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House of Oak #1

Intertwine

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Time is not a river. It is a vast cosmic sea. Where each life exists as rippling circles on its surface, past and future being eternally present. And occasionally, one expanding ring intertwines with that of another, weaving the lives of two people together...

In 2012, Emme Wilde can’t find the right guy. She wants to feel that swept-off-your-feet dizziness of true love. But so far, her dating life has come up short. Star Trek geek? Nice but too serious. Hippy artist? Cute but too vulnerable. Instead, Emme obsesses over the portrait of an unknown man in an old locket. Granted, a seriously dreamy guy with delicious, wind-swept hair she just itches to run her fingers through. But still. Dead men may be great listeners, but they are not exactly boyfriend material. Emme travels to England, determined to uncover his history and conquer the strong connection she feels.

In 1812, James Knight has given up finding the right woman. All he wants is someone to share his love of adventure. Instead, his life has become a Shakespearean drama. His brother languishes in a tragic star-crossed romance. His beloved sister clings to life, slowly dying of consumption. But then he finds a beautiful mystery woman, dripping wet and half-dead, beneath a tree on his estate. Now if he can uncover her history, perhaps adventure—and romance—will find him at last.

300 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2014

1314 people are currently reading
3694 people want to read

About the author

Nichole Van

28 books970 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 571 reviews
Profile Image for Melanie THEE Reader.
458 reviews67 followers
May 9, 2024
3.5 stars

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT I AM CAPABLE OF READING (AND ENJOYING) ROMANCE NOVELS THAT DON'T HAVE STEAM IN THEM.

Synopsis: A sweet, sweeping time-traveling romance in which a 21st century history professor/researcher finds herself in 1812. In 2012, Emry is having a hard time on the dating scene because she's become obsessed with a portrait of a mysterious hottie in a locket. Once she time-travels through a portal, she finds herself face-to-face with Mr. Locket Hottie in 1812. Unfortunately, she also has amnesia.

This was adorable and romantic and exactly what I needed right now. Some would call this book boring, but I would prefer to call it soothing. Despite the time-traveling, there's not a ton of plot and I'm ok with that! Emry aka Emme was a great heroine. She was kind, intelligent and willing to immerse herself in the time period. The hero, James Knight, was great but he was a little TOO perfect. There were also parts of the book that dragged a bit, and the dialogue got repetitive but overall, I really enjoyed myself.
Profile Image for WhiskeyintheJar.
1,521 reviews693 followers
February 7, 2017
2.5 stars

I read this for the Blown Away square (dress on cover and the heroine gets caught in a tornado) for Romance Bingo and my Kindle Freebie selection.

This felt like a Young Adult romance, only a couple kisses and overall had a pretty sweetly innocent tone. Being the hound dog I am, I missed sexy time payoffs.

I also felt like the first half dragged with not a lot going on. I'm more of a linear person and the jumping around, half of chapter could be the description of an incident while the second half would go back a couple weeks to an hour, was very annoying to me. I wanted the author to just write the time sequences in order (not talking about when Emme was in the present and James in the past segments) instead of unnecessarily clogging the story with these Emme is at a party and just made a gaffe, but wait! here's an hour before where we learn Emme is about to go to this party. Just write it in order, don't out write yourself.

If you're not bothered by lack of structure or order like me and want a more innocent story, this did have some sweet moments.
Profile Image for Julie Carpenter.
1,887 reviews239 followers
May 30, 2017
*Happy and contented sigh*

This book was such a fun and delightful read. I was super exhausted when I started it and went on vacation for the holiday weekend that it took me a little bit to get into. I really wanted to read but when I finally had a moment, I'd read one paragraph and find myself falling quickly asleep. So after slowly getting a handful of pages into the book, I finally got some sleep and rest, and tah-dah, read and finished the book. I've heard lots of good things about this series and after reading this author's other series I finally came and started this one. The last book, #5, is sitting in my pile of review books so I really didn't want to start at the end, although I have heard it works as a stand alone. So I found a moment in between review books and dove right in(well after getting some sleep).

