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MacKinnon #.5 (MacDuff;s Secret)
The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance
Twenty tales of swashbuckling adventure and passionate romance from some of the most exciting names in romance fiction, including Margo Maguire, Autumn Daw, Sandy Blair, Michele Maddox, Patti O’Shea, Holly Lisle, Kimberly Raye, and Madeline Baker.
Join the heroines in this delightful anthology as they step backwards—or forwards—in time, transported to the Scottish Highlands or yesteryear, the Wild West, or the distant future. Propelled through time into situations rich with possibility and fraught with danger, these sexy, sassy heroines each seek their dreamed of happy ending.
Will souls separated by time be reunited—or kept apart—forever?
Join the heroines in this delightful anthology as they step backwards—or forwards—in time, transported to the Scottish Highlands or yesteryear, the Wild West, or the distant future. Propelled through time into situations rich with possibility and fraught with danger, these sexy, sassy heroines each seek their dreamed of happy ending.
Will souls separated by time be reunited—or kept apart—forever?
468 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
38 people are currently reading
999 people want to read
About the author
Trisha Telep
23 books243 followersTrisha Telep was the romance and fantasy book buyer at Murder One, a London crime, mystery, and romance bookstore; she's now co-owner of the virtual bookstore www.murderone.co.uk and an editor of romance and supernatural anthologies for Mammoth. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, she now lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
January 6, 2010
1/5/2010
I'm reading this slowly.
The Key To Happiness by Gwyn Cready. I've never read anything by this author before but it was a REALLY good story. Very touching. The premise was loving someone more than you love yourself and setting them free, even though it means you lose them. I won't give away what happens but I got teary eyed at the end! 5 stars.
MacDuff's Secrety by Sandy Blair. Just ok. Scottish highland romance. I thought it was kind of cheesy, really. 2 stars.
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan. A slight take off on "The Time Travelers Wife", but not quite as good. The plot was a little TOO secretive. Set in NY. 3 stars.
Stepping Back by Sarah Mackenzie. A little spooky and mysterious. It was pretty obvious who the heroine actually was but nonetheless a good read. Set in Australia. 3 stars.
Sexual Healing by Margo Maguire. A futuristic romance with time travel back to the "past" of 2010. I was right with it up to the end and it just...ended. Disappointed with how the author chose to finagle the HEA. 3 stars.
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent. It reminded me a little of the Christoper Reeve movie "Somewhere in Time". I would have liked to have read this as a full length novel. Set in 1893 Atlantic City. 3.5 stars
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox. Good. Wished it had been longer. Interesting plot about the potential for Government to become too involved in people's lives. 3.5 stars. Somewhat futuristic.
Pilots Forge by Patrice Sarath. I like this one alot. I wish the author had more time to flesh out the story because it ended pretty abruptly. 3 stars. Somewhat futuristic.
St James Way by Jean Johnson. Loved this one. If it were a full length book I would definitely read it. Set in medieval England. 3.5 stars
Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea. Loved this one! I'm going to have to look up some of her books. The writing flowed so easily and the romantic suspense was great. Futuristic romance. 4 stars.
Iron and Hemlock by Autumn Dawn. I was really looking forward to this story after having read her book No Words Alone last year. Unfortunately this story was a let down for me. 1 star
Last Thorsday Night by Holly Lisle. The story was not my cuppa but it was well written. I won't rate it for that reason.
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles. Oh this was a fantastic story. I absolutely loved it. Set in present day Georgia with a "Scottish ghostie" twist. 5 stars!!
A Wish to Build a Dream on by Michelle Willingham. Set in Ireland in the past. Good but not great. 3 stars.
Time Trails by Colby Hodge. This is actually Cindy Holby using a pseudonym. I absolutely loved it and wished it had been a full length story. Set in the last 1800s old west. 4 stars
The Walled Garden by Michelle Lang. 1988 NYC, present day. Kind of spooky and a little weird. Not sure what to think about this story so I won't rate it.
Catch the Lightning by Madeline Baker. Western time travel. I didn't really love it but it wasn't bad.
Steam by Jean Johnson. Had a slight steampunk theme to it. Not a fan and I wasn't crazy about the writing. 1 star.
Falling in Time by Allie Mackay. I really liked this one. Set in Scotland. 4 stars.
