Marketing is everything. This was billed as a light, fun, Night at the Museum, romance. It is definitely not that. The description of depression is one of the best I’ve ever read, but outside that I was completely disappointed when the text was not as advertised.

This was a really interesting book. I really liked the over all story. This is one that I did not think I was going to like but I ended up loving. I do not think this bok is for everyone But overall it was good.

The following review was posted today, Wednesday, June 8th, 1 day after publication. It will be shared on Twitter and Instagram today, as well. The blog post includes links to order the books and to its Goodreads page, so readers can add it to their to-be-read books.


“Everything is the same. But different. Just like Daisy said.”

Genre: Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Mentions harassment and family violence.

“Same Time, Same Place” follow Daisy Dukes (yes, that’s her name) and Nate Garvey, two security guards who work at the Museum of Social History. As Nate works the day shifts and Daisy works the night shifts, their days only overlap for a few minutes during handover—that is until things start going missing at the museum, for a few days at a time, before being put back on their museum display. Delving into how our past affects our future, and told through different points of view, this is a dynamic and engaging read that goes to show that our history doesn’t define us and that love can be born from the oddest of places.

Sadly, I didn’t connect with the characters in this book as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed the story and the quirky romance, but there was something too ficticios about the characters for me. I did like how they redeemed themselves and how the mystery came to fruition. Maybe 4 stars is too high a rating for characters I didn’t love, but David M. Barnett did such an excellent job with the writing that I couldn’t give it any less.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy both romance and mystery books, even if the publisher hasn’t categorized it under Mysteries. There isn’t too much suspense here, but mystery is definitely in the mix.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: June 07, 2022

I love the cover of this book which is what drew me in the first place. It's a cute story about two security guards on opposite shifts, only meeting for five minutes a day for handoff. They have totally opposite personalities: Nate is warm and friendly while Daisy is socially awkward and OCD. But when things start to disappear from the museum only to reappear again, Nate is the only one to believe her and they are forced to work together to solve the mystery. Only then do they see how much they have in common.
It's a clean romance that explores childhood trauma, domestic violence, alcoholism, and bullying but still manages to feel light and cheerful in the end. The romance felt a little flat though with no real spark.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Read this if you like: Dual POV, opposites attract, Night at the Museum vibes

Check triggers as it's not as light as it seems**

Daisy is the night security guard at the Manchester Museum of Social History. She takes her job very seriously, protecting the museum from teenage troublemakers. Nate works the day shift, though he'd be more suited as a museum guide the way he chats with the visitors.

For five minutes each day, their shifts overlap at handover. It's the only interaction they have up until mysterious things begin to happen at the museum. Daisy notices priceless objects going missing and then reappearing, with no explanation (and with nothing on the security footage!). No one believes her except Nate, and he agrees to help her investigate.

These two are opposites. Daisy is very by the book. Nate is more relaxed and care free. I did have trouble really connecting with the characters and the book in general. I just wasn't engaged enough. It was a good read but needed more of something. It was quite predictable. You may feel entirely different and love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the gifted copy. ❤️

Daisy and Nate, both guards at a social history museum in Manchester seem like polar opposites-he's outgoing and she's quiet. They have more in common than it first appears, however as they are both struggling with trauma and despair. Told by both of them it's a tale of friendship that helps both. Daisy's caring for her mother, who is dying and keeping an eye on her sister, who drinks too much. Nate's father was abusive and he's done everything he can to keep from repeating the cycle. He's also trying to help his son Ben cope with the fact that Lucia, his ex, is engaged to marry someone else. So when things start to go missing in the museum (or move), the find a bit of purpose in their otherwise dull jobs. This one grew on me because of the characters, not the mystery. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

While I liked the premise of the story I struggled to get into this book. I found it difficult to remain engaged and the characters didn’t connect all that well for me. Nothing was pushing me to keep reading and after a bit my mind would wander. It’s not a bad read and I would still suggest others check it out, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

This book went deeper than I expected based on the description, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed the characters, and I found the overall story quite sweet, if rather predictable.

Same Time, Same Place is a great meet cute that actually dives a bit deeper. The characters feel real, there are no perfect lives and you can't always tell someones struggles from the outside. I loved that this wasn't just the light fluffy love-story, even though it did have the romance aspects I was looking for.

4/5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Same Time, Same Place by David M. Barnett is a heartwarming story of two unlikely people who find each other just when they need someone.

Daisy works as the night security guard at the Manchester Museum of Social History, she loves her job and is very serious about protecting the museum and all the artifacts inside.

Nate also works at the Manchester Museum of Social History, and he works the day shift. He enjoys chatting with the visitors and the staff. Daisy and Nate share five minutes together during shift change. But, when things start to go missing in the museum, Nate and Daisey team up to find out why they are going missing.

I enjoyed this charming story of two opposites, Nate being outgoing and charming the visitors, and Daisy, the no-nonsense, stick-by-the-rules kind of person. But, when they team up together it’s clear that they balance each other out as they work together to solve the mystery of the missing artifacts.

The story is well written and easy to follow. The characters are sweet, quirky and charming, and easy to root for. If you’re looking for an easy, sweet story, Same Time, Same Place is the book for you. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is not a light and fluffy book. Both our main characters are deeply flawed- traumatized by either people or instances in their past that they can’t move forward from. Daisy has spent every day since she was nine trying to figure out how to repent from “the bad thing” that she did and how it hurt her family. As such she tries to keep her distance from all outsiders- no one will ever accept her after knowing about the bad thing anyway. Taking over the care of her terminally ill mother with the help of her sister Rosie, Daisy is just trying to keep it together. A group of young thugs bullying her every morning doesn’t help, nor the fact that her family is imploding and issues at work. Finding an unlikely ally in Nate, Daisy finds herself leaning on her companion’s strength more and more. Could there really be a happy ever after for someone like her?

Nate is not like his father- full stop. He has, in fact, spent his life trying to be the opposite of his abusive parent. This apparently still doesn’t make for a great husband and father. Divorced from Lucia and feeling more and more disconnected from his son, Ben, Nate doesn’t know how to move forward. The introduction of Lucia’s oh-so-perfect boyfriend does not help. Feeling threatened and lost, Nate makes one mistake after another while trying to pull Ben in. Daisy is the only thing that seems simple and good. I loved watching the two grow closer, encourage one another, and grow together. As they each came to terms with their pasts, their characters grew- as did their chemistry. This is definitely a slow burn type of romance for all the best reasons. They had to clear up misunderstandings and be in the right headspace to move forward together. I love that.

The book is written in dual narrative, so you get to know both main characters pretty well. There’s a good flow to the story, and it has the feel of a very fast read. As I did say, it’s not exactly a fluffy book, though. There’s a lot of pain and emotions here. Bullying, self-hate, depression, and talk of previous abuse are all here making it a bit hard for some to get through. The way they dealt with the issues, though, makes all the pain worthwhile, and you leave feeling refreshed- hopeful even. For me, this is a five-star book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
As far as adult content goes, there is the trauma listed above as well as some substance abuse, language, and light sexual content. I would still say this is appropriate for mid to older teens (fifteen and over), so I am going to say it belongs with New Adult or Adult fiction.


I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebook Landmark in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!

I really enjoyed this story. Really sweet. I liked how it touched on a little of everything - family, mental illness, romance. I really liked both Daisy and Nate’s characters — all of them actually seemed really sweet and likable.
I liked the way it was written - alternating chapters/characters perspectives. I will be recommending others to read this one.

Darn it, I really wanted to love this one. The cover is fantastic, but it just doesn't seem to match the writing on the inside. The writing is really dry. There's an element of almost humor to it, but it doesn't quite hit the mark. I appreciate the neurodiverse feel and the heavier topics, but again, it didn't quite match the cover.

Same Time, Same Place by David M. Barnett was a fun rom-com with the always enjoyable meet cute. This feel good romance brought some mystery and touched on other subjects like mental illness. You'll be rooting for both Nate and Daisy all the way up to the heartwarming ending.

Not a bad read. A bit predictable overall but the characters were decent. Different from the usual rom com plots. Cute ending.

This is a Women's Fiction. I started this book three different times, but I just could not get into this book. I do not know if it was the writing style or if it was just not the book for me. I am not going to make myself give it another try. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

Two people with apparently nothing in common except for their place of work, take front and center in this novel by David M. Barnett.
Two separate lives, two very different personalities, 5 minutes of overlapping shifts each day, set the stage for a cute and easy read that shows us just how the most unlikely things are (or people), may turn out to be what we need (or like) the most.

I really tried to read this one but I just could not do it. I kept trying to pick it up because I do not like not finishing books but I was not interested in it. Sorry!

the characters in this are very unlikeable and I felt like the plot dragged, I ended up not finishing.

Daisy is a night guard at a museum. Between her job, caring for her mother with cancer, and worrying about her sister that seems to be drinking to much, she doesn’t have much time for anything else. Daisy gives off a vibe similar to Molly from The Maid. Routines and order are very important to her and she is frustrated by those who do not approach their jobs or lives similarly.

The story is complex and there are a few threads that connect the characters which are revealed in time. I particularly enjoyed the mystery of the missing museum items that later reappear. The author uses this situation as a catalyst for change in Molly life as well as Nate’s and the community that they weren’t even aware they were a part of. I like how the story is not about bright shiny people but those that have a few bumps and bruises from life. The characters and situations felt realistic as the plot progressed. Daisy and Nate’s relationship was particularly well done as it grows slowly and naturally. I was routing for Nate and Daisy. I liked them both a lot but for very different reasons. I think it is Nate’s kind heart that makes the two of them fit together so well.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.