Today it is my pleasure to welcome author Tricia McGill and her  time-travel romance novel, When Destiny Calls.

Author’s description

From one crazy period in history to another.

 

Whisked by some unseen force from the Covid-19 ridden world of 2020 in Australia, to an equally horrific time in the past, carer Chloe Simpson finds herself in North London during the Blitz of 1940. Could be that Chloe became too immersed in the stories related to her by Minnie, a woman in the Australian nursing home where she cares for elderly people? Stories about the dreadful days and nights endured during the Blitz.

 

Engrossed in the stories surrounding photographs in 98-year-old Minnie Clacton’s cherished album, back in time Chloe meets up with the young Minnie plus her own Great Great Grandmother Aggie.

In the midst of an air raid, Chloe is discovered, wet and confused, by a man and his dog. A man and his canine companion who coincidentally appeared prominently in the photo album alongside the young Minnie and Aggie. Did Chloe simply answer the call of Destiny?

My Review

This is a difficult book to review without giving too much away, so I’m going to start out by saying it is a well told story with likable characters and then approach it in chunks in hopes of doing both the story and my review justice.

First, I loved the opening chapter. I’ve got a soft spot for compassionate care givers like Chloe and the set up was well done. I’m going to love this book, I thought.

Then in the second chapter, Chloe hits her head and goes back in time. Really? I suppose there are only so many non-technical ways to move characters about in time, but as life-long science fiction reader, I’ve had it with this one. Ugh, I thought. Am I going to make it through this book?

In the next several chapters, we get two things. One is a fair bit of fish out of water humor as Chloe deals with the seamed nylon stockings and sanitary pads of the 1940s. The other is a surprisingly hot sweet romance. (As in you don’t see them do much but it really works. ) I flew through this part and I think most reader’s will.

Then, you get chapter after chapter of Chloe’s life. It’s a pleasant life, with some ups and down, but it’s not the sort of life that makes for much of a novel. She’s likable, he’s likable, and I was delighted the two of them were happy, but at this point I’m turning the pages to find out what I really want to know. What’s the deal with the time travel? What is the universe doing? Why did this happen? What’s the meaning of life? I want answers.

Suffice to say, I didn’t feel I got them. I know, explaining how the universe works is fraught with problems, but this author didn’t try.

Then I realized she never intended to. She wanted to write a sweet romance book that started in the 1940’s and ended up with lots of happy people. The going back in time (I wouldn’t call it time travel) was an artifact for making the story happen.

I wanted to read science fiction (which I prefer over romance) and I wanted intricate explanations of the nature of time and the cosmos. So, I didn’t get the book I wanted.

However, I do think the author did a fine job of writing the book she wanted to write. I DNF a lot of books, and I made it to her last page based not only on my curiosity, but also on the likability of her characters, her competent story telling, and the sweetness of the world she created. I suspect those more inclined to overlook the entire time travel thing and enjoy the author’s focus will love this book!

About the Author

Award winning author Tricia McGill spent her early days in Highbury, London, England, and moved to Australia many years ago, settling near Melbourne. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer. Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart.

Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations. She also volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. When people ask what she does in her spare time, she is heard to ask, “Spare time, what is that?”

Find the Author

http://www.triciamcgill.com
http://triciamg.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorTriciaMcGill

Buy the Book

https://bookswelove.net/mcgill-tricia/
http://www.triciamcgill.com

Yes, there is a giveaway

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Enter here to win.

This post is part of a tour sponsored by Goddess Fish. Check out all the other tour stops. If you drop by each of these and comment, you will greatly increase your chances of winning.

My Favorite Excerpt

I shivered. The cold seemed to seep into my bones. How long had I lain there in the rain? I clutched Minnie’s album to my breast. Right now, it seemed the only normal thing in this crazy scenario. Feeling as if I should say something to break the silence, I blurted, “I just had a thought. Perhaps they put me in my car and then decided to dump me here near a farm before they took off. Is it your property?”

All I heard from him was a soft noise that sounded like a cough or could have been a huff of disbelief. I stumbled and he caught my arm to stop me falling. It was still too dark to see his features well, and his peaked cap was pulled down low on his forehead. I had a fleeting feeling that I might be dreaming and he was a figment of my imagination. “My name is Chloe, by the way,” I said. “What’s your tag?”

Turning around, I caught a grin and wondered if he was laughing at me. “You don’t talk like anyone around here, miss. Where do you hail from, and I am Bill, by the way. You already know Tiger there.” He carried on walking.

We seemed to be getting no nearer to a homestead, so I asked, “As a matter of curiosity, where are you leading me? Oh, I’m Australian—obviously,” I tacked on as if it needed explanation.

Thank you!

Tricia McGill — we appreciate your sharing your book When Destiny Calls with us! Best of luck with sales, and with all of your future writing.