed to be doing – it was a handwriting exercise, after all.
Cally’s first novel, The Big Smoke, was published in 2012. A decade and two children later, The Ripple Effect series was born.
Cally now lives in Brisbane with her husband and children, where she continues to entertain herself and others by letting her imagination run wild.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 3, 2023
This is the follow-up book to The Ripple Effect, which I reviewed a few months ago. This follow-up book wraps everything up nicely, which is good because I remember being frustrated at the end of the first book with the cliffhanger!
Caitlyn is still traveling back to 1984, where she met the love of her life, Toby. She never knows how long it will take to travel back in time, how long she is gone, or when she will be there next. Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is weeks. But each time she goes back, she manages to make ripples in the timeline, and everything changes when she returns to 2022. You would think that she would have learned by now to lay low, but no such luck.
There are so many things I would like to tell you about this book, but I can't because it would spoil the story. Let's just say it is filled with romance, friendship, and truth. I really like all of the characters, and there are some positives to Caitlyn's journey to the past and the people she meets since it is possible she will meet them in the present.
You must read the first book to truly understand and appreciate everything that happens in this book. I could see potential future stories in this series, but I believe it will only be the two books. Maybe the author will surprise us and create another story that continues this time traveling disorder.
We give this book 5 paws up.
Caitlyn is still traveling back to 1984, where she met the love of her life, Toby. She never knows how long it will take to travel back in time, how long she is gone, or when she will be there next. Sometimes it is a day, sometimes it is weeks. But each time she goes back, she manages to make ripples in the timeline, and everything changes when she returns to 2022. You would think that she would have learned by now to lay low, but no such luck.
There are so many things I would like to tell you about this book, but I can't because it would spoil the story. Let's just say it is filled with romance, friendship, and truth. I really like all of the characters, and there are some positives to Caitlyn's journey to the past and the people she meets since it is possible she will meet them in the present.
You must read the first book to truly understand and appreciate everything that happens in this book. I could see potential future stories in this series, but I believe it will only be the two books. Maybe the author will surprise us and create another story that continues this time traveling disorder.
We give this book 5 paws up.
December 5, 2023
This novel opens on the heels of MC Caitlyn’s (living in 2022) potentially devastating and future-altering choice at the end of The Ripple Effect (book 1) to “fix” the truck accident that would kill her 1984 boyfriend, Toby. Afterwards, when she returns to her own time she steels herself against the possibly cataclysmic changes in her life by but is overwhelmed when she wakes up in an unfamiliar home with a complete stranger calling her to breakfast. Making a quick decision that the ripples in her life caused by the changes she’d made in the past are way too big to bluff her way through, Caitlyn admits to the man across from her at the breakfast table that she doesn’t recognize him at all and can’t remember most of her own life. This gets her a quick ambulance ride to the hospital.
She is questioned, prodded, poked, and observed by multiple doctors who eventually deliver a diagnosis of rare amnesia caused by stroke. Yeah, it’s rare, all right!
There *have* been a lot of ripples in Caitlyn’s life (her degree has switched to a completely different course of study and she’s not vegan anymore, for example—and the man at her breakfast table turns out to be her stepfather), and most of them are huge! The book is about how she and her friends and family deal with all the complications. There are a couple of unexpected twists in the end and some nice life lessons as well. Most importantly, Caitlyn finds ways to enlist help with her perplexing disorder from her support group and even some of her doctors begin to believe her, leaving a pleasant note of hope for future involuntary time-travelers—there are more of them!
I enjoyed this book and had fun reading about the mishaps and challenges that Caitlyn and her boyfriend Toby (clearly one of the best book boyfriends in the world!) had to face while trying to find a way to be together—and stay that way.
I received an ARC of this manuscript from the author but am submitting this review independently and expressing my own opinions about the work in this review.
She is questioned, prodded, poked, and observed by multiple doctors who eventually deliver a diagnosis of rare amnesia caused by stroke. Yeah, it’s rare, all right!
There *have* been a lot of ripples in Caitlyn’s life (her degree has switched to a completely different course of study and she’s not vegan anymore, for example—and the man at her breakfast table turns out to be her stepfather), and most of them are huge! The book is about how she and her friends and family deal with all the complications. There are a couple of unexpected twists in the end and some nice life lessons as well. Most importantly, Caitlyn finds ways to enlist help with her perplexing disorder from her support group and even some of her doctors begin to believe her, leaving a pleasant note of hope for future involuntary time-travelers—there are more of them!
I enjoyed this book and had fun reading about the mishaps and challenges that Caitlyn and her boyfriend Toby (clearly one of the best book boyfriends in the world!) had to face while trying to find a way to be together—and stay that way.
I received an ARC of this manuscript from the author but am submitting this review independently and expressing my own opinions about the work in this review.
November 16, 2023
3.5 stars ⭐
Thank you to Cally Jackson for an e-ARC of this book! This is book two in The Ripple Effect series and it absolutely does need to be read in order, to understand what is going on.
I was so eager to dive back into the world of Caitlyn and find out what major ripples occurred after the events of book one, where she changed the past as majorly as she did in saving her boyfriend in the 80's Toby, from his premature death. It was interesting to me after she did realize how drastically different her life was, that she felt no harm in telling others in the past about her disorder - like, she felt things couldn't change any more for her negatively, in the future. I also thought it was interesting she encouraged her friend Julia, also afflicted with the time traveling curse, to change her mother's future after Caitlyn's change with Toby caused a ripple that killed her mother in Julia's present day. I also found this confusing though, considering in Caitlyn's present, her brother and father no longer existed and she didn't really spend too much time dwelling on that before being eager to help Julia right her mother's future.
I thought it was fitting that Caitlyn decided to tell others in 2022, because really - this would be the appropriate time and level of acceptance within people that would make it believable to others, and not just automatically written off as loony. I did find Toby's reaction to being unwillingly brought into 2022 a tad bit unrealistic, but I did love that the book and series as a whole had a HEA for Caitlyn and Toby.
Thank you to Cally Jackson for an e-ARC of this book! This is book two in The Ripple Effect series and it absolutely does need to be read in order, to understand what is going on.
I was so eager to dive back into the world of Caitlyn and find out what major ripples occurred after the events of book one, where she changed the past as majorly as she did in saving her boyfriend in the 80's Toby, from his premature death. It was interesting to me after she did realize how drastically different her life was, that she felt no harm in telling others in the past about her disorder - like, she felt things couldn't change any more for her negatively, in the future. I also thought it was interesting she encouraged her friend Julia, also afflicted with the time traveling curse, to change her mother's future after Caitlyn's change with Toby caused a ripple that killed her mother in Julia's present day. I also found this confusing though, considering in Caitlyn's present, her brother and father no longer existed and she didn't really spend too much time dwelling on that before being eager to help Julia right her mother's future.
I thought it was fitting that Caitlyn decided to tell others in 2022, because really - this would be the appropriate time and level of acceptance within people that would make it believable to others, and not just automatically written off as loony. I did find Toby's reaction to being unwillingly brought into 2022 a tad bit unrealistic, but I did love that the book and series as a whole had a HEA for Caitlyn and Toby.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2025
Caitlin and Toby’s Ending
This is it.
The last book in the duet revolving around Caitlin and Toby’s unconventional Love Story.
But!
Before we get there, life still as a few surprises in store for these two as they desperately try to not cause anymore ripples in time.
However hard they try, some information about the future is hard to contain as Caitlyn travels back, and forth between 1984, and 2022.
Thus, changes continue to occur in her home life.
Some unexpectedly good, others unexpectedly sad.
As Caitlyn beings to come to terms with the inevitable, that her travels coukd stop at any moment, she start to hatch a plan.
A plan to stay.
However, what’s that saying about best layer plans?
This story was very well researched here, and extremely believable.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
The fact that it was set in Australia, made it very relatable when certain political moments were raised.
And!
It was a relief that the ending wasn’t to traumatic.
Because that was my worst fear.
This is it.
The last book in the duet revolving around Caitlin and Toby’s unconventional Love Story.
But!
Before we get there, life still as a few surprises in store for these two as they desperately try to not cause anymore ripples in time.
However hard they try, some information about the future is hard to contain as Caitlyn travels back, and forth between 1984, and 2022.
Thus, changes continue to occur in her home life.
Some unexpectedly good, others unexpectedly sad.
As Caitlyn beings to come to terms with the inevitable, that her travels coukd stop at any moment, she start to hatch a plan.
A plan to stay.
However, what’s that saying about best layer plans?
This story was very well researched here, and extremely believable.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
The fact that it was set in Australia, made it very relatable when certain political moments were raised.
And!
It was a relief that the ending wasn’t to traumatic.
Because that was my worst fear.
December 21, 2023
Aftermath is the second book in The Ripple Effect duet and really finishes this story off with a BANG!
Firstly, let's just talk about this duet. This is the story of Caitlyn Richter - her family has a "disorder" where certain generations of women at the age of 21, find themselves involuntarily time travelling backwards to some point in history. BUT they have to be extremely careful while they're there because any changes they make to history will ultimately change their own future.
If you've seen the movie Butterfly Effect, then you will understand the concept here. This story is a bit different because there is some linearity to the travel points they go back to and the story is overall more sensitive to the bad things that might happen or impacts on the character's future state.
Plus, this story is very different in that Caitlyn ends up meeting a boy on her travels to 1984 and falls in love. Book Two, Aftermath, follows the progression of this love story and how they try to find a way to be together even though they live 40 years apart on a linear timeline.
I don't want to go too much into the story of Book Two as it will give away spoilers from Book One. But I can tell you that I was hanging on every single chapter wanting to know how things were going to work out and what Caitlyn might change in her future. The author does an amazing job at keeping information aligned so as not to lose the reader in all the activity that takes place.
I loved the characters and were rooting for Caitlyn and Toby to find some way of being together!
Firstly, let's just talk about this duet. This is the story of Caitlyn Richter - her family has a "disorder" where certain generations of women at the age of 21, find themselves involuntarily time travelling backwards to some point in history. BUT they have to be extremely careful while they're there because any changes they make to history will ultimately change their own future.
If you've seen the movie Butterfly Effect, then you will understand the concept here. This story is a bit different because there is some linearity to the travel points they go back to and the story is overall more sensitive to the bad things that might happen or impacts on the character's future state.
Plus, this story is very different in that Caitlyn ends up meeting a boy on her travels to 1984 and falls in love. Book Two, Aftermath, follows the progression of this love story and how they try to find a way to be together even though they live 40 years apart on a linear timeline.
I don't want to go too much into the story of Book Two as it will give away spoilers from Book One. But I can tell you that I was hanging on every single chapter wanting to know how things were going to work out and what Caitlyn might change in her future. The author does an amazing job at keeping information aligned so as not to lose the reader in all the activity that takes place.
I loved the characters and were rooting for Caitlyn and Toby to find some way of being together!
September 15, 2024
At the end of Book #1 The Ripple Effect which was an Australian time travel novel, that reminded me a bit of The Time Traveler's wife, we read as our main female Caitlyn decided to travel back and save the person she loved in the past, back in the 1980s. The thing though as since she saved him, she has caused a big ripple effect in her actual timeline as she is about to discover her life is completely different. Her parents are divorced, her mum is alive, her sister Milly is older and her brother Brent is now Brett and younger. The thing though Caitlyn is happy for is that Toby back in the 80's is alive and well. In the present time, Caitlyn ends up in the hospital as her parents are worried about her and believe she has amnesia - which in a way she does as every time she has come back after time traveling, her life is different. When Caitlyn has the chance to go back, she wonders what it would be like if she could stay in the past with Toby as she is what she wants and her life in the present has changed too much for her liking. When she finds a group of other time travelers and their tips, she starts preparing- but what happens when things go haywire and she ends up bringing the 1980s Toby into the present day - a world where he should realistically be 60 years old not in his mid-20s? Will this cause a giant ripple effect - one that will affect Caitlyn's life but those all around her, including fellow time traveler Julia? Aftermath was a great sequel to Cally Jackson's time travel novel The Ripple Effect.
December 2, 2023
Aftermath is the second part of The Ripple Effect, which was awesome. Aftermath is an enjoyable book and features the same delightful characters as part one, of course. Set partly in the 1980s and partly in the present, it takes the reader on quite an adventure.
Suspense drives the story as one wonders how Caitlyn and Toby can possibly be together. The clock is ticking, and then they will never see each other again. Still, readers hope that a miracle will occur.
The relationships in this story are filled out to satisfaction and are interesting. Caitlyn makes new friends, and they play an important part in the plot. I won’t give away the ending, but I was satisfied with the most important issue at hand. I do wish the questions I had had with part one had been addressed. All in all, I highly recommend this series, done by a talented author.
Suspense drives the story as one wonders how Caitlyn and Toby can possibly be together. The clock is ticking, and then they will never see each other again. Still, readers hope that a miracle will occur.
The relationships in this story are filled out to satisfaction and are interesting. Caitlyn makes new friends, and they play an important part in the plot. I won’t give away the ending, but I was satisfied with the most important issue at hand. I do wish the questions I had had with part one had been addressed. All in all, I highly recommend this series, done by a talented author.
November 17, 2023
I really enjoyed this second book in The Ripple Effect series and the ending was a total surprise to me. Aftermath starts right where book 1, The Ripple Effect left off, as we jump back into 1983. The ripples get bigger for Caitlyn and her whole life in 2022 changes drastically, multiple times. I enjoyed reading about how Caitlyn coped with this and how she navigated the relationships with her 'new' family in the present. It was great to see Caitlyn connect with others with the time travel disorder, and I really liked the appearance of a traveller from the future.
I loved that we learnt more about Toby's sister and friends Dave and Leon in this one as Caitlyn spends time in the past and opens up to them about her time travel disorder.
I liked the ending, was seeming to head one way and then took a totally different turn. I'm hoping nexxt comes a book from Toby's point of view!
I loved that we learnt more about Toby's sister and friends Dave and Leon in this one as Caitlyn spends time in the past and opens up to them about her time travel disorder.
I liked the ending, was seeming to head one way and then took a totally different turn. I'm hoping nexxt comes a book from Toby's point of view!
August 9, 2025
No spoilers here, but it’s a nice ending.
Book two of the Ripple Effect Series gives Caitlyn and Toby the happy ending you hoped for them. No spoilers here. Just a heads up that, despite the heaviness of the ripple effects Caitlyn created in saving Toby back in 1984, you’ll most likely be pleased with how it all turns out.
Recommendation: Although the author gives you a good synopsis of Book 1 at the beginning, I wouldn’t treat this as a standalone book. Read Book 1 first to really get the most enjoyment from Book 2.
Book two of the Ripple Effect Series gives Caitlyn and Toby the happy ending you hoped for them. No spoilers here. Just a heads up that, despite the heaviness of the ripple effects Caitlyn created in saving Toby back in 1984, you’ll most likely be pleased with how it all turns out.
Recommendation: Although the author gives you a good synopsis of Book 1 at the beginning, I wouldn’t treat this as a standalone book. Read Book 1 first to really get the most enjoyment from Book 2.
January 19, 2024
This was an OK series. Like i said in the review of the first book, i wasn't connected to the characters. Especially the relationship between Toby and Caitlyn. I felt bad for Toby though, the fact that he travelled back to 2022 without a choice. There were times in the book where i did find myself relating to her as in her life changing w/o her even realizing it. Overall, it was Ok. It's a romance series but i didn't actually feel the romance in this one, unfortunately.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2023
Aftermath: Ripple Effect Book 2 was an amazing sequel to the first one. This book was so engrossing and had me turning pages till the very end. The book was filled with surprise's and I highly enjoyed reading this. I would suggest reading this series to anyone! Thank you to the author for this ARC book in exchange of my honest review.
March 4, 2024
Enjoyed the first one (I gave it a five-star revue) and was happy to find this sequel. I live in Brisbane myself and was a carpenter/cabinet maker in the 80s and would have been roughly the same age as Toby at the time. This book I enjoyed, and it would be well worth your time to read both of them. I'm looking forward to a "Ripple Effect book Three" Anything on the cards yet Cally ???
March 21, 2024
Absolutely Amazing!!!
This book and the first part (book 1) were amazing and I loved every moment of the two of them. The characters jumped from the pages taking me into the story. I felt like I was the time traveler. I would read this again and again and would love this to become a series!
This book and the first part (book 1) were amazing and I loved every moment of the two of them. The characters jumped from the pages taking me into the story. I felt like I was the time traveler. I would read this again and again and would love this to become a series!
July 23, 2024
Better than the first book!!
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book. I must say that the author did a wonderful job with character development and moving the story along. The only negative I have it that she could use a really good editor. Other than that…..job well done.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this book. I must say that the author did a wonderful job with character development and moving the story along. The only negative I have it that she could use a really good editor. Other than that…..job well done.
January 18, 2025
Book 2 literally continues straight on from the cliffhanger at the end of book 1 and in this book the story ‘concludes’ for Caitlyn and Toby. I love how the story progresses, with a number of surprises on the way, to keep things interesting. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and will definitely read other books by this author.
April 11, 2025
Great Story!
Just like the first book, this book has all the mystery and suspense that us readers need to remain hooked. Our girl Caitlin has to choose to make certain steps in order to keep herself safe and others. And it all makes us hypothesis as to why this has happened to her? Right now I'm just interested how the next book comes along. Thanks.
Just like the first book, this book has all the mystery and suspense that us readers need to remain hooked. Our girl Caitlin has to choose to make certain steps in order to keep herself safe and others. And it all makes us hypothesis as to why this has happened to her? Right now I'm just interested how the next book comes along. Thanks.
December 4, 2023
The ripples continue in the perfect sequel to The Ripple Effect. The Aftermath picks up right where Cait and Toby left off and even look to getting some questions about her time traveling answered.
The ripples come together seamlessly and as a reader I found myself caught up in both of Cait’s worlds!
As a hopeless romantic I was routing for Cait and Toby knowing it was impossible. The twist that Jackson takes you on left my heart swooning!
The ripples come together seamlessly and as a reader I found myself caught up in both of Cait’s worlds!
As a hopeless romantic I was routing for Cait and Toby knowing it was impossible. The twist that Jackson takes you on left my heart swooning!
January 5, 2024
Aftermath
Time traveling is now on television and most people believe it. An accident happened when Caitlyn was going back to the future. Hugging her boyfriend he went to the future with her. Now a website is made for time travelers to have save places to go.
Time traveling is now on television and most people believe it. An accident happened when Caitlyn was going back to the future. Hugging her boyfriend he went to the future with her. Now a website is made for time travelers to have save places to go.
November 21, 2023
Compelling, engrossing, unputdownable.
Best sequel book ever and it was full of surprises.
No spoilers here, just read it!
Best sequel book ever and it was full of surprises.
No spoilers here, just read it!
February 10, 2024
different time travel book
I really enjoyed this different take on time travel. Different from any other one I’ve read . Very creative writer!
I really enjoyed this different take on time travel. Different from any other one I’ve read . Very creative writer!
June 6, 2024
Great Read
What a great story with a twist & a happy ending! I enjoyed this 2 part series in about 4 days (work calls so it took longer than it could have.)
What a great story with a twist & a happy ending! I enjoyed this 2 part series in about 4 days (work calls so it took longer than it could have.)
December 8, 2024
Loved book 1 and 2. Very compelling books. I could hardly wait to read each time I opened the books.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews