Tag Archives: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance

The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance edited by Trisha Telep

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Overview
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Title: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance
Author: Trisha Telep, Gwyn Cready, Sandy Blair, Maureen McGowan, Sara Mackenzie, Margo Maguire, Sandra Newgent, Michelle Maddox, Patrice Sarath, Jean Johnson, Patti O’Shea, Autumn Dawn, Holly Lisle, Cindy Miles, Michelle Willingham, Colby Hodge, Michele Lang, Madeline Baker, Allie Mackay & A. J. Menden
Series: Mammoth Books
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Science fiction, Short story collections, Time travel
Dates read: 11th April – 30th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She glanced over her shoulder, towards the light left on in her home, as if to remind herself she wasn’t so very far from safety.

Synopsis

Time has no meaning for true love.

Twenty tales of swachbuckling adventure and passionate romance from some of the most exciting names in romantic fiction, including Margo Maguire, Autumn Dawn, Sandy Blair, Michelle Maddox, Patti O’Shea, Holly Lisle, Kimberly Raye and Madeline Baker.

Join the heroines in this delightful anthology as they step backwards – or forwards – in time, transported to the Scottish Highlands of yesteryear, the Wild West or the distant future. Propelled through time into situations rich with possibility and fraught with danger, these sexy, sassy heroines each seek their dreamed of happy ending.

Will souls separated by time be reunited – or separated, forever?

Thoughts

This is an absolutely brilliant collection. I haven’t read any time travel romances before. So it was kind of nice to read a whole collection of them. I do have a few full length novels in this genre sitting on my shelves ready to go though. Now that I’ve read this collection, I kind of can’t wait!

Even though all of these stories featured time travel and romance in some way, shape or form, the themes and messages throughout were vastly different. The stories weren’t overly lustful like many of the romances that I’ve read. Actually, there tended to be more of a focus on the romances and the finding true love message. Or just on the ways in which time travel actually works.

The stories were generally a mix of present and past; or present and future. Only one or two stories feature the past and the future, but most had a great blending of realities. Sometimes characters ended up back in their own time, sometimes in a different time that fulfilled their greatest desires. There really was something for everyone in this.

Whilst I absolutely adored this collection, it isn’t one that I will probably read again and again. As much as I loved everything, there was nothing that stood out as a story that I wanted to reread.

<- The Mammoth Book of Thrillers, Ghosts and MysteriesThe Key to Happiness ->

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Future Date by A.J. Menden

Book Review, ,
Overview
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Title: Future Date
Author: A.J. Menden
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 30th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: But the siren song of the computer, and whether or not the good-looking man with the nice smile had replied to her yet, made her finally dig out her laptop and fire it up.

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Synopsis

All she wants is to find a man to spend her life with. But after a series of increasingly frustrating dates… she is about to give up. Until her friend finds her the future dating service… and, with a little time travel. Everything could change.

Thoughts

I absolutely loved the premise of this story. But didn’t actually get into it that much… there was just something about it that didn’t draw me in. Probably the lack of connection I felt with the lead character. She wasn’t a bad character, there was just nothing that made me feel connected to her. It could also have just been the fact that it was the final short story of the year, and I was getting all kinds of excited about the books I could read in 2020…

I’ve also never online dated. Which means that any story about online dating is a bit… foreign to my mind. Sometimes I love that, but, since I have never even been on a first date, I just couldn’t relate to all of the bad dates that had been embarked on. It’s a bit hard to feel like you can relate to such a thing when you’ve never actually had the experience, and it’s only briefly touched upon.

In theory, I absolutely love this story. But in practice, I just found it a little… eh. Maybe I’ll read it again in the future and change my mind. But, at this moment, I feel like it’s worth reading, but not memorable.

 <- Falling in Time ReviewThe Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF Review ->
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Falling in Time by Allie Mackay

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Falling in Time
Author: Allie Mackay
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Scottish romance, Time travel
Dates read: 30th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: He couldn’t see her – she was lying behind him, her full, round breasts pressing against his back.

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Synopsis

She thinks that she’s just imagining the lead male in her book. But then she starts kissing him. And seeing him in the daytime… maybe there’s a little bit more to this than she realised.

Thoughts

I absolutely loved that this story features a writer who is having very vivid imaginations about her lead character. And that was about the extent of my love for this story. I kept rereading parts of this story in total confusion. Like, total and utter confusion. Wasn’t entirely sure how this was working and what was going on.

About halfway through I started to get what was actually going on though. And I kind of like the idea of soul mates. With the time travelling aspect being something which only happens because they’re soul mates. Ones who were accidentally born in the wrong time and need divine intervention to finally come together.

Eventually I got into this story and did enjoy it. It might not have been my favourite short story, but it was definitely one that was thoroughly enjoyable.

 <- Steam ReviewFuture Date Review ->
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Steam by Jean Johnson

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Steam
Author: Jean Johnson
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 29th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Heat suffused his face.

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Synopsis

David has just inherited his family’s mysterious uncles estate. What he finds is a trip through time and the woman of his dreams.

Thoughts

I loved the premise of this story. Actually, a lot of it reminded me of The Alchemist’s Key by Traci Harding. Same idea of a modern setting and time travel. An eccentric family member bequeathing an estate to an unsuspecting young man. And ultimately, the guy finding true love as an aspect of all his time travelling activities. It was just quite sweet.

However, there are a series of letters throughout this romance to the two leads, from themselves. Which tells them that they end up together. Which, quite honestly, took a lot of the romance out of it. The excitement of finding out how they were going together and what barriers would be in the way were just completely removed. Which was a little bit frustrating.

I did love the loop effect of time though. The idea that what they are doing has been done before so that they know what to expect. But then I wonder where the loop starts. It all becomes very confusing. Does that mean that life is preordained and they don’t get any choices? Is everything in their lives outlined in these letters? Time travel is confusing.

 <- Catch the Lightning ReviewFalling in Time Review ->
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Catch by the Lightning by Madeline Baker

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: Catch the Lightning
Author: Madeline Baker
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 28th December 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: I’m about a quart low.

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Synopsis

On the eve of her suicide, a strange horse arrives to sweep her away. To another time and another place. Will she find her reason to live here?

Thoughts

I think most women have wanted to find themselves a hot, Indian cowboy to have a bit of a roll in the hay. The woman in this short story got one. And I’m so incredibly glad. This was fun, easy and I love that it took a pretty typical fantasy (or at least, what I view as a fairly typical frontier fantasy) and made it her own. With time travelling, because what’s a romance without a little bit of time travelling?

I’ve been reading a few time travelling stories this year. Particularly short stories in The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance collection. But I’ve never read one that features a time travelling horse. It’s weird and quite different. But definitely something that I’ve decided I need more of. It also reminded me of the Dreamworks movie Spirit, which bought up all kinds of happy, childhood nostalgia.

This touches on issues of suicide. And that point you reach where you’re not sad. You’re just not there anymore. There is no purpose. I get this feeling more than I would like. So this touched quite close to the belt. But I actually loved that fact. Because instead of being dark and dour, she’s abducted by a time travelling horse and finds the love of her life. A slightly off-kilter happily-ever-after for all of us.

 <- The Walled Garden ReviewSteam Review ->
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The Walled Garden by Michele Lang

Book Review, , ,
Overview
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Title: The Walled Garden
Author: Michele Lang
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae
Dates read: 20th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: You already know me from class and by my sign.

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Synopsis

An attack has left her lost, confused and scared. But, a chance encounter with a polite young man might help to lead her on the way to recovery. Or a whole new world.

Thoughts

This short story was in a collection of time travel romances… yet, I spent the entire time trying to figure out where the time travelling actually was. There were bits and pieces of time travelling. But I wouldn’t put it on a shelf with that theme. This felt more about venturing into the underground worlds of the fae and the Otherworld.

I love that this story is all about recovering and finding your own way forwards after tragedy. Bouncing back is important, and we all do it in our ways. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go about it by venturing through a strange underground garden… but it was still a great way to find out how to recover and find your new reality.

There is a super surreal feeling to this entire story. Even trying to articulate what happened and why I enjoyed this is difficult. It’s like when you dream that you’re walking through a mist, and everything you experience is completely real. But it’s also entirely emotional. That’s the way that this story feels as you journey through the pages to the end.

 <- Time Trails ReviewCatch the Lightning Review ->
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Time Trails by Colby Hodge

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Time Trails
Author: Colby Hodge
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Science fiction, Time travel
Dates read: 17th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Its head hung limply and its body trembled with weakness.

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Synopsis

A rip in the fabric of time has sent her back in time from 2143 to 1886. The man she meets there might just be everything she’s ever dreamed of… but what will she do with him?

Thoughts

There’s a fairly big time gap in this short story. Alright, it’s a time travel short story, so you know that there’s going to be some kind of gap… but 1886 to 2143 just seemed intense. Probably because most stories I read with time travelling involve the past or the future, and the present. Not both past and future. However, it was kind of fun. I enjoyed the departure from what I’m beginning to consider as normal for something a little bit more intense and difficult to put down.

Normally I like open ended short stories. They give you the ability to decide what you think has happened. Or the possibility for another, longer story in amongst it. However, this one was just a little too open. There must have been consequences for their actions, but it’s never even thought about. I love rebellious characters who make their own future. But they’re only so awesome because they face the consequences knowingly. Not so much in this story…

Having said that, this short story still left me with lots of happy, nice, gooey feelings. It was just a sweet and easy story. One that I don’t feel the desire to be a longer tale, but enjoyed my time with. A nice, easy read when I needed a quick break from my thinking work…

 <- A Wish to Build a Dream On ReviewThe Walled Garden Review ->
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A Wish to Build a Dream On by Michelle Willingham

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: A Wish to Build a Dream On
Author: Michelle Willingham
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Fae, Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 14th December 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She took a deep breath, knowing he needed to understand everything.

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Synopsis

She’s getting over a bad breakup. And all she wants is to find a man who can love her for herself. Yet, a wish made in a faery circle might have the power to change her fate and give her the family she’s always longed for.

Thoughts

If I had one wish… I don’t know what it would be. It would depend on my mood, surroundings, the sun, the moon. I’m a pretty indecisive person. But, this story really did make me think about what that one wish actually would be. The title alone gets you into this mood… A Wish to Build a Dream On is kind of reminiscent of a wish upon a star from Disney… or at least, that’s how I felt about it. There is something beautiful and lingering in the feeling of this story.

Having said all of that, the lead woman in this story is damn sure of what her wish is. And I loved the simplicity of this. Her dream is simply to have a family – a man that loves her for who she is, and children to come along. It would be one of my top dreams (I already have half of it though) … but I love that this is about someone who just wants to be loved. Who just wants to find a happily ever after that she can be happy with.

The best thing about this story though is that it is incredibly sweet and easy. It isn’t an insanely, tragically complex tale. It isn’t about lust and sex. Rather, it is just about true love and finding a version of happily ever after that makes you happy. Not anyone else’s version. And that means finding someone who completely accepts you for what you are, not an idealised version.

 <- The Gloaming Hour ReviewTime Trails Review ->
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The Gloaming Hour by Cindy Miles

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: The Gloaming Hour
Author: Cindy Miles
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Romance, Scottish romance, Time travel
Dates read: 8th December 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She held him tight, as though doing so would prevent him from fading away.

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Synopsis

He’s the spirit of an ancient scotsman who can only appear in the Gloaming Hour. She’s a woman who has the scars of a tragic past. Yet, somehow, in their stolen moments of time, they manage to find a miracle worth living for.

Thoughts

I don’t really get the ins and outs of the time travel in this story. Which is alright, because I loved it anyway. Most of the time I like to understand exactly what is happening when you need to have time travel. But in the case of The Gloaming Hour, I didn’t actually care. It was just such an easy, sweet and nice story.

I love how this story is all about new beginnings. Not just for the woman in the present, but also the weirdly time travelling man who she falls for. And, ultimately, it’s about finding your own version of happily ever after. Whatever that may be. It’s actually a good reminder for me at the moment to find my own Zen outside of what is expected of me.

This is an incredibly quick, easy and light read. Which was quite surprising since the lead female was stalked and attacked in an incredibly horrific way. It was a nice way to just relax for ten minutes or so. Without having to think about the realities of the world.

 <- Last Thorsday Night ReviewA Wish to Build a Dream On Review ->
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Last Thorsday Night by Holly Lisle

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
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Title: Last Thorsday Night
Author: Holly Lisle
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Romance, Time travel
Dates read: 29th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: They changed me.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

She’s part of a writers group. And she really enjoys their company. But one night, a strange man decides to join and takes a little bit too much interest in her. It turns out that he’s a time traveller and what he has to tell her about the future may tear her world apart.

Thoughts

I should be part of a writers group. But I should probably also write my own work a lot more than I do. There is something about doing a PhD that completely removes your ability to get much of anything else done. Reading and writing reviews is the extent of it at the moment. But, I digress… in this short story, I loved the idea of a writers group being the primary setting of the story.

One of my biggest fears in not only my personal writing, but also my academic writing is putting in all of the work for someone else to take advantage of it. There is just something a little too relatable to this storyline and the idea of her work being stolen that made me feel the heeby jeebies from the very beginning. The fact that this was done through a brutal murder was just terrifying and skeevy.

I loved that ultimately, there is a choice between guaranteed fame, and an unknown, but highly potential future. Eventually, there is a choice between the love of millions and the love of one. A superficial love, or one that knows her to her core. Such a great story.

 <- Iron and Hemlock ReviewThe Gloaming Hour Review ->
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