Book review: A Stitch in Time by Amanda James
17 Apr
A stitch in time saves nine …or does it?
Sarah Yates is a thirty-something history teacher, divorced, disillusioned and desperate to have more excitement in her life. Making all her dreams come true seems about as likely as climbing Everest in stilettos.
Then one evening the doorbell rings and the handsome and mysterious John Needler brings more excitement than Sarah could ever have imagined. John wants Sarah to go back in time …
Sarah is whisked from the Sheffield Blitz to the suffragette movement in London to the Old American West, trying to make sure people find their happy endings. The only question is, will she ever be able to find hers?
Choc Lit is already one of my favourite romance publishers but I think they’ve really excelled themselves with this debut from Amanda James. Described as a ‘Time travel rom-com’, A Stitch in Time cleverly combines three of my favourite genres: romance, historical fiction and fantasy to create a brilliant and original read.
From the very first page I was drawn into Sarah’s world and with a story full of variety and pace, this book held my attention completely right to the end. Sarah lives in Sheffiekd and works as a history teacher. As we meet her she makes a discovery that completely destroys two of her closest relationships and makes her question everything about her life. In the midst of the crisis a man called John turns up on her doorstep and tells her that she’s a ‘stitch’ and he’s there to guide her as she travels back in time to save a number of special people.
Naturally, Sarah thinks she’s having some sort of breakdown as she tries to make sense of the implications of John’s bombshell but before she has too much time to worry she’s catapulted into the Sheffield Blitz on her first mission. I loved Sarah’s reactions as she grappled with her new abilities and role and while this is obviously a fantasy novel, it actually felt very believable and made me love Sarah as a character even more because I could see the logic of her actions and reactions.
Amanda James puts a brilliant spin on time travel in this novel, gradually building up a quite complex and fascinating picture of the ins and outs of visiting the past and I loved the way she took well known time-related phrases and gave them new meanings. The historical elements of the plot are well researched and written, immediately giving a sense of time and place and although each episode is fairly short, I loved all the little details that were incorporated. I also enjoyed the variety the time travel element gave the plot with Sarah going on missions to Sheffield during the Blitz, Edwardian London and the prairies of the American West.
The romance element of the novel is also excellent and I loved the build up of tension between John and Sarah. Their relationship would be complex enough given their emotional baggage but with the added complexities of the Needle/Stitch relationship, the drama and chemistry really notched up a level and I couldn’t wait to find out what the outcome would be for them.
I hope Amanda James chooses to write a sequel or even a series based around Sarah’s adventures as I could happily read about them all day. This is the perfect book for those looking for a nice twist on both contemporary and historical romance and an ideal first step for those wanting to try something a little different in their romance reading.
5/5
A Stitch in Time is out now in paperback and ebook formats.
Find out more about Amanda James and her writing at: http://mandykjameswrites.blogspot.co.uk/
I’d like to thank the publisher for sending me a review copy of this book.
Sounds really unique. Hope to read sometime soon.
I love that this book sounds incredibly different from anything I’ve ever read! The mix of genres is already fascinating to me, as I like them both. I think the idea of the Needle and the Stitch just seems to be very, very special. I can’t wait to check this one out!