Semi Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: When Rose Hart finds herself in a mysterious bookshop, the next thing she knows she has fallen into a different reality—on the estate of one John Easton, who lives with his sister in early nineteenth-century England at exactly the same spot where her grandmother’s book had left her. Rose soon figures out what has befallen her and settles in to find out what happens next. Her sojourn in this alternative world leads her to become friends with John’s sister Beth and to discover that she and John are meant to be together.
Prose/Style: The prose could be more embellished and offers little challenge or interest in either vocabulary or sentence structure. The benefit here is that the story moves along rapidly and predictably, lulling one into a sense of security and making the plot twists all the more intriguing. The use of the contemporary vernacular in the dialogue and the introduction modern psychological concepts are effective reminders that Rose is aware that she is has been transported out of her own time and space. The use of the names Willoughby and Danby (think, Darby) are nice hints that we are experiencing events as they might have happened in Austen’s world.
Originality: The main deviation from this familiar plot is the association of Rose’s time travel with a bookshop, and this appears to be a device Harmke Buursma intends to exploit further as this debut novel is the first in her A Magical Bookshop Novel series. It is actually quite effective, as the bookshop owner turns up in the English story and in fact has an important role to play.
Character Development/Execution: Rose is a particularly interesting character as she simply goes along with the break in the time space continuum, barely blinking an eye. She is resourceful and adaptable, which leaves one wondering until the very end of the novel what she will do when the spell is broken – as we know it must be – and she will have to choose what time to exist in.
Date Submitted: August 23, 2021
5* Review by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Penned by author Harmke Buursma, Rose Through Time: A Magical Bookshop Novel is a work of fiction in the fantasy, historical romance, and interpersonal drama subgenres. This enticing love story follows central protagonist Rose Hart from her modern life in the Southwest of the United States to another century. A discovery in her late grandmother’s belongings sends her on a fantastical journey to England hundreds of years in the past. Here the handsome John Easton takes her in as a guest. Thus Rose begins her wild adventure filled with colorful characters from the English countryside. Before Rose completes her journey, she must decide what is important to her.
Combining elements of contemporary romance with time travel and Regency-era drama, author Harmke Buursma has crafted a fantastic work of romantic fiction with plenty of thrills, chills, and historical touches to delight readers from cover to cover. The pacing of the story was perfect, and I admired the creation of the story world. I appreciated how the author, in true Regency fashion, ensured that intrigue infused every chapter. The well-written storyline observes the main character as she encounters the more sharp-edged rogues and discovers their motivations. Her heartfelt experiences are the core of the story. The dialogue was well-balanced between an older style of formalized English and a modern dialect, making it easy to understand from a contemporary perspective. Overall, I recommend Rose Through Time to fans of historical romance, time travel dramas, and readers of Regency fiction everywhere.
