Friday, October 15, 2010

HBIC Review: Out of Time

Out of Time: A Paranormal RomanceTitle: Out of Time
Author: Monique Martin
Page Count: 390 pages
Publisher:  I couldn't find this information
Genre: paranormal romance, time travel
Copy for review provided by the author in anticipation of an honest review

50 words or less: Maybe a trip to 1929 is all it will take to bring Simon and Elizabeth together to defeat a mobster/vampire, heal old wounds, conquer misunderstandings and mishaps, live a life of sin and decadence, and warp back to today to live happily ever after. Maybe.

Holy crap people.  If the Visine people are looking for a new spokesperson then sign me up, because I solemnly swear that I have not blinked at all for the past hour at least.  Why, you ask?  Because I've been reading Out of Time and this story had me by the throat and would not let go!

I don't even know how to quantify the awesomeness that is this story.  The main characters, Professor Simon and Elizabeth West, his exceptionally competent assistant, are authentic and engaging.  Their feelings and experiences rang so true, and their personalities were exceptionally well developed.  I found that while I didn't always agree with the things either of them thought or did, I understood completely why they were doing and thinking those things.  The consistency throughout the story was really well maintained and it made for an engrossing reading experience.

And the setting. THE SETTING! I've been reduced to sentence fragments, because my mind is so blown by the nuanced, detailed descriptions of New York in the 20s.  The author does an excellent job of integrating the modern-day characters into the historic period; their ability to adapt to the time period in a realistic way was enjoyable to read about, and while they did have a few little cultural misunderstandings (Elizabeth's jeans and t-shirt were not well received by onlookers in the 20s, suffice it to say) they weren't overly used for comic relief, which was nice.

No, the focus of the story is equally split between the romance between Simon and Elizabeth and all the twists and turns that make up the gnarly path they have to walk on the way to happily ever after, and the mystery surrounding Mr. Kashian King, a mobster with a twisted sense of honor and more than a few skeletons in his closet.  These two parallel stories collide in a way that makes for a really exciting ending and a whole lot of delicious drama for all parties involved.

Let's not forget the vocabulary, either.  There are times when the words in the story just flow together so effortlessly and the turns of phrase are so eloquent that I was completely engrossed.  I could go page by page and highlight a whole boatload of examples, but I think the experience is one everyone should enjoy independently.

I also wanted to share this little tidbit: Blog with Bite is giving away 2 copies of this book, and I highly recommend you go enter to win, because two of you will be very, very lucky, but even if you don't win, this book is $2.99 on Amazon.  I cannot begin to explain how incredible a deal this is.  I can honestly say that this is one of the most unique, emotional, engrossing stories I've had the privilege to read in quite awhile, and that's the gospel truth.  Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this story for yourself and prepare to be blown away.

Overall Grade: A+
BWB Rating: 4/4

6 comments:

ParaJunkee said...

I'm so glad you loved the book, Emily! Excellent review.

Emily said...

I've had really good luck with review books lately- this one seriously rocked!

K.C. May said...

Great review! I, too, LOVED this book!

Monique said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Monique said...

Sorry, previous comment was nonsensical so removed it. That's how excited I am. :-)

Seriously though. Thank you, Emily! I'm thrilled you enjoyed it.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

Now, I have to read this. Onto my wishlist it goes!