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Time and Again: Hornblower-Stone #1-2
Time and Again: Time Was / Times Change
Time And Again
Time Was
Stranded in the present, time traveler Caleb Hornblower's biggest problem isn't returning to the twenty-third century—but falling head over heels for the beguiling Liberty Stone, who shows him a love more powerful than time itself. Though Caleb knows he belongs in the future, how can he leave the past, and Liberty, behind?
Times Change
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?
Time Was
Stranded in the present, time traveler Caleb Hornblower's biggest problem isn't returning to the twenty-third century—but falling head over heels for the beguiling Liberty Stone, who shows him a love more powerful than time itself. Though Caleb knows he belongs in the future, how can he leave the past, and Liberty, behind?
Times Change
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?
505 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
300 people are currently reading
3,980 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,802Ìýbooks57.5kÌýfollowersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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September 7, 2010
I made a deal with a friend this summer.
This friend read a good amount of romance novels, and much to my chagrin I forgot myself and said something offhandedly disparaging- which was promptly answered with 'Have you ever read one?'
To which I had to say 'No.'
So she suggested that I do so, and then tell her what I thought.
And. Um... I found this one at the library book sale and paid fifty cents for it. And I thought... hmm, time travel, could be good...
Read it pencil in hand, marking it up like a maniac, a habit I developed in AP Language and Composition last year. What follows is the exact text of the e-mail I sent my friend, based on the marks I made a I read. Chock full of shameless spoilers, just so you know.
Okay. The book I bought contained two novels, 'Time Was' and 'Times Change'. They center on a pair of brothers, Caleb and Jacob Hornblower, from the twenty-third century who travel back to our time and meet a pair of sisters, Liberty and Sunny Stone. No prizes for guessing what happens next.
I'll consider each novel from three perspectives, and then when I've finished with both I'll draw conclusions based on the two of them.
The perspectives are as follows:
Science Fiction. One of the reasons I chose this book instead of one of the others was the time travel; I find it a particularly intriguing subtheme of scifi in general and was curious to see how someone who wasn't a science fiction novelist by trade would handle it. So this will be my evaluation of plausibility of the time travel mechanism and what details of the twenty third century we are given, as well as the culture shock both brothers experience when they arrive in our present day.
Feminism. I can't help it; I see every book through this lens. However, it's particularly relevant to this because romance novels are often criticized for being antifeminist or misogynistic. So this perspective will be my breakdown of the gender roles presented, the power dynamic of the relationships, and anything particularly praiseworthy or glaringly bad that relates to how characters of each gender are treated.
Narrative. Simply put, how's the writing? The plot, the pacing, the dialogue, the word choice? That analysis will be in this section.
Book One: Time Was.
Back-of-book blurb: "He was stranded in the present, but time traveler Caleb Hornblower's biggest predicament wasn't returning to the 23rd century... it was leaving behind beguilingly innocent Liberty Stone, who'd shown him a love more powerful than Time Was."
Spoilerific Summary: Caleb crash-lands his ship in the mountains of Oregon during a rainstorm- and Libby is watching from the front porch of her family's cabin. She drives out, because she thinks it's a plane crash, to see if there are any survivors; all she finds is Caleb on the side of the road. Naturally, she brings him back to the cabin and tends his wounds. There's a good deal of awkwardness as he tries to figure out where he is, and shock when the realization hits. Because they're both obscenely good looking, a situation which could have stayed awkward for a long time turns romantic, what with her showing him a little about our time and caring for his wounds. Sex ensues, which (this isn't clear) is either Libby's first time or the first time she's really enjoyed it; either way, the emotional complication deepens. Then there's tension about his leaving to return to his time; he fixes up his spaceship and gets it to figure out how to make a return trip, but doesn't want to leave her, etcetera. Libby's parents show up for some cringeworthy scenes, including one in which Caleb grabs her mom's butt, and then leave them alone after deciding that their little girl can take care of herself. Launch day arrives, Libby watches the ship take off from the same porch where she watched it crash... and Caleb comes running up. Good news! He set the ship on autopilot; it can return to the 23rd century without him! He can stay with her forever! How does one become a pilot in these primitive times?
Analysis-
Science Fiction: Could have been better, could have been worse. Roberts clearly knows she's out of her depth as far as spaceships go, so she keeps things vague- instead of talking about specific controls, for instance, in the first chapter, she mentions 'the instrument panel'. Instead of specific voice warnings, as appear on other ships in science fiction (Serenity's Cantonese life support failure message, etc) there are 'warning bells'. This is fine. For someone who has no chance of writing decent 'hard science fiction', IE SF in which all the details have lengthy scientific explanations, this is a good option.
But let's talk about the glimpses of future society we get. Caleb comes on to Libby almost as soon as he regains conciousness, which aside from being gross suggests that sexual mores have changed a lot in two hundred years. He also doesn't seem to understand why being naked around a complete stranger is a problem- "Because it seemed important to her, Cal tugged on the sweats." This presents a bizarre picture of a future society, to say the least. And one of the biggest and most important companies? The inanely-named Herbal Delight, a tea company founded by Libby's father. FULL STOP. Tea company. One of 'the ten biggest and most powerful companies on Earth and its colonies'? Yeah right. Even if it does make organic fuel, that coincidence is way too convenient. Setting aside the fact that from the things he mentions or thinks- about wood being super rare, natural cotton being expensive, etc- there shouldn't be enough resources to support a major organic fuel market, unless they're growing the ingredients in some kind of artificial system like hydroponics. And at that point, you have to wonder if that even constitutes organic anymore.
For the next item, let's consult the book for a quote-
"In another hundred years we'll probably have robots that will stack the dishes inside themselves and sterilize them."
"More like a hundred and fifty."
DISHWASHER ROBOTS? Does no one do anything for themselves anymore? And the fact that clearly her guess at how they would generally work was spot on, because all he corrected was the time, not the mechanism. Again, unlikely coincidence.
Now I come to the part where we find out how the heck Cal got here. Now, wait for it, wait for it... he skimmed the edge of a black hole. Um, yes, let me repeat that one: BLACK HOLE. AKA enormous superdense ball of matter with such gravitational pull it draws in light and will literally pull anything else that it gets ahold of out into one-atom-thick spaghetti. Created by the collapse of a SUPERNOVA. Detected not because scientists can see it, but because they can observe the effect it has on the planets and stars in its vicinity. And the one he metaphorically stumbles onto? Wasn't on the charts. "It had just been there, and his ship had been dragged toward it." YEAH RIGHT. HE WAS FLYING A 'ROUTINE ROUTE' BETWEEN MARS AND EARTH AND DIVERTED TO AVOID A METEOR SHOWER. He would not have left the solar system. And there are no black holes in the solar system or in our immediate area. I think we'd notice being atom-spaghettiized. Even if it wasn't in the solar system- because I'll admit, we know Mars was one end of the run but we don't know the other- any spacegoing society is going to know the locations of every major interstellar travel hazard for lightyears around the actual routes and colonies. In short, this is total bull. It's also the second-most annoying thing I found in this book.
Feminism- This part starts with the back cover blurb. Yup, you read that right. The back cover blurb, and here's why: The men travel. The women are in stasis. The men come to them, and this to me resonates strongly of a male-dominance pattern. It doesn't play out this way, but it insinuates 'man goes off to work and exciting things, woman stays and tends house'. So that's the first thing.
But I bet you're dying to know what Cal's like, am I right? Well, here you go: he's a sex-crazed, arrogant, misogynistic bastard. His only redeeming moments are when he's talking or thinking about flying, when he shows a love for something other than himself. You want me to prove it? Can do.
Page 18, first instance of unwanted advances: "I only see one." Smiling, he reached up to touch her subtly pointed chin. "One beautiful one."
Page 21, after they fall down- him on top of her, how convenient: 'And she felt like heaven beneath him.'
Page 24, Libby's thinking: 'A ripple of unease ran through her. He'd be strong. When his injuries healed, his body would be as strong as she sensed hsi mind was. And they were alone... as completely alone as any two people could be.'
Also Page 24: 'He wasn't used to women backing away from him.'
Page 37, when he's poking around in her bedroom: 'She'd said she wasn't matched, yet it was obvious that she wore things to please a man. Apparently she preferred the romance of past eras even when it came to her underwear. Far from comfortable with the ease with which he could picture Libby in this little chocolate-brown swatch with the white lace, he shoved the drawer shut again.'
(Because she can't wear underwear like that because she likes it for herself- it's obviously to please a man.)
Page 40, when she's helping him back to his bed as he can hardly stand: 'But his arm stayed around her shoulders long enough to keep her close, just close enough to brush his lips over hers.'
Page 44, an encounter in the dark when the power goes out in a storm: 'His fingers tightened on her arms, hard enough to make her gasp.'
Page 48, Caleb's response when she asks if he's married: "No. It wouldn't be wise for me to want you if I were."
Page 49, and this one speaks for itself: "We'll get to know each other tomorrow. Then we'll sleep together."
Page 65, also speaks for itself: "I make you nervous." His thumb caressed her knuckles. "It's very stimulating."
Also page 65: "Relax," he murmered, and slid his hand up to the back of her neck. "I'm not going to make love with you. I'm only going to kiss you."
Panic had her straining away. "No, I don't..."