I honestly was highlighting like crazy. I love that I can highlight on my kindle and color code it. The funny quotes, the more thoughtful quotes and most definitely the sweet and swoony quotes. When I was looking back over my highlights there was a good mix of all the colors. And I have to say lots of funny moments in this book. Oh the whole play on words, you know when in America a phrase or word means one thing but in England(or any other country) it means a whole different thing. I was dying over one passage talking about a character having health issues and after a day of traveling and activities everyone was discussing her being over done with exhaustion. Ok, I didn't say the phrase used so you'll have to go find it yourself. Ha! I was very tempted to include it in my quotes but didn't want to spoil the hilarity of that moment. It was pretty funny. And 'Alter Emme' cracked me up at that scene.

Alter Emme is super funny and I loved her little asides...who is Alter Emme? She is merely Emme's subconscious or mental thoughts and added lots of fun to the story. Instead of too much of my thoughts for a review on this book I decided to share several quotes with you that I loved. Not all of the quotes that I highlighted, but a handful. There were too many to share and all of them were great.

Emme and James...sigh. Just great! Loved them lots! I loved the setting and the secondary characters as well. At least the main secondary characters. There were a few I felt I could take 'em or leave 'em. I'm sure you'll know who and why and feel the same way when/if you read this one., although I reserve the right to change my mind the further I get into this series if I'll continue to feel the same about those characters. The jury's still out.

Nichole Van can definitely create an amazing and enjoyable story with wonderful prose and complex characters. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series. Watch out for the swoony moments, the snorting/giggling moments and the moments of contented bliss.

"There are moments in life that sear into the soul. Brief glimpses of some larger force. When so many threads collapse into one."

"Mr. Knight laughed, an enigmatic expression on his face. He gave her a long, measured look. 'I assure you, madam, I would most certainly remember if we had met before." Emme blinked. Indeed."

"He was utterly shameless. You mean utterly magnificent, right? Alter Emme sighed. Emme forced herself not to agree."

"Not mine! Not mine! He would pull his thoughts back and try to find that mental box again, to shut her away."

"'And zombies,' James deadpanned. 'Her ninja skills are also useful against zombies.' And, really, that did it. Any part of Emme that had not been in love with James thoroughly collapsed in that instant. She was his. Utterly and completely. The moment was beyond perfect. The most perfect of all her perfect memories."

"'I warned you,' he whispered, low and rumbly in his divine aristocratic accent. 'You are the one and only thing I cannot live without. I would follow you to the ends of eternity, my love.'"

"'I'm sorry to have alarmed you. Though, I must admit, it was remarkably funny. Does Emme know you scream like a girl when startled?' Marc threw back his head and laughed."

Content: Clean. Some kisses and a couple, more intense, kissing scenes but nothing further. A few scenes talking about where Emme comes from(she looses her memory after being transported back in time) and implied that she is a courtesan, also one character propositions her, nothing graphic or crude. A handful of mild swear words throughout.

I snagged a free copy from Amazon a while ago.

Happy Reading!!!
Profile Image for Marlene.
556 reviews126 followers
July 1, 2023
This book is a time travel romance, which I never read. (The only exception I can think of is Susana Ellis’s The Ultimate Escape). I was initially drawn in by Intertwine’s cover, and once I read the description, I thought it might be a time travel story that I’d enjoy.

Intertwine (2014, Fiorenza Publishing, which apparently is an indie publisher) by Nichole Van is #1 in the House of Oak series. It’s a historical time-travel romance, switching between England in 2012 and Regency England. I wanted to read this book because it’s a clean Regency romance and admittedly, because I loved the cover! I also figured my husband might be interested in listening to the audio version, since he’s a fan of time travel stories. He did end up listening to it and gave it 5 stars.

My rating is 4 1/2 stars.

The Heroine

Emry “Emme” Wilde, college professor and history buff, loves to travel, even though she’s a “disaster magnet.” Unfortunately, disaster really does follow her around when she travels! (Apparently, Emme’s travel disasters are taken right out of the life of the Ms. Van’s parents. It is SO bizarre that the these things actually happened to someone in real life. Wow!)

