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A review by beate251
Right Place, Right Time by Ali McNamara
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC.
Eve Sinclair, 36, is a leap year baby. She lives in Cambridge and runs Rainy Day Antiques on Clockmaker Court, an old family business inherited from her grandparents. She loves her job and finding out about the history of objects in her care.
Adam Darcy, 40, is also a leap year baby. He's a roadie who hires Eve on behalf of his grandfather on their joint birthday to do a house clearance of his grandfather's property. He ends up buying the old bookshop next to Eve's shop and they start spending a lot of time together.
But far from this being a straightforward romance, we unravel a mystery to do with Adam's great grandfather Archie, Eve's great grandmother Dotty and a hidden space behind a metal door where the 12th building on the court should be. What have certain books, letters, a painting and a grandfather clock to do with them both, their birthdate and biblical names? Has someone set them up to meet at the right time and place?
This captivating book grabbed me from the first page. I like reading about time travel even though it always hurts my brain thinking about it. I loved all the characters of Clockmaker Court, from Orla and Harriet to Luca, Ben and Barney, who all turned out to have a fascinating history. Most of them have survived trauma and bad accidents which have shaped their lives.
This is a beautiful, uniquely interesting, warmhearted story combining romance with mystery, history and a dash of magic about timing being everything. I love all of Ali McNamara's books and her use of magical realism but this felt really special. I am giving it all the stars because I could seriously see this as a movie which I would love to watch. Just lovely.
Eve Sinclair, 36, is a leap year baby. She lives in Cambridge and runs Rainy Day Antiques on Clockmaker Court, an old family business inherited from her grandparents. She loves her job and finding out about the history of objects in her care.
Adam Darcy, 40, is also a leap year baby. He's a roadie who hires Eve on behalf of his grandfather on their joint birthday to do a house clearance of his grandfather's property. He ends up buying the old bookshop next to Eve's shop and they start spending a lot of time together.
But far from this being a straightforward romance, we unravel a mystery to do with Adam's great grandfather Archie, Eve's great grandmother Dotty and a hidden space behind a metal door where the 12th building on the court should be. What have certain books, letters, a painting and a grandfather clock to do with them both, their birthdate and biblical names? Has someone set them up to meet at the right time and place?
This captivating book grabbed me from the first page. I like reading about time travel even though it always hurts my brain thinking about it. I loved all the characters of Clockmaker Court, from Orla and Harriet to Luca, Ben and Barney, who all turned out to have a fascinating history. Most of them have survived trauma and bad accidents which have shaped their lives.
This is a beautiful, uniquely interesting, warmhearted story combining romance with mystery, history and a dash of magic about timing being everything. I love all of Ali McNamara's books and her use of magical realism but this felt really special. I am giving it all the stars because I could seriously see this as a movie which I would love to watch. Just lovely.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail