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1982: A Year in the Life of Wendy Wood
Meet Wendy Wood. The popstar that never was…
In 1982, Wendy Wood was poised on the brink of stardom. Lead singer with talented local band, Velvet Temptation, she was a rising star of the Oxford music scene. Tipped for fame by the music press, success seemed inevitable.
But conflict within the band, a series of betrayals and infidelities, and an unwelcome run of bad luck all played a part in shattering her dreams.
Forty years later, her health failing, Wendy’s only comfort is in karaoke nights, where every song is a poignant reminder of what might have been.
Then, out of the blue, she’s handed the means to return to the past. Determined to rewrite her destiny, Wendy is steadfast in her pursuit of the fame that once slipped through her fingers.
Join Wendy as she immerses herself in the vibrant music scene of 1982, navigating the complexities of love, ambition, and second chances in this thought-provoking time travel story.
1982 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone.
In 1982, Wendy Wood was poised on the brink of stardom. Lead singer with talented local band, Velvet Temptation, she was a rising star of the Oxford music scene. Tipped for fame by the music press, success seemed inevitable.
But conflict within the band, a series of betrayals and infidelities, and an unwelcome run of bad luck all played a part in shattering her dreams.
Forty years later, her health failing, Wendy’s only comfort is in karaoke nights, where every song is a poignant reminder of what might have been.
Then, out of the blue, she’s handed the means to return to the past. Determined to rewrite her destiny, Wendy is steadfast in her pursuit of the fame that once slipped through her fingers.
Join Wendy as she immerses herself in the vibrant music scene of 1982, navigating the complexities of love, ambition, and second chances in this thought-provoking time travel story.
1982 is part of the anthology series, A Year in the Life. Each book revisits a different aspect of life in the 1980s, and each story can be enjoyed standalone.
- GenresTime TravelFiction
280 pages, ebook
Published July 31, 2024
134 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Jason Ayres
39 books113 followersJason Ayres fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author when he left the corporate world behind and published his first novel in 2014. Since then, he has written twenty more books, delighting readers with his signature mix of humour, engaging characters, and imaginative storytelling.
His character-driven tales focus on ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations—whether travelling to an uncertain future, revisiting their past, or exploring alternate timelines. Blending elements of sci-fi, romance, and everyday life, his stories offer something for everyone, with relatable characters at their heart.
Jason’s latest series, set in the 1980s, follows present-day protagonists who, down on their luck, get a chance to relive a pivotal year from their past. 1980, 1981, and 1982 are available now, with more to come.
Want to know more about Jason? - You can find him at:
https://www.jasonayres.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/TheTimeBubble/
https://twitter.com/TheTimeBubble/
His character-driven tales focus on ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations—whether travelling to an uncertain future, revisiting their past, or exploring alternate timelines. Blending elements of sci-fi, romance, and everyday life, his stories offer something for everyone, with relatable characters at their heart.
Jason’s latest series, set in the 1980s, follows present-day protagonists who, down on their luck, get a chance to relive a pivotal year from their past. 1980, 1981, and 1982 are available now, with more to come.
Want to know more about Jason? - You can find him at:
https://www.jasonayres.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/TheTimeBubble/
https://twitter.com/TheTimeBubble/
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 16, 2024
Three and a half stars.
It's New Years' Eve 2022 and Wendy Wood is 'enjoying' a karaoke night at the local British Legion Hall. A stroke two years ago has left her confined to a mobility scooter and she's regretting all the mistakes she made with her life. Then a stranger approaches Wendy with the opportunity of a lifetime. She has been selected to go back forty years to 1982 with the chance to put her life back on the right track with the help of a magical bracelet which will warn her if she is making bad choices.
Back in 1982 Wendy was the lead singer with a band called Velvet Temptation. They could have made it big, but egos, infidelity, bad luck, and artistic differences coincided to scupper their chances and Wendy has spent the last forty years working for minimal wage at local supermarkets.
Returned to 1982 Wendy must steer the band through shark-infested waters and change her future.
I enjoyed this, but I felt it was too straightforward, I understand that this is part of a series in which each book is set in a different year of the 1980s. For those of us who were young in the 1980s this is a trip down memory lane touching on the music, the TV, the celebrities, the news stories. However, I do wonder whether a younger reader would have the same enjoyment. I also worry how different the other books will be if they follow a similar premise.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
It's New Years' Eve 2022 and Wendy Wood is 'enjoying' a karaoke night at the local British Legion Hall. A stroke two years ago has left her confined to a mobility scooter and she's regretting all the mistakes she made with her life. Then a stranger approaches Wendy with the opportunity of a lifetime. She has been selected to go back forty years to 1982 with the chance to put her life back on the right track with the help of a magical bracelet which will warn her if she is making bad choices.
Back in 1982 Wendy was the lead singer with a band called Velvet Temptation. They could have made it big, but egos, infidelity, bad luck, and artistic differences coincided to scupper their chances and Wendy has spent the last forty years working for minimal wage at local supermarkets.
Returned to 1982 Wendy must steer the band through shark-infested waters and change her future.
I enjoyed this, but I felt it was too straightforward, I understand that this is part of a series in which each book is set in a different year of the 1980s. For those of us who were young in the 1980s this is a trip down memory lane touching on the music, the TV, the celebrities, the news stories. However, I do wonder whether a younger reader would have the same enjoyment. I also worry how different the other books will be if they follow a similar premise.
Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
December 29, 2025
1982: A Year in the Life of Wendy Wood is a poignant, music-infused time travel story about regret, resilience, and the complicated nature of second chances. Jason Ayres delivers a deeply human narrative that blends nostalgia with emotional honesty, using the vibrant backdrop of the early 1980s music scene to explore what it means to chase and possibly reclaim a lost dream.
Wendy Wood is a compelling and sympathetic protagonist. Her rise as the lead singer of Velvet Temptation feels authentic, capturing both the exhilaration of near-success and the fragility of creative ambition. The betrayals, conflicts, and missed opportunities that derail her career are painfully believable, making her later-life reflections all the more affecting. Her present-day comfort in karaoke nights is a subtle but powerful reminder of how music remains tied to identity, even when dreams fade.
The return to 1982 is handled with care rather than sentimentality. Rather than offering easy fixes, the story asks difficult questions: can talent overcome circumstance, can ambition survive love and loyalty, and does knowing the future truly grant control over it? Wendy’s determination to rewrite her fate is inspiring, but never simplistic.
What truly stands out is the emotional balance between hope and realism. 1982 is not just about reliving the past it’s about understanding it, and deciding what is worth fighting for when given one last chance. A moving, thoughtful read for fans of character-driven time travel and music-centered storytelling.
Wendy Wood is a compelling and sympathetic protagonist. Her rise as the lead singer of Velvet Temptation feels authentic, capturing both the exhilaration of near-success and the fragility of creative ambition. The betrayals, conflicts, and missed opportunities that derail her career are painfully believable, making her later-life reflections all the more affecting. Her present-day comfort in karaoke nights is a subtle but powerful reminder of how music remains tied to identity, even when dreams fade.
The return to 1982 is handled with care rather than sentimentality. Rather than offering easy fixes, the story asks difficult questions: can talent overcome circumstance, can ambition survive love and loyalty, and does knowing the future truly grant control over it? Wendy’s determination to rewrite her fate is inspiring, but never simplistic.
What truly stands out is the emotional balance between hope and realism. 1982 is not just about reliving the past it’s about understanding it, and deciding what is worth fighting for when given one last chance. A moving, thoughtful read for fans of character-driven time travel and music-centered storytelling.
