Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager , for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Catriona Silvey is a new author for me. Therefore, I did not have any particular expectations when it came to this book. The premises looked intrueging and I was in the mood for a little romance. This was a good story, not to difficult to follow, right amount of feelings, and very enjoyable.

This story takes place at Cambridge University in 2005/2006. Joe Greene dreams of being a poet, a future where his words will echo through the ages. Esi already knows his future. She is a time-traveller on tour to witness Joe Greene in his student time. In Esi's era, Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare, writing famous love poems about Diana. However, Esi has a different, secret reason for being here. This year, something will happen at Cambridge that will wreck her life and she intends to change it. When she bumps into Joe, she sends his destiny into a tailspin. They both face a crucial question:
Is the future set in stone, or can we rewrite our fates?

The time travel element added a clever twist without overwhelming the story, grounding the sci-fi in real emotional stakes. The chemistry between the characters felt authentic and earned, and while some plot points required a bit more attention, it was still very good. Additionally, the mix of romance was super fun without being too heavy or confusing. Some parts stretched believability a bit, but honestly, I didn’t mind—it was just such a good ride.

Love & Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvery was an enjoyable read with a great blend of romance, magical realism and time travelling. I thought the premise was fun as I’m a fan of time travelling novels. I loved the Y2K nostalgia too! However, I did find it slow in parts and it took me longer to get into than I thought it would. Overall, it was a unique and entertaining story. If you enjoy a slow burn romance with a twist then check it out

A story of how we may not always be certain on how we want our futures to be...

Thank you Harper Collins UK and NetGalley for giving me this ARC to review.

As a student of Cambridge University, Joe Greene has ambitions to follow in the footsteps of famous poet Byron and make a timeless impact on the world through his world. Esi, on a time-traveling tour to witness history's greatest moments, is already aware of how renowned Joe Greene will become. But isn't aware of how quickly she'll mess up harbouring this secret and sending his life into a tailspin.

Joe is now aware that the love of his life, his muse, the person who ultimately inspires him and ejects him into stardom is within touching distance, and the responsibility to ensure that happens through match making falls on Esi. Yet Esi came to the past for another outcome, to change the future that had a devastating impact on her life. And as things start to unravel, the pair are faced with answering the ultimate unanswerable question: is our future already written out for us, or can we rewrite them?

Catriona Silvey's imaginative way of telling a fictional story could, for me, rival Ashley Poston. This magical realism, but magical realism with depth. Where you walk away having reflected on some of life's biggest questions. I did sometimes struggle getting into the story, but I do believe this was mostly because of how most books are formatted for ARCs which is understandable. But ultimately, I loved the uniqueness of the story from start to finish where you were think you know the ending but you can't be certain. And Catriona's other book, Meet Me In Another Life, sounds like another work of hers that I will thoroughly enjoy!

Although I love romance stories I don't really enjoy plain romance stories. I always need something extra. A little bit of magic, some sci-fi elements, something adding that little something to make a story more special. So, when I was invited by HarperVoyager to read this digital arc via Netgalley I didn't hesitate. It sounded like the kind of book I currently need. Lighthearted, romantic, and time travel. I was very excited to dive in.

This book is exactly what I expected it to be. The book has a general lighthearted tone and it's a quick and easy read. Although the book has a time-travel element, it's not really a time-travel novel. Apart from a few pages the book takes place in the same world and the same time and although some characters are traveling back and forth between timelines, it's not the main theme of the story. It's more the driving force behind the decisions of these characters.

The book is marketed as a romance and although it IS a romance and the romantic relationship(s) is the core of the story, it doesn't feel like a typical romance. That's partly because of the time travel element. It seems that knowing about your future does complicate things. A lot. Especially the romance. Because if you already know who your epic love is gonna be, why would you spend time listening to what your actual heart is telling you?

And I think that's exactly what makes this book, apart from being simply entertaining, stand out. The science might not be explained in too much detail, although it was clear how everything worked and what was going on, but the dilemmas caused by time travel are really well thought out. The characters have a lot of choices to make, a lot of times their way of thinking and seeing the world is challenged and in the end they have to decide who they want to be.

3.5 ⭐️

Considering the diversity of themes in this book — from love triangles and time travel to mock combat games and philosophy — it seems highly unlikely that they should work together. Oddly enough, though, they do. Providing, that is, you’re equipped to engage in the necessary mental gymnastics.

Cambridge University, 2005.

Meet frustrated poet-come-philosophy student Joe, wannabe actress Diana, and time traveler Esi. The three have never met, until the day their lives clash in spectacular fashion, setting in motion a series of events that threatens to change the course of all their lives.

What brings them together is a book of poetry from the 2030s, which Esi drops, Joe picks up and is shocked to see his name on the cover. In 20 years’ time, so it seems, he’s going to be as famous as Shakespeare and have a wife and muse named Diana Dartnell!

From the off, I was invested in this story and how it would unfold. I felt huge empathy for Esi and her reasons for coming through the wormhole as well as the anxiety she felt about the butterfly effect of any of her actions. And I totally bought into Joe’s delight at his glittering future, his desire to secure it, and the dilemma he faced when things went skew-whiff.

All was going swimmingly, until about two-thirds of the way through when the narrative veered into a discussion on quantum physics and that old philosophical nut: determinism versus free will. While these are topics that I’m genuinely interested in, it fried my brain trying to absorb them while keeping my eye on the plot 🤯

That said, I still enjoyed the way everything played out and the fact that author Catriona Silvey gave me some interesting ideas to ponder. If time-travel tourism were ever to become a thing, sign me up to visit Liverpool in the early days of Beatlemania!

Love and Other Paradoxes is hard to categorise but all the better for it. Catriona Silvey weaves clever writing, rootable characters, time-travel and classic romcom vibes to great effect. After a slightly slow start I became utterly hooked a few chapters in, and finished the rest in one evening. What a compulsive and heart-felt read.

Thank you for my earc of this book! I looooove the premise of this book: trips to the past to see your fav celeb? Yes please.
I really enjoyed my time with the book. The characters were great, the romance really good and I loved the setting. Overall a really enjoyable read!

Student Joe Greene dreams of himself as a future poet but doubts this will happen. Esi arrives from the future to witness Joe first hand, as in the future he is known as a prolific writer. But Esi has a secret, she’s not really there for Joe, but instead is determined to change something that happened that year. When Esi bumps into Joe both their destiny’s are thrown into a tailspin.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, although I have heard of her previous book which I was interested to read. I really liked the concept of this one and I enjoy books with a unique, quirky storyline. I found the focus of science fiction and time travel intriguing, especially mixed with a romcom.

Although I enjoyed the premise, I found the overall story quite slow paced and I didn’t love the development of the characters. I felt the pacing was off for the majority of the book, however for those who enjoy a slow burn romance with a difference this would be a great novel to pick up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

This book is about so many things. About chasing what we’re supposed to want instead of what’s right in front of us. Living for a future instead of in the moment. The impossible question of predestination. And of course, love. This was an interesting read for me. Not your typical love story and definitely would recommend. It’s like if Back to the Future and the Hallmark channel had a book baby.

ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴏʀ ʙᴇ ʙᴏᴜɴᴅ ʙʏ.
ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ’s ɪɴғɪɴɪᴛᴇ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇs. ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴀʟ. ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴡɪʟʟ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴ. ᴡᴇ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴜs

I would love to meet my fav classic authors and just have a cup of tea and talk with them.
That is pretty much what happens to the main character only thing is that she goes to the past and meet one of her most despite poet she ever had to study in school😂

Since her mum has died Esi has felt like she’s not herself and decides to go to the past and try to change her mum timeline to make sure that the car accident never happened.
But her being in the past and meeting people and getting to know Joe Greene(her most despite poet) might change more than she thinks.
And also is Joe’s future set in stone ? Is his future always going to be the same? Or it might change?

This was such a cute romance and such a fun read. I loved how strong Esi is and how the more she get to know Joe the more she likes him. She has never let people in since her mum but with him is different.
And his poetry because of Esi, and not the girl who he’s supposed to end up with, gets way better than the poetry Esi studied in school. Esi finally understand the entire point of writing poetry.

Joe meets Esi and his world changes.
Would you read a book that tells you already the ending to your story?
He keeps thinking he has no choice in his future but once he actually start to make his own choices he finally achieves his best potential and become the best version of himself.

Thank you to hapervoyage for the arc

3.5 stars rounded up

Cambridge University, 2005: Student Joe Greene scribbles verses in the margins of his notebook, dreaming of a future where his words will echo through the ages, all while doubting it could ever happen. Then, the future quite literally finds him - in the form of Esi. She is part of a time-travelling tour, a trip for people in the future to witness history's greatest moments firsthand. The star of this tour? Joe Greene, in Esi's era. Joe is as renowned as Shakespeare. And he's about to meet Diana, a fellow student and aspiring actress, who will become his muse and subject of his famous love poems.

This is a story about time-travel. Joe has been struggling with writer's block and fears that he won't be able to graduate. He wants to become a successful poet. Joe meets a young girl called Esi, he follows her as he wants to know more about her. Esi is a time-traveller. She has travelled back to 2005 to change the past in order to save her mother's future.

I did like the second part of this book more than I did the first part. The characters are well-rounded, it was entertaining and the pace was steady. I quite liked this book.

Published 25th April 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #CatrionaSilvey for my ARC of #LoveAndOtherParadoxes in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book, even if I didn’t quite understand all the timey wimey stuff. Didn’t take long to get to the crux of the book, which I was pleased about; the discovery about time travellers came early on. Such a fantastic idea for a plot too. Really lovely read.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. Although I thought the concept of this book was fantastic, unfortunately, its execution fell flat for me. Although I didn't dislike it by any stretch, I found the pace slow and I was unable to really connect with the characters, although I did like Rob.

This was such a fun time. I loved the time travel aspect & the discussions that it led to about fate & deciding your own future. How even if something is destined for you, you still need to put in the work.
The romance was really cute too, the slow burn & them knowing it can’t be but still falling for each other anyways.

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the plot and characters. I found the writing style a little lacking in depth but it was an enjoyable read.

This was a charming blend of time-travel science fiction and romantic comedy, I enjoyed the way philosophical questions were seamlessly integrated into a lighthearted narrative. The characters were likeable, with Rob and Esi standing out as my favourites. While the plot was well-crafted, I wouldn’t call the ending entirely unexpected, it was evident what the outcome would be. However, I did like the way this book was concluded; it leaves you pondering after you’ve finished with the possibilities of the future. This book would be particularly appealing to fans of time-travel romances and stories that delve into the intricacies of fate and choice.

This one took me a little while to get into but once I did, I was hooked. It's emotional and yet light hearted at the same time. It's a time travel novel and I enjoyed the characters. It's well written and I couldn't put it down. It has funny moments, sweet moments, mystery, and everything I love. Definitely one to recommend.

This novel takes the fact that we don’t know how time travel would actually work, and plays with it - even placing the majority of the plot in a place full of knowledge and learning. For me, it started a little slowly, but once the plot got going I really enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the tension between Joe’s newfound belief that his future is predetermined (but he still has to play an active part in the process, which leads to some interesting situations) and Esi’s desperation to change the past in order to fix her present. It’s physics and philosophy interlaced with poetry, romance, and a few sly swipes at technology of the recent past and references to the future which feel entirely natural. The supporting cast is well drawn - Rob steals every scene he’s in and has most of the best lines - and everything builds to a very neat denouement which has been cleverly set up throughout the book.

I do love a time travel book and the premise of this one sounded perfect for me and on the whole, I really enjoyed it.

My main issue with this book though, was that I just didn't really like either of the main characters and the side characters, didn't really have enough time on the page to make any kind of impression, although I do think they had potential.

Told from the male main characters point of view, I did enjoy the unique opportunity that this gave as I don't think I've ever read a book that tells the story entirely from the male POV before.

Joe is a student at Cambridge Uni but is concerned that the poetic promise that he showed when he was younger, was a bit of a flash in the pan. He meets Esi, a time-travelling tourist who has come to 2005 to change something that will affect her life. Before long, Joe and Esi have to work together to save their futures.

Although this was a quick read for me, I certainly found myself tensing up while reading certain chapters.

I was a bit reluctant to read my first Catriona Silvey novel, Meet Me in Another Life, but something kept calling to me, and I fell utterly in love with that book. And I think it’s grossly underrated, and more people should read it. I was also lucky to meet Silvey in Glasgow, where I learned that she had a new book coming out in 2025. So I was keeping an eye open for it and thanks to whoever handles HarperVoyager’s NetGalley account, my wishes came true.

I was supposed to read Love and Other Paradoxes slowly(ish) over a weekend, but instead I ended up reading it in a day, practically in one sitting. Oops. Absolutely no regrets, though. So, Love and Other Paradoxes is a more or less classic rom-com with a time traveling twist. Set in Cambridge in the early 2000s, Joe is facing failure at college, and he is not closer to his dream of becoming a famous poet. When he meets Esi, things get even more complecated. He gets a glimpse into the future he always wanted for himself, and so he is determined to do everything he can to make it happen. Esi only wants to change one thing in her past, to make her future happier, but their meeting – and meddling – sets of a chain of events that they might not be able to control. All the while facing questions they might not have answers for. Is out fate predestined? Or can our acts change the future we might know coming? And what if the future we thought we want is not the one we actually need. Or maybe it is. But do we even know what we want? Really, really want?

Love and Other Paradoxes is super easy to read, but then I expected as much. The characters are well rounded out, they have flaws, they have stupid decisions, and some of them are not so likeable *cough* Diana *cough*. And I’m absolutely delighted to learn about the game played on the campus called Assassins. I really wish it was featured more in the book as it sounds super fun. And made Rob – Joe’s roommate and best friend – the most fun character of the lot. He worked as the comedy relief and actually was entertaining.

The plot was less predictable than your average rom-com, (even if it did work with some tropes – love triangle, chiefly, which is usually not my favorite, but I promise it’s not annoying here. Well, not as much, anyway.), however, it kept me guessing until the end how the different decisions and actions will play out. It could have gone either way, and I appreciated the way Silvey built up the story’s arc. The time-traveling aspect really did add to it. As this is the second novel I read by Silvey, I can’t help but compare the two, maybe unjustly. While I enjoyed reading Love and Other Paradoxes, it didn’t gave me the same emotional impact as Meet Me in Another Life did.

All the same, lovers of the romance genre with a touch of sci-fi would have a good time with Love and Other Paradoxes, and hopefully it will appeal to a wider audience.