Book Review: Her Place in Time by Stephenia H. McGee

GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance/Speculative/Time Travel
PUBLISHER: By the Vine Press
RELEASE DATE: May 25, 2018

Can love offer a new future…in the past?

A mysterious gown, unexpected courage, and a love that transcends time.

Nursing student Lena Lowery faces a grim diagnosis and a dangerous surgery. On the cusp of the life-changing procedure, Lena stays at the Rosswood Plantation Bed and Breakfast for one last weekend with her mother. There in an antique armoire, Lena discovers a Civil War-era gown that holds an unimaginable cure…a trip back in time to when the house served as a hospital.

Confederate Sergeant Caleb Dockery lost his brother, his eye, and nearly his life. Stuck in a makeshift infirmary, he’s counting the days until he can return to duty…and seek revenge. When a stranger appears, he suspects she’s a spy. If he can’t return to duty and find the revenge he craves for his brother’s death, he can serve his country by stopping this traitor. But her nursing skills are saving lives, and her courage and independence stirs his heart. When Lena’s safety is threatened, Caleb must strain the loyalties that bind him or risk losing her forever.

Caught between a future that holds no promises and a past that could offer new life, Lena must face an extraordinary decision. Should she return to her own time where her days are numbered? Or can she and Caleb find a love that stretches across time?

If you like historical romance with a twist, strong female characters, and heroes that transcend eras, you’ll love this journey through time that tests the limits of love.

*Her Place in Time is set in the house from The Liberator Series, just prior to the start of Leveraging Lincoln. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing Annabelle and Peggy in this new novella.

Other Books In This Setting

Y’all. I do love a good time travel story, and Stephenia H. McGee delivers one in Her Place in Time. I love the magical realism aspect to these kind of stories – the oh-so-slight possibility that something like this could happen in the right circumstances and with God’s sovereign permission. It makes my inner history geek AND my imagination both so happy 🙂

Staying at the Rosswood Plantation B&B, poor Lena just wanted to try on a pretty dress that’s been tucked away in that old armoire for who knows how long. Imagine her surprise – and everyone else’s – when it transports her to Rosswood Plantation during the days it acted as a Civil War hospital. The smells. The sounds. The sights. The lack of indoor plumbing or air conditioning. While wearing all. those. layers. Needless to say Lena has some hasty adjustments to make while she figures out how to get back home … but in the meantime there’s Caleb.

Swoony, soldier hero Caleb who is increasingly both puzzled by and attracted to Lena. The chemistry between Lena and Caleb is palpable but, because of several different elements to the plot, we aren’t sure how things will turn out for them. For one thing, McGee gives the time-travel formula a new twist – a grim health diagnosis in the present for our modern, time-traveling heroine. How does her unexpected trip to the Civil War era affect this diagnosis? How will it all play out in the present? To me, this really added dimension to the plot and to Lena’s character as well as her relationship with Caleb, even with the shorter word count of a novella.

Bottom Line: This story is more than a swoony romance or an engaging time-travel novella brimming with layers and possibilities (though it’s definitely both of those!). It’s also a look at what to do with the time we’re given – no matter what era that might be in – and a gentle reminder that God has placed each of us where we are for a purpose. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the unique way McGee tied all the layers together in the end. A perfect choice for a quick weekend read that you’ll be able to think about for a long time.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Love it!

KissingBook Level: 3 / May forget to breathe on occasion!

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What about you? If you suddenly time traveled to a different era in history, would you try to help out with modern knowledge or would you just try to find a way home?