Echoes of Time

The Guernsey Novels #5

by Anne Allen

Betrayal, injustice and revenge echo down the years…

1940. Olive marries farmer Bill Falla. The Germans occupy Guernsey.
All too soon Olive realises she’s made a mistake.
Her life changes when she meets Wolfgang, a German officer-
but there’s a price to pay. . .

2010. Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey to escape an abusive relationship – only to be plagued by odd happenings in her beautiful cottage on the site of a derelict and secluded farm. Disturbing dreams, disembodied voices and uncanny visions from the past. She becomes increasingly ill at ease as someone else’s past catches up with her own…
Her only immediate neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of the original owners, Bill and Olive.

Thrown together in a bid to find out what really happened to Olive, can they each survive the repercussions of the past and move on?

REVIEW

‘A powerful family drama packed full of mystery and intrigue. A stunningly good read.’ A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

For the last three days I have been thoroughly immersed in Echoes of Time, a family saga set in Guernsey. Let me begin by saying how gripping this story is. Not only is the plot packed full of twists and turns, but the setting – and the characters – are lovingly described. There is, I think, nothing better than a novel written by an author who knows how to balance setting, speech and plot.
So, what did I like? Well, the opening chapter, albeit very short, is a real ‘grabber’. I’m very fond of books which open with a ‘BANG!' and not with endless paragraphs of flowery prose. Well, trust me, this opens BIG, hooking the reader in…
I also very much enjoyed the pacing of this novel. The chapters were surprisingly short for this genre and there’s often a cliffhanger at the end of the chapters. So, although it is a family saga of sorts it is also very much a thriller and a mystery, and the style of writing reflects that.
So, would I recommend this book? Yes, absolutely. And who to? Well, pretty much anybody and everybody. If you enjoy a good thriller, this is for you. If you enjoy a complex family saga, this is for you. Or, if you simply love Guernsey, this is for you.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2016

About the author

Anne Allen lives in Devon, by her beloved sea. She has three children and her daughter and two grandchildren live nearby. She was born in Rugby, to an English mother and Welsh father. As a result she spent many summers with her Welsh grandparents in Anglesey and learnt to love the sea. Her restless spirit has meant a number of moves which included Spain for a couple of years. The longest stay was in Guernsey for nearly fourteen years after falling in love with the island and the people. She contrived to leave one son behind to ensure a valid reason for frequent returns.
By profession Anne was a psychotherapist but has long had creative ‘itches’, learning to mosaic, paint furniture, interior design and sculpt. At the back of her mind the itch to write was always present but seemed too time-consuming for a single mum with a need to earn a living. Now retired from the 'day job', there’s more time to write and Anne has now published seven books in The Guernsey Novels series as at April 2019.

Reviews

[Bibliophile Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

****I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed it!!
I really loved the story, this is the first time that I read a historical fiction book, and it was amazing.

I wasn't a big fan of this genre I kept avoiding in, and now I want more of it.

This story followed basically of a woman named Natalie who moved into an island named Guernsey. Natalie used to live in London with her boyfriend Liam. But Liam was violent to her he used to abuse her, so she ran from him to this island, and bought a cottage. After days living in it. Natalie sensed something strange in her cottage, she heard voices and her dream were haunted, So she decided to solve this mystery.

The plot was amazing, I loved when this story took me in two different eras, The first was when Natalie lived in it and the second was when The main owner of the cottage (Olive) lived in it.
And what I loved most is when this story took me to the world war II.

Amzing story that I highly recommend...

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

This is a superb book - I absolutely adored it - so well written, had me completely hooked and I didn't want it to end - I am also now very determined to visit Guernsey!!

This is the second book I have read by this author (I have read them out of sequence) and you are fine to do the same in my view, this one reads fine as a stand alone even though it is the fifth book released in the series.

This books are a delight to read with the differing time periods, I love the almost secret flashbacks we get to times that have gone by and the author's excellent writing style really makes you feel as though you are living the stories with them. The chapters during WWII are the best in the book for me, very vivid and they really do pull on your heartstrings with what they had to go through.

I loved the story and the characters were great, I love this period of history so it was a genuine treat to read and I finished it after a visit to a 1940s event at a local steam railway so it was excellent timing!

Five stars from me for this one - a highlight of my year!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually a really lovely surprise. It had all the elements I expected and have enjoyed in all Anne Allen's books - a vividly described Guernsey setting, a page-turner of a story, strong characters who quickly become your friends, an easy-to-read style, characters from the other books appearing here and there - but in addition to that I was delighted to find that it was also a dual-time story with a bit of time slip.

Now, those of you who've known me a while will know how much I enjoy that kind of storytelling: I'm also a bit of a connoisseur, and this one was exceptionally well done. For this type of book to work, both storylines need to be engaging, of equal strength - otherwise you get that wrench when you move from one story to the other. There were no wrenches here - both stories were wonderful, very well integrated and with similar themes, and I was every bit as hooked by Olive's wartime life as I was by Natalie in the present day. I enjoyed the supernatural elements - they're entirely natural and believable, and nothing too uncomfortable (ok, I did get a bit edgy reading it in the early hours - but once I'd checked nothing had happened to my downstairs rooms I was fine...!).

The research behind Olive's story is evident as the story comes to life, but it wears it lightly - this book really transports you to the Nazi occupation of Guernsey and the difficult lives people led. I learned a fair bit too - I didn't know about the slave workers or the railway, and the ostracisation of the collaborating "jerrybags" was an aspect I'd never thought about. The characters are wonderful, and very emotionally engaging - Olive's life and experiences were particularly moving, and brought a tear to my eye on several occasions.

If you've enjoyed Anne Allen's previous books, you'll really enjoy this one - I think it's by far the best of the three I've read. And if you're a fan of dual-time, time slip stories - the likes of Barbara Erskine, Rachel Hore, Susanna Kearsley - I'd really recommend you give it a try. And when you have, why not go back and try the rest of the Guernsey Novels series?

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing suspenseful novel, with family secrets and a new love.
See full review on http://www.tbqsbookpalace.com

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel set in GUERNSEY (present day and 1940s)



Natalie Ogier, fleeing a violent boyfriend, abandons her fast-paced London life as a hedge fund manager, to return to the island of her birth, Guernsey. She purchases a beautiful cottage – a new build, constructed on the site of an old farm destroyed by fire some years previously. The cottage is delightful with stunning views of Rocquaine Bay and the white tower of Fort Grey, but something about the cottage makes Natalie feel uneasy and, in no time, she finds herself plagued by disturbing dreams, odd occurrences and even visions from the past. Her only neighbour, Stuart, is the grandson of Bill and Olive, the original owners of Natalie’s home, and soon the young people are thrown together in their quest to establish what really happened to Olive.

The other strand to the novel is Olive’s story from the 1940’s, beginning with her marriage to surly farmer, Bill. Olive, witnessing the departure of most of the island’s young men to the war, fears that she may be left on the shelf and so accepts Bill’s proposal. She hopes that she will be gaining some freedom and a better life for herself, but she realises her mistake almost immediately and wishes she had stayed with her parents. It is in these chapters set in 1940’s Guernsey that Allen’s real skill is evident. Her depiction of life under Nazi occupation is masterful, clearly very well researched and powerful to the point of being painful in places. Allen conveys with sensitivity Olive’s desperate situation and highlights the misery and deprivation of those years when the islanders almost starved to death.

This is Anne Allen’s fifth Guernsey novel but have no fear on that score – it works perfectly as a stand-alone novel. What is really apparent is Allen’s love for Guernsey. Echoes of Time creates a wonderful impression of the island with its stunning scenery, sparkling sunlight, relaxed pace of life and friendly folk. If there were any decency in the world, Allen would be being paid by the Guernsey Tourist Board and I’ve certainly been inspired to plan a trip there.

This is a well written story with good characterisation and skilfully taut plotting. It’s the kind of read that gets you off to bed an hour early so that you can get back to the story – sheer delight.

[Christina Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allen's smooth writing and quick pacing makes this book a fast read. Yes, in some way it's a love story, but it's so much more.

Natalie (the main character) is portrait as a modern professional woman, who surely never in her wildest dreams thought her new beginning at the island would rock her very foundation.

Part of the island's history gives the story a whole new twist and Natalie an uninvited, malicious ghost, who still wreaks havoc. Through him, Natalie gets acquainted with the presence of  Olive, a very young woman who had been married to this local brute and then was trapped in a childless and loveless marriage.  During the German occupation during WWII, Olive finds the man of her dreams. However her quest for love doesn't turn out the way it suppose to but leaves her pregnant. So the story twists and turns between Natalie's ghostly and ghastly experiences and Olive's past until the final revelation.

This is the fifth novel in Allen's Guernsey series. I have not read the other books. However this book stands alone and I'm very glad I read it. I will revisit this writer and the Guernsey Island again in the future. 5 out of 5 stars. 

