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Damaged Heroes #5
Twist of Fate
What happens when happily ever after meets reality?
Susan and James Williams are drifting apart. After a devastating loss, their lives are thrown into further turmoil when a mysterious stone at a museum hurtles them back to the Old West. Their supernatural experience only intensifies the chasm between them, and when James realizes where they are, in a moment of anger, he pronounces that they were never married. They go their separate ways, unsure of what this new world holds in store.
James settles into a job as bartender. Befriended by local rancher Daniel Miller, Susan soon develops feelings for him. She's torn between starting a new life in a new time and healing her marriage and returning to the twenty-first century.
Will the miraculous journey back in time help Susan and James reconcile, or has destiny set new roads for them to travel that lead them away from each other?
Susan and James Williams are drifting apart. After a devastating loss, their lives are thrown into further turmoil when a mysterious stone at a museum hurtles them back to the Old West. Their supernatural experience only intensifies the chasm between them, and when James realizes where they are, in a moment of anger, he pronounces that they were never married. They go their separate ways, unsure of what this new world holds in store.
James settles into a job as bartender. Befriended by local rancher Daniel Miller, Susan soon develops feelings for him. She's torn between starting a new life in a new time and healing her marriage and returning to the twenty-first century.
Will the miraculous journey back in time help Susan and James reconcile, or has destiny set new roads for them to travel that lead them away from each other?
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2011
30 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Sandy James
39 books272 followersSandy lives in a quiet suburb of Indianapolis and is a high school psychology teacher. She is published through Grand Central Forever Yours and Carina Press as well as indie-published. An Amazon #1 Bestseller many times, she has won numerous awards, including two HOLT Medallions.
Please visit her website at http://sandyjames.com for more information or find her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sandyjamesbooks)
Please visit her website at http://sandyjames.com for more information or find her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/sandyjamesbooks)
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
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November 30, 2017
RATING 4.5 STARS
Twist of Fate is book five in the Damaged Heroes series by Sandy James. I think this has been my favorite book of this series so far. This is about a couple that has been married for over twenty years. Once madly in love, they have two almost adult children. But then they suffered a devastating loss which caused them each to pull away and for them to each withdraw in their own ways.
“Somewhere, somehow, they’d lost each other, and she wasn’t sure they could ever find their way back.”
James Williams is a Civil Engineer and has been unhappy at his job for some time. His wife, Susan teaches high school. Both James and Susan are pretty much going through life on auto pilot. They rarely connect anymore. It’s on a field trip with their son that, of all places, their anger seems to come to the surface. A very strange tour guide and a magical stone of destiny sends James and Susan on a trip backwards two centuries to an old western town called River Bend.
James always loved watching western movies so after the initial shock wears off, he is actually excited about this adventure. Anything is better than the way he has been living. Susan finds herself taking charge just as she always does, trying to control things. In the heat of anger, James says something he can’t take back. He proclaims that since they are in the past, that they aren’t really married. And they each go their own ways.
James finds his way to The Golden Nugget, the local saloon, and gets a job as bartender. Susan has a little more trouble and is befriended by a local rancher who is a respected member of the town, Daniel Miller. He helps Susan to find work and helps her to get situated. Daniel is a widower and it is soon apparent that he is developing feelings towards Susan. Susan is torn. She still loves her husband but suspects he doesn’t love her anymore. If she is stuck in this century, could she learn to accept another man’s love? Would she ever truly get over James? She misses her children but the stone which brought them here is no where to be found. What she wants most of all is just to go home.
I’m not actually big on time travel stories. But this one really did get me. The issues these two are dealing with are real issues. It took a trip back in time and the threat of losing each other for these two to re-examine their actions and to decide what is really important to them. They had to each decide if they were ready to move on to a new life or if they were willing to fight for what they want.
I have to admit there were times I wanted Susan to kick James to the curb. Daniel was a swoony, sexy cowboy who would have loved her for the rest of her life. But it was evident that the connection between James and Susan was deep That their love just needed a bit of refreshing. But of course, nothing is going to come easily. There are more obstacles working against them that they realize.
This book surprised me. And things got pretty intense in the last few chapters. I loved the epilogue. When life got in the way today and I couldn’t read, I knew that this book truly had me hooked when my mind kept wandering to the characters instead of what I was supposed to be doing.
I have really enjoyed this series and what a way to wrap things up! This book was originally published about five years ago and has been recently re-released. I’m so glad I read it. I have a feeling I will be thinking about these characters for quite some time.
Twist of Fate is book five in the Damaged Heroes series by Sandy James. I think this has been my favorite book of this series so far. This is about a couple that has been married for over twenty years. Once madly in love, they have two almost adult children. But then they suffered a devastating loss which caused them each to pull away and for them to each withdraw in their own ways.
“Somewhere, somehow, they’d lost each other, and she wasn’t sure they could ever find their way back.”
