Between The Pages - Spirit In Time

Spirit In Time

Julie Howard 

February10, 2021 

Time travel isn't real. It can't be real. But ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester discovers otherwise when an enigmatic spirit conveys her to 1872 to do his bidding. Jillian finds herself employed as a maid in Sacramento, in an elegant mansion with a famous painting. 

The artwork reveals another mystery: Why does the man within look exactly like her boyfriend, Mason Chandler? 

Morality and sin live side by side, not only in the picture, but also within her. As her transgressions escalate, she races the clock to find the man in the painting, and hunt down a spirit with a disconcerting gift. 

But will time be her friend or foe? 

Between The Pages 

This book is part of the Spirited Quest Mysteries, and while I would have liked to have read the first book to learn more about Jillian’s and Mason’s early relationship, the story line runs well on its own. The time travel aspect was well-done with mystery and drama. The characters were entertaining. The historical setting was written masterfully to place you in the story as the author does a superb job with every detail of history. A couple of twists and turns has you anxious for Jillian and Mason to find a way home. An entertaining time travel journey.

Rating

4.5 Stars

Between The Pages - Mishandled Conviction

Mishandled Conviction

J.S. Marlo 

November 2020 

While Violette remodels an escape room, the lines between illusion and reality blur. The escape room is based on the legend of a dead inmate who haunts a condemned penitentiary, but the fake prison cell she recreates transports her into the past. 

As she relives the tumultuous events surrounding her life and the inmate’s death, Violette glimpses clues regarding the disappearance of her son-in-law and loss of her precious heirloom. 

The past and the present collide, threatening the lives of Violette’s loved ones and unleashing conflicting emotions toward the men haunting her heart. Can she unravel the truth and save her family without losing her future? 

Between The Pages 

A gripping and entertaining read. You will want to stay focused while reading this book because there is a lot going on, but the author does a wonderful job with the plot and its details as she weaves you through another twist and turn you won’t see coming. The main characters are interesting, and the secondary cast is equally enjoyable. It’s fun watching Violette fall into the past and then unravel her discoveries into the present mystery. I was hoping one of Violette’s encounters would have been an actual ghost, yet every question and mystery is neatly answered in this must read time travel, suspense story. 

Rating 

4.5 Stars

Between The Pages - Two Hearts In Time

Two Hearts in Time
Raymona Marie Anderson
September 2015

Rescued by tomb looter, Miguel Zamora, Sonrisa Lyons struggles between her contempt for Miguel's thievery and her need for his help in returning to civilization. 

Miguel, haunted by the loss of his wife and son would like to abandon the troublesome trouser-wearing woman from the future, but his cultured upbringing and compassionate heart rule. 

Forced companionship on the trail through Yucatan's steamy jungle blazes into mutual passion, and in spite of herself, Sonrisa is drawn into Miguel's true mission. At journey's end, she finds a possible way to return to her time. Will she try to open the portal or choose life with Miguel? 

Between The Pages 
An interesting time travel, historical romance. This book was an enjoyable read with a plot that draws you in as soon as Sonrisa mysteriously travels back in time and is found by Miguel. The main characters have instant chemistry. There’s a good blend of dialogue and description, which sets a steady pace. The author crafted a well-developed story of research with historical facts of brutality in the past as well as archeology artifacts. An entertaining read filled with romance, action, a bit of mystery, and a lot of spice.

Rating 
4.5 Stars

Between The Pages - Shadow Of The Eclipse

Shadow Of The Eclipse 
L.A. Kelley
May 2020

Excitement brews in Crossroads for everyone but Callum Macgregor. The harvest festival coincides with a total eclipse, but a broken engagement leaves Cal with no desire for fun. Then a surprise visit from his old law partner, Isaac Bingham, drops a bombshell. Cal must attend the festival or the world faces unparalleled disaster. 

Why did accountant Meg Adler's career and romances fizzle? Jobless again, she receives a mysterious offer from a man named Bingham, but they must meet at the Crossroads Harvest Festival. Meg is leery, but it's not the end of the world if this doesn't pan out. Right? Ancient evil prowls the shadow of the eclipse, and the key to saving the present lies in the past.

In a time-traveling adventure, Cal and Meg enter a mystic maze hot on the trail of two magic artifacts. Can they fulfill a dead man's mission and discover a new future with each other? 

