What happens when a twenty-first-century woman falls for a nineteenth-century man? It’s up to destiny in a witty, captivating, and totally unexpected time-travel romance.
Daphne Griffin is a first-year Minnesota resident in emergency medicine when she rides her bike into a man who appears out of thin air. Physically, he’s fine. Confused? Very. He claims he’s Henry MacDonald, from Edinburgh, Scotland, 1885.
The closer Daphne gets to Henry, the more probable the impossible notion of a time traveler looks. The how and why are vitally important to Henry, who needs to return home before his widowed mother and two sisters lose the family business. In the meantime, he’s adjusting to the marvels of twenty-first-century life and his feelings for the irresistible Daphne. As for her? She’s never met a man so charming, or one who makes her so deliriously happy.
It has the makings of a perfect romance, if not for the century and a half separating his time from hers. Time is running out to get Henry back home—and for him to decide once and for all where his heart belongs.
Daphne Griffin is a first-year residency doctor in emergency medicine in Minnesota. One day, she rides her bike to the hospital and crashes into a man who appears in her path out of thin air. Though unbelievable, the man says he is Henry MacDonald from Edinburgh, Scotland, 1885.
Henry is disoriented and wants to go home to his mother and two sisters. With no one to help him in the present, Daphne and her friends decide to give it a shot. As Henry lives with them, trying to adjust to 21st-century life, things get a bit complicated for him and Daphne.
It would have been a great love story if Henry weren’t from 150 years ago! With the time running out, Henry has to decide if he wants to stay or leave.
The story comes in Daphne's (more % and in the present timeline) and Henry’s (past timeline) third-person POVs.
My Thoughts:
The premise sounded cute, so I grabbed this one right away. It’s a short book too (288 pages), which seems to have affected the pacing and development of the romantic track. It’s a quick read, too, after the first couple of chapters.
In a way, I like that it doesn’t take a lot of time for the characters to accept the possibility of time travel, though they are doctors and science-based and all that. There are things beyond science, and having an open mind is more important.
The side characters add quite a bit of oomph and fun to the plot. They are fun people to read about. It certainly helps since the FMC doesn’t endear herself with her attitude in some chapters.
However, I did like the exploration of a person working hard to make their dream career come true, only to realize it may not be what they wanted, and they are unsure of what to do next. It happens!
The biggest issue is with the romance, which ends up on the fast track. This plotline might have worked better with a slow-burn romance despite the fast pace. Since the love declarations came a bit too early, it felt too surface-level.
For almost 70% of the book, we get only the FMC’s POV. I thought it was a single POV book until the switch happened. While I like the idea behind this, I felt this rather reduced the reader’s ability to connect with the MMC sooner.
Still, the book is enjoyable and a light read for those who want something simple and sweet. It should work well as a palate cleaner or a breather between heavy reads.
To summarize, Time for You is an easy, fluffy read with romance between a contemporary doctor and a 19th-century man. And oh, the concept of time-travel is done well. We get just enough detail to understand how it works.
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
3.75 / 5 Stars This was unexpectedly pretty delightful. The concept is pretty simple: Dating is so bleak that when a man appears out of thin air, wearing an Abe Lincoln hat, claiming that it’s 1885, Daphne says, “you know what, sure, why not?” Not immediately. First she, as a doctor, checks him for a traumatic brain injury, concussion, or some other medical condition. Once they establish he is, in fact, from the past, Daphne and friends teach him to be more progressive. AND THEN, she falls in love.
You will probably like this book if you like: 🕒 He’s a time traveler 🕒 Regency MMC x ER Doctor FMC 🕒 Fun friend group 🕒 Dual POV (her’s for the first half, his for the second)
In parts, this book didn’t take itself too seriously, which was really great. There was a perfect level of silliness. For example, they knew he wasn’t from the present when he met their friend, Brittany Spiers, and didn’t make a joke about her name. Or when they tried to teach him about the present and their slide show included climate change and drag queens (his reaction: horrified and delighted, respectively). The friend dynamic among Daphne’s friend group was also fun and “Friends”-esque.
The more serious parts about Daphne not loving her specialty were a nice balance to the funny bits. I appreciated the honesty about the challenges of the current healthcare system and the challenges of being an ER doc – I’ve seen “The Pitt” so I am an expert too. Her profession as a doctor also helped close a lot of potential logic holes related to what you do with a man who arrives from 1885.
