Summoned in Time: A magical, ghostly, time travel romance...

The MacCarthy Sisters #3

by Barbara Longley

Meredith MacCarthy has plans for her future, and they don’t include volunteering as a tour guide at a haunted ghost town in Montana. But when the matriarch of her fae-gifted family tells her ignoring the summons of the spirit world will haunt her forever, Meredith packs a bag and heads West. There she meets a ghost whose story and presence are so compelling, she cannot resist his magnetic pull. The more time she spends with him, the more she longs for the chance to know him in life.

Before leaving Ireland for America, Daniel Cavanaugh vowed to his mother he’d return with a fortune. Having lost his father, sister, and their family farm during The Great Famine of 1845, he is determined to help his family begin anew. Just when he’s on the cusp of fulfilling his promise, his life is brutally taken, and he’s haunted the mining town of Garretsville ever since. Until the beautiful ghost whisperer arrived, all he wanted was to be free of his earthly bonds. Now he yearns for a second chance at life—a life with Meredith beside him. She stirs long-forgotten desires … and bitter regret for what can never be.

When one of the fae offers Meredith the means to travel through time to prevent his murder, Daniel persuades her to take the risk. Will his plan to cheat death succeed, or will he put the life of the woman he loves in peril?

Genres: Time Travel, Paranormal, Time Travel Romance, Romance

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2020

About the author

Barbara Longley graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education/Human Relations, and holds a Master’s in Ed./SLD from the University of Minnesota. When the integration district where she taught dissolved in 2015, she transitioned into writing full time. Ms. Longley is listed on RWA’s Honor Roll of Bestselling Authors, and her books have garnered many awards, including a Maggie, the Holt Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice, two Heart of Excellence awards, a Bookseller’s Best award, and Diamond Award for reaching more than a million readers (2015). Ms. Longley creates memorable heroes and heroines who grow into their strength and go on to save the day.

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story. Anything involving the Fae world is always fantastic. Once I started, I was unable to stop reading.

[Sheila Burgin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith MacCarthy, ghost whisperer, was just finishing up the school year with her teaching job in Tennessee and looking for a paid summer job when she
stumbled upon an advertisement online for a volunteer job at a haunted ghost town in the Garnet Mountain Range in Garretsville, Montana. Something about this volunteer job made her very curious why she was drawn to it but she was skeptical of taking it since it didn't pay and she needed something that did. After much deliberation she applied for the job and found herself on her way to help some ghosts crossover.

After arriving in Garretsville, she met the park ranger along with her 3 housemates who were also volunteers. John and Judy Schulte who were in their 11th year of volunteering and 18 year old Oliver Webb who proves to be a troublemaker of sorts. While doing a basic walk through for orientation of the ghost town she finally sees the ghost that becomes her center of attention. After the town walk through she was in her room in the shared cabin and was spooked by a trio of malevolent spirits where she quickly banished all spirits with smudging sage in the whole cabin along with setting out crystals to help keep the ghosts out.

Later that evening she took a short walk to get a better cell signal to get a call from her sisters and her gift shop ghost made his appearance and introduced
himself as Daniel Cavanaugh. He told her how he came to be a ghost and that put all her plans in motion over the coming days.

There isn't much action in the beginning of the book but it does pick up once she gets to Garretsville and then stays pretty steady through the remainder of the book with all the action going on in the present and then a lot that happens in the past but you'll just have to read it for yourself to get all the juicy tidbits I'm leaving out of this review.

I won't spoil the story but it's definitely worth a read, so much that it took me 2 days to read it because I couldn't put it down! I gave it 4.5 stars because I feel like it had a slight cliffhanger ending and I wasn't sure if the author was planning another book in the series but overall I give the story line 5 stars.
I do recommend reading the first 2 books in the series but, you could read this first and then go back and read the other 2 to get the full stories on her
sisters and more information about people mentioned in this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Miranda - Life Between Chapters☕ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my review over on my blog Miranda's Book Blog

When I received the email for an opportunity to read & review Summoned in Time, I couldn't have been happier for the opportunity! I binged the first two books back-to-back of this unique, magical, romantic and all around fun romance back in February of 2020.

What I loved:
The Setting - Most of this book takes place in modern day Montana in a small, abandoned mining town of Garrettsville. The writing is so descriptive, I was swept away to a cozy ghost town! I just loved the history of the town and the quaint feeling!





Family - The connection Meredith has with her sisters is heart-warming. I can't wait to see what's in store for all three of them in the future! (Not to mention, the rest of this family!)
Irish Lore - Celtic Mythology is my jam and the way in which Barbara Longley has intertwined the Tuatha de Danaan (fae) and magic is fun & completely original.
Plot - OMG there's a wonderfully fulfilling plot twist towards the end and it couldn't have been better! I just adored where this story went...BEST.ENDING.EVER!That being said, it's definitely written with an ending that makes for a PERFECT fourth book so I'm crossing my fingers...hopefully Boann's story!!



The Romance - Of course, I MUST mention the romance. It's reminiscent of Nora Roberts but with more magic ghosts and lighter somehow. So sweet and adorable! Most certainly HEA territory!
Quote from Daniel:
"I cannot speak for others, but I was imagining meeting you in the flesh. Had we both been alive at the same time - weather in your century or mine - I would've courted you relentlessly, Meredith MacCarthy, for I find you utterly enchanting."



I'd Recommend this Book if....
You're looking for a fun, light-hearted romance with some unexpected plot twists thrown in intertwined with magic, fae, time-travel, r💕mance and ghosts!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. It’s well written, has ghosts and a ghost whisperer, time travel, adventure, magic, murder and romance. Phew! That’s a lot! It’s an enjoyable read set in a haunted mining town in the Wild West and I read it in one go. Daniel and Meredith are great characters and I was anxious for them to get their hea!

[Tamara Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the McCarthy sister books, and this one was no exception. A ghost whisperer going to a haunted mining town and falling in love with a ghost was a fun twist for a time travel romance.

Add to that the three malevolent spirits who had a hand in the hero’s murder, and you have an exciting adventure that has some history, some magic, and lots of love! Great book!

[Jan Goodard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the first two books in this series the setting was Ireland past and present. The setting in Summoned in Time is Montana, USA. Like her sisters' tales, Meredith MacCarthy's story occurs both in the present and the past. Because of their ancestors' fae blood, each sister has a gift. Meredith's gift is ghost whispering, seeing, hearing, and speaking to them. If she had a choice, she would give up her gift. As she is contemplating what to do with her summer hiatus from teaching, an ad for volunteer staff at a ghost town pops up. Although she is strongly drawn to job, she just doesn't want to spend the summer helping ghosts find the light. Her aunt encouraged her to go, afterall for some reason she is being called to Garretsville, Montana. Daniel Cavanaugh is the reason. He has been haunting Garretsville since June, 1854 when he and his partner were murdered after striking it rich. His partner was able to cross over, but although Daniel has tried he has been unable. Is this why Meredith was called here? Although one is dead and the other alive, they are attracted to each other. If Meredith is to help Daniel, she must travel back in time. Once tbere, will she be able to help prevent the murders? Will their mutual attraction grow into something deeper? What decisions will they make to stay together? Can he travel to the future with her or will she stay in his time? Will another factor take the choice away from them? You will have to read the book to find out. It is definitely worth the time.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Susan Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this time travel story very much. It is well thought through, and interesting. Meredith is a school teacher and the long summer break has arrived, she is looking round for something to do, preferably something financially rewarding. An advert in an online magazine catches her eye. “US Bureau of Land Management seeks volunteer staff for haunted ghost town”, and piques her interest. Almost immediately she gets a phone call from her Aunt Beth suggesting she is about to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. All the women in the family have second-sight, as well as other fae powers. After several long conversations Meredith agrees that she will apply, and leave it to the fates. Of course, she is soon driving across the country to join the team.

She soon discovers there are many ghosts in this old silver-mining town, some of them not so pleasant! But one is different, she can see him and talk to him, and he can talk back, in a way that she hasn’t experienced before. She is shocked that she can be attracted to a ghost! There are three other volunteers, John and Judy Schulte, who have been volunteering there for several years, for a purpose; and Oliver Webb, a young, impressionable young man who is after adventure. They all have their part to play.

They have a couple of adventures along the way, and Meredith gets to know the unusual ghost, Daniel, and through him discovers why there are so many ghosts in the town. Daniel is unable to move on because of vows he made to his family, and Meredith resolves to try and help him.

And so their story begins, it is a well thought through plan, but things go wrong from the beginning, but it isn’t until Daniel has avoided being murdered that everything goes wrong for Meredith, at least in part. It takes many months for her family to discover a resolution that will enable them all to meet again. Until then she is trapped in the 1800’s.

A sweet story, worth reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle the Romance Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summoned in Time is the kind of story that will leave readers wondering how many laws of physics, history, and magic were broken all in the name of love and loving every moment of it. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this story as a I devoured it and I was dying right up to the end to learn how Ms. Longley would give Meredith her full HEA, because I knew she would have to find a way to give her the best of both worlds. Meredith is the perfect mix of vulnerability and strength, smarts and common sense, and sweetness and sass; she shows the man she loves that she will go to any length and take on any task in order to get her HEA, even going up against the laws of time to do so. Daniel is the type of man/ghost that shows us that you can have a deep and emotional connection develop between two people despite lacking physical touch, but once that touch is achieved the connection is truly unbreakable. He is smart enough to know that he is just what Meredith needs to be happy in life, but that he will have to give her the choice and chance to come to the conclusion herself. The passion between Daniel and Meredith, especially once she travels back and they allow themselves to admit to that heat, is incalculable and I love watching them come to terms with and share in that passion. Despite the sadness of watching another great series end, Longley managed to wrap the MacCarthy sisters series up nice and tight with her last chapter, bringing everything into a beautiful and full circle and rearranging the reader’s entire understanding of the flow and structure of time. I especially loved that aspect and hope we see something similar in any future series that Ms. Longley ventures into. Thanks for another amazing experience and for the chance to get to know these amazing sisters!

For full review see the blog post at:
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚓⚓ONE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY⚓⚓
Fascinating! Barbara hit the ground running full throttle, revving up the exuberance and vigor, serving up some harsh facts, heinous deeds and defying determination, hooking you from the start and reeling you in for the duration, propelling this jewel to a whole new level. Sparks fly as deadly drama, perilous intrigue, underlying currents, hidden agenda, dangerous secrets, thrilling deception, escalating suspense, spiraling suspense and unnerving encounters, along with a double dose of stunning revelations, you have one mind-blowing experience, fusing this gem together seamlessly. Mayhem, mishaps and havoc run rampant, noting the arduous trials and challenging triumphs clocking the dangerous twists and shocking turns, crushed restrictions and shattered limitations are amplified and expanded, unveiling the soaring ups and agonizing downs, putting our characters through their paces, bursting this baby to life beautifully. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, adding depth and diversity, transforming into outstanding personalities. The scenes are strikingly sharp with abundant details and graphic descriptions creating an elaborate backdrop that feels as though you were transported to ground zero with them. Remarkable job Barbara, thanks for sharing this amazing thrill with us.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Twists on Two Subgenres

I enjoy both time travel and paranormal romance, and this book skillfully blends the two. In fact, I would call it a real twist on both subgenres and their familiar tropes. The heroine is Meredith, a contemporary woman who has fae blood, and her particular otherworldly skill is ghost whispering—she can commune with the spirits of the dead. If she feels drawn to take a summer job—she is normally an instructor at a community college—in a ghost town in Montana. There she meets Daniel, the ghost of a man who was murdered in that small town in the mid-1800s. The book mostly takes place in contemporary Montana, but part of it does take place back in the 1800s as well. I loved how one half of the couple was a flesh-and-blood human while the other was a ghost! The author still made the chemistry sizzle and come alive, even when they could not physically touch. The hero had that “earlier time” courtliness about him… sigh! I loved how she incorporated Irish mythology and history into the story, and she kept me flipping through the pages to see how this couple could achieve their happily ever after. A very satisfying ending to a well-done book. Now I'll have to go back and read the other books in the series! Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now, ‘love out of time’ stories aren’t my usual go-to thing, but these MacCarthy sisters may manage to make a convert out of me yet. Each sister has her own strengths and gifts; each one with her own fears and foibles. And they all made me fall in love with them, their heroes, and their stories. Regan and Grayce have found their Happy Ever Afters and that’s left Meredith feeling a little lonely and left out. She doesn’t exactly jump at the chance for an adventure, but she’s not completely resistant to it either. Whether for good or ill, it’s an adventure that will change her life. I loved watching Meredith and Daniel getting to know one another and falling in love. I couldn’t help but feel for them as they tried to come to terms with their different corporealities. (Probably not a legitimate word, but it fits what I’m trying to say.) It certainly wasn’t the ending I was expecting to get, but it works quite brilliantly. And now that I’ve come to the end of it, I really don’t want to let these characters go.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book through Booksprout.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith is a history professor with the life goal of getting her doctorate. Things change when she sees an ad for volunteers to go out west to a ghost town and work for free for the summer. She is drawn to this advertisement but knows that she needs to earn money over the summer, not work for free. Her Aunt Beth calls her and tells her that whatever she is looking at, to just do it! Meredith's family has fae ancestors and all of her family has some type of psychic power. She applies and is accepted. Now, she has to figure out why she was so drawn to going. Meredith has the ability to see ghosts and help them move into the light. At the ghost town, she meets a trio of dangerous ghosts but also meets Daniel, a ghost prospector from the 1800's. It appears that he may be her mission. As their relationship deepens, how with she be able to help him and not lose her heart to a relationship she knows can never be.

[Laura Hundley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. I have found that when entering giveaways on goodreads, you should try to step out of your comfort zone some. I have always read thrillers and for along time thrillers only. I never thought I would enjoy anything else. I was proven wrong and this book is definitely a hit. I have not read the others in this series but they have been ordered now and I cannot wait. This story is one of love, ghosts, and the mixture of both. The writer has done an amazing job with details and descriptions moving through past tense and the present time. Bringing together two souls where one is trapped and wants to have a life redo. The characters are well written and create a sense of familiarity to the reader. I would def recommend this book to any and everyone. 5++++ stars.

Thank you to goodreads as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Debra Stallings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacking the details to make it interesting

I have enjoyed the three book series featuring time travel. I thought all three books moved slowly in certain spots. It actually let me lose track at on point and I had to backtrack several pages to figure out what was happening! This book was very well linked with the other two books in the series. The author mentions them frequently enough. Opportunities were missed to flesh out the book just by describing more what the clothing was like. We know what Meredith’s order included, but she had time to have a wedding gown made. What were the men’s suits made from? And what were the styles for men like then? Did they buy new shoes and if so were they more like boots than shoes? The wedding feast was certainly lacking in fun and descriptions of food and such. Was there dancing, or horseshoes or other activities to entertain any children that were there?

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosts should have happy endings too.
The offer by a fae to Meredith to go back in time to save her love is a magical tale. Meredith is also a gifted fae and she knows that there is a ghost that needs her help. The question is what kind of help? David an Irish gentleman comes to the mining town of Garretsville to start a new and hopefully better life. Then that life is taken away and crushed. Can the future and the past truly have a life together? It was a beautiful tale and I loved spending time with these characters. Remembering when I wished the ghost town that this tale was based on made the story so much more entertaining for me. Montana is a beautiful state but there are some spooky parts too. If you ever get a chance to visit Montana I know you will love it. Good book I highly recommend it! I did receive a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meredith is a ghost whisperer and heads to an old mining town that was calling to her where she finds Daniel. Daniel was drawn to the mining town to start a new life in search of gold when he was killed. This is an intriguing story about a ghost whisper going back in time to help a ghost she has falling in love with. Time travel romances are some of my favorite books to read and this book is a great one. This is my second book by Barbara Longley and I loved it as much as the first book I read of hers. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Anna Beste · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in The MacCarthy Sisters was a bit different than the previous. Meredith ends up falling for a ghost. Daniel was a gold miner who was killed alongside his best friend for their loot by a gang of outlaws, unfortunately he was unable to pass into the great beyond because he broke his promise to take care of his family when he died. Meredith ends up traveling back in time, bringing an unwanted hitchhiker with, who ends up causing all sorts of trouble when he steals her only way home to her time. The foreshadowing hints at everything working out in the end. Overall it was an entertaining read.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been stuck in the house since March because of the pandemic just like everyone else but it was a walk in the park compared to the century and a half Daniel Cavanaugh has spent haunting the town where he was murdered. He has tried time after time to follow the light to no avail.

Meredith McCarthy was scanning the want ads for a summer job. She, however, keeps being pulled back to an ad for a volunteer at a ghost town. As Meredith is a ghost whisper, she really, really doesn't want hundreds of ghosts begging her to help them.

Meredith and Daniel are drawn to each other when she shows up for her volunteer job. She tries to help him cross over without success. Soon they discover many of the ghosts where murdered while taking their silver to town.

Quite a story with murder, time travel and of course love.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leavinsg a review.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that I highly recommend, I enjoyed reading this book. The story and characters are well developed and well written and grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't stop reading. Meridith and Daniel went well together and were a great couple that I enjoyed watching. There's plenty of action, adventure, danger, fun, intrigue, drama and excitement as they get to their happy ever after.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big fan of Barbara Longley's Loch Moigh Series and couldn't get enough of the MacCarthy sisters novels. I found this one enchanting, love the love story within it. Her novels do such a good job taking on a world of their own. They only reason I marked this 4 instead of 5 was a lot of punctuation issues (grammar freak so missing quotation marks all over the place were getting to me). I also thought the ending was a little too abrupt BUT does leave a space for a fourth novel so if that is the case, the ending will be worth it. Can't wait to see what else she cooks up!

[Jill Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I truly enjoyed the first two books in this series, but I loved this third book. Can a flesh and blood ghost whisperer help a tortured ghost cross over into the light? Only a trip back in time to the Old West could possibly right a wrong that plagues Daniel's soul. But what will happen to Meredith's heart in the process? Ghosts, chemistry, devotion, time travel, love, and adventure - what else could you possibly want in a book?! Definitely download. Definitely read.

[Elizabeth McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merideth was a ghost whisperer and Daniel was a ghost in an old mining town that she felt was summoning her to it. The interesting and exciting chemistry between Meridith and Daniel eventually led her to seeking her fae roots to find a way to go back in time to help him. This was story was full of adventure, danger, fun, intrigue, drama and excitement. Good read with interesting and fun characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that starts with Meredith McCarthy meeting Daniel Cavenaugh as a ghost needing help! They meet in a Ghost town in Montana where he was killed and she needs to assist him.
Without giving away too much of the plot, she travels back in time to before his death and falls in love in the process!
Overall, a good tale that kept me interested all the way.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mary McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the 3rd book in this series. It was a very enjoyable read and loved that it was in the present and the past. The sisters each have a unique talent and Meredith is ghost whispering. It is fast paced and a great read over all. Highly recommend reading this one and the first two of the series.

[NJ Tor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It incorporated two of my favourite types of romance into one book: ghosts and time travel! I'm hoping we get more books about the side characters and that they contain some follow up on the main characters from this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summoned in Time: A magical, ghostly, time travel romance... is the third book in The MacCarthy Sisters series.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one in the series. I love time travel romance, and to mix that with magic and the fae makes this a triple pleasure!
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.

[Loreli Jessee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awesome book. Loved how Meredith was able to see and speak with ghosts. The love between her and Daniel is so all encompassing. I was hooked from the very first page and didn’t loose interest any time throughout this well written book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued right from the start about this book. I found the characters to be well rounded and I really enjoyed reading it. This is my in this series by Barbara Longley. I really enjoyed the magic in this book. At my request, I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book I've read written by Barbara Longley; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third book in The MacCarthy Sisters series a well written story of time travel. Meredith MacCarthy gets summoned to be a tour guide at a haunted ghost town in Montana. She meets Daniel Cavanaugh a ghost she gets thrown back to the 1800's to help stop his death. I enjoyed seeing this story come together. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.