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Tempus Fugitives Trilogy #1
Swept Away
Ella Stevens never knew a mother’s love. Her fierce independence was the keystone of her whole identity—unfettered by romantic involvements or family demands—until the day she moved to Germany and her world began to unravel. There, she discovered the terrible secret her mother died to protect. There, she stumbled onto a hidden time portal that took her to 1620 Heidelberg where the brutal realities of life were not restricted to just the poor and the infirm. Fighting to survive in a world she’s ill-equipped to understand let alone function, Ella is befriended by a convent of nuns who stand on the executioner’s block of one of the bloodiest butchers in all of the Warlord Krüger. Determined to help her new friends, Ella, with the aid of a very sexy United States Marshal, learns the hard way that when it comes to the things that really matter—love, trust and friendship—sometimes the truth is the least important thing of all.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
March 13, 2013
I won this book a while ago on Goodread's First Reads and I've been delaying reading it. I just had a sinking feeling that I wouldn't like it, and the author seemed very nice when I received the book. I don't like beating down authors trying to make a break so I was hoping this would live up to all the 4 and 5 star reviews on GRs and Amazon. Lo and behold, I really disliked this one.
The plot begins with a girl Ella meeting a guy named Rowan right before she is set to move to Germany. They have an eventful first meeting but they hit it off and spend two lovely days together before they attempt a long-distance relationship. Things get more complicated as Ella learns more about her past and where she came from.
My issues... where to begin. The characters were underdeveloped, the romance came out of nowhere and I felt no chemistry whatsoever, and the errors were too numerous to count. This book needed some fact checking and some serious, serious editing. It felt extremely amateurish overall, and I just couldn't finish it. I read more than my requisite 50 pages and tried to push through to the end but I just couldn't make myself do it.
Here is just a sampling of the very bad writing...
"Hey, beautiful," he said. "You're letting your hair grow long."
"Yeah, it's the style over here," she said patting her long dark hair.
- okay at this point she had only been gone for TWO WEEKS weeks, as her hair was very long before, how the F would anyone notice hair growth changes in just TWO WEEKS??? Her boyfriend certainly wouldn't!
He gave off a strong scent of athleticism and Ella had an image of him playing soccer with his pals after work.
- What is a "strong scent of athleticism"? Like B.O.??
In the two days that they had had together, they had explored each other in every sense of the word and the next step should have been commitment and love.
- Um, what about dating? What are you talking about?! You had sex, you didn't propose marriage!
(After her first date with Rowan) Four hours later when, finally forced by hunger to drag themselves out of Ella's bed and to the neighborhood Waffle House, Ella had pretty much convinced herself that she was in love for the first time in her life.
...Cut to four days later...
...She hadn't known Rowan long enough to consider him her boyfriend by any stretch of the imagination and yet... whatever she felt for him she didn't completely feel free either. Was she using that an excuse not to date Hugo? Did she want to date Hugo?
- Hello, lady! You just met Hugo like 6 hours earlier and I thought you were in love with Rowan? What the eff is happening here?
This is just a small sampling of what I was dealing with as I was reading. ::sigh:: Oh well...
The plot begins with a girl Ella meeting a guy named Rowan right before she is set to move to Germany. They have an eventful first meeting but they hit it off and spend two lovely days together before they attempt a long-distance relationship. Things get more complicated as Ella learns more about her past and where she came from.
My issues... where to begin. The characters were underdeveloped, the romance came out of nowhere and I felt no chemistry whatsoever, and the errors were too numerous to count. This book needed some fact checking and some serious, serious editing. It felt extremely amateurish overall, and I just couldn't finish it. I read more than my requisite 50 pages and tried to push through to the end but I just couldn't make myself do it.
Here is just a sampling of the very bad writing...
"Hey, beautiful," he said. "You're letting your hair grow long."
"Yeah, it's the style over here," she said patting her long dark hair.
- okay at this point she had only been gone for TWO WEEKS weeks, as her hair was very long before, how the F would anyone notice hair growth changes in just TWO WEEKS??? Her boyfriend certainly wouldn't!
He gave off a strong scent of athleticism and Ella had an image of him playing soccer with his pals after work.
- What is a "strong scent of athleticism"? Like B.O.??
In the two days that they had had together, they had explored each other in every sense of the word and the next step should have been commitment and love.
- Um, what about dating? What are you talking about?! You had sex, you didn't propose marriage!
(After her first date with Rowan) Four hours later when, finally forced by hunger to drag themselves out of Ella's bed and to the neighborhood Waffle House, Ella had pretty much convinced herself that she was in love for the first time in her life.
...Cut to four days later...
...She hadn't known Rowan long enough to consider him her boyfriend by any stretch of the imagination and yet... whatever she felt for him she didn't completely feel free either. Was she using that an excuse not to date Hugo? Did she want to date Hugo?
- Hello, lady! You just met Hugo like 6 hours earlier and I thought you were in love with Rowan? What the eff is happening here?
This is just a small sampling of what I was dealing with as I was reading. ::sigh:: Oh well...
February 25, 2013
I rated this a 2-star book on Amazon because I feel bad for the author. Since this is a place for more serious readers I am being a bit more honest.
From after the "About the Author":
"I think the rule of thumb for any reader wondering about the accuracy of my facts and dates, whether in 1945 or 1620, should be: if it doesn't look right to you, I probably made it up."
Why, why why why why why why??? I really wish that she had placed this on the first page of the book. It would have saved me a lot of time. If you are writing a book that takes place in the past, please do your homework. Or write about the present. And if you do one or both, please also re-read your book before submitting it to avoid any embarrassing errors.
I speak German and have been to German-speaking countries several times. I was excited to read this book because of how familiar the subject is to me. But wow.... it was seriously in need of fact-checking. First of all, 80% of the German used in the book was incorrect. It ran together when it wasn't supposed to, had bad word order, and didn't follow simple characteristics of the language, like capitalized nouns. Even Google Translate would have done a better job with it (and I suspect an online translator may have played a role in many of the constructed sentences). Not that linguistic accuracy should be the most important aspect of a fictional novel, but I would think that if the author doesn't have a background in the language, maybe it should be double-checked before publication (an ad on Craigslist could have done the trick).
Beyond that, there were errors in many other aspects of the book. I cringed every time Wikipedia was spelled with 2 K's. But most of all, I was upset at the false references (when things were built, stating that 2012 is 600 years later than 1620, etc.) given throughout the novel. Again, a simple Google search would have made it much more believable. In my opinion, if the author is spending the time to write a novel, she should put in a couple of extra weeks making sure that the information lines up. And perhaps have somebody else read it first.
From after the "About the Author":
"I think the rule of thumb for any reader wondering about the accuracy of my facts and dates, whether in 1945 or 1620, should be: if it doesn't look right to you, I probably made it up."
Why, why why why why why why??? I really wish that she had placed this on the first page of the book. It would have saved me a lot of time. If you are writing a book that takes place in the past, please do your homework. Or write about the present. And if you do one or both, please also re-read your book before submitting it to avoid any embarrassing errors.
I speak German and have been to German-speaking countries several times. I was excited to read this book because of how familiar the subject is to me. But wow.... it was seriously in need of fact-checking. First of all, 80% of the German used in the book was incorrect. It ran together when it wasn't supposed to, had bad word order, and didn't follow simple characteristics of the language, like capitalized nouns. Even Google Translate would have done a better job with it (and I suspect an online translator may have played a role in many of the constructed sentences). Not that linguistic accuracy should be the most important aspect of a fictional novel, but I would think that if the author doesn't have a background in the language, maybe it should be double-checked before publication (an ad on Craigslist could have done the trick).
Beyond that, there were errors in many other aspects of the book. I cringed every time Wikipedia was spelled with 2 K's. But most of all, I was upset at the false references (when things were built, stating that 2012 is 600 years later than 1620, etc.) given throughout the novel. Again, a simple Google search would have made it much more believable. In my opinion, if the author is spending the time to write a novel, she should put in a couple of extra weeks making sure that the information lines up. And perhaps have somebody else read it first.
July 20, 2016
4.5 stars
I read this as A Trespass in Time having bought it over a year ago. It is the first of a series but can be read as a standalone book. (The beginning I read is different for that of the newer and re-titled edition, Swept Away.)
Ella Steven first brushes off obvious attempts by a handsome tall man in a cowboy hat to pick her up at the local Starbucks. She has only a few days before she flies off to Heidelberg, Germany for a new job and a new life as she plans to stay there. Hauntingly her mother, a CIA operative, had died when Ella was very young in the same area Ella is headed for. But ironically as this man, US Marshal Rowan Pierce, attempts to now avoid her so she will not think he is stalking her, he winds up saving her as she walks in on a robbery at another Starbucks. She allows him to take her out to dinner and has a wild weekend fling even though she has revealed her plans to move out-of-country.
In Germany Ella quickly makes friends with the receptionist Heidi and Hugo, a co-worker, the latter attempting to hit on her very quickly. As she and Rowan at first keep daily communications open the lure of time spent with good friends and inviting social times soon sees Ella letting his calls go to voice mail. Ella, in deciding to research the mother she never knew, turns up a horrifying fact about her own blood line and the next day realizes her fellow employees have somehow also learned that fact. She reconsiders her place there, resigns her job, calls Rowan and leaves him message…she needs him. But soon after that she walks out in a storm, finds shelter in a church and as she leaves and is fingering the necklace her mother left her is swept back in time to 1620.
What she finds there is a whole new and horrific situation in which a warlord and his evil son, Axel, rule a town with iron fists and no mercy. As she witnesses the murder and mayhem and makes friends with a Mother Superior Greta Schaefer, she considers how she, one woman from the future, might somehow find a way to defeat Krüger the Terrible’s plans to raid and kill or capture her new friends, a convent of nuns. Thus we find her reaching across the centuries again asking for help. Is there anyway Rowan can learn where she is? Can Rowan help her in another life time?
Although this is not my usual sub-genre of reading, JAFF, I found this story enthralling, and just may have to read the other books in this series. Time travel, fighting off not just one bad guy and a hot sexual attraction between our leading lady and her man make for good reading IMO. Oh, and it is MA.
I read this as A Trespass in Time having bought it over a year ago. It is the first of a series but can be read as a standalone book. (The beginning I read is different for that of the newer and re-titled edition, Swept Away.)
Ella Steven first brushes off obvious attempts by a handsome tall man in a cowboy hat to pick her up at the local Starbucks. She has only a few days before she flies off to Heidelberg, Germany for a new job and a new life as she plans to stay there. Hauntingly her mother, a CIA operative, had died when Ella was very young in the same area Ella is headed for. But ironically as this man, US Marshal Rowan Pierce, attempts to now avoid her so she will not think he is stalking her, he winds up saving her as she walks in on a robbery at another Starbucks. She allows him to take her out to dinner and has a wild weekend fling even though she has revealed her plans to move out-of-country.
In Germany Ella quickly makes friends with the receptionist Heidi and Hugo, a co-worker, the latter attempting to hit on her very quickly. As she and Rowan at first keep daily communications open the lure of time spent with good friends and inviting social times soon sees Ella letting his calls go to voice mail. Ella, in deciding to research the mother she never knew, turns up a horrifying fact about her own blood line and the next day realizes her fellow employees have somehow also learned that fact. She reconsiders her place there, resigns her job, calls Rowan and leaves him message…she needs him. But soon after that she walks out in a storm, finds shelter in a church and as she leaves and is fingering the necklace her mother left her is swept back in time to 1620.
What she finds there is a whole new and horrific situation in which a warlord and his evil son, Axel, rule a town with iron fists and no mercy. As she witnesses the murder and mayhem and makes friends with a Mother Superior Greta Schaefer, she considers how she, one woman from the future, might somehow find a way to defeat Krüger the Terrible’s plans to raid and kill or capture her new friends, a convent of nuns. Thus we find her reaching across the centuries again asking for help. Is there anyway Rowan can learn where she is? Can Rowan help her in another life time?
Although this is not my usual sub-genre of reading, JAFF, I found this story enthralling, and just may have to read the other books in this series. Time travel, fighting off not just one bad guy and a hot sexual attraction between our leading lady and her man make for good reading IMO. Oh, and it is MA.
July 30, 2014
Here you have a "Romance" with an unexpected twist.
July 26, 2015
What to say about this story. Well, it was different, or at least different from the last several books I've read.
It was an okay story. I wasn't a fan of Ella, she was annoying and stupid. Rowan sounded like the stereotypical nice guy cowboy (if that made any sense). I didn't feel connected to either or any characters. Thankfully it didn't take me long to read this either.
What was with the girl on the cover? I wouldn't have pictured Ella like that at all. I mean she looks like she's using a regular gun to, which she didn't in the book. The gloves? well I don't even know what to say about those.
Questions/Comments:
"Hearing the German phrases spoken while reading them was supposed to increase her language retention..." I wouldn't think that's correct, considering with most languages when translating from English to whatever foreign language, the words aren't in the same order.
After Ella leaves for Germany, her and Rowan decide that they'll try out a long distance relationship. Yet right after meeting Hugo, Ella seems to have forgotten that.
Ella has been gone for 2 weeks. Her and Rowan chat and he somehow notices that her hair has grown longer. How is that even possible in such a short time period? I mean how often had they chatted during that time to where he'd actually notice hair growth?
During one short chat to Rowan, Ella tells him that she's getting ready to go out and her friend will be meeting her in an hour. Yet right after she says goodbye, she's putting 'the final touches on her makeup' and then leaves. Don't tell me her 'final touches' took an hour to accomplish.
The taser. With how much the taser was brought, it was pretty obvious that Ella would end up using it on someone. No surprises there. Anyways, so she's in a new country, out and about at night, going to clubs, lots of people around and several times she ends up walking in less populated areas. Well we learn that she does carry the taser with her, but not when she goes to clubs. Now how much since does that make. She only takes it to work?
Ella ends up meeting a long, lost aunt at an old folks home. "I can't believe I've found you." Yes, because we know that was her intention of going to Germany and she had been searching for so long. Moving on...
So with her 70 plus y/o aunt in Germany, how does this all work out correctly? Now we know Ella's mom died when she was 5 and Ella is like 30. If the aunt and her mother were sisters, how old was her mother when she died? She was what? like in her 50's or older when she had Ella?
I couldn't help but notice how much alcohol was drinking throughout the story. Can you say alcoholic?
After moving to Germany and befriending Heidi, they're always going to clubs, drinking lots of alcohol and suddenly Ella's smoking? Because it's the cool thing to do? Um... "When they ran out matches, they lot their cigarettes off each other's..." How many cigarettes were they smoking to where they ran out of matches? Someone must really want to get cancer.
I don't really understand why Ella was so upset after realizing how her mother had felt towards her. I mean she couldn't have had that many memories of her. She had mentioned that she didn't remember and hugging or kissing from her mother. Her mother was always gone too. Who cares?
Ella had her first encounter with Axel when one of his men had tried to take the of the novices in her care. She turns around and there he is. How did she know that was him though?
What was with the 1620's version of Heidelberg? I mean the poor folk/villagers applauded when someone was killed? I mean if they know the persons bad and being killed by orders of the King or sheriff. But getting the approval from Axel and his father, really? After all the raping, killing and beatings they dished out to the nuns and regular folk? I just don't get it.
"Will it be legal when we go back to our own time?" Seriously Ella? How stupid could she be to have asked that question?
FYI, 2012-1620 is only 392. It's not 600 years later. Where the author came up with that number is beyond be. Someone needs to learn their subtraction again. Same thing can be said with learning to spell correctly. Wikkapedia has only one 'k' in it. I noticed several grammatical errors involving the wrong word being used or just completely gone, leaving the sentence to not make sense.
"Five people came down-mostly servants and a few wealthy landowner types..." Now, when you use the words 'mostly' and a 'few', then say there were only a total of 5 people...just doesn't sound right to me. Sounds like there would have been more people.
I get that Christof was the good brother but seriously when he says this to his brother, "This is a chance for you to come into the light. Come into the full light of understanding and love that is out Lord Jesus Christ." Now is he reading this directing from a pamphlet that was left at his door?
After Ella is found in Axel's room naked, she's told to leave, she glances over at her clothes but just runs out nude. Why? I can understand you trying to play off the fact that you're not suppose to be in the castle but still. There's no need to be showing your boobies. You could have just sat/stood/knelt whatever naked but still covered.
I still don't really understand how the Kruger family was able to get away with so much? The fact that there's a deputy sheriff, sounds kind of strange. Did they have sheriffs in those times, in that area?
Ella confronts Christof about having Rowan released. Informing him that he's a 'United States Deputy Marshal", well I'm sure that really helped there. haha Very stupid.
Okay, so when Rowan is tied down to the cart, his guard that's cutting the ropes is hit by one of Ella's taser dohickys. While she's several feet/yards away, sitting behind Christof, on a horse. She was able to hit that guy with those obstacles, YET she was unable to hit Axel when he's basically standing in front of her?
Rowan and Ella have sex in the bathtub after things are good. Except we have to remember that Rowan has a broken nose, the burn/brand/ouchie on his back and broken ribs. That's definitely the perfect time to get frisky with no worries.
Another stupid question by Ella, "Are you sure Rowan? What about the whole bad seed thing?" Seriously?
It was an okay story. I wasn't a fan of Ella, she was annoying and stupid. Rowan sounded like the stereotypical nice guy cowboy (if that made any sense). I didn't feel connected to either or any characters. Thankfully it didn't take me long to read this either.
What was with the girl on the cover? I wouldn't have pictured Ella like that at all. I mean she looks like she's using a regular gun to, which she didn't in the book. The gloves? well I don't even know what to say about those.
Questions/Comments:
"Hearing the German phrases spoken while reading them was supposed to increase her language retention..." I wouldn't think that's correct, considering with most languages when translating from English to whatever foreign language, the words aren't in the same order.
After Ella leaves for Germany, her and Rowan decide that they'll try out a long distance relationship. Yet right after meeting Hugo, Ella seems to have forgotten that.
Ella has been gone for 2 weeks. Her and Rowan chat and he somehow notices that her hair has grown longer. How is that even possible in such a short time period? I mean how often had they chatted during that time to where he'd actually notice hair growth?
During one short chat to Rowan, Ella tells him that she's getting ready to go out and her friend will be meeting her in an hour. Yet right after she says goodbye, she's putting 'the final touches on her makeup' and then leaves. Don't tell me her 'final touches' took an hour to accomplish.
The taser. With how much the taser was brought, it was pretty obvious that Ella would end up using it on someone. No surprises there. Anyways, so she's in a new country, out and about at night, going to clubs, lots of people around and several times she ends up walking in less populated areas. Well we learn that she does carry the taser with her, but not when she goes to clubs. Now how much since does that make. She only takes it to work?
Ella ends up meeting a long, lost aunt at an old folks home. "I can't believe I've found you." Yes, because we know that was her intention of going to Germany and she had been searching for so long. Moving on...
So with her 70 plus y/o aunt in Germany, how does this all work out correctly? Now we know Ella's mom died when she was 5 and Ella is like 30. If the aunt and her mother were sisters, how old was her mother when she died? She was what? like in her 50's or older when she had Ella?
I couldn't help but notice how much alcohol was drinking throughout the story. Can you say alcoholic?
After moving to Germany and befriending Heidi, they're always going to clubs, drinking lots of alcohol and suddenly Ella's smoking? Because it's the cool thing to do? Um... "When they ran out matches, they lot their cigarettes off each other's..." How many cigarettes were they smoking to where they ran out of matches? Someone must really want to get cancer.
I don't really understand why Ella was so upset after realizing how her mother had felt towards her. I mean she couldn't have had that many memories of her. She had mentioned that she didn't remember and hugging or kissing from her mother. Her mother was always gone too. Who cares?
Ella had her first encounter with Axel when one of his men had tried to take the of the novices in her care. She turns around and there he is. How did she know that was him though?
What was with the 1620's version of Heidelberg? I mean the poor folk/villagers applauded when someone was killed? I mean if they know the persons bad and being killed by orders of the King or sheriff. But getting the approval from Axel and his father, really? After all the raping, killing and beatings they dished out to the nuns and regular folk? I just don't get it.
"Will it be legal when we go back to our own time?" Seriously Ella? How stupid could she be to have asked that question?
FYI, 2012-1620 is only 392. It's not 600 years later. Where the author came up with that number is beyond be. Someone needs to learn their subtraction again. Same thing can be said with learning to spell correctly. Wikkapedia has only one 'k' in it. I noticed several grammatical errors involving the wrong word being used or just completely gone, leaving the sentence to not make sense.
"Five people came down-mostly servants and a few wealthy landowner types..." Now, when you use the words 'mostly' and a 'few', then say there were only a total of 5 people...just doesn't sound right to me. Sounds like there would have been more people.
I get that Christof was the good brother but seriously when he says this to his brother, "This is a chance for you to come into the light. Come into the full light of understanding and love that is out Lord Jesus Christ." Now is he reading this directing from a pamphlet that was left at his door?
After Ella is found in Axel's room naked, she's told to leave, she glances over at her clothes but just runs out nude. Why? I can understand you trying to play off the fact that you're not suppose to be in the castle but still. There's no need to be showing your boobies. You could have just sat/stood/knelt whatever naked but still covered.
I still don't really understand how the Kruger family was able to get away with so much? The fact that there's a deputy sheriff, sounds kind of strange. Did they have sheriffs in those times, in that area?
Ella confronts Christof about having Rowan released. Informing him that he's a 'United States Deputy Marshal", well I'm sure that really helped there. haha Very stupid.
Okay, so when Rowan is tied down to the cart, his guard that's cutting the ropes is hit by one of Ella's taser dohickys. While she's several feet/yards away, sitting behind Christof, on a horse. She was able to hit that guy with those obstacles, YET she was unable to hit Axel when he's basically standing in front of her?
Rowan and Ella have sex in the bathtub after things are good. Except we have to remember that Rowan has a broken nose, the burn/brand/ouchie on his back and broken ribs. That's definitely the perfect time to get frisky with no worries.
Another stupid question by Ella, "Are you sure Rowan? What about the whole bad seed thing?" Seriously?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2013
Ella was sitting in the coffee shop, studying the German language on her Ipod, when Rowan approached her. Even though she was immediately attracted to him, she thought, I'm moving to Heidelberg, Germany soon and I don't need any complications.
Rowan was hard to ignore. He wore a cowboy hat and was tall, dark and handsome. He worked as a US Marshall, but was on medical leave and staying with his parents until he recovered from an injury. Then he would go back to Dothan, Alabama.
The next time she saw him, he was rescuing her from two robbers, who were going to kidnap her from the coffee shop . He asked her to dinner. How could she say no? He had just saved her. After dinner, they went back to her, packed up and almost empty, apartment and she told him about her move. She was really glad when he said, "Maybe we'd better not waste any more time."
They went to Waffle House for breakfast. As they ate, they both thought about the other. Rowan felt he had found the perfect woman, but she was leaving. Ella felt the same way about him, but she was very independent and was going anyway. She said they could Skype, write and visit, but right now she wanted to be back in bed with him. They spent two wonderful days together and now they were at Atlanta airport and she was leaving him.
Heidelberg was everything Ella thought it would be. She missed Rowan, but as the days passed, she was busy with everything new and tired after work, so sometimes she didn't even call him.
Ella called her dad and he mentioned there could be some of her mom's family still in Germany. Why would he mention it now, after all this time? Should she look them up? Was her dad hinting that something wasn't right about her mom's death?
Ella did some research and found a couple leads to people who might be able to help her. She decided to let Hugo, her co-worker, drive her to check them out. She would end up regretting that decision.
At the first place, the woman slammed the door in her face. She hit the jackpot at the second. She met her aunt who was also named Ella. She had been separated from the family at an early age. She told Ella what she knew about the past and her grandfather, Rudolph Vogel. Ella didn't know he was known as the butcher of Auschwitz. He had been hung by the allies at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945.
Hugo had seemed very interested, was he too interested? Ella began to wonder, what was Hugo's job? How could she have worked with him this long, even went out with him once, and didn't even know what he did?
Tuesday started out as a typical day, until she arrived at work. Why was Heidi acting so strange? Why was everyone looking at her?
It had been a month since Ella had spoken to Rowan. She felt desperate to talk with him. She decided it was time to go home, but her route was one she could never have foreseen.
4 STARS - Would Highly Recommend To Others
Susan always tells a good story and they are well written, easy to read and flow smoothly.
Atlanta is familiar to me and I always like when places I know and love are mentioned in a book. It draws me further into the story. Waffle House - what can I say about Waffle House? If you've ever been in the south, you know it's an icon. The best breakfast you will ever eat, especially after a night on the town.
The cover caught my attention immediately. I love a rough and tough female heroine. And she was. Ella was very independent and not one to avoid doing what she felt was necessary, even at the risk of her own life. Rowan fell hard for Ella. It was the strength of his feelings that would reunite them. When they re-met, my eyes watered and I smiled, even though I knew it had to happen.
I was reading along, about her caught in the storm, but what came next brought my reading to a screeching halt. I was puzzled. What? What's happening? I was so caught up in the story, I forgot where it was going. I was waiting for someone to jump out and get her, instead she walks into.........
I suspected Hugo of being a bad guy. He was, but not quite the way I thought he would be. He was vindictive and didn't like being snubbed by Ella.
When Ella went back in time, the story really picked up. I was already into it, now I didn't want to put it down. I was trying to write it in my mind and make it go where I wanted it to go. I kept thinking, you can guess where it ends, Sherry, don't worry. It was a great ride getting there, with a loop and a twist here and there.
My Favorite Quotes
"******* poster child for love-sick puppies"
"What a wild ride life is with you Rowan."
"You do know we can't solve all of history's problems, right? God I'm going to miss this **** back in Dothan."
That put a big smile on my face, as I thought, where will they travel to next.
The Cairo Effect, 2nd book in the Tempest Fugitives Time Travel Series, is scheduled for release in the spring 2013.
I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The Heidelberg Effect
Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Rowan was hard to ignore. He wore a cowboy hat and was tall, dark and handsome. He worked as a US Marshall, but was on medical leave and staying with his parents until he recovered from an injury. Then he would go back to Dothan, Alabama.
