Not what I expected at all from Christian fiction. The romance was far too graphic for my taste. I was unable to finish this book.
I was given an advanced copy by the publisher, Revell and Netgalley. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Come Back to Me
by Jody Hedlund
Book 1 in the Waters of Time series
Genre: Christian Romance, Science Fiction
Rating: 5/5

"She'd never expected to fall in love with the man of her dreams in 1381."

Wow. Just wow. This book completely took me by surprise and I was up till 4am desperate to know what happened next. It is full of passion and romance with action and adventure plus time-travel. I definitely understand the comparison to Outlander but there's something so endearing about the swoon-worthy Sir William Durham and his devotion to Marian. With hints of Outlander and Somewhere in Time, the author weaves an exciting and super romantic story about a woman trying to save her sister and her father.

Research scientist, Marian Creighton, is determined to find a cure for her sister. Working for Mercer Pharmaceuticals puts her in a great position, but she knows her sister is running out of time. When her father calls her with cryptic instructions, she doesn't really put much weight into it because of his crazy theories and obsession with find the cure of all cures. When tragedy forces her to travel to Canterbury, she is determined to discover what happened to him and why someone seems to be after his research. As she follows the clues her father left her, she opens up a whole new world of time travel and decides to risk it all to save her sister and hopefully, her father.

What she experiences and finds in 1381 is not what she was expecting. When Sir William Durham comes to her rescue, she is grateful until she is forced into a marriage with him for her protection. The attraction between the two of them is immediate, but Marian must guard her heart and focus on her task to find the vials of holy water from the Tree of Life that will heal her sister. As she gets to know William, she finds that he may be feared as a knight but on the inside, he is a kind but tortured gentleman. He has his own demons to fight, but he realizes that there's something about Marian that calms him and gives him peace. What will William do to protect the woman he loves? What will Marian sacrifice for love?

"Each moment with him had been more real than if she’d been living in the present. Every sound of his breath, every touch, every beat of his pulse—everything about him was more vibrant than anything she’d known before."

The romance is strong with this one. My romantic heart could not take it. LOL. Obviously, in the beginning, all the attraction is mostly lust but as they talk and get to know each other, they fall in love. William marvels at how deeply he could fall in love with someone after his experience with his first marriage.

“He may be stubborn, milady. But he will love you to his dying breath.”

As for the science fiction and time traveling part, the theories about the Tree of Life are interesting and definitely come from history and the search for the "Fountain of Youth" and the author does a decent job of trying to explain the science and background. It's still not crystal clear the way it all works but I hope to gain more understanding when I continue reading this series (because I will definitely be reading the next books). I was definitely impressed with the author's world-building and cannot wait to read more.

Though I've said there's lot of romance and passion, this book is still a CLEAN and CHRISTIAN romance novel with aspects of science fiction and time travel in it. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy Christian romance with lots of action and time-travel theories.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Happy belated release to Jody Hedlund’s latest time-traveling debut! “Come Back To Me” is a clean read in the adult fiction genre, that takes an interesting and fascinating speculative approach to the subject of time-travel that involves a touch of Biblical elements. I won’t say more there, as you should discover all the ‘what ifs’ and ‘how it works’ approach by reading this novel yourself! What I will say is I found it well-thought out and intriguing.

In this novel you’ll find adventure, mystery, suspense, and a race against time (no pun intended) to solve clues, find treasure, outwit villains, and save lives.

With a bit of a slow start, hang in there, because you won’t be expecting the moment it takes off full steam ahead, and then you better hang on for the ride! This isn’t a terribly long novel, so at that point, the story progresses quickly and you won’t want to put it down.

The historical time frame was well written; I felt like I was there—and that immersion is so vital to a good time-travel story. I enjoyed the contrast of a modern-time woman being thrust out of her element into a place and society so different from her own. I found the hero character pleasantly accommodating to her screw ups…. But his responses and his frustrations were equally believable.

Now, I have heard and seen quite a bit of comparison with the Outlander series (which honestly made me a bit uncomfortable/nervous, as that series is far too sexually explicit in my opinion—I’m talking TV show…I didn’t try the books). The romance in “Come Back To Me” does get a bit heated in some places, though it doesn’t cross the line on what is acceptable for a ‘clean read.’ This is one of the author’s adult fiction novels, and she does have some teen fiction geared toward that age range specifically. But I would recommend this one to adults and perhaps older teens, but not younger teens or children due to the more mature subject matter…including scenes and conversations revolving around wedded couples and intimate situations. There were times even I wasn’t sure how far things would go, even being familiar with this author’s other novels and knowing the christian market she is publishing through. There is some violence, but nothing shown/explained graphically.

