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Stuck in Time
Ember Appleton thought she was in for a lousy afternoon when she got stood up on a blind date--little did she know she would end up in the wrong century! Focused on her love of art, Ember pays little attention to the world around her, until a freak accident sends her whirling back into Kansas City, in the year 1933. There she witnesses one of the city’s most gruesome catastrophes in history right before her eyes. However, her day gets a little brighter when she is rescued by a handsome, concerned reporter who cannot take his eyes off of her…
Daire Kelley has worked his whole life for this moment–an opportunity to capture history the moment it occurs and cement his name as a world-class reporter. That is until a bewildering woman materializes in front of him, stopping him in his tracks and catapulting him into a quandary he never capture the crime of the decade on camera or rescue the intriguing woman who is standing in the crosshairs of the biggest mobster shootout in Kansas City history.
Danger lurks in every corner of 1933 Kansas City, a city run by the powerful mafia machine. Can Ember survive the unexpected dangers of this complicated era? And will Daire be forced to set aside his lifelong dreams in order to keep them both alive? These two may be stuck in time, but could they have found each other for a reason?
Daire Kelley has worked his whole life for this moment–an opportunity to capture history the moment it occurs and cement his name as a world-class reporter. That is until a bewildering woman materializes in front of him, stopping him in his tracks and catapulting him into a quandary he never capture the crime of the decade on camera or rescue the intriguing woman who is standing in the crosshairs of the biggest mobster shootout in Kansas City history.
Danger lurks in every corner of 1933 Kansas City, a city run by the powerful mafia machine. Can Ember survive the unexpected dangers of this complicated era? And will Daire be forced to set aside his lifelong dreams in order to keep them both alive? These two may be stuck in time, but could they have found each other for a reason?
242 pages, Paperback
Published May 13, 2024
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Heather Manning
8 books73 followersBestselling author Heather Manning is a young lady who loves to read--and write. Her first two novels, Swept to Sea and Carried Home, quickly became bestsellers. She recently graduated from Stephens College with a degree in theatre arts. Now, she lives in Orlando, Florida, working for a certain famous mouse, and obsesses over food, Disney, and time travel. Find Heather on her website: http://heathermanningofficial.com/
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 15, 2024
This sweet and heart pounding story was a joy to read! You’ll find yourself wishing that you lived in 1933.
Ember Appleton finds herself stood up on a blind date, and decides to sketch and drink an iced coffee instead of sulking over a date that could have been. When she mistakenly leaves her car keys locked in her car and tries to shelter from a violent rainstorm pummeling Kansas City, she finds herself transported from the 21st century to Kansas City in the year 1933, directly in the midst of a mobster debacle. The dashing reporter, Daire Kelley, immediately steps in to protect Ember, and realizes that there is something different and special about her. Albeit, he doesn’t know that she is from the 21st century. Daire offers to help Ember find her way back home, but will he believe that she is not from the year 1933? And deep in her heart, Ember feels like she has already found a place to call home.
This story gave me Midnight in Paris and Thoroughly Modern Millie vibes mixed in with mobsters, and it’s a combination I didn’t know I needed till now! From the aura and atmosphere of Kansas City in 1933, to the swoony banter and chivalrous kindness Daire shows Ember, to the speedy chases and unknown mobster heists, it all had my heart melting and pounding. I was so inspired by this story that I spent the past two days listening to music from the 1930’s imagining I was drinking and dancing in an underground speakeasy.
I highly recommend this historical time travel fiction novel and I cannot wait to dive into book 2!
Romantic Content: Closed Door, Kisses and Attraction Mildly Described
TW: Non-Graphic Mobster Violence, Kidnapping
Ember Appleton finds herself stood up on a blind date, and decides to sketch and drink an iced coffee instead of sulking over a date that could have been. When she mistakenly leaves her car keys locked in her car and tries to shelter from a violent rainstorm pummeling Kansas City, she finds herself transported from the 21st century to Kansas City in the year 1933, directly in the midst of a mobster debacle. The dashing reporter, Daire Kelley, immediately steps in to protect Ember, and realizes that there is something different and special about her. Albeit, he doesn’t know that she is from the 21st century. Daire offers to help Ember find her way back home, but will he believe that she is not from the year 1933? And deep in her heart, Ember feels like she has already found a place to call home.