In 2008 at an estate sale in Oregon, Emme finds a locket with a miniature painting of a handsome man in Regency times inscribed “to E…” and somehow feels an intense connection with the gentleman in it. This is remarkable, since Emme has never felt compellingly close to any man. Unfortunately, four years later, she still feels a connection with the man in the portrait. . . and not with any living, breathing ones. She goes to England for a research sabbatical. While there, she seeks to discover the history of the portrait “in a last-ditch effort to reclaim Emme’s emotional life. A final expiation, a way to purge her soul of this impossible sense of connection.”

The Hero

James Knight has always had a desire for adventure. “Fate had given him a longing for adventure, but not an ounce of rebellion.” Certainly a contrast to “adventure-prone” Emme in that respect, and I enjoyed how Nichole Van’s prose sets this up very nicely.

However, James was the heir to his father’s estate, and he has shouldered the mantle well, responsibly not acting on his desire for adventure. He “never exceeded his income, never drank too much, never visited houses of ill-repute.”

What I liked:

*I loved the many nods to Austen, which were done in a fun way. This book isn’t a carbon copy of Austen, by any means. It’s definitely a unique story. But I enjoyed the Austen echoes sprinkled throughout. My husband was able to catch some as well. It’s so tempting to list some, but I think discovering them is part of the fun of reading this story.

*I thought the time travel was done very well. Why it happened, how it happened, and the results of what happened were handled beautifully.

*Ms. Van did her research, and I learned a couple of things.

What I didn’t like:

*Language that is too modern. Now, the heroine is from the 21st century, so it is completely reasonable that her thoughts be more modern. However, I read historical novels to get away from this and am not really interested in hearing such phrases as “Mr. Yummy Hair.”

*The way that James spoke and acted seemed out of period for me, sometimes more than others. I was willing to accept that, but I think it could have been closer to what you’d expect to see in a well-researched historical novel. However, in Ms. Van’s defense, she was deliberate in this for the sake of her audience. I think that this is a legitimate approach.

***********************************************

I definitely recommend this book to fans of clean Regency romance and time travel. I also read Divine , book two, and gave that one 4.5 stars also. I plan to continue the series.
Profile Image for ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ.
886 reviews
February 19, 2022
As time-travel romances go, this was mediocre at best. A woman buys an antique locket at an estate sale and falls madly in love with the painted image of the man inside. She feels a mystical connection with him, egged on by her hippy-dippy friend, and can't form a real relationship with any other man.

She tries to learn more about the man by following clues in the locket's inscription and yadda yadda yadda goes back in time and meets him. Much of the dialogue was anachronistic and/or cringe-inducing and the pacing was strange. But my biggest complaint was that the romance between the hero and heroine didn't seem to justify the “intertwined fates throughout space and time” concept. They each thought the other was hot. Big deal.
Profile Image for Kayse.
108 reviews9 followers
July 27, 2025
This review is based on an incomplete reading of Intertwine. I don't really like what I've read so far, so I'm not sure if I'll bother finishing it. But in the meantime, enjoy my thoughts so far...

I was really, really banking on loving Intertwine. I haven't read a good time-travel romance novel in ages, so I was really hankering for one as I scoured the internet, trying to find a worthy recommendation. I finally discovered Intertwine in the comments section of a list I found floating around, "11 Books to Read If You Love Outlander." I checked it out on Goodreads, it seemed like something I'd like (Time travel to Regency England? The Janeite in me was thrilled by that prospect!), so I hastily ordered it from Amazon.

The problems arose as soon as the book arrived. I mean, the cover was pretty, but the quality of the book had "self-published" written all over it. I later learned that Nichole Van owns Fiorenza Publishing. It so figures. A quick perusal on the inside publishing pages also revealed that the cover design and interior design are also copyrighted to Nichole Van. Alright folks, we've got a one-woman show here! Not that I'm saying that all self-published books are inherently bad... it's just that they very often could have used the benefit of an unbiased editor. And did this book ever.