I received a complimentary copy from the author for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.0 stars

Okay so I wish I wish I wish I'd had a better experience with this one but it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

We have Marian, a late twenty-something woman who's a brilliant scientist on the hunt for something to heal her sister, as is her father. I want to give more detail but I also don't want to spoil anything, so if you want the whole picture, please go read the blurb :)

Okay so the deal with this one is that I felt like Hedlund bit off a lot for one novel. I LOVED the premise and I thought it had excellent promise, it just didn't seem like it was well flushed out. As in, it kind of seemed like maybe this one was still being developed but everyone ran with it a bit prematurely? I'm an avid fantasy reader and I live for fantasy, especially fantasy with romance. This book had that! And time travel!! Like YES PLEASE! I loved the time travel component and I absolutely loved the scientific elements (if I could live in a lab, I would). I guess like the first 50% I was really flying because I was excited to see everything unfold. I will say, also in the first 50%, I was really kept on my toes quite a lot, like the anticipation was so there! I thought the characters were great and I loved the familiarity between them all, too.

However...I really felt like it wasn't developed enough. Some things were so coincidental, like Marian and Will, how did this happen repeatedly on accident? I also felt like Will was a bit too much of an alpha male. Like, yeah, this is going back in time, but this book is considered fantasy so technically nothing is realistic. Plus, we aren't 700 year old people so parts of this are really a guestimate anyway. Also, my biggest pet peeve, and I know plenty of readers share this, is that I felt like the author was great at telling me about my characters but she didn't show me my characters. Like, we can claim Marian has backbone all day long but where do you show me this? At one point, yes, I do see this, so this is a lame example but you know what I mean. Also, I got really exhausted with the descriptions between Will and Marian. I get it, Will thinks Marian is Hot and Marian thinks Will is Yummy (and wounded). Lastly, this one's a spoiler so I won't write it, but that ending. Why would that happen?

I know my review is all over the place, I'm sorry, so simply put: I really struggled with this one.

Oooh, this was an intriguing book!

Time travel, romance, life in the Middle Ages - what's not to like?

Marian is a dedicated scientist living in the USA. She is not close to her father, who lives in the UK, and who is more than a little eccentric. When someone calls her to say that her father is in a coma, she rushes to his bedside and tries to figure out what has been going on. Marian has a sister who has a terminal illness, and the story that follows takes us between the UK in the present day and the UK in the Middle Ages.

The story is plausible and the romance side of things was enough to make my heart beat faster. There is enough fact woven in with the fiction to make this a fabulous tale, there are some very gripping bits and I ended up so emotionally involved that by the time I got to the end, I wanted desperately to know what happens next.

I hope I am lucky enough to read the next book in the series!

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell.

In this latest release, I cannot accurately explain through words how good this book is! This book was absolutely phenomenal and I can’t wait for the next book in this series to release! This is a time travel novel (so it is split time) that was extremely interesting. Not only was the science information interesting to read, but so was the storyline. In present day, Marian is tasked to figure out what is occurring with her father’s health. He leaves clues behind his sudden illness, but she will have to put the pieces together to solve the puzzle. With her friend Harrison, she embarks on discovering what is true and how she can save her dad. As she tries to discover what is occurring, there are other forces trying to figure out this as well. Once she discovers the secret, she travels back in time to help her dad. While she is there, she meets an intriguing man. This book is engaging and will have the reader intrigued throughout the book! I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for an honest review. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, I have purchased her books before.

Come Back to Me, is a WOW, for me. The premise sees the heroine, Marian, is called to England where her father, a scientific genius, has fallen into a inexplicable coma. He was trying to find a cure for Marian’s sister Ellen, who has a rare, genetic disorder. Marian makes the shocking discovery that her father believed Holy Water from the 1300’s could hold the answers, and that his coma was caused by ingesting some water to travel back in time so he could find the original source.

Determined to cure both her father, and Ellen, Marian tests her father’s theory and finds herself in Canterbury, during the Middle Ages. Here, she encounters William Durham, a knight who saves her from civil unrest. But the pair get married, and Marian’s heart is suddenly torn between two very different time zones.

This book is brilliant. I’ve read quite a few time-travel stories, but nothing like this premise. This book will keep you guessing. Which era will Marian choose, will she find the cure, can she let herself love William? This book will tug at your heart strings. William Durham is a mold-breaking hero. All about duty and honor, with a heart as battle-strong as a lion, and tender as a puppy.

This book will slay you, because there are months until #2 is released. Type faster Ms. Hedlund, and bravo.

Connect with Jody Hedlund’s website…

Buy a copy of Come Back to Me…

Find a review of another great Jody Hedlund book…

Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund

Rating 5 out of 5 stars
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

A brilliant story by Jody Hedlund about the search for a Ultimate Cure, escaping danger and finding love in the most unexpected way.

Wow! That's what ran through my mind over and over again as I read this incredible story. It was so very complex and well written that I was constantly blown away by it's intricacy. While everything might not be entirely provable by science, the theories presented and the situations could very well have happened and be true. The story begins with Marian Creighton, a research scientist, receiving a phone call that her father has fallen into a coma. Rushing to his side, she finds out from his friend, Harrison, that her dad had been researching the "Tree of Life" and the theories that the holy water that healed people in the past may have been in contact with the tree. Determined to find out the truth, Marian digs into her father's research pages and comes across an ampulett that contains a tasteless residue that gives Marian a glimpse into the past. Her short drifts across time seem to bring more questions than answers and thus, when she finds a full container of the holy water in a hidden chamber of Harrison's house, she takes a chance and drinks it. Whirled fully into the past, Marian finds herself faced with danger, pain and much difficulty as she tries to find the answers she seeks. When she is rescued by William Durham, the very handsome man she saw in her momentary glimpses of the past, Marian realizes that returning to her time will be much harder than she thought. Keeping her mission a secret goes fairly well until she is forced into marriage to William in order to save her life. Now she must not only keep her secrets but she must also keep her heart from falling for this kind and yet bold man who is determined to make her entirely his wife. He is not cruel but is incredibly attracted to this fiery woman who dropped into his life unexpectedly. As Marian races against time to complete her mission, she will find that going back to her time just might break her heart forever. Could she stay in the past? Or will the future be compromised by that choice?
Man, this book just got better and better by each chapter that passed. I was totally engaged by it and didn't want to put it down to sleep. I may have also put off mowing for an extra half hour to finish the last few chapters, but I will neither confirm nor deny that. While I know there was a lot of speculative theory happening here, there were also some great possible explanations for happenings that I hadn't considered before. I also really loved the romance between Marian and Will. She had spent so much time in her lab that she had forgotten about any chance at romance until she found herself married. And Will is clearly very attractive and swoony as a male hero should be. I kept laughing at his very male responses to her and his confusion about her wanting to be friends before they were really married. While some might find this a bit too far for a "Christian" book to go, I didn't feel uncomfortable with it. And I'm pretty stickler about my "clean" books too. Will was from a different time and that means his upbringing and what he considered "right" would probably differ from today's standards. Well done with this story, Jody!! Can't wait to read Harrison and Ellen's story and hear what they understand happened to Marian.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Revell Publishing via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

I have been hearing so much about this book that I knew I needed to get my hands on it and then drop everything to read it. I wasn’t disappointed. Jody Hedlund has a great way of making her characters and settings feel incredibly real. I always enjoy books more that have a strong willed female main character and Marian is about as strong willed as they come! This storyline flowed well. It was concise, yet descriptively rich and entertaining throughout. The suspense kept my pages turning, but didn’t keep me up at night making this an overall very enjoyable read!

I consider this book a clean read, but be aware that it talks about consummating a marriage repeatedly and implies intimacy between a married couple a couple of times. None of which is descriptive, only implied. If you have any specific questions or concerns, please feel free to DM me for more information.

Thanks to NetGalley and Revell for a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I often play the what if games and traveling back in time is one I enjoy doing. I never wonder about the future because that can be kinda scary.
The past is what makes us who we are.
This book fit into my imagination just right.
This is why I love this author. I love how she can make my imagination come alive with her stories and the many awesome characters.
The plot was great! I liked the way Hedlund has added a little bit of everything so it keeps the reader's interest.
Pardon me but there were some scenes that I skipped over because I didn't care for those type.
Another reason I love Hedlund's books is that she adds just the right element of faith throughout her novels. This one included.
This one will also be added to my keeper shelf!
I highly recommend!
My thanks to Revell Publishing for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Come Back to Me by Jody Hedlund is the debut of Waters of Time series. Marian Creighton is a research scientist who travels to England to be with her father when he falls into a coma. Following the clues he left for her, Marian ends up in 1381 where she meets William Durham. Marian finds herself stuck in the turbulent Middle Ages with a handsome knight. Can she find a way to return back to her own time? Will she want to return after her adventures? Come Back to Me is an interesting story. I thought it contained good writing with solid characters. Marian is a smart, strong, and stubborn woman. She is a research scientist who has devoted her life to her work. William Durham is a handsome (we are told this often), strong, caring man. He does his duty to his family and his King. Something from his past is tormenting him. It did take me some time to get into the story. I liked that Marian goes back in time trying to help her father and sister. The author did her research for this story. She captured the time period with her vivid descriptions. I could imagine the area, the castle, the clothing, and more from the word imagery. The one misstep was the way Marian spoke. It would have been immediately obvious she was not from the Middle Ages by the way she talked (and her cleanliness). I was curious how the people understood her and why no one cried “witch”. The time travel theory was thought out and described in detail. It was unique and I liked how it tied to the Bible. I did feel that the details were repeated too often. I also felt that the romance was a little over-the-top. It became the focus of the book. The glances, touches, kisses, and desires were too much. There are sensual scenes (nothing explicit) as well. This was too much for me and for Christian novel. The faith element is not strong (prayer). I expected it to be more prevalent. I was also left with unanswered questions at the end of the book (I hope they are addressed in the next book). There were some compelling elements in Come Back to Me. I enjoyed identifying the mole. I wish there had been more about the competitors after the ultimate cure. There was action, mystery, and suspense during these sections. I am interested enough to read the next Waters of Time novel. Come Back to Me is an intriguing time-travel novel with Middle Ages mayhem, malodorous masses, a curious coma, a potent potion, and a handsome hero.

Jody Hedlund plus sci-fi? Sign me up immediately!

I love nothing more than a time slip romance and this one has exciting take on the genre. I found the method of the actual time travel unique, especially with its dual role as a means of healing. The first half of the story was a little slower than the second but, with all the interesting scientific and historical information surrounding the “miracle cure” I never found myself losing interest. I loved the idea of the past and present existing simultaneously allowing for some really interesting story moments for Marian and Will! Speaking of Marian and Will, oh that romance! Electric! With the reveal of the villain and the breadcrumbs heading towards the sequel I absolutely cannot wait to see what Hedlund has in store.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A suspenseful time travel book that includes holy water and seeds from the Tree of Life - a completely different match up than I have ever read!

This was my first Jody Hedlund book and I am interested to read more in the future!

Wow. Wow. Wow. This book has all the feels. Contemporary setting, historical setting, forced marriage, race to save family, true love, swoons, time travel, and more.

I have read a few time travel books and I am always interested in how the authors bring about that feature. Author Hedlund does so in a very unique and to me a little bit of a scary way. Marian is a scientist and so is her father. They are a bit estranged as her father is searching for the cure, the cure for everything. Why? Well he has already lost his beloved wife and now through genetics his daughter Ellen is sick with the same disease. Marian understands her father's doggedness, she just wishes they could have more time together.

Then the unthinkable happens. Her father falls into a coma and she is left to piece together his clues of what he has found. With the help of his assistant they are working against time to figure out what has happened. Marian also doesn't understand why her father has gone off on this particular tangent and thinks he is quite nutty until someone else will stop at nothing to possess that knowledge.

Marian's ultimate belief in what her father has discovered is when she is thrust back in time. She finds herself in some less than desirable situations not least of all in the middle of a peasant revolt and the only way she can be saved is by marrying a noble knight by the name of Will. Now Marian has a father, sister, and a husband whom she is quickly falling for to save. How can she give up one life in time for another?

Well, this is my favorite story of all this year. It was amazing and yes I am gushing about it. It is clean with a little bit of spice and not all of the questions are answered. There is still a lot that has been left open for the next book and I cannot wait. You don't want to miss this one.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

The first question in my mind when I pick up a time travel book is: Will I buy into this? By this, I mean the premise of how the fictional characters will travel back/forth in time. Back to the Future was such a fun movie because in a relatively short time, I believed a DeLorean could be turned into a time machine. In fact, I could practically recite how the flux capacitor worked by the third movie. So, back to Jody's book. I know this is a new venture for her into time travel, but I was already a fan so I was rooting for this book before I even started.

The first part of the book is setting up the details regarding how time travel could take place, and is supported by several different events. Marian's father has left clues and information. People are out to get Marian in present day to try to steal the information she has. Mixed into all of that are few mysterious encounters Marian has with the past. Jody does a great job building up the intensity in the book from the start, with some mild suspense and romantic tension. The second part of the book is what is taking place as Marian travels in time. This is where Jody's skills at writing romantic encounters really come out. I loved that even in the moments set in the past, there is still an active connection with Marian's present day. It keeps the plot moving and doesn't just pause while Marion is living life in the Middle Ages.

Back to my initial question: Will I buy into this? Oh yes. I will. And I LOVED it! There are still some unanswered questions, but there was also closure. So I'm left wanting more, but not frustrated that I didn't get enough. That is a great place to be! I would highly recommend this book!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to share my honest opinions, which I did.**

THANK YOU to Revell and Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not my usual kind of read, but i am so glad that i picked this particular book to veer from my habits.
Amazing writing and the story is so compelling that you can't put it down till you finish it!
I was skeptical about the time travel thing but i couldn't be more wrong and it was made beautifully!
The main female character - Marian is a scientist and she is looking for a cure for her sister,when her father unexpectedly falls into a coma.
With no other choice she immediately travels to England seeking answers what is behind all of this...and that's when she starts getting strange kind of visions that are from another time.

On the other hand , we have have our male character and knight in shining armor William Durham , having visions of his own, of a mysterious woman...and little that he knows, that when Marian goes back to 1381, he will be the one to save her and offer her protection in a time period that is quite shaking and unexpected for her....but the more unexpected thing is that, after spending quite some time in this world, she finds it harder to let it go and return to her time.
I can safely say that now i am a big fan of Jody Hedlund's writing and will look her other books and it goes without saying that i can't wait for the next book in the series!

Marian Creighton and her father have worked for years to cure the rare form of cancer that took Marian's mother and threatens to life of her sister, Ellen. When her father suddenly falls into a coma on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery, Marian rushes to his side, and is thrust into the 1300's in her fight to sure her sister and keep her father's research out of the wrong hands.

A thrillingly romantic time slip novel that catapults Marian into the Medieval times during the dangerous peasant uprising of 1381, where she falls under the protection of the noble warrior, Will Durham. I loved how Ms. Hedlund had Marian navigate the culture shock of time travel, acknowledging the everyday details that would definitely come as an unpleasant surprise. I really though that the author did a great job of navigating the strengths and weaknesses of a different time period that to some would possibly feel oppressive especially in regards to women, how they lived and were treated.

I loved the supporting characters, I'm excited to see more of Harrison in the next book, as well as Marian's sister, Ellen. I liked Harrison from the beginning so I was thrilled when I found out that the next book would feature him.

Overall, this was an exciting read, with engaging characters and a fresh imaginative plot. A strong start to a new series, with wonderful characters, exciting twists, and amazing chemistry between Will and Marian! I can't wait to see what will happen next!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Come Back to Me is a book about time travel. Although I've never been much of a fan on this subject I found Jody's book captivating!

I was totally intrigued by the story and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I was given a copy of this book from #NetGalley for my honest review.

Come Back to Me, by Jody Hedlund, is an interesting tale. Marion Creighton has been working diligently with her father to find a cure for the tumors at large in her sister Ellen’s body. This condition took her mother’s life and Marion is determined to make sure the same death does not find Ellen!

When Marion’s father suddenly ends up in a coma, she drops everything to rush to his side. After Marion finds their London home in shambles, she starts looking deeper. She soon discovers that her father’s current state is due to his quest to discover a cure for all diseases!

Her father had drunk a serum that put him into a time wrap. When Marion samples a bit of the serum herself, she finds herself walking around in the Middle Ages. At this point, this tale starts moving at a crazy speed with Marion hopping between current day and days in the 1300s. The final jump to current day will bring some very interesting facts to light!

Wow....this book drew me in from page one. A tale not soon to be forgotten!

I read this book in a sitting. Jody Hedlund has won my heart with this great book. I finished this book around 1:06am on a Saturday morning. it was worth my sleepless hours.


There are so many lessons to glean from this book.


I love the time crossing era and permit me to crush on Will. Oh my gosh! Jody Hedlund has great descriptive prowess.


This book deserves 10 stars! It is so perfect!

The characters are awesome. The plot is great and the suspense was just gaining momentum page after page. I couldn’t sleep until I read to the last page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.