[Joanna Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was privileged to receive a pre-publication copy of Echoes of Time. This is the first time I’ve read anything by Anne and was the fourth time slip novel I’ve read this year – a genre I’ve really come to enjoy.

Beauregard Cottage sits on the site of a farmhouse which burnt down many years ago. There is also something of a mystery surrounding the owner, Olive Falla, who disappeared around the time of the fire. Natalie Ogier, quitting her highly paid job in London, has returned home to the island to escape her abusive partner Liam and begin a new life. Falling in love with the cottage she buys it and discovers the neighbouring property, The Barn, is owned by the farmer’s grandson Stuart Cross, a teacher. A friendship blossoms but anything beyond that seems impossible. Like Natalie, Stuart is also escaping from a painful past so new relationships aren’t on his agenda either. When Natalie begins to hear voices and has disturbing dreams she believes are tied to Olive, she enlists Stuart’s help. Together, with his mother Tabitha (Tabby) who grew up on the farm, they begin to piece together Olive’s life during the war. They hope to establish what happened to her and why it appears her unhappy spirit is now haunting the cottage.

Echoes of Time is a beautifully written story woven between the past and present. Life on Guernsey during the Nazi occupation is dealt with in great detail and shows exactly how much hardship the islanders suffered. A great read and thoroughly deserving of five stars.

[Bookmuseuk]

This book ticks many of my boxes – particularly the 'time and place' values of Triskele Books. Set on the beautiful setting of the island of Guernsey, Allen brings the past and present alive by detailing two generations of families who both live in the same cottage.

It’s 1940 during the German occupation of the island, and the cottage is owned by Bill and Olive Falla, who endure an unhappy childless marriage – until Olive falls in love with a German soldier and Bill is taken away to a prisoner camp in France. Moving forward to the present day, businesswomen Natalie Ogier returns to her childhood home of Guernsey looking for a fresh start after escaping an abusive relationship in London.

Although the cottage Natalie buys has been beautifully modernised, it’s not long before its secrets come back to haunt her – quite literally. As Natalie tries to make a new start, she finds herself increasingly wrapped up in the cottage and its history. The new man in her life, Stuart, also has his own roots in the cottage’s past and so finds himself also drawn into the real truths behind the rumours.

I totally enjoyed this read and become engaged with the characters and drawn into the mystery. I’m a fan of books that move between the present and the past, and the writer cleverly maintained both threads effortlessly here. The locations, both past and present, were brought alive in the writing and I admit it’s left me planning a visit to the Channel Islands in the future!

[Nikki Bywater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie moves into her dream cottage. The cottage had been modernised and rebuilt after a fire had destroyed the original cottage. Although unique and a beautiful place to live in Guernsey, the cottage itself is quite isolated and secluded, so when strange things start to happen when she moves into the cottage, which look like ghostly goings on, and Natalie finds out that the previous owner disappeared under mysterious circumstance she decides to look into the story to try and find out what is the cause of the hauntings from the past.

Set in the modern day and during the Second World War this is a beautifully told story, this is not just a ghost story, it also about a forbidden romance, a love story added together with mystery and suspense. There is not a dull moment in this story from start to finish and you find yourself caught up in the sad and haunting emotions of the book.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Allen is a talented author who creates a deep and thought-provoking story in a friendly and comfortable-to-read package. Yet there is nothing flaky or weak about her writing.
Combining present day with wartime experiences, the two stories work perfectly together. This is a skill which many attempt but few manage to achieve with such quality and authenticity.
The historical details are brought to life with an interesting range of believable characters within the challenging circumstances of Guernsey during the occupation years.
If you like historical or contemporary fiction with a swirl of romance and an edge of mystery then this is certainly the book for you.
This was my first book by Anne Allen...but it won't be my last! Looking forward to reading her many other novels.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written book and in my opinion one of the best in the series. I was hooked from the 1st chapter and subsequent chapters didn't disappoint.
Set between WW2 and present day, Echoes of Time is the story of Olive and Bill Falla in WW2 and Natalie Ogier, Stuart and Tabby in present day.
Hauntings and ghosts, intrigue and adventure fill the book.
This book is well worth a read, I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was filled with love, happiness, sorrow, tragedy & suspense. It was a true pleasure to read, and to try and figure out the ending as the story progressed. The story moved smoothly, alternating between past & present; however, it wasn't hard to follow the story line at all, but was made more interesting by adding the history of the characters.

[Karen's World · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book that describes the area so well it makes you want to go join them.
Love the characters it's a great way of learning about the war and how the islanders suffered.
This is a stand alone book but is part of a series where all the stories are great.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

WWII has broken out and there are rumors the Germans are going to take over Guernsey. Olive is eighteen and not married. When a farmer, Bill asks her to marry him, she agrees even though they have never really dated. She soon realizes she has made a big mistake but there is no turning back. The Germans arrive and Olive meets a young German officer who she is attracted to.
Natalie has moved back to Guernsey after being in an abusive relationship in London. She quit her prestigious job but has found work easily in St. Peter's Port. She purchases a beautiful new home on the land once owned by Olive and Bill. Olive's grandson, Stuart also lives on the property in a renovated building that was once the barn. Natalie soon begins having some frightening visions in her new home and always in the kitchen. She learns Olive disappeared years ago and the original home was burned to the ground. She begins having nightmares giving her a glimpse into the domestic violence Olive endured. Stuart and Natalie begin to work together to discover what actually happened to Olive. Stuart's mother left Guernsey when she went away to university and all Stuart really knows is she and her mother were basically estranged.
I enjoy learning more about the German occupation during WWII and the island itself.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Allen's books transport the reader to the island of Guernsey. In this book, we are in 2010 with Natalie who has purchased a home that seems to be occupied by hostile ghosts. Stuart occupies the other house on the property and there's a definite connection between the two. In the 1940s, Nazi soldiers occupied Guernsey, and Olive is trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage. Apparently something awful happened to Olive and her ghost refuses to leave the house Natalie now occupies.

This is my favorite of the series so far. The action is swift and the emotions are raw. Both timelines are equally well written, and Allen's descriptions really bring Guernsey alive. Yes, the plot is predictable, but I didn't really care about that. Allen has created a cast of characters that feel like family. They are all connected throughout the books, and I look forward to seeing whose story will be told next. This is a very enjoyable series, not outstanding or high quality "literature", but a pleasant read. I love learning about the island and its inhabitants. Can't wait to read #6

[Joyce Ziebell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly love the Guernsey series by Anne Allen. Another very good read that links WW2 with present day character Natalie coming to the island; her childhood home.

I've read the others in the series, though not in the chronological order. It didn’t matter at all because they all read well as standalone novels. I do love the fact that most of the characters in previous books are also included in subsequent novels.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable read, a perfect book as I am holidaying in Guernsey this week. I enjoyed the duel timeline and supernatural aspect.

If I was being really honest though, I found it a little bit twee, especially in Natalie’s timeline, and I would have preferred more time in the WW2 timeline. Also, there were too many mundane details in the modern day timeline.

Having said that though I would say overall it was an enjoyable read.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoy Anne Allen’s writing and have found the Guernsey Island series an entertaining and enjoyable read. So far I’ve read books 1 & 5, now starting book 2. A little out of order, but I don’t believe it matters.
I find myself wishing I could travel to this island for a visit. Who knows, maybe one day.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic series.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series of stories set in Guernsey. There is history, a mystery or two, and a touch of romance. The dual timeline is always so well done. Anne's books always draw the reader in from the beginning. I am looking forward to the next in this fabulous series, but at the same time, a little sad that it will be the last one.

[Avalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie moves into her own house in Guernsey that has been reconstructed into the modern era. Her neighbour Stuart is a grandson of the original owners. Natalie is awoken at nights by arguing and sees visions of the old kitchen and Stuart's grandparents. Spooky happenings and Stuart meanwhile is becoming very keen on his new neighbour

[Donna Mcnab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I find it a little disconcerting to have the pronouns dropped from the beginning of sentences so often. Is this a sample of Guernsey speak or just a habit of the author I wonder.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting how we can build information about the past based on snippets in the future.

[Heather Lokun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favourite of the Guernsey series. I enjoy the small connections to the previous books but this one can easily be read on its own.
The way the author intertwines past and present stories through tortured ghosts is very effective and interesting. The mystery of the past is well written and kept me guessing.
The requisite love story unfolds sweetly and I always enjoy a happy ending!

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is now the fifth book in the Guernsey series of novels and even though each novel comfortably sits on its own merits as a stand alone story, there are threads which run through each one, and fans of the series will recognise people and places previously mentioned.

As always the author draws you so completely into the story that the here and now quite simply disappears and you are transported back in time to the Guernsey occupation during the Second World War, a time when fear and suspicion was rife. Olive's sad and sorry tale is told with such sensitivity that there were times when I was moved to shed a few tears.

I loved the modern day element and as always the author intersperses the story with believable characters. I really got to like and admire both Natalie and Stuart and felt an emotional attachment to them from the beginning. I also had real cottage envy and wanted to move into "Beauregard" with Natalie, and sip wine with Stuart whilst looking through the sheer glass window of the Old Barn.

The time- slip element of the story is done quite seamlessly and the obvious attention to historical detail emphasises just how much research goes into making each of the stories feel truly authentic. There is no doubt that this author has found a real gem of a series in her Guernsey stories. Each one is as precious as the next and I am sure that the story, should the author be willing , can only continue to go from strength to strength.

[N.A. Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I fell in love with books about the Guernsey Isles when I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows. Until then I had known nothing of the Channel Islands and what their inhabitants had endured during WWII. This book returned me there and had the added attraction of being a time slip novel, alternating between the present time and the time during that war.
In 1940, Olive Falla, a fairly independent young woman, who works as a farmhand on her father’s far, married Bill Falla. Falla owns his own farm, and Olive thinks this is the best future for her. She soon discovers she’s made a horrible mistake – Falla is a harsh, unloving, and demanding husband, who sees his wife as a slave to work the farm, take care of him, and give him children. Soon he finds any excuse to beat her. By chance, when collecting sticks for scarce firewood on an estate taken over by the German occupation, Olive meets Major Wolfgang Brecht, a veterinarian. She falls in love with the gentle and caring Wolfgang, who makes excuses to visit the farm to inspect the cows.
Flash forward to 2010, when Natalie Ogier returns to her homeland of Guernsey to escape her stalker, a man with whom she had a relationship but who turned abusive. She buys a beautiful cottage, built on the site of a secluded and burned out farmhouse. Her immediate neighbor is Stuart, the grandson of the original owners, Olive and Bill. His mother, their child, has lived off the island since she was old enough to be on her own, leaving her mother and her life there behind. Stuart knows nothing of his grandparents because his mother is silent on her past. When strange and eerie things begin to happen in the cottage, accompanied by a threatening voice, Natalie initially tries to tough it out on her own. Eventually she confides in Stuart and her parents.
Natalie wonders whose spirit is inhabiting her cottage, and after meeting Stuart’s mother, she becomes convinced that it has something to do with his grandparents. What happened to Olive, Bill and Wolfgang? What spirit inhabits Natalie’s cottage? Is it malevolent and how can it be banished? What links Stuart and his mother to that place? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It has several compelling threads and the jumps back and forth in time left me hanging and wanting to read on. The only problem was the prolonged diversion to France, where Natalie is invited to attend Stuart’s mother’s marriage to a gentle and understanding man. It went on far too long, and added virtually nothing to the progress of the story, so I skipped through it. I think it could have been omitted or vastly shortened.
Other than that, the author has created believable characters, lovely descriptions of Guernsey, and lots of tension, along with a healthy dose of history. It is clear why she is a popular author. Well worth the read!

[Judith Barrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick word on the cover. I loved both the evocative image and the title

And I love books that give a sense of place; of an era. Anne Allen’s writing in Echoes of Time certainly does that. Her descriptions use all five senses to create a setting; there are some wonderful portrayals that instantly took me into the characters’ world.

But, sometimes, I felt that they slowed the action down and add nothing to the story.

Although well written, the plot itself is a little predictable: boy meets girl next door; Natalie and Stuart And I would have appreciated knowing much more about Natalie’s previous relationship with her old boyfriend. His appearance and then disappearance felt a little contrived and there only to show Stuart’s ‘knight in shining armour’ side. Yet this glimpse into Natalie’s past did parallel the historic tragedy in Stuart’s family, which I thought clever. I liked the idea of a dark past coming back to haunt the present. And these sections did make me stop and think about how the walls of old buildings are steeped with their history.

It is this past, this history that makes up the secondary plot-line; that of Olive (Stuart’s grandmother), Bill and Wolfgang. And I really do love these characters, multi- layered and believable, their story is poignant and credible. I wanted so much more of their story. And, for me, the way Wolfgang went out of the story was disappointing; it felt too prosaic.

Overall it was the author’s writing style that persuaded me to give Echoes of Time four stars; the way the story is told from the alternate point of view of the main characters (I always love this; it gives different aspects to a narrative), the descriptions, the pace of the sub-plot, the presentation and dialogue of the characters, all make for a good read. I’d recommend this novel..

[Cathy Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*
The story weaves between the WWII years in Guernsey and the island in the present day. Olive married Bill Falla in the spring of 1940. Although not in love with him she looks forward to the security of having her own house. She soon finds out marriage doesn’t come close to anything she hoped for. Bill is a brute and a bully, and Olive’s life is miserable, made even more so by the occupation of the island by German forces.

In 2010 Natalie Ogier returns to Guernsey from the mainland to escape a traumatic and abusive relationship. She purchases a beautiful cottage built on the site of an old farmhouse destroyed by fire years earlier. Her only neighbour, Stuart, a relation of the original owner, lives in another renovated property, which was the old barn belonging to the farmhouse. Olive, his grandmother, disappeared around the time of the fire. When Natalie begins to experience troubling dreams, visions from the past and echoes of violence coming through, she and Stuart must unravel the mystery and release whatever is haunting her house.

Of the ones I’ve read, this is my favourite book by Anne Allen. I love dual time stories. The opening scene hooked me in straight away and the two timelines are intermingled perfectly. Olive’s story is an unhappy one, and paints a desperate picture of life during the occupation. The lack of food, medicines and general supplies, the slave workers, the rejection of those who collaborated with the German soldiers, especially those women who formed relationships with them. It was a harrowing time.

I enjoyed the paranormal aspect very much and how Olive’s sad life is unravelled and pieced together. It’s written well, with drama, family relationships and mystery, set in a beautiful place with realistic and likeable characters. The books are standalone reads but characters from previous stories do appear now and again which adds to the continuity.

My review is based on a digital copy of the book from the author/publisher. This does not affect my opinion or the review content.

[Jane Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

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All the ‘Guernsey Novels’ are defined by their memorable characters, vivid setting and intriguing plots, ‘Echoes of Time’, has all of these qualities and something extra that makes it a gripping and worthwhile read.
The cross over and parallels between Guernsey’s past and present are explored in greater detail in this story and Natalie, who returns to the island after a traumatic incident, experiences life in war torn Guernsey, in a most disturbing way. Escaping her past Natalie witnesses a woman’s life with a startling similarity to her own, is her subconscious playing trick s on her or is what she dreams and experiences real? The mystery enfolds in 2010 with flashbacks and time slip to occupied Guernsey in World War Two. The historical element is well researched and often anecdotal and blends with the present in a believable, easy to read way.
Characters’ flaws make them authentic and human. Natalie finds friendship when she most needs it but will become something more and is she brave enough to let it?
A poignant, well written tale, set on a beautiful island, perfect for holiday reading and anytime you want to escape.
I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

Anne Allen

[Helen Baggott · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Natalie moves in to her new home, it’s all so perfect. A Guernsey summer, a garden with a sea view... there’s even an attractive neighbour to rekindle thoughts of romance. But it isn’t long before the past invades the present – in the most unlikely of ways.

Solving past mysteries is always evident in this series of books, and in this one we learn about the Occupation of the Channel Islands by the Germans during the Second World War, and its effect on the islanders; how some families are still learning about their past.

If this is your first dip into the Guernsey Series, I hope you’ll be tempted to look at the earlier novels. Throughout the series characters reappear, almost as cameo appearances, and it’s a delight to see how they’ve developed over the passing years.

I quite like the idea of being one of those characters, part of the ensemble cast, invited to a barbecue, a walk on the beach…

The warmth of Guernsey shines through the pages, making this a perfect piece of escapism –whenever you read it.

[Deborah J Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The review goes live on my blog on 14th June as part of the Blog Tour for The Guernsey Novels.

I was invited to join this blog tour, and picked Echoes of Time because, of the 6 books in this series, I was most drawn to the cover and the title. And I'm so pleased I was...

Echoes of Time is the most enthralling read from start to finish, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Allen writes with an easy style, drawing vivid pictures in my mind's eye. I loved the way the story tantalisingly unfolded through the duel time periods. Echoes of Time has left me determined to read the others in The Guernsey Novels series, as soon as possible.

This is the fifth book in the series, but it works well as a stand alone novel, and it really didn't matter that I hadn't read the previous novels.

Although this is the first book I have read by this author, Anne Allen is now firmly on my favourite authors list!

My thanks to The Globeflower Agency for the blog tour invitation for The Guernsey Novels, and a free copy of Echoes of Time.