Name: Crossing in Time
ISBN: 9781941368015

D. L. Orton

Remember how it feels to Fall in Love?Race against the clock through a dystopian nightmare. Climb naked into an untested time machine (carrying a seashell and a promise). Wake up twenty years younger on a tropical beach, buck naked and mortally wounded, with your heart in your throat. This is a journey of passion, loss, and redemption that will have your pulse galloping and your palms sweating, make you laugh out loud through your tears, and leave you flush with the sublime pleasure of being in the arms of the one you love.

An Edgy Sci-Fi Love Story

Crossing in Time

Kerri McDonald

I want to thank #TheWriteReads, Rocky Mountain Press, and the author for sending me a free e-book in exchange for an honest review!

If you don’t know, science fiction is my favorite genre right after fantasy. I’ve loved it since I was a young reader and continue to enjoy it to this day, though I don’t read it nearly as much as fantasy. That being said, there is one aspect of science fiction that has always thrown me off: time travel. I don’t know… I just can’t wrap my mind around it! Whenever I’ve read a book involving time travel, I find myself getting caught up trying to make it make sense and it usually never does. So I had a little trepidation when I discovered that Crossing in Time was centered around the concept.

Thankfully, though this book definitely delves into time travel, there’s so much more to it that kept me intrigued. This was an intensely fast-paced novel that kept me on my toes the entire time! We are thrown directly into the action, meeting one of our main characters, Isabel, as she’s learning to navigate the world after some unnamed disaster has left it in devastation. We’re only with her for a little while before we’re whisked back to the past to see how this story all began and to meet our other main character, Diego. Isabel and Diego’s love story is another core element of this book and possibly the key to saving the world.

I have to say, the pacing of this book is top notch! It’s a longer story, coming in at 412 pages, but the pages flew by. I was so wrapped up in Isabel and Diego’s story that I just couldn’t look away! This is definitely a compulsively readable book that won’t leave you feeling bored at all. The plot can get a tad convoluted, but I think it did a great job of not getting too confusing, even with all the different dimensions and timelines! I will say that there were some plot points that I felt could have simply been mentioned as opposed to written on-page, like the miscarriage. I can see why it could be an important part of the plot, but the graphic depiction personally seemed like it was mostly there for shock value. Still, this was a quick, fun read that kept me engaged the entire time.

Now, let’s talk about the romance. Though I was rooting for Isabel and Diego, I have to be honest, it was hard to do. Mostly because Isabel is absolutely insufferable! I’m surprised there is any universe where Diego doesn’t just give up on her needy, game-playing, obnoxious ass. I understand (kind of… since Isabel is terrible at communicating even though she demands that Diego be better at communicating… ugh) that she has been hurt in the past and has a ton of baggage, but watching her take it out on Diego just made me want to raaaaaaage! I’m not saying Diego is perfect and I’m not saying Isabel needs to be, but I find it hard to get behind a relationship where one of the people is constantly testing the other one. Just… no thank you. That being said, I also hate the miscommunication trope and I know that’s a lot of people’s jam, so, though I couldn’t get into it, I still think it was well-written and could definitely be someone’s cup of tea!

Final thoughts: This is a thrilling, sci-fi romance that is intensely readable. Once you fall into Isabel and Diego’s story, you can’t help but want more! Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance, it was well-written and definitely steamy. If you like your romance with a healthy dose of tension and wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff, I think you’ll love Crossing in Time!

If someone took everything you live for, how far would you go to get it back? When offered a one-way trip back in time, she sacrifices everything for a chance to change the present -- and see her murdered lover again. Arriving twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old guy to change his future. Easier said than done, as success means losing him to a smart-mouthed, brainy bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heart-breaker, save the world or not. This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it's the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn't have the proper footwear. It's a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist. Love conquers all. (Unfortunately, it won't be enough.)

(Between Two Evils #1): the 1st Disaster

Jolie

Crossing in Time is a fast paced dystopian/science fiction book that shows that love can cross time. The book alternates between Diego and Isabelle points of view and tells of a love story that transcends time. It also tells the story of Harry, an unsuspecting college professor who is working on deciphering the mystery of a large metal ball that took out a hotel and its connection to an upcoming apocalyptic event. Fast paced, Crossing in Time will keep you on the edge of your seat and wondering what is coming next while watching Diego and Isabelle’s love story unfold.

Isabelle was one of my favorite people in the book. She was so spunky and didn’t take anyone’s crap. From the beginning of the book, where she was buying the gun from the guy outside the burnt out Wal-Mart to dealing with her ex husband (who I couldn’t stand) to her relationship with Diego…..she was strong. It was a hit with me because I love strong female characters. Even in situations which could be perceived weak, she was strong. A lot stronger than I could have been.

Diego, I liked too. You could see that he adored Isabelle. Everything he did in the book was for her……even in the later parts of the book. Even when he was separated from her, his thought were with her. Again, a big hit with me because this is romance that will survive anything.

The romance between Diego and Isabelle took my breath away. The way it was written, the way it came across was beautiful!!!

The science fiction aspect of this book was interesting. The clues left in the globe really didn’t make sense to me at first. But the more I read and the more that was revealed, they made perfect sense. This is also where Harry’s part of the story came into play. He was working on deciphering the clues when they are deciphered, it is found out to be the plans for a time machine. What I liked about this was that the author didn’t make it work right the first, second or third time. Heck, they weren’t even sure if it was going to work when they sent Isabelle through and didn’t know it worked until they figured out that the shell could be tracked. I loved it!!!

The end of the book was bittersweet. I was happy because of certain events that happened but also sad because of the unknown (if you want to know what I am talking about, read the book). The way the book ended definitely lead into book 2 and I can’t wait to read that one and see where Harry, Diego and Isabelle stories end up.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Crossing in Time An Edgy Sci-Fi Love Story

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