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FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A HUNDRED SUMMERS AND THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT
Amiens, France, 1916: Captain Julian Ashford, a British officer in the trenches of the Western Front, is waylaid in the town square by Kate, a beautiful young American. Julian’s never seen her before, but she has information about the reconnaissance mission he’s about to embark on. Who is she? And why did she track him down in Amiens?
New York, 2007: A young Wall Street analyst, Kate Wilson learned to rely on logic and cynicism. So why does she fall so desperately in love with Julian Laurence, a billionaire with a mysterious past?
What she doesn’t know is that he has been waiting for her...the enchanting woman who emerged from the shadows of the Great War to save his life.
I knew it was a dream, a nightmare, but still I couldn’t break free into consciousness. I kicked upward toward the surface, thrusting with all my might, until my lungs burst with a scream that wouldn’t release. Someone called to me: distant, urgent.
And then I emerged, sweating, with Julian’s arms around me and his voice murmuring in my ear. “Sweetheart, wake up. Kate, it’s all right.”
I turned blindly into his chest. “You’re here,” I said, between heaving gasps of air. “You’re still here.”
“Of course I’m here. Shh. Of course I’m here.”
He held me against his body, enfolding me with himself, and gradually the panic died down. I concentrated on breathing slowly, on grasping at the solid physical details around me, anchoring me to reality: the sheets, the faint glow from the nightlight, the cool air entering my nose. Julian’s skin pressed into mine.
“Better?” he asked, after a minute.
“Yes,” I said.
A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. “Your first nightmare already. Is it all so very dreadful?”
I snorted into his chest. “Terrible. A severe case of endorphin overload. I may not live through the night.”
“Rubbish,” he said. “My endorphins are jolly well singing in my ears, and I’m not moaning on about it.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I snaked my hand along his side and administered a sharp tickle. “I definitely heard moaning.”
“Look here. Stop that. Stop it, I say. Kate!” He doubled over and tried to roll away without falling off the bed.
I began laughing. “Oh my God. You’re ticklish. Come back here.”
“I am not . . . Kate, you’re rubbish . . . stop that at once!” His frantic hands manacled mine at last; he flipped me onto my back and held my wrists above my head. “Minx,” he muttered, kissing me. “You’ll pay for that.”
“You’re just . . . full of lovely . . . secrets . . . aren’t you?” I giggled, around his kisses.
“Mmm.” His body began to transform, to mold itself to mine; his lips edged downward, damp and scorching, along my throat and breasts. He drawled: “But not nearly as many as you, sweetheart.”
What is it, really, that makes a man a good lover? Beloved, I’ll do my best, but I’m rather a novice at all this, he’d said last night, fumbling with the hooks of my bra, and yet he’d gone on as if he possessed the secret map to my body: discovering hidden points of sensitivity I never knew existed, touching my flesh with a preternatural sensual attunement, delivering himself to me with every stroke. He allowed no hiding under sheets, no closed eyes, no defense whatsoever. It was like falling backward into a pit of extraordinary depth, trusting him to catch me; the most exquisite, excruciating vulnerability, made bearable only by the certainty that he felt it, too.
We lay afterward in tranquility, in wordless communion, hardly able to move; I on my side, one leg buried between his, studying the pattern our woven fingers made against his chest. I could feel his other hand tangle through my hair. His flushed skin seemed to melt downward through mine, layer by layer. “So,” I heard myself say, dreamlike, “are you absolutely sure you haven’t had any lovers in twelve years?”
“Let me think a moment.” A dramatic pause, and then: “Yes. Yes, quite sure.”
“Hmm.”
“Kate!” His head tilted upward. “You’re doubting me?”
“I’m just saying, you seem to know your way around. How to please me.”
“Well, for Heaven’s sake, I want to please you. I want to maintain you in a state of perfect drunken bliss. A dizzy hormonal stupor. Anything at all, you see, to entice you to soldier on with a lonely benighted chap who can’t”—he kissed the tip of my nose—“quite seem to see his way without you anymore.”
“Idiot.” I curled a lock of his hair tenderly around my finger.
He drew his hand along the curve of my waist, his smile deepening as he went. “Besides, it seems to me, since my pleasure is more or less a foregone conclusion, the main object of the exercise ought to be your pleasure.”
“Hmm. I never thought of it that way.”
“A rather elusive creature, I’ve heard. Fascinating sort of quarry.”
“Wait a minute. You’re hunting down my orgasms?”
His laughter burst out like a rifle salute. “Kate. You damned magnificent creature.” He rolled onto his back, bringing me with him. “Yes, my darling. That’s exactly what I’d like to do, on and on until the end of my life.”
“Well, you’re off to a flying start, I have to admit.”
He said nothing to that, only tucked my hair behind one ear with a shadowed smile. His eyes had lost all color in the dimness, depthless and unreadable. “So do you mind telling me about it?” he asked at last. “Your dream?”
I folded my arms across his chest and rested my chin. “It’s stupid. Just an anxiety dream. I get them every so often. Kind of ridiculous, since you’re the war hero; I should be soothing away your nightmares.”
“What are you anxious about?”
“I don’t know. I usually only have them before a big meeting, some sort of performance.” I touched his lower lip. “I had one the night before we met.”
“You were nervous?”
“Oh my God. Was I nervous? Do you have any idea how intimidating you are?”
“I am? I thought I was rather a nice chap, actually.”
I shook my head, incredulous, and slid back down to rest against his side. “Julian, you have kind of a hard-ass reputation, in a business setting. No offense.”
“Oh.” I could hear the bafflement in his voice. “And I’m still giving you anxiety dreams?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. It’s my subconscious, remember?”
“So I’ve managed to convince your conscious mind, but your subconscious still thinks I’m a bounder?”
I laughed. “Hold on. I’m the over-analyzer in this relationship, okay? Look, it’s no big deal.” I squeezed my eyes, forcing out the details. “I think it was like the one I had the night before our meeting. I can’t really recall it exactly. Just kind of panicky, trying to explain something to someone. Someone dear to me. You, maybe? And that person, that man, drifting slowly away from me, not understanding, and the panic sort of paralyzing me.”
“Explain what, exactly?”
“I don’t know. Something important. Something vital. Life or death.” I opened my eyes to Julian’s face, taut and intent beneath the shadows, and tried to push away the feeling of dread that insinuated itself into my brain as I spoke. “But it’s like we’re speaking two different languages, and the harder I try, the further away he floats. Bizarre, huh?”
He tucked my head under his chin and began to stroke my hair. “Kate,” he said hoarsely, “Kate.”
“Don’t,” I said, into the hollow of his throat. “It’s just my silly neurotic brain. Nothing to do with you. I trust you.”
He said nothing for a long time, only went on caressing my hair: long regular strokes to the very tips, letting the strands slip away from his fingertips to rest on my back and shoulders. I let my eyelids sink downward, savoring the tickle-soft sensation. Eventually I felt his voice stir the air above my head. “I won’t drift away, Kate. I won’t fail you.” He said it fiercely, as if he were trying to convince himself.
“I know that,” I said, more to comfort him than myself, and stretched myself luxuriously against the solid mass of his body. “You’re so hard on yourself.” I yawned. I was beginning to feel drowsy again, despite the clinging uneasiness.
“Am I?”
“Way too hard.” I put my arm across his chest and closed my eyes. “I don’t need you to be perfect, you know. I just need you to be you. To be . . .”—my brain was beginning to float—” . . . to be mine.”
He made a noise of some kind; I couldn’t quite tell whether it was a chuckle or a groan. “Yours always, darling. Now go to sleep. No more nightmares. You’re safe, now. I’m here,” I heard him say, somewhere near my ear. It was the last thing I heard before drifting off, hoping sleep would dissolve the knot of foreboding in my belly.
He wasn’t there, though, when I woke up. My new BlackBerry sat on the pillow in his place, with an e-mail at the top of my inbox.
Beloved, I must be mad, to tear myself from your side like this. Sleep late and enjoy yourself. I left the Rover for you. Go find some alluring frock and meet me at the Lyme Inn at 8pm. XX
"Overseas" by Beatriz Williams is quite simply put, a game changer. The kind of book that completely makes you re-think a genre. As a matter of fact, it is SUCH an interesting and different novel, that I'd say it simply surpasses being confined within one genre. It is not just contemporary adult fiction, it is also a romance novel, along with elements of historical fiction, and nuances of the sci-fi genre. But instead of being a hodge-podge of confusion, what you get is a melange of literary genres very craftily combined into a witty, charming and wonderful narrative.
I've seen some reviews, and some readers, compare this book to "The Time Traveler's Wife", which is an absolutely amazing book and one of my favorites. I, however, respectfully disagree. There are some similarities, perhaps, because of the element of time-travel but where The Time Traveler focuses on how the time travels affects a romance, I believe author William's book focuses on how a simple romance can exist beyond the perimeter of time. The time travel doesn't encumber the romance, it facilitates it.
