After disappearing from a battlefield in 1812 Spain, Lord Nicholas finds himself in a London hospital 200 years in the future. Under the instruction of an organization called The Guild, he is whisked away to a retreat in the Chilean mountains to learn how to fit into his new time. Along with his fellow students, Nick discovers that he is a time traveler. His near death experience in battle triggered his abilities.
After boning up on current affairs, idioms and wardrobe choices, Nick settles in New York City. Flush with money provided by the Guild, he basically spends his time charming the ladies and helping out the cheese businesses that he owns in Vermont, while adhering to the Guild Club Rules: no one talks about the Guild and you can never go back home. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done when his dreams are frequented by the vision of a young woman from the past.
Back in the 1815 English countryside, a young woman is bereft after the death of her beloved grandfather who often entertained her by performing tricks that stopped time. Unaware of her inherited ability, and at the mercy of her unsavory cousin who has inherited the estate, Julia struggles to find a way out.
Until the Guild resurfaces after 10 years, Nick is unaware that he can go back in time. In need of his assistance to stop a rival group of time travelers, Nick discovers that the Guild may not have been completely honest about his abilities or their intentions. Travelling back to 1815, he reunites with the family who thought him dead on the battlefield and comes face to face with the woman who haunts his dreams.
I’m all for the timey wimey stuff, so I enjoyed this book. It was a bit uneven and parts of it could drag a bit, but the premise and the characters were pretty compelling. It gathered steam towards the finish and I was psyched to get the next book in the series. The ending lent itself to a sequel, Goodreads had (River of No Return #1) next to the title AND it was published in 2013, so I was ready to indulge in the luxury of having found a good one that had already published sequels to move right on to. Alas! It looks like that was the intention, but then NOTHING. Five years is a long time, no? Ridgway did publish a prequel, e-book only as far as I can tell, in 2014 but that’s it. It’s a little frustrating. I just found Malin’s review from CBR 7 here and she had a similar take. Shake that writer’s block, Bee! We’re waiting.
This review sucked me in and got me almost walking out the door to buy this book. We are on vacation and there is a used bookstore about 500 yards away…
And then I realized I own it and it is in my TBR pile at home. So, I guess I’m moving it up the list. Thanks!
Ha! If you are doing the BINGO it could be your White Whale, Backlog or Cannonballer Says! Be prepared to be impatient with the lack of book 2. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
It sounds interesting but the lack of sequel would be frustrating! At first I thought this was going to be more of a fish out of water story because I always wonder how people from a few centuries ago would react to modern day, but it looks like it takes a much more active turn.
There is a bit of the fish out of water story, but interestingly, it’s when he goes back to the past after having lived a decade in the present.
Now I am even more interested- but I don’t need a cliff hanger or open ending! Unless sales will lead to the publishing of a sequel?