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The Time Slip Girl
ASIN B00WAUWB8C moved to the more recent edition
What if the woman you loved was more than a century away? Dara, a computer programmer from Chicago, is visiting London when she opens a door in an Edwardian house and slips into Edwardian England. Agnes, a beautiful London shop girl, takes in the bewildered 21st century American lesbian, but, as Dara begins to accept that she is stuck in 1908, she also begins to accept that she has feelings for Agnes that go beyond gratitude. And the longer Dara stays, the harder Agnes finds it to hide her growing love for the accidental time traveller from the future. Will they overcome grief and prejudice to acknowledge their true feelings for one another? Or will Dara be snatched back to the 21st century before they can express their love? “When? When is this?” Dara asked, gesturing at the room. “It’s June 18th, miss,” Agnes said. “You really didn’t know?” Dara closed her eyes. “The year. What year, please?” “It’s 1908, miss,” Agnes said. Dara opened her eyes, opened her messenger bag, and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed the button to activate the main screen. It didn’t have a signal or the time and date. The battery was at 80 percent. She looked over at Agnes, whose eyes had gone wide. Agnes leaned over in her chair, trying to get a better look at the phone. Dara tapped a few buttons to pull up the photos she had stored on her phone. Yes, they were still there. The photos of Nick, their parents, and their friends were still there. The many pictures of Jenny, with and without Dara, were there. With Agnes still gazing at her and the phone intently, Dara went to her phone’s contacts and dialed Nick’s number. Nothing. “That still doesn’t mean I’m not dreaming,” she muttered. “Perhaps I should make us both some tea, miss.” Dara nodded yes, although she figured she could do with something a good deal stronger than tea. Agnes bustled out of the room. “Oh my God,” Dara said when she was alone. Her eyes darted around the room, taking it all in, the flower-patterned curtains on the one window, the shabby wardrobe standing in the corner, the night stand, the wooden chair, a small desk, the plain iron bed frame and the bedclothes that adorned it. One part of her couldn’t believe it was true, but another part could. That part urged her to accept the truth. It will go much easier on you if you do and soon, it said. She thought of her brother, who was probably frantic with worry wondering where she was. What would he tell their parents if he didn’t find her before they were supposed to fly out of Heathrow next week? Then there were her friends and the co-workers she actually liked. Most of all, though, there was Jenny. Jenny had been dead for over a year, so it wasn’t the fact that she wouldn’t see Jenny again that upset her. She had accepted that. No, it was the fact that she might never see the places she associated with Jenny ever again. She may never see all the little gifts Jenny had given her during their time together. In a panic, she clutched at the thin gold chain she wore around her neck. She kept her engagement ring on that chain. At least she had that. She kissed it tenderly and wept.
What if the woman you loved was more than a century away? Dara, a computer programmer from Chicago, is visiting London when she opens a door in an Edwardian house and slips into Edwardian England. Agnes, a beautiful London shop girl, takes in the bewildered 21st century American lesbian, but, as Dara begins to accept that she is stuck in 1908, she also begins to accept that she has feelings for Agnes that go beyond gratitude. And the longer Dara stays, the harder Agnes finds it to hide her growing love for the accidental time traveller from the future. Will they overcome grief and prejudice to acknowledge their true feelings for one another? Or will Dara be snatched back to the 21st century before they can express their love? “When? When is this?” Dara asked, gesturing at the room. “It’s June 18th, miss,” Agnes said. “You really didn’t know?” Dara closed her eyes. “The year. What year, please?” “It’s 1908, miss,” Agnes said. Dara opened her eyes, opened her messenger bag, and pulled out her cell phone. She pushed the button to activate the main screen. It didn’t have a signal or the time and date. The battery was at 80 percent. She looked over at Agnes, whose eyes had gone wide. Agnes leaned over in her chair, trying to get a better look at the phone. Dara tapped a few buttons to pull up the photos she had stored on her phone. Yes, they were still there. The photos of Nick, their parents, and their friends were still there. The many pictures of Jenny, with and without Dara, were there. With Agnes still gazing at her and the phone intently, Dara went to her phone’s contacts and dialed Nick’s number. Nothing. “That still doesn’t mean I’m not dreaming,” she muttered. “Perhaps I should make us both some tea, miss.” Dara nodded yes, although she figured she could do with something a good deal stronger than tea. Agnes bustled out of the room. “Oh my God,” Dara said when she was alone. Her eyes darted around the room, taking it all in, the flower-patterned curtains on the one window, the shabby wardrobe standing in the corner, the night stand, the wooden chair, a small desk, the plain iron bed frame and the bedclothes that adorned it. One part of her couldn’t believe it was true, but another part could. That part urged her to accept the truth. It will go much easier on you if you do and soon, it said. She thought of her brother, who was probably frantic with worry wondering where she was. What would he tell their parents if he didn’t find her before they were supposed to fly out of Heathrow next week? Then there were her friends and the co-workers she actually liked. Most of all, though, there was Jenny. Jenny had been dead for over a year, so it wasn’t the fact that she wouldn’t see Jenny again that upset her. She had accepted that. No, it was the fact that she might never see the places she associated with Jenny ever again. She may never see all the little gifts Jenny had given her during their time together. In a panic, she clutched at the thin gold chain she wore around her neck. She kept her engagement ring on that chain. At least she had that. She kissed it tenderly and wept.
239 pages, ebook
First published May 19, 2015
47 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Andre
29 books45 followersElizabeth Andre writes lesbian romance and cozy paranormal mysteries. She is a lesbian in an interracial same-sex marriage living in the Midwest. She hopes you enjoy her stories. She certainly loves writing them.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 9, 2017
I'm going to keep this one simple and go with bullet points.
Strong Points
• Dara. The main character is an African American lesbian (yay for WoC protagonists!) who works as a computer programmer (yay for women in STEM fields!), plays the violin, has taken self-defense classes and is comfortable in her own skin, even in Edwardian England.
• Friendship. The friendship and burgeoning attraction between Dara and Agnes in the first half of the book was fun to watch.
Neutral Points
• Agnes. While Agnes didn't have as much agency as Dara, she wasn't entirely a wallflower, either. She was a bit of a doe-eyed innocent, which seemed unlikely given her life to that point, but I liked her well enough; she managed to find her spirit when it mattered. She had a little bit of character growth throughout the story, but most of the growth which occurred toward the end of the story occurred off-page.
• Setting. I liked that the story took place in 1908 London, but there wasn't much time spent on location detail; it could just as easily have been set in Dublin or Philadelphia with very few changes. The time changes were more of a focus, but even that was mostly surface details. The setting was enjoyable, but not particularly believable.
• Racism in 1908 London. There was very little blatant racism, apart from a single character and a grotesque musical performance. I found that to be both a relief and a shortcoming. The ready acceptance of the community felt somewhat improbable, if gratifying, given the time and the place. But, as mentioned above, this isn't really a novel concerned with gritty realism, and the author did include some microaggressions that are all-too-common in modern society. I really would've loved to see Dara kick some racist ass, though.
• Time Travel. While this is technically a time travel story, it didn't really bother to iron out the details or close loopholes. This wasn't Primer or Timecrimes, it was a romance novel in which a roughed-out idea of time travel was hammered together to justify a relationship. I'm okay with that, though I would've liked more.
Weak Points
• Declarations of Love. The first came too soon and felt forced. The mutual declarations that came later felt stiff, inauthentic, and rife with corny dialogue. When it comes to romance novels, this part is huge for me, so I found it to be a real disappointment.
• Sex Scenes. The sex scenes were brief, coarse, and used modern slang that felt out of place. There was a distinct lack of elegance or poetry to them; they were short descriptions of what went where. There was also one such scene thrown in at the end as a flashback that didn't really fit the narrative structure.
• Endearments. This is purely personal preference, but seeing constant usage of 'my love' and 'my darling' just made me frown. I might buy it from Agnes, but not from Dara. It felt clumsy and grating.
• The Last Third.
____
While I genuinely liked the first half of the book, I found it really started to falter when the two leads actually started their relationship. Once the romance officially began, it just felt...cheezy-- overflowing with contrivances, clichés, and awkward dialogue. It's a light, easy read with some decent ideas and charming characters, but the execution could've been better.
2.5 stars
Strong Points
• Dara. The main character is an African American lesbian (yay for WoC protagonists!) who works as a computer programmer (yay for women in STEM fields!), plays the violin, has taken self-defense classes and is comfortable in her own skin, even in Edwardian England.
• Friendship. The friendship and burgeoning attraction between Dara and Agnes in the first half of the book was fun to watch.
Neutral Points
• Agnes. While Agnes didn't have as much agency as Dara, she wasn't entirely a wallflower, either. She was a bit of a doe-eyed innocent, which seemed unlikely given her life to that point, but I liked her well enough; she managed to find her spirit when it mattered. She had a little bit of character growth throughout the story, but most of the growth which occurred toward the end of the story occurred off-page.
• Setting. I liked that the story took place in 1908 London, but there wasn't much time spent on location detail; it could just as easily have been set in Dublin or Philadelphia with very few changes. The time changes were more of a focus, but even that was mostly surface details. The setting was enjoyable, but not particularly believable.
• Racism in 1908 London. There was very little blatant racism, apart from a single character and a grotesque musical performance. I found that to be both a relief and a shortcoming. The ready acceptance of the community felt somewhat improbable, if gratifying, given the time and the place. But, as mentioned above, this isn't really a novel concerned with gritty realism, and the author did include some microaggressions that are all-too-common in modern society. I really would've loved to see Dara kick some racist ass, though.
• Time Travel. While this is technically a time travel story, it didn't really bother to iron out the details or close loopholes. This wasn't Primer or Timecrimes, it was a romance novel in which a roughed-out idea of time travel was hammered together to justify a relationship. I'm okay with that, though I would've liked more.
Weak Points
• Declarations of Love. The first came too soon and felt forced. The mutual declarations that came later felt stiff, inauthentic, and rife with corny dialogue. When it comes to romance novels, this part is huge for me, so I found it to be a real disappointment.
• Sex Scenes. The sex scenes were brief, coarse, and used modern slang that felt out of place. There was a distinct lack of elegance or poetry to them; they were short descriptions of what went where. There was also one such scene thrown in at the end as a flashback that didn't really fit the narrative structure.
• Endearments. This is purely personal preference, but seeing constant usage of 'my love' and 'my darling' just made me frown. I might buy it from Agnes, but not from Dara. It felt clumsy and grating.
• The Last Third.
____
While I genuinely liked the first half of the book, I found it really started to falter when the two leads actually started their relationship. Once the romance officially began, it just felt...cheezy-- overflowing with contrivances, clichés, and awkward dialogue. It's a light, easy read with some decent ideas and charming characters, but the execution could've been better.
2.5 stars
January 4, 2016
Detailed score: 3.25
I'm not going to say much here except to point you to Jenna's excellent Review of which I agree with every word!
This book had so much potential - and I enjoyed it enough that I'm about to try another of the author's work (a collection of short stories) but it really just fizzles after about the half way mark which was such a disappointment after an intriguing premise.
Having said that, I think it only cost about $5 so in that regard it was better value for money that some other full length works.
I'm not going to say much here except to point you to Jenna's excellent Review of which I agree with every word!
This book had so much potential - and I enjoyed it enough that I'm about to try another of the author's work (a collection of short stories) but it really just fizzles after about the half way mark which was such a disappointment after an intriguing premise.
Having said that, I think it only cost about $5 so in that regard it was better value for money that some other full length works.
August 17, 2019
A 21st century woman visits London in 2015 with her brother. During a tour she wanders off by herself, falls down some stairs and, when she comes to she is in the same building but it's now 1908. A nice woman discovers her and allows her to share her bed (not that way; okay, that way but that's a lot further into the story).
A certain level of competence in characterization and the like. I just had some issues with some of the things that unfolded. Both in what they did and didn't do. I'd be more exact but apparently I cannot recall how to do a spoiler tag correctly.
Rating: 3
July 17 2019
A certain level of competence in characterization and the like. I just had some issues with some of the things that unfolded. Both in what they did and didn't do. I'd be more exact but apparently I cannot recall how to do a spoiler tag correctly.
Rating: 3
July 17 2019
January 28, 2018
Time Slip Girl is so much better than I ever could have expected: it is a lovely, lovely, warm-hearted, sweet read and reminds me, in the best ways possible, of my favorite movie "Somewhere in Time." The main characters are just so likable and the love story so earnest and endearing and innocent I found myself emotionally affected and very sorry to see the book end. This is definitely a keeper!!
September 25, 2020
Spectacularly bad.
It is times like these that I wish I had the talent of Roger Ebert, and particularly his ability to describe atrocious failures in the most evocative prose. I do not fault this book because it is lesbian science fiction; I fault it because it is trite, simplistic, puerile and derivative.
It is times like these that I wish I had the talent of Roger Ebert, and particularly his ability to describe atrocious failures in the most evocative prose. I do not fault this book because it is lesbian science fiction; I fault it because it is trite, simplistic, puerile and derivative.
May 19, 2015
Engaging
The Time Slip Girl is a story of Dara, a young woman who is touring London with her brother and picking her life back up after losing her soon to be wife when she falls through time back to 1908. Agnes is a quiet woman who sticks to herself living in fear in soon after the turn of the century. Her abusive brother drops in and out of her life as he sees fit. She really has no choice in the matter if she doesn't want her closely guarded secret brought to light. On one remarkable night her life is changed forever when she finds an oddly dressed, very confused and confusing female in the basement the home she rents an apartment from. What happens to them next is not mine to tell.
This book was a good paced, well flowing, captivating book that I just could not put down. Really, I read through the night till I finished a bit after the sun rose! It was a great story even before it got to the romance and then it got better! I loved the realness of the characters, their insecurities and doubts only made them more sweet and believable. I liked how Ms. Andre took me back in time and showed me what it really would have been like, the sights and sounds and even the smells.... The hardships people experienced and the things women had to endure, the things that were commonplace then that are taken for granted today. I am so grateful to be alive now and not then!
I enjoyed Agnes' curiosities and her delight in simple things. How, even though she sometimes seems so meek she has such a strong sense of loyalty and is willing to overcome fear to do what is right and to follow her heart. I fell a bit in love with Dara. Besides being lovely, she was faced her situation head on (after freaking out a bit at first, but going back in time more than 100 years would tend to do that to a person!). She did her best to adapt to and accept the changes she found herself in. She was able to stand up to Ted and keep him from hurting her and Agnes too. She did what needed to be done and allowing herself to love Agnes made me smile and my heart grow so big!
I was thrilled with the ending, it was just right! Once again, Ms. Andre has made me a very happy reviewer!
Original review with Prism Book Alliance ®
The Time Slip Girl is a story of Dara, a young woman who is touring London with her brother and picking her life back up after losing her soon to be wife when she falls through time back to 1908. Agnes is a quiet woman who sticks to herself living in fear in soon after the turn of the century. Her abusive brother drops in and out of her life as he sees fit. She really has no choice in the matter if she doesn't want her closely guarded secret brought to light. On one remarkable night her life is changed forever when she finds an oddly dressed, very confused and confusing female in the basement the home she rents an apartment from. What happens to them next is not mine to tell.
This book was a good paced, well flowing, captivating book that I just could not put down. Really, I read through the night till I finished a bit after the sun rose! It was a great story even before it got to the romance and then it got better! I loved the realness of the characters, their insecurities and doubts only made them more sweet and believable. I liked how Ms. Andre took me back in time and showed me what it really would have been like, the sights and sounds and even the smells.... The hardships people experienced and the things women had to endure, the things that were commonplace then that are taken for granted today. I am so grateful to be alive now and not then!
I enjoyed Agnes' curiosities and her delight in simple things. How, even though she sometimes seems so meek she has such a strong sense of loyalty and is willing to overcome fear to do what is right and to follow her heart. I fell a bit in love with Dara. Besides being lovely, she was faced her situation head on (after freaking out a bit at first, but going back in time more than 100 years would tend to do that to a person!). She did her best to adapt to and accept the changes she found herself in. She was able to stand up to Ted and keep him from hurting her and Agnes too. She did what needed to be done and allowing herself to love Agnes made me smile and my heart grow so big!
I was thrilled with the ending, it was just right! Once again, Ms. Andre has made me a very happy reviewer!
Original review with Prism Book Alliance ®
June 9, 2020
Sweet and cute but fell a little flat near the end.
The Time Slip Girl. Started off as a really cute an easy read I really enjoyed both of the protagonist they were interesting and very likeable and seeing a character like Dara adjust to the the 1900's was interesting and I'm really glad Andre didn't shy away from the racial difference either. Agnus even though very naive was still a very sweet character that I did grow like.
The reason why I could only give it 3 stars was about at the 65% point of the book The writting I felt just changed all of a sudden it got very straightforward and I felt like it lost a lot of the emotion and detail of the rest of the book.
The Time Slip Girl. Started off as a really cute an easy read I really enjoyed both of the protagonist they were interesting and very likeable and seeing a character like Dara adjust to the the 1900's was interesting and I'm really glad Andre didn't shy away from the racial difference either. Agnus even though very naive was still a very sweet character that I did grow like.
The reason why I could only give it 3 stars was about at the 65% point of the book The writting I felt just changed all of a sudden it got very straightforward and I felt like it lost a lot of the emotion and detail of the rest of the book.
July 6, 2024
2.5 stars. I really wanted to like this, but it ended up being a little bland, a little boring for me. It's one of those books that's shorter than the plot calls for, and to make it worse, some of the precious page time is spend on characters and scenes that aren't that important to the plot or romance. And there were a bunch of time skips, most of them taking place at really inopportune moments, IMO.
The plot is one that I was so fully prepared to love, because I really adore this trope. Dara is an American tourist in London in 2014, still getting over the death of her fiancée a year ago. While on a sightseeing tour in an old house, she somehow gets transported 100 years into the past to the Edwardian era, where she meets Agnes, one of the renters in the house. I really love time travel stories; they are so so fun to me, and I love them as a vehicle for exploring different time periods. There's something really appealing about a romance in that kind of setting too, But this was just... fine. It started off well enough. There's no real explanation for the time travelling (except some vague notions of time slips) but I didn't really need there to be any. Both characters accept the time travelling relatively quickly, but since the book is so short, I didn't mind that. What I did mind was that I didn't really feel the connection between Agnes and Dara. I wouldn't say that there was anything lacking, but it still somehow felt very bland. It takes a while for them to get together, but one character says she's falling in love around 35%, and that was totally unbelievable. The way Dr. Gray was brought into the story was so casual and weird; I couldn't believe that Dara just spilled everything to him. Also, the main character is black, and has travelled back to 1908. There are a bunch of conversations about race/racism, but some of them rubbed me the wrong way. Like, Dara would constantly experience a bunch of racist microaggressions, but her reaction was almost always super anticlimactic. Like, 'oh well, that wasn't very PC, but he meant well/I'm not offended.' And her non-reaction (except in extreme cases, like with Agnes; brother) just kinda ticked me off. Lol. I wish we'd gotten a more in-depth look at her life as she acclimated to the new time period. We saw her first couple of days in detail, but then we started skipping forward in time, sometimes days or weeks at a time, and it wasn't very satisfying. The romance, again, was just okay. Cute, but I didn't that feeling of epic, sweeping romance that I want from a time travel book. And the latter half of the book was just kind of boring. The introduction of Derek was probably supposed to be feel impactful, but I was just kind of annoyed that we moved away from Agnes and Dara POV.
I'm trying to think of more to say, but I can't, other than vague complaints about things I wish had been written better, or better communicated. The book was fine overall, and I won't write this author off. This just didn't work for me.
Content warnings:
The plot is one that I was so fully prepared to love, because I really adore this trope. Dara is an American tourist in London in 2014, still getting over the death of her fiancée a year ago. While on a sightseeing tour in an old house, she somehow gets transported 100 years into the past to the Edwardian era, where she meets Agnes, one of the renters in the house. I really love time travel stories; they are so so fun to me, and I love them as a vehicle for exploring different time periods. There's something really appealing about a romance in that kind of setting too, But this was just... fine. It started off well enough. There's no real explanation for the time travelling (except some vague notions of time slips) but I didn't really need there to be any. Both characters accept the time travelling relatively quickly, but since the book is so short, I didn't mind that. What I did mind was that I didn't really feel the connection between Agnes and Dara. I wouldn't say that there was anything lacking, but it still somehow felt very bland. It takes a while for them to get together, but one character says she's falling in love around 35%, and that was totally unbelievable. The way Dr. Gray was brought into the story was so casual and weird; I couldn't believe that Dara just spilled everything to him. Also, the main character is black, and has travelled back to 1908. There are a bunch of conversations about race/racism, but some of them rubbed me the wrong way. Like, Dara would constantly experience a bunch of racist microaggressions, but her reaction was almost always super anticlimactic. Like, 'oh well, that wasn't very PC, but he meant well/I'm not offended.' And her non-reaction (except in extreme cases, like with Agnes; brother) just kinda ticked me off. Lol. I wish we'd gotten a more in-depth look at her life as she acclimated to the new time period. We saw her first couple of days in detail, but then we started skipping forward in time, sometimes days or weeks at a time, and it wasn't very satisfying. The romance, again, was just okay. Cute, but I didn't that feeling of epic, sweeping romance that I want from a time travel book. And the latter half of the book was just kind of boring. The introduction of Derek was probably supposed to be feel impactful, but I was just kind of annoyed that we moved away from Agnes and Dara POV.
I'm trying to think of more to say, but I can't, other than vague complaints about things I wish had been written better, or better communicated. The book was fine overall, and I won't write this author off. This just didn't work for me.
Content warnings:
November 4, 2017
Okay
This was an okay read. The time travel angle was interesting, but the pacing was all over the place and the sex scenes were repetitive.
This was an okay read. The time travel angle was interesting, but the pacing was all over the place and the sex scenes were repetitive.
June 11, 2015
Review from website Escapology Reviews
escapologyreviews.com
A surprisingly delicate portrait of the beginning of a relationship, there are moments when it feels like a simple love story where you're willing them to just kiss already, but the time travel element adds drama with the knowledge that a relationship such as there's was damned by society at the turn of the century.
Dara is newly bereaved and her grief permeates the opening of the novel. The pain of her sudden loss is strong as André describes how Dara herself is only just coming back to life after the death of her love, Jenny. So we know that only someone really special is going to make Dara look twice at them. The romance between Dara and Agnes is a foregone conclusion but their slow coming together is a delicate portrait and one which I found myself enjoying.
Don't get me wrong, I love predictable: it's comforting. When an author sets up a plot and then it comes to fruition, I love that. That said, I would have loved for there to be more intensity in this novel. The novel begins with Dara's grief and so much of that feeling lies in desperation and longing for things to be different. She may have accepted Jenny's death by the start of the novel, but when you do love again and then you agree to marry that person, you'd do a deal with the devil to never let them go. Like scrambling up a well, bloody and raw you cling to the love you find. THAT intensity was missing.
"When Dara realised she had been disconnected, she dialed Derek's number again. There was no answer. It went straight to voicemail, but she didn't leave a message. She waited several days, but Derek didn't call again."
Surely, instead of waiting for days, like Morpheus and Eurydice you'd go to Hell to get your love back!?
I also wanted more description of 1908 London. Dara spent a lot of time describing 2014 to Agnes, but there was very little of London past the people who inhabited it. Maybe it's because I'm a Fantasy lover, but I enjoy rich scenes of Edwardian settings and felt that was lacking here.
Delayed Gratification or Cold Bath Water?
Part of the delicacy of this novel was the sex scenes. There was lots of 'fingers reached down into hair and found the clit' but that was as far as it went. I enjoyed the sex scenes but definitely think they could have been more fulfilling. It makes me wonder if it's a privacy thing, I mean lesbian sex is so easily turned into wank material for heterosexual males. Maybe André was erring on the side of privacy and respect. However, I for one would have preferred some corsets hanging from the rafters as Dara showed Agnes a thing or two about how love in the Twenty First Century can be. But maybe that's just me. :$
Rating: 5 out of 10. I just wanted more from this book. More love, more passion, more 1908, MOAR!!!
Reviewed by Vikki Heaven @ Escapology Reviews
escapologyreviews.com
A surprisingly delicate portrait of the beginning of a relationship, there are moments when it feels like a simple love story where you're willing them to just kiss already, but the time travel element adds drama with the knowledge that a relationship such as there's was damned by society at the turn of the century.
Dara is newly bereaved and her grief permeates the opening of the novel. The pain of her sudden loss is strong as André describes how Dara herself is only just coming back to life after the death of her love, Jenny. So we know that only someone really special is going to make Dara look twice at them. The romance between Dara and Agnes is a foregone conclusion but their slow coming together is a delicate portrait and one which I found myself enjoying.
Don't get me wrong, I love predictable: it's comforting. When an author sets up a plot and then it comes to fruition, I love that. That said, I would have loved for there to be more intensity in this novel. The novel begins with Dara's grief and so much of that feeling lies in desperation and longing for things to be different. She may have accepted Jenny's death by the start of the novel, but when you do love again and then you agree to marry that person, you'd do a deal with the devil to never let them go. Like scrambling up a well, bloody and raw you cling to the love you find. THAT intensity was missing.
"When Dara realised she had been disconnected, she dialed Derek's number again. There was no answer. It went straight to voicemail, but she didn't leave a message. She waited several days, but Derek didn't call again."
Surely, instead of waiting for days, like Morpheus and Eurydice you'd go to Hell to get your love back!?
I also wanted more description of 1908 London. Dara spent a lot of time describing 2014 to Agnes, but there was very little of London past the people who inhabited it. Maybe it's because I'm a Fantasy lover, but I enjoy rich scenes of Edwardian settings and felt that was lacking here.
Delayed Gratification or Cold Bath Water?
Part of the delicacy of this novel was the sex scenes. There was lots of 'fingers reached down into hair and found the clit' but that was as far as it went. I enjoyed the sex scenes but definitely think they could have been more fulfilling. It makes me wonder if it's a privacy thing, I mean lesbian sex is so easily turned into wank material for heterosexual males. Maybe André was erring on the side of privacy and respect. However, I for one would have preferred some corsets hanging from the rafters as Dara showed Agnes a thing or two about how love in the Twenty First Century can be. But maybe that's just me. :$
Rating: 5 out of 10. I just wanted more from this book. More love, more passion, more 1908, MOAR!!!
Reviewed by Vikki Heaven @ Escapology Reviews
October 8, 2017
A very quick start, we are introduced to protagonist and Dara and her brother Nick who are visiting London. Again quickly, we discover the backstory relating to Dara and her most recent relationship.
In 1908, Dara seemed to slip into their ways of talking very quickly which didn't really ring true. I would have preferred a bit more about views on homosexuality and race in the early 1900s but felt this was glossed over. I got the feeling that everything was building up to the eventual sex scene, which was in fact the most detailed part of the book. I felt this was typical of most lesbian fiction which read as though a plot was decided around the sex scenes and I did feel this was the case slightly. I didn't really get a feel for the 1908 setting, and again a bit more detail and more specific world building would have given the book a bit more grit. I found Dr Gray to be quite a creepy character, which could have been made a lot more of. Had the book been longer, this could have added a more sinister side to the plot and gave the book more for the reader to sink their teeth into.
I enjoyed it, but so much more could have been done with the idea so it was disappointing at the same time.
In 1908, Dara seemed to slip into their ways of talking very quickly which didn't really ring true. I would have preferred a bit more about views on homosexuality and race in the early 1900s but felt this was glossed over. I got the feeling that everything was building up to the eventual sex scene, which was in fact the most detailed part of the book. I felt this was typical of most lesbian fiction which read as though a plot was decided around the sex scenes and I did feel this was the case slightly. I didn't really get a feel for the 1908 setting, and again a bit more detail and more specific world building would have given the book a bit more grit. I found Dr Gray to be quite a creepy character, which could have been made a lot more of. Had the book been longer, this could have added a more sinister side to the plot and gave the book more for the reader to sink their teeth into.
I enjoyed it, but so much more could have been done with the idea so it was disappointing at the same time.
December 27, 2015
Romance with a time travel conceit: Dara falls through a rift in time and wakes up in 1908, where she meets the charming Agnes. A light & easy read, without much emphasis on the mechanics of the time-slipping - this is first and foremost a romance. However it's such a sweet story that I'm willing to be very forgiving of the "convenient" way that Dara and Agnes are able to get to where they want to be. I finished it in an afternoon.
Full review to follow.
Full review to follow.
July 25, 2015
I enjoy time travel stories, and this has the added element that nailed it for me - an Edwardian London setting. The romance is sweet and builds up nicely, and there's a good balance of the "fish out of water" trope as Dara adjusts to living in the past.
May 25, 2015
Okay. I’m a sucker for time travel stories. I also enjoy love stories. So of course I had to read this one. I've enjoyed it very much, although it is not especially memorable or spectacular.
November 12, 2017
Dara is trying to put the pieces of her heart back together after the sudden death of her fiancée, Jenny. She goes travelling with her brother, Nick, and whilst on a tour of London she falls down a flight of stairs and is transported back to 1908. There (or then) she meets naive, sweet Agnes.
This was a nice story and I found it a quick read. I did feel like it lacked intensity in many aspects though. The time travel, for example, was a really nice touch but it could have been given so much more power. There wasn’t a lot of time given to how the travel was possible. The details of 1908 London were also not that in depth, meaning that, with very little change, the story could have happened in any number of places. The effect of the era and place on Dara could also have been explored a lot more.
I suppose it depends on what you want from the book. As a sci-fi/fantasy, it lacks a bit of substance. As a romance, though, it’s sweet and a lovely story.
This was a nice story and I found it a quick read. I did feel like it lacked intensity in many aspects though. The time travel, for example, was a really nice touch but it could have been given so much more power. There wasn’t a lot of time given to how the travel was possible. The details of 1908 London were also not that in depth, meaning that, with very little change, the story could have happened in any number of places. The effect of the era and place on Dara could also have been explored a lot more.
I suppose it depends on what you want from the book. As a sci-fi/fantasy, it lacks a bit of substance. As a romance, though, it’s sweet and a lovely story.
August 19, 2019
On vacation with her brother in London, Dara steps away from a tour and into a time slip where she's taken back to the Edwardian London of 1908. She is discovered by Agnes, a tenant in the house where Dara lands and becomes Agnes' roommate. While Dara longs to get back to her own time, she can't deny her growing attraction to Agnes. And Agnes, who was separated from a girlfriend when the two were found kissing, can't help but fall for Dara. But Dara is still determined to get back to 2014 and what does that mean for Agnes?
I loved this book. Given that it's about time travel, it doesn't pretend to be completely historically accurate, though most of what the author describes about London in 1908 feels well researched. The love story is very sweet and you hope the characters overcome what feels to be an insurmountable problem. I read the last 40% in one sitting.
Also, this is one of the few lesfic books with an African American main character and the author deals with the issue of Dara's race in an upfront and believable way.
Highly recommended.
I loved this book. Given that it's about time travel, it doesn't pretend to be completely historically accurate, though most of what the author describes about London in 1908 feels well researched. The love story is very sweet and you hope the characters overcome what feels to be an insurmountable problem. I read the last 40% in one sitting.
Also, this is one of the few lesfic books with an African American main character and the author deals with the issue of Dara's race in an upfront and believable way.
Highly recommended.
November 7, 2017
You know, I am typically not big into time travel fiction, but this one wasn’t too bad. I think it’s because it wasn’t the main focus of the book. The development of the characters and their relationship was. Obviously, due to the obstacles the characters had to face, it had to be somewhat of an integral part, but the way the author went about it I felt worked well. I would definitely read more of her work. It isn’t my usual fare, but it kept my interest enough to where I’d be willing to give another one of her books a look.
April 30, 2018
This one caught me off guard.
First, and most importantly, to me was the editing. I didn't see any typos or grammar mistakes. I find the subject of time travel, very fascinating. This story Kept my interest from beginning to end. The ending in my mind leaves it open for the possibility of a follow up book.It would be interesting to see how Agnes adjust to the future life that she found herself in.
First, and most importantly, to me was the editing. I didn't see any typos or grammar mistakes. I find the subject of time travel, very fascinating. This story Kept my interest from beginning to end. The ending in my mind leaves it open for the possibility of a follow up book.It would be interesting to see how Agnes adjust to the future life that she found herself in.
August 12, 2024
Lesbians?! In 1908? Yeah, okay.
Okay, this book was a lot cuter than I initially thought it was going to be. The simple fact of time travel is still something we talk about today in 2024 and I guess we're no closer than back in the early 1900's. The amazing thought that a mixed (black and white) girl from 2019 could fall back in time and find love in 1908 is a dream. Everyone deserves their Happily-Ever-After, even if that means traveling 100's of years to find it.
Okay, this book was a lot cuter than I initially thought it was going to be. The simple fact of time travel is still something we talk about today in 2024 and I guess we're no closer than back in the early 1900's. The amazing thought that a mixed (black and white) girl from 2019 could fall back in time and find love in 1908 is a dream. Everyone deserves their Happily-Ever-After, even if that means traveling 100's of years to find it.
October 21, 2017
Overall this was a cute romance, and I am a sucker for the whole "will they be able to be together again?' I really enjoyed the diversity and the characters. The plot was interesting and fun! Some plot holes and parts seemed rushed but not bad. I would recommend to a friend but maybe say don't think too hard on the plausibility of the story.
October 9, 2017
Great time travel story
This was a lot of fun to read. I liked the characters and it was interesting to read about some of the things we take for granted not being around, like veggies at meals. I thought the romance was well done.
This was a lot of fun to read. I liked the characters and it was interesting to read about some of the things we take for granted not being around, like veggies at meals. I thought the romance was well done.
October 12, 2017
Very interesting and well written.
An excellent love story and also excellent as time-travel story.
Definitely worth reading as either a romance or as a time-travel story, if you like both, even better.
An excellent love story and also excellent as time-travel story.
Definitely worth reading as either a romance or as a time-travel story, if you like both, even better.
October 21, 2017
4 stars for Dara and Agnes.
There were so many awful things about this books, like insta insta love and plot holes.
But there were some things that I liked: Agnes and Dara (especially Agnes), The Newtons and the idea of the story. It was executed awfully but I still enjoyed it.
There were so many awful things about this books, like insta insta love and plot holes.
But there were some things that I liked: Agnes and Dara (especially Agnes), The Newtons and the idea of the story. It was executed awfully but I still enjoyed it.
January 11, 2018
Lesbian Time Traveller
This book was wonderful to read. I'm a big fan of H.G. Wells. Having a coloured lesbian main character who falls in love with Edwardian lady is just absolute bliss! Give it a read; it ends happy.
This book was wonderful to read. I'm a big fan of H.G. Wells. Having a coloured lesbian main character who falls in love with Edwardian lady is just absolute bliss! Give it a read; it ends happy.
January 15, 2018
Enjoyed well thought out romance. The progression of the relationship between Dara and Agnes does not feel forced. The potential complications of time travel is dealt with but not beat to death. A weekend read, easy and fun. Something I didn't want to put down.
October 17, 2017
great concept- just couldn't read it-
November 1, 2017
I loved this book, it was a page turner ( i Know it’s a books and that how you work them but you know what I mean) If I had a re-read pile then this would be pretty high up on it.
October 2, 2019
DNF @ 27%
Too much telling and not enough showing for my liking. Also everything felt a bit wooden and things just happened without any real development or emotional impact
Too much telling and not enough showing for my liking. Also everything felt a bit wooden and things just happened without any real development or emotional impact
February 1, 2020
A really sweet and lovely queer romance, with an exciting framework of time travel that mixed in nicely.
July 2, 2024
CW: Racism, Sexism, Classism
4 /5 Stars
4 /5 Stars
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