The Surviving Trace

Surviving Time #1

by Calia Read

Will is my fiancé. The shy man I met years ago in college. The person I’m supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

This is the life I’ve always wanted until finding a picture of four men changes everything…

Étienne says he’s my husband and the year is 1912. He can’t stand the sight of me, but I don’t know why.

Oh, and he’s one of the men from the picture.

I’ve done the impossible and have become trapped in time and I know Étienne is my key to going home.

The more time I spend with Étienne, the further I fall for him until I’m questioning which time I belong in and if the life I left behind is the one I truly desire.

All I know for certain is I need to survive time.

I need to survive love.

And I need to make it out on the other side alive.

Genres: Time Travel, Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Enemies To Lovers

450 pages, ebook

First published May 21, 2018

About the author

Calia Read is the author of the Belgrave Dynasty, The Surviving Time Series, and several other works. She lives in the Midwest and is hard at work on the fourth book in the Belgrave Dynasty.


You can find her constantly on Facebook and Instagram:

http://www.facebook.com/CaliaRead

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ailacread/

Reviews

[EmBibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read #2 (12/11/2019): The first time I read this book, I was in awe and couldn’t stop talking about it. The second time I read it, I’m still in awe and I’ve already put my sister through the same agony and made her set and listen to me gushing about it...again! This book is so good, and it deserves all the love! A brilliant highly recommended book!

5 stars!




"I know. Nothin’ changes between us. You’re my surviving trace.”

THIS IS FREAKIN BRILLIANT!

What the hell has happened!
I’m speechless! Uggghh!!! This is pure genius!
I freakin loved this book. I keep on replaying everything in my head and dammit everything makes sense! And this cliffhanger killed me!!!
Seriously, it’s brilliant!

Serene parow is happily engaged to Will, working in an antique store. When one day she had a very strange dream. The next day she saw a very fascinating picture that immediately caught her attention. The picture is of four men and taken in 1912. The strangest thing is? One of the four me is the man in her dream.

"Because everyday you stay here, the further I fall for you.”

Serene wouldn’t stop thinking about the picture when one day and without a warning she was going back in time. She didn’t know what the hell has happened. She thought she was just dreaming. She later discovered that she actually time traveled to 1912. To make things more overwhelming, she’s married to the same man she dreamed about who clearly hate her -or the “her” he think she is-

"I will never accept that.” For me, it’s not an option. I love the serene time gave me, not the one life gave me. I love the one who came to me when I needed her the most. My devotion to her borders on pathological.
“She’s coming back.”

I really loved ALL the characters!!
Serene is a very unique and special heroine. I loved her!! She strong, smart, and determined. She knows what she wants. She’s not afraid to say exactly what needed to me said. And she definitely knows how to act when she’s needed. Even if it would change everything.
Étienne is everything you could wish for. He’s smart and determined as well. He’s Serene’s equal. This two complete each other! They’re so compatible, and there chemistry is over the top!

But if I’ve learned anything from my journey through time, it’s that nothing is impossible and everything is a lie.

This book is so captivating!!!
It got me hooked from the very first chapter!
It was different and good! With many amazing plot twists. Well developed characters. Flawless writing. A lot of mysteries, suspense, steam, and angst. The past scenes and historical aspect was gorgeous and captivating and not boring at all. I got really attached to all the characters. And that damned epilogue?!!!
It got me so speechless like...
Holy crap!!!!

That isn’t an option, because we are the past, present, and future.
We are unfinished business. A story that is never-ending.
The world will never stop tearing us apart,
But there will always be a surviving trace between us.

Song recommendation:
Like I’m gonna lose you by Meghan Trainor ft John legend.
Timeless by Rob Thomas

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ “The heart is a funny thing. It pumps blood through your body, but it does so much more than that. Hearts can lie, can pull the wool over your eyes. But I know I’m doing the right thing by listening to mine.”

"This isn't my time anymore. It's yours too." ⋆✴︎˚｡⋆

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 4.25 Stars ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

As a huge Outlander fan, whenever I hear a romance has time traveling in it, I immediately want to read it. There was a post a month or so ago and one of my book reading groups asking for time travel books and while I had a slew of them to offer I made sure to jot down a ton for myself as well, and this was one of them.

There's something I LOVE about a time travel/historical romance- so swoony. Picking this one up was pretty much a no brainer for me as I read the Unravel series many years ago by Calia Read and loved it- so went in with expectations of loving this as well - I was hooked from page one!

˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ ⁀➷ ₊˚ෆ 𝓠𝓾𝓲𝓬𝓴 𝓢𝓾𝓶𝓶𝓪𝓻𝔂 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ꕤ ‧₊˚ ⋅

Serene is content with her life. Working at an antique shop she opened with her best friend and living with her fiancé, Will, Serene thought her life was fine. Until she unearths a photo of a group of men, including a man she had dreamed of the night before. BEFORE seeing his picture.

After a night out with her fiancé, and getting into a bit of an argument over this old photo that she has been obsessing over- Will goes off to sleep and Serene, in the living room, distraught over the burned to ash photo- finds herself suddenly slipping through time. Serene finds herself in the year 1912 married to the infuriating Etienne. The man in the picture. Can Serene get back to her time? Or is she falling for the brooding man she's married to?

˚ ༘✶ ⋆｡˚ ⁀➷ ₊˚ෆ 𝓜𝔂 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ꕤ ‧₊˚ ⋅

OMG THE ANGST. Not only do I love time travel, but I looooove a good angsty novel and this was SO ANGSTY. Since this is a hate to love romance between Etienne and Serene, those two try so hard to ignore their chemistry because they infuriate each other so much. I also loved the angst over the fact that Serene was in the wrong time and trying to figure everything out without falling for Etienne...

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He swallows, and I watch his Adam's apple bob. "Because suddenly I'm not so sure I want you to leave my world"

"You think you belong in another time. Belong to another man. But maybe you have it all wrong. Maybe you belong here, with me."

