You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
100pagesaday's review
4.0
Keigan is a pageboy at the college library, living a normal life with very little excitement. He is sent on an errand to pick up a book donation at an elderly gentleman’s house. One book that is donated looks extremely rare and unique; and the story that comes with it is even wilder. Keigan is told that the book has the ability to transport him back in time from the historical replica train station in town to the original Wishing Cross Station. Furthermore, Keigan is given very specific instructions and told that he should be the one to return the book back to its original time and close the time travel wormhole for good. This is easier said than done when Keigan accomplishes going back in time and discovers the mysteries of the Aurelia Belle and one very charming resident of Wishing Cross.
A quick and interesting journey back in time to a charming town. I really liked the idea of a train and train station being the medium for time travel. Although, how the time travel actually happens was never quite explained. It seems that no one really figured it out within the book either, which drove the decision to try and close the wormhole. I did like that everyone was very cautious of the time travel train and knew that it was inherently dangerous. Keigan is believable as a reluctant time traveler. He is wary of interfering with the time line and does everything possible to fit in. Even though, Keigan fails at not interfering just a bit when he meets the stationmasters daughter, Marigold, who holds the key to the mysteries of Wishing Cross past and present. Overall, Wishing Cross Station was a cute time travel novella, but with a slightly heartbreaking ending.
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
A quick and interesting journey back in time to a charming town. I really liked the idea of a train and train station being the medium for time travel. Although, how the time travel actually happens was never quite explained. It seems that no one really figured it out within the book either, which drove the decision to try and close the wormhole. I did like that everyone was very cautious of the time travel train and knew that it was inherently dangerous. Keigan is believable as a reluctant time traveler. He is wary of interfering with the time line and does everything possible to fit in. Even though, Keigan fails at not interfering just a bit when he meets the stationmasters daughter, Marigold, who holds the key to the mysteries of Wishing Cross past and present. Overall, Wishing Cross Station was a cute time travel novella, but with a slightly heartbreaking ending.
This book was provided for free in return for an honest review.
felinity's review
5.0
Keigan is tasked with investigating a mysterious book, part of a legacy donation to his community library, but soon finds himself an uncertain time traveler, dumped in the past with no control over his return and wholly dependent on the townspeople.
It reminded me a little of [b:Tesla's Attic|17197651|Tesla's Attic (Accelerati, #1)|Neal Shusterman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1384021423s/17197651.jpg|21361300] in inventiveness, but this is definitely targeted at the older end of the market and doesn't fit neatly into a genre. (Normally I'd count time travel as science fiction, but this seems to stay away from any science aspects, but you could safely call it historical fiction with a touch of romance and mystery, enabled by SF/F. Vague enough?)
The story itself is told with a certain grace. The simplicity of the words allows the characters to shine unhindered by prose, but don't underestimate the author's skill. I'll definitely be looking for more by [a:February Grace|5820076|February Grace|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1435173729p2/5820076.jpg].
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It reminded me a little of [b:Tesla's Attic|17197651|Tesla's Attic (Accelerati, #1)|Neal Shusterman|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1384021423s/17197651.jpg|21361300] in inventiveness, but this is definitely targeted at the older end of the market and doesn't fit neatly into a genre. (Normally I'd count time travel as science fiction, but this seems to stay away from any science aspects, but you could safely call it historical fiction with a touch of romance and mystery, enabled by SF/F. Vague enough?)
The story itself is told with a certain grace. The simplicity of the words allows the characters to shine unhindered by prose, but don't underestimate the author's skill. I'll definitely be looking for more by [a:February Grace|5820076|February Grace|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1435173729p2/5820076.jpg].
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
urlphantomhive's review
4.0
3.5 Stars
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Another one of my TBR bowl reads. I'm normally not much of a romance reader (even more so, I try to stay clear from the books that actually mention it as main genre because all other genres already seemed to have been packed with romance and I already got my fair share of romance reading that way, However, this was a time travel romance and it's very hard for me (if not impossible) to say no to time travel stories.
This specific time travel moves around a special train (the so called Special) who arrives every now and then to bring people back and forth between now and the 19th century. When Keigan finds a book that's quite literally not from this world, he's to take the Special and bring the book back.
I was pleasantly surprised by this short book. The story, luckily, didn't draw too heavily on the romance part and there even was a small mystery to uncover. There was however not that much on time travel either. This is not the kind of story that provides with a reason as to why it's happening nor what the exact rules of time travel are. Nevertheless, it kept me entertained and I quite enjoyed myself. All in all, better than I expected.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
Another one of my TBR bowl reads. I'm normally not much of a romance reader (even more so, I try to stay clear from the books that actually mention it as main genre because all other genres already seemed to have been packed with romance and I already got my fair share of romance reading that way, However, this was a time travel romance and it's very hard for me (if not impossible) to say no to time travel stories.
This specific time travel moves around a special train (the so called Special) who arrives every now and then to bring people back and forth between now and the 19th century. When Keigan finds a book that's quite literally not from this world, he's to take the Special and bring the book back.
I was pleasantly surprised by this short book. The story, luckily, didn't draw too heavily on the romance part and there even was a small mystery to uncover. There was however not that much on time travel either. This is not the kind of story that provides with a reason as to why it's happening nor what the exact rules of time travel are. Nevertheless, it kept me entertained and I quite enjoyed myself. All in all, better than I expected.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
dabieyo's review
4.0
"As Marigold sang, something changed inside of me. It wasn't a subtle, slight difference; it was massive, life-altering shock. It broke me down into nothing, burnt the rubble to ash, and rebuilt me into someone completely different."
This books broke my heart and I wasn't expecting it.
Beautifully written and, even though the plot was quite simple, powerful. I'm not a fan of romances, I always find them to be shallow but this time I got involved and I did really wish for a happy ending, the two main characters did deserve it so much.
I recommend this book to whomever needs a light read (this is only 153 pages long after all) but that at the same time will stuck with them for a long time.
I kindly received this book from its publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This books broke my heart and I wasn't expecting it.
Beautifully written and, even though the plot was quite simple, powerful. I'm not a fan of romances, I always find them to be shallow but this time I got involved and I did really wish for a happy ending, the two main characters did deserve it so much.
I recommend this book to whomever needs a light read (this is only 153 pages long after all) but that at the same time will stuck with them for a long time.
I kindly received this book from its publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
literaryfeline's review
3.0
Review originally published on my blog, Musings of a Bookish Kitty:
https://www.literaryfeline.com/2018/12/bookish-thoughts-mini-reviews-holiday.html
Wishing Cross Station by Grace February
Booktrope Publishing, 2015
Fantasy/Science Fiction; 153 pgs
Upon collecting boxes of donated books for the college library he works for, Keigan Wainwright comes into possession of a particularly unusual book. One whose province is quite the mystery. Promising to return it to its rightful place, Keigan takes on more than he bargained for. He suddenly finds himself back in time, stuck in a small town whose residents do not like strangers, and losing his heart to a young woman he knows he has no future with.
Such an interesting premise! I could not resist the mention of books, especially one so unusual that might be a key to time travel. Although more of a novella in length, the author does a good job of setting up her character of Keigan and the task he is about to undertake. Keigan seems like a decent chap and adjusts rather easily to life in the mid-1800's. He is not sure how long he will be stuck there, although likely through Christmas, but he is resourceful enough to know getting a job and a place to stay are critical. This is more of a quiet story than I expected and a rather sad one at that. I would like to have known more about Marigold, the girl from the past. Mr. Best, the jeweler, made quite an impression on me, and was probably my favorite character in the novel. I guess you could say Wishing Cross Station is a bit of a mystery as well as a love story. I do wish there had been more to it in the end. This is a story which deserves a full length book.
https://www.literaryfeline.com/2018/12/bookish-thoughts-mini-reviews-holiday.html
Wishing Cross Station by Grace February
Booktrope Publishing, 2015
Fantasy/Science Fiction; 153 pgs
Upon collecting boxes of donated books for the college library he works for, Keigan Wainwright comes into possession of a particularly unusual book. One whose province is quite the mystery. Promising to return it to its rightful place, Keigan takes on more than he bargained for. He suddenly finds himself back in time, stuck in a small town whose residents do not like strangers, and losing his heart to a young woman he knows he has no future with.
Such an interesting premise! I could not resist the mention of books, especially one so unusual that might be a key to time travel. Although more of a novella in length, the author does a good job of setting up her character of Keigan and the task he is about to undertake. Keigan seems like a decent chap and adjusts rather easily to life in the mid-1800's. He is not sure how long he will be stuck there, although likely through Christmas, but he is resourceful enough to know getting a job and a place to stay are critical. This is more of a quiet story than I expected and a rather sad one at that. I would like to have known more about Marigold, the girl from the past. Mr. Best, the jeweler, made quite an impression on me, and was probably my favorite character in the novel. I guess you could say Wishing Cross Station is a bit of a mystery as well as a love story. I do wish there had been more to it in the end. This is a story which deserves a full length book.
kirstieellen's review
4.0
Wishing Cross Station
**I received a free eBook copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. Thanks also to February Grace for writing such a fun book!**
Wishing Cross Station is a cheerfully short story about a man who gets caught up in some time travelling shenanigans. I really enjoyed reading it and whilst it was a quick read (coming in at just over 150 pages) I found the atmosphere of the book to be a lot of fun. The characters are quite interesting and it’s a great little period setting that probably makes the book. It is also a tad sad but don’t worry, it’s manageable. I absolutely adore the cover and I really want to the buy the book (I read it as an eBook) so that I can stare at it’s pretty face all day long. *Sigh*. And, of course, this book gets brownie points for being a book about books (sort of) – well, a book is a key element to the time travelling aspect of this novel.
A Story of Time Travelling Accidents and a Few Other Things
The basic plot of this book is that a 19-year old man, Keigan Wainwright, works for the library and is helping clear out an old man’s attic to take some of those old books to the library when he is given a very odd book. There’s a bit of a story behind it and after visiting someone in a retirement village he ends up travelling back in time and getting stuck in England, 100 years in the past, in a quaint little village for a whole month. Yikes. Pressed with the reality of a cold English winter he has to figure out how to survive his month in the past until he can travel back home again. As suggested by the title, this book does involve trains – but I really liked not knowing much about the book before I went into it so I won’t say anything more on that matter. Overall, I really enjoyed the time travel aspects of the book but I was constantly stressed that Keigan was going to blow up the world with all his antics – like geez, man, you’ve got to be careful with these things.
Whilst this general storyline is enjoyable, it is a very short book and the ending is really quite abrupt. It did feel a little like a slap in the face – if there was one thing I could change about this book, it would be that. Another 50 pages maybe could have really tied this together nicely – it did feel a little like Grace wasn’t any more able than us to figure out a solution.
Characters
Keigan
I both liked and hated him, he was a cool nerdy guy who worried about his pet goldfish when he got stuck in the past, but he had no problems with other matters that had far more serious consequences. Like, having sex with a young, innocent girl and then LEAVING. What if she got pregnant?!!? *Angry snorts*
He did provide a cool look at what happens when someone with contemporary values and ethics is put into a period where those are completely out of place. There were quite a lot of times where both Keigan and I struggled to keep our mouths shut with some treatment of characters.
Marigold
I really liked Marigold, and it was pretty obvious from the get-go what was going to happen, or at least, what her role in the book would be. I thought she was a little hot-headed sometimes and made some questionable decisions but all-in-all I thought she was a pretty great character.I was a little upset with her ‘death’ so to speak and the abruptness with which the story ends for her. There are so many promises of return and for finding a way to for her and Keigan to be together, and he just sort of arrives back, sees she’s dead, and doesn’t seem to try and fix that? Like, duh. Of course she’s going to be dead – it’s 100 years on!
The Watchmaker
The Watchmaker (as I call him, although technically he’s a jeweller) was one of the highlights of the book for me. I loved how kind he was to Keigan and I thought he really helped tie-in the events of the novel nicely. For me, he really helped paint the atmosphere of the town and drew the reader into the experience just that bit more. It was like you could really feel as though you were in his house with him facing the challenges of 20th century Britain.
Summary
I have to say, I would not mind reading more of Grace’s work as whilst this wasn’t perfect it was definitely enjoyable. If you’re looking for something new and fresh with a dash of excitement that won’t take you long to get through then I would recommend this book for you. Whilst the ending was somewhat frustrating it was a definite and complete ending – which was a nice change to read a book like this that is a stand-alone; we’re not subjected to the torture of waiting a year to find out what happens next. And as I said before, this is definitely a book I will be buying in physical copy later on at some point because I really like it’s cover!
Happy reading!
**I received a free eBook copy of this book via NetGalley for an honest review. Thanks also to February Grace for writing such a fun book!**
"Retracing a powerful man’s footsteps through the past, Keigan finds himself caught in the same dangerous trap: falling in love with a woman he was never meant to know, and uncertain he will ever find his way home."Overview
Wishing Cross Station is a cheerfully short story about a man who gets caught up in some time travelling shenanigans. I really enjoyed reading it and whilst it was a quick read (coming in at just over 150 pages) I found the atmosphere of the book to be a lot of fun. The characters are quite interesting and it’s a great little period setting that probably makes the book. It is also a tad sad but don’t worry, it’s manageable. I absolutely adore the cover and I really want to the buy the book (I read it as an eBook) so that I can stare at it’s pretty face all day long. *Sigh*. And, of course, this book gets brownie points for being a book about books (sort of) – well, a book is a key element to the time travelling aspect of this novel.
A Story of Time Travelling Accidents and a Few Other Things
The basic plot of this book is that a 19-year old man, Keigan Wainwright, works for the library and is helping clear out an old man’s attic to take some of those old books to the library when he is given a very odd book. There’s a bit of a story behind it and after visiting someone in a retirement village he ends up travelling back in time and getting stuck in England, 100 years in the past, in a quaint little village for a whole month. Yikes. Pressed with the reality of a cold English winter he has to figure out how to survive his month in the past until he can travel back home again. As suggested by the title, this book does involve trains – but I really liked not knowing much about the book before I went into it so I won’t say anything more on that matter. Overall, I really enjoyed the time travel aspects of the book but I was constantly stressed that Keigan was going to blow up the world with all his antics – like geez, man, you’ve got to be careful with these things.
Whilst this general storyline is enjoyable, it is a very short book and the ending is really quite abrupt. It did feel a little like a slap in the face – if there was one thing I could change about this book, it would be that. Another 50 pages maybe could have really tied this together nicely – it did feel a little like Grace wasn’t any more able than us to figure out a solution.
Characters
Keigan
I both liked and hated him, he was a cool nerdy guy who worried about his pet goldfish when he got stuck in the past, but he had no problems with other matters that had far more serious consequences.
He did provide a cool look at what happens when someone with contemporary values and ethics is put into a period where those are completely out of place. There were quite a lot of times where both Keigan and I struggled to keep our mouths shut with some treatment of characters.
Marigold
I really liked Marigold, and it was pretty obvious from the get-go what was going to happen, or at least, what her role in the book would be. I thought she was a little hot-headed sometimes and made some questionable decisions but all-in-all I thought she was a pretty great character.
The Watchmaker
The Watchmaker (as I call him, although technically he’s a jeweller) was one of the highlights of the book for me. I loved how kind he was to Keigan and I thought he really helped tie-in the events of the novel nicely. For me, he really helped paint the atmosphere of the town and drew the reader into the experience just that bit more. It was like you could really feel as though you were in his house with him facing the challenges of 20th century Britain.
Summary
I have to say, I would not mind reading more of Grace’s work as whilst this wasn’t perfect it was definitely enjoyable. If you’re looking for something new and fresh with a dash of excitement that won’t take you long to get through then I would recommend this book for you. Whilst the ending was somewhat frustrating it was a definite and complete ending – which was a nice change to read a book like this that is a stand-alone; we’re not subjected to the torture of waiting a year to find out what happens next. And as I said before, this is definitely a book I will be buying in physical copy later on at some point because I really like it’s cover!
Happy reading!
debbiesilkserif's review
3.0
Received via NetGalley from Booktrope in exchange for an honest and completely unbiased review.
Also posted on Silk & Serif
February Grace's newest novel Wishing Cross Station is about a young man who is given a book with a mystery only he can solve. A mystery that is over a hundred years old.
Lately, Ive been attempting to venture into new literary avenues without straying too far from what I know. Wishing Cross Station is filled with things I know absolutely nothing about (trains and the 1800s), yet it has familiar elements. February successfully develops a decent story by melding our reality with time travel.
Keigan Wainwright is not your typical hero: a skinny, asthmatic library worker who is by all accounts your average kid. His ordinary life is set off track when a he is tasked to pick up a private book donation. One book from this particular the donation delivery is extra special and sets Keigan on an adventure that will change Keigan indefinitely. When Keigan meets Marigold he wants to tell her everything, but anything he tells her could change the timeline. Torn between his desire to help Marigold and his duty to protect the historical time line, Keigan must choose between the girl he's falling for and protecting the future to which he may never be able to return.
The novel was an easy read and I never felt bored or impatient with the storyline. Unfortunately, it looks like time traveling trains that visit the 1800s is not my cup of tea. I am glad I chose Wishing Cross Station for this experiment because there is more than enough romance and mystery to keep things interesting. The mystery surrounding Marigold, Wishing Cross Station's strange recreation in our time and The Book are more than enough to capture the imagination. Although time traveling trains apparently aren't my thing I found February's graceful prose and unique ability to bring characters alive to be refreshing..plus that ending! I'll definitely read more of her work..I've noticed she's written a book with Fairy Godmothers! Definitely on the TBR list!
Wishing Cross Station is a novel that kept me reading and unable to foresee what was coming until the last moment. I am not certain if this is simply because I'm not familiar with this genre or skill on the part of the author, but Wishing Cross Station was well worth the read!
This book will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction, time travel tales, romance and the idea of magical trains. A definite read for someone who has read this genre before and loved it.
Also posted on Silk & Serif
February Grace's newest novel Wishing Cross Station is about a young man who is given a book with a mystery only he can solve. A mystery that is over a hundred years old.
Lately, Ive been attempting to venture into new literary avenues without straying too far from what I know. Wishing Cross Station is filled with things I know absolutely nothing about (trains and the 1800s), yet it has familiar elements. February successfully develops a decent story by melding our reality with time travel.
“I’m looking for a ticket back home,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “I just got here on the Aurelia Belle, and I didn’t realize how far it would take me.”
I scanned the slate board behind her, marked with train names, numbers, times, and schedules, and nowhere upon it did I even see the Belle mentioned.
“That train is the special,” she replied emotionlessly. “We are never advised in advance exactly when she’s coming in, she just pulls into the station, only on the first track. Only train to ever use the first. Then she goes on her way.”
Keigan Wainwright is not your typical hero: a skinny, asthmatic library worker who is by all accounts your average kid. His ordinary life is set off track when a he is tasked to pick up a private book donation. One book from this particular the donation delivery is extra special and sets Keigan on an adventure that will change Keigan indefinitely. When Keigan meets Marigold he wants to tell her everything, but anything he tells her could change the timeline. Torn between his desire to help Marigold and his duty to protect the historical time line, Keigan must choose between the girl he's falling for and protecting the future to which he may never be able to return.
The novel was an easy read and I never felt bored or impatient with the storyline. Unfortunately, it looks like time traveling trains that visit the 1800s is not my cup of tea. I am glad I chose Wishing Cross Station for this experiment because there is more than enough romance and mystery to keep things interesting. The mystery surrounding Marigold, Wishing Cross Station's strange recreation in our time and The Book are more than enough to capture the imagination. Although time traveling trains apparently aren't my thing I found February's graceful prose and unique ability to bring characters alive to be refreshing..plus that ending! I'll definitely read more of her work..I've noticed she's written a book with Fairy Godmothers! Definitely on the TBR list!
“What? Wait, what?” I said, as she pulled me toward the front lawn.
“Miss Sutton, what are you doing?”
“We’re going to make snow angels,” she said, looking left and right to be sure no one knew we were there. “At least, I am. Come on, Mr. Wainwright! Join me if you dare!”
She stood still, arms at her sides, and then fell back into the snow with a muted thud. She laughed—the most beautiful sound I had ever heard in my life—as she began to swish her arms at her sides up and down in the snow.
Wishing Cross Station is a novel that kept me reading and unable to foresee what was coming until the last moment. I am not certain if this is simply because I'm not familiar with this genre or skill on the part of the author, but Wishing Cross Station was well worth the read!
This book will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction, time travel tales, romance and the idea of magical trains. A definite read for someone who has read this genre before and loved it.
More...