Timekeeper by Alexandra Monir

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

 

     Michele Windsor can travel through time. Through this process, she found the love of her life: Philip Walker, from 1910. Loves from different times aren't meant to be, however, so she was forced to stop visiting him. Philip doesn't have any time  traveling powers - so how is it that Michele finds him in her 21st-century world? Michele needs to discover how Philip got to her present; but how can she when Philip doesn't remember her, or the past? She must turn to her father's old journals in a search for answers. Sometimes the answers we receive aren't the ones we were looking for, though. Michele discovers that a ghost from the past wants her dead - or better yet, never born. Michele won't be able to solve anything or help anyone if she doesn't even exist, so she must race against the clock in order to save her love with Philip - and her life.
     It's been a while since I read Timeless, the first book in this series, but I remember it being quite good, and the second didn't disappoint. I found the story and the characters enthralling. This novel got into more depth than the first one had, with the rules of time travel and character backgrounds. This was a definite bonus, since although the first book definitely wasn't fluff, it also didn't have the depth that Timekeeper does. The only thing that detracted from the quality of this book was the way the characters talked. Most of the talk was modern and believable, but then I'd hit a patch every little bit where it was extremely cheesy and overexposing - no one shows that much of themselves to the world, especially to strangers, which some of the listeners were. I've had this problem with some other stories in the past, and it tends to bother me, since it completely takes me out of the character's head and makes me wonder about their reasoning to share so much.
     The romance in this book was incredible. I don't know if I'm just a hopeless romantic (and I really hope I'm not), but the love that Michele and Philip share - both in the past, and as he begins to remember her in the present - makes me want someone who understands me and feels the way about me that they do for each other. I've read so many other books with completely unbelievable or extremely over-the-top romances that I'd almost gotten sick of reading novels that contained a romance. This story is nothing like those books. The relationship that Michele and Philip have is equal, and hopefully, eventually attainable. It added an extra layer to the rest of the story that made the book, as a whole, better.
     This story explored mind-boggling ideas, which, while not necessarily good for a tired mind, were very interesting to think about. For example, the idea of being time-crossed, as Michele is, because her mother was born in the twentieth century and her father in the nineteenth century. Where would she truly belong? Or, the old chicken-and-egg scenario: Which came first? Michele's romance with Philip which caused him to write a song for her, or Michele's mother naming Michele after the song? I enjoyed that this book wasn't just another typical time-traveling story, but actually contained depth and the little things, such as those mentioned above, that forced the reader to think. A story that is entertaining and gets the reader's brain buzzing is one to look for.
     I very much enjoyed this story. It got me back into reading after so much time off because of bad books and general busyness. I hope to continue finding books this entertaining. I would give this novel a rating of four stars. I think this may have been the final book in the series, as I'm not sure how Alexandra Monir could pull another story out of such a perfect ending. If she did write more in the future though, it's very likely that I would pick them up. Timekeeper is a perfect read for anyone looking for romance, time travel and its impact, and good old-fashioned revenge.