I really enjoyed the light supernatural element of this book and the dual timelines were really well balanced. I of course appreciated the sapphic representation as well! I struggled a bit (as always) with the miscommunication trope but it didn't detract tooo much from my overall enjoyment of the book.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable reading experience.

Overall, it's a good read, with a captivating premise and well-rounded characters, but it might not be for everyone, particularly if you're not a fan of stories with supernatural elements or dual timelines. "Time After Time" by Mikki Daughtry is a YA novel that presents a dual-timeline romance, interweaving a contemporary sapphic love story with one from the past. The story features Libby in 2025 and Elizabeth in 1925, both finding love in a dilapidated Victorian house on Mulberry Lane.

In this fun new LGBTQ+ YA dual-timeline novel, readers follow Libby as she makes the huge decision to use her college fund from her grandmother to buy a beautiful but broken-down Victorian house on Mulberry Lane. When Libby meets fellow broke student Tish and discovers that she’s good at building things, Libby offers a room in exchange for helping to restore the house, and the two girls find themselves growing closer. After moving in, Libby also discovers a journal written by former resident Elizabeth, who lived a century ago and was in love with her maid Patricia, and strange similarities between Elizabeth and Libby and Patricia and Tish make Libby question why she bought this house in the first place. With a fascinating cast of characters and great details, the two storylines really balance each other out and develop in tandem. The mix of details really brings the two stories to life, and the four characters’ similarities really highlight the connections between their lives in some great ways, yet they never blend together. Fun, interesting, and immersive, this excellent new novel, detailed setting, and its brilliantly complex characters is a fascinating read for fans of LGBTQ+ romance and historical fiction.

TIME AFTER TIME – by Mikki Daughtry

Me Heart!! As the reader, you will witness two heartwarming and heartbreaking budding love stories that take place a hundred years apart.

Make sure you have tissues, you may need them as I did.

Highly Recommend!

Thank you, NetGalley and G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books For Young Readers (Penguin Random House LLC), for providing me with an eBook ARC of TIME AFTER TIME at the request of an honest review.

Grade Level: 7 – 9
Reading Age: 12 - 17

Short review:
This is my second Good Morning America YA Book Club ARC, and I think I must conclude that GMA books are not my type. I struggled through this one pacing-wise, and I didn't feel the love for the characters that I expected to. BUT I do think this book has a lot going for it, and I do think Mikki Daughtry is a very talented author doing good work in the realm of YA books.

Long review:
The idea of parallel sapphic love stories is what really drew me in, PLUS the fact that it's by the author of Five Feet Apart (which has been on my TBR for forever). One of the standouts in Time After Time is the plot; I really applaud Mikki Daughtry for doing the parallel love story/time travel plot in a way that did not feel tropey or gimmicky at all. The little hints sprinkled throughout (the green glass, the numbers, the diaries) begin on the first page and add up in a way that feels immensely satisfying; the plot twists were largely unexpected, and I did enjoy Daughtry's writing style. I love how she didn't spell everything out for the readers, but rather let it unfold naturally, and I found the diverse cast of teenage characters natural and not forced at all (trans-masc best friend Cam was my favorite character!).

But one of the things I did struggle with was the present-day love story and, in particular, its heavy reliance on miscommunication. Some readers may not mind, but this felt like forced drama to me, when we could've been using the time to build a stronger romantic connection between Tish and Libby instead. Tish is huge into mechanical engineering, always fixing up her beloved bike Lola. She repeatedly refers to her bike as "my girl" or "Lola," leaving love interest Libby believing Tish has a girlfriend. At this point, Libby has never had a girlfriend before and is in the epitome of a hetero relationship; this could've been conflict enough--and actually is handled well! I liked Libby's POV and her questioning of compulsory heterosexuality a lot!--but instead, we're like 60% into the book before it's revealed that Lola is...a bike. Given that Tish knows about Libby's boyfriend and that Libby has met Tish's friends, I found it odd that no one would've mentioned Lola or asked to see pictures of Lola or really brought it up before the halfway mark. So that was not my favorite.

I found that I enjoyed the "past life" love story much more; Elizabeth is from a wealthy, conservative family and Patricia is hired as her maid. The two find themselves drawn to each other despite the taboo nature of sapphic relationships in the 1920s, and they fall in love once Elizabeth's family moves for a business deal. With the old Victorian house all to themselves, they live in a paradise until it all falls apart - we get to see this through journal entries that Libby finds, and the parallels between past and present were enjoyable to watch unfold. I do feel there was an overreliance on the past lives, though. As stated, Patricia and Elizabeth's love story was fantastic, but Tish and Libby feel more...a romance of convenience. I am never one to say "this book could've been longer," but...this book could've been longer! Or the miscommunication plot could've been shortened or nixed.

