A Stitch in Time is a entertaining and unexpected read from Armstrong. While Armstrong's books are often on the spooky or supernatural side, I wasn't sure what to expect going into this book. I'm a fan of the author's books as a whole, so I knew it would be worth reading and I'm glad I requested this ARC.

Bronwyn is a character that I liked from the start. She's a bit on the downtrodden side (maybe not the most accurate word to describe her) but life has been kicking her around for a fair bit of time before she goes back to Thorne Manor. William is a likable character too, even though I wasn't even sure what was going on in the beginning.

The secondary characters are well written as well, and the house and moors are more than suitably spooky.

My biggest fear in this book was that there would be a tragic ending, but I found that it had a very satisfying ending that also made perfect sense to me so it was not heartbreaking.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys supernatural stories with romance.

A Stitch in Time is a timeslip romance/mystery and the first in a series by Kelley Armstrong. Released 31st Oct 2020 by Subterranean Press, it's 336 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is a well written romance (heavy on the romance) wrapped around a time travel murder mystery. The characterizations were competent, the dialogue and plotting better than average (for romance). The murder mystery parts as well as the historical bits are -very- loosely plotted. There are some egregious errors involved (history mavens should cover their eyes).

The Victorian period ran from the coronation of Victoria (June 1837 for those keeping score) until her death in 1901. The author refers to traveling between the modern day (presumably *our* present day - I couldn't find a specific timeline for the parts of the story set in the present day) and Thorne manor of over 200 year ago (smack in the middle of the Georgian period - 20 years before the beginning of the Victorian era. It bugged me every time it was referred to in the text. The protagonist grew up being able to timeslip between her own time and the past over the course of her childhood and eventual return to the manor at nearly 40 years of age... so that's another 35(ish) years on top of whatever difference there was at the beginning (her friend/boyfriend/eventual lover ages along a parallel timeline with her).

There were some other anachronisms, but all in all, it really was an entertaining and fun read. There are ghosts aplenty, a dwindling cast of suspects on whom to pin the murders, some well written sex scenes, and kittens/cats.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I have long enjoyed Kelly Armstrong’s work... I was a big fan of the Otherworld Series. This is, admittedly, a departure from her normal vibe, but I still enjoyed it. Rather than a high-octane urban fantasy, this is a Gothic romance time traveling ghost story. And I was totally there for it.

Bronwyn is a 38 year old widow who has inherited her late aunt's home. Bronwyn spent a lot of her youth there and even though she hasn’t been back in the past 20 years or so, she is still deeply connected to the place. As a child, and later a teenager, she built a relationship there with William. He lived in the house, too, only for him it was 200 years earlier. Some kind of time slip allowed her and he to form a friendship and later a romance that she has held close to her heart her entire life.

The thing is, she also sees ghosts. That includes the one who killed her uncle in that very house. For years, she thought she’d had a mental breakdown. But now that she is back at Thorne Manor, and seeing William again, she realizes that her memories were real.

I really enjoyed watching Bronwyn reconnect with William. And I especially liked that her love for her late husband was never diminished by the relationship. She once loved William... she loved Michael... and she loves William again. It's been eight years since her husband died. Her heart has room for both.

In addition to the romance, there is a pretty solid mystery surrounding the ghosts. Rumors of dead girls in the moors... the ghosts Bronwyn sees in the house. And it gets even better when we start to question whether William is to blame or just another victim of the real killer. I didn't see the resolution coming... which is always fun, especially when it still makes sense.

There were a couple of things at the end that worked out a little easier than I thought they should have, but I could live with it.

This one is not too scary, but definitely a gothic Victorian. And though there is time travel, it doesn't get into the weeds of the paradoxes that can sometimes create in a story. If all of that sounds like your jam, I think you will enjoy this one too.

I grabbed this book simply because the premise sounded interesting and it was written by Kelley Armstrong. The last time I picked up a Kelley Armstrong book it had werewolves and witches. A Stitch in Time is a lovely, gothic time-travel romance.

This was such a nice, easy read. I mean yeah, there were ghosts and slips through time and a murder mystery to solve, but I read this during election week and was thankful that it wasn’t too high drama. I really enjoyed both lead characters. One is a widowed professor who inherits her aunt’s remote estate in England and the other is a dashing Englishman who she’s been slipping through a stitch in time to visit since they were young children.

The mystery was interesting, but it was really the sweet romance between Bronwyn and William was what kept me reading. They have such great chemistry and a lovely connection. Even the HEA worked for me.

Enjoyed. I’m looking forward to seeing where this series goes next.

A Stitch in Time had a very interesting premise, that of a woman who can slip back and forth in time. Bronwyn has inherited Thorne Manor from her great aunt. As a child, Bronwyn traveled back and forth through a "time stitch" to the manor of two centuries earlier, where she became friends with William, a boy her own age. As they grew up, their friendship deepened into love, but Bronwyn left the manor as a teenager and hasn't been back for decades. She pretty much convinced herself that it was all her imagination. Now she's back, the stitch is open, and she meets William Thorne again. He's none too happy at being abandoned by the girl he loved.

There are ghosts contacting Bronwyn in the present, too. Someone went missing from Thorne Manor, and William's life has been marred by scandal and suspicion that he was behind it all. Bronwyn is the key to the truth, if she can get the ghosts to trust her.

I enjoyed the plot and the development of the romance between Bronwyn and William, this time as adult who have both suffered losses. They're likeable figures and one can't help but root for their romance. Kudos to the author for crafting a mystery that doesn't telegraph its intentions. The ending however, isn't going to work for some readers. Suffice it to say that the author throws all her rules out the window.

As far as readability, the book is written in first person, present tense. I get that we're supposed to experience the journey with Bronwyn but frankly, it came across as pretentious and a bit precious. It was distracting and made for a somewhat annoying read.

Overall, A Stitch in Time is worth a look. It's the first in a planned series, so if you enjoy it, there's more to come.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. The opinions stated here are my own.

Synopsis: Thorne Manor, standing amongst the moors, was a mysterious manor where past and present collided. As a child, Bronwyn Dale spent her summers at Thorne Manor, visiting her aunt and uncle. During her visits, Bronwyn befriended a boy named William, a boy her age but born two centuries earlier. Through the years, their friendship grows and turns into love. Then tragedy strikes. Bronwyn witnesses a horrible accident which she claims was the result of a ghost. Bronwyn is taken from Thorne Manor and institutionalized. Bronwyn is convinced that William and the spirits are not real and only existed in her imagination.
Twenty years later, Bronwyn inherits the now dilapidated Thorne Manor. Bronwyn returns to repair and sell Thorne Manor as quickly as she can. However, strange things start to occur as soon as Bronwyn arrives. She catches glimpses of moving shadows and has an unsettling feeling. One night, Bronwyn suddenly finds herself back in time once again and face to face with William. No longer a boy, William is none too pleased to set eyes on Bronwyn after her sudden abandonment all those years ago. Bronwyn realizes all those experiences of her childhood were not solely occurring in her mind.
Bronwyn struggles to ease William’s mercurial temperament towards her and rekindle their friendship. As their relationship grows, so do the hauntings in Bronwyn’s current time. She discovers the myriad of ghosts all link back to William. William’s younger sister has disappeared, thought to have run away by some; his best friend’s wife disappeared into the moors and is presumed dead, and his former fiancee is also missing. With William being the single connection between all the disappearances, gossip abounds, claiming William to be the mad lord of Thorne Manor, murdering women in the depths of the moors. To uncover the truth to set the spirits free, Bronwyn must name the murderer. In her investigation, Bronwyn will uncover whether William is truly the murderous mad lord as everyone thinks or innocent of any wrongdoings.

My Evaluation of the Book: A Stitch in Time pleasantly combines science fiction with romance and mystery. Similar to Octavia Butler’s Kindred, the time travel is left unexplained and is something that just is. While standing in her bedroom, Bronwyn can simply think of William and be transported back into his time, then inexplicably fall back into her time. This unexplainable phenomenon does not inhibit the story in any way. The mystery of the ghosts haunting Thorne Manor becomes the storyline you focus on the most. Armstrong brilliantly created a spooky, atmospheric tale of the haunted British manor encased by eerie treacherous moors.
Bronwyn is a well thought out character. She isn’t a silly damsel in distress that you typically see in this type of book. She is level headed and takes a thoughtful approach to her time slips and seeing ghosts. The time slips themselves became a bit of a mundane happening that you tend to forget it is even happening. In her visits to William, she would claim she just needs to pop home to feed her cat then she will return. It was as if she was just going down the street rather than traveling through centuries. With this type of book, you have to go in with the mindset that disbelievable things will happen and not overthink them. If you think about the hows and whys too much, you will just ruin the story.
Besides the unbelievable phenomenon, this book tells a very rational mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end. Of course, these ghosts are just expected to haunt this old manor; their killer was never identified and haunts them still. This book flowed at a decent pace that kept you interested and didn’t drag or feel too rushed. The conclusion had a well-explained resolution that answered all the questions of the mystery. A Stitch in Time was a great easy read that paired perfectly with my Halloween reading.

Wow! This was great. This book has everything, a haunted house, time travel, murder mystery, ghosts, a spooky moor and a delicious romance. It’s such a creative idea and like nothing I’ve read before. The character development was great. The dialogue was natural. The ghosts were spooky and the villain was villainous. When Bronson was a child she spent summers at her aunts manor near the English moors. The summer when she was fifteen her uncle is killed in a tragic accident and she hasn’t returned since. She inherits the house from her aunt and decides to spend the summer there. The house holds old ghosts from her past but also from the past of her childhood imaginary friend, William. When actual ghost appear to her she decides she must unravel the mystery of their deaths in order to put the ghosts to rest. I loved this story but am not surprised because I love everything by Kelley Armstrong. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is a story about a relationship transcending time.

This was a well written book, that just wasn't for me personally. I typically enjoy time travel, and ghosts- so theoretically, this was right up my alley.. but I struggled to connect with the characters or care about the central relationship. If you like your ghost stories to be romance heavy, I think you'll really enjoy this one!

3.5 stars

Bronwyn Dale spent her summers at her aunt's house in England as a child and a teenager. Her friend William lived in the house on the estate near her aunt's house, and they grew up playing with each other during their summers together. The catch is that William was from 200 years earlier. Bronwyn is somehow able to cross through to William's time. She explains it as their different times somehow connected by a stitch, thus the title.

Bronwyn's family grew concerned about her behavior in her teenage years and prevented her from visiting. She went back when she grew older to visit her aunt, but rarely until she inherited the property. To her great surprise, one day soon after she arrives, she finds a very young kitten in a long closed-up bedroom .... a kitten who can't possibly be there.

I loved this book so much. It is a romance across time but also has mystery, suspense, some really scary ghosts, and danger. I particularly liked that the hero and the heroine are both a little older - they are in their late thirties/early forties, and both had lived full lives during the decades they were apart.

The attachment between these two people feels real, and there is enough scary to make this a great Halloween read, or for any dark, stormy night when you are wondering what is making that creaking sound. I was pleased to read that there is also supposed to be a novella with these characters coming out later in an anthology.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Subterranean Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Release Day to A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong!

This is the perfect Halloween Day release! It’s about a woman who inherits her aunt’s summer manor in the English moors, decides to spend her summer there, and finds herself having to navigate the ghosts who haunt it and the fact that she can apparently still fall through time, like she used to twenty three years ago when she was a young girl...when she used to visit the also-young, Victorian Lord-to-be, William Thorne—her first love.

It’s got romance, Victorian time travel, ghosts, kittens, and mystery—it was a perfectly fanciful escape. It’s also got a touch of queer representation that is NOT used as a mere plot device (the characters just are who they are, which is marvelous).

I don’t usually read thrillers or scary books; what made me pick this one up was definitely the Victorian time travel and romance. I have no regrets! It definitely had my heart pounding at times, and had me pulling up my blanket so only my eyes were exposed in order to keep turning those pages! It was by no means violent or gorey, with just the perfect amount of heart-pounding ghost-mystery suspense! I loved it all the way through, and I totally recommend it any time of the year, but especially for any time when you can bundle up under a blanket (to be cozy as you time travel, and also in case, like me, you desire extra protection from the ghosts!)

Thank you to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this adventure!

Thank you to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for my digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by Kelley Armstrong and I loved it so much! In her Acknowledgements she states this is her first go at a stand alone book and i would encourage her to continue that. The main character Bronwyn Dale has come back to Thorne Manor after roughly 20 years away. There's a reason she has not been back and it is all to intriguing. This was the perfect book to read in October, they mysteries kept me hooked. Every revelation was fuel to the fire.

For years and years I’ve been meaning to pick up a Kelly Armstrong book but for one reason or another, I’d never gotten around to it.

Now, according to the acknowledgements at the end of this book, A Stitch in Time deviates from any other book she’s written before so as such...I’m taking it as a sign that this was meant to be the first book of hers I’ve read. This book was a legit love at first read for me. Not only was the storyline magical but it was everything I never knew I needed from a book.

For one, I don’t think I’ve ever read a storyline quite like this before but after reading it I felt like it was a story I’d been waiting forever to read. As such, to say I loved this book would be an understatement.. I don’t know if the author will allow us back into this magical world for a sequel but I’m already hoping and praying for more.

If you’re a fan of stories like Outlander where the heroine falls between time to discover her soulmate then this is for sure the book for you! Not only does it have an epic love story that transcends time and space but it has ghosts, intrigue, murder... & a mystery that will keep you up long into the night. And let’s not forget the brooding male lead that will have you wishing for your own Stitch in Time.

This was a fun and fast-paced ghost story. There were thriller elements in the beginning until it's revealed that the ghosts aren't trying to hurt our main character. The romance is cute, but, and this is something I find I have issues with a lot with friends to lovers, I had a hard time being convinced they would fall in love this fast. I wanted more angst and drawn out drama before they got together. I get that they dated when they were younger, and were in love back then, but it had been 23 years, and I wanted more time before they started dating. There was also not character development, and I wish there had been more. It didn't stand out too much because the characters were 38, so it felt natural that they were already in their element. I also had a big issue with the main character trusting one character's explanation over every one else's. She does not care about any opinions, even of the ghosts, over the person, and it didn't make sense.

With time travel, a historical romance, a mystery to solve and ghosts, A Stitch in Time was a joy to read on so many levels. Plus, it is the start of a new series so there are more stories to look forward to.

Bronwyn Dale spent her early childhood summers at Thorne Manor, her great-aunt’s house on the moors of England, where she was able to slip into a time two centuries earlier and develop a friendship with William Thorne. After 10 years when she couldn’t visit Thorne Manor she returns at age 15 and again visits a now 15 year-old William. After a death in the family, Bronwyn left convinced that her time with William was all in her imagination.

Now 23 years later, Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor and returns, not knowing what to expect. What she finds is that none of what she experienced in her youth was in her imagination, it was all real. And now an adult William is an angry, bitter man who feels she betrayed him when she never returned, as she had promised.

Bronwyn and William had a complicated, layered relationship, I really liked the way they slowly renewed their friendship. I also enjoyed Bronwyn’s interactions with the caretaker Dell and his wife, Freya. Dell was so gruff, and Freya’s interest in folk lore (and her scones) added so much to the story. Bronwyn’s laid-back life in the manor and the small village provided a nice escape from life today. And then there was the mystery of the ghosts; I was kept guessing their purpose until near the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for an ARC and this is my honest review. I also ordered a print copy from Subterranean Press because I love this story.

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong 4 stars

This book is a departure for Ms. Armstrong's regular fiction. I have been reading her Otherworld Books, Rockton and Cainsville series for many years and enjoyed all of them. This book was a mix-up of romance, time travel and paranormal all in one.

This is a story about Bronwyn Dale, a college professor who inherits Thorne Manor from her aunt. She has a history with house that is shrouded in mystery and dreams. She can see ghosts and her imaginary friend William was a wonderful companion since childhood. Her return to Thorne Manor gives her anxiety and a question comes up. Was William an imaginary friend for a lonely child or did she somehow meet a real boy? Read the book to find out the answer.

Bronwyn and William are a lovely couple and their devotion to each other that spanned decades and time periods was awesome. Frankly, at times I wasn't quite sure what kind of book I was reading, but the book was a fun read. The only problem I had was that I lost track of which timeline I was in sometimes.

Thank you Netgalley and Subterranean Books for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Subterranean Press, and Ms. Armstrong for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required, and all opinions are my own.

I have heard of Kelley Armstrong - we have a number of her books in the library - but I don't believe I've read any of her work before. After an introduction like this I think that's about to change.

The author's note stated that this was something of a pet project for the author, being very different from her normal books but something she's wanted to write. Good for her, and Ms. Armstrong, I look forward to more of these :)

I was drawn to this book by the promise of time-traveling romance (time travel, time stitch, time slip, whatever). I'm an Outlander fan so I'm always intrigued by the promise of a solid time travel premise, and it seemed to me that a Victorian-era man might accept the strangeness of a contemporary historian more easily than a 1740s Scot might buy into a 1940s nurse. (No shade, Ms. Gabaldon, you know you've won me over completely <3) The time travel was well-done here; there weren't a lot of "rules" but I think it was completely in keeping with the gothic atmosphere. I was sort-of wished that William and Bronwyn had the chance to really "meet" each other, rather than just rekindling old flames, but frankly I think Ms. Armstrong did it the right way: if they had just met each other via Bronwyn's time traveling, I don't think William would have been able to adjust to Bronwyn's modernity let alone fall in love.

What REALLY surprised me was the mystery. The ghosts were really natural to the story and I was happy I read mostly during the day, because the ONE time I read at night in the dark I got a solid spook and had to stop. I have said many times in reviews that I'm not the type of reader who likes to puzzle out the mystery quickly and then gloats on being proven right; I'd rather be taken for a literary ride. In this case, I'm happy to report that I had a strong feeling about "whodunnit", and I was... WRONG. Whoopee! I love that! I felt so invested in the story, the romance, the mystery, that I completely bought into the breadcrumb trail the author laid. Kudos, Ms. Armstrong!

Depending on your tastes, this story also featured some entertaining main characters. I loved Del and his wife Freya. The cats I felt less enthusiastic about, but I'm not a huge cat person. *shrugs*

The only thing I could say to the contrary about this book is that I'm a little fuzzy on the ending. I'm still not exactly sure how William and Bronwyn resolved their situation. After such loving care lavished on all the other plot points in the story, that felt a little abrupt. But I'm such happy with the book overall that this wasn't a huge obstacle.

I see that this is #1 in a series, and I'm definitely coming back to read the next one. I'm also planning to order a copy of this for our library. :)

I read a post from Kelley Armstrong about her newest book, A Stitch in Time, and knew I had to read it. Time-travel, ghosts, suspense, mystery and romance await you in this stellar novel.

The cover you are looking at is for the hardcover edition through Subterranean Press. It’s limited edition and beautiful. However, it’s also available in ebook and audiobook format. I’ve added that covers below the review because they’re gorgeous.

I love time travel romances and this one adds a ghostly mystery, creeptastic suspense and a murder-mystery. Even the neighbors in the present are brilliant, but I am getting ahead of myself.

The tale takes place at Thorne Manor, in the English countryside near a small village whose property backs up to the moors. As a young girl, Bronwyn Dale could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt’s house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. One night tragedy struck and Bronwyn never returned.

Now, twenty years later, she inherits the manor and returns for the summer. She has convinced herself that William was just an imaginary childhood friend. The tale that unfolds had all the elements of a fireside ghost story and time-travel romance.

William Thorne is no longer a young teenage boy, but a man who lives alone in the manor (in his time).

In Bronwyn’s room, there is a stitch in the fabric of time that allows her to slip into William’s time. As the two renew their friendship and possibly more, Bronwyn is seeing ghosts in the present who seem to warn her and the town shares history about the mad lord of the manor.

The characters and setting came to life through the author’s writing. She perfectly balanced the romance and suspense. In fact, she had me in quite a tizzy as I tried to sort facts and look for clues that would make me happiest.

I loved Bronwyn. She is sweet, faces her fears and is quite clever. William, while not always even-tempered, was sweet, romantic and was clearly hurt when Bronwyn didn’t return.

Sometimes an element suffers when you combine them in a story. Kelley Armstrong wove mystery, paranormal and romantic elements together masterfully giving each their full measure. It was brilliant.

Armstrong said it was a story she longed to write, and I cannot thank her enough. This was hands down one of my favorite reads of the year.

This is book one of Thorne Manor, but it wraps up nicely. That doesn’t mean I won’t have grabby hands when book two releases. I cannot wait!

Review originally posted at Caffeinated Reivewer.

I liked the idea of this book more than I loved the experience of reading it. It's a time slip romance, which isn't a subgenre I've read a lot of, but I did find it romantic, the way the two characters found their way to each other at different ages. That was layered onto a gothic ghost story, and it might sound like too much but it went well with the time slip.

That said, I was not swept up in this book as I wanted to be. Too much of the story was following a cat, which I know is a plus for some people but not me. (I don't dislike cats at all, I just don't find them particularly interesting to read about). There were things I really appreciated, the portrayal of grief was very touching, and I liked that there was a trans character who added to the story nicely.

It's one of those books where it seems nearly everything should be working for me but I can't pinpoint (apart from the cat) why it didn't grab me. Perhaps the prose wasn't as tight or as elegant as it could be? Or it may just be my mood.

4 1/2 Stars...

Wow! A Stitch in Time was an absolute treat! I enjoyed the blend of gothic romance, mystery, time travel and paranormal activity. Kelley Armstrong established herself as a talent in yet another genre (or mixture of genres). I absolutely ate this book up. It was the perfect balance of each "ingredient" and the result was an outstanding read.

Bronwyn and William are from two different times. Bronwyn visits her aunt and uncle's estate each summer. One summer, she accidentally finds herself falling through a "time stitch" as a child and ends up in William's time period. She goes back and forth between their times over the years and they grow from children to teenagers and find themselves falling in love. Life intervenes and prevents Bronwyn from visiting for years. When she inherits her aunt's estate many years later, she finds William is still on the other side of the "time stitch." In addition, Bronwyn finds several ghosts residing in the home she's inherited.

The story revolves around not only Bronwyn and William's romance, but also a mystery involving several deaths and disappearances at Thorne Manor in the past. I loved the gothic atmosphere. It's truly one of my favorite settings and Ms. Armstrong did a great job with it. This book was one where I wasn't sure I was ready for it to end. I was eager to see how things played out for the characters, but I enjoyed the storyline so much that I hated to see it finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

A Stitch in Time is the first in a new series: Thorne Manor. If the series is anything like this first book, I’ll be devouring every title as soon as it’s available. In her Acknowledgements to A Stitch in Time, Kelley Armstrong calls it a “time-travel-Victorian-haunted-house-mystery-romance.” That about sums it up! The only other books I’ve read by Armstrong are three of the Rockton series and this is VERY different indeed.

The location is the moors of Yorkshire, England in about 1850 and the modern day. Bronwyn Dale spent her summers at her aunt’s house, Thorne Manor, as a child, and found she could “slip” into 1850 somehow. She became good friends with a boy her age, William Thorne. The last time she saw him was when they were both 15. Life (and death) interfered but she never forgot William. Then her aunt left her Thorne Manor. So at age 38, she returns and finds she can still slip into 1850. And of course William never forgot her either. Bronwyn is a mature, modern woman so it is quite interesting to see how she reacts/interacts in Victorian times. I loved William’s “take” on some modern-day inventions too. Two local characters, Del and Freya, were also delightful.

Ghosts play a big part in this story. And some adorable cats. Armstrong provides a lot of twists and turns along the way to a very satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the chance to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.