Three stars: A complicated and poignant love story that revolves around a ghost trapped in Grand Central Station.

On a cold, clear morning in Manhattan 1937, Joy Reynolds, a railroad operator, encounters a beautiful, young woman in flapper clothes. Nora appears to be lost, but when Joe offers to walk her home, she declines and disappears into the crowd. That momentary encounter marks Joe, and he is thrilled when he runs into Nora a year later. They share a meal and conversation, and then he offers to walk her home. On the way home, something strange happens, Nora vanishes. Joe is desperate to find her again. When her phones her home, he gets a strange, unbelievable story. Nora died in an accident in Grand Central Station in the 1920s. Joe is determined to find out why Nora is still there and how she comes back. What follows is an unforgettable love story that transcends time and death. Will Joe find Nora?
What I Liked:
*Time After Time is a complex, poignant love story that involves a ghost. You know when a ghost is in a love story that it is going to be complicated, which is indeed the case with this one. This book was a touching and fascinating story that sucked me in.
*I loved the setting of Grand Central Station. The author did the research in order to deliver the bustling terminal in the twenties then the decay and decline during the Great Depression, followed by the tumultuous war years and beyond. With each passing decade, the station evolves. It was exciting to read about Grand Central Station during the years as it was ever evolving. I loved the attention to detail, it made GCS come alive.
*The romance is the pivotal point of the story. It sucked me in. I ached for Joe when Nora disappeared, and then felt his joy when she reappeared. The two fit just right. It was troubling to see them fight for their love. The sacrifices were touching. The romance is full of hurdles and complexities, which made it even more poignant. I liked that their romance was unconventional and that it required work.
*I appreciated that there was an explanation for how and why Nora is haunting GCS. Most of the time with stories like this one, there is not explanation, you just go with it. I liked that there was a little science thrown in. I especially enjoyed the tie in to the miraculous Manhattanhenge sunrise. Fascinating!
*I am always hesitant to read a ghost story romance because you know that it usually doesn’t end well. This one packed in a lot of heart and emotion, and I was surprised at how much I wanted it to work.
*The Author’s Note at the end provided some interesting details, well worth reading. The author shares the real life inspiration for the story as well as discussing her own personal relation to the characters in the story.
And The Not So Much:
*The ending was a disappointment. I felt like I was cheated out of a lot of information. I wanted to know so much more about what happened with the characters during the time that passed up to the encounter in the gift shop. I wanted the details!
*Sigh....I don’t know, after all the turmoil and obstacles I wanted it to be different. I was left wanting......
Time After Time is a tough book for me to review. On one hand, I enjoyed the unconventional romance, the setting and the era, but on the other, I was left overall disappointed in the way that things worked out. A romance with a ghost presents all kinds of obstacles, but I appreciated the depth of emotion packed into this one. If you are looking for a unique romance, this is one to try.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, Netgalley.com and Random House. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ms. Grunwald has written a new classic for fans of historical fiction. A beautiful and rich love story with all too human characters. Grab a cup of your favorite beverage, turn your phone off and enjoy this story.

5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

I was finally able to read 'Time after Time' by Lisa Grunwald. A massive thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the ARC, my deepest apologies for the untimely (late) review.

What I loved: the story is incredibly unique and I don't want to spoil aspects of the story so I will keep it vague., but seriously, this story is different from anything I've ever read.
I (personally) loved Joe and Nora. They're each flawed but their circumstances were far from normal so I understand why different decisions were made and I do not judge them for it.
Grand Central! The building is an essential character in the book and I have been there many times, I loved the historical references.

My analytical brain was trying to analyze aspects of the story, don't, just enjoy the ride. The takeaways of the novel are to take chances, step outside of your comfort zone, and just be you...live life.

I thought I would love this book based on reviews and what others had said, but it ended up just being OK to me. I really liked it at the beginning, but then it started getting tedious, and I think it would have been better if certain parts were cut out of the story. The ending was pretty "meh" to me, too.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting love story that transcends time travel and years. Nora Lansing, was a victim of a terrible subway accident. Caught in time Nora reappears in a mysterious way when sunlight lines up correctly on December 5. Switch operator Joe spies the beautiful Nora who looks confused and out of place. As time passes the two fall in love and live for short stretches of time in empty rooms at the Biltmore hotel. Meanwhile time passes, the United States
Is swept up in The aftermath of Pearl Harbor. Joe ages but Nora’s spirt is ageless. How can the two build a future when Nora can’t get but a short distance from the terminal. Do they love each other to let go? Will Joe ever get to expletive life beyond the terminal?

