Time Jump

by Adam Simcox

'Gritty, thrilling and surprisingly plausible' Janice Hallett, bestselling author of The Appeal

'Gripping and twisty. . . A true genre-bender' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind her Eyes

'Speculative fiction at its best. A killer concept' Gareth Brown, bestselling author of The Book of Doors

'A taut high-concept psychological thriller with a nuclear explosion of '90s nostalgia' Richard Swan, bestselling author of The Empire of the Wolf

You can change the past. Can you cheat fate?

The day Princess Diana died, eighteen-year-old Rachel killed Oliver Jones in a car crash - and destroyed her own future in the process.

In 2026, time travel is a luxury commodity like any other. When a mysterious benefactor unexpectedly offers Rachel the opportunity to Time Jump, she doesn't think twice and goes back to 1997, making sure the fatal accident never takes place.

Oliver is now an alive and thriving politician, and the connection between him and Rachel blooms into a perfect fairy tale ending. But it comes at a terrible cost.

And as rumours begin to circulate about young women going missing from Oliver's rehab centres, Rachel faces an impossible question. Was the man she travelled back in time to save - and fell in love with in her present - a monster in the making?

Rachel thought killing Oliver was the worst thing she'd ever done. Now she's afraid saving him might be . . . Addictive and twisty time travel thriller, perfect for fans of Gillian McAllister, Blake Crouch and The Ministry of Time.

READER PRAISE

'The whole concept for this book is so brilliantly executed' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'A very enjoyable read, hard to put down' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'Cleverly plotted, engaging, and kept me hooked throughout' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

'Well, I wasn't expecting that! . . . Excellent' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

425 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2026

Reviews

[Sunyi Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take a time jump romance trope, and utterly flip it on its head.

Rachel goes back in time to save someone she accidentally killed with her car as a teen; his death ruined her life and sent her spiraling. Returning to the present she meets him again and falls in love... but here the novel takes a sharp right turn.

This is not a story about romance spannign the decades. It's a story about red flags, and loneliness, and ascribing a fairytale narrative to your life; it's a story about coercive control and jaded adult experiences, and about what happens when the person you saved actually turns out to be a bit of a monster.

[Mark]

I mean it, this is awesome

Basically the day Princess Diana dies Rachel kills a stranger Oliver in a car crash

Now in 2026 time travel is a thing for the uber rich, Rachel isn’t but is determined to go back to 1997 and change hers and Olivers fates…..but in doing so and saving him and changing history she finds out back in 2027 not only has she saved a man who is now a politician she has also saved a monster ( all of this is in the blurb so not given any spoilers not found everywhere else )

How can this be? How is this right?

It is a frantically powerful read, Rachel is quirky but on the side of quirky we all can be so is relatable, she literally craves that day back in 1997 but when she gets there via time travels sees things that already gives her doubts she has done the right thing, not knowing what is to come ( living the time travel with her is great as she sees London back in the 90’s )

Loved Rachel working at the Ivy and all that came from that and loved her Mum and their ‘conversations’ also loved when she used the word ‘Verily’

I could write non stop about this and wish could go back in time and read it again, its that good, am not sure how to be more enthusiastic about it so will just say read it and hopefully you will experience what I just have 😎😊

[Cynth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every minute of the book. A time travel/thriller done well! It had me so gripped and the twist blew me away. I would absolutely recommend!

[Sarah O'Riordan | travelseatsreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the idea behind Time Jump. I’m always a sucker for a story that makes you wonder what would happen if you could go back and change one moment in your life, and this one had a really interesting take on it. The idea that changing the past can have far reaching consequences you could never have anticipated definitely worked for me.

I also really liked Rachel. She’s flawed and problematic in many ways, yet somehow deeply likeable, and I found myself rooting for her even when I wasn’t entirely convinced by some of her choices.

What let this one down for me, though, was the blurb. It gives away so much of the story that by the time I actually got to those parts, I felt like I’d already been told the good bits. There was very little left for me to figure out for myself, and I think I would have enjoyed the twists and turns a lot more if I’d gone in knowing considerably less.

Still, I enjoyed the concept, Rachel was a great character to follow and there was plenty here to keep me turning the pages. I just wish the blurb had shown a little more restraint and let the story surprise me.

3.5/5⭐

If you enjoyed this review come follow me on Instagram @TravelsEatsReads for more

[Richard Swan]

A taut high concept psychological thriller with a nuclear explosion of 90s nostalgia

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 2026 Rachel's life is a mess, moving from one low paid job to another, addicted to alcohol, & with no friends, her life pivots around the day she killed Oliver Jones. Driving the morning after a particularly heavy night out, Rachel accidentally killed Oliver on 31 Aug 1997 & after serving her time in prison, she has never recovered. A solution may be at hand though. Time travel has been discovered & although usually a preserve of the ultra-rich, Rachel gets the chance to return to 1997 & put right the wrong she did.

When she returns to 2026 she has suffered a personal loss decades earlier than she should have but Oliver is alive & thriving as a politician who runs a string of drug rehabilitation centres. They meet & the connection between them gives them both their 'happy ever after'. But does Rachel really know Oliver & should she have left things alone.....

I thought this one sounded really interesting in the synopsis & it turned out to be a really entertaining read. Anyone who came of age in the 1990s will enjoy the 1997 nostalgia. The first third with the build-up to the time travelling is quite slow, but the rest of the book moves at a faster pace, & Rachel turns out to be one of those characters that I wasn't sure about at first but grew to like despite her (many) flaws.

It's not perfect. it has its faults including some plot holes & inconsistencies that I noticed, but overall I loved the crossover between sci-fi & thriller. I really liked this one. 4.5 stars (rounded up)

SUMMARY:
Plot: 4/5 - First third is quite slow but the rest of book moves at a faster pace. Some plot holes noted but overall I loved the crossover between sci-fi & thriller.
Writing Style: 4/5 - Rachel is one of those MCs that I was unsure about first but quickly grew to like despite her (many) flaws.
Enjoyment: 5/5 - Has its faults but I really liked this one. Anyone who came of age in the 1990s will enjoy the 1997 nostalgia.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, John Murray Press/Renegade Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5 stars.

The story follows Rachel as she jumps back in time to fix a wrong. For me, this read as two books connected by the fact that Rachel had rescued Oliver. First half of the book revolves around the concept of time travel, time jumping and the impact changes in the past can have on the future, or as said in the book how “everything changes, everything stays the same”. The second half of the book felt much more like a thriller and overall did not feel like it had anything to do with time travel. It is a relatively fast paced read once you’ve got to the latter half, which I enjoyed.

I did struggle reading this book, finding it difficult to get the timeline straight (ironic, I know). It wasn’t the time jump that threw me, but the “day to day” timeline at the beginning of the book and then the time skips further in. For me there were also some plot holes around character backgrounds that left me asking questions.

In terms of characters, some of the one liners the narrator comes out with are quite witty, but she doesn’t read as a genuine woman and neither did some of the conversations. What I did like about this book, was the nostalgic feelings it promoted while talking bout different areas of London.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

All opinions are my own.

[Erin Wickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah…that was INSANE!! What a story!

We meet Rachel, a down in her luck woman in her 40s who is working in a job that she hates and that uses alcohol like a bandage for all things in life. Rachel’s life changed 29 years ago when she killed a man and since she lives in a period when time travel is possible, she enters the lottery for the opportunity to go back in time and right her wrongs…but will she really get the chance?

The whole concept for this book is so brilliantly executed - dripping in nineties nostalgia that makes you feel emotional and maybe even wondering if you would change anything in your life, if you could…

The twists and turns were fantastic - no spoilers here but I was absolutely blown away by the direction of the book in the last third - it was all very exciting and so wonderfully written! I really enjoyed Rachel’s sense of humour and her narration of the situation. I would highly recommend this to anyone who fancies a sci-fi feel but with a more casual and funny feel.

Thank you to Adam Simcox for writing this amazing story! And thank you to NetGalley and John Murray Press for the early copy!
RELEASE DATE: 3rd September 2026

[Sharon Valler: Live Love Read Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you could go back in time and change one thing, what would it be? That question sits at the heart of this book, and I loved the concept from the start. At eighteen, Rachel caused a car accident that killed a young man named Oliver, and the guilt of it has shaped every part of her life since.. When a stranger unexpectedly offers her the chance to time-travel back to 1997, she takes it without hesitation, determined to stop that crash ever happening.

Rachel is a relatable character, who is written brilliantly. .Before the jump, she's an alcoholic worn down by guilt, and completely believable in how her one terrible mistake has destroyed her future. Once she goes back and saves Oliver, everything shifts, and it becomes clear the consequences of changing that single moment reach much further than she ever expected.

The trip back to 1997 was such a treat to read. It brought back some wonderful memories for me and had moments of humour scattered through it, as Rachel compared it to 2026. which gave a lift to what was, in other respects, quite a dark story.

A hugely enjoyable read, I loved it.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Adam Simcox and John Murray Press for an ARC of this book.

[Ellie · Rating 2 out of 5]

i’m so sorry but i really hope they change the blurb for this book because it tells you the entire plot. we know everything that’s going to happen before the book even starts - i thought this was going to pick up post-time jump since that was the main objective of the blurb, but that was not the case. we get to the end of the blurb at 85% of the way through. what was the point??? i learned nothing new, the entire twist was spoiled!!

rachel is an entirely unbelievable mc (i don’t know why they didn’t just make everyone younger??? she does not act like a 47 year old even remotely) and the whole love story felt incredibly forced. a lot of the chapters felt like they were to up the word count rather than move the plot along, which, when we already know the entire plot line, is a real drag.

such a shame because the concept of this is super interesting and the blurb just completely stomps on the whole book.

thank you to john murray press for the advanced copy. all opinions are (obviously) my own. sorry to this man.

[Craig Simons · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you could go back in time to change one thing, would you?

That's the question asked in this incredible book set in two timelines, 1997 and an alternate version of 2026

This was an amazing and incredibly easy read. The main character was pretty easy to like and can't stop thinking about the night she killed someone so after a chance encounter with a "Time Jumper", she's given an opportunity to prevent that event from happening. But how will the man turn out in the present day?

I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I absolutely love a time-travel story and this was a really enjoyable read. The concept was great and I loved the blend of time travel, mystery, romance and darker elements.

The writing was engaging, the 1997 setting added a great atmosphere and the time-travel aspect was handled really well without becoming overly complicated.

I also enjoyed the thought-provoking themes around fate, choices and how our decisions can shape not just our lives, but those around us.

A clever, entertaining read with a fantastic premise. Definitely one for fellow time-travel fans!

[E O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The concept immediately hooked me and I enjoyed the 90's references. I also liked the way the story explored the unintended consequences of changing the past rather than taking a more straightforward approach to time travel.

The twist felt fairly predictable, and I would have liked to see the politics around pro and anti time travel explored in more depth. Despite that, this was an enjoyable read with an interesting premise.

[Lovetoread2023 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time Jump sounded like an intriguing read, but unfortunately it fell short for me. I found it difficult to stay engaged and, overall, it wasn’t a particularly enjoyable read.
I also feel the blurb gives away far too much of the plot, which took away some of the intrigue and surprises. With a little less revealed in the blurb, I think the story could have had a stronger impact.

Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing in this was so absorbing and I found it easy to remain engaged—but the characters were paper thin in terms of development and the blurb gives away the ENTIRE plot. We never get to learn the motive behind Oliver’s actions, apart from a very flimsy explanation of his abusive stepfather. The time travel element also wasn’t explained well, and I was disappointed at just how surface level the storyline felt.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I found this book absolutely fascinating. This is a time travel novel centred around ‘if you could go back in time and change this… would you’. Our main character has a lot of problems. Excessive drinking, relationships that are frayed. It all stems from an event when she was eighteen that she deeply regrets and has laden her with guilt for decades. She lives in a world where time travel exists, but only for the epically rich. There’s a lottery which she enters, but it’s slim chances. Her mother is frustrated with her obsession with changing her past rather than her present. However when things are at their bleakest she’s offered the chance to go back to 1997.

The nostalgia in this book is high. There’s so many cultural references to London in 1997, flagging music, historical events, fashion. And there’s an exploration of how simpler things were then with technology being very different.

There is ultimately a core of consequences to actions. Changing one thing has a ripple effect and there’s a price to everything. I thought this was cleverly explored. The main character is quite myopic at times, consumed by her guilt rather than seeing the bigger picture. But this helps us to understand the actions she takes.

There is plenty of intrigue in this book, it’s exciting, the pace is great and I was just fascinated the whole time.

[Karen Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow.