Catch Me

Time After Time #1

by Reese Rivers

Wie überlebt man eine Zeitreise ins Frankreich des 17. Jahrhunderts... im Bademantel... mit nichts als einem iPhone zur Hilfe? Wie vermeidet man es, als Hexe auf dem Scheiterhaufen zu landen, weil man dieses »magische« böse iPhone besitzt?
Fang damit an, von 4 verdammt heißen Kerlen gerettet zu werden.Akzeptiere, dass Vampire und Wolfswandler real sind, und finde dich dann damit ab,dass du sie alle haben kannst.Eden Kellys Leben liegt in Trümmern.Traumatisiert und allein kämpft sie sich jeden Tag durchs Leben, bis sieüber einen magischen Spiegel stolpert, der sie ins Jahr 1667 zurückschleudert. Sebastian, Luca, Finn und Cade sindvöllig fasziniert von der Frau, die plötzlich vor ihnen auftaucht, als sie in dieSchlacht ziehen. Ihre moderne Art, ihr cleveres, freches Mundwerk und ihre atemberaubende Schönheit haben sieverzaubert und mit Verlangen erfüllt. Sie erkennen ihre verwundete Seele und denSchmerz, den sie zu verbergen versucht, da sie alle ähnliche Qualen durchleben. Eslässt sie danach lechzen, sich um sie zu kümmern, sie zu pflegen und zu trösten, wie sie es unbewusst auch für sie tut.Kann eine moderne Frau Liebe undGlück mit diesen Männern finden, oder wird die Zeit allem ein Ende setzen und sie zurück in ihrtrostloses modernes Leben saugen?
Buch 1 der Time After Time-Reihe ist einedampfend heiße, humorvolle, übernatürliche Zeitreise-Romanze, in der die Heldindie Liebe mit allen vier ihrer Männer findet.

Genres: Reverse Harem, Time Travel, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Romance, Shapeshifters

435 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 23, 2021

About the author

Reese Rivers is a RH romance author who lives in Alberta, Canada. She is addicted to coffee, inappropriate memes, dark humor and happy ever afters. Her happiest place on earth is at her camper in the forest where like Snow White, she attracts all the critters - mosquitoes instead of birds and skunks instead of bunnies. She would live there full time if not for the Canadian deepfreeze that is winter. Her latest RH novel, Burn Butterfly Burn was the #1 Book in Australia and #2 in the USA and Canada

Reviews

[Marguerite (M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a fun read. And while I said the exact same thing on the author's other book I just somewhat reviewed, it's true.

Eden is broken, almost thirty, with depression and some anger issues. She is from 2028, Apple started putting solar panels in their iPhones, and she time-travels to France during Louis XIV's reign, where she meets two wolves and two vampires. Follows a hot menage with men who seem to never had any blowjob in their (long) lives -makes you wonder how sex life was in the past, really- and a very convenient playlist the whole mansion seems to enjoy at one point or another.

They weirdly all speak English there, but sometimes a weird French that is neither old nor modern and possibly Google Translate. Just FYI, French people don't speak English and I'm almost certain they didn't centuries ago. Not speaking English is kind of our thing, you know.

Anyway.
I wish the whole time-travel and history part had been more worked on. We have a couple of rather shallow gown descriptions but the rest is rather forgotten. The hygiene issue of this era is mentioned only once and I am still confused about whether the men take baths or not. As a modern woman, I doubt Eden would be okay to do down and well, dirty.
The love is instant but of course one of her guys fights the pull and is just a plain asshole. He kind of passes as a complete lunatic with the amount of back and forth he does, but with Eden's big girl panties always on, they needed someone more emotional and low-key hysterical in the harem.

The plot is inconsistent. There is one, but there also isn't? I had trouble pinpointing what this whole book was about -despite being a nice enjoyable and quite steamy read. The four stars are really just for the fun factor and the time-travel idea behind it because really, I didn't particularly like any of the characters and the book ended up in a lame cliffhanger I wish had been avoided for the sake of everything.

To conclude this ridiculous review -that seems to be trashing the novel when it shouldn't- if you are looking for a nice, fun, sexy read with some editing issues and weird French, try it. It's not too long and very entertaining.

> 29 years old main character, centuries-old love interests
> Cliffhanger
> No MM but some sword crossing
> No FF
> Four guys
> Multiple POVs
> Who falls first? The guys do, but it's a fast burn so it probably takes her only one more chapter.

Trigger warning:
Depression, suicidal thoughts, and a weird sexual scene outside the harem. Not cheating, not consensual but also not non-consensual. I did say weird, right?

[Nγx ❦ {CLOSED ACCOUNT} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our very own Supernatural Reverse Harem 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 filled with Vampires, Wolf Shifter and Witches in 1667 France.

Don't get me started on this one. At first i was really apprehensive because I'm 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 with Outlander. I read the books, watched the show, so when I read the blurb and saw the similarities they had i 𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 swiped left. But 𝐅#𝐂𝐊 would that had been a big fucking mistake.
]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
So our Heroes or more precisely our broken Heroes. They each suffered so much they got to the point of not wanting to go on.
🧛🏻‍♂️Sebastian our Alpha vampire got his Trust, Faith and Heart shattered when that 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 turned him into a predator without a leach and let him massacre everything and everyone in his path. Until he got free from her.
🎭Luca our Martyr Vampire artist lost his passion when he got beaten to an inch of his life by those in power who were afraid of his influence. And than lost his soul when his human nature couldn't let him say no to Knox's offer to be reborn.
🐺Finn and Cade our Wolves duo who lost their packs and family in a massacre. Who got to live with the pain and guilt of surviving when their pack didn't. Until they met Knox and found a new pack where they belonged again but that still didn't erase the knowledge or fill the hole of never having they fated mate.
🌙Finally Eden who fucking hell. She lost everyone in one fucking night. And than she didn't even get to mourn properly, because her asshole soon-to-be Ex-husband decided to abuse her & steal most of her inheritance. But with the help of her aunt she got her life back on track but than fate decided otherwise. She got attacked, beaten, lost her partner, her sense of safety and the last part of her heart that wasn't full of pain and gifted with PTSD.

]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Just writing this is getting to me. But as much I hate their trauma and pain I just love how it affected them. Now I'm not a masochist so bare with me. Please. {A lot of books about characters with past traumas are being put through so much that is so 𝐍𝐎𝐓 fucking necessary. Like sometimes i 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 don't understand 𝐖𝐇𝐘 on earth authors put them through all of that. There is no healing or acceptance or revenge or anything it feels like they just wanted to break them Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. Just to give them a poor excuse as to why they are okay with whatever the plot is. 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐈𝐒 𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐓 if you ask me}

]|I{•---------⋘⋙---------------•⪼⦕࿅⦖⪻•---------------⋘⋙---------•}I|[
Anyway now that that's taking care of let's talk about why I loved their broken selves so much (Still not a masochist😈). These 5 beautiful souls where made from each other. Their trauma wasn't something the author threw out there for no reason than being a sadist. It showed us that despite Everything that they undured, they are still standing, still fighting even tho each of them did gave in and just survived. In their own way they all gave up on truly living. That is until they meet each other. And that journey, those choices, these moments of understanding, of recognition and 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆.. It makes it all worth it in the end. Because now after all those loss 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍. War & Time be Dammed.

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead


Our h has had a pretty hard few years, from the deaths of her entire family, her husband turning out to be a user and abuser and then to then be attacked while witnessing her friend being murdered. She's saved by her aunt and slowly starts putting herself back together but she's alone and suffering from PTSD. A magical mirror transports her to the past and there she meets the 4 men who'll help her heal.



This was a pretty fast moving romance, with a healthy dose of smut and fluff. The guys were pretty good and we're devoted to the h early on except for Sebastian who blew hot and cold almost to the very end. Book ends on a cliffhanger


Vampires and werewolves
The 2 vampires have been celibate for years but the 2 wolves were complete manwhores
OW drama from one of their ex bed buddies
h is in the process of a divorce
One incident with the h receiving oral from outside the harem that I'm still not sure how I felt about that scene

****It seems in book 2 when she's transported back to her time the wolves were with others. I haven't confirmed this as yet but if so the rest of the series will be a hard NO for me. I can't tolerate the H's being with others after the h, especially as they've already mated her and claimed undying love 🤦🏾‍♀️

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

FMC’s combat skills consist of taking self defense classes for 6 months, she gets dropped in another century and immediately single-handedly kills 5 assassins with a huge sword in her Lululemon with her waist length hair flowing down just outside of Versailles.

She has terrible ptsd from an attack and is traumatized, can’t leave house much, doesn’t feel safe enough yet showering at her gym, but is happy to hop on a horse and flirt with a strange man and go with him and his 3 comrades back to their dwelling, sleep there while two of them watch her and have breakfast?

Make it make sense.

[Sue Miz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is going to be a review of the three books in the trilogy
So most probably there will be some spoilers
book 1 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
book 2 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
book3 4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟
overall trilogy 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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Some notes before though

🔅 This is an RH (why choose) romance. The heroine has four love interests so many spicy scenes occupy the chapters
🔅 The story is fast-paced and because of that not many detailed descriptions are found (something I personally like in romances)
🔅 Because of the multiple love interests and the fast-paced plotline, and to not prolong the book, each book is not more than 420 pages. For that, the events may feel rushed. However, this does not deter them from enjoying them
Personally, with other RH series that were extended into 5 or 6 or 7+ books to build the slow connection of the characters, I loved that this was just 3 books. It would be boring if it were more
🔅 Book 3 may feel the most rushed, especially at the end, however, the author explains in the notes the reasons. Still, the story is complete and closes perfectly with HEA.
🔅 It’s a very dark trilogy, so many trigger warnings are there should you read, especially book 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

⚜Theme: RH “Why-choose” dark paranormal romance

👥Characters : Eden “time traveling human”
🧛Sebastian “Alpha Vampire – Pack leader”
🧛Luca “Alpha Vampire – sired by Sebastian”
🐺🐺Finn and Cade “Alpha Wolf-shifters”
🧛‍♀️Keket “Original Vampire – villain”

 ⚜Topes: - Insta-love
- Slow burn
- Fated mates
- Grumpy/sunshine
 Triggers (check more in the book and authors page)
- Physical attack
- Non-Con (not sexual)
- Suicide thoughts
- Self-starvation
- Depression

 ⚜Conflict: Is Love enough especially if it brings harm? Does Love transcends time?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book 1 meet the characters

Eden lives in 2028 of our world (yes in the near future). She is a survivor of an attack. She is practicing martial arts to defend herself and gain back her confidence. She is also going through a nasty divorce.
Amidst her chaotic life, her aunt dies and leaves her a Victorian estate. Eden finds a mirror in one of the rooms that transports her to 1667 France where she meets four dashing men who happen to be two vampires and two wolf shifters.
image:

Their courtship starts with humorus situations along the way as one expects when the past and future collides. The wolf shifters instantly accept Eden as she turns out to be their mate. However, Sebastian, the hot headed Vampire fights his attraction until he cannot anymore
When it seems all is well and settled, a dramatic shattering turn of an event happens that separates the lovers. Book 1 ends with a cliffhanger.

What I loved about this book is we get to see the real Eden when she is surrounded by nourishing love. When we first meet her, she is going through deep depression because of her family loss, her attack and her divorce. She is melancholic and contemplates taking her own life. However, once she is with her men, the fun, loving, caring, strong Eden emerges.

Just imagine this
You are transported into the past, you meet 2 vampires and 2 wolf-shifters, and the first thing you ask them is “Please, please tell me there are dragons?”. Immediately I knew I’ll have a blast with this book
It was also clever for the writer to put that Eden came from 2028 where technology provided solar recharge for iPhones. Because this device played a part in the story. Although I questioned whether Siri would function without the internet!!

Usually, in RH romances, I always notice that one character is not present enough and that the author has a favorite that is more focused on. Not the case here thank God! Each of the four love interests had his own moment to shine

Book 1 ends with a devastating cliffhanger



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Book 2 The conflict

“Spoilers for book 1”

Book 1 ends with Eden killed in 1667, but she is transported back to her time. She desperately tries to find a way back to her men. Meanwhile, the four guys suffer tremendously for more than 100 years because they think she died. We see how this affected them so much. Luca starts losing his mind slowly. Finn and Cade go into a depravity phase, and Sebastian retorts back to his grumpy state trying to keep his pack together.

They decide to leave France for the Colonies in an attempt to forget Eden.
Back in 2028, Eden receives a package from her dead aunt with a letter containing a clue that the mirror works during a full moon. It’s only been less than 30 days for Eden but more than 100 years for the men. The mirror takes her to America in 1776 and she is reunited with her loves
But here is where the plot turns tricky!

Luca starts rejecting her because he realizes that one way or another Eden will die since she is a human and they will go through the pain again. Sebastian refuses to turn her because he knows what happens with new turned vampires. They go into an almost two year bloodlust and killing. He knows Eden will hate them and herself if she does this

Eden tries to rebuild her relationship with her men, especially Luca. While discussing the time-traveling issue, she promises Sebastian that if she dies and goes back to her world, she will not come back again and let them suffer through the pain again. Shortly after, Eden is killed (while she is dying, something very important happens) and instead of keeping her promise she desperately tries to come again and again. Sebastian, in an attempt to save his pack, prevents her from meeting them, mainly Luca.
This affects all of them severely. Eden and Luca are on the verge of madness and self-harm. And no one knows why Eden is insisting on coming back

This book raises the thought of “what if your love is harmful? Would you continue to want to be with your loved ones? Even if you are not intentionally causing the harm?”

I felt for Eden. Her desperation to go back to her lovers, but at the same time I understood Sebastian reasoning for preventing her from coming back.
”I love you Eden….forever. know this, if I ever see you again.. I will kill you myself”
The book ends with Eden having to make the toughest decision and sacrifice.

And my heart shattered into million pieces.
image:
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book 3 the ending

“spoilers for book 2”
Eden has chosen the ultimate sacrifice. With her aunt’s magical compass, she goes back to the moment the mirror took her the first time and destroys it, thus removing all memories from her self and her men of their encounters.
It’s the year 2028. The four paranormal are now businessmen who own an infamous nightclub. Eden is back to her life as EMT. Even though they lost their memory of each other, they are plagued with dreams of their previous lives.

when they meet again, there is a de ja vu of book 1. Finn and Cade immediately are connected to her. Luca wants her. Sebastian fights the attraction.
And again, a dramatic turn of events happens that shows how deep Eden’s love for them is, how smart she was in planning everything, and how enormous the sacrifice she had to make.

Some would say that the book is rushed. I don’t personally see it as rushed per se. I feel like it needed an extra 50 pages to grasp the ultimate action Eden had to do.
The climax of the conflict in book 2 was downsized to “oops! It was my fault” without a proper apology. It felt that Eden had to do all the work and the men were just spectators.

