Book Review - Out of time

Out of Time: by Monique Martin

 

This book was described as a paranormal romance, now I don’t as a rule read romance, the whole Mills and Boon, hearts and flowers type book has always left me bored. But the write up for this sounded interesting.

This is the description:

Professor Simon Cross has spent his life searching for evidence of vampires and avoiding emotional entanglements. When a mysterious accident transports Simon and his new assistant, Elizabeth West, back in time, Simon finally finds both the proof that he's been looking for, and the romance that he hasn't. In 1920s Manhattan, they find that are more than mobsters vying for power in the city's speakeasies. Will Simon and Elizabeth's developing relationship survive the vampires' teeth? Will they survive to make it back? Or will they be forever out of time?

Simon Cross is a Professor in Occult studies, Elizabeth starts as first his student and becomes his assistant.  While going though some of his relatives belongings an event causing the pair of them to be sent back in time to 1920’s New York and that is where the story really begins. As Simon finds that he maybe he should not have wished  to prove that the occult is real, as underneath all the gangsters and speakeasies in New York there seems to be something much darker lurking there.

I have read some time travel books and not been overly keen but in this case, it is used very effectively in taking two characters out of their normal lives and transporting them in to completely different surroundings and then watching how this in effect makes them come together.

The attraction between the two of the them is handled well by the author. She uses the trick of changing the point of view backwards and forward  so showing the reader what each of them are thinking. So you see that both Simon and Elizabeth think that the other has no feelings towards them, this soon changes obviously and the romance that develops is described really well.

I loved the description of 1920s New York, you do feel like you are there and it brings to mind all the old gangsters films that you have ever watched. The story flows well and the characters are natural and believable, with Simon and Elizabeth both being developed as completely separate people. They have their own histories which is refreshing, as in some novels only the main character has any depth. The speak easy used in the story is realistic and you do want to go there- and meet Charlie who runs it,  who I really liked as a character.

The vampire in the story is sort of a strange unexpected add on but does add to the tension, especially with Elizabeth. A lot of other people have said that it is unnecessary and does not bring anything to the story. In my opinion though it does bring a link to Simon background but could have been developed further, as there does not seem to have been as much thought put into the vampire character as into the rest of the book.

It is not a long story, but it is enjoyable, and there are now also other books in the series, but this is a standalone book and has a definite finish to the plot.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for something a little different.

8 out of 10