Monday 14 September 2015

Review: Shifting Time by Kelly Seiler


In this entertaining and thought-provoking novel, a thirty-something woman wakes up one day to discover her long-lost love has come back to life. But is this new reality truly the answer to her heart’s desires?

Despite her great life in New York City as a prestigious book editor, Meade Peterson can’t shake the heartache of losing her high school sweetheart. Fifteen years after his death, she still thinks about all the things—love, family, happiness—she’ll never have, now that Daniel’s gone. That is, until a new man, Tanner, enters Meade’s life and brings her the kind of joy she hasn’t experienced in years. She’s torn, though, over whether she can bear giving her heart away again. Taking time to reflect, Meade returns to her hometown of Austin for what should be a relaxing visit—but instead, she becomes the victim of a violent crime.

Upon waking from her real-life Texas nightmare, Meade finds herself in another world where she doesn’t recognize anything, until she realizes the man in bed beside her isn’t a stranger—it’s Daniel. Meade has awakened into an alternate existence where Daniel is very much alive, and has been part of her life for the past fifteen years.

Meade can’t believe her good fortune—she’s finally experiencing the life she’s always wanted! Or is she? As Meade quickly learns, if one thing in your life changes, nothing else may stay the same. And now she’s forced to face the question: Is what she’s gained worth what she’s destined to lose?


Paperback, 432 pages
Expected publication: September 22nd 2015 by Infinite Words
 
Terri's Thoughts

** I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is September 22, 2015**

This story tackles the concept of "what if?"  We all have our what if questions.  What if I made this decision differently, what if I went to a different school for my education, what if we never had that fight?  and so on.

In the case of this story the question is what if Daniel had never died?  As the reader you do have to wait a bit before you get to that point as the story is approximately 50% in when the story takes you there.  In the meantime you learn the backstory.  You see the story of Meade and Daniel as teenagers and their young love.  You see how Daniel's illness impacts their relationship and of course you see the tragic end to his life.  What you also see is fifteen years later as Meade makes it on her own and the only thing she is missing is love as she promised she would love Daniel forever.

When the story takes us to the "what if" part and we see the relationship between Meade and Daniel you get to see how strong Meade grew as a person as a result of his death (in her other reality).  You also see that although love can be eternal that reality can alter it and it may not necessarily turn out as you always thought it would.

I shed a few tears while reading about Daniel's illness, something that is a little close to home at the moment.  I also had a few laughs.  Ultimately I found this to be a very good story that addresses the fact that we need to appreciate what we have in the here and now as tomorrow you may not have it.

I am glad I had the opportunity to read this one.

 
 
About the Author
 

A former high school English teacher and school counselor, Kelly Bennett Seiler has written articles for such websites as eHow and Livestrong, in addition to creating questions for nationally standardized exams. She’s been featured by Woman’s Day magazine, NPR and PBS and was on the cover of Military Spouse magazine. Kelly has edited numerous books, including a New York Times bestseller. She received both her Bachelor’s degree and her Master’s degree in English from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. Shifting Time is her first novel. A native of New Jersey, Kelly currently lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three children.
 
 
 


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