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Deep Time: A Novel
For adventurous fiction lovers, this debut novel tells the story of a young geologist working with ancient rocks who finds herself in present mortal danger when Mount St. Helens erupts with catastrophic power.
After an inspiring trip to the Grand Canyon, Lauren Brown falls in love with geology—so much so that she convinces her husband, Kenny, to follow her from Philadelphia to East Texas, where she enters a male-dominated graduate program at Texas Polytechnic. Lauren thrives on the adventure geology affords her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples—but at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.
When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. The dream event of a lifetime is at hand. On a Saturday in May, she and Kenny, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens.
The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
After an inspiring trip to the Grand Canyon, Lauren Brown falls in love with geology—so much so that she convinces her husband, Kenny, to follow her from Philadelphia to East Texas, where she enters a male-dominated graduate program at Texas Polytechnic. Lauren thrives on the adventure geology affords her—studying undersea volcanoes, shepherding clueless undergraduates in a remote national park, and climbing canyons in Oregon to collect rock samples—but at home, things are deteriorating. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor.
When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. The dream event of a lifetime is at hand. On a Saturday in May, she and Kenny, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens.
The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
1 person is currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2025
Susan Sizer Bogue, the Author of “Deep Time” has written an intriguing story. The Genres for this book are Adventure, Suspense, Women’s Fiction, and Historical Fiction. The timeline for this story starts in 1972 and ends around 1980.The author describes her characters as complex and complicated. The female protagonist of the story, Lauren Brown, enjoys adventure and is obsessed with geology. Lauren goes back to school aware that males dominate in this area. Lauren has a toxic relationship with her mother, and her husband Kenny is estranged, but they are still married. Learning about rocks, distance, formation, and volcanoes is a taxing job. Much research takes place under water. It can be a dangerous experience.
Lauren becomes friends with another colleague, Chris, who becomes her voice of reason. When she gets involved with a narcissistic Professor, Chris is her sounding board. Lauren has enormous dreams and aspirations. She would like to research a volcano, while it is erupting. When Mount St. Helen starts to show signs of erupting,, Lauren is on her way, not realizing that her dreams might just be her nightmares. I highly recommend this intense book .
Lauren becomes friends with another colleague, Chris, who becomes her voice of reason. When she gets involved with a narcissistic Professor, Chris is her sounding board. Lauren has enormous dreams and aspirations. She would like to research a volcano, while it is erupting. When Mount St. Helen starts to show signs of erupting,, Lauren is on her way, not realizing that her dreams might just be her nightmares. I highly recommend this intense book .
June 16, 2025
What a powerful debut!
This one blends adventure, suspense, women’s fiction, and historical fiction.
Set in the 1970s, we follow Lauren, a brave and curious woman who returns to school to study geology in a male-dominated field. With Mount St. Helens rumbling in the background, academic tension and personal growth build until everything—literally—erupts. The mix of science, self-discovery, and survival was such a unique and refreshing read!
If you love stories about strong women, natural disasters, and chasing your passion no matter the obstacles, add this to your TBR.
This one blends adventure, suspense, women’s fiction, and historical fiction.
Set in the 1970s, we follow Lauren, a brave and curious woman who returns to school to study geology in a male-dominated field. With Mount St. Helens rumbling in the background, academic tension and personal growth build until everything—literally—erupts. The mix of science, self-discovery, and survival was such a unique and refreshing read!
If you love stories about strong women, natural disasters, and chasing your passion no matter the obstacles, add this to your TBR.
February 26, 2025
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honesty review.
I do not feel good about giving an ARC a bad review so I’m just going to say, I didn’t enjoy this BUT maybe you will!!!
I do not feel good about giving an ARC a bad review so I’m just going to say, I didn’t enjoy this BUT maybe you will!!!
December 8, 2025
It pains me to say that I did not enjoy this novel as I know it is the author's first.
Unfortunately, the content was just too geology-heavy for me and, not having an interest in this field, I found myself skimming much of the story - sometimes entire pages. This book first caught my eye on my library's 'New Reads' shelf, and the beauty and simplicity of its cover intrigued me. Reading the blurb, I was drawn in by its description of Don, a 'predatory and vindictive professor who blocks Lauren's progress at school'.