So it starts out with Emme (Pronounced Em? Or Emmy? I was never sure.) finding some old-ass locket at some estate sale with [Insert Wacky Best Friend Who's Into Unconventional Sciences/Spirituality Here]. She then becomes straight-up obsessed with the 200-year-old portrait of the man inside... I mean, certifiably insane. She is literally in love with this portrait. This portrait has LITERALLY wrecked romantic relationships in her life. Her FAMILY knows about how badly she wants to fuck this Locket Man. (Seriously??? Like, maybe I could get behind playing at being in love with an old portrait of a handsome man, but she was so serious about this that she told her family about it!!! That's so bizarre!!! I just can't sympathize with a heroine who's quite so mental right out of the gate.) And the worst part is that Wacky Best Friend totally supports this! She is deadly serious as she encourages Emme to "find her destiny," or some shit, with Locket Man. We're never told just why Wacky Best Friend believes so firmly that Emme will find a way to be with Locket Man, or are given anything resembling a backstory or explanation for her; we're just expected to merely accept the fact that Wacky Best Friend is profoundly addlepated and sincerely believes this shit. Okay, I guess.

So Emme has been horny for Locket Man for, like, years, when she finally decides that it seems mentally healthy to travel to England to discover who Locket Man really is, in a convoluted-but-convenient-for-the-plot effort to "get over him." Meh. Whatever it takes to get this story moving, because it is fucking crawling.

Anyway, what happens next is, some epic lightning storm on May Day (we're led to believe that this day is significant from Wacky Best Friend, and she seems like a credible source to me!) strikes and somehow transports Emme back to the 19th century, where she is discovered by--get this!-A MAN WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE LOCKET MAN! His name is James, and he's the 21st century woman's wet dream version of a Regency gentleman--y'know, the kind who shies away from social norms and expectations of his day. He stumbles across Emme's unconscious body (conveniently, Emme has the tastes of an 80-year-old woman and wears floor-length white nighties to bed) and, being the unconventional sort-of gentleman that he is, takes her back to his manor home. Emme eventually wakes up, but it's discovered that she has amnesia! (Amnesia? Really? The last time I thought amnesia seemed like a realistic plot device I was in the fourth grade reading Megamorphs #1: the Andalite's Gift.)

So now we have amnesiac Emme (who now goes by "Emma," because, why not?) traipsing about Regency England, fucking up social situations by shaking hands with the gentlemen (the horror!) and blathering on about ninjas and zombies. (Fucking shoot me now. This is like juvenile shit I wrote in high school.)

This is pretty much where I gave up. I may or may not subject myself to reading more of this disaster. I'll be sure to update this review if I do!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Veronica Shields.
206 reviews2 followers
February 27, 2015
I wanted to like this book because the concept had a lot of potential, but I found that it very quickly became a total slog. Dialogue is stilted and overwrought. The pacing is a mess, dragging in areas that should be abridged while skimming over others it shouldn't. The amnesia subplot is completely unnecessary - as far as I can see, it added nothing to the story, not even the usual tension or character development you would expect from the trauma of memory loss. None of the characters behave in a way that seems organic, overreacting to trifling issues while conveniently accepting more outrageous concepts like time travel. (For this reason, a lot of the humor fell flat for me, too.). It wasn't until the second half of the book that things seemed to pick up and things actually started to happen, but even that's rushed through.

The lack of research also becomes very distracting after awhile. Severe amnesia is usually irreversible, and long periods of blackout following concussion usually affect other neurological activities. Foods like kiwi weren't cultivated outside their native areas until much the 20th century. Tuberculosis is NOT easily curable and is actually the second most common cause of death globally even today. Somebody like Giorgianna who is likely in the throes of a late stage secondary infection with severe immunocompromise may very well have died even with modern medical intervention. Linguistic progression is so significant that Emry's language should have been a dead giveaway that she wasn't native, and communication should have been difficult from the start. Even if they had been able to recognize a 21st century American accent, that should have been a serious issue - worse, the book even acknowledges the War of 1812 is going on! Linwood should have been all over that. There were also glaring issues in grammar, dialogue, and even word usage. ("Born" is not the past tense to bear - that would be borne.). Don't even get me started on the superfluity of plot conveniences. (Tornadoes? Solar chargers? The purse? Come on.)

All in all, it's just not that great of a book. The characters aren't interesting to overcome the serious plot flaws, and even the romantic elements of the book are so rushed and underdeveloped that only hardcore romantics are going to enjoy it. Van has some interesting ideas, but she really needs a good editor to reign in the nonsense and bring it to fruition.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
April 12, 2016
I started this book on audio in the car and finished it when I got home. Like literally when I got home. I didn't even unpack first! Priorities and all that. I was just so close to being done and I just had to know. I wasn't about to wait for the next car ride to finish!

There was this one part of the book that had me and my girls laughing out loud in the car. It was so funny. I have no idea if it would have been as funny reading it but on the audio, it really had us cracking up.

Time travel books are so iffy for me. It's usually a clear hit or miss. This was a hit and I really enjoyed it. I'm SO looking forward to reading the next book when I get a free minute. Although this is a trilogy (I think) each book is independent so no cliff hangers! Yay! I love that.

Clean romance
Profile Image for Melissa.
2,542 reviews267 followers
February 16, 2018
Regency and time travel mixed together= Awesome. I love time travel books, but it's hard to find sweet clean books in this genre. This was such a fun book. There was some writing issues with the back and forth, when there is already a time line jump having the characters go back and forth throughout the book is not a great idea. You really had to pay attention to the chapter headers to see if you were going ahead or back an hour or a couple months. The characters were fun and the romance was great. I am going to wait a bit to read the others in the series, I don't want the whole idea to get old.
Reread Feb 15 2018- After a couple bad books I decided to go back to a favorite author and give the whole series a read now that it is done. I so enjoyed this:} Even more the second time. I knew more what was going on and had no trouble with the back and forth. I thought this was done so well. I loved the banter between all the characters. Van has a way with dialog that I love. I just giggle at so many of the great one liners:}
Profile Image for Barbara.
156 reviews2 followers
March 12, 2015
I could never write a review sufficient enough to let you all know how much I love this book. No, the story wasn't incredibly complicated. But oh, it was fresh and sweet and beautifully written. It was funny, it was romantic, it made me happy. I will own a hard copy of this book, and I will re-read the crap out of it. All I can say is if you like Regency Romance, prefer a "clean" romance with plenty of romance and you like interesting twists like, say, time travel-- then this book is for you. The end.
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,800 reviews509 followers
April 1, 2020
.
It took a while to listen to this audiobook. Partly because of the covid19 craziness, but partly because I just never felt very engaged.
It's cute and very low angst. Both MCs are lovely people.
Emmi, the girl from the future and James, the dude from the past. They are meant to be and fate finds a way through a magic portal in an ancient oak tree and a miniature painting of James that Emmi is obsessed with.

He's a beta guy and that's cool. I often like that, but he's just so very very very nice. What does it say about me that I find his asshole neighbour, Tim (the H from book 4) more interesting??

Anyways, she goes to the past, they meet, amnesia, love, sick sister...
I loved the ending. Really cute!

Nothin' much else to say here.
Safety is fine.



899 reviews70 followers
May 1, 2019

Was this ever a delightful, fun and humorous time-travel novel! I wasn't sure what to expect or how it would all work, but I was completely captured from the beginning. I mean who wouldn't love to find an antique locket buried in a trunk with a miniature portrait and inscription upon it! But to also feel an immediate 'connection' would only be fuel to the fire for me.

"There are moments in life that sear into the soul. Brief glimpses of some larger force. When so many threads collapse into one. Coalesce into a single truth." (quote from the book)

What I truly enjoyed was the atmospheric collision of the two time periods during Beltane, April 30, 2012 and 1812. An ancient oak tree and the storm of the century that each experience was the perfect backdrop for this story. You could just feel the electricity of the lightening and hear the thunder rumbling across the sky. You know something is going to happen but you don't know when or how. And when it did happen, it was better than I imagined.

"The house was tense, air heavy and laden. She absorbed all the apprehension of the wind, the furor of the pounding rain. It hammered against her chest, jittery." (quote from the book)

Emry (Emme) Wilde was a 'disaster magnet' and James Knight 'ached for adventure'. Jasmine is Emme's best friend and has a 'cosmic' outlook on life. Marc is her brother who looks out for her in his own way. Georgiana and Arthur are James' siblings. There are wonderful nods to Jane Austen, but they are only that. This story has a life of its own that had me laughing and snickering throughout. So take a trip back and find out what zombies, ninjas and angry birds have to do with this story!
Profile Image for Brittain *Needs a Nap and a Drink*.
373 reviews491 followers
January 20, 2018
This book promised to be something special and it just ended up being excessively flat.

It seemed like it was a bizarre self insertion fan fiction of Emma by Jane Austen where the modern woman gets to keep the alluring 19th century gentleman. But it never went any deeper than that. It was some author's little fantasy that got printed onto paper.

But here is one of my big problems with time travel books. If you are going to talk about illnesses at all, there has to be one thing that is acknowledged. People coming from the past to the future would have no immunity to diseases that we get today. Something like the modern flu which most people can fight off would be fatal and that isn't even thinking about things like resistant TB. Likewise, someone moving to the past may be the carrier of a terrible strain of something that could be deadly for millions in the past.

A character in this book has tuberculosis, which is not necessarily fatal. However, if the same character, suffering from TB, came to a modern English hospital, there are so many little nasties just floating around in the air that she might catch some secondary strain of something very quickly. Or MRSA or staph.

I know I'm insane and picky but the flaws in this book were just far to expansive for me to ignore. I'm insanely glad this book is out of my life.
143 reviews4 followers
June 26, 2015
Overall, I liked the idea of the book but the execution fell short for me. It's hard to explain exactly what I didn't connect with. I often found myself fighting to suspend belief as little anachronisms, stilted dialogue, and other absurdities crept in. The dialogue just didn't ring true for either main character. Rather than a Ph.D., Emme sounded like a lackluster undergrad with her goings on about zombies and ninjas, and James' use of "no worries" and other 21st century phrases just did sound right coming from his character. Though he was characterized as unconventional, it is highly unlikely that James would completely flaunt Regency customs and morality to the extent depicted in the novel. In conjunction with stilted dialogue, contrived events moved the plot along until the "happily ever after." More development and detail would serve this novel well and allow the reader to suspend belief and become fully engrossed in the story. As is, the novel reads like a dime store romance with little to provoke thoughtful reflection in the reader. For a more fully developed exploration of love across time, I'd suggest The Time Traveler's Wife .

Profile Image for rj.
740 reviews343 followers
May 22, 2016
My enjoyment level and the fact that this was a clean read probably made this book 3 stars but the fact that the H was just perfect and didn't tick any of my triggers was amazing and I had to give an extra star for him alone.

I'm super interested in the rest of the series though! Hopefully those hero's are amazing as well.
Profile Image for Seon Ji (Dawn).
1,051 reviews276 followers
May 21, 2016

I am not usually a fan of time travel romance, but this one was done so well it has prompted me to reconsider my thoughts on such reads. I also usally prefer my romances with a little spice (well a lot of spice) but this one is what I consider a clean read (only kissing). Do not let this deter you! The beautiful build to love and the romance was so wonderfully sweet and oh so satisfying that truly spice was not needed or missed!

Oh how I loved this book.

The hero was truly perfect in every way. The secondary characters were also wonderful and all were crafted so well they seemed real...three dimensional. The love between James and Emme was probably the most beautiful and tender of all the HR I have read so far. Just brilliant.

The only criticism I have..and it is mionor.. is that the modern dialogue when used (appropriatly) seemed a bit cheesy for a 30 y.o. woman. Then again I personally have never been big on using slang myself so maybe it's just me. Nevertheless, it did not bother me terribly much and it's not like it was used incorrectly (in other words, it was used in the mind of 21st century Emme or when she was in that time never when in the 19th century by a character of that time).

For those with triggers.. I can happily say there are NONE! No violence, rape, cursing, OW, past women, or mention of ANY of the heros past nor of his sexual experience. 100% safe.

I plan to read the rest of the books in this series and would definately recommend this to my friends.

As for a summary, well let me say the one written does not do this book justice. In fact had it not been highly recommended to me by a friend whose opinion I trust, I never would have read it based solely on the one given on GR. This story in short is about fate, love and destiny.

You will love it!

Profile Image for Jennifer.
2,905 reviews6 followers
September 21, 2017
If you read my GR profile, you'll see I specifically listed time travel books as something that I avoid. Like the plague. The science behind it doesn't make any sense to me, so I just can't suspend disbelief long enough to enjoy any plot based on it. Suffice it to say, then, that I was surprised by how much this book didn't annoy me. I actually enjoyed a good portion of it, before things became all lovey-dovey, sappy sappy, and pet names, that is. It was fun and the MCs were likable. I especially enjoyed the H who was never a rake and didn't need to be reformed either. How utterly refreshing.

The premise was interesting, the writing was engaging, the story itself was completely clean (only a little kissng and ardent embraces), the MCs were admirable, and humour was adorable. So why only three stars? Well, the closest thing to a villain in this story was too much of a caricature and the lack of serious conflict made for a little bit of a bland read. I suppose the time travel and health issues were conflict enough, but there was just something missing that would have made the plot more interesting. The angst factor was a little low (I know....who am I and why do I suddenly prefer more angst?!) and I would have preferred an epilogue that takes place a little further in the future. As it was, I would read the next book in the series and have high hopes that it's even better than this one.
Profile Image for Jenn.
51 reviews11 followers
March 13, 2014
Oh! What a hopelessly romantic (sans raunchiness) "romance" book! I absolutely enjoyed from cover to cover! I've been a HUGE fan of Nichole's photography work for years, and was so thrilled to hear of her latest endeavor in writing this novel! I Loved it!
Profile Image for britta ⋆˙⟡.
468 reviews63 followers
May 31, 2024
4.25 🌟 top level time travel romance! NV writes such delicious chemistry and believable connection, I don’t miss the spice.
Profile Image for Modern Miss Granger.
1,180 reviews133 followers
January 27, 2024
4.5 Stars

Nichole Van can write soulmates like no other. I was GONE for these two from page one and had such a hard time putting it down.

I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out how everything would play out. The dual timeline added a whole new layer of tension that had me hooked.

I also cannot wait to see what happens with the other characters in this series.

The audiobook narrator was also fantastic!!

Steam: kissing
TW: consumption
Profile Image for Andrea AKA Catsos Person.
790 reviews107 followers
March 3, 2017
This is a "time travel" HR. I'm no friend of fiction with a contemporary setting. However, I needed to read a time travel HR for a challenge.

I hated the beginning of the story set in 2012 as much as I expected and the h got on my nerves--as expected.

Unexpectedly the part of the story that took part in 1812 Herfordshire was really good and well done. This author, who was an unknown to me, is adept at delivering what I want in HR. I felt that this had good detail and everything was as it should be (for me) for an HR.

I really liked the plot and without spoiling the book, Nichole Van, really made the heroine in the past (1812) make sense to me. This plot point didn't tax my suspension of disbelief to the degree that I expected--I was able to "buy it." Van is a good writer.

The story was not ridiculous and the author made it all work.

There were a couple of very minor typo issues. But I cut independent or really small-press books a little slack. From reading reviews on GR, some readers are really bothered by these mistakes, but here they did not impede my enjoyment.

In conclusion, I admit I can be rigid in going outside of the type of books that I like and trying something different, but this was a successful foray into something a little different.

**There were only kisses in this book (for those of you who prefer this.**
Profile Image for Donna Hatch.
Author 43 books1,037 followers
February 6, 2016
Beautifully written with rich, vivid details and lots of poignant emotion, this is a fun time-travel story. Most historical details were accurate and it had a fairly good historical feel overall. A few historical details were suspect and others were incorrect. There were also several modern phrases that the Regency characters thought or said. However, it is difficult to get it all right, and probably only the nerdiest of Regency geeks would catch those errors. Also, the main character, Emme, continued to be called by her first name even when she had amnesia and couldn't remember her name, and it was in this state of amnesia that she dubbed her little snarky voice alter-Emme, as well. However, the author's voice was fun and engaging, the characters were likable and three-dimensional, and the plot was fun and mostly believable. I also appreciated that it was squeaky clean, with no swearing or sex scenes, but with plenty of romantic chemistry. Overall, a very satisfying read.
Profile Image for Christy.
170 reviews7 followers
September 13, 2022
This book was wonderful. Nichole did a fabulous job and I can't wait to read the next book! If you like regency books then you should definitely give this a try. Plus, there are a few absolutely hilarious moments.