This story gave me Midnight in Paris and Thoroughly Modern Millie vibes mixed in with mobsters, and it’s a combination I didn’t know I needed till now! From the aura and atmosphere of Kansas City in 1933, to the swoony banter and chivalrous kindness Daire shows Ember, to the speedy chases and unknown mobster heists, it all had my heart melting and pounding. I was so inspired by this story that I spent the past two days listening to music from the 1930’s imagining I was drinking and dancing in an underground speakeasy.
I highly recommend this historical time travel fiction novel and I cannot wait to dive into book 2!
Romantic Content: Closed Door, Kisses and Attraction Mildly Described
TW: Non-Graphic Mobster Violence, Kidnapping
June 2, 2024
Another great story by Heather Manning, this time a delightful blend of romance, time travel, and historical intrigue that transports you to the dangerous streets of 1930s Kansas City. With a narrative that combines elements of romance, adventure, and historical fiction, this book is a joy to read.
Ember Appleton, after being stood up on a blind date at Union Station in Kansas City, finds herself thrown back in time to the 1930s, when mobsters ran the city. There she meets Daire Kelley, a young investigative reporter risking his life to expose organized crime. From their first encounter amidst a mobster shootout, Daire's protective instincts and Ember's modern-day quirks create a very interesting relationship between the two.
As Ember struggles to adjust to the trip back in time – with the past’s very different sensibilities and very different technology levels – and as Daire’s reporting gets the attention of some of the worst elements of the organized crime scene in the city, the tension and action ramp up. And so does the growing romance between Ember and Daire.
The setting of 1930s Kansas City is captured well, with a very different Kansas City from that of modern day, including an early amusement park known as Electric Park, and of course, speakeasies. The action is done quite well, as is the tension between Ember’s desire to return home to the modern day and her desire to stay in the past due to her growing relationship with Daire. The cast of secondary characters is also quite well done, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the sequel!
Ember Appleton, after being stood up on a blind date at Union Station in Kansas City, finds herself thrown back in time to the 1930s, when mobsters ran the city. There she meets Daire Kelley, a young investigative reporter risking his life to expose organized crime. From their first encounter amidst a mobster shootout, Daire's protective instincts and Ember's modern-day quirks create a very interesting relationship between the two.
As Ember struggles to adjust to the trip back in time – with the past’s very different sensibilities and very different technology levels – and as Daire’s reporting gets the attention of some of the worst elements of the organized crime scene in the city, the tension and action ramp up. And so does the growing romance between Ember and Daire.
The setting of 1930s Kansas City is captured well, with a very different Kansas City from that of modern day, including an early amusement park known as Electric Park, and of course, speakeasies. The action is done quite well, as is the tension between Ember’s desire to return home to the modern day and her desire to stay in the past due to her growing relationship with Daire. The cast of secondary characters is also quite well done, and I look forward to seeing more of them in the sequel!
May 11, 2024
Ember Appleton (how cute is that name!?) is about to learn a whole lot more about the history of her hometown of Kansas City, MO than she bargained for. A unique chain of events during a thunderstorm throws her decades into the past. Like, WAAAAAAAAY BACK INTO THE 1930s. Now she's "Stuck in Time" with no way back home. Her modern-day clothes make her stand out like a sore thumb, now that she's in a more conservative time period.
Crime and corruption run amuck in the 1930s! Ember's new life (in the past) hits hard and hits fast. She's dodging bullets straightaway. Ember takes it all in stride though and becomes the true heroine of her story, even if her story has led her down a path she would have never envisioned.
The chapter about Electric Park was simply riveting! All the amazing rides and fun things to do. (The original inspiration behind Walt Disney's Disneyland!) Electric Park is a lost and forgotten American treasure that can only be experienced through a unique setting like this.
The ending of this book though... left me hanging. Heather Manning, I'll be waiting for a sequel.
Contains at least mild cursing. Also, is not Christian fiction. Otherwise, this is a clean romance.
Crime and corruption run amuck in the 1930s! Ember's new life (in the past) hits hard and hits fast. She's dodging bullets straightaway. Ember takes it all in stride though and becomes the true heroine of her story, even if her story has led her down a path she would have never envisioned.
The chapter about Electric Park was simply riveting! All the amazing rides and fun things to do. (The original inspiration behind Walt Disney's Disneyland!) Electric Park is a lost and forgotten American treasure that can only be experienced through a unique setting like this.
The ending of this book though... left me hanging. Heather Manning, I'll be waiting for a sequel.
Contains at least mild cursing. Also, is not Christian fiction. Otherwise, this is a clean romance.
May 18, 2024
Time travel, mobsters, speakeasies, and sweet romance pack the pages of this lovely story by Heather Manning.
The first of a new series, this book works well as a standalone novel but leaves readers with just enough excitement and anticipation for a second installment.
Ember Appleton, a modern-day art student from Kansas City, finds herself transported mid-storm to a sunny day in the 1930s. Despite the Great Depression affecting the country at large, her hometown is thriving under the thumb of mobsters who use their power to live above the laws that should keep the city safe.
Immediately caught up in a mobster-led shootout, Ember is protected by a gentlemanly reporter named Daire Kelley.
At the cost of risking both his life and his scoop on a career-boosting story, Daire dives to the rescue of a strangely dressed woman outside Union Station, never suspecting how both their lives will be transformed.
Pursued by mobsters while also seeking the hottest leads, Ember and Daire are thrust into a dangerous world that threatens both life and livelihood, but it seems they just might have been thrown into each others paths for a reason.
Overall, Stuck in Time is a sweet and clean time travel romance with fun characters and plenty of adventure.
The first of a new series, this book works well as a standalone novel but leaves readers with just enough excitement and anticipation for a second installment.
Ember Appleton, a modern-day art student from Kansas City, finds herself transported mid-storm to a sunny day in the 1930s. Despite the Great Depression affecting the country at large, her hometown is thriving under the thumb of mobsters who use their power to live above the laws that should keep the city safe.
Immediately caught up in a mobster-led shootout, Ember is protected by a gentlemanly reporter named Daire Kelley.
At the cost of risking both his life and his scoop on a career-boosting story, Daire dives to the rescue of a strangely dressed woman outside Union Station, never suspecting how both their lives will be transformed.
Pursued by mobsters while also seeking the hottest leads, Ember and Daire are thrust into a dangerous world that threatens both life and livelihood, but it seems they just might have been thrown into each others paths for a reason.
Overall, Stuck in Time is a sweet and clean time travel romance with fun characters and plenty of adventure.
May 17, 2024
Thank you to the author for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a good combo of romance, history, and suspense! After getting stuck in a thunderstorm outside of Union Station in KC present day, Ember is magically taken back to 1933 right as a mob shootout is happening. After being protected by Daire, Ember starts trying to figure out where she is and what is going on while falling in love with Daire. Throughout the book there is a lot of history about KC woven in which I found particularly interesting because i am from the area but did not know about many of the things mentioned. The suspense comes into play because Daire is a crime writer for a newspaper and is walking the line with the articles he writes about the mobs and mafia.
The only thing I didn’t love was that there wasn’t resolution for how she ended up 1933. Especially since there was a second case of time traveling at the end of the book. But this is the first book in the series and the ending led me to believe that more of the story will come out in the next book so I will be watching for that to be released!
This is a clean romance so it could be good for both teens and adults.
This was a good combo of romance, history, and suspense! After getting stuck in a thunderstorm outside of Union Station in KC present day, Ember is magically taken back to 1933 right as a mob shootout is happening. After being protected by Daire, Ember starts trying to figure out where she is and what is going on while falling in love with Daire. Throughout the book there is a lot of history about KC woven in which I found particularly interesting because i am from the area but did not know about many of the things mentioned. The suspense comes into play because Daire is a crime writer for a newspaper and is walking the line with the articles he writes about the mobs and mafia.
The only thing I didn’t love was that there wasn’t resolution for how she ended up 1933. Especially since there was a second case of time traveling at the end of the book. But this is the first book in the series and the ending led me to believe that more of the story will come out in the next book so I will be watching for that to be released!
This is a clean romance so it could be good for both teens and adults.
June 5, 2024
Stuck in Time was just the right mix of romance and mobsters that I never knew I was missing. It had just the right amount of action to keep the book moving forward. Add to that a swooning romance with lost chivalry of the past...this one was a hard book to put down and left me wanting more. It played like a movie in my head with each turn of the page.
August 13, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! Highly recommend especially if you’re into a little romance (nothing too spicy in this one!), mystery and time travel. It’s also a bit of a historical fiction so I learned a few things about Kansas City in the 1930’s as well. I’m looking forward to the next one!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews