mjfmjfmjf's review
3.0
Ugh. I have liked Louise Marley's books in the past but this one is even worse than the cover art. I read it as an Endeavour Award book - and it is loosely time-travel but it's more fair to label it Paranormal Romance. And for the first half of the book I absolutely just plain hated it - the concept, the hero, the villain. It ended better than it started and it was written well. But it was was not something I appreciated.
castlelass's review
4.0
In this combination of science fiction and historical fiction, a method of time travel for observational purposes goes awry when one of the travelers decides to break the rules of engagement. The plot centers around a trip to the Italian countryside of 1861 to observe the composer Johannes Brahms and determine the meaning behind one of his musical annotations.
Not my usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical material about the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It inspired me to look up more information on the lives of these composers. A thread of romantic interest runs through it, but it is not a traditional romance (the cover is misleading). The content includes a fair amount of sex, which was intrinsic to the storyline and did not feel gratuitous. The characters are well-drawn, and the writing is elegant. This book requires the reader to accept that time travel into the past could be possible, but once disbelief is suspended, the story is unique, suspenseful, and quite compelling. It would have been nice to have included more explanation of the “how and why” behind the time traveling.
Rich in period detail, it includes musings on selfishness, ethics, and how society has changed since the nineteenth century. The author is a former opera singer, so she knows her subject matter. Recommended to fans of classical music and time travel stories. It reminded me a bit of the movie Back to the Future, except it goes further back into the past and there are no DeLoreans involved.
Not my usual fare, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical material about the lives of Robert and Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. It inspired me to look up more information on the lives of these composers. A thread of romantic interest runs through it, but it is not a traditional romance (the cover is misleading). The content includes a fair amount of sex, which was intrinsic to the storyline and did not feel gratuitous. The characters are well-drawn, and the writing is elegant. This book requires the reader to accept that time travel into the past could be possible, but once disbelief is suspended, the story is unique, suspenseful, and quite compelling. It would have been nice to have included more explanation of the “how and why” behind the time traveling.
Rich in period detail, it includes musings on selfishness, ethics, and how society has changed since the nineteenth century. The author is a former opera singer, so she knows her subject matter. Recommended to fans of classical music and time travel stories. It reminded me a bit of the movie Back to the Future, except it goes further back into the past and there are no DeLoreans involved.
lberestecki's review
4.0
Received through Goodreads giveaway.
The cover makes it look like a romance novel, but if anything it's a blend of sci-fi and history. The story was interesting, as was the commentary it provided on nostalgia. However, the ending was a bit weak and there were some frustrating loose ends.
The cover makes it look like a romance novel, but if anything it's a blend of sci-fi and history. The story was interesting, as was the commentary it provided on nostalgia. However, the ending was a bit weak and there were some frustrating loose ends.
rednikki's review
1.0
hated most of the characters by the time I was halfway thru and gave up. Other people's summaries convinced me it would not improve. themes are: ugly people are evil and pretty people are good. The plot hinged on two unbelievable things: a rich woman who hates being ugly, but aparently getting plastic surgery never occurred to her; and a guy who keeps a ridiculous secret to preserve the reputation of someone who died centuries ago. AND the other man female is a Mary Sue. Arrgh.
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