The fingers at the back of her neck shifted, tightened, held firm.'
NOTE: This scene continues with her head 'falling back in submission'.
Page 88: "I want you, and if I stay near you much longer, I'm going to have you."
Page 89: "You can have all the say you like." Taking both her arms, he pulled her against him. "But I'll have something before I go."
This time she struggled. It was pride, pride and anger, that had her jerking free. Then his arms came around her, twin vises that clamped her body unerringly to his. She would have sworn at him, but his mouth closed hard over his.
It was nothing like the first time. Then he had seduced, persuaded, tempted. Now he posessed, not as if he had the right, but simply taking it. Her muffled protest went unheeded, her struggles ignored.
NOTE: This scene continues with the following some paragraphs later: 'And she was in love.'
Page 145, post-sex: "Why don't I watch while you fix me a sandwich?"
She traced lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertip. "So, male chauvinism survives in the twenty-third century."
Page 201: 'In one long, possessive stroke, his hands ran up her body, then down again with no lessening of force. She might have protested. There was something here that frightened her, that left her weak- not meltingly, but with an open-ended vulnerability that made her struggle to find her feet again. There was no gentleness here, nor was there the sense of urgent desire he had once shown her. Instead, the kiss was like a punishment, and a brutally effective one.'
Page 203: 'He couldn't stand it- the thought of someone else touching her, kissing her. Undressing her.'
Page 214: "Do you think that every emotion a man has toward a woman is gentle, kind, loving?"
Further page 214: "Maybe it's time I taught you the rest."
Page 214-215: "Think of this. Whenever anyone else touches you, tomorrow, ten years from tomorrow, you'll wish it was me. I'll see to it."
With his words still hanging in the air, he pulled her to the bed.'
So there are the solid examples. I'm sure you can see what bugs me about Cal from these, but I have to elaborate a little bit more: his critical flaw, the one that makes him utterly unlikeable in my eyes, is that at more than one point he threatens, insinuates, or attempts to rape Libby. This is the woman he's supposedly going to love forever. Now, I doubt this point needs belaboring, but RAPE IS WRONG. Utterly, completely, horribly wrong. Under no circumstances, under no emotional duress, is it acceptable or explicable. Under no circumstances is it an act grown out of true love. It comes from a disregard of the rights of the other person, a belief that in some way their choices are not their right, that the rapist is justified in causing pain mental and physical. Thus, at the point that any so-called 'love interest' behaves in any way like a rapist, he- or she- becomes abhorrent. Can it be handled in a way that doesn't ruin the book? Yes. I can even name one manipulative bitch of a character who I actually liked a lot, because the author accepted that her treatment of sexual partners was a deep flaw and treated it as such, making it a part of her character and the way she related to other people. The author never condoned this woman's behavior, and indeed built a lot of sympathy for the victim by showing the poor man's emotional fragility and utter terror of his tormentor. And that's the other thing- it's just plain creepy if someone who is the victim or almost-victim of a rape or almost-rape forgives the perpetrator. An encounter like this should set off big, red warning lights and a siren. Maybe a voice-over that yells, 'BAD HUMAN BEING, RUN LIKE HELL THE OTHER DIRECTION'. Not 'And she was in love'. That is not an appropriate reaction on Libby's part, nor is it an appropriate handling of the situation on Nora Roberts' part. Showing relationships where one partner is afraid of the other as normal, or even as extraordinary 'timeless loves', is sick and harmful. This is one of the flaws of Twilight, as well, but I'm not getting into that.
A few more things: The use of the word 'submission'. This word is a big red flag. The idea that any part of a relationship should involve one member- and make no mistake, it's almost always the female- submitting to the other is ridiculous. That suggests inequality in the relationship itself, at which point said relationship is no longer healthy. Unless Caleb 'submitted' to Libby at one point- which he never did- there is no equality.
Initiation of sex. This was handled rather better than some of the other things. Libby actually demands sex at more than one point, and though it's hard to tell, may do so more than Caleb. Like all things, a perfect balance is the ideal, but rather unlikely; this is better than it would have been if he had been the one making the demands (thus sending the message that sex and sexual pleasure are a man's realm and his right, and a woman is merely a tool to an end).
Lampshading. Libby was not as strong as I might have liked, but every now and then she would out and out call Caleb on his sexist bullshit. My favorite: "I did you a favor, and I don't appreciate you insinuating that I should hop into bed with you just because you've- you've got an itch. I don't find it flattering- in fact, I find it very insulting- that you think I'd make love with a perfect stranger just because it's convenient."
Monogamy. Let me preface this with the statement that I find nothing wrong with monogamy in a relationship. Personally, I think it's a good idea flat out health-wise, as someone who is monogamous is less likely to contract and spread an STD. And I would probably blow a gasket if I found out a boyfriend of mine had cheated. So my issue isn't with that kind of monogamy, but with something else. Libby explains it best-
'She had, even as a child, believed that there would be only one man for her.'
Now, is it possible for this to happen and end happily? Of course. Is it common? Not at all. And is this a necessarily healthy attitude? No. First off, scientifically- National Geographic suggests that the feeling we experience as falling in love is actually a chemical/hormonal high our bodies create. An internal drug dose, if you will, that lasts approximately four years. (Coincidentally- or maybe not- guess when most marriages break up? Around the three or four year mark.) Believe that or not, that's your call.
Secondly, this attitude is not reflected in Caleb. This is something that bothers me in a lot of books, and in fact in many societal mores. The woman is expected to be a virgin until she marries, for instance- to the point that brides in some Islamic cultures will have (once would have had? Not sure if it still happens...) surgery (don't ask me to explain this because it's gross) so that their husband thinks they're 'pure'. But there's no such expectation of a man. It helps that there's no way to tell if a man is a virgin or not (or maybe there is, but hell if I'm going to ask someone about this). My point is this: The fairy-tale 'my Prince Charming will come and sweep me off my feet and we'll live happily ever after' isn't a problem if the man is just as determined to love one woman in his entire life. So I suppose my problem with this is not the exclusivity Libby idolizes but the double standard.
Narrative: Formulaic and not outstanding, but I've read worse. There was a clear central conflict present through the entir ebook, if under the surface at first. Caleb's reactions to the modern world were well handled, and his fish-out-of-water state was somewhat plausible. Dialogue wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't awkward or jarring, and I could mostly imagine real people saying these things. I still don't like the pacing of the romance itself; I would have preferred to see a little more development, but if it were done to my satisfaction it would be too long for a good section of Roberts' target audience, so I can let that slide. The only thing that really needed more development was their emotional connection, as it seemed to be more pure horniness than anything else. There weren't many character details given at all,, actaully, so there's no wonder there was little emotional connection- again, it reminded me of Twilight, though it did better than that at least. Caleb's a pilot, former military, who's flight-crazy, and that's all we know about his personal interests and passions. Libby is an anthropologist, likes Casablanca, was raised by hippie parents, and that's mostly what we get about her. Her parents showed up, but they seemed to be a plot device- intended mostly, by my watch, to talk with Libby and Caleb and have them demonstrate through their words that they love each other. Oh yeah, and talk about the importance of love and free sex, and have some of their own. There may possibly be a plot point for the next book in the fact that Libby's mother is pregnant again, but I have no way to know that yet.
Final note: Caleb's last name really annoyed me. Especially when he was referred to at one point as 'Captain Hornblower'. I don't know if you've heard of them, but there's a very famous series of naval novels set in the Napoleonic War era whose main character is Horatio Hornblower. I haven't read them myself, but every time someone mentioned Caleb's full name that was all I could think of. There have got to be other things he could have been called.
(Continued in comments)
This friend read a good amount of romance novels, and much to my chagrin I forgot myself and said something offhandedly disparaging- which was promptly answered with 'Have you ever read one?'
To which I had to say 'No.'
So she suggested that I do so, and then tell her what I thought.
And. Um... I found this one at the library book sale and paid fifty cents for it. And I thought... hmm, time travel, could be good...
Read it pencil in hand, marking it up like a maniac, a habit I developed in AP Language and Composition last year. What follows is the exact text of the e-mail I sent my friend, based on the marks I made a I read. Chock full of shameless spoilers, just so you know.
Okay. The book I bought contained two novels, 'Time Was' and 'Times Change'. They center on a pair of brothers, Caleb and Jacob Hornblower, from the twenty-third century who travel back to our time and meet a pair of sisters, Liberty and Sunny Stone. No prizes for guessing what happens next.
I'll consider each novel from three perspectives, and then when I've finished with both I'll draw conclusions based on the two of them.
The perspectives are as follows:
Science Fiction. One of the reasons I chose this book instead of one of the others was the time travel; I find it a particularly intriguing subtheme of scifi in general and was curious to see how someone who wasn't a science fiction novelist by trade would handle it. So this will be my evaluation of plausibility of the time travel mechanism and what details of the twenty third century we are given, as well as the culture shock both brothers experience when they arrive in our present day.
Feminism. I can't help it; I see every book through this lens. However, it's particularly relevant to this because romance novels are often criticized for being antifeminist or misogynistic. So this perspective will be my breakdown of the gender roles presented, the power dynamic of the relationships, and anything particularly praiseworthy or glaringly bad that relates to how characters of each gender are treated.
Narrative. Simply put, how's the writing? The plot, the pacing, the dialogue, the word choice? That analysis will be in this section.
Book One: Time Was.
Back-of-book blurb: "He was stranded in the present, but time traveler Caleb Hornblower's biggest predicament wasn't returning to the 23rd century... it was leaving behind beguilingly innocent Liberty Stone, who'd shown him a love more powerful than Time Was."
Spoilerific Summary: Caleb crash-lands his ship in the mountains of Oregon during a rainstorm- and Libby is watching from the front porch of her family's cabin. She drives out, because she thinks it's a plane crash, to see if there are any survivors; all she finds is Caleb on the side of the road. Naturally, she brings him back to the cabin and tends his wounds. There's a good deal of awkwardness as he tries to figure out where he is, and shock when the realization hits. Because they're both obscenely good looking, a situation which could have stayed awkward for a long time turns romantic, what with her showing him a little about our time and caring for his wounds. Sex ensues, which (this isn't clear) is either Libby's first time or the first time she's really enjoyed it; either way, the emotional complication deepens. Then there's tension about his leaving to return to his time; he fixes up his spaceship and gets it to figure out how to make a return trip, but doesn't want to leave her, etcetera. Libby's parents show up for some cringeworthy scenes, including one in which Caleb grabs her mom's butt, and then leave them alone after deciding that their little girl can take care of herself. Launch day arrives, Libby watches the ship take off from the same porch where she watched it crash... and Caleb comes running up. Good news! He set the ship on autopilot; it can return to the 23rd century without him! He can stay with her forever! How does one become a pilot in these primitive times?
Analysis-
Science Fiction: Could have been better, could have been worse. Roberts clearly knows she's out of her depth as far as spaceships go, so she keeps things vague- instead of talking about specific controls, for instance, in the first chapter, she mentions 'the instrument panel'. Instead of specific voice warnings, as appear on other ships in science fiction (Serenity's Cantonese life support failure message, etc) there are 'warning bells'. This is fine. For someone who has no chance of writing decent 'hard science fiction', IE SF in which all the details have lengthy scientific explanations, this is a good option.
But let's talk about the glimpses of future society we get. Caleb comes on to Libby almost as soon as he regains conciousness, which aside from being gross suggests that sexual mores have changed a lot in two hundred years. He also doesn't seem to understand why being naked around a complete stranger is a problem- "Because it seemed important to her, Cal tugged on the sweats." This presents a bizarre picture of a future society, to say the least. And one of the biggest and most important companies? The inanely-named Herbal Delight, a tea company founded by Libby's father. FULL STOP. Tea company. One of 'the ten biggest and most powerful companies on Earth and its colonies'? Yeah right. Even if it does make organic fuel, that coincidence is way too convenient. Setting aside the fact that from the things he mentions or thinks- about wood being super rare, natural cotton being expensive, etc- there shouldn't be enough resources to support a major organic fuel market, unless they're growing the ingredients in some kind of artificial system like hydroponics. And at that point, you have to wonder if that even constitutes organic anymore.
For the next item, let's consult the book for a quote-
"In another hundred years we'll probably have robots that will stack the dishes inside themselves and sterilize them."
"More like a hundred and fifty."
DISHWASHER ROBOTS? Does no one do anything for themselves anymore? And the fact that clearly her guess at how they would generally work was spot on, because all he corrected was the time, not the mechanism. Again, unlikely coincidence.
Now I come to the part where we find out how the heck Cal got here. Now, wait for it, wait for it... he skimmed the edge of a black hole. Um, yes, let me repeat that one: BLACK HOLE. AKA enormous superdense ball of matter with such gravitational pull it draws in light and will literally pull anything else that it gets ahold of out into one-atom-thick spaghetti. Created by the collapse of a SUPERNOVA. Detected not because scientists can see it, but because they can observe the effect it has on the planets and stars in its vicinity. And the one he metaphorically stumbles onto? Wasn't on the charts. "It had just been there, and his ship had been dragged toward it." YEAH RIGHT. HE WAS FLYING A 'ROUTINE ROUTE' BETWEEN MARS AND EARTH AND DIVERTED TO AVOID A METEOR SHOWER. He would not have left the solar system. And there are no black holes in the solar system or in our immediate area. I think we'd notice being atom-spaghettiized. Even if it wasn't in the solar system- because I'll admit, we know Mars was one end of the run but we don't know the other- any spacegoing society is going to know the locations of every major interstellar travel hazard for lightyears around the actual routes and colonies. In short, this is total bull. It's also the second-most annoying thing I found in this book.
Feminism- This part starts with the back cover blurb. Yup, you read that right. The back cover blurb, and here's why: The men travel. The women are in stasis. The men come to them, and this to me resonates strongly of a male-dominance pattern. It doesn't play out this way, but it insinuates 'man goes off to work and exciting things, woman stays and tends house'. So that's the first thing.
But I bet you're dying to know what Cal's like, am I right? Well, here you go: he's a sex-crazed, arrogant, misogynistic bastard. His only redeeming moments are when he's talking or thinking about flying, when he shows a love for something other than himself. You want me to prove it? Can do.
Page 18, first instance of unwanted advances: "I only see one." Smiling, he reached up to touch her subtly pointed chin. "One beautiful one."
Page 21, after they fall down- him on top of her, how convenient: 'And she felt like heaven beneath him.'
Page 24, Libby's thinking: 'A ripple of unease ran through her. He'd be strong. When his injuries healed, his body would be as strong as she sensed hsi mind was. And they were alone... as completely alone as any two people could be.'
Also Page 24: 'He wasn't used to women backing away from him.'
Page 37, when he's poking around in her bedroom: 'She'd said she wasn't matched, yet it was obvious that she wore things to please a man. Apparently she preferred the romance of past eras even when it came to her underwear. Far from comfortable with the ease with which he could picture Libby in this little chocolate-brown swatch with the white lace, he shoved the drawer shut again.'
(Because she can't wear underwear like that because she likes it for herself- it's obviously to please a man.)
Page 40, when she's helping him back to his bed as he can hardly stand: 'But his arm stayed around her shoulders long enough to keep her close, just close enough to brush his lips over hers.'
Page 44, an encounter in the dark when the power goes out in a storm: 'His fingers tightened on her arms, hard enough to make her gasp.'
Page 48, Caleb's response when she asks if he's married: "No. It wouldn't be wise for me to want you if I were."
Page 49, and this one speaks for itself: "We'll get to know each other tomorrow. Then we'll sleep together."
Page 65, also speaks for itself: "I make you nervous." His thumb caressed her knuckles. "It's very stimulating."
Also page 65: "Relax," he murmered, and slid his hand up to the back of her neck. "I'm not going to make love with you. I'm only going to kiss you."
Panic had her straining away. "No, I don't..."
The fingers at the back of her neck shifted, tightened, held firm.'
NOTE: This scene continues with her head 'falling back in submission'.
Page 88: "I want you, and if I stay near you much longer, I'm going to have you."
Page 89: "You can have all the say you like." Taking both her arms, he pulled her against him. "But I'll have something before I go."
This time she struggled. It was pride, pride and anger, that had her jerking free. Then his arms came around her, twin vises that clamped her body unerringly to his. She would have sworn at him, but his mouth closed hard over his.
It was nothing like the first time. Then he had seduced, persuaded, tempted. Now he posessed, not as if he had the right, but simply taking it. Her muffled protest went unheeded, her struggles ignored.
NOTE: This scene continues with the following some paragraphs later: 'And she was in love.'
Page 145, post-sex: "Why don't I watch while you fix me a sandwich?"
She traced lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertip. "So, male chauvinism survives in the twenty-third century."
Page 201: 'In one long, possessive stroke, his hands ran up her body, then down again with no lessening of force. She might have protested. There was something here that frightened her, that left her weak- not meltingly, but with an open-ended vulnerability that made her struggle to find her feet again. There was no gentleness here, nor was there the sense of urgent desire he had once shown her. Instead, the kiss was like a punishment, and a brutally effective one.'
Page 203: 'He couldn't stand it- the thought of someone else touching her, kissing her. Undressing her.'
Page 214: "Do you think that every emotion a man has toward a woman is gentle, kind, loving?"
Further page 214: "Maybe it's time I taught you the rest."
Page 214-215: "Think of this. Whenever anyone else touches you, tomorrow, ten years from tomorrow, you'll wish it was me. I'll see to it."
With his words still hanging in the air, he pulled her to the bed.'
So there are the solid examples. I'm sure you can see what bugs me about Cal from these, but I have to elaborate a little bit more: his critical flaw, the one that makes him utterly unlikeable in my eyes, is that at more than one point he threatens, insinuates, or attempts to rape Libby. This is the woman he's supposedly going to love forever. Now, I doubt this point needs belaboring, but RAPE IS WRONG. Utterly, completely, horribly wrong. Under no circumstances, under no emotional duress, is it acceptable or explicable. Under no circumstances is it an act grown out of true love. It comes from a disregard of the rights of the other person, a belief that in some way their choices are not their right, that the rapist is justified in causing pain mental and physical. Thus, at the point that any so-called 'love interest' behaves in any way like a rapist, he- or she- becomes abhorrent. Can it be handled in a way that doesn't ruin the book? Yes. I can even name one manipulative bitch of a character who I actually liked a lot, because the author accepted that her treatment of sexual partners was a deep flaw and treated it as such, making it a part of her character and the way she related to other people. The author never condoned this woman's behavior, and indeed built a lot of sympathy for the victim by showing the poor man's emotional fragility and utter terror of his tormentor. And that's the other thing- it's just plain creepy if someone who is the victim or almost-victim of a rape or almost-rape forgives the perpetrator. An encounter like this should set off big, red warning lights and a siren. Maybe a voice-over that yells, 'BAD HUMAN BEING, RUN LIKE HELL THE OTHER DIRECTION'. Not 'And she was in love'. That is not an appropriate reaction on Libby's part, nor is it an appropriate handling of the situation on Nora Roberts' part. Showing relationships where one partner is afraid of the other as normal, or even as extraordinary 'timeless loves', is sick and harmful. This is one of the flaws of Twilight, as well, but I'm not getting into that.
A few more things: The use of the word 'submission'. This word is a big red flag. The idea that any part of a relationship should involve one member- and make no mistake, it's almost always the female- submitting to the other is ridiculous. That suggests inequality in the relationship itself, at which point said relationship is no longer healthy. Unless Caleb 'submitted' to Libby at one point- which he never did- there is no equality.
Initiation of sex. This was handled rather better than some of the other things. Libby actually demands sex at more than one point, and though it's hard to tell, may do so more than Caleb. Like all things, a perfect balance is the ideal, but rather unlikely; this is better than it would have been if he had been the one making the demands (thus sending the message that sex and sexual pleasure are a man's realm and his right, and a woman is merely a tool to an end).
Lampshading. Libby was not as strong as I might have liked, but every now and then she would out and out call Caleb on his sexist bullshit. My favorite: "I did you a favor, and I don't appreciate you insinuating that I should hop into bed with you just because you've- you've got an itch. I don't find it flattering- in fact, I find it very insulting- that you think I'd make love with a perfect stranger just because it's convenient."
Monogamy. Let me preface this with the statement that I find nothing wrong with monogamy in a relationship. Personally, I think it's a good idea flat out health-wise, as someone who is monogamous is less likely to contract and spread an STD. And I would probably blow a gasket if I found out a boyfriend of mine had cheated. So my issue isn't with that kind of monogamy, but with something else. Libby explains it best-
'She had, even as a child, believed that there would be only one man for her.'
Now, is it possible for this to happen and end happily? Of course. Is it common? Not at all. And is this a necessarily healthy attitude? No. First off, scientifically- National Geographic suggests that the feeling we experience as falling in love is actually a chemical/hormonal high our bodies create. An internal drug dose, if you will, that lasts approximately four years. (Coincidentally- or maybe not- guess when most marriages break up? Around the three or four year mark.) Believe that or not, that's your call.
Secondly, this attitude is not reflected in Caleb. This is something that bothers me in a lot of books, and in fact in many societal mores. The woman is expected to be a virgin until she marries, for instance- to the point that brides in some Islamic cultures will have (once would have had? Not sure if it still happens...) surgery (don't ask me to explain this because it's gross) so that their husband thinks they're 'pure'. But there's no such expectation of a man. It helps that there's no way to tell if a man is a virgin or not (or maybe there is, but hell if I'm going to ask someone about this). My point is this: The fairy-tale 'my Prince Charming will come and sweep me off my feet and we'll live happily ever after' isn't a problem if the man is just as determined to love one woman in his entire life. So I suppose my problem with this is not the exclusivity Libby idolizes but the double standard.
Narrative: Formulaic and not outstanding, but I've read worse. There was a clear central conflict present through the entir ebook, if under the surface at first. Caleb's reactions to the modern world were well handled, and his fish-out-of-water state was somewhat plausible. Dialogue wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't awkward or jarring, and I could mostly imagine real people saying these things. I still don't like the pacing of the romance itself; I would have preferred to see a little more development, but if it were done to my satisfaction it would be too long for a good section of Roberts' target audience, so I can let that slide. The only thing that really needed more development was their emotional connection, as it seemed to be more pure horniness than anything else. There weren't many character details given at all,, actaully, so there's no wonder there was little emotional connection- again, it reminded me of Twilight, though it did better than that at least. Caleb's a pilot, former military, who's flight-crazy, and that's all we know about his personal interests and passions. Libby is an anthropologist, likes Casablanca, was raised by hippie parents, and that's mostly what we get about her. Her parents showed up, but they seemed to be a plot device- intended mostly, by my watch, to talk with Libby and Caleb and have them demonstrate through their words that they love each other. Oh yeah, and talk about the importance of love and free sex, and have some of their own. There may possibly be a plot point for the next book in the fact that Libby's mother is pregnant again, but I have no way to know that yet.
Final note: Caleb's last name really annoyed me. Especially when he was referred to at one point as 'Captain Hornblower'. I don't know if you've heard of them, but there's a very famous series of naval novels set in the Napoleonic War era whose main character is Horatio Hornblower. I haven't read them myself, but every time someone mentioned Caleb's full name that was all I could think of. There have got to be other things he could have been called.
(Continued in comments)
June 9, 2012
I read the first half of the book then skimmed the rest. It was a predictable sleezy romance novel, plain and simple. The thing that bothered me most was the fact that Cal was not even LIKABLE. He was a self centered jerk who showed no true care to Libby's feelings but only to his own desires, and that just sickened me. I'm reading this and thinking, "Okay, so I have this male character who is-of course-oooh so handsome (as is his brother, OF course...so shallow and not realistic but anyhow) and he is arrogant, pushy, bossing, demeaning, manipulative, and takes advantage of women, with no character whatsoever...and I'm supposed to swoon over this fellow and come out wishing I had a man like him (b/c isn't that the stupid goal of these novels anyhow?) ?" The description on the back made me think this novel would perhaps be something other than what it was but yeah, I was ready to be done w/ this one and read something that wasn't pointless trash. I gave it 2 stars merely b/c her writing in and of itself is not atrocious, just the story...
January 29, 2008
There are two short stories in this book, but they are so similar I was...bored reading the second story. It seemed to me the same story started over, but with different characters.
The first story is with Caleb and Liberty. It was neat. It's a sci/fi (him), timewarp caused time-travel read. I enjoyed it.
The second story is with Caleb's brother and Libertie's sister (Sunny). He's searching for his brother who went missing...Naturally, Caleb and Liberty are out of town while Sunny is staying at the same the same country house (trying to find herself).
The first story is with Caleb and Liberty. It was neat. It's a sci/fi (him), timewarp caused time-travel read. I enjoyed it.
The second story is with Caleb's brother and Libertie's sister (Sunny). He's searching for his brother who went missing...Naturally, Caleb and Liberty are out of town while Sunny is staying at the same the same country house (trying to find herself).
June 27, 2023
Ik heb me vermaakt, maar meer dan de 4 euro die dit was was het noet waard.
De mannen in dit verhaal zijn discutabel en dan blijkt ook nog eens dat de eerste een hoofdverband om had en toen begreep ik helemaal niet meer wat ze in hen zag.
De mannen in dit verhaal zijn discutabel en dan blijkt ook nog eens dat de eerste een hoofdverband om had en toen begreep ik helemaal niet meer wat ze in hen zag.
February 17, 2018
All I can say about this book is I finished it. Don't ask me why I bothered to finish it, I guess I don't value my time. Nothing worked. She is a scientist, but has no scientific curiosity. He falls madly in love with her, but why? She is hardly ever nice or interesting, he keeps thinking she is but the author failed to show that to us. The book was just so dumb.
April 16, 2010
I love Nora Roberts! I read all of her books.
May 18, 2017
Really good.
July 26, 2020
A lot of things in this book irritated me, but mainly the men. I get that this is a Silhouette Romance novel and that these books follow a certain pattern. That doesn’t mean it’s enjoyable. This is a 2 part book involving time travel. Part 1, a guy from the future crash lands on earth and is rescued by a woman. Sex happens, they fall in love. Part 2, his brother comes back to bring him home. Brother meets the sister of the woman from part 1. Sex happens, they fall in love. Both guys are jerks, but they come from a time where, apparently, hook ups are casual and accepted. They have a hard time understanding it doesn’t work that way in the past. The only parts I enjoyed was watching the reactions of the time travelers to every day things we take for granted.
March 11, 2021
Such a unique twist on a time travel romance. Enjoyed both stories.
June 23, 2024
Good reading, though I'm sure I enjoyed them more when they were first published! 3.5 stars
2024 reread! I saw an advertisement for this book and had to read it again! Still enjoyable!
2024 reread! I saw an advertisement for this book and had to read it again! Still enjoyable!
March 25, 2022
Romance at its finest :)
December 27, 2021
More romance than time travel, but classic Nora Roberts for sure.
August 24, 2013
Two full-length stories about time travel and two brothers and two sisters (Time and Again: Hornblower-Stone #1-2)
My Take
Time Was and Times Change are both soft romances, but with a twist of time travel tossed in. They're sweet with no great dramas and very predictable.
The Stories
Time Was finds Libby Stone, cultural anthropologist, rescuing Caleb Hornblower when his ship crashes. It's a shy scholar versus the intrepid sky pilot as they each try to understand the other.
It is cute that this man from the future veers into his own cultural assessment of Libby and her circumstances. He's certainly a challenge to Libby's mental health as she's not accustomed to a man with his lack of inhibition, let alone he has no idea when he is.
Herbal Delight is the company her hippie dad, William Stone, started in this very cabin---a company famous and one of the top ten in Caleb's century. Caroline Stone is the girls' mother and an artist whose work has stood the test of time. Sam is the baby.
Times Change finds the brilliant and driven Jacob Hornblower furiously flying back through time to rescue his brother while 300 years earlier, the perennially restless Sunny Stone is wondering why she thought she needed the peace and quiet of her parents' isolated cabin. She's still hunting for her direction, always trying something new.
The Cover
The mint green cover is very softly pretty with its verdigris sundial and smudged pink flowers and accurately reflects the mild storyline.
The title is a reflection itself of the first and second story as the first is followed by the second, and it's Time and Again.
My Take
Time Was and Times Change are both soft romances, but with a twist of time travel tossed in. They're sweet with no great dramas and very predictable.
The Stories
Time Was finds Libby Stone, cultural anthropologist, rescuing Caleb Hornblower when his ship crashes. It's a shy scholar versus the intrepid sky pilot as they each try to understand the other.
It is cute that this man from the future veers into his own cultural assessment of Libby and her circumstances. He's certainly a challenge to Libby's mental health as she's not accustomed to a man with his lack of inhibition, let alone he has no idea when he is.
Herbal Delight is the company her hippie dad, William Stone, started in this very cabin---a company famous and one of the top ten in Caleb's century. Caroline Stone is the girls' mother and an artist whose work has stood the test of time. Sam is the baby.
Times Change finds the brilliant and driven Jacob Hornblower furiously flying back through time to rescue his brother while 300 years earlier, the perennially restless Sunny Stone is wondering why she thought she needed the peace and quiet of her parents' isolated cabin. She's still hunting for her direction, always trying something new.
The Cover
The mint green cover is very softly pretty with its verdigris sundial and smudged pink flowers and accurately reflects the mild storyline.
The title is a reflection itself of the first and second story as the first is followed by the second, and it's Time and Again.
November 18, 2024
Tiempo atrás � Nora Roberts (1º Hornblower-Stone)
3 Estrellitas. No ha estado nada mal para ser un libro de viajes en el tiempo que escribió Nora Roberts allá por 1989 y para Harlequin, pero precisamente por ser para este sello, es verdad que la historia está bien, y entretiene el rato que la lees, pero no es una historia muy memorable.
¿Qué nos cuenta en ella Nora Roberts? Una regresión, un viaje en el tiempo en el que el protagonista es el que viene del futuro y acaba en nuestra época, o más bien en 1989, que es cuando se escribió.
Caleb Hornblower es un viajero accidental en el tiempo, el suyo es 2252, en el siglo XXIII, es piloto de mercancÃas, y mientras su nave viaja a la colonia que los humanos tienen en Marte, sufre una especia de accidente que lo acaba trayendo al pasado.
Liberty Stone, o Libby, es la hija de unos hippies, una eminente antropóloga que está pasando un tiempo de relax en la cabaña familiar que poseen sus padres en Oregon para terminar su tesina. Una noche de mucha lluvia y en la que acaba de volver de la ciudad de comprar provisiones para pasar una larga temporada en su cabaña, ve un destello en el cielo, y lo que parece un avión accidentándose. Se dirige hacia allà a ver si puede haber supervivientes y su sorpresa es que se encuentra un avión muy extraño, y a un solo hombre inconsciente.
Libby arrastra como puede a dicho hombre, lo monta en su coche y se lo lleva a su cabaña para curarlo y, cuando despierte, averiguar qué ha pasado. La mayor sorpresa será la de Caleb, cuando despierte y recupere pronto su consciencia y su memoria y vea todo tan extraño, una mujer que no conoce, un mundo que no es el suyo, y el mayor dilema de todos ¿qué ha ocurrido y cómo volver?
Todo lo que Caleb ve en esta tierra de 1989 es muy primitivo para él, su tiempo es muy distinto, y aunque la mujer que lo ha acogido es muy hermosa, ésa no es su tierra.
Su historia empezará lentamente, porque aunque es cierto que se atraen, Libby nunca se ha enamorado ni tenido pareja, y no se fÃa tanto como quisiera de esta extraño y atractivo hombre, pues hay algo en él que no es normal.
Caleb va con pies de plomo en cuanto a Libby porque no quiere contarle la verdad para no asustarla, y lo peor de todo es que no le crea; asà que mientras pasan los dÃas aislados en la cabaña y lejos de cualquier otro humano, Caleb continuará estudiando su manera de volver a casa y Libby seguirá con su tesina.
Claro que aquà el problema es obvio, a pesar de todo, se ven muy atraÃdos el uno por el otro, y el estar tantos dÃas aislados, hará que unas cosas lleven a otras, y finalmente Caleb se replantee si volver a casa, o quedarse con Libby.
No hay nada en el libro que no me imaginara que ocurrirÃa, pues es de esas novelas que entretienen, pero que sabes por donde irán los tiros, y aunque tiene unos pocos giros, sabes cómo terminará todo.
En general me ha gustado, y acabo de empezar el libro del hermano de Caleb, Jacob, que años después, viaja al pasado para traer a su hermano a casa ¿lo conseguirá?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuevos tiempos � Nora Roberts (2º Hornblower)
3 Estrellitas. Se ha leÃdo igual de fácil y rápido que el primero, pero en éste caso me ha gustado un pelÃn menos que el anterior, no porque sea malo o peor, si no porque los caracteres de sus protagonistas son distintos y no me he creÃdo mucho su romance, es más, no sé cuando han pasado de odiarse, picarse y discutir a enamorarse. Por lo demás, bastante correctito.
“Nuevos tiempos� es el segundo libro y conclusión de los hermanos Hornblower y de las hermanas Stone. La acción ocurre un año después del primer libro, y en éste caso, es el hermano menor de Caleb, Jacob, el que viaja al pasado en busca de su hermano.
A la familia de Caleb les llegó su nave vacÃa y un mensaje, y desde entonces, alarmados y desesperados, su hermano, Jacob, ha trabajado incesantemente en su trabajo como astrofÃsico para conseguir viajar en el tiempo. Todo parece ir bien, hasta que los cálculos fallan por unos meses y Jacob se encuentra en pleno enero y con una tormenta de nieve, junto al bosque donde los Stone tienen su cabaña en Oregón. Jasón esperaba encontrarse a Cal y Libby al llegar a la cabaña, pero su sorpresa es que en su lugar se encuentra Sunny, la vehemente hermana menor de Libby.
Sunbeam, o Sunny, es la pequeña de las Stone. A ella no la conocimos en el primer libro, pero aquà sà tenemos historia para ella. Donde Libby es dedicada, seria y responsable en su trabajo, Sunny es su antÃtesis. Sunny es inconformista, protestona, pero muy leal. Sunny siente que no encaja en su mundo, y pese a todas sus aptitudes, todo lo que ha estudiado y trabajado, se encuentra bloqueada y en paro. No le gusta la soledad de la cabaña familiar de Oregón, pero piensa que lo necesita temporalmente mientras su hermana y su cuñado están de viaje.
Para ambos será una sorpresa el encontrarse con el uno y con el otro. A Sunny le reconcome que ningún miembro de la familia de Caleb estuviera en su boda, ni los conocieran, y a Caleb le importa un pimiento que su hermano se casara, está decidido a llevárselo de vuelta. Por eso mismo ambos se caen mal al principio, Sunny sabe que Jacob no entiende el amor de su hermano, se piensa que Libby engañó a Caleb y Sunny está decidida a quitarle de su error.
El libro es una serie de estallidos y discusiones, pero es verdad que pasan del odio al amor en un visto y no visto, pues cada vez que discuten, saltan chispas entre ellos, que los lleva irremediablemente a soltar su pasión oculta y besarse.
SÃ, realmente no sé cómo o cuando se enamoran, y eso es lo que no me ha cuajado del libro. Los protagonistas de “Nuevos tiemposâ€� tienen unos caracteres muy distintos de los de sus hermanos en “Tiempo atrásâ€�. Imagino que Nora Roberts no quiso hacer las historias, ni a ellos muy parecidos para que no fuese una copia. Pese a ello, lo he disfrutado, y en éste caso, lo que más me ha convencido ha sido el final, ése final que sabÃa que terminarÃa asà y que me ha parecido muy acertado.
En general una bilogÃa entretenida, muy distinta, y que hace ver que Nora Roberts es sus orÃgenes tocó todos los palos, lo que la convierte en una escritora muy versátil y ahora mismo en una de las autoras románticas más exitosas. Esta serie es viejilla, pero curiosa y merece la pena echarle un vistazo.
3 Estrellitas. No ha estado nada mal para ser un libro de viajes en el tiempo que escribió Nora Roberts allá por 1989 y para Harlequin, pero precisamente por ser para este sello, es verdad que la historia está bien, y entretiene el rato que la lees, pero no es una historia muy memorable.
¿Qué nos cuenta en ella Nora Roberts? Una regresión, un viaje en el tiempo en el que el protagonista es el que viene del futuro y acaba en nuestra época, o más bien en 1989, que es cuando se escribió.
Caleb Hornblower es un viajero accidental en el tiempo, el suyo es 2252, en el siglo XXIII, es piloto de mercancÃas, y mientras su nave viaja a la colonia que los humanos tienen en Marte, sufre una especia de accidente que lo acaba trayendo al pasado.
Liberty Stone, o Libby, es la hija de unos hippies, una eminente antropóloga que está pasando un tiempo de relax en la cabaña familiar que poseen sus padres en Oregon para terminar su tesina. Una noche de mucha lluvia y en la que acaba de volver de la ciudad de comprar provisiones para pasar una larga temporada en su cabaña, ve un destello en el cielo, y lo que parece un avión accidentándose. Se dirige hacia allà a ver si puede haber supervivientes y su sorpresa es que se encuentra un avión muy extraño, y a un solo hombre inconsciente.
Libby arrastra como puede a dicho hombre, lo monta en su coche y se lo lleva a su cabaña para curarlo y, cuando despierte, averiguar qué ha pasado. La mayor sorpresa será la de Caleb, cuando despierte y recupere pronto su consciencia y su memoria y vea todo tan extraño, una mujer que no conoce, un mundo que no es el suyo, y el mayor dilema de todos ¿qué ha ocurrido y cómo volver?
Todo lo que Caleb ve en esta tierra de 1989 es muy primitivo para él, su tiempo es muy distinto, y aunque la mujer que lo ha acogido es muy hermosa, ésa no es su tierra.
Su historia empezará lentamente, porque aunque es cierto que se atraen, Libby nunca se ha enamorado ni tenido pareja, y no se fÃa tanto como quisiera de esta extraño y atractivo hombre, pues hay algo en él que no es normal.
Caleb va con pies de plomo en cuanto a Libby porque no quiere contarle la verdad para no asustarla, y lo peor de todo es que no le crea; asà que mientras pasan los dÃas aislados en la cabaña y lejos de cualquier otro humano, Caleb continuará estudiando su manera de volver a casa y Libby seguirá con su tesina.
Claro que aquà el problema es obvio, a pesar de todo, se ven muy atraÃdos el uno por el otro, y el estar tantos dÃas aislados, hará que unas cosas lleven a otras, y finalmente Caleb se replantee si volver a casa, o quedarse con Libby.
No hay nada en el libro que no me imaginara que ocurrirÃa, pues es de esas novelas que entretienen, pero que sabes por donde irán los tiros, y aunque tiene unos pocos giros, sabes cómo terminará todo.
En general me ha gustado, y acabo de empezar el libro del hermano de Caleb, Jacob, que años después, viaja al pasado para traer a su hermano a casa ¿lo conseguirá?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nuevos tiempos � Nora Roberts (2º Hornblower)
3 Estrellitas. Se ha leÃdo igual de fácil y rápido que el primero, pero en éste caso me ha gustado un pelÃn menos que el anterior, no porque sea malo o peor, si no porque los caracteres de sus protagonistas son distintos y no me he creÃdo mucho su romance, es más, no sé cuando han pasado de odiarse, picarse y discutir a enamorarse. Por lo demás, bastante correctito.
“Nuevos tiempos� es el segundo libro y conclusión de los hermanos Hornblower y de las hermanas Stone. La acción ocurre un año después del primer libro, y en éste caso, es el hermano menor de Caleb, Jacob, el que viaja al pasado en busca de su hermano.
A la familia de Caleb les llegó su nave vacÃa y un mensaje, y desde entonces, alarmados y desesperados, su hermano, Jacob, ha trabajado incesantemente en su trabajo como astrofÃsico para conseguir viajar en el tiempo. Todo parece ir bien, hasta que los cálculos fallan por unos meses y Jacob se encuentra en pleno enero y con una tormenta de nieve, junto al bosque donde los Stone tienen su cabaña en Oregón. Jasón esperaba encontrarse a Cal y Libby al llegar a la cabaña, pero su sorpresa es que en su lugar se encuentra Sunny, la vehemente hermana menor de Libby.
Sunbeam, o Sunny, es la pequeña de las Stone. A ella no la conocimos en el primer libro, pero aquà sà tenemos historia para ella. Donde Libby es dedicada, seria y responsable en su trabajo, Sunny es su antÃtesis. Sunny es inconformista, protestona, pero muy leal. Sunny siente que no encaja en su mundo, y pese a todas sus aptitudes, todo lo que ha estudiado y trabajado, se encuentra bloqueada y en paro. No le gusta la soledad de la cabaña familiar de Oregón, pero piensa que lo necesita temporalmente mientras su hermana y su cuñado están de viaje.
Para ambos será una sorpresa el encontrarse con el uno y con el otro. A Sunny le reconcome que ningún miembro de la familia de Caleb estuviera en su boda, ni los conocieran, y a Caleb le importa un pimiento que su hermano se casara, está decidido a llevárselo de vuelta. Por eso mismo ambos se caen mal al principio, Sunny sabe que Jacob no entiende el amor de su hermano, se piensa que Libby engañó a Caleb y Sunny está decidida a quitarle de su error.
El libro es una serie de estallidos y discusiones, pero es verdad que pasan del odio al amor en un visto y no visto, pues cada vez que discuten, saltan chispas entre ellos, que los lleva irremediablemente a soltar su pasión oculta y besarse.
SÃ, realmente no sé cómo o cuando se enamoran, y eso es lo que no me ha cuajado del libro. Los protagonistas de “Nuevos tiemposâ€� tienen unos caracteres muy distintos de los de sus hermanos en “Tiempo atrásâ€�. Imagino que Nora Roberts no quiso hacer las historias, ni a ellos muy parecidos para que no fuese una copia. Pese a ello, lo he disfrutado, y en éste caso, lo que más me ha convencido ha sido el final, ése final que sabÃa que terminarÃa asà y que me ha parecido muy acertado.
En general una bilogÃa entretenida, muy distinta, y que hace ver que Nora Roberts es sus orÃgenes tocó todos los palos, lo que la convierte en una escritora muy versátil y ahora mismo en una de las autoras románticas más exitosas. Esta serie es viejilla, pero curiosa y merece la pena echarle un vistazo.
January 31, 2021
First read: November 2011 (3 stars)
This is my first time reading Nora Robert's work. I picked it up because I was attracted to the time-travelling part. Apart from the sex stuff (not to sound like a prude, but I think it makes up like, 70% of the story and I'm not entirely comfortable with it), I think I like it. Between Time Was and Times Change, I like the second one better, mostly because I like Sunny's character. So yeah, if you're a big fan of romance I think you'll like this book.
Reread: January 2021
/cackles at 2011!Lisa's "sex stuff" remark/
I would like to dispute 2011!Lisa's review - it wasn't 70%, that was an exaggeration. Though in baby Lisa's defence, I didn't start reading English romance until, what? 2013? 2014? so what do I know about sex in romance?
Anyhoozle,
While I love both books, Times Change is still my favourite out of the two because Jacob is one sexy son of a witch and I would 11/10 jump him the first second he invites me to. Sunny is definitely made out of stronger stuff than me.
Also that scene after Sunny coming out of the shower? One of my favourite sexy scenes EVER, jotting it down right now-
Is my fated match also in the future?
Is this why I'm still single?
This is my first time reading Nora Robert's work. I picked it up because I was attracted to the time-travelling part. Apart from the sex stuff (not to sound like a prude, but I think it makes up like, 70% of the story and I'm not entirely comfortable with it), I think I like it. Between Time Was and Times Change, I like the second one better, mostly because I like Sunny's character. So yeah, if you're a big fan of romance I think you'll like this book.
Reread: January 2021
/cackles at 2011!Lisa's "sex stuff" remark/
I would like to dispute 2011!Lisa's review - it wasn't 70%, that was an exaggeration. Though in baby Lisa's defence, I didn't start reading English romance until, what? 2013? 2014? so what do I know about sex in romance?
Anyhoozle,
While I love both books, Times Change is still my favourite out of the two because Jacob is one sexy son of a witch and I would 11/10 jump him the first second he invites me to. Sunny is definitely made out of stronger stuff than me.
Also that scene after Sunny coming out of the shower? One of my favourite sexy scenes EVER, jotting it down right now-
Is my fated match also in the future?
Is this why I'm still single?
August 24, 2014
Well, I'm a little late posting this review since I finished it about a week ago (and I usually like to post reviews right away). This book has been on my TBR pile for quite some time... well before 2014 rolled around, so I'm glad I finally got to it! I really enjoy time travel novels, though I haven't read many of them yet, and this one didn't disappoint. Time and Again has two novels in it: Time Was and Times Change. Time Was is about Caleb and Libby, how they met, how he ended up in her time. And Times Change is about how Jacob tracks Caleb down in the past to convince him to come home. Both books were good reads. I enjoyed all of the characters and I though Roberts did a good job bringing out the quirks of each Caleb and Jacob when they discover 'old' things from Libby and Sunny's time. I do wish that we learned a little bit more about Caleb and Jacob's world, though. We got a few little glimpses into it, but I wanted to see more! Overall, this was a good, easy read.
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
Pagesofcomfort.blogspot.com
November 17, 2012
This book includes Time Was and Times Change. Both stories about brothers who travel back in time, one by accident and the other on purpose. I enjoyed both stories and thought the couples in them were a good fit for each other. Both stories had a sweet romance and a nice bit of humour while the brother's try to fit into the past while not knowing how to work "old fashioned" appliances or understand the slang terms people use.
I had a good time with both these stories and thought the endings of both were really good.
I had a good time with both these stories and thought the endings of both were really good.
January 29, 2022
A good little read that was repackaged from it's original Avon/Harlequin/Silhouette publishing monthly. I can't decide if I enjoyed this in spite of it being a foray for Nora Roberts into sci-fi romance or despite it being a sci-fi romance by Nora Roberts.
Great book about two brothers from the future meeting their loves in the late 80's early 90's. Fast read for those that want to read it by the fire in a cabin setting, it will match the atmosphere of the book.
Great book about two brothers from the future meeting their loves in the late 80's early 90's. Fast read for those that want to read it by the fire in a cabin setting, it will match the atmosphere of the book.
May 17, 2022
No. Just no.
I don't even have the energy to write a full review for this book. I couldn't bring myself to finish it, for one, but skimming other pages and flipping to random others let me see misogyny for days, a literal rape (no matter how the book frames it,) and a formulaic plot with flat characters and boring prose. Don't bother with this one.
I don't even have the energy to write a full review for this book. I couldn't bring myself to finish it, for one, but skimming other pages and flipping to random others let me see misogyny for days, a literal rape (no matter how the book frames it,) and a formulaic plot with flat characters and boring prose. Don't bother with this one.
March 17, 2023
One of my all-time favorite author's. Every book tour she has I attempt to go to even if I have had to drive a couple states over. I can't keep track even of how many I have gone to. I love all her work but my favorites are the Irish based.
October 11, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the concept, loved the characters.......but
I would have liked more....Any followups?????
I would have liked more....Any followups?????
March 8, 2020
Im not a Nora Roberts fan & this book was lame to be honest...first & last book...
September 13, 2015
Anything that made that made u teary eyed or cried deserves a five.
October 20, 2019
I had really wanted to like this book. I had just finished reading another time travel romance and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to another good read. Unfortunately this one left me disappointed.
Spoiler alert!!!
It started off interesting enough. Cal is a handsome guy from the future and while on a space mission he gets into a nasty storm/meteor shower, bounces of the edge of a black hole and ends up crash landing back on earth, in a forest some 300 years in the past.
A beautiful woman happens to be outside her cabin enjoying the storm when she sees the aircraft fall from the sky and land nearby. Not thinking it’s anything other than a plane, she goes out in search of survivors and finds Cal who is in the snow, beyond the sight of the space craft. It goes downhill and gets boring from that point on.
She takes him back to the cabin and from the moment he wakes up all he’s interested in doing is trying to get her to bed as well as trying to fix his spacecraft so he can go back to his own time. The dialogue for most of the first half is: “She’s so beautiful but difficult, I want to have sex with her.� And: “He’s so handsome, but weird. I want to have sex with him but mustn’t.�
And then they do have sex, repeatedly, fall madly in love (even though he forces himself on her and threatens to hurt her on a few occasions but apparently that’s a turn on?) and he’s torn about going back to his own time.
Part two of the book: After he decides to stick around he leaves a time capsule for his brother to find. (That was actually near the end of the first part of the book.) His brother, who just so happens to be a handsome astrophysicist, figures out how to go back in time from the info that Cal left for him with the intention of convincing his brother to ditch his new bride and come back home.
When he lands in the same forest and gets to the cabin he discovers that his brother and sister in law are away on their honeymoon but conveniently, her equally beautiful sister is there to spend time with until they return. Wash, rinse and repeat the exact same storyline as the previous one.
The only time anyone else showed up in the story was when the sisters parents made a very brief appearance in both the first and second part and when Cal’s brother meets some of the sister in laws friends at a club but then she quickly gets bored of being with her friends and they ditch them to have sex again.
The beginning and the end of the book were the most interesting with too much filler in between. The only real “climax� in the book was during all the sex. Other than that, the storyline was pretty predictable and I didn’t really care enough for the characters to care if they stayed together. With the attitudes of the brothers, I think the women would have been better off without them.
Spoiler alert!!!
It started off interesting enough. Cal is a handsome guy from the future and while on a space mission he gets into a nasty storm/meteor shower, bounces of the edge of a black hole and ends up crash landing back on earth, in a forest some 300 years in the past.
A beautiful woman happens to be outside her cabin enjoying the storm when she sees the aircraft fall from the sky and land nearby. Not thinking it’s anything other than a plane, she goes out in search of survivors and finds Cal who is in the snow, beyond the sight of the space craft. It goes downhill and gets boring from that point on.
She takes him back to the cabin and from the moment he wakes up all he’s interested in doing is trying to get her to bed as well as trying to fix his spacecraft so he can go back to his own time. The dialogue for most of the first half is: “She’s so beautiful but difficult, I want to have sex with her.� And: “He’s so handsome, but weird. I want to have sex with him but mustn’t.�
And then they do have sex, repeatedly, fall madly in love (even though he forces himself on her and threatens to hurt her on a few occasions but apparently that’s a turn on?) and he’s torn about going back to his own time.
Part two of the book: After he decides to stick around he leaves a time capsule for his brother to find. (That was actually near the end of the first part of the book.) His brother, who just so happens to be a handsome astrophysicist, figures out how to go back in time from the info that Cal left for him with the intention of convincing his brother to ditch his new bride and come back home.
When he lands in the same forest and gets to the cabin he discovers that his brother and sister in law are away on their honeymoon but conveniently, her equally beautiful sister is there to spend time with until they return. Wash, rinse and repeat the exact same storyline as the previous one.
The only time anyone else showed up in the story was when the sisters parents made a very brief appearance in both the first and second part and when Cal’s brother meets some of the sister in laws friends at a club but then she quickly gets bored of being with her friends and they ditch them to have sex again.
The beginning and the end of the book were the most interesting with too much filler in between. The only real “climax� in the book was during all the sex. Other than that, the storyline was pretty predictable and I didn’t really care enough for the characters to care if they stayed together. With the attitudes of the brothers, I think the women would have been better off without them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2021
When I think of Nora Roberts, with my limited familiarity of her work, I would never think to associate her with science fiction. While both "Time Was" and "Times Change," the two stories presented in this book, are still romance novels at their heart, I was still pleased with the sci fi flairs Roberts added. The way everything was presented was well-written and seemed realistic for a potential future. Considering the stories were originally published in 1989 and 1990, respectively, I was shocked by how some of the reflections between centuries still felt relevant to modern times. When it comes to the romance side, I was fairly pleased but not completely satisfied. There were times where the characters' interactions deviated from sweet moments to moments of cringing. For "Time Was," I often found myself brought out of the moment by how Caleb sometimes forced himself onto Libby, disregarding her protests and almost turning the moment into potential rape. In "Times Change," it was even worse - Jacob was often forceful with Sunny and oftened turned to threatening reactions with her; I often felt like I was reading a domestic violence situation rather than a sweet interaction between potential lovers. Another issue I had, though not as terrible as the earlier mentioned aspects, was the unoriginality between the two stories. It literally is the same concept - Hornblower, a man from the 23rd century, finds himself back in the past and falls in love with Stone, a woman vacationing at the family cabin to get away from the busy world she lives in. Sure, there are differences here and there with character personalities and the "meet cute," so to speak. However, it's still disappointing to get to "Times Change" and by the first couple chapters feel like you already know what's going to happen in the end because you are already familiar with the plot line. Overall, despite all of the negative aspects I brought up, I still found myself enjoying the book and would recommend it for someone looking for light sci fi romance (light being on the sci fi end).
January 23, 2025
This was a reread for me, though it has probably been about 15 years since I read it. I always remembered really enjoying it. I still enjoyed the overall premise with the time travel aspect, the secluded cabin, and forced proximity. Of course, Nora Roberts is always a comfort read for me, and I tend to really enjoy how full of life her characters are. These men, though? Wow, are they problematic. Caleb was way worse than Jacob, but even he had moments.
Let's start with Time Was. Liberty is inexperienced, a bit shy, and nervous. She consistently tells him no when he makes advances, and he completely ignores her. Then, he uses intimacy in anger as punishment and almost grapes her, just stopping shy of doing so, but not before still assaulting her. He also gets insanely jealous of fictional men from her future. He admits there is no excuse for treating her the way he does, yet continues to do so. Yet he is such a stand-up guy in Libby's eyes. Honestly, these scenes didn't really feel true to the character created and just seemed done for drama and to create conflict more than anything else. It seemed like they would fit more with how his brother is described than him, and it seemed less believable when we see him and Libby in the second book.
In Times Change, we have Jacob looking for his brother, but instead, he finds Sunny. Both are strong personalities and end up fighting a lot. Jacob also seems to struggle with boundaries when it comes to kissing and touching, but at least he seems to have a little more ethics (though he does say at one point he wishes he didn't so he could take advantage). There may be a kiss or two that is out of frustration, but at least he doesn't weaponize intimacy the way his brother does. Overall, these two seem a better match, and the romance was more palatable.
Rereading this, it is clear this is not one of her better works. It isn't even that outdated as it is problematic even for the time it was originally published.
Let's start with Time Was. Liberty is inexperienced, a bit shy, and nervous. She consistently tells him no when he makes advances, and he completely ignores her. Then, he uses intimacy in anger as punishment and almost grapes her, just stopping shy of doing so, but not before still assaulting her. He also gets insanely jealous of fictional men from her future. He admits there is no excuse for treating her the way he does, yet continues to do so. Yet he is such a stand-up guy in Libby's eyes. Honestly, these scenes didn't really feel true to the character created and just seemed done for drama and to create conflict more than anything else. It seemed like they would fit more with how his brother is described than him, and it seemed less believable when we see him and Libby in the second book.
In Times Change, we have Jacob looking for his brother, but instead, he finds Sunny. Both are strong personalities and end up fighting a lot. Jacob also seems to struggle with boundaries when it comes to kissing and touching, but at least he seems to have a little more ethics (though he does say at one point he wishes he didn't so he could take advantage). There may be a kiss or two that is out of frustration, but at least he doesn't weaponize intimacy the way his brother does. Overall, these two seem a better match, and the romance was more palatable.
Rereading this, it is clear this is not one of her better works. It isn't even that outdated as it is problematic even for the time it was originally published.
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December 28, 2024Hi, 60+ year old here. I just read a review below of this book-which is actually a reprint of two books. While the reviewer obviously took a lot of time to think about the review and wrote many interesting things they were also very hard on it for being misogynistic and sexist. That is quite fair and even important to acknowledge. I appreciate such a full throated defence of feminism.
However, I read these books in the 90’s and so I just wanted to give the perspective that the first book about Caleb was published in 1989. I was around then and sadly I can say that it was quite normal for books to portray things this way and for boys and men (and women) to act the way the characters do. It wasn’t right. It is terrific that we’ve progressed. (Though hopefully we are not backsliding with some new laws�) And I applaud young people, like my own Gen Z daughter who are trying to improve things and stand up for their rights.
But as I said, I just wanted to offer some perspective on these books. You have every right not to like them and not want to read them but please know they were not written recently. The “copyrights� reflect recent printings. I haven’t read any recent Roberts books as I’ve advanced from romances (but oddly I just fondly recalled this one-I preferred Part II-and thought I’d revisit it) so I don’t know if she’s changed her writing. I met her once on a cruise for writers and she was a lovely woman.
Anyway, it’s a typical romance from back in the day in my mind. If you like them you’ll like this one. Just btw, Roberts, if I recall though, did not go in for extremely explicit sex scenes. She has them but is more tasteful than other books. I’m not a stickler for accurate science fiction so I enjoyed the time travel aspect. And the “culture shock� aspect if you will. Good luck!
However, I read these books in the 90’s and so I just wanted to give the perspective that the first book about Caleb was published in 1989. I was around then and sadly I can say that it was quite normal for books to portray things this way and for boys and men (and women) to act the way the characters do. It wasn’t right. It is terrific that we’ve progressed. (Though hopefully we are not backsliding with some new laws�) And I applaud young people, like my own Gen Z daughter who are trying to improve things and stand up for their rights.
But as I said, I just wanted to offer some perspective on these books. You have every right not to like them and not want to read them but please know they were not written recently. The “copyrights� reflect recent printings. I haven’t read any recent Roberts books as I’ve advanced from romances (but oddly I just fondly recalled this one-I preferred Part II-and thought I’d revisit it) so I don’t know if she’s changed her writing. I met her once on a cruise for writers and she was a lovely woman.
Anyway, it’s a typical romance from back in the day in my mind. If you like them you’ll like this one. Just btw, Roberts, if I recall though, did not go in for extremely explicit sex scenes. She has them but is more tasteful than other books. I’m not a stickler for accurate science fiction so I enjoyed the time travel aspect. And the “culture shock� aspect if you will. Good luck!
April 29, 2025
Sci-Fi, romance to enjoy. Two stories about 2 brothers from the 23rd century, who visit 20th century and follow in love with 2 sisters.
Time Was - Caleb Hornblower has always wanted to fly. He even entered the service so he could fly the best, the newest. But, taking orders, not so much, so he quit, bought his own ship and became an interplanetary deliveryman. Not the greatest job, but he's his own boss and he can fly whenever he wants. On a routine flight what he didn't expect was to basically hit something he couldn't see. His excellent skills managed to get him "safely" landed on Earth. One "little" problem, he's in the wrong time, by centuries.
These he meets cultural anthropologist, Liberty (Libby) Stone. He never met to get close to her, after she rescued him. He needed to make some repairs and leave, before his ship was found. But the more time they're together and the chance to play tourist in 20th century America is fun, makes it really hard to leave, but leave he must.
Times Change - Jacob (J.T.) Hornblower has come to 20th century American to rescue his brother Caleb. Months after he and his parents had given Caleb up for dead, they receive a message from him, explaining what happened. Following Caleb's explanation, Jacob has built a ship capable of safely following Caleb's trajectory (fingers crossed). He does manage to safely follow the trajectory and land near where Caleb did. One slight problem, he lands in the middle of a blizzard. In the Stone family cabin, he meets Liberty's sister, Sunbeam (Sunny). And like his brother, he gets a crash course on 20th century America, and he meets the parents. Now what, because he too must leave?
Time Was - Caleb Hornblower has always wanted to fly. He even entered the service so he could fly the best, the newest. But, taking orders, not so much, so he quit, bought his own ship and became an interplanetary deliveryman. Not the greatest job, but he's his own boss and he can fly whenever he wants. On a routine flight what he didn't expect was to basically hit something he couldn't see. His excellent skills managed to get him "safely" landed on Earth. One "little" problem, he's in the wrong time, by centuries.
These he meets cultural anthropologist, Liberty (Libby) Stone. He never met to get close to her, after she rescued him. He needed to make some repairs and leave, before his ship was found. But the more time they're together and the chance to play tourist in 20th century America is fun, makes it really hard to leave, but leave he must.
Times Change - Jacob (J.T.) Hornblower has come to 20th century American to rescue his brother Caleb. Months after he and his parents had given Caleb up for dead, they receive a message from him, explaining what happened. Following Caleb's explanation, Jacob has built a ship capable of safely following Caleb's trajectory (fingers crossed). He does manage to safely follow the trajectory and land near where Caleb did. One slight problem, he lands in the middle of a blizzard. In the Stone family cabin, he meets Liberty's sister, Sunbeam (Sunny). And like his brother, he gets a crash course on 20th century America, and he meets the parents. Now what, because he too must leave?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2024
This story was ok, but it was just very basic with very little intrigue. The love story was rushed and bland, and even the space and time travel discussions seemed very elementary with no depth. I was often bored with how basic it was written. Because of that, I read the whole story with Cal and Libby but didn’t read more than 1 chapter into the second story with Cals� brother Jacob. It just felt like more of the same.
The constant perspective changes gave me whiplash. Constantly changing character perspectives from paragraph to paragraph was very confusing.
The way Cal thought about and treated Libby was sexist, condescending, and forceful. He constantly forced unwanted touches and kisses on her, and somehow she ‘fell in love� with that after only a few days? The ‘passion� scenes were so vague they were almost laughable. I couldn’t even tell what was going on half the time or if there was even any penetration happening, or if it was all just touching. And afterwards, Cal’s first comment was ‘I’ll watch you make me a sandwich.� Really? How romantic.
Look, I love a good romance time travel novel but this was not it for me. Their romance was rushed and not organic in the least. Nobody falls in love in a couple of days with a literal stranger that falls from the sky. They knew nothing about each other except their careers when they ‘fell in love�.
The constant perspective changes gave me whiplash. Constantly changing character perspectives from paragraph to paragraph was very confusing.
The way Cal thought about and treated Libby was sexist, condescending, and forceful. He constantly forced unwanted touches and kisses on her, and somehow she ‘fell in love� with that after only a few days? The ‘passion� scenes were so vague they were almost laughable. I couldn’t even tell what was going on half the time or if there was even any penetration happening, or if it was all just touching. And afterwards, Cal’s first comment was ‘I’ll watch you make me a sandwich.� Really? How romantic.
Look, I love a good romance time travel novel but this was not it for me. Their romance was rushed and not organic in the least. Nobody falls in love in a couple of days with a literal stranger that falls from the sky. They knew nothing about each other except their careers when they ‘fell in love�.
November 21, 2017
I don't normally read romance novels, but I made an exception for this one because of the time travel stories. It is actually two books in one: Time Was and Times Change. In the first book Caleb Hornblower, a gorgeous "hunk" of a man from two centuries in the future, crashes his space craft near the mountain home of Liberty Stone. He doesn't immediately reveal that he's from the future, but Liberty takes him in and introduces him to life in the late 20th century. Caleb has to repair his space ship to return to his life two centuries in the future, but, of course, he and Liberty fall in love, and this complicates matters. (After all it's a romance novel with all the mushy drama that a romance novel involves. Because of Caleb's last name, I constantly kept thinking of C.S. Forester's Captain Horatio Hornblower books that my dad used to read. That was a bit distracting for me.)
In the second book Caleb's brother Jacob travels back in time to bring Caleb home, and he meets Liberty's sister Sunny and predictably falls for her. I don't want to say any more because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone else.
In the second book Caleb's brother Jacob travels back in time to bring Caleb home, and he meets Liberty's sister Sunny and predictably falls for her. I don't want to say any more because I don't want to spoil the story for anyone else.
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