Reviews

Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

shhanson's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

A great time travel romance!

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content and Sexism

dayamarie's review against another edition

4.0

I love a good time travel book. This one grabbed my attention quickly. It kind of had a National Treasure vibe to me. Sometimes the descriptions were long winded but the story moved along pretty well.

forestidylls's review against another edition

4.0

I should preface this by saying I am not a time travel fan, in general. I hate the drama and difficulty of learning to care for things in two different eras, and having no choice but to pick one and lose the other entirely. But I read this because, well, it was by Jody Hedlund, and I love a lot of her books, and I will say, it was very well written. I think most people would love the book, which is why I gave it a higher rating. I, personally, didn't find the beginning very compelling, so it took me awhile to finish, but once it got going, it was exciting, and I definitely wanted to find out what happened, even if I wished I had a physical book instead of an audio so I could skip to the ending to prepare myself.

theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

3.0

Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund is the debut of Waters of Time series. Marian Creighton is a research scientist who travels to England to be with her father when he falls into a coma. Following the clues he left for her, Marian ends up in 1381 where she meets William Durham. Marian finds herself stuck in the turbulent Middle Ages with a handsome knight. Can she find a way to return back to her own time? Will she want to return after her adventures? Come Back to Me is an interesting story. I thought it contained good writing with solid characters. Marian is a smart, strong, and stubborn woman. She is a research scientist who has devoted her life to her work. William Durham is a handsome (we are told this often), strong, caring man. He does his duty to his family and his King. Something from his past is tormenting him. It did take me some time to get into the story. I liked that Marian goes back in time trying to help her father and sister. The author did her research for this story. She captured the time period with her vivid descriptions. I could imagine the area, the castle, the clothing, and more from the word imagery. The one misstep was the way Marian spoke. It would have been immediately obvious she was not from the Middle Ages by the way she talked (and her cleanliness). I was curious how the people understood her and why no one cried “witch”. The time travel theory was thought out and described in detail. It was unique and I liked how it tied to the Bible. I did feel that the details were repeated too often. I also felt that the romance was a little over-the-top. It became the focus of the book. The glances, touches, kisses, and desires were too much. There are sensual scenes (nothing explicit) as well. This was too much for me and for Christian novel. The faith element is not strong (prayer). I expected it to be more prevalent. I was also left with unanswered questions at the end of the book (I hope they are addressed in the next book). There were some compelling elements in Come Back to Me. I enjoyed identifying the mole. I wish there had been more about the competitors after the ultimate cure. There was action, mystery, and suspense during these sections. I am interested enough to read the next Waters of Time novel. Come Back to Me is an intriguing time-travel novel with Middle Ages mayhem, malodorous masses, a curious coma, a potent potion, and a handsome hero.

marg89's review against another edition

hopeful informative mysterious reflective fast-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

4.5

A fantastic read! Loved the details, even with the fading of the modern world to allow the medieval! My only nitpick is there is alot of physical intimacy (although clean!) which wasn't all completely necessary. But the allusion to the presence of God  and some amazing truths are woven into the story, although a bit more maybe could have been said.

misspippireads's review against another edition

3.0

Jody Hedlund writes amazing historical fiction. Her latest book dove into historical fiction as well as science fiction/fantasy with time travel. I read it twice through and still can't decide if I LOVE it or just like it. She did draw me into the characters she created and I can't wait for her next book in the series, Never Leave Me.

Reviewed from a gift copy. Thank you, Jody!

nivis's review against another edition

1.0

zzzzzzzzz

bonnienaomi's review against another edition

5.0

Have had a hard time enjoying any sort of Christian "romance" fiction past my teen years. This one was pretty great. Love the sci-fi aspect mixed with historical accuracy. Very much enjoyed it, looking forward to the rest of the series.

beastreader's review against another edition

4.0

Right away as I was reading this book I got Indiana Jones vibes. Only instead of Harrison Ford as the lead, it was Marian. So, you could say that the mini movie playing on my head while reading this book was a female version. Which I was pleased.

The time travel element of the story was done nicely. Sometimes it can be confusing but it was not. Besides this, there was a lot of moving around from one place to another. Different characters appearing throughout the story. Yet, it was easy to keep everyone straight as to who they were and what part they played in the storyline.

There is a bit of romance as well. It does not overtake the story and the mystery. A good first book to this series that I can't wait to continue.

farmfreshlisa's review against another edition

5.0

I made the mistake once of reading the first Outlander book.