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Time After Time
She has died countless times before, and she is not going to let it happen again.
Abbie Harper dies just before her eighteenth birthday. It has happened before, more times than she can remember — and always at the hands of the same man. Her dreams are plagued with past lives, cut short.
But this latest dream feels different. Her past life as Penelope Broadhurst — an English pastor’s daughter in 1806 — keeps bleeding into her present life in ways both sinister and familiar. As Penelope meets and falls in love with the dashing Heath Lockwood, so too does Abbie meet the brothers Marcus and Rem Knight. One wants to love her; the other to kill her.
Time is running out for Penelope, but as Abbie mourns her inability to change the past, she chases the slim chance to save her future. To survive, she must solve the puzzle of an ancient love story…and Penelope just might be able to help
Abbie Harper dies just before her eighteenth birthday. It has happened before, more times than she can remember — and always at the hands of the same man. Her dreams are plagued with past lives, cut short.
But this latest dream feels different. Her past life as Penelope Broadhurst — an English pastor’s daughter in 1806 — keeps bleeding into her present life in ways both sinister and familiar. As Penelope meets and falls in love with the dashing Heath Lockwood, so too does Abbie meet the brothers Marcus and Rem Knight. One wants to love her; the other to kill her.
Time is running out for Penelope, but as Abbie mourns her inability to change the past, she chases the slim chance to save her future. To survive, she must solve the puzzle of an ancient love story…and Penelope just might be able to help
247 pages, ebook
First published April 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Godding
4 books8 followersWhen I am not indulging my shopping and chocolate addictions I can generally be found with my nose stuck in a book or in front of a class of second graders.
I've been writing for years and love the heart stopping moments that are found in romantic fiction.
Time After Time is my first YA romance.
I've been writing for years and love the heart stopping moments that are found in romantic fiction.
Time After Time is my first YA romance.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 14, 2014
*Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book.*
When I see this book:
This book was horrible. It epitomized the word horrible.
I was unaware that books like these are still being written. I'm referring to Fallen doppelgängers, complete with a Mary Sue and a dreaded love triangle.
Time After Time is the story of a girl who time after time (see what I did there) is reincarnated for some odd reason (I'm sure anyone can figure this out). She is Abbie in the modern day, and Penelope in 1806. She has two "lovers": Marcus (Heath) and Sebastian (Rem).
Oh, poop! She keeps dying! She shouldn't stay away from these two stalkers or anything!
First, the main character, Abbie, needs to beslapped discussed. This. Girl. Is. Intolerable. She's a wannabe goth/hipster, hates everyone in her high school, and looks down her nose at everyone (in BOTH her lives). And oh! She reads Jane Eyre - which she was constantly banging on my head - so she must be better than everyone.
Aaand another "wtf" moment:
So, ahem, I guess you should stop riding the bus now, since it has become so "mainstream"?
Her alternate persona, Penelope, is just as unbearable. She whines, she is spineless, and overall, she is speshul. She can't decide between the two brothers, Creep and Creeper. But, certainly, it's true wuv! Who cares if they barely know each other, if there's "electricity", then obviously it's meant 2 b .
Can I just, like, barf. It's like Luce and Daniel all over again. (-_-) And to add to the similarities to Fallen, Penelope is a passive blob, accepting everything that happens to her with no reaction.
I'll put this out here from now: I'm very picky when it comes to romance. Either you make it believable or not - there is no inbetween. Clearly, Time After Time has not satisfied me. In both time periods.
A normal person with common sense would have alarm bells ringing in their head. But no! Abbie/Penelope accepts her fate wholeheartedly.
And the love triangle, one of the worst parts of the book. If a guy is trying to kill you, why would you even fantasize about kissing him?
Romance was not the only aspect in which this book utterly failed. I was eager for this book because of the so-called history, but did I get anything akin to that? That's a big fat NO.
There were no historical references. At times the dialogue was mixed between the shifting of the two eras, with Penelope saying something is "totally endearing" and Abbie saying it was "most troubling."
The reincarnation bit made absolutely no sense. Sorry if the MC magically knew about everything beforehand, but an explanation would be great.
All other characters, excepting the protagonist and her two love interests, are merely used as plot devices and not characters. The only thing that matters in this novel is Abbie and her true wuv, and screw everything else. The dialogue and writing were signs of the author's amateurity, and there was little effort put into world-building or character development. Godding evidently put far too much effort into the romance, which will turn off many readers. At times it felt like I was reading a New Adult novel.
It seems like the author was going for some sort of combination of Jane Eyre and Fallen, and what resulted was this disgusting mess.
*All quotes are taken from an uncorrected copy and are subject to change.*
When I see this book:
This book was horrible. It epitomized the word horrible.
I was unaware that books like these are still being written. I'm referring to Fallen doppelgängers, complete with a Mary Sue and a dreaded love triangle.
Time After Time is the story of a girl who time after time (see what I did there) is reincarnated for some odd reason (I'm sure anyone can figure this out). She is Abbie in the modern day, and Penelope in 1806. She has two "lovers": Marcus (Heath) and Sebastian (Rem).
Oh, poop! She keeps dying! She shouldn't stay away from these two stalkers or anything!
First, the main character, Abbie, needs to be
"What? And look like them [her classmates]?" I spat. "Like teenage replicas from Seventeen magazine? No. Thank. You."
Aaand another "wtf" moment:
"The bus was the epitome of hell for me, as Lilly and Emma were regular travelers of it, a fact that I found odd for popular teenage girls."
So, ahem, I guess you should stop riding the bus now, since it has become so "mainstream"?
Her alternate persona, Penelope, is just as unbearable. She whines, she is spineless, and overall, she is speshul. She can't decide between the two brothers, Creep and Creeper. But, certainly, it's true wuv! Who cares if they barely know each other, if there's "electricity", then obviously it's meant 2 b .
"It's been little more than a week!"
"I know, and I hardly understand it myself," he said, "but I know my heart and feelings. I know you are the one for me, Penelope. From the first moment I saw you, I knew it. A month. A week. A year. Time won't change how I feel-I'm sure of it. What we have is timeless."
Can I just, like, barf. It's like Luce and Daniel all over again. (-_-) And to add to the similarities to Fallen, Penelope is a passive blob, accepting everything that happens to her with no reaction.
I'll put this out here from now: I'm very picky when it comes to romance. Either you make it believable or not - there is no inbetween. Clearly, Time After Time has not satisfied me. In both time periods.
"But honestly, Abbie, I think about you all the time. And I've been having these really weird dreams about you."
A normal person with common sense would have alarm bells ringing in their head. But no! Abbie/Penelope accepts her fate wholeheartedly.
And the love triangle, one of the worst parts of the book. If a guy is trying to kill you, why would you even fantasize about kissing him?
"It was as if he was my master, and I nothing more than a willing slave."
Romance was not the only aspect in which this book utterly failed. I was eager for this book because of the so-called history, but did I get anything akin to that? That's a big fat NO.
There were no historical references. At times the dialogue was mixed between the shifting of the two eras, with Penelope saying something is "totally endearing" and Abbie saying it was "most troubling."
The reincarnation bit made absolutely no sense. Sorry if the MC magically knew about everything beforehand, but an explanation would be great.
All other characters, excepting the protagonist and her two love interests, are merely used as plot devices and not characters. The only thing that matters in this novel is Abbie and her true wuv, and screw everything else. The dialogue and writing were signs of the author's amateurity, and there was little effort put into world-building or character development. Godding evidently put far too much effort into the romance, which will turn off many readers. At times it felt like I was reading a New Adult novel.
It seems like the author was going for some sort of combination of Jane Eyre and Fallen, and what resulted was this disgusting mess.
*All quotes are taken from an uncorrected copy and are subject to change.*
January 17, 2015
This review was also featured on my blog.
I have so many problems with this book, I could probably write a whole other book consisting of just ranting. So I’m going to talk about the plot first and then list out my problems. Here goes! Time After Time follows Abbie Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl who has crazy dreams of other girls from completely different times. Each girl looks unnaturally like Abbie and each girl dies just before they turn eighteen, just when they find the loves of their lives, killed by the same mysterious man. Abbie realises that the girls are her past lives (don’t ask me how) and that she will suffer the same fate too if she doesn’t do something to save herself.
Time After Time had potential, let me tell you. Even though its premise does sound kind of like Fallen, the idea that reincarnation for several people together occurs because of unsolved tangles is really fascinating. But… here’s all that I didn’t like about it.
