Early Review – A Stitch in Time (A Stitch in Time, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance/Time Travel
Length: 360 pages
Publisher: K.L.A. Fricke Inc
Release Date: October 13, 2020
ASIN : B086DCSBTP
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in A Stitch in Time series
Source: eGalley through NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Thorne Manor has always been haunted…and it has always haunted Bronwyn Dale. As a young girl, Bronwyn could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt’s house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. After a family tragedy, the house was shuttered and Bronwyn was convinced that William existed only in her imagination.
Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting.
William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He’s a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He’s also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago.
As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past.”
Series Info/Source: I got an eGalley of this book to review through NetGalley.com. This is the first book in A Stitch in Time series by Armstrong. The book stands alone well. I have been a huge fan of all of Armstrong’s books except her Women of the Otherworld series. This is Armstrong’s first foray into gothic romance.
Story (4/5): Bronwyn used to spend time with a boy named William at Thorne Manor, but after a tragic incident, she was convinced that he wasn’t real. Now Bronwyn has inherited Thorne Manor many years later and is trying to recover from the death of her husband. When she gets to Thorne Manor she thinks maybe it is haunted but then she starts to slip back in time again to William’s time. William is still there, a grown man, and upset that Bronwyn broke her promise to return. Aside from trying to sort out her issues with William, Bronwyn is being haunted by increasingly violent ghosts who seem determined to have Bronwyn figure out the mystery behind their grisly deaths.
I enjoyed this a lot. I am normally not a huge fan of “time travel” stories. However, this is more of a time slip in a certain area that the characters can go in and out of. I liked the super spooky mystery of the ghosts that haunt Bronwyn in her time. I also enjoyed how this mystery was entwined with William’s past. There is some pretty steamy romance in here too, and it is nicely blended in with the rest of the story.
Characters (4/5): I enjoyed both Bronwyn and William. Bronwyn comes across as an interesting character and I liked reading a book with an older (upper 30’s) main protagonist. I did feel like she could have used a bit more personality, she just seemed a little washed-out at points. William is also an interesting character but I felt like he was just too defined by his time with Bronwyn, aside from his interest in horses there wasn’t a lot to make him interesting to me. Still, the two have good chemistry and were fine to read about. Some of the side characters were even more interesting.
Setting (4/5): I liked the sleepy small town setting of Thorne Manor and the creepy bog that surrounds it. It was well done. Jumping between current time and past time was also fun. In general it was a good setting and I enjoyed it. I am eager to see how the time slips are expanded upon in future books in this series.
Writing Style (5/5): I always love Armstrong’s writing style. It’s effortless to read and she does an excellent job blending story elements together. This story had a wonderful blend of mystery, thriller, fantasy/sci-fi, and romance. It was an intriguing premise that was well done and I am curious to see where the story goes. This story is, at heart, a romance but also has an excellent and super creepy mystery as well as some interesting time travel elements.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. It wasn’t my favorite book by Armstrong but it is intriguing and shows a lot of promise. I felt like the characters were a bit lacking but really enjoyed how the mysteries of Thorne House were blended in with these time slips and Bronwyn’s romance with William. I feel like this series has a lot of potential and is unique. I plan on reading future books in this series. I would recommend to those who think a blend of creepy ghost story, time travel, and romance sound fun.
