The Write Reads Blog Tour: Crossing in Time by DL Orton

Y’all already know that I love taking parts in The Write Reads tours, so I am so happy be taking part in this tour for Crossing in Time by DL Orton!

Crossing in Time

Author: DL Orton

Narrators: Noah Michael Levine and Erin deWard

Publication Date: 21 April 2015

Genre: Adult Fiction – Science Fiction

Length: 10 hours 55 minutes

Publisher: Rocky Mountain Press

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.

Fall into this “Funny, Romantic & Harrowing” (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) dystopian love story and prepare to encounter a finicky time machine, a mysterious seashell, and a very clever dog (some sex, some swearing, some violence, but no vampires and absolutely NO ditzes!)

When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present–and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives twenty years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured nineteen-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that’s a heart breaker, save the world or not.

This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it’s the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn’t have the proper footwear. It’s a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.

DL Orton’s Crossing in Time is a genre bending novel with nods to romance, action and adventure, mystery, and science fiction. This is definitely one of those books that has a little bit of something for everyone. But, that being said, this story does heavily focus on the romance side of things, so keep that in mind before you dive in.

Isabel is a geneticist. Diego is a software engineer. Isabel is presented with the opportunity to go to an alternative timeline to save her relationship with Diego in order to prevent the impending apocalypse of her present. Isabel enlists the help of specialists, which includes an English scientist named Matt, to help her build a time machine in order to save their futures.

I’ll be honest, the first part of the book was a bit slow for me as I was trying to orient myself in the current dystopian environment as well as understand everything associated with the time travel. That being said, the second half of the book was fantastic! I was fully immersed in the dire situation that Isabel was faced with since she had only 24 hours to convince a then 19 year old Diego how to do things differently with her once she comes along in that timeline. Their story was heartbreakingly beautiful, but there was also a pleasant surprise of humor scattered in between the serious moments.

Both Isabel and Diego are well developed, complex characters that I loved. Diego has none of that alpha male, toxic masculinity, which made me love him even more. It was evident that it didn’t matter which timeline we were in, he would always do whatever it takes to put Isabel first and save her…over, and over. That being said, don’t think that Isabel is a pushover or damsel in distress. She’s strong, willful, and has been through the ringer. Isabel’s character really comes to life in the second half of the book when she time travels. I definitely had a whole new appreciation.

Overall, Crossing in Time was a beautiful and heartbreaking tale of love and hope. It also reminds us the sacrifices that we are willing to make and fight for when it comes to those we love.

Thank you to Dave from The Write Reads for the blog tour invite and providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.