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lunalavinia's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
gillianw's review against another edition
1.0
DNF @ 45%
I'm just not feeling it with this one.
I think I've either really liked or really loved every other Tamara Allen book I've read (I can't say enough good things about Invitation To The Dance), but Downtime is killing me and I'm giving myself permission to stop reading. I'm entirely okay with saying that this book isn't for me because, quite frankly, you can't love them all.
I'm just not feeling it with this one.
I think I've either really liked or really loved every other Tamara Allen book I've read (I can't say enough good things about Invitation To The Dance), but Downtime is killing me and I'm giving myself permission to stop reading. I'm entirely okay with saying that this book isn't for me because, quite frankly, you can't love them all.
linda_1410's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
3.5 stars
I wanted to reread this one for my review project because I knew for a long time it didn't really deserve the 5 star rating I initially gave it (that ending is enough to make you forgive a lot that came before, lol), and there was a lot I didn't quite remember. I also had the good fortune of reading this with Elena and Rosa for a BR, and as always, they made the experience ten times more fun than it would have been to read it alone.
Anyway, I figured I'd drop this to 4 stars, but in the end it did have a few more issues that dropped it down to 3.5 stars. Though if I were in the habit of rounding up for half-stars, I still think this one would deserve the round up just based on how much I came to care about what happened to the characters.
It has to be said that this was Allen's first book, and it really does show. It's a bit too long and takes way too long to get to the Ripper part of the story. Also, there's a Ripper part of the story. The time travel aspect has a certain <i>Back to the Future 2</i> farcical tone to it - not to be taking too seriously at all, if you go by the characters' reactions, which were basically non-existent.
Morgan is an idiot - there's no kind way to say it, lol - and if left to his own devices would've gotten himself killed within two minutes of landing in 1888 because the man has no undercover skills to speak of, despite being in the FBI. As a detective, no less. He's a lovable idiot by the end - he does manage to grow up a bit during all this - but to say he's hardheaded and self-assured is putting it mildly. Still, he has good parts too, and seeing his and Ezra's relationship develop was the best part of this. Ezra's a sweetheart and the other side characters really shine here too, even Henry now and then.
But honestly, Morgan's characterization especially makes little sense.He just time traveled more than a hundred years in the past because someone spoke Latin in front of the books, but he doesn't even take two seconds to consider that maybe, possibly, psychics are real. Especially when said psychic is the one who brought him back through time, albeit by accident. Morgan then proceeds to befriend an underage girl, talk about electric razors and cars and moon landings, and attempts to catch The Ripper despite supposedly being concerned about changing the past. The other characters make some questionable decisions too. Like, if I read from a book and pulled someone back through time, I wouldn't then re-shelve the book in the archives and not even remember what it was called! I'd hang onto that thing. Oh, and how does Morgan know how to make coffee using 19th-century equipment, much less make toast without burning down the entire house? I doubt his ability to make toast with a modern-day toaster, lol. It was only the other characters, especially Ezra, having gentle fun at Morgan's expense that made any of that tolerable. At least the author is aware of how absurd her main character is! And despite everything, he does grow on you by the end.
(OMG. Morgan is the Jory of time travel.) 😲😂
Yet despite the slow start and lackadaisical attention to details, this is still well-written and Allen shows her potential here in spades, especially in writing characters you can care about. Please, if this was your first book by this author and you were underwhelmed, give her later books a try. You shouldn't be disappointed.
I wanted to reread this one for my review project because I knew for a long time it didn't really deserve the 5 star rating I initially gave it (that ending is enough to make you forgive a lot that came before, lol), and there was a lot I didn't quite remember. I also had the good fortune of reading this with Elena and Rosa for a BR, and as always, they made the experience ten times more fun than it would have been to read it alone.
Anyway, I figured I'd drop this to 4 stars, but in the end it did have a few more issues that dropped it down to 3.5 stars. Though if I were in the habit of rounding up for half-stars, I still think this one would deserve the round up just based on how much I came to care about what happened to the characters.
It has to be said that this was Allen's first book, and it really does show. It's a bit too long and takes way too long to get to the Ripper part of the story. Also, there's a Ripper part of the story. The time travel aspect has a certain <i>Back to the Future 2</i> farcical tone to it - not to be taking too seriously at all, if you go by the characters' reactions, which were basically non-existent.
