Linda Lauren

Amanda is a young, suddenly out-of-work photographer, who drags her best friend along on a tour of historical homes. Like any good photographer, her quest to capture the perfect moment takes her away from the group and into the off-limits areas upstairs. It is there that she slips through into the past, landing her in the late 1900s, where her presence – and her camera – land her in a difficult situation

Overall, Hostage in Time is a warm-and-fuzzy time-travel romance, very much in the spirit of Richard Matheson’s Somewhere in Time. The historical elements are clearly well-researched and woven naturally into the story. There’s no attempt to dazzle the reader with details, and none of the annoying info-dumping that so often plagues time travel stories. Instead, Linda simply grounds us in the past, occasionally reminding us of the 125 years separating us from Amanda, but doesn’t belabour the point.

Romantically, this is a wonderful story, and one that develops slowly, but which hooks you with the romantic potential early on. Watching Amanda attempt to not only fit in, but befriend the suspicious Jonathan, you can’t help but wish for them to realise what’s blossoming between them. The story takes a bit of a darker twist when they’re set-up for treason but, as is often the case, it’s this added adversity that finally brings them together.

This is also a very spiritual book, in terms of the human spirit and our connection to one another at the deepest, most primal level. When Linda does reminds us of years that have passed, it’s less to trumpet the advancements and inventions that most time-travel stories focus upon, but to reinforce the notion that people are people, whenever and wherever they may be. As a sceptic, I was afraid that having the would-be-lovers visit a spiritual medium to understand their destiny would pull me out of the story, but the sincerity with which Linda writes kept me engaged.
I won't spoil the ending, other than to say it is the epitome of happily-ever-after, but I will say I appreciated the brief epilogue. Carrie's role in the story added a much-needed bit of humour and sentiment to the story, and I think her final scene is probably one of my favourite.… (meer)

3.5
Amanda is a Jersey girl who is in her twenties. She is realistic as she currently loses her job as a photographer because of the current economy. She drags her friend Carrie onto a historical tour to a local home that belong to a friend (a character made up for the story) of Thomas Edison’. For those who don’t know Thomas Edison had his station of creative up in Orange County of New Jersey, so I really enjoyed opening up the book to read that relatable area.
As Amanda is exploring parts of the historical house that are suppose to be off limits to everyone Amanda is transported into the past. There in the past she meets a string of characters as she is accused of being a spy by Jonathan Brisbane who is worried for his friend Thomas Edison’s inventions getting into the wrong hands. As Amanda tries to adjust to Jonathan’s life so that he can keep an eye on her, his mom, friends, and his ex wife all have different agendas.
Hostage in Time is a historical romance that will warm your heart. Linda Lauren writes beautiful descriptions that make you feel that you are a guest in the Brisbane home in the year 1894. Amanda’s reactions to the new world around her in addition to Jonathan’s introductions to the future items such as Mace were both funny plus realistic. Her characters were witty, relatable, and constantly thinking of what to do.
The book was a fun light read. I was eagerly flipping through the pages at fast paces to find out what happened next between classes. I love the historical fiction, but I worry with other readers might have a little problem having an actual real historical figure such as Thomas Edison in a fiction book play out as he does later on in the book. The other issue that I had with the book is the change in Jonathan’s ex wife’s personality, Lavinia. Otherwise this book had twists that I was not expecting. Hostage in Time was a beautifully written story that will grab its readers, leaving them warm and fuzzy.… (meer)