Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a fun book, i enjoyed the storytelling and got wrapped up in the story.

Time After Time is a book about Libby, a 19-year-old girl who uses her college fund to buy a long-time coveted house. I liked that this book illustrated how people will push to make their authentic selves heard, and how this has changed over time. I wish the power imbalance between Elizabeth and Patricia had been examined a little more closely in terms of how that would impact their feelings for one another a little more deeply. There were also times throughout the story where it felt a little cheesy. This book portrayed an interesting look at how time changes circumstances and perspective. It also portrayed nicely the way in which people come into their own selves and decisions.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

Thank you to Netgalley for the free arc!

Time after Time is one of those novels that switches characters' perspectives across time periods, in this case, a 100 year time span. Libby buys an old Victorian house in her town because she is drawn to it. She begins reading the diary of one of its previous occupants, Elizabeth, and gets drawn into her story of a forbidden love with the servant girl, Patricia. Meanwhile, in Libby's time in the present, she is dealing with the fallout with her family after they are not pleased that she bought the house, using her college money. She is also dealing with some relationship drama of her own, with her soon to be ex-boyfriend and her new feelings for someone else.

While I was very drawn into the storyline, I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 because at times, there was just too much suspension of belief that I needed to do in terms of how the two storylines were fitting together. If there were half stars available, I would have probably given this book 4.5 stars.

saw the co-writer of five feet apart and came sprinting but this is sadly a dnf for now. i know YA books can tackle mature themes even if they’re young ages but something about the tone of this book was throwing me off and as a sapphic book i truly wanted to give it its best chance- i will potentially come back to it at a later time!

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry is a definitive romance for those who believe in—or wish to believe in—a love that is destined and spans lifetimes. If you are a hopeless romantic, then I highly recommend you give this a read. I absolutely adored all of the characters—aside from the "villains" of the story, of course—and found the plot fantastically engaging. A minimal suspension of disbelief is required, but not difficult as it is easy to get swept up in the love story between Elizabeth/Libby and Patricia/Tish.
The dual timeline transports readers from the Victorian era to the present through alternating perspectives and journal entries. The writing style is smooth and easy to follow with lovely imagery. Daughtry successfully presents an emotionally evocative narrative that inspires belief in the enduring power of love amid adversity.
Time After Time has jumped to the top of my favorites list and has earned a place on my "buy a physical copy" list.
#reincarnation #lovestory #VictorianEra #dualtimeline #MCridesamotorcycle #oldhouse #collegestudents #YA #nospice #richgirl/poorgirl #American #Irish
I received this free ARC from NetGalley. This is my honest opinion.

Time After Time
By: Nikki Daughtry

5 Stars

This was a story about a house. It was a story about forbidden love and heartbreak. It was a story of magic and mystery.

For as long as Libby can remember, she has been drawn to the house on Mulberry Street. When it comes up for sale, she spends her inheritence and buys it. She knows her life will never be the same. The house buy causes strife with her family, she is changing her life by changing her major in school then buying the house. When she meets Tish and they begin working on the house together, her love for the house only grows. Libby knew her life would never be the same, and that's okay.

I fell head over heals for this story. Written in both past and present, it gives a modern and vintage look at life, love, family, friends, and even loss. It was beautifully written. It has a great set of characters, both past and present, that blend to make a magical story filled with love, pain, and everything in between. The subject of love is presented as just that. Their is no her and her or him and her. It's just them. Us. Always.

I absolutely adored this story. It was heartbreaking and sad and happy and joyful. It gave me a smile, and it made me cry. It was simply wonderful.

*I want to thank Netgalley and the author for this book in return for my honest review*

Stormi Ellis
Boundless Book Reviews

I've never read or seen Five Feet Apart, but I will now. Author Mikki Daughtry has written quite the treatise on the never-ending connection of love. I was won over by the dual timelines and the multiple POV. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry is a beautifully crafted romance that explores the idea of soul-deep connection and the enduring nature of true love. Centered on two characters destined to find each other across different moments in time, the story offers a fresh and engaging take on the age-old question of whether love can truly transcend the limits of memory and circumstance.

Daughtry skillfully blends emotional depth with an element of mystery, as the characters gradually uncover the hidden threads of their shared past. The result is a narrative that is both fun and heartfelt, full of warmth and unexpected twists. The pacing keeps readers invested, while the romantic tension and evolving revelations add a layer of excitement that carries through to the end.

What stands out most is the joy of the reading experience—light enough to entertain, yet meaningful enough to leave a lasting impression. Daughtry’s talent shines through in her ability to create characters who feel real, vulnerable, and worth rooting for. Time After Time is a touching and delightful journey through love and memory, and it firmly establishes Daughtry as a storyteller to watch.

Wow. I don’t really have any other words because I’m blown away by this book. I loved both storylines and quickly fell in love with all four of the main characters. The connections between past and present and how everything came together was beautiful. I don’t want to say more than that because I don’t want to give anything away, but trust me when I tell you this book needs to be added to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mikki
Daughtry, and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry is a multiple POV sapphic YA book. It’s a love story that takes place in two time periods 100 years apart. 19-year-old Libby is drawn to an old Victorian house on Mulberry Lane. She takes a huge chance by purchasing the house and sets out to restore it to its former glory. She finds a chest that contains journals from the previous tenant, Elizabeth. The journals talk of Elizabeth’s love for her maid, Patricia, which for many reasons was forbidden and dangerous at the time. As Libby works on the house, she runs into Tish, a fellow college student. Tish ends up helping Libby in return for a room in the old house. As they spend more time together, the similarities between Libby and Tish and Elizabeth and Patricia become more obvious and lines start to blur.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the dual timelines and being able to experience Libby and Tish’s story alongside Elizabeth and Patricia’s. I was truly immersed in their world. The author really breathes life into each character’s story. There were a couple twists in this book that I wasn’t expecting, which added even more to the overall story. If you like your romance with more depth and a touch of mystery, then I definitely recommend this book! ✨

Time After Time will be available on May 27th! 🕰️

THOUGHTS

I don't know that I have the words to describe how much I adored this book. It was everything I could have wanted. It was warmth and light, like sipping hot chocolate next to a crackling fire on a cold, cold winter evening. I loved this book so, so much.


PROS
Miscommunication Misdirect: There's just nothing I hate as much as the miscommunication trope, and this book does toe the line... to allow for a complete misdirect! Mikki Daughtry absolutely sets these girls up for some major miscommunication, and I was so relieved (and, really, delighted) when this book veered in the opposite direction. They're reasonable, instead. They don't jump to conclusions while they're observing each other, learning about each other. What's standing in the way of their relationship isn't some contrived miscommunication (which is never realistic, am I right?) but simply their own insecurities and doubts (something that is much, much more realistic). This book doesn't rely on manufactured conflict, and I adored that.

Real Consequences: As much as this is a warm and fuzzy book, I liked that it also acknowledges the real consequences that come from making your own choices--from growing up, from living how you want and need to. I like that there are no idle threats in this book, and that hard choices have hard consequences (even if the choice was the right one, for the character and the moment). I liked that this book lays out those consequences and champions making the decisions you need to for yourself, whatever the consequences might be (and even if people follow through on manipulative threats), because that's a good message in and of itself. Sometimes you need to break away to find out who you are and who you want to be, even if that means leaving people behind in the process.

Escapist Fantasy: While this book falls firmly into the "this could happen" brand of contemporary fiction, it still feels very much like an escapist fantasy: a fantasy about buying a house and finding someone to fall in love with while you fix it up together. It's, for lack of a better word, really nice. It's soft. It's cozy. It's warm. It's something I adored sinking into as I watched these girls reno this old house together, like the ultimate HGTV dream. That backdrop laced with their Romance--and you know it's a capital-R Romance when you're quoting Rabindranath Tagore--is an all-encompassing piece of wonderful escapism.


CONS
Butterflies: If there was one thing I didn't get enough of in this book, it would be the initial bonding that happened between Tish and Libby. Oh, don't get me wrong. It's there, but it's not necessarily on the page. And while I am a "less is more" type of romance reader, I would have liked a bit of that banter, that bonding on the page. Though more might have diminished the almost magical quality of the romance of this book... Perhaps I should be careful what I wish for. Even if the chemistry between these characters was so good I wanted more.

Timeline Troubles: I loved Tish and Libby's story so much that I never wanted to leave it. Even if I liked Elizabeth and Patricia's story, too. Which I did. I definitely did. But there were times when we would jump back in time to be with Elizabeth and Patricia that would bum me out, just because I loved Tish and Libby too much to want to leave them, even for a chapter or two.

Historic Lesbians: The treatment of the historic sapphics in this book is... strange. Not because it couldn't happen like Mikki Daughtry presents but because historic views on lesbianism tend to be a little less black-and-white than other types of homosexual attraction. The sort of outward hostility in this historic time feels a little off, just because it feels very much like a today-looking-backward sort of hostility. Don't get me wrong. The 1920s wasn't a time that encouraged happy same-sex relationships, even if the relationship was between two women. But the outward vehemence doesn't quite match up with historic precedent, which was more about ignoring what could be ignored, especially before World War 2 made the nuclear family the true American ideal.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10/10
Those who loved Malinda Lo's Last Night at the Telegraph Club will love diving into a bit of queer history. Those who liked the complicated history of sapphics found in Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt will love this now-and-then historic romance.

✶ PRE-READING ✶
I was intrigued by the idea of layered love stories across time - sapphic romances echoing one another, and a haunting old house binding them together. I’m not always keen on reincarnation plots, but when they’re used to explore legacy and healing, they can work beautifully.

✶ POST-READING ✶
The reincarnation element wasn’t quite my thing, but the emotional story underneath it was strong and sincere. Libby and Tish’s relationship builds believably, and the house itself is a great anchor - full of hidden memories and untold stories. I especially liked the journal entries from Elizabeth, which gave the historical thread real weight and urgency.

It surprised me by... handling the past and present with equal care. The stakes felt real in both timelines, and the parallel stories created a bittersweet, reflective tone. Even when the “meant to be” idea didn’t fully land for me, I could appreciate how the narrative asked whether love across time is a second chance or a pattern we’re doomed to repeat.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦
Book Recommendation: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston for another queer romance layered with time and memory (plus trains instead of houses).
TV or Movie Recommendation: Portrait of a Lady on Fire - for its atmosphere, intensity, and the idea that some loves leave a permanent mark.

Thank you to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day. I loved the characters and the storyline. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

I’m at work and I’m sobbing.
Time after time is a book with dual timeline. You get to travel back in 1925 and experience through the main character’s life how the life was back then. How hard it was having feelings for a woman and how hard it was hiding it! On the other hand, you can see how “easier” it is in 2025. As much as I enjoyed the present timeline, I loved the past timeline more. I found myself wanting to keep reading so I can get to the chapters of the past. Overall, I loved the book and it would’ve been a 5⭐️ but the ending felt a little rushed.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the arc and giving me the chance to read and review it!

A very well done dual timeline of love and past lives. I really enjoyed the present timeline with Libby and Tish bonding over renovating Libby's Victorian house. The past lives timeline drove the tension, leaving us to wonder what happened to this story of forbidden love in a time where a happy ending was unlikely. I love how the timelines were woven together through the use of Elizabeth's journals, along with little items that held meaning and still existed in the present timeline. Overall, a heartwarming tale of a love for the ages.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on May 4th, 2025. Links provided.

When 19-year-old Libby impulsively buys a crumbling Victorian home with her college savings, she doesn’t expect to find a hidden journal that reveals a century-old secret: a forbidden love between two women, Elizabeth and her maid, Patricia. As Libby begins restoring the house, she meets Tish, a broke college student with building skills, and the two quickly grow close. But as parallels between the past and present emerge, Libby and Tish must confront the possibility that their connection might span more than one lifetime.

After reading a few young adult novels recently that were not very enjoyable, this book surprised me in the best way possible. I went in expecting a romantic story with a bit of mystery, but what I got was something far deeper and more emotional. Libby and Tish's relationship felt so real and gradual, full of the kind of small, meaningful moments that make you believe in something lasting. Their connection builds gradually, and while there’s chemistry, there’s also conflict, vulnerability, and space for growth. The relationship didn’t feel rushed or romanticized beyond reason. The found family element was heartwarming, and the side relationships—especially between Tish and Joe—were just as impactful as the main romance. The historical storyline between Elizabeth and Patricia was woven in beautifully. I was fully invested in both timelines, and the way they mirrored each other without feeling repetitive was masterfully done. The shifts between eras were easy to follow once you got used to them, and they added layers of meaning that made the ending hit even harder. Overall, this was an original, emotionally resonant read that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, young adult romance with depth, heart, and a touch of mystery. It struck a good balance between being quietly reflective and deeply engaging, and it is a book I would absolutely read again.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read to an ARC of Time After Time in return for my honest review.

DNF at 13%

Amazing premise. This is probably a me issue, but I wasn't expecting the main characters to come across as so young. I know they're late teens, but they seem like young teens, not college students buying houses and all that. Too discordant for me. But we always need more queer stories, so I'm sure this will find its audience!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Nineteen-year-old Libby has always been inexplicably drawn to the old Victorian house on Mulberry Lane. So much so that when she sees a For Sale sign go up in the front yard, Libby uses all the money her grandmother left her to pay for college to buy the house instead, determined to fix it up herself—even though she knows her parents will be furious. Soon after moving in, she discovers a journal written by a young woman, Elizabeth Post, who lived in the house nearly a century earlier. It doesn’t take long for the journal to reveal that Elizabeth was madly in love with her personal maid, Patricia. A love that was forbidden and dangerous, especially at that time.

Enter Tish, a brash, broke fellow college student, who passes by the house one day and is mysteriously compelled to knock on the door. Soon Libby offers Tish a room in exchange for her help in fixing up the old house, and the two young women quickly find themselves falling for each other. But as Elizabeth’s journal entries delve deeper into her secret love affair with Patricia, uncanny similarities between that young couple and Libby and Tish are revealed, and it becomes clear that this may not be their first time in this house, or in this love. Is this their chance to get it right?

Time After Time had a lot of elements that I love - forbidden romance, soul mates reunited in multiple lives, and forced proximity. All of these elements came together to form a story that I couldn’t put down. I was equally drawn into the past and present romances, and there were a few twists that I didn’t see coming. I highly recommend this one! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!