Time Travel Romance/Women’s Fiction
Date Published: September 15, 2016

Synopsis

30-year-old Eve Sharland is browsing a Pennsylvania antiques store when she discovers an old brass lantern tucked away on a shelf. It attracts her. She picks it up and sees something behind one of the sooty glass panes. She gently lifts it and, to her surprise, she finds an unopened letter stuck inside.

The letter is postmarked December 24, 1885, and it is addressed to Evelyn Sharland in New York City. Eve gasps and drops the letter. That’s her name! The letter is addressed to someone with the same name in 1885: Evelyn Sharland.

Eve promptly purchases the lantern and the letter, and returns to her New York City apartment. Later that evening, she carefully opens the letter and reads it, astounded by its contents. She stares at the lantern in wonder and alarm, deeply moved by the story of a tragic romance.

A few days later, following a request in the letter, Eve cautiously lights the lantern. To her utter shock, she finds herself in the past—in 1885 New York City. Eve is thrown into a life far beyond what she could have ever imagined, as she gets involved with one of the richest families in New York City, and meets the handsome Patrick Gantly. She must struggle to survive and return to her own time, even as her destiny is changed forever.

Review

If you were tossed back in time to 1885, would you know how to dress, act or behave? I know I wouldn’t, but luckily for our heroine, Eve, she has a little idea of what to do but not much.

Eve finds a lamp with a letter inside and starts wondering about the mogul family – who they were and what happened to them especially since the letter had her name on it, but she knows it cannot be for her. This sets her on a quest to find out what she can through research. Some of it was good and some of it was bad.

This book was very enjoyable because I do like time travel stories – the possibilities and potential and having to figure out how to fit into the past (or the present depending on which way you are going!). Eve is a nurse which is to her benefit because she understands the methods of treatment that really were not good for a person. She is also smart and aware of her surroundings which is how she figures out that the dashing Patrick Gantry has been following her. It helps that he is a police detective. I like how he is intrigued by Eve and helps her even though it could mean his downfall, after all this is 1885.

I thought the author did a good job of recapturing that time period including that women really didn’t have any rights and were chattel. The men were egotistical which contributed to any downfall they experienced.

The ending has an interesting twist that changed how I saw a few characters in the book.

This is the first book by this author that I have read and I will be seeking out some of her other books.

We give this 5 paws up.

About the Author

Elyse Douglas is the pen name for the husband and wife writing team of Elyse Parmentier and Douglas Pennington. Elyse’s mother was a painter and her father a textile consultant. Elyse began writing poems and short stories at an early age, and graduated with a degree in English Literature. Douglas grew up in a family of musicians, astrologers and avid readers. His great grandfather lived to be a 134 years old, and was the oldest man in the world when he died in 1922.

Some of Elyse Douglas’ novels include: “The Other Side of Summer,” “The Christmas Bridge,” “Wanting Rita,” “The Christmas Diary” and “The Summer Diary.” They live in New York City.

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