Between The Pages
This time-travel adventure story was very enjoyable. The two main characters don’t have a minute to catch a breath and neither does the reader. Just when I thought they’d returned home for the last time, they are off on another journey in a different year to find the two relic objects. The author paired two solid main characters who form an instant connection. Trust and chemistry bond Cal and Meg. The seamless plot jumps from the present to a time in history with ease. The twists and turns held my attention and there’s plenty of action and drama. This book not only has two great leading characters, but an equally good cast. There’s many surprising links to current characters to people in the past. The scene when Cal and Meg stand together with their identities from history is totally engaging. I can see this book developed into a movie…it’s that good. A must read.

Rating
5 Stars

Between The Pages - Misguided Honor

Misguided Honor
J.S. Marlo
September 2019

Fascinated by the Legend of the Cornwallis Ghost, Becca sneaks into a military base to see the ghost’s tombstone. 

When she finds and follows a secret tunnel to the Officers’ Mess, Becca meets a living and breathing Eve, the betrayed young woman who hanged herself and haunts Cornwallis. 

Trapped in the past with Eve in the days leading up to her tragic death, Becca becomes Rebecca, a woman devastated by a shattering loss and failing marriage. 

Can Becca unravel the past to give Rebecca and Eve a second chance, and escape with her heart and future intact? 

Between The Pages 
With the setting taking place in my area, I was excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. This romantic, time travel story was so engaging. The author grabbed my attention immediately with a good plot of mystery and suspense. There are so many levels of this story that kept me turning the pages. The historical theme was interesting and the cast of characters were all enjoyable. A well developed plot and the author’s voice makes this story a hit. The time travel aspect was well done from the slip into the past and the return trip to the present. I really enjoyed the twist of how the two main characters were reunited and how the author gave the reader an inside look with a summary of events near the end…and Becca’s surprising family connection. I anxiously await the next book in Unraveling the Past.

Rating 
4.5 Stars

Between The Pages - Christmas Once Again

Christmas Once Again
D.K. Deters
November 2018

She's dead broke. And eviction looms. On Christmas Eve antique consultant Madison Knight takes a phone call from local rancher Zach Murdock. Through a mix-up at an estate sale, Madison's company purchased his grandmother's beloved painting. He offers double the money for its return. 

Madison risks her job to track down the artwork, but success falls short when she's stuck in a blizzard. Stranded, she seeks help from a frontier family. Are they living off the grid, or did she somehow travel through time? 

Zach's the only person who knows her plan. He also knows a secret about his gran's painting. It's up to him to rescue Madison, but maybe he's not cut out to be a hero. 

Between The Pages 
A sweet romance story. With this book being a novella, I wasn’t sure how well time travel would fit in a small amount of pages, but the author did a fabulous job picking the right moment to place Madison into 1875. Packed with lots of interesting twists with a painting, Zach’s grandmother and his childhood, made this story a fun read. I enjoyed the plot, which kept me turning the pages, and Zach’s grandmother’s explanation tied all the pieces neatly together. If you are looking for a Christmas story with a snowy setting and a time travel trip this short story is definitely worth the read.

Rating 
4 Stars

The Duchess’ Necklace

The Duchess’ Necklace 
Mariah Lynne
June 13, 2017

Amelia Augusta Ethrington, eighteenth century Duchess of Abbington and fourth in line to the English throne, is considered by society an old maid at thirty-two. She refuses to marry and relinquish her authority to a husband. Instead, she finds romance in trysts with strangers. Amelia’s claim to her duchy is embodied in the form of an intricate and valuable necklace, The Abbington Jewels. But an unscrupulous time Traveler wishing to steal the jewels and sell them at future prices seduces her, catching her off guard, and snatches the necklace. 

Amelia must risk everything to Travel with the aid of a gypsy seer to find the scoundrel, and retrieve her necklace before her jealous male cousins lay claim to her duchy. Complications arise after she meets Ryan Redstone, a museum appraiser sent to acquire the jewels. Amelia finally falls in love but knows she must focus on her quest to regain both her necklace and title. The Duchess is faced with the most difficult decision of her life. Love in the present? Or defending her honor in the past? 

Between The Pages
Time travel, gypsies, and action. The characters are well-developed as is the story line. The suspense makes this adventure an enjoyable read.

Rating 
3 Stars

Dragon Knight's Medallion

Dragon Knight’s Medallion 
Mary Morgan
November 2014

To right a wrong, two souls are brought together only to shatter when they are torn apart by the deeds of an evil druid. Dragon Knight, Stephen MacKay’s powers are altered after the death of his sister. Now he is plagued with visions that threaten to destroy his soul. When Aileen Kerrigan falls through a time tunnel, he vows to keep her safe, despite the fact the beautiful but head-strong half-blooded fae could be the death of him. When Aileen finds out her dad is a Fenian Warrior, she flees to a nearby ruin. Armed with the medallion her mother gave her, and a matching one belonging to a long dead knight, she is flung into the past and finds a handsome but surly warrior who is on a quest. Now it seems her future could be entwined with his, if she doesn’t kill him first. 

Between The Pages 
A fascinating story of warriors, fae, druids, and dragon knights. The author creates a picturesque fantasy setting of magic and adventure. Emotional family bonds and the interesting plot line will have you turning the pages of this story. Being the second book of the Order of the Dragon Knights series, the introduction of new characters was exciting, as well as revisiting characters from the first book. As the cast of characters grow, so does an enticement to continue into the lives of the MacKay brothers.

Rating 
4.5 Stars

Beneath The Lake

Beneath The Lake 
Casi McLean
August 2015

Reeling from her boyfriend’s indiscretions at a party, Lacey Montgomery escapes into the throes of a torrential storm. Her car spins out of control and hurtles into the depths of an icy, black lake. She awakens in the arms of a handsome stranger, in a place she’s never heard of—thirty-four years before she was born. 

Bobby Reynolds is smitten the moment the storm-ravaged woman opens her eyes. Learning the truth about her origin does nothing to stop the passion taking root in his heart and leaves him torn between finding a way to return Lacey to her time and convincing her stay with him. 

Will the couple be able to discover the key to a mysterious portal before time rips them apart? Or will their spirits wander forever through a ghost town buried beneath the lake? 

Between The Pages 
An engaging romantic historical story with a time travel theme. At 398 pages, this is a long story, so don’t expect to read it in one sitting. However, you won’t want to put this book down. The opening captures the attention immediately. The story then switches from past to present, but the author does a great job of maintaining a seamless flow throughout. The characters are very interesting and well-developed, as well as many of the secondary cast of characters, especially Bobby’s sister, Sandy. The emotion of family and community are compelling. Fascinating unexpected twist and turns. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next in the Beneath The Lake Series. This is my first five star read for 2016. I highly recommend this book as a must read!

Rating 
5 Stars

Shadows Across Time

Shadows Across Time 
Mariah Lynne
October 2015

Imagine being kidnapped and transported back in time to a 16th century French castle. 

Danielle deForet, a beautiful rare antiques dealer, is tricked into completing an appraisal on a rare French piece, when to her surprise its owner casts a spell sending them both back to 1559. Danielle learns she is the crucial link for a royal spell and finds herself guarded by a handsome knight, Aidan. They soon fall in love, and he plans a risky escape. 

Georgina, once a seer, now a mannequin in Danielle’s shop, was turned to wood by that same wizard. Her body stilled, her mind sharp, she is the lovers’ only hope to escape. If she intervenes, and the wizard finds out, he will stop at nothing to make his spell succeed, even if it means destroying Georgina, Danielle, and Aidan. 

Between The Pages 
A good fantasy/time travel romance of spells and suspense. The main characters, Danielle and Aidan, have instant attraction and lead the story with their adventurous escape. The introduction of Georgina, the wizard/gypsy fortune teller was a great addition to the plot.

Rating 
3.5 Stars

Dragon Knight's Sword

Dragon Knight's Sword 
By Mary Morgan
May 2014

Duncan Mackay will do anything to lift the curse from his family — even forfeit his own life. But his plans change when he encounters the woman from his dreams, literally. She is from the future, somehow has his lost sword, and can talk to the Dragon that is able to lift his family’s curse. Brigid O'Neill has spent her life listening to the mythological legends from Ireland and Scotland. So, when an ancient sword lands at her doorstep and she starts dreaming of a rugged Highlander, she drops everything and takes on a quest that will alter everything she believes. Before their journey ends, not only will Duncan and Brigid battle an ancient curse, they must also find the courage to believe in the destiny that brought them together. 

Between The Pages 
Ms. Morgan does a seamless job of mixing historical, paranormal, fantasy, and time travel. The setting drops you into 1204 Scotland where knights, faes, druids, and a dragon rule the pages. The historical details are interesting. The main characters are engaging and a large cast of secondary characters keep the reader entertained. There are several points of view throughout the story, which were slightly distracting. Pacing is good in the beginning, but slows in the middle; making the reader anxious for the action they know is coming. When the action does arrive, the story moves along at a great pace, leaving the reader satisfied to the end. This is book one in the Order of the Dragon Knights Series. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Rating 
4 Stars