"The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" by Jennifer Moorman is an enchanting mix of historical fiction, time travel, and magical realism. The story follows Josephine Reynolds, a young widow who, while navigating her grief, decides to buy her ancestral home. During the renovations, she stumbles upon a mysterious door that whisks her back to 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother, Alma, a lively woman who runs an illegal speakeasy in the basement.

While the novel offers a rich blend of emotions and settings, some readers might find the pacing a bit uneven at times. There are parts that dive deep into descriptive scenes, which can slow the story down for a moment. However, the main storyline remains captivating, and the magical elements sprinkle a delightful charm throughout.

In summary, "The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys a touch of magic in their historical stories. Moorman's storytelling encourages us to reflect on the lasting impact of family ties and the healing power of embracing our past as we move forward.

Loved it!!! This book is pure magic and beautifully written. I absolutely LOVED "The Magic All Around" and couldn't wait to read this. The book definitely didn't disappoint. Loved Josephine and Katherine's relationship. They were more than sisters to each other. Without Katherine, Josephine would still be miserable in the house that her husband designed without any of her input, wearing his shirts all day, not showering and hiding from the world. Josephine would never have bought the Carter Mansion, which had once been a wedding gift to her great-grandma, Alma, until her uncle Donnie inherited it. Someone needed to replace the turkey weather vane, shed and hideous door that the Neighborhood Association did not approve. Josephine made one little wish, which caused her life to change. Now she wants to save everything that's disappearing. It's horrible to say, but the death of Josephine's husband set her free to be her true self. Loved getting to know Alma and all her friends. The ending was perfect and especially when Josephine gets her unexpected visitor. My review doesn't do the book justice. It was a wonderful story.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the characters, story and writing style. I enjoyed how the book alternated between Josephine in the present and in 1927 while she's "visiting" her great-grandma Alma. Didn't Alma find it strange that someone just walked into her house? I couldn't put the book down, but was sad when I got to the end because I wanted to keep reading about everyone and see what's next for Josephine. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Absolutely love the cover of the book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from HarperCollins Focus through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

“It’s not easy to believe, but it adds up. The strangeness of everything is difficult to ignore. It would be simpler to go with a logical explanation, but some things in this world aren’t logical.”


A nice and heart-warming read about a woman named Josephine who was able to travel back to year 1920s to save her great grandmother from death. Her great grandmother owned a speakeasy and she supposedly died from a raid.
I love time-travelling and magical realism stories. 11/22/63 by Stephen King is still one of my top fave novel written about time travel and I still pretty much think about the book and the characters until now. I'm searching for a read that will give me the same feels.
The concept of being able to meet a relative esp when they were your age is really cool. It's interesting to know how one's time leap can alter both past and future. You also can't help but contemplate if you had the chance to travel back in time to change a few thing, would you dare risk it? Even it means you wouldn't exist in the future, would you decide to stay in the past if it means your sacrifice is going to be much more worth it? This story focuses on dealing with grief, facing the unknown/uncertainties and a little bit of romance thrown it but not too cringe. I'm not a huge fan of the 20s era though but fans of the Great Gatsby will probably enjoy and appreciate it more. Though it's a bit predictable, I still liked it and I surprisingly did not find it boring at all.

4.3 ⭐

What an amazing story! 🫶🏻

Plot: 5/5
Pace: 3+/5
Female characters: 4.5/5

I loved Josephine's journey coming back to life after a long year of grieving.
She felt lost and sad, but seeing how the women in her life helped her see the beauty of life was inspiring and heartwarming.

The magical element in the book is something I'm really drawn to (time travel) and I would like to read more about in the future.

The ending has me smiling and cursing a bit too. I think I needed a second epilogue 🥹

And I also think I need to keep an eye on this author and her stories.

// Thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer Moorman and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to read the ARC of this in exchange of my honest opinion //

I like the concept and setting of this book. I was quite excited to see a woman who has let herself be defined by her husband and her relationship find her way back to herself. I wish that had been given more narrative focus than the new romance.
I felt this prose was a little overwritten, particularly the stage direction - we were given nearly every movement Josephine made, as opposed to broad strokes that allowed us to keep the action going, and the dialogue. However, it's possible the dialogue didn't hit for me more because I couldn't get invested in Josephine's relationship with her sister. They way they spoke to each other felt a bit stiff and unnatural for siblings to me.
Definitely more for fans of historical romance than those more interested in the fantasy/time travel aspect.

3.5–the description of this book really intrigued me. A widowed woman buys an old family home and uses an old family antique door to transport back to the 1920’s to meet her great grandmother and change the course of their lives. I give the premise an A, but the execution a C.

The pros:
-time travel( I’m such a sucker!)
-1920’s jazz age era was brought to life in this novel. It’s a time period I’ve always loved and been intrigued with
-Josephine’s family relationships were strong and I can always appreciate that
-I love the concept of going back in time and meeting our ancestors

The Cons:
-The widow backstory didn’t seem like it fit. It served as a catalyst for Josephine buying the house, but otherwise, it didn’t play enough of a strong role in the story.
-The romance woven through the story didn’t really feel believable and felt like an extra layer that wasn’t needed.

Overall, it was a fun read, but it could’ve been executed better.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I loved this book! I mean I loved it! This book had it all historical fiction, time travel and bit of magical moments. I feel into this story and was so sad when the book ended. I will be recommending this book to anyone who will listen to me. :)

This is a story of love, loss, some romance, a bit of fantasy and time-travel which certainly does take you on a ride, or should I say a journey you have never been on before! Josephine Reynolds finds a door and goes through it. But what is behind this magical door? 1927, Jazz, her great grandmother and a whole new world.

This is a very well written book and I couldn't put it down. It made me laugh and cry, I loved the feel of the book, the magic and fantasy and the storyline. It is easy to read yet it kept me enthralled and certainly kept me reading. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a captivating read for anyone who has ever wondered about the power of human connection and the ripple effects of our choices, as it weaves a spellbinding tale of love, family, and the unbreakable bonds between generations, set against the vibrant backdrop of the Jazz Age.

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds’ by Jennifer Moorman is an enchanting blend of magical realism and historical fiction. The story captivated me from the first page with its vivid depiction of the Jazz Age and heartfelt exploration of grief and healing. Josephine's journey back to the Prohibition era and her connection with her great-grandmother, Alma, was beautifully executed. The pacing was perfect, and the author’s descriptive writing made me feel like I was truly there. I highly recommend this book to fans of time-travel novels and anyone looking for a story about love, loss, and resilience. 4/5 stars!!!

I wish I had better things to say about this book. I had high hopes—the synopsis made it sound like something I'd love. I started with the audiobook but had to stop almost immediately. The narrator’s voice drove me insane; it felt like she was forcing a breathy, syrupy Southern belle tone for a widow who had been married for 15 years. At the very least, this character was 33—not 12.

Unfortunately, the book itself wasn’t any better. Since I received my copy after its official release, I can only hope it underwent another round of editing before reaching the masses. The story dragged, lacked structure, and was riddled with plot holes. One major issue: the protagonist travels back in time in a way that should erase her own existence. If you've ever watched a time travel movie, you know interacting with the past risks making you disappear. Not in this book! Instead, she somehow creates multiple timelines where she both exists and doesn’t—without any logical explanation.

On paper, this book felt like it was just for me. I love the 20s, time travel, magical realism, and a mystery that needs to be solved. I found the story intriguing: Josephine can step back in time through the door to her house, and the speakeasy, and having to save her grandmother to save herself. However, some things nagged at me. For instance, Josephine's relationship with her dead husband—she spent so much time mourning, but as the story progressed, I got the feeling that she wasn't happy in the marriage. And that's okay, I guess. I just felt that she had been married to this guy for a long time, and it seemed like she now realized she wasn't happy. At first, it didn't bother me; however, as the book progressed, she thought more about how controlling he was, how he swept her off her feet, and how she lived in a golden cage that she seemed to like—at least until he was gone, and she now realized everything. It's perhaps a small, thing, but it was just something that annoyed me throughout the story since she was at first so sad. Then, of course, there is someone else that she meets...also a thing that I was not completely sold on. However, it made the ending quite good. So, I will admit that it wasn't all that bad the romance part of the story.

I did enjoy the book, but not as much as I hoped I would. As I mentioned above, some things bothered me; however, I did love going back in time through the magical door and that her grandmother had a speakeasy. The story felt a bit easy to predict, but overall, it was a good story.

A twist of fate allows widowed Josephine Reynolds to become the latest owner of the Carter Mansion. Travel along as Josephine finds herself stepping back in time through her own enchanted front door into the home once owned by her great grandmother. Once in the past, she finds herself on a mission to save her great grandmother’s life. Josephine must race the clock to change the past or she risks her present-day life vanishing.
I enjoyed this quick read. I loved the author’s note included with the book which gave us a glimpse of her inspiration in writing this story. She mentions seeing an old door years ago at a salvage store that left her day dreaming of all the history that this door had been witness to during its existence. This inspired her time travel story, complete with the setting of a home in the 20s with a secret speakeasy. Author Jennifer Moorman does a great job of weaving a time travel tale filled with mystery, new friendships and a dash of romance.

*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

3.5 rounded down to 3.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Magical realism has my heart. And the Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds was a darling magical realism representation. It was a blast into a bit of historical fiction via an enchanted door. My favorite parts of the book were definitely the parts taking place in the 1920s. One of the main characters in 1920, Alma, was so dynamic and completely lovely. She was an absolute treat and I loved her upbeat, positive personality.

The book started to become a bit repetitive at the halfway point. It goes through Josephine, the main character, going back and forth between timelines and being angsty about how she's going to save her family. She hops back and forth going to the speakeasy, making food and changing outfits. I could not stand her attitude towards her late husband, Nathan. She spends so much time, almost idolizing him, yet he seems like a utter and complete a&%hole! She was pretty much in an oppressed relationship, yet she still had warm fuzzy memories about their time together. That part really didn't work for me. One more point - in the NetGalley description it says that Josephine buys her grandma's craftsman bungalow, but in the book the home she buys is actually a mansion. I may have enjoyed it more if the house was a sweet and cozy little bungalow?

Even with all of that, I really did enjoy it! I loved the idea of the enchanted door. Leo was a cutie! And the descriptions of the 20s clothes was a fun aspect! The little bits of prohibition we get was pretty interesting. It would have been great if there would have been more of that. I will definitely be diving into more books from Jennifer Moorman.

This was a quick, easy read for me that pulled at my heart strings and took me on a wonderful journey into the past. I haven't read a time travel novel in a while, and this has reignited my interest in that genre. There are some loveable characters in this story, and they are well-developed with some endearing qualities. It's a story of grief, family bonds, friendship, strength, and hope, with a tender romance developing. I'm so glad I chose to read an advance copy of this book and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital ARC for review.

📖 The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds 📖⁣
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⁣Genre: Historical Fiction/ Magical Realism. ⁣
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⁣Length: 320 Pages. ⁣
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⁣Pub Date: January 14, 2025. ⁣
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⁣This book is part historical fiction and part magical realism. Josephine never imagined she’d be a widow in her mid-thirties. One night while deep in her despair and desperately lonely, Josephine wishes she’d never been born. At the same moment, she receives a link from her sister— a sales listing for her great-grandmother’s house. Her sister convinces her to buy the house and restore it to its former glory. ⁣
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⁣The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds sucked me in with its likable characters, historic setting and the time travel. Pick this up if you’re a fan of flappers, strong females, and surviving after loss. Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

X ♾️

A story filled with magic, time travel and love. This is such a fantastic magical novel. I loved the time travel aspect and loved getting to know Alma. Josephine's great grandmother in 1927. There's a speakeasy and an FBI raid that may change the timeline. Magical Realism is one of my favorites and this book is very well done. I hope the author continues to write such beautiful books.

Jennifer delivered exactly what I expected: dual timelines, historical- fiction with family drama, and a sprinkle of magic. This was another great book!

Watching Josephine come into her own after losing her husband had me in tears. I like a book that makes me think after I finish.

This book will sit with you for a minute so be prepared.

Thank you so much Netgalley, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, and Jennifer Moorman for the ARC of this phenomenal book.

I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I love a good historical fiction x time travel. I feel like when the two are combined the right way, with just enough elements of both, something fun and incredible can be created. This is the case with The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds. Josephine is dealing with grief after the passing of her husband and, understandably, wishes she was never born. In the midst of dealing with this grief, she decides it's time to move out of their home and into her late great-grandmother's home, which was just listed for sale. After moving in, she is told she would need to make a few renovations, starting with the front door. Coincidently, Josephine is able to find the original door that was made for the house and notices it has all its original features, including a quote carved into it. When Josephine reads this quote and opens the door, she finds herself back in the 1920s, staring at her great-grandmother. Josephine is confused by this, and as time goes on, she notices her current life is starting to slowly fade away. It turns out that Josephine had never been born. It's up to her to come up with a way to change the past and the outcome of her and her family's future.
This book is such a fun read! I loved the elements of time travel combined with history and life during the 1920s. This book is ultimately one of rediscovery, acceptance, and, of course, processing and coping with grief. It was well-written, and I would 100% recommend if this is a genre that you're into. 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Jennifer Moorman for this engaging read!

With a blend of historical fiction and time travel (two of my favourite things), I couldn’t wait to jump into The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds.

One of the things I enjoyed most of this book was the way Josephine’s grief was explored. Her trip to the past and disappearing the in the present was an intriguing parallel to her social withdrawal following the death of her husband. The speakeasy setting and the diverse cast of characters were fun to explore, making this a cosy and engaging read. I would have loved a bit more of Josephine’s life and relationships after the end of the book, but overall really enjoyed the story of her relationship with her great grandmother.

Thank you Harper Muse for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.