The next time she saw him, he was rescuing her from two robbers, who were going to kidnap her from the coffee shop . He asked her to dinner. How could she say no? He had just saved her. After dinner, they went back to her, packed up and almost empty, apartment and she told him about her move. She was really glad when he said, "Maybe we'd better not waste any more time."
They went to Waffle House for breakfast. As they ate, they both thought about the other. Rowan felt he had found the perfect woman, but she was leaving. Ella felt the same way about him, but she was very independent and was going anyway. She said they could Skype, write and visit, but right now she wanted to be back in bed with him. They spent two wonderful days together and now they were at Atlanta airport and she was leaving him.
Heidelberg was everything Ella thought it would be. She missed Rowan, but as the days passed, she was busy with everything new and tired after work, so sometimes she didn't even call him.
Ella called her dad and he mentioned there could be some of her mom's family still in Germany. Why would he mention it now, after all this time? Should she look them up? Was her dad hinting that something wasn't right about her mom's death?
Ella did some research and found a couple leads to people who might be able to help her. She decided to let Hugo, her co-worker, drive her to check them out. She would end up regretting that decision.
At the first place, the woman slammed the door in her face. She hit the jackpot at the second. She met her aunt who was also named Ella. She had been separated from the family at an early age. She told Ella what she knew about the past and her grandfather, Rudolph Vogel. Ella didn't know he was known as the butcher of Auschwitz. He had been hung by the allies at the Nuremberg Trials in 1945.
Hugo had seemed very interested, was he too interested? Ella began to wonder, what was Hugo's job? How could she have worked with him this long, even went out with him once, and didn't even know what he did?
Tuesday started out as a typical day, until she arrived at work. Why was Heidi acting so strange? Why was everyone looking at her?
It had been a month since Ella had spoken to Rowan. She felt desperate to talk with him. She decided it was time to go home, but her route was one she could never have foreseen.
4 STARS - Would Highly Recommend To Others
Susan always tells a good story and they are well written, easy to read and flow smoothly.
Atlanta is familiar to me and I always like when places I know and love are mentioned in a book. It draws me further into the story. Waffle House - what can I say about Waffle House? If you've ever been in the south, you know it's an icon. The best breakfast you will ever eat, especially after a night on the town.
The cover caught my attention immediately. I love a rough and tough female heroine. And she was. Ella was very independent and not one to avoid doing what she felt was necessary, even at the risk of her own life. Rowan fell hard for Ella. It was the strength of his feelings that would reunite them. When they re-met, my eyes watered and I smiled, even though I knew it had to happen.
I was reading along, about her caught in the storm, but what came next brought my reading to a screeching halt. I was puzzled. What? What's happening? I was so caught up in the story, I forgot where it was going. I was waiting for someone to jump out and get her, instead she walks into.........
I suspected Hugo of being a bad guy. He was, but not quite the way I thought he would be. He was vindictive and didn't like being snubbed by Ella.
When Ella went back in time, the story really picked up. I was already into it, now I didn't want to put it down. I was trying to write it in my mind and make it go where I wanted it to go. I kept thinking, you can guess where it ends, Sherry, don't worry. It was a great ride getting there, with a loop and a twist here and there.
My Favorite Quotes
"******* poster child for love-sick puppies"
"What a wild ride life is with you Rowan."
"You do know we can't solve all of history's problems, right? God I'm going to miss this **** back in Dothan."
That put a big smile on my face, as I thought, where will they travel to next.
The Cairo Effect, 2nd book in the Tempest Fugitives Time Travel Series, is scheduled for release in the spring 2013.
I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The Heidelberg Effect
Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Want to read
December 18, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/18/2019)! 🎁
August 28, 2018
Strange lead up to a time travel story. The 1600s portion of the story was really good. But having her ex boyfriend show up in the 1600s too was a bit over the top.
December 22, 2012
To really appreciate this book, you have to suspend belief and buy into the fun of the impossible situations Ella finds herself in. Like Ella, I felt a little like Alice down the rabbit hole by the halfway point in the book. She thought her life was boring and was looking for a little excitement, but, boy, she found it! No matter what your preferred genre, there is a little of it in this book: steamy, contemporary romance, historical fiction, suspense, fantasy-- and a little bodice-ripper thrown in. The characters are those you might expect: gutsy heroine, cowboy lover, rejected and nasty hustler, a gal pal, a wise female mentor, and a really, really despicable villain or two. No, not everything makes sense, but if you can just enjoy the roller coaster plot line, you will find an entertaining, escapist, reading experience.
April 3, 2014
WOW!! I highly recommend this book!!
I really enjoyed this book. The characters had a lot of depth. I could feel their emotions so poignantly, I wanted to laugh with them, and cry for them. (I also wanted to kick the crap out of the 'evil' bad guys!)
I love history and time travel, this book has a lot of elements that I enjoy.
Also, I've lived in Germany, so this book brought back some wonderful memories for me. The people are friendly and welcoming; and the cities and the countryside are beautiful and diverse. Thank you, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, for writing such a wonderful book!!!
I really enjoyed this book. The characters had a lot of depth. I could feel their emotions so poignantly, I wanted to laugh with them, and cry for them. (I also wanted to kick the crap out of the 'evil' bad guys!)
I love history and time travel, this book has a lot of elements that I enjoy.
Also, I've lived in Germany, so this book brought back some wonderful memories for me. The people are friendly and welcoming; and the cities and the countryside are beautiful and diverse. Thank you, Susan Kiernan-Lewis, for writing such a wonderful book!!!
January 22, 2025
On the verge of a life-changing move to Germany, Ella steps into a Starbucks and the middle of an armed robbery. Saved by a US Marshall, her relocation goes ahead. When a family secret knocks Ella off balance, she travels through time to Germany in 1620 where her help is desperately needed. Will the handsome Marshall come to her aid once again?
Action packed! Don't expect a breather in this book, because it is go go go! Do, however, expect very graphic scenes of sexuality and violence. This is not a tame story. I love Susan Kiernan-Lewis' writing, but I need a quick break to restore my composure!
Action packed! Don't expect a breather in this book, because it is go go go! Do, however, expect very graphic scenes of sexuality and violence. This is not a tame story. I love Susan Kiernan-Lewis' writing, but I need a quick break to restore my composure!
December 17, 2012
I got this book as a free download and I absolutely loved it. It had a great plot line, interesting and likable characters, great villains, time travel, romance and plenty of action that made it difficult for me to put the book down. I can't wait to see what Susan Kiernan-Lewis has in store for us next. If you love to get transported into a different century with some romance and action then don't miss this book.
February 4, 2018
Plot entertaining.
Plot was good. Too much activity in bed. The main character seems to lack character growth and discipline. Plot was entertaining. Not recommended for underage. Too much swearing.
Plot was good. Too much activity in bed. The main character seems to lack character growth and discipline. Plot was entertaining. Not recommended for underage. Too much swearing.
Read
September 17, 2013worth reading once. interesting concept. liked the fact the heroine didn't get all wussy and actually saved the day a few times!
March 7, 2018
I received a free copy of this from BookBub, but it is entitled SWEPT AWAY (Book 1 of the ELLA OUT OF TIME series). I’m not sure which is the Original Title, and it’s irritating that the author has not clarified this on the series page.
It was a quick read, interesting (to me) because it took place in Germany. There is a World War II connection, but the book is primarily a romance—a quite lusty one at that. Parents note: Explicit sex, not on every page, but often enough. That is in the modern-day relationship. In 1620: there is rampant rape and abduction/selling young girls to white slavers. Repellent. Also lots of swearing.
The writing was about average, though the anachronistic modern expressions were jarring. I believe they were intentional, but still—the sheer number was overkill. A few would have been tolerable. One would think (hope!) that a young woman with a college education would not be so obtuse. She tells Rowan to keep quiet, but she can’t keep her mouth shut?
The German expressions are appalling (to me as a professional translator) in that they rarely use the correct person/voice/tense. Granted, the average English-speaking reader might not notice, but surely the author/publisher could have checked with a native speaker—or even a German dictionary/grammar primer!—before publication. Actually, given the fact that it was 1620 when the German words were uttered, they should have been in Middle High German, not Modern High German, but clearly authenticity is not a priority for this author. Sigh.
Sadly, the same applies for every aspect of the book. There is no historical detail other than a public execution by decapitation, and the threat of being burnt at the stake for witchcraft. The now-famous Heidelberg castle is mentioned, and the church, but the rest is generic modern city. The 1620 characters are conveniently garbed in peasant rags or the robes of a nun; the lord of the manor grabs his codpiece and thrusts it at Ella as a show of power. Ugh. That’s it for historical clothing. No mention of the fact that Ella was probably taller and healthier than the average 1620 female. Greta probably was, too.
The time travel element was interesting, but given short-shrift. Ella shows Yankee ingenuity by planting her iPhone in the castle so they can accuse Krüger of witchcraft, but it is suspiciously easy to pop back and forth from present-day to 1620. And why 1620? The author gives absolutely no explanation. Ella not only has a taser but access to C4 and blasting caps thanks to Hugo—a garrulous modern-day German lothario who inexplicably carries it around in his pockets. To impress girls or scare them? Creepy. Ella also manages to grab a jar of Nutella and instant coffee before popping back to 1620 for the second time. Treats for the nuns!
It’s obvious that the author was in Germany as part of the U.S. Armed Forces herself or as a Dependent (‘military-speak’ for any U.S. military family member), because there is (or was, last time I checked) a big U. S. Army base in Heidelberg. But all we are told of the surroundings is the (famous) castle and church. No details whatsoever. It could have taken place in any medieval Central European city.
There is not enough detail about Ella’s relationship with her parents; only the mention of the mother’s secret, and the aversion she supposedly felt toward Ella. The father character was underdeveloped and so tentative he was not credible as an ex- CIA agent. He obviously worries about Ella because he phones her often enough, but it’s always to remind her to carry a taser—weird.
This is definitely not literary fiction, not even mediocre chick-lit. It’s an embarrassingly amateur attempt at a contemporary+historical/time travel romance novel. The book tries to be too many things and fails at all of them.
It was a quick read, interesting (to me) because it took place in Germany. There is a World War II connection, but the book is primarily a romance—a quite lusty one at that. Parents note: Explicit sex, not on every page, but often enough. That is in the modern-day relationship. In 1620: there is rampant rape and abduction/selling young girls to white slavers. Repellent. Also lots of swearing.
The writing was about average, though the anachronistic modern expressions were jarring. I believe they were intentional, but still—the sheer number was overkill. A few would have been tolerable. One would think (hope!) that a young woman with a college education would not be so obtuse. She tells Rowan to keep quiet, but she can’t keep her mouth shut?
The German expressions are appalling (to me as a professional translator) in that they rarely use the correct person/voice/tense. Granted, the average English-speaking reader might not notice, but surely the author/publisher could have checked with a native speaker—or even a German dictionary/grammar primer!—before publication. Actually, given the fact that it was 1620 when the German words were uttered, they should have been in Middle High German, not Modern High German, but clearly authenticity is not a priority for this author. Sigh.
Sadly, the same applies for every aspect of the book. There is no historical detail other than a public execution by decapitation, and the threat of being burnt at the stake for witchcraft. The now-famous Heidelberg castle is mentioned, and the church, but the rest is generic modern city. The 1620 characters are conveniently garbed in peasant rags or the robes of a nun; the lord of the manor grabs his codpiece and thrusts it at Ella as a show of power. Ugh. That’s it for historical clothing. No mention of the fact that Ella was probably taller and healthier than the average 1620 female. Greta probably was, too.
The time travel element was interesting, but given short-shrift. Ella shows Yankee ingenuity by planting her iPhone in the castle so they can accuse Krüger of witchcraft, but it is suspiciously easy to pop back and forth from present-day to 1620. And why 1620? The author gives absolutely no explanation. Ella not only has a taser but access to C4 and blasting caps thanks to Hugo—a garrulous modern-day German lothario who inexplicably carries it around in his pockets. To impress girls or scare them? Creepy. Ella also manages to grab a jar of Nutella and instant coffee before popping back to 1620 for the second time. Treats for the nuns!
It’s obvious that the author was in Germany as part of the U.S. Armed Forces herself or as a Dependent (‘military-speak’ for any U.S. military family member), because there is (or was, last time I checked) a big U. S. Army base in Heidelberg. But all we are told of the surroundings is the (famous) castle and church. No details whatsoever. It could have taken place in any medieval Central European city.
There is not enough detail about Ella’s relationship with her parents; only the mention of the mother’s secret, and the aversion she supposedly felt toward Ella. The father character was underdeveloped and so tentative he was not credible as an ex- CIA agent. He obviously worries about Ella because he phones her often enough, but it’s always to remind her to carry a taser—weird.
This is definitely not literary fiction, not even mediocre chick-lit. It’s an embarrassingly amateur attempt at a contemporary+historical/time travel romance novel. The book tries to be too many things and fails at all of them.
December 15, 2018
ZERO STARS. I think this is the worst book I ever read. But who wasted precious hours to finish it?? Me, the idiot who insists to finish every book I start. I’m gonna tell you, in point form, what happens in this book:
- Ella goes to Starbucks while it’s being held up. Almost gets kidnapped and killed. She’s saved by Rowan, a gooooorgeous US Marshal who happens to be walking by, off duty. Albeit a life -threatening experience, the douche decides to ask this hottie on a date.
- Ella agrees to this date, even though she is leaving for Germany in 3 days to start her new life. What does Rowan say when he finds this out? “Lets make the best do the time we have, darlin’”. So they make loooooooove and fall in looooooooove and then she leaves.
- in Germany, Ella has the grandest time, ditches Rowan, parties and goes on a date with Hugo. Hugo tries to impress Ella by showing her the bomb that he has in his pocket. But it’s not assembled, so he’s not trying to kill her, helllooooo.
- Ella finds out that her grandfather was a general at Auschwitz and feels sad. She calls Rowan, leaves him a cryptic message that she needs him, goes for a walk, and then TRAVELS BACK IN TIME TO THE YEAR 1620.
- Rowan looks for Ella in Germany, can’t find her obviously.
- Ella, in 1620, meets a nun named Greta. Greta looks at her and says “hey you travelled through time, me too! I’m from like the 1940’s” (I paraphrase)
- Greta and the other nuns are being hunted, raped, and killed by Axel Kruger, who’s just an asshole, and she needs help. So Ella goes back to 2012, gets the C4 bomb that Hugo conveniently forgot at her apartment, a taser, charges her cell phone and goes back to 1620. Rowan just misses her, gets wasted, feels sad, walks around and happens to travel through time to where Ella is. Super lucky.
- Together they devise a plan to discredit Axel, which includes using the taser, the C4 to bomb some bridge and create a diversion, shooting some guards with Rowan’s gun, showing some drunk lady a video on Ella’s cell phone. Throughout all this, Ella and Rowan have to get married because the nuns don’t like listening to them have sex out of wedlock. They can handle the moaning if they’re actually wed...apparently.
- They succeed! Some nuns died, some are safe. Ella saves Rowan from being burned at the stake for being a warlock, and they say buhbye to everyone and go back to 2012.
- Ella is saaaaaad, because she doesn’t know if they’re still, like, married?? So she goes to bed sad because Rowan decides he wants to check his emails (whatta jerk). He wakes her up, some horrible sex scene follows, and he admits that he was online looking up some crap and finds out that Greta is Ella’s aunt. And, he was planning their REAL wedding, because they’re gonna get married in their own time. Because they love each other, for reals y’all.
It’s worth mentioning that allllll of this story takes place over the span of like a month lol. Excuse my language, but what the fuck is this lol. To the author, whom I’m sorry for this review but come on, I doubt this is news, you must have smoked some awesome weed before writing this book, because there is no other explanation for this rubbish. Also, why is Ella telling someone that 2012 is 600 years after 1620? It’s simple math.
It’s so bad it’s laughable. Shhhtupidity. Who ever rates this anything more than 2 stars needs to get their heads checked.
- Ella goes to Starbucks while it’s being held up. Almost gets kidnapped and killed. She’s saved by Rowan, a gooooorgeous US Marshal who happens to be walking by, off duty. Albeit a life -threatening experience, the douche decides to ask this hottie on a date.
- Ella agrees to this date, even though she is leaving for Germany in 3 days to start her new life. What does Rowan say when he finds this out? “Lets make the best do the time we have, darlin’”. So they make loooooooove and fall in looooooooove and then she leaves.
- in Germany, Ella has the grandest time, ditches Rowan, parties and goes on a date with Hugo. Hugo tries to impress Ella by showing her the bomb that he has in his pocket. But it’s not assembled, so he’s not trying to kill her, helllooooo.
- Ella finds out that her grandfather was a general at Auschwitz and feels sad. She calls Rowan, leaves him a cryptic message that she needs him, goes for a walk, and then TRAVELS BACK IN TIME TO THE YEAR 1620.
- Rowan looks for Ella in Germany, can’t find her obviously.
- Ella, in 1620, meets a nun named Greta. Greta looks at her and says “hey you travelled through time, me too! I’m from like the 1940’s” (I paraphrase)
- Greta and the other nuns are being hunted, raped, and killed by Axel Kruger, who’s just an asshole, and she needs help. So Ella goes back to 2012, gets the C4 bomb that Hugo conveniently forgot at her apartment, a taser, charges her cell phone and goes back to 1620. Rowan just misses her, gets wasted, feels sad, walks around and happens to travel through time to where Ella is. Super lucky.
- Together they devise a plan to discredit Axel, which includes using the taser, the C4 to bomb some bridge and create a diversion, shooting some guards with Rowan’s gun, showing some drunk lady a video on Ella’s cell phone. Throughout all this, Ella and Rowan have to get married because the nuns don’t like listening to them have sex out of wedlock. They can handle the moaning if they’re actually wed...apparently.
- They succeed! Some nuns died, some are safe. Ella saves Rowan from being burned at the stake for being a warlock, and they say buhbye to everyone and go back to 2012.
- Ella is saaaaaad, because she doesn’t know if they’re still, like, married?? So she goes to bed sad because Rowan decides he wants to check his emails (whatta jerk). He wakes her up, some horrible sex scene follows, and he admits that he was online looking up some crap and finds out that Greta is Ella’s aunt. And, he was planning their REAL wedding, because they’re gonna get married in their own time. Because they love each other, for reals y’all.
It’s worth mentioning that allllll of this story takes place over the span of like a month lol. Excuse my language, but what the fuck is this lol. To the author, whom I’m sorry for this review but come on, I doubt this is news, you must have smoked some awesome weed before writing this book, because there is no other explanation for this rubbish. Also, why is Ella telling someone that 2012 is 600 years after 1620? It’s simple math.
It’s so bad it’s laughable. Shhhtupidity. Who ever rates this anything more than 2 stars needs to get their heads checked.
June 21, 2021
Time has no reason
Ella meets a guy, Roman, a week before she leaves the states for a job in Germany. They hit it off so well that they try to maintain a long distance relationship. Things don’t go so well at first when Ella believes that Roman is getting his involved with another woman. On top of that she is having the time of her life until she finds out stuff about her own family history in Germany. After she rejects someone to the point they decide to air out her family history to everyone; Ella quits her job and plans on moving back home but things go south when she’s caught out in a storm and finds herself in 1620 Germany. Of course this wouldn’t be a true romance if the love interest doesn’t coming seeking the girl of his dreams and somehow crosses into the same time period as her. They find themselves involved in a situation of religious matter and try to solve it with modern technology in a world that is looking and burning heretics. In the end things work the way they should but only time will tell.
Ella meets a guy, Roman, a week before she leaves the states for a job in Germany. They hit it off so well that they try to maintain a long distance relationship. Things don’t go so well at first when Ella believes that Roman is getting his involved with another woman. On top of that she is having the time of her life until she finds out stuff about her own family history in Germany. After she rejects someone to the point they decide to air out her family history to everyone; Ella quits her job and plans on moving back home but things go south when she’s caught out in a storm and finds herself in 1620 Germany. Of course this wouldn’t be a true romance if the love interest doesn’t coming seeking the girl of his dreams and somehow crosses into the same time period as her. They find themselves involved in a situation of religious matter and try to solve it with modern technology in a world that is looking and burning heretics. In the end things work the way they should but only time will tell.
March 26, 2018
Quickest I've ever stopped reading.
Ethical: I have an issue with the first(and likely only) indication of a person of color being ugly "spanish" speaking Starbucks robbers (who'd rob Starbucks? In what world and for what reason? Also why, with no other ethnic indicators, did the author feel the need to display that the only bad guys spoke "spanish" and ) Also, my spanish is crap and it took me five seconds to Google 'lievar su' to find out that it isn't a language. Just lazy. Congrats. . -7 stars.
Atmosphere: so boring. There was nothing interesting or noteworthy. There wasn't even the promise of something noteworthy. The intro and what it revealed of the plotline was formulaic. -5 stars.
I also couldn't believe anything about the story the author was creating. Nothing gave me enough to work on.
Also. Did I mention it was boring. -3 stars.
Summary. I gave it one star since I can't downvote it. -15/5
Ethical: I have an issue with the first(and likely only) indication of a person of color being ugly "spanish" speaking Starbucks robbers (who'd rob Starbucks? In what world and for what reason? Also why, with no other ethnic indicators, did the author feel the need to display that the only bad guys spoke "spanish" and ) Also, my spanish is crap and it took me five seconds to Google 'lievar su' to find out that it isn't a language. Just lazy. Congrats. . -7 stars.
Atmosphere: so boring. There was nothing interesting or noteworthy. There wasn't even the promise of something noteworthy. The intro and what it revealed of the plotline was formulaic. -5 stars.
I also couldn't believe anything about the story the author was creating. Nothing gave me enough to work on.
Also. Did I mention it was boring. -3 stars.
Summary. I gave it one star since I can't downvote it. -15/5
January 18, 2018
I have toyed with what to write in my review because I do not want to come across as being too negative, but here goes. The story is brilliant and the time travelling aspect to Germany and what transpires there was a real page turner. The author though could have made this a much better book by writing in a much better way. I can't put my finger on it, but other than the unnecessary use of bad language and crass sex scenes there were times when I almost gave up on this book because I was so frustrated by the writing and her style. Susan clearly has a very imaginative mind but needs to hone up on her writing skills. I would have given this book 5 stars for the story alone and the wonderful characters, but the writing lost it a star, nearly two to be honest. I hope the next book is better, but well done on a very exciting story.
May 11, 2020
One of my favorite books. I enjoy time travel books & this is a good one. Ella Stevens meets U.S. Marshal Rowan Pierce a few days before she starts a new job in Heidelberg, Germany.
Once she is in Heidelberg, she learns a terrible secret about her mother's family. Upset about this secret, she takes a walk & it soon begins to storm. All of a sudden she is in 1620 Heidelberg where she meets the nuns at the convent. The nuns are being persecuted by the evil warlord Krüger. She goes back to her own time to pickup supplies needed to help the nuns. She not only brings back the supplies, but Rowan. This is a great suspense thriller & the plot moves quickly.
Once she is in Heidelberg, she learns a terrible secret about her mother's family. Upset about this secret, she takes a walk & it soon begins to storm. All of a sudden she is in 1620 Heidelberg where she meets the nuns at the convent. The nuns are being persecuted by the evil warlord Krüger. She goes back to her own time to pickup supplies needed to help the nuns. She not only brings back the supplies, but Rowan. This is a great suspense thriller & the plot moves quickly.
December 16, 2017
The author uses an interesting way of bringing in historical details with the time-travel aspect. The heroine Ella gets transported from the present to a medieval time of feudal barons and meets someone who has also time travelled to that era, but from just following the WWII. I enjoyed but it was what I consider light reading.
This was free from Amazon.
This was free from Amazon.
January 8, 2021
Time travel and adventure
The plot of this book pulled me in right away. The story of a woman traveling to an abbey in 1640 from 2012 was fascinating and full of adventure and danger. I literally had to finish the book once I started reading it. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the graphic sexual content. In spite of that, this book was impossible to put down.
The plot of this book pulled me in right away. The story of a woman traveling to an abbey in 1640 from 2012 was fascinating and full of adventure and danger. I literally had to finish the book once I started reading it. The reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the graphic sexual content. In spite of that, this book was impossible to put down.
May 7, 2021
2 Stars - this was free on Amazon. The background and set up of her moving from the US to Germany and working in Heidelberg could have been removed. The time travel portion of the book was enjoyable, but the "twists" were predictable. Comically cheesy, even though that was probably not the intention.
March 11, 2018
Another Great Story
I read Carried Away (#2) first by mistake. I really like to read books in order. I'm happy to say the second book stood on its own. I really liked the characters in this book. Interesting plot. Five stars!
I read Carried Away (#2) first by mistake. I really like to read books in order. I'm happy to say the second book stood on its own. I really liked the characters in this book. Interesting plot. Five stars!
January 14, 2019
I was ready to give the book up until it turned into a Time -travel story. The first part of the book really has nothing to do with the time-travel, so it's a mystery why the author decided to take the route she did.
Once into the past, the pace picks up, but the plot is just to unbelievable.
Once into the past, the pace picks up, but the plot is just to unbelievable.
February 29, 2020
Time travel romance
This time travel is enlivened by multiple time travelers. The brutality of the area now known as Germany is stark and realist. Thank goodness for modern weapons to help the good guys!
This time travel is enlivened by multiple time travelers. The brutality of the area now known as Germany is stark and realist. Thank goodness for modern weapons to help the good guys!
March 20, 2022
Great book
I couldn't put it down. I really like reading time frame romance books and I really enjoy when they have a twist different from the norm. This book was full of intrigue, breath holding twist and romance. I can't wait to read the next installment!
I couldn't put it down. I really like reading time frame romance books and I really enjoy when they have a twist different from the norm. This book was full of intrigue, breath holding twist and romance. I can't wait to read the next installment!
December 18, 2017
Very good book
Loved the book. The characters were likeable and the storyline was intense. I wish there was less sex in the book and the language could have been better.
Loved the book. The characters were likeable and the storyline was intense. I wish there was less sex in the book and the language could have been better.
February 24, 2018
Had to skim and skip a lot to get through this one.
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