Perhaps from this description, I thought that the novel would majorly centre around the tryst between the pair, but this is not what I found. While Don is jealous and controlling, I found that he did not block Lauren's progress at school so much as Chris's; also, Lauren and Don's affair concluded so abruptly as to almost fall off a cliff edge. One minute it was a major feature of the storyline and the next, poof, it was gone.
The friendship depicted between Chris and Lauren was sweet but not wholly plausible. I put this down to lack of character depth. Throughout the story, I found that Lauren did not have any real distinguishing features as compared to Chris, Chris didn't have any distinguishing features as compared to Kenny, etc.. Although I am biased in being a character-driven reader, I did feel that these characters were underdeveloped. I do have to give kudos, however, to the author for a realistic (if tragic) and fitting ending.
All in all, I feel that this book would appear to lovers of the natural world who are looking for a story set in volcanic hinterland. The setting and passion for geology was a little too esoteric for my taste.
Unfortunately, the content was just too geology-heavy for me and, not having an interest in this field, I found myself skimming much of the story - sometimes entire pages. This book first caught my eye on my library's 'New Reads' shelf, and the beauty and simplicity of its cover intrigued me. Reading the blurb, I was drawn in by its description of Don, a 'predatory and vindictive professor who blocks Lauren's progress at school'.
Perhaps from this description, I thought that the novel would majorly centre around the tryst between the pair, but this is not what I found. While Don is jealous and controlling, I found that he did not block Lauren's progress at school so much as Chris's; also, Lauren and Don's affair concluded so abruptly as to almost fall off a cliff edge. One minute it was a major feature of the storyline and the next, poof, it was gone.
The friendship depicted between Chris and Lauren was sweet but not wholly plausible. I put this down to lack of character depth. Throughout the story, I found that Lauren did not have any real distinguishing features as compared to Chris, Chris didn't have any distinguishing features as compared to Kenny, etc.. Although I am biased in being a character-driven reader, I did feel that these characters were underdeveloped. I do have to give kudos, however, to the author for a realistic (if tragic) and fitting ending.
All in all, I feel that this book would appear to lovers of the natural world who are looking for a story set in volcanic hinterland. The setting and passion for geology was a little too esoteric for my taste.
April 23, 2025
I really don’t like to give books 1 star, especially ARCs, but I don’t feel like I can give it more.
There were quite a few things that never clicked for me:
- the dialogue felt unrealistic, and repetitive, and I never knew the motivations of any of the characters. There were a lot of “!” and time jumps that didn’t make any sense to me.
- The book description was about Mt. Saint Helens but they don’t go there until 70% into the book
- It was both too much and too little about geology. So much time was spent on her affair and random geological adventures with way too much description that the actual explosion felt anticlimactic.
- Lastly - content warnings please!! There was so much SA content in this that definitely needed some forewarning.
The writing really didn’t work for me and I had to force myself to stay interested. I think that the entire Don storyline could probably have been cut to be honest. Or even the entire first half of the book. It just felt long and repetitive, and with my other narrative issues that made it very difficult to get through.
I was provided a digital ARC in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.
There were quite a few things that never clicked for me:
- the dialogue felt unrealistic, and repetitive, and I never knew the motivations of any of the characters. There were a lot of “!” and time jumps that didn’t make any sense to me.
- The book description was about Mt. Saint Helens but they don’t go there until 70% into the book
- It was both too much and too little about geology. So much time was spent on her affair and random geological adventures with way too much description that the actual explosion felt anticlimactic.
- Lastly - content warnings please!! There was so much SA content in this that definitely needed some forewarning.
The writing really didn’t work for me and I had to force myself to stay interested. I think that the entire Don storyline could probably have been cut to be honest. Or even the entire first half of the book. It just felt long and repetitive, and with my other narrative issues that made it very difficult to get through.
I was provided a digital ARC in exchange for a review, all opinions are my own.
June 18, 2025
If you like your fiction with a side of lava and life lessons, Deep Time might be your next read. Set between 1972 and 1980, this one’s got a little bit of everything—adventure, suspense, women’s fiction, and historical vibes all rolled into one.
Lauren, our main character, is a geology-loving, thrill-seeking woman who’s juggling a shaky marriage, a complicated relationship with her mother, and a career in a male-dominated field. Enter Chris, her grounded and supportive colleague, who becomes her much-needed sounding board—especially when dealing with a professor who seriously needs a lesson in professionalism. The friendship between Lauren and Chris is a real highlight, bringing warmth and depth to a story already packed with emotional weight and exciting fieldwork.
Things heat up (literally) when Mount St. Helens starts rumbling, and Lauren races toward what might be the opportunity of a lifetime—or a disaster waiting to happen. With a mix of geology facts, personal drama, and some intense “what will happen next?” moments, Deep Time delivers an adventurous ride through both natural and emotional upheaval.
Lauren, our main character, is a geology-loving, thrill-seeking woman who’s juggling a shaky marriage, a complicated relationship with her mother, and a career in a male-dominated field. Enter Chris, her grounded and supportive colleague, who becomes her much-needed sounding board—especially when dealing with a professor who seriously needs a lesson in professionalism. The friendship between Lauren and Chris is a real highlight, bringing warmth and depth to a story already packed with emotional weight and exciting fieldwork.
Things heat up (literally) when Mount St. Helens starts rumbling, and Lauren races toward what might be the opportunity of a lifetime—or a disaster waiting to happen. With a mix of geology facts, personal drama, and some intense “what will happen next?” moments, Deep Time delivers an adventurous ride through both natural and emotional upheaval.
May 10, 2025
What a great debut! This book has so many genres they are Adventure, Suspense, Women’s Fiction, and Historical Fiction. The timeline for this story starts in 1972 and ends around 1980. The female main character of the story, is Lauren Brown, she enjoys adventure and is very much obsessed with geology. Lauren decided to go back to school and is very aware that males dominate in this area. After separating from her straying husband, she becomes best friends with Chris, an honorable male colleague who helps her fend off a predatory professor. When Mount St. Helens awakens, geologists from all over the world flock to Washington. Lauren is determined to be part of the action and witness an erupting volcano. The dream event of a lifetime is at hand. On a Saturday in May, she and Kenny, with whom she has reconciled, convene with Chris to stake out Mount St. Helens.
The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
The first day, the mountain remains annoyingly quiet. The next day, it erupts with catastrophic power—and irreversibly upends Lauren’s life.
May 24, 2025
“Rocks were history books of the earth.”
“Geology dealt with deep time, before human angst clouded the earth.”
This is an adventurous story, as Lauren Brown's passion for geology takes her whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon, braving the Bermuda Triangle, and finally witnessing Mount St. Helens erupt.
With each expedition, Lauren gains more experience and grows her reputation in the field. But just as the ground and rocks around her are constantly changing and shifting, so are the relationships in her life.
A blend of atmospheric elements and geological studies is interwoven with Lauren’s struggles with her mother, a toxic husband, and her best friend, making for an intriguing journey of self-discovery.
3.5 ⭐️
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @boguesusan for the gifted book.
June 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this mix of adventure, science, exploration and discovering oneself. The geological aspects of the story were very exciting and captivating. I felt the character's excitement when a trip to the Grand Canyon ignited in Lauren a desire to become a geologist. As a person who enjoys hiking and wilderness, the passages where the characters are exploring and getting rock samples intrigued me. Now that I live in Portland, Mount St. Helens is basically in my backyard and the proximity to that part of the story made it all the more real. The suspense surrounding the eruption was palpable and the conclusion is heartwarming. if you enjoy a well written, character driven story I recommend this excellent debut.
Thank you to the author, She Writes Press and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
Thank you to the author, She Writes Press and Suzy Approved Book Tours for the gifted copy and including me on this tour.
June 8, 2025
This is a fictional book set in the 1970s-1980 world of higher academia and geology.
The book centers around Lauren who decides to get an advanced degree in geology. It’s a male dominated field and she finds herself part of a toxic academic environment.
Lauren struggles with personal relationships. She has a dependent mother and a husband who she is estranged from.
Lauren does meet a fellow academic, Chris, with whom she forms a deep friendship.
My favorite part of the book was what happened during the Mount St. Helen’s eruption in 1980. This part of the story had my heart pounding.