Abbie. First things first, let’s start with our main character. Abbie’s surly, she’s isolated, and she’s pretty much living in her dreams. Literally. She resents her parents for leaving her at a young age because she was ‘different’ – because she talked about the past lives she dreamed of. She lives with her aunt, and by God, she is such an ungrateful little – ahem. Honestly, she’s constantly snarking/rolling her eyes/generally acting up to her completely well-meaning sweetheart of an aunt. Her aunt has no idea what she’s going through or anything she does at all, really, and the poor confused woman is trying to connect with her. But Abbie’s such a Gen Y trope it’s ridiculous. She never tries to reassure her aunt, or do anything to keep her happy. For heaven’s sake, the woman is feeding you! She complains about the way she’s treated for being ‘different’ – gag – and how no one ‘understands’ her. It’s sickening. Get your head out of your arse, Abbie, you’re not a special snowflake! Just because you dream about your past doesn’t mean you can put yourself on a pedestal. She’s such a rude person overall – she shits on Simone, her nice co-worker, she shits on Marcus, her supposed one true love, she shits on everyone who isn’t goth and special like she is. No, wait, she even shits on her goth friends for wanting to go to prom!
The romance. The past parallel romance is far easier for us to believe, with Penelope (likable, darling Penelope. And I don’t say this sarcastically.) and Heath actually speaking to each other normally and falling for each other. Even though it happened in a week. In present day, the romance between Marcus and Abbie is far less believable. It’s pretty much using the reincarnated soulmates thing as an excuse to say it’s not insta-love. Seriously? Maybe fate wants you together, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to know each other first! It’s ridiculous, because they spend hardly any quality time together and they’re somehow soulmates?
Plot weirdness & Suspension of Disbelief. One thing that I absolutely cannot fathom about this book is how Abbie came to the conclusion that her dreams are her past lives. She already knows this by the beginning of the book but it makes zero sense to me. Imagine you’re having weird dreams about girls who look like you and are always dying. Oh, must be my past lives, right!
And again: guy who looks like the guy in my dreams shows up next door. Must be my soulmate! Are you kidding me? What reader will believe this stuff? She buys all these reincarnation-paranormal ideas just like, “okay!” I don’t even believe it in fiction.
Girl-on-girl Hate & the Mean Girl trope. Let me show you a thing, dear readers. Trigger warnings for blood and murder, I am not even kidding.
Um…
Uhh…
The hell is wrong with you, Abbie.
For some reason, this trope is super popular in YA and it makes me so furious. You know what, I have friends like this. Some of my closest friends are the drop-dead-gorgeous prom-queen material, the Blair Waldorf-esque dangerous girls, the ones who will mess you over if you mess with them. But there’s the thing. Unless you have a specific rivalry with them, unless you did something to them first, there’s a one in a million chance they will pick on you the way Lilly Hamilton picks on Abbie. I don’t care who Lilly winds up being, I don’t care how speshul Abby is, girl-on-girl hate is never ever fun to read about. I’m starting to think it’s just a way of garnering sympathy for our MC but I guarantee you (this is for every author out there, really) I will not ‘awww’ all over your protagonist because some ‘stupid bimbo’ at her high school hates her. I will snap your book shut and rage about the stereotyping.
It’s this that makes some unpopular kids think they’re entitled to everything in the world because they’re a) smarter, b) less shallow, or c) going places while the ‘popular kids’ will peak in high school and wind up with beer guts and miserable lives. Is it so hard to represent one section of teenagers without putting down another?
Rem. Well, obviously he’s the bad guy, but his behaviour is so uncalled for. He’s literally following Abbie everywhere, nearly assaulting her, and for some reason she doesn’t call him out on that crap? If you’re going to have a character doing something like that, then have some one call him out on it considering your demographic is teenage girls.Also what is with the tear-shaped pupil? Is that even possible?
TMI. This is partly the summary’s fault, but I felt like I knew far too much of the plot just going into the book. I knew which characters were going to fall for each other, I knew who the crazy killer is… What more is there for me to find out? Even reading the book, for a large part of it no new discoveries are really made. Even the ‘big reveal’ at the end (which I’d guessed from about midway), and Rem’s ‘explanation’ didn’t come as surprises because I knew enough to piece together a vague idea of it already.
On the Gothness.
If you were chasing me around so would I. Trust me, I don’t have a problem with Abbie dressing the way she does. It’s great. It’s great that she’s not alone in it either, and that she’s got some really nice friends who have the same tastes as her. I’m not even all that bothered by her strong opinions, and the way her friends are a little intimidated by them – because that does happen. What does sort of annoy me is that whenever we have an MC who dresses different in any way, they’re constantly told they look prettier when they’re ‘normal’. Just once I want a character who dresses crazy and looks good in it too. Looks so good that everyone likes it. Come on! I thought Abbie would be that character, but she hardly protests when people comment on her makeup.
The author’s writing isn’t great either – somewhat jerky and iffy at times. The phrase ‘draw an image’ is used in present day, which sounds so strange if you think about it. Who draws an image? And then ‘okay’ is used in the early 1800s. ‘Okay’ originated in America in the mid-1800s not even the same way it’s used now, so if you’re telling me a Londoner in 1806 is using that word I’m unlikely to believe you.
Maybe this book just wasn’t for me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it with all those things in the way.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change in the final print.
I have so many problems with this book, I could probably write a whole other book consisting of just ranting. So I’m going to talk about the plot first and then list out my problems. Here goes! Time After Time follows Abbie Harper, a seventeen-year-old girl who has crazy dreams of other girls from completely different times. Each girl looks unnaturally like Abbie and each girl dies just before they turn eighteen, just when they find the loves of their lives, killed by the same mysterious man. Abbie realises that the girls are her past lives (don’t ask me how) and that she will suffer the same fate too if she doesn’t do something to save herself.
Time After Time had potential, let me tell you. Even though its premise does sound kind of like Fallen, the idea that reincarnation for several people together occurs because of unsolved tangles is really fascinating. But… here’s all that I didn’t like about it.
Abbie. First things first, let’s start with our main character. Abbie’s surly, she’s isolated, and she’s pretty much living in her dreams. Literally. She resents her parents for leaving her at a young age because she was ‘different’ – because she talked about the past lives she dreamed of. She lives with her aunt, and by God, she is such an ungrateful little – ahem. Honestly, she’s constantly snarking/rolling her eyes/generally acting up to her completely well-meaning sweetheart of an aunt. Her aunt has no idea what she’s going through or anything she does at all, really, and the poor confused woman is trying to connect with her. But Abbie’s such a Gen Y trope it’s ridiculous. She never tries to reassure her aunt, or do anything to keep her happy. For heaven’s sake, the woman is feeding you! She complains about the way she’s treated for being ‘different’ – gag – and how no one ‘understands’ her. It’s sickening. Get your head out of your arse, Abbie, you’re not a special snowflake! Just because you dream about your past doesn’t mean you can put yourself on a pedestal. She’s such a rude person overall – she shits on Simone, her nice co-worker, she shits on Marcus, her supposed one true love, she shits on everyone who isn’t goth and special like she is. No, wait, she even shits on her goth friends for wanting to go to prom!
The romance. The past parallel romance is far easier for us to believe, with Penelope (likable, darling Penelope. And I don’t say this sarcastically.) and Heath actually speaking to each other normally and falling for each other. Even though it happened in a week. In present day, the romance between Marcus and Abbie is far less believable. It’s pretty much using the reincarnated soulmates thing as an excuse to say it’s not insta-love. Seriously? Maybe fate wants you together, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get to know each other first! It’s ridiculous, because they spend hardly any quality time together and they’re somehow soulmates?
Plot weirdness & Suspension of Disbelief. One thing that I absolutely cannot fathom about this book is how Abbie came to the conclusion that her dreams are her past lives. She already knows this by the beginning of the book but it makes zero sense to me. Imagine you’re having weird dreams about girls who look like you and are always dying. Oh, must be my past lives, right!
And again: guy who looks like the guy in my dreams shows up next door. Must be my soulmate! Are you kidding me? What reader will believe this stuff? She buys all these reincarnation-paranormal ideas just like, “okay!” I don’t even believe it in fiction.
Girl-on-girl Hate & the Mean Girl trope. Let me show you a thing, dear readers. Trigger warnings for blood and murder, I am not even kidding.
Why they bothered to pick on me I had never understood, but I was sure that if Lilly was ever in the same room as me, the same building even, then she would go out of her way to make trouble for me.
Um…
She took great pleasure in reminding me that I was an outsider and she was very much an insider.
Uhh…
“I know where the serial killer section is,” I replied thoughtfully, not breaking her stare. “You know, I read a story the other day about a girl who snapped and murdered all the stupid bimbos at her high school. Slit. Their. Throats. But not deep enough for them to die straight away, and it took them hours to bleed to death. Have you heard of her?”
The hell is wrong with you, Abbie.
For some reason, this trope is super popular in YA and it makes me so furious. You know what, I have friends like this. Some of my closest friends are the drop-dead-gorgeous prom-queen material, the Blair Waldorf-esque dangerous girls, the ones who will mess you over if you mess with them. But there’s the thing. Unless you have a specific rivalry with them, unless you did something to them first, there’s a one in a million chance they will pick on you the way Lilly Hamilton picks on Abbie. I don’t care who Lilly winds up being, I don’t care how speshul Abby is, girl-on-girl hate is never ever fun to read about. I’m starting to think it’s just a way of garnering sympathy for our MC but I guarantee you (this is for every author out there, really) I will not ‘awww’ all over your protagonist because some ‘stupid bimbo’ at her high school hates her. I will snap your book shut and rage about the stereotyping.
It’s this that makes some unpopular kids think they’re entitled to everything in the world because they’re a) smarter, b) less shallow, or c) going places while the ‘popular kids’ will peak in high school and wind up with beer guts and miserable lives. Is it so hard to represent one section of teenagers without putting down another?
Rem. Well, obviously he’s the bad guy, but his behaviour is so uncalled for. He’s literally following Abbie everywhere, nearly assaulting her, and for some reason she doesn’t call him out on that crap? If you’re going to have a character doing something like that, then have some one call him out on it considering your demographic is teenage girls.
TMI. This is partly the summary’s fault, but I felt like I knew far too much of the plot just going into the book. I knew which characters were going to fall for each other, I knew who the crazy killer is… What more is there for me to find out? Even reading the book, for a large part of it no new discoveries are really made. Even the ‘big reveal’ at the end (which I’d guessed from about midway), and Rem’s ‘explanation’ didn’t come as surprises because I knew enough to piece together a vague idea of it already.
On the Gothness.
“Is that why you dress like that? Why your hair is shorn off and face hidden behind gothic makeup?” he asked suddenly. “So I wouldn’t recognise you?”
The author’s writing isn’t great either – somewhat jerky and iffy at times. The phrase ‘draw an image’ is used in present day, which sounds so strange if you think about it. Who draws an image? And then ‘okay’ is used in the early 1800s. ‘Okay’ originated in America in the mid-1800s not even the same way it’s used now, so if you’re telling me a Londoner in 1806 is using that word I’m unlikely to believe you.
Maybe this book just wasn’t for me, but I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy it with all those things in the way.
I received this book as a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change in the final print.
March 25, 2014
Book review will come (hopefully). For now, I'll say that despite a few minor issues, I enjoyed the book and had difficulty putting it down. Quick, fun read.
May 18, 2014
A tale of past lives intruding into the present, of lovers reincarnated over and over until they resolve their centuries-old dilemma.
Seventeen year old Abbie Harper lives in the twenty-first century, but she dreams of multiple previous incarnations – all of whom were murdered before they turned eighteen. Currently she is reliving that of Penelope Broadhurst, daughter of a Yorkshire parson in 1806. Abbie desperately hopes that this reincarnation will be different and that the silver-eyed stranger will not kill as he has done so many times before. Things become much worse when people Abbie thought existed only in her past begin to appear in the present, when, as Abbie reports in the opening line,
“my nightmare moved into the house next door.”
On the surface, Marcus Knight hardly seems nightmare material. He has melting chocolate eyes, floppy hair, the physique of one who works out daily, and so of course quickly achieves popularity – except with Abbie. Nevertheless, he repeatedly attempts to befriend this prickly, Gothic-attired, social reject of the local high-school. But is he motivated by genuine interest or the compulsions of a previous unresolved life? As Abbie dreams on, living Penelope’s life in nightly instalments, she discovers that Marcus is the reincarnation of Heath Lockwood and that he and Penelope fell deeply in love.
And then the silver-eyed stranger arrived and the nightmare begins.
Wendy Godding weaves a complex and intriguing story, with viewpoints alternating between the early twenty-first century (Abbie) and 1806 (Penelope). I loved the 1806 Yorkshire Moors setting, the parsonage and manor clearly echoing the Bronte sisters’ Haworth and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre too is cleverly woven into the story, as Abbie studies the text in school and empathises closely with the unwanted and orphaned yet artistic Jane. Both Abbie and Penelope find refuge in their respective attics, and Abbey starts to wonder whether she is more Madwoman-in-the-Attic than a sane Jane.
The author has created a wonderful character in Abbie. It initially forms a stark contrast to that of Penelope. Modern Abbie has a biting wit and is not afraid to make sharp (and hilarious) comments. Nineteenth-century Penelope is a sweet and proper parson’s daughter. Abbie wears black lipstick, and heavy eye-makeup. She favours vintage clothing, torn tights, and multiple earrings. But it turns out that this is a mask, Abbie’s defence or even disguise against becoming yet another innocent victim of the silver-eyed man.
I can quite honestly say I loved this novel. It was quite impossible to put down once I’d reached halfway. (I got to sleep past 1 o’clock last night because of you, Wendy!) I loved the density of reference to Bronte novels, the 1809 setting, the intricate plot, and the complexity of Abbie’s character.
While this novel appears to be aimed at a young adult audience, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance, the Brontes, an English historical setting, or simply a novel you can’t bear to put down.
Seventeen year old Abbie Harper lives in the twenty-first century, but she dreams of multiple previous incarnations – all of whom were murdered before they turned eighteen. Currently she is reliving that of Penelope Broadhurst, daughter of a Yorkshire parson in 1806. Abbie desperately hopes that this reincarnation will be different and that the silver-eyed stranger will not kill as he has done so many times before. Things become much worse when people Abbie thought existed only in her past begin to appear in the present, when, as Abbie reports in the opening line,
“my nightmare moved into the house next door.”
On the surface, Marcus Knight hardly seems nightmare material. He has melting chocolate eyes, floppy hair, the physique of one who works out daily, and so of course quickly achieves popularity – except with Abbie. Nevertheless, he repeatedly attempts to befriend this prickly, Gothic-attired, social reject of the local high-school. But is he motivated by genuine interest or the compulsions of a previous unresolved life? As Abbie dreams on, living Penelope’s life in nightly instalments, she discovers that Marcus is the reincarnation of Heath Lockwood and that he and Penelope fell deeply in love.
And then the silver-eyed stranger arrived and the nightmare begins.
Wendy Godding weaves a complex and intriguing story, with viewpoints alternating between the early twenty-first century (Abbie) and 1806 (Penelope). I loved the 1806 Yorkshire Moors setting, the parsonage and manor clearly echoing the Bronte sisters’ Haworth and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre too is cleverly woven into the story, as Abbie studies the text in school and empathises closely with the unwanted and orphaned yet artistic Jane. Both Abbie and Penelope find refuge in their respective attics, and Abbey starts to wonder whether she is more Madwoman-in-the-Attic than a sane Jane.
The author has created a wonderful character in Abbie. It initially forms a stark contrast to that of Penelope. Modern Abbie has a biting wit and is not afraid to make sharp (and hilarious) comments. Nineteenth-century Penelope is a sweet and proper parson’s daughter. Abbie wears black lipstick, and heavy eye-makeup. She favours vintage clothing, torn tights, and multiple earrings. But it turns out that this is a mask, Abbie’s defence or even disguise against becoming yet another innocent victim of the silver-eyed man.
I can quite honestly say I loved this novel. It was quite impossible to put down once I’d reached halfway. (I got to sleep past 1 o’clock last night because of you, Wendy!) I loved the density of reference to Bronte novels, the 1809 setting, the intricate plot, and the complexity of Abbie’s character.
While this novel appears to be aimed at a young adult audience, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance, the Brontes, an English historical setting, or simply a novel you can’t bear to put down.
April 15, 2014
[Abbie:] "Each night, when I closed my eyes, I went into their worlds. The other worlds and lives my soul had passed through before coming to this one. In the front of my journal I had a list of all of them — at least, the ones I’d dreamed of so far — as well as a record of how each life had ended.
Katherine. Drowned. Aged seventeen.[...]
Claire. Hanging. Aged seventeen.[...]
Elizabeth. Throat slit. Aged seventeen. I shuddered, quickly moving down the list, not wanting to think about that particular death."
Abbie dreams of another life, as Penelope Broadhurst. She paints the same old English buildings again and again. A man with silver eyes haunts her nightmares. And she always dies at 17.
Time After Time flips between 1806 and the present day, between the lives of Abbie and Penelope, with Abbie's other lives featuring from time to time. Over the course of the book, the pasts bleed more and more into the now, as Abbie realises that more and more people around her were also in her past life. She has an increasingly urgent sense of oncoming doom. Will Abbie/Penelope's deadly cycle be broken?
This is a contemporary/historical with a gothic sensibility. It keeps heading in the direction of complete cliches - the love triangle, mesmerising dubcon stalkerage, jealous mean girls - but it manages to sidestep some of these a little (even as it crashes headlong into others). I enjoyed the ride, even though I kept dreading cliche outcomes.
Godding's writing is great - fluid and transparent - and I wasn't jerked out of the story at all by awkward imagery or bodgy editing. I wasn't even 100% sure this was a true paranormal till more than halfway through the book, which is not easy to achieve. I would definitely pick up another book by her.
The book is also amusingly self-aware:
[Abbie:] "Randomly picking a book and scanning through its list of contents, I turned to its first chapter. The book was by a woman recalling her previous life as a London debutante in love with a young man who left her broken-hearted. That was why she’d been reincarnated—to reconnect with him.
I felt like gagging over the Mills and Boon saga. Surely they could’ve conjured up something less clichéd than a tragic love triangle."
Content note for dubcon, stalkerage, and rapeyness (I have issues with the way this played out);
On the down side: I did have some issues with the book, especially with the tired trope that goth makeup means you're "hiding" and "not pretty". I also have major issues with congenital eye atypicality (iris coloboma) as a signifier for evil. ARGH.
Katherine. Drowned. Aged seventeen.[...]
Claire. Hanging. Aged seventeen.[...]
Elizabeth. Throat slit. Aged seventeen. I shuddered, quickly moving down the list, not wanting to think about that particular death."
Abbie dreams of another life, as Penelope Broadhurst. She paints the same old English buildings again and again. A man with silver eyes haunts her nightmares. And she always dies at 17.
Time After Time flips between 1806 and the present day, between the lives of Abbie and Penelope, with Abbie's other lives featuring from time to time. Over the course of the book, the pasts bleed more and more into the now, as Abbie realises that more and more people around her were also in her past life. She has an increasingly urgent sense of oncoming doom. Will Abbie/Penelope's deadly cycle be broken?
This is a contemporary/historical with a gothic sensibility. It keeps heading in the direction of complete cliches - the love triangle, mesmerising dubcon stalkerage, jealous mean girls - but it manages to sidestep some of these a little (even as it crashes headlong into others). I enjoyed the ride, even though I kept dreading cliche outcomes.
Godding's writing is great - fluid and transparent - and I wasn't jerked out of the story at all by awkward imagery or bodgy editing. I wasn't even 100% sure this was a true paranormal till more than halfway through the book, which is not easy to achieve. I would definitely pick up another book by her.
The book is also amusingly self-aware:
[Abbie:] "Randomly picking a book and scanning through its list of contents, I turned to its first chapter. The book was by a woman recalling her previous life as a London debutante in love with a young man who left her broken-hearted. That was why she’d been reincarnated—to reconnect with him.
I felt like gagging over the Mills and Boon saga. Surely they could’ve conjured up something less clichéd than a tragic love triangle."
Content note for dubcon, stalkerage, and rapeyness (I have issues with the way this played out);
On the down side: I did have some issues with the book, especially with the tired trope that goth makeup means you're "hiding" and "not pretty". I also have major issues with congenital eye atypicality (iris coloboma) as a signifier for evil. ARGH.
June 12, 2014
Received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
SO MUCH YES!!! I flipping LOVED this book. Congrats to Wendy Godding on an amazing debut novel! I devoured "Time After Time" in less than a day. I literally had to force myself to turn off my ipad and step away to 1) go to sleep and 2) actually get work done. I couldn't wait to pick it back up.
What's not to love about this book? "Time After Time" has a sassy protagonist (two, technically), a swoon-worthy and heart-wrenching romance, as well as a heap of mystery/suspense. The stakes were sky high (literally life & death), which made for a highly engaging read. I adored the juxtaposition of Abbie and Penelope, as well as the time periods--they were so different, yet very much the same in spirit and passion. And can we talk about the romance??? This book literally had me swooning and sighing. Out loud. It was a little embarrassing. Fortunately I was home alone. No witnesses! ;)
Cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. This was a truly special and unique take on the reincarnated lovers story. I was left dying for more. Really excited to see what's next for Ms. Godding! This one is definitely going on the favorites shelf.
SO MUCH YES!!! I flipping LOVED this book. Congrats to Wendy Godding on an amazing debut novel! I devoured "Time After Time" in less than a day. I literally had to force myself to turn off my ipad and step away to 1) go to sleep and 2) actually get work done. I couldn't wait to pick it back up.
What's not to love about this book? "Time After Time" has a sassy protagonist (two, technically), a swoon-worthy and heart-wrenching romance, as well as a heap of mystery/suspense. The stakes were sky high (literally life & death), which made for a highly engaging read. I adored the juxtaposition of Abbie and Penelope, as well as the time periods--they were so different, yet very much the same in spirit and passion. And can we talk about the romance??? This book literally had me swooning and sighing. Out loud. It was a little embarrassing. Fortunately I was home alone. No witnesses! ;)
Cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. This was a truly special and unique take on the reincarnated lovers story. I was left dying for more. Really excited to see what's next for Ms. Godding! This one is definitely going on the favorites shelf.
June 20, 2014
** I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
I was pleasantly surprised with Time After Time. Abbie is a strong girl, much stronger than I would be if someone were trying to kill me, especially after re-living my past murders at night while asleep. When at work, I was anxious for breaks so I could read a little more, and stayed up way too late one night to finish. I was surprised by the ending and the things Abbie discovers about herself. Definitely worth reading, and I really hope to see more from Wendy Godding! A book about the Broadhurst family without Penelope would be really interesting, hint, hint….
I was pleasantly surprised with Time After Time. Abbie is a strong girl, much stronger than I would be if someone were trying to kill me, especially after re-living my past murders at night while asleep. When at work, I was anxious for breaks so I could read a little more, and stayed up way too late one night to finish. I was surprised by the ending and the things Abbie discovers about herself. Definitely worth reading, and I really hope to see more from Wendy Godding! A book about the Broadhurst family without Penelope would be really interesting, hint, hint….
February 28, 2014
I loved this book! I could not put it down! Two story lines which had me completely enthralled the whole time. A brilliant novel from a first time author and can't wait for more!!
March 7, 2014
4.5 stars. Review to follow.
July 29, 2016
See full review here @ http://thelast2know.wordpress.com/201...
Well. Ok then. <– this sentiment sums up much of my reaction as I read Time After Time. I felt like it had the potential to be EXTRAORDINARY but it only ended up being ‘good’.
Let’s explore why. What did I like?
Concept – I mean, hoo-boy! That was always going to take something really special to pull it off properly. Reincarnation to repeat a doomed romance between soul mates, plus death, and hotness.. It’s a Milss&Boon trope, right? Godding does a great job, I felt, of making it less LOL and more believable.
Dream sequences – I actually enjoyed the dream sequences involving Penelope and Heath et al, than I did the ‘present day’ scenes.
Heath – Love Heath. He’s channeling a whole era of men in literature, methinks, as is Sebastian. But we’ll come to that later. For now though, let’s just leave it with Heath it Hotness.
Rem – Present day bad boy (or is he?) He was so much fun! Marcus (his goody two shoes brother) is too much of a wet week for me. Throw me into that centuries old love triangle and I’ll sort it out in seconds. Rem please!
What didn’t work for me?
Classic lit fanage – Firstly, let’s take a second to chuckle at the word ‘fanage’. So many uncompromising connotations there. Secondly, I think our author might be a classic literature fan girl. And that’s ok. But let’s analyse it-
Meet the boy next door ‘Heath Lockwood’ – Really? Heath. Lockwood? Heathcliff. Mr Lockwood.. Wuthering Heights? KACHING!
Jane Eyre name drops all the time because Abbie is doing an essay on it.
The ‘mad woman in the attic’ – this unnerved me the most because it’s so flippantly used, over and over. It made me wonder if the whole situation there had been understood? At one point I think Marcus says something to the effect of ‘Yeah, the mad woman in the attic gets me every time’. She has a name. She’s called Bertha. And if anyone has read Wide Sargasso Sea, you’ll forever have a different perspective on the matter. The referencing felt careless, and inappropriately paralleled.
An Austen – Apart from the ‘dream’ characters themselves that could have stepped out of a Bronte novel, the whole life of Penelope was a total Jane Austen. I think Penelope effectively does a Pride and Prejudice when first meeting and assessing Heath’s character. They’ll judge his manners first, and then later be shamefully relieved to find he’s filthy rich. *nods*
Penelope – I loved her character. But she’s effectively Lizzie Bennett with Jane Eyre’s artistic flair.
‘Is this how you see me?’ – It took me AGES to work this one out, but I knew it was familiar. When Heath (I think it was Heath? Yeah, I’m pretty sure) asks this question, it rang a massive bell! Has anyone else seen the 2011 version of Jane Eyre? Well when Jane has her drawing snatched and shown to St John, he asks ‘Is this how you perceive me?’
I know it looks like I’ve gone overboard on the classic lit argument, but I’m a real fan of the classics too, and I’m really not sure here if it’s clumsy, or a stroke of genius. Either/or.
A good read. The pace really picked up towards the end (yeah, whatever HEA occurs there, good luck explaining that one to the police. Seriously, someone is going to prison..) and I felt so sad for Rem- he’s had the bum end of the deal for all his lives. It was like watching Vampire Diaries, and cheering for Damon, even though you knew she’d always go back to Stefan *rolls eyes*
I’m giving it a happy 3.5 out of 5. It was fun, and engaging, even if I had to slap the table at the use of ‘probably cleverer’ because I’m sure it’s probably not the greatest choice of words.
Well. Ok then. <– this sentiment sums up much of my reaction as I read Time After Time. I felt like it had the potential to be EXTRAORDINARY but it only ended up being ‘good’.
Let’s explore why. What did I like?
Concept – I mean, hoo-boy! That was always going to take something really special to pull it off properly. Reincarnation to repeat a doomed romance between soul mates, plus death, and hotness.. It’s a Milss&Boon trope, right? Godding does a great job, I felt, of making it less LOL and more believable.
Dream sequences – I actually enjoyed the dream sequences involving Penelope and Heath et al, than I did the ‘present day’ scenes.
Heath – Love Heath. He’s channeling a whole era of men in literature, methinks, as is Sebastian. But we’ll come to that later. For now though, let’s just leave it with Heath it Hotness.
Rem – Present day bad boy (or is he?) He was so much fun! Marcus (his goody two shoes brother) is too much of a wet week for me. Throw me into that centuries old love triangle and I’ll sort it out in seconds. Rem please!
What didn’t work for me?
Classic lit fanage – Firstly, let’s take a second to chuckle at the word ‘fanage’. So many uncompromising connotations there. Secondly, I think our author might be a classic literature fan girl. And that’s ok. But let’s analyse it-
Meet the boy next door ‘Heath Lockwood’ – Really? Heath. Lockwood? Heathcliff. Mr Lockwood.. Wuthering Heights? KACHING!
Jane Eyre name drops all the time because Abbie is doing an essay on it.
The ‘mad woman in the attic’ – this unnerved me the most because it’s so flippantly used, over and over. It made me wonder if the whole situation there had been understood? At one point I think Marcus says something to the effect of ‘Yeah, the mad woman in the attic gets me every time’. She has a name. She’s called Bertha. And if anyone has read Wide Sargasso Sea, you’ll forever have a different perspective on the matter. The referencing felt careless, and inappropriately paralleled.
An Austen – Apart from the ‘dream’ characters themselves that could have stepped out of a Bronte novel, the whole life of Penelope was a total Jane Austen. I think Penelope effectively does a Pride and Prejudice when first meeting and assessing Heath’s character. They’ll judge his manners first, and then later be shamefully relieved to find he’s filthy rich. *nods*
Penelope – I loved her character. But she’s effectively Lizzie Bennett with Jane Eyre’s artistic flair.
‘Is this how you see me?’ – It took me AGES to work this one out, but I knew it was familiar. When Heath (I think it was Heath? Yeah, I’m pretty sure) asks this question, it rang a massive bell! Has anyone else seen the 2011 version of Jane Eyre? Well when Jane has her drawing snatched and shown to St John, he asks ‘Is this how you perceive me?’
I know it looks like I’ve gone overboard on the classic lit argument, but I’m a real fan of the classics too, and I’m really not sure here if it’s clumsy, or a stroke of genius. Either/or.
A good read. The pace really picked up towards the end (yeah, whatever HEA occurs there, good luck explaining that one to the police. Seriously, someone is going to prison..) and I felt so sad for Rem- he’s had the bum end of the deal for all his lives. It was like watching Vampire Diaries, and cheering for Damon, even though you knew she’d always go back to Stefan *rolls eyes*
I’m giving it a happy 3.5 out of 5. It was fun, and engaging, even if I had to slap the table at the use of ‘probably cleverer’ because I’m sure it’s probably not the greatest choice of words.
December 6, 2021
I tend to read a lot of books revolving around the subject matter or theme that I’m writing about. In this case, it’s reincarnation. I like to see how other authors have structured the subject and/or how they’ve treated the theme – what resonates with me and what doesn’t. I’ve read a ton of great books on the subject (Life After Life by Kate Atkinson being a favorite) and this one, I think, will wrap up my quest. I chose this particular novel because it’s a time-slip structure. It seems to be out of print on Amazon but, I’m stubborn and dug around until I found a copy still online (https://www.readanybook.com/ebook/tim...).
The protagonist is Abbie, a high school senior who remembers all of her past lives through dreams – at least a dozen lives where she dies at seventeen. Abbie is goth and not exactly popular in her highschool, although she has a good reason to hide behind the black lipstick and heavy makeup. In each lifetime, she’s stalked and killed by the same man. Fortunately in this lifetime, he hasn’t yet shown up. But, that doesn’t keep her past from moving in next door, in the form of new neighbors including a boy her age. Despite Abbie’s attempts to keep her charming, handsome, and popular neighbor at arm’s length, she finds herself falling for him. The only problem is, Marcus is her fiancé from 1806.
The historic portion of the novel follows Penelope, a parson’s daughter. When her cousin Harry invites a friend home from Cambridge, she falls for Heath, as he’s named in this lifetime. All is well until his brother, Sebastian arrives and inserts himself between the couple, creating a love triangle that doesn’t end well for either Penelope or Heath.
When Marcus’ brother, Rem, arrives home from the military, Abbie knows time is running out. Rem remembers everything and is determined to make Abbie his in this lifetime. But Marcus doesn’t remember their past life and Abbie must figure out how to break the cycle before Rem kills her again.
There was a lot to like about this book. Both stories were, for the most part, equally engaging and Abbie was a relatable protagonist. Marcus was a little too good to be true and I never quite followed why one brother ran hot (literally) while the other was cold in both timelines. However, it was a nice distinction to make them recognizable in different lifetimes. My main criticism on pacing and characterization was in the historic timeline. Penelope was a bit milquetoast – I much preferred Abbie. And by chapter 24, there wasn’t really anything new happening in the 1806 plot – a lot of sultry gazes and smooching between Penelope and Heath (with teasing from the other female characters), but not much new added to the story line. There was also a psychic that Penelope refused to talk to that I thought could have been put to slightly better use.
The author dropped in a nice plot twist by bringing in another character who has followed them through several lifetimes that I didn’t see coming, although I did find myself trying to recognize if anyone else turned up in the present timeline. There was a nice red herring that had me questioning who the murderer was. However, I felt that the ending was too easy. And based on a comment from Rem (spoiler alert), the first time that Abbie had met Marcus was in the 1806 timeline when he was Heath. That didn’t satisfy me – I didn’t feel that their strong attraction in England was sufficiently explained if that was the first lifetime they’d met in. However, it’s only my opinion and it won’t keep me from reading a spin-off novella, Time Trip: A Time After Time Reincarnation Novella, which is still available on Amazon.
Despite having a few gripes, it was an enjoyable read.
The protagonist is Abbie, a high school senior who remembers all of her past lives through dreams – at least a dozen lives where she dies at seventeen. Abbie is goth and not exactly popular in her highschool, although she has a good reason to hide behind the black lipstick and heavy makeup. In each lifetime, she’s stalked and killed by the same man. Fortunately in this lifetime, he hasn’t yet shown up. But, that doesn’t keep her past from moving in next door, in the form of new neighbors including a boy her age. Despite Abbie’s attempts to keep her charming, handsome, and popular neighbor at arm’s length, she finds herself falling for him. The only problem is, Marcus is her fiancé from 1806.
The historic portion of the novel follows Penelope, a parson’s daughter. When her cousin Harry invites a friend home from Cambridge, she falls for Heath, as he’s named in this lifetime. All is well until his brother, Sebastian arrives and inserts himself between the couple, creating a love triangle that doesn’t end well for either Penelope or Heath.
When Marcus’ brother, Rem, arrives home from the military, Abbie knows time is running out. Rem remembers everything and is determined to make Abbie his in this lifetime. But Marcus doesn’t remember their past life and Abbie must figure out how to break the cycle before Rem kills her again.
There was a lot to like about this book. Both stories were, for the most part, equally engaging and Abbie was a relatable protagonist. Marcus was a little too good to be true and I never quite followed why one brother ran hot (literally) while the other was cold in both timelines. However, it was a nice distinction to make them recognizable in different lifetimes. My main criticism on pacing and characterization was in the historic timeline. Penelope was a bit milquetoast – I much preferred Abbie. And by chapter 24, there wasn’t really anything new happening in the 1806 plot – a lot of sultry gazes and smooching between Penelope and Heath (with teasing from the other female characters), but not much new added to the story line. There was also a psychic that Penelope refused to talk to that I thought could have been put to slightly better use.
The author dropped in a nice plot twist by bringing in another character who has followed them through several lifetimes that I didn’t see coming, although I did find myself trying to recognize if anyone else turned up in the present timeline. There was a nice red herring that had me questioning who the murderer was. However, I felt that the ending was too easy. And based on a comment from Rem (spoiler alert), the first time that Abbie had met Marcus was in the 1806 timeline when he was Heath. That didn’t satisfy me – I didn’t feel that their strong attraction in England was sufficiently explained if that was the first lifetime they’d met in. However, it’s only my opinion and it won’t keep me from reading a spin-off novella, Time Trip: A Time After Time Reincarnation Novella, which is still available on Amazon.
Despite having a few gripes, it was an enjoyable read.
December 26, 2014
2,5
I don´t even know where to start - this book had so much potential but something got lost in the middle. Time After Time was given to me by Escape Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love historical stories and quite enjoy the theme of time travelers (in this case reincarnations) so I was very curious about this book. It had a good start with Abbie explaining how she was related to her part lives which created a tension moment right in the first few pages.
By the summary we already knew that one of the old characters would be more developed but I wasn´t expecting to see all the others ignored, I just though we would only see one or two flashbacks and that would make me satisfied about it. Instead this story was just about Abbie and Penelope however I believe it could have been more developed. Why is that? These two girls don't live isolated by society (even Abbie has friends despite the fact she is some kind of gothic - or more likely dresses like one and is introverted) but all the other people with whom they connected are put on a third scale and we don´t learn anything about them. I wanted to learn more about Penelope and her father´s relationship, and how she felt about the absence of her mother or why were her two cousins living by themselves and how did her cousin start to be interested in science for instance.
And about Abbie I would love to watch a major exchange between her friends and to see a few more conversations between them that weren't just about being an outcast or been forced to mixed with the rest of their high school students.
Also there were a lot of plot holes not only about all these secondary characters but also with the major final development that was extremely confusing and profoundly anti-climax. For me the story wasn´t just that big plot so I wanted to understand the consequences of each character actions but the author didn´t give space to that. It was a little disappointing. But I can´t explain more about this point without giving spoilers and I will not do that.
So let´s focus on the conducting plot for a while. I was expecting something darker from what was presented on general summary but I could understand the orientation Wendy Godding decided to give it specially considering this is a young-adult book. The parallelism of nowadays and XIX century was perfectly executed and readers had the chance to follow the story in both worlds without feeling lost and comparing two realities so different but also so similar. The arriving of Marcus made the first of many steps of a strange path that combined fate and determinism and tried to gave us a strange puzzle with mystery, action and affliction. His character could be less plane, since we don´t really know him besides the role he had to represent in the big plot and I really liked my first impression of that young boy. Which means that we could have learn more about his parents, the relationship with his brother, his family history, what he liked and who he really was before meeting Abbie. This point was important to me especially when looking at the book´s end and trying to understand what was going to happen with each character - in part at least.
Also, there were a lot of unexplored details that didn´t make sense if was just to fill space. Like: who has her´s colleague boyfriend? What happened to her friends? And why was Lilly always against Abbie if she didn´t know her knowledge ofher past lives? Frustrating.
Nevertheless and even if only 6 characters were really explored, I liked what the author did with them during the major part of book, so that´s why I am classifying with this ranking. - Cláudia
I don´t even know where to start - this book had so much potential but something got lost in the middle. Time After Time was given to me by Escape Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love historical stories and quite enjoy the theme of time travelers (in this case reincarnations) so I was very curious about this book. It had a good start with Abbie explaining how she was related to her part lives which created a tension moment right in the first few pages.
By the summary we already knew that one of the old characters would be more developed but I wasn´t expecting to see all the others ignored, I just though we would only see one or two flashbacks and that would make me satisfied about it. Instead this story was just about Abbie and Penelope however I believe it could have been more developed. Why is that? These two girls don't live isolated by society (even Abbie has friends despite the fact she is some kind of gothic - or more likely dresses like one and is introverted) but all the other people with whom they connected are put on a third scale and we don´t learn anything about them. I wanted to learn more about Penelope and her father´s relationship, and how she felt about the absence of her mother or why were her two cousins living by themselves and how did her cousin start to be interested in science for instance.
And about Abbie I would love to watch a major exchange between her friends and to see a few more conversations between them that weren't just about being an outcast or been forced to mixed with the rest of their high school students.
Also there were a lot of plot holes not only about all these secondary characters but also with the major final development that was extremely confusing and profoundly anti-climax. For me the story wasn´t just that big plot so I wanted to understand the consequences of each character actions but the author didn´t give space to that. It was a little disappointing. But I can´t explain more about this point without giving spoilers and I will not do that.
So let´s focus on the conducting plot for a while. I was expecting something darker from what was presented on general summary but I could understand the orientation Wendy Godding decided to give it specially considering this is a young-adult book. The parallelism of nowadays and XIX century was perfectly executed and readers had the chance to follow the story in both worlds without feeling lost and comparing two realities so different but also so similar. The arriving of Marcus made the first of many steps of a strange path that combined fate and determinism and tried to gave us a strange puzzle with mystery, action and affliction. His character could be less plane, since we don´t really know him besides the role he had to represent in the big plot and I really liked my first impression of that young boy. Which means that we could have learn more about his parents, the relationship with his brother, his family history, what he liked and who he really was before meeting Abbie. This point was important to me especially when looking at the book´s end and trying to understand what was going to happen with each character - in part at least.
Also, there were a lot of unexplored details that didn´t make sense if was just to fill space. Like: who has her´s colleague boyfriend? What happened to her friends? And why was Lilly always against Abbie if she didn´t know her knowledge ofher past lives? Frustrating.
Nevertheless and even if only 6 characters were really explored, I liked what the author did with them during the major part of book, so that´s why I am classifying with this ranking. - Cláudia
September 8, 2016
A tale of past lives intruding into the present, of lovers reincarnated over and over until they resolve their centuries-old dilemma.
Seventeen year old Abbie Harper lives in the twenty-first century, but she dreams of multiple previous incarnations – all of whom were murdered before they turned eighteen. Currently she is reliving that of Penelope Broadhurst, daughter of a Yorkshire parson in 1806. Abbie desperately hopes that this reincarnation will be different and that the silver-eyed stranger will not kill as he has done so many times before. Things become much worse when people Abbie thought existed only in her past begin to appear in the present, when, as Abbie reports in the opening line, “my nightmare moved into the house next door.”
On the surface, Marcus Knight hardly seems nightmare material. He has melting chocolate eyes, floppy hair, the physique of one who works out daily, and so of course quickly achieves popularity – except with Abbie. Nevertheless, he repeatedly attempts to befriend this prickly, Gothic-attired, social reject of the local high-school. But is he motivated by genuine interest or the compulsions of a previous unresolved life? As Abbie dreams on, living Penelope’s life in nightly instalments, she discovers that Marcus is the reincarnation of Heath Lockwood and that he and Penelope fell deeply in love.
And then the silver-eyed stranger arrived and the nightmare begins.
Wendy Godding weaves a complex and intriguing story, with viewpoints alternating between the early twenty-first century (Abbie) and 1806 (Penelope). I loved the 1806 Yorkshire Moors setting, the parsonage and manor clearly echoing the Bronte sisters’ Haworth and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre too is cleverly woven into the story, as Abbie studies the text in school and empathises closely with the unwanted and orphaned yet artistic Jane. Both Abbie and Penelope find refuge in their respective attics, and Abbey starts to wonder whether she is more Madwoman-in-the-Attic than a sane Jane.
The author has created a wonderful character in Abbie. It initially forms a stark contrast to that of Penelope. Modern Abbie has a biting wit and is not afraid to make sharp (and hilarious) comments. Nineteenth-century Penelope is a sweet and proper parson’s daughter. Abbie wears black lipstick, and heavy eye-makeup. She favours vintage clothing, torn tights, and multiple earrings. But it turns out that this is a mask, Abbie’s defence or even disguise against becoming yet another innocent victim of the silver-eyed man.
I can quite honestly say I loved this novel. It was quite impossible to put down once I’d reached halfway. (I got to sleep past 1 o’clock last night because of you, Wendy!) I loved the density of reference to Bronte novels, the 1809 setting, the intricate plot, and the complexity of Abbie’s character.
While this novel appears to be aimed at a young adult audience, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance, the Brontes, an English historical setting, or simply a novel you can’t bear to put down.
Seventeen year old Abbie Harper lives in the twenty-first century, but she dreams of multiple previous incarnations – all of whom were murdered before they turned eighteen. Currently she is reliving that of Penelope Broadhurst, daughter of a Yorkshire parson in 1806. Abbie desperately hopes that this reincarnation will be different and that the silver-eyed stranger will not kill as he has done so many times before. Things become much worse when people Abbie thought existed only in her past begin to appear in the present, when, as Abbie reports in the opening line, “my nightmare moved into the house next door.”
On the surface, Marcus Knight hardly seems nightmare material. He has melting chocolate eyes, floppy hair, the physique of one who works out daily, and so of course quickly achieves popularity – except with Abbie. Nevertheless, he repeatedly attempts to befriend this prickly, Gothic-attired, social reject of the local high-school. But is he motivated by genuine interest or the compulsions of a previous unresolved life? As Abbie dreams on, living Penelope’s life in nightly instalments, she discovers that Marcus is the reincarnation of Heath Lockwood and that he and Penelope fell deeply in love.
And then the silver-eyed stranger arrived and the nightmare begins.
Wendy Godding weaves a complex and intriguing story, with viewpoints alternating between the early twenty-first century (Abbie) and 1806 (Penelope). I loved the 1806 Yorkshire Moors setting, the parsonage and manor clearly echoing the Bronte sisters’ Haworth and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre too is cleverly woven into the story, as Abbie studies the text in school and empathises closely with the unwanted and orphaned yet artistic Jane. Both Abbie and Penelope find refuge in their respective attics, and Abbey starts to wonder whether she is more Madwoman-in-the-Attic than a sane Jane.
The author has created a wonderful character in Abbie. It initially forms a stark contrast to that of Penelope. Modern Abbie has a biting wit and is not afraid to make sharp (and hilarious) comments. Nineteenth-century Penelope is a sweet and proper parson’s daughter. Abbie wears black lipstick, and heavy eye-makeup. She favours vintage clothing, torn tights, and multiple earrings. But it turns out that this is a mask, Abbie’s defence or even disguise against becoming yet another innocent victim of the silver-eyed man.
I can quite honestly say I loved this novel. It was quite impossible to put down once I’d reached halfway. (I got to sleep past 1 o’clock last night because of you, Wendy!) I loved the density of reference to Bronte novels, the 1809 setting, the intricate plot, and the complexity of Abbie’s character.
While this novel appears to be aimed at a young adult audience, I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance, the Brontes, an English historical setting, or simply a novel you can’t bear to put down.
July 10, 2014
3.5 stars. I have conflicting feelings about this book. On one level I was very engrossed in the story - it has all the elements I enjoy - historical detail, reincarnated selves - and I think it had great promise. With tighter editing I think this could have been a fabulous story - but you know I still enjoyed this a lot!
What I liked:
- great opening - the description of the different ways Abbie has died in the past really hooked me in
- the scenes in 1806 with Penelope and Heath were very well done - derivative of a Bronte novel - obviously intentional but she is very good at writing the historical detail
- the premise that our souls have unresolved business is one that intrigues me
- generally it was quite well written - kept me thinking
What I didn't like:
- character of Lilly was almost a caricature of the 'mean girl' and I am oh so tired of reading about this girl in almost every YA contemporary story - (I know her back story was explained but it was too rushed)
- I felt it could have been longer - the last couple of chapters seemed to me to be too rushed - we could have dragged out the mystery a little more - the rush made it seem a little melodramatic as Abbie kept running from each situation (all the unexplained dashing from the room was odd)
- one thing I was a little confused about - Abbie gives a list of all the girls whose lives she has been (and it is implied that Sebastian/Rem is the murderer each time) - was Heath/Marcus in all of those lives - who was the original Heath/Marcus that Becca chose over Anthony? Was the love triangle repeated every life she had or only with Penelope and Abbie? Did Anthony kill Rebecca or are they just meeting up to resolve their issues in the next life.
- the library situation at the end was too contrived - why would Simone call her to race down at night to look at a book and then leave her there in the dark by herself - this scene did not work for me.
Although this review sounds critical I am looking forward to reading her next novel as I think she is a promising writer.
Thanks to NetGalley for this free copy.
What I liked:
- great opening - the description of the different ways Abbie has died in the past really hooked me in
- the scenes in 1806 with Penelope and Heath were very well done - derivative of a Bronte novel - obviously intentional but she is very good at writing the historical detail
- the premise that our souls have unresolved business is one that intrigues me
- generally it was quite well written - kept me thinking
What I didn't like:
- character of Lilly was almost a caricature of the 'mean girl' and I am oh so tired of reading about this girl in almost every YA contemporary story - (I know her back story was explained but it was too rushed)
- I felt it could have been longer - the last couple of chapters seemed to me to be too rushed - we could have dragged out the mystery a little more - the rush made it seem a little melodramatic as Abbie kept running from each situation (all the unexplained dashing from the room was odd)
- one thing I was a little confused about - Abbie gives a list of all the girls whose lives she has been (and it is implied that Sebastian/Rem is the murderer each time) - was Heath/Marcus in all of those lives - who was the original Heath/Marcus that Becca chose over Anthony? Was the love triangle repeated every life she had or only with Penelope and Abbie? Did Anthony kill Rebecca or are they just meeting up to resolve their issues in the next life.
- the library situation at the end was too contrived - why would Simone call her to race down at night to look at a book and then leave her there in the dark by herself - this scene did not work for me.
Although this review sounds critical I am looking forward to reading her next novel as I think she is a promising writer.
Thanks to NetGalley for this free copy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2018
I really liked the plot of this book, but some important issues were not resolved and that didn't let me enjoyed the book as a whole, so it left me with this strange feeling of uncertainty, really sad.
Anyway, the idea of reincarnation is quite interesting, although it is strange that you look alike to your past life, you know what I mean.
The characters were pretty believable, Abbie, the female lead was annoying at the beginning but throughout the book, one gets to understand why she behaves that way. I totally dislike Meredith, Abbie's aunt, it was confusing and annoying to not have a conclusion with her, there were a lot of loose points.
The romance between Marcus and Abbie was totally insta-love, it was sad because more building would have add to the idea that they were soulmates, like they were really the one for each other and this insta-love based on a past life seemed really akward and confusing.
Lilly was another mystery.
Ok this book was a bit confusing but I kinda like it.
Anyway, the idea of reincarnation is quite interesting, although it is strange that you look alike to your past life, you know what I mean.
The characters were pretty believable, Abbie, the female lead was annoying at the beginning but throughout the book, one gets to understand why she behaves that way. I totally dislike Meredith, Abbie's aunt, it was confusing and annoying to not have a conclusion with her, there were a lot of loose points.
The romance between Marcus and Abbie was totally insta-love, it was sad because more building would have add to the idea that they were soulmates, like they were really the one for each other and this insta-love based on a past life seemed really akward and confusing.
Lilly was another mystery.
Ok this book was a bit confusing but I kinda like it.
June 22, 2019
I read this book by accident, thinking it was another! Lol! But, I enjoyed it. I’ve read a few reviews that don’t like it, but I enjoyed traveling back-and-firth in time, one of my favorite types of story lines. The story line got a bit murky for me at the end, and I wished there was more detail, but I understood what was intended, so it was still a fun read.
September 19, 2014
Review at Smudged
I received a free copy of this book on netgalley in return for an honest review and quotes taken from this uncorrected version, subject to change in the final edition.
The Plot: Seventeen year old Abbie Harper is different. Each night after she falls asleep, Abbie has vivid dreams of girls who look virtually identical to her but living through different times in history. These are not just dreams, but memories of Abbie's past lives and they're trying to warn Abbie. In every past life, Abbie meets the love of her life right before she turns eighteen and then is murdered by a mysterious man. It's almost her eighteenth birthday and two very familiar looking boys have just moved in next door. In attempt to avoid the end she found in her past lives, Abbie tries to avoid the brothers Marcus and Rem Knight, but she finds this very hard to do.
The Main Character: I didn't much like Abbie Harper. She's isolated because her parents left her with her grandmother as a child because they thought she was crazy living in her dreams and believing they were real. Now, she lives with her aunt and is an awful brat. She's generally your typical teen with an extra dose of eyeliner, black clothing, and angst. She's extremely self conscious and thinks the world is against her but is really the one with the issues. She thinks mainstream is uncool and that anyone who isn't goth is a horrible person. Heaven forbid her goth friends for wanting to go to prom. What's wrong with them?
On the other hand, her past self, Penelope, was much more bareable, even though she is quite the Mary Sue. She's a sweet Victorian girl and basically "meh." I found myself waiting for the chapters Penelope starred in because I couldn't stand Abbie.
The Love Interest (Interests?): The synopsis for this book makes it sound like there is a normal YA paranormal love triangle. There isn't. There's a love interest and his creepy, pushy brother. Both of these guys were very blahhh and I couldn't find an interest in either of them. I was mostly confused by Rem's character.
The Reincarnation: There was an explanation in there buuuut it made no sense to me. Seriously, if someone reads this book and can explain why the author's reasoning for Abbie's several reincarnations makes sense can you please let me know because damn, that was stupid.
Overall the writing didn't suck and it was a quick and easy read but honestly, just go read the Fallen series instead (refrain from hate e-mailing me about Fallen). A generous two stars!
I received a free copy of this book on netgalley in return for an honest review and quotes taken from this uncorrected version, subject to change in the final edition.
The Plot: Seventeen year old Abbie Harper is different. Each night after she falls asleep, Abbie has vivid dreams of girls who look virtually identical to her but living through different times in history. These are not just dreams, but memories of Abbie's past lives and they're trying to warn Abbie. In every past life, Abbie meets the love of her life right before she turns eighteen and then is murdered by a mysterious man. It's almost her eighteenth birthday and two very familiar looking boys have just moved in next door. In attempt to avoid the end she found in her past lives, Abbie tries to avoid the brothers Marcus and Rem Knight, but she finds this very hard to do.
The Main Character: I didn't much like Abbie Harper. She's isolated because her parents left her with her grandmother as a child because they thought she was crazy living in her dreams and believing they were real. Now, she lives with her aunt and is an awful brat. She's generally your typical teen with an extra dose of eyeliner, black clothing, and angst. She's extremely self conscious and thinks the world is against her but is really the one with the issues. She thinks mainstream is uncool and that anyone who isn't goth is a horrible person. Heaven forbid her goth friends for wanting to go to prom. What's wrong with them?
"What? And look like them?" I spat. "Like teenage replicas from Seventeen magazine? No. Thank. You."
On the other hand, her past self, Penelope, was much more bareable, even though she is quite the Mary Sue. She's a sweet Victorian girl and basically "meh." I found myself waiting for the chapters Penelope starred in because I couldn't stand Abbie.
The Love Interest (Interests?): The synopsis for this book makes it sound like there is a normal YA paranormal love triangle. There isn't. There's a love interest and his creepy, pushy brother. Both of these guys were very blahhh and I couldn't find an interest in either of them. I was mostly confused by Rem's character.
The Reincarnation: There was an explanation in there buuuut it made no sense to me. Seriously, if someone reads this book and can explain why the author's reasoning for Abbie's several reincarnations makes sense can you please let me know because damn, that was stupid.
Overall the writing didn't suck and it was a quick and easy read but honestly, just go read the Fallen series instead (refrain from hate e-mailing me about Fallen). A generous two stars!
March 3, 2014
I received an ARC from Escape Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Time After Time follows Abbie Harper, a 17-year-old who has crazy dreams about girls from different times. They all share some things in common, like the fact that they all kinda look alike and that they're always murdered prior to their 18th birthdays by the same dude. As it turns out, these girls are her in her past lives and she's on a quest to stop the same thing from happening this lifetime around.
All in all, I'd say that this book is simply just ok. I thought I would be completely drawn in to the whole reincarnation plot, but I wasn't. Honestly, I was bored for most of the book and definitely would have rather read anything else.
As far as characters go, I couldn't get too attached to anyone, really. Abbie's devil-may-care attitude annoyed me from the get go. I mean, I get that she's totally into being this alternative kind of person, but pretty much everyone who doesn't agree with her or anyone who merely tries to suggest something better for her is met with disdain, eye-rolling, and a bad attitude. She wants everyone to fit into her idea of a person, and yet she frowns upon people who want to fit in another roll? Super annoying! I don't even know how she has friends…or boys chasing her, for that matter.
I was a bit so-so about the other characters. While they were fairly well written, I honestly just did not feel attached to anyone.
I did enjoy the way that the author switched between story lines, from Abbie in the present day to Penelope, one of Abbie's past life girls. I enjoyed Penelope's story and would have loved to learn more about the other girls. That certainly would have made the read more interesting.
Overall, this book was simply just ok. I don't think that I would read it again, but that's just me.
Time After Time follows Abbie Harper, a 17-year-old who has crazy dreams about girls from different times. They all share some things in common, like the fact that they all kinda look alike and that they're always murdered prior to their 18th birthdays by the same dude. As it turns out, these girls are her in her past lives and she's on a quest to stop the same thing from happening this lifetime around.
All in all, I'd say that this book is simply just ok. I thought I would be completely drawn in to the whole reincarnation plot, but I wasn't. Honestly, I was bored for most of the book and definitely would have rather read anything else.
As far as characters go, I couldn't get too attached to anyone, really. Abbie's devil-may-care attitude annoyed me from the get go. I mean, I get that she's totally into being this alternative kind of person, but pretty much everyone who doesn't agree with her or anyone who merely tries to suggest something better for her is met with disdain, eye-rolling, and a bad attitude. She wants everyone to fit into her idea of a person, and yet she frowns upon people who want to fit in another roll? Super annoying! I don't even know how she has friends…or boys chasing her, for that matter.
I was a bit so-so about the other characters. While they were fairly well written, I honestly just did not feel attached to anyone.
I did enjoy the way that the author switched between story lines, from Abbie in the present day to Penelope, one of Abbie's past life girls. I enjoyed Penelope's story and would have loved to learn more about the other girls. That certainly would have made the read more interesting.
Overall, this book was simply just ok. I don't think that I would read it again, but that's just me.
June 30, 2014
What did I just read? Time After Time was not bad, per say, but it wasn't good either. The two stories in one made really no sense to me. I could tell where the author wanted to go, and she obviously put effort into it, but it didn't turn into something that I, or others probably, enjoyed reading.
The main character, Abbie, was really hard to read. The main character is the most important part of any book since the reader experiences everything through their eyes. Abbie was not relatable and was honestly annoying to read. The love triangle could have been a bit more compelling, too. The whole love at first sight and electricity thing, while fluffy and romantic, wasn't exactly realistic.
Nevertheless, I was able to finish the book, if only because I wanted to know who she would finally pick in the end. Thank God, she at least had the good sense to choose Marcus and not her killer-who had killed her like 7 times already.
The main character, Abbie, was really hard to read. The main character is the most important part of any book since the reader experiences everything through their eyes. Abbie was not relatable and was honestly annoying to read. The love triangle could have been a bit more compelling, too. The whole love at first sight and electricity thing, while fluffy and romantic, wasn't exactly realistic.
Nevertheless, I was able to finish the book, if only because I wanted to know who she would finally pick in the end. Thank God, she at least had the good sense to choose Marcus and not her killer-who had killed her like 7 times already.
March 16, 2014
Fantastic review! We absolutely loved it! It made me sooo happy =)
June 19, 2014
Had such potential. I mean, I was sucked in regardless of the slightly silly historical chapters, angsty teenagers, stilted dialogue...but I enjoyed what the author was trying to do.
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