Her Place in Time

Title: Her Place in Time
Author: Stephenia H McGee
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Historical/Time-Travel Fiction
Publishing Date: May 25, 2018

About the Book:
Can love offer a new future…in the past?

A mysterious gown, unexpected courage, and a love that transcends time.

Nursing student Lena Lowery faces a grim diagnosis and a dangerous surgery. On the cusp of the life-changing procedure, Lena stays at the Rosswood Plantation Bed and Breakfast for one last weekend with her mother. There in an antique armoire, Lena discovers a Civil War-era gown that holds an unimaginable cure…a trip back in time to when the house served as a hospital.

Confederate Sergeant Caleb Dockery lost his brother, his eye, and nearly his life. Stuck in a makeshift infirmary, he’s counting the days until he can return to duty…and seek revenge. When a stranger appears, he suspects she’s a spy. If he can’t return to duty and find the revenge he craves for his brother’s death, he can serve his country by stopping this traitor. But her nursing skills are saving lives, and her courage and independence stirs his heart. When Lena’s safety is threatened, Caleb must strain the loyalties that bind him or risk losing her forever.

Caught between a future that holds no promises and a past that could offer new life, Lena must face an extraordinary decision. Should she return to her own time where her days are numbered? Or can she and Caleb find a love that stretches across time?

If you like historical romance with a twist, strong female characters, and heroes that transcend eras, you’ll love this journey through time that tests the limits of love.

*Her Place in Time is set in the house from The Liberator Series, just prior to the start of Leveraging Lincoln. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing Annabelle and Peggy in this new novella.

My Review:
I recently added this story to my TBR list after I saw a few blogger friends share about it on their pages. I confess to initially judging a book by the cover, and I immediately wanted to read it. I’m happy to announce that my judgement proved sound, and the book did match the cover. I don’t often read novellas because they often move too quickly for me, and by the time I get into them the book is over. I was very pleasantly surprised by this story though. It was very well written and was still able to contain the level of detail I would have expected out of a full novel.

I don’t read a ton of time-travel stories, but I have no problem admitting that I really enjoy them. When I was a child (okay, now too), I would wish I could go back in time. A phrase I say quite often is that “I was born 100 years too late.” Not trying to question God’s timing of my life or anything, but I’ve often felt like I’ve longed for the days of the past instead of the days of the future. I even used to volunteer at a living history museum for a few years when I used to live near it. I still try to go there at least once a year, but it’s definitely one of my “happy places” to visit. I will however admit, that running water an outhouses would not be something I would have liked. Lena’s dislike for them would be my own sentiments as well. I confess I quite like having a toilet that flushes and a shower that is warm. I liked how Lena’s reaction towards some of the customs and ways of life in the past really made me think myself about how I would have handled the situation if it actually was to happen to me.

This was my first time reading Stephenia H McGee but I am sure it won’t be my last! I was very excited to see that a few of the characters in this story are also seen in her Liberator series. I will have to check it out! I really loved this novella, so I’m really anxious to read more. Highly recommend!

Rating: 

Age Appropriateness/Content Warnings:
The biggest warning as far as the content goes deals with the male attention in this book. Although unintended, Lena draws a lot of attention from the soldiers around her due to her lack of understanding of the times she has traveled to. Most of the discussion is her being told to dress “more properly” so that she can avoid that type of attention, however SPOILER there is also a scene where one of them attempts to rape her. While I think there are select younger readers who could enjoy the story, I’m not sure it would be my first choice for them. I personally wouldn’t recommend under 14.