Morgan is an idiot - there's no kind way to say it, lol - and if left to his own devices would've gotten himself killed within two minutes of landing in 1888 because the man has no undercover skills to speak of, despite being in the FBI. As a detective, no less. He's a lovable idiot by the end - he does manage to grow up a bit during all this - but to say he's hardheaded and self-assured is putting it mildly. Still, he has good parts too, and seeing his and Ezra's relationship develop was the best part of this. Ezra's a sweetheart and the other side characters really shine here too, even Henry now and then.
But honestly, Morgan's characterization especially makes little sense.
(OMG. Morgan is the Jory of time travel.) 😲😂
Yet despite the slow start and lackadaisical attention to details, this is still well-written and Allen shows her potential here in spades, especially in writing characters you can care about. Please, if this was your first book by this author and you were underwhelmed, give her later books a try. You shouldn't be disappointed.
raynebair's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised with this one. I am not a fan of historical romance, but this one actually kept me interested. Maybe Tamara's writing style played a part. Or maybe the Ripper history, something that, as morbid as it is, fascinates me for some strange reason. Perhaps it was because it was a time travel with one of the MC a modern day American. I don't know exactly what grabbed me, but I really enjoyed this story. It was different from your typical Victorian romance, and I think that helped a lot in my enjoyment of the story. I'm a sucker for time travel, even if that means historical romance is involved.
birdloveranne's review against another edition
5.0
This book was fantastic. Well written, wonderful characters, and so believable. I loved the ending, also.
shion14's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
tricia03053's review against another edition
5.0
This one held my interest. Plot could easily have been a hackneyed cliche, but instead it was wonderful. the characters are riveting, flawed and human. Allen must have done decent research in the Victorian era to present a story so vivid and believable. I'll be buying her other two novels now.
wildfaeriecaps's review against another edition
5.0
I do not have the words to adequately tell you how much I LOVED this book. Wow. Just wow. Time travel/stuck-out-of-time stories aren't my thing. At all. I kind of generally hate them. But this one? I don't know, something about it just really worked for me. It was so easy to fall in love with the characters and boarders at Miss Neilan's. Ezra was just the best and *wistful sigh* look, I just really adored this whole book.
eacolgan's review against another edition
4.0
This book is like if [b:Outlander|10964|Outlander (Outlander, #1)|Diana Gabaldon|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1304187141s/10964.jpg|2489796] were about two guys falling in love while they try to catch Jack the Ripper in Victorian London instead of a guy and a girl falling in love while they try to survive life and war in medieval Scotland. It is technically a romance novel, which I don't usually read, mostly because I really prefer my romance novels heavy on the plot and romance, not on the sex, and those are difficult to come by. But Downtime hit all the right notes in all the right measures. I loved Morgan to death, both as a character and as a narrator, and I absolutely couldn't help falling in love with Ezra right along with him. The book was really funny in a warm and real way, and the supporting cast were wonderful. I really liked the subplots-- they didn't feel like filler-- and actually, overall the amount of plot in this book is what made it for me. I am usually too much of a book snob to read romance novels because I hate stories with no plot. There is literally nothing worse to me in a novel, especially one with a gay love story, than a flimsy premise; this is especially true of the "I can't tell him/her how I feel, s/he can't possibly be gay!" variety (not that that can't be used to good effect, but it just so often isn't). So it was awesome that both the main characters were aware of their sexuality and open, if carefully so, about it. It felt accurate to Ezra's time period and appropriate for a man in Morgan's profession, but never felt like the author was trying to drag it out or, conversely, trying to ignore social mores or period-sensitive issues in order to speed things up. And of course the whole "I'm a time traveler and have to go back home" thing helped keep everything from resolving neatly. Without giving away more of the plot than is already outlined in the summary, I will just say that I started this book looking for some light, fun reading, and ended up staying up until almost 2am two nights in a row so I could finish it. It was really lovely and wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a satisfying historical mystery with an awesome love story on the side.
books_and_cha's review against another edition
3.0
Having read Tamara Allen's Whistling in the Dark, I knew what to expect from this book in terms of writing, themes, and romance. Downtime did not disappoint, although I didn't love it as much as Whistling in the Dark.
When FBI Agent Morgan Nash gets stuck in Victorian London due to a spell gone unexpectedly right, he is not happy. This isn't a surprise, seeing as Morgan has been decidedly not happy since the book began. Snarky, tired, and perhaps lonelier than he realizes, Morgan is a grouch. He grouches in disbelief when he's pulled back through time, then grouches some more when he realizes that the 19th century isn't so great with heating, or electricity, or gay men (the last one, to be fair, is atrocious). When Ezra, one of the party who cast the spell - apologetic, kindly, accomodating Ezra - confesses that he can see the dead, Morgan decides he's a conman and is, on top of being unhappy, highly suspicious. Yes, readers, you're right: it can only go up from here. Morgan stumbles upon a newspaper article about Jack the Ripper and soon gets caught up trying to catch him. Meanwhile, Ezra's abilities seem more and more convincing, and soon Morgan finds that he's not only at risk of losing his sanity by believing him, but also his heart.
Downtime is an ambitious book. It is a romance, a historical novel, and a mystery, all wrapped in one. Most of these things, it does well. The romance is a slow, slow simmer that will have you aching for the fire. More importantly, the characters develop feelings at a pace that feels natural with the story and their relationship. The mystery arc was scattered throughout the novel, gaining more importance towards the end of the book. I thought they found a specific culprit for the crimes, but then that narrative also shifts due to the time-travel arc and in the end, I was left confused as to what actually happened. The time-travel aspect wasn't cohesively threaded through the narrative either. You begin by thinking it works because of a spell, but that only turns out to be half true. The last quarter of the book expounds on this, but not satisfactorily.
Like Whistling in the Dark, this book also features themes of found family, but not as strongly. For example, I felt that Hannah's character only existed for Morgan to protest against child labor. Their friendship, though a sweet gesture, felt shallow to me. On the other hand, Derry's affection for both Morgan and Ezra was genuine. The relationships between characters were developed unevenly.
Despite its flaws, Downtime was an absorbing, feel-good read. The murders were gruesome to read about, but for the most part, this was a heartwarming story.
When FBI Agent Morgan Nash gets stuck in Victorian London due to a spell gone unexpectedly right, he is not happy. This isn't a surprise, seeing as Morgan has been decidedly not happy since the book began. Snarky, tired, and perhaps lonelier than he realizes, Morgan is a grouch. He grouches in disbelief when he's pulled back through time, then grouches some more when he realizes that the 19th century isn't so great with heating, or electricity, or gay men (the last one, to be fair, is atrocious). When Ezra, one of the party who cast the spell - apologetic, kindly, accomodating Ezra - confesses that he can see the dead, Morgan decides he's a conman and is, on top of being unhappy, highly suspicious. Yes, readers, you're right: it can only go up from here. Morgan stumbles upon a newspaper article about Jack the Ripper and soon gets caught up trying to catch him. Meanwhile, Ezra's abilities seem more and more convincing, and soon Morgan finds that he's not only at risk of losing his sanity by believing him, but also his heart.
Downtime is an ambitious book. It is a romance, a historical novel, and a mystery, all wrapped in one. Most of these things, it does well. The romance is a slow, slow simmer that will have you aching for the fire. More importantly, the characters develop feelings at a pace that feels natural with the story and their relationship. The mystery arc was scattered throughout the novel, gaining more importance towards the end of the book. I thought they found a specific culprit for the crimes, but then that narrative also shifts due to the time-travel arc and in the end, I was left confused as to what actually happened. The time-travel aspect wasn't cohesively threaded through the narrative either. You begin by thinking it works because of a spell, but that only turns out to be half true. The last quarter of the book expounds on this, but not satisfactorily.
Like Whistling in the Dark, this book also features themes of found family, but not as strongly. For example, I felt that Hannah's character only existed for Morgan to protest against child labor. Their friendship, though a sweet gesture, felt shallow to me. On the other hand, Derry's affection for both Morgan and Ezra was genuine. The relationships between characters were developed unevenly.
Despite its flaws, Downtime was an absorbing, feel-good read. The murders were gruesome to read about, but for the most part, this was a heartwarming story.