Time travel: This is the trip you gotta take. And then when you take it--wham--you are faced with a savage choice of do-overs to correct past blunders.
Roy Hobbs blew the cash windfall from his best-seller book. Gone was his money, and then his wife Rachel was murdered with the killer never found. Roy chose to pick up the pieces, riding into his sunset as a crime reporter in a smaller market. Then a weird stranger made him a freaky offer. The stranger would pay Roy the same money as his best-seller book in return for Roy to write a book for the stranger. The subject of the book would be secret until after Roy makes a decision. Big payday or walk away?
Roy chose big money, and his life hurled into a dimension he could have never imagined. It was there that he faced the most savage do-over that would re-invent his life in stunning ways.
Could he truly have do-overs on his biggest mistakes in life? Would he make those same mistakes again, this time knowing the consequences? Could a do-over allow him to rescue Rachel and put an end to the killings?
Roy Hobbs wouldn’t be writing this strange new book, he would be living it, and the ending could kill him and kill Rachel again and again.
This is a trip you gotta take. You won't guess the twists and turns, and probably not even the final destination, but you'll certainly have fun. Take the trip today.
"I can't believe I've turned into a typical old man. I can't believe it. I was young just minutes ago."
I wish I had uttered that. I didn't, but I feel it. (Attribute that quote to an American illustrator, Maurice Sendak.)
So, not accepting that I've turned into a typical old man, I wrote a mystery involving some nifty old guys, "Who's Killing All My Old Girlfriends."
I sent the manuscript to a bunch of test readers—all old men and a few old women. They loved it. They wanted to read the sequel. Even before publishing "Who's Killing All My Old Girlfriends," I wrote a sequel. "Who's Killing the Fountain of Youth."
More rave reviews came from my test readers, all oldsters.
If you're over 50 years old, I suspect that you'd enjoy these two novels. If you're under the age of 50 and have a favorite grandpa, you'd also probably like these adventures.
You might as well get started. I'm now writing the third book in the series, "Who's Killing All the Good Old Bank Robbers." So, get crackin', you'll have fun.
This book is about a writer who made a fortune on his debut novel. Unfortunately he lost this money and also lost his marriage. One day an eccentric rich man offers him a deal that he cannot refuse. I would classify this book as a thriller based on a science fiction concept of time travel.
I love the idea of this story and I thought the story itself was terrific. We have all wondered if we could relive an event of our life what would we do different. Would we try to fix a relationship that did not work or we would we do something to gain better financial means? The main character gets a chance at both of these. I was all in with this part of the story. I enjoyed the characters including the antagonist which was a nice sub plot of knowing that someone is going to commit evil but hasn't done it yet. What do you do? I did think the science part of this book was "iffy" at best which is ironic considering this book is based on time travel. That is why I could not give this a higher rating. The science part is more of a plot device to tell the story and move it along.
Even though this is considered science fiction this book is about the characters. The author borrows from several works for his concepts of time travel and there is nothing ground breaking with it. It isn't about that though. It is about the main character and getting a second chance at life which I believe will resonate with all readers.
A first-class sci-fi thriller with perfect pacing...
Do-Overs by Wall Street Journal best-selling author Jon Spoelstra is a superbly written and richly descriptive novel with brilliantly drawn characters and settings. The threads of storytelling are expertly woven in this Time Travel Thriller that will have you turning the pages from beginning to end. There’s also plenty of imagery in the writing style that makes you feel like you are right there in the story.
I enjoyed the story, character development, and dialogue. There were plenty of plot twists that I didn’t see coming and that added to the book’s mystique. When I stopped reading to work, I found myself wondering what happened in the book, and replaying parts of the novel in my head to see if I could figure more out. It has been a while since I enjoyed a book this much. It’s a first-class sci-fi thriller with perfect pacing.
I’ll be looking forward to reading more from this author in the future. Highly recommended, and a well-deserved five stars from me.
Premise: Hired to write a book for a private patron, a best-selling but hard-luck investigative journalist is swept up in a “time travel” adventure that brings him face-to-face-to-face-to-face with multiple versions of the woman he still loves and the man who killed her.
Did you know that grape-flavored Gatorade Fierce is the favorite restorative drink of weary time travelers? You will by the end of this book because the author mentions it so many times I can only assume it’s a cry for help. That repetitiveness is rampant throughout the novel which is why it clocks in around 300 pages when it would have been 127. The narrator is an investigative journalist who leaves a lot of obvious questions unasked and makes this observation; “She was mid-forties, probably worked in ad sales for one of the rep firms in the Wrigley building, she had big knockers.” Red herrings are rampant, the only intriguing character is the serial killer, the plot twists are obvious but crafted into convulsions, and the resolution is creepy af even though it is billed as happy.
With a brutal editor, a more mindful approach to the development of character, and for the sake-of-sales a decent cover artist, this book has potential.
I read the book in one night because a winter storm had taken out the internet and I couldn’t download a new one to replace it.
a great premise for those who love time travel stories.
I found this book very well written and had some very great twists. I found this story satisfying and entertaining. Most time travel stories have several plot holes, while this one has a couple but they aren’t large and distracting. This was fun and teaches a great Life lesson at the same time.
I have to say I haven't read many science fiction thrillers, but this was an excellent one. The author draws you right in with a quirky scene between the MC and a mysterious billionaire who offers him a ton of money to write a book just for him. He doesn't tell the MC what this book will be about; take the money and find out or just leave it and walk away. But this turns out not to be any sort of book that he will write. He will live it instead. I think we all like the idea of a do-over, whether it's for a small mistake we wish to fix or something that has the potential to change everything. Of course, when we imagine a do-over, we see it as just all working out perfectly this time around because hindsight is 20/20. We figure we know the best option after what happened before. But this book certainly shows that a do-over can be complicated. The characters are well drawn and believable. The plot was well paced, and a story arc kept me turning the pages so I could see what was going to happen next. I certainly did not anticipate all the twists and turns nor the ending, but in retrospect, it seems appropriate. As a reader of both thrillers and science fiction separately, this style felt closer to me to a serial killer thriller. If a book about time travel and do-overs interests you, you may find it a very good read as I did.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
Do-Over: A Time Travel Thriller by of Sudden Second Chances by Jon Spoelstra is a science fiction thiller book. The plot of this book really caught me from the first sentence I read, perhaps because of the mystery of the narrative or just because I was digging deeper into the story of the novel. The protagonist of the story is a crime writer who has very successfully published a book about a serial killer. His poor investment decisions have left him in bankruptcy and in financial trouble. But a strange man suddenly appears proposing something very unique to him: writing a book that will only be written by him, and his research group, with a very peculiar theme: Travel to parallel worlds. The story flows quickly, and the characters are well developed and the dialectic of the dialogues used make the story a unique work. It is a science fiction book but with accurate scientific bases. Perhaps the theme of the book is so attractive because many of us have thought many times what we would do if we could return to relive some moments. I really enjoyed this book a lot and recommend it to anyone who likes an exciting science fiction thriller read.
Do- overs: A Time Travel Thriller of Second Chances is written by Jon Spoelstra. I dare to say that from the very beginning the title of this book caught my attention and then it did not disappoint me. The story is written for a general audience, but it is really interesting for anyone who enjoys mystery and fantasy. What would you do if you could travel to the past and help yourself? Are you ready to face the consequences in your present? Can you really change something? This piece of work is about a man, Roy Hobbs, who received a weird offer and he had to make a decision about his destiny. Is he really prepared to pay the lethal price that the time travel trip represents? I felt totally immersed in the story, the characters and the plot made me lost in the fiction. While it is a long book (302 pages) mystery lovers should definitely check it out. I would thoroughly recommend Do- Overs.
Do-Overs: A Time Travel Thriller of Sudden Second Chances by Jon Spoelstra is a rare and exceptional novel of parallel universes. Roy Homer Hobbs is commissioned to write a novel of time travel by the reclusive Allred Kosinski. Not just write it, but experience it. The first thing Roy wants to experience is the moment he met his wife, Rachel. Roy's master piece in life was the book he wrote, but that came with a price, Rachel. Will experiencing the future provide him with the information he needs and allow him to fix the biggest mistake in his life?
I found Do-Overs a fast paced thriller that has Roy travel back several times, to different parallel universes to fix mistakes, only to make more. Jon Spoelstra writes with flare and excitement. You feel the danger and intensity of the problems his characters face. As you read, you felt the possibilities of the outcome to increase. The ending was as dramatic as expected, but fun also.
if you could go back in time to tell yourself something, what would it be?
Time travel books have been around since, well we might never know for certain. We can imagine, especially as we get older and, hopefully, smarter all of the things we would “fix” if given the chance.
I don’t mean all of the people who staid “Hitler, before he got too dangerous.” I am talking about all of the mistakes, missteps, wrong turns and choices we have personally made in our own lives.
What would you fix or change? How many parallel worlds would you travel to, to help the “you” in those timelines? Five? A dozen? Imagine the possibilities!
Jon Spoelstra gives you an opportunity to imagine. This isn’t a book you will sit down and read in one setting, but rather devour it in small bites savoring each bite, each change that you contemplate making in your own history. Each “Second Chance” you imagine giving yourself. Read, think, imagine and enjoy.
The story, for me, was 5 stars. The editing 2 stars, and the writing 3 stars. But, again, for me, the overall score was 4 stars. There was only one major twist at about 90%. The story was great, and I really cared about the characters. This was indeed a unique “time travel” story. Most of it was explained pretty well, but there were a few times I needed to just suspend my disbelief. The editing was atrocious. Notes that the editor had for the author were left in the book. The writing needed a lot of tightening, I often thought that the author was getting paid by the word, because there was so much repetition. But in the end, the story makes up for for what I saw as deficits, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys time travel stories.
Almost 5 stars, but there were errors. Maybe publishing errors– I don't know how this stuff works. There were plenty of mispells, typos, all those neat errors that can be overlooked. But...
In the beginning Allred and Roy were both 51 years old. In 1978 Roy was 24 I believe. Then Allred talked about Chicago in the 1980s during his TEEN years. You see what I'm saying??
Also, in 1978 Rachel was 22. Then suddenly she was 23. Maybe she had a birthday that wasn't mentioned??
My brain automatically picks these things out. I don't even try.
Finally, the biggest error: President Bill Clinton made the economy better than it had ever been 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
The concept is that there are thousands (an infinity?) of other universes “parallel” to ours. Each is a duplicate of our universe, except for occasional anomalies. What if travel between the universes was possible? In this story, the protagonist travels across universes, and back in time, to forestall a murderer. Great idea, and it makes for an interesting read. Problem is that, in the last chapters, the back-and-forth in time and space is confusing and off-putting. So, what might have been a great book is only a good book. I give it 3 stars.
This started and ended with some interesting but slightly flawed premises about parallel worlds and inconsistent flaws in time travel. I'm a sucker for themed stories, and go through at least one or two in a week. Quite often one book leads to a different author, or a novel approach to the theory but one thing they all share is the simple concept of improbability. To the current science we know TT is nothing more than clever storytelling but still there's something compelling about the genre that keeps talented authors fed, clothed, and housed. I think the possibilities of TT keep them writing and keep us reading. It's the thrill of the chase writ endlessly large and hopelessly addictive. Having said that this book fills all the requirements for a good story. I thought the conclusion was just a little flat but not so much that I didn't enjoy it. Roy Hobbs and Allred Kosinski will take you to their silo beneath the big red barn on the lonely Pacific
I don’t Normally review books.. However .. this one caught my imagination and kept me hooked! Time travel is one of my favorite type of books to read. Also, I love books that keep me on the edge of my seat .. guessing about the next move. Do-Overs will keep you entertained until the last page. Is it a true story? You tell me.. after all.. there are pictures and everything!!
4 stars. One of the better time-travel books out there. FYI, this book is all about the actual time traveling; it's not an "alternate history" type of story that might be the result of time traveling. I would have considered giving it 5 stars but for the somewhat confusing description in the last few chapters of the book of multiple versions of certain characters from different time periods appearing together.
Wow!. What a thrill. This story was like the best ever e-ticket ride. It was so exciting, adventurous and satisfying simultaneously. It was written by a gifted writer, one that described characters and places and experiencesso well, so detailed that I felt like I was living it. If only I could. I’d love more do-over adventures. I’m sad this one had to end.
Do-Overs: A Time Travel Thriller of Sudden Second Chances by Jon Spoelstra
Author Jon Spoelstra brings forth a science fiction novel fleshed out with time travel and thrills en masse. Time travel is hard to write seamlessly but I thoroughly enjoyed the way this scribe pulled it off. The plotline - down and out writer is offered the deal of a lifetime to write one book for one man, but he is given no further information to help him make his decision. His choice plunges him into an adventure full of thrills via time travel in order to re-do some key moments in his life. That's a relatively brilliant hook for a novel, in my opinion. I mean who among us hasn't wished we could go back and make a different decision or choice in our lives? An actual do-over, what would you change?
I hope to see a lot more from this talented author.
Nope. A few pages in, there’s this: "They were taken off the market—all bills over a hundred were—in 1934." I remember seeing a $500 bill. Yeah, I’m old, but not that old. A quick goggle confirms that large bills ($500, $1000, $10,000) were in use until purged in 1969.
If an author can’t be bothered to get his facts straight, I can’t be bothered to waste my time.
I was looking for a time traveler, and this book by Jon Spoelstra hit the target. He just spilled it out and was so easy to follow. I liked his characters and all the clones of himself and others. I was impressed with how he laid out a world where he could travel back and forth. It sounded so believable. That was my interest.
Fascinating. Makes you wonder how it will turn out.
A fascinating premise. It sometimes is hard to follow all the strands of the story but the concepts are interesting and make for a real page turner. Also an endearing love story that will appeal to romantics and those hopeful about lost loves.
A unique time-travel story that’s a blend of sci-fi, high tech, crime and a love of the ages that work together well to deliver an interesting and action-packed story. The secondary characters were intriguing but their appearances and behaviors a bit underdeveloped. The story flowed but I felt the writing style a bit dry at times. Still, I recommend reading for fans of the genre.
I have never read a book like this one. It was truly amazing. I am a big fan of this author. His writing is so varied and different. This particular story was exciting, fast paced and action packed and heart stopping. I loved this story. I would say this is one of this author’s best but I love everything I have read by him so it is another great read.
This is not a time travel novel in the traditional sernse, so you are not left with the paradox debate 'if I go back in time and kill my grandfather......" I enjoyed the overall story but really there was little character development, it is just "wham bam thank you mam" I good self contained book which isn't written with the idea of milking an idea through an endless series of books
Wow! What A Concept.... All of us wish we could have "Do-Overs" of certain events in our lives. What if you could have a major do-over in multiple lifetimes/dimensions/universes with potentially history-changing outcomes? But what if one of those outcomes also had the ability to replicate a real horror from your life in hundreds of timelines? A very thought-provoking and enjoyable read!
Strongly developed plot, characters and relationships carried me along with this authors imagination. I will be reading more by him and will.long daydream about this book.
Good one! Kept thinking damn so that’s how this one is gonna go... then surprise! Well done do over with time travel and multiple universes. Very little logic continuity problems that are so common in books that get too “explainy” about time travel and multiple universes.
I love time travel/Multiverse stories. The possibilities and are endless. Skip this one though. It was disappointing and stupid. Bad writing. Bad dialog and the execution of the plot was terrible. Needed to skim to the end.
I really enjoyed this book, BUT I read some reviews and one person said Find and editor, enough about Gatorade, and yep, this book must have been sponsored by Gatorade, every chapter had comments about the restorative features of Gatorade. I could not get it out of my head. BUT, that said, this was a good read.
This book will grab you and take you on a fantastic journey! The plot twists will keep you guessing right till the emotional ending. I really didn’t want this story to end….I’ll be buying the rest of Jon’s books!