The romance was fine but not the selling point for me. Do I believe they really like each other? Yes. Do I believe they love each other? No. But honestly, that was fine. The romance was nice, not life changing. They bickered. She tried to get him to get with the times. He grew. There was one spicy scene. The real fun for me lay in the time traveling aspect and the fun bits above.
It was a quick, easy read. A great palette cleanser if you need a little whimsy and some chuckles.
Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for providing this eARC. Publication Date: September 23, 2025 _______________________- Pre-Read Thoughts: I solely picked up this book because the premise reminded me of that Vanessa Hudgen’s movie where a medieval knight time travels to the present and they insta fall in love. Does anyone else remember that insane movie? “The Knight Before Christmas.” Except here he’s Victorian and it’s not Christmas. Just trying to entertain myself at this point 🤣🤣🤣
Time for You by Elizabeth Davis Contemporary romance. Time travel, time slip. Daphne Griffin is a doctor in emergency medicine. A totally modern woman working towards her lifelong goal to help and heal after an emergency. When a man suddenly appears in front of her on the bike trail, it’s too late to avoid him. The crash results in injuries to the bike and man. Daphne insists on taking him back to the hospital since he seems confused. He insists it’s 1885. After tests including psychological, he has no where to go but home with Daphne. Fortunately her neighbor is away for a few months and Daphne has her key. He can stay there while he either gets his memory back or her friends can find a way to return him to his own time. Unless he wants to stay?
Daphne finds him romantic and comforting. He falls for her but having been burned in the past, he’s cautious. Plus he needs to get home to save the family business.
Both Daphne and Henry have feelings for the other while not losing their own complications in life. I liked that romance wasn’t an answer to the problems but addressed separately.
Cute. Fun references to many movies and books with time travel. Unique analysis and solution for the phenomenon. Overall entertaining and romantic.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I purchased an audiobook copy to reread.
— Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing this arc! — 3 Stars This was a fun read! Perfect for a sick day or a rainy one.
(+) - The ending, where we finally got to see Henry with his family. - The funny moments when Henry struggled to understand the 21st century. - The touch on America’s issues, even if it wasn’t explored in depth.
(-) - The love story. This is a romance novel, but I didn’t really buy their love for each other. - The book felt too short.
vindication for the astrology friend in the friend group, this was a funny and fun time-travel romance featuring an uptight ER student doctor who plows into an annoyingly polite time-traveling scotsman with her bicycle. Their banter was delightful and I loved her friend group so much.
The time-traveling was a bit hand-wavy, and honestly my biggest wish was there was less of Daphne's medical school ennui and more about them falling in love. I couldn't help but be a bit, girl, you can switch specialties this man is in THE WRONG CENTURY but hey, it all worked out in the end!
Short, sweet and will definitely sweep you off your feet, Time for You is for the busybody girlies who're just looking to fall in love despite their seemingly serious lifestyle.
I love the male love interest, Henry, so much, he's such a lovely dork throughout the story! And as for the female protagonist, Daphne, I could relate to her struggles trying to fit in some romance and fun while being a med student/resident. Their banter was especially so fun to read! The time travelling aspect of the story was very interesting, to say the least. Though it might have been a little surprising and off for me when I first read about it, but it was no biggie.
All in all, this is such a great palate cleanser and a good romance that can stand on its own. 3.5 stars rounded to 4!
Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I haven’t read many time traveling romances, but send a Scottish man from the 19th century to the 21st and I am all over that. Who should Henry literally bump into, but Daphne, a first year Emergency Medicine resident whom has had zero luck on the dating apps and is the epitome of a modern woman. This audio was so fun. I loved the contrast between Daphne’s life and Henry’s inability to reconcile women doctors in the future. Henry is really quite receptive and affable considering he’s been taken completely out of his comfort zone and upended in a friend group that uses movies and cooking to teach him about how things have changed in the past 100+ years. It was also nice to see Henry in his own element, and how his perception of his sisters and mother had changed since leaving them. The time travel element worked really well for allowing change to occur in both present and past timelines and I’m glad I got to see both and not only the current one. This is definitely a feel-good romance and easily palatable for anyone wanting something fun yet different. I thought Angela Dawe did a good job of alternating between Henry’s Scottish brogue and Daphne’s American accent—not easy to do at all! I received an early copy from Brilliance publishing. All opinions are my own.
Victorian era time traveler? Say less. Honestly if “Victorian era time traveler inside” was written on the side of a white, windowless van, there is a 100% chance I am getting in.
Time For You is very short, sweet, fun, and incredibly readable even if time travel is not your passion. It’s really a book for anybody who has been waiting for another meet cute involving bicycles since they read A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell.
In less than 300 pages you’ll get the pants charmed right off of you by a nineteenth century Scottish man who almost immediately recognizes that twenty-first century America is a dumpster fire. Or at least that’s what happened to me since one of the quickest routes to my heart is uttering “why is everything so terrible here?!”
I did think the FMC was kind of an asshole for a significant portion of this book, but she was also an ER resident and probably got five minutes of sleep every day, so I can look beyond a little irritability toward a man with no concept of women’s rights and wrongs.
4/5 stars
Time For You is out on 9/23!
Thank you to Montlake for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
I can't believe I've only just read my first time traveling romance but I'm absolutely a fan after reading Time for You. The story follows Daphne, a first-year Minnesota medical resident who literally bumps into Henry, a time traveling Scotsman from 1885. With the help of Daphne's friends, they try to find a way to send Henry home to his family.
It did take me a while to warm up to Daphne, but I think I was just feeling a bit protective of our sweet Henry, he (understandably) has some outdated views being from the 1800s which rubs Daphne the wrong way as she is a very successful, independent Doctor. This helps both characters come together very well as Henry embraces his new modern life and Daphne realises she may not be content with her own.
There are a few pop culture references in the book, which I'm not usually a fan of but they definitely work well for this story while Henry learns about the modern world. This also makes for a wonderful mix of funny scenes between Henry and the other characters, as well as more emotional moments as they grapple with Henry needing to return to his old life.
Dr. Daphne Griffin, a no nonsense/follow the rules kind of woman, is in the first year of her Residency program. After years of concentrating on school, she is now ready to jump back into the dating world and meet the love of her life; to find real romance. She’s leaving the hospital after her shift one afternoon on her bike when a man appears in her way and they collide. She tries to assess if he’s been injured, only to realize that he believes it’s 1885.
This was a time travel romance unlike others I’ve read before. Daphne and Henry’s romance was sweet, though I did feel like the timeline of their romance was a little off. Cute premise and storyline; the was my first novel by this author but won’t be my last.
Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.
first off thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc.
i truly did love the premise of the story, but i wasn’t a huge fan of the execution. the book is very short and is convenient for a quick and easy read but i felt like we didn’t get a chance to really know the characters. we only got basic knowledge and since we didn’t get to really know the characters, i found it hard to enjoy them, relate to them, understand them. i guess more in depth lore would’ve been nice.
also since the book was short, it all felt rushed. i didn’t feel like we really got to see henry and daphne really truly form a connection. it felt like us as readers were just put in a box with two characters and then that’s it. there wasn’t any yearning or chasing or build up or any steady foundation for us as readers to see a true connection form.
we didn’t get to know any of daphnes friends at all that well. again it was just surface level and i do understand they weren’t the main characters of the story but a little more backstory about them all would’ve been interesting to see.
something i was upset about is that the author didn’t really use words or phrases or tones that were typically used in the nineteenth century when it came to henry. lots of modern language and accessories were used when henry was in this century but, it felt like not a lot of effort was put in to make it more realistic whenever henry spoke or when he went back home.
overall i do think this book could’ve been a bit better and more in depth with certain things but it was a fast read.
This was cute and fun! It was compulsively readable, with plenty of romance and humor. I am not usually a contemporary romance reader, but I thought the time travel element would bring an aspect of sci-fi/fantasy that I would enjoy. I actually think this was probably truer to a contemporary romance with a small time travel twist, but it worked excellently.
I loved the cohort of ER residents who were the main friend group, including the FMC, Daphne. I also appreciated that we got to see Henry’s (MMC’s) family. It was great to have a strong cast of supporting characters who actually are involved in the lives of the main couple.
The romance was a bit quick, though I understand why. I wish we had seen a bit more relationship development, both in the initial lead up and in the final resolution.
Overall a very sweet and lighthearted read! Thank you to Elizabeth Davis, Montlake, and NetGalley for the ARC!
this boos was such a fun, fast-paced & honestly adorable time travel romance that had me grinning like an idiot 😍💫. this is the book for my busybody girlies who are out here chasing their dreams BUT wouldn’t mind crashing (literally) into the love of their life on the way 🏃♀️💼💖.
we’ve got Daphne — a med resident who’s got her life together ( or at least she’s trying, okay?? i get it & i’m with you girl! ) 👩⚕️🩺. she’s serious, smart & maybe a little too focused on being the perfect doctor. enter Henry — aka the sweetest, dorkiest time traveler you’ll ever meet. he’s from 1885 and somehow manages to be the most precious cinnamon roll in any century 🕰️🥺✨. the way he tries to figure out our world? I was soft for him.
their meet-cute? CHAOS. 🚲💥 BUT their banter? chef’s kiss. the kind that makes you want to kick your feet and giggle like you’re in a rom-com montage 🎬💞. i loved watching Daphne’s walls come down and Henry just being his awkward, kind-hearted self && don’t even get me started on the found family vibes from the residents in Daphne’s building — wholesome to the max 🤗🏠💛.
the time travel stuff isn’t super in-your-face ( it’s more like ✨romance with a sprinkle of time travel✨ ) & honestly? that worked for me! recently the time traveling trope has been a INSTANT hit for me!! the emotional journey, the sweet slow-burn-ish romance & the light, cozy feel made it the perfect lil’ palate cleanser between heavier reads 🌸📖.
i’m going with 4 stars because I had such a good time ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. if you want something sweet, soft & a little magical, definitely give this one a go!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Short Review: This had a slow start that had me worried I wouldn’t enjoy it, but by the time the meet cute rolled around, I was GLUED to this book. I wish Daphne had been a little softer with Henry in the first 50% considering how scared and confused he must have been. She seemed a bit abrasive at times. Loved the friend group and diverse representation. I also really love that the first 2/3 of the book was told from Daphne's perspective and the last 1/3 was told from Henry's. I'm not sure I've ever read a dual-perspective book that was split like this. It was jarring in a really cool way.
This is my first book by this author but I've had her book I Love You, I Hate You on my TBR for a while now and haven't gotten around to it. This was certainly the kick in the pants I needed to dig into her backlist.
Audiobook-specific feedback: I initially struggled with the narrator's accent as she read for Daphne. I couldn't tell if the character was American or European until the setting of the book was introduced. It become less bothersome as I got used to it. The Scottish accent for Henry was lovely.
Thank you to Netgalley and Brilliance Audio for an ALC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.
Thank you to @elizabethdavisromance and Montlake Publishing for the #gifted e-book.
This delightful time-travel romance captivates from start to finish.
Daphne, a dedicated ER resident, quite literally collides with history when she runs into Henry, a time traveler from 1885 Edinburgh. As they embark on a journey to find a way to send Henry back to his own time, Daphne’s growing feelings for him complicate their mission. They fall deeply in love, grappling with the challenges of his potential return to the past.
The chemistry between Daphne and Henry moves from cautious and annoyed to electric, making their connection unforgettable. I adored Daphne’s friends, who play a pivotal role in unraveling the mystery of time travel. Their inventive use of classic time travel movies and even a PowerPoint presentation to help Henry navigate modern life adds humor to the story. Henry's supportive family, particularly his endearing sisters, brings so much warmth.
This engaging read is a perfect escape, brimming with fun characters and heartfelt moments. If you're looking for a quick and entertaining journey through time and love, this book is an absolute must-read and is available now!
This was my first time travel romance, and I seriously could not put it down. I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but now I am wondering why I didn't try this genre sooner! The story follows Henry, a man from 1885 who suddenly finds himself in the present day and what a journey he experiences. Henry is such a great character: thoughtful, open-minded, and willing to grow and learn despite everything around him being so unfamiliar and new. I loved watching him slowly adapt to the modern world and find his place and himself while at it, while still staying true to himself. Our leading female character, Daphne, on the other hand starts off totally annoyed with him (which honestly gave some of the funniest moments). Once she warms up to Henry and sees things from his point of view, everything changes. Their relationship developed in a really sweet, natural way and I found myself totally rooting for them. And the friend group? Total stars. Supportive, honest and hilarious. They added so much warmth and depth to the story. They felt like real people, the kind of friends anyone would be lucky to have. I loved every page of this one and I cannot wait to read more time travel romance in the future. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
Woman hits man straight out Bridgerton with her bike….
This book is a modern day woman meets 1800’s Scottish time traveler romcom. Basically a meet cute with a historical spin.
I laughed, I swooned… this book gave me FEELS! By chapter 5, I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. This book is seriously hysterical and ‘swoony’ in all the best ways.
Once I started this book, I could not put it down. I finished it all in one day. (Actually I was done by 3pm).
This book is for fans of Outlander and Bridgerton but with a hint of medical drama thrown in for giggles. The historical aspect gives this book a nostalgia feel but h combined with the modernity, it’s very well rounded. Extremely well written and dare I say it again? One of the funniest and cutest books I’ve read this year! I will definitely keep this author on my radar. She’s gained another reader in me! I’ve now told friends they needed to put this book on their TBR.
Unfortunately I decided to DNF this book. I tried reading it but the storyline didn’t attract my interest, I decided to pick it up because I thought it would interesting to read something different from my usual reads. I guess the time traveling aspect isn’t really for me. I have to say this is very fast paced (and it’s also pretty short!), so if you’re enjoying the story you would definitely fly through the book.
I want to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.
I’m a sucker for time-traveling, well-mannered men who blush at the existence of modern clothing. This is a sweet, quick read with lots of humor & I devoured it in one sitting.
Read if you like: Fictional friend groups (a la Friends) who wander into each other’s apartments unannounced, Grey’s Anatomy, men with Bridgerton-esque manners, star charting, lots of pop culture references
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for providing me with a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
It has such a fun premise but I wasn’t totally vibing with the characters. Time slips are always so fun! I loved seeing Minneapolis mentioned since I am a MN native. Overall I think this book would be a great palette cleanser or if you needed a good pick me up between reads.
I really enjoyed this author's attempt at a time travel romance, and think it had a lot of potential. My issue, however, is that the book felt short (a rare complaint from me) and just feel like it needed another 75 pages to really pad out the rules of the world building and a longer explanation of what it means for the hero to [SPOILER] travel to the future to permanently be with the heroine.
Because obviously this being a genre romance meant that the couple had to get their HEA, but I couldn't help but feel sad about the hero's family being left behind, and the author wrote them to be just compelling enough that I genuinely enjoyed them as characters and couldn't help but wonder about their futures without the hero.
TLDR; I’d give this a 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 I’d talk about this book in conversation and may recommend it to someone in my field as a quick Rom-com that’s not super angsty/ make certain references to it but I didn’t love the writing style at certain points or think that the basis of the love story was particularly deep (given the length of the book I’m not surprised) and wouldn’t re-read.
————————————————————————— Fleshing this out as it’s my first NetGalley ARC review! The concept of this book is very cool. Henry is a man who time travels with very little understanding of how… which necessitates a great deal of trust in people around him with unique skill sets. Daphne is a resident doctor who worked so hard to get to her ‘dream job’ that she struggles to see the forest from the trees - an entirely relatable experience. It’s… kind of an enemies to lovers story. Really, they’re so different that I think strangers to lovers (largely through physical attraction) is more apt.
As a medical professional reading all the references, it reads accurately from both the personal and professional perspectives *insert multiple sighs of relief here*, and within the first couple of chapters, I could that actual HCPs were involved in the story telling process. Some of these medical experiences conveniently tied in with misconceptions our time traveller would hold - sexism being among the most obvious. Though there were a handful of doctors in the late 1800s, they were still rare enough to marvel at the idea of… so I didn’t consider it an anachronism to say there weren’t really women doctors then (the first ‘female’ doctor actually identified as male their entire life). POCs also were introduced in a non-tokenistic way that didn’t detract from the story while still highlighting extremely relevant bits of history for the late 19th century. The ‘Mr. Empire’ reference made me cackle.
Writing wise, I didn’t love how repetitive and clunky the third person narrative was for Daphne’s introductions in the first chapter: ‘Daphne this, Daphne that’; it could have been rephrased to maintain attention and reduce boredom.
This was cancelled out by the unique and charming writing of Henry’s struggles with describing appropriate tenses later on.
There were also many cringey/ corny things: -‘Drunk-college-kid-trying-to-be-sober-around-adults’ -‘Doctorsona’ (I’ll happily take it back if it’s an American thing because I’ve never heard of this)
Other than those bits, it was an enjoyable read that referenced other stories about time travel movies, cult classics and our fast-paced and overstimulating lifestyle in the 21st century. I also learned a little more about the 19th century, enough to better distinguish it from the 17th and enough to want to pin dates down more specifically than ‘the olden times’.
This was such a thoughtful and fun time traveling romance! I loved how it wasn't very predictable with lots of little twists, I haven't read anything like it before. I think Elizabeth wrote something really unique in this trope that readers who love a little fantasy to those who prefer contemporary or historical romances will love.
*Slight spoilers ahead, proceed with caution*
I had three ideas that I would've loved to see more fleshed out or tweaked a bit:
- At the beginning it seemed like Daphne only had Ellie as a friend and even referred to not liking admitting anything vulnerable in front of Brittany on page 18 because she felt like a stranger to her. So then her and other character's involvement with helping with Henry seemed confusing to me. I think maybe something like, Brittany was a new friend or something would've made more sense here and I would've loved more of an intro to this friend group with Daphne being a reluctant member of it so I could've better understood the layout and build up of this friend group. From page 48 they were entering the apartment without knocking so I think a little more context prior to this moment would've helped.
- Henry did so much adapting to the new century he found himself in and the group had such fun teaching him about it. I would've loved a little bit of the reverse whether it was handmade butter or something about living a slower or upper class life that the group could learn from him about? I think that would've been a fun role reversal to add some depth to everyone's friendship with Henry. Like maybe he was really good at trivia nights or something surprising.
- The ending was super abrupt and I would've loved a little more fleshed out ending or a flash forward to years later or something to showcase where they're at. In an ideal world, I sort of wished they'd had to wait the seven years, I think that kind of sacrifice and commitment would've made it really meaningful that they both couldn't find anyone in that long of time to compare with their connection. Maybe that's too much, but I would've loved to see both of them settled in their futures and still wanted to be together!
Overall, a fabulous book that I would highly recommend and I have Elizabeth as an auto read on my author's list! Can't wait for what's next from her!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Elizabeth Davis for access to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was a quick read with very 'Kate and Leopold' vibes, which I loved. As soon as I read 'he's from the past', I was hooked, because hey, time travel! And then I found out he's Scottish. I repeat: he is Scottish! Unfortunately, however, it was all handled very blandly. But let's start with what I appreciated. I see so much of myself in Daphne: a woman who has done everything to achieve what was her dream, only to realise that it's not really for her. She feels trapped, but the thought of disappointing her parents, her mentor, her friends and herself stops her from changing her life. It feels like a huge failure, and heck, I really understand her. The secondary characters are wonderful, and I envied their close-knit community. It felt very 'Friends'. But... (Minor spoilers ahead) Overall, I didn't feel the chemistry between the two. They go from bickering to eternal love in the blink of an eye, which left a bitter taste in my mouth. It's a shame, because I loved the writing style and the premise. I finished reading it in two days, or so!
*
Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5⭐️ This was a cute read overall—I stayed engaged and entertained the whole way through. The prose did its job well enough, but I still found myself a wee bit frustrated. Why? Because at its heart, this is really a fluffy, reversed Outlander with an insta-love romance that never quite had the chance to blossom.
Now, it’s probably unfair to compare directly to Outlander since this is more of a light, contemporary romance than a sweeping historical saga. Still, with so many nods in that direction, the comparison feels inevitable. It reminded me of the wave of fairytale retellings—fun in theory, but the so-called historical backdrop never truly whisked me away to the year it claimed. It all felt a touch out of place, like wearing wellies to a ceilidh.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Angela Dawe, and she was hands-down the highlight. Her accent work was braw—switching seamlessly between her American base and a clear, charming Scottish brogue. She especially nailed the male lead’s voice, making him feel more authentic than the text sometimes allowed. I could manage at 2x speed, but 1.5x gave it a proper rhythm.
At the end of the day, the book is on the shorter side, so if you’re after a quick wee escape to span the centuries for just a few hours, this might do the trick. For all my grumbles, it was still an entertaining listen—just don’t go in expecting the depth of Outlander, or you’ll be left feeling a bit peely-wally.
I fortunate to receive a complimentary ALC from Brilliance Audio via NetGalley, which gave me the opportunity to share my voluntary thoughts.
How I Rate Because I mostly read ARCs, I focus on how I think fellow readers with similar tastes will respond. I sometimes round up or down based on pacing, prose, or overall impact, and I try to keep my personal preferences from weighing too heavily.
⭐️ 1 Star – Finished, but not for me; I never DNF ARCs. ⭐️⭐️ 2 Stars – Struggled due to writing, content, or editing issues. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars – Decent read with untapped potential; recommend with some reservations. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Stars – Really enjoyed it and would recommend for several reasons. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars – Exceptional; lingers in my mind well after reading. A story I’d gladly revisit.