Review
A passionate, sweeping novel of a love that transcends time.
When twenty-something Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson attracts the notice of the legendary Julian Laurence at a business meeting, no one’s more surprised than she is. Julian’s relentless energy and his extraordinary intellect electrify her, but she’s baffled by his sudden interest. Why would this handsome British billionaire "Manhattan’s most eligible bachelor” pursue a pretty but bookish young banker who hasn’t had a boyfriend since college?
The answer is beyond imagining . . . at least at first. Kate and Julian’s story may have begun not in the moneyed world of twenty-first-century Manhattan but in France during World War I, when a mysterious American woman emerged from the shadows of the Western Front to save the life of Captain Julian Laurence Ashford, a celebrated war poet and infantry officer.
Now, in modern-day New York, Kate and Julian must protect themselves from the secrets of the past, and trust in a true love that transcends time and space.
Now, in modern-day New York, Kate and Julian must protect themselves from the secrets of the past, and trust in a true love that transcends time and space.
Amazon.com
In 2007, twenty-five year old Wall Street analyst Kate Wilson gets friendly with British hedge fund CEO / billionaire Julian Laurence at a work meeting. While she's drawn to him, she's actually surprised by his level of reciprocated interest in her. She's more of a bookish sort than a seductress, so what would someone like him see in her?
Spending more time with Julian, she comes to find out that their connection may actually date back to 1916, when WW1 infantry officer JL Ashford was saved by a mystery woman on the Western Front. Once this premise is laid out, the storyline can get a little complicated to keep straight. It seems Kate knows Julian during the World War 1 era of the story, recollecting her "past" in the future, trying to explain it to him. Julian goes through something similar in modern times when his memories are retained by Kate's are not.... I think?
The concept is not bad, but the characters themselves are collectively cringey.
** Charlie, a friend / co-worker of Kate's has this Pauley Shore-like way of talking that grew increasingly grating to read.
** I was not impressed with Julian unnecesarily causing potential traffic accidents (while already navigating a Maserati through NYC traffic with difficulty!) just to kiss Kate. Yes, romance is great... but needless manslaughter kinda kills the mood... at least for me.
"A guy's gotta have a little fun once in awhile," so says Julian.
** Kate could be ridiculously dramatic at times. She falls into a fountain of tears in his driveway over a job loss like someone just died. She gets into a spot of trouble but goes off on Julian for wanting to spend money to keep her safe. He lets her stay at his house, but tries to be a gentleman, setting her up in the guest room. Again, explosion of emotions because he didn't assume they should just bed together. Poor guy can't win a lot of the time with her.... but at the same time, Julian does have moments where he can come off a little presumptuous in his actions.
For much of the book I just wasn't buying these two as the perfect fit, but I did like the time traveling adventure. My favorite scene was Julian figuring out how to cross time periods to pull Kate away from boarding an ill-fated ship. She likewise had a similar journey to save his 1916 self from a painful fate. So that aspect of the story was pretty cool to think on, imagining an enduring love like that. I just struggled at times to really feel the spark between these two. The plot itself can get slow at times as well, but if you stay committed, the interesting stuff picks back up about twelve chapters in when Julian's big secret slowly starts to be revealed.
And for sticking with this whirlwind til the very end, Williams rewards her readers with a pretty romantically staged HEA.
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