First Lessons

A Medieval Tale #1

by Lina J. Potter, Elizabeth Adams (Translator)

Aliya is a medical school graduate gifted with both smarts and an athletic body. Her life seems perfect…until she finds herself in a fatal car accident. Instead of dying, however, she wakes up in a completely different body in the middle of a half-ruined castle during alternate medieval times. Confused and dismayed, Aliya realizes she was given a second chance in life — so she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work on restoring the castle and her new life.

Aliya’s situation is confusing and challenging. Reborn as Countess Lilian Earton, she has to adjust to an unfamiliar world while trying to introduce everyday conveniences from the world she knows. Her first goal is taking care of the collapsing estate of Earton and its inhabitants — and learning to navigate a society unused to a woman in charge. Constant attacks of robbers and slave traders never seem to stop plaguing Aliya, and killers and spies sent by the narcissistic aristocracy are just waiting for her to show a bit of weakness so that they can strike, even if as she finds an alternative solution to her troubles, developing alliances with the Highlanders and Vikings called the Virmans. In the meantime, she is terrified with the prospect of finally meeting her perpetually absent husband whom, incidentally, Aliya has never seen ever since her rebirth as Lilian.

Her plan is to make the best of her unusual circumstances — and to change this alternate world for the better. She is not a girl in trouble waiting for a knight in shining armor; all that Aliya has to do, she’ll do with her own hands.

***

First Lessons is the opening book of the bestselling historical romance and time travel fantasy series A Medieval Tale by Lina J. Potter. The heroine finds herself in the alternate world at the very beginning of a thorny path to progress and happiness. On top of everything, she has to go up against the unprogressive and sexist society of the Middle Ages, armed only with her knowledge, experience, and willpower. Still, Aliya/Lilian has to act carefully in order not to draw too much attention to her innovations — she knows she could either get praised for her genius…or be accused of witchcraft.


The bestselling time travel and historical romance A Medieval Tale series has been carefully translated into English and already gained a strong English-speaking fan base.

Genres: Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Romance, Medieval

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Call it inspiration, the voice of a Muse, or plain obsession… Lina J. Potter has been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember. She has a light-hearted approach to writing. Whenever she is not writing, you can find her practicing karate and lace-making. Nowadays, she lives in the quite town of Tambov with her husband, daughter and two cats.

Lina is looking forward to hearing from you! Connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/linajpotter

Connect with readers and join in the discussion
www.facebook.com/groups/1041553379344...

Also have a look at:
www.lithunters.com
www.facebook.com/LithuntersPH/

Reviews

[Olga Akdogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a genre reader in general but I was up to trying something new. I very much loved the opening of the tale (I found it very captivating) and how she interlaced the lives of both Aliya and Lilian - a soul that hungers to live vs. a soul that wants to die. Reading this double character that is conflicting but also cooperative in a way - and its development was very refreshing and interesting to me. The first book is quite scattered but I guess it is necessary for worldbuilding... I was confused at times, but the more you progress in the book, the more the "scattered" stories integrate into one another. Needless to say that it was nice to read a strong female protagonist with an outspoken opinion about gender relations.

[Carmina Valdizán · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a good story with terrible editing, confusing at times. The author jumps from one character to another in a shockingly abrupt manner. The only thing that kept me reading was the story, it’s a good one, the main character is pragmatic and has determination. Nevertheless, I would read book 2, I like the story.

[Yvonne J. Smit · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book, I so wanted to love but... I failed. My 2-star rating is not so much for the author but is awarded to her support team. The book needs editing. Maybe a lot got lost in translation... who knows.

The concept of the story is one I love. I am for one a fan of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and love the historical fiction books by Sharon Penman.

What I look for in a fiction book is simple: Romance, Action, humour or a combination of them. The author failed on all accounts and concentrated more on the development of gadgets, such as making inkwells and clasps for earrings and a rigid weight loss scheme.

The main character is cold. She just lost her parents and her own body in a car accident and her new persona whose body she possesses in the medieval setting has lost her baby. I would be devastated but not Aliya/Lilian. She is more concerned about the pink colour of the walls, her overweight body and her pink dresses.

The book has an open ending which would not be a problem if at least something in the story has come to a conclusion. Maybe Lilian meeting her estranged husband would have been a good one but... no, this is probably happening in book 2.

I suspect that the book could be a good one if a lot of unnecessary info gets scrapped. The entire series can be concentrated in one volume and you probably end up with a good read.

[Viking Jam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishing Date: April 2018

Publisher: Lithunter

ISBN: 9781980565512

Genre: SciFi/Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5

Publisher’s Description: A brilliant Medical school graduate Aliya, a sporty and active girl, dies suddenly in a car crash… only to find herself reborn in a completely different body, in the middle of a dilapidated castle during Medieval times. While confused and dismayed, Aliya realizes she has been given another chance at life — so she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work on restoring her new castle and her new life.

Review: This story line has been done before….a lot. I remember reading an old scifi novel where an engineer ended up in Poland prior to WWII and reshaped that countries destiny. Since then, there have been many a spin-off of the parallel world/time travel variety. So what sets this novel apart from the rest that have gone before? Read on!

The rendering of the period is just what you would expect. Dirty, muddy, stinky and gross. Hygiene was considered unholy and the author captures this slice of life to perfection. Rotten teeth round out the players in this medieval tale. Women are considered beneath consideration unless born to nobility, and even then, lack the pro-active ability that men share.

Reviews were up and down on this novel with “Jumpy narrative” and “Incomplete story” leading the charge. I agree that the story line sometimes shifted a bit and I didn’t have a problem with the serialized aspect as the novel was lengthy enough. What kind of sucked was the drawn out story line in places where it did not need to be. For instance ruminating over and over what you need to do in repetitive fashion and belaboring scenes until they are beaten to death, makes for more filler than actual story.

Despite some much needed editing, I liked this novel as the author crafts a main character that you constantly pull for. There are many collisions in Aliya’s future with not only her husband but the nobility at large. This dark cloud persists in driving the reader to root for her successes before the ax falls.

Get it and see where it goes if so inclined to serialized content.

You can read all of my reviews, here.

[Skylar BB · Rating 1 out of 5]

This review is for the whole series:

A waste of time and energy
The author creates two kinds of characters, those who love the protagonist and those who don't.

The plot is slow, it definitely serves for marketing, nothing adds to the main plot.
If I was asked what happened in these 6 Volumes, I would say nothing much.
The theme? Unimaginably ridiculous: conveying the readers that a cheating man can be tamed if the girl becomes beautiful? WTF. Any girl who is called a cow and is raped and ridiculed by her 'husband' should just run away from him. The protagonist comprises like an idiot. The author takes the readers as idiots I guess. What s headache.

Repetitive narration is all over the place.

Mary sue. Anyone who doesn't like the protagonist is considered as bad as a criminal.
The irony is the protagonist steals other people's ideas and sells them as her own but she disgustingly commanded the tongue and the fingers of a thief to be cut, I wanted to sit pokerfaced in front of the author. Why would a modern girl do something like that?

And too much Mary Sue. Like too much. Anyone she meets return her love, like a Sunshine.
She chops of body parts of a live human and calls it small punishment and justifies it by saying governments like (Islamic Regime in) Iran executes all the time. Shame on the author for her ignorance.
Is Putin brain washing Russian authors to say such inhuman thing ??
Does the author know that a bad marriage can affect the children, why the author wants to convey that cheating couples should stay together for the sake of their children is beyond foolishness.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It's the candy, not the wrapper, that matters. And it's the person you live with, not their good looks." This book reminded me a lot of Game of thrones mixed with the tv show Reign who has a modern woman running an Count's estate. There was humor, political intrigue, backstabbing, and entertaining adventures similar to the shows above. My only only issue i had with this story and its a big issue in my opinion is the jumping from perspective to perspective in the middle of a chapter without warning. I really got annoyed with that especially when we were in one place one paragraph to be moved to a completely different place and a different character without warning at least be divided by chapters or let the reader know whats going on. Because of this i give this book a 4 out of 5 stars i really enjoyed this and cannot wait for more.

[Ranetta Eddins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this adventure!

What a nice change this story is! No vampires, no blood and Gore, no crude sex scenes or filthy language and what do you know...it's still a great fun interesting story with wonderful characters!!! A talented Author that can truly write and does not require any gimmicks. Love Lillian!! What a trooper!

[Wytzia Raspe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you suddenly would be transported to a place in the past while you had all your modern knowledge?

In this Russian fantasy novel medical student Aliya dies in a carcrash and then somehow wakes up in another body in another world that is very much like our Middle Ages.

This Russian novel is a bit different. At first I thought it was a story meant for highschool students but nevertheless was so attracted by the synopsis I volunteered to review. The thing is that although the heroine is a medical student I think the targeted readers might be found in 18+. Not that the story is steamy: it is not! No because of the serious way the whole situation is handled.

In most timetravel stories people just blend in. If there is the fact that they know more than the people surrounding them then it is in that they know the future. It is not so much that they would share advanced technology. Here there is no knowledge of the future: it is a different world not the past. But Aliya now countess Lilian has a wide share of knowledge how to make things and how to cure people and she sets off to monetise that and improve her village. It made me wonder what I would do and I realised my knowledge is not suitable at all in a situation like that (I am a lawyer).

So what to say about this novel?

The writer is very apt in worldbuilding. The world described sounds real. Countess Lilian lives in a would with many similarities to medieval Europe. You recognise the Vikings, the Jews and the Arabs, but the church is just different. Laws are different. And similar.

Sometimes the writing style seems a bit different to me but that might be because it is a Russian novel that is translated. Things like that can somehow show different cultures of writing styles. It is not annoying.


The book really has potential to be great but seems to break off just when the stage is set for action. I would advice to publish it together with part 2 (I expect there is one). I think it will be received better that way. Lots of the better fantasy stories are heavy tomes that has the reader reading for days on end so there is no need to cut the story into different volumes. Now we end up with a clever exercise how to keep yourself afloat in the Middle Ages and we see storm brewing on the horizon but the thunderclaps have not been heard yet. All the action has yet to come.

It could be done like this if this part would be for free but when you want to charge a fee I think customers might grumble because it feels like you are reading a good book and suddenly someone grabs it and takes it away.

PS: I really liked the fact that the heroine is a heavy set lady who kicks ass (I am no feather either)


http://www.dutchysbookreviewsandfreeb...

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yikes

Aside from just being confusing, horribly written, and fully of unnecessary plot lines and details, it is completely obvious by the end of this book that the main character (and I suspect author) is a hateful and insecure person, who believes a skinny body is the only thing that matters in the universe.

As a plus sized woman, ever mention of Lillian’s body felt like an attack on not only my body, but my worth as a person. I am married, own a home, have a great job, attend grad school, and fight daily to thrive despite a disability. All while being fat! Shocking I know, as this book implies that all fat people are lazy and stupid. People of all body types deserve to be loved, happy, and valued.

I hope this author gets some counseling because she has major self image issues. Maybe also taking a couple writing courses? If you’re gonna be all high and mighty, at least do your job well.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Crislee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sadly disappointed. It may have just been a poor translation but it didn't seem like it. In fact it seemed translated well. I couldn't tell it was even translated at all. I just read that it was. But the dialog was terribly flat. I think it could have been a great story but it was a bunch of nothing for the most part. It was listed in Amazon as a romance, time travel and historical fiction. Two of those are my favorite genre. The ONLY thing about it as far as these categories are concerned was that it was about time travel but that wasn't even played up here. But there was no romance (I'm not terribly upset about that though) a d worst of all it is certainly not historical fiction. It's not even on EARTH!! It's about as historical as Game Of Thrones with far far less story. Perhaps the rest of the series gets much better but I won't bother. Truly this had no story it was just a set up to eventually become a story but just ended. It might be a good TV series one day of the screenwriters can fix the dialog....boring and get on to an actual story! I kept waiting for something to happen...nope. Just when you think it might, it's done. How did others love it enough to give it 4 or 5 stars? Nothing happened. Here's the entire story; she dies on earth, comes back in some medieval ladies body who's fat (why that was added is beyond me) somewhere else (who knows where) she sees her area is a mess so she goes to another city with a market and buys a bunch of crap and makes friends along the way. Then she goes home and boom the story ends. OK?? Someone loved that? I love most books but this didn't go anywhere. Don't bother.

[Sanna G. Ståhl · Rating 4 out of 5]

”It’s the candy, not the wrapper, that matters. And it’s the person you live with, not their good looks.”

Aliya wakes up in another body in a different time period after she dies in a car crash. Her former life as a medical student is gone and now she is Lilian Earton Countess of Earton. In a whole new world Aliya has to get used to the medieval thinking and at the same time try to find people who can invent the items that already exists in our world.

Lina J. Potter gives us a story like no one I’ve read before were a strong female character slowly changes the world she’s living in. Lilian might not have been the kindest person but with her authority and Aliyas intelligent mind, a great unique woman is in the spotlight.

