The Edge of Yesterday

by C.J. Birch

Easton Gray is sent from the future to prevent the end of the human race after nanotechnology spreads rapidly, leading to danger and disaster. As an operative for the Ministry of Discourse, Easton’s only goal is to eradicate the technology.

Dr. Tess Nolan is alone, except for the company of her rescue dog, Lou. It’s not until a stranger shows up in town and her life is turned upside down that she realizes the love she’s been missing. Easton is everything Tess didn’t know she wanted, but her warning bells are sounding. There’s something too convenient about Easton’s arrival.

Caught between her need to follow orders and her growing feelings for the beautiful doctor, Easton begins to question everything she knows, leading her on an investigation that will change not just her life, but the future as well. When forced to target Tess, can Easton do what’s needed to save humanity? Or will finally finding the one person who feels like home prove impossible to ignore?

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction, Time Travel, LGBT, Lesbian, Thriller

Kindle Edition

Published November 1, 2021

About the author

CJ Birch is an author, photographer and digital artist based in Toronto. When not writing or devouring books, CJ works as a video editor for television.

Librarian note: Multiple authors with the same name in the GR database.

Reviews

[Leah]

“The Edge of Yesterday” by CJ Birch is a dystopian, time travel/sci-fi romance. This is not my normal genre but I read the blurb and thought it sounded interesting.

Easton Gray is living in a future where civilization has had to move underground to survive. She’s sent to the past to kill the inventor of nanotechnology that is trying to take out the human race and has forced them underground. Not only is she tasked with killing him, but also his sister, Tess Nolan.

This was a wild ride from beginning to end and I liked a lot of it. Birch is fantastic at describing the setting and atmosphere and I sometimes felt like I was experiencing the same things Easton was. She’s never seen the real sun or felt wind and I loved how it was written. This has a bit of a Groundhog Day theme that I wasn’t expecting but I loved how even the smallest change could have such a different impact on Easton and Tess’ relationship.

Their romance is one of the things that I’m not sure absolutely worked for me. Because of the way the story is set up it’s very insta-love and they don’t spend a ton of time together overall, especially when time gets reset and Tess has no memory of the previous times. It was interesting how Easton would change her approach the more she learned about Tess and I had a better time believing in her feelings as she actually remembers all their time together.

The sci-fi aspect felt a little lite to me and while I understood everything, I wish there had been more background information on a lot of things. Some of the details felt a little glossed over and I just went with it to enjoy the book but I feel like I could have really loved it had there been more detail.

I recommend this to fans of time-travel and open-ended endings. Speaking of, I’m kind of hoping there’s a follow up to see what happens next.

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[MZ]

3.5 stars. This was a fun read. It has a nice flow and even when I had some issues with it, the overall feeling I got was good. Especially during the last 25% I couldn’t put it down.

Time travel is always an entertaining, but often confusing, subject. Here we have Easton who is from the future where the living circumstances are dismal, so she travels to the past in order to change the future. But when she meets Tess, the town vet, her objective becomes hard to fulfill.

Ok, so the bad gut here is nanotechnology. This happens to be partly my field of expertise, so I was looking forward to the technology and the science part of this book. And that’s unfortunately my first issue. So many things are not explained. What is happening exactly above ground in the future, what are the dangers, what exactly is this nanotech (yes nanobots, but doing what exactly and how?) and I think the tech part is confused with AI. Some light explanations are given, but my nerdy self would like more info on this. Also, I didn’t quite understand some things that happened during the time jumps, like what if you’re injured in one timeline, does it carry over to the other timeline and why (not)?

The timeline is not chronological, I understand the choice for this. The book starts right in the middle of the action with Easton’s time jump. Flashbacks (to the future timeline) show Easton’s story leading up to the jump. I was ok with the jumps in time, I could follow it without much problems, but there was one instance were something critical happened in the future timeline that was completely skipped. This information was just dropped and I wondered if I had missed a chapter.

The chemistry between Easton and Tess was excellent, I liked how Easton discovers the world above ground and how Tess was loving the almost child-like wonder of Easton without understanding where this came from. I was rooting for them, but there was definitely a case of instalove after only a couple of days. The focus in this book is not solely on the romance, so I didn’t need I love yous, but at the same time I found that it didn’t really bother me either.

As I mentioned the last 25% were awesome, all of the sudden there was a completely new dimension to the story and I was glued to the book. The only thing I wished for was….more. I had the feeling there was so much more to tell at the end, but maybe that was intended? I was not totally convinced this is the end so can we get a sequel?

So yes, I had some issues, but I enjoyed reading this book. This was a new author to me and I would like to read more by Birch.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Della B]

CJ Birch. CJ Birch. You need to remember this author’s name. I know that I will next time I am looking for a well written exciting book to read.

Easton Gray is sent back from the future to eliminate the two people who are responsible for the world domination by nano bot technology. In Easton’s time all humans live in four cities one hundred kilometres under the earth’s surface. Life is drab, cramped and limited.
Tess’s brother Zach has been working on nanotechnology to assist the medical world with diagnosis of life threatening diseases. Tess is a soft hearted veterinarian who recently returned to her small home town to work and live.
Easton’s entry into the past is successful and she is in position to accomplish her mission except she keeps running into Tess around town. Now having met and gotten to know one of the two on her elimination list Easton begins to question her mission goals and her heart.
CJ Birch has written an ingenious novel based on time travel yet without all the confusion normally found in most of these stories. CJ’s writing is riveting from the very first sentence onwards. Her storytelling prowess is what makes this book so hard to put down. Tess is a character who will grab your heart easily and Easton will surprise you the deeper you read into the story.
The Edge of Yesterday is bound by a spectacular book cover which only hints at the remarkable book which lies beneath. CJ Birch. CJ Birch. You need to remember this author’s name.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

[khi]

This was a really well written book. The structure, the vibe, the dialogue, all just perfect for me. So much so that I will definitely keep my eye out for this author.

Easton grey is sent back in time to prevent Zach Nolan from producing a nanotechnology that supposedly ends the human race/ creates disaster. She's sent back in time and crashes right into his sister, Tess Nolan, who she has undeniable chemistry with. This sets us on an adventure filled with wonder, love and confusion.

If I'm going to be honest, I wasn't too sure if this book was for me. I've never had much luck with this genre but I can safely say I was pleasantly surprised with this one.

Tess and Easton were such a cute pair that balanced each other out. Tess is such a heartwarming character so pure and trusting, wish we got to see more from her perspective. I absolutely loved how well the author captured Easton's mood and thoughts making her a lovable character.

While I am unsure about the whole practicality of the story I don't think that would be a problem for most people as the author presented a rather straight forward view. Amazing book flow and pacing on her part.

I feel like I should stop my review here because I might give too much away. So I'll just say, I enjoyed the book, had the writing been any less that what I liked I probably would have had an issue with the ending. The book ends on a very ominous note that I genuinely think that the writing alone made it okay- had it been any other structure or mood, I would have definitely been upset, not sure if I'm making any sense but that's how it felt.

In other words, I'll definitely keep my eyes out for this author.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for a honest review.

[Yoly]

After reading the description I knew I would love this book. We follow Easton Gray who was sent from the future to prevent the end of the human race. I could go into more detail, but I think this sentence should be enough, since I don’t want to give anything away.

I loved CJ Birch’s New Horizons trilogy and also loved this one. Her stories are always original and entertaining, sometimes I think I’m watching a movie.

I would love a sequel, but I think this book is perfect as a standalone.

This was a great read!

[Sam]

The premise of this book is super interesting and I thought it would unfold very differently from what I just finished reading.

I didn’t expect some sort of Groundhog Day type of story, but that is exactly what it turned out to be. I think that is a bit of a shame, actually not a bit, it’s a shame.
Easton travels back in time to “remove” Tess and her brother from the timeline so the future wouldn’t be as bleak as the one she is living in. This sounds super interesting, they way they meet is fun as well. Well not fun exactly, but interesting. I thought it would be going somewhere but then boom, back to day one. Easton remembers, but Tess doesn’t. So they meet again, this time it’s different, romance wise better. Oh I forgot to mention we also have these sort of flashbacks to Easton’s story in the future, but it’s in the past in the future so we don’t call them flashforwards, I think? Yes, it gets confusing lots. The “present” timeline also jumps a bit time wise from page to page at times. It’s been a while since I read a book that had me so confused about timings. I guess maybe that’s the point of this book.
Anyhow, the story of changing the timeline is actually pretty interesting but it doesn’t find a good conclusion in my opinion. With the best of intentions you can call it bittersweet, I don’t think I can go there. I just don’t like it much.

I was rooting for Easton and Tess, but the book is so confusing I don’t even know how I really feel about it. And I say it’s confusing but it’s straightforward at the same time, I just can’t wrap my head around it. I suppose I enjoyed it. Maybe there is an opening for a second book, not sure if I will go for it. Maybe just out of curiosity. As I said, confusing.

*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*

[Colleen Corgel]

Well, I'm not sure what I expected, but here it is. I am sometimes wary of time travel types of romances, because it can devolve into an excuse for romances that are a little more violent than I want, or do a fish-out-of water story that can get a little repetitive if it isn't done well. And the actual time travel mechanic is not always explored in these types of romances. This one kind of does this, and gives enough of the lore to keep you hooked on Easton's story, even though it is basically Groundhog's Day, but the person reliving that time frame kind of knows what's happening from the word go. Of course there's some twisty things happening that are expertly alluded to, but for the most part that's exactly what you get.

I love Easton and Tess Nolan, even though, by definition their relationship can't really be well developed. It is interesting to see different Tesses learning to fall for Easton, over the course of the book. The mechanics are explained early on - every different decision Easton makes can cause a change in the next timeline, so one Tess might be a little more open to having a relationship at the point in her time that Easton pops in, or she may not be. Easton has to navigate all that. It's a simply explained thing, but allows for some complexities that makes each jump back interesting.

There is intrigue here, too. Easton knows she has to go after Tess and her science brother, Zach to stop Zach from inventing technology that drove Easton's civilization underground. She gets why Zach has to be eliminated, but not Tess. Then there's other fun twists like other agents working in the same timeline that Easton is, but she can't know about them. So much good stuff in here. I had a lot of fun with it.

I am being intentionally vague here, because there are some hefty spoilers for the last half of the book. I enjoyed the heck out of most of this book, but had a little trouble with the pacing. I know it had to be slower in the beginning, because the need to give enough worldbuilding to make Easton's motivations make sense, but compared to the turbo charged last part of the book, the front end crawls at times. Also this book ends on a pretty big hook, where I got there and was like, 'wait, there's more, right?' So if you don't like those types of endings, you'll probably get frustrated, yet that I was desperate for more just proved to me how well Birch brought me through the story. I hope any sequels can come out soon.

*I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[AC]

As a rule, I try to avoid science fiction that involves time travel. Time travel gets very messy, and most authors don't think enough about the implications on a character's own timeline when moving those characters back and forth through time. Case in point: a recent movie on one of the streaming services that sent soldiers back in time to gather a group of people to come fight in the future (of those soldiers) against something. I didn't watch it because my immediate thought was: why not just bring technology backwards or give it to the people in that time, a la Star Trek IV's transparent aluminum?

In any case, I'm glad I took a chance on this book, because it is fantastic.

Hundreds of years into the future, people 0n Earth are living far underground to avoid detection by drones. Most live a hand to mouth existence, there is no sun, no plants, and no fun. It seems nanobot technology ran amok (Terminator-style) and humans went into hiding.

Using AI as a helper, they've figured out how to use time travel, and they send people back to the past with specific tasks to perform to try to avoid having this particular occur, based on percentages determined by the AI. I could see a problem with this.

Easton Gray is selected to be a level five in her department: the level fives are the people who slip into the past, perform their task, and then hit the recall option on the computer implanted in their forearm. Her sister Calla is the only family she has left: her mother died when she was 12, and her father died at some undetermined date along the way. Calla has been promoted to the survey crew - a very dangerous job in itself - but Easton doesn't want her to take it because of the danger. They argue a bit about it, and Easton tries to deal with Calla's boss to move her to something else, only to find someone higher on the food chain has already done this. As it turns out -and as to be expected -it isn't just actions in the past that have consequences.

Easton makes the jump. Her task: find and kill Zach Nolan, who is deemed responsible for the nanobots raging out of control. She finds herself in a field, naked, near a farmhouse. When the residents leave, she pops in, steals some clothes, and she's on her way. Eventually, she finds and presumably breaks into the veterinary office of Dr Tess Nolan.

It turns out Tess has come to live in this rural town after leaving Vancouver and a rather crazy woman she was dating. The local vet was retiring, so she bought the practice. Tess happens to come into the office, and patches up Easton, who refuses to go to the hospital.

They meet again around town. Easton continues gathering information, as the people coming from the future are dropped in near when their target(s) can be acquired, never an exact date. Tess and Easton get to know one another, and they're quite taken with one another. But Easton knows that not Zach alone needs to die: his discoveries go to Tess when he dies, and she is then responsible for the dystopian nightmare in the future. Easton arranges it, then sits back.

Only to find herself dropped into the field again. Something has gone wrong, and when that happens, they're just dropped right back into the same place to try again.

Easton goes through a few of these iterations, increasingly having issues with not wanting to kill Tess due to her feelings for her, even though she knows one death could save billions.

But then a mystery visitor shows up, and the entire mission is turned on its head. I won't go further than that except to say: the explanation makes complete sense, and confirmed one of my suspicions. The action picks up as hunters arrive to chase them, and the outcome is...well, you'll have to read it.

It's a great read, even if you're not particularly into science fiction. If you do like science fiction, like me, I think you'll find both the technological and philosophical issues around time travel adequately explained, and better, to make sense.

Five out of five stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Bold Stroke Books and NetGalley for the reading copy.

[Wendy]

This is definitely a very different lesfic novel. Science fiction (time travel) with someone from the future, Easton, sent back to kill a scientist in our current era in order to save the world. Coming back, we see the world through Easton's eyes and find it wondrous. Coming from a time when humans are living underground, seeing sunlight and trees and animals are new experiences. The world-building is good, as we are introduced to Easton's world through flashback chapters. There's also romance as Easton finds herself falling for Tess, who is the twin sister of Easton's objective. A lot of reviews have mentioned Groundhog Day, as Easton finds herself travelling back to the start of her mission again and again. We don't not know why this is happening. Easton doesn't either. These little plot twists and turns are unexpected. But, I guess in a book about time travel, a plot that is not quite so linear is to be expected.
**Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for giving an ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

[Kaye]

As a general rule I don't read science fiction and yet I bought into this book after just a few pages. Easton Gray is an operative sent on a mission from the future. In her time, what is left of the human race, live in four underground cities. Her mission is to eliminate a person, Zach and his work. He is developing nano bot technology. Eventually it will cause the robots to rise against the humans. (Think Terminator storyline.) When Easton arrives she meets Dr. Tess Nolan (Zach's sister), a small town vet. Through their interactions you get Easton's thoughts on her mission. I'm not going to comment more on the storyline because of spoilers. But the technology makes sense. The theory of time travel (which I have a hard time understanding all the implications) works well with the story. I have a few quibbles about some minor points but I got the big picture angst of killing a few to save billions. I enjoyed the story and while I usually like more concrete endings this one works for me. I will look for future more work by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ashlee]

Easton Gray is sent back from the future to make some changes to our timeline that will prevent the end of the world as we know it. Tess Nolan, a local vet in Smoky River BC, finds herself running into an intriguing stranger in town over and over again. When Easton’s assignment intersects with Tess’ family things get a little more complicated than either of them bargained for.
This was a great book, I loved the time travel aspects of this and this plot kept going with twists and curves I was not expecting. Tess and Easton were entertaining MCs and I loved reading short snippets of Easton’s life leading up to her time slipback. The author created a future world that was highly detailed and believable where nano bots could be used in warfare and beyond. Time travel can be hard to pull off well but this was one of the best I’ve read. I’ll definitely be pick it back up for future re-reads. CJ Birch was also a new author to me and I’ll be keeping an eye out for future work as I really enjoyed reading this.

[Catherine]

I am a fan of these types of books, dystopian/sci-fi types and this book definitely took me on a ride that I wasn't expecting but enjoyed! It focuses on time travel and the reasons why changing the future through time travel would be complex and not always go as planned. The main message I feel I got from this book was the importance of first impressions which impacted the relationship of the two main characters in Tess and Easton.

This was a unique book that had a great storyline with twists and turns and a romance that I wanted more of.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review.

[K]

Five and a half stars. I've only read one other book by C.J. Birch and it was a contemporary romance (Just One Taste), so I had no idea what I was in for here. It should also be noted that I am bone-tired of dystopian sci-fi. This book drew me in with the first couple of pages.

I will mention a couple of things that bothered me, miniscule though they are. First, there is a little too much discontinuity for my taste: the story is peppered with flashbacks, which I think were unavoidable, but some of the scene breaks were disorienting. For example, I don't know whether the author had a deliberate reason for skipping over the end of the first timeline, inserting a flashback, and then starting a new chapter with the loop, but it was weird to read. I didn't think it would have been hard to show Easton... fulfilling her task? It might have been just to avoid the violence, but the closure would have made it easier (for me at least) to move on. It doesn't seem right to have a plot point like that glossed over and then brought up several times later on, even if we can easily fill in the blanks. I would have liked to see inside Easton's head at that moment. Worse than that was finding out about Calla's death in conversation. That was probably an oversight by the author, but if it wasn't, then it was a problem for me. I immediately grew suspicious of Easton, since the scene was from Tess' perspective, and I assumed Easton was thinking her sister would basically be dead once she completed the slipback. Then again, Easton (and the author) made a point of emphasizing the difference between killing people and erasing their existence.

Second, the background info! I got the sense that the author was trying to answer any possible question a reader might ask so the story wouldn't unravel with a supposed loophole. I appreciate the effort. At the same time, this usually skeptical reader had no problem suspending her disbelief. I didn't even think of many of the possible problems that the details filled in, and it got to a point where there was a touch too much exposition, even considering the genre of the book. So, fabulous worldbuilding, but there was almost too much.

Let it be known that I still think this book had fewer flaws than many that I've read of this genre. I adored the leads, and I adored their chemistry, which is already a big checkmark. I had no problems with believing the science, or the intent of the mission, or the underlying problem. I like how thoughtful Easton was in working through her moral dilemma, and I basically just loved being in her head: watching her work really had me immersed in the adventure of it all. The pacing was incredible, considering that I felt the physical effects of reading the book in almost one sitting, but the intensity never slowed enough to bore me. The plot didn't seem remotely repetitive. Then the ending left me speechless in the best way, although it wasn't something I expected to like. Really, I don't know what more there is to say. I already knew I thought highly of C.J. Birch, but I was blown away here.

I hope I've defended my star rating adequately, and yes, I do use the five star system. Jokes aside, I would love to see this book get so much more attention than the author's books have been getting. I'm almost concerned that talent like this isn't rocking the world of lesfic.

[emily]

Ooof I hate to rate a book so low but though I really wanted to enjoy this one, it just didn’t quite work for me. It took me a long time to get through because I just was never fully sucked in. The pacing of the book felt a little off for me. It felt like we jumped around a bit too quickly and a lot of conversations were pretty surface level. Easton and Tess only really have one week where they are supposedly in love? I’m personally not an instalove girl. Others like it, it never works well for me. This was def an extenuating circumstances kind to situation, so, for Easton it made some sense, for Tess… not as much. The ending felt really rushed and though it was the most I had been engaged so far, it felt abrupt and it alllmost worked for me, but something about the writing didn’t make me connect enough for it to land. I think the idea was interesting! I mostly liked what we got of the characters. Personally I just needed things to breathe and be fleshed out a little more. I think it would have worked better as a longer, more detailed book. That’s also just me! It looks like a lot of others enjoy this one way more than I did, and I would def give the author another try.

[Jave Laine]

Overall I enjoyed reading this, but hated the ending. Yeah, I get it-it makes sense. I don't like it though and it sort of ruined the experience. Really well written with an interesting premise. But that ending. Man. This should be a two star after all that.

[Domi]

This book will get 5 stars from me because A: it stayed in my head long after reading and B: the writing style, plot, characters, dialogue..everything works in my opinion.
It's science fiction in the sense that it deals with time travel from the future and while that can become tricky and overly complicated, Birch managed to keep it simple yet explanatory enough to get sucked into the story where Easton is from the future sent back to kill Tess Nolan and her brother Zach before he invents the nanotechnology that destroys civilization and forces people to move underground.
The fact that every loop you find out more and more information and not everything is as it seems at first glance make for compelling reading. It also gives you another view on the characters who react differently to each other every loop. I don't want to say too much, but please read this book if you like a read that keeps your mind churning and gives us a romance different from the mainstream romance books out there.

Thank you Netgalley en BoldStroke Books for giving a copy to review.

[Ren]

Ok, so I have been patiently waiting for a new science fiction novel to fall in love with and I think I may have finally found it.

I’ll give the run-down. Easton Gray is sent from the future to eliminate an inventor, Zach, and his development plans in nano technology as it will eventually lead to the revolution of nanobots and the annihilation of the human race. Enter Dr. Tess Nolan, a small town veterinarian and Zach’s sister. Now Easton must decide whether her mission is more important than the doctor she is starting to fall for.

CJ Birch masters the art of storytelling in this ingenious take on time travel and whirlwind romance. The writing is riveting, the story captivating, and I found myself sucked in from the first chapter. I had a couple of minor worries with the flashbacks as I found the time jumps a little disorientating at first, but after a while I didn't mind so much. I suppose you could call them flashforwards actually, but nevertheless, there was a moment when a timeline ended and a new loop began and a flashback in between that was a little confusing at first, but I did rather enjoy the moments in Easton’s future life. I found there was a lot, and I mean a lot, of worldbuilding, which was fabulous considering the genre, but sometimes a little too dense for me.
Aside from this, I adored the leads, their chemistry and development was something thoroughly enjoyed reading about, especially as perspectives switch throughout the novel and we get both of their experiences. I loved being inside Easton’s head as she battled with her moral conscience and the complexity of her mission, particularly with Tess’ involvement. The story was immersive and the pacing of it was just right, even with the twists and turns, and the implosive ending that left me speechless. The novel itself toys with the difference between morality and humanity, primarily in the structuring of the future world where humans become dependent on bots and are increasingly itching towards full-blown warfare.

So, yes, this book… I highly recommend it with flying colours. It’s queer, it’s addictive, it’s full of adventure and revelations, and CJ Birch is definitely an author to watch out for.

4.5/5 stars.

Netgalley provided me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maddie]

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was great! The characters felt (mostly) realistic, the plot was interesting, and the romance made me swoon a couple times. It would have been nice to get a detailed explanation on how the time travel worked, but time travel can be a messy and confusing thing to write about!

[myfriendsarefantasy]

I finished this book in a couple of days. I was completely captivated by the story and I was surprised by the plot twists that took place. I really enjoyed the character development of Easton and her internal turmoil with her moral conscience and the mission she was sent to complete. She is from a dismal future and has time travelled in the hope of preventing the creation of nanotechnology which has caused the destruction of normal life. The story follows her mission and how it is impacted when she meets Tess.

The story jumps between time frames which is effective in keeping you intrigued. I also really liked the different versions of Tess we met and how each action caused a reaction.

Though there is WLW romance and some spice it is not the main theme of the story and it is driven by the mission; though I was rooting for them. There were a couple of missing letters and incorrect formatting on the ebook, though that did not impact on the story.

The ending was very good and could be left there, however I definitely have a lot of unanswered questions. I hope it is not over and eagerly await the hope of a sequel.

This was sent to me through netgalley and Bold Strokes Books Inc

[Anne]

I enjoyed this book because it was a bit different from the usual lesfic fare and had elements of thriller mixed in with the science fiction. It is sort of Terminator meets Groundhog Day and I’m seeing Linda Hamilton in a vest while reading it - which is not a bad thing. The plotting is clever and it addresses the simplicity of “if I go back and change an event in the past then I can predict what will happen in a future timeline”. We are given lots of possible outcomes and how a small change can effect massive differences.

Easton is sent back to kill Tess and her brother. She has clever gadgets but no clothes and has to find a way to blend in and survive until an opportunity arises. But blending in means Easton gets to know Tess, a local vet who cares too much about her community and the animals and maybe not enough about herself. They connect and that makes the whole mission so much more complicated. I will not put any spoilers here but the story night not be what you are expecting - and I liked that.

I was given a copy of the book by Netgalley

[Andrea]

Easton Gray is sent from the future to stop the development of nanotechnology, the technology that has destroy society and endangers the future of the human race. Dr. Tess Nolan is a veterinary who has retuned to her small town looking for solitude and quiet. Her life takes a turn when she stumbles into Easton, who was sent to follow one order, but can she follow orders when her target is Tess?

This book was super interesting. As a science person, I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but not for long. I thought the way the time traveling was described and explained was very well done and not confusing, which is great to keep the story consistent and 'believable'. I really like both main characters and both were well developed.

I hope more books like this will follow and will definitely recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda]

First: That cover! It is so amazing.

I used to live in the Cariboo. Which meant I spent a stupid amount of time trying to figure out where the fictional city of Smokey River was supposed to be located. So times when I should have been paying attention to the story, it was like I was looking out the windw saying to myself "nope not here". Oh, it is that far from Vancouver, so not there either. And driving down the road the trees are like that so definitely not there. Mind you, I did kind of like that the setting was based on "home".

I felt overall this could have been a longer story, allowing for more world-building and even character development. There was no explanation for how time travel worked, how the slipback worked or what it meant. The plot relied on tropes of time-travel from a movie like 12 Monkeys and TV shows like Continuum (both of which have a similar plot line) to fill in the gap.

I liked the book, but was left wanting more.

[Evan]

Easton Gray is born in a future where humanity has been forced to live in underground cities to avoid extinction at the hands of the technology they invented. In order to create a better future, she travels to the past to kill two people linked to the creation of the technology before it can be released. Things get complicated when Easton finds herself drawn to one of her targets, Dr Tess Nolan, and questioning if there is another option.

This is a time travel story with a side of romance. Both are types of stories that I enjoy reading. Unfortunately, this story fell a bit flat on both elements for me. The relationship felt a bit contrived, and when it came to the details of changing the past, the story side stepped answering questions of how it would work.

It was a bit slow to start, though I found myself a bit more engaged for the last third. I was keen when I read the premise, but in the end this one did not resonate with me.

[Existenz]

The Edge of Yesterday by CJ Birch is a sci-fi romance that deals with nanotechnology and time travel.⏳
The main characters, Easton and Tess, fall in love while trying to stop a threat to humanity.

The book is a fast-paced and exciting read, with plenty of action, suspense, and romance. The author creates a vivid and realistic contrast between the futuristic and the present world, and explores the ethical and moral implications of nanotechnology and time travel. The writing style is engaging and easy to follow, with a good balance of dialogue, description, and narration. The characters are well-developed and likable, and their chemistry is undeniable. The romance is sweet and steamy, without being too graphic or cheesy.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes sci-fi, romance, or both. It is a well-written and entertaining story that will keep you hooked until the end. I gave it 4.5 ⭐️ out of 5.

[David]

Intriguing. Partway through I was wondering how Birch would possibly make this a satisfying book, but she threw in a nice twist to make it all work. The ending is a little lazy, but I think was probably a good choice given the situation. The third time through the timeline Birch could have made it successful, but given that she chose not to, describing a fourth and successful time through could have been a little repetitious and boring. It does just seem a little like Birch didn't write it because it would be boring for her to write, not because it would be boring for us to read.

[Kat]

This is one amazing story. The only thing is......I would love to see how it really ends 😁
The back and forth makes sense. Maybe not on the beginning but later on.
The connection between characters is strong from the beginning.

[Lisa]

4.5*
Such an interesting page-turner. Loved this take on time travel. Easton's personal journey rivals the impact of her journey through time. She grows so much in just a few days. This story is so very good. I highly recommend it!

[whataslacker]

Better than I expected it to be since it took me awhile to get into it. But I was hooked by about a third of the way in. Just don’t give up on it. BTW time travel still gives me headaches.

[Rh :)]

oh

[LilithAsterah]

I loved the alternate meet cutes in the book.

Also liked the flashbacks of Easton Gray's life.

Anyway after Easton's first failed attempts at assassinating her target was welp since I screwed up the first few times (reason to her respawning again in the past) so yeah have fun with this go around maybe even sleep with my target a bit then kill her UH REALLY? Wow. Too bad Easton starts falling for her target so jokes on her having to repeat it all over again while the person she loved does not recognize her back.

The ending left opened like that...ugh Can we please get a sequel then???