+Giveaway
Western Romance - novel
TBR reviewer: Shyla
TBR reviewer: Shyla
Blurb
What happens when happily ever after meets reality? Susan and James Williams are drifting apart. After a devastating loss, their lives are thrown into further turmoil when a mysterious stone at a museum hurtles them back to the Old West. Their supernatural experience only intensifies the chasm between them, and when James realizes where they are, in a moment of anger, he pronounces that they were never married.
They go their separate ways, unsure of what this new world holds in store. James settles into a job as bartender. Befriended by local rancher Daniel Miller, Susan soon develops feelings for him. She’s torn between starting a new life in a new time and healing her marriage and returning to the twenty-first century.
Will the miraculous journey back in time help Susan and James reconcile, or has destiny set new roads for them to travel that lead them away from each other?
They go their separate ways, unsure of what this new world holds in store. James settles into a job as bartender. Befriended by local rancher Daniel Miller, Susan soon develops feelings for him. She’s torn between starting a new life in a new time and healing her marriage and returning to the twenty-first century.
Will the miraculous journey back in time help Susan and James reconcile, or has destiny set new roads for them to travel that lead them away from each other?
Review
I want to start off by saying this is a fantastic read! I enjoyed the story and realness Ms. James brought to the tale. But I spent a lot of time being pissed at the lead characters. The husband and heroine James was a weak willed whiner who couldn’t deal with the fact that his wife was strong and independent. Instead of opening his mouth to talk to her about what was going on in his head, he antagonized her, pushing her further away with juvenile antics. If he didn’t want to be treated like a child I suggest he not act like one.
Now I’m a fair kind of gal, so I’ll admit Susan was no saint. She threw tantrums that made her seem more like a student, than the teacher she actually was. I really wanted to shake her and make her see reason. If you want to survive you must adapt, not stubbornly stick to a past that’s no longer relevant
James and his wife, Susan, have been married for the past twenty years, and are in a rough spot in their marriage. With empty nest looming in front of them and a painful miscarriage behind them the duo is barely able to tolerate one another’s presence. A school field trip to the museum with James acting as a chaperon sends the couple back to the 1800’s. It’s here that their marriage completely disintegrates, and James leaves Susan to fend for herself. Yea, you heard me right. After twenty years of marriage, and two children he walks away and leaves her alone in a place neither of them knows a damn thing about.
Can you tell I’m steaming? Above all else I’d think loyalty would be foremost after twenty-years of marriage. I thought James’s behavior once they were deposited in the past were unforgivable. Maybe it’s the vindictive bitch in me, but if my husband did that to me I’d be done for good, after I gave him a swift kick to the genitals and a punch to the face once he hit his knees.
Despite the kinks mentioned about the story was engaging, well written, and full of unexpected twists and turns. She has a way of making you care about the characters, and what happens to them. I just think she went overboard with the animosity between the hero/heroine. It made it pretty impossible to recover from. (At least to someone who can hold a grudge like me).
I really recommend this story to someone looking for romance with substance, and realness you can truly relate to. Job well done Ms. James.
Now I’m a fair kind of gal, so I’ll admit Susan was no saint. She threw tantrums that made her seem more like a student, than the teacher she actually was. I really wanted to shake her and make her see reason. If you want to survive you must adapt, not stubbornly stick to a past that’s no longer relevant
James and his wife, Susan, have been married for the past twenty years, and are in a rough spot in their marriage. With empty nest looming in front of them and a painful miscarriage behind them the duo is barely able to tolerate one another’s presence. A school field trip to the museum with James acting as a chaperon sends the couple back to the 1800’s. It’s here that their marriage completely disintegrates, and James leaves Susan to fend for herself. Yea, you heard me right. After twenty years of marriage, and two children he walks away and leaves her alone in a place neither of them knows a damn thing about.
Can you tell I’m steaming? Above all else I’d think loyalty would be foremost after twenty-years of marriage. I thought James’s behavior once they were deposited in the past were unforgivable. Maybe it’s the vindictive bitch in me, but if my husband did that to me I’d be done for good, after I gave him a swift kick to the genitals and a punch to the face once he hit his knees.
Despite the kinks mentioned about the story was engaging, well written, and full of unexpected twists and turns. She has a way of making you care about the characters, and what happens to them. I just think she went overboard with the animosity between the hero/heroine. It made it pretty impossible to recover from. (At least to someone who can hold a grudge like me).
I really recommend this story to someone looking for romance with substance, and realness you can truly relate to. Job well done Ms. James.
Excerpt
That god-awful dry sense of humor.
Opening her mouth, she formed a sarcastic retort before realizing the kids might have been listening. Thank the Lord, they were enraptured by the guide’s story and not paying any
attention to the old folks squabbling in the background.
Harry favored Susan with a toothy grin she now realized held wisdom behind it. “C’mon up here, Miz Williams, Mister Williams.” His hand beckoned, calling them to where he stood.
“You come touch the stone. You come find your destiny.”
Susan figured she owed him a little bit of cooperation. Not that she believed a word of that legend nonsense. Reaching for James’s hand, she dragged him with her toward the stone. “James, please.”
He threw her a heavy sigh before he complied.
“That’s it,” Harry said. “Come on up here, folks. Come touch the stone.”
James withdrew his hand from Susan’s and circled to the opposite side of the boulder. He leveled a hard stare at her, one that piqued her already bad humor. Before she could say a word, a noise startled her.
A hum. It started out as an annoying hum, like radio static or a swarm of cicadas. The sound quickly scattered her thoughts, sending them tumbling like autumn leaves on a windy day.
Steadily increasing in volume, the noise whirled and twirled in her head. Then suddenly, there were voices.
Your destiny, they whispered as a chorus in her mind. Find your destiny.
Shit. I’ve gone schizophrenic, right here in the middle of the stupid history museum. A history
teacher’s version of a nervous breakdown.
The whispers became louder. Come with us. Come to us.
Squeezing her eyes shut, her hands flew to her ears as the sounds drowned out everything around her.
Now! Come to us now!
Susan didn’t want to listen to the frightening voices. Where was James? She needed James.
She opened her eyes, searching desperately for her husband. The museum had vanished. There was nothing but her and James and the damned boulder, all bathed in a nearly
blinding white light. Wind started to whip around them, ruffling her hair and clothes and knocking her purse from her shoulder. She let the heavy thing drop to the floor without a fight. Wind, hell it was a hurricane. In the middle of the museum? Her eyes wouldn’t focus well, but she could see the hazy shape of James reaching out for her. “Make it stop, James. Please.”
“Susan!” His voice barely rose above the eerie voices and the sound of the wind. His hand was there, just out of her reach. She stretched out her arm, trying to grasp him, needing to
grasp him. “Take my hand, babe!”
Suddenly Harry was there, standing between them. “It’s time.” He grabbed both of their hands, smiled, and then slapped their palms to the rock.
Opening her mouth, she formed a sarcastic retort before realizing the kids might have been listening. Thank the Lord, they were enraptured by the guide’s story and not paying any
attention to the old folks squabbling in the background.
Harry favored Susan with a toothy grin she now realized held wisdom behind it. “C’mon up here, Miz Williams, Mister Williams.” His hand beckoned, calling them to where he stood.
“You come touch the stone. You come find your destiny.”
Susan figured she owed him a little bit of cooperation. Not that she believed a word of that legend nonsense. Reaching for James’s hand, she dragged him with her toward the stone. “James, please.”
He threw her a heavy sigh before he complied.
“That’s it,” Harry said. “Come on up here, folks. Come touch the stone.”
James withdrew his hand from Susan’s and circled to the opposite side of the boulder. He leveled a hard stare at her, one that piqued her already bad humor. Before she could say a word, a noise startled her.
A hum. It started out as an annoying hum, like radio static or a swarm of cicadas. The sound quickly scattered her thoughts, sending them tumbling like autumn leaves on a windy day.
Steadily increasing in volume, the noise whirled and twirled in her head. Then suddenly, there were voices.
Your destiny, they whispered as a chorus in her mind. Find your destiny.
Shit. I’ve gone schizophrenic, right here in the middle of the stupid history museum. A history
teacher’s version of a nervous breakdown.
The whispers became louder. Come with us. Come to us.
Squeezing her eyes shut, her hands flew to her ears as the sounds drowned out everything around her.
Now! Come to us now!
Susan didn’t want to listen to the frightening voices. Where was James? She needed James.
She opened her eyes, searching desperately for her husband. The museum had vanished. There was nothing but her and James and the damned boulder, all bathed in a nearly
blinding white light. Wind started to whip around them, ruffling her hair and clothes and knocking her purse from her shoulder. She let the heavy thing drop to the floor without a fight. Wind, hell it was a hurricane. In the middle of the museum? Her eyes wouldn’t focus well, but she could see the hazy shape of James reaching out for her. “Make it stop, James. Please.”
“Susan!” His voice barely rose above the eerie voices and the sound of the wind. His hand was there, just out of her reach. She stretched out her arm, trying to grasp him, needing to
grasp him. “Take my hand, babe!”
Suddenly Harry was there, standing between them. “It’s time.” He grabbed both of their hands, smiled, and then slapped their palms to the rock.
Purchase Here
Contest
Ms. James is giving away an ecopy to one lucky winner! Comment below to enter. Contest ends November 27th.
RSS Feed
