Book Review - Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas

Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas introduces us to Emily and her best friend, Stacey. Emily has just broken up with her boyfriend of two years. Stacey and Emily had not seen each other for months because Emily had accused Stacey of wanting her man when Stacey tried to tell her that Craig had been seeing other women behind her back. In the two years Emily had been with Craig, he had alienated her from all her friends and family and made her leave her job. However, now she has found him with another woman in their bed! Stacey and Emily go for a walk to talk and get Craig out of their systems. They end up sitting in a park under a big tree. They start heading back to Stacey's house when the weather changes to rain, thunder, and lightning. Suddenly, Emily hears a loud crack, and everything goes white! Emily wakes up in a tiny bed in a room with equally small furniture. What has happened? Where is she? Moreover, who is Henry, the man with striking hazel-colored eyes? Read Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas to discover the answers to these questions.

I liked the humor Stella Gioacas included in the story. For instance, when the Dr. in eighteen hundred and seventy-four is trying to work out what all the strange things are that Emily is talking about example, on page thirty-one," 'And this Uber you mentioned earlier?' 'Oh, I believe that's some sort of luncheon meat, sir,' Henry said." I also enjoyed the fact that Emily goes back in time but is still in the exact location. I especially liked the comparisons and descriptions between the present and the past. 

I did not enjoy some of Emily's expressions which were not what people would typically say. For example, on page forty, "And thirdly, sit and join me, you silly goose." Emily and Henry are the main protagonists in this story, but as we are told very little about their backstories, they are relatively flat and bland. I found the conversational passages too long-winded, making the book boring. I would have liked there to have been more depth to what could have been a fascinating story. 

I recommend Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas to adults and older teenagers who enjoy time travel, romance, and historical fiction. There are some swearing and mild sexual scenes in the book, which make it inappropriate for a younger audience. 

I want to give Timeless Love by Stella Gioacas 3 out of 5 stars, it was an interesting read, but it needed more substance for my liking. There was a good beginning, and the ending was exciting with a lot of twists and turns which I wasn't expecting. However, the middle of the book was very slow going. The book would also benefit from further proofreading due to grammar and spelling errors. Because of these reasons, I have taken two stars off my rating!

Book Review - Wild World by Peter S Rush

 

Wild World by Peter S. Rush begins in May 1970. It is a time when thousands of students across America are holding rallies to protest against the Vietnam War. Steve Logan, a law student and his girlfriend, Roxy Fisher, a medical student, want to make the world a better place to live in. The story begins a few weeks before Steve is due to have his graduation from Brown University. Sitting with his roommates and Roxy in front of the television, they cannot believe what they see. National Guard troops have been called out to a protest by students at Kent State University. The guards are armed and end up killing four students. After meeting a reform-minded police officer, Steve is convinced that getting involved is the only way to change things. He postpones law school and joins the city's police department. Steve is different to other rookie police. He has a good degree, and he is inherently honest. These make him an outsider, and a target for corrupt police, the reality of fighting the establishment soon overwhelms him. His college friends think he is a traitor to the cause, and even Roxy, the woman he loves, has begun to pull away. Devising a plan to shake up the system radically, Steve begins to collect evidence to bring the corrupt police down. Steve's life will never be the same again! 

I loved the fact that Peter S. Rush appears to have named his book after the Cat Stevens song Wild World which was released in 1970, an example from page 62, He turned on a transistor radio, and Cat Stevens sang, "Baby, baby it's a wild world...." I also enjoyed the parts of the book where Steve experiences inner turmoil between his work life and home life when he cannot always go with his instincts but has to play by specific rules to survive, even when they seem wrong. e.g. 'The man had stopped moving, and Steve realized he could be dead. It was under control - he had it under control. Was he responsible for the man's death? Was this police work?' This was very well written, and I could feel Steve's inner turmoil.

This is a great story, written with passion for the subject, but I was disappointed in the number of mistakes. It was as if the book had not been edited or proofread.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is a great story, but there are way too many errors to rate it the full 4 stars.

I would recommend this book to older teenagers and adults interested in novels telling American history during the 1970s. The continuous swearing in this book fits with the characterisation but would not be suitable for anyone who dislikes this type of language. 

Thank you to Peter S Rush for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.