Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
From Silvey (Meet Me in Another Life) comes a strained time-travel romance that asks if destiny is mutable. In 2005, struggling Cambridge University student Joe Greeney dreams of writing great poetry like Lord Byron, but the words won't come. Then he has a meet-cute with Esi Campbell at a coffee shop, and she reveals that she's a time-traveler with a group of superfans who have journeyed to the past to see him. In Esi's time, 2044, Joe is famed for his love poems to his muse, actor Diana Dartnell. Eager to jump-start his destiny, Joe asks Esi for her help setting him up with Diana, a fellow Cambridge student whom Joe has yet to meet. Esi, meanwhile, has ulterior motives for visiting the past: she hopes to alter the timeline to prevent the death of her late mother. As Joe and Diana struggle to connect on any level, he and Esi discover unexpected chemistry. Though the premise has potential, Silvey doesn't make suspension of disbelief easy, especially in asking readers to connect Joe with the literary titan ("as renowned as Shakespeare") he apparently becomes. Readers will need to leave their skepticism at the door to enjoy this one. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
In 2005, dabbling poet Joe Greene is in a rut studying at Cambridge. His parents in Scotland are quite supportive, but Joe feels like he is just treading water, wondering if he will ever make an impact on the world. He begins to notice a few odd things around town, including small groups of people who appear to be tourists, with their attention trained on him. After getting coffee and having a bizarre encounter with a barista named Esi, Joe learns that he will become a noted poet in the future whose love affair with a famous actress will inspire critically acclaimed work. Esi is actually part of that tourist group that is following Joe, on a time-travel trip to observe him in his own era. She is there for her own reasons, though, and falling for Joe throws an unexpected wrench in her plans. Joe, overwhelmed and relieved at his future success, scrambles to ensure that it actually comes to pass. Silvey's (Meet Me in Another Life) novel has an interesting premise but offers an underwhelming resolution. VERDICT Suggest to fans of unique time-travel romances.--Nicole J. Suarez
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this time-bending rom-com, an aspiring poet gets a glimpse of his future. Joe Greene is an average student at Cambridge in 2005, struggling through his philosophy degree, dealing with the antics of his roommate, Rob, and worrying about his future. An award-winning writer as a teen in rural Scotland, Joe hasn't completed a single poem since arriving at college, and with his all-important third year looming, he's not sure he'll ever become one of the world's great writers. But when Joe meets Esi Campbell at a local coffee shop, his future is suddenly much closer than he thinks. Esi is a time traveler from 2044, part of a tour group that has come back to witness the famed poet Joseph Greene--considered a modern-day Shakespeare in Esi's time--before he becomes a literary legend. Joe soon learns that his most beloved work will be a collection of poetry dedicated to his true love and muse, actor Diana Dartnell, a fellow student at Cambridge. Eager to rush toward his dream life, Joe asks Esi to help him and Diana get together. Esi agrees, but she has her own motive for traveling back in time, and it has nothing to do with meeting Joe: She's determined to alter the timeline that leads to her mother's untimely death. As both struggle to create the futures they're desperate to have--Joe can't seem to summon romance with Diana, and Esi's mother remains elusive around campus--they must contend with big questions about fate, free will, and their growing feelings for each other. While the mechanics of time travel are a bit blurry, the author is deft at grounding the big ideas in small moments of compelling writing, witty banter, sweet chemistry, and universal questions about what makes a life well lived. This fresh, fascinating take on love in the age of time travel would be a hit in any timeline. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
