Wow. This is very poorly written. I did not read much of it and it doesn't take much to see how bad the writing is. I will not post a review online because I don't post negative reviews. This definitely needs an editor and proofreader.

A Bend in Time by Anne C. Maxwell is an interesting mix of genres. It is mostly spy thriller with some time travel and historical romance, and finally philosophical commentary. The mix is a bit much although the main storyline holds up well. The characters start out stilted but develop over time. I didn’t understand the commentary. So, I stared just ignoring it. Even with all the distractions it is a good story.

Oh, yes! A potential parallel reality? Traveling through time? Finding romance and love? Action? Spies? This one sounded just too good to be true! And, sadly, beyond the stutter-step ARC formatting, the slightly too raw sexual encounters, it was, at least for me.

A BEND IN TIME by Anne C. Maxwell seems to have a heavy atmosphere, no real action and the time travel seemed to be less science fiction and excitement and more, just slipped in and a little awkward. I actually enjoy when an author is not afraid to create characters that are not always likeable, but the “hero” had little to recommend himself beyond his looks and wealth. The heroine is a trained and successful M16 agent that seemed to be off her game, almost amateurish, weak of spine.

The author has a gift with words, but sometimes it seemed as if those words were like a jigsaw puzzle that didn’t quite fit together right. Dark and monochromatic, I never settled in or believed in what I was reading. I suppose this just wasn’t my cup of tea to escape into.

I was invited to read and review this book by BooksGoSocial. This is my honest review.

Series: Never Without Her - Book 1
Publication Date: August 2, 2018
Publisher: BooksGoSocial
Genre: Time Travel | Romance
Print Length: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon

This is one of those books that I find hard to rate. I have the feeling that it can be a lot better as the material is there but sometimes things seem to stutter. I also wonder what the author was aiming at by this structure as if you are reading three separate books. But maybe that is something that will be explained in the later instalments in the series.

Elena was raised in Saudi Arabia as a child of diplomats. Her parents were good friends with a couple. The woman a Saudi national and her husband a Scotsman who converted to Islam and married her and moved to Saudi. This couple have a son named Omar who is a few years older than Elena and her best childhood friend.

Now we fast forward a few decades and Elena works as a counterterrorism specialist for MI6 in London. As the bank of her childhood friend comes under suspicion as a place that is used by terrorists to launder money she is send as a spy to see if that is true and how deep the CEO, Omar, is involved. It is no surprise that the two friends immediately strike a cord again even when there are some grown ups problems as him being an over controlling man and now far above her in the picking order.. Elena is afraid she will stumble upon information that gets him in trouble. This part is very realistic written.

Then all of a sudden both Elena and Omar seem to be travelling in time to two different eras.

The result is us reading 3 different novels: a billionaire romance / spy thriller, a tale inspired by The Three Musketeers and a regency romance that reminds me of Jane Eyre.

Why? I have no clue. Maybe that Omar realises that love can also be there when you are the powerless one in a relationship? But what is the use of Elena being in that other era? To realise that men you are not in love with can still be friends? And it kind of interrupts the story arc.

I understand that the author is like me someone who is near native English but not a native. Maybe that explains some of the sometimes special way to phase things. I also found the sex-scenes in the beginning of the novel odd as it feels like suddenly your kindle starts to whirl pink stars and other psychedelic things because from the moment they start having sex the story goes into metaphorical descriptions. Later on that alters.

There is also an all-seeing commenting voice. UGH

Maybe because I got an ARC version but the editing is seriously wrong. Some parts repeat each other. Best check that quickly dear publisher.

So my verdict: I did like the story but maybe would have preferred it as a straightforward novel or three.

I picked this book based on the synopsis. I could not get into the story at all. I thought that the writing style was too simplistic and did not engage me at all. Sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I received an ARC of A Bend In Time by Anne C. Maxwell from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I read the description and was sold. An MI6 agent, time travel and a little romance? It sounded like a lot of fun...

I liked the overall story, but the writing style was very stiff and quite awkward. It felt like I was reading a very bad translation. The love scenes seemed both overly graphic and mechanical. Character development is very shallow, mostly conveyed through stereotypes.

If you are looking for science fiction, this isn't the book for you. The time travel is simply something that happened, no science to it. It is not explained how or why it happened.Time travel fiction seems a better descriptions that science fiction.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I like the premise of this book but there are some issues. The dialogue is stilted. The present tense is used in somewhat of an awkward way, and the characters are not believable or likeable. I'm not sure why Elena likes Omar because Omar has no good qualities that I can see. He is described as very handsome and rich, and so far that is the only reason our protagonist seems to be attracted to him. He is angry, secretive, and controlling. These are hardly attractive elements of a personality. The movements of the characters seem very mechanical. The writing does not flow. Real emotions are rarely portrayed in this book. There are several sex scenes that do not do anything to help this book.

I received a free electronic ARC copy of this time-traveling novel on August 16, 2019, from Netgalley, Anne C. Maxwell, and BooksGoSocial. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read 'A Bend in Time' of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

This was an interesting page-turner, with a good story behind it. A little more graphically sexual than I am comfortable with and the first time transition was a little rocky but still an interesting, compelling story. I am happy to recommend it to friends and family.

I really wanted to like this novel, based on the description provided - spying plus time travel! Unfortunately, I gave up about 40% into it. I didn’t like the main male character at all (Omar) and couldn’t understand why the main female character (Elena) liked him (yes, he was handsome, etc.) .He was just way too possessive, overbearing. And after a particularly disturbing event (no spoilers, so no details), I had had it with him. I read on a little bit more, in the hope that I’d finally get to the time travel aspect, but I finally called it quits. “Too many books, too little time” as the saying goes.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book, courtesy of NetGalley and BooksGoSocial, in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of A Bend In Time by Anne C. Maxwell from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great story that is the start of a series. Three different stories are going on, yet Anne Maxwell does an amazing job of keeping everything clear. The characters are relatable and you enjoy getting to know them. Anne Maxwell is very linguistically talented and you feel as if someone is reading this aloud to you in the way a person would read aloud poetry. She describes her scenes well. I look forward to the next installment.

This was a great start to a series, the characters were great and the plot was unique. I look forward to where the series will go and more from the author.