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Forevermore #1
Forever Mine
This book contains a proper English earl, whose frozen heart hides a tortured soul, and a feisty modern-day heroine determined to convince the man she's not the woman he thinks she is.
Thrown back to the year 1897, Victoria Ashton is mistaken for, and forced to impersonate, the spiteful, unfaithful Countess of Guildford, who's been missing for three weeks. Despite Victoria's attempts to convince the earl she's not his wife, her double's infidelity and lies make it difficult, especially when Victoria falls in love with a man who loathes her.
Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, is plagued with rumors he murdered his missing wife. When she unexpectedly reappears, he scoffs at her latest in a long string of lies. But the changes in Victoria make him to alter his opinion as he forges a bond with her that crosses the boundaries of time.
2015 GOLD MEDAL Winner, Readers' Favorite International Book Awards; 2015 BRONZE MEDAL Winner, IPPY Awards; USA Today HEA Blog 2015 Must-Read
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book is a 125,000 words. For readers who do not enjoy sex scenes, there is 3.75% (16 pgs out of 443) of sexual content in this book.
The F-word occurs 34 times in this 443 page book or 1% of the entire book. Men as a general rule have used the F-word long before the Victorian era, which this book is set in. The difference between the men in the past & men of today is that they didn't use the word in the company of women.
The author chose to use the F-word because it fits a male reaction to frustration and anger. It is a visceral word with a guttural sound that projects the emotion of outrage in a harsh and visceral manner. Say it out loud with force. Men are sometimes crass & crude with other men. In contrast to the use of the F-word the author refuses to use the word sh*t as it evokes an image of filth and bodily waste. Please factor this information into your buying decision.
If you are uncomfortable with these numbers, it is doubtful you will enjoy the read.
Thrown back to the year 1897, Victoria Ashton is mistaken for, and forced to impersonate, the spiteful, unfaithful Countess of Guildford, who's been missing for three weeks. Despite Victoria's attempts to convince the earl she's not his wife, her double's infidelity and lies make it difficult, especially when Victoria falls in love with a man who loathes her.
Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, is plagued with rumors he murdered his missing wife. When she unexpectedly reappears, he scoffs at her latest in a long string of lies. But the changes in Victoria make him to alter his opinion as he forges a bond with her that crosses the boundaries of time.
2015 GOLD MEDAL Winner, Readers' Favorite International Book Awards; 2015 BRONZE MEDAL Winner, IPPY Awards; USA Today HEA Blog 2015 Must-Read
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book is a 125,000 words. For readers who do not enjoy sex scenes, there is 3.75% (16 pgs out of 443) of sexual content in this book.
The F-word occurs 34 times in this 443 page book or 1% of the entire book. Men as a general rule have used the F-word long before the Victorian era, which this book is set in. The difference between the men in the past & men of today is that they didn't use the word in the company of women.
The author chose to use the F-word because it fits a male reaction to frustration and anger. It is a visceral word with a guttural sound that projects the emotion of outrage in a harsh and visceral manner. Say it out loud with force. Men are sometimes crass & crude with other men. In contrast to the use of the F-word the author refuses to use the word sh*t as it evokes an image of filth and bodily waste. Please factor this information into your buying decision.
If you are uncomfortable with these numbers, it is doubtful you will enjoy the read.
434 pages, Paperback
First published December 2, 2014
91 people are currently reading
1247 people want to read
About the author
Monica Burns
52 books509 followersAn award-winning author of spicy historical and paranormal romance, Monica Burns penned her first short romance story at the age of nine when she selected the pseudonym she uses today.
Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Monic...
Her historical book awards include the 2011 RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice Award and the 2012 Gayle Wilson Heart of Excellence Award for Pleasure Me .
She is also the recipient of the prestigious paranormal romance award, the 2011 PRISM Best of the Best award for Assassin’s Heart .
From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.
Facebook Reader Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/Monic...
Her historical book awards include the 2011 RT BookReviews Reviewers Choice Award and the 2012 Gayle Wilson Heart of Excellence Award for Pleasure Me .
She is also the recipient of the prestigious paranormal romance award, the 2011 PRISM Best of the Best award for Assassin’s Heart .
From the days when she hid her stories from her sisters to her first completed full-length manuscript, she always believed in her dream despite rejections and setbacks. A workaholic wife and mother, Monica believes it’s possible for the good guy to win if they work hard enough.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
April 29, 2022
Man, was I ready to get to the surprise virgin scene. 🙃
👀
And boy was I disappointed when we got a surprise pornstar scene instead. 🤣🤣🤣
🤡
I probably should have seen the writing on the wall, and stopped reading there, but I was still vaguely invested, and the man’s voice on Audible was delish… so I read to the end.
I mean…
I’m not sure what the best way to end this book was. I can see why the author chose to end it how she did… but it felt like a bittersweet HEA. And I’m not a big fan of that…
… and the epilogue of journal entries??? You couldn’t PAY me to read that angsty dumpster fire of heartache. Nerp. 🫠
And that’s all I have to say about that. 🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? Lots of potential. Engaging writing… but at the end of the day, not my flavor. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing between MCs
- no OW/OM drama
- no dubcon
- no virgins 😐🙃
- no condoms
- a bittersweet/slightly tragic HEA 😵💫😩
👀
And boy was I disappointed when we got a surprise pornstar scene instead. 🤣🤣🤣
🤡
I probably should have seen the writing on the wall, and stopped reading there, but I was still vaguely invested, and the man’s voice on Audible was delish… so I read to the end.
I mean…
I’m not sure what the best way to end this book was. I can see why the author chose to end it how she did… but it felt like a bittersweet HEA. And I’m not a big fan of that…
… and the epilogue of journal entries??? You couldn’t PAY me to read that angsty dumpster fire of heartache. Nerp. 🫠
And that’s all I have to say about that. 🤷🏼♀️
Bottom Line? Lots of potential. Engaging writing… but at the end of the day, not my flavor. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing between MCs
- no OW/OM drama
- no dubcon
- no virgins 😐🙃
- no condoms
- a bittersweet/slightly tragic HEA 😵💫😩
July 31, 2022
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Just a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Basic plot:
Victoria is thrown back in time to the late 1800s after an explosion in contemporary times. She finds herself already married, already despised by her husband. But as they both circle around each other they learn there is so much more beneath the surface, for both of them.
Give this a try if you want:
- Time travel/reincarnation theme – this is a mix of timelines including contemporary and Victorian (1897)
- Lots of danger, villains, jealousy and suspence
- Enemies to lovers feel
- American heroine/English hero
- Experienced heroine
- Secret/mistaken identity
- Pregnancy in the story
- Scarred hero
- Mid to high steam – there are 5 full scenes (2 were very close together so I counted it as 4 flames), and some shorter/fade to black scenes
Ages:
- Hero might be around 31, don’t know for heroine
My thoughts:
I knew going in, this book may have a similar feel, or possibly ending, as Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor so I prepared myself for that. I am not a big fan of that book, but I think knowing going in I would do better. And I didn’t mind the way the timeline flowed in this one.
For me though, I think I could have liked this book if there was more focus on the romance and character depth. There’s a lot of active plot in this novel. And that’s not a bad thing, it’s just not my favorite in romance. I want the characters together a lot and working together, or thinking about each other. I want the pining and the tension. And this novel didn’t quite get there for me. By the end I still felt like I didn’t know Victoria or Nicholas that well and I would have liked to.
I adored that the letters were included at the end. I think that’s a really good part to this whole, kind of heartbreaking story. They are emotional and sad but it really drives home the thought of love enduring anything.
Overall this book is very different from most of the romance I read. Definitely some interesting romance possibilities to think about here. I also appreciated the author notes from Monica Burns. They really bring her to life as an author and give you some insight into where her story building has come from.
Specific thoughts, mostly on why it didn’t work the best for me.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Plot/Storyline: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Just a bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
(These are all personal preference on a scale of 1-5 (yours ratings may vary depending what gives you feels and how you prefer you sex scenes written, etc) except the Steam Scale which follows our chart from The Ton and Tartans Book Club )
Basic plot:
Victoria is thrown back in time to the late 1800s after an explosion in contemporary times. She finds herself already married, already despised by her husband. But as they both circle around each other they learn there is so much more beneath the surface, for both of them.
Give this a try if you want:
- Time travel/reincarnation theme – this is a mix of timelines including contemporary and Victorian (1897)
- Lots of danger, villains, jealousy and suspence
- Enemies to lovers feel
- American heroine/English hero
- Experienced heroine
- Secret/mistaken identity
- Pregnancy in the story
- Scarred hero
- Mid to high steam – there are 5 full scenes (2 were very close together so I counted it as 4 flames), and some shorter/fade to black scenes
Ages:
- Hero might be around 31, don’t know for heroine
My thoughts:
I knew going in, this book may have a similar feel, or possibly ending, as Jude Deveraux’s A Knight in Shining Armor so I prepared myself for that. I am not a big fan of that book, but I think knowing going in I would do better. And I didn’t mind the way the timeline flowed in this one.
For me though, I think I could have liked this book if there was more focus on the romance and character depth. There’s a lot of active plot in this novel. And that’s not a bad thing, it’s just not my favorite in romance. I want the characters together a lot and working together, or thinking about each other. I want the pining and the tension. And this novel didn’t quite get there for me. By the end I still felt like I didn’t know Victoria or Nicholas that well and I would have liked to.
I adored that the letters were included at the end. I think that’s a really good part to this whole, kind of heartbreaking story. They are emotional and sad but it really drives home the thought of love enduring anything.
Overall this book is very different from most of the romance I read. Definitely some interesting romance possibilities to think about here. I also appreciated the author notes from Monica Burns. They really bring her to life as an author and give you some insight into where her story building has come from.
Specific thoughts, mostly on why it didn’t work the best for me.
A few other notes:
Content warnings:
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
January 9, 2021
I loved this book. It was a bit of a tear jerker, especially Nicholas Thornhill's journal entries. Essentially is a story about two people always finding their way back to each other regardless of time.
December 29, 2014
This book was well written, good storyline and characters, however I had to take two star off as the hero was swearing so many times it was off putting! I can't understand why the author thought this would enhance the book? I will not be reading anymore of this authors books, not my style of romance.
November 29, 2014
Forever Mine by Monica Burns is a 2014 publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is mainly a historical time travel romance and is one of the best I have read in long while. This is not steampunk in the way you may be thinking, but it could fit there. For me the story was romantic to the nth degree, suspenseful, sad, mysterious and classic in many ways.
Present day: Nick is astounded when a beautiful woman enters his art gallery looking identical to a woman in a very old portrait he is nearly obsessed with. He is so smitten with her the two nearly share a kiss , but a bomb explosion violently sends Victoria back into the 1800's.
Nick is devastated and keeps a constant vigil by her side while she lays in a coma. His sister, Nora had been trying to convince him he might be the reincarnation of someone from the past, an idea he vehemently refused to consider. But now? How else could he have made such an instant connection with a woman he just met?
Victoria awakens to find herself thrown way back into the past and discovers she is thought to be a woman named Vickie, the Countess of Guildford, who is married to Nicholas, a rather stodgy Earl. In this reality, Nicholas can barely stand Victoria. He calls her Vickie, a name Victoria loathes. When Victoria attempts to explain to Nicholas she is NOT his wife, he thinks she is merely acting. After all the Vickie he knows is an expert liar, cheater, and actress. He has no intention of falling for this charade.
After a lengthy disappearance, it looks as though Nicholas's cold wife has returned home with no memory of where she has been or what her true identity is. If she really doesn't know what happened, the nasty bump on the head she came home with could explain her change in personality. It takes a while but slowly Nicholas begins to believe Victoria really has changed, but he simply can not believe this woman is not his wife. In the meantime, it would seem not everyone is thrilled by Victoria's return home and she could be in danger.
This story focuses primarily on what takes place in the past with a periodic check in with present day Nick. I adored the slow turn around Nicholas took with Victoria, from being weary of Vickie's affairs and of enduring the humiliation she caused him and dealing with her cruelty, to slowly opening his mind to the the fact that Vickie is gone and in her place is Victoria, a woman he could really fall in love with. However, nothing, but nothing can convince Nicholas that Victoria and Vickie are not one and the same person, despite some glaring differences. But despite that, he is ready to start over from scratch with her, leaving all the pain she caused him in the past.
Victoria's situation is very different. She knows for a fact she is not Nicholas' wife, because she is from the future. His inability to see she is not Vickie is painful at times. But, she still feels a deep connection to Nicholas and although she continues to search for answers she only wants to be with Nicholas here in the past. But, the burning question is... If Victoria is not Vickie...then where is Vickie and will she show up out of the blue someday? Or is there another more sinister explanation?
The author did a great job of mixing the past with the present without a lot lame methods for hopping in and out of the past. The secondary characters helped to soothe and ease the raw emotions at play and Nicholas's sweet brother nearly stole the show a few times. The way Victoria and Nicholas manage to meet back in the future and the bittersweet letters Nicholas wrote to Victoria will have you swallowing back a big old lump in your throat.
This one was more like the time travel stories I read back several years ago and have really missed this style of storytelling. Many newer time travel romances can become altogether too silly.
I liked how the author made Victoria so vastly different from Vickie, but Nicholas in the past was similar to Nick in the present. Both using similar phrases and both stubbornly refusing to believe in anything that defies logic, but both knowing when they are in love and hanging on to the lady they both loved with all their might. I really enjoyed this one, it was engrossing from start to finish. 4.5 rounded to 5.
This is mainly a historical time travel romance and is one of the best I have read in long while. This is not steampunk in the way you may be thinking, but it could fit there. For me the story was romantic to the nth degree, suspenseful, sad, mysterious and classic in many ways.
Present day: Nick is astounded when a beautiful woman enters his art gallery looking identical to a woman in a very old portrait he is nearly obsessed with. He is so smitten with her the two nearly share a kiss , but a bomb explosion violently sends Victoria back into the 1800's.
Nick is devastated and keeps a constant vigil by her side while she lays in a coma. His sister, Nora had been trying to convince him he might be the reincarnation of someone from the past, an idea he vehemently refused to consider. But now? How else could he have made such an instant connection with a woman he just met?
Victoria awakens to find herself thrown way back into the past and discovers she is thought to be a woman named Vickie, the Countess of Guildford, who is married to Nicholas, a rather stodgy Earl. In this reality, Nicholas can barely stand Victoria. He calls her Vickie, a name Victoria loathes. When Victoria attempts to explain to Nicholas she is NOT his wife, he thinks she is merely acting. After all the Vickie he knows is an expert liar, cheater, and actress. He has no intention of falling for this charade.
After a lengthy disappearance, it looks as though Nicholas's cold wife has returned home with no memory of where she has been or what her true identity is. If she really doesn't know what happened, the nasty bump on the head she came home with could explain her change in personality. It takes a while but slowly Nicholas begins to believe Victoria really has changed, but he simply can not believe this woman is not his wife. In the meantime, it would seem not everyone is thrilled by Victoria's return home and she could be in danger.
This story focuses primarily on what takes place in the past with a periodic check in with present day Nick. I adored the slow turn around Nicholas took with Victoria, from being weary of Vickie's affairs and of enduring the humiliation she caused him and dealing with her cruelty, to slowly opening his mind to the the fact that Vickie is gone and in her place is Victoria, a woman he could really fall in love with. However, nothing, but nothing can convince Nicholas that Victoria and Vickie are not one and the same person, despite some glaring differences. But despite that, he is ready to start over from scratch with her, leaving all the pain she caused him in the past.
Victoria's situation is very different. She knows for a fact she is not Nicholas' wife, because she is from the future. His inability to see she is not Vickie is painful at times. But, she still feels a deep connection to Nicholas and although she continues to search for answers she only wants to be with Nicholas here in the past. But, the burning question is... If Victoria is not Vickie...then where is Vickie and will she show up out of the blue someday? Or is there another more sinister explanation?
The author did a great job of mixing the past with the present without a lot lame methods for hopping in and out of the past. The secondary characters helped to soothe and ease the raw emotions at play and Nicholas's sweet brother nearly stole the show a few times. The way Victoria and Nicholas manage to meet back in the future and the bittersweet letters Nicholas wrote to Victoria will have you swallowing back a big old lump in your throat.
This one was more like the time travel stories I read back several years ago and have really missed this style of storytelling. Many newer time travel romances can become altogether too silly.
I liked how the author made Victoria so vastly different from Vickie, but Nicholas in the past was similar to Nick in the present. Both using similar phrases and both stubbornly refusing to believe in anything that defies logic, but both knowing when they are in love and hanging on to the lady they both loved with all their might. I really enjoyed this one, it was engrossing from start to finish. 4.5 rounded to 5.
December 5, 2014
A love story so POWERFUL it spans across many lifetimes, plus has EXTREME NAUGHTINESS GALORE!
Nick Barrows has lived in England with his PITA sister Nora, since their Uncle Charles gathered them up, after their parents' death. Together Nora & he run the successful Barrows Art Galley, but the galley is just where Nick hides to stare at the Countess of Guildford's painting! He has always felt mysterious drawn to the 3 painting that have been tied to the Countess, but how can he be in love with a woman who lived over a 100 years ago. One day as his PITA sister is torturing him with yet another speech about letting his Countess go, he sees a vision of auburn hair in his Galley, is pulled to her, can't believe his eyes & just as he bends to devour her tempting lips, KABOOM!
Victoria Ashton is just a modern girl who still carries the pain of guilt over having fought with her dad the night before his died. If only she would of gone back in time to apologize, then maybe her heart & soul wouldn't feel so weighed down my regrets & sorrow. Now she is on a lonely vacation in London, feels compelled to visit an art gallery, sees a landscape that seems so familiar, looks up into the eyes with Mr. English of Yumminess & just when she is lifting her lips for, what she knows, will be a kiss of perfect temptation, KABOOM!
That KABOOM sends Victoria back to wintry 1897, via a pond, to Nicolas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, who hates his missing for 3 weeks wife Vickie & to make matters worse, he thinks Victoria is his hussy of a wife. When Vickie tries to explain to Nicolas that she isn't his wife, he thinks the bruise on her head has scrambled more that just her brains. Meanwhile back in the future, Victoria is in a coma & Nick is at her bedside side 24/7, but Nora uses her special senses to make Nick see that maybe the Countess & this Victoria are the one & same & he might be her Earl.
Back in 1897, Nicolas is shocked that his wife is likeable, treating all the staff as actually real people, not scum, HATES to be called Vickie, isn't terrified of horses anymore & must him sport a woody 24/7, but her story of being from the future is crazy, or is it. Victoria moves to a light & cheer room with, THANK YOU GOD, a workable old fashioned toilet & running water, but as she is trying to get out of this yardage of outdated clothes, Nicolas busts in to demand to know why she picked the room connected to his. This begins their sensual tug of war! Who will win, the modern girl or the old fashioned Earl?
Now this story is about 2 lost souls searching for their FOREVER lost loves & willing to do any & all to find them again. Of course, it can't be easy because no romance is, so there is a murderous nemesis hunting for the so-called Countess, a calming Fairy Godmama Nora/Anna in both time frames, a house party with a duchess stalking Nicolas' body, Nick praying by his Victoria's bedside, kisses that would make a granny's undies dripping wet, a modern girl wearing britches & not wearing any nighties, an Earl who FINALLY gets to devour her girlie parts, a brotherly Fairy Goddude-in-training & a selfish sacrifice that could end their love forever! Which time frame will Victoria be left in? Can Nicolas keep his Victoria to his time or have to let her go? How can modern day Nick pull his Victoria back? Are the FATES able to bring them back together to be their FOREVER MINE?
I dislike time travel romances because they go take a sharp left & I am screaming & waving my arms because I am totally lost. So to say I was nervous to read Ms. Burns' upcoming release, is like calling my grandbabies FURRY, but she made it sooooooo worth it! Also I have an inner Cover HO name LOLA & this books cover is LOLA HAPPY DANCE WORTHY with it's eyeball BEOTCH SLAPPINGness! I absolutely love the heroine Victoria with all her unladylike word bombs, strong willed stubbornness, willing to take the hard way & putting her old fashioned hubby in his place, plus she stayed calm & finally just embraced her new 1897 world. Nick/Nicolas were both stubborn & at first unwilling to see what is BEOTCH slapping them in the face, but when they loved it was with their whole hearts & souls, plus the added bonus of their YUMMY BODIES in action! Fairy Godfolks are another of my favorite characters, but Ms. Burns had 2 completely different ones in this tale, a childlike brother who brought out their own inner child & helped the h/h to get to know one another & Nora/Anna who was the calming light to Victoria, Nick & Nicolas. Ms. Burns didn't disappoint me with her many "NO AA BATTERIES REQUIRED" scenes of 2 warring people who do better in bed than out, anger sex is so STEAMY! I am so glad I didn't get have to meet Vickie the Queen B of BEOTCHINESS, so thanks for that Ms. Burns for that because I would of needed 5 minutes alone with her, so says my little devil & violence is never the answer, so says my good angel on my shoulder. This romance made SENSE to me & it never had me frustrated & WAVING my arms in confusion & Ms. Burns POPPED another CHERRY BOUNDARY for me with my new love of well written TIME TRAVEL & maybe she will write Nora/Anna's story, too! Ms. Burns has totally WOWED & AWED me, made me smile & laugh, had my pleasure center on OVERDRIVE, made me fall in love with old fashioned Nicolas & stubborn modern Nick, wish to be satisfied & lucky Victoria, cry my UGLY cry & made me wish THE END never came, so to me that is so WORTHY of my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes!
ARC given for my honest review.
Nick Barrows has lived in England with his PITA sister Nora, since their Uncle Charles gathered them up, after their parents' death. Together Nora & he run the successful Barrows Art Galley, but the galley is just where Nick hides to stare at the Countess of Guildford's painting! He has always felt mysterious drawn to the 3 painting that have been tied to the Countess, but how can he be in love with a woman who lived over a 100 years ago. One day as his PITA sister is torturing him with yet another speech about letting his Countess go, he sees a vision of auburn hair in his Galley, is pulled to her, can't believe his eyes & just as he bends to devour her tempting lips, KABOOM!
Victoria Ashton is just a modern girl who still carries the pain of guilt over having fought with her dad the night before his died. If only she would of gone back in time to apologize, then maybe her heart & soul wouldn't feel so weighed down my regrets & sorrow. Now she is on a lonely vacation in London, feels compelled to visit an art gallery, sees a landscape that seems so familiar, looks up into the eyes with Mr. English of Yumminess & just when she is lifting her lips for, what she knows, will be a kiss of perfect temptation, KABOOM!
That KABOOM sends Victoria back to wintry 1897, via a pond, to Nicolas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, who hates his missing for 3 weeks wife Vickie & to make matters worse, he thinks Victoria is his hussy of a wife. When Vickie tries to explain to Nicolas that she isn't his wife, he thinks the bruise on her head has scrambled more that just her brains. Meanwhile back in the future, Victoria is in a coma & Nick is at her bedside side 24/7, but Nora uses her special senses to make Nick see that maybe the Countess & this Victoria are the one & same & he might be her Earl.
Back in 1897, Nicolas is shocked that his wife is likeable, treating all the staff as actually real people, not scum, HATES to be called Vickie, isn't terrified of horses anymore & must him sport a woody 24/7, but her story of being from the future is crazy, or is it. Victoria moves to a light & cheer room with, THANK YOU GOD, a workable old fashioned toilet & running water, but as she is trying to get out of this yardage of outdated clothes, Nicolas busts in to demand to know why she picked the room connected to his. This begins their sensual tug of war! Who will win, the modern girl or the old fashioned Earl?
Now this story is about 2 lost souls searching for their FOREVER lost loves & willing to do any & all to find them again. Of course, it can't be easy because no romance is, so there is a murderous nemesis hunting for the so-called Countess, a calming Fairy Godmama Nora/Anna in both time frames, a house party with a duchess stalking Nicolas' body, Nick praying by his Victoria's bedside, kisses that would make a granny's undies dripping wet, a modern girl wearing britches & not wearing any nighties, an Earl who FINALLY gets to devour her girlie parts, a brotherly Fairy Goddude-in-training & a selfish sacrifice that could end their love forever! Which time frame will Victoria be left in? Can Nicolas keep his Victoria to his time or have to let her go? How can modern day Nick pull his Victoria back? Are the FATES able to bring them back together to be their FOREVER MINE?
I dislike time travel romances because they go take a sharp left & I am screaming & waving my arms because I am totally lost. So to say I was nervous to read Ms. Burns' upcoming release, is like calling my grandbabies FURRY, but she made it sooooooo worth it! Also I have an inner Cover HO name LOLA & this books cover is LOLA HAPPY DANCE WORTHY with it's eyeball BEOTCH SLAPPINGness! I absolutely love the heroine Victoria with all her unladylike word bombs, strong willed stubbornness, willing to take the hard way & putting her old fashioned hubby in his place, plus she stayed calm & finally just embraced her new 1897 world. Nick/Nicolas were both stubborn & at first unwilling to see what is BEOTCH slapping them in the face, but when they loved it was with their whole hearts & souls, plus the added bonus of their YUMMY BODIES in action! Fairy Godfolks are another of my favorite characters, but Ms. Burns had 2 completely different ones in this tale, a childlike brother who brought out their own inner child & helped the h/h to get to know one another & Nora/Anna who was the calming light to Victoria, Nick & Nicolas. Ms. Burns didn't disappoint me with her many "NO AA BATTERIES REQUIRED" scenes of 2 warring people who do better in bed than out, anger sex is so STEAMY! I am so glad I didn't get have to meet Vickie the Queen B of BEOTCHINESS, so thanks for that Ms. Burns for that because I would of needed 5 minutes alone with her, so says my little devil & violence is never the answer, so says my good angel on my shoulder. This romance made SENSE to me & it never had me frustrated & WAVING my arms in confusion & Ms. Burns POPPED another CHERRY BOUNDARY for me with my new love of well written TIME TRAVEL & maybe she will write Nora/Anna's story, too! Ms. Burns has totally WOWED & AWED me, made me smile & laugh, had my pleasure center on OVERDRIVE, made me fall in love with old fashioned Nicolas & stubborn modern Nick, wish to be satisfied & lucky Victoria, cry my UGLY cry & made me wish THE END never came, so to me that is so WORTHY of my top score of 5 fingers up & 10 toes!
ARC given for my honest review.
September 18, 2017
Reread
Before anything I want to say if you are snob or prude you won't enjoy this book.
I wanted to read this book again to see if I had an exaggerated reaction to it the first few times. I literally cried so hard my eyes are swollen and my nasal passages are blocked....It was a beautiful and cathartic feeling in the end.
I am not saying this is a perfect book....but it is a heart wrenchingly beautiful love story. If you are willing to humble yourself....I am sure you will love it. Give it a try.
I am rarely at loss for words to express my opinion, but this book left me speechless. There was nothing original about this book..yet it was the most refreshing read I have enjoyed. I was in love with the hero....and Victoria was a perfect match for him...I awwwwed so much during this book I was ashamed of my own mushiness. I cried so much I went through a half a box of tissues. This book made me want to fall in love....the plot was similar to a bollywood movie I had watched but the writing was so good it felt like a new plot. My favorite scene was the shower scene...too cute. I have read most books of this author and I was not impressed by her other books. But this one is a true literary gem. Definitely Recommend it. P.S. the relationship between Edmund and Victoria is so cute.
P.P.S Omg the letters at the end are pure torture with a side of bliss....
Before anything I want to say if you are snob or prude you won't enjoy this book.
I wanted to read this book again to see if I had an exaggerated reaction to it the first few times. I literally cried so hard my eyes are swollen and my nasal passages are blocked....It was a beautiful and cathartic feeling in the end.
I am not saying this is a perfect book....but it is a heart wrenchingly beautiful love story. If you are willing to humble yourself....I am sure you will love it. Give it a try.
I am rarely at loss for words to express my opinion, but this book left me speechless. There was nothing original about this book..yet it was the most refreshing read I have enjoyed. I was in love with the hero....and Victoria was a perfect match for him...I awwwwed so much during this book I was ashamed of my own mushiness. I cried so much I went through a half a box of tissues. This book made me want to fall in love....the plot was similar to a bollywood movie I had watched but the writing was so good it felt like a new plot. My favorite scene was the shower scene...too cute. I have read most books of this author and I was not impressed by her other books. But this one is a true literary gem. Definitely Recommend it. P.S. the relationship between Edmund and Victoria is so cute.
P.P.S Omg the letters at the end are pure torture with a side of bliss....
March 30, 2019
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
💋💋💋💋
I’m not one for time travel romance , but after a recommendation I decided, to Hell with it and gave in . I’m so very glad I did .
I’ve loved so many of Monica’s books , this will be among my favourites.
A sweet at times , hot at others romance .
Two souls set to be together always , living in different times and places , but always brought back together , wether reincarnation or fate , who knows .
This book is loving , hating , soul searching , revenge seeking, hot under the covers , sweetly romantic, totally heartbreakingly perfect.
Who could want more .
Don’t forget to read the journal letters at the end , and get your tissues ready .
💋💋💋💋
I’m not one for time travel romance , but after a recommendation I decided, to Hell with it and gave in . I’m so very glad I did .
I’ve loved so many of Monica’s books , this will be among my favourites.
A sweet at times , hot at others romance .
Two souls set to be together always , living in different times and places , but always brought back together , wether reincarnation or fate , who knows .
This book is loving , hating , soul searching , revenge seeking, hot under the covers , sweetly romantic, totally heartbreakingly perfect.
Who could want more .
Don’t forget to read the journal letters at the end , and get your tissues ready .
August 15, 2022
8/14/2022 - Note: At the time of this review – the ebook is on sale for 99¢ across platforms.
Anyone who follows me knows I’m particularly fond of books with all the emotions. I loved this unique mix of time travel/reincarnation, humor, sadness, romance, mystery, & suspense. Monica Burns has crafted a unique and unpredictable story. I didn’t always know where she was going to take me, but loved the many layers of Nicholas & Victoria’s story. A delicious mix of sweet and spicy, laughter and tears, and uncovering what happened to the original Countess of Guilford.
This is a bit tricky to write a review for because so much of what I loved about this story were the surprises, twists, and turns. I don’t want to ruin those for anyone. The secondary characters were fantastic as well: Edmund, Sebastian, Anna, &Nora. As there are two versions of Nicholas & Victoria, only one truly gets an HEA. However, their love truly is timeless and I like the way Burns brought them together across the century.
There’s a sweet epilogue and, grab your tissues, excerpts from Nicholas’ journals. Absolutely compelling start to finish.
Narration:
Duet narration by Zachary Johnson & Stephanie Németh-Parker was perfection. There’s so many characters, from different eras & with different accents. I adored how seamless the narration was. Johnson & Németh-Parker are such a great fit for Burns’ writing and it was an emotional yet delightful listen.
Anyone who follows me knows I’m particularly fond of books with all the emotions. I loved this unique mix of time travel/reincarnation, humor, sadness, romance, mystery, & suspense. Monica Burns has crafted a unique and unpredictable story. I didn’t always know where she was going to take me, but loved the many layers of Nicholas & Victoria’s story. A delicious mix of sweet and spicy, laughter and tears, and uncovering what happened to the original Countess of Guilford.
This is a bit tricky to write a review for because so much of what I loved about this story were the surprises, twists, and turns. I don’t want to ruin those for anyone. The secondary characters were fantastic as well: Edmund, Sebastian, Anna, &Nora. As there are two versions of Nicholas & Victoria, only one truly gets an HEA. However, their love truly is timeless and I like the way Burns brought them together across the century.
There’s a sweet epilogue and, grab your tissues, excerpts from Nicholas’ journals. Absolutely compelling start to finish.
Narration:
Duet narration by Zachary Johnson & Stephanie Németh-Parker was perfection. There’s so many characters, from different eras & with different accents. I adored how seamless the narration was. Johnson & Németh-Parker are such a great fit for Burns’ writing and it was an emotional yet delightful listen.
September 15, 2025
I adored this book. such a unique story and it brought me to tears at the end.
June 28, 2019
Meh. I won't say I absolutely hated it, but I definitely didn't love it either. This review has spoilers. You've been warned. Though, bear in mind, I like to think I had much more fun writing this review than reading the book.
I mean, it's a time-travelling romance so you don't expect things to make much sense, but in this book they really barely have any logic. It's never explained how she did the travelling (there's a bit of an explanation as to the why). I never really understood how she made it there...? Was it her mind or her mind + her body. I mean, genuinely people, this is confusing.
Here's a summary:
Nicholas (the Earl) is married to Vickie, who's a total bitch. Nick (the present day art collector) meets Victoria and she looks JUST like the countess he's been pining for during his whole life (he has two portraits of her from the 19th century). Nick and Victoria exchange a few words, are about to kiss (because true love waits for no one - or for at least coffee?) when there's an explosion and suddenly Victoria's in a coma (I kid you not). PLOT TWIST. Victoria awakens in 1897 to encounter Nicholas (the Earl) who hates her because he thinks Vickie, but we later find out that Vickie is dead (buried alive -yikes) so.... how did Victoria make it back in time? I mean, I'm guessing it was just her mind because her body is in a coma in the modern day, but if that's the case.... where did she get her body from (I'm going to discard it was Vickie's body she inhabited as that would be necrophilia and is frowned upon... also... what? She would have clawed her way from underneath the ground? Nop.) So those are questions we'll never get the answers to and probably for the best.
Nicholas (the Earl) and Victoria eventually fall in love.... because they're meant to do so (there's no other explanation because few things actually occur for them to fall so madly in love with the other - seriously, really...) If anything, they just really want to get into each other's pants.
As you can see, the plot isn't exactly brilliant and the chemistry is, yes, well, FINE, but not really justified (I kinda thought some of the smexy scenes were downright boring and that's saying a lot). What I liked the least is the fact that Victoria becomes pregnant. Author Monica Burns tries to create some other subplot, which is frankly sort of over dramatic and very poorly understood, and as a result of the climax to this subplot Victoria 'dies' - leaving Nicholas (the Earl) with 'the gift of their son'. As she dies, I'm worried again about this whole thing with her body. Did she disappear then? Or did they bury her? I mean, this is legit shit you should think about because it's the LEAST you can do. Of course, this is ignored and we're left with Nicholas' journals which explain to the future Victoria (who finds the journals after returning from her past) how her son grew to be a great man, how he married, etc. This is horrible. Even though Nick and Victoria meet again in the future, she is reading about how the man she loved in the 19th century grew old and died without her, while her son also grew up without her, and is frankly dead by the time she is even born. This is so messed up. Why even RESORT to her having a kid in the past? It doesn't make the SLIGHTEST sense to the plot and it makes it extremely tragic. What the actual fuck, Monica? Plus, I seriously don't want to read Nicholas' sad journals. I rather would have preferred an epilogue showing modern day Nick and Victoria adjusting to their life together years after this whole fuckery happened.
Yes, now I'm realising just how stupid this book was and I will change my original two star rating to one.
Confusing and Boring. That's my final verdict.
I mean, it's a time-travelling romance so you don't expect things to make much sense, but in this book they really barely have any logic. It's never explained how she did the travelling (there's a bit of an explanation as to the why). I never really understood how she made it there...? Was it her mind or her mind + her body. I mean, genuinely people, this is confusing.
Here's a summary:
Nicholas (the Earl) is married to Vickie, who's a total bitch. Nick (the present day art collector) meets Victoria and she looks JUST like the countess he's been pining for during his whole life (he has two portraits of her from the 19th century). Nick and Victoria exchange a few words, are about to kiss (because true love waits for no one - or for at least coffee?) when there's an explosion and suddenly Victoria's in a coma (I kid you not). PLOT TWIST. Victoria awakens in 1897 to encounter Nicholas (the Earl) who hates her because he thinks Vickie, but we later find out that Vickie is dead (buried alive -yikes) so.... how did Victoria make it back in time? I mean, I'm guessing it was just her mind because her body is in a coma in the modern day, but if that's the case.... where did she get her body from (I'm going to discard it was Vickie's body she inhabited as that would be necrophilia and is frowned upon... also... what? She would have clawed her way from underneath the ground? Nop.) So those are questions we'll never get the answers to and probably for the best.
Nicholas (the Earl) and Victoria eventually fall in love.... because they're meant to do so (there's no other explanation because few things actually occur for them to fall so madly in love with the other - seriously, really...) If anything, they just really want to get into each other's pants.
As you can see, the plot isn't exactly brilliant and the chemistry is, yes, well, FINE, but not really justified (I kinda thought some of the smexy scenes were downright boring and that's saying a lot). What I liked the least is the fact that Victoria becomes pregnant. Author Monica Burns tries to create some other subplot, which is frankly sort of over dramatic and very poorly understood, and as a result of the climax to this subplot Victoria 'dies' - leaving Nicholas (the Earl) with 'the gift of their son'. As she dies, I'm worried again about this whole thing with her body. Did she disappear then? Or did they bury her? I mean, this is legit shit you should think about because it's the LEAST you can do. Of course, this is ignored and we're left with Nicholas' journals which explain to the future Victoria (who finds the journals after returning from her past) how her son grew to be a great man, how he married, etc. This is horrible. Even though Nick and Victoria meet again in the future, she is reading about how the man she loved in the 19th century grew old and died without her, while her son also grew up without her, and is frankly dead by the time she is even born. This is so messed up. Why even RESORT to her having a kid in the past? It doesn't make the SLIGHTEST sense to the plot and it makes it extremely tragic. What the actual fuck, Monica? Plus, I seriously don't want to read Nicholas' sad journals. I rather would have preferred an epilogue showing modern day Nick and Victoria adjusting to their life together years after this whole fuckery happened.
Yes, now I'm realising just how stupid this book was and I will change my original two star rating to one.
Confusing and Boring. That's my final verdict.
December 29, 2014
Victoria Ashton is thrown back in time after an explosion at an art gallery and when she awakes everyone believes she is the Countess of Guildford who has been missing for three weeks. She looks just like the Countess and even speaks with a British accent. She knows she is not the Countess, figments of her past (the future) are there but just out of reach. However with no other ideas she plays the role despite the dislike and distrust of the Countess’s husband, Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford.
While pleased to have his wife back so the noose is no longer around his neck, he has no love for her and suspects she’s been up to something nefarious. It wouldn’t be the first time. But as his wife acts more and more not like herself, he begins to wonder if her fanciful claims about the future are real.
I very much enjoyed the interaction between Victoria and Nicholas in the past. The Countess was not a kind person and Nicholas’ feelings are justified, but his internal war about who this woman who looks like his wife really is changes him. Without the bitter edge he’s a kind and generous man who finds that he doesn’t care what changed his wife, he wants her. Though Victoria falls into the role of Countess easier than I think is possible and jumped a little too strongly on the I hate Vickie band wagon, she does the best she can in a situation that doesn’t make sense. When going home doesn’t seem possible, she strives to make the most out of her present.
Where the story really slowed down for me was its time in the future. Nick, the owner of the art gallery where the explosion took place, is by Victoria’s side in the hospital where she lays in a coma. Before the explosion, he and Victoria had been drawn to each other. She looks like the Countess of Guildford, someone Nick has been obsessed with for years to the point he’s collected everything he could find about her. His twin sister Nora ties to make him see he and Victoria are reincarnated from the past, and the back and forth between them dragged and got on my nerves.
Victoria and Nick meet back up in the future and have their happy ending. While overall I liked the story, it’s only a three for me for how I felt at the end. I thought Nicholas was given the most pain to live with and the passages from his diary at the end of the story reinforced it. I don’t know that the situation could have turned out much different, but I didn’t like it.
For the most part I liked it and so should those who like time travel and destined mates.
While pleased to have his wife back so the noose is no longer around his neck, he has no love for her and suspects she’s been up to something nefarious. It wouldn’t be the first time. But as his wife acts more and more not like herself, he begins to wonder if her fanciful claims about the future are real.
I very much enjoyed the interaction between Victoria and Nicholas in the past. The Countess was not a kind person and Nicholas’ feelings are justified, but his internal war about who this woman who looks like his wife really is changes him. Without the bitter edge he’s a kind and generous man who finds that he doesn’t care what changed his wife, he wants her. Though Victoria falls into the role of Countess easier than I think is possible and jumped a little too strongly on the I hate Vickie band wagon, she does the best she can in a situation that doesn’t make sense. When going home doesn’t seem possible, she strives to make the most out of her present.
Where the story really slowed down for me was its time in the future. Nick, the owner of the art gallery where the explosion took place, is by Victoria’s side in the hospital where she lays in a coma. Before the explosion, he and Victoria had been drawn to each other. She looks like the Countess of Guildford, someone Nick has been obsessed with for years to the point he’s collected everything he could find about her. His twin sister Nora ties to make him see he and Victoria are reincarnated from the past, and the back and forth between them dragged and got on my nerves.
Victoria and Nick meet back up in the future and have their happy ending. While overall I liked the story, it’s only a three for me for how I felt at the end. I thought Nicholas was given the most pain to live with and the passages from his diary at the end of the story reinforced it. I don’t know that the situation could have turned out much different, but I didn’t like it.
For the most part I liked it and so should those who like time travel and destined mates.
December 2, 2014
FOREVER MINE by Monica Burns is a unique Scottish Historical Victorian Time-Travel Romance with a bit of Paranormal element set in present time to 1897. Meet, Victoria Ashton, Countess of Guildford and Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford and a passion that lasts forever, literally.
Well written with a unique take of romance, time,passion, tragedy,danger and a powerful love story that spans generations and though time. Even, though the lies, betrayal, ill tempers, and the possibility of murder, the Earl of Guildford, Nickolas, can't stop from being attracted to the present day Victoria.
Time Travel, is not usually my foray, but, I have to say, FOREVER MINE is a must read. It is powerful, compelling, passionate, and a must read. I have enjoyed every single story Ms. Burns has written thus far, and have to say FOREVER MINE, was no exception, and fact I am now a believer of the Time-Travel genre. The chemistry
between the present day Victoria and Nickolas is astounded, powerful and very passionate. Even through time and generations, their love could not be denied. I would highly recommend FOREVER MINE to Historical readers as well as Time-Travel,and Romance readers. A terrific read from the first blast from an explosion to the very last page and beyond, we all wish to have this kind of love story. Powerful and compelling!! Well done!
*Received for an honest review from the author and/or publicist*
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Hot
Reviewed by: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
Well written with a unique take of romance, time,passion, tragedy,danger and a powerful love story that spans generations and though time. Even, though the lies, betrayal, ill tempers, and the possibility of murder, the Earl of Guildford, Nickolas, can't stop from being attracted to the present day Victoria.
Time Travel, is not usually my foray, but, I have to say, FOREVER MINE is a must read. It is powerful, compelling, passionate, and a must read. I have enjoyed every single story Ms. Burns has written thus far, and have to say FOREVER MINE, was no exception, and fact I am now a believer of the Time-Travel genre. The chemistry
between the present day Victoria and Nickolas is astounded, powerful and very passionate. Even through time and generations, their love could not be denied. I would highly recommend FOREVER MINE to Historical readers as well as Time-Travel,and Romance readers. A terrific read from the first blast from an explosion to the very last page and beyond, we all wish to have this kind of love story. Powerful and compelling!! Well done!
*Received for an honest review from the author and/or publicist*
Rating: 4.5
Heat rating: Hot
Reviewed by: AprilR, courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
November 10, 2014
WEll all I can say is I love nicholas and victoria! :) There is so much tension in this book I did wonder how it was all going to come together at the end! It is so emotional (if your a crier beware) So I don't read many time travels because the believeability is sometimes hard to get your head around! this one just flows from how you get to the past to how you get back to the future and the love and sexual tension is there throughout! it has angst, happiness, fun and lovable characters that take no time at all for you to root for! :-) I didn't put it down from start to finish! the characters so seamless move from one time period to another you couldn't help but wait for them to be in love in both! :-)
May 3, 2022
I thought that I read/listened to all the types of time travel stories… well… Monica Burns proved me wrong.
This is my first book from the author and the narrators, Stephanie Németh-Parker and Zachary Johnson, are new to me too. I fell in love with their voices and have to add them to my eargasm list.
I loved listening as they bring this story to life duet style, it is different from what I listened to before, the story is gripping switching between present and future, has a little of everything… suspense, intrigue, romance, steam.
The story elicited many emotions, I laughed, I cried, I shouted out loud that it made me mad. A rocky but exciting journey to the HEA they both deserve.
I received an ALC for an honest review.
This is my first book from the author and the narrators, Stephanie Németh-Parker and Zachary Johnson, are new to me too. I fell in love with their voices and have to add them to my eargasm list.
I loved listening as they bring this story to life duet style, it is different from what I listened to before, the story is gripping switching between present and future, has a little of everything… suspense, intrigue, romance, steam.
The story elicited many emotions, I laughed, I cried, I shouted out loud that it made me mad. A rocky but exciting journey to the HEA they both deserve.
I received an ALC for an honest review.
April 9, 2015
LOVED IT!! From the opening lines, I fell in love!
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See? That bantering that comes naturally between siblings was showcased with such truth that you could see the sister think "score 1 for Nora". LOL. The relationships between all of the characters and how they interact with each other is fantastic and assists in making this an excellent read. Each of the characters have their own unique personality that will draw you into the world Monica has created. You'll find something to love in each of the characters, excpet those that you don't like (villians) and you'll find more than enough reasons to not like them.
This world is beautifully crafted and 100% believable. One of Monica's gifts with her writing is being able to provide the reader with the images without being bombarded with details nor causing you to want to skim sections. This is important because it can cause the reader lose interest. Again, Monica rocks at providing the imagery without the wordiness.
This is a time-traveling book. Some may shake their heads and say "uhm, no thanks" in fear of "getting lost" or "lossing track of which time era/place I'm in". This SO isn't the case with "Forever Mine". You won't get lost nor get tired of the switching between present and the past. The switching between the two time eras is expertly done and flows like a beautifully choreographed waltz - smooth transitions and with ease!
I mentioned characters before, and now lets chat about Nick and Victoria. WOW! I loved both Nick and Nicholas. You just can't help it. Meet them and you fall! Sigh! The connection between Nick and Victoria is instant and while some may have difficultities believing in the "love at first sight", here is another example of how Monica throws in a twist and then explains everything causing the reader to go "Oh... that's why she.... and then the ... OH YES!"! Nicholas, while a major alpha male, still has a sensativity that I haven't read in other heros in a historical setting. You learn all the wicked things he's been put through and immediately feel and say "oh hell no Nicholas! You deserve so much better! Let me show....." Poor guy has not been dealt a fair hand. Enter Victoria to rock and shake what he knows and he must now learn to trust someone that every fiber in his being is screaming he shouldn't. This trust and the emotional connection that is forged isn't instant (THANK YOU!!!!)! It evolves over time and by proving it is deserved.
Victoria is my kind of girl! We'd so be friends! Smart, sassy, sarcastic and will not put up with the BS! She calls them like she sees them! She is also sweet and funny. Yeah, we'd be friends! She doesn't need the man to save her but isn't afraid to be vulnerable.
The chemistry between Nicholas and Victora is sizzling and steam but completely tasteful. Check out the excerpt below to get an idea :).
I could go on and on and on about how fantastic and wonderful "Forever Mine" is but we'd be here all day! Truly - one of the best books I've read this year and I want to say top three in my opinion of ALL the books I've read/listened to this year! Find out more about Monica below and please do follow her. She is AWESOME!!
[image error]
See? That bantering that comes naturally between siblings was showcased with such truth that you could see the sister think "score 1 for Nora". LOL. The relationships between all of the characters and how they interact with each other is fantastic and assists in making this an excellent read. Each of the characters have their own unique personality that will draw you into the world Monica has created. You'll find something to love in each of the characters, excpet those that you don't like (villians) and you'll find more than enough reasons to not like them.
This world is beautifully crafted and 100% believable. One of Monica's gifts with her writing is being able to provide the reader with the images without being bombarded with details nor causing you to want to skim sections. This is important because it can cause the reader lose interest. Again, Monica rocks at providing the imagery without the wordiness.
This is a time-traveling book. Some may shake their heads and say "uhm, no thanks" in fear of "getting lost" or "lossing track of which time era/place I'm in". This SO isn't the case with "Forever Mine". You won't get lost nor get tired of the switching between present and the past. The switching between the two time eras is expertly done and flows like a beautifully choreographed waltz - smooth transitions and with ease!
I mentioned characters before, and now lets chat about Nick and Victoria. WOW! I loved both Nick and Nicholas. You just can't help it. Meet them and you fall! Sigh! The connection between Nick and Victoria is instant and while some may have difficultities believing in the "love at first sight", here is another example of how Monica throws in a twist and then explains everything causing the reader to go "Oh... that's why she.... and then the ... OH YES!"! Nicholas, while a major alpha male, still has a sensativity that I haven't read in other heros in a historical setting. You learn all the wicked things he's been put through and immediately feel and say "oh hell no Nicholas! You deserve so much better! Let me show....." Poor guy has not been dealt a fair hand. Enter Victoria to rock and shake what he knows and he must now learn to trust someone that every fiber in his being is screaming he shouldn't. This trust and the emotional connection that is forged isn't instant (THANK YOU!!!!)! It evolves over time and by proving it is deserved.
Victoria is my kind of girl! We'd so be friends! Smart, sassy, sarcastic and will not put up with the BS! She calls them like she sees them! She is also sweet and funny. Yeah, we'd be friends! She doesn't need the man to save her but isn't afraid to be vulnerable.
The chemistry between Nicholas and Victora is sizzling and steam but completely tasteful. Check out the excerpt below to get an idea :).
I could go on and on and on about how fantastic and wonderful "Forever Mine" is but we'd be here all day! Truly - one of the best books I've read this year and I want to say top three in my opinion of ALL the books I've read/listened to this year! Find out more about Monica below and please do follow her. She is AWESOME!!
January 10, 2015
Vikki’s Musings
This is not your typical historical romance where boy meets girl falls in love and lives “Happily Ever After”. This book is so much more than that. I had purchased this book in mid-December, along with quite a few others at the same time on the recommendation of a friend with no particular hurry to read it. When I marked it as a TBR, one of my friends on Goodreads asked me a question that piqued my curiosity, so I decided to go ahead and start it. I am so glad I did! This is a marvelous read. It captured my attention from the first page and kept it until the fantastic end.
Victoria Ashton enters Barrows Art and Antiquities in London and is immediately caught under the spell of a landscape depicting a cottage on Brentwood Park. While debating on purchasing it, Nick Barrows approaches. While discussing the merits of the painting an explosion occurs that sends Victoria back in time to 1897. Nick Barrows goes to the hospital with Victoria and refuses to leave her side.
Victoria wakes up at Goodman cottage in October 1897 and is soon confronted by Nicholas Thornhill, the Earl of Guildford, who keeps calling her the countess and demanding to know where she has been for the last three weeks. This begins her adventure in a different time and place than she could have ever imagined. Will she find a love that transcends time, or will she return to the present lost and confused forever searching for this astonishing man who is part of her life in 1897?
This is a story primarily set in Victorian England, 1897 with a brief glimpse of what is happening to Victoria in present day London and Nick Barrows’ growing fascination with her. The love that blooms between her and the earl from the ashes of his relationship with the self-centered Vickie is a love that will endure forever. I found this book beyond moving to the point I had to wipe tears from my eyes often. I recommend having a box of tissues close by as you read this wonderful, compelling love story.
Not only are the main characters enthralling, I fell in love with the earl’s intellectually challenged brother, Edmund. Victoria’s complete reversal from Vickie’s cruel demeanor toward Edmund goes a long way in earning Nicholas’s devotion and nurtures the amazing love that grows between them.
This book has it all, a riveting storyline, a passionate love affair, loads of suspense with a bit of mystery thrown in, which kept me turning the pages long into the night. The love scenes between Nicholas and Victoria sizzle, burning up the pages on my Kindle. This is a story that will linger long in my memory, and I am sure it is one that I will read again. At the end of the book are letters Nicholas writes to Victoria. I will not explain further, but they are so poignant, tears streamed from my eyes as I read them. They are the perfect ending to this incredible love story. You do not want to miss this wonderful tale of a love that goes beyond time and space. Happy reading!
December 1, 2014
Forever Mine was the first book that I have had a chance to read. This author has been on my watch out for list for quite some time and I have been wanting to read her, and what a story this one turned out to be...it had be from the beginning. Forever Mine is a time travel romance, but is full of deep emotion and riveting scenes that are so compelling at the heart, and definitely one of the best time travel romances I have ever read. There were many times that I needed some tissues, it really put me through the ringer at certain moments, so just warning ya...it may just bring out a emotional response...so forewarned is to be armed right?
This story is very complex but even though it has quite a bit happening, I was not lost in any way. Monica Burns does a great job in making 6the story flow smoothly and everything just felt right. What we have is Nicholas Thornhill who is a art collector, and has been obsessed with a couple that was married in England in the 1800's...and he can't help but be drawn to Victoria Thornhill. He can't explain his feelings for this woman that haunts him, and then her exact replica walks through the door and he kisses her not even knowing or understanding these strong feelings. But then she is injured and put in a coma. Victoria while coming in to a art gallery to buy a piece of art, finds herself thrust back in time, with a husband who is a Earl, and doesn't trust her. His previous wife, the exact look alike of her, was cruel to him, and thinks they are the same woman. Victoria has no idea how to even return to her time, and as she starts to acclimate to this new time period, she starts to fall in love with Nicholas, and admire this man who has such a big heart and makes her crave things she shouldn't, since she knows her time is limited with him. She knows that their time is precious, and would love him forever...no matter what fate decides for her.
I have to say that I just loved this story and it was definitely quite a intense love story. It will have you at the edge of your seat, flipping through those pages as fast as you can get them read. I found myself totally enthralled by this story. I do like time travel romance, but this author has totally blown me away on this one. I can't even fully explain my thoughts on this one, because its that type of story you just fell for so hard, its difficult to get your thoughts in order and in the mind frame to put them in words. All I can say is WOW!! I am so impressed with this story and this author. And the characters just were so vividly pictured that you could be best friends with them. Overall a sensual and a heart wrenching romance that will steal your breath and capture your heart!! TOP FAVORITE!!
This story is very complex but even though it has quite a bit happening, I was not lost in any way. Monica Burns does a great job in making 6the story flow smoothly and everything just felt right. What we have is Nicholas Thornhill who is a art collector, and has been obsessed with a couple that was married in England in the 1800's...and he can't help but be drawn to Victoria Thornhill. He can't explain his feelings for this woman that haunts him, and then her exact replica walks through the door and he kisses her not even knowing or understanding these strong feelings. But then she is injured and put in a coma. Victoria while coming in to a art gallery to buy a piece of art, finds herself thrust back in time, with a husband who is a Earl, and doesn't trust her. His previous wife, the exact look alike of her, was cruel to him, and thinks they are the same woman. Victoria has no idea how to even return to her time, and as she starts to acclimate to this new time period, she starts to fall in love with Nicholas, and admire this man who has such a big heart and makes her crave things she shouldn't, since she knows her time is limited with him. She knows that their time is precious, and would love him forever...no matter what fate decides for her.
I have to say that I just loved this story and it was definitely quite a intense love story. It will have you at the edge of your seat, flipping through those pages as fast as you can get them read. I found myself totally enthralled by this story. I do like time travel romance, but this author has totally blown me away on this one. I can't even fully explain my thoughts on this one, because its that type of story you just fell for so hard, its difficult to get your thoughts in order and in the mind frame to put them in words. All I can say is WOW!! I am so impressed with this story and this author. And the characters just were so vividly pictured that you could be best friends with them. Overall a sensual and a heart wrenching romance that will steal your breath and capture your heart!! TOP FAVORITE!!
January 11, 2015
The following review appeared here: http://wp.me/p3QRh4-49
Nick Barrows has always been captivated by the portraits of the long dead Countess of Guilford, even to the point of only dating women who bear a resemblance to her. When Victoria Ashton walks in one day, looking to buy a painting, Nick is floored, because she is a dead ringer for the countess. The two of them immediately feel a pull of attraction and familiarity, when an explosion occurs, seriously injuring Victoria, and putting her into a coma.
As Victoria’s body lies comatose in the present day, she wakes up in 1897, where everyone believes she actually is the Countess of Guilford, who has been missing for several weeks. Her husband, Nicholas, the Earl, has even been accused of murdering her. There is no love lost between the Earl and his wife. She has been betraying him literally since the day of their wedding, and he feels only contempt for her. Although skeptical of her story, her injuries, and her memory loss, Nicholas can’t deny that this lady seems totally different from his wife.
Victoria soon has to accept that she has truly travelled back in time, and has no way of knowing if she will ever return. Slowly, Nicholas starts to fall in love with Victoria, believing that she is his wife, but changed from her injuries. Victoria is falling in love as well, and soon the two are living as husband and wife and sharing an explosive sexual chemistry.
There is no easy happy ever after. The real countess truly is missing, and she was involved with some dangerous people, who are only too willing to do whatever it takes to protect their secrets. I’m generally not a fan of time travel, but Monica Burns has written a true gem. Forever Mine has passion, excitement, romance and heartbreak. It’s beautifully written, and has some unique twists. I found myself in tears, as I came to truly care about these two star crossed lovers. The epilogue is amazing, and adds so much to the story. I will definitely be checking out Monica Burns’ previous books, and I wholeheartedly recommend Forever Mine.
Nick Barrows has always been captivated by the portraits of the long dead Countess of Guilford, even to the point of only dating women who bear a resemblance to her. When Victoria Ashton walks in one day, looking to buy a painting, Nick is floored, because she is a dead ringer for the countess. The two of them immediately feel a pull of attraction and familiarity, when an explosion occurs, seriously injuring Victoria, and putting her into a coma.
As Victoria’s body lies comatose in the present day, she wakes up in 1897, where everyone believes she actually is the Countess of Guilford, who has been missing for several weeks. Her husband, Nicholas, the Earl, has even been accused of murdering her. There is no love lost between the Earl and his wife. She has been betraying him literally since the day of their wedding, and he feels only contempt for her. Although skeptical of her story, her injuries, and her memory loss, Nicholas can’t deny that this lady seems totally different from his wife.
Victoria soon has to accept that she has truly travelled back in time, and has no way of knowing if she will ever return. Slowly, Nicholas starts to fall in love with Victoria, believing that she is his wife, but changed from her injuries. Victoria is falling in love as well, and soon the two are living as husband and wife and sharing an explosive sexual chemistry.
There is no easy happy ever after. The real countess truly is missing, and she was involved with some dangerous people, who are only too willing to do whatever it takes to protect their secrets. I’m generally not a fan of time travel, but Monica Burns has written a true gem. Forever Mine has passion, excitement, romance and heartbreak. It’s beautifully written, and has some unique twists. I found myself in tears, as I came to truly care about these two star crossed lovers. The epilogue is amazing, and adds so much to the story. I will definitely be checking out Monica Burns’ previous books, and I wholeheartedly recommend Forever Mine.
December 5, 2014
ARC provided in exchange for honest review.
It's been a while since I've read a historical romance. Like 11 years been a while. Mix in time travel with it and the last time I read a historical time travel romance novel was almost 30 years ago (that book will forever remain in my brain because how much I loved it).
It was easy to get pulled into this story fairly quickly and stay with it until the end. You get the bare minimum at the beginning of the story, enough to figure out the key players so that they're easy to recognize throughout the rest of the book.
We never get to meet the original Countess, but from what Victoria has learned about, she was a certified Grade A Bitch and trust me, there is no love lost for her. But of course Nicholas believes not one word that comes from Victoria's mouth, no matter how much she tries telling him she's not who he believes she is; she does end up with at least one ally who immediately knows most of the truth about Victoria.
No matter how much Nicholas tries to steer clear of Victoria, he can't help being drawn to her, even if he is disgusted with himself for the feelings towards her he's developing. He even begins to realize something truly is different about Victoria whenever she has one of her "fainting" spells, which I thought was a cool way to bring the reader back to the present day to see what was happening with Nick Barrows during this time.
I will say, that out of the characters that we meet in this story, my favorite, hands down in Edmund, Nicholas' brother. It's never explained exactly what's wrong with him, but it really doesn't matter, because of how he sees the world and the joy he brings to both Victoria and Nicholas.
I didn't think it was going to end the way it did, a definite bittersweet ending, and I really enjoyed the epilogue portion of the story with the journal entries. This is a book I'm glad I got a chance to read.
It's been a while since I've read a historical romance. Like 11 years been a while. Mix in time travel with it and the last time I read a historical time travel romance novel was almost 30 years ago (that book will forever remain in my brain because how much I loved it).
It was easy to get pulled into this story fairly quickly and stay with it until the end. You get the bare minimum at the beginning of the story, enough to figure out the key players so that they're easy to recognize throughout the rest of the book.
We never get to meet the original Countess, but from what Victoria has learned about, she was a certified Grade A Bitch and trust me, there is no love lost for her. But of course Nicholas believes not one word that comes from Victoria's mouth, no matter how much she tries telling him she's not who he believes she is; she does end up with at least one ally who immediately knows most of the truth about Victoria.
No matter how much Nicholas tries to steer clear of Victoria, he can't help being drawn to her, even if he is disgusted with himself for the feelings towards her he's developing. He even begins to realize something truly is different about Victoria whenever she has one of her "fainting" spells, which I thought was a cool way to bring the reader back to the present day to see what was happening with Nick Barrows during this time.
I will say, that out of the characters that we meet in this story, my favorite, hands down in Edmund, Nicholas' brother. It's never explained exactly what's wrong with him, but it really doesn't matter, because of how he sees the world and the joy he brings to both Victoria and Nicholas.
I didn't think it was going to end the way it did, a definite bittersweet ending, and I really enjoyed the epilogue portion of the story with the journal entries. This is a book I'm glad I got a chance to read.
December 7, 2014
One minute Victoria Ashton is in a art gallery and the next she is thrown back in time and being told that she is the Countess of Guildford. The people around her seem to think that she is losing her mind insisting that she is not the Countess. Knowing that she must have time to figure out how to get back home, she starts to play the role.
Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, is happy to have his wife back after she had been missing for three weeks if only to verify that he didn't kill her. She keeps saying that she is not his wife, but even knowing that she has lied about everything in the past he starts to have his doubts when she doesn't act as he has come to expect his wife to.
Even knowing that she must get back to her own time, Victoria finds herself falling for her Nicholas. Can their love survive the boundaries of time?
I always love a good time travel romance and Burns did not disappoint. This one was a little different in that the characters meet again in another life. They meet at the beginning of the novel in modern times but are separated by a bomb explosion. Victoria is in the hospital with injuries from the explosion and Nicholas keeps vigil by her bedside. Although having just met her, Nicholas feels so strong a connection that he can't leave her side.
While this is occurring, Victoria is transported back in time to meet Nicholas as the Earl of Guildford. We see the majority of the story take place in 1897 where the characters fall in love. Tragedy strikes and we are brought back to present day where we see the continuation of their love story.
The reincarnated lovers was a nice twist on the time travel theme and I would love to see Burns do another time travel.
Thanks go out to the author for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford, is happy to have his wife back after she had been missing for three weeks if only to verify that he didn't kill her. She keeps saying that she is not his wife, but even knowing that she has lied about everything in the past he starts to have his doubts when she doesn't act as he has come to expect his wife to.
Even knowing that she must get back to her own time, Victoria finds herself falling for her Nicholas. Can their love survive the boundaries of time?
I always love a good time travel romance and Burns did not disappoint. This one was a little different in that the characters meet again in another life. They meet at the beginning of the novel in modern times but are separated by a bomb explosion. Victoria is in the hospital with injuries from the explosion and Nicholas keeps vigil by her bedside. Although having just met her, Nicholas feels so strong a connection that he can't leave her side.
While this is occurring, Victoria is transported back in time to meet Nicholas as the Earl of Guildford. We see the majority of the story take place in 1897 where the characters fall in love. Tragedy strikes and we are brought back to present day where we see the continuation of their love story.
The reincarnated lovers was a nice twist on the time travel theme and I would love to see Burns do another time travel.
Thanks go out to the author for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.
January 1, 2015
Nick Barrows is obsessed with a portrait of the Countess of Guilford. He feels a powerful connection as if he had known her intimately. When he sees Victoria Ashton in his shop, he's stunned. She looks exactly like his countess. Nick needs to talk with her, but an explosion changes everything. She thrown back in time to 1897 and is married to Nicholas Barrows. Will these two find their forever love? This story is wonderful. Monica Burns has written an emotionally intense story filled with well-written characters and a passionate romance. The time travel is handled skillfully. Victoria is a strong woman thrown into a past that she doesn't understand. Her love and her giving nature are felt by everyone around her. I was touched by her relationship with Edmund. She cared and protected him. Nicholas was a proud and powerful man who had difficulty understanding the changes in his wife. I loved watching him learn to trust and love her. When he finally admitted his feeling, I shed tears. Monica Burns has written an extraordinary Time Travel romance that left me breathless. I loved Forever Mine!
December 12, 2014
Amusement made her blue eyes sparkle as she smiled up at him. Her hand moved slightly until one beautiful breast was exposed to him. The air left his lungs then returned in a rush.
"You, sweet witch, are playing with fire," he whispered hoarsely.
"Perhaps I should help you put it out."
FOREVER MINE by Monica Burns is a wonderfully powerful romance across time. I'm a huge fan of Monica's books; she has never once disappointed me. The author's writing, as always, is top-notch. FOREVER MINE is the epic love story of Victoria Ashton and Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford.
My full review has been posted to Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Check it out here: http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbook...
4 Wine Glasses
"You, sweet witch, are playing with fire," he whispered hoarsely.
"Perhaps I should help you put it out."
FOREVER MINE by Monica Burns is a wonderfully powerful romance across time. I'm a huge fan of Monica's books; she has never once disappointed me. The author's writing, as always, is top-notch. FOREVER MINE is the epic love story of Victoria Ashton and Nicholas Thornhill, Earl of Guildford.
My full review has been posted to Reading Between The Wines Book Club. Check it out here: http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbook...
4 Wine Glasses
December 8, 2014
I came across this by accident and I am so glad I did. First of all, you need to have a box of tissues by you when reading. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!! Lol, I loved this. I was crying so hard most of the book but it is one book you have to read. I love historicals and time-travel romance books so when I get one that is a mix of my favorite genres I just have to read it. This is the story of time-travel and reincarnation it comes with some tears but it is well worth it. The only thing I did not like was ***** Spoiler********** she did not get to raise her son. NOT COOL! Other than that this is a fantastic read!!
December 8, 2014
I came across this by accident and I am so glad I did. First of all, you need to have a box of tissues by you when reading. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!! Lol, I loved this. I was crying so hard most of the book but it is one book you have to read. I love historicals and time-travel romance books so when I get one that is a mix of my favorite genres I just have to read it. This is the story of time-travel and reincarnation it comes with some tears but it is well worth it. The only thing I did not like was ***** Spoiler********** she did not get to raise her son. NOT COOL! Other than that this is a fantastic read!!
January 24, 2019
3.5/4 stars
The beginning was so confusing, part of me felt I was just reading to understand the mystery of how she got there and replaced Vickie. At the end, we finally learn why Vickie was killed, but the reason was dumb. And what was in that book anyway? That was never explained. Besides, the whole time travel reason was unnecessary because they both were living in the present during Ch. 1, and then right after they met, Victoria went back into the past and fell in love with Nicholas.
Near the end, I almost cried and my heart was racing. it was pretty suspenseful. Oh, and fyi, the sex is pretty graphic in this book.
The beginning was so confusing, part of me felt I was just reading to understand the mystery of how she got there and replaced Vickie. At the end, we finally learn why Vickie was killed, but the reason was dumb. And what was in that book anyway? That was never explained. Besides, the whole time travel reason was unnecessary because they both were living in the present during Ch. 1, and then right after they met, Victoria went back into the past and fell in love with Nicholas.
Near the end, I almost cried and my heart was racing. it was pretty suspenseful. Oh, and fyi, the sex is pretty graphic in this book.
November 26, 2014
I received ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Victoria Ashton and Nick Barrows ' character is very They are both stubborn and lovable.
I seldom read Time Travel stories but I really enjoy this story,it's all about fate,love and forever. I laugh,cried and fall in love while reading this novel.
It's a well written and super unique story,super hot intimate scene.I can't put it down and I really like to finish it. What a delightful and entertaining and passionate story .I can say that the author has done a good job in executing this one
Great job Monica !!
Rating - 4.5 Books
Victoria Ashton and Nick Barrows ' character is very They are both stubborn and lovable.
I seldom read Time Travel stories but I really enjoy this story,it's all about fate,love and forever. I laugh,cried and fall in love while reading this novel.
It's a well written and super unique story,super hot intimate scene.I can't put it down and I really like to finish it. What a delightful and entertaining and passionate story .I can say that the author has done a good job in executing this one
Great job Monica !!
Rating - 4.5 Books
September 29, 2017
Wow, that ending was BRUTAL! I was bawling while reading Nicholas’ final journal entries. I had to take about 30 minutes to calm down before I could rate this book.
Monica, I’ve read thousands upon thousands of books and it’s very rare for me to hand out 5 stars but if I’m that emotionally invested to where I’m bawling and hurting for the past Nicholas, then you deserve it!
Monica, I’ve read thousands upon thousands of books and it’s very rare for me to hand out 5 stars but if I’m that emotionally invested to where I’m bawling and hurting for the past Nicholas, then you deserve it!
December 3, 2014
Forever Mine is a wonderful time travel story. A story of love that never dies..no matter how much time has past. Monica's book is so full of emotion and it totally sucked me right into the past.
Don't miss this wonderful story..you won't soon forget it!
Don't miss this wonderful story..you won't soon forget it!
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