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A Stitch in Time #1
A Stitch in Time
Thorne Manor has always been haunted� and it has always haunted Bronwyn Dale. As a young girl, Bronwyn could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt's house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. After a family tragedy, the house was shuttered and Bronwyn was convinced that William existed only in her imagination.
Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting.
William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He’s a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He’s also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago.
As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past.
Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting.
William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He’s a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He’s also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago.
As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2020
1,631 people are currently reading
13.8k people want to read
About the author
Kelley Armstrong
296books32.7kfollowersKelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,636 reviews
October 5, 2020
A few months ago, I wrote a blog post about and how it might be the next hit romance subgenre. At first I thought that might just be wishful thinking on my part, but I got enough interaction with the post and on Twitter that I know I’m not alone in wanting more mystery-shrouded castles and brooding, haunted heroes in my reading life.
After publishing it, I’ve been slowly working my way through the titles on that list. I started with . It was a five-star read for me. A Stitch in Time is the second one I’ve read, and now I’m two for two.
Can I pick good books or what?
This story is different than anything else I’ve read from Armstrong. I was obsessed with her Women of the Otherworld series back in the day, and so I had faith that she could make the switch from paranormal romance to gothic romance seamlessly. She did. Obvi.
I’m low-key struggling not to fangirl in this review, because I truly loved this book. In a way that makes me want to grab you by the shoulders and shout things like, “GAH!� ,”i MeAN�, and “YA KnoW???�
Does any of that make sense? No. Would any reader who had just finished an incredible book and was now staring down the barrel of the resulting book slump immediately understand me? Yes.
*deep breath*
This book is a time-traveling romance set half in modern time, half in Victorian England. The heroine, and yes, I’m calling her a heroine because she truly deserves that title, Bronwyn, recently inherited a large English home (named Thorne Manor) from her aunt.
Oh yeah, and she can see ghosts.
I loved how this aspect of the book was handled. It felt real. Believable in a way that so few other paranormal-themed books do.
The first time Bronwyn saw ghosts and made the mistake of speaking about them, she was institutionalized by her mother. Between her stay in a mental health facility and countless years of therapy, she now believes it was all in her head.
And then she goes back to Thorne Manor and everything she thought she knew quickly goes up in flames. Because in addition to seeing ghosts, she’s a time-traveler.
Her old bedroom is something of a stitch in time, a small wormhole, and when she’s in it, all she has to do is think about him and she falls back through the ages.
This mysterious him is William Thorne. Bronwyn knew him as a boy, when they were childhood playmates, and then as a teenager, when they shared their first kiss. But then her mother dragged her away and hospitalized her. Now, at 38, Bronwyn and William are strangers to each other, and the last thing Bronwyn expects is to ever see him again.
If you’re worried that this book pulls that tired, cliched theme of “is she or isn’t she crazy?�, rest assured, it doesn’t. Bronwyn is rational and intelligent and lucid. She figures out pretty quickly and scientifically that she isn’t having psychosomatic hallucinations and is legitimately traveling back in time.
But the more she and William reconnect, the more ghosts haunt her when she returns to her own time. Thorne Manor is surrounded by wild British moors. It’s a place where people, and especially beautiful young women, are known to go missing. The rumors about hauntings and sightings go back years, but they all seem to center around one certain time period. The time when William Thorne lorded over the manor.
Is he behind their disappearances?
Bronwyn is understandably desperate to clear his name of the murders he’s accused of, but the more she learns, the more she begins to question everything she knows about the boy she fell in love with.
This book is equal parts mystery and romance. While I adored the way the romance was handled, it’s the mystery that truly makes this unputdownable. It’s also quite creepy. This is a gothic romance, after all, and it wouldn’t be complete without a touch of the paranormal. I made the mistake of reading this late into the night, which I ended up regretting a little, since I live in a centuries-old house with plenty of creaks and groans that can easily be mistaken for the wailing of specters.
The best part of this mystery is that I didn’t guess the twist. I thought I did, following Armstrong’s expertly laid false trail, and so at the end, when the “big reveal� happened, I was both surprised and elated.
This is a standalone, but I’m hoping Armstrong writes more books like this. Because GAH, YA KNOW?
A Stitch in Time is a hauntingly atmospheric romance with seriously gothic vibes. Yet it’s also a boldly modern twist on the classic genre. Progressive, feminist, inclusive, and as sexy as it is spooky, you’ll find yourself thinking of it long after you reach The End.
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February 26, 2021
3.5 stars
A time travelling romance with ghosts and unsolved disappearances/murders? Yes please. I flew through this book. Was it perfect? No. During the parts where she travels to Victorian times, well, you would barely know it based on the dialogue with people from that era. And then there were so many people with unsolved disappearances in both timelines that I got some of them mixed up in my head towards the end. But did the action/romance/plot keep me reading well past my bedtime? Yes. So for that alone I am rounding up to 4 "I want a kitten named Enigma" stars.
Additional slightly spoilery commentary for those who have read this:
A time travelling romance with ghosts and unsolved disappearances/murders? Yes please. I flew through this book. Was it perfect? No. During the parts where she travels to Victorian times, well, you would barely know it based on the dialogue with people from that era. And then there were so many people with unsolved disappearances in both timelines that I got some of them mixed up in my head towards the end. But did the action/romance/plot keep me reading well past my bedtime? Yes. So for that alone I am rounding up to 4 "I want a kitten named Enigma" stars.
Additional slightly spoilery commentary for those who have read this:
October 16, 2020
A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
A time-slip mystery. First in the series.
Bronwyn has inherited an old house she remembers having a ghost when she visited as a young girl. They were friends and playmates. Now that she has returned to Thorne Manor she finds she still has the ability to slip through time and interact with William in his time. They are the same age and resume their friendship which turns into more.
More than one ghost inhabits Thorne Manor and not all are friendly. When a mysterious disappearance becomes the village legend with William as the villain, Bronwyn starts to listen closer to the ghosts that continue to vie for her attention.
Tense until the very end. Is he the hero or a victim?
Gripping and thrilling. With a romance between the centuries that you can’t help be sad about the span of time and ultimate ending.
Reminded me a bit of the old movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve.
I alternated between the ebook and audiobook. The audio is narrated by Samantha Brentmoor who I loved for her tone, emotional portrayal and timing.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.
A time-slip mystery. First in the series.
Bronwyn has inherited an old house she remembers having a ghost when she visited as a young girl. They were friends and playmates. Now that she has returned to Thorne Manor she finds she still has the ability to slip through time and interact with William in his time. They are the same age and resume their friendship which turns into more.
More than one ghost inhabits Thorne Manor and not all are friendly. When a mysterious disappearance becomes the village legend with William as the villain, Bronwyn starts to listen closer to the ghosts that continue to vie for her attention.
Tense until the very end. Is he the hero or a victim?
