Date of Reading: 25/04/2018
Author: Jo Noelle
From: The author through I am a Reader in lieu of an honest review
My Rating: 3.5/5
About the book:
Cora Rey wanted a fresh start in life, but being thrown back in time to 1850 isn’t how she expected to do that. She discovers that Victorian England isn’t the pleasant social whirl Jane Austen led her to believe, but when in Rome—or in this case Twickenham . . . She’s determined to have the vacation of a lifetime, especially in the company of a certain duke.
Simon Tuttle never expected to become the Duke of Hertfordshire, never wanted it, but now he is, and eligible women seeking a title consider him the next trophy to be taken in the marriage mart. A union of convenience is the most he hopes for due to the shame-filled secret he bears—until he meets Cora. Now, he imagines that a love match could be possible after all. Hiding his secret from society has been easy—hiding it from Cora proves impossible. Can Cora love a man like him despite learning the truth?
My Review:
I love time travels. Not that I have done any, but a girl can always dream. Just imagine meeting Jane Austen or Gregor Mendel for that matter (poor chap!) and telling them they are going to be quite famous after death. Awesome! Obviously, on the dark side, we could end up in a realm like that of the 'Outlander' which I am not so looking forward to.
So if you are like me, then this a definite pick to have in your TBR shelf. A kick-ass heroine (quite literally), a beautiful romance, a lot of fun and a bit of adventure -- that is what Jo Noelle offers. We will love Cora from the start. I was quite envious of her self-defense tactics; a damsel not in need of a man to protect her is quite rare even in our times.
On the other hand, some things could have been better. The story lacks a powerful villain capricious enough to make a crack in the relationship. Crossing over time periods is taken rather lightly (which is relaxing considering the agony I used to undergo on watching 'Flash'), but shouldn't there be a counter reaction to every action? But apart from this tiny weeny problem, we have a bunch of lovable characters and a stress-free reading.
Meet the author:
Jo Noelle grew up in Colorado and Utah but also spent time in Idaho and California. She has two adult children and three small kids. She teaches teachers and students about reading and writing, grows freakishly large tomatoes, enjoys cooking especially for desserts, builds furniture, sews beautiful dresses, and likes to go hiking in the nearby mountains. 
