RT Convention Edition: Review: Time Between Us
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Review by Ursula
| 5 out of 5 stars |
This book swept me off my feet. I don’t think I’ve read a book about time traveling until now, it’s usually not what I go for because the trying to figure out which came first the chicken or the egg dilemma drives me insane LOL! But Anna and Bennett’s story was very hard to resist, Tamara broke my heart and stitched it back up.
Can I first mention that Anna and her best friend Emma are huge Pearl Jam fans? That alone was enough to get me hooked, and then there are verses of Corduroy? WHAT!? One of my very favorite Pearl Jam songs ever!
If you read the synopsis and think that you have this book all figured out: think again. I had no idea what was awaiting me.
Anna and Bennett were not suppose to ever meet because not only were they in two different parts of the country, they were also born 16 years apart. It’s one of those things were you ask yourself how can this be happening? If he hadn’t shown up in the first place, then a set of events wouldn’t have taken place but then those events are what make him show up in the first place, like I said, chicken and the egg dilemma ha!
This is a straight up love story, no super popular cheerleader, no beautiful nerd that underestimates her seductive potential; no football star coveted by all the girls in the school and more importantly NO love triangle. A love story that I could easily see happen (well less the time traveling of course). Just a boy and a girl falling in love, and the heartache of losing each other.
Bennett has set rules as to what he can do with his gift and what he constitutes crossing invisible lines that could be more detrimental than good, but soon there is a devastating accident and he will face having to make a decision and choose whether he should stick to his rules or go back in time and do it over. The consequences of this could be far reaching, not only to those involved but what it will mean as far as his relationship with Anna is concerned.
Life in Evanston for Bennett is uncertain because he really doesn’t know how long he will be able to stay there before life knocks him back to where he should really be, so each day he is able to stay with Anna is renewed hope. There is a line in the book that resonated with me as soon as I saw it and I think I always kept it in mind because I knew that eventually it would be important.
“Testing fate, toying with it, may not have any obvious impact at first, but eventually something has to backfire.”
And backfire it does! The search for how to make it right and not lose what they have, and in turn spend a lifetime waiting and hoping had me at the edge of my seat!
I very much appreciated the simplicity of the time traveling logistics. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this story as much if I had to concentrate in trying to keep dates and places in order. Most of the story takes place back when Anna was 16 and in high school so there is no back and forth in time to confuse you and distract you from what was important, in this case the love story.
Tamara doesn’t really explain why and how Bennett is able to travel in time and space but to be completely honest I don’t really find myself longing for an explanation, I don’t think that finding out the whys would have added to the story.
I didn’t expect the ending, I wasn’t sure whether we would have a happy ending, a cliff hanger or not so happy ending and I didn’t get to find out until I reached that point and I’m happy with the course Tamara took to end this book.
If you are in the mood for good drama-free contemporary love story then Time Between Us is a good choice.
Check out Pearl Jam’s Corduroy at Soldier Field 1995 (Anna and Emma’s very anticipated summer concert)
Make sure you guys say hi to staffers Ursula and Christina if you're joining the party at RT Booklover's Convention in NOLA this week!
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