Sandy M’s review of A Stone in Time (Mordha Stone Chronicles, Book 1) by Kim Allred
Time Travel Romance published by Storm Coast Publisher 2 May 18
I’d been thinking for some time about getting back to time travel romance, one my early genre loves. It’s been a while, since I got sidetracked with new romantic suspense authors over the last several years. So when this series popped up on my radar, I thought it might be a great place to start again.
Unfortunately, it is not that great a place to begin. Mostly because there’s way too much description about things that don’t truly matter and there’s not a whole lot of time travel going on. I recall years ago saying something similar to shifter romances, “I’m reading shifters because I want to have some shifting going on.” Same sentiment here. I’m wanting the time travel, waiting for it; thus, my reason for picking up this Allred book in the first place. But the time travel, while hinted at throughout, doesn’t really happen until the end of the book.
AJ Moore sees things that shouldn’t be there, most notably a vintage sailing ship. She also meets its captain, engaging and handsome Finn Murphy – though she doesn’t meet him until quite a bit into the story. Until he came along, I thought Ethan is her love interest. No, I didn’t read the blurb – I like to surprised when I read, and most blurbs nowadays are either way too long to give away the plot or just give it away willy-nilly.
So between Ethan, a security expert working for AJ’s boor of a brother, and Finn, we’re jerked hither and yon for much too long, not given enough info to really make the story move along. Events that should happen much earlier, don’t. Events that should have been kept to a minimum, aren’t. With all that said, I did decide to read Book 2, Keeper of Stones, since the time traveling finally commenced. That book is a tad better, but still not enough to keep me interested to go to Book 3 any time soon.
So who knows if I will ever get back to the series. Especially after reading the synopses for those stories – I learned my lesson in this case. Those synopses don’t give me hope. Unfortunate, but if you’re going to write time travel, write time travel.
Grade: C-
Summary:
AJ Moore stands on a precipice. Her ambitions stalled after an unexpected loss.
A two-hundred-year-old sailing vessel appears through the fog. This could be the story she’s been waiting for. The story to salvage her sluggish career.
When she meets Finn Murphy, the enigmatic captain, he’s nothing but arrogant, annoying, and tight-lipped. But she’s not one to give up easily. He’s just not aware that he’s met his match.
Finn Murphy has only one thing on his mind. Find an ancient stone necklace and return home. But he wasn’t expecting to be hounded by a reporter. The more she comes around, the more he wants her to stay.
But the stakes are too high, the mission too important to be tempted. The longer it takes to find the necklace, the weaker his resolve becomes.
Join AJ on an adventure where honor and friendship can beat the odds—and love transcends time.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