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
4.5 stars
Loved the book but then it had all the ingredients that I most like-time travel, WWII, New York.
It provides a bit of a twist on the typical time travel, enough love to make it interesting and a twist at the end that tugs on one's heart but is just right. I love the aspect of the strong woman in that period of time who makes the right decision.

I enjoyed the concept of this book. It was original and mostly fun to read. There were times when the will she/won't she got on my nerves and I skimmed. Overall this was a fun diversion as long as you don't take it too seriously.

I enjoyed the story. I thought the idea of the book was great, and the overall story was very good. The middle drug for me just a little. Otherwise, it was a good book.

I quite enjoyed the premise of this story and the story itself! It took me a bit into it, but once the story started moving I really enjoyed it! A much different genre than what I usually read but I’m glad I gave it a chance!

When I first starting hearing about Time After Time, I have to say I was a little hesitant about reading this especially when compared to The Time Traveler's Wife because I loved that book so much. However, after receiving and ARC and then finding it on Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide I said I am going to give this a shot. From the very first chapter I was bought in, and then around chapter 5, I was completely entranced by this story.


Joe works in Grand Central Station, prior to WWII where one December he meets Nora. She quickly disappears and he meets her again a couple of years later with a similar ending. Joe investigates a little more and not everything quite appears to be "normal". The story quickly falls into an epic love story between Joe and Nora. While this has a fantastical element, I would be remiss to say that is has a very large Historical Fiction element spanning prior to WWII though well after the War.

If you are a fan of of Outlander or The Time Traveler's Wife then is going to be a guarantee winner for you. Grunwald is an engaging writer and I did not want to put this book down. Lovely story with a bit of meat to it.


Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a true delight. The writing is excellent. Such a great look into the past and a timeless love story. I figured out the end but the book was so good I didn't care.

I did not know this was a sort of time travel novel when I started it - so my expectations were all wrong. But it is a delightful book and I wish I had been better prepared to enjoy it more thoroughly! I spent a lot of the novel going “what is happening here?? How is this supposed to work??” Because I expected easy, realistic solutions. My advice - buy into the fantasy here. Buy into the magic of love and the book will wholly satisfy!

An epic love story.
You never know whether they’ll wind up together. That made me nervous! I spent too much time worrying about whether they would wind up happy together at the end and how. So, I can’t say whether they end made me happy or you’ll know how it ended.

Nora dies in an accident in 1925.
Joe meets Nora a few years after she dies, at Grand Central Terminal where he works.
Yes, he meets her after she dies.

Nora has been coming back on December 5th, the date of her death. She’s been coming back for years before she meets Joe. She doesn’t know how and she doesn’t know why.

She stays the same age as when she died, 23.
Joe is older but Nora was actually born first.

Their first few meetings are rocky. He sees Nora, they talk and ultimately she disappears again.

Joe is determined to figure out what brings Nora back, so he can figure out how to get her to stay.

Their love is magical but difficult.
Nora knows Joe would wait forever for her and she isn’t sure that he should. She wants him to have a family and to travel.
He wants to be with Nora more than anything, no matter what consequences they may face.

I’ve read so many glowing reviews of this book that I was actually afraid to read it and risk not loving it myself.

I got to read an early copy of this book from NetGalley, thank you!

The author did a fantastic job of describing everything and making it very easy to visualize. I think most people not familiar with Manhattanhenge will want to look it up to see if it's as impressive as described. The descriptions of Grand Central Station through several years were big highlights for me.

This wasn't really a ghost story as far as I'm concerned, more science fiction. I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the second half. The romance was a little bit of a letdown for me, as was the ending. I wanted Joe to be better, and Nora irritated me with the choices she made for others. I can accept that books aren't always meant to end in a certain way, but I think I would have been happier if I'd known how things ended up for a certain character. Still, even though there were parts of the story that weren't to my taste, it was very well told, and it did hold my attention til the end.

This story was masterfully crafted and drew me back in time. Joe and Nora were such incredible and well fleshed out characters that is was easy to suspend disbelief of the impossibility of a true love story between a hard working guy and a beautiful young woman who had tragically died years before they met. I was rooting for them to succeed in making their love work, and was heartbroken about how they parted ways. The story brought alive the incredible setting of the Grand Central Terminal, with all its unknown stories, and made it a world unto itself. I will recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, and also those that enjoy a not so typical love story because this book has much to offer everyone. A truly masterful tale.

Time after Time by Lisa Grunwald is a delightful book. This is a definite love story. The love Nora and Joe shared transcended time, age and social class. The story is based on a actual event about a woman that disappeared during a gas explosion at the famed Grand Central Terminal. The description and details about Grand Central Terminal is amazing. Ms. Grunwald makes it easy to envision how the Terminal was during the 1920;s through World War II and beyond. I would say that while Grand Central Terminal is the setting for most of the book it is also one of the main characters.
Another character is the book is the astronomical event now known as Manhattanhenge. It is named in reference to Stonehenge where if you stand in a certain spot at a certain time it creates an amazing burst of light. Manhattanhenge is a term which has become popular by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The name is due to the fact that it occurs in Manhattan during the summer and winter solstices. The rising or setting sun creates an amazing burst of light framed by Manhattan skyscrapers as the sun rises above or dips below the horizon. The Winter Solstice event, used to occur in the morning hours and fill Grand Central Terminal with light on these two mornings a year (weather permitting). Unfortunately because the United Nations was built Manhattanhenge is no longer visible in Grand Central Terminal.
If you are a fan of time travel, you'll enjoy this historical romance. Ms. Grunwald does an excellent job with her characters. They are likeable and at times infuriating and loveable.
I knew very little about this novel and I think that's why I was pleasantly surprised. I recommend that you do not read too many reviews or descriptions. You will learn alot with this book. Ms. Grunwald did an awfully large amount of research in the writing of this book. A Q&A with Lisa Grunwald is at the end of this book and I recommend her comments about her main incentives in writing this novel.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Random House, the author and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the most enjoyable books I've read this year. From the first few pages, I was transported back to Grand Central Station in the 1930's. While the "trapped in time" plot is nothing new, the author's take on it is unique, and the secondary plot lines are both engaging and thought-provoking.

For example, Nora came of age in the Roaring Twenties, while Joe lived through the Great Depression, making for a unique dynamic as their romance progresses. In addition, the idea and history of "Manhattanhenge" was not only interesting, but also fun to imagine through the author's impeccable imagery. And as WWII comes and goes, the book explores the changes the country is experiencing as viewed through the lenses of the characters.

The most impressive thing about the book is the way the author is able to create an entire life for Joe and Nora within the confines of Grand Central Station. She manages to convey the excitement and nonstop energy, while portraying the challenges and strain of being trapped within one (albeit very large) space.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book involves two of my favorite topics: history and romance. My transport through time reading about romance and experiencing a variety of emotions was delightful. The conflict in the story engaged me in such a manner that I was fascinated to endure the action that took place at such a glittering, exciting time in history. The world in which Grunwald has built is alive and vivid and thoroughly enjoyable to read. The story of Nora and Joe is a quality relationship. I am sure this book will be a wonderful success!

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

A bit of a disappointment, this one. I was excited by the blurb, and liked the first few chapters very much. But it became clear as I continued reading that this was not a book particularly interested in the "sci-fi" elements, such as the difficulties of returning again and again through time. Nor was it a book particularly interested in authentic depictions of early twentieth-century lives (the sister-in-law plot, ugh). Which means that in order to stay interested, a reader had better be incredibly interested in the love story between the two main characters, Joe and Nora. And just as Joe and Nora find themselves isolated in their love, so does the reader. One relationship is a lot to sustain a book outside the pure romance genre, particularly a book such a this one that is supposed to really be a slightly larger story about people being trapped in time, and a kind of panorama of a slice of New York City history focused around Grand Central Station. I will say that I liked the attention to various details relating to station life, as it made the background to Joe and Nora's love rather unusual. But there's no escaping that the actual love story is still very banal and simply not interesting enough to sustain an entire book.

As Outlander has been incredibly popular lately, I was intrigued how this premise could be similar. Obviously different eras and locations, but this along with Time Traveler's wife, I figured this book would follow suit.

The writing was lovely, and for those who deeply enjoy historical fiction, this book could be one of their favorites. I found the backdrop of New York City in the 1930s to be beautiful and intriguing.

This was an overall good book, but I believe those who like historical fiction may enjoy it more!