Time Traveler's Book Reviews

Reflections of Toddsville ~ America's best selling historic romance writer, Trudy Johnson, has just one problem -- her love life! The only man she's taken to bed in the last 5 years is the photo of a Victorian man taken in 1891 that's on her bedside table. Her agent, Jennifer, thinks she needs a break after writing five books in five years. She pays for Trudy to take her summer vacation in a rustic cabin by a peaceful lake in Richfield Springs, just outside of Cooperstown, N.Y. On June 21, 1997, she falls asleep in her Richfield Spring's cabin only to awaken in the same bed one hundred years in the past -- and not alone! His name is Cuyler Carr, and he's not happy about his fishing trip, or his reputation, being ruined by her arrival. Looks like Trudy's love life is starting to pick up!

Romantic Times reviewer Faith V. Smith said (January 2005): Book one of Van Horne's new time- travel series is unique. Her method of sending the heroine back and forth in time is unusual and intriguing, and she uses a time period when polite society actually gave a rip about morals to show Trudy her heart's desire. FOUR STARS

The Midwest Book Review said (July 2000): "Reflections of Toddsville" is a totally engaging and unique novel of love, time, and the vagaries of the human heart.

Ohioana Quarterly reviewer Sandy Johnson said: From the first until the final page, the reader is captivated by this story. Gertrude's excursion in time and the people she meets are realistically described...for readers interested in time travel this is a tough book to put down. The intricacies of time travel -- portals and the effects of weather on the travelers -- are described so well that the reader is quite willing to suspend disbelief.

Wild Roses for Miss Jane ~ Miss Jane Engle has found a new home, security, and a classroom full of smiling faces in her 1876 one-room schoolhouse in Albany, New York. Choosing to teach rather than to marry handsome widower and father of one son, Garrett Michaels, Jane has found serenity...if not happiness and love. When Jane reads the pirate book young Trace Michaels has hidden in his school desk, Jane is transported to a 1722 British sailing ship that is being attacked by the notorious Caribbean pirate, Captain Garrett Michaels. Although he looks just as handsome as his 1870's counterpart, there are some major differences -- the cruel and sinister look in his eyes, and the sharp dagger he has pressed against her throat. Will Jane be able to tell the Albany Board of Education "what she did on her summer vacation" if she ever returns?

Romantic Times reviewer Tonya Kacik said (June 2004): "Wild Roses for Miss Jane" is an adventure that will capture readers from the start to finish. Likeable and courageous characters fill the pages of this creatively penned pirate romance. SENSUAL ~ FOUR STARS

Fans at Barnes and Noble said:

Hollie Van Horne does it again Another excellent book by Hollie Van Horne...her characters are so real and interesting..like her other books so far I couldn't put it down...looking forward to the next one. 5 out of 5 stars
I love pirate romances!!! This book is the second in the Time Travelers series, and it is the best romance novel about pirates I have ever read. I recommend the whole series by this author because each and every book is its own story uniquely told, with incredible characters. If you like historic fiction/time travel books, you have to read these books. I read Speak of the Dead too even though it wasn't a time travel and it was awesome. 5 out of 5 stars

McKnight's Revenge ~ Matt McKnight and Jessie Callahan travel from 1871 Texas, where Jessie is about to be hanged, to 1066 England, where they are ready (sort of) to meet invaders of England. Matt is a Rebel veteran of the War between the States, and once he gets the hang of the broadsword, he'll take care of any Norman that sets foot on English soil! Then there's Jessie, who is now Lady Gwynth. With a whole staff of servants waiting on her hand and foot, she can start to forget the feel of the hangman's noose that was around her neck in 1871 Calhoun, Texas!

Romantic Times reviewer Donna Brown said (March 2005): The third Time Traveler tale is not up to Van Horne's usual standard. The alternating first-person chapters have a sing-song quality at the beginning, although the book ends with in strong style usually associated with this author when she's writing action and adventure. SENSUAL - THREE STARS

Fans at Barnes and Noble said:

Hangin', Feudin', Travellin' and WOW! Hollie you had my attention from the first page! You delightfully painted the characters of Jessie and Matt in 1871 Texas without a hitch. All of a sudden when you feel like you are hooked on the time period and the dialect, you get flung back in time to England, 1066!!!! Whoa Nellie. The two main characters have a hate-hate-love-hate relationship with hysterical wit and one-liners that really keep you giggling. I think the characters in this book are very well developed and inspiring. What will you think of next Hollie? You won't put it down!

Time Travelers Inc. does it again! Matt McKnight and Jessie Callahan make fueding through time a must read. I really liked how Ms. Van Horne lets you see the story through the eyes of both characters. Time travelling with Bruce and Jim is different then being with Sam, but I found them to be just as interesting. I hope Ms. Van Horne continues writing this series. I find her writing style to be compelling.

When We Do Meet Again ~ Brilliant Chicago surgeon, Dr. Stephen Templeton, needed a sabbatical to combat his overwhelming depression. A drive down River Road in Vacherie, Louisiana -- outside New Orleans -- promised to be just what the doctor ordered to relieve his stress, when a ruined antebellum mansion beckoned for him to purchase and restore it. That's when he met her. The ghost of its former mistress, Isabella Durel, who was murdered December 25, 1838 -- in this, her plantation home. It wasn't long before he found her portrait and fell in love with her yet only days before he found her husband's painting and realized that he was the reincarnation of Emile Durel! Can Stephen give her the second chance at life and love for which she's yearned for over a hundred years? Can he find sanity in her loving embrace? Can he find a murderer and reverse her fate before it's too late? Only if Time Travelers Incorporated can work their magic and send him through the time tunnel so that he may return to his wife and his life as Emile Durel circa 1838.

Romantic Times reviewer Gabrielle Pantera said (March 2004): Van Horne does a great job pulling readers into the story and making them want to know what will happen with the characters. This book, number four, can be read without knowledge of the other books in the series. If you like science fiction and romance, this is the author for you. SENSUAL ~ FOUR STARS

Ohioana Quarterly reviewer Sandy Johnson said: "When We Do Meet Again" was a tough book to set aside. A ghost story sounds good, but where it takes the reader is what really makes the book such an interesting read...both of these ("Reflections of Toddsville" and "When We Do Meet Again") books are compelling reading, and readers may find themselves asking, "What period of time would I visit and what would I want to find myself doing there?"

The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier ~ Time Travelers, Inc.'s Jim Cooper has found the woman of his dreams. She's Celeste Montclaire, a beautiful, strong-willed, intelligent, artistic attorney from New York City whose heart was broken many years ago by a mysterious lover she met when she was at art school in Paris, France. Though she enjoys her weekends of love with Jim at his woodsy cabin in Richfield Springs, New York, she can't shake the memory of Phillipe, the man who left her without a word of farewell. But the Time Tunnel has plans of its own when it takes her on a surprise trip to the Paris, France of 1793 and places her right in the middle of the French Revolution...alone! She's now Celeste Lacombe whose cousin, Claire Lacombe, is a notorious rabble rouser, leader of the Revolutionary Republican Women, and lover to the infamous newspaper editor, Leclerc. And Celeste's former lover -- son of an aristocrat -- Phillipe de Brouquens, and Jim Cooper's former life's personal, a police spy by the name of Jean-Jacques Coupier -- are there to make her new life even more complex. Now all she has to do is decide which man truly owns her heart -- and quickly. For her choice has now become a matter of life and death!

The Midwest Book Review said: The fifth book in the exciting "Time Travelers" series, The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier by Hollie Van Horne is the engaging story of Celeste Montclaire, a contemporary woman who falls into a Time Tunnel and finds herself transported to 1793 Paris -- smack into the middle of the French Revolution. With loves and loyalties on both sides of the growing conflict, she must make her choices quickly; her very life hinges upon them! A rousing and engaging novel, in touch with its chosen era of history, The Diary of Jean-Jacques Coupier is especially recommended for science fiction fans with a penchant for time travel stories.