While the romance was awesome, what made this book so much more lovable to me were the side characters. I loved everyone in Etienne's world that welcomes Serene with open arms. Serene becomes close with his family and I wanted those characters to have their happy endings as well. Their bright personalities balanced out Etienne's brooding one and I loved it.

I also LOVE the atmosphere with old time Charleston South Carolina, ugh so beautiful, so atmospheric and grand. There is something that I love about the south that is rich in history, whether it be, New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah. Love- Love it so much I named my daughter Savannah. There's just something so elegant and epically beautiful about the south during the early 1900s.

While this book is a romance, there is a lot of mystery and suspense thrown in that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so obsessed with this romance and was freaking out about that ending! If you want a romance that seems impossible but you won't be able to put down, you have to pick up The Surviving Trace!
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just going to pretend that this book didn't end on a panic inducing cliff hanger.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it so much. There are two more books, third and the last one isn’t even published. Can’t wait to read them! Wonderful characters, story-telling, amazing love story conquers the time distances.

[Hulya Kara Yuksel · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMFG WOW! This book literally blew my mind...
I need a minute to catch my breath...
I need a very long sleep...
Also I must read epilogue again or maybe like 5 times more...

WTF had happened?😐😐😐

Full review to come later / maybe / not sure about it because I have no single fucking idea what to say right now! I'm speechless...

[Bibi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not expecting that. Holee sheet!

[❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY REVIEW can also be found on my blog:
KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

SURVIVING TRACE: Is a full length romance novel and the first book in ‘Surviving Time’ series by new to me author Calia Reads. Spoken in ‘Dual Perspectives’

Where to start!! First off this was definitely a 5 star read for me, it's not something I would generally one click and read but I am so glad I took that leap, and gave it a shot, I read this in record time, from front to back I was lost within the pages of this book, I didn't want it to end, And like the rest that have read this I can't wait for the next instalment!!

I finished this a few days ago and still it’s sitting forefront in my mind.

Straight away we’re thrown into a dream Serene is in, a man laying on her lap dirt and blood smeared over his face, she’s holding a gun to her forehead she tells the man that she loves him as she pulls the trigger.

Serene Parow is happily engaged to Will, a guy she met during her second year at Penn State. Planning the big day and just happily being in love. She also owns a fairly new antiques business with her bestie Liz.

Liz drops off some boxes that she came across at a flea market which Serene riffles through and comes across an old black and white photograph dating back to 1912 with four men standing in front of a gorgeous mansion like building, she’s inexplicably drawn to one man particularly in this photo and swears he’s the man that was in her dream.

She can’t stop gazing at it. thinking about the men in the photo, what their story is with only the date and E, L, E, A which she assumes are each mans initials.

She knows it sounds crazy even to herself but she gets a strange sense that these men are important to her, to an extent that she’s even met them.



A few days later without warning she’s catapulted back in time, and she comes face to face with the man in the photo that she was so intrigued with. It’s April 12, 1912 and she is the wife of Etienne Lacroix, they have been married for three years. She has the same body, the same first name of his wife, they actually look identical, but their personality traits could not be any different.

The chemistry between Serene and Étienne was off the charts, a too and fro as she tries to adapt to life in 1912 and he tries to unravel what has happened to his wife that he didn’t get along with, to now wanting to spend every waking moment with her.



This connection we share is undeniable. It transcends time and all logic. Nevertheless, it's there. Utterly owning us and pushing us out of our comfort zones until all we have left to is to cling to each other.

What makes this story even more special though is that when it came to trying to convince Étienne that she is not of this time and that she has time travelled, it didn’t take much for him to sit back and actually believe her. Now it's a race against time to try and figure out why she's there, and how to get back to her own time.

If you were given the choice to stay or go back, what would you choose?

* Teasers used are off the authors facebook page *

     

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Update** This is part of a trilogy that I, obviously, didn't realize at the time I read this first book. So please take this review with that information as the grain of salt 😜

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: I am so hating myself right now! I knew, I KNEW, after that initial chapter that I would probably not like the ending...and shocking -- I didn't! I was just so intrigued by the storyline that I had to go jump in and read it anyways! I like the idea of time travel romance, and while the overall idea that came to me from reading Outlander was great, the book was so freaking long that it basically became a chore to finish. So, when I saw this and saw that it wasn't too long -- I jumped at the opportunity to read it! Anyone that has a recommendation for a good time travel romance -- I'm all for hearing about it! 😜 I'm going with a middle of the road "just okay" 3 Stars because there were things that I liked as well as things that didn't work for me...

Let's break down what I liked:

I liked the scenes from the past. I appreciated the differences between the h's present and this time. I liked the differences in culture and behavior. I liked that the h didn't act the way that was to be expected from women in that time.

I liked the characters. Both if the mcs were likable. I enjoyed their banter, and the hate-to-love aspect of their relationship. I appreciated that they fought, but it seemed to always be worked out in a mature way.

I liked the h and H's connection and chemistry. This worked! I felt their connection, and their chemistry and tension was pretty hot! I think that might've been part of why other things were so disappointing, because this part of the story worked so well.

I liked the overall idea of the story. Like I said above, this was very intriguing to me. I honestly was also drawn to the forbidden factor of it because the h was engaged to OM and was also married to the H in different times.

Now for what didn't work for me:

The descriptions became too much. While I understand that the author needed to set the scene and even the time for the reader, but it became a little too much to where I skimmed at times. The descriptions of the decor and furniture were boring to me. That being said, I think people that appreciate and understand antiques might really enjoy this from the author -- but it simply isn't something that interests me.

Pretty much the whole second part. Again I'm pretty sure I understand where the author was coming from in having this part in the book, and I know that there was some crucial information obtained during this time so it was necessary...BUT, it felt like a mess. The h was a mess! I didn't like how her relationships fared, and I didn't like how she behaved.

And my biggest issue...the ending! W.T.F. If you really want to know more about it, pm me and I'll give you the big spoilers. I feel like I can't even deem it a "HFN" ending -- enough said 😒

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Serene and Étienne’s story. Serene is working in her antique shop and find a picture of four men in front of a plantation. She is shocked when one of the men was in her vivid dream she had the night before. She is somehow transported into 1912 to that very same plantation, and she is supposedly married to that man. After some not so great encounters, Serene convinces Étienne to help her try to get back to her own time and her fiancé. The more time they spend together, the more they start to develop stronger feelings and fall in love. There are some suspenseful moments, some mysterious and pnr aspects, and a few sexy times.

POV: This alternated between Serene (mostly) and Étienne’s POV.

Overall Pace of Story: Not the best. It felt slow to start and then slow for most of part 2 (there are 3 parts). I skimmed some in those parts, but I don't think I missed anything important.

Instalove:No, they are more like hate-to-love.

H rating: 4 stars. Étienne. I liked him. I appreciated how he cared for the h.

h rating: 3.5 stars. Serene. I liked her, but I struggled with her behavior in the 2nd part. I appreciated her strength considering all she was going through.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull:Yes They both push away and pursue the relationship at times.

Heat level: Hot. They have some hot tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not very many scenes and not so much it takes away from the story.

Descriptive sex: Yes

OW/OM drama: Yes The h is engaged to OM in the present, and this causes some issues for the couple. There is an old f-buddy of the H that is at a party, and this causes some mild jealousy for the h.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: Yes, technically The h is engaged to OM in the present. She is married to H in the past. She falls in love with the H and sleeps with him. Technically, she probably cheated on the fiancé but I personally didn't find issues in it because of the circumstances.

Separation: Yes They are separated shortly, but there was no mention or suggestion of other partners during this time.

Possible Triggers: Not really, but very brief and not descriptive mention of a rape of a (very much) side character.

Closure: This ending SUCKED! I get what the author was doing, but I'm bummed with how it all went down. I wouldn't even call it a HFN ending. It just ends...

Safety: This one is probably either Safe with exception or Not Safe for most safety gang readers depending on personal preferences.

- Does have cheating (see above)
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have both the h and H pushing away
- Does have a separation between the h and H
- Does Not have abuse
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I overall liked this but I am prevented from rating this book higher because I found the heroine to be illogical and irritating at times. My examples of this are all spoilers, so beware.

1) Serene has travelled back in time and her interactions with Etienne have been rough because he thinks she is his wife who he has an antagonistic relationship with. So what does Serene do? She purposefully makes him mad by making them late to an event by taking too long to get ready, and then she gets upset when he is angry at her for doing that. What was she expecting?

2) Serene becomes oddly fixated on Etienne's friend, Asa, simply because he was rude to her. Never mind that Etienne was a whole lot more rude to her when he thought she was the 'old' Serene. She has no reason to focus on him.

2) Serene then suddenly travels back to her 'real' time line and no time has passed there. She decides to tell her best friend/co-owner of her business about her time travelling, but she does it in the stupidest way possible where no one hearing what she said would believe her. So when her friend doesn't believe her, as to be expected, she gets super mad and tells her to fuck off and storms away.

3) Next, she decides to tell her fiance Will about her time travelling and specifically about how she has fallen in love with Etienne when she was in the past. She truly doesn't understand why he doesn't support and believe her. Um, maybe because believing her would mean that his fiance is in love with another man? And when he is being told that, regardless of whether or not you believe she ever even actually met the other man, he's not going to be thrilled about it and supportive? Again, what was she thinking was going to happen when she told him she loved someone else?

So yeah I just wanted to kick her at times.

On top of that, in this book there just isn't a good explanation of what happened to the 'old' Serene and why the 'new' Serene time travelled specifically at the moments that she did, along with not knowing the "how" either.

The thing I did really enjoy about this book was the development of Serene's relationship with Etienne and her friendship with his siblings. That alone was enough to make me want to give this 4 stars, but the above issues has me keeping it at 3 stars.

[warhawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Time Travel Romance
Type: Book 1 of Surviving Time series
POV: First Person – Female (Partly dual)
Rating:




Serene Parow had a love affair with the past. As owner of an antique store, she was drawn to anything old and laden with history. She was at a good place and completely in love with her fiancée Will Myles but the discovery of an old photo dated 1912 ripped her from everything she knew and into the world of Étienne Lacroix, the mysterious man on the photo.

She’s gorgeous, there’s no getting around that. But I’m drawn to her intelligence and smart mouth. She’s unpredictable in every way.

I very rarely like book heroine because they're often lacking certain aspects compared to the hero. That's not the case in this book. Serene was the hero who carried the story with strength and grace - well her version of grace :p

Being alone with the man is akin to being alone with a master manipulator. I don’t know what he’s going to do, how he’s going to react.

Étienne was everything a hero should be. He was smart, ambitious and protective. What I love the most about him was his slight uptightness that made him endearing.



I started this book not knowing what to expect. There were some parts earlier that felt slow but it ended up consuming me completely.

But if I’ve learned anything from my journey through time, it’s that nothing is impossible and everything is a lie.

I love every moment of the past scenes. As someone who love old objects and architecture, I could easily relate to Serene's passion. Through the author's words, I lived the era and walked through the hallways of Belgrave.

“You think you belong in another time. Belong to another man. But maybe you have it all wrong. Maybe you belong here, with me.”

The storyline was captivating, I couldn't put it down. There were quite a number of characters to keep up with but the mystery, suspense and angst (and sexiness) propelled the story from the first page to the last.

“No matter what happens, I am yours,” I whisper fiercely. “And you are always mine. Nothing can change that.”

The Surviving Trace is an evocative tale of love that transcends time. It would appeal to readers looking to be swept by a time travel romance.




🔸 ⏳ 🔸 . . . (F)BR With Twinsie CC . . . 🔸 ⏳ 🔸






For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars



Serene Parow is very happy owning an antique shop with her best friend, Liz and is looking forward to setting a wedding date with her fiancé, Will. That is until the day her partner uncovers a box of photographs and memorabilia from 1912. Serene is extremely drawn to one photo in particular. It’s of four men sitting in front of a southern plantation. The intrigue and mystery goes one step further when she connects a vivid dream she had prior surrounding one of the men in the photo.



Okay, I’ll try to explain. So, the story really gets interesting when Serene finds herself at the planation in the photograph and married to the man from her dream! Calia Read makes the time traveling aspect believable and at times I found myself dying to get back to the hero of the past!

There is mystery, connections, and a few plot twists. The story is very intriguing. The characters were all very likable and the heroine was as solid as the hero in this tale. The couples' fall into love was believable and very well written.



Overall, I enjoyed this long awaited story. I was left with a few questions. However, that may have been the done intentionally by the author. If not I would like to follow what happened to the other person during this time period. Look for this book to release on May 21!!

**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 2 out of 5]

Title: The Surviving Trace
Series: Surviving Time #1
Author: Calia Read
Release date: May 21, 2018
Cliffhanger: Yes

This is my first Calia Read book, and I was so excited for the opportunity to introduce myself to her work. I've heard a lot of great things about her previous titles, and already had a couple of them on my TBR. This story in particular had my name written all over it. Time travel, psychological elements and twists, time travel, a (mostly) 1912 setting, did I mention time travel? The prologue was an immediate hook, which led me to hope that this was going to be a big winner. Unfortunately I didn't end up falling in love with the story as I had anticipated. Originally I was going to rate it a three, but the more I thought about it, I had to face facts that in all honesty it was just okay for me.

My two star rating was a struggle, because the writing style is just the kind that I love to read the most. I loved the author's way with words. There were quite a few highlighted quotes like this that were beautifully woven into the story:

I more than loved her. She’s a religion, and I’m a believer. For the rest of my life, I’ll worship every single part of her.

It was the technical issues in the storyline itself that caused my inability to fall in love. There were way too many questions unanswered, and unsatisfactory explanations. Plus, character behaviors were not plausible at some points, which led me to feel disconnected from the romance.

Here's some background:
Serene is happily engaged to Will. They get along fabulously, she owns an antique store with her good friend that allows her to make a living off of what she's passionate about: history. One day, her business partner finds an old photograph of four men that she can't seem to take her eyes off of or stop thinking about. She feels an odd connection to these mysterious men, in this captured moment that is long passed, and she's consumed with questions about their identity and stories. Standing by the fireplace in her apartment that she lives in with Will, she suddenly feels herself inexplicably slipping to another time and place.

It's 1912 in Charleston, South Carolina, and she's standing in the middle of a party in the Belgrave Plantation. People are greeting her by her name, and then her husband arrives in a rampage, angry that she has once again ignored his wishes. Here's what we know: 1912 apparently has a woman with her name, her identical appearance, but opposite personality, different parents, different birthday, and of course...a completely different life.

“I don’t know who this woman is,” I confess, my voice hollow. “We have the same body and name, but it all ends there.

Boy, was I ever intrigued. I needed to know how in the world this happened. Was she visiting a past life? (I shot that idea down because if that were the case, she wouldn't have the same name or appearance.) Is she crazy? Your mind immediately starts to calculate possible outcomes. I kept waiting for some kind of solid foundation, and honestly? That never happened. This was one of the most confusing things about the story, and yes, there is more to come in the series, but that needed to be explained. I understand that it's time travel and you have to suspend disbelief to a point, but it still needs to make sense.

After falling in love with "her husband" Étienne, she manages to make her way back home. Which brings me to my first big issue.

Serene googles Étienne, his wife Serene, and her "fake parents" (the parents of the 1912 Serene). Not only is there no record of either parent, but now 1912 Serene has the heroine's birthday. She concludes to herself that she's changed history. If I'm reading this right, this is implying that the other Serene has been wiped out of existence. SHE is now the Serene that belongs there. Same birthday, right? Here's my problem with believing that. If that's the case, why does Étienne remember BOTH versions of her after she time travels back home? If his real wife has been erased, that would mean that he has no memory of this other person.

Not only that, but we are never given an explanation as to where his real wife goes when the heroine arrives there. Old Serene just disappeared into thin air, never to return? Étienne ruminates broodingly that he must come up with an explanation as to where Serene went, because he's not sure if either Serene will ever return. This was a huge part of the plot, and none of it was adding up for me.

Then we come to the cheating. And yes, there was cheating here, I don't see it as a technicality at all. Not only was the heroine engaged to a good man in her own time, but Étienne is clearly married. And let me emphasize this: He is not married to HER. Just because she has the same name, and looks like her, doesn't make them husband in wife in reality. They are not the same person. I'm not a fan of cheating, but I can see that everything is not black and white. I actually didn't care in the slightest that Étienne was being unfaithful to his wife. They had an arranged marriage, and didn't try to hide the fact that they slept with other people. They never should have gotten married in the first place. However, in her case, she was in a committed loving relationship.

It's one thing to say that, hey, I'm trapped in another time, I don't know how or if I'll ever return home. If that's her mentality, you can kind of excuse it. But no, even as she sleeps with the hero, she never once decides that she wants to stay there. The whole time she's focused on making her way back to her own time. The day after they sleep together, she KNOWS what they did was wrong, and tells him that it was a mistake that they can never repeat.

I don’t regret anything about last night. What I wanted to talk to you about is the fact that it can never happen again.”
“Why not?”
“I have a fiancé.”
Étienne crosses his arms. “But you’re having sex with a man you’re married to. Correct me if I’m wrong, but a husband overrides fiancé, yes?”
Challenging his logic is hard. “Yes. Even so, I’ll know the truth.”

Am I the only one that sees that his "logic" is a flimsy excuse that even she doesn't genuinely agree with? Of course, immediately after this conversation, they sleep together again. What is poor Will's crime that causes her to excuse her infidelity so flippantly?

My time with Étienne is making me realize that everything I thought about love—the bliss, the perfect contentment—is false.

So...Will is too perfect? Too easy? Again, this is not doing it for me to make me feel like these two were meant to be. The way she broke things off with him didn't make any sense to me either.

When she returns home, she realizes that nothing is the same for her, and she needs to be honest about her feelings with Will. She decides to tell him about traveling back in time, fully expecting that he's going to trust and believe her insanely crazy sounding story. When (naturally) he starts to worry that she's having a mental breakdown, he calls her family out of worry for her. What anyone would do for someone they love. She turns blame onto him for reacting that way, and dismisses their relationship, and her guilt.

A small part of me understands why Will called my brothers and that he’s coming from a place of love and concern. But a bigger part feels betrayed. It’s as if he took all the trust that had been built between us throughout the years and crushed it with one hand. I have a feeling that when I walk out of the front door, I’ll also be walking away from Will.

How IN THE WORLD did HE betray HER? He did absolutely nothing wrong. If anything, she is the one who betrayed in their relationship. I'm not going to lie, this resolution to her inconvenient engagement was very frustrating. But that brings me to another related point. In comparison, when she was stuck in the past, and she decides to use her knowledge of the sinking of the Titanic in order to prove that she's from the future, that was another thing that really didn't make sense to me.

This is actually a good way for her to prove herself, since she knew very specific facts about the disaster that contradicted what the newspapers were originally reporting. However, when she insists to Etienne that the newspapers are wrong, and spouts off a bunch of facts to him about what happened...he suddenly automatically believes her. Wouldn't it make more sense if he believed her after what she was saying was proved to be right? Just because she's giving him this story and says that it's all true....that means it's true? Crazy people say things all the time with confidence, but normal people need evidence to believe a story like hers.

The last thing I need to mention is the hero's American southern accent. The way that it's presented is very typical. For example, words like walking, talking, sleeping are pronounced like walkin' talkin' sleepin'. A letter dropped at the end of words. The book is told in from the heroine's 1st person POV for almost the entirety. But there were a few chapters that were from Étienne's 1st person POV. What I found strange was that in his chapters, his inner dialogue/narration was told with absolutely no accent. This was awkward and unnatural, and it took me completely outside of the storytelling. How is it that somebody can talk and think in two completely different ways?

Based on all of the reviews I've read so far, my opinion is very much in the minority, and the complete opposite of the consensus of the plot accuracy. If you loved the book, and disagree with me, more power to you! For me personally, the vague surface explanations we were given here are enough to leave me wanting more. I love the time travel trope, the excitement of trying to unravel the plot, and the lovely period setting, but for me the series ends here.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

[Nazanin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-3.75 Stars

I love this author’s works and read some of her books but they were mostly dark. I don’t like time travelling but still I wanted to try this one because you know it’s Ms. Read we speak about. So I read it and I was loving it! Until I read the last chapter! WTH?!?! I don’t know if this book is a standalone or not (all of the books I read by her were standalone) but this one didn’t end with HEA or even HFN! It just ends!!!! I don’t call it surviving time! Think about it, you have a perfect life at the first and in the end you have nothing!!!! Really WTH?! I just can hope it wouldn’t be a standalone and in the next installment we can find what we want! Told in dual POV (mostly the h, and except for the epilogue), 1st person. It’s well-written and a bit slow. It’s the first installment in the "Surviving Time" series, I can’t tell you if it’s a standalone novel or ends on cliffhangers. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot and hope you like it as well!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a huge Outlander fan, whenever I hear a romance has time traveling in it, I immediately want to read it. My BFF Sarah told me about this book and told me I would love it, so I decided to finally pick it up!

Serene is content with her life. Working at an antique shop she opened with her best friend and living with her fiancé, Will, Serene thought her life was fine. Until she unearths a photo of a group of men, including a man she had dreamed of the night before. BEFORE seeing his picture. Then, everything changes. Serene finds herself in the year 1912 married to the infuriating Etienne. The man in the picture. Can Serene get back to her time? Or is she falling for the brooding man she's married to?

OMG THE ANGST. Not only do I love time travel, but I looooove a good angsty novel and this was SO ANGSTY. Since this is a hate to love romance between Etienne and Serene, those two try so hard to ignore their chemistry because they infuriate each other so much. I also loved the angst over the fact that Serene was in the wrong time and trying to figure everything out without falling for Etienne...

While the romance was awesome, what made this book so much more lovable to me were the side characters. I loved everyone in Etienne's world that welcomes Serene with open arms. Serene becomes close with his family and I wanted those characters to have their happy endings as well. Their bright personalities balanced out Etienne's brooding one and I loved it.

While this book is a romance, there is a lot of mystery and suspense thrown in that kept me on the edge of my seat. I was so obsessed with this romance and was freaking out about that ending! If you want a romance that seems impossible but you won't be able to put down, you have to pick up The Surviving Trace!

[Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“ Love is your hoarse cries. Its your anger, it’s your sadness.
It’s your happiness and laughter.
It’s everything wrapped up into one.
Love is one of the heaviest words to exist.
It’s a miracle anyone survives it.
It’d be a wonder if I survive it."

WOW!

I didn’t think it would’ve been possible for this author to render me speechless, but damn it she did!! Im still trying to figure out what I just read but if I’m being completely honest wit myself, it’s the final chapter that did me in. I’m confused, happy, sad, and mournful at the same time. How is that possible? How can I feel all of these emotions at the same time and be content? I simple call it the power of words.

Have you ever wonder what it would be like to live in another lifetime? To be a part of history and witness some of the greatest mark on the world? I’m sure we all have and Serene Parow is no different. Being a lover of antiques and everything historical, Serene has always loved the classical time error and the year 2017 has made no difference to her. When she comes across an old photo from the year 1912, there’s an automatic pull to the strangers who are in the picture. Particularly one important.



As time goes by, Serene realizes that her finding the picture was no coincidence and that she was meant to help in some way or the other. But by doing that, will she alter the future and change everything for the better or make it worse? How far will you go to protect someone you love? Does time or distance really matter?

“ You think you belong in another time. Belong to another man. But maybe you have it all wrong. Maybe you belong here with me”.

I really loved how different this story was. I knew all about the time traveling and if I’m being honest, that is what drew me to the story in the first place. It was refreshing in my eyes, classy, heartbreaking and it sucked you into this time era that made you fall in love with it all over again. These characters were amazing but it was their journey and refusal to quit is what was awe inspiring to me.



As much as I loved everything else about the story, I just couldn’t for the life of me get over that final chapter. I felt like as deflated balloon with bittersweet feelings. I guess I’m still trying to process everything and figure out my true feelings on it but at this point, I’m happy and sad at the same time.

If you’re in the mood for something completely different, I would highly recommend this one. The writing is flawless, the characters will make you feel, and your heart will quite possibly get bruised in the process but I think it’s worth it. To me, the most beautiful things are sometimes the most painful ones.



   

[Laura ❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sorry but what was that ending?!?!



✩5-take-me-back-in-time-stars✩

"From the moment we take our first breath in this world, we become part of history."

✩Time-travel
✩Slowburn romance
✩Little bit of hate to love
✩Great side characters
✩Slight love triangle but nothing unbearable
✩Mystery

Brief summary

In 2017 Serene is living happily with her fiancé Will and owns an antiques store with her best friend. After having a strange dream about a man she's never met Serene finds a photograph of him which is dated 1912. Serene finds herself transported back in time where she meets the man from the photograph, Ètienne, who claims that Serene is his wife - his wife that he hates. As she begins to look for ways to return to her normal time-period Serene starts to realise that maybe she doesn't want to go back after all.

Review

AHHH I loved this soo much! I am such a major fan of history and so any time-travel romance is an instant win for me. I loved how when Serene goes back to 1912 she gets to see all the amazing antique objects that she obsesses over in present day in their prime.
There were so many twists and turns in this book and honestly I read it so quickly I just had to know what was going to happen (and I'm itching to pick up the second book right now...).

The romance was so good and the perfect slow-burn. I loved how Ètienne came to trust and listen to Serene, trying to help her even though he wanted her to stay.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I whisper.
He swallows, and I watch his Adam's apple bob. "Because suddenly I'm not sure I want you to leave my world"

I also just loved Ètienne's brother and sister Livingston and Nat - I just love it when there are well-written family relationships in books and they added so much to the story! I especially loved Nat and Serene's relationship and how she encouraged Nat to do what she wants with her life despite there being restrictions regarding her choices.
The mystery surrounding who Serene's ancestor was during the 1910s was also super well written, I was really hooked and was trying to figure out who it was throughout (I failed ofc).

Honestly this was just an amazing book, the writing was brilliant and so was the romantic/historical fiction element of it!

"No matter what happens tomorrow, I love you forever," I say.
Ètienne squeezes my hand and kisses the crown of my head. "I know. Nothin' changes between us. You're my surviving trace."

Time to binge read the next two books :D

Thanks Izzy for this AMAZING recommendation!

[A Romance Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread February 11, 2022

This book is amazing!! I love it so much! Just as good this second time around.


Original review November 20, 2018

Loved it!!!! This book is amazing! Its almost 4:00am and I couldn’t put it down. Etienne and Serene are one of my favorite couples ever. Can’t wait to read book 2.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN. I kept thinking okaaay after this chapter I’m stopping for now. Wait no, one more. Hmmm one more. Oops, I read 6 chapters. Well, can’t stop now, xyz just happened.

This book has it’s flaws but I was so into it I almost called in sick so I could find out what happened next.

I do have a few issues that raised my brow though but I’m enjoying this story enough to overlook most of them, but I hope at least some things will get cleared up in the next two.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this full review and more at: Ashes Books & Bobs.

My first Calia Read book was a hit! First of all, I just have to brag on this woman because I think I might have a crush on her. ;) I had the privilege of chatting with her on Instagram while I was reading this book and she was incredibly nice and personable. I've always been amazed by the strength and resilience of military wives, not only is Calia one of these women, but she's also a mother of five! How she manages to write books on top of all she has to do blows my mind. Can you say Supermom? 

The Surviving Trace's blurb sounds fascinating and I highly doubt anyone will be able to resist its temptation. I sure couldn't say no! Time-travel Romance is one of my favorite sub-genres and I get so excited when I am able to venture back to a new time period while reading. I love how Calia chose to write about a time I haven't read a load of information about. One of my favorite things about The Surviving Trace was the photograph putting the whole story in motion. Just like Serene, I'm drawn to old photographs and I find myself creating stories for the people in them and wondering what kind of lives they led. This story starts off with a dream about a photograph Serene finds in an old album. Apparently, this aspect of the story had a huge impact on me while reading, because I was awoken by a dream so vivid, it felt real about this very book. I always know I truly love a novel when it shows up in my dreams!

I was dazzled by Calia's writing and her perfectly immersive setting. I felt as if I was actually in the giant home with Serene and Etienne, feeling the stifling South Carolina summer of 1912. And Etienne, oh Etienne. Holy wow, I loved this man! I love the guys who are a little cranky and tough to crack because they are the most rewarding characters to read! Serene was the perfect woman to counter him, though they were similar in many ways. She was strong-willed and determined, letting nothing prevent her from making an impact on whichever era she resided in. 

I have to say, I normally can do without love scenes in books because I'm more interested in the story than getting jiggy with it. ;) I read for emotion and connection and I was absolutely rewarded with these things, but I actually felt the love scenes were essential to the story. The passion between the characters was simply the best I have ever read - the love was tangible and realistic. My heart felt heavy and consumed with the way the characters were written.

I adored this book and didn't want it to end. I'm so relieved to hear there will be more books to come because I need more of these characters like I need air in my lungs. Though this was my first book by Calia Read, I will continue to pick up her books and can't wait to finally read Unravel, along with the rest of her previous works! Her storytelling is stellar.

[-S♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

★6 Stars! The Surviving Trace... A highly entertaining rollercoaster! It’s mysterious, beautifully breathtaking, and a uniquely poetic timeless love story set in the past and present!
Rating: { ★★★★★★ }
“Love is hoarse cries. It’s anger. It’s sadness.
It’s happiness and laughter.
It’s everything wrapped into one.
Love is one of the heaviest of words to exist.
It’s a miracle anyone survives it.
It’ll be a wonder if I survive it.”



Let me tell you a story of how I became her…

The Surviving Trace is magnificent!

This tale begins with Serene Parrow, a happily engaged antique shop owner, and a dream...or shall I say a nightmare. One that leaves her confused, but with her curious nature intrigued, nevertheless..it’s surely only a dream.
Following Serene you will see that she has everything she has ever wanted and dreamed of. Will, the shy but loving man of her ‘dreams’, the ring, the antique shop, the house and happiness - up until she finds a photo of four men dated 1912 and one of them being the mysterious man from her nightmare, Etienne Lacroix.
Definitely not just a dream.
Everything is strange.
Nothing is the same.
Fate has different plans.
& Eventually, everything connects.

“Nothing is impossible and everything is a lie.”

I fell completely and utterly in love with everything about this book from the poetic wording, the world building, the undeniable chemistry, the raw honesty, their fighting words, the anger and disdain, the love and determination and both Serene and Etienne.
Top 5 best reads of 2018, hands down!


Here are my favorite quotes:


1. On paper, Étienne’s mine. On paper, I share his last name. On paper, I’m his wife.
In my heart, none of that is true.


2.I see the yearning in his eyes. One simple touch is tempting. One perfect kiss is torture. Anything after that is irreversible.


3.“You think you belong in another time. Belong to another man. But maybe you have it all wrong. Maybe you belong here, with me.”


4.“I taste his anger, pain, and love and give him my own pent-up emotions until I’m whimpering, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt”

5. I more than loved her. She’s a religion, and I’m a believer. For the rest of my life, I’ll worship every single part of her.


6. “We are unfinished business. A story that is never-ending.
The world will never stop tearing us apart, but there will always be a surviving trace between us.”


Thank you Calia Read for this phenomenal journey!

[Medollga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, no idea what happened during my reread, but I can't finish it!👀🤷🏼‍♀️😭

So that you know, it used to be a 5-star book! I thought it had no flaws! 🤯 I thought the heroine was the best: so selfless, romantic, and relatable... 🤡😬 I was so eager to continue with the series, but caught a spoiler about book 2 that killed my desire to read that book.

Fast forward a year, and here we are/ I wanted to revisit the series and finally finish it. Making my peace with that spoiler, I decided to reread this book, seeing as I forgot quite a bit of what happens in this book.

WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS!🆘💔😭

I feel like my rose-colored-glasses have fallen off. I saw so many plot holes and inconsistencies this time around. The heroine is behaving stupidly for no apparent reason. Even the romantic plotline came out of nowhere: one minute they bicker like dogs, next minute, WITH NO REASON FOR IT, they like each other. Plus, the siblings NOT questioning the heroine's weird behavior is so unbelievable 🙈

I'm somewhere around 45% mark and can't bring myself to even finish the first book till the end. I'm so disappointed! Not only was this a waste of my time, but now I've destroyed my love for this book💔

[Jx PinkLady Reviews ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

'The Surviving Trace,' is a mysterious story involving a heroine, a hero, and a fiancé who, for me, became somewhat irrelevant as the story is mainly focused on the time travel element. Serene has a fiancé in present day but very quickly into the story she travels back in time to the era of 1912 where she has a whole different life with a man called Etienne, a man who is her husband and, it would seem, he's not terribly fond of her which is where a hate to love relationship begins to develop. A mystery unfolds along with the probable reason Serene was sent into the past and it is this aspect that I enjoyed the most, along with her developing relationship with Etienne.

I thought this would be a story that I would love completely, a story that would grab my emotions but sadly this was not the case. For my personal taste, some parts were overly detailed and did not add to the development of the story and parts of the dialogue did not feel 'diologue-like’ to my ear. The term TIME TRAVEL(ED) was used a lot and I know it was needed because that's what the heroine did but sometimes, especially towards the end, I would have liked her to express it differently, to the extent I started to think of alternatives as I was reading. Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for me and maybe the thing that made all the afore mentioned magnified and stopped me falling in love with the narrative was the fact that I didn't fully buy into the time travel element and I think this caused major problems to my enjoyment as this is where all the angst and character emotion was driven from. I've thought a lot about why I didn't connect with this story and the characters because I love, 'The Time Travellers Wife,' and I see many readers are loving, 'The Surviving Trace,' I'm definitely firmly in the minority so maybe if I read at a different moment in time, I'd feel differently, maybe it was the wrong book at the wrong time or maybe this trope is not generally suited to my tastes.

I really enjoyed the main protagonist’s chemistry, their banter, their hate to love relationship and I really liked the mystery element so if you enjoy time travel stories with a contemporary romance feel then this story is definitely worthy of a read.


Contemporary Romance/Time Travel


Advance copy provided **

[Calia]

Follow me on Wattpad to read the first couple of chapters of The Surviving Trace before release on May 21st!! I just posted chapter 2! This will be updated weekly until release day!!!
https://www.wattpad.com/user/ailac5

[• Lindsey Dahling • · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pacing in this is so bad that around the 60% mark I checked on Goodreads to see if this is the author’s first book. I can forgive bad pacing/build ups if the author is just starting. I’m disappointed to report that no, it’s not her first.

For the record, it would take a lot more than a 5 minute conversation for a person to convince me they’ve time traveled here from the future. Something that sadly is not true for most of the characters in this book. They’re told she’s a time traveler and respond with the equivalent of, “Huh. How weird. I believe you.” WHAT? WHAAAAT?! You mean to tell me that these traditional 1912 plantation owners who follow old AF social customs because that’s the way everything has always been would be totally open to the idea that time travel is real? HOKAY. SURE. MHMM. YEP. Also, I legitimately laughed out loud when the MC basically vilified the people who DIDN’T believe her. Those were evidently supposed to be our villains. K. I AM SO SURE.

I’m not sure if I can fairly say insta-love occurs in this book, for that would imply the main character has feelings at all. She says quite often that she loves someone, hates someone, is suspicious of someone, is mad at someone, but those “feelings” are only ever “felt” when she shares a scene with them. Once the other character leaves the stage, it’s as if they no longer exist to her. It wasn’t until I was around 75% through that I remembered she even has two brothers in the present day (I’ll comment on the time traveling later). You’d think she’d talk about missing them while she’s in the past, but lol nope. Not a single thought towards them, her parents, friends, ANYONE. Hell, the only time she even thought about her present day fiancé was when she felt guilty about finding her fake past husband attractive.

She’s also kind of a moron. I can’t expand on this without spoilers, so just know homegirl MC is not the brightest bulb.

Also, the time traveling makes zero sense. There’s no explanation for why she can do it, nor is there an explanation where the 1912 version of Serene goes while present day Serene is there. Also, present day Serene continues her idiocy by just telling the 1912 people all about the future AS IF SHE HAS NEVER SEEN A SINGLE MOVIE ABOUT TIME TRAVEL AND WHY THIS IS ONE OF THE DUMBEST FUCKING THINGS YOU CAN DO. Come on. She’s around my age in 2017, which makes her a millenial. I know for damn sure that means she’s at least FAMILIAR with Hermione’s time turner and the repercussion of it.

Idiot.

But, don’t worry—none of that has any effect on the future. Why? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW. Why does she time travel to begin with? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW. Why wouldn’t she try to get a message to the captain of the Titanic and tell him not to go balls to the wall fast at night? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW.

Why am I going to read the next one? I DON’T FUCKING KNOW. UGH.

[CC · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!



Serene Parow seems content in her life with an antiques business and a fiancé that wants to set a wedding date until one day she becomes distracted by an old photograph dated 1912. Always interested in history, Serene begins to imagine what life was like in that era and particularly for one unknown man depicted in black and white. As she searches for answers, the truth takes Serene on an unexpected journey.

“Like everything else from this time, my mind whispers, you’re touching a piece of history.”

When Serene is transported back in time, she is confronted by the mystery man that has consumed all her thoughts. Seeing him in the flesh is a shock, but as she pairs the face (and body) with a name, she discovers much more about what makes Etienne tick. In trying to determine her purpose, Serene realizes the complexity and instability of her situation.

“His eyes dip toward my lips for a millisecond, then he moves toward me. I’m almost confident he’s going to kiss me. And if he does, I know I won’t stop him.”

Told mostly from Serene’s perspective, experiencing the level of unease and curiosity she feels is effectively conveyed and I felt immersed in her transition and the era’s history. Serene is a strong, competitive character that is compelled to do the right thing and ultimately trust her instinct and heart.

“This connection we share is undeniable. It transcends time and all logic.”

Between Serene and Etienne the chemistry is combustible and the push-pull dynamic they share adds to the building sexual tension. Etienne infuriates Serene yet the more she gets excited, the more intrigued he is. While Etienne slowly reveals more about himself, he becomes sexier and completely won my heart.

This book offers an interesting premise with time travel. Due to the theme, some things just are inexplicable and it adds mystery and romance to the storyline rather than casting doubt. Throughout reading, it made me think of the possibilities, choices and fate these characters experienced. With endearing characters and a convincing narrative, Calia Read pens a compelling and thought-provoking story.

The Surviving Trace would appeal to those who enjoy mystery with romance.




*An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.*


*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey!*


For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

What. A. Wild. Ride.

This story has blown my mind! Time travel romances are what I’m craving at the moment, and this one has left me with my mouth wide open in shock!! I love this book so much! Thank goodness there are two more!

“No matter what happens tomorrow, I love you forever,” I say. Étienne squeezes my hand and kisses the crown of my head. “I know. Nothin’ changes between us. You’re my surviving trace.”

I love that the majority of this book is set in my city of Charleston! I squealed with excitement over the mention of Magnolia Plantation, Drayton Hall, Ashley River Road, Market street, and SUMMERVILLE!!!

Time travel. Romance. Angsty. Suspense. Changing history. Sign me up!! If you are an Outlander fan, and have been craving something familiar, but incredibly different—look no further!!

[Malene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m diving straight into book 2 cause with that ending and epilogue I have to! This time traveling romance was fabulous. From the intriguing beginning to trying to make the puzzle pieces fit and following Serene’s journey back in time this was truly an exhilarating ride. The people Serene meets and forms a very special bond and friendship with were incredible. Her and Étienne were fantastic. Such a wonderful and exciting dynamic. Don’t get me started on their chemistry. Delicious. That ending though! Enough talking. I need more Serene, Étienne, Livingston and Nat.

4 Time Traveling Stars

[SHOMPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑰𝒏 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓." 📖

I’ve been avoiding the book after seeing the low ratings, but somehow I gave it a try. And guess what? From the first page, this time-travel story has kept me engaged for the last two nights. I couldn’t even take my eyes off the book for a minute. The writing quality is extremely rich and perfect in all respects. Some of the deep feelings were so touching and the story so lively that it felt like I was time travelling with the protogonist. I want to say so much more, but I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything. One thing is for sure, I am officially obsessed with this series.

"𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒃𝒔𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒖𝒔. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒘." 📖

[rae ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh well..
Where to begin
This book is about Serene, who time traveled to the year 1912 and met this guy named Etienne. In present time, Serene is engaged to Will.

It started great, 50% in I had a good time. But then it just went downhill from there.

The story line was so messy, with so many plot holes. There's no chemistry between the MCs.
The heroine is so demanding, irritating, and selfish. I'm just beyond annoyed.

This book is part of a trilogy, which means the story ends on a cliffhanger. I'm curious what's going to happen, but I also don't know if I'm going to enjoy it.

Oh, and it was kind of insta-love for me, like they knew each other for a couple of weeks and had sex, and "Oh, I love you so much." Idk, but that's just a big turn-off for me.

2⭐ (for my guy Will cause he deserved better)

[nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why have I never heard of this author before? Where have you been hiding, Calia? WHERE?!

You guys, I don’t even know what to say about this book. It’s so unique and riveting, I want to read it all over again! I was spellbound by this phenomenal story.

The Surviving Trace has some amazing characters that you’ll love instantly, an intriguing storyline, and such captivating writing.

I’m so glad I took a chance on this one because it was definitely worth it. A must read! Expect all the feels, especially when it comes to Étienne. *sigh* I love him!