A review by emileereadsbooks
For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Grace and Hope are identical twins. They share the same face, and the same ability to live concurrently in two timelines. When they go to sleep in 1692, they wake up in 1912 and vise versa. But on their 25th birthday, they each to choose just one timeline.

In 1692, they live and work in their father's tavern and have a front row seat to the Salem Witch Trials. As the drama amplifies in the village, the twins, with the help of a handsome childhood friend, begin to search for the truth about their mother and try to avoid losing themselves in the hysteria.

In 1912, Grace is an investigative journalist, and Hope is an aspiring female pilot. When their parents' orphanage falls under threat by someone Grace exposed for wrong doing, Hope decides to enter a cross-country contest in search of the cash prize. As the girls travel with the help of a dashing French aviator, emotions get complicated when tradegy strikes.

Grace and Hope had decided which timeline they would choose, but when life circumstances complicate each timeline, they are left with many decisions about when and who to choose. Will they be able to stay together, or will their desires pull them apart?
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I was iffy going into this book knowing that the 1692 timeline centered on the Salem Witch Trials, but Meyer's deft hand crafted a story that was engaging, empathetic, and entertaining. With a mystery that had me really contemplating the ramifications of the revelations, this timeline added so many layers of nuance to this series as a whole. 

And the 1912 timeline had me literally gasping several times. I did prefer this timeline mostly because it makes more sense to my modern sensibilities. But also because the personalities of the girls really shone here. Free from the extreme weight of Puritan ideals, the girls are more free to be their authentic selves here and we get to experience them unfettered. 

I don't cry easily in books and I'm pretty sure this book made me teary twice. I'm so excited to see where this series goes. They are fantastic as standalone books but they are immensely better read in light of the journey Gabrielle Meyer is taking us on in this world of time crossers. 
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This is a closed door, kisses only historical time travel romance. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. 

Thank you Netgalley and Bethany House Fiction for the gifted book!