Gripping and thrilling. With a romance between the centuries that you can’t help be sad about the span of time and ultimate ending.
Reminded me a bit of the old movie Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve.
I alternated between the ebook and audiobook. The audio is narrated by Samantha Brentmoor who I loved for her tone, emotional portrayal and timing.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.
June 28, 2021
In a A Stitch in Time (A Stitch in Time, #1) Kelley Armstrong has managed to write an old fashioned ghost story, mixed with time travel and a love story, seasoned with a haunted house mystery. Armstrong has a talent for making the paranormal, the frightening, and the unusual all seem normal. Or almost normal.
I really want to forget this book, so that I can read it fresh to enjoy again. At my age forgetting would normally take a couple of weeks, but this pleasurable book will stay with me. That seems to happen with many of Armstrong’s books. They stick. Doesn’t matter, I will reread again this winter; or maybe next month.
When Bronwyn Dale was two and visiting her great aunt and uncle’s Thorne Manor, she tumbled through a time slip or a stitch in time, and into the bedroom of another two year old. William Thorne lived 200 years before Bronwyn, but for the two year old kids it seemed a perfectly normal way for summer playmates to get together to play marbles. If Bronwyn occasionally talked about William living in her bedroom, well, imaginary friends are quite common. Around age four both of them instinctively realized they needed to stop talking about one another.
As one knowing woman put it: "When Judith asked, you pretended not to what she was talking about. She said you were adorable. Like a tiny MI6 agent protecting top-secret data. All shifty-eyed and “I don’t know what you mean, Auntie.'�
Then Bronwyn’s mother stopped the visits to Thorne Manor for ten years in a nasty divorce dispute. Finally Bronwyn was able to return when they were fifteen. Bronwyn and William reconnected and their secret summer friendship started to deepen until they were torn apart by a tragic death. The death forced Bronwyn to flee Thorne Manor and forced her to deny something she in knew in the deepest part of her soul to be true.
Twenty-three years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor and returns.
Very few are happy with Bronwyn. William, a mother cat, and some very active and maybe deadly ghosts all carry grudges. Bronwyn wants a future with William, but she realizes unless she solves the mysteries surrounding the ghosts, she is unlikely to have one.
There are enough suspects to keep the reader intrigued in what turns out to be a possible serial killer mystery. Did I mention Thorne Manor was located on an English moor? Where else can a haunted house-time travel-romance-mystery be located other than on a wild English moor with its bogs and winding paths? Of course you can’t really have a moor unless there are missing young girls, right? Or the scary guy with the sharp spade.
William and Bronwyn had their share of flaws. William sulked at the beginning, but soon got over them. Bronwyn was a bit selfish, only wanting to go through the stitch when it was convenient for her.
It might be me, but I was a bit confused on the rules for to-ing and fro-ing. I was mighty amused by Armstrong deciding to ignore some of the time travel “rules� such as the butterfly effect. Good for her, it’s not as if we actually know.
All in all I thought A Stitch in Time a vastly entertaining book. One I can’t wait to read again. Well heck, maybe I’ll just start again now.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. All of the review comments are my own.
Addendum. Well I reread it, and its even creepier. But still so romantic. sigh
I really want to forget this book, so that I can read it fresh to enjoy again. At my age forgetting would normally take a couple of weeks, but this pleasurable book will stay with me. That seems to happen with many of Armstrong’s books. They stick. Doesn’t matter, I will reread again this winter; or maybe next month.
When Bronwyn Dale was two and visiting her great aunt and uncle’s Thorne Manor, she tumbled through a time slip or a stitch in time, and into the bedroom of another two year old. William Thorne lived 200 years before Bronwyn, but for the two year old kids it seemed a perfectly normal way for summer playmates to get together to play marbles. If Bronwyn occasionally talked about William living in her bedroom, well, imaginary friends are quite common. Around age four both of them instinctively realized they needed to stop talking about one another.
As one knowing woman put it: "When Judith asked, you pretended not to what she was talking about. She said you were adorable. Like a tiny MI6 agent protecting top-secret data. All shifty-eyed and “I don’t know what you mean, Auntie.'�
Then Bronwyn’s mother stopped the visits to Thorne Manor for ten years in a nasty divorce dispute. Finally Bronwyn was able to return when they were fifteen. Bronwyn and William reconnected and their secret summer friendship started to deepen until they were torn apart by a tragic death. The death forced Bronwyn to flee Thorne Manor and forced her to deny something she in knew in the deepest part of her soul to be true.
Twenty-three years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor and returns.
Very few are happy with Bronwyn. William, a mother cat, and some very active and maybe deadly ghosts all carry grudges. Bronwyn wants a future with William, but she realizes unless she solves the mysteries surrounding the ghosts, she is unlikely to have one.
There are enough suspects to keep the reader intrigued in what turns out to be a possible serial killer mystery. Did I mention Thorne Manor was located on an English moor? Where else can a haunted house-time travel-romance-mystery be located other than on a wild English moor with its bogs and winding paths? Of course you can’t really have a moor unless there are missing young girls, right? Or the scary guy with the sharp spade.
William and Bronwyn had their share of flaws. William sulked at the beginning, but soon got over them. Bronwyn was a bit selfish, only wanting to go through the stitch when it was convenient for her.
It might be me, but I was a bit confused on the rules for to-ing and fro-ing. I was mighty amused by Armstrong deciding to ignore some of the time travel “rules� such as the butterfly effect. Good for her, it’s not as if we actually know.
All in all I thought A Stitch in Time a vastly entertaining book. One I can’t wait to read again. Well heck, maybe I’ll just start again now.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. All of the review comments are my own.
Addendum. Well I reread it, and its even creepier. But still so romantic. sigh
March 8, 2023
It's frustrating when a book doesn't deliver on its promises, especially when it comes to the characters and their development. In this particular book, the author seemed to have neglected the basics, resulting in inconsistencies that affected even the ghosts' portrayal.
One character in particular, the main female protagonist, was a disappointment. Despite being introduced as a 38-year-old professor, her portrayal was lacking in intelligence and common sense. It was an insult not only to her character but also to the many competent professors in the real world. In fact, my own 7-year-old daughter exhibits more logical thinking than the protagonist.
It's a shame when a book fails to live up to its potential, especially when it comes to the most fundamental aspects of character development. The author should have taken more care in crafting their characters and ensuring that their actions and thoughts remained consistent throughout the story.
One character in particular, the main female protagonist, was a disappointment. Despite being introduced as a 38-year-old professor, her portrayal was lacking in intelligence and common sense. It was an insult not only to her character but also to the many competent professors in the real world. In fact, my own 7-year-old daughter exhibits more logical thinking than the protagonist.
It's a shame when a book fails to live up to its potential, especially when it comes to the most fundamental aspects of character development. The author should have taken more care in crafting their characters and ensuring that their actions and thoughts remained consistent throughout the story.
