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casc8a's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
gillyg19's review
4.0
Miranda and Nico were great main characters. The story dragged a little in the middle. Always happy to read a Kelley Armstrong book!
nlgauvreau's review
3.0
This review is a rant about a-historicism. "But Nicole," you're likely thinking, "this is a time travel romance with paranormal elements. How can you be concerned about the history?" I just am. This has also been edited to reflect a misunderstanding on my part. The tl;dr of my rant is that in a book where the characters aren't from and haven't been to the 21st century, the historical aspects need to stand up more.
So I'll start with pockets. As in the things that may or may not be in your clothing. Early on we discover that Miranda designs all her own clothing so it will have pockets. She even "convert[s] [her] sister Portia to the wonders of pockets". She also revels in the fact that circa 1790 mens clothing has pockets.
As a woman of roughly the 1840s, Miranda wouldn't lack for pockets. They weren't the massive pockets on the 1860s, but they weren't the minuscule or fake pockets today's women complain about. In the early 19th century, pockets were actually a separate garment worn under the skirt or dress (they had slits in them. In fact, here's an example of a circa 1820 pocket: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/158413 By 1840 they may have been separate or sewn in.
Aside from pockets, Nicolas (another problem, he's francophone and the French spelling is Nicholas) says at one point, "Chérie, I am a sailor... I have waterproof matches." No, no he most certainly does not. Friction matches weren't even invented until the 1826; chemical matches existed, but were expensive and quite dangerous. Chemical matches were often made of glass or would need to be dipped in vials of asbestos and sulphuric acid. Waterproof matches are simply friction matches coated in wax. On the other hand, lighters have been around (though much larger) since at least the 1660s.
Let's talk about sex and condoms. I don't actually take issue with Nicolas saying he didn't have protection with him; condoms were becoming popularized and destigmatized in the 1770s thanks to none other than Casanova; they would have been made of animal intestines or skin and tied in place with ribbon.
No, my issue is with Nicolas blaming attitudes that don't consider female pleasure during sex on the Puritans. The Puritans were all about godliness, but it doesn't mean they were completely uptight and incapable of joy (we can blame The Scarlet Letter for that view). While premarital sex was illegal in the American colonies (I have little knowledge of Puritans in England) those laws weren't enforced and approximately 40% of children were born either completely out of wedlock or soon enough after a wedding that it was clear conception occurred before the wedding. Nicolas also blames doctors for not developing better methods of preventing procreation (and the spread of venereal disease). We've already established that condoms had become popular, and very explicitly to prevent the spread of syphilis. Chemical abortion also existed and was common (and legal before the quickening, aka before the pregnant person could feel the fetus move or between 18 and 26 weeks), it was indeed not done by doctors, but by midwives and female herbalists. Midwives especially were the people to deal with women's health until fairly recently. Women's health, and consequently contraception and abortion, simply wasn't the realm of doctors.
This concludes my rant.
So I'll start with pockets. As in the things that may or may not be in your clothing. Early on we discover that Miranda designs all her own clothing so it will have pockets. She even "convert[s] [her] sister Portia to the wonders of pockets". She also revels in the fact that circa 1790 mens clothing has pockets.
As a woman of roughly the 1840s, Miranda wouldn't lack for pockets. They weren't the massive pockets on the 1860s, but they weren't the minuscule or fake pockets today's women complain about. In the early 19th century, pockets were actually a separate garment worn under the skirt or dress (they had slits in them. In fact, here's an example of a circa 1820 pocket: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/158413 By 1840 they may have been separate or sewn in.
Aside from pockets, Nicolas (another problem, he's francophone and the French spelling is Nicholas) says at one point, "Chérie, I am a sailor... I have waterproof matches." No, no he most certainly does not. Friction matches weren't even invented until the 1826; chemical matches existed, but were expensive and quite dangerous. Chemical matches were often made of glass or would need to be dipped in vials of asbestos and sulphuric acid. Waterproof matches are simply friction matches coated in wax. On the other hand, lighters have been around (though much larger) since at least the 1660s.
Let's talk about sex and condoms. I don't actually take issue with Nicolas saying he didn't have protection with him; condoms were becoming popularized and destigmatized in the 1770s thanks to none other than Casanova; they would have been made of animal intestines or skin and tied in place with ribbon.
No, my issue is with Nicolas blaming attitudes that don't consider female pleasure during sex on the Puritans. The Puritans were all about godliness, but it doesn't mean they were completely uptight and incapable of joy (we can blame The Scarlet Letter for that view). While premarital sex was illegal in the American colonies (I have little knowledge of Puritans in England) those laws weren't enforced and approximately 40% of children were born either completely out of wedlock or soon enough after a wedding that it was clear conception occurred before the wedding. Nicolas also blames doctors for not developing better methods of preventing procreation (and the spread of venereal disease). We've already established that condoms had become popular, and very explicitly to prevent the spread of syphilis. Chemical abortion also existed and was common (and legal before the quickening, aka before the pregnant person could feel the fetus move or between 18 and 26 weeks), it was indeed not done by doctors, but by midwives and female herbalists. Midwives especially were the people to deal with women's health until fairly recently. Women's health, and consequently contraception and abortion, simply wasn't the realm of doctors.
This concludes my rant.
serina19's review
5.0
I LOVE Miranda. If I could give this book 6 starts, I would. I always enjoy Armstrong's books but I Adored this one.
bean_bean's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
hookedbythatbook's review
3.0
It is a sweet journey of finding love in unexpected places while on a Robin Hood inspired adventure.
Miranda Hastings knows about the time travel portal in Thorne Manor, and she has every intention of visiting the 21st century. All her adventures so far have happened in her imagination and on the pages of the books she writes, and she longs for a real one. But the portal doesn’t take her to the future. She is dropped into the past where she runs into the privateer, Nicolas Dupuis. She recognizes him as the ghost she has seen in her own time and makes it her mission to save him from the betrayal that would take his life. They work together to rescue Nico from the hangman’s noose and send some ghosts on to their proper afterlife.
I quite enjoyed the sexual banter between Miranda and Nico, but otherwise their relationship was just too even-keeled, and maybe too good to be true. They didn’t have any personal conflicts to resolve, other than the fact that they came from two different time periods. And even that never seemed like a huge issue. While this was a grand adventure, it did not have the same urgency and excitement as the first two books in the series.
The events that lead to the final confrontation were a bit convoluted, but a complete surprise. And I really liked the ending. It was so unexpected and full of hope and joy.
This is the third book in the A Stitch in Time series. It’s not necessary to read them in order, but it might make more sense if you do. I can recommend this if you like a cozy romance with elements of ghosts thrown in and want a bit more adventure to your reading.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
chloefrizzle's review
3.0
This is a cozy romance with a little bit of time travel and a little bit of pirate backdrop.
Miranda (from Victorian England) time travels back in time 50 years, and meets Nicolas. Nicolas is a pirate, wanted by both the law and Lords that he has crossed. Miranda and Nicolas quickly form an attachment filled with outrageous flirting and mutual respect.
This is a book for the people looking for something soft and low-stress. The romance is definitely the focus of the book, with the pirate plot off to the side. Nicolas is such a perfect romantic partner that he is dreamy and entirely unobjectionable.
For me, I feel like this book was a little too low-stakes. I was bored by the lack of conflict between Miranda and Nicolas. The only thing standing in the way of their Happily Ever After is that they are from different times, but from the beginning it was established that the time travel is always accessible, so it's not actually much of a problem at all. If you're looking for something that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this isn't it.
However, if what you are looking for is a little bit of fun with the perfect book boyfriend, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
A video review including this book with my on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, at https://www.youtube.com/chloefrizzle
Thanks to Netgally and KLA Frickle Inc for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Miranda (from Victorian England) time travels back in time 50 years, and meets Nicolas. Nicolas is a pirate, wanted by both the law and Lords that he has crossed. Miranda and Nicolas quickly form an attachment filled with outrageous flirting and mutual respect.
This is a book for the people looking for something soft and low-stress. The romance is definitely the focus of the book, with the pirate plot off to the side. Nicolas is such a perfect romantic partner that he is dreamy and entirely unobjectionable.
For me, I feel like this book was a little too low-stakes. I was bored by the lack of conflict between Miranda and Nicolas. The only thing standing in the way of their Happily Ever After is that they are from different times, but from the beginning it was established that the time travel is always accessible, so it's not actually much of a problem at all. If you're looking for something that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this isn't it.
However, if what you are looking for is a little bit of fun with the perfect book boyfriend, I wholeheartedly recommend it.
A video review including this book with my on my Youtube channel in the coming weeks, at https://www.youtube.com/chloefrizzle
Thanks to Netgally and KLA Frickle Inc for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
whovianpnw's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
roq's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75