TimeFall

by Madilyn DeRose

At some point in the near future, I was going to lose all of my friends. It was inevitable, really. That was the sort of life my fortune cookie foretold or whatever. While everyone else wanted to be a doctor or an astronaut, I always found comfort in a good heist movie. I was never very sociable and according to other people, I was kind of weird. The only people I was really close with were my brother, Blaise, and my best friend, Brandy.Now, he was gone and she was a couple months away from marrying a straight edge millionaire. Me; I was a thief. Not the kind that stole one shoe from Walmart. No, I got my hands on things that were a bit more valuable. My life was about intricate surveillance, burglary, and grand theft auto when I was feeling ballsy. I was good at what I did, but I hadn't made my big break yet. That was about to change.When I learned about a fancy lab with mysterious inventions, I set my sights on it. What I found there was far above anything I'd imagined. I mean, time travel was the stuff of science fiction. With top secret documents and one of their devices in hand, I was going to be a billionaire very soon. Well, that was the plan. Note to don't mess around with a device that could send you hundreds of years into the past. Second note to make sure you don't have a straggler when you head back to your own time. The guy definitely wouldn't fit in and he'd probably cause all sorts of problems.Hell, at least he was really damn hot. And straight, of course. It's possible he's a homophobe, if we're being honest. My main concern was getting him home. What else could go wrong along the way?

Genres: M M Romance, Science Fiction, LGBT

349 pages, Paperback

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

I'm a self-published author who generally has a dozen projects going at one time. Check out one of my completed series or follow along with what's currently ongoing.

I was born in Portland, OR and I will unashamedly claim that the PNW is the best place to be. Catch me with an iced coffee in hand, even in the rain and snow.

My main genres are romance and fantasy. Some of my content is very dark, but it varies by book/series, so please check the content warnings in each book before diving in!

I hope you enjoy my books and leave me a review with your honest opinion!

Reviews

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"As soon as my lips touched his skin, Creed's entire body tensed. My tongue trailed upward and I saw his hand lift off the ground for a moment before he put it back down. My own body was reacting in a way I couldn't deny."

Madilyn DeRose is a new to me author because whilst she writes the dark, twisty romance goodness that I love, she seems to traditionally writes MF romance and I am still going through my MM reading phase. So how delighted was I to come across her latest offering TimeFall, which seems to be her first MM book - and please don't make it your last Madilyn DeRose!

This was Liam and Creed's story and it's a plot driven, time travel tale - think shades of Outlander and Back to the Future but make it MM, with all the steamy first times included - and including some fabulous characters, a villanous plot twist, a 'coming to terms with it' bi-awakening, some hilarious banter and a hard won HEA.

This isn't a dark read, but it was such a perfect package.

Loved it! Can highly recommend.

4.25 - 4.5 stars 🌟

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading] · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I would enjoy reading this book when I read the blurb. It's M/M romance that also includes time travel. There were some funny parts although most of this book contains serious topics such as homophobia and a toxic partner very toxic that I just wanted to jump inside the book and punch the guy myself

I love Liam so much (my favorite character). I think when he was trying to figure out his feelings for Creed was my favorite part in this whole story.

Though I am not going to lie I got confused in some parts but it didn't throw me off and I managed to figure it out (I think it's really just my brain slacking) That ending was very satisfying; I am glad Creed got what he deserved in the end. This is another wonderful book I've read from Madilyn DeRose (though milder compared to Hemlock - my current favorite series from the author) and I can't wait to read more of the author's works!

Received a copy from the author but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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RTC

[Kassu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐ (Most of the book 3.5+⭐ and the last ~20% 2⭐)

Predictable but mostly enjoyable time travel romance with bi-awakening. I liked the two leads and their relationship so I didn't really mind the predictability. The writing would benefit from trimming though, this is a bit too long for its content. It's also very sci-fi lite, focus is on the human relationships and barely any science is explained. I'd love some heavier sci-fi stories but it's largely alright here, this kind of story and plot doesn't really need the explanations and the world is pretty much the same as today. Just know you'll definitely need to suspend your disbelief. 🙂

Overall I enjoyed the novel, but unfortunately towards the end it drops the ball. We're introduced with a 3rd POV that feels unnecessary, and their voice is very crass and unlikeable. Then there's a completely superfluous straight sex scene with this character. I have no clue why the author decided to go with this route. The plot points could have been explained differently so we wouldn't need this POV at all, and the book would be much better for it. The reader is completely thrown out of the rather pleasant dynamic and story between the actual main characters. Though not only the POV but the - yet again very unnecessary - last obstacle could have been just left out.

There could be more showing than telling, Creed's boyfriend is your basic manipulative douche canoe, and there are couple of moments where some of the characters seem to suddenly act uncharacteristically cold-blooded, but these were smaller things compared to the mood-killer that was the 3rd POV. (The sex scene came with a notice that you can skip it, which is sort of nice, but then again, why is it even there if it's skippable? At least it's not happening with the romantic leads.)

I'd like to recommend this book and I would if the final parts didn't almost ruin it.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest when I started I was a little meh….. but then I got into and could not put down! Loved the characters, the build ups, and yes even the science LOL. Loved Creed, he was all sorts of things bundled into just a great character. The villains had me shouting “that b@st*#”, and even though the plot was a little predictable at times the story would throw in a twist which would then land where you think it was going but a shock when you get there.

*Spoiler*
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.
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The only reason a 4 is the ending. Now I love spice- most of my books are dark romance so looooove spice, but I think it would’ve loved if it ended at the diner. Again spice was sexy and loved it but for the journey they all made I thinking ending at the diner just closes it.

[Kristina Marquardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time Fall was an amazing story about love, loss, and finding one's true self. Madilyn DeRose takes you on an adventure of betrayal while breaking your heart and mending it back together again. I found myself staying up late into the night, not wanting to leave the characters I was slowly falling in love with. 


Creed could easily become my bestie I meet up with for a brunch date. Complaining about our boyfriend issues and sipping mimosas. He is just the right amount of morally grey I love in my characters, and his quirky personality had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. He would do anything for his loved ones, which is undeniably one of the most attractive qualities in a person.


Liam is a perfect heart throb. With his British accent and innocence, he easily warms his way into your heart. He is self-sacrificing and overprotective. Anyone would be crazy not to fall for him. I was team Liam from the moment he entered the story. 


This was my first MM romance, and it was done right. It is steamy in all the right moments.  The story takes you on an emotional ride, and you will find yourself loving some characters while despising others. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys a great romance with a dangerous expedition leading into a different time and place. I am looking forward to reading more by Madilyn DeRose after this excellent novel. I am confident you will also. 

[Anatasia McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madilyn at again delivering me top tier content 👌🏽
This book is so far from my normal reads. I was nervous to even read it. But im glad I did.
The plot is interesting and the time traveling aspect definitely made this book for me honestly. Finding a boyfriend in a whole different time as you? Bet sign me up. As long as it's a William. I am down.
Her MMCs here are not deranged. Unhinged. They are very dramatic. Several times, I wanted to just simply hug them. Creed and his loss is heart wrenching. You can feel that heart break with him and it's gut wrenching to say the least. William and his internal battle of coming to terms with his sexuality and his inner battle is so relatable to many. These two together are hilarious. Dramatic. Downright adorable together.
While I always have a character or two I'd love to see get their karmic justice. The way this end was perfect. Everyone got what was coming one way or another. And without ruining the plot twist. Just read it.

[Alexandra Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madilyn DeRose sure does know how to write. This book was absolutely amazing with the MMCS and how she played this book out. It was perfectly paced and it was a great book. I cracked up over the ending and how they got their happy ever after. Karma is definitely a b****. This isn’t like her darker books it was an amazing book that clean the pallet. Thank you Mommy 😘

[Haley Eiswirth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC, and not only my first ARC but also my first MM and truly enjoyed everything about it.
The story in itself was phenomenal and a first for me, which is always refreshing. The possibilities it could take you were endless but it always left you wanting more. The type of story you wish it would never end. The banter was hilarious. I was a little hesitant getting into it, but man once you get past the first initial couple of chapters you never wanna put it down. I was sad it has to end.

