Stunning telling of the wonders of time travelling and how much our past affects out future. Or I this case, how much another person's potential future can affect someone else's past. Beautiful romance and exploration of identity and the meaning of life really. Looking forward to more from this author

A time travel story with a difference.
The setting in Cambridge lends a feel of reality and learning amid the grandeur of the buildings and the promise of new knowledge being discovered.
The story was deftly moved along and the characters added value to the story.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this, I’m rating it 3.75 stars.

I adore the concept, this was so light and funny with a unique plot. Some of the time travel details were a little hazy for me, but if you overlook some minor details and focus on the vibes and the core plot then you’ll enjoy this as much as I did.

Love and Other Paradoxes by Catriona Silvey is a witty, heartwarming blend of time travel, romance, and literary ambition that will appeal to fans of About Time and The Midnight Library.

Set in Cambridge in 2005, the book follows Joe Greene, a struggling poet who dreams of greatness but doubts his potential. That is until Esi—a time traveller from the future—crosses his path. In her era, Joe is revered as one of history’s greatest poets, thanks to his love for Diana, the woman destined to become his muse. But Esi has no interest in his poetry. She’s on a mission to change a pivotal event at Cambridge that will alter her own life forever.

When Esi derails her tour and collides with Joe, she takes it upon herself to play matchmaker, coaching him to win over Diana and set history back on track. But as Joe’s fate strays from its expected course and he finds himself falling for Esi instead, both must question whether the future is truly set in stone.

This book is a charming mix of romance, humour, and philosophical musings on destiny and free will. Esi’s scepticism and sharp wit contrast perfectly with Joe’s earnestness, making for a dynamic and entertaining duo. The time travel element is handled with a light touch, adding intrigue without overwhelming the story’s emotional core.

A delightful, thought-provoking read, Love and Other Paradoxes is perfect for those who enjoy romance with a speculative twist and a dash of literary magic.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Catriona Silvey’s Love and Other Paradoxes takes a different approach from her debut, shifting from the melancholic and introspective tone of Meet Me in Another Life to something lighter and more playful—yet still packed with emotional depth. This novel blends time loops with contemporary romance, offering a story that’s both mind-bending and heartfelt.

While the tone is lighter than that of a traditional time travel novel, the stakes remain high for the characters, making every choice feel meaningful. Silvey proves once again that she can take a high-concept premise and infuse it with real emotional weight. If you love time-twisting narratives with heart, this one’s worth picking up.

This book about love, poetry and time travel follows Joe Greene, a third year philosophy student at Camebridge. He meets a barista named Esi, who tells him she's from the future and then accidentally gives him a poetry book, written by him, but in the future. That's the first thing I liked about this book: we follow Joe. Most contemporary romance book have a female main character and a male love interest, who's obviously central to the story, but not the main character. I liked having a male lead for a change.

The conflicts that arise with time travel are sort of obvious: can we even influence our future or is it written in stone? If our future is pre-determined, do we still have to work for it or is it going to settle itself? Joe obviously struggles with these questions once confronted by his future laid out to him in the form of a poetry book. There are also scifi aspects in this book, like time-travel tourism, the means by which Esi travelled back to 2005.

Esi has her own agenda. Her mother's death was possibly connected to Joe (in a way I won't spoil at this point) ending up with his meant-to-be partner: Diana. She wants to prevent her mother's death by making sure Joe and Diana end up together... I honestly didn't understand exactly how this made sense, but it set up a love triangle quite nicely: Joe thinks he is meant to fall in love with Diana and he is interested in her, however slowly but surely he also realises he's interested in Esi. This love triangle is the main romance plotline, but I liked that there were many other plot points to support the story. It was not JUST a romance.

I only have two things that bothered me a little:
- I get that the premise of the book was that Diana and Joe are meant to be. However, the words "meant to be" were massively over-used in the book and also what a weird coincidence that once Joe figures out time travelling is a thing and his future might be pre-determined, seemingly everyone around him ponders on the questions of "can we choose our own future or not".
- The plot twist concerning Esi and her trying to prevent the death of her mother was super obvious. I had it figured out after 35-40% of the book. I then mainly kept on reading for the romance and to prove myself right. :D

Over all: If you like romance books that have a little more substance to them than just the romance - go for it!

Do you ever feel followed? Maybe it's because you'll be a famous poet one day and time travellers book tours just to see you. Or at least that's what's happening to Josphe Greene.

Truly, I love the idea of this book. People casually open a wormhole for a time travel tourist trap. I also loved the setting of Cambridge. I got to know the city and I felt like I was truly there, although I can't say anything for accuracy as I've never visited.

But then the love triangle ruins it. I think they can be done right, but then this one followed the cliche of "I should be with one but then I have also feelings for the other, who I can't be with. I wonder what will happen..." Which doesn't make the reader curious about the ending.

The only thing that could have saved it were good, lovable characters. But I kept finding myself frustrated by the foolishness of the main character He refused to think about important things for more than one second and assumed things were true just because it was convenient. And for the love interests, I don't know what Joe sees in Diana, as she clearly thinks she's better than him. The other love interest, Esi, was alright, but there was nothing that made me connect with her.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperVoyager for giving me access to an e-arc for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley for approving me to read this book. My opinions are my own.

I have officially put Catriona Silvey on my auto-buy authors list after Meet Me in Another Life and this book. Amazing. I almost don’t need to keep going with this review, it’s just a must-read. Go. Now. I’ll wait…

—-

So now we’ve both fallen in love with this book, I’ll expand.

Catriona has similar vibes as Becky Chambers - in that she doesn’t just write a good Sci fi book, she writes amazing characters and thought-provoking conversations about love and reality and how time itself works.

I almost forgot that the book was even Sci fi, it started to shift to more of a cerebral rom-com with one of my favourite tropes of the wingman trope. It was just so deep and present that I only remembered the time travel part being odd when other characters were reacting to it.

I think this makes it a great book for both Sci-fi lovers and contemporary romance readers.

(Slight side note that probably won’t even be in the final version, I wasn’t sure if this was a joke that Joe was making comparing the future and his time, but he said he lived in the nineteenth century… when he might have meant the twenty-first century)

I also really liked the setting at Cambridge University, I used to live near Cambridge so this felt very homey to me, though my university was very different (oxbridge is a land unto its own) it still brought me back to my time as a proto-adult, learning how to live by myself with all the safety nets still in place. It was a great feeling while reading, incredibly cosy.

I don’t really know what more I can say to make you read this awesome book, just give it a try!

I’m something of a time travel novel addict. I think it’s the fact that literally anything is possible. It’s as likely you’ll see characters transported to major events of the past as it is that you’ll see them wrestling with a strange (to us) future life. And sometimes both of these occur in the same story. I’d so enjoyed the author’s previous novel Meet Me in Another Life, one of my absolute favourite novels of this sub-genre, that I was desperate to get hold of a copy of this one.

It starts off pretty simply as Joe, a Cambridge University student and an aspiring poet, finds himself wrestling with his feelings for two girls. Diana is haughty but devastatingly beautiful - it seems that this is the girl he’s destined to be with. Esi is quirky and funny and totally unobtainable. At heart, this is a simple love story. Which girl will Jo eventually end up with: can he tame the ice queen, or will he manage to grab the ungrabbable?

In popular time travel theory, there are two popular paradigms:

1. The past can be changed, but with unpredictable consequences for the future. This is also known as the butterfly effect and is rooted in chaos theory.
2. You really can’t change the past. If you try something will intervene to stop you – whatever happened, happened (i.e. your actions were always part of what happened).

So what if you learn of your future and want to change it, or if there’s something in your past that you want to alter? Well, it really depends on which one of the above comes into play.

It’s a fun story, and despite myself, I did become somewhat invested in the question of which girl would eventually claim Joe’s heart. Take it from me, it really is quite complicated. What appealed to me less is the fact that the time travel element is treated with such nonchalance. The few people that become aware of or participate in the act seem to accept it without question. There’s little sense of wonder, which I found to be odd and somewhat disappointing. To me, just the thought of time travel is mind-blowing. It would surely be the ultimate experience. Yet despite this minor disappointment, I still caught myself rushing back to this story, eager to see how it all played out.

It’s worth noting that there’s also a third popular time travel paradigm that might have a part to play in this tale. What is it? Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to read the book to find out.

A light read of the pitfalls of romance with time travel thrown in. I found the early part a bit slow and wanted things to get moving more quickly. Didn’t deliver on all levels but a pleasant read.

2.5 rounded up for goodreads and netgalley.
I really wanted to like this book, and I thought I was going to, but some aspects of it fell flat. This is purely an instance of the story and the characters not being of my liking, and not the book having inherent issues that should be addressed. In other words, it wasn’t for me, but I know for a fact that so many people can absolutely love it.
I liked the writing that was quite lyrical and the atmosphere of the story. It was a very effective blend of magical realism and contemporary fiction.
However, I did not like the cast of characters, especially Joseph. It was interesting to follow the main perspective of a male character this time, but I thought he was too egocentric and selfish for me. The other characters did not particularly stand out. The romances developed quite quickly unfortunately, and I did not like the ending at all.
But, as I said, and especially for the ending, I think this book can find its audience. Readers who enjoy Emily Henry and Ashley Poston can like this one, because some aspects of it made me think of books by these authors. I would definitely recommend to give it a chance.
It didn’t work for me and that’s okay. But it could be amazing for you and that could be great.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Loved loved loved. Already one of my favourite books of the year!

I was in my final year of university in 2005 and played assassins, so this book brought back all of the feelings! Written with a tenderness, humour and sensitivity that reminded me of David Nichols, this book deserves so much attention.

When the plot threads came together at the end with the final reveal I wanted to give Catriona Silvey a round of applause. Truly great work. I’m never going to miss reading a novel of hers going forward.

Oooh I’m a big fan of the time travel genre and I was soo looking forward to this - but it didn’t work for me
It was light hearted and an easy read but the storyline was flimsy and didn’t hold my attention

Thankyou NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review

A clever and original time travel romance full of heart, humour and plenty of early noughties nostalgia. Joe Greene is in his last year at Cambridge and terrified about what comes next. Everyone expects great things, the first from his school to attend Cambridge, but Joe is worried that his future will involve failing his degree and ending up back behind the bar of his parents' pub in Scotland. The problem is Joe isn't that interested in his studies, he really wants to be a poet, to be as famous as Byron. Shame he's struggling to find inspiration, to write anything meaningful.

Recently Joe has noticed some puzzling things - anonymous presents and cards in his pigeonhole, this feeling that some of the tour groups thronging the streets of Cambridge seem over interested in him and even seem to be following him. So when he meets a girl, Esi, in a coffee shop who seems to know who he is and realises the book she leaves behind is about his life - his life as a successful and famous poet- once he gets over the shock it seems to make a strange kind of sense and gives him a huge sense of relief. He's not destined to be a failure after all. and of course if the future is set in stone as Esi's book claims, then he doesn't need to worry. He will pass his degree, get together with the glamorous Diana who apparently is his muse and the love of his life and become famous. He's just not sure how. Luckily Esi is at hand to help. A runaway from the future she is here to try and change her mother's destiny and avert a future tragic accident. She will help him woo Diana if he helps her track down her mother. But the longer Joe spends with Esi, and the more he finds out about his future self, then the less sure that the future that awaits him is the future he actually wants.

This is the kind of book to read in one sitting, funny, romantic and beautifully writte, Highly recommended.

Another great time travel story from Catriona Silvey! For me it didn’t hit the heights of her previous novel Meet me in Another Life (one of my favourite books of the last 5 years), it’s still a really enjoyable read

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

I've always loved a bit of time-travel romance; in fact, I am a sucker for it, so when I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it!

Esi's and Joseph's story reads a bit into historical romance, that is, if we can call it that. I didn't understand why this book was under the mystery/thriller genre 😐.

Esi and Joseph's chemistry was obvious to me from the first time they met, but the whole time traveler's drama, the supposed book from the future, and Esi coming back to the past to save her mom were so tiresome.

And the way the book ended bothered me so much.

Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

wow what a great read! i couldn’t put this down ans loved everything about this.
the way the author pulls you in to get to know the characters make this a really interesting read and upto the last pages i still couldn’t guess what was going to happen
definitely recommended

I enjoyed this book immensely. Great characters and strong plot line. Although I don't typically enjoy time travel books, this one was a surprise hit

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist, the age-old questions of fate versus free will get an entertaining treatment. "Love and Other Paradoxes" weaves together the stories of Joe Greene, an aspiring poet grappling with self-doubt at Cambridge University, and Esi, a strong-willed time-traveller with her own agenda for changing the past. What begins as a seemingly simple mission to alter the course of events becomes an exploration of causality, choice, and the unintended consequences of trying to rewrite history.

The story's strength lies in balancing romantic comedy with deeper questions about destiny and free will. While Joe dreams of poetic greatness, Esi arrives from a future where he is already a celebrated poet, inspired by his muse, Diane. Silvey cleverly explores the paradox of predetermined love: how can romance develop organically when you know it's "meant to be"? Joe's awareness of his destined connection with Diana creates a paralyzing self-consciousness that might prevent the very future he's supposed to achieve. Against the atmospheric backdrop of Cambridge, this premise generates both humorous situations and thoughtful insights about love and destiny.

However, readers familiar with Silvey's previous work, particularly the complex and emotionally nuanced "Meet Me in Another Life," might find themselves wanting more. Where "Love and Other Paradoxes" adheres safely to romantic comedy conventions, Silvey has previously demonstrated her ability to craft more sophisticated and bittersweet narratives. That said, this lighter approach succeeds admirably within the parameters of the romantic comedy genre. Fans of "About Time" and "My Old Ass" will find familiar themes here, even if it follows a more conventional path.

Verdict: A thoughtful yet predictable romance that combines time travel whimsy with familiar romantic comedy beats. While it may not push boundaries or reach the emotional depths of Silvey's previous work, the novel offers an engaging exploration of predetermined love and the paradox of destiny, making it an ideal choice for readers seeking a clever comfort read with philosophical undertones.

Recommended for: Fans of conventional time travel romance, readers who enjoy light sci-fi elements, and those looking for an uplifting comfort read with a dash of philosophy.

May not satisfy: Readers expecting the complexity of "Meet Me in Another Life" or those seeking darker, more unconventional storytelling.

Fans of Catriona Silvey’s Meet Me in Another Life will find themselves swept away once more in Love and Other Paradoxes. With its irresistible mix of time travel, quantum mechanics, and romantic tension, this novel weaves a story that’s both intellectually engaging and emotionally satisfying.

The plot centers around Joe Greene, a directionless 20-year-old Cambridge student and aspiring poet, whose encounter with Esi, a mysterious barista from the future, flips his life upside down. Esi has traveled back to 2005 on a deeply personal mission to prevent her mother’s untimely death—a tragedy that fractured her family. But her plans go awry when she becomes entangled in Joe’s journey toward fulfilling a destiny he never imagined: becoming a celebrated poet and marrying his muse, Diana.

Silvey deftly explores the complexities of fate, free will, and the butterfly effect as Joe grapples with the poetic future foretold by Esi and a book of his unwritten verses. Esi acts as Joe’s Cyrano, coaching him to win Diana’s heart while disguising her own growing feelings for him. The resulting love triangle is as poignant as it is unpredictable, raising profound questions about love, loyalty, and the power to rewrite one’s story.

Silvey’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the tension between Joe’s fumbling charm and Esi’s steely resolve. The novel’s Cambridge setting is richly detailed, and the supporting characters—particularly Rob, Joe’s eccentric roommate—add humor and texture to the story. While the time travel mechanics take a backseat to the emotional drama, they provide an intriguing backdrop that enhances the novel’s themes of destiny and self-discovery.

The pacing, while brisk, occasionally skips over key emotional beats, making the romantic connection between Joe and Esi feel slightly underdeveloped. However, the plot’s twists and turns, combined with Silvey’s knack for tying together seemingly disparate threads, deliver a satisfying conclusion that feels both inevitable and surprising.

Love and Other Paradoxes is a thoughtful, genre-bending tale that balances heart and head. Readers who enjoy romances with a speculative twist, like Ashley Poston’s The Dead Romantics or Christina Lauren’s The Soulmate Equation, will find much to love here. Silvey’s exploration of what it means to follow—or defy—our destined path is as moving as it is thought-provoking.

Many thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The book will be published on March 11, 2025.