(Cover picture courtesy of Goodreads.)

When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s family, she is forced to move from Los Angeles to New York City to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she has never met.  In their historic Fifth Avenue mansion, filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers the biggest family secret of all—an ancestor’s diary that, amazingly, has the power to send her back in time to 1910, the year it was written.  There, at a glamorous high-society masquerade ball, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life.  And she finds herself falling for him and into an otherworldly romance.

Soon Michele is leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past.  But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves—and to complete a quest that will determine their fate.

Have you ever read a book that you couldn’t put down?  One that was absolutely captivating?  One that literally made you gasp for breath when you finished it?  Well, that’s how Timeless was for me.

I know a time travel romance is very clichéd and time travel itself is wrought with problems, not the least of which is the time paradox (more commonly known as the grandfather paradox).  But once my scientific instincts were quieted, I really did enjoy Timeless.  I must admit that I know next to nothing of America circa 1910, so I can’t critique its accuracy, unlike books about ancient Egypt or ancient Rome.  But I think Alexandra Monir did quite a lot of research and her writing really brought the period to life.  Her writing is absolutely captivating because she has found the perfect balance between description and dialogue, something a lot of writers—especially the younger ones—struggle with.

In addition to her amazing writing, Alexandra Monir has great characterization.  Michele is a very believable character and I could really feel her grief over her mother’s death.  She falls in love very quickly, but when you meet someone who has haunted your dreams all your life, what do you expect?  She is very sympathetic because in the end she does what she thinks is the right thing, even though it cuts her to the core.  And because of her decision, we get a very nice cliffhanger ending that makes me anxious for the sequel, Timekeeper.

I give this book 5/5 stars.

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