There is a lot of geologic descriptions that were quite interesting that added another layer to the book’s drama.
The book centers around Lauren who decides to get an advanced degree in geology. It’s a male dominated field and she finds herself part of a toxic academic environment.
Lauren struggles with personal relationships. She has a dependent mother and a husband who she is estranged from.
Lauren does meet a fellow academic, Chris, with whom she forms a deep friendship.
My favorite part of the book was what happened during the Mount St. Helen’s eruption in 1980. This part of the story had my heart pounding.
There is a lot of geologic descriptions that were quite interesting that added another layer to the book’s drama.
June 15, 2025
My favorite uncle is a geologist but I’ve never known much about the specifics of his job. I really enjoyed learning more about the path to becoming a geologist and all the different specialties. Lauren was a compelling character. I admired her determination to pursue a career in a male dominated industry despite quite a few obstacles along the way. Although I didn’t always agree with some of the choices she made in her personal life, I did understand how she could have made some of the decisions I didn’t agree with. I was always rooting for her to find happiness personally and professionally. The title is perfect for this and I enjoyed learning the significance.
June 12, 2025
This one checks a tonne of my boxes.
Nerdy geological info?
Side Quests?
Personal development?
LURVE?
How is this even a debut novel?
As an 80s baby, I loved learning all the nostalgia, and the niche scientific bits satisfied my soul.
And listen, this might just be my pattern seeking brain, but the volcano is the perfect metaphor for the pacing of this book.
Slooooooooooow and steady, and what are we dealing with? Then FIRE AND BRIMSTONE AND WTF DID I JUST READ?!
This author best get busy writing book #2.
Nerdy geological info?
Side Quests?
Personal development?
LURVE?
How is this even a debut novel?
As an 80s baby, I loved learning all the nostalgia, and the niche scientific bits satisfied my soul.
And listen, this might just be my pattern seeking brain, but the volcano is the perfect metaphor for the pacing of this book.
Slooooooooooow and steady, and what are we dealing with? Then FIRE AND BRIMSTONE AND WTF DID I JUST READ?!
This author best get busy writing book #2.
June 18, 2025
I've always been fascinated by rocks and the sense of calm they give me, whether I'm climbing them or collecting them, so I could totally relate to Lauren's newfound love of geology. This book takes Lauren and the reader on the adventures of a lifetime, but not without cost and the relationships explored are meaningful and exemplary of life's challenges. I enjoyed revisiting the past that I've lived through and seeing events in a new light.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2025
Deep Time by Susan Sizer Bogue is a captivating novel that I enjoyed.
This historical fiction spans from 1972 to 1980.
Lauren Brown really loves geology. Lauren goes back to school and its not very easy.
Lauren makes a friend with Chris. She has so many dreams and when Mount St. Helen could be erupting Lauren becomes obsessed with going there.
This story has elements of danger and mystery and history.
I really liked the story, it was captivating and well written.
This historical fiction spans from 1972 to 1980.
Lauren Brown really loves geology. Lauren goes back to school and its not very easy.
Lauren makes a friend with Chris. She has so many dreams and when Mount St. Helen could be erupting Lauren becomes obsessed with going there.
This story has elements of danger and mystery and history.
I really liked the story, it was captivating and well written.
May 18, 2025
Talk about an intense ride!
This book was such a great mix of science, adventure, and personal growth. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of nature, and this story really brought that to life. Definitely recommend if you’re into character-driven stories with a love for nature, geology, or a good adventure.
This book was such a great mix of science, adventure, and personal growth. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of nature, and this story really brought that to life. Definitely recommend if you’re into character-driven stories with a love for nature, geology, or a good adventure.
June 20, 2025
I liked that it was a mix of self discovery and geology. Lauren faced a lot of challenges in her personal life while in college but it helped build to what happened. I loved Chris and Lauren’s friendship. Their friendship gave Lauren someone to help her bounce ideas off of but also listen when she needed to get her emotions out. I found the parts involving Lauren’s field work and Mount St. Helen’s interesting and faster paced. It had some facts about the volcanos and history behind while having some adventurous and thrilling moments.
Thank you @boguesusan @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
Thank you @boguesusan @suzyapprovedbooktours for the gifted copy.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews