Review: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone

Release Date: 25^th October

Huge thanks to Random House for sending me a copy to review

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett has the unique ability to travel through time and space, which brings him into Anna’s life, and with him a new world of adventure and possibility.
As their relationship deepens, the two face the reality that time may knock Bennett back to where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate, what consequences they can bear in order to stay together, and whether their love can stand the test of time.

When a book is compared to an all-time favourite of mine I tend to get a little bit nervous. ‘Time Between Us’ was billed as a young adult tale for fans of ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’, which I loved, so I was a little bit nervous going in as to whether it would live up to the hype and such a huge comparison. I shouldn’t have worried, Time Between Us is a beautiful, layered tale that more than compares to the heady comparison of The Time Traveller’s Wife.

It’s a beautiful tale that draws you in and weaves this gorgeous, soft and at time utterly heart breaking love story around you. Once I started I couldn’t put it down, it was such an engrossing story with a brilliant concept and a host of really well developed characters.

It’s in some ways a very slow and quiet story, but that in no way diminishes the impact the story will have on you. I found myself thinking about the concepts and the characters for days after I read it, and wanting to go back and re-read key passages.

Anna was a fantastic heroine, I loved her from the start, for her sense of self and determination, and I fell in love with Bennett along with her as she uncovered more about him, and as their bond deepened.

The time travel is unique and explained piece by piece to the reader the further into the story we got. I loved gradually unwrapping this mystery along with Anna and seeing how Bennett’s gift worked. I also loved that there were consequences, and whilst they weren’t quiet as gore and destruction filled as my imaginings of them, they were still powerful and heartbreaking. There was method to it and order, but that in no way diminished the emotional impact and my heart broke on several occasions whilst reading this book.

‘Time Between Us’ is a gorgeous standalone in a world that is peppered with series and trilogies. It’s filled with passion and love and a desperate struggle to overcome obstacles to find happiness. Quite simply put, I loved it, and I cannot wait for more people to discover it once it’s released in two days’ time.