My reservation of the rating is largely based on whether this will stay a single title, or if this becomes another "surprise!" series.

As a solo title I really enjoyed this. I found Taylor's framing device for Hope's "eidetic" memory to be interesting (I don't have an eidetic memory, but to cope with anxious situations I will start rambling in my head facts and details about something, usually books, and find it hard to stop) and Hope's genuine interest in history helped to keep a lot of the esoteric facts from being boring.

I was okay with the romance--on the one hand I think it had a lot of unnecessary drama attached to it, but overall Taylor didn't focus on that aspect too much (beyond how it effected Hope's interactions. The obstacle to the romance was important to the plot, but the actual romance was treated as a by product not a focus).

Man though Hope had hella lot more patience then I would have.

If this becomes a series, or even gets a companion novel, my feelings may change. This works VERY WELL as a stand alone. Let's keep it that way folks.

Suck an egg and love a lemon it is gonna have a sequel. Okay. Reserving judgment overall starting....NOW. ( )

Advance copy provided by Netgalley.

I fell for the "Outlander for teens," blurb, even though I should have learned my lesson about exaggerated descriptions a few years ago when everyone decided to say they were the new Hunger Games. "It's Hunger Games with vampires!" "It's Hunger Games in space!" "It's Hunger Games with adorable crickets!"
Anyway, this book didn't remind me much of Outlander.
The story was OK, but not as developed as I would have liked. The villains were of the mua-ha-ha-ha-ha variety, and Hope's photographic memory was a little too much like a superpower.
( )

This is one of the better time travel books I've read. It begins with Hope Walton trying to overcome the enemy that is her mind at the empty coffin funeral for her mother. Almost immediately, she's off to Scotland to meet her mom's sister for the first time while her dad and his new girlfriend go on vacation. Hope's convinced her mother isn't dead, but nothing she's been able to find yet supports that. She hopes her aunt will have answers. Aunt Lu has answers, but they create more questions, and are the beginning of a journey Hope couldn't have imagined. It involves an unexpected romance, a history of treachery and an invention that boggles her mind. The weaving of historical events and figures adds much to the tale. There are twists and surprises aplenty leading to an ending that sets up the second book very well. ( )

This is a very strong time-travel adventure, with added bonus of secret societies, mysterious blood feuds, and a heroine who's learning her own strength. Looking forward to the next one.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

This was entertaining. I enjoy time travel stories so making the decision to pick up this book was a simple one. I was hooked by the story early on and found myself liking Hope quite a bit from the start. Things only got more interesting from there. I am only sorry that I waited so long to finally pick this book up.

As the book opens, we are with Hope at her mother’s funeral. Nobody has seen her mother since an earthquake leveled the building her mother was scheduled to speak. Her body has not been found but it is assumed that she is dead. Hope is asked to come to visit her mother’s sister whom she has never met over in Scotland and before she knows it she is on a plane. I liked Hope and thought that her ability to remember everything would come in really handy. I found the story to be rather exciting with a likable cast of characters. It was kind of fun to go back and see the world in an earlier time from Hope’s point of view. I hate to admit that I know nothing about Eleanor of Aquitaine so while I enjoyed the scenes with this historical figure, I can say how accurately she was depicted.

I have been impressed with Amanda Ronconi’s narration in the past and I thought that she did a great job with this story. She used a wide range of voices for the various characters which really helped to bring the story to life. She added just enough emotion to the reading to illustrate the characters’ feelings. I found her voice to be very pleasant and I had no trouble listening to this book for hours at a time. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that this was an entertaining and exciting story that was well worth the read. I don’t think that I will read any further in the series since it is my understanding that the second book ends in a cliffhanger and the third book doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon. If that changes, I will definitely be read to read more of Hope’s story.

I received a digital review copy of this book from Clarion Books via NetGalley and purchased a copy of the audiobook. ( )