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In the Time We Lost
The BRAND NEW NOVEL from Sunday Times bestselling author Carrie Hope Fletcher, coming October 2019.
'Reminded me so much of Cecelia Ahern' Ali McNamara
'Our go-to for spellbinding stories with a magical edge' Heat
*****
Luna Lark used to love her name, but that was before people started saying it
differently
.
I'm so sorry, Luna.
Are you alright, Luna?
Everything will be okay, Luna.
Now Luna is taking back control by starting again in the most remote place she could find: Ondingside, a magical little town with barely a hundred and fifty people in the middle of nowhere important. She'll finally finish her latest novel, get herself back to normal, maybe even find love (and continue being a hopeless romantic).
But on her first night in Ondingside a freak July snow fall freezes the town. Snowed in, the town stands still. Can Luna break out of the monotony and do what she came to do?
*****
Available to PRE-ORDER now in hardback and ebook!
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2019
95 people are currently reading
2696 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Hope Fletcher
19 books5,710 followersCarrie Hope Fletcher is an English actress, author and singer-songwriter.
She played Eponine in the West End production of Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre until February 13th 2016. She is the first actress to have played both young Eponine and older Eponine. In 2019, she returned to Les Miserables as Fantine.
Fletcher played Truly Scrumptious in the UK touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Wednesday Addams in the UK touring production of The Addams Family. She then starred as Veronica Sawyer in the UK production of Heathers: The Musical.
Her debut book, All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully was published in May 2015. Her first fiction novel, On the Other Side was published in July 2016.
Fletcher is well known for her YouTube channel where she shares videos about her life and her work as an actress and author.
She played Eponine in the West End production of Les Miserables at the Queen's Theatre until February 13th 2016. She is the first actress to have played both young Eponine and older Eponine. In 2019, she returned to Les Miserables as Fantine.
Fletcher played Truly Scrumptious in the UK touring production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Wednesday Addams in the UK touring production of The Addams Family. She then starred as Veronica Sawyer in the UK production of Heathers: The Musical.
Her debut book, All I Know Now: Wonderings and Reflections on Growing Up Gracefully was published in May 2015. Her first fiction novel, On the Other Side was published in July 2016.
Fletcher is well known for her YouTube channel where she shares videos about her life and her work as an actress and author.
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October 5, 2019I didn't finish this book, I stopped at 75%.
I have said this a thousand times , if you want to be called a writer you should put the work where your mouth is. Meaning: Work on your craft. All the time. Take writing lessons. Write every day, not so you can publish a book but to hone your skill.Dont just write to be published, write to stay in literary history.
Who will remember this book in 5 years?
Characters are flatter than my ass, her writing style is weird with no flow to it at all and her story is a rip off Groundhog day but it's executed really really wonky. I try with every book she publishes, i want to see if she improved and every time I am dissapointed.
I have said this a thousand times , if you want to be called a writer you should put the work where your mouth is. Meaning: Work on your craft. All the time. Take writing lessons. Write every day, not so you can publish a book but to hone your skill.Dont just write to be published, write to stay in literary history.
Who will remember this book in 5 years?
Characters are flatter than my ass, her writing style is weird with no flow to it at all and her story is a rip off Groundhog day but it's executed really really wonky. I try with every book she publishes, i want to see if she improved and every time I am dissapointed.
September 26, 2019
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS. DO NOT COMPLAIN IF YOU KEEP READING AND RUIN THE BOOK FOR YOURSELF.
Now, the synopsis of this book is just vague enough to skip the entire point of the novel, so let me give you a rough idea. Think of Groundhog Day, one of the most well-known films of all time, but rewritten with Bill Murray as a female author in her 20s who isn’t aware of the time loop. Many would question why a film of such cultural significance should be rewritten like this, and sadly I have to agree.
I so desperately wanted to love this book. I’ve never read anything by Fletcher, but I’ve heard great things and when I saw reviews mentioning that this book had a touch of magical realism about it, I was so excited. Unfortunately, it just really didn’t work for me.
Luna Lark, while likeable, was perhaps the most cliche character I’ve ever read, with her naturally white blonde hair, stunningly blue eyes, and bucket full of heartbreak. The near miss wedding at the start was really just odd - I get it was a plot device to get her where she needed to be, but it just felt like.. why did she care? Did she even care? Or was it just a really poor attempt at giving her a sob story so she could be all damaged and sad? Because seriously, the dead parents already did that well enough. Why throw in a second needless sadness?
Now, the whole time loop bit was just odd. Especially these sections that kept popping up between chapters, where the tone would get all dark and serious and mysterious things would happen. But it wasn’t mysterious. It was boring and monotonous and ended up being something I skipped as soon as I saw the italics.
Now by this point I’m already skimming most of it, but I was holding out for the ending, hoping there may be some redemption. Instead, what I got was quite possibly the least satisfying ending I have ever experienced in my life. Honestly, I was almost angry with how ridiculous it was.
Overall; I would definitely say to give this one a miss. It had some potential, but it was completely mishandled and not well planned out at all. It felt like it was made up as it went along, rather than actually being thought out and well planned. Just.. not good.
Now, the synopsis of this book is just vague enough to skip the entire point of the novel, so let me give you a rough idea. Think of Groundhog Day, one of the most well-known films of all time, but rewritten with Bill Murray as a female author in her 20s who isn’t aware of the time loop. Many would question why a film of such cultural significance should be rewritten like this, and sadly I have to agree.
I so desperately wanted to love this book. I’ve never read anything by Fletcher, but I’ve heard great things and when I saw reviews mentioning that this book had a touch of magical realism about it, I was so excited. Unfortunately, it just really didn’t work for me.
Luna Lark, while likeable, was perhaps the most cliche character I’ve ever read, with her naturally white blonde hair, stunningly blue eyes, and bucket full of heartbreak. The near miss wedding at the start was really just odd - I get it was a plot device to get her where she needed to be, but it just felt like.. why did she care? Did she even care? Or was it just a really poor attempt at giving her a sob story so she could be all damaged and sad? Because seriously, the dead parents already did that well enough. Why throw in a second needless sadness?
Now, the whole time loop bit was just odd. Especially these sections that kept popping up between chapters, where the tone would get all dark and serious and mysterious things would happen. But it wasn’t mysterious. It was boring and monotonous and ended up being something I skipped as soon as I saw the italics.
Now by this point I’m already skimming most of it, but I was holding out for the ending, hoping there may be some redemption. Instead, what I got was quite possibly the least satisfying ending I have ever experienced in my life. Honestly, I was almost angry with how ridiculous it was.
Overall; I would definitely say to give this one a miss. It had some potential, but it was completely mishandled and not well planned out at all. It felt like it was made up as it went along, rather than actually being thought out and well planned. Just.. not good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2019
There were a lot of negative reviews as I scrolled down and whilst I think people are entitled to think what they want and have their own opinions, I do feel some of them were a little harsh. I for one rather enjoyed the book (perhaps because I have nothing - the film Groundhog Day apparently - to compare it to) and liked the story a lot.
Even if it is being compared to works that have come before, I read Carrie's books (I have them all) for the way she writes them; re-telling a story idea doesn't mean it's a bad book, and Carrie's writing style 'not improving' is not to say her work isn't good. I love the way the story is told, and the style of writing is recognisable to me as Carrie's work - something I look for in a good author, so I'm not sure why people think she needs to 'improve'... maybe that's just me.
I find her writing very easy to read - something I desperately needed after finishing my degree and never wanting to read again! - and read this book in one sitting; I enjoy how easy it is to read (especially since I have discovered I may be dyslexic).
At times the characters would grate on me but I think that is part of the reading experience and is something I will always have to deal with, but I don't think for one second that it takes away from the story.
I liked how it was written, I liked how it was laid out. I particularly liked how I knew something was wrong before the characters did! Overall, I would recommend reading this book - it may not be for everyone but it's worth a read.
Even if it is being compared to works that have come before, I read Carrie's books (I have them all) for the way she writes them; re-telling a story idea doesn't mean it's a bad book, and Carrie's writing style 'not improving' is not to say her work isn't good. I love the way the story is told, and the style of writing is recognisable to me as Carrie's work - something I look for in a good author, so I'm not sure why people think she needs to 'improve'... maybe that's just me.
I find her writing very easy to read - something I desperately needed after finishing my degree and never wanting to read again! - and read this book in one sitting; I enjoy how easy it is to read (especially since I have discovered I may be dyslexic).
At times the characters would grate on me but I think that is part of the reading experience and is something I will always have to deal with, but I don't think for one second that it takes away from the story.
I liked how it was written, I liked how it was laid out. I particularly liked how I knew something was wrong before the characters did! Overall, I would recommend reading this book - it may not be for everyone but it's worth a read.
October 18, 2019
I don't know why I keep bothering with her books.
January 10, 2020
This book is different to my usual reading material but I actually quite enjoyed it once I got the jist of what was actually happening.
October 26, 2019
I don’t get why the reviews that come up first for me are bad. I loved this, such a clever idea & beautifully written as usual.
November 5, 2019
OMG
Omg loved this book, it was so good I was lost for words. And it so did not finish the way I thought it would. Love the way Carrie writes
Omg loved this book, it was so good I was lost for words. And it so did not finish the way I thought it would. Love the way Carrie writes
January 19, 2021
SHOCKINGLY bad. Wins the trophy for worst book I have ever read. I wanted a light, easy read but this just pissed me off 😂
March 28, 2020
I love Carries books. And I don't know why, but they always sit on my shelves for a bit. I always pre-order them, did it last week for her next one. This one came out last year, pre-ordered it, so I got it on the releasedate and only read it now. I don't know why I do that.
Every book I read from her is magical. The storyline, the way they are written.. I just love them. Can't wait for the next one.
Every book I read from her is magical. The storyline, the way they are written.. I just love them. Can't wait for the next one.
November 8, 2019
At one point I nearly gave up on this book when I thought it was just girl escapes to an isolated Scottish island to escape her sadness story which I suppose it was but the unusual element of the story made it a lot more interesting. An easy and quick read which in the end I enjoyed.
November 1, 2019
I really, really, really wanted to like this book. I had given Carrie an opportunity with All That She Could See and, although it was ultimately a disappointment, I could see some room for improvement. I love snow and wintery reads, and I really enjoy Carrie's YT channel, so when she announced the plot of In the Time We Lost I knew I wanted to read it.
My first issue with ITTWL is how much it resembles the movie Groundhog Day. I know most things have already been written about and it's not the first time Carrie recycles an already-used plot for her novels, but whereas the similarities between All That She Could see and the movie Chocolat remained at a base level (the idea that emotions can be somehow transferred to your cooking), ITTWL is basically a watered-down Groundhog Day meets chick-lit fiction.
What made Groundhog Day genius was its philosophical subplot on the futility of life - in ITTWL these philosophical issues are swapped for a sanitised cautionary tale on closing yourself off and reacting negatively to trauma and loss.
The main character was utterly infuriating. I don't really need characters to be relatable or likeable, but Luna was the most uptight, hypocritical know-it-all. I thought at first this would eventually change to reflect the change the time loop had on her, but the only thing she learns is to be more open and to let herself fall in love. At first sight. I'm fine with people believing love at first sight exists and I don't need my novels to align with my beliefs, but love at first sight is rarely desirable in fiction because it doesn't allow for relationship growth. Why are these characters falling in love with each other? We don't know.
Carrie's style hasn't improved much since ATSCS. There are quite a few awkward metaphors right from the very first sentence, which compares the sky to eggs breaking. Overall the prose is very flat and the dialogues are incredibly unbelievable. Although the novel is set on the present, many times the main characters (including the twenty-somethings Luna and love interest Beau) speak as if they were in a 19th century novel, which is just not very realistic. There's quite a bit of telling instead of showing as well.
The conflict is resolved far too quickly, too. Another thing that irked me was how Carrie used the novel to share her personal beliefs in a very unnatural manner that breaks the plot and makes the suspension of disbelief hard.
I don't want to say I completely hated this book, though. The pacing is overall rather good, albeit a bit slow in the first quarter of the novel (ITTWL would improve a lot with a slightly shorter exposition) and Carrie definitely has a touch for world-building. Ondingside was a lovely and very believable little town in North Scotland, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of it and the relationships between the local characters.
My first issue with ITTWL is how much it resembles the movie Groundhog Day. I know most things have already been written about and it's not the first time Carrie recycles an already-used plot for her novels, but whereas the similarities between All That She Could see and the movie Chocolat remained at a base level (the idea that emotions can be somehow transferred to your cooking), ITTWL is basically a watered-down Groundhog Day meets chick-lit fiction.
What made Groundhog Day genius was its philosophical subplot on the futility of life - in ITTWL these philosophical issues are swapped for a sanitised cautionary tale on closing yourself off and reacting negatively to trauma and loss.
The main character was utterly infuriating. I don't really need characters to be relatable or likeable, but Luna was the most uptight, hypocritical know-it-all. I thought at first this would eventually change to reflect the change the time loop had on her, but the only thing she learns is to be more open and to let herself fall in love. At first sight. I'm fine with people believing love at first sight exists and I don't need my novels to align with my beliefs, but love at first sight is rarely desirable in fiction because it doesn't allow for relationship growth. Why are these characters falling in love with each other? We don't know.
Carrie's style hasn't improved much since ATSCS. There are quite a few awkward metaphors right from the very first sentence, which compares the sky to eggs breaking. Overall the prose is very flat and the dialogues are incredibly unbelievable. Although the novel is set on the present, many times the main characters (including the twenty-somethings Luna and love interest Beau) speak as if they were in a 19th century novel, which is just not very realistic. There's quite a bit of telling instead of showing as well.
The conflict is resolved far too quickly, too. Another thing that irked me was how Carrie used the novel to share her personal beliefs in a very unnatural manner that breaks the plot and makes the suspension of disbelief hard.
I don't want to say I completely hated this book, though. The pacing is overall rather good, albeit a bit slow in the first quarter of the novel (ITTWL would improve a lot with a slightly shorter exposition) and Carrie definitely has a touch for world-building. Ondingside was a lovely and very believable little town in North Scotland, and I really enjoyed the descriptions of it and the relationships between the local characters.
October 20, 2019
Omfffff I feel so torn writing this.
The premise of this book, and Carrie's previous books, is strong.
The town that time forgot, meets Groundhog Day and a dash of magical realism thrown in.
But it's execution is, clumsy at best.....
Our main protaganist is trying for a fresh start in a new, remote town. But her first day doesn't quiet go to plan. So somehow the weather changes, and the slate is wiped clean overnight.
Her memory is lost, as is the towns. And she gets to have her first day over again, and again and again. Each a little different from the last.
Over time the town realises something is a miss and try to figure out how to fix it. There is a a love interest, a possible new best friend and a slew of other dotty but charming charesters.
But this is where the fun ends.
Straight away you have a time jump, 2 in fact, from Lunas past. So you can't get a grip on her before she moves again.
The first time everyone repeats a day, is confusing to say the least. And then it repeats, and repeats, and repeats...... oh so many times, with added charecters brought in to try and change up the mix. This seems like a fleshing out excercise in repeating yourself. It goes on for far to long.
Then a new charecter Jaxon pops up from nowhere to cause havoc...He moans, whines, gets very drunk. Then for no reason at all, desides to cause a massive amount of problems. He seems to be evil for no reason except bordem and feels so very out of place.
The book has left me with so, so many questions...
Why did the snow do what it did?
Did it ever stop or is the town still stuck in a cycle?
What were Jaxons intentions and why?
What happened to Lunas original friends? They just seemed to vanish.
What happened to Beau's orginal CCTV footage, did he not think to look at it again?
I did very much appreciate the ending though. It was an unpopular choice I can imagine. But i thought it was inspired. It was true and left room for charecter development. I like authors who don't go for the obvious ending.
All in all, a great story....that just got a bit muddled for me. Sorry.
The premise of this book, and Carrie's previous books, is strong.
The town that time forgot, meets Groundhog Day and a dash of magical realism thrown in.
But it's execution is, clumsy at best.....
Our main protaganist is trying for a fresh start in a new, remote town. But her first day doesn't quiet go to plan. So somehow the weather changes, and the slate is wiped clean overnight.
Her memory is lost, as is the towns. And she gets to have her first day over again, and again and again. Each a little different from the last.
Over time the town realises something is a miss and try to figure out how to fix it. There is a a love interest, a possible new best friend and a slew of other dotty but charming charesters.
But this is where the fun ends.
Straight away you have a time jump, 2 in fact, from Lunas past. So you can't get a grip on her before she moves again.
The first time everyone repeats a day, is confusing to say the least. And then it repeats, and repeats, and repeats...... oh so many times, with added charecters brought in to try and change up the mix. This seems like a fleshing out excercise in repeating yourself. It goes on for far to long.
Then a new charecter Jaxon pops up from nowhere to cause havoc...He moans, whines, gets very drunk. Then for no reason at all, desides to cause a massive amount of problems. He seems to be evil for no reason except bordem and feels so very out of place.
The book has left me with so, so many questions...
Why did the snow do what it did?
Did it ever stop or is the town still stuck in a cycle?
What were Jaxons intentions and why?
What happened to Lunas original friends? They just seemed to vanish.
What happened to Beau's orginal CCTV footage, did he not think to look at it again?
I did very much appreciate the ending though. It was an unpopular choice I can imagine. But i thought it was inspired. It was true and left room for charecter development. I like authors who don't go for the obvious ending.
All in all, a great story....that just got a bit muddled for me. Sorry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2019
In the past I have struggled a little bit in completely getting into a Carrie hope Fletcher book. But for some reason I clicked a bit more with this one more than her others. And found myself enjoying this book on many occasions.
February 16, 2021
This was ok, I thought from the first sentence that it was definitely not going to be my cup of tea as the writing felt a bit forced but it got better. Clever concept but a very unsatisfying ending!
January 21, 2021
Carrie Hope Fletcher is one of my favourite writers, so when I found out she had released a new book, I was so excited without even knowing the plot because I’ve liked every one of them so far.
I felt a bit let down by this book. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as I’d expected for Carrie’s work. I didn’t feel very connected with the characters which usually I do with her books and I disliked the love interest and ended up really liking the bad boy, Jaxon who we’re not supposed to like.
The story followed a Groundhog Day feel which wasn’t portrayed in the blurb of this book so I was confused for a bit until I realised what was happening. The idea was good but she made the Groundhog Day bit last a bit longer than it should of because I ended up starting to get a bit bored. Once people realised what was happening the book picked up but this was about 3/4 of the way through.
I did really like the last quarter of the book so that’s what made this a 3 star read. The ending was bittersweet and gave me the feels, which is what I love about Carrie’s stories. I really hope Carrie Hope Fletcher’s next book is better and that I will be able to connect to the characters a bit more.
I felt a bit let down by this book. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as I’d expected for Carrie’s work. I didn’t feel very connected with the characters which usually I do with her books and I disliked the love interest and ended up really liking the bad boy, Jaxon who we’re not supposed to like.
The story followed a Groundhog Day feel which wasn’t portrayed in the blurb of this book so I was confused for a bit until I realised what was happening. The idea was good but she made the Groundhog Day bit last a bit longer than it should of because I ended up starting to get a bit bored. Once people realised what was happening the book picked up but this was about 3/4 of the way through.
I did really like the last quarter of the book so that’s what made this a 3 star read. The ending was bittersweet and gave me the feels, which is what I love about Carrie’s stories. I really hope Carrie Hope Fletcher’s next book is better and that I will be able to connect to the characters a bit more.
July 6, 2021
I own this book.
I bought this book in a charity shop for 50p, a beautiful hard copy edition that made my heart stop a little and I immediately became a little skeptical. Who could donate such a beautiful book? Unless it was really bad...But I remained optimistic. I shouldn't have been. To put it politely, this book was incredibly mundane. The characters were dull and I found myself drifting in and out of the story.
Basically, our main character Luna is an author who was left at the altar by a man she didn't even want to marry and has spent the past year wallowing about it. She moves to a tiny town named Odingside and plans to spend out the rest of her days there. Except that the rest of her days appear to all be the same day when things keep repeating themselves and there's snow in July. There is a romance in this book that I couldn't have cared less about.
I'm trying to think of a positive way of spinning this book and this is what I've got: it's not the worst thing I've ever read but it is time I will never get back.
I bought this book in a charity shop for 50p, a beautiful hard copy edition that made my heart stop a little and I immediately became a little skeptical. Who could donate such a beautiful book? Unless it was really bad...But I remained optimistic. I shouldn't have been. To put it politely, this book was incredibly mundane. The characters were dull and I found myself drifting in and out of the story.
Basically, our main character Luna is an author who was left at the altar by a man she didn't even want to marry and has spent the past year wallowing about it. She moves to a tiny town named Odingside and plans to spend out the rest of her days there. Except that the rest of her days appear to all be the same day when things keep repeating themselves and there's snow in July. There is a romance in this book that I couldn't have cared less about.
I'm trying to think of a positive way of spinning this book and this is what I've got: it's not the worst thing I've ever read but it is time I will never get back.
January 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this novel, it was a completely unique take on a groundhog day love story. I loved the characters and how the story unfolded.
April 7, 2021
I loved this book, it was confusing at times but so well written would 100% recommend for people to read!
August 4, 2021
I am sad to say this deserves 2 stars from me. Don't want to put it just 1 but 2 for the beautiful cover. Honestly, I didn't vibe with this one...The characters all fell flat and I didn't care about any of them. :( And the whole plot is so damn confusing, and those ! after every sentence😬Just...no. I believe it could have been told better.
September 14, 2024
2.5 ⭐️. Although I enjoyed reading this when I was reading it at the end on reflection it was too disjointed. I felt it didn’t really know what kind of book it wanted to be. I felt there was t enough explanation and things were just left. There was quite a big thing that happened near the end for absolutely no reason I could fathom and I hated the ending. Not sure I would read another one by this author
February 28, 2022
This was my First Carrie Hope Fletcher Book and Whilst a Low Star Rating that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the book, I did but I found the first 300 pages slow and super confusing and then as the reader we were suddenly given the plot twist that made the first half make much more sense which then boasted my enjoyment.
This is a story about Luna; An Author about learning how to live again after several sad and painful events in her life, Luna decides to start over in a small, remote place. This is where the book takes a magical turn with a freak snowstorm in July which turns everyday into Groundhog Day. So, she repeats the same day numerous times each time doing things slightly different and getting closer to Beau, Wendy, and the other residents of Ondingside. The whole islands memories erasing at midnight but being left with the slight feeling of Deja vu and missing items. Along comes Jaxon, whose character I didn’t like at all, and brings it to Luna’s attention about the time slip.
At its Core this is book of Self Discovery and healing, it’s about Luna finding herself and learning about herself after the events of her past. I have to say that the Writing Style was great, Super Descriptive which helped to bring it to life, and I loved the Characters. However, having said that I could not see the point of the Jaxon; apart form to deliver the Plot twist. But he was just a wasted character that we never got to learn much about and was just brought into throw the storyline off.
However, I must say the ending totally threw me! I was not expecting that to happen!
This is a story about Luna; An Author about learning how to live again after several sad and painful events in her life, Luna decides to start over in a small, remote place. This is where the book takes a magical turn with a freak snowstorm in July which turns everyday into Groundhog Day. So, she repeats the same day numerous times each time doing things slightly different and getting closer to Beau, Wendy, and the other residents of Ondingside. The whole islands memories erasing at midnight but being left with the slight feeling of Deja vu and missing items. Along comes Jaxon, whose character I didn’t like at all, and brings it to Luna’s attention about the time slip.
At its Core this is book of Self Discovery and healing, it’s about Luna finding herself and learning about herself after the events of her past. I have to say that the Writing Style was great, Super Descriptive which helped to bring it to life, and I loved the Characters. However, having said that I could not see the point of the Jaxon; apart form to deliver the Plot twist. But he was just a wasted character that we never got to learn much about and was just brought into throw the storyline off.
However, I must say the ending totally threw me! I was not expecting that to happen!
March 1, 2022
I was confused at first and found the main character unlikeable. But I soon saw the intended twist and everything made sense...
However, I didn't like the ending...
I'm a sucker for happy romantic endings and I just think for such an unrealistic story of the repeat days/groundhog days the main character needs her HEA. I did not like that Beau got back with his ex, it didn't make sense. Considering she LEFT him initially. That Jaxon character had absolutely no character arc and no redemption. I would have given this book 4 stars if I got my HEA.
However, I didn't like the ending...
I'm a sucker for happy romantic endings and I just think for such an unrealistic story of the repeat days/groundhog days the main character needs her HEA. I did not like that Beau got back with his ex, it didn't make sense. Considering she LEFT him initially. That Jaxon character had absolutely no character arc and no redemption. I would have given this book 4 stars if I got my HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2022
It's difficult to know how to rate this book (I usually rate on a scale of how much I enjoy it rather than how "good" it is). I think once I realised what book I was reading I enjoyed it a lot more. I picked it up because, based on the blurb, I thought it would be a cheesy romance flick. But it essentially becomes a Groundhog Day situation, without really any warning that this is the genre of book you're picking up. Once I realised that that was what was happening, I think I enjoyed it a lot more.
I really wanted to like this book because I'm a big fan of Fletcher herself and don't want to dunk on her writing. However I did have some issues with it (unrelated to the fact that the blurb was a bit misleading!). I felt that the opening info-dumped on you in a way that completely took me out of what was meant to be happening, rather than weaving it into the story more naturally, and revealing the main character's backstory later on. Some of the dialogue felt clunky and not how people talk. There was very little that would help you to remember that it's actually set in Scotland. The character who becomes the catalyst for the end of the novel felt very underdeveloped and didn't really make sense and acted like a complete dick for very little reason. It flips between a very "chatty" style, and more flowery prose which felt a bit odd. The main character was also obsessed with her own name and it causing trouble which felt very unrealistic.
However I did like that it was about a journey to self-discovery and healing (bc let's be honest the main character was a bit annoying at first). I liked some of the side characters, I liked the actual set up of the groundhog day situation and how it worked. In some ways I like that it was completely unexplained at the end.
If there was a 3.5 star I would give it, and again I don't want to feel like I'm being mean to someone who I am a big fan of. But ultimately I've gone with 3 stars because I think my problems with the writing and the fact that it wasn't the book I thought it was going to be did impact my enjoyment. I think that some of the criticisms levelled here are a bit excessive. Loads of supernatural-based TV shows have a groundhog day episode (Supernatural, the X-files, I'm sure many others I haven't seen). If you like this kind of story then give it a go.
I really wanted to like this book because I'm a big fan of Fletcher herself and don't want to dunk on her writing. However I did have some issues with it (unrelated to the fact that the blurb was a bit misleading!). I felt that the opening info-dumped on you in a way that completely took me out of what was meant to be happening, rather than weaving it into the story more naturally, and revealing the main character's backstory later on. Some of the dialogue felt clunky and not how people talk. There was very little that would help you to remember that it's actually set in Scotland. The character who becomes the catalyst for the end of the novel felt very underdeveloped and didn't really make sense and acted like a complete dick for very little reason. It flips between a very "chatty" style, and more flowery prose which felt a bit odd. The main character was also obsessed with her own name and it causing trouble which felt very unrealistic.
However I did like that it was about a journey to self-discovery and healing (bc let's be honest the main character was a bit annoying at first). I liked some of the side characters, I liked the actual set up of the groundhog day situation and how it worked. In some ways I like that it was completely unexplained at the end.
If there was a 3.5 star I would give it, and again I don't want to feel like I'm being mean to someone who I am a big fan of. But ultimately I've gone with 3 stars because I think my problems with the writing and the fact that it wasn't the book I thought it was going to be did impact my enjoyment. I think that some of the criticisms levelled here are a bit excessive. Loads of supernatural-based TV shows have a groundhog day episode (Supernatural, the X-files, I'm sure many others I haven't seen). If you like this kind of story then give it a go.
July 28, 2024
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.
April 6, 2020
Not the best but not the worst...found myself cringing far too many times! Felt the writing wasn't as thorough or maybe as deep as it needed to be for me to truly connect and believe the characters...and what is it with books these days not giving a hopeless romantic like me the ending we deserve?!
October 27, 2024
1.5 stars
I can't believe I finished this book!
Didn't like and don't recommend there are others books from this author worth your time.
I can't believe I finished this book!
Didn't like and don't recommend there are others books from this author worth your time.
December 13, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was a fun read! I didn’t see the Groundhog Day thing coming but it was a nice surprise. Should have been on the back of the book tho! So if you’re looking for a fun ‘city girl goes to small town in Scotland to find love’ this is not it.
I liked the characters, Luna was a bit annoying sometimes but turned out to be a pretty strong female lead. The ending though… oh my god did my heart break!!
There were some ‘dream’ cursive writing parts in the first few chapters which were not explained later on which I still don’t really get but it does add to the whole wtf is happening in this town vibe.
Reading this in winter was definitely the right choice considering all the snow, but sadly no Christmas vibe at all since it was set in July.
This was a fun read! I didn’t see the Groundhog Day thing coming but it was a nice surprise. Should have been on the back of the book tho! So if you’re looking for a fun ‘city girl goes to small town in Scotland to find love’ this is not it.
I liked the characters, Luna was a bit annoying sometimes but turned out to be a pretty strong female lead. The ending though… oh my god did my heart break!!
There were some ‘dream’ cursive writing parts in the first few chapters which were not explained later on which I still don’t really get but it does add to the whole wtf is happening in this town vibe.
Reading this in winter was definitely the right choice considering all the snow, but sadly no Christmas vibe at all since it was set in July.
December 2, 2020
It is a story about Luna learning how to live again.
After several sad and painful events in her life, Luna decides to start over in a small, remote place. On her first night that happens to be in the middle of July, a snowfall freezes the town. Town stands still. Does time do the same? You will have to read to find out.
I have to say that it was easy to read from the first page. However, it got a little boring at one point. It was annoying to read about something going on while the characters did not know what was happening. I wanted them to find out sooner. But once that happened, the story kicked off very fast.
I have to warn you the story will not end the way you think. The twist right before the final pages ripped my heart apart. I hoped till the last word that it would end differently, but it did not.
Now that I think about it, I believe that it is the best possible ending for this story. It helps to see what this story was really about. The magnificent ending of the story was worth all the suffering through the monotonous chapters.
The question about what happened with snow remains unanswered...
After several sad and painful events in her life, Luna decides to start over in a small, remote place. On her first night that happens to be in the middle of July, a snowfall freezes the town. Town stands still. Does time do the same? You will have to read to find out.
I have to say that it was easy to read from the first page. However, it got a little boring at one point. It was annoying to read about something going on while the characters did not know what was happening. I wanted them to find out sooner. But once that happened, the story kicked off very fast.
I have to warn you the story will not end the way you think. The twist right before the final pages ripped my heart apart. I hoped till the last word that it would end differently, but it did not.
Now that I think about it, I believe that it is the best possible ending for this story. It helps to see what this story was really about. The magnificent ending of the story was worth all the suffering through the monotonous chapters.
The question about what happened with snow remains unanswered...
October 18, 2019
Luna doesn’t want pity, what she wants is a fresh start. Somewhere she can make headway on her next novel, mend her broken heart, and – most importantly – keep herself to herself. For that Luna needs the most remote place she can find: Ondingside, a magical little island off the wild coast of Scotland. When the town is cut off on her first night by a freak July snow storm it feels like fate. But Luna soon realises that being a newcomer in a small town might not be the best way to blend in. People are curious about her – handsome, kind, coffee shop owner Beau in particular. Will history repeat itself or will they have a future?
Where to begin? Well every book of Fletcher’s is an improvement but there is still always something missing, I still maintain that these would do better if they were books for older children. Anyway, back to this and we have a sweet read full of Fletcher’s usual magical and fantasy happenings. However, this does have a groundhog Day vibe to it, although not a very good one and I just found myself irritated by the constant repetitiveness. I think it was a good idea but could have been executed better.
The rest of the plot is okay, it goes along at a relatively nice pace but then out of nowhere the book ends, very abruptly and leaving things not very well ties up. Disappointingly it ended just as I was getting more interested and I think could have been improved if it had gone on longer or if stuff from earlier in the book was cut and we had more at the end. Anyway, no use wondering what if now.
The characters are okay, I enjoyed Luna and the events that have happened in her life and she made for an enjoyable character to follow. However, I do think the characters need developing more as we do not learn a great deal about them and a deeper knowledge would have assisted in understanding them more.
‘In The Time We Lost’ is a sweet, romantic and magical read with bizarre goings on. Overall, this is good but has nothing electrifying about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for an advance copy.
Where to begin? Well every book of Fletcher’s is an improvement but there is still always something missing, I still maintain that these would do better if they were books for older children. Anyway, back to this and we have a sweet read full of Fletcher’s usual magical and fantasy happenings. However, this does have a groundhog Day vibe to it, although not a very good one and I just found myself irritated by the constant repetitiveness. I think it was a good idea but could have been executed better.
The rest of the plot is okay, it goes along at a relatively nice pace but then out of nowhere the book ends, very abruptly and leaving things not very well ties up. Disappointingly it ended just as I was getting more interested and I think could have been improved if it had gone on longer or if stuff from earlier in the book was cut and we had more at the end. Anyway, no use wondering what if now.
The characters are okay, I enjoyed Luna and the events that have happened in her life and she made for an enjoyable character to follow. However, I do think the characters need developing more as we do not learn a great deal about them and a deeper knowledge would have assisted in understanding them more.
‘In The Time We Lost’ is a sweet, romantic and magical read with bizarre goings on. Overall, this is good but has nothing electrifying about it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sphere for an advance copy.
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