I’m so happy that LitWorld’s (@lithuntersph) Orisha (@o.orisha) reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to read some of Lina’s work because I’m pretty sure that this series will get even better and better as it continues.

The only negative thing I have to say about the book is that Aliya’s comments about Lilians body sometimes gets a little bit too much and was very close to fat shaming. That’s something I’m really against and don’t like at all. But after living in Lilian’s body for a while she seems to realize that she is beautiful, even though she has more fat on her body than she did in her former body.

⭐️”First Lessons” by Lina J. Potter gets 4/5 stars! Now if you’ll excuse me I’m gonna read the next book.

❤️You can find this review + a creative picture with the book included over at my Instagram: @sannareads

[Red Tide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun writer, fun story

I thought this was a time travel novel but discovered it was a fantasy. The characters are very interesting both in motivation and action. There's plenty of room for deviance from historical development and events because it's an earth-like world but not the middle ages earth.

The story moved fast and some would probably say too fast. I would agree with them but in the main character's situation, I would probably do the same or something similar. The dangers from poor hygiene, poor diet, lack of medical knowledge and stifling of innovation are very powerful drivers for making change as quickly as feasible for the sake of survival.

Since this isn't Medieval Europe, the power of the guilds and the rise of the early cities doesn't have to be mirrored too closely in this world. That said, between the charging ahead by the main character and the lack of opposition to changes in merchant goods, farming and other things, the story does speed along almost too fast to develop many of the characters.

On balance, it's a fast fun read in a plausible universe and the series could be very entertaining.

[Varo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Героиня знает медицину, химию, биологию, ботанику, агрономию, животноводство, владеет навыками стрельбы, самообороны, стеклодувного мастерства (!), умеет ездить верхом, шить, вышивать бисером, вязать крючком и плести кружево на профессиональном уровне, сходу объясняет местным мастерам устройство чернильницы непроливайки, стального пера и хирургических инструментов, и "изобретает" перегонный куб. Два раза за книгу вспоминает об оставшейся в другой жизни Большой Любви, один раз - о погибших родителях (чтобы вовремя удариться в слезы). ГГ все слушают, всё у нее сразу же отлично получается. Идеальный попаданец.
+корявые фразы и стилистические ошибки.
Meh

[Chandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not get through this book. Found myself flipping pages just to read about the main character. Everything else was buzzing in my ear. This book does not have a plot and just buzzes on and on. I cannot figure out what genre to put it into. I will not bother with book 2.

[Veronica245 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Немного не то что я ожидала но мне вполне понравилось. Да Героиня уникальная Мэри Сью, она все может и умеет и прям баба огонь. Но это не портит историю. Да тут много персонажей, но главный персонаж Лиля и на других пока намного меньше страниц, они так как задний фон, ты знаешь что они есть и они вылезут но пока не мешают. Пока тут совершенно нет никакой романтики, но появиться она думаю должна может во второй или третьей части, муж то как то должен приехать. Очень хорошо понимаю почему это книга не понравится западному читателю. Это далеко не лучший вариант для перевода, и тут очень много особенностей менталитета, не только не понятных но и обижающих людей с западным мышлением.

[E.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I discovered that there was a Russian fantasy series about a "strong woman" protagonist, I immediately *had* to read it. Alas, while the idea is brilliant, the execution is less so. But it seems that a lot of people are still enjoying it, which overall is probably a good sign for the future of fantasy.

So, first of all, the good: I have to give the books and the author major props for the woman-centric approach. The plot is a kind of Outlander-y slipstream/time travel thing, in which a a modern Russian med student is in a car accident and gets thrown into a kind of medieval-y, and thus far nonmagical, fantasy world, where she ends up in the body of a countess in an unhappy marriage. Only, and this is the brilliant bit, instead of spending the whole time fencing with her husband, only to inevitably realize that she's madly in love with them, she takes over the running of the estate. The husband is hardly part of the action at all (I don't want to go into further details for fear of spoilers). Instead, Aliya/Lily goes around finding intelligent and able people, especially women, in order to put her estate back in order and advance the progress of science and industry in this world where she's found herself. That is such a refreshing change in what at first glance appears to be another entry in a rather hackneyed genre that it's almost worth reading the book for that alone.

Next, the indifferent: A lot of Aliya/Lily's motivation is to make money. She's constantly coming up with schemes to use her knowledge of advanced technology to turn a profit. It's another refreshing innovation in fantasy tropes, but it's also a little off-putting to have a protagonist who's so nakedly opportunistic and interested in money for the sake of money. There are occasional mentions of Aliya's upbringing in Russia in the 80s and 90s, which will explain much to those who also experienced that period, but other readers might have a harder time putting together the pieces. Aliya is very much a post-Soviet character, combining communist self-righteousness with capitalist self-interest in a mixture that's interesting and understandable but not necessarily appealing.

Finally, the bad: While some reviewers have complained about the complexity of the multiple subplots, that pales in comparison with the sins of characterization committed here. I would say that Aliya has no central guiding character, instead being just a useful plot device, but that wouldn't be quite true. Her central guiding characteristic is her supreme self-interest. She treats everything and everyone around her as objects to be used for her own personal gain.

Other than that, there's not much to unify her personality and behavior. Her "strong woman" behavior is mainly manifested in making scenes and attacking people. She shamelessly threatens, bullies, and manipulates people from the get-go (something that will seem more understandable, again, to those with experience with Russian culture), while decrying the culture she's found herself in for being based on threats and physical force. She frequently acts apparently for the benefit of others, trying to save the victims of social injustice or bad luck, but given her incredibly self-interested behavior, her apparent altruism rings false. She repeatedly goes against the cultural mores of the society she's found herself in, and then on the next page worries, without any apparent self-awareness of the contradiction, about how she's flouting convention. In the hands of a more skilled writer, Aliya would be a complex character and the story would be a fascinating study in post-Soviet culture. As it stands, the whole thing feels like a series of cheap plot devices, with no attempt at unity of character.

As you can see, I have major reservations about the book. That being said, it *does* have a number of things going for it, especially the emphasis on women working together to share knowledge and empower themselves. So while I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, I can't condemn it either. Maybe you should page through the beginning of it and decide for yourself.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, as you can tell from the synopsis the basis for First Lessons is a really unique idea. I have to confess it’s a little outside what I usually read but I was so intrigued by the synopsis I had to read it. The story gets off to an incredible start, and throws Aliya and the reader back in to a world, which resembles our own but as it was back in medieval times.

I did find that Aliya had a bit of a harsh attitude towards her new, heavier body. It was uncomfortable reading and to be honest this really didn’t endear Aliya to me at the start of the book. She has a pretty brutal opinion of the former inhabitant of the countesses body. But as the book progressed I found myself warming to Aliya. Her drive and determination are just so incredible to read. And her attitude towards her new body also alters slightly and she learns to see that there are some positives to her new form.

The pace of the story was perfect, it was a great mix of information about this new world as well as action. As you might imagine, the adjustments which Aliya has to make to become Countess Lillian are central to the book. I think that Aliya’s character development is wonderful. She learns and grows and even makes some fairly interesting observations about her old life. I love that, after some realistic mourning for her parents and old life, she grabs her new life with both hands and seeks to make things better for herself and the people she feels responsible for.

As a medical student, she had a rather unique set of skills and these are utilised fully over the course of First Lessons. The determination she applied to her medical studies in her old life, she applies to improving things in her new life. There are a few threads of narratives, which are slowly drawn together over the course of the book, they provide some interesting insights on the world in which Aliya now inhabits. I cannot wait to see how these narratives come together in the next book.

I read First Lessons in two days as I just couldn’t put it down, and the second half of the book really picks up the already brisk pace and I found myself really pulled along with the story. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and I need to know what else Aliya gets up to and how she, and the eclectic group she has surrounded herself with, change the world for the better!

I would definitely recommend First Lessons, I think it’s a really interesting read. Over the course of the book, I grew to love the main character Aliya and there are several really interesting side characters that I can’t wait to find out more about too.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*
In Lina J. Potter’s “Medieval Tale: First Lessons,” tragedy is quite literally the Mother of invention.

When Aliya, a young Russian medical school graduate, dies suddenly in a car crash, she gets a unique second chance at life — albeit in medieval time on an alternate world. And she isn’t herself; the healthy young woman now has to learn to live in the body of the plump and simple Countess Lillian Earton.

It would be easy to get discouraged without all of the creature comforts - and advancements - she’s used to, but Aliya/Lillian realizes that she can use her knowledge and skills to better this world. Taking care not to appear too out of place, or cause too much change at once, Lillian starts to suggest new inventions and other improvements that will earn her respect from her community while solidifying her place in the ruling elite. However she has yet to meet her husband, the Count…

"First Lessons" is the first of five volumes in Potter’s “Medieval Tale” series. While it can, at times, be difficult to follow some side plots that the author uses to introduce new characters, all in all it is an intriguing story that leaves the reader wanting to know more about Lillian and her fate.

[Alexis (hookedtobooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @lithuntersph for sending me a copy of this books!
The story follows a young woman who is transported from her time into the time of the life of a historical countess. She needs to learn how to adapt to her new surroundings and how to make a place for herself in this new world.
I thought the transition from her present day to the old world was a bit abrupt. I would have liked a bit more character building to get to know the main character before she is transported into this new body and life. The explanation of the fantastical world was done well, and I felt like I understood the medieval type fantasy world that she was transported to. Her transition was interesting as she seemed upset that she was not in her old body, but I felt like she could have had a bit more feeling for the loss that she experienced. Overall, the premise of this book was interesting and I enjoyed some of the characters, but I just felt myself skimming a few sections of the book, so it didn’t quite grab me like I hoped it would!

[Accidental Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this whole series. I started it at my fathers continuous prompting (He’s the one that got me into reading to begin with) he told me he bought every book in the series, and for him to do that I know it had to be good. Yes, he sure was right! I read all five books pretty quickly. Lots of 5am bedtimes, and I told my dad it was alllll his fault! LOL we’ve also already pre-ordered the 6th book in the series set to come out this month! So, a little bit about the story. Lilian is a very witty, courageous and inventive woman in the Middle Ages. She navigates through a world that is totally new to her, while making her mark in history. She shows her perseverance throughout the series and you’ll actually learn a bit on medicine too, considering she’s also a 21st century doctor. How does this happen? Hmm. There’s heroines, villains, plots, murder and a little love too. I most certainly wasn’t disappointed.

[Qrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS AMAZZZZZZZZING!!

Just a pain in the ass waiting for book 3 (since i devoured the second book enthusiastically)

It will be torment waiting that last week for the next one... if there is a book for then i don't know how i can survive the gloomy torment waiting for the next one...

But if there isn't i will just straight out die inside!
Absence of awesome literature is pure torment!

I which awesome authors like this could be cloned and factory farmed so i can get a book a day without fail...

Its so hard finding someone this good at writing a truly compelling main character.... i absolutely loved it!

[James N. Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesson 1

I liked this book. The plot was interesting and the characters believable. I liked the Russian background - pleasantly different from the usual English . However, I don't care for cliffhanger endings. I may rent the next book, though I haven't decided yet. If I had paid money for this book, I would not have been a happy camper about the ending forcing me to buy the next, and I assume the next, etc.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Wonderful!!!

Fantastic book!!! Love the storyline and depth. The characters are all well rounded. I love the main character and can't stand the villains. This book has truly been a delight to read and different than others of it's genre. I just finished the first book and I'm about to start the second. How am I feeling? I had some great laughs and I'm feeling some anxiety. I want to crush all the people trying to mess with Lily!!!! Team Lily all the way!!!

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story......but very jumpy

I did enjoy the story but was getting slightly bored towards the end. The Author introduced new characters in a very abrupt and jumpy way, that at times had my head spin. Also there are an awful lot of different characters....so much so that I kept loosing track as to who was who.
The story line is a pretty good one, tho.

[Leslie L. Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and fun read!

I truly enjoyed what was obviously a well researched book mixed with imaginative creativity. The world and character development was well done without being dry and boring. Plus, story itself was a refreshing take on a well-established theme. Well done, Ms. Potter! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

[Kristin]

I would like to thank netgalley and Litworld for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't get pass the first page, the writing is just telling you rather than showing you and the entire first page is an info dump.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book! Would love to see it as a movie!

This was such an interesting story! I look forward to reading more! The story has a lot of depth, lots of crazy characters, and so much going on! Sometimes it's hard to keep up with, but it's worth trying!

[Belinda S Fielden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked it

At first I was confused by the fast pace of this book, everything happened so quickly. I liked the main character so I stuck with it and was glad I did. I will read the entire series.

[Volpot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. OK "woman sent back in time" book. The best thing is it is NOT a sappy romance disguised as a time travel book. I'll read the next in series.