But overall, I loved how the ending bound the previous books. And I enjoyed the trilogy.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The same review will be posted on the three books

[Annette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't get me wrong. This is not a bad book perse, it's just not what I asked for when I asked for recommendations in a Facebook group. And if those recommendation had only been done by fans, I would have said "okay, too bad they didn't read the assignment", but if the author themselves recommends this book when I state that "I prefer plot over sex" (which means I don't mind sex scenes, but don't want them to be the most important ingredient of the story) without adding that this book is basically sex without a plot and therefore doesn't meet that part of the request, I can't help but feel a little cheated. Especially because the possibilities for a plot were there, but once they were finally properly introduced, the book was finished and our heroine was back in her own time. It might be that this changes in the second book, but I won't try it anymore just in case we simply have a different definition of plot.

If you like your books hot and smutty, this is absolutely and totally your thing. If you like to get to know your guys, who were interesting and layered, without having to wait too long for the sexy parts of the getting to know, this is a perfect read for you. However, if you prefer plot over sex, this book is not the right fit and not what you are looking for.

[Nat · Rating 1 out of 5]

i have lost count of all the times i've physically cringed while reading this book

[Jacquelyn G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eden in time

I was excited about this book, thinking it would be like Outlander. It wasn't. First the men are supernaturals and there is zero history happening around her. She just says it's France, year 1600 something. It's a huge disappointment for the entire book to take place in a manor with the 4 men of her harem, and nothing but intimate scenes going on.
This time travel adventure is lackluster

[☆ susan ☆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book started out good but then it just fizzled out into a complete mess that i couldn’t even bother to read slowly. i literally had to speed read to see the cliffhanger ending quickly, and i wasn’t surprised to see that my suspicions were correct.

to be fair, there were things that i did enjoy about this book. first of all, it didn’t switch from one characters to another every single chapter. one of my biggest gripes with reverse harem romance is the constant shift of povs, that most of the time added no value to the story—you wouldn’t find that in this book, every characters had their chance to have their povs told but only when it meant something.

the author also did make an effort to develop the heroine’s relationship with her men before they got into a sexual relationship. usually reverse harem romance characters just jump straight into bed, which you know, is boring as fuck, but they only did that about 37% into the book. it was still kind of rushed in my opinion, but it wasn’t that bad. though, upon knowing that there are going to be at least three more books in this series, i kind of wish the author had taken the time to develop their relationship even slowly so it feels more authentic.

i didn’t care much for the heroes because they were boring and generic. i couldn’t care less about their sob stories either. with the heroine, i just found her very annoying and childish. she talked and spoke like a 16 year old. it’s hard for me to believe that she was actually a 29 year old woman about to turn 30 with the way she talked. my problem wasn’t with her cursing non-stop—god knows i’m 24 and curse like a sailor but she was just so cringy, oh my god.

“don’t trouble yourself, sebastian. i don’t need your help. besides, that giant stick you have shoved up your ass would probably get in the way anyways. also, go fuck yourself sideways, you narrow-minded prick!”

“huh, neat flex,” i say, slightly awed.

“thank fuck! i’ve got a WAP in need of all hard cocks. get the fuck over here and fill me up boys!”

i don’t bother opening my eyes out as i grind out, “worship and prayer, boys. worship and prayer.”

these are some of the lines she said that got me wishing i could bury myself under the ground because she was so just so cringy. and trust me, there were more that aren’t worth repeating.

it was mentioned that heroine had so many traumatic things happening to her that she developed severe ptsd. after being attacked as an emt, she devoted her life into going to self-defense classes. this didn’t bother me, but the fact that she would go into episodes where she would physically hurt people—like really hurt them to the point of killing them, she scoffed at the idea of therapy. it just rubbed me the wrong way, the lack of accountability that she had.

and you want to believe me all her problems were cured because she got four set of cocks? shut the fuck up.

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Rivers has now released two books and that's two books that have hit me hard in the feels with her characters' backgrounds and emotional challenges. Her main characters are also so relatable, no matter their backgrounds, and I end up being completely invested in how they're feeling and growing. In Catch Me, my heart hurt for the traumas that Eden has experienced, while also cheering for how strong and funny she was still able to be when needed. She's a survivor and that especially comes in handy when she's unexpectedly thrown back in time. Once she gets over the initial major shock, she handles her situation with heaps of humor, acceptance, curiosity, and a heck of a lot of attraction cause she also landed in the midst of four super hot, supernatural men. Her men are also survivors with their own traumatic pasts so they can connect on that level while helping each other heal more.

Now the men, they're a mix of personalities but the majority of them are protective, compassionate and caring towards her. This is a multi-POV book with the reader getting inside the guys' heads too. There's the sole holdout jerk who you may want to shake several times, but his POV chapters do help in establishing his reasons and feelings. There's an instant attraction between the men and Eden and things do get very steamy in this book.

I liked the mix of action/fight scenes (the FMC can fight), everyday life, intrigue/politics (the men are involved with the court), and romantic moments within this book. There are paranormal creatures, so far just wolf shifters and vampires, and I liked the pieces of background info we get on how they ended up together as their own pack. There are some nice historical elements incorporated, but the focus is on Eden finding her place in the time she's tossed into and this group figuring out how well Eden fits with them.

Along with the challenge of time travel, there's at least one villain introduced, but I'm guessing there could be more obstacles facing these characters. The book does end with a cliffhanger that'll make you want book 2 asap and thankfully it's already up for pre-order. I haven't read many time travel RHs so I'm excited to see where this series goes and how Eden and the guys will end up getting to their HEA. As an FYI - there's no mm in this book or ow drama (there is some ex causing trouble type issues but the men are all about the FMC).

[Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up

I really enjoyed this! I was anxiously anticipating this after reading a snippet after Dying to Love, and i read it real quick!

I had yet to read a time travel RH, and it went how i expected but with some interesting twists. The beginning took a bit for me to fully immerse myself into, but once i did it was easy to keep reading.

The fmc is fierce! I really liked all the characters and how their world was set up. I think it needed some additional specifications as to why they didn’t like witches but were ok with vampires and shifters. The guys were individuals and there were some hot steamy scenes!

This could definitely use a little more editing, some sentences were long and needed commas, some misspelled words - but it was easy to overlook for the most part.

I am anxiously awaiting book 2 after that cliffhanger!! I am incredibly nervous for what’s to come!

[Natalie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went from one FMC called Eden to another. Manga, manhwa and webtoon wise I love isekai and the time travel ones. Book wise I think I've read a series when I was a kid. Oh and Sixth of a soul. Films? Not a chance. I liked how this one started. Eden, full of rage meeting a group of two vampires and two wolves. I liked how the relationship formed, whilst she was technically a prisoner in the beginning it didn't feel like it.

The way no one thought Bridgette was a threat was disappointing. I liked how carefree Eden was, it made the story fun and the wolves added to that. Luca was the damaged one and Bas was the stubborn one holding out. It did get to a certain point where there was a lot of sex and I knew it would be a dragged out cliffhanger. One to definitely to continue but not one I can binge.

Recap:

FMC - Eden
Guys - Sebastian, Luca, Cade and Finn

Abusive ex...Gang assault and dead partner...mirror to the past...meeting the guys...proving innocence...betraying maid witch hunt...blood drunk sexathon...arm candy to a sex party...bad maker revealed and prison...stabby stabby to the present.

[Marjolein · Rating 2 out of 5]

I... do prefer a bit of plot to go with my sex scenes and that wasn't what I got in this book. Every time it seems we were getting plot, it was just a way to get to another sex scene... bit disappointing.

[Mari · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very frustrating. I like this author’s other works and had high expectations for this one.

A book has to have at least one of these two things: good plot/world building or good character/relationship development. This has neither.

I was happy to see a time traveling book, with outlander vibes maybe. But everything felt super rushed, the fmc just accepted everything with no questions asked and no further development. Also there were random plot points just out of nowhere. Suddenly in the past? Ok, I’m not going to try to go back. Vampires and werewolves exist? Sure, whatever. Getting bonded for life with two people that I’ve known for a day? Ok, don’t care that it was without proper consent. I didn’t mention the villain introduced in the last 30 pages out of nowhere and statements like “this will change the course of history” without this being a problem up until now.

Also the relationships made zero sense. ZERO. There is no development, no build up. I can’t even the the cousins apart. One of the vampires is a complete dick with the fmc the entire book and suddenly one night they kiss and everything is resolved? Not even the sex was good. There was this sex marathon in the middle, but with zero juicy bits being on screen. I don’t get it.

I just read a few reviews for the next book, and apparently things don’t get much better from here. I’m frustrated and won’t be reading the rest of this series.

[Samantha Barfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so I loved this story. However I think I'm going to stop after this book. The second book promises pain and heartbreak. I can't emotionally handle that at the moment. Maybe someday I'll return to Eden and her men.

[Goldilocks In Avonlea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really torn about this book. Part of me wants to give it two stars, part of me wants to give it four stars. I'm rounding it up to 2.5/3 because I can't choose.

Right up to the ball scene (won't say anymore as to avoid spoilers) I was thinking solid 4 stars with the potential for 5 (despite some flaws I was enjoying it and that's what counts. A good book is one you enjoy and connect with. It doesn't need to be without faults of errors). Then post ball scene it was like the book dragged. There was many reasons for this but part of it was that It was over the top "happy" to the point I had strong suspicions of what would come next. In turn this made the over the top "happy" feeling feel even more off (though this would probably be not the the case if someone didn't suspect the ending).

Then the ending came and it was what I suspected. However, the story picked back up again and I went from skimming the pages (which I did from shortly after the ball scene) to becoming invested again. The book closed off and I was still into it. I was sad but a book which makes you feel is usually a good one. I was also willing to move pass the not so great last 1/4 of the book if things were now turning back to the same style as the first 3/4 of the book.

Then I looked up book 2 and this is when I got frustrated. Book 2 is apparently all about depression. The synopsis makes it look quite dark and depressing and the reviews I looked over confirm that thought.

I think one of the things that frustrates me the most is the false advertising? The first book really seems from the synopsis and the content that it will be a fun paranormal, time travel romance touching on trauma. But to me after reading book 1 and the contents of book 2 it's the opposite. It's a book about trauma with some romance. I feel like the focus of these books is really the trauma and while there is romance and a bunch of sexy times it's not the focus. Book 1 is all about overcoming trauma (for all the characters) book 2 is all about breaking the characters and them experiencing the worst of trauma and book 3 seems to be about starting to heal for real.

The author didn't expressly say "this is paranormal romance" but from the cover, the blurb of book 1 and the set up in early book 1 it really gives that vibe. I feel like with her trigger warning she could have mentioned this was a book on mental health/trauma or even just change the cover to better reflect what the reader can expect.

I am dealing with personal challenges and I don't want to read a book about deep trauma. I want to read for fun and enjoyment and not very dark and depressing themes. And here comes my dilemma again. I liked this book enough to care about the plot and characters which is a great thing, again a sign of a good book (despite some of it's flaws see below), but the last 1/4 of the book and the ending, plus where the second book goes just makes me frustrated and angry.

Here are some more pros and cons:

Pros:
- engaging story for most of the book
- love the romance with most of the men in her group
- well written intimate scenes
- I love the time travel aspect
- Some of the scenes were over the top and me laugh/smile. (but this is one of the things which makes the drastic change in tone at the end of the book and for book 2 so jarring/misleading).
- Cool she is an EMT (but it wasn't touched on too much after the beginning).

Cons:
- The ball scene. I get what the author was trying to do, and I feel it will tie into future books but what happened at the table was a BIG no no for me. it's one thing to be OK seeing the s e x acts happening, another to just sit back and enjoy "le petit mort" at the table with basically no resistance. Especially when she has mates already. I am OK with RH but I prefer it when the MC is monogamous withing her guys and in this case it was a random guy. It just felt really off to me. I think some people might be OK with it? but for me it really rubbed me the wrong way.

- the writing was engaging but there was some errors which bugged me such as: Run on sentences, improper use of punctuation, misspelling french words (ex: it's "La Famille" and not "le famille" which might seem like a small error but any french person reading this will like me notice it very quickly as its a small but glaring error.) etc

- lack of proper world building. While it was immersive it was also very much 2D. We don't see much of the world. Its much more character focuses. That's not a bad thing but I would have liked to see more world building to complement the characters and their experiences. Also some things like birth control would have been nice to be mentioned? The MC has a lot of intimate moments but she not once worries about contraception?

- some threads weren't fully woven into the story and just dropped. Example at the very beginning she kills a bunch of men and is traumatized by it but then it's like this is forgotten as the book goes on.

- Some character growth as well seemed to be sudden and not fully explained. There is time jumps so we can assume character growth happened in that time but we should still know as readers how these fundamental parts of her changed even if it's just a "last month I did XYZ and now I felt myself being more XYZ." As well the book starts off with them suggesting she gets therapy and I get she healed through connection but in real life that doesn't fix things like a magic switch. Since this book was so heavily leaning on trauma I feel like this could have been done better. She mentions what she's been through to the boys but there is never really any "healing" on her part or discussing it in depth/coming to terms with it/facing it head on. It's more of a "i'm happy now so I am OK" kind of thing. If you don't process trauma you don't heal from it and in this case it's very much her almost ignoring her trauma or having more ease at pushing it back as she is happy. Maybe this will be touched more on in book 2?

- would have enjoyed side characters. As it was it was only her, the boys and a maid who appeared 2-3 times and a villain who appeared 2 times. I would have liked to see more then just them.

- There was another romance scene which was kind of dubious consent. Like we know as a reader the MC probably wants it but she was also intoxicated and not thinking straight so it feels like the guy is taking advantage of her?

- Not historically accurate. This didn't bug me too much as I figured maybe its more like an alternate universe? I mean there is werewolves and vampires? Another thing which could have been more developed in terms of world building.

- The way the characters spoke could have been more consistent. Sometimes their speech was very moderns, sometimes more typical of that period, sometimes a mix of both, some accents came and went, etc.

There's probably more of both pros and cons I could list but I'll stop here as I think I have listed enough for anyone reading this to get a good picture of the book and for future me to remember this book. I will not be continuing with this series at this time and I'm not sure I ever will? I am not often in the mood for a deep and dark book on mental health.

If you like/don't mind dark deep dives into trauma with some romance then I would highly recommend this book. I think you might like it. If you are not looking for something super dark and were expecting a paranormal romance then I would suggest doing a bit more digging, looking at other reviews and the synopsis of book 2 if you don't mind being spoiled a bit and then deciding if this is the right book for you.

[My_Strange_Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced and steamy time-travel reverse harem. I will not be continuing because I hate the separation trope and my understanding from the trigger warnings and reviews I have read about the rest of the series is that there is much separation and very little joy. I find that sad to know considering this book was pretty light-hearted. Going to leave it at this one and believe Eden finds her way back to her men.

Major cliffhanger warning.

[Rachael · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book because it was free on Amazon and because my mom wrote a funny review about it. Which was a mistake because I hate steamy books with no plot and my interest in fantasy does not extend much past Harry Potter. Terribly inconsistent and the main character had a personality switch almost immediately post time-travel...PTSD who? Apparently, four mythological men can solve years of mental health issues. Also, she spoke and acted like a teenager, not someone nearing 30. Anyway, the smut is pretty good all things considered and will definitely check your boxes if a historical, Twilight-esque sexathon sounds like something you'd be into.

[alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆Catch Me˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶

I've been to the year 3000
Not much has changed, but they lived underwater.

🎶

Eden Kelly's (h) life has spiraled into chaos. Traumatized and alone, she feels trapped in her desolate reality until a mysterious magic mirror transports her back to 1667. Suddenly, she finds herself amidst a fierce battle, rescued by four strikingly handsome men: Sebastian, Luca, Finn, and Cade (H).

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

[Finn and Cade]

“Are you two big bad wolves seriously afraid of a little box? Come on, it’s not going to hurt you! Take it and look at the pictures. All you have to do is swipe the screen to go to the next image.”

Cade turns to Finn and nudges him forward. “Go ahead, Finn.”

“I’m not bloody touching it! You take it!” He scoffs and takes another step back.

These two were totally drawn to Eden from the moment they met her. Seriously, it was like magic. They weren’t fazed at all by her quirky antics—if anything, they found them charming and hilarious. Within just three days, they had already marked her as their mate, like, “Yep, she’s ours.” There was no hesitation, no second-guessing; they just knew it in their bones. They became practically inseparable, always hanging out with her and soaking up every little detail about her life as a mortal from another realm. It was like they were on a mission to explore everything that made her unique. They’d ask her a million questions about her world, fascinated by all the little differences. And let’s be real, the idea of her being a witch? They just couldn’t buy into that. They wanted to see her as she was, without any of those labels. These two are a real package deal—they’re so attached at the hip it’s almost comical! They have this playful vibe, always joking around and flirting with her. They love to take her out and show her a good time. And here’s the kicker: if their “actual” mate ever comes along, they’re not sweating it. They’re perfectly fine sharing Eden because they’re all in on this wild ride together. For them, it’s all about the bond they share with her. So yeah, Eden is their girl, and they’re not about to let anyone change that.

[Luca]

“It is my pleasure to offer you the finest gowns but this is for something I think you will enjoy much more. While you look enchanting wearing the gowns in the evenings I’ve noticed you choose to be more casual in your dress during the day. It’s not right that you must wear the same leg coverings repeatedly and one of Cade or Finn’s shirts so I have instructed her to create a more casual wardrobe for you to wear during the days. She will make you anything you wish so that you may be more comfortable.”

He was a former brood, the kind of guy who usually kept everyone at arm's length. But around Eden? He started to smile, and it was surprising—almost shocking—to everyone else. They could see the change in him, a flicker of the guy he used to be before the darkness settled in. Luca had been trapped in this cycle of self-torment for ages, haunted by the things he’d done as a vampire. But somehow, Eden’s presence was different. She had this way of breaking through his walls, and he found her antics completely intriguing. Whether it was her playful jokes or her curious nature, she brought a lightness into his world that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was refreshing. And then, there was the whole blood-sharing thing. That took their connection to another level entirely. It wasn’t just a physical bond; it felt like a deep intertwining of their essences. Luca had never experienced anything like it before. With each exchange, it was like he was shedding layers of guilt and pain, discovering a new side of himself. Eden didn’t just see him as a vampire; she saw him for who he could be. Their relationship was evolving, and he was starting to embrace it, bit by bit. She was changing everything for him, and the more he got to know her, the more he realized just how powerful that connection could be. It was all so unexpected, but in the best possible way. Luca found himself smiling more, laughing more, and letting go of the shadows that had clung to him for so long. With Eden around, life felt a little brighter, and for the first time in a while, he was starting to hope again.

[Sebastian]

“And you! I don’t know what spell the witch has cast over you but I don’t like it. You will come with me to the palace to inform the King of what transpired today.” When Luca frowns, Sebastian throws up a hand. “No arguments. The further away from her the more the spell will weaken.”

At first, he was totally not on board with having her around. Sebastian was convinced she was a witch, and he made no secret of it. He accused her of having some hidden agenda, of being sent to gather information or worse. It wasn’t just that he didn’t trust her; he actively antagonized her. He’d poke fun at her, highlight her insecurities, and make snide comments about the attention she was getting from the others. To him, it felt like she was stealing the spotlight, and he couldn’t handle it. Every time she laughed or shared a story, he’d roll his eyes, convinced she was just putting on a show. He wanted to protect the others, keep them from what he believed was a threat. But everything changed when he accidentally stumbled upon some pictures on her phone. As he scrolled through, he started to realize just how out of place she really was. These weren’t just random snapshots; they were glimpses into a life from another timeline—one that was completely foreign to him and the rest of their world. Seeing her with friends and family, in settings that felt so different, it struck him hard. She wasn’t the witch he thought she was. She was just a girl trying to find her way in a world that didn’t quite fit. That moment of clarity hit him like a ton of bricks, and for the first time, he began to see her for who she truly was, not just the threat he had imagined. Slowly, that hard exterior he’d built up started to crack. Maybe she wasn’t so bad after all. Maybe she could even be someone worth getting to know. But breaking down those walls would take time, and he was still wrestling with his own instincts. It was a complicated mix of suspicion and curiosity, and he didn’t know where it would lead him.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

The book was okay at best. It had its moments, but overall, the plot felt pretty minimal. Most of the story revolved around smut scenes, which, while entertaining, overshadowed any real depth or character development. The chemistry was definitely there, but it felt like the narrative was more focused on the romantic entanglements than on building a compelling plot. It was like a rollercoaster of passion, but without much substance to back it up. If you’re looking for a fun, quick read with plenty of heat, it might hit the spot. Just don’t expect an intricate story or deep character arcs.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first impression of the writing was wow, the author really didn't like using commas or shorter sentences and really liked using the words "as" and "when".