This is probably going to be for lots of readers; the fact that it was NOT for me is more a reflection of my own personal tastes and not the book's fault at all. Libby, Tish, Elizabeth, Patricia, and the supporting cast of characters are all objectively well-drawn, and the parallel love stories are well done.

Many thanks to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers (Penguin), and Mikki Daughtry for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Time After Time had the potential to be a charming, heartwarming, all-encompassing sapphic love story with a twist. The premise was so promising that I had very high hopes. Unfortunately for me, it did not live up to my expectations.

While I was rooting for Libby and Tish (and Elizabeth and Patricia), I couldn't fully commit to these characters because of the writing style and the fragmented time hopping. A book being YA does not mean it must also be juvenile and silly, but this was. One example that really stuck with me was the personification of Tish's motorcycle, which was so personified that Libby thought "Lola" was actually Tish's girlfriend... That, among many other choices, were unnecessary and somewhat ridiculous.

I did enjoy the side characters and the protagonists' relationships with them but if we had wanted to care about Honey at all, we should have been made to care for her much earlier. The climax was by far the most intriguing part but it wasn't enough to make up for the previous 300 pages of boring, childish prose.

Overall, this was disjointed and immature with a few brief moments that had me questioning how much I disliked it. I'm thoroughly disappointed by the failed potential because I truly wanted to enjoy this given the fact that the description felt perfectly directed toward my tastes.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

This was a sweet sapphic YA romance with multiple timelines and a little bit of magic. The characters (Libby/Tish and Elizabeth/Patricia) were all very likable, strong females who were just trying to follow their dreams and happiness. I really liked the way the two timelines were interwoven and how the characters from 100 years apart collided, but there was a little something missing for me overall, and I can’t quite figure out what it was. I think the lack of tension and outward display of feelings between Libby and Tish threw me off, because they didn’t really seem to have much connection to each other beyond their connection with Elizabeth and Patricia. It was still sweet and creative, it just felt like it could barely be called a romance because the love story didn’t feel front and center.

I really loved the big house though. It was another side character, and it made me want to buy a fixer-upper to restore to its former glory so I can live in its memories.

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers Group, and GP Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book waa really lovely and definitely gave me Charmed vibes.
It took me a while to distinguish between the 2 keads but then as soon as you saw the link with the past I was invested.
I felt like the Trans character was represented well.
Nice concept, reminded me of a tv episode from a 90s show

I found the story fascinating. I could hardly put the book down even with the pace being a bit slow at times. The dual timelines and being able to experience the two relationships and views was a fun reading experience. I would definitely recommend this very crozy and enjoyable romance.

I wanted to love this one, but ultimately I can't figure out how this works in a YA space. Even for a 19 year old, buying a house is a distinctly adult thing, especially when it's impulsive. I may give this another try in the future, but I ultimately can't get past the way the plot of this book is for an adult story but it's couched in YA framing and language style.

Rating 3 stars as I'm sure this book will work for many.

Sometimes when I read a book, the premise strikes me as something so clever or unusual that I wonder if that’s what brought the book to publication. This is one of those books.

The narrative has a lot of moving parts. We have chapters set in 1925, from the perspective of a young woman whose family lived in the Victorian house. We also follow two points of view from the present day. First, there’s Libby, a girl who just bought the house, and Tish, a girl she meets in her college classes and who offers to help her fix up the house.

As we get to know each narrator, we notice some striking similarities between Elizabeth from 1925 and Libby from 2025. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that those similarities are more than simple coincidences.

One of the story’s strengths is in its minor characters. I enjoyed the banter between Tish and Joe, the junkyard owner who helps her fix up her scooter, and Tish and her best friend Bari. Libby’s relationship with her mom was also fascinating.

I think readers interested in LGBTQIA+ stories in a historical setting will like getting to see the 1925 timeline in this novel. If your taste for romance leans a little more in the Hallmark movie vein, I can see this being a great pick. It feels a little more like a book to curl up with under a warm blanket, so maybe save it for a stormy summer afternoon.

Time After Time had all the makings of a story I should’ve been obsessed with—sapphic love across timelines, old Victorian house with ghosty vibes, and a slow-burn renovation romance—but somehow it just didn’t fully land for me. The writing was solid and I liked the dual love stories in theory, but I never felt deeply connected to either couple, which made the emotional beats feel more muted than moving. Libby and Tish had sweet moments, and the historical journal entries were intriguing, but the pacing dragged a bit and the reincarnation-ish twist didn’t totally wow me. Not a bad book by any means—definitely atmospheric and worth picking up if you like a gentle sapphic romance with a historical echo—but it didn’t hit me in the heart the way I hoped it would.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another great book by this author! Libby falls in love with the big Victorian house and on a whim, instead of going off to college, she spends the money instead on buying the house. This sets her parents off and her dad stops talking to her.

During the renovation process, she comes across a journal of a girl that used to love her....describing a forbidden love, with another woman (her maid).

Told in alternating time periods and several voices, I fell in love with the characters and would highly recommend this book!

I read the majority of this book in a five hour stretch late one night/early one morning. I could not bring myself to put it down. I loved reading the story of Elizabeth and Patricia and how it connected to Libby & Trish. I loved how the house itself was its own character. It was a beautiful story all around.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Mikki Daughtry, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Libby has always loved the old Victorian house on Mulberry Lane. She loves it so much, she decides to spontaneously buy it when it goes up for sale with the money her grandmother left her for college. She's determined to fix it up. She knows her parents will be upset, but she is determined to make it how she wants it! Soon after moving in, she finds a journal written by a woman named Elizabeth, who lived in the house nearly 100 years earlier. As Libby reads, she learns that Elizabeth was in love with her maid, Patricia. This love was forbidden at the time.

Tish is a broke fellow college student and in need of a place to live. Tish decides to knock on the door. Libby offers Tish a room in exchange for her help in fixing up the old house. Soon, the girls start falling in love. As Libby reads more of Elizabeth’s journal entries, the deeper she gets into her love and secrets with Patricia. There are also many similarities between that young couple and Libby and Tish. Libby and Tish start feeling that this may not be their first time in this house, or in this love. Is this their chance to do it right?

A great, warm, and lovely YA read! The love aspect was nothing like I have read before or was expecting. I will recommend it to others!

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry is a beautifully layered sapphic romance that weaves together two love stories across a century. When Libby impulsively buys a crumbling Victorian home with her college fund, she has no idea she’s stepping into a love story that began 100 years earlier. With the help of Tish, a fiercely independent classmate and talented fixer, Libby begins restoring the house—and soon, their growing friendship deepens into something more.

The discovery of Elizabeth’s journal adds a rich historical layer, mirroring Libby and Tish’s present-day relationship with the forbidden romance of Elizabeth and Patricia. Daughtry delicately explores themes of fate, second chances, and the enduring power of love across time. The dual timelines are seamlessly interwoven, and both romances are tender, emotional, and fully realized.

While some plot points feel a bit predictable, the novel’s charm lies in its heart, atmosphere, and emotional depth. The blend of contemporary and historical romance makes this a captivating and memorable read that will resonate with fans of slow-burn, character-driven love stories.

Meet Elizabeth and Patricia through journal entries discovered by Libby, who buys Elizabeth’s old Victorian house — and as she renovated it with Tish not only they we get to know what happened 100 years ago, but we also witness Libby’s and Tish’s relationship bloom! The dual timeline makes the story compelling and you have no seconds to get bored. The characters are unique, have their own purposes that indicates their actions and struggles. But the four of them are equal in a way — their desire to be loved and love whom their heart beats for.

Mikki Daughtry’s writing is beautiful, engaging and grabs your attention from page 1. And the story!!! It leaves you feeling a range of emotions from joy to sadness, from grief to healing!

enjoyed Time After Time so much and if you love
✉️ magical realism
🔨 dual timelines
📖 a little bit of mystery
✨ sapphic romance
🫶🏻 chaotic home renovations with mementos of the past life lived there

This book will be your next favorite!

There were a few things that I liked about this book, but a little bit more that I didn’t like about it.

What I liked:
- seeing Elizabeth and Patricia’s love story develop over the chapters - honestly I would’ve loved a book of just them. Those chapters were my favorites
- the side characters, their support for Libby and Trish was heartwarming and their own growth throughout the book was nice to see

What I didn’t like:
- honestly? Trish herself. I kept getting annoyed with her and it made every instance of coming across her annoying.
- Trish’s obsession with her baby (her bike) and referring to it as “her girl”. OH MY GOD. We get it. You like your bike. But if a girl who is interested in you thinks you’re in a relationship because you talk about your bike that much? You have a problem.

Overall I liked this book but wouldn’t reach for it again. I liked the Elizabeth/Patricia story more and felt like Libby and Trish got in the way, even though they were the main characters.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for providing me with an e-arc for Time After Time. Two love stories 100 years apart. I loved how the stories are intertwined. A story that has the modern side and the historical side. The descriptiveness of the house really got me visualizing what they were looking at. The idea of connection at the core of it all was magnificent. In order to truly have a relationship with someone you have to have connection. I also love that the author left some elements up to the reader to decide what happens. The author shows us that not every relationship is worth saving. The ones that are though, need all of the care to nurture them into a blossoming flower.