Romantic Times Book Club reviewer Tanya Kacik said (March 2004): This novel is overflowing with graphic portrayals of historical events, such as public executions by guillotine. Van Horne does a fantastic job blending fact with fiction and delivers an incredible love story that will have readers reaching for this one again and again. This is a true keeper. SENSUAL ~ FOUR & A HALF STARS!

Portrait of Lydia ~ Grant Tyrell worked his whole life to attain fame, fortune, and power. When a Harvard professor did Grant's family tree, he was told that one of his ancestors had been Septimius Severus, warrior-emperor of the Roman Empire. So, when Grant saw Time Travelers Inc.'s web site on the Internet, he decided to take a much needed vacation and travel from 2000 A.D. to 200 A.D. What Grant Tyrell wanted was to experience total power. To decide the fate of millions! To own all the known world! And to experience the power and glory of the Roman Empire! He never suspected that the Time Tunnel would have other plans for him. That he should have listened to Wainwright. Or that a young woman named Lydia, of the house of Marcus Flavius Antonious of Rome, would hold HIS fate in her pretty hands.

Midwest Book Review said: "Portrait of Lydia" by Hollie Van Horne is a simply enthralling novel of time travel being used (or abused) for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Or perhaps an end-of-a-lifetime vacation, when the time traveler's dreams of dominating the ancient Roman Empire of 200 A.D. all turn sour and a woman named Lydia of the house of Marcus Flavius Antonious holds his fate in her slender hands. An exciting and adventurous saga. "Portrait of Lydia" is confidently recommended to the dedicated science fiction enthusiasts in general, and time-travel buffs in particular.

Romantic Times Book Club reviewer Tanya Kacik said (July 2004): Realistic characters fill the pages of this creatively penned, in-depth time-travel. Lydia and Grant's story is a well-written romance that's fresh and unique, with fantastic historical highlights. Van Horne pens another terrific novel readers won't want to miss. SENSUAL - FOUR & A HALF STARS!

Beneath the Wings of Isis ~ A vampire's tale! An ancient unsolved murder mystery that travels to Egypt 2660 B.C. Four men, Four Stories, Four Lovers, One Ultimate Conclusion! Francois de Bienvenieux is a 1790's French vampire. It really wasn't his fault. But now the woman he loves has died because of it! Pharaoh Djoser is the Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt in 2660 B.C. It is his destiny. But now seven of his queens have died because of it! Louis DeLaCroix is a 1790's French scientist and time traveler. It is his passion. But now the woman who loves him may die because of it! Imhotep is the mystic genius of an ancient world. It is his fate. But now the woman who loves him will kill millions with her fatal kiss. Departure time: 1792 Paris, France. ETA: 2660 B.C. Saqqara burial site, Memphis, Egypt

Romantic Times Book Club reviewer Cindy Harrison said (July 2004): Many colorful lives cross in a sweeping story of seduction, betrayal and romance that moves from ancient Egypt to revolutionary France and back again. Vampire Francois has been seduced and cursed to immortality by Tatiana, a scheming vampire from ancient Egypt, circa 2660 B.C. When Francois learns of Louis DeLaCroix's ability to travel through time, they leave 1790 France and travel back to the Pharaoh Djoser's kingdom. Here they meet, among others, the goddess Isis. Francois is determined to stop Tatiana before she becomes a vampire. He also has a chance to become human again, his fondest wish. This complex story, skillfully told in supple prose, draws readers into a magical, intensely dramatic world. Van Horne's formidable skills make it all seem effortless. FOUR STARS —Cindy Harrison

To read more reviews for each book, click on the image to open a new window.

To read more reviews for each book, click on the image to open a new window.