Please Note:  I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From Goodreads):
Xanthe and her mother Flora leave London behind for a fresh start, taking over an antique shop in the historic town of Marlborough. Xanthe has always had an affinity with some of the antiques she finds. When she touches them, she can sense something of the past they come from and the stories they hold. So when she has an intense connection to a beautiful silver chatelaine she has to know more.

It’s while she’s examining the chatelaine that she’s transported back to the seventeenth century. And shortly after, she's confronted by a ghost who reveals that this is where the antique has its origins. The ghost tasks Xanthe with putting right the injustice in its story to save an innocent girl’s life, or else it’ll cost her Flora’s.

While Xanthe fights to save her amid the turbulent days of 1605, she meets architect Samuel Appleby. He may be the person who can help her succeed. He may also be the reason she can’t bring herself to leave.

Review:
I'll be honest.  I requested this book, not just for it's description, but for it's pretty cover and charming title.  I was so happy that my instincts were on target with this book.  This novel has it all: a great story, suspense, romance, and tons of historical details.  Once I started it, I could not put it down!

Historical Details:
The author must have done extensive research because the historical details of daily life in the seventeenth century are impressive.  Everything from what people wore, to how one asked to use the restroom ("Where is the necessary room?") are a part of the story.  These authentic details are what make me feel like the characters are really in that time, and are one of the pleasures of reading historical fiction.

Characters:
I really liked the main character, Xanthe, who has seen her share of injustice.  This helps her to identify so strongly with Alice who is wrongly accused of stealing back in the seventeenth century.  In order to save her (and her own mother in modern times), Xanthe must use her ingenuity to solve the mystery of why Alice is accused, and what has become of the stolen items.  Xanthe is both practical and impulsive, which I find endearing.
  
Xanthe's mother, Flora, also has many challenges.  She is in the middle of a divorce, and is fighting to maintain her independence despite having a chronic illness.  I loved Flora's determination and how she rooted for Xanthe.  

In fact, the mother/daughter relationship in this book is one that I liked very much.  There are very few depictions of healthy adult parent and child relationships in fiction.  While Flora does depend on Xanthe's help, she never takes advantage of her daughter or guilts her into helping out.  Their obvious mutual affection and respect are what I will strive for with my own children.

Time Travel:
Any book about time travel risks losing the reader due to it's implausibility.  This book solves that by taking time to really map out the logic in this universe.  How does this work?  How can Xanthe realistically pull off going back in time without being found out (and risk being deemed a witch)?  Won't people in her own time question where she has been?  The author answers all these issues, and that keeps the reader in the story.


                   
via GIPHY

Story:
The novel itself is has several parallels between the story in the present day and in the past.  In both, Xanthe is an outsider trying to make her way.  Xanthe has been seriously ill-used by her modern-day boyfriend, and has trouble trusting men.  She also must decide if she can trust Samuel in the past.  Xanthe was wrongly accused of a crime in the present, and Alice faces the same thing in the past.  Of course, the consequences of being branded a criminal in 1600 were far more severe than they are now.  But the idea of losing control of one's own life to a nameless judicial system is the same.

Despite all the exposition, the story was fast-paced and I could not stop reading.  I was constantly worried that Xanthe would be caught out in both time periods.  

I also really appreciated that, even though this is the first book in a series, the story line was wrapped up in this book.  It is one of my pet-peeves that series books stop mid-scene without any resolution to the main problem!  Thankfully, this did not happen in this book.

Romance:
There are moments where I could not stop but to draw comparisons to the Outlander series by Diana  Gabaldon.  The romance between Xanthe and a man from the seventeenth century is believable and heart-wrenching.  But I also wanted to know if there would possibly be some heat between Xanthe and a certain young man in the present.  After such an epic romantic experience, will Xanthe be able to love anyone else?  Is she destined to pine away for a man long dead?  This may be answered in future novels, as I am happy to say that this is the first book in a series!

                    
via GIPHY

Rating: 




Release Date:  October 2nd, 2018

Author:  Paula Brackston

Genre:  Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Publisher:  Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press)

Page Length:  320 pages

Source:  NetGalley

Format:  E-Book

Recommendation:  Not as steamy (or violent) as Outlander.  Nevertheless, this romantic time travel series will keep you reading late into the night.