January 23, 2021
01/21/2021:
You know when a book just hits the spot? This book hit the spot for me.
I had a dream a few nights ago that I’m pretty sure was inspired by this book, and whenever that happens, my feelings about whatever—or whoever—I dreamed about amplify. The best way I can describe it is that I warm up to ideas, people, storylines that I might otherwise find commonplace, or good but not great. This might've happened with A Stitch in Time, but I also have to give credit to an intriguing premise, stellar execution, and a swoonworthy gothic romance; I devoured the entire novel in a day.
Like I said, it hit the spot!
There’s a delicious creepiness about this book that reminds me of how Kelley Armstrong’s the Darkest Powers trilogy got under my skin. Like Chloe Saunders from Darkest Powers, our protagonist Bronwyn Dale also has a gift for seeing ghosts.
It’s a trope that I adore, and Armstrong’s also just damn good at rattling her readers and creating a sinister ambiance without relying on gore and action. Getting to experience that in this novel was great because I didn’t expect to get a little dash of paranormal horror alongside the time-travelling romance.
Speaking of which: I totally ship Bronwyn and William. If y’all have been keeping up with my 2021 reading so far, you know I’m on a quest to fill the void left by Netflix’s Bridgerton. And I kinda got that here, in the sense that I felt invested in this romance. It gave me butterflies. I couldn��t help grinning like an idiot. And their chemistry was palpable because the flirtatious banter was SO GOOD.
All of this to say, centuries-old mystery + supernatural happenings + time travel + shippable romance = my cup of tea.
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
10/12/2020:
new kelley armstrong book WHAAAAAAT
You know when a book just hits the spot? This book hit the spot for me.
I had a dream a few nights ago that I’m pretty sure was inspired by this book, and whenever that happens, my feelings about whatever—or whoever—I dreamed about amplify. The best way I can describe it is that I warm up to ideas, people, storylines that I might otherwise find commonplace, or good but not great. This might've happened with A Stitch in Time, but I also have to give credit to an intriguing premise, stellar execution, and a swoonworthy gothic romance; I devoured the entire novel in a day.
Like I said, it hit the spot!
There’s a delicious creepiness about this book that reminds me of how Kelley Armstrong’s the Darkest Powers trilogy got under my skin. Like Chloe Saunders from Darkest Powers, our protagonist Bronwyn Dale also has a gift for seeing ghosts.
It’s a trope that I adore, and Armstrong’s also just damn good at rattling her readers and creating a sinister ambiance without relying on gore and action. Getting to experience that in this novel was great because I didn’t expect to get a little dash of paranormal horror alongside the time-travelling romance.
Speaking of which: I totally ship Bronwyn and William. If y’all have been keeping up with my 2021 reading so far, you know I’m on a quest to fill the void left by Netflix’s Bridgerton. And I kinda got that here, in the sense that I felt invested in this romance. It gave me butterflies. I couldn��t help grinning like an idiot. And their chemistry was palpable because the flirtatious banter was SO GOOD.
All of this to say, centuries-old mystery + supernatural happenings + time travel + shippable romance = my cup of tea.
◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️
10/12/2020:
new kelley armstrong book WHAAAAAAT
February 27, 2021
4 stars
One of my favorite authors wrote a Victorian England time travel gothic romance? Sold. Didn’t even have to think twice about wanting to read this book.
A Stitch in Time is about 38 year old Bronwyn who returns to Thorne Manor when her aunt passes away and leaves it to Bronwyn in her will. More than twenty years ago Bronwyn left the manor after a tragic death, and she also left behind an unbelievable secret. Returning to Thorne Manor, Bronwyn reunites with her young love William, who is not so receptive to her return.
I thought this book was a wonderful time travel romance. I don’t understand the science of it all in this one but I also don’t have to because it’s fiction so I went along with it. Second chance romance is my favorite trope in the romance genre, so I ate this book up so fast! I love Kelley Armstrong’s writing and the way she can deliver a good story with great characters. This was definitely the escape from real life that I needed right now.
One of my favorite authors wrote a Victorian England time travel gothic romance? Sold. Didn’t even have to think twice about wanting to read this book.
A Stitch in Time is about 38 year old Bronwyn who returns to Thorne Manor when her aunt passes away and leaves it to Bronwyn in her will. More than twenty years ago Bronwyn left the manor after a tragic death, and she also left behind an unbelievable secret. Returning to Thorne Manor, Bronwyn reunites with her young love William, who is not so receptive to her return.
I thought this book was a wonderful time travel romance. I don’t understand the science of it all in this one but I also don’t have to because it’s fiction so I went along with it. Second chance romance is my favorite trope in the romance genre, so I ate this book up so fast! I love Kelley Armstrong’s writing and the way she can deliver a good story with great characters. This was definitely the escape from real life that I needed right now.
September 6, 2021
OK. Fine. Interesting.
First, you cannot promise me a Mr Rochester in the synopsis and gave me a protagonist resembles 0% of him and say, hey, there’s your Mr Rochester!
Second, you cannot gave me a house and ghosts and say, hey, there is a house and some ghosts and a mystery, this is perfectly gothic! I’m sorry, but it really doesn’t work like that.
Finally, you cannot gave me a couple with zero chemistry and say, hey, here is the romance! Come swoon over it!
The beginning of this books is not bad, and the creepy part is not bad, but to say I am annoyed it’s an understatement.
First, you cannot promise me a Mr Rochester in the synopsis and gave me a protagonist resembles 0% of him and say, hey, there’s your Mr Rochester!
Second, you cannot gave me a house and ghosts and say, hey, there is a house and some ghosts and a mystery, this is perfectly gothic! I’m sorry, but it really doesn’t work like that.
Finally, you cannot gave me a couple with zero chemistry and say, hey, here is the romance! Come swoon over it!
The beginning of this books is not bad, and the creepy part is not bad, but to say I am annoyed it’s an understatement.
June 14, 2021
Content Notes:
“Is that what you think this is? A time slip.�
“More like a stitch in time.�
“Saves nine?� I manage a smile. “Fix something today, while the problem is small, to avoid a larger fix later. That proverb has nothing to do with time travel, though.�
Freya picks up two decorative cushions. “Imagine this pillow is Thorne Manor right now, and this other one is the house in your William’s time.� She holds his pillow under ours, separated by a few inches. Then she catches a fold in the fabric, tugs it down and pinches them together. “This is your room. A stitch between the two timelines. A spot where they intersect.�
You will likely enjoy this book if the following things appeal to you:
- Gothic romance with time travel/slips back into Victorian England
- This is HEAVY on the romance, not just a side romantic arc (yes, there are several on-page sex scenes)
- Atmospheric, spooky setting in the English moors with an uncountable number of ghosts (so many ghosts, lol. Like five, maybe more. Many people die here. I lost track at one point)
- Lots of angst generated by separation misunderstandings and the heroine wildly speculating that everyone is potentially a murderer 😅
- Broody, scandalous English lord who has been pining after the heroine for twenty-three years
- Adorable, mischievous time-traveling kittens and their fierce calico mother
- A time travel ending that I actually like! Lol, I’m notoriously bitchy about how these stories usually end, but this was a good resolution.
I’m three starring this because I think I was in the wrong mood; it was a decent/easy read but nothing phenomenal ... sigh... Why are my reading moods so difficult? I think A STITCH IN TIME is exactly what the premise promises and Kelley Armstrong is a terrific writer. Definitely check it out if the blurb appeals to you. Perfect Gothic, spooky read for the month of October.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“Is that what you think this is? A time slip.�
“More like a stitch in time.�
“Saves nine?� I manage a smile. “Fix something today, while the problem is small, to avoid a larger fix later. That proverb has nothing to do with time travel, though.�
Freya picks up two decorative cushions. “Imagine this pillow is Thorne Manor right now, and this other one is the house in your William’s time.� She holds his pillow under ours, separated by a few inches. Then she catches a fold in the fabric, tugs it down and pinches them together. “This is your room. A stitch between the two timelines. A spot where they intersect.�
You will likely enjoy this book if the following things appeal to you:
- Gothic romance with time travel/slips back into Victorian England
- This is HEAVY on the romance, not just a side romantic arc (yes, there are several on-page sex scenes)
- Atmospheric, spooky setting in the English moors with an uncountable number of ghosts (so many ghosts, lol. Like five, maybe more. Many people die here. I lost track at one point)
- Lots of angst generated by separation misunderstandings and the heroine wildly speculating that everyone is potentially a murderer 😅
- Broody, scandalous English lord who has been pining after the heroine for twenty-three years
- Adorable, mischievous time-traveling kittens and their fierce calico mother
- A time travel ending that I actually like! Lol, I’m notoriously bitchy about how these stories usually end, but this was a good resolution.
I’m three starring this because I think I was in the wrong mood; it was a decent/easy read but nothing phenomenal ... sigh... Why are my reading moods so difficult? I think A STITCH IN TIME is exactly what the premise promises and Kelley Armstrong is a terrific writer. Definitely check it out if the blurb appeals to you. Perfect Gothic, spooky read for the month of October.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 22, 2020
Absolutely love this one ❤️
I like time travel story, so I kind of bias when gave the rating sometimes. But even I can say honestly, many of those I’ve read, were cheesy, gimmicky and ridiculous but as long as I had a fun when reading it, I probably gave a fun rating too! 😘.
But a story like this is very rare, yes a time travel but probably parallel universe is much better explained for this story. And that’s not all, the mystery very well done and the romance? It’s a beautiful one too ❤️😍🥰.
Also, the paranormal part quite strong here with those mysterious ghosts, so don’t read at night when you are alone! 😱👀😆.
If I want to complaint, the ending is rather abrupt, but don’t worry there is a novella for this two, like a long epilogue in Under A Winter Sky anthology it called Ballgowns and Butterflies.
So, I’m off to read that one now! 😘
❤️❤️❤️
I like time travel story, so I kind of bias when gave the rating sometimes. But even I can say honestly, many of those I’ve read, were cheesy, gimmicky and ridiculous but as long as I had a fun when reading it, I probably gave a fun rating too! 😘.
But a story like this is very rare, yes a time travel but probably parallel universe is much better explained for this story. And that’s not all, the mystery very well done and the romance? It’s a beautiful one too ❤️😍🥰.
Also, the paranormal part quite strong here with those mysterious ghosts, so don’t read at night when you are alone! 😱👀😆.
If I want to complaint, the ending is rather abrupt, but don’t worry there is a novella for this two, like a long epilogue in Under A Winter Sky anthology it called Ballgowns and Butterflies.
So, I’m off to read that one now! 😘
❤️❤️❤️
July 23, 2021
3.5 ⭐️
If Coraline and Crimson Peak had a baby, it would be this book
If Coraline and Crimson Peak had a baby, it would be this book
October 14, 2020
I am currently on chapter 6 of the book but I can’t stand this “inclusive� vibe I’m getting. Not that it includes trans people in it. But so cringey by doing so. It’s obviously by a cis person trying desperately hard to be inclusive. Making a point of being a professor and so well educated on this matter. “I am a professor. I like to use the correct pronouns.� It’s incredibly snobbish. You don’t have to be a professor to be respectful of people’s way of life. And it’s pretty insulting that people would need a PhD to know what pronouns to use.
The whole thing comes across as elitist. And a self congratulatory, hey, look at me! I’m finally being inclusive! I’m doing a super job. You know, after decades of not being inclusive.
The whole thing comes across as elitist. And a self congratulatory, hey, look at me! I’m finally being inclusive! I’m doing a super job. You know, after decades of not being inclusive.
Shelved as 'dnf-lost-interest'
December 20, 2021All my bookish friends laughing at me as I make another proclamation to clear my backlist in 2022, after doing nothing but hoarding new books for the past two years.
October 14, 2020
A historical fiction written by not only an amazing author but an author that is also one of the best for mysteries and original concepts? Yes please! Add in romance and some paranormal woo hoo and you have a read that kept me reading long into the night because I just couldn't put it down, creepy ghosts be darned.
A story that truly is the epitome of why book hangovers are a thing.
This story! This story! Where do I even begin except to say that I am so very thankful Armstrong took a chance and wrote something out of her usual genre. It was everything I was hoping it would be and at the same time everything I knew she could do with this genre. It is going to be so very hard to pick a book up in this genre again and not expect the same perfection that this book truly is.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
A story that truly is the epitome of why book hangovers are a thing.
This story! This story! Where do I even begin except to say that I am so very thankful Armstrong took a chance and wrote something out of her usual genre. It was everything I was hoping it would be and at the same time everything I knew she could do with this genre. It is going to be so very hard to pick a book up in this genre again and not expect the same perfection that this book truly is.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
January 27, 2021
Too much propaganda, please do not try and indoctrinate me. "I am a university professor, I use proper pronouns." This sentence is so insulting on so many levels.
December 10, 2020
I can’t lie- I’m disappointed. Being both a fan of fantasy and historical fiction, I thought this would be a slam dunk 5 star read. I didn’t enjoy the writing style and I found the pacing off. I found it almost painful to get through.
May 18, 2021
I liked this time-travel/mystery!
I also liked that this is a second chance romance for the heroine, but that the hero remained true to her all the time! It was nice!
There was a small thing that was left unexplained at the end, but the story was really nice and I could overlook!
The pace is just right for this kind of story, even if it could be a tad quicker!
Another thing that can be considered both a plus and a minus is that there are not a lot of characters involved. There's a lot of time spent with only the MCs.
Still a very nice story and I'l be wanting to read the next book because I'm curious about Rosalind! :)
I also liked that this is a second chance romance for the heroine, but that the hero remained true to her all the time! It was nice!
There was a small thing that was left unexplained at the end, but the story was really nice and I could overlook!
The pace is just right for this kind of story, even if it could be a tad quicker!
Another thing that can be considered both a plus and a minus is that there are not a lot of characters involved. There's a lot of time spent with only the MCs.
Still a very nice story and I'l be wanting to read the next book because I'm curious about Rosalind! :)
October 27, 2020
Thought about this book for days
I love Gothic stories and this one is incredible and atmospheric. So fantastic! Highly recommend. Especially for those looking for an engrossing, epic romance.
I love Gothic stories and this one is incredible and atmospheric. So fantastic! Highly recommend. Especially for those looking for an engrossing, epic romance.
March 23, 2021
DNF at 60%.
MC who is 38 years old woman acts like teenager
MC who is 38 years old woman acts like teenager
November 30, 2020
Ugh. This book was so promising and the premise of the story is really good. Armstrong just tends to ruin a good book by getting caught up in her overwrought soft porn and being too on the nose with trying to make a point. For example, the book starts out with an on the nose bit of dialogue where Armstrong seems to be trying to convince her readers she cares about gender inclusion. However, people who really care about gender inclusion and diversity, don't need to announce it when they walk into the room. The exchange was so fake I wanted to puke. I mean kudos to her for making an effort though, I guess. Many authors don't do that. The effort just doesn't seem genuine when it's forced and unnatural.
Next, I am all for a storybook romance, but I am a grown ass woman and I can't love a relationship that doesn't have any realness to it. I've read some of Armstrong's other books and she doesn't seem to be able to write about relationships in a way that brings any genuine substance to them. They are just all amazing sex and literally female characters talking about their knees falling out from under them because the man is so amazing. Really??!! I mean if this book was for young teens, then, okay. But then there would be way too much sex for that audience.
Meanwhile, there was so much other stuff going on in this book that I DID care about, but not enough focus was put on that.
I'm disappointed because I love time travel and really wanted to get into this new series.
Next, I am all for a storybook romance, but I am a grown ass woman and I can't love a relationship that doesn't have any realness to it. I've read some of Armstrong's other books and she doesn't seem to be able to write about relationships in a way that brings any genuine substance to them. They are just all amazing sex and literally female characters talking about their knees falling out from under them because the man is so amazing. Really??!! I mean if this book was for young teens, then, okay. But then there would be way too much sex for that audience.
Meanwhile, there was so much other stuff going on in this book that I DID care about, but not enough focus was put on that.
I'm disappointed because I love time travel and really wanted to get into this new series.
August 28, 2021
4 stars - Paranormal/Victorian Historical/Time-Travel/Mystery Romance
I really enjoyed this unique romance with a gothic mystery, ghosts, and a love that endures across A Stitch in Time. I wanted a bit more from the ending and an epilogue, but thankfully there's a heartwarming holiday novella, , that satisfied my longing for more of Bronwyn and William together.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, , that will feature a new couple, Rosalind and August.
I really enjoyed this unique romance with a gothic mystery, ghosts, and a love that endures across A Stitch in Time. I wanted a bit more from the ending and an epilogue, but thankfully there's a heartwarming holiday novella, , that satisfied my longing for more of Bronwyn and William together.
I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, , that will feature a new couple, Rosalind and August.
April 11, 2021
This book definitely has some flaws or inconsistencies that keep it from being a perfect read but a lot of this was still good. Most notably the twisty mystery at the heart of it all. The romance itself was fine but I definitely ended up preferring the almost-spooky-horror-ish element over everything else.
Not my favourite Armstrong but certainly not mad about it. Also I'm very curious for the companion novel to follow!
Not my favourite Armstrong but certainly not mad about it. Also I'm very curious for the companion novel to follow!
March 17, 2024
A sweeping, romantic story of love across time, time slips, ghosts, and hauntings! I loved this book, with its twisty mysteries and seductive romance. Great read!
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. See full review at .
Review copy courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. See full review at .
April 11, 2021
A young modern girl living in a restored Victorian mansion in England inadvertently finds a way to time travel to the 19th century where she finds solace and companionship in the friendship with a young lord of the same manor. The home it seems has a portal to the past that only she can use. Over many subsequent summers, Bronwyn and William, form a lasting bond. As teenagers they fall in love but are separated by a tragic event that forces her to flee her home for many years. Thus sets the stage for Bronwyn's return in her mid thirties to reclaim her ancestral home upon inheritance and to find William again. A Stitch in Time is a strange mismash of time travel, historical romance, mystery, Gothic, and ghost story, and I ended up feeling that it never quite coalesces into a cohesive narrative. One result is that for much of the book, there are distinctly different tales being told.
I'll start with the ghost narrative since that perhaps constitutes the largest segment of this book. I've been much spoiled by Simone St. James to find the ghost story here particularly groundbreaking. Bronwyn has always been able to see dead people living in the house and on the grounds of Thorne Manor. We don't really know why she is singled out for this skill in life. In any case, the Victorian ghosts wander hallways and hover in doorways; they float around the property at will, and from time to time, they try to communicate with Bronwyn, who is preternaturally at ease with their presence in her modern life. However, one of the ghosts is particularly malevolent and causes a tragedy that puts Brownyn into a downward spiral for many years. Brownyn's connection with ghosts is something that she alone contends with since no one really believes her, including her lover, William, who is firmly opposed to supernatural nonsense and anti-rational thinking. So, what does the ghost narrative have to do with the romance? For that, we need to wait until the final chapters, creating in effect a very lopsided story.
The historical romance here - the center that holds the entire novel together - is serviceable. William is a stereotypical dashing, yet sullen and reserved Gothic hero. Multiple unexplained deaths and missing people on his estate lay the groundwork for village gossip that the mad lord of Thorne Manor is a serial killer. Only Bronwyn, his mysterious 21st-century lover, sees the real William - dreamy, shy, responsible, considerate, great in bed, etc. She finds her way back to him via the portal and they pick up where they left off before she vanished as a young woman. But while the romance is fine, I had questions about the author's attempts to create a feminist Victorian hero who is happy that his lover has a career of her own and wants independence for days and even months to travel around in the 21st century fulfilling her academic duties as a history professor.
Time travel in this book presents maybe the most laborious aspect of the author trying to use a clunky plot device to create obstacles for the main couple. There are many rules about how Bronwyn can travel through the "stitch in time," and some of the rules are quite obviously flimsy and illogical. William, for unexplained reasons, cannot travel to the 21st century, though he assures Bronwyn that if he could, he would happily give up his 19th-century customs and adapt to her needs. Despite the author's nods to historical accuracy, at times the couple's discussions of time travel feel more like a modern couple negotiating a long-distance relationship. The resolution of the ghost story, the time travel obstacles, and the romance's resolution solve some issues but create just as many in a conclusion that left me with raised eyebrows.
So, I'm rounding up and giving this three stars because I did enjoy trying to unravel the ghost mystery, and I ended up getting a number of hunches wrong in that respect. Otherwise, this book is not very memorable and there are better supernatural writers and much better historical romance writers writing today.
I'll start with the ghost narrative since that perhaps constitutes the largest segment of this book. I've been much spoiled by Simone St. James to find the ghost story here particularly groundbreaking. Bronwyn has always been able to see dead people living in the house and on the grounds of Thorne Manor. We don't really know why she is singled out for this skill in life. In any case, the Victorian ghosts wander hallways and hover in doorways; they float around the property at will, and from time to time, they try to communicate with Bronwyn, who is preternaturally at ease with their presence in her modern life. However, one of the ghosts is particularly malevolent and causes a tragedy that puts Brownyn into a downward spiral for many years. Brownyn's connection with ghosts is something that she alone contends with since no one really believes her, including her lover, William, who is firmly opposed to supernatural nonsense and anti-rational thinking. So, what does the ghost narrative have to do with the romance? For that, we need to wait until the final chapters, creating in effect a very lopsided story.
The historical romance here - the center that holds the entire novel together - is serviceable. William is a stereotypical dashing, yet sullen and reserved Gothic hero. Multiple unexplained deaths and missing people on his estate lay the groundwork for village gossip that the mad lord of Thorne Manor is a serial killer. Only Bronwyn, his mysterious 21st-century lover, sees the real William - dreamy, shy, responsible, considerate, great in bed, etc. She finds her way back to him via the portal and they pick up where they left off before she vanished as a young woman. But while the romance is fine, I had questions about the author's attempts to create a feminist Victorian hero who is happy that his lover has a career of her own and wants independence for days and even months to travel around in the 21st century fulfilling her academic duties as a history professor.
Time travel in this book presents maybe the most laborious aspect of the author trying to use a clunky plot device to create obstacles for the main couple. There are many rules about how Bronwyn can travel through the "stitch in time," and some of the rules are quite obviously flimsy and illogical. William, for unexplained reasons, cannot travel to the 21st century, though he assures Bronwyn that if he could, he would happily give up his 19th-century customs and adapt to her needs. Despite the author's nods to historical accuracy, at times the couple's discussions of time travel feel more like a modern couple negotiating a long-distance relationship. The resolution of the ghost story, the time travel obstacles, and the romance's resolution solve some issues but create just as many in a conclusion that left me with raised eyebrows.
So, I'm rounding up and giving this three stars because I did enjoy trying to unravel the ghost mystery, and I ended up getting a number of hunches wrong in that respect. Otherwise, this book is not very memorable and there are better supernatural writers and much better historical romance writers writing today.
October 17, 2020
I really liked this story with ghosts, a mystery, and a romance that reaches across time. I was enchanted by both leads, a widowed college professor who inherits an haunted old English manor - part of her charm is her love for the place and her comfort with herself - and the English Lord she's been slipping through time to visit since they were children - he is intense but also very appealing. They have such a strong connection, even outside the physical, and that made the romance special. And I thought the mystery was well done too and wrapped up well.
I look forward to the follow on short out in November and a second book coming next year.
I look forward to the follow on short out in November and a second book coming next year.
September 6, 2021
This review was originally posted on
4.5 hearts
A Stitch in Time is the first book of the series. It is a gothic romance set in the Thorne Manor house in present day and a time 200 years ago. There are murders to be solved and ghosts whose motivations are not quite known. It isn't often a time travel book works for me, but in this context it really does. The mystery, the romance and even the time shifting add to the entire experience.
Bronwyn hasn't been back to Thorne Manor since the summer she was fifteen. That was the summer she fell in love with a boy from the past and lost her Uncle to a tragic accident. Now she is a widow and has just returned to a house she has inherited almost twenty years later. There are ghosts in the house and they are trying to speak to Bronwyn or maybe they are trying to hurt her. She also thought it was maybe a dream in the past, the boy she fell in love with, but he is there 200 years ago and she has just fallen back into the past to see the man he has become.
I had a great time in this story. It is almost a blend of the gothic feel of Withering Heights and the mystery So I Married an Ax Murderer. But it totally works. There are some rumors surrounding William, Bronwyn must decipher for herself if the boy she knew so long ago is capable of murder. With a mystery to solve and a love to rebuild, I was engaged in this story the entire time. I also love it when I don't figure out the mystery until the end and I will have to say I was kept in suspense the entire time. A fun read for both romantics and suspense buffs.
Narration:
Samantha Brentmoor is a new to me narrator. She did a good job at capturing the gothic feel of the novel and adding a feeling of suspense when needed. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
4.5 hearts
A Stitch in Time is the first book of the series. It is a gothic romance set in the Thorne Manor house in present day and a time 200 years ago. There are murders to be solved and ghosts whose motivations are not quite known. It isn't often a time travel book works for me, but in this context it really does. The mystery, the romance and even the time shifting add to the entire experience.
Bronwyn hasn't been back to Thorne Manor since the summer she was fifteen. That was the summer she fell in love with a boy from the past and lost her Uncle to a tragic accident. Now she is a widow and has just returned to a house she has inherited almost twenty years later. There are ghosts in the house and they are trying to speak to Bronwyn or maybe they are trying to hurt her. She also thought it was maybe a dream in the past, the boy she fell in love with, but he is there 200 years ago and she has just fallen back into the past to see the man he has become.
I had a great time in this story. It is almost a blend of the gothic feel of Withering Heights and the mystery So I Married an Ax Murderer. But it totally works. There are some rumors surrounding William, Bronwyn must decipher for herself if the boy she knew so long ago is capable of murder. With a mystery to solve and a love to rebuild, I was engaged in this story the entire time. I also love it when I don't figure out the mystery until the end and I will have to say I was kept in suspense the entire time. A fun read for both romantics and suspense buffs.
Narration:
Samantha Brentmoor is a new to me narrator. She did a good job at capturing the gothic feel of the novel and adding a feeling of suspense when needed. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
January 24, 2021
3.5
I kind of suspected this might be a Kelley Armstrong I liked a little less, but I ALSO heard about the time traveling kitten which I OBVIOUSLY I had to know about. Anyway, it was fine! The reunited childhood sweethearts is a trope that rarely works for me, but I did like that Bronwyn had had a relationship in between and it was respected.
Wasn't suuuper into the mystery aspect of this?
In terms of the next book--
Anyway, this is also one of those books I felt a bit meh about it when I finished it, but kept thinking about it afterwards, so. 3.5! (5 for the kitten, of course!)
I kind of suspected this might be a Kelley Armstrong I liked a little less, but I ALSO heard about the time traveling kitten which I OBVIOUSLY I had to know about. Anyway, it was fine! The reunited childhood sweethearts is a trope that rarely works for me, but I did like that Bronwyn had had a relationship in between and it was respected.
Wasn't suuuper into the mystery aspect of this?
In terms of the next book--
Anyway, this is also one of those books I felt a bit meh about it when I finished it, but kept thinking about it afterwards, so. 3.5! (5 for the kitten, of course!)
June 15, 2023
It's a gothic murder mystery with ghosts and time travel and NO double standards.
I loved it!
The MCs are now 38 but they have known each other for over 30 years... over 100 years ago.
Now Bronwyn has inherited the Victorian Manor where it all took place, and it's infested with ghosts that won't leave her alone.
Like most ghosts stories, Bronwyn needs to find out who the ghosts are and how they died to help them into the hereafter. But not all the ghosts are keen to be helped. And what does William, her childhood friend and teenage love, know about these ghosts?
I loved how their reunion 23 years after they were estranged, was brought about by a wee kitten that tumbled from his time to hers. The kitten weaves a sweet thread through the whole story.
The mystery was well done. I did not guess it early even though for a while I was sure I knew who it was.
The ghosts were suitably spooky and enigmatic for most the story but near the end they became more like 'Ghostbuster' ghosts. Which was a little silly I thought. But that's the only complaint I have.
Safety is fine. No double standards here!
I loved it!
The MCs are now 38 but they have known each other for over 30 years... over 100 years ago.
Now Bronwyn has inherited the Victorian Manor where it all took place, and it's infested with ghosts that won't leave her alone.
Like most ghosts stories, Bronwyn needs to find out who the ghosts are and how they died to help them into the hereafter. But not all the ghosts are keen to be helped. And what does William, her childhood friend and teenage love, know about these ghosts?
I loved how their reunion 23 years after they were estranged, was brought about by a wee kitten that tumbled from his time to hers. The kitten weaves a sweet thread through the whole story.
The mystery was well done. I did not guess it early even though for a while I was sure I knew who it was.
The ghosts were suitably spooky and enigmatic for most the story but near the end they became more like 'Ghostbuster' ghosts. Which was a little silly I thought. But that's the only complaint I have.
Safety is fine. No double standards here!
October 20, 2021
Kelley Armstrong is primarily known as a writer of thrillers and suspense novels, so a timeslip paranormal with a distinctly gothic-y feel about it is something of a departure for her. A Stitch in Time, set in and around an old manor house on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, is an entertaining mash-up of time-travel and paranormal romance, and although I have a few reservations, they didn’t impact on my overall enjoyment of the story.
Thirty-eight-year-old Bronwyn Dale, a history professor at the University of Toronto, returns to England for the first time in twenty-three years in order to take possession of Thorne Manor, the house in which she spent many of her childhood summers, which has been bequeathed to her by her recently deceased aunt. The house holds many happy memories for Bronwyn, but unfortunately, her final memory of it is a horrific one. Aged fifteen, she witnessed the tragic death of her beloved Uncle Stan, who fell to his death from a balcony, and was so deeply traumatised by it that she hasn’t set foot in the place since.
It’s clear from the beginning, however, that this is only the barest of bones of the story of Bronwyn’s association with Thorne Manor. Ever since she was a small child, she was somehow able to slip back in time, where she met William Thorne, a boy her own age, and the son of the house. Every summer when Bronwyn visited, she spent as much time with William as she could, never thinking to conceal the truth of where she came from (as a young child it never occurred to her to do so), and William never questioning the truth of her assertion that she came from the future. After her parents� divorce, she wasn’t able to visit for a decade, but when she was fifteen, she did go back - and her friendship with William started to become something more. But their burgeoning romance was shattered by the death of Bronwyn’s uncle who, she insisted, she had seen pushed to his death by a ghost � a veiled woman all in black. When Bronwyn was found, crying and screaming by her uncle’s body, babbling about ghosts and a boy from the past, she was whisked her away and effectively committed to a mental health facility where the doctors explained her stories as the hallucinations of a vivid imagination, and the boy she’d fallen in love with as nothing more than the desperately needed imaginary friend of an only child who’d spent her summers in an isolated country house.
Bronwyn never forgot William, even though she now accepts he � and the ghosts � were all in her head. But being back at the Manor brings back so many memories of William and their time together that she starts to wonder if it any of it had been real � a question answered when she awakens one morning to find herself in an unfamiliar bed beside an unfamiliar man with a very familiar voice.
I don’t want to give away too much about the plot, so I’ll just say that the mystery revolves around the ghosts Bronwyn sees both inside the house and out on the moors. The veiled woman appears to Bronwyn and lets her know that she wants her � Bronwyn � to find out who killed her - and with the help of the caretaker’s wife, who is something of an expert on local history and folklore, Bronwyn begins to untangle a one-hundred-and-seventy-year-old mystery about the deaths of two young women and a boy who disappeared on the moors. Or did they? And what, exactly, is William’s involvement in all this? In the present day, stories and rumours abound about the “Mad Lord of the Moors�, who is reputed to have killed a number of young women � and even in William’s day, it seems there was unsavoury gossip about him. Just how well does Bronwyn really know this man � once the the boy she’d loved, and now a man with secrets.
Ms. Armstrong does a great job of setting the scene in the first half of the book, and of giving us time to get to know Bronwyn and William and watch them falling in love all over again. Their romance is nicely done; their connection is strong right from the start, and it’s easy to believe that they’ve never forgotten each other and that their rekindled feelings are genuine.
There are some wonderfully creepy moments throughout the book, but they’re used sparingly to start with, which makes them all the more spooky when they do occur. Then in the last quarter of the book, the author turns everything upside down and makes us doubt � alongside Bronwyn � all the things we’ve worked out so far. And I didn’t guess the identity of the villain of the piece until the very last moment before the reveal.
As to those quibbles I mentioned� well, we don’t ever know why Bronwyn is able to see ghosts and travel through time, she just IS; and the ‘rules� that apply to the time travel are pretty flimsy. For reasons that are never explained, it only goes one way and William isn’t able to travel to the twenty-first century. I liked William as a hero a great deal � he’s charming and sweet and a bit shy � but he’s also just a bit too good to be true and feels too modern in his outlook, especially when it comes to his having no problem with the woman he loves needing to be away for weeks and months at a time to pursue her career. The author does go some way to explaining William’s unconventionality, but it felt a bit contrived. And the reasons given as to why William and Bronwyn can’t be together in the long term don’t make much sense; it seemed like they were negotiating a long-distance relationship rather than talking about how to be together ‘across time� and I didn’t really buy that whole ‘I can’t move to another country to be with him� thing that was Bronwyn’s stumbling block, especially as her late husband had done exactly that.
But those things aside, I did enjoy the ghost story and the romance, and would certainly recommend A Stitch in Time to anyone looking for a hauntingly atmospheric, sexy and spooky read this Halloween season!
Thirty-eight-year-old Bronwyn Dale, a history professor at the University of Toronto, returns to England for the first time in twenty-three years in order to take possession of Thorne Manor, the house in which she spent many of her childhood summers, which has been bequeathed to her by her recently deceased aunt. The house holds many happy memories for Bronwyn, but unfortunately, her final memory of it is a horrific one. Aged fifteen, she witnessed the tragic death of her beloved Uncle Stan, who fell to his death from a balcony, and was so deeply traumatised by it that she hasn’t set foot in the place since.
It’s clear from the beginning, however, that this is only the barest of bones of the story of Bronwyn’s association with Thorne Manor. Ever since she was a small child, she was somehow able to slip back in time, where she met William Thorne, a boy her own age, and the son of the house. Every summer when Bronwyn visited, she spent as much time with William as she could, never thinking to conceal the truth of where she came from (as a young child it never occurred to her to do so), and William never questioning the truth of her assertion that she came from the future. After her parents� divorce, she wasn’t able to visit for a decade, but when she was fifteen, she did go back - and her friendship with William started to become something more. But their burgeoning romance was shattered by the death of Bronwyn’s uncle who, she insisted, she had seen pushed to his death by a ghost � a veiled woman all in black. When Bronwyn was found, crying and screaming by her uncle’s body, babbling about ghosts and a boy from the past, she was whisked her away and effectively committed to a mental health facility where the doctors explained her stories as the hallucinations of a vivid imagination, and the boy she’d fallen in love with as nothing more than the desperately needed imaginary friend of an only child who’d spent her summers in an isolated country house.
Bronwyn never forgot William, even though she now accepts he � and the ghosts � were all in her head. But being back at the Manor brings back so many memories of William and their time together that she starts to wonder if it any of it had been real � a question answered when she awakens one morning to find herself in an unfamiliar bed beside an unfamiliar man with a very familiar voice.
I don’t want to give away too much about the plot, so I’ll just say that the mystery revolves around the ghosts Bronwyn sees both inside the house and out on the moors. The veiled woman appears to Bronwyn and lets her know that she wants her � Bronwyn � to find out who killed her - and with the help of the caretaker’s wife, who is something of an expert on local history and folklore, Bronwyn begins to untangle a one-hundred-and-seventy-year-old mystery about the deaths of two young women and a boy who disappeared on the moors. Or did they? And what, exactly, is William’s involvement in all this? In the present day, stories and rumours abound about the “Mad Lord of the Moors�, who is reputed to have killed a number of young women � and even in William’s day, it seems there was unsavoury gossip about him. Just how well does Bronwyn really know this man � once the the boy she’d loved, and now a man with secrets.
Ms. Armstrong does a great job of setting the scene in the first half of the book, and of giving us time to get to know Bronwyn and William and watch them falling in love all over again. Their romance is nicely done; their connection is strong right from the start, and it’s easy to believe that they’ve never forgotten each other and that their rekindled feelings are genuine.
There are some wonderfully creepy moments throughout the book, but they’re used sparingly to start with, which makes them all the more spooky when they do occur. Then in the last quarter of the book, the author turns everything upside down and makes us doubt � alongside Bronwyn � all the things we’ve worked out so far. And I didn’t guess the identity of the villain of the piece until the very last moment before the reveal.
As to those quibbles I mentioned� well, we don’t ever know why Bronwyn is able to see ghosts and travel through time, she just IS; and the ‘rules� that apply to the time travel are pretty flimsy. For reasons that are never explained, it only goes one way and William isn’t able to travel to the twenty-first century. I liked William as a hero a great deal � he’s charming and sweet and a bit shy � but he’s also just a bit too good to be true and feels too modern in his outlook, especially when it comes to his having no problem with the woman he loves needing to be away for weeks and months at a time to pursue her career. The author does go some way to explaining William’s unconventionality, but it felt a bit contrived. And the reasons given as to why William and Bronwyn can’t be together in the long term don’t make much sense; it seemed like they were negotiating a long-distance relationship rather than talking about how to be together ‘across time� and I didn’t really buy that whole ‘I can’t move to another country to be with him� thing that was Bronwyn’s stumbling block, especially as her late husband had done exactly that.
But those things aside, I did enjoy the ghost story and the romance, and would certainly recommend A Stitch in Time to anyone looking for a hauntingly atmospheric, sexy and spooky read this Halloween season!
January 19, 2021
4.5 / 5 stars
A Stitch in Time is book one of the Thorne Manor trilogy. This is a Victorian time travel mystery romance. And I loved it!
Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. But I really had no idea what to expect from this book. I don't really love historical romance. And I don't read a lot of time travel books. But this book was everything. There are ghosts. There is a mystery. There is romance. And there is time travel. And I loved it all.
The narrator is Bronwyn Dale (1st person POV). The book takes place in the UK.
Bronwyn is a 38 year old widow. She is a professor in Toronto. And is spending the summer at Thorne Manor, a house that she recently inherited.
The last time that she visited Thorne Manor she was a 15 year old girl. But something happened with a boy named William.
Even though this book involves time travel, it felt like a contemporary read to me for the most part. I prefer contemporary vs fantasy. And somehow the author has written something that feels so real. This book was charming and captivating and I enjoyed it so much.
The mystery was really good. And it was completely solved by the end of the book.
Overall, this was such a unique, romantic, mysterious book that I found completely compelling. Book two is called a Twist of Fate. It focuses on different characters. I'm not sure how I feel about this as I really wanted more of Bronwyn. But I'm sure it will be equally wonderful.
A Stitch in Time is book one of the Thorne Manor trilogy. This is a Victorian time travel mystery romance. And I loved it!
Kelley Armstrong is my favorite author. But I really had no idea what to expect from this book. I don't really love historical romance. And I don't read a lot of time travel books. But this book was everything. There are ghosts. There is a mystery. There is romance. And there is time travel. And I loved it all.
The narrator is Bronwyn Dale (1st person POV). The book takes place in the UK.
Bronwyn is a 38 year old widow. She is a professor in Toronto. And is spending the summer at Thorne Manor, a house that she recently inherited.
The last time that she visited Thorne Manor she was a 15 year old girl. But something happened with a boy named William.
Even though this book involves time travel, it felt like a contemporary read to me for the most part. I prefer contemporary vs fantasy. And somehow the author has written something that feels so real. This book was charming and captivating and I enjoyed it so much.
The mystery was really good. And it was completely solved by the end of the book.
Overall, this was such a unique, romantic, mysterious book that I found completely compelling. Book two is called a Twist of Fate. It focuses on different characters. I'm not sure how I feel about this as I really wanted more of Bronwyn. But I'm sure it will be equally wonderful.
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