Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Review: Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone


Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone 
Series: Time Between Us #2
Published: October 8th, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
368 pages (eARC)
Genre: Contemporary young adult/time travel
Acquired this book: From the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Warning: May contain spoilers
{GoodReads || Buy this book: Amazon || Book Depository || Chapters/Indigo}

{Read my review of Time Between Us}

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds.

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want? 

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

I’ve been struggling for a few days with how to write this review. I’m half-tempted to just write ‘wibbly wobbly timey wimey goodness’ and leave it at that, but I know that would be cheating this book out of the proper praise it deserves.
Time After Time is Bennett’s story. I wasn’t really sure how it was going to work or if I’d really like a story from his POV, but I think I might actually have enjoyed Time After Time even more than Time Between Us. Bennett had a really strong, distinctive voice, and I connected with him in a way I didn’t expect.

I found myself even more invested in Anna and Bennett this time around - both separately and together. I wanted so desperately for them to find a way to be together, even though I couldn’t figure out how it would happen, with Bennett continually getting knocked back to 2012. He tried so hard to do the right thing and make everyone happy, often at the expense of his own happiness or well-being. I really liked him in Time Between Us but I ended up loving him in Time After Time. 

This book was romantic in the way that only a time travel novel can be. Being separated by so much more than just distance really ups the stakes and adds tension. It was incredibly romantic, but not in an idealized sort of way, which I really appreciated since Anna and Bennett are, after all, teenagers. The characters - and their relationship - had their share of faults, but it only made them more believable and made me root for them that much more. 

Time After Time is a beautiful, powerful, and satisfying ending to Anna and Bennett’s story. I know these characters and their love story that literally stood the test of time will stay with me for quite awhile. 
  
Have you read Time After Time? What did you think? If you haven't read it, does it sound like something you'd be interested in? What do you think of companion novels told from the male's POV?
 


3 comments:

  1. I think I may like guys point of view more than a girls point of view right now. I am just really digging it at this moment. I have seen a few great reviews for this book so now I know I need to read this series.

    Thanks for the great review!

    Michelle @ Book Briefs

    ReplyDelete
  2. SO happy you liked this one. I wasn't sure I could love Bennett more after TBU but seeing his point of view GOT to me. So many of the quotes in this one really stood out to me, his voice was so achingly REAL. And I just so keenly felt his missing Anna. Bless Bennett's heart. *hugs him*

    Lovely review, girl!

    Molli | Once Upon a Prologue

    ReplyDelete

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