February 3, 2026
1982 A Year In The Life Of Wendy Wood by Jason Ayres
Rating : 3.5⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 280
Duration : 3 Days
----------------
Jason Ayre's The Year In The Life of series seems to be my guilty pleasure
They are all simple, quick and fun reads, chocka full of nostalgic nods and colourful characters and I really enjoy them.
Don't get me wrong there are a few niggles (and I hate to be negative) in this book and the series in general, the conversations seem a bit wooden at times,
The main character Wendy isn't especially written very womanly and parts of this book feel pretty smutty but that may just a sign of how women were portrayed in 1982, I don't know I was only born in October that year.
However I did enjoy this book, and t was fun and I will move on to 1983 in due course.
One funny part for me at least though was the hatred Alan had for Swindon Town as he was an Oxford United fan. I'm a Swindon fan and I can only say one thing.
Build a bonfire
Build a bonfire
Build it to the top
Put Oxford in the middle
And burn the chuffing lot!
----------------
You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
----------------
Rating : 3.5⭐
Format : eBook 💻
Pages : 280
Duration : 3 Days
----------------
Jason Ayre's The Year In The Life of series seems to be my guilty pleasure
They are all simple, quick and fun reads, chocka full of nostalgic nods and colourful characters and I really enjoy them.
Don't get me wrong there are a few niggles (and I hate to be negative) in this book and the series in general, the conversations seem a bit wooden at times,
The main character Wendy isn't especially written very womanly and parts of this book feel pretty smutty but that may just a sign of how women were portrayed in 1982, I don't know I was only born in October that year.
However I did enjoy this book, and t was fun and I will move on to 1983 in due course.
One funny part for me at least though was the hatred Alan had for Swindon Town as he was an Oxford United fan. I'm a Swindon fan and I can only say one thing.
Build a bonfire
Build a bonfire
Build it to the top
Put Oxford in the middle
And burn the chuffing lot!
----------------
You can find more reviews on my blog here : https://bookshelf018.wordpress.com/
----------------
August 3, 2024
Another fantastic nostalgia driven time travel adventure from Jason Ayres. Wendy is awesome, struggling in her life to recapture the fabulous feelings of being on stage at karaoke. She was an up and coming star whose career trajectory was cut short due to some silly decisions she made when she was young. She gets a chance to go back and relive a pivotal year in her life, with the aid of a magic bracelet that cannot be seen by anyone else. If you've read the previous books in the series, you'll know what it's about. An incredibly satisfying read for people who loved the 80s music scene, and really enjoyable characters for the most part, except those who are intentionally abhorrent. I can't wait for more. Thank you so much to Kindle Unlimited for making these books so accessible, but they are absolutely worth paying for.
November 15, 2025
Light pop music of a story
This is easy reading that doesn’t require much emotional investment on the part of the reader. The magical bracelet that sends Wendy Wood’s consciousness back in time to her young body of 1982 keeps her out of trouble. It glows red when she’s off track, green when it’s a go ahead.
But the stakes aren’t that high anyway. She has one year to skip the drugs she did the first time around—easy enough since her body is still clean and she knows where it took her before—and take that shot at the musical success she missed the first time around.
With the bracelet, success is a foregone conclusion.
If you’re into British music of 1982, this’ll be a fun read. Same goes for those who like light time travel. It’s a simple premise with simple execution without a demanding character arc. Consider it as light pop music as far as stories go.
This is easy reading that doesn’t require much emotional investment on the part of the reader. The magical bracelet that sends Wendy Wood’s consciousness back in time to her young body of 1982 keeps her out of trouble. It glows red when she’s off track, green when it’s a go ahead.
But the stakes aren’t that high anyway. She has one year to skip the drugs she did the first time around—easy enough since her body is still clean and she knows where it took her before—and take that shot at the musical success she missed the first time around.
With the bracelet, success is a foregone conclusion.
If you’re into British music of 1982, this’ll be a fun read. Same goes for those who like light time travel. It’s a simple premise with simple execution without a demanding character arc. Consider it as light pop music as far as stories go.
December 5, 2024
I was looking forward to this having been been a similar age in the 80s. Also I have enjoyed some time travel novels and books set in the music industry, so the combination of both was attractive. However, this book was quite disappointing. There are a bunch of stereotypical characters and a dull storyline. Everything is very predictable. I was also very surprised that both Wendy and Emma accepted time travel so readily - barely questioned it! I’m sure most people would be far more sceptical. Didn’t realise this was part of a series - perhaps the other books are better? Not an author I will read again sadly.
August 9, 2024
1982 never felt so good
I grew up in the eighties and so there are many references that resonate with me, mainly musical in this case. But that wasn't the reason for reading 1982 - that's because Jason Ayres writes such engaging work. All of his books are excellent and if this has piqued your interest, then don't waste anymore time and get reading his works.
Wendy and the band are a great mix of characters and without any spoilers, there are some good people and some, well, you know the rest.
The only bad thing about these books is they're so short. Can't wait for 1984 purely for the musical references alone.
I grew up in the eighties and so there are many references that resonate with me, mainly musical in this case. But that wasn't the reason for reading 1982 - that's because Jason Ayres writes such engaging work. All of his books are excellent and if this has piqued your interest, then don't waste anymore time and get reading his works.
Wendy and the band are a great mix of characters and without any spoilers, there are some good people and some, well, you know the rest.
The only bad thing about these books is they're so short. Can't wait for 1984 purely for the musical references alone.
September 30, 2024
I like the series so far, enough to be totally willing to suspend disbelief and gloss over how readily characters accept the situation (fine by me, I'd rather get right to the heart of the story). But this one didn't engage my interest quite as well. I almost got the feeling that the author had firsthand experience in the music industry, and wanted to show it off here. There was too much about touring and not enough about the actual story of being back in 1982.
Still looking forward to the next one in the series.
Still looking forward to the next one in the series.
January 11, 2025
I have listened to the audio version of this book.
1982
I love this series from Jason Ayres, this time a stroke victim gets the chance to go back 40 years to the time she was 22, can she change what happened that year and can she change her whole destiny. Well written, well researched and with a host of likeable characters, Mostly....! Peter J Matthews does a brilliant job of the narration with his different voices he brings the whole story to life. Highly Recommended.
1982
I love this series from Jason Ayres, this time a stroke victim gets the chance to go back 40 years to the time she was 22, can she change what happened that year and can she change her whole destiny. Well written, well researched and with a host of likeable characters, Mostly....! Peter J Matthews does a brilliant job of the narration with his different voices he brings the whole story to life. Highly Recommended.
August 19, 2024
3.5 stars. Similar to 1981. MC (Wendy) transfers her 2022 consciousness back in time into her 1982 body for a year in order to change the trajectory of her life. In 1982, Wendy was a struggling pop music star. Despite the book being well written, the setting simply wasn't my cup of tea <--- heh heh, notice my Brit allusion there :)
January 12, 2025
Jason Ayres is one of my favourite authors and having read most of his books I was delighted to find 1982 which by no means is his best but still up there in my own personal rankings. My only negative comment would be that the end of the story seemed rushed, and I think another couple of chapters would have topped this story up immensely. Looking forward to 1983.
January 27, 2025
Hm.
While I still very much enjoy this series, this wasn't my favorite.... I think, partly, I don't really resonate with Wendy, so I was challenged in terms of getting invested in her success. Also, I missed the "redemption" and "helping others" themes which played in the first two books of the series. Nevertheless, I look forward to book four's release!
While I still very much enjoy this series, this wasn't my favorite.... I think, partly, I don't really resonate with Wendy, so I was challenged in terms of getting invested in her success. Also, I missed the "redemption" and "helping others" themes which played in the first two books of the series. Nevertheless, I look forward to book four's release!
