I'm in love with the writing style and the whole story of this book!!

Josephine is griefing when her husband unexpectedly dies, and it leaves her uncertain about how to proceed with her life. She wishes to disappear, unaware of the consequences of her wish. When she bought and moved to her late great-grandmother house to start her new life, she discover a door that can transported her back to 1920's, into her great grandmother, Alma.

The book is unexpectedly captivating and held my attention.

Time-travel story isn't something new for me, however, Moorman did an excellent job writing a beautiful story. The story explores friendship, family, romance, and hope, and dealing with grief. It's such heartwarming story. The execution of the story is satisfying! The character development is excellent, and I love how the story ends.

My only complaint is I'm not particularly fond of the way Josephine reveals herself to her great-grandmother, it appears chaotic.

Overall, it's an awesome and enjoyable read for me! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing to read the eARC in return for my honest review!

This book was a joy. I've never read anything by this author before but I'm so glad I've come across her now.
It had everything. From historical fiction, romance, mystery. And it had just the right amount of all of them.
Josephine Reynolds is 35 and currently in deep with grief. She lost her husband 6 months previously and is struggling. And it doesn't seem to be getting easier. Her family are becoming increasingly worried. So when her sister sends her the listing for their great grandmother's home it seems like the perfect opportunity. Josephine sells her home and moves in with the hope of restoring it to its former sparkle.
As luck might have it she strikes a win when she comes across the original doorways in salvage yard. And when it's all installed she steps through.... and so starts her journey.
She's taken back in time to the younger days of her grandmother. With all that this entails! And let's just say her grandmother gets up to some adventures of her own. And not without risk.
When tragedy strikes Josephine must find it within to save more than her own future. And more than her own present.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

The story is a mix of fantasy and what could be unaccounted probability. Not disclaiming anything here but it does make one think that there is a lot we really do not know. Here is a story of a young woman, suddenly widowed, bereft of mental support and just trying to get through one day at a time. Whilst wondering how she going to just survive, her sister with the best of intentions sends her a listing of a house which was owned by their ancestors, and on a sudden whim Josephine buys the place.
It is from this point that the overlap between the present times and the 1920s take place. Her great grandmother Alma was a fun lady who in these days of prohibition ran a speakeasy. Glamorous and patronized by all the top people in town, they did not fear a raid, but going by records Josephine knew this was not accurate. Newspaper records show Alma being shot during a raid, but the fact this that Josephine is living proof that Alma did not die in the raid. So Josephine comes up with a plan to try to circumvent the raid and get Alma to safety.

The time travel back and forth adds more and more depth to the story because Josephine gets drawn into a relationship and is undecided whether to stay in the 1920s or move back to present times. The entire history of that man would change if that happened.

Altogether a very intriguing read which led to lots of questioning of what ifs and hows.

Josephine Reynolds is 35 and deep in the depths of grief after losing her husband. It has been six months since she became a widow, and is struggling as much as day one. Her family is trying to support her and help her heal but Josephine only wishes she could disappear. When her sister send her the listing of their great-grandmothers home being in foreclosure it presents the perfect way for her to focus her energy and get her life back. She sells the house she had with her husband and moves to her new home with the intention to restore it to its former glory.

First on her list is replacing the front door, and she is lucky and finds the original door at a salvage yard. When she first steps through it she finds herself transported to 1927, where her great-grandmother Alma runs a speakeasy out of her basement. When she returns back to her time she realizes the timeline has been changed and it turns out Alma now dies in a raid only days after Josephine visited. Now Josephine must go back and find a way to save Alma and set things back on their rightful path.

I love a magical realism, magical object, time travel book. The fact that the other timeline is prohibition era 1920's was everything I could want. The author delivered on so many aspects, the jazzy atmosphere, dynamic characters, a well paced plot, and an intriguing premise. Where this book did not deliver for me was the unnecessary romantic side plot, and how much of a part in plays. The author did not flash it out enough for it to really fit and not feel like an afterthought.

Eight months after the unexpected death of her husband, Josephine Reynolds moves into her great-grandmother’s mansion. She uncovers long forgotten family secrets, and soon finds herself transported through time to 1927. With her great-grandmother’s life in danger, as well as Josephine’s future existence, Josephine must do all ahead can to ensure her great-grandmother’s survival and her family’s future.

Let me start off by saying, I am a HUGE fan of magical realism. It’s not quite as intense as a full-fledged fantasy novel, but you still get that almost kind of sparkle that some fantasy books give off. With a magic door and timelines that need repair, this book certainly delivered on those elements. I also loved the setting of this book. I haven’t read very many books that take place during Prohibition, so getting to read a book that revolved so heavily around a speakeasy was really fun.

What I didn’t love about this book was the romance in it. Don’t get me wrong, y’all know I love a good romance, but I wasn’t crazy about this one. It felt really insta-lovey, and we really don’t get to know much about the love interest other than, like the main character, he also lost a spouse and works at a bank. That’s pretty much where his characterization ends.

All in all, if you’re looking for a cozy book with a hint of magic and historical fiction, this book will be your cup of tea.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Josephine Reynolds is widowed at thirty-five and feels like her life is over as well. She lost herself in her marriage and now that her husband is gone, she feels like she has nothing left. She makes a wish that changes everything. Convinced that she needs a new start, Josephine's sister sends her a link to their family home that has fallen into some disrepair and is for sale.

When Josephine finds the home's original door, she installs it only to discover that she is transported back to 1927. There, she meets her great-grandmother, Alma, who runs a speakeasy out of the house's basement. Soon Josephine discovers that by stepping into the past, she may have put her own future in jeopardy. Suddenly, things in the present begin disappearing like pieces of furniture and photos. She realizes that if she wants to save herself, she will need to save Alma as well.

Trigger Warnings:
Death of a Husband (off the page)

Why Jackie loves it"
Josephine's grief at the beginning of the book is palpable and yet, it does not weigh the story down. As Josephine fights to save Alma, she also learns to fight for herself as well. I love the way the story developed and the touch of magic makes to story feel hopeful. This is perfect for historical fiction fans as well.

I received a copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and mine alone.


Time travel/dual timelines done differently and it’s so much fun!

THE VANISHING OF JOSEPHINE REYNOLDS is the first book I’ve read by author Jennifer Moorman and it was a pleasure.
Historical Fiction is a favorite genre of mine. This story explores Prohibition era issues, women.’s issues and racial from the same time as well as providing a good amount of detail about food, clothing, art, architecture and a bit about cars.

To further enhance the story for me, the primary character goes through her journey and is able to identify her challenges, learn from others, grow, change and arrive at the end in a better place. I like that; tremendously.

Josephine is recently widowed and has withdrawn from life. She’s financially secure, doesn’t need to work so can avoid people. Her sister won’t be ignored and gets Josephine to purchase their great grandmother’s house. Without regurgitating the entire story, the front door is enchanted and Josephine learns to travel back 100 years to meet her remarkable great grandmother, affect history and reclaim her life.

Thankfully, the magical realism part of this book is minimal and the historical and fictional is stronger. Others might feel differently depending on why they chose to read the book. Under any circumstance, the writing is clean from descriptive sexual content, foul language and graphic violence. Were this a movie, it would be rated PG or PG-13

If you enjoy historical fiction, a touch of magic and time travel, rich family connections, well crafted period details with some romance and mystery on the side, knock on Josephine’s door📚

Read and Reviewed from a FirstEditions eARC thru NetGalley, with thanks

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for the advanced readers copy of this novel.

This was the first time I have read anything by Jennifer Moorman. I was intrigued by the combination of historical fiction and magical realism along with the element of time travel. This novel felt a bit like a cozy mystery too. A quick read about love, loss, families, and finding one's self. The story of Josephine who bought her great grandmother's home and was able to time travel back to the days of prohibition and a speakeasy in the house, was a captivating one.

Though this story deals with the loss of a spouse, I think many readers will be able to relate to our main character, Josephine and her experience with grief.

4.5 stars rounded up

In the depth of grief, Josephine Reynolds wishes she didn’t exist. Soon, she finds that this wish held power, and is not only erasing her from the present, but altering the past.

I absolutely adored this story and enjoyed every moment spent in this world.

Moorman’s writing was so vivid, I could picture every detail perfectly. The characters each had so much depth and were each relatable in their own way.

I especially loved the romantic turn this story took-the ending all but gutted me.

It was the perfect historical fiction that you can get lost in while you’re reading.

As someone who was lucky enough to know my own great grandmother, who was also alive during this time period, I felt a special connection to the female characters with their wit and determination.

A truly excellent novel that I look forward to rereading!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds.

This was an interesting one. Time travel, love, loss, healing, and finding yourself all take place in this magical story. While I did like the main protagonist, I didn't exactly love her journey to finding her own identity and healing. It reminded me more of a woman who always needs a man to be happy, and in my opinion, that's not healing or finding yourself works. That aside, all the supporting characters, including her sister, I loved, as well as the bond Josephine had with her great grandmother. The story itself was solid, if a bit slow at times, and the atmosphere of the 1920s was beautifully done. Overall, I give this three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and HarperCollins Focus, for this ARC.

The description for this book really interested me. The focus on the 1920’s and the time travel elements sounded intriguing. However i really struggled to connect with Josephine and felt the story was held back with unnecessary description of the house.. I did finish the novel and was glad I did, but I felt the event the whole story was leading to was really underwhelming. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early copy of this book.

"The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" will be the perfect book for you if you love cozy, sweet, magical stories.

I did have a hard time connecting with Josephine's character, which lessened my overall enjoyment of the book. The setting was also excessively described for my personal taste. There are a lot of vivid descriptions of the 1920's home and lifestyle, which was interesting, but slowed down the pacing of the plot considerably.

Overall, despite my personal preferences not aligning, I do think this will be a five star read for specific readers- those who love cozy, feel good, descriptive books,

Josephine is completely lost when her doctor husband suddenly passes away. She never finished college, she's always worked in his office, her only friends were their friends and kind of lost herself in their 15 year marriage. In her grief she starts to wish she had never been born. Her grandmother's house is now back on the market and at the suggestion of her sister, she buys it. Her childhood memories flood back from time with her grandmother and in restoring it back to the original era she is able to find the original door at a salvage shop. It is no ordinary door -- it transports her back to the 20's and discovers that her wish of never being born is starting to come true as things disappear around her and her life starts to vanish unless she can keep traveling back and reverse the spell and save her great grandmother and her own future -- that is if she still wants to! Delightful story of dual timelines, 20's era history and rediscovering yourself.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley for the ARC!

Josephine Reynolds, recently widowed, is starting anew in her great grandmother’s home, the Carter Mansion, in Nashville. At only thirty-five, she isn’t sure how to move forward. She has lived her whole adult life for her deceased husband working for his practice and hosting parties for his career. Now, at her sister’s urging, she is trying to figure out what exactly she wants for her own future.

As she works to restore the Carter Mansion to its former glory, she miraculously finds the original door at a salvage yard. When it’s finally rehung, she discovers the words “among the whispering and the stars” carved on the door, and a time slip passageway to the 1920s.

Josephine works through her grief and figuring out her future while visiting her great grandmother in the past. This hybrid historical fiction/magical realism novel is a sweet story about family connection and healing. This cozy read has a somewhat predictable ending, but sometimes it’s exactly what we need.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins, and of course the author Jennifer Moorman for the advanced copy of the book. The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds is out on January 14th. All opinions are my own.

When I read the synopsis of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, I knew I had to read it. Josephine is lost - her husband has passed away very unexpectedly and she never built any kind of life for herself without him so she doesn't know who she is anymore. When a chance to own the historic house her great-grandmother owned comes up, Josephine jumps at the chance. She somehow unlocks a magical portal that brings her back in time to the 1920's when her great-grandmother ran a speakeasy.

I loved the premise of this book, but ultimately struggled with the story. It felt like there were too many plot holes and I didn't particularly care for the characters. The story was just a little flat and simplistic.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy.

This novel is as magical as the title sounds and lives up to being another excellent, enchanting Jennifer Moorman novel. Completely atmospheric and hopeful, you'll lose yourself in this story. Can we start a petition for a short story to pick up where the novel leaves off? I'd love to see how Moorman would continue to explore the next chapter in Josephine's life!

What a fabulous book; so well written! With the author's descriptions of life in the Roaring Twenties, I was ready to go back and enjoy the parties, preferably wearing the red or the purple dress. :)

So many dual-timeline books are badly written and readers give up because it's difficult to keep the timelines straight. This book manages the timelines masterfully. Recently widowed Josephine has bought her ancestral home and once she re-installs the original door, she walks through it into 1927. She meets her great grandmother Alma and becomes close to her...and learns, once she's back in the present day, that Alma was killed in a raid on her speakeasy several days after she met her. Can Josephine change the past? Because if she can't...no Josephine in the future.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!

Josephine Reynolds grief was so bad she was barely living. Her husband Nathan had died, and Josephine felt her life had no purpose. One desperate day she wished she had never been born. That’s when her life changed.

Josephine’s sister Katherine tried to help with Josephine’s grief but had no success, until she discovered that their great grandmother’s house was for sale. A house that Josephine had very fond memories of happier times many years ago.

Josephine buys the house and moves in. Josephine gradually feels she has purpose and something to live for as she rediscovers family heirlooms that have been in storage for many years and moves them back to her great grandmother’s house.

Josephine starts to become herself again and enjoy her life, but it all starts to unravel when she replaces her front door. One day when she opens the door she magically steps back in time to 1927.

This was about families, grief and identity. I loved the descriptions of Josephine’s great grandmother’s house.

Lots of twists and turns as Josephine travels between the present time and 1927.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Harper Muse for a chance to read this E-Book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This absorbing book was right up my alley. Kind of a time/portal/travel story which is both unbelievable and totally believable. It was a relatively clean read with not much mention of faith but did have a side character who was cheating on her spouse. It was also set in the Roaring Twenties so an illegal speakeasy was depicted.
The main character, Josephine, was a widow who purchased her great grandmother Alma’s mansion and found herself transported to 1927. After recurring forays into the past, she discovers something that may change her present. She has days to stop an event that could end her great grandmother’s life in the past and thus her own life.
What I liked about this book, besides the unique way Josephine traveled back to the past,was the relationship that she forges with Alma and Danny. And that Josephine moved forward from the grief of losing her husband to a new purpose for her life.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Harper Muse through NetGalley. All opinions are mine alone.*