I truly truly hope, Peter and Ty join Tamlin and fall off a cliff 😏

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’D: MC ALIENATED ME BEFORE THE 40% MARK

Everything was going fabulous (well, I wasn’t a fan of the focus being too much on the female bestie, but that was bearable). The writing was good, the plot was interesting enough, and the MC—despite his questionable beliefs regarding his chosen occupation—wasn’t a total douchebag… until he was.

I get that homophobes are deplorable and it’s tempting to retaliate against such small-mindedness with petty revenge, but outright cruelty with no regard for human life and psychotic levels of non-empathy? Creed started out as somewhat reasonable and even likeable in his genuineness of self, but somewhere before hitting the 40% point, he turns into the bigger and more deplorable bigot. It’s not as though William had done anything actually harmful to him and it could even be argued that he was simply a victim of internalised homophobia. Even so, he had been a perfectly kind and caring fellow human being, not discriminating at all in looking out for him and saving his life—more than once! even at the expense of his own safety. Yet Creed chose to base his entire end-all-be-all judgement of him on that one instance where William simply expressed his wish not to be touched by him? Which technically, isn’t even really homophobia – are all people supposed to accept another human’s touch every single time even when they don’t feel like being touched, lest they be judged as prejudiced and deserving of having their whole life upended and even dying in such a harsh manner? Of all people, he should have been the one who empathised with William the most, having been immersed in exactly the same predicament for days since only minutes earlier. William was not even obligated to save Creed’s life twice; however, Creed owed it to William to at least help him out after being responsible for uprooting him from everything he had ever known and had in the first place—accident or otherwise. But no, Creed doesn’t give a shite that he dragged William to a totally different time and place and even laughs derisively at his fear because in his mind “the homophobe deserves it”. Wow. I guess that makes Creed the better person, huh? This is just what our present world needs; it definitely paints gay people in a more mature and respect-worthy light. Fight ignorance with hatred, never mind if you owe your life twice to that someone.

I’m sure there are people out there who will enjoy Creed’s heartless power trip, but nope. I’m not one of those who enjoy hurting helpless people just because I believe they deserve it. People like Creed appall me. Yes, I read the trigger warnings and was well aware that the characters weren’t goody-goodies, sure. Stealing from the wealthy, cussing, and other less than picture-perfect things I can get behind; I can support an anti-hero any day, no problem. However, why on earth would I want to root for someone with such a proudly hypocritical and disgustingly degenerate attitude? Someone who has no qualms when it comes to justifying harming others just because their feelings got hurt? Ironically, Creed’s lowlife behaviour is far more triggering and reminiscent of the more harmful kind of oppression I’ve ever faced all my life than William’s ignorance-fuelled dismissal. I have lost whatever sympathy I had for Creed and have no reason to keep reading about a self-righteous bully like him any longer.

I wanted to give this at least 2 stars for “It’s OK” (according to Goodreads’ rating system). But while I was even feeling confident that I would not rate this any lower than 3 stars for “I liked it” for the great writing in itself– after being faced with Creed’s ugly side, I can’t find anything to like about this anymore so….

[Samantha Drum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first MM romance and I really enjoyed it. I’m a sucker for a good time-travel story. It was also my first Madilyn DeRose novel, but it won’t be my last.

Creed is a character that reminds me of several of my friends and acquaintances. He has a flair for drama that makes you roll your eyes from time to time, but his quirky personality and humor make up for it. I could easily see this character being my bff, which made me root for him during the entire book. Along the journey, morally grey Creed meets the very innocent Liam. Liam easily becomes my favorite character. He fights for those he loves and even stands up for strangers getting dealt a raw deal. Together they become one of the most adorable couples.

The story is heavily plot driven with a perfect amount of spice. It was a little predictable, even the twist at the end, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the sci-fi, time travel theme. It reminds me a lot of Outlander but with a MM twist. I kept reading ‘one more chapter’ just to discover what happened next.

Received ARC from the author but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

TimeFall is a standalone, that that tells a story of a sweet romance and time travel.

It´s a new author to me , so as usual, I want to comment a little on the writing style and how her develop the characters.
I liked the writing ,but I wish there had been more descriptions. The characters are solid, although it has the label of gay awakening, for me it is a bi awakening.

Please, check the TW .



Creed is a thief, he steals to pay the rent, food and bills and other matters that have to do with the plot. He tries his best not to be violent. Years ago his brother disappeared and that makes him suffer. In one of his robberies, he enters a laboratory to steal some plans and curiosity gets the better of him. He puts on a bracelet and poof, he travels back to the 18th century. At that time he meets William (Liam), a British soldier who was fighting in the War of Independence.

Creed manages to return to the 21st century, but accidentally brings Liam with him.

There´s more plot and drama in the book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kate Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book from this author, definitely light and fluffy compared to her usual style, but it still has teeth. I loved how Creed somehow managed to be an irritating ‘poor me’ character yet still makes you fall in love with him and desperately hope he gets his happy ever after. The chemistry between Creed and Liam is amazing.
A lot of plot twists and ‘ah ha!’ moments kept me excited to see if I was right, and the punches, and the wrist snap, couldn’t have happened to better characters!
I would avoid if MM and explicit scenes and language isn’t your thing. Otherwise I can’t recommend it highly enough, Madilyn never disappoints, it is a beautiful love story woven in with a mystery and the writing is descriptive and flows, pulling you along with them as they tell you their story. I finished it in one sitting as I was so absorbed

[Bre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an interesting and new read for me. I loved the plot, characters (well some), and also felt relatable to one of the characters. For instance Creed is introverted and basically self destructs when suppressing emotions for to long, doesn't like confrontation but is also straightforward and caring and I definitely can relate to that. The chemistry between Creed and Liam was such a slow burn and I'm here for it 😂.  I'm used to the he or she falls fast. The ending!! The ending... I about threw my phone down. I've said it before and I will say again, Madilyn DeRose has become one of my favorite authors! This book was amazing and I could not put it down. It did feel a little fast paced and hoped for more time with Liam. Other than that it was really good. If you are looking for more diverse books or more books that are LGBTQ+, or even sci fi then this book is right up your alley!
Overall 5 stars!!
Spice level:🌶🌶🌶

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a brilliant story! I enjoyed every page. Time travel with a lot of twists, some you can maybe predict but most you wouldn't expect. Liam is such a sweet man, I really wanted him to be happy. Creed is such a unique character. This is definitely not a dark romance, however Creed is definitely an unconventional character for low angst romance. He's unapologetically a thief, he's quite bad at taking care of himself, and he takes immature and bad decisions especially when he's emotional and sad. He's lucky he has good and smart people around him who check on him. Including Liam. Hey this sounds like Creed is a bad character but quite the opposite actually :) I really loved him, he was very fun to read! Ultimately I enjoyed the story a lot, I couldn't put the book down!

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this down. Things are set in motion from the starts and it keeps going.
Trying to get by in life, Creed has chosen a different part than most, he is a thief looking for his next target. He had no idea what event he would set in motion as he crept into the lad of his best friend's fiance. Who could have guessed that he suddenly would find himself in 1779.
After being rescued not once, but twice by the smoking hot Englishman Liam, Creed had to find a way back home to his own time.

I love Creed and Liam and the way their relationship is. The interactions are believable. Both characters are adorable in their own way and I love the story.

[Shyanne Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

TimeFall was a fantastic story with amazing MMC’s and was a lighter read than what i’m used too but was delightful anyway. It had a great storyline and plot that kept you engaged and interested up until the end. I definitely recommend this, even though it’s a slow burn MM romance, it held my attention the whole time and i loved it! Creed is a character you love and care for, i mean i felt his heartbreak right along with him. There is a lot of love and a lot of loss in this story and you will enjoy it. Madilyn surprised me with this one. It was a different type of enjoyable.

I received this book as a free copy, and I am writing this honest review voluntarily!

[Kez Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an emotional journey that has a little of everything in a perfect balance: romance, spice, mystery, twists, sci-fi, action and drama.
The M/M romance is a slow burn journey of discovery for both Liam and Creed, and their passion is explored so beautifully with the time travel dynamic throwing some humour into the plot too.
Lots of powerful themes are explored including toxic relationships, grief, sexual identity and heartbreak.
There are some truly swoony moments, some pure shocks, a fun and diverse range of characters and personalities, and a creative plot with a HEA.
This is a gripping sci-fi Romantasy that I couldn't put down!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because of a heist gone wrong, Creed finds himself blitzed to 1779 where he meets Liam.

Creed is quirky, reserved, full of chaos, and forever on a mission to find his twin brother who disappeared into thin air.

Liam is sweet, patient, the calm to Creed’s storm and everything this modern world needs.

Full of twists and turns, Creed and Liam get to learn how to navigate each other’s worlds, while going through traumatic relationships/heartbreaks, self-discovery, and a gay/bi-awakening.

This was my first MM romance and as per usual Madilyn did not miss a beat 👏🏼

[Daje1968 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like time travel books and especially enjoyed that this was time forward as well as time backwards. Loved Liam, was on the fence about Creed. I felt there were some holes in the whole time travel loop and I also felt like the author didn’t work too hard to be consistent about what Liam’s manner of speaking would be like (one is many examples is that he used the word asshole, not arsehole, bit there were tons more where his language was much more anachronistic than it should have been for someone in the 18th century.)

Overall a fun read though. I’d give the spice a 3 out of five.

[Kelley wellmeier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love a little bit of time travel?! Creed is a thief looking for his next big score, did his best friend just give him that score unknowingly? Headed to the lab of brandys fiancé Paul, creed doesn’t know exactly what he’s looking for until he ends up in 1779! This is a slow burn, time travel, MM romance. This book is a lighter read by Madilyn but I loved every minute of it! I received this book as an arc for an honest review!

[Tabatha Slagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This definitely isn't the depraved and darkly delicious book I'm used to from Madilyn but it was unique and amazing in its own way. The sci-fi and time travel aspects of it made my inner nerd so very happy. It's not my typical read but the relationship between Creed and Liam was so special. I would love to see more of these lighter reads from Madilyn in the future. She really is great no matter what she chooses to write.

[Tiffany Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

💫MM
💫Time Travel
💫Gay/Bi Awakening
💫Mystery World's
💫Cover Ups

Not surprisingly another amazing book from Madilyn. Perfect balance between story and spice and both are so good. Plot twist? Check! Revenge on traitorous douchebags? Check! Sign me up for going back in time and finding a Hot British Guy 😍 Creed sounds like the perfect bestfriend and Liam is just perfect!

[Never Ever · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just very meh. Every time it started to seem more interesting, it just fell flat.

Then I hated the Blaise POV scenes. The ending was abrupt too and I wish we'd got to hear Creed say it back to William, but alas.

Oh yeah, I almost DNF'd at the very end due to the author putting an Author's Note in the middle of the chapter. Please, if you're an aspiring writer, never do that.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much! I finished it in under a week. The overview of the novel is well written and gives a good insight of what to expect without ruining anything. After reading this, I’m running to purchase more from this author.

[Reading is escaping reality · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the dynamic with all the characters! This is a MM and FM book, what’s better than a spicy time traveling with a little revenge at the end (the guy deserved it). She did such a good job with writing how they all fell into place.

[Muriel Schrepfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. This was my first time travel book and it kept me at the edge of my seat. The twists and turns were exciting and some of them heart-wrenching. Madilyn drew me in and I didn't want to put this book down but I did want to kick Ty in the throat. ;)

[Jaime Yates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devoured this book without pausing. Couldn’t put it down. Definitely recommend!

[Bridgette Ganley · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
This book oh where do I begin. This book was so good. The character development back story and the plot are so good.

[izzy]

no rating. dnf at 35% bc i was just bored during this

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh. My. God! Madilyn DeRose has blown my mind….again!!! This story is different from the others I’ve read from her, a sweet and almost a “ pallet cleanser” y’all….Creed and Liam ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

It was such a well written MM romance, and I need more from them!!!! I highly recommend