I’m a sucker for Time-Travel romance. I’m also a sucker for Regency Romance. Once Upon a Time Travel scratches both of those itches. A recent graduate with a degree in history, Emma doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. (I relate to this so hard.) Which is how she ends up working at a London townhouse turned museum. There her natural curiosity leads her straight into a mystery and then back through time to 1816. Not wanting to end up out on the street, or worse, she impersonates an expected American arrival, all the while trying and failing to curb her growing attraction to her host Hartley - a wealthy Earl with a broken heart.
I fully loved this story. While I had issues with the heroine’s POV being in first person while the hero’s was in third, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. (But it did knock it down a star, consistent POV is a thing.) Emma was a fun character full of spunk who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind or give up her morals. But also had the good sense to try to adapt to the situation she found herself in. Initially I thought that Hartley was a little too understanding, but the reason became clear through the storytelling. His family was always more feminist than the average nobility because… well… reasons. And spoilers.
Trust me I am spoiling this, but it helps explain a lot. Let’s just say that there is a reason for the time-travel. I don’t want to spoil too much. But when it hits, all of a sudden everything makes so much more sense.
The secondary characters were great and the story didn’t get bogged down with oodles and oodles of characters. I adored Charles… she was the Aunt every time-traveling heroine needs. The book is a clean romance – no sex, not even fade to black – but it didn’t need it. But if you are looking for smut, this is not the book for you. In all, I’d love to read more from the author and I definitely recommend checking out the book.
Four stars. (Would have been five if the POV thing hadn’t happened.)
*** I received a copy of this book through NetGalley
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