*2nd time was still fun
Profile Image for Lucinda.
Author 22 books1,303 followers
July 27, 2017
3 1/2

The part when she has amnesia but is still thinking as her modern self is a bit not done well, but I stuck with it and in the end I liked this first book. James and Emme have a great love story.
Profile Image for Jessie.
1,476 reviews86 followers
March 14, 2016
Loved it!

Emory Wilde has been obsessed with a painting she found in a locker at an estate sale. After several years, she goes to England to learn more about who the man in the painting might have been, hoping to be able to move on once she does. Instead she travels through a portal to 1812 and meets him. On the way there she also loses her memory.

After reading a story by Nicole Van in the Timeless Recency Collection: Spring in Hyde Park, I desperately needed to read more of her books. It was one of those cases where I asked myself, how did I miss these books before?! The good news is that I can at least read all four of the House of Oak books now, without any waiting.

I loved Intertwined! Even with amnesia, Emme had a hilarious snarky voice in her head. I loved the situations that came about from the differing customs and phrases of the day. I was laughing out loud right with Emme.

The romance was great. I loved James, and was glad that Emme's obsession with the unknown painting was worth it. James was sweet and funny. I loved his reactions to her questions about the zombie apocalypse.

A great read for fans of time travel or recency romance. I highly recommend it!

Content: clean (some kissing)
Profile Image for  The Flipped Page (Susan K).
1,829 reviews39 followers
April 17, 2016
Romance Clean.
This was an interesting concept novel. I loved the genuine kindness and wonder in the two main characters. The family dynamics of the English family made for an interesting 'entrance' for Emme.
The one side character, who keeps telling Emme that she is 'intertwined' with 'F' was intriguing as Emme goes on with her life. The English 'incident' (trying not to put any spoilers in!), made for an interesting way for her to 'enter' James' life.
I loved the interplay between the two 'times' the chance for healing, the change that happens with happiness for Georgianna's health with her happiness helping her to 'brighten' was gentle and fun to read.
James and Emme leave some societal strictures behind as they bend the rules a little to be together. Their comfort and joy in each other made for a sweet read of hope, fond regard that blooms into a lasting, genuine love. I loved reading what the 'F' stood for in their minds.
Fun concept. I look forward to reading more by this author in this series.
Profile Image for Berly.
778 reviews28 followers
January 14, 2024
Three of my favorite things.
1. A Nichole Van book
2. Timetravel story (without mystical or paranormal plot lines)
3. One of my absolute favorite plot lines. I won't mention exactly what it is because I hate spoilers and this isn't mentioned in the blurbs.

I find it so hard to find time travel stories that don't involve mystical elements to explain them. Of course since time travel isn't possible, there has to be something that causes it. As I mentioned, I don't like spoilers, but I did have to ask someone to make sure this one didn't have paranormal activity. I personally was fine with the explanation given.

Nichole Van has quickly become one of my favorite authors. She can tell a story that makes you feel immersed in the world she has created.

I listened to this and was truly captivated my thr narrator. I listened at 1.2x but could have listened faster. I might have if my next choice wasn't 1.5x. I really wanted to savor this story and am so glad that I did. I am really looking forward to the rest of the books in this series now!
Profile Image for Marilee .
1,454 reviews236 followers
July 24, 2022
If any author can make me believe in destiny and soulmates and wrap it up in a captivating time travel love story, it is Nichole Van. Oh. my. swoon!

As a gentleman raised in the Regency era, James does not hesitate to rescue the woman he finds at the side of the road during a thunderstorm. The problem? Well, there are two really. The first is that she cannot remember who she is (though the strange things she does know are oddly endearing). And second? A gentleman would never pursue his growing attraction to a woman who cannot remember her name and may be attached to another man.

This book is utterly unputdownable and comes with all the quick wit, humor, and swooniness I have come to expect and love in books from this author. I may have busted up laughing multiple times (zombie apocolypse and ninjas!) and sighed with happiness at James and Emme's enchanting love story.

I loved it so much I plan on binging the entire series this week. All the hearts and stars for this one!!
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