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The Black Umbrella: A Time Travel Love Story
“Time allegedly heals all wounds, right? What about a wound inflicted by time itself? How am I supposed to heal from that?”
It’s the first day of senior year and Brolly J. Parker is running late. When a storm knocks the power out, she finds an old umbrella in her mom’s closet. But when she opens the umbrella, Brolly is thrown through time, landing on the shore of a lakeside French castle in the year 1826. With the umbrella lost and no way for her to get home, Brolly does her best to adjust to 19th century life, including spending time with the castle’s enigmatic Lord Westbourne. She desperately misses her family, her best friends, and her budding relationship, but can’t deny her growing feelings for the confounding but kind Lord Westbourne. After opening her heart, and on the brink of starting a new life in a new time, Brolly finally finds the long missing umbrella. It’s then she’s faced with an impossible choice - stay with the person she loves or go back to her own time and a life without him.
A time travel coming of age packed with laugh out loud humor, unforgettable best friends, and big, swoony love.
It’s the first day of senior year and Brolly J. Parker is running late. When a storm knocks the power out, she finds an old umbrella in her mom’s closet. But when she opens the umbrella, Brolly is thrown through time, landing on the shore of a lakeside French castle in the year 1826. With the umbrella lost and no way for her to get home, Brolly does her best to adjust to 19th century life, including spending time with the castle’s enigmatic Lord Westbourne. She desperately misses her family, her best friends, and her budding relationship, but can’t deny her growing feelings for the confounding but kind Lord Westbourne. After opening her heart, and on the brink of starting a new life in a new time, Brolly finally finds the long missing umbrella. It’s then she’s faced with an impossible choice - stay with the person she loves or go back to her own time and a life without him.
A time travel coming of age packed with laugh out loud humor, unforgettable best friends, and big, swoony love.
- GenresTime Travel
329 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2022
14 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
About the author
JoAnna Illingworth
4 books24 followersFeaturing a mix of adult and young adult, JoAnna Illingworth’s books are character driven, fun, engaging reads. Her fast-paced storytelling, smart, funny characters, and swoony love interests keep readers hooked from start to finish.
Follow her on Instagram @glamorousjo and TikTok @glamjo
Visit JoAnna’s website at joannaillingworth.com for signed copies and news on upcoming releases and appearances.
JoAnna lives in Nashville’s suburbia with her husband and two boys.
Follow her on Instagram @glamorousjo and TikTok @glamjo
Visit JoAnna’s website at joannaillingworth.com for signed copies and news on upcoming releases and appearances.
JoAnna lives in Nashville’s suburbia with her husband and two boys.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 29, 2022
One of my favourite reads in such a long time. The language is amazing – so funny and so charismatic, it doesn't remind me of anything else. Jo has such a unique voice and it might be some of my favourite writing that I've ever read. She put so much effort into adding humour and emotion into her characters. I felt as though I wanted to be friends with the main character – she did a fantastic job of making you feel connected to her writing. I laughed so hard every few pages, and I've never experienced that while reading! The writing was so clean and so easy to read, I was never confused about what the main character was trying to portray and have me understand. I was absolutely hooked. I read this entire book in a single sitting – once you pick it up, it's impossible to put down.
This book gives you every amount of swoon, adventure, curiosity and a fabulous ending ((I won't say more, go get the book!!)). Once I finished it, I went through the book re-reading some of my favourite chapters because it was such an intriguing read. Throughout the story, as you watch the chemistry blossom between the two main characters, you can't help but want more. Wanting to know what's next for the two of them, what else they'll learn about each other, and where is it all going to conclude? The story is phenomenal and I would recommend it to anyone!
It's been a bit of time since I last had the pleasure of reading this book, and I'm sure Jo has spent so much time perfecting it since then. I'm so excited to own this in paperback and have it on my SHELF!! Jo, your writing is magnificent and I'm so proud of all you've done to make this a reality. I can't wait to flip pages this time around!
This book gives you every amount of swoon, adventure, curiosity and a fabulous ending ((I won't say more, go get the book!!)). Once I finished it, I went through the book re-reading some of my favourite chapters because it was such an intriguing read. Throughout the story, as you watch the chemistry blossom between the two main characters, you can't help but want more. Wanting to know what's next for the two of them, what else they'll learn about each other, and where is it all going to conclude? The story is phenomenal and I would recommend it to anyone!
It's been a bit of time since I last had the pleasure of reading this book, and I'm sure Jo has spent so much time perfecting it since then. I'm so excited to own this in paperback and have it on my SHELF!! Jo, your writing is magnificent and I'm so proud of all you've done to make this a reality. I can't wait to flip pages this time around!
May 6, 2022
I was given a free copy of The Black Umbrella in return for an honest review.
Romance novels like this aren’t usually my go to, this book however, was a sweet, easy, romantic read which I thoroughly enjoyed. The story was not as predictable as I first thought it would be. The characters are well thought out and easy to love. It was written in a way that allowed you to fully immerse yourself in the setting without having to work too hard to decipher what was being said.
I would recommend this book to lovers of YA fiction and those who enjoy romance books. This book is great for those who like a little bit of sweet physical contact but don’t enjoy reading spicy books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Romance novels like this aren’t usually my go to, this book however, was a sweet, easy, romantic read which I thoroughly enjoyed. The story was not as predictable as I first thought it would be. The characters are well thought out and easy to love. It was written in a way that allowed you to fully immerse yourself in the setting without having to work too hard to decipher what was being said.
I would recommend this book to lovers of YA fiction and those who enjoy romance books. This book is great for those who like a little bit of sweet physical contact but don’t enjoy reading spicy books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 10, 2022
Seriously so cute!!
March 11, 2022
I have thought about this book so many times since I read it! It’s such a delight - I was totally sold on the characters and the romance is sparkly and fun. 100% recommend, if you are alive this book is for you.
April 22, 2024
I loved this book so much! It is one of my favorite books I've read so far this year. It was such a fun read. I've been reading a lot of fantasy books lately, and this was something fun and different. Such a breath of fresh air to read. This YA romance doesn't have any spice in it, but the relationship in this story is so sweet.
The main character Brolly is a senior in high school and is running late for school. She's searching all over the house for her favorite shirt that she can't find anywhere. While she is searching in her mother’s closet to see if her shirt is in there, she ends up finding a black umbrella that is tucked away in the back of her mom's closet, which is perfect because it is pouring down rain outside.
But what she doesn't realize is that it is a magic umbrella! And when she opens it, she is thrown through time and lands on the shore of a lakeside French castle in 1826. A handsome English Lord (Lord Westbourne) finds her and lets her stay with him in the castle.
Because she can't find the umbrella anywhere in this new place, she can't get back home. So she spends the next few month adjusting to life in the 19th century without running water or electricity, and wearing different clothes.
As time goes on she spends more and more time with this handsome English Lord who is just so charming a proper. Think like Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice - that formal way of talking to each other and all of the society rules. So they are spending so much time together and eventually fall in love.
Just when she decides she wants to start her new life with him, she finds the missing black umbrella! Then she has to make the huge decision to either stay with the man she loves or go back home to her family.
I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil what happens next.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, I loved this story so much! This book is so well written. I was sucked right into the world and story the entire time I read it. And I couldn't put it down and couldn't stop reading it.
So if you want something fun to read with a beautiful wholesome love story, I highly suggest you read this book. It was just so good.
The main character Brolly is a senior in high school and is running late for school. She's searching all over the house for her favorite shirt that she can't find anywhere. While she is searching in her mother’s closet to see if her shirt is in there, she ends up finding a black umbrella that is tucked away in the back of her mom's closet, which is perfect because it is pouring down rain outside.
But what she doesn't realize is that it is a magic umbrella! And when she opens it, she is thrown through time and lands on the shore of a lakeside French castle in 1826. A handsome English Lord (Lord Westbourne) finds her and lets her stay with him in the castle.
Because she can't find the umbrella anywhere in this new place, she can't get back home. So she spends the next few month adjusting to life in the 19th century without running water or electricity, and wearing different clothes.
As time goes on she spends more and more time with this handsome English Lord who is just so charming a proper. Think like Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice - that formal way of talking to each other and all of the society rules. So they are spending so much time together and eventually fall in love.
Just when she decides she wants to start her new life with him, she finds the missing black umbrella! Then she has to make the huge decision to either stay with the man she loves or go back home to her family.
I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil what happens next.
Like I said at the beginning of this review, I loved this story so much! This book is so well written. I was sucked right into the world and story the entire time I read it. And I couldn't put it down and couldn't stop reading it.
So if you want something fun to read with a beautiful wholesome love story, I highly suggest you read this book. It was just so good.
March 24, 2022
I was really hesitant to see the only reviews being five stars (I know right now we got early access). And I thought to myself “surely it can’t be THAT good” but oh my god it was wonderful.
I was instantly attached to the characters and JoAnna had ME questioning who to choose.
The writing was easy, and didn’t my my brain work hard, my favorite kinda of books. She put us right there in that castle. JoAnna made us feel like we were Brolly, and it was truly wonderful.
This book made me laugh, cry, yell, and tugged at my heart in a way that a book hasn’t done to me recently.
The beautiful quotes mixed in with the old timely language, and the new age language as a response back was done in such a perfect way.
I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book so I can annotate it the way it deserves.
If you’re looking for a cute, easy, romantic read this is it. This is the book I would recommend!
I was instantly attached to the characters and JoAnna had ME questioning who to choose.
The writing was easy, and didn’t my my brain work hard, my favorite kinda of books. She put us right there in that castle. JoAnna made us feel like we were Brolly, and it was truly wonderful.
This book made me laugh, cry, yell, and tugged at my heart in a way that a book hasn’t done to me recently.
The beautiful quotes mixed in with the old timely language, and the new age language as a response back was done in such a perfect way.
I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book so I can annotate it the way it deserves.
If you’re looking for a cute, easy, romantic read this is it. This is the book I would recommend!
January 16, 2024
This was easily one of the best reading experiences I have had in my 15+ years of reading. I’m a huge historical romance fan and this story hit every wonderful spot in the genre and more. The adventure aspect of the time travel, the cute slow burn romance between the two main character, and the amazing display of realizing what love is was all done splendidly. I don’t even have the words to express how much this books warms my heart. It was so heartwarming and cutesy in a way that is so comforting.
I have read a handful of time travel romances before, like Outlander, but this book is special in the way it is never too much all at once. In some time travel romances there is a lot more time spent on the new time period and the politics, environment, etc. of said time line but, in this book, the romance really took the forefront of the story, as well as the character growth of the main character.
It’s the perfect book to read if you want something comforting, relaxing without being too dull, having you kicking your feet at the cute romance, and laughing out loud as the character tries to adapt to the new environment/time period they are in.
Hands down, one of my top 5 reads ever. I don’t even think another historical romance/time travel romance can top it, nor do I think I even want one to. Again, fans of this genre should DEFINITELY give it a read. And, if you do so, please let me know what you think so we can’t dish about our thoughts lol.
I have read a handful of time travel romances before, like Outlander, but this book is special in the way it is never too much all at once. In some time travel romances there is a lot more time spent on the new time period and the politics, environment, etc. of said time line but, in this book, the romance really took the forefront of the story, as well as the character growth of the main character.
It’s the perfect book to read if you want something comforting, relaxing without being too dull, having you kicking your feet at the cute romance, and laughing out loud as the character tries to adapt to the new environment/time period they are in.
Hands down, one of my top 5 reads ever. I don’t even think another historical romance/time travel romance can top it, nor do I think I even want one to. Again, fans of this genre should DEFINITELY give it a read. And, if you do so, please let me know what you think so we can’t dish about our thoughts lol.
January 11, 2025
DNF. Read 12% before stopping. I really wanted to like this book. I was so sure I was going to love it, in fact, that I downloaded the sequel at the same time. I love time travel stories, read a lot of YA, and thought the premise sounded adorable. But I just couldn’t get into the story. It may be that I’m just too old for this writing style, but the choppiness of the prose — many really short sentences and a lot of telling, not showing — and some atypical punctuation use made it hard for me to take off my editor hat, put down the mental red pen, and stop seeing words on the page and fall into the story. It’s a shame, because I hate leaving a negative review for a self-published book — I think there’s a lot of potential here that just needs a little polishing by an experienced editor.
March 10, 2022
I was EXTREMELY lucky to read an early copy of The Black Umbrella and I LOVED it. Give me a heroine who gets thrown back in time and is like WTF?! So many times it feels like time travelers just pick themselves up and move on like its no big thing. Oh I am from the year 2020 but ended up in 1860s? No prob - pass the bed pan. I, on the other hand, would respond exactly like Brolly did- which I am not going to spoil.
This story was so good and yes swoon-y and you will be rooting for Brolly the whole time. There were just enough twists and turns to make you cheer at the end. I highly recommend this book.
This story was so good and yes swoon-y and you will be rooting for Brolly the whole time. There were just enough twists and turns to make you cheer at the end. I highly recommend this book.
July 9, 2022
I think this might just be a "I'm too grown up for this" issue. This is very YA. I probably shouldn't be complaining about a lack of reality in a time-travel story...but this felt childish. And that isn't bad. But I'm nearly 36 years old. I think I'm long past the age where this writing style would be engaging.
Plus I knew how this was gonna end the second I realized she was still in high school. There was absolutely no way the author was going to make any other choice. The twists were pretty good...but, like I said, very much geared towards a young teen audience. If that's you, though, I wouldn't let me put you off reading this. You'll probably enjoy it.
Plus I knew how this was gonna end the second I realized she was still in high school. There was absolutely no way the author was going to make any other choice. The twists were pretty good...but, like I said, very much geared towards a young teen audience. If that's you, though, I wouldn't let me put you off reading this. You'll probably enjoy it.
February 21, 2024
First, I want to say I read this book because I saw the author on TikTok, and her videos made me laugh. So I figured the book would be funny too. And it was. After the success of The Outlander, it seemed like every new time-travel book had something to do with a Stonehenge-type setting, and it all got a bit derivative. I stopped reading them. But The Black Umbrella was different. I truly enjoyed the book and am waiting for book two to be delivered. It's fun, it's historical, and you'll enjoy yourself. Read the book.
March 4, 2025
I went into this not really knowing anything about it. I had the pleasure of talking to the author about her book and knew I had to get a copy! The time travel, the cute romance, and the amazing display of realizing what love and life is really about. It was so heartwarming and cutesy, I felt like I picked it up right when I needed it and it gave me a warm hug. If you’re looking for something that’s comforting, something that will make you kick your feet and giggling to yourself, this is the perfect read!
March 12, 2022
I was lucky enough to read this book several times as a baby manuscript, and I am ecstatic to see it out in the world. This is an incredible and swoony time-travel story with a fabulous voice. And when I say FABULOUS I mean fabulous. You can't help but fall for the MC Brolly and her french Lord. I was laughing out loud so many times. Totally recommend. This is like Outlander for the young adult crowd. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
May 18, 2022
I’m not usually a YA fiction reader, but WOW am I glad I read this book! An incredible story, and the author wastes no time in telling it. It had me feeling like a teenager again, being sucked into a good read and staying up way too late to finish it. A breath of fresh air after all the thrillers and mysteries I’ve been reading lately. So cute, so satisfying, and I fell in love with every character. The ending was even better than I could have hoped. Definitely recommend!
August 14, 2023
My book club heard of this book somehow and read it a few months ago. I had to miss the meeting but a member loaned it to me afterward. I knew it was self-published so, frankly, I wasn’t too sure I wanted to read it. It was excellent! A great YA book that I would have absolutely adored when I was 16. I’m 72 now but I still enjoyed it and don’t really understand why the author had to publish it herself. It’s well written and a fun time travel romance. A little predictable but in a good way!
March 23, 2022
It's been a long time since I've finished a book in one sitting! My God, did this do it for me!
I was concerned that it would be hard to follow given the topic of the book, but JoAnna wrote something so easy to follow!
I have actually already reread the book because it was just that good! It will be one I go to the shelf for over and over!
I was concerned that it would be hard to follow given the topic of the book, but JoAnna wrote something so easy to follow!
I have actually already reread the book because it was just that good! It will be one I go to the shelf for over and over!
January 28, 2024
This is such a refreshing adventure of a read. It had everything that I love about historical fiction/romance. I loved the suspense, the time travel aspect, and the slow-burn romance that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. It was also such a cute, quick read that could pull anyone out of a reading slump. It was definitely a great first read of the year for me!
February 12, 2025
This started slow for me, and I struggled to engage. It could have been the timing for me. I also came to this after reading “Don’t You Want Me” - which I loved - so possibly the bar was just too high. About halfway through, I got caught up and loved it to the end. Can’t wait to read the sequel next, and see what Amelia’s experience is. She’s definitely a strong character!
October 7, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I really like stories that are contemporary but have just a little bit of magic sprinkled in, so this fit the bill. The characters grew on me, especially Brolly (though the fact that her name HAD to have been inspired by the umbrella didn’t come up!!). I didn’t expect the ending, so that’s always good. I recommend this story!
March 31, 2022
I absolutely loved this book - the characters were amazing and I was invested in them and loved spending time with them, and the setting / plot was really compelling and kept my interest throughout. I'll definitely look forward to more books from this author!
May 12, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this, I loved the blend of Outlander and Pride and Prejudice. The characters were really well done and I enjoyed the storyline.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 13, 2022
Loved these characters so much and did not want it to end. It’s a swoony, fun read filled with vivid settings and twists and turns. I recommend this to anyone needing a romantic and adventurous escape!
April 4, 2024
I picked this up after a friend recommended it. An umbrella, time travel, say no more.
I really loved all the characters, especially the “side kicks”.
I would have loved if this had been written from multiple POV’s and went more into the magic umbrella.
It was a fun read but I wanted more.
I really loved all the characters, especially the “side kicks”.
I would have loved if this had been written from multiple POV’s and went more into the magic umbrella.
It was a fun read but I wanted more.
June 30, 2024
A sweet, charming, and lighthearted YA romance. If I had been between 16 and my early 20s, I probably would have read this in one day. As a 40 year old though it would not be my normal go to kind of story. I could see this book being a nice "pallet cleanser" for the mature (i.e. older) reader.
February 14, 2025
The Black Umbrella is a YA time travel romance where the main character lands on the shore of a French castle in 1826.
If you like Outlander, Jane Austen, castles and time travel- you must read this. 📖✨⏰💘
If you like Outlander, Jane Austen, castles and time travel- you must read this. 📖✨⏰💘
December 8, 2025
Such a cute book! Stumbled on this book at a First Friday in Columbia and just wanted to support local. But the book passed my expectations! I was a little confused about the witch situation, but I wonder if it will come up in book two??? Rom-com with a little twist lol
March 29, 2022
I loved this book! Kind of like outlander it has a time travel element. Beautifully written and I definitely want a physical copy!!
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March 29, 2022Li este livro ouvindo Bethoven String Quartet No 15,eu esperava mais desta time travel story,mas tem alguns elementos que ainda gostei... Se tiver um segundo livro lerei.
May 30, 2022
Lovely story about time travel and love. It’s a well written tale that I enjoyed reading.
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July 27, 2023I loved this book!! This is a great book for pre-teens and moms, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews