When the Day Comes (Timeless Book #1)

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer is the first Timeless Book. I thought this historical novel was creative and well-written. It contained realistic characters and situations. Libby lives two different lives: one in 1774 and one in 1914. In one she is the managing editor of her deceased father’s newspaper. Libby and her mother work hard to provide a living for their family and pay off their father’s debt. Libby is in love with Henry Montgomery, but he is about to betrothed to the Royal Governor’s fourteen-year-old daughter. In 1914, her mother is determined to marry her off to a titled Englishman. When Libby turns twenty-one, she will need to decide which life she will live for the rest of her life. The story is told in alternating chapters (back and forth between 1774 and 1914). I can tell the author did her research for both time periods and locations. She captured the grandeur of London Society, the beginning of the Great War, and the fashions (especially the tight-fitting hobble skirt that ladies had trouble walking in). We get to experience Colonial Williamsburg on the brink of the Revolutionary War. I like the time travel concept (unique). When Libby goes to sleep in 1774, she awakens in 1914. She lives both lives simultaneously. I enjoyed reading both time periods with their vivid descriptions. The author managed to strike a balance between too little and too much detail. The faith elements are prominent and beautifully incorporated into the story. We see the importance of faith and relying on God. When the Day Comes is a fascinating and emotional split time novel. I loved the ending and appreciated the epilogue that gives us a hint of who will be featured in the next Timeless Book. When the Day Comes is a captivating tale with patriot printers, a bevy of balls, a merciless mother, a raging war, a sympathetic mum, an approaching revolution, and a critical choice.

We couldn’t change history, but we did know how it played out. Libby Conant, like her mother before her, along with generations before them, had a unique birthmark that set them aside from those around them. They were known as time-crossers — at least among themselves. After all, who would believe that you could fall asleep in one year, wake up in another and not have missed any time? Perhaps the hardest part was the fact that you knew some of how history would unfold when you returned to the earlier time but you couldn’t stop those things from happening. The author has done a fabulous job of taking us between 1774 and the beginning of the revolutionary war and 1914 with the beginning of WWI. The well developed characters give us a look into what it must have been like back in 1774 when the colonists were tired of more and more restrictions coming from Britain. One has to wonder which side we would have joined… Learning to take what was given and make the best of it, was a lesson that was hard to learn. This ARC of the first Timeless book was received through Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. These thoughts and impressions are my own and were in no way solicited.

WOW - I don't know if I've ever been at more of a loss for words when writing a review than now. This book gave me two captivating stories for the price of one thanks to a time-traveling heroine trapped between two pivotal moments in history. Each night when she falls asleep in one year, she awakes in the other year the next day. While the story did have some twists and turns that I expected, the ending was a complete surprise and I wanted to weep with joy over the beauty that came from ashes.