Crossing In Time
A Love Story
Publisher Description
The past isn't over; it's an opening. The future isn't hidden; it's a trap.
If she ever wants to see him again, she'll have to take the risk.
"Engaging, Funny, Romantic & Harrowing"
~Publishers Weekly Starred Review
After reconnecting with the one-that-got-away—and then losing him in a pandemic—middle-aged Iz struggles to survive in a remote mountain cabin. As loneliness and despair set in, she finds hope in caring for abandoned pets—until a man appears and offers her a one-way trip to the past.
With humanity teetering on the edge, she gives up everything in an attempt to alter the dystopian present—and see her missing lover once more.
As time runs out, she's whisked into a coffin-like machine set to plunge deep into her past. (A neural net insists she is humankind's best hope. No one knows why.) They neglect to mention the time machine has been activated once before—with deadly results.
Miraculously, she awakens on a pristine beach—buck naked and suffering radiation-like side-effects—but 20 years younger! With only hours to live, she must persuade a young man to modify their future relationship and thereby set off a chain of events that will prevent the pandemic.
Our young hero falls hard for her (what guy could resist a smart, middle-aged woman in a newly acquired vixen's body?) until she blurts out that she's from the future and here to "fix" him.
Turns out, it's not him that needs fixing; it's her—and it's far too late for that.
Or is it?
Content Warning
This book contains material that may be disturbing to some and, in movie form, would be rated NC-17 for strong language, nudity, sexual situations, and violence. It includes attempted sexual assault, abduction, intense physical danger, miscarriage, confinement, a pandemic, religious fanaticism (Christian), government incompetence bordering on malice, mistreated animals, gun violence, near drowning, and (human) death.
Genre Warning
Crossing in Time is a smart, character-driven love story told from 3 points of view (in 1st-person, present tense): our plucky heroine's, her steadfast lover's, and a gay British physicist's. At times, the gentle reader must keep track of 3 intertwining storylines. If you prefer your fiction to be light, this is probably not the book for you. (But the audiobook might be. The dual narrators are effing awesome.)
Although the book contains a love story, it does not have a Happily Ever After ending and is not a genre romance: There's no alpha male or damsel in distress. If you're inclined to assume smart, head-strong women are annoying—or thoughtful, empathetic men are weak—this is likely not the book for you.
Even though the story contains a time machine, no laws of physics are violated. But if you're looking for hard sci-fi that focuses on gadgets and world-building (or you dislike the word breast, for instance), skip this one.
This is NOT a YA novel. If you can't imagine being in love with someone you haven't seen in 20 years, pick another book.
Also, there's profanity, blaspheme, alcohol consumption, frosted donuts, and a bowling alley (but no smoking—except for the time machine.)
Finally, the story jumps between a dystopian action-adventure, a sci-fi techno-thriller, a time travel suspense mystery, and a tumultuous love story. Steer clear if you prefer your fiction fit into neat and tidy genres!
This is the 1st book in the Between Two Evils series (5 total), and all will be revealed in the end. I ask for your indulgence as I tell the story in the best way I can. I know how it all ends, and I think you'll like it.
If you made it this far, woohoo. I think you might like the book. ��
TLDR: Reader discretion advised.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Launching the Between Two Evils series, Orton constructs a delightfully fun time-travel adventure that spans years and universes. Isabel is facing the consequences of her self-destructive behavior: she's freshly divorced and on the edge of losing her life's work. Things look up when she's reunited with her long-ago love Diego, but their renewed relationship begins with and is punctuated by disasters. Physics professor Matt is conscripted to unravel the mystery of an impossible object that is causing the perils threatening the lovers. Matt and his team use technology sent from the future to determine that the key to saving the world is personal rather than global: it depends, somehow, on the enduring love between Diego and Isabel. Orton has carefully balanced existential peril on the micro and macro scales, slowly raising the stakes until a fever pitch is achieved. What at first seems silly or pointless becomes vital as the nature of causality is revealed. Engaging, funny, romantic, and harrowing, this promising series opener will leave readers satisfied by its unexpected yet earned conclusion, and curious about what comes next. (BookLife)