August 14, 2025
Another great treat
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this one as I started off. But Wendy grew on me as the story unfolded. All the trials with her band mates were quite interesting. I also enjoy getting to the end and seeing how her trip back in time changed her life. Definitely a great series I'm going to continue.
I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this one as I started off. But Wendy grew on me as the story unfolded. All the trials with her band mates were quite interesting. I also enjoy getting to the end and seeing how her trip back in time changed her life. Definitely a great series I'm going to continue.
August 8, 2024
love the 80,s
I love the 80,s so once again this book was right up my street, love the writing, story & characters & oh to get my hand on one of those bracelets! Can’t wait for 1983.
I love the 80,s so once again this book was right up my street, love the writing, story & characters & oh to get my hand on one of those bracelets! Can’t wait for 1983.
February 22, 2025
Wonderful read.
If only this bracelet were true. I'd love nothing more than to relive the 80s and make a lot of changes. But not a lot. I wouldn't want a life without my boys now men but I would have made darn sure to do better in school.
If only this bracelet were true. I'd love nothing more than to relive the 80s and make a lot of changes. But not a lot. I wouldn't want a life without my boys now men but I would have made darn sure to do better in school.
August 4, 2025
Much like 1981, this was such a fun read. You find yourself immediately invested in Wendy’s story, and routing for her along the way. This is a great series so far - I loved the in depth mentions of places in Oxford and Newcastle too!
September 2, 2025
good fun
I really enjoyed this book 1982, but not quite as much as 1981. I did like the main character however I was a little put off because of all of the music and record company history. Overall, I would recommend it to people who like time travel books.
I really enjoyed this book 1982, but not quite as much as 1981. I did like the main character however I was a little put off because of all of the music and record company history. Overall, I would recommend it to people who like time travel books.
August 2, 2024
good read
Fantastic read i literally couldn't put it down its funny and good to remember things id forgotten (its an age thing lol) well done jason
Fantastic read i literally couldn't put it down its funny and good to remember things id forgotten (its an age thing lol) well done jason
August 25, 2024
Although I was hoping for something a bit more impactful after the relatively quiet stakes of 1981 this was compelling, as most of Jason's works are. Looking forward to the next one!a
December 23, 2024
fab
Really enjoyable trip into the past that I remember well ! A really good adventure, thank you Jason well written
Really enjoyable trip into the past that I remember well ! A really good adventure, thank you Jason well written
January 15, 2025
Another fun book in the 1980s series, particularly as I used to be a bandist back in the day!
March 22, 2025
Fun read
This book was thought-provoking. The end of the book seemed like it needed an editor. But fun. Hard to recommend , but if you like music, it was okay.
This book was thought-provoking. The end of the book seemed like it needed an editor. But fun. Hard to recommend , but if you like music, it was okay.
March 30, 2025
I love this series!
I’m really enjoying these time travel stories! Especially since they involve the 1980s, when I grew up! Excited for the new one 1983!
I’m really enjoying these time travel stories! Especially since they involve the 1980s, when I grew up! Excited for the new one 1983!
May 1, 2025
Prose didn’t blow me away but very good story
August 1, 2025
As someone who was born in '67 and loved the '80's these books are a brilliant look back at those days. Love the concept of time travel to tweak a few things to make the future brighter.
August 7, 2025
Love this series! Completely absorbing
January 14, 2026
So-So
I didn't like it as much as the first two but it was o.k. Too much about recording and videos and not enough of interaction with the bracelet, and making a difference.
I didn't like it as much as the first two but it was o.k. Too much about recording and videos and not enough of interaction with the bracelet, and making a difference.
August 11, 2024
Susan Fraser Aberdeen
I’ve read all 3 in this series and absolutely loved them all
I have to admit 1981 was my favourite out of all of them but every single one is worth reading.
I’ve read all 3 in this series and absolutely loved them all
I have to admit 1981 was my favourite out of all of them but every single one is worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews