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Borrowed Time #1
Borrowed Time
Tom Jacob is bored with his life.
He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees.
The following morning he wakes up in a field.
In Wales.
In 1889.
Stranded more than a century in the past, Tom has to overcome language barriers and suspicion as he attempts to adapt to the world around him and find a way back to his own time, but with two people from the sleepy village of Cwm Newydd now missing, one local resident seems hell bent on pinning the blame for their disappearance on the strange Englishman who appeared out of nowhere.
Determined to find his way home, the discovery of a long hidden family secret will change Tom's life forever, and when romance comes knocking he'll be left wondering in which timeline his heart truly lies.
He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees.
The following morning he wakes up in a field.
In Wales.
In 1889.
Stranded more than a century in the past, Tom has to overcome language barriers and suspicion as he attempts to adapt to the world around him and find a way back to his own time, but with two people from the sleepy village of Cwm Newydd now missing, one local resident seems hell bent on pinning the blame for their disappearance on the strange Englishman who appeared out of nowhere.
Determined to find his way home, the discovery of a long hidden family secret will change Tom's life forever, and when romance comes knocking he'll be left wondering in which timeline his heart truly lies.
347 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2022
14 people are currently reading
284 people want to read
About the author
Russell Dean
3 books29 followersRussell Dean is a Welsh author based in Cardiff and he doesn't like speaking in the third person.
So I won't.
Predominantly focused on historical fiction with sprinkles of LGBT themes, I've put my hand to many genres, some of which will be released in both print and digital formats over the coming months.
My first novel, Borrowed Time, was released in July 2022 and became an Amazon bestseller. The follow up, Echoes on the Wind, is due for release in 2024.
I am currently in the depth of drafting on my next novel, 'It's Not Me, It's You', which will take a humorous look at gay dating and all of its disasters in a world before the apps took over.
For news, updates and upcoming releases you can follow me on twitter @russdeanwrites, or if you'd like to see me making nonsense videos to promote my work, you can also find me on TikTok @russelldeanwrites.
For more information, bonus content and to get ahead of the news as it hits social media, you can sign up to my newsletter on my website, www.russelldeanauthor.co.uk
So I won't.
Predominantly focused on historical fiction with sprinkles of LGBT themes, I've put my hand to many genres, some of which will be released in both print and digital formats over the coming months.
My first novel, Borrowed Time, was released in July 2022 and became an Amazon bestseller. The follow up, Echoes on the Wind, is due for release in 2024.
I am currently in the depth of drafting on my next novel, 'It's Not Me, It's You', which will take a humorous look at gay dating and all of its disasters in a world before the apps took over.
For news, updates and upcoming releases you can follow me on twitter @russdeanwrites, or if you'd like to see me making nonsense videos to promote my work, you can also find me on TikTok @russelldeanwrites.
For more information, bonus content and to get ahead of the news as it hits social media, you can sign up to my newsletter on my website, www.russelldeanauthor.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 14, 2022
Borrowed Time is masterful. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book through the haze of tears. Russell Dean delivers laser-focused prose with a beating heart that will impact the coldest of readers.
Borrowed Time is by far my favourite book of the year, and I’d struggle to envision anything topping it – it wrought emotion, a feeling of longing, and the need to read the next instalment like yesterday. Russell Dean is locking up for a battle, he tackles heavy subjects without ever shying away, and he carries it out with ease and tactfulness. So, if I haven’t already managed to convince you to read it, then what else will pull you in?
A Time travel story with a difference
Well researched village communities in the 1880s.
Hard-hitting topics such as sexuality and misogyny.
A story with grit and raw emotion.
Strong relatable characters.
Tom Jacob has just lost his father. He ruled with an iron fist, stubborn and unrelenting. He wishes they had been closer, but it was hard with his brand of parenting, and witnessing how his twin brother, Lee would get the brunt of it was hard. He has a longing that resides within the pit of his stomach. His life is nothing but eat, sleep and work. He wants something more, but he doesn’t know how to reach for it. So, when Lee suggests going out for a drink after sorting through their father’s belongings, he reluctantly agrees, keen to shake off that boring descriptor that he seems to wear like an item of clothing.
Right from the beginning, I felt a crack in Tom. Who can’t relate to feeling lost in their world at some point or another? The regrets of the past can weigh heavily on the psyche. Dean captured this perfectly, I was overcome with emotion. Little did I know that this would only be the first wave of a rather large tsunami that would knock me on my arse!
Tom finds a ring within his father’s belongings. An unassuming ruby ring, he puts it on, a signifier of his father he keeps it on him. Things are still raw. Tom and his brother party and Tom, unfortunately, gets thrown out of the bar. He is very drunk and passes out and wakes up in a field and discovers it is 1889 and he is in Wales, where the spoken language isn’t English but Welsh. It was a massive culture shock, but that’s only the start of the twists and turns.
Tom will come across characters that relate to his future. Mair was an absolute favourite. It was her family’s field that Tom woke up in and I was instantly in awe of her badass behaviour. The time never stopped her pointing a gun in men’s faces, the time never stopped her speaking her mind and the time didn’t get to decide that she belonged in the kitchen, I freaking loved her.
What comes next is a man’s desire to find out his family’s secrets. How does the ring fit into his ability to time travel, and can he find a way home? After discovering just how freeing it can be to live without the stress, technology, and living with less, and now that he is falling in love, will he decide to stay in 1889 Wales after all?
Borrowed Time is by far my favourite book of the year, and I’d struggle to envision anything topping it – it wrought emotion, a feeling of longing, and the need to read the next instalment like yesterday. Russell Dean is locking up for a battle, he tackles heavy subjects without ever shying away, and he carries it out with ease and tactfulness. So, if I haven’t already managed to convince you to read it, then what else will pull you in?
A Time travel story with a difference
Well researched village communities in the 1880s.
Hard-hitting topics such as sexuality and misogyny.
A story with grit and raw emotion.
Strong relatable characters.
Tom Jacob has just lost his father. He ruled with an iron fist, stubborn and unrelenting. He wishes they had been closer, but it was hard with his brand of parenting, and witnessing how his twin brother, Lee would get the brunt of it was hard. He has a longing that resides within the pit of his stomach. His life is nothing but eat, sleep and work. He wants something more, but he doesn’t know how to reach for it. So, when Lee suggests going out for a drink after sorting through their father’s belongings, he reluctantly agrees, keen to shake off that boring descriptor that he seems to wear like an item of clothing.
Right from the beginning, I felt a crack in Tom. Who can’t relate to feeling lost in their world at some point or another? The regrets of the past can weigh heavily on the psyche. Dean captured this perfectly, I was overcome with emotion. Little did I know that this would only be the first wave of a rather large tsunami that would knock me on my arse!
Tom finds a ring within his father’s belongings. An unassuming ruby ring, he puts it on, a signifier of his father he keeps it on him. Things are still raw. Tom and his brother party and Tom, unfortunately, gets thrown out of the bar. He is very drunk and passes out and wakes up in a field and discovers it is 1889 and he is in Wales, where the spoken language isn’t English but Welsh. It was a massive culture shock, but that’s only the start of the twists and turns.
Tom will come across characters that relate to his future. Mair was an absolute favourite. It was her family’s field that Tom woke up in and I was instantly in awe of her badass behaviour. The time never stopped her pointing a gun in men’s faces, the time never stopped her speaking her mind and the time didn’t get to decide that she belonged in the kitchen, I freaking loved her.
What comes next is a man’s desire to find out his family’s secrets. How does the ring fit into his ability to time travel, and can he find a way home? After discovering just how freeing it can be to live without the stress, technology, and living with less, and now that he is falling in love, will he decide to stay in 1889 Wales after all?
did-not-finish
September 22, 2024DNF @ 20%. No rating.
I worried that this would be more historical fiction than historical romance and I'm pretty sure I'm right. I've read a fifth of the story and the love interest hasn't been introduced yet, which is never a good sign. In addition, all of the reviews and the blurb focus heavily on Tom's time travelling and very little on the romance, which should have been a warning sign.
Another problem was that the time travel aspect wasn't treated with the seriousness that I thought it should be. Granted, Tom doesn't have a clue how he time travelled and he has no money or anything else with him so it wouldn't make sense for him to start wandering around rural Wales with no plan. But the way he immediately settled into living with a random family didn't make any sense to me. Before he's even been with the family for 24 hours, he's happy being there and has stopped freaking out about what happened. Sorry, but if you realize that you've time travelled 100 years into the past and you have NO CLUE how to get back home, it would take a lot longer for me to stop panicking about the state of things.
Connected to that, it made even less sense that this random family would take him in like a long lost son. Tom knows nothing about farm work so even though he wants to earn his keep, he's not exactly the best farmhand available. In addition, it was odd how this family with 7 children takes in another mouth to feed for no apparent reason other than the goodness of their hearts. Not to mention that Tom is in his early 20s and he's a stranger and an Englishman who showed up randomly and out of the blue. Why aren't they more suspicious of him?! Why aren't they being more cautious about having this strange man around their children?! They don't allow him to sleep in the house but it didn't make sense to me that they treated Tom as just another son/brother. This didn't fit with the time period but it wouldn't have fit in any time period anyway.
Lastly, I got the strong feeling that the main point of this book was going to be that Tom realizes he loves the simple rural lifestyle he gets to live while in the past (loving farm work, loving the village folks etc). The problem is that this has little to do with the time period he travelled to. The good old 'city-dweller-loves-rural-living' is a trope that's very common. In addition, the rural lifestyle that Tom lives while in the past isn't very different from what he'd experience if he decided to go out into the country in 1998 as opposed to 1889. Sure, it's strange for him to not have running water available but the simple lifestyle, manual labor and lack of amenities is basically the same if he had gone to live on a low income farm in 1998. For that reason, the story didn't feel like something new and unique. Since I wasn't happy with the lack of romance so far and I didn't care about the developing family mystery, I realized I wouldn't get what I wanted from this.
I worried that this would be more historical fiction than historical romance and I'm pretty sure I'm right. I've read a fifth of the story and the love interest hasn't been introduced yet, which is never a good sign. In addition, all of the reviews and the blurb focus heavily on Tom's time travelling and very little on the romance, which should have been a warning sign.
Another problem was that the time travel aspect wasn't treated with the seriousness that I thought it should be. Granted, Tom doesn't have a clue how he time travelled and he has no money or anything else with him so it wouldn't make sense for him to start wandering around rural Wales with no plan. But the way he immediately settled into living with a random family didn't make any sense to me. Before he's even been with the family for 24 hours, he's happy being there and has stopped freaking out about what happened. Sorry, but if you realize that you've time travelled 100 years into the past and you have NO CLUE how to get back home, it would take a lot longer for me to stop panicking about the state of things.
Connected to that, it made even less sense that this random family would take him in like a long lost son. Tom knows nothing about farm work so even though he wants to earn his keep, he's not exactly the best farmhand available. In addition, it was odd how this family with 7 children takes in another mouth to feed for no apparent reason other than the goodness of their hearts. Not to mention that Tom is in his early 20s and he's a stranger and an Englishman who showed up randomly and out of the blue. Why aren't they more suspicious of him?! Why aren't they being more cautious about having this strange man around their children?! They don't allow him to sleep in the house but it didn't make sense to me that they treated Tom as just another son/brother. This didn't fit with the time period but it wouldn't have fit in any time period anyway.
Lastly, I got the strong feeling that the main point of this book was going to be that Tom realizes he loves the simple rural lifestyle he gets to live while in the past (loving farm work, loving the village folks etc). The problem is that this has little to do with the time period he travelled to. The good old 'city-dweller-loves-rural-living' is a trope that's very common. In addition, the rural lifestyle that Tom lives while in the past isn't very different from what he'd experience if he decided to go out into the country in 1998 as opposed to 1889. Sure, it's strange for him to not have running water available but the simple lifestyle, manual labor and lack of amenities is basically the same if he had gone to live on a low income farm in 1998. For that reason, the story didn't feel like something new and unique. Since I wasn't happy with the lack of romance so far and I didn't care about the developing family mystery, I realized I wouldn't get what I wanted from this.
October 2, 2022
This book follows in that grand tradition of romantic back-in-time plots, and I was entertained by a simple but well-crafted engaging plot. I became quite emotionally invested in both MCs plus quite a few of the secondary characters. I'd be happy to try other books from the author (first time read for me).
September 26, 2024
When reading this I felt that I was also transported back in time to Wales with Tom.
It was just so beautifully written that kept me so captivated and immersed. The details and descriptions when came to the setting, it was so easy to imagine the little village of Cwm Newydd.
There was so much heart in the story, the interactions Tom has with the other characters and the relationships he creates, it really makes it such an enjoyable read that had me feeling so many emotions. Moments I'd be laughing out loud while reading, smiling happily or wiping away my tears.
The romance was just so good! A little slow to get to it but once it started added so much more to what was already becoming a great story.
Mair was an absolute stand out for me. Things like the way she was with Tom and the closeness they had. Or how she interacted and the pure love she had for her brother Gwynn, who was also so dreamy.
Now that I've mentioned Gwynn, I do have to say it has been a minute since I've read a book where I am just so taken back by and lusting over a character. Gwynn really was charming, very attractive, kind, caring, did I mention attractive?
Overall, I really did enjoy this book a lot! Looking forward to more!
It was just so beautifully written that kept me so captivated and immersed. The details and descriptions when came to the setting, it was so easy to imagine the little village of Cwm Newydd.
There was so much heart in the story, the interactions Tom has with the other characters and the relationships he creates, it really makes it such an enjoyable read that had me feeling so many emotions. Moments I'd be laughing out loud while reading, smiling happily or wiping away my tears.
The romance was just so good! A little slow to get to it but once it started added so much more to what was already becoming a great story.
Mair was an absolute stand out for me. Things like the way she was with Tom and the closeness they had. Or how she interacted and the pure love she had for her brother Gwynn, who was also so dreamy.
Now that I've mentioned Gwynn, I do have to say it has been a minute since I've read a book where I am just so taken back by and lusting over a character. Gwynn really was charming, very attractive, kind, caring, did I mention attractive?
Overall, I really did enjoy this book a lot! Looking forward to more!
October 18, 2022
I tried to start this a couple of weeks ago and for some reason wasn’t feeling it after the first three or four pages. I started again while on vacation this week once I didn’t have anything else waiting to be read and I must say, I finished it in one sitting. It was headed toward a 5-star rating until I tried to swipe to the next page and realized…it had ended. After thinking about it, I guess I GET the ending but I miss seeing
July 20, 2022
I must be on a winning streak with debut novels because I absolutely loved this book.
After a night of drinking with his twin brother, 26 year old Tom Jacob travels in time from Cambridge, England in 1998 to Cwm Newydd, a small village near Aberystwyth, Wales in 1889. As he tries to figure out what happened to him and how he can return home, he begins to adjust to life in rural Wales and forges close connections with some of the residents of the village. Along the way, he discovers an incredible family secret and unwittingly makes an enemy of the local landowner's son.
The story is told from the perspective of Tom and written beautifully. I was so impressed with the quality of the writing. Although the dialogue was not wholly faithful to how the villagers would have spoken at the time, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way.
One small niggle I had was the incorrect use of apostrophes on some occasions, particularly when referring to the Hopkin family as "the Hopkin's", rather than "the Hopkins" (I counted 18 instances).
The characters were fully developed and details about rural life at the time (not only the difficulties of farming life but also the dangers of working in mines, inadequacy of healthcare, fear of persecution for gay men, and the overreach of entitled landowners) appeared to be quite realistic.
There is a sweet (gay) romance at the heart of the book with some intimate scenes that fade to black, which does not bother me in the slightest but other romance readers may prefer more details.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so I am keen to read the next one.
After a night of drinking with his twin brother, 26 year old Tom Jacob travels in time from Cambridge, England in 1998 to Cwm Newydd, a small village near Aberystwyth, Wales in 1889. As he tries to figure out what happened to him and how he can return home, he begins to adjust to life in rural Wales and forges close connections with some of the residents of the village. Along the way, he discovers an incredible family secret and unwittingly makes an enemy of the local landowner's son.
The story is told from the perspective of Tom and written beautifully. I was so impressed with the quality of the writing. Although the dialogue was not wholly faithful to how the villagers would have spoken at the time, this did not detract from my enjoyment of the story in any way.
One small niggle I had was the incorrect use of apostrophes on some occasions, particularly when referring to the Hopkin family as "the Hopkin's", rather than "the Hopkins" (I counted 18 instances).
The characters were fully developed and details about rural life at the time (not only the difficulties of farming life but also the dangers of working in mines, inadequacy of healthcare, fear of persecution for gay men, and the overreach of entitled landowners) appeared to be quite realistic.
There is a sweet (gay) romance at the heart of the book with some intimate scenes that fade to black, which does not bother me in the slightest but other romance readers may prefer more details.
The book ends on a cliffhanger so I am keen to read the next one.
August 31, 2024
Absolutely stunning
This is, hands down, the best book I’ve read this year. It not only contains everything I like in a novel plot- and character wise but it is also delivered with a prose that’s both sharp and flowing.
There’s so much love in Borrowed Time and I don’t mean the romance per se. Though, all things considered, Tom and Gwyn’s love story is truly amazing, shining with a soft light in a time where such love was meant to be shrouded in darkness.
The time-travelling plot was structured well in the good old magical realism tradition. The rendering of the atmosphere of a 19th century Welsh village - impecable, along with all the hard topics but also the sensitivity of people caring for each-other.
Ah, and I found one of my most favourite female characters. Mair is awesome!
I loved the ending and I can’t wait for the next book!
This is, hands down, the best book I’ve read this year. It not only contains everything I like in a novel plot- and character wise but it is also delivered with a prose that’s both sharp and flowing.
There’s so much love in Borrowed Time and I don’t mean the romance per se. Though, all things considered, Tom and Gwyn’s love story is truly amazing, shining with a soft light in a time where such love was meant to be shrouded in darkness.
The time-travelling plot was structured well in the good old magical realism tradition. The rendering of the atmosphere of a 19th century Welsh village - impecable, along with all the hard topics but also the sensitivity of people caring for each-other.
Ah, and I found one of my most favourite female characters. Mair is awesome!
I loved the ending and I can’t wait for the next book!
July 8, 2024
Tom Jacob wakes one day to find himself transported from England in the 1990s to Wales in the 1880s and must struggle to adapt to life in a rural village, miles from civilisation, and under the gaze of suspicious locals. When the opportunity for romance arrives, Tom's determination to find a way home wavers, and he's left to consider if his future really lies in the past.
This book was brilliant. The characters are so vivid and real, and life in Victorian Wales is brought beautifully to life, highlighting the difficulties that isolated communities faced, the perils of health care and manual labours, the struggles of women in a masculine led world and the dangers of falling in love with someone whom society deems is wrong.
There's a slow burning romance at the heart of this tale between two men, and the author goes to great lengths to highlight the difficulties that they faced, not only from society, but the law, if they were to ever be found out. It was great to see a character as strong as Tom leading a story where he is so confident and at home in his sexuality that doesn't deal with coming out or the internal fight about being gay. By the end of the book I was really championing their relationship, but I won't spoil any outcomes.
The story itself is a great character piece, and despite the drama and obstacles that Tom faces, the author does a great job of showing the changes in the character as he grows and develops, becoming a content and able man as the story progresses, far removed from the middle class office dweller we first meet who is so out of his depth.
The story ends on a light cliffhanger, which I hope means that we will be getting more of this story in the future as I had become fully invested in the story and the characters by the time I closed the book. A very easy recommend and a very easy 5 stars. A great debut.
This book was brilliant. The characters are so vivid and real, and life in Victorian Wales is brought beautifully to life, highlighting the difficulties that isolated communities faced, the perils of health care and manual labours, the struggles of women in a masculine led world and the dangers of falling in love with someone whom society deems is wrong.
There's a slow burning romance at the heart of this tale between two men, and the author goes to great lengths to highlight the difficulties that they faced, not only from society, but the law, if they were to ever be found out. It was great to see a character as strong as Tom leading a story where he is so confident and at home in his sexuality that doesn't deal with coming out or the internal fight about being gay. By the end of the book I was really championing their relationship, but I won't spoil any outcomes.
The story itself is a great character piece, and despite the drama and obstacles that Tom faces, the author does a great job of showing the changes in the character as he grows and develops, becoming a content and able man as the story progresses, far removed from the middle class office dweller we first meet who is so out of his depth.
The story ends on a light cliffhanger, which I hope means that we will be getting more of this story in the future as I had become fully invested in the story and the characters by the time I closed the book. A very easy recommend and a very easy 5 stars. A great debut.
July 7, 2024
Tom wakes in a Welsh village 100 years before he passed out during a drunken brawl. How did he get there, and why? This intriguing tale kept me gripped from the start. The characters and the setting were believable, as was Tom’s struggle to come to terms with his fate. As the story progressed, I couldn’t decide if I wanted him to stay or return to his old life, and neither could he. I’d really like to read the sequel to this, and I especially like to know more about the contents of his father’s diary. Great debut novel.
January 7, 2024
Yes, there is time travel.
Yes, there is MM romance.
Mostly, though, there is the day to day life of an 1890's Welsh town and the indifferently rendered people who live there. This book is dull and the ending screams "even the author is bored to tears and just wants it over."
Yes, there is MM romance.
Mostly, though, there is the day to day life of an 1890's Welsh town and the indifferently rendered people who live there. This book is dull and the ending screams "even the author is bored to tears and just wants it over."
January 3, 2023
I don't read romance, I read this, and I loved it.
No spoilers review
Summary:
Borrowed time is a time travel romance about love, family, and finding your place in the world.
The Good:
I have a problem with romance in general, and it's just how easy everything seems to be. Yes, there are setbacks, but you kind of already know who's going to end up with who, who is going to be the villain, who is going to be the rival, and where your character falls within the world. It tends to be very pained by numbers unless it's properly written, and I like the fact that Russell Dean avoids most of these pitfalls, and the ones he does walk into he does with finesse and with a good idea of where the story is going.
I like stories to be conscious about whether their characters have earned their progress and this is a story in which the main character definitely has to work for it. Of course you know who the love interest is from the moment this character steps into the scene, but the fact that the story happens in a small rural town with very innocent mindsets, keeps you wondering. It feels like the story is properly progressing in a way that makes sense within the world and it's not rushing. The difficulties encountered within the story are not limited to the two characters involved in this romance, but to characters within that world which makes it feel lived in.
Throughout the story I kept wondering: but wait, wouldn't this have happened? And the story would address it, so it feels very thought out and very carefully, lovingly put together.
The same can be said about the characters, you risk when it comes to time pieces to fall into character cliches, but Russell Dean managers to make it feel natural and with a slight tweak to make the characters human and to make you care about them.
The theme of "what others want versus what I want" is ever present in the story and there's a sense that you can't just postpone actions because inaction is cruelty.
The Bad:
I don't think there's anything bad with the story, definitely nothing that I would say to the dirt you from reading it, by all means read it.
But since I'm not a romance fan and what attracted me to this was the time travel aspect of it, I will say I was very pleasantly surprised by the story I found here, but there are always tropes in the genre that will pop up, especially when you're talking about queer romance.
Setting a queer romance within a time period in which being queer was illegal brings certain complications which are addressed in the story but are done away quicker than they should have for the sake of the characters in the story. I will say, every novel does this so it's not exclusive to this one, plot licenses happen in every novel, but I tend to be very sensitive to how realistically queer romance can really be portrayed in a period piece due to the many complications.
If you can turn off that voice in your head that questions that one aspect of the story, and Russell Dean helps this a lot with his character work and just how endearing these characters are, this will not be a problem at all.
Also it's very PG-13 in its approach, so if you're looking for romance with extended, steamy, graphic, descriptions of what's happening, this would not be for you, but at no point does the novel claim to be that. It's a romance in the purest of senses in the sense that your focus is in these two characters falling for each other, developing a relationship, and seeing where it goes, not which parts go where.
The Different:
What sets this book apart from others within its genre? I think "queer" and "time travel" set it apart from other works, and it results in a very nice humane beautiful combination. You can tell that Dean researched the period well so that the story being portrayed feels very realistic and very cohesive. It does not feel superficial at all.
Closing:
I would definitely recommend that you read this now it's an amazing novel with a lot of heart and love for its characters with a heartwarming blood and a very intriguing premise.
No spoilers review
Summary:
Borrowed time is a time travel romance about love, family, and finding your place in the world.
The Good:
I have a problem with romance in general, and it's just how easy everything seems to be. Yes, there are setbacks, but you kind of already know who's going to end up with who, who is going to be the villain, who is going to be the rival, and where your character falls within the world. It tends to be very pained by numbers unless it's properly written, and I like the fact that Russell Dean avoids most of these pitfalls, and the ones he does walk into he does with finesse and with a good idea of where the story is going.
I like stories to be conscious about whether their characters have earned their progress and this is a story in which the main character definitely has to work for it. Of course you know who the love interest is from the moment this character steps into the scene, but the fact that the story happens in a small rural town with very innocent mindsets, keeps you wondering. It feels like the story is properly progressing in a way that makes sense within the world and it's not rushing. The difficulties encountered within the story are not limited to the two characters involved in this romance, but to characters within that world which makes it feel lived in.
Throughout the story I kept wondering: but wait, wouldn't this have happened? And the story would address it, so it feels very thought out and very carefully, lovingly put together.
The same can be said about the characters, you risk when it comes to time pieces to fall into character cliches, but Russell Dean managers to make it feel natural and with a slight tweak to make the characters human and to make you care about them.
The theme of "what others want versus what I want" is ever present in the story and there's a sense that you can't just postpone actions because inaction is cruelty.
The Bad:
I don't think there's anything bad with the story, definitely nothing that I would say to the dirt you from reading it, by all means read it.
But since I'm not a romance fan and what attracted me to this was the time travel aspect of it, I will say I was very pleasantly surprised by the story I found here, but there are always tropes in the genre that will pop up, especially when you're talking about queer romance.
Setting a queer romance within a time period in which being queer was illegal brings certain complications which are addressed in the story but are done away quicker than they should have for the sake of the characters in the story. I will say, every novel does this so it's not exclusive to this one, plot licenses happen in every novel, but I tend to be very sensitive to how realistically queer romance can really be portrayed in a period piece due to the many complications.
If you can turn off that voice in your head that questions that one aspect of the story, and Russell Dean helps this a lot with his character work and just how endearing these characters are, this will not be a problem at all.
Also it's very PG-13 in its approach, so if you're looking for romance with extended, steamy, graphic, descriptions of what's happening, this would not be for you, but at no point does the novel claim to be that. It's a romance in the purest of senses in the sense that your focus is in these two characters falling for each other, developing a relationship, and seeing where it goes, not which parts go where.
The Different:
What sets this book apart from others within its genre? I think "queer" and "time travel" set it apart from other works, and it results in a very nice humane beautiful combination. You can tell that Dean researched the period well so that the story being portrayed feels very realistic and very cohesive. It does not feel superficial at all.
Closing:
I would definitely recommend that you read this now it's an amazing novel with a lot of heart and love for its characters with a heartwarming blood and a very intriguing premise.
August 30, 2024
This was such an easy 5 star for me.
Borrowed Time had everything I love in a book. Likeable characters, quick pace, time travel, and great writing. I don't quite know what to say about it. I loved the world Tom found himself in and I want more. I'm glad to see a sequel has already been planned and yes, I've already got it on preorder.
Borrowed Time had everything I love in a book. Likeable characters, quick pace, time travel, and great writing. I don't quite know what to say about it. I loved the world Tom found himself in and I want more. I'm glad to see a sequel has already been planned and yes, I've already got it on preorder.
November 10, 2022
Blue balled by that ending
August 1, 2024
This review was originally posted on SFFINSIDERS.COM
I dove into this book completely blind. I saw the author post something on Twitter (still not calling it X), it hit a number of things I vibe with - one of which being supporting indie authors, so I took a chance because I have spent more money on things I didn’t necessarily vibe with. This is probably the best £3.99 I have ever spent because I ended up loving this book so much. If I knew then how much I’d love it, I’d have paid well over £3.99 for it.
Tom was bored with his life and from the brief glimpse we see of his ‘modern’ life, I was bored with it. He was the responsible child, doing what’s expected and what his difficult, now dead, father wanted. We don’t actually see much of that life but, following the funeral and the lead up to partying with his brother, we hear about it. And as we know from the blurb, the following morning he wakes up in a field in Wales. I had a uni friend who woke up on his front porch without his house keys and wallet so these things apparently just happen to some people. Probably with less time travel in most cases.
Anyway, I want to briefly focus on the in between from funeral to partying and waking up in a field for a second. After the funeral that opens Ch 1, Russell immediately piques your interest with the little details about Tom’s father’s items. Who was Ellie? Mr Wallace? Why was his father paying to upkeep a farm? (And looking at the early chapters to write this review I just had an epiphany about a small detail that was oh so sneaky. Well played, Russell Dean, well played. John Jacob most definitely was not a philanthropist.) Following this, Tom and his brother then go partying and Tom wakes up in a field in Wales.
As if it’s not enough to suddenly wake up in a field in Wales, Tom immediately gets himself into an altercation from which we meet Mair, who may be my favourite character in all of Wales. And she stayed my favourite throughout. Not just because I loved her line early on about waving a gun at Arthur Morgan, who is insufferable, but also her teasing relationship with Tom and her pure acceptance of her brother, so long as he’s safe and happy, in a time when he is profoundly not accepted.
We first meet Mair’s brother, and Tom’s romantic interest, in the aftermath of a mining accident. I’m going to take a pause here to mention Russell’s excellent portrayal of the mining accident. The women of town, particularly Nellie, taking charge to see to the casualties, the glimpses of how these accidents impacted whole towns and several other towns over, the helplessness and sorrow when those they tried to help didn’t make it. This was so beautifully done and utterly heartbreaking but was the reality for so many townspeople. Ok, back into the rest of the review. We meet Gwyn following the accident and straightaway you know he’s going to be a fun character. There’s no time like when you’re down with a broken rib to start flirting and teasing a new face in town….apparently. I really adored their relationship. How it progressed just felt so natural and sweet. I want more of this in books and life.
What I also want more of is English people away from England being relentlessly teased for being English. I loved it in Derry Girls with James and I loved it in Borrowed Time with Tom. The little girl, Sophia, saying ‘Mam says we have to speak English to you, but that’s alright because we have to speak it in school anyway and Mam says it would be rude to speak Welsh if you can’t understand what we’re saying about you.’ had me recommending this book to so many people who can appreciate that sentiment. And that was like page 50. It just carried on throughout the book. “It’s not his fault that he’s English.” I am also furious with Russell about Sophia and I refuse to forgive him on the grounds that how dare he.
I’m going to take another pause on this one, backtrack briefly, and highlight again how excellently Russell weaved in the historic loss of Welsh language and culture. It was banned in schools, removed as the default language in churches, and with the ownership of mines being Englishmen, the default work language becoming English. If you speak to proud Welsh people, you will undoubtedly hear about this eventually because it took decades to claw back some of the Welsh language into an official capacity. But Russell does not harp on it like I’m doing here, it is just weaved into the conversation with Tom and Gwyn. A new lover sharing a past that impacted more than just their own life. Still not heavy handed at all and just gives you a real historical background to the time.
Right, back to the review again. Throughout all of this we have the mystery from Tom’s father that we started with, but now we’re getting pieces fitting together while also getting new mysteries like how the heckie did Tom end up in 1898 Wales?! But it’s cool, he’s found love, he’s building a family for himself. We’re slowly getting answers to some of those mysteries and questions. Tom is finding his Welsh farmer feet, it’s all quite sweet - and then Russell pulls the rug out from under us and I hated it! No I mean, I loved the whole book, it was great, but the ending bits. It was an echo of ‘No, no, no, no, no.’, then some disconnected ‘Oh’ and I ended with a ‘Wait a minute’ and gasp.
“Are you saying it was all of the emotions?”
It was all of the emotions.
Can I have the next book now?
I dove into this book completely blind. I saw the author post something on Twitter (still not calling it X), it hit a number of things I vibe with - one of which being supporting indie authors, so I took a chance because I have spent more money on things I didn’t necessarily vibe with. This is probably the best £3.99 I have ever spent because I ended up loving this book so much. If I knew then how much I’d love it, I’d have paid well over £3.99 for it.
Tom was bored with his life and from the brief glimpse we see of his ‘modern’ life, I was bored with it. He was the responsible child, doing what’s expected and what his difficult, now dead, father wanted. We don’t actually see much of that life but, following the funeral and the lead up to partying with his brother, we hear about it. And as we know from the blurb, the following morning he wakes up in a field in Wales. I had a uni friend who woke up on his front porch without his house keys and wallet so these things apparently just happen to some people. Probably with less time travel in most cases.
Anyway, I want to briefly focus on the in between from funeral to partying and waking up in a field for a second. After the funeral that opens Ch 1, Russell immediately piques your interest with the little details about Tom’s father’s items. Who was Ellie? Mr Wallace? Why was his father paying to upkeep a farm? (And looking at the early chapters to write this review I just had an epiphany about a small detail that was oh so sneaky. Well played, Russell Dean, well played. John Jacob most definitely was not a philanthropist.) Following this, Tom and his brother then go partying and Tom wakes up in a field in Wales.
As if it’s not enough to suddenly wake up in a field in Wales, Tom immediately gets himself into an altercation from which we meet Mair, who may be my favourite character in all of Wales. And she stayed my favourite throughout. Not just because I loved her line early on about waving a gun at Arthur Morgan, who is insufferable, but also her teasing relationship with Tom and her pure acceptance of her brother, so long as he’s safe and happy, in a time when he is profoundly not accepted.
We first meet Mair’s brother, and Tom’s romantic interest, in the aftermath of a mining accident. I’m going to take a pause here to mention Russell’s excellent portrayal of the mining accident. The women of town, particularly Nellie, taking charge to see to the casualties, the glimpses of how these accidents impacted whole towns and several other towns over, the helplessness and sorrow when those they tried to help didn’t make it. This was so beautifully done and utterly heartbreaking but was the reality for so many townspeople. Ok, back into the rest of the review. We meet Gwyn following the accident and straightaway you know he’s going to be a fun character. There’s no time like when you’re down with a broken rib to start flirting and teasing a new face in town….apparently. I really adored their relationship. How it progressed just felt so natural and sweet. I want more of this in books and life.
What I also want more of is English people away from England being relentlessly teased for being English. I loved it in Derry Girls with James and I loved it in Borrowed Time with Tom. The little girl, Sophia, saying ‘Mam says we have to speak English to you, but that’s alright because we have to speak it in school anyway and Mam says it would be rude to speak Welsh if you can’t understand what we’re saying about you.’ had me recommending this book to so many people who can appreciate that sentiment. And that was like page 50. It just carried on throughout the book. “It’s not his fault that he’s English.” I am also furious with Russell about Sophia and I refuse to forgive him on the grounds that how dare he.
I’m going to take another pause on this one, backtrack briefly, and highlight again how excellently Russell weaved in the historic loss of Welsh language and culture. It was banned in schools, removed as the default language in churches, and with the ownership of mines being Englishmen, the default work language becoming English. If you speak to proud Welsh people, you will undoubtedly hear about this eventually because it took decades to claw back some of the Welsh language into an official capacity. But Russell does not harp on it like I’m doing here, it is just weaved into the conversation with Tom and Gwyn. A new lover sharing a past that impacted more than just their own life. Still not heavy handed at all and just gives you a real historical background to the time.
Right, back to the review again. Throughout all of this we have the mystery from Tom’s father that we started with, but now we’re getting pieces fitting together while also getting new mysteries like how the heckie did Tom end up in 1898 Wales?! But it’s cool, he’s found love, he’s building a family for himself. We’re slowly getting answers to some of those mysteries and questions. Tom is finding his Welsh farmer feet, it’s all quite sweet - and then Russell pulls the rug out from under us and I hated it! No I mean, I loved the whole book, it was great, but the ending bits. It was an echo of ‘No, no, no, no, no.’, then some disconnected ‘Oh’ and I ended with a ‘Wait a minute’ and gasp.
“Are you saying it was all of the emotions?”
It was all of the emotions.
Can I have the next book now?
July 19, 2024
After a couple of mid reads lately, this was the perfect palate cleanser. I was hooked from beginning to end and cleared it in a day.
Tom has had a relative life of ease, but with his father being such a domineering force, he hasn't exactly carved out the life he would have wanted for himself. When his dad passes away, he vows to finally do things differently, so when his brother suggests shaking off his responsibilities to go clubbing instead, Tom goes along, but gets more than he bargained for when he wakes up the following morning a century in the past.
What I was really impressed with here was just how character driven the story was, so despite the time travel element throwing his life into confusion, what we get is a deep dive into what this huge change in circumstances means for the character and how he copes with it, so by the end of the book we are left with a completely different person with a totally different outlook on things. And that extends to the secondary characters, too, especially the ones after the time jump, who were all richly brought to life. So often in books we get characters who hover in the background, not really doing anything, but it was the background characters in this book that really elevated the story for me. All of them had a purpose and a side story, and all of them were in a completely different place at the end compared to when we met them. I particularly loved Mair, but Nellie, Gwyn, Mrs Hopkin and Betty were all fantastic characters who I was totally rooting for.
I loved the writing style of the author and it was clear just how much research went into the story, because this world is VIVID! Its completely immersive, often to the point of shocking when you realise some of the ways the world worked in Victorian times, but I laughed out loud, gasped, cheered and at two particular points, blubbed like an absolute sook. I loved it.
The one criticism I would offer was that I would like to have seen the ending expanded a bit. The book doesn't exactly come to an abrupt stop, and it's obviously leading us into the second book, but I would have liked to have seen more about , and I think another chapter or couple of pages could have fleshed that out a little. It's just a tiny niggle, though, and not worth marking down for.
I found the book via a recommendation on GR for gay stories told by gay authors, but honestly, to call it a 'gay story' is to do it a disservice. Yes, Tom (the MC) is gay, and yes, there is a male love interest, but the author does not let that become the dominant factor of Tom's personality or even his story. Instead we're shown a fully realised, completely fleshed out character who is entirely believable, but also just happens to be gay, which my gay ass just loves to see. So many of our stories are told through a lens of trauma or hypersexuality, and there is a place for all that, but it was refreshing to read a story where we see the human first and foremost and their story isn't balanced on who they sleep with. More of this, please.
If you're looking for YA, cutesy coming out stories, or spicy fic where the MC spends half the time sha*ging, (all the romance here is fade to black) then you might struggle with this one, but if you want a solid story with great characters, and especially if you're looking for good, genuine gay representation, you could do much worse than picking this one up.
Tom has had a relative life of ease, but with his father being such a domineering force, he hasn't exactly carved out the life he would have wanted for himself. When his dad passes away, he vows to finally do things differently, so when his brother suggests shaking off his responsibilities to go clubbing instead, Tom goes along, but gets more than he bargained for when he wakes up the following morning a century in the past.
What I was really impressed with here was just how character driven the story was, so despite the time travel element throwing his life into confusion, what we get is a deep dive into what this huge change in circumstances means for the character and how he copes with it, so by the end of the book we are left with a completely different person with a totally different outlook on things. And that extends to the secondary characters, too, especially the ones after the time jump, who were all richly brought to life. So often in books we get characters who hover in the background, not really doing anything, but it was the background characters in this book that really elevated the story for me. All of them had a purpose and a side story, and all of them were in a completely different place at the end compared to when we met them. I particularly loved Mair, but Nellie, Gwyn, Mrs Hopkin and Betty were all fantastic characters who I was totally rooting for.
I loved the writing style of the author and it was clear just how much research went into the story, because this world is VIVID! Its completely immersive, often to the point of shocking when you realise some of the ways the world worked in Victorian times, but I laughed out loud, gasped, cheered and at two particular points, blubbed like an absolute sook. I loved it.
The one criticism I would offer was that I would like to have seen the ending expanded a bit. The book doesn't exactly come to an abrupt stop, and it's obviously leading us into the second book, but I would have liked to have seen more about , and I think another chapter or couple of pages could have fleshed that out a little. It's just a tiny niggle, though, and not worth marking down for.
I found the book via a recommendation on GR for gay stories told by gay authors, but honestly, to call it a 'gay story' is to do it a disservice. Yes, Tom (the MC) is gay, and yes, there is a male love interest, but the author does not let that become the dominant factor of Tom's personality or even his story. Instead we're shown a fully realised, completely fleshed out character who is entirely believable, but also just happens to be gay, which my gay ass just loves to see. So many of our stories are told through a lens of trauma or hypersexuality, and there is a place for all that, but it was refreshing to read a story where we see the human first and foremost and their story isn't balanced on who they sleep with. More of this, please.
If you're looking for YA, cutesy coming out stories, or spicy fic where the MC spends half the time sha*ging, (all the romance here is fade to black) then you might struggle with this one, but if you want a solid story with great characters, and especially if you're looking for good, genuine gay representation, you could do much worse than picking this one up.
August 8, 2024
I love romance. I love historical fiction. I love time travel, though as a woman I don't really romanticize the idea of living in the 19th century because it was pretty awful for women. I've read a few MM novels set in that time period but reading from the perspective of the main character traveling from a time where being gay is accepted (more or less) to where it's illegal gave me a lot of angst for the character - in a good way.
For the first five chapters or so, I had major knots in my stomach. I was SO nervous and anxious for the MC, Tom. I read a ton of mysteries but this is the first time I was holding my breath through each chapter wondering how he'd get out of the bind he was in. I can usually predict what's going to happen in most stories I read. While I settled into the knots in my stomach and I did make some connections early on, this kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I refused to put it down until I got to the ending because I wouldn't be able to sleep.
I also appreciate the nod to historical accuracy. I don't know how to review w/o giving away the whole story, so I'll just say that including some of the negative things about life in the 19th century was worth some bonus points from this public health professional.
I've been to Wales a fair amount (for an American). The language and descriptions were sufficiently rich to feel I was transported to the Welsh countryside. It was easy to put myself in Tom's shoes, feeling lost and confused in a new time and place but also immersing himself in his new space.
The MM romance is sweet and honest. If you're looking for explicit scenes, this isn't it. I happily read stories with explicit scenes but also enjoy reading about gay characters finding love, navigating societal realities and family dynamics. Reading this love story gave me all the feels. I especially loved the acceptance. It's easy to assume an LGBTQ+ person would be estranged from society, given the illegality of it in the 19th C, but it's also very possible that some people *were* accepting. I want more stories with LGBTQ+ characters in all the genres.
I loved the book and am glad I only have to wait a few months for book 2. I'd give 4.5 stars if that was an option (I save 5 for "blow my mind send me to the stars" and I don't review a book I'd give less than 3). This is a solid 4.5 and I can't wait to find out what happens to Tom next (and to get more info on Elinor), and see Gwyn and Mair again.
For the first five chapters or so, I had major knots in my stomach. I was SO nervous and anxious for the MC, Tom. I read a ton of mysteries but this is the first time I was holding my breath through each chapter wondering how he'd get out of the bind he was in. I can usually predict what's going to happen in most stories I read. While I settled into the knots in my stomach and I did make some connections early on, this kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I refused to put it down until I got to the ending because I wouldn't be able to sleep.
I also appreciate the nod to historical accuracy. I don't know how to review w/o giving away the whole story, so I'll just say that including some of the negative things about life in the 19th century was worth some bonus points from this public health professional.
I've been to Wales a fair amount (for an American). The language and descriptions were sufficiently rich to feel I was transported to the Welsh countryside. It was easy to put myself in Tom's shoes, feeling lost and confused in a new time and place but also immersing himself in his new space.
The MM romance is sweet and honest. If you're looking for explicit scenes, this isn't it. I happily read stories with explicit scenes but also enjoy reading about gay characters finding love, navigating societal realities and family dynamics. Reading this love story gave me all the feels. I especially loved the acceptance. It's easy to assume an LGBTQ+ person would be estranged from society, given the illegality of it in the 19th C, but it's also very possible that some people *were* accepting. I want more stories with LGBTQ+ characters in all the genres.
I loved the book and am glad I only have to wait a few months for book 2. I'd give 4.5 stars if that was an option (I save 5 for "blow my mind send me to the stars" and I don't review a book I'd give less than 3). This is a solid 4.5 and I can't wait to find out what happens to Tom next (and to get more info on Elinor), and see Gwyn and Mair again.
September 8, 2023
The main issue with this book is that it does a lot of telling and not enough showing.
I somehow ended up reading two "out of time"/time travel books in a row and they were equally as successful, though this one was a little more serious.
This book is definitely for people more interested in the history part of historical romance. There's a lot of just day to day kind of activities as Thomas tries to navigate his new normal, 100 years back in time and in a totally different country.
It also leaves a lot of open ended questions, like Dean wasn't quite sure about their own world building, then ends very abruptly with no real resolution or even an actual ending. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a sequel set-up but it's not listed as being in a series so I can only assume it's just bad writing.
There's no intimacy here though we're told or hinted at acts between Tom and Gwyn. Personally, without those intimate moments being on page, their relationship doesn't really feel serious or important though it seems Tom is literally willing to give up his own life in 1999 to stay with Gwyn. As another reviewer said, "blue balled" by this book for sure.
Despite that, overall I enjoyed this book but mostly because I just love historical stories and felt the descriptions of small town Welsh life was interesting. However, the relationship here definitely takes a back seat and that's not what I picked up this book for.
I somehow ended up reading two "out of time"/time travel books in a row and they were equally as successful, though this one was a little more serious.
This book is definitely for people more interested in the history part of historical romance. There's a lot of just day to day kind of activities as Thomas tries to navigate his new normal, 100 years back in time and in a totally different country.
It also leaves a lot of open ended questions, like Dean wasn't quite sure about their own world building, then ends very abruptly with no real resolution or even an actual ending. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be a sequel set-up but it's not listed as being in a series so I can only assume it's just bad writing.
There's no intimacy here though we're told or hinted at acts between Tom and Gwyn. Personally, without those intimate moments being on page, their relationship doesn't really feel serious or important though it seems Tom is literally willing to give up his own life in 1999 to stay with Gwyn. As another reviewer said, "blue balled" by this book for sure.
Despite that, overall I enjoyed this book but mostly because I just love historical stories and felt the descriptions of small town Welsh life was interesting. However, the relationship here definitely takes a back seat and that's not what I picked up this book for.
September 22, 2022
I absolutely LOVED this book! It is a heartwarming and emotional time-travelling love story with characters you can’t help but fall in love with. The story gripped me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down.
Tom Jacobs is living the life expected of him by his father, but something is lacking. After the death of his father, Tom finds a diary written in Welsh and a jewelled ring that sets his life on a new path.
Waking from what he thinks is a severed hangover, Tom finds himself in Wales in 1889 where he ends up finding out more about his father than he bargained for.
The supporting characters are fully developed with their own stories interwoven so wonderfully with Tom’s. Mair is such a badass for the time and I love that she doesn’t care what others think of her. Her brother Gwyn is so loveable and such a gentleman. As the story progressed I wished I was a part of the Hopkins family.
This debut novel was impeccably well-written, and the portrayal of the lifestyle and the dangers of village life in the time period (mining accidents, illness, class systems, etc) seemed historically accurate and believable.
I laughed and cried and felt all the emotions as the story progressed. This is a male/male fade to black romance with modern day outlander vibes and I cannot wait for the next book! I need to know what happens to Mair, Gwyn and the Hopkins family!
Tom Jacobs is living the life expected of him by his father, but something is lacking. After the death of his father, Tom finds a diary written in Welsh and a jewelled ring that sets his life on a new path.
Waking from what he thinks is a severed hangover, Tom finds himself in Wales in 1889 where he ends up finding out more about his father than he bargained for.
The supporting characters are fully developed with their own stories interwoven so wonderfully with Tom’s. Mair is such a badass for the time and I love that she doesn’t care what others think of her. Her brother Gwyn is so loveable and such a gentleman. As the story progressed I wished I was a part of the Hopkins family.
This debut novel was impeccably well-written, and the portrayal of the lifestyle and the dangers of village life in the time period (mining accidents, illness, class systems, etc) seemed historically accurate and believable.
I laughed and cried and felt all the emotions as the story progressed. This is a male/male fade to black romance with modern day outlander vibes and I cannot wait for the next book! I need to know what happens to Mair, Gwyn and the Hopkins family!
July 24, 2023
I took a chance on this book, after a run of fairly predictable thrillers. And I'm so glad I did, because Borrowed Time proved just the change of direction I needed.
It's first and foremost a time slip novel, with main character Tom finding himself in Wales over a century ago. How did he get there? Why did he end up there? And will the community that slowly embraces him prove to be his salvation or his undoing?
I was quickly drawn in, both by the 1890s setting and the characters, so beautifully portrayed. The humdrum existence of a family with all its challenges, including unbearable grief that left me damp-eyed. And the budding romance at the heart of it all, leaving Tom torn between the life he had and the one's he's made.
Some stand-out lines:
She smiled at me briefly, then, as though remembering that she shouldn't, her face quickly returned to neutral.
We all love differently and I don't think God made anyone wrong.
He knew she was rightfully mine. You can't just own a person. She didn't love you.
The ending means I absolutely demand a sequel. Not that it doesn't read well as a standalone, but…
Highly recommended.
It's first and foremost a time slip novel, with main character Tom finding himself in Wales over a century ago. How did he get there? Why did he end up there? And will the community that slowly embraces him prove to be his salvation or his undoing?
I was quickly drawn in, both by the 1890s setting and the characters, so beautifully portrayed. The humdrum existence of a family with all its challenges, including unbearable grief that left me damp-eyed. And the budding romance at the heart of it all, leaving Tom torn between the life he had and the one's he's made.
Some stand-out lines:
She smiled at me briefly, then, as though remembering that she shouldn't, her face quickly returned to neutral.
We all love differently and I don't think God made anyone wrong.
He knew she was rightfully mine. You can't just own a person. She didn't love you.
The ending means I absolutely demand a sequel. Not that it doesn't read well as a standalone, but…
Highly recommended.
August 31, 2024
Tom Jacob is bored with his life.
He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees.
The following morning he wakes up in a field.
In Wales.
In 1889, 110 years ago
A beautifully written book, with emotion and poignancy. Fantastic support characters in Muir the woman he befriends and Gwyn her brother, Tom's love interest.
This book is exquisite, deep characters and with nostalgic vibes.
I loved it and a brilliant, clever cliffhanger. The ending gave me good goosebumps.
Tom's a sweet, honest character and his feelings for Gwyn just make your heart melt.
Dean is an author to look out for.
I'd love to see this as a movie
Kerry Kennedy Author
He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees.
The following morning he wakes up in a field.
In Wales.
In 1889, 110 years ago
A beautifully written book, with emotion and poignancy. Fantastic support characters in Muir the woman he befriends and Gwyn her brother, Tom's love interest.
This book is exquisite, deep characters and with nostalgic vibes.
I loved it and a brilliant, clever cliffhanger. The ending gave me good goosebumps.
Tom's a sweet, honest character and his feelings for Gwyn just make your heart melt.
Dean is an author to look out for.
I'd love to see this as a movie
Kerry Kennedy Author
July 28, 2023
I admit to being drawn to this book from the author’s Twitter bio.
“If following sweary authors who talk about writing more than doing any actual writing is your thing, then saddle up.”
I was glad I did. Although not a genre I often read, it rewarded me with a story with skilfully written characters and some nice twists.
Grieving the loss of his father, Tom’s twin brother persuades him to have a night on the town. A monumental hangover is only the start of his problems. Tom wakes up in a field in Wales towards the end of the nineteenth century (who hasn’t?). What unfolds is a charming romance with a dilemma. Should he stay with his lover or return to the present day and his family?
If you’re looking to take a chance on a new author, you could do a lot worse than Russel Dean and Borrowed Time. I read the book on Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are my own.
“If following sweary authors who talk about writing more than doing any actual writing is your thing, then saddle up.”
I was glad I did. Although not a genre I often read, it rewarded me with a story with skilfully written characters and some nice twists.
Grieving the loss of his father, Tom’s twin brother persuades him to have a night on the town. A monumental hangover is only the start of his problems. Tom wakes up in a field in Wales towards the end of the nineteenth century (who hasn’t?). What unfolds is a charming romance with a dilemma. Should he stay with his lover or return to the present day and his family?
If you’re looking to take a chance on a new author, you could do a lot worse than Russel Dean and Borrowed Time. I read the book on Kindle Unlimited. All opinions are my own.
December 16, 2024
Starting a new book can always be daunting but this one gripped me from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down! I thought so many references would be lost on me because I’m not from Wales but the way it’s written I felt like I’d lived in 1800’s Wales all my life! To have an author make you feel so at home in a world that isn’t yours takes true skill and it shows throughout this book.
I’d recommend this to anyone no matter sexuality or knowledge on Welsh history (please release a Welsh history book though)
Every page is full of humour, intrigue, and some heartbreak which is done very sensitively and really shows you the toughness of the times
Please pick up this book! I’m so excited to read whatever comes next!
I’d recommend this to anyone no matter sexuality or knowledge on Welsh history (please release a Welsh history book though)
Every page is full of humour, intrigue, and some heartbreak which is done very sensitively and really shows you the toughness of the times
Please pick up this book! I’m so excited to read whatever comes next!
June 3, 2025
A gay accidental time travel romance novel? lots of potential in there and I feel this lived up it! I didn’t realize it was a duology until I finished it but that’s on me, oops! Otherwise I really enjoyed this. All the characters are really lovable, I liked the descriptions of 1890s welsh village life and seeing the MCs character growth. Not just his romantic relationship but his familial relationships etc too are really charming and endearing. There is a bit of an antagonist who’s almost comically evil at times but he serves his role in the story well.
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so now I’m anxious to get a move on and read book 2! Hoping that it holds up to this solid beginning (update: it’s definitely did, exceeded it even! Would definitely recommend readers to give these books a chance)
It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so now I’m anxious to get a move on and read book 2! Hoping that it holds up to this solid beginning (update: it’s definitely did, exceeded it even! Would definitely recommend readers to give these books a chance)
August 18, 2022
I devoured this book!
I love this book so much! This isn't my typical read, but I'm so glad I read it!
Historically accurate, time travel and love, what's not to like.
The author built the story beautifully and I found myself crying, laughing and grinning like an idiot at different parts of the book.
Tom and Gwyn's love felt natural and realistic and it more happened to have gay main characters, rather than it being purely about it like many books (e.g. coming out books)- which my queer ass appreciated.
The end! Omg!
I am so impressed that this is his debut novel and I will be reading book 2- there better be one!
Amazing.
5/5!
I love this book so much! This isn't my typical read, but I'm so glad I read it!
Historically accurate, time travel and love, what's not to like.
The author built the story beautifully and I found myself crying, laughing and grinning like an idiot at different parts of the book.
Tom and Gwyn's love felt natural and realistic and it more happened to have gay main characters, rather than it being purely about it like many books (e.g. coming out books)- which my queer ass appreciated.
The end! Omg!
I am so impressed that this is his debut novel and I will be reading book 2- there better be one!
Amazing.
5/5!
August 17, 2023
This was a delightful story that literally takes you back in time and history, that has you rooting for the love story that wonderfully grows between Tom and Gwyn… and they are complimented with side characters that are equally loveable, and of course, those unsavoury ones, too.
There was romance.
Tension.
Questions that need answering.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was well-written… and I can’t wait for its sequel.
There was romance.
Tension.
Questions that need answering.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It was well-written… and I can’t wait for its sequel.
August 7, 2024
I've not missed living in Wales on the regular for a while, but bits of this brought some of that back. It was quite lyrical in spots, and although the beats of time travel are warn and well-known to me (no guesswork about who was who), I found myself gripped all the same. The ending keeps the door open for more, of course, and I'll gladly pick that up sometime. Not for everyone, but I enjoyed it.
November 10, 2025
Strong 4 ⭐. The concept of this book may feel like it is "another time travel book", but it is a very well written time travel book. The setting, characters and LGBTQ love story are the highlights, not the time travel concept. That is a secondary character. It's heartwarming without being cheesy. I loved the rural Welsh setting. Secondary characters stand out. This is book one of a two-part series (with hopefully more to come) and I can't wait to read the second book.
July 29, 2022
This is not my usual genre, but I took a chance after following this author on tiktok, and I'm so glad I did! This story really sucked me in. The scenery, the people, the journey-it was all sooo good! If you like a good story, historical fiction, and twists, check this book out!
July 18, 2023
A truly fun read. The characters were well developed, the setting very realistic. I have no association with england or wales, and I didn't feel terribly alienated by not knowing the references. I loved the little nod to the ravages of colonization the welsh have faced.
Whole-chestedly recommend.
Whole-chestedly recommend.
December 13, 2024
Really enjoyed this book, great characters, great attention to detail- my only wish is that there was a little more showing rather than telling. And the ending was fantastic. Definitely a recommended read!
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