Future Date by AJ Menden. Not my cuppa. 1 star
Overall I'm giving this a 3.5 stars. Some stories were great but there were more that were just average. I won't go so far as to say this book disappointed me but it was close. I guess I was expecting a book filled with GREAT stories, but that's not what this is. At least in my humble opinion.
I'm reading this slowly.
The Key To Happiness by Gwyn Cready. I've never read anything by this author before but it was a REALLY good story. Very touching. The premise was loving someone more than you love yourself and setting them free, even though it means you lose them. I won't give away what happens but I got teary eyed at the end! 5 stars.
MacDuff's Secrety by Sandy Blair. Just ok. Scottish highland romance. I thought it was kind of cheesy, really. 2 stars.
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan. A slight take off on "The Time Travelers Wife", but not quite as good. The plot was a little TOO secretive. Set in NY. 3 stars.
Stepping Back by Sarah Mackenzie. A little spooky and mysterious. It was pretty obvious who the heroine actually was but nonetheless a good read. Set in Australia. 3 stars.
Sexual Healing by Margo Maguire. A futuristic romance with time travel back to the "past" of 2010. I was right with it up to the end and it just...ended. Disappointed with how the author chose to finagle the HEA. 3 stars.
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent. It reminded me a little of the Christoper Reeve movie "Somewhere in Time". I would have liked to have read this as a full length novel. Set in 1893 Atlantic City. 3.5 stars
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox. Good. Wished it had been longer. Interesting plot about the potential for Government to become too involved in people's lives. 3.5 stars. Somewhat futuristic.
Pilots Forge by Patrice Sarath. I like this one alot. I wish the author had more time to flesh out the story because it ended pretty abruptly. 3 stars. Somewhat futuristic.
St James Way by Jean Johnson. Loved this one. If it were a full length book I would definitely read it. Set in medieval England. 3.5 stars
Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea. Loved this one! I'm going to have to look up some of her books. The writing flowed so easily and the romantic suspense was great. Futuristic romance. 4 stars.
Iron and Hemlock by Autumn Dawn. I was really looking forward to this story after having read her book No Words Alone last year. Unfortunately this story was a let down for me. 1 star
Last Thorsday Night by Holly Lisle. The story was not my cuppa but it was well written. I won't rate it for that reason.
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles. Oh this was a fantastic story. I absolutely loved it. Set in present day Georgia with a "Scottish ghostie" twist. 5 stars!!
A Wish to Build a Dream on by Michelle Willingham. Set in Ireland in the past. Good but not great. 3 stars.
Time Trails by Colby Hodge. This is actually Cindy Holby using a pseudonym. I absolutely loved it and wished it had been a full length story. Set in the last 1800s old west. 4 stars
The Walled Garden by Michelle Lang. 1988 NYC, present day. Kind of spooky and a little weird. Not sure what to think about this story so I won't rate it.
Catch the Lightning by Madeline Baker. Western time travel. I didn't really love it but it wasn't bad.
Steam by Jean Johnson. Had a slight steampunk theme to it. Not a fan and I wasn't crazy about the writing. 1 star.
Falling in Time by Allie Mackay. I really liked this one. Set in Scotland. 4 stars.
Future Date by AJ Menden. Not my cuppa. 1 star
Overall I'm giving this a 3.5 stars. Some stories were great but there were more that were just average. I won't go so far as to say this book disappointed me but it was close. I guess I was expecting a book filled with GREAT stories, but that's not what this is. At least in my humble opinion.
April 10, 2011
I'm biased, because I did write one of the 20 stories in this anthology, but there's a fabulous variety of fun voices in this book.
January 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this collection of stories. They have been great for when I was short of time but wanted something quick and complete to read, and they were also perfect for times when I was waiting on an appointment or for the train.
The stories were all well written and well edited, although for some of the stories, the eBook formatting was a little off and some words ran into each other - not too much of a problem as I was able to figure out the words. As to the stories themselves, I enjoyed all of them, perhaps some more than others.
They were also great introductions to authors that I had not read previously and there are a few that I might go check out from having read their work here.
I can't review each story individually since it has taken me well over a year, perhaps even two to get through the entire collection, so the earlier stories have faded from my memory, but lots of Highlangers and hunky Scots - they seem to lend themselves to time travel stories well. I'm definitely planning on reading other "mammoth books" by Trish Telep.
The stories were all well written and well edited, although for some of the stories, the eBook formatting was a little off and some words ran into each other - not too much of a problem as I was able to figure out the words. As to the stories themselves, I enjoyed all of them, perhaps some more than others.
They were also great introductions to authors that I had not read previously and there are a few that I might go check out from having read their work here.
I can't review each story individually since it has taken me well over a year, perhaps even two to get through the entire collection, so the earlier stories have faded from my memory, but lots of Highlangers and hunky Scots - they seem to lend themselves to time travel stories well. I'm definitely planning on reading other "mammoth books" by Trish Telep.
February 7, 2010
For the record I've read 8 of the authors listed above previously. In the introduction by Telep she mentions how time travel romance flourished in the 90's and early new millennium, but how paranormal romance has sort of shoved it away. I tried to remember the last *new* time travel romance I had read and I believe it would be Gwyn Cready's Tumbling Through Time, which I only liked so-so. I know that Brenda Joyce had several with her Time Guardians series--which was also a so-so series in my opinion. If you count e-books, then Emma Lai's 'Mates of the Guardians' stories are also time travel (the Guardians protect time and such), both of which I enjoyed quite a bit.
So if you're like me you're wondering why I would buy a book about Time Travel Romance (when I should have bought the Vampire Romance anthology, or the second Paranormal Romance anthology) and the truth is that I want to like Time Travel Romances. I was unfortunately tainted by all the ones in the 90's however and grew very cautious of the concept.
Did I enjoy this anthology? At times. I was disappointed more often then not, and felt that some of the endings to the stories were too 'And you can guess what happens next' for my tastes. I'm shallow, I like my romances to end with something along the lines of 'happily ever after' if they're not going to end with 'and they all died'. Give me syrupy sweet or give me bitterly dark.
That said I did enjoy some of them--Gwyn Cready's "The Key to Happiness" was refreshing. In it a man comes back to stop the woman he loves from making a choice that will ultimately kill her spirit. She'll have everything she wants for years, but then one moment in time happens and her world crumbles around her feet. He offers her a choice--take the road you know will lead to success or take the road that may lead to lasting happiness. This was the perfect short story; it tied up loose ends, had development and tension, and didn't end as if it should have had three chapters more to it.
Conversely Sandy Blair's "MacDuff's Secret" is also an interesting read, but I think I would have preferred if it had been longer. Novel length perhaps. A young teacher in Scotland travels back with five of her charges to a Glen that is almost too good to be true. But for a woman who has always done what is expected of her, will she take the chance to have something for herself finally?
Sara MacKenzie's "Stepping Back" was a fun read, though the ending left me unsatisfied. A young woman with no past begins to dig up the history of young woman who had disappeared a century earlier.
Hands down the story I enjoyed the most was A.J. Menden's "Future Date" about a a dating site that measures who you're compatible with across time itself. It was quirky, it was a cute and it was witty--much like her Elite Hands of Justice books are.
For the vast majority of the other stories however they didn't hold my interest very long. Some started out interestingly enough, but soon got tiresome or annoying (Michelle Maddox's "The Eleventh Hour") and some just were boring period (Maureen McGowan's "Lost and Found").
Am I glad I read it? Yes, because these aren't the same sort of tawdry bits of fluff from the days of yore in Time Travel Romance Writing so they did give me hope. I just wish that more of the stories had held my interest.
So if you're like me you're wondering why I would buy a book about Time Travel Romance (when I should have bought the Vampire Romance anthology, or the second Paranormal Romance anthology) and the truth is that I want to like Time Travel Romances. I was unfortunately tainted by all the ones in the 90's however and grew very cautious of the concept.
Did I enjoy this anthology? At times. I was disappointed more often then not, and felt that some of the endings to the stories were too 'And you can guess what happens next' for my tastes. I'm shallow, I like my romances to end with something along the lines of 'happily ever after' if they're not going to end with 'and they all died'. Give me syrupy sweet or give me bitterly dark.
That said I did enjoy some of them--Gwyn Cready's "The Key to Happiness" was refreshing. In it a man comes back to stop the woman he loves from making a choice that will ultimately kill her spirit. She'll have everything she wants for years, but then one moment in time happens and her world crumbles around her feet. He offers her a choice--take the road you know will lead to success or take the road that may lead to lasting happiness. This was the perfect short story; it tied up loose ends, had development and tension, and didn't end as if it should have had three chapters more to it.
Conversely Sandy Blair's "MacDuff's Secret" is also an interesting read, but I think I would have preferred if it had been longer. Novel length perhaps. A young teacher in Scotland travels back with five of her charges to a Glen that is almost too good to be true. But for a woman who has always done what is expected of her, will she take the chance to have something for herself finally?
Sara MacKenzie's "Stepping Back" was a fun read, though the ending left me unsatisfied. A young woman with no past begins to dig up the history of young woman who had disappeared a century earlier.
Hands down the story I enjoyed the most was A.J. Menden's "Future Date" about a a dating site that measures who you're compatible with across time itself. It was quirky, it was a cute and it was witty--much like her Elite Hands of Justice books are.
For the vast majority of the other stories however they didn't hold my interest very long. Some started out interestingly enough, but soon got tiresome or annoying (Michelle Maddox's "The Eleventh Hour") and some just were boring period (Maureen McGowan's "Lost and Found").
Am I glad I read it? Yes, because these aren't the same sort of tawdry bits of fluff from the days of yore in Time Travel Romance Writing so they did give me hope. I just wish that more of the stories had held my interest.
August 9, 2014
Some stories worked, some were just okay, and others didn't hold my interest.
These were the best:
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox-
Enjoyed this one; however the falling in love happened quickly (but then given the length, what did I expect?)
Pilot's Forge by Patrice Sarath-
Interesting start, it kept my attention. I loved Edith's profession (Farrier). Weird end.
The Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea-
My favorite- no insta-love in this one, just insta-like and a willingness to let's see what happens mentality.
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles-
At first I thought this was a ghost story. Ending abrupt.
Time Trails by Colby Hodge-
No, this one was my favorite- Unique. I liked the idea of hunting criminals who go back to the past to alter history and those who hunt them and fix it. Yeah!
Future Date by A.J. Menden-
Well, this one was a favorite too! The storyline has some reality to it (not the time travel, but a future with limits on children and the obvious preference for boys leading to a large gender gap).
These were the best:
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox-
Enjoyed this one; however the falling in love happened quickly (but then given the length, what did I expect?)
Pilot's Forge by Patrice Sarath-
Interesting start, it kept my attention. I loved Edith's profession (Farrier). Weird end.
The Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea-
My favorite- no insta-love in this one, just insta-like and a willingness to let's see what happens mentality.
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles-
At first I thought this was a ghost story. Ending abrupt.
Time Trails by Colby Hodge-
No, this one was my favorite- Unique. I liked the idea of hunting criminals who go back to the past to alter history and those who hunt them and fix it. Yeah!
Future Date by A.J. Menden-
Well, this one was a favorite too! The storyline has some reality to it (not the time travel, but a future with limits on children and the obvious preference for boys leading to a large gender gap).
December 8, 2014
The usual anthology mix of good, bad, and meh. No real standouts but no real clunkers either. One thing that annoyed me was the frequent mixup of American and British terms. Most of the stories take place in the US with American characters but many, or maybe all, of the authors are British. So you'd get American characters talking about tyres and kerbs or using British expressions. It was jarring. That was careless editing.
October 30, 2017
ANother mammoth mess of some good, some awful time travel romances.
Happily, this contained quite a few unique (to me at least) perspectives on time travel storyline which I found to be more interesting than the S-steamy romances. Since I didn't expect much I did not take note of the actual good contributors. This one gets a recommendation if you like reading unique takes on time travel.
Happily, this contained quite a few unique (to me at least) perspectives on time travel storyline which I found to be more interesting than the S-steamy romances. Since I didn't expect much I did not take note of the actual good contributors. This one gets a recommendation if you like reading unique takes on time travel.
January 1, 2020
This is an absolutely brilliant collection. I haven’t read any time travel romances before. So it was kind of nice to read a whole collection of them. I do have a few full length novels in this genre sitting on my shelves ready to go though. Now that I’ve read this collection, I kind of can’t wait!
Even though all of these stories featured time travel and romance in some way, shape or form, the themes and messages throughout were vastly different. The stories weren’t overly lustful like many of the romances that I’ve read. Actually, there tended to be more of a focus on the romances and the finding true love message. Or just on the ways in which time travel actually works.
The stories were generally a mix of present and past; or present and future. Only one or two stories feature the past and the future, but most had a great blending of realities. Sometimes characters ended up back in their own time, sometimes in a different time that fulfilled their greatest desires. There really was something for everyone in this.
Whilst I absolutely adored this collection, it isn’t one that I will probably read again and again. As much as I loved everything, there was nothing that stood out as a story that I wanted to reread.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/the-mammoth-...
Even though all of these stories featured time travel and romance in some way, shape or form, the themes and messages throughout were vastly different. The stories weren’t overly lustful like many of the romances that I’ve read. Actually, there tended to be more of a focus on the romances and the finding true love message. Or just on the ways in which time travel actually works.
The stories were generally a mix of present and past; or present and future. Only one or two stories feature the past and the future, but most had a great blending of realities. Sometimes characters ended up back in their own time, sometimes in a different time that fulfilled their greatest desires. There really was something for everyone in this.
Whilst I absolutely adored this collection, it isn’t one that I will probably read again and again. As much as I loved everything, there was nothing that stood out as a story that I wanted to reread.
For individual reviews, head to: https://earthandskye.org/the-mammoth-...
October 31, 2023
I love time travel stories, and this book is filled with interesting ideas about how the time travel happens, why it happens, and where people are from/going to. I'm not necessarily looking for an in-depth history lessons in these stories, but they were believable enough to offer a nice bit of fantasy.
The downside? They're formulaic. They go like this: woman has no family and not much going on in her life, she meets a hot guy from a different time and gives up her whole life to be with him. It's the woman giving up her life in nearly every story, and often because she's lonely and doesn't have much else going on. I wish they would have mixed this up a bit because it got a little annoying after a while. I started think, "Why can't it be the guy with nothing else going on? Why can't he give up what he's doing for his bonny lass (or whatever)?"
Anyway. 4/5 for the time travel elements.
The downside? They're formulaic. They go like this: woman has no family and not much going on in her life, she meets a hot guy from a different time and gives up her whole life to be with him. It's the woman giving up her life in nearly every story, and often because she's lonely and doesn't have much else going on. I wish they would have mixed this up a bit because it got a little annoying after a while. I started think, "Why can't it be the guy with nothing else going on? Why can't he give up what he's doing for his bonny lass (or whatever)?"
Anyway. 4/5 for the time travel elements.
July 16, 2020
The book was as expected. Majority of the short stories were the quality of little fantasies we would have written in high school. The two I did enjoy were "Stepping Back" and "Iron and Hemlock". I could see "Iron and Hemlock" being a series of books since it is actually more of a paranormal bent with griffins and gargoyles and a magical baddie.
Trigger warning for "Catch the Lightning". That one opens with the main character contemplating how she was going to commit suicide. Skip the first two pages of that story.
Trigger warning for "Catch the Lightning". That one opens with the main character contemplating how she was going to commit suicide. Skip the first two pages of that story.
April 25, 2020
The book had great stories only...
a few of them ended too quickly, which is the challenge and curse of short stories.
A great way to catch up on ideas about time-travel.
Useful when you like to read a story between the million and one daily tasks that have to get accomplished. Definitely would recommend to anyone short on time and longing for a bit of romance.
a few of them ended too quickly, which is the challenge and curse of short stories.
A great way to catch up on ideas about time-travel.
Useful when you like to read a story between the million and one daily tasks that have to get accomplished. Definitely would recommend to anyone short on time and longing for a bit of romance.
July 21, 2020
Perhaps time travel is not my genre. I got through all the stories and felt some were good, but others were terrible. It is hard to rate a book such as this, with numerous authors, so I feel generous giving it a three star rating. It got to the point that I felt I was reading high school writing assignments.
July 3, 2018
Half of these were good stories that were too short and half were just oddly creepy, plain old boring, or just didn't make any sense.
Read
December 5, 2020Well, a mixed bag. Unsurprising that some stories were for Young Adults, or even Harlequinesque. But a couple of the stories were romantic enough to bring tears to my eyes. I liked it.
January 12, 2022
Stories are good, but I'm just not a short story reader, much. Good read.
January 5, 2026
I read this because some of my favorite authors are in it. It was a fun read.
June 18, 2011
Since this is an anthology, I figure I'll start my review now.
The Key To Happiness, by Gwyn Cready
Really sweet little story. So many Time Travel romances I've read are just kind of happenstance stories, whereas this one is very specifically about a character trying to go back and change something. I really liked it, although I think the short story format is about the only place that kind of arc would work that easily.
MacDuff's Secret by Sandy Blair
Tolerable, barely. Good thing it was a short story, since I couldn't have dealt with a novel in Scottish brogue for half the narration. Plus the 'falling-in-love' was too fast and easy and it felt like it only worked because the heroine had nothing better to do with her life.
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan
Really original take on the TT-romance. Not sure how well it worked in a short format, but I also can't see how it would work in a novel format, either.
Okay, I'm giving up trying to review all of these, because frankly most of them after this point were kind of a disappointment. I think it's because the genre doesn't really fit well into the format. You need more buildup and plot to make a Time Travel Romance really work.
Meh.
The Key To Happiness, by Gwyn Cready
Really sweet little story. So many Time Travel romances I've read are just kind of happenstance stories, whereas this one is very specifically about a character trying to go back and change something. I really liked it, although I think the short story format is about the only place that kind of arc would work that easily.
MacDuff's Secret by Sandy Blair
Tolerable, barely. Good thing it was a short story, since I couldn't have dealt with a novel in Scottish brogue for half the narration. Plus the 'falling-in-love' was too fast and easy and it felt like it only worked because the heroine had nothing better to do with her life.
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan
Really original take on the TT-romance. Not sure how well it worked in a short format, but I also can't see how it would work in a novel format, either.
Okay, I'm giving up trying to review all of these, because frankly most of them after this point were kind of a disappointment. I think it's because the genre doesn't really fit well into the format. You need more buildup and plot to make a Time Travel Romance really work.
Meh.
June 4, 2018
The Key to Happiness - Gwyn Cready - 4
Love travels back in time to prevent her making a mistake. Touching, tender
Time Trails by Colby Hodge - 4
Interesting time split concept
Saint James WAy - Jean Johnson - 4
scientist goes to observe the past and finds her man.
Steam - Jean Johnson - 4
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox - 3
Fate, enforcing Fate or allowing choice? Ok story
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent - 4
Stranger gives Cami a chip, sending her back in time. Intimate details skipped for the most part.
Love travels back in time to prevent her making a mistake. Touching, tender
Time Trails by Colby Hodge - 4
Interesting time split concept
Saint James WAy - Jean Johnson - 4
scientist goes to observe the past and finds her man.
Steam - Jean Johnson - 4
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox - 3
Fate, enforcing Fate or allowing choice? Ok story
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent - 4
Stranger gives Cami a chip, sending her back in time. Intimate details skipped for the most part.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2010
There were a few good stories in this anthology that would have brought my rating up if the rest hadn't been so awful. I know "romance" was in the title and should have warned me, but too many of the stories relied heavily on characters thinking "I know I just met you, but I'm soooo attracted to you, I think I love you" (which is just lazy writing - how about some characters with actual chemistry?!?). A lot of the stories started with a good time travel story, but as soon as the characters hooked up and declared their love, the story was over. I think I was looking for time travel stories with a dash of love story ... and less cross-century hooking up. If you're interested, get it from the library, read "The Key to Happiness", "Lost & Found", "St James Way", "Last Thorsday Next", & "The Walled Garden" and skip the rest.
Want to read
March 10, 2016The Key To Happiness by Gwyn Cready.
MacDuff's Secrety by Sandy Blair
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan
Stepping Back by Sarah Mackenzie
Sexual Healing by Margo Maguire
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox
Pilots Forge by Patrice Sarath
St James Way by Jean Johnson
Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea
Iron and Hemlock by Autumn Dawn
Last Thursday Night by Holly Lisle
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles
A Wish to Build a Dream on by Michelle Willingham
Time Trails by Colby Hodge
The Walled Garden by Michelle Lang
Catch the Lightning by Madeline Baker
Steam by Jean Johnson
Falling in Time by Allie Mackay
Future Date by AJ Menden.
MacDuff's Secrety by Sandy Blair
Lost and Found by Maureen McGowan
Stepping Back by Sarah Mackenzie
Sexual Healing by Margo Maguire
The Wild Card by Sandra Newgent
The Eleventh Hour by Michelle Maddox
Pilots Forge by Patrice Sarath
St James Way by Jean Johnson
Troll Bridge by Patti O'Shea
Iron and Hemlock by Autumn Dawn
Last Thursday Night by Holly Lisle
The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles
A Wish to Build a Dream on by Michelle Willingham
Time Trails by Colby Hodge
The Walled Garden by Michelle Lang
Catch the Lightning by Madeline Baker
Steam by Jean Johnson
Falling in Time by Allie Mackay
Future Date by AJ Menden.
Read
November 13, 2015I originally borrow this book to read only one story (The Walled Garden by Michele Lang) but the others intrigued me. I do plan on returning and seeing what else this has in store.
As for The Walled Garden, I really enjoyed it. It was nicely paced and not the perfect fairy tale. The damsel-in-distress is flawed and not your average cookie cutter damsel. She has already survived a life-altering altercation that both broke her and made her stronger. For this much character development it is amazing it was in a short story. The hero is very subtle at first and leaves you wondering but at the end he is quite direct and strong. All in all, I really enjoyed this story.
As for The Walled Garden, I really enjoyed it. It was nicely paced and not the perfect fairy tale. The damsel-in-distress is flawed and not your average cookie cutter damsel. She has already survived a life-altering altercation that both broke her and made her stronger. For this much character development it is amazing it was in a short story. The hero is very subtle at first and leaves you wondering but at the end he is quite direct and strong. All in all, I really enjoyed this story.
January 26, 2013
Okay im abt half way through this but its been a LONG time since I can actually say ive HATED a book! and Hate is a strong word.
Book is 24 short stories (Novellas).I feel each one is too rushed, or to slow then wham, thank you mam, its the end, and you are left going huh, wtf happened next!
Some of the stories have such good potential to be more, but ending is ruined by being over so quickly.
Maybe im just so used to proper novels lol
Ive got Mammoth book of Irish romances and Scottish romances to read.. I will give them a go as love them stories but if stories start to annoy me the way this book did then will hear me screaming rather loudly!
Book is 24 short stories (Novellas).I feel each one is too rushed, or to slow then wham, thank you mam, its the end, and you are left going huh, wtf happened next!
Some of the stories have such good potential to be more, but ending is ruined by being over so quickly.
Maybe im just so used to proper novels lol
Ive got Mammoth book of Irish romances and Scottish romances to read.. I will give them a go as love them stories but if stories start to annoy me the way this book did then will hear me screaming rather loudly!
February 28, 2014
Vastly entertaining 20 tales of Time Travel and Romance.
On average these are highly entertaining stories and mostly not from your usual supernatural writers.
There are one or two a little slow but mostly pack a delightful punch for short stories I especially like the one that actually dealt with the paradox it would create by changing a timeline which most seemed to ignore. (one though, The Walled Garden seemed to be a bad fit but it could be because I got fed up with it and skipped to the next).
A book that you can put down and read bit by bit or in one go I definitely recommend The Mammoth Book Of Time Travel Romance
On average these are highly entertaining stories and mostly not from your usual supernatural writers.
There are one or two a little slow but mostly pack a delightful punch for short stories I especially like the one that actually dealt with the paradox it would create by changing a timeline which most seemed to ignore. (one though, The Walled Garden seemed to be a bad fit but it could be because I got fed up with it and skipped to the next).
A book that you can put down and read bit by bit or in one go I definitely recommend The Mammoth Book Of Time Travel Romance
Read
November 11, 2024“The Key to Happiness” by Gwyn Cready
“MacDuff's Secret” by Sandy Blair
“Lost and Found” by Maureen McGowan
“Stepping Back” by Sarah Mackenzie
“Sexual Healing” by Margo Maguire
“The Wild Card” by Sandra Newgent
“The Eleventh Hour” by Michelle Maddox
“Pilots Forge” by Patrice Sarath
“St James Way” by Jean Johnson
“Troll Bridge” by Patti O'Shea
“Iron and Hemlock” by Autumn Dawn
“Last Thorsday Night” by Holly Lisle
“The Gloaming Hour” by Cindy Miles
“A Wish to Build a Dream On” by Michelle Willingham
“Time Trails” by Colby Hodge
“The Walled Garden” by Michelle Lang
“Catch the Lightning” by Madeline Baker
“Steam” by Jean Johnson
“Falling in Time” by Allie Mackay
“Future Date” by AJ Menden
“MacDuff's Secret” by Sandy Blair
“Lost and Found” by Maureen McGowan
“Stepping Back” by Sarah Mackenzie
“Sexual Healing” by Margo Maguire
“The Wild Card” by Sandra Newgent
“The Eleventh Hour” by Michelle Maddox
“Pilots Forge” by Patrice Sarath
“St James Way” by Jean Johnson
“Troll Bridge” by Patti O'Shea
“Iron and Hemlock” by Autumn Dawn
“Last Thorsday Night” by Holly Lisle
“The Gloaming Hour” by Cindy Miles
“A Wish to Build a Dream On” by Michelle Willingham
“Time Trails” by Colby Hodge
“The Walled Garden” by Michelle Lang
“Catch the Lightning” by Madeline Baker
“Steam” by Jean Johnson
“Falling in Time” by Allie Mackay
“Future Date” by AJ Menden
January 11, 2011
If you ever need a cover that will elict smirks and possibly mocking laughter on the bus, this would be it. (Not that I experienced this personally, although now I kind of wish I had tried.)
There were three stories I liked. The Key to Happiness by Gwen Cready, Pilot's Forge by Patrice Sarath, and Last Thorsday Night by Holly Lisle.
The rest was crap. Not just oh, kind of bad mediocre romance. No, so bad that I still can't justify giving this book more than one star, even though those three stories really deserve a solid three.
There were three stories I liked. The Key to Happiness by Gwen Cready, Pilot's Forge by Patrice Sarath, and Last Thorsday Night by Holly Lisle.
The rest was crap. Not just oh, kind of bad mediocre romance. No, so bad that I still can't justify giving this book more than one star, even though those three stories really deserve a solid three.
July 28, 2013
This was a pretty good book. A little disappointing in that it was a typical anthology: half and half. There were some really good stories but also ones I didn't really care for. There were a few good steamy scenes, some Highlanders, Rangers, a steampunk, some faeries, and modern day attitudes. I wouldn't mind reading this again but I wouldn't shelf this one. There were maybe a few stories I really enjoyed but most of theme were just good. Overall, pretty good though and not bad, good for passing time or something to read. Enjoy!
June 25, 2012
Ho-hum collection of time travel stories. My favourite was probably Last Thorsday night by Holly Lisle (an author I like anyway). Often when I read a collection like this there are one or two new authors who intrigue me and make me want to read more by them, nope, every author I liked the story by was an author I already read. I suppose it's not helped by the fact that I really am not that interested in time travel as a trope and was wondering if it was just some of the books I have read about it, and no, it just leaves me cold.
January 19, 2014
This was a very interesting idea to take a bunch of short stories to put in one book. Though I would have to say this was very poorly done. I would have liked seeing the stories longer than 2-4 pages.. it felt like everything was more rushed than what it should have been and before you could even get a feel for the main characters the stories were done. I am completely disappointed since it left me wanting more of the stories. Each one had a very well thought out plot and would have been great stand alone novels if only they were longer.
June 4, 2011
Surprisingly (at least to me) I only ended up skipping about 3 of the stories. There were a few that I would have really enjoyed to read as longer works--there was a lot more to those worlds/stories that could have been developed. Only about 4 stories in here really fit the short story format; most felt like longer works condensed to fit the limited page count. Overall, not a bad way to spend a few hours stuck at an airport.
February 3, 2012
This book had a good mix of more futuristic science fiction and more fantasy oriented short stories. As with most anthologies, there were some I didn't care for, some I wish could be turned into a full length novel so I could find out what happened next, and most were a fun short read. Anyone who likes a little time travel and romance should definitely give it a read.
For me it wasn't a 4, but I'd give it a 3.5.
For me it wasn't a 4, but I'd give it a 3.5.
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