The History of Lucy's Love Life in Ten and a Half Chapters

by Deborah Wright

Who would you date if you had a time machine?

Lucy's love life needs a boost. When she isn't flirting with the gorgeous guy at the newsstand, she's daydreaming about torrid affairs with Lord Byron and George Clooney, anyone but her boyfriend Anthony. So she does what any sensible woman would do: she steals a time machine and tracks down the great lovers of the past. From Casanova to Ovid to Byron himself, Lucy's dating pool expands to truly historic proportions. But she quickly finds that even the world's most renowned lovers have their limitations and that her true love may be closer to home than she ever believed.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Time Travel, Humor

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Deborah Wright was born in the UK in 1974. Her first novel, Olivia's Bliss, won the Poolbeg/Ireland on Sunday bestseller competition in 2000. She went on to publish a number of magical romantic comedies, including The Rebel Fairy, a modern version of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and Under My Spell, a romance about witchcraft, with Little Brown. Her most recent novel was 'Swimming With Dolphins' (Headline) and she is currently working on a YA novel. Her novels have regularly gone into the Booktrack Top 50 Bestsellers charts.

Deborah lives in Cambridge with her family, several cats and a Dalmatian. For more information visit www.deborahwright.co.uk where you are very welcome to get in touch!

Reviews

[Marjanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could have given this book 2.5 stars. Overall, the story was nice (though I did have the urge to beat the heroine about the head for being so indecisive). She ends up with exactly who you think she will be, though they take a long time getting to it. My biggest complaint about this book is the time traveling. It was hard for me to suspend belief enough that she could just get into the time machine and end up exactly where she wanted to be and run into all the right people. There were also some cheesy bits that just made me roll my eyes.

[Tweedledum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read from start to finish brimming with Joie d'vivre and spiced with a little craziness. As we travel with Lucy to meet the men she imagines she fancies from the past we are shown beguiling glimpses into unlikely corners of history giving the reader a flavour, just a flavour of what it might have been like to be there, and there, and there. Lucy's frequent faux pas and innate mischeavousness spice up the action. Anything goes....

Wright's lightness of touch masks a deep well of knowledge. It takes considerable skill to write like this.

[Moondust · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it during my (extremely boring)summer vacations! I stumbled across it by accident..i was browsing through the British Library in Delhi and i loved it!!I finished it in a day (boring vacation indeed) and then re-read it slowly!

The story starts with a depressed Lucy who had just broken up with her boyfriend and unsure about relationships. And then she finds a time-machine which takes her back in time, to romance famous men in history...
I have never come across such a bizzare combination of elements in a chic-flic!

I still have fond memories of the book! The storyline is fresh and interesting.Hilarious read! An absolute must-read!!

[Jessie Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t often read romances but I’m a sucker for a time travel story so this piqued my interest. It was an interesting concept but quite cliched and I knew how it was going to end from the start. The writing was pretty bland which isn’t really what you want when you’re reading a story set across both time and countries. Lucy is also really annoying. Certain events also don’t make very much sense and there’s a vague sense of ‘Huh?’ throughout.

My Recommendation
If you enjoy cookie cutter romances where you know there’ll be a happy ending then it’s a fun and interesting book.

Not For Everyone
The time travel in the book is quite one dimensional and rewrites it’s own laws a few times throughout. It’s a very convenient plot.

To The Author
Lucy needs a slap.

If You’ve Never Read The Book And Want To Say You Have
Sexcapade through time because you’re bored.

Academic Prompts
Male vs female sexuality/promiscuity

[Tracey- Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd rather fun and very unique read by Deborah Wright.
I found this novel had me laughing in the first couple of chapters well giggling to be honest at Lucy's actions.
It's a rather chaotic love story with Lucy and Anthony, but I also loved how Lucy had a time machine that she could travel back in time to meet the world famous lovers and she chose Byron and Casanova. The travelling back in the time machine and especially Casanova , was definitely the funniest part of the novel.
I felt that the ending was summarised rather rapidly in a rushed manner, but the book was still a good read .
Deborah Wright knows how to write characters of interest, and a love story with humour added to it and I will read her books again.

[charmingalysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i bought this in a book thrift store back in the 2010s. i have always been a sucker for love stories and a tale told by a rather quirky female lead. and this one was no exception. as a tween looking for funny and engaging books, this one has been one of my sure favorites. even if i did not fully get all the historical references (Seeing as I am a Filipina tween and we did not dwell on poets of the western world so much).

but all i remember is how i loved anthony as a character and how i completely loved how the authour stitched up their story.

it's a cardinal rule of mine not to read reviews of books i have not finished because i know for a fact that spoilers are amidst. but hey, it's a good read and is a classic favorite that i keep in my book shelf to this day!

