In 1994, high school senior David Foster was the lackey and soundboard geek for his best friend's grunge band. During spring break, the band lands a dream gig playing at a motel in Myrtle Beach, SC. David expected all the girls to ogle the guys on stage, but when a beautiful blond "Bond Girl" approaches him and calls him by name, he's shocked to find out she knows more about him than a stranger should.
She even knows about his notebooks and his visions of time travel.
What she thought was a quick time-travel-sightseeing trip takes a surprising turn when she meets the young adult version of the man she'd heard stories about as a child. His fairy-tale romance with the woman he'd loved, Layla, inspired her to accept nothing less than a love just as strong...but hopefully not as tragic. When she won't tell the younger version of him her name, he calls her Layla--and the world as she knows it changes forever.
Storyline: This story line intrigued me just from the description but when I started reading the book it got even better. Within the first chapter I was hooked and I liked that it started out being told in mostly David's perspective, which then switch to mostly Layla's perspective. The whole concept of time travel in this book was really fascinating! Saying that, I have to give credit to Ms. Lee's writing because this book took the confusing subject of time travel and everything that goes with it and turned in into an enjoyable, cohesive, and easy to follow along story line! I loved how at the end of the book the story line makes a complete circle to the beginning and although this may seem strange or even incorrect, while reading the book this makes complete sense. While reading the book, I was reminded a little bit of the movie Meet the Robinsons, except in this case a person from the future goes to the past and finds what she has wanted all her life, true love.
Characters:
David: I absolutely fell in love with the quirky teenage David from the beginning! He's just starting to grow into himself and he's still trying to figure out who he is as a person, when he meets Layla. I felt that 1994 David was a little oblivious to things yet so full of hope and ambition. And while I love that David, I have to admit that I love 2016 (older) David so much better! It might just be a personal preference but I love that this David is more mature, loving, and sure of himself. The quality that I love most about this David is his devotion to his work, which is actually devotion and love for Layla! *swoons hahaha*
Layla: I found Layla character to be so strong that it was inspirational. She already knows that one day she'll have to leave the love of her life and her son; yet she doesn't change anything about her life because she knows how that could change the future. Also, she willingly goes into a marriage where she knows that she'll have to be strong for David, his dreams, and the people of the future. She is constantly carrying around the truth of will eventually happen to her yet she doesn't let anyone know and she lives everyday to the fullest and loves her family with all her being. I loved her ending in the book and couldn't have wished for anything better!
Overall: I absolutely love this book!! However, I have to say that while the ending was awesome and touching, I would love to know more about what happens with the characters next. Overall though,the characters and the story line are fantastic to read about so much so that this book went by really fast! Plus I loved the little detailed touches scattered throughout the book that incorporate the characters and time travel (will make complete sense when book is read *little incentive to read the book lol!*), they make it really fun for when rereading!!!
Rating: I would give this book a 10 out of 10!!!
Excerpt:
When a shadow loomed over the board, I didn’t even bother to look up. “Step away from the sound system.”
“David?” a soft feminine voice spoke my name.
I glanced up to see the biggest brownest eyes framed by the longest blackest lashed I’d ever seen. I glanced down to focus on the rest of her. The form fitting black dress she wore hugged every curve down to her toned and tanned legs. My gaze trailed on down to her fancy black heels and then back up at her face. She was hot...like model hot. I couldn’t blink or think as I stared at her beautiful face framed by large amounts of blonde hair and a pair of large hoop earrings. She didn’t look like the other girls with her eye makeup, glossy pink lips and the way her hair was puffed up and styled. She looked like she had just stepped out of one of the James Bond movies Dad and I liked to watch on TV...
“It is you.” A look of pure wonder and amazement lit her face. She blinked, making her thick and extremely long lashes flutter like butterfly wings. “I can’t believe it. You wear glasses now.”
I pushed them back on my nose self-consciously as I put away my inhaler. “Yeah, like since the third grade.” I eyed her up and down once more and worked hard to remember to breathe. “Do I know you?”
“Kind of...Well not really. I’m...” she shifted her eyes to the side without moving her head and bit her lips like she needed to remember something and stopped for a moment before she continued. “Ugh! I suck at this. You’ll never let me do this again if I mess this up.” She shook her head and then turned her attention back to me. “No, you don’t know me, but I know all about you. Let’s just put it that way.” Her grin said something was up.
“David?” a soft feminine voice spoke my name.
I glanced up to see the biggest brownest eyes framed by the longest blackest lashed I’d ever seen. I glanced down to focus on the rest of her. The form fitting black dress she wore hugged every curve down to her toned and tanned legs. My gaze trailed on down to her fancy black heels and then back up at her face. She was hot...like model hot. I couldn’t blink or think as I stared at her beautiful face framed by large amounts of blonde hair and a pair of large hoop earrings. She didn’t look like the other girls with her eye makeup, glossy pink lips and the way her hair was puffed up and styled. She looked like she had just stepped out of one of the James Bond movies Dad and I liked to watch on TV...
“It is you.” A look of pure wonder and amazement lit her face. She blinked, making her thick and extremely long lashes flutter like butterfly wings. “I can’t believe it. You wear glasses now.”
I pushed them back on my nose self-consciously as I put away my inhaler. “Yeah, like since the third grade.” I eyed her up and down once more and worked hard to remember to breathe. “Do I know you?”
“Kind of...Well not really. I’m...” she shifted her eyes to the side without moving her head and bit her lips like she needed to remember something and stopped for a moment before she continued. “Ugh! I suck at this. You’ll never let me do this again if I mess this up.” She shook her head and then turned her attention back to me. “No, you don’t know me, but I know all about you. Let’s just put it that way.” Her grin said something was up.
About the Author:
Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.
Good review. Thanks for participating.
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