James Williams is a Civil Engineer and has been unhappy at his job for some time. His wife, Susan teaches high school. Both James and Susan are pretty much going through life on auto pilot. They rarely connect anymore. It’s on a field trip with their son that, of all places, their anger seems to come to the surface. A very strange tour guide and a magical stone of destiny sends James and Susan on a trip backwards two centuries to an old western town called River Bend.
James always loved watching western movies so after the initial shock wears off, he is actually excited about this adventure. Anything is better than the way he has been living. Susan finds herself taking charge just as she always does, trying to control things. In the heat of anger, James says something he can’t take back. He proclaims that since they are in the past, that they aren’t really married. And they each go their own ways.
James finds his way to The Golden Nugget, the local saloon, and gets a job as bartender. Susan has a little more trouble and is befriended by a local rancher who is a respected member of the town, Daniel Miller. He helps Susan to find work and helps her to get situated. Daniel is a widower and it is soon apparent that he is developing feelings towards Susan. Susan is torn. She still loves her husband but suspects he doesn’t love her anymore. If she is stuck in this century, could she learn to accept another man’s love? Would she ever truly get over James? She misses her children but the stone which brought them here is no where to be found. What she wants most of all is just to go home.
I’m not actually big on time travel stories. But this one really did get me. The issues these two are dealing with are real issues. It took a trip back in time and the threat of losing each other for these two to re-examine their actions and to decide what is really important to them. They had to each decide if they were ready to move on to a new life or if they were willing to fight for what they want.
I have to admit there were times I wanted Susan to kick James to the curb. Daniel was a swoony, sexy cowboy who would have loved her for the rest of her life. But it was evident that the connection between James and Susan was deep That their love just needed a bit of refreshing. But of course, nothing is going to come easily. There are more obstacles working against them that they realize.
This book surprised me. And things got pretty intense in the last few chapters. I loved the epilogue. When life got in the way today and I couldn’t read, I knew that this book truly had me hooked when my mind kept wandering to the characters instead of what I was supposed to be doing.
I have really enjoyed this series and what a way to wrap things up! This book was originally published about five years ago and has been recently re-released. I’m so glad I read it. I have a feeling I will be thinking about these characters for quite some time.
January 2, 2019
Above All Others
Wow. I love reading romance novels, especially time - travel romances but I haven't read one like this. I was curious to see how you would manage to make your characters go back in time and I thought the disappearing rock was the best. As a writer myself in my spare time, I can truly understand the conflict and emotional upheaval of the characters is especially hard to map out and write so that readers are entranced by your storyline. I fell in live with all of the characters and hope you'll write more time - travel romances in the future. You've established a fan for life.
Wow. I love reading romance novels, especially time - travel romances but I haven't read one like this. I was curious to see how you would manage to make your characters go back in time and I thought the disappearing rock was the best. As a writer myself in my spare time, I can truly understand the conflict and emotional upheaval of the characters is especially hard to map out and write so that readers are entranced by your storyline. I fell in live with all of the characters and hope you'll write more time - travel romances in the future. You've established a fan for life.
October 26, 2011
Little House on the Prairie, watch out, you have competition! Nelly has nothing on Caroline (from Twist of Fate) and Daniel is the new Charles. Let's start with James and Susan shall we? It's obvious these two are head over heels in love with each other but over time have forgotten the qualities that once took each other's breath away. The qualities that once endeared them to one another are now viewed as annoyances. The sensual tension between these two was electrifying. Abigail is the good daughter who wants the best for her father Daniel. Daniel, having lost his wife a couple of years earlier, had lost the spark in his life. That is, until he meets Susan. There are other quirky characters in the book but I have to say my favorite was Caroline. She was full of manipulation and games yet such a child, a fun character indeed.
On to the plot line. I love this particular story for several reasons. Not only is this not like the other books in the Damaged Heroes series because of the time travel aspect, it is also not your typical romance book. Normally, it's the beautiful young heroine and the devastatingly handsome hero. In Twist of Fate, it's about real people. People who have self-esteem issues, ego issues and control issues. It's about making a decision that will affect the future of many people, not just those involved. It makes you think about the paradox. If you do something in an era gone by, would it affect the future? Who will Susan pick, the man who is everything she could possibly want? Or will she choose the one man that she has always loved that may not love her back?
Twist of Fate is certainly a book that will stay with me for a long time. In fact, when I am driving and every song I hear reminds me of the book, I know that book is going to be a winner. I wish each book had a soundtrack to it, because I heard some perfect songs for it on the way home. It must be said that I have loved every one of the Damaged Heroes books and all for different reasons. Each book can be read as a stand alone book. The one constant is the talent with which Ms. James writes. In my opinion, a talented writer is one who can evoke almost every emotion you possess and still leave you wanting more. Ms. James is most certainly one of the top authors on my list to highly recommend to others. To Ms. James, I would like to say "Job well done and I can't wait to read more." To the potential buyer of this book, BUY IT! You will not be disappointed. If you love Twist of Fate, here is a list of the other books in the series. They are all books you just GOTTA read!
On to the plot line. I love this particular story for several reasons. Not only is this not like the other books in the Damaged Heroes series because of the time travel aspect, it is also not your typical romance book. Normally, it's the beautiful young heroine and the devastatingly handsome hero. In Twist of Fate, it's about real people. People who have self-esteem issues, ego issues and control issues. It's about making a decision that will affect the future of many people, not just those involved. It makes you think about the paradox. If you do something in an era gone by, would it affect the future? Who will Susan pick, the man who is everything she could possibly want? Or will she choose the one man that she has always loved that may not love her back?
Twist of Fate is certainly a book that will stay with me for a long time. In fact, when I am driving and every song I hear reminds me of the book, I know that book is going to be a winner. I wish each book had a soundtrack to it, because I heard some perfect songs for it on the way home. It must be said that I have loved every one of the Damaged Heroes books and all for different reasons. Each book can be read as a stand alone book. The one constant is the talent with which Ms. James writes. In my opinion, a talented writer is one who can evoke almost every emotion you possess and still leave you wanting more. Ms. James is most certainly one of the top authors on my list to highly recommend to others. To Ms. James, I would like to say "Job well done and I can't wait to read more." To the potential buyer of this book, BUY IT! You will not be disappointed. If you love Twist of Fate, here is a list of the other books in the series. They are all books you just GOTTA read!
November 16, 2012
She's a teacher and he's a design engineer and they've been married for 20 years. They have two great high school age kids and yet their personal tragedy has put their future together in jeopardy. Like all the prominent characters in Ms James' books, these damaged heroes are struggling against some happenings in their personal lives that have really torn up their insides--their emotions, as well as their sense of security about the future. I think this entire series is a stellar writing effort and each book has gotten better, testifying to the professional growth of an already very accomplished writer. Here the reader will encounter family and friends, loyalty and betrayal, joy and disappointment, ups and downs emotionally, security and jealousy, the positive and the negative that inhabits all relationships. Yet through some very creative twists and turns, the author has peeled away the layers of hurt and wounding that Susan and James seem to cause one another on a daily basis to reveal a deeply distressed marriage that needed massive amounts of TLC. A radical change in circumstances has forced Susan and James to re-evaluate the "ties that bind" -- what is really the substance of their marriage and what hope to they each cherish for the future. It is a fascinating read and one that will deeply satisfy those who have enjoyed Ms James' previous work and will be an entertaining read for those who are just discovering her. This is one that has been around for a bit, but it's not to be missed. I would give it more stars if I could.
November 27, 2011
Enter Contest here: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
Despite the kinks mentioned about the story was engaging, well written, and full of unexpected twists and turns. She has a way of making you care about the characters, and what happens to them. I just think she went overboard with the animosity between the hero/heroine. It made it pretty impossible to recover from. (At least to someone who can hold a grudge like me).
I really recommend this story to someone looking for romance with substance, and realness you can truly relate to. Job well done Ms. James.
Despite the kinks mentioned about the story was engaging, well written, and full of unexpected twists and turns. She has a way of making you care about the characters, and what happens to them. I just think she went overboard with the animosity between the hero/heroine. It made it pretty impossible to recover from. (At least to someone who can hold a grudge like me).
I really recommend this story to someone looking for romance with substance, and realness you can truly relate to. Job well done Ms. James.
July 19, 2019
I really tried to like this story but couldn't. Between all the negative thinking and remarks, I just didn't like either character from start to finish.
May 20, 2018
This story is so bad. The idea was interesting, a couple who have recently lost a baby time travel back to the Wild West and have to find their destiny before they can return.
I hated Suzie, her character was so annoying, selfish, stubborn, self-centred and just not very loving. The author tried to make out that she had redeeming qualities but I just didn't see it. I found reading this book really tough and it took me ages to get through. I'm not sure how her husband put up with her.
I hated Suzie, her character was so annoying, selfish, stubborn, self-centred and just not very loving. The author tried to make out that she had redeeming qualities but I just didn't see it. I found reading this book really tough and it took me ages to get through. I'm not sure how her husband put up with her.
February 17, 2016
In a Twist of Fate Susan and James Williams take a time travel back to 1880 Montana Territory looking for their destiny. After almost twenty years of marriage and the loss of their third child, they are stuck in different worlds of hurt and drifting apart. A trip to a history museum with interactive exhibits puts them in another century looking for their destiny.
They land on the Circle M, the Miller's ranch and have to learn to adapt to doing without modern conveniences, finding a way to make a living, new clothes and friends. After a disagreement they move in different directions and work hard to find the love they still share and to learn to share their feeling, both good and bad.
The big question is will they return to life in current day or remain in the old west for the rest of their days and will it be together or apart? Twist of Fate is a fun story with lots of twists and a bit of magic too.
They land on the Circle M, the Miller's ranch and have to learn to adapt to doing without modern conveniences, finding a way to make a living, new clothes and friends. After a disagreement they move in different directions and work hard to find the love they still share and to learn to share their feeling, both good and bad.
The big question is will they return to life in current day or remain in the old west for the rest of their days and will it be together or apart? Twist of Fate is a fun story with lots of twists and a bit of magic too.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews