Times Change ~ Time and Again #2

• Audiobook Review

• Author: Nora Roberts
• Performed by Luke Daniels
• Published: May 2015 by Brilliance Audio
• Category: Time Travel, Romance
• 

Cynical Jacob Hornblower has followed his brother, Caleb, back in time, hoping to convince him to return home. His mission is soon forgotten, however, when he finds himself captivated by Liberty’s spitfire sister, Sunny. But can a man who is down on love truly understand the unbounded strength of the human heart?

In the first book, Time Was, Caleb Hornblower inadvertently found him self transported back in time to the 20th Century. He fell in love with Libby Stone and, deciding he just couldn’t leave her, chose to stay in the past. Jacob Hornblower, an astrophysicist, has spent months, years working on plotting coordinates and building a spaceship that would stand up to the rigors of his intended time travel. Cal’s report, transported back by his unmanned ship, had been fairly precise. Jacob had every intention of taking his brother home.

He knew the risks. He was a man who was willing to take them. One misstep, one bad call, and it would all be over, essentially before it had begun. But he had always considered life a gamble. Often – perhaps too often – he had allowed his impulses to rule and had plunged recklessly into potentially dangerous situations. In this case, he had figured the odds painstakingly. Two years of his life had been spent calculating, simulating, constructing. The most minute details had been considered, computed and analyzed. 

What Jacob didn’t reckon on was Sunny Stone, Libby’s sister. His coordinates were a little off and he arrived at the cabin in the mountains in mid winter instead of milder weather as he intended. Cal and Libby are travelling and unreachable and Sunny is staying at the cabin. Jacob decides to wait until Cal and Libby return. He and Sunny are caught in a snowstorm and stranded at the cabin for days without electricity.

Jacob and Sunny are both independent and spirited, with impulsive and strong-willed personalities. Jacob loves, and is immersed in, his work, Sunny can’t settle to any one thing although she has numerous qualifications in different professions. All she knows right now is what she doesn’t want to do. I enjoyed Jacob’s character development from a sceptic as far as love is concerned to someone who is prepared to sacrifice his own new-found happiness for sake of his family. And he begins to understand why Cal couldn’t have left.

As with the first book, keep in mind it was written twenty-five years ago and is somewhat dated. Great ending though. Personally I think the Time and Again stories are examples of the better early Nora Roberts, her skill as a writer very apparent, as she paints vivid pictures with the narrative. I think also Sunny sets the precedent for later feisty and independent Roberts’ heroines. A fun, lighthearted story which is enhanced by Luke Daniels’ performance. There aren’t enough characters in the story for him to really let loose with the amazing number of voices in his repertoire but nevertheless a great narration.

I mostly always enjoy the way Nora Roberts’ portrays the relationship/family dynamics in her books, Cal and Jacob have a strong relationship, as do Sunny and Libby. The storyline runs along fairly similar lines to the first book, the difference being the personalities of the main protagonists and the ending.