I blur at my top speed back to the horses, not wanting the sour blood to dry on my skin and quickly strip my clothing and use the water from the skin attached to the saddle to wash away as much as I can before redressing in the fresh clothing I brought with me... I have no idea what is going on but a few more minutes with this sexy woman in my arms and my cock may explode so I carry her up the stairs and into the house straight to the library where I know a fire will already be lit.

It made the story hard to read for me, but I pushed through since I saw a lot of Goodreads friends had enjoyed the book. While I did like the sassy FMC and concept of a modern woman time-traveling back to bring her influence to ancient supernaturals, the relationships were quite insta-love overall, with only one man in the harem flip-flopping between resentment/reluctance and devotion, and the mystery plot not making much progress until everything was revealed in the last few pages.

There was a lot of smut, which I didn't mind and mostly liked, but I thought there would be more plot. What I definitely didn't like was that most of the men mated and bonded to the FMC Eden without explaining anything to her, and some of these bonds happened only a few days after meeting her.... And I don't recall contraception and birth control ever being covered between them before they went full contact, which seems like something that should have been too important to miss with female empowerment and modern safety. Even a hand-wavy "we're not compatible species" would have been sufficient for my purposes.

I thought that this book was just okay, and it ended on a cliffhanger, but I'm not sure I care enough about the writing and characters to continue with the series at this point. Reading the critical reviews for the next book don't really encourage me, so I'm putting this on the back burner for now if not forever.

[Tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this book and Theresa/Reese may have become a must read author for me. In this book you get a tough FMC with trauma, time travel, supernatural creatures, mates, plenty of steamy times, no mm, and no other woman drama (but a few crazy exes). I would recommend it to everyone 🥰

[Lia Angelidou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope, didn't work for me.

[Christi Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of spice!!

Huge fan of Reese Rivers! Just like her other books she keeps the plot moving so there is no dull moments. Rivers writes such great lines for her characters bringing them to life. This one has all the relationship lovey dovey stuff at the beginning then she hits you with plot twists. So glad the next book is already out because this one has a nasty cliffhanger!

[Mom Reads Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le sigh. Not sure if I hate read this book or if I actually enjoyed it and don’t want to admit it despite the crappy start and the weird character flows.
And yeah. I said flows. The fmc just doesn’t flow for me.
Idk. I will think about it and add more later.

It’s a 3 for me dawg.
RH
Heavy spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
KU
Finished series
No MM or FF

[Poetry Drive · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover of historical romance, this was just 🤌🏼

It’s such a strange blend of time travel and PNR that works so well. You get pretty immersed into the historical part of this story, if you’re familiar with historical romance in general.

[Cari K Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this series, laugh out loud funny, dark, twists, an emotional roller coaster for sure but SO good!!

[Kayleigh Milson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soooo bloody good!

That cliff hanger though! I’m chomping at the bit for the next one. Eden is all you want in a heroine and her guys are gorgeous. I’m a massive fan of the Outlander series and the reverse harem genre so this ticks all my boxes! Would definitely recommend!

[Kayla J. ~ Master of Dragons & Assassins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time travel reverse harem? Yes, please.

[nayezi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine tolle Idee, die mir sehr gut gefallen hat: Am Ende wurde es mir dann jedoch zu schnell zu dramatisch.

[LolaLovesRH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun Time Travel Read

The fmc was likable and a badass and her interaction with the men had me laughing out loud. Initially, I had wondered why the author made the decision to make the fmc from 2028 and as you read the story you quickly understand why. I can’t say I’m mad about it.

I liked the men a lot but I think my favorites have to be Luca and Sebastian. They were the celibate kings of the group and I gotta say I’m always pleasantly surprised when men in RH aren’t former playboys/sexual deviants. I found Luca to be so incredibly precious and while Sebastian was the quintessential asshole of the harem group he grew on me.

The cousins, Cage and Finn, were the atypical playboys of the group but I did like them for the most part. I don’t know why but I felt like Finn faded in the background at times where Cage was concerned and it took me a bit to learn his personality. They aren’t my favorite guys of the group, but that’s mainly because I don’t typically like their character types. They were very sweet to the fmc and loyal to a fault once meeting her so I can’t fault that.

But spoiler: I could have done with out the woman scorned drama as it was very predictable. And it’s one of the reasons main reasons I don’t like former playboys.

As for the romance it was good but since this is going to be a four book series. I felt like it could have been drawn out a bit more. Especially with Sebastian that’s just me though as I’m usually not a fan of fast-burn. However, I did really enjoy this book and will definitely be reading the next one.