Thank you for joining me today on the blog blitz for A Time to Change by Callie Langridge where I'm delighted to be sharing my review. First of all let's take a look at the description for the book...
I would rather love passionately for an hour than benignly for a lifetime.”
In a house full of history and secrets, the past will not stay where it belongs…
Lou has always loved Hill House, the derelict manor on the abandoned land near her home. As a child, the tragic history of its owners, the Mandevilles, inspired her dream to become a history teacher. But in her late twenties, and working in a shop to pay off student debts, life is passing her by.
That changes when a family disaster sends Lou’s life into a downward spiral and she seeks comfort in the ruined corridors of Hill House. The house transforms around her and Lou is transported back to Christmas 1913. Convinced she has been in an accident and is in a coma, Lou immerses herself in her Edwardian dream. With the Mandevilles oblivious to her true identity, Lou becomes their houseguest and befriends the eldest son, Captain Thomas Mandeville, a man she knows is destined to die in the First World War.
Lou feels more at home in the past than the present and when she realises the experience is real she sets out to do everything in her power to save her new friends.
Lou passes between 1913 and 2013, unearthing plots of murder and blackmail, which she must stop no matter the cost.
On her quest to save the Mandevilles by saving Thomas, Lou will face the hardest decision of her life. She will learn that love cannot be separated by a century.
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When we are introduced to Lou she is coasting through life apart from showing a love of history which stems from an interest in Hill House as a child. She is debating her future when she suffers a devastating loss. In her despair she goes to the old house to escape her problems and this is when everything changes. Callie Langridge really sets the scene with some lovely descriptive writing that further drew me in it almost felt as if I was walking around the house myself.
I was absolutely hooked by this story it was a perfect combination for me with history, secrets and a mystery that completely intrigued me and held my attention. I felt for Lou's character and it was so interesting to see her become entwined in the lives of the inhabitants of Hill House. Due to her knowledge of the future she can't help but become invested in trying to change events for the Mandeville's.
I have to say that the plot moves at a wonderful pace and I loved the transition from timelines but of course the past was all the more intriguing. As I got to know the characters I was hoping that Lou would succeed in altering certain events. However I also had questions of what would happen if she did make those changes.
The story flowed really well and I have to admit to loving the time slip/time travel stories. If done well they can create and bring to life a different era and immerse the reader in the past. A Time To Change manages this perfectly with a story that I ended up completely caught up in along with being invested in the characters lives.
With thanks to Bombshell Books for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Callie was born and brought up in Berkshire. After a brief teenage spell in the depths of Lancashire, she moved back to London.
Having left school at 16, she studied drama before embarking on a career in marketing. This saw her work in music marketing in the heady days of Britpop in the nineties. She unleashed her creativity in the design of window displays and marketing campaigns for the leading music retailer. More recently she has followed her passion for social history and currently works in marketing for a national historical institution, promoting projects and running events.
On hitting her thirtieth birthday, she decided finally to take her A levels and gained A’s in English Literature and Language, and Film Studies – not bad when working full time! – and this spurred her on to take the first of many creative writing course. A few years later and she has had a number of short stories published and plays performed at theatres and venues across London.
Callie lives in London with her long-term partner and an ever-growing collection of antique curiosities.
Author Links
Twitter: @CLangridgeWrite
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