Kate Wilson works on Wall Street, and although she has heard many things about Julian Laurence, the mysterious and reserved British billionaire running an enormous hedge fund, she is completely unprepared for how handsome he is, and even more unprepared for the way he looks at her. They meet, they talk and a harmless romance ensues. And yet, despite his gentlemanly and knight-like ways, Julian Laurence seems to be surrounded by secrets. And even as he opens his heart, and his home, to Kate he keeps his secrets to himself. As the mystery around Julian Laurence unravels, Kate uncovers the truth that is SO shocking, it is almost impossible to believe! Will this explosive secret bring them together, or tear them apart? And above all, will their romance stand the test of TIME and DISTANCE?
Confession: I almost always despise it when a rich guy comes into the life of a middle-class girl, and sweeps her off her feet, showering her with lavish presents, and turning her life around. I rebel against the idea that a man needs to come and rescue me from anything, even my poverty! Yet, there's Kate Wilson, being wooed by the filthy rich Julian Laurence, and being showered with every material object imaginable, clothes, jewelry, etc. But here's why this book is different - Kate never, not even at the end of the novel, takes any of it for granted, and never becomes entangled in the snare of riches and materialism, and she retains her dignity and her character till the very end. Now Kate is the kind of heroine I can live with being showered by lavishness!
Ultimately, "Overseas" completely changed the way I looked at the genre of romance in adult fiction. I've now come to realize that romance in fiction is not the problem, but the usage of cliches to perpetuate such a romance. Beatriz Williams, on the other hand, creates multi-layered characters, who are lovable, charming & easy to become attached to. She never allows her characters to lose themselves, or changes their nature, for the sake of romance. Kate is a smart, sensible, girl who puts loyalty and love above all else. Julian is a man of honor, and is reminiscent of another character I absolutely adore....my dream (literary) hero, Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice), in his chivalrous ways. This book has me hooked in a way that is purely sinful! The romance...the sweetness.... It's beyond amazing!!!!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Take Fifty Shades of Gray (minus the whole BDSM-thing), add The Time Traveler's Wife, plus a dash of Erin Duffy's debut novel Bond Girl, and a pinch of Maisie Dobbs' WWI mysteries, shake them all up in a box, and you get Beatriz Williams' imaginative debut novel Overseas.
Young analyst Kate Wilson has a summer job at Sterling Bates bank, a Wall Street institution. When she attracts the attention of superstar hedge fund billionaire Julian Ashford, sparks fly and they begin a relationship, much to the consternation of her hated boss Alicia, who aims to do Kate in.
But what does this have to do with Captain the Honorable Julian Laurence Spencer Ashford, WWI British Army hero who wrote a famous love poem, Overseas, to his fiancee back home and died tragically on the battlefield in France? Are the two men distant relatives or something more?
Julian and Kate begin a relationship, only to have Julian dump Kate soon after, without warning or reason. When Julian reappears months later, saving Kate from an attack in Central Park, they reignite their relationship, although Julian acts very mysterious, paranoid even.
Kate is accused of violating insider trading laws and fired from Sterling Bates, and she believes that Alicia is behind it. Julian offers to help her find out what happened, and whisks her off to his country home in Connecticut where their relationship grows deeper.
Julian loves Kate, almost from the first moment he saw her, and he showers her with affection and gifts. Kate understands the affection, but the expensive gifts make her uncomfortable. There was one line I adored, something that explains the deep relationship between true soulmates. Julian says:
"There's a difference between giving and sharing, darling. I'm not giving you anything. You're a part of me. It's all just yours."
But Julian is keeping secrets from Kate, and there are men following her. What is behind all this? The mystery behind who exactly Julian is and why people seem to want to hurt Kate and him is well drawn-out and comes to a convincing conclusion.
This imaginative book defies categorization, with aspects of mystery, romance, fantasy, and a little science fiction all carefully put together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that, when finally finished, brings great satisfaction.
It's not a book that when described to me I thought I would choose to read, but I'm glad I opened my mind and heart up to it. The storytelling is very clever, and I would have loved to seen the editor's pitch for this book. My only criticism would be that it may have been a bit too long, with too many scenes between Kate and Julian establishing their relationship.
That said, I look forward to Beatriz Williams next book; she has a lot going on in that creative mind of hers.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really wanted to like this story, but it was just way too long and way too tedious of a read. If it had been cut in half I probably would have liked it more and my mind wouldn’t have started to wander nearly every time I picked the book up. The characters themselves were interesting, particularly Julian, and I don’t think that their love story needed so much filler to make it work. If you like to read about someone’s everyday moments from waking to going to bed, then this might be for you, but I want the substance of the story and to know what makes the characters behave the way they do. I don’t need every minor detail and moment laid out for me.
ARC Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I LOVED this book! The characters are so well-defined. Even Julian - who you can't help but love - has his flaws like everyone else. Can't wait for more from this author.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Jul 21 00:00:00 EDT 2012
On the plus side--the time travel, WWI, French elements are fun with potential BUT...
On the "thumbs WAY down" side:
***Once again, WHY didn't an editor cut this in HALF?? WHY are editors so afraid of cutting, getting rid of repetitive wording, events and plotlines? This is not a deep enough or worthy-enough story to be this long-for the love of all things holy: EDIT!!
***Cringe-worthy dialogue--if Julian repeated, "my beloved, my darling, my heart, my love," etc and lovingly stroked her face/jaw/neck once, it was ten thousand times and it was eye-rolling to the point of nauseating. Granted he is supposed to be from the Edwardian era, but come on--the Edwardians certainly had more romantic endearment variety and originality than this. Just watch "Downton Abbey." It got to the point I was sort of repulsed by Julian's grossly over the top, syrupy, endearments. It was just, well, icky. Note to editors--THIS is the obvious place to start cutting.
And also to the editors: "Dude" in every. single. sentence. uttered. by the male best friend--does NOT a character make and I was screaming--it was just obnoxious in its repetition and uselessness. The novel's information says this is a first novel--and it reads like one. Couldn't someone have helped with the dialogue and character development?
***Time travel particulars--let's face it--they usually just don't work and here we once again have plot holes and confusion because of it. Plus [SPOILER!] explaining time travel as a process of basically just thinking really hard is laughable and blatantly reads as if the author just could not come up with any kind of unique or original take on how to explain it. Really?!
Yes, I know this is to be a fun, beach read, but this has so many frustrating and cringe-inducing elements the fun was taken away. Could have been worlds better with major editing, revised dialogue and filling in of plot holes.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Debra0330
Posted Thu Jul 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Until I started reading Diana Gabaldon and Susanna Kearsley, time travel, as a plot device, never really did it for me. But now that I'm open to the concept, I'm finding that there are authors who use it and use it well. After reading Overseas, I think I've found one more author to add to that list.
Kate Wilson, neophyte investment banker, meets Julian Laurence, a billionaire hedge fund owner, when he visits her bank. As Kate passes Julian on her way out of a meeting, he instantly feels the connection between them. Kate takes a little longer to come around, but once with Julian, she realizes that "something" is there, and that something grows into a love so powerful and all encompassing, neither one of them can deny that there is more to it than meets the eye. There's also something old world about Julian, besides his Britishness, that attracts Kate. Confused at first by Julian's tendency to pull back from her, Kate is determined to find out his secrets. Aided by a simple history book, Kate discovers that Julian is more than what he seems, and while completely far-fetched, his story seems to this reader, completely logical. And this is where the novel really takes off.
When I first started to read, I had the feeling that this story actually started out as Twilight fanfic, in the Fifty Shades vein. Julian Laurence is the same alpha-male type as Christian Grey and Edward Cullen. For all I know, it may very well be true. However, once I really got into it, that comparison faded away, and as engrossed in the story and plot device as I was, unlike with Fifty Shades, I didn't give those similarities another thought. By the way, while I am on the subject, make no mistake, this is not erotica. Love scenes are hinted at but we are spared the details which only adds to the romanticism of the novel. Sometimes less is indeed more.
Ms. Williams alternates eras to tell her story. In two different time periods and locales, (France in 1916 during WW I and then Manhattan during the financial crisis of 2008) it is first Kate who leads Julian, and then it is Julian who leads Kate. As the story progresses, this circle starts to close until the reader doesn't quite know where things begin and where they end. I found myself trying to guess exactly where in that circle the lovers' story would resolve; a page turning exercise if there ever was one.
Ms. Williams literally imbues Julian with a poet's heart that is just too lovely to resist. Kate is the more cynical being, and after awhile she actually started to annoy me. I wanted her to let Julian take care of her, to take what he was offering without the constant questioning and battling. I was in love with Julian myself early on, so I couldn't quite see her problem. The author makes us feel his magnetism and romantic nature, and in the present-day chapters in the last half of the novel, we begin to suspect what Kate cannot yet see. I can tell you that when the pieces of the story started to fit together for me, the book was impossible to put down.
With a dose of suspense and betrayal thrown in for good measure, Beatriz William's debut novel combines the simple moral code of a time gone by with the complexity of modern day issues, all set against a beautiful love story. I highly, highly recommend it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Is it true that love spans ages, that it’s timeless. It’s a question Kate Wilson Wall Street analyst never asked herself until the fateful day she fell down the rabbit hole, the day Julian Laurence, Hedge Fund creator/billionaire walked into her life. After a rocky beginning at a first attempted personal relationship Julian literally crashes back into her life one night while running in Central Park and after only a very short while Kate is uncomfortable with not only the slightly cosmic feelings she has for Julian but especially his almost preternatural trust in the love he professes to her. It’s not until Julian reveals a secret that Kate feels the rabbit hole shrinking and it forces her to look at a truth that should not be possible that will alter her life even more, a secret that’s unbelievable and yet she has no choice but believe him. It seems Julian Laurence Ashford WWI British war hero and poet did not die on a lonely field in France but found himself falling down his own rabbit hole that brought him straight to the 21st century. Even as Julian peals away the layers of himself to Kate she knows there are things he’s not telling her, things that could lead to disaster, things that could alter the very deep love they’ve only recently found with each other, things that she feels she needs to know.
Beatriz Williams is a brilliant literary genius and as her words brought me from the bloody trenches of France in 1916 to the towers and glass of Manhattan today she transported me body and soul, flung me through the ether to worlds I rarely reach with mere words. Her narrative is a flowing prose filled mix of cultures and eras that kept me hypnotically entranced as she spun her improbable yet believable tale. Her dialogue is a mixed bag of English lords with the graphic and often sordid contemporary speak we’re so used to today. And as much as her words transcended me it was her characters that made me see the scenes through their eyes and their hearts, these miraculous fictional people became so real to me and became friends, rivals, villains and lovers and culminated in an experience that I will not forget. I could feel her extensive historical research shine through and not only in her main body of work but also during her interludes in the past where she shows me a foreign and different time.
This is the best book I’ve read this year and if it doesn’t make the top spot on my best of list in 2012 then the world is really up for some amazing fiction as the year progresses.
Ms Williams it was my immense pleasure to experience this work of amazing literary fiction and I can not wait to see where you take me to on our next journey together.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2012
The cover got me intrigued at first and when I read the overview I knew I had to have it. I'm telling you this book is worth every penny. I love the story and I don't think like some that the book should have been shorter. Sure there were a couple things that did get old like the "dude" thing and I think that the time travel could have been done better. But aside from that It was great. And to those that complain they can't relate to the characters, remember. This is fiction. It's supposed to take you away from the real world. I loved Overseas and I will read it again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Books4Now
Posted Tue Jun 05 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Superb in so many ways! Brilliant dialog, finely woven plot threads, and exceptional character development to name a few. In Kate and Julian, Williams creates protagonists as timeless as their love. Julian, the Edwardian Romantic, comes from a time when society groomed its young men to be chivalrous and idealistic, artistic and athletic. Kate, the Modern Cynic, grows up in a cutthroat world where society measures exceptionalism in sharp-elbows and quickness-to-the-top. Julian courts, and ultimately wins, Kate as a person of his time: the Romantic overcoming the Cynic. Cleverly, Williams crafts her story in Kate's first person point of view. Through Kate and like Kate, we -- the reader -- shed our modern-day skepticism and surrender completely to Julian's romanticism. And for this reader, that's magic enough to read this wonderful book again and again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Overall I found this to be a unique twist on the traditional romance plot. It was original and restrained, sentimental and intriguing. However I found the dialogue at times to be too fussy, and even redundant and superfluous. It was a bit on the dull side at times, but overall a good effort and worth my time.
And I must warn that there is periodic vulgarity and there are some sexual situations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have been trying to read this book for two weeks now. Something always seems to be getting in the way. Finally, today once I was out of work for my final day of the school year, I was able to sit down and finally get started on this book. Once I was started I couldn't put it down even though I spent the whole rest of the day with my mom running errands. By the time I reached my cousin's birthday party this evening, I was at the climax of the book and couldn't seem to put it down. Thankfully my family is used to, as my husband calls it, my antisocial tendencies and mostly left me alone to finish my book.
Sometimes there are books that just grab your attention and pull you along. Something you can't put down. Something you can't forget. This is one of those books. I think this is going to be a book I come back to repeatedly simply because the story is just too good to read once and never revisit. This book tells the story of Kate, an investment banker who gets assigned to work on a case with one of the richest men in New York. Instantly they seem to hit it off. Then he disappears only to rescue her in the strangest way. There is something intense going on between them. Is it just love at first sight or something much more that started long before either of them could have been born?
While there are some adult scenes, it is not the focus of the book and for the most part they are brief and some form of a fade-to black (although not as chaste as other authors I could mention) and doesn't distract from the story. I actually admire her restraint and class on this. I've been wracking my brain for a negative of this one all night and one just isn't coming to me! When I can't come up with something bad to say, the writer really has something special. I can't wait to read more from this author!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I was privileged to obtain a copy of this book from Putnam Group which is an imprint of Penguin Group. Thank you Lydia Hirt and Beatriz Williams, for the opportunity to review this book.
Synopsis:
Kate Wilson and Julian Laurence Ashford have known each other for a long time. They met in 1916 during the First World War. Julian was fighting for England at this time. Kate had traveled to him with a message from the future. Move to 2007 and Wall Street New York where Kate is working as an investment banker and Julian has a hedge fund firm called Southfield. They meet briefly and Julian knows that he has found his missing Kate. Will he convince Kate that he is the love of her life?
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this story from Beatriz Williams. I felt that she told a timeless story of star crossed lovers. I thought the plot was very interesting because it kept you guessing as to what would happen next. The characters were also well written. The only criticism that I had was the length of the book. Story seemed to slow in certain spots in the book. I still enjoyed the story very much.
This story reminded me a little of the saga told by Diana Gabaldon of Jamie and Claire. I felt that the story of Julian and Kate was similar in little ways. They had the same elements as time travel, a timeless love story, and great romance. I wonder where she will go from here?
This book is also featured in the Readathon at Stonecrest Library on May 26th.
You can contact Beatriz via facebook, twitter, and her website.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Aug 25 00:00:00 EDT 2014
I thought this was a great story and well written. I thoroughly enjoyed the transition between current day and back to the Western Front during WWI. The story had suspense and romance, and kept me engaged. Where it fell down for me was too much focus on the current day romance between Julian and Kate. It dragged for me a bit there, and a few times had me rolling my eyes. Overall, I would recommend it, but you got to hang in there to make it to the end.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri Jun 27 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This was the first book I read by Beatriz Williams but it won't be the last.
I loved this book and the characters. If you love a little mystery, romance and believe that love can transcend time, then be sure to make this a "must" read.
music_muse_4015
Posted Tue Mar 18 00:00:00 EDT 2014
This book was a surprising find! I loved the idea behind pre-destined love and time travel. The author's language is both intellectual and relatable. I read it in two days!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Fri Oct 18 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I read Beatriz Williams second book first and fell in love with her simple writing style. As I started the second book I knew I would enjoy it, but never realized how deeply in love with the characters I would become so quickly. I highly recommend this and all books Beatrice Williams has written. I am a life long fan.
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Posted Fri Sep 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Beatriz Williams has written a captivating novel of love and loss, all the while with imaginative mystery. I am very much looking forward to reading her next book.
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Posted Fri Jul 05 00:00:00 EDT 2013
This story is phenomenal. It pulls you in until the very end and then you wish for more! My only complaint is that I want a sequel.The writing is excellent and the storyline is wonderfully thought out and put together. Excellent summer reading choice!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Wed May 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Sorry, but how did this book manage to garner such high reviews? It was an utter waste of money and time. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen, but 250 pages into it I just felt like I was being strung along with the two cardboard cutout characters' endless avowals of undying immortal transcendental immutable unbreakable impregnable gag-me devotion to each other. Yucky. For a good romantic read get your hands on something by Jacqueline Briskin.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2012
overall a very lovely read...a bit like the time traverler's wife or even outlander.
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Overview
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF A HUNDRED SUMMERS AND THE SECRET LIFE OF VIOLET GRANT
Amiens, France, 1916: Captain Julian Ashford, a British officer in the trenches of the Western Front, is waylaid in the town square by Kate, a beautiful young American. Julian’s never seen her before, but she has information about the reconnaissance mission he’s about to embark on. Who is she? And why did she track him down in Amiens?
New York, ...