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super cute idea, Lucy is just too back and forth about everything. Like, it's the last chapter, and Anthony's walked off the pew for her, on the honeymoon, and she has the audacity to be slightly towards him. Also, there were multiple times when, like Byron leaving, that were obviously meant to be vague and unimportant, but the way they were described just didn't make sense. Also, I can't figure out what Anthony looked like. Back to the wedding, there were too many false endings. I think they had three or four opportunities to call it off, and suspense is great, but just do it?

[Mike Rymarz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Drivel. Not sure if it was supposed to be a comedy (humour necessary to fulfil that brief) or a treatise on the painfulness of lost live and the dating dilemmas de nos jours, but for me it missed the mark on both.
Ridiculously unfathomable and unrealistic experiences which Lucy took so easily in her stride.
Such a shame because the idea was great. Execution, not so great...

[Sharon Falduto]

Lucy gets a time machine and travels through history, hooking up with (or trying to) the likes of Lord Byron, DaVinci, and Casanova. Of course, she discovers that her true love is much closer to home.

[Florivee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started this long ago but got some time out because I found it boring especially in the middle part. However, it got interesting at later part so I was able to finish it. Wouldn’t mistake this for reality, definitely a fiction.

[Karina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this gets a 2.5. It was very early 2000s and seemed longer than it needed to be. It was a fun story but several times I wondered if it was worth finishing. I also felt like I couldn't really connect with Lucy, she's over the top dramatic. Maybe this genre just isn't for me.

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Chick lit isn't usually my thing, but then again I've read paranormal chick lit that I enjoyed, so maybe it's not me. Then again, I've read a lot of time travel material for my book on time-travel films, and even if I hadn't, there's nothing terribly new in this: Lucy's getting cold feet about her seemingly perfect boyfriend, so she uses a time machine to check out Byron and other great lovers, and has the typical comical mishaps about adapting to the past. Wright's style is competent, but there are better writers in the genre too.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this immediately after "Bookends" and LOVED IT. I really connected with the main character as I remembered having the same conflicting emotions in my head while back in the dating game. I also enjoyed the message it gave, very "Austenland" in that reality never matches the fantasy, but that's okay. We can deal with imperfection in life. I also loved the fact that it showed Lucy's relationship with her boyfriend thoroughly, beginning to end, and they didn't just magically get together on the last page and leave you ticked off that you never got to see them REALLY interact. I'm not saying whether they get together in the end because you see the highs and lows of their relationship, but it was a much more realistic relationship than many I've read about. The book was generally clean with the classic English use of the f-word throughout, but fortunately not overwhelmingly so...just be warned. Anyway, I really recommend this book as something fun! (p.s. a lot of people hated the fact that it used a time machine...too unrealistic/cheesy. Yep, it's unrealistic, it's silly, but that's what the entire book is...so I still thought it was fun to read. Perfect for summer:))

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the first two-thirds of this book in a way I haven't loved chick lit in a very long time. The idea that a typical chick-lit protagonist (witty, well-dressed, just out of a relationship) could, via a time machine, interact with Lord Byron, Leonardo da Vinci, and Ovid, among others, was fresh and interesting. Byron and Keats fighting for Lucy's affections was a particularly inspired touch. It was a charming and original blend of slapstick and trivia...until the plot started to crumble. The author contradicted herself in a few key places (Anthony was a terrible commitmentphobe until he met Lucy...oh, except for this one other girlfriend he had who's never been mentioned until she reappears as soon as Lucy wants him back. Also, Lucy adores the roast chicken Anthony makes. Until she's revealed to be a vegetarian two-thirds of the way through the book.) and the story got flimsier and flimsier until the very unsatisfying conclusion. I feel all kinds of let down.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book, I assumed it was standard chic-lit, which usually doesn't disappoint. I quickly discovered that the book is built on the unrealistic premise that time travel is possible. Not wanting to pre-judge, I decided to keep reading. The author included lots of historical information about the periods Lucy was traveling to and the people she met.

However, because of the time machine, I just couln't relate to the main character. Chic-lit heroines learn something about themselves and their relationships - which Lucy did - but not by traveling though time!

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought it was a really funny premise, but was disappointed by the actual book.

Not so much as spoilers but Nitpicks Ahead:

If I was going to use a time machine I think I'd study up on the periods of history and the peolple I was going to visit. Like enough research to find out that DaVinci was likely gay.

The part where Lord Byron is baffled by a condom also seemed really off to me. Legend has it he always carried one, just in case. Okay, maybe he wouldn't know how to put on a modern one, but I'm sure he'd know a ripped one isn't any good.

[Lavonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love time travel and this book caught my eye right away, even in the Dollar Tree store. It wasn't great, but it was worth the price of admission. What really amused me about the book was that I had somewhat the same idea once upon a time when I wanted to write. A girl is bored with her current boyfriend, even though he's a good guy, because he isn't romantic enough for her. She travels in time only to find out she actually has a good deal back in her own time. This heroine was a little whiney for my taste, but kudos to Deborah Wright for actually writing the tale.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be surprisingly thoughtful, romantic, and good. It's not the typical thing I would pick up to read, so to be honest I was expecting to be bored. However, both my sisters nagged me, so finally I started it. The time travel element was also a lot more exciting then I thought, and I thought that Lucy reminded me a lot of myself(a couple years ago) with her fears and emotions towards commitment. I would highly recommend this to almost any woman, since it helps us to think about what we actually have, and that maybe we wouldn't be happier with something else.

[Preeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deborah sure tickles you like the likes of Sophie kinsella... humorous writing where you won't expect ... unpredictable story line...love the quirks and works of time machine..one would think oh here goes another predictable sets of time machine journey but no ...not a style of Lucy Lyons. Flow of writing is impeccable. Of all the things, i liked the colourful cover of the book and the font used in title.. i know one should not judge the book by it's cover.. yet this book seemed more inviting due to its cover.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, if wordy, book about a woman with a time machine and a fear of commitment. While I didn't identify with ALL of Lucy's issues, I thought she was a very honest representation of what if. I did enjoy the book for the most part. I probably wouldn't have gone back in time to see the men she did - but I can see the appeal in each of them and I think she learns her lessons well throughout it.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would be a fun silly read and grabbed it at the Library on a whim. It was, but had me so engrossed I finished it in a day. There is something about her relationships that grab you. My only question is, why would a woman who is brave enough to time travel chicken-out at the very end?

[Rosie Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly your average 'chicklit' story, what with the time travel and all that, but ended up being fairly generic after a promising start. Too long to sustain the plot device, it got old and tired by 'Casanova' and was fairly predictable in the end. If it had been a 100 pages shorter, I'd have enjoyed it a lot more.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea behind the book was great, but like many of the reviews I read, I agree that the lead female was frustrating, thinking one thing and always doing the opposite. Anyhow, I liked the historical figures that played into the story, even traveling back to the future with her. I gave it 3 stars for it's entertainment value and uniqueness, but 2 lacking stars are for her obnoxious choices..

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea for a nice, quirky romance with some historical touches, but it was just too drawn out, and Lucy is just annoying in her failure to see how great Anthony is and then inability to tell him once she realizes it. Too much like My Best Friend's Wedding and probably other movies that I am not familiar with. Just skimmed the middle, checked the ending and moved on to the next book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in an old and very small book shop at the coast of southern England. As natively German it was very easy to read and understand, so I fell in love with the story and could totally identify with the protagonist. A recommendation to all romantics and realists out there, because that book offers both.

[Taddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy funny read. A love story and like in a soap unbearable dragging sometimes, so it was hard stopping to read. The time machine gives the story a science fictional touch but it is really about the main character and her fear of moving on in life. I liked the characters and was glad that finally everything worked out just fine. A girls story.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, so good. I like the idea of time travel so that is what got me interested in this one. Sometimes I wish Lucy would just get over her commitment issues and make it with Anthony but then the book would be over, so we will see what happens. I bet that's what happens-hahaha.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I liked the authors name. But it was just OK, not great. I had a hard time getting interested in the heroine - she was kind of whiny and victimy. I had to force myself to finish it, I got bored about 3/4 of the way through, but wanted to find out what happened.

[Summer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although preposterous, this book was entertaining and held my interest. Definitely worth checking out from the library if you want an escape from reality and don't have issues with things that can't really happen.

[Tamara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyable, quick but as far as time travel books good, it was a bit of a let down. This book was boring at the beginning, interesting in the middle, and contrived at the end. Not an awful waste of time but I wouldn't rush out to find it either.