I had so much fun with this one! It was such an interesting time travel story./mystery. I couldn't stop listening to it. Xe Sands' narration took a minute to get used to but worked well overall.

“Freedom depends on my cooperation.”

Terrifying how a capable, strong, extremely skilled woman can be plopped into an oppressive timeline and become rapidly stripped of that identity. Dorothy/Bix is transformed into a passive, obedient shell of herself that’s fighting for the truth and basic scraps of autonomy. But whether it’s 1954 or 2035, the theme of men seeking control over a woman’s body remains true.

This felt like a study of self-gaslighting. Both reader and MC doubt what is reality, and authoritative figures seek to replace her self belief with trust and obedience in their words alone. Soon enough, she’s literally trying to kill the defiant voice in her head that’s pushing for her to fight for herself and it’s both heartbreaking and frustrating to observe. For a good portion of the book, I was hooked by the fast pace and thrilling mystery of The Once and Future Me!

And then we got to the 70% mark, and this book rapidly fell apart for me. Our main character feels like she has been given a new lease on life, and it’s one of a...liberal white woman? No violence necessary to find freedom, thank you very much, just respectability politics because we’re a good person now. With an inconclusive ending that makes it obvious it’s intended to have a sequel, I finished this book feeling annoyed. A LOT was thrown together to piece together the ending, and much of the perfectly built tension from the first half was lost.

So while I initially enjoyed a good portion of this, I fear the final third really wrecked that experience. There were so many promising themes, with a fun blend of time traveling, mystery, and psychological thriller. It’s a shame that white woman feminism really screwed that up 🙃

3.5 stars

There were so many good things going for this book and I enjoyed a lot of it, but there were many moments where it dragged a little and could have been faster paced. While listening to the audiobook, I found myself zoning out during those moments. It wasn't the narrator because Xe Sands was doing a really good job with the book and this isn't the first audiobook I've listened to by her. All in all, this was a good read with some compelling intrigue and events, but the pacing brought the rating down for me.

This was one intense book. This one has it all tons of angst, suspense, thrills and a bit science fiction. Corrupt government agencies,  a perfectly atmospheric mental hospital with s special "unit". An extremely strong and well written female main character. This was an extremely engaging and fast paced thriller. You feel like you are inside the mental hospital. With futuristic elements mixed in along with some history, you will not go wrong with this one.

Thank you Henry Holt & Co / Brillance Audio for the ARC  / ALC.  Xe Sands wss a brilliant narrator.

4.5 stars

Wow! What a breathless roller coaster ride this was! Is it sci-fi? Is it dystopian? Psychological thriller? Or all of the above? Okay, I’m going with all of the above. What a fantastic read. The only downside for me was the audiobook narration which wasn’t pleasing to my ear. Still the book itself was fantastic.

🪴| 𝖣𝗒𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗉𝗂𝖺𝗇. 𝖳𝗐𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗌. 𝖯𝗌𝗒𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗅𝗈𝗀𝗂𝖼𝖺𝗅 🎢 . 𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝖻𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖽? ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ! 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗂𝗍. 𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗍𝗒𝗅𝖾. ꜱᴏ ɢᴏᴏᴅ!

🎧|𝖢𝖺𝗉𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗆𝗈𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗅 𝗇𝗎𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄. 𝖴𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗒. 𝖲𝗎𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗇𝗌𝖾. 𝖦𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗐𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀. 𝖲𝗈𝖿𝗍 𝗉𝖺𝖼𝗂𝗇𝗀.

I’ll admit it! I picked this audiobook arc from NetGalley for the cover alone. But what I got was a full-on movie in my head experience! This debut blends time travel and psychological suspense effortlessly. I loved it!

Set in 1954, the story starts in Hanover State Psychiatric Hospital with Dorothy who is told she’s a paranoid schizophrenic with violent delusions, yet her memory is of a dystopian future and a mission to save mankind. Is she losing touch with reality, or is the hospital holding back the truth she’s not meant to find?

It’s cinematic and immersive, with the vibes of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The kind of book that makes you question what’s real and what’s fabricated. Plus, the narrator, Xe Sands is one of my fav’s and I feel like this book was made for her!

A stunning debut! I’m already watching for whatever Melissa Pace does next.

Thank you so much to Brilliance Audio for the gifted audiobook and Henry Holt for the gifted book!

Title: The Once and Future Me
Author: Melissa Pace
Pub Date: August 19, 2025
Audiobook Length: 12hrs, 33mins
Audiobook Narrator: Xe Sands

You already know I'm excited about this! A debut book narrated by Xe Sands that's being compared to DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch (my favorite sci-fi book)? SIGN ME UPPP. Also the cover is SPOT ON and captures the whole vibe of the book!

This book was trippy from start to finish. I could tell by the first chapter that it was going to be a winner for me which is the best feeling! The story starts off in 1954 Virginia when a woman wakes up on a bus heading to a psych hospital. She has no idea who she is or where she's going, but is being told she is Dorothy Frasier, a paranoid schizophrenic... and if you think that sounds wild, just wait!

I won't even share anymore about the synopsis and I don't think you should read it either! Just let the story unfold before you and watch your jaw drop!

I'm not a huge sci-fi reader AT ALL, but I love when I find a good one!

Some parts may have been over my head, maybe intentionally, maybe not, but as a non-sci-fi reader, I think I did okay- LOL

I think this one is going to be a massive hit when it comes out next week!

The audiobook was perfect. No notes there at all. Xe Sands does no wrong, period!

Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace

Melissa Pace’s debut is a time-bending psychological thriller that hooked me hard right out of the gate. The first 30%? Pure adrenaline. I was stress-reading, heart racing, muttering, “please not the lobotomy” under my breath. That early 1950s mental hospital setting, the creeping uncertainty, the “what in the actual hell is going on” feeling, it was deliciously unsettling.

Around the 30% mark, the pacing slowed when our FMC settled into her 1950s home life. While it gave us needed context, it did drag for me until she started experiencing memory flashes and decided to take control. Then—BAM, we were back in business.

The 2035 timeline? That’s when the gas pedal slammed down again. The way her team filled in the missing puzzle pieces and closed the memory gaps had me flipping pages with urgency. Yes, the pacing sometimes felt like a jerky time machine (pun intended), but the creativity of the concept and the thrill of the reveals made it worth the ride.

📚 Themes & Vibes:
Time travel gone wrong
Psychological thriller edge
Creepy mental hospital in the 1950s
Dual timelines (1950s & 2035)
Memory gaps and mystery reveals
Edge-of-your-seat moments

Audio Narration: This was an addictive listen. Sand’s delivered an emotional and fast-paced read that brought this story to life.

Would I recommend it?
Absolutely. Even with a few pacing hiccups, the originality and intensity of this debut make it a strong pick for anyone who loves their thrillers with a sci-fi twist. Bonus: if you’re an audiobook fan, Xe Sands owns this narration, it’s an immersive listening experience you don’t want to miss.

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co. and Brilliance Publishing-Audio for the opportunity to read/listen and review.

I listened to the ALC for The Once and Future Me by Melissa Pace. What did you do Melissa? I was completely obsessed with this book! The narration is absolutely perfect. She has the world weary voice - been there, done that, committed violent felonies along the way that you would expect from our female main character. Is our FMC, Georgia Frasier? She has amnesia and she is on a bus being transported to a state psychiatric hospital. She insists a woman stole her purse and her identity, but is that what happened? She hears a voice inside her head telling her things and she has uncanny fighting skills and knows about guns and weapons - who is she? She has visions that she is from the future and is here to save humanity. What is the true story? I think this is a brilliantly told dystopian science fiction novel that I absolutely enjoyed every minute listening to. This book is out on Tuesday, August 19, 2025. Go get it! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Brilliance Audio for my ALC

This was such a unique story!!
This was so fun!! I loved the setting of this book in a 1954 Psychiatric Hospital mostly treating “hysterical” women. Our MC is quite unreliable even to herself. She doesn’t belong in the hospital and the voice in her head agrees. which makes her think that she does belong in the hospital maybe.
This was a fun and unique take on a sci-fi thriller!! So good!!
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book and audio so much. The pacing was just right and the narrator felt like the perfect voice for the character. I was so invested in this story and hated whenever I had to pause it to adult 😩. It literally gave me dark matter meets black mirror vibes and I was here for all of it. There were even times that I found myself cackling, especially at the fmc’s inner voice. I’d definitely recommend this book and audio.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing/Brilliance Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book. Advertised as "Upgrade: meets "Black Mirror" and also "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest meets Hunger Games" how could you not want to read it! The Once and Future Me is a wild genre mashup and absolute mental chaos. I had previously read an eARC for this book and was curious how the audiobook version would enhance the story experience.

The story follows a woman identified as Dorothy Frasier, who is on a bus headed to a Psych Hospital. She has no memory of who she is, but seems to possess an interesting set of combat, escape, and lock-picking skills. Is she secretly a spy?? Then Dorothy suffers a seizure and wakes up to people claiming she's from the future (2035) and named Bix, sent to 1954 on a mission involving a doctor and a cure for a pandemic. Again, is she a spy?? Or just crazy?? And will the treatments she receives help her or silence her forever?

This book was a true "page-turner,'" and had my brain melting. A unique mixture of psychological thriller meets dystopian sci-fi that will make you question everything. It is also a feminist piece on the horrors of past mental health (mis)treatments of women. The audiobook does a superior job IMHO of bringing the characters to life and pulling you into the story. The narrator does well with the character voices and story arcs and timelines and pace. It is not hard to follow and become invested in Dorothy/Bex's plight.

Fans of sci-fi and thrillers with complex plots and a strong FMC will really enjoy this gem! I will definitely be recommending this one to my September book club! You probably haven't read anything like this before! For sure check this one out, and I highly recommend giving the audiobook version a listen!

I literally could not put this down! This novel is set in 1954 and the future (2030 I believe). It follows a woman who has lost her memory and wakes up on a bus headed for an insane asylum. Apparently, her name is Dorothy, but she does know that she is supposed to save the future from a deadly virus. This book had me feeling so angry at how women were treated during this time. Husbands' wives were basically property, and women had no say in their care, especially if they were having emotions! At times in this story I wondered if Dorothy (aka Bix) was really schizophrenic. However, I also realized she was using words that only people today are familiar with like "DNA". This story was amazing and after going through the Covid pandemic, I feel like this could be a possibility. Not sure that we are quite near time travel yet, but that would be phenomenal!

I unfortunately just did not enjoy this. I was intrigued for a bit, and wanted to know what was going on, but felt very underwhelmed. The narrator performed this well, but the story itself just didn’t do it for me. Then the story just ended abruptly.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced listening copy!

Live, Laugh, Love & Lobotomy! A masterclass in gaslighting yourself!

What a WILD ride from start to finish! I'm a fan of timey-wimey plots and acknowledge that sci-fi genre bending is an extremely difficult feat to accomplish, which makes the fact this is a debut novel even more impressive.

Thank you to Henry Holt for the gifted copy of this book! I found The Once and Future Me compelling, immersive, and easily able to evoke visceral reactions out of me as a reader. I went in completely blind and had no real idea what to expect, much less expecting a strong amnesia trope right off the bat. Starting a book in media res is a risk I think not many authors are willing to take, so I appreciate Pace's tenacity in doing so. We start this journey with our protagonist on a bus surrounded by other women on their way to a mental hospital in 1950's New England. Our protagonist doesn't know who she is and how she got there but spends the first 60% of the book trying to figure it out.

I'll be the first to admit, the masterclass in self-gaslighting that was the majority of this book is both frustrating and off-putting. There will be moments where you want to scream at Dorothy/Bix because GET UP??? But I think the historical accuracy of the misogynistic practices that lead to "insane asylums" are highlighted well and reflect why our main character is so...malleable in the first half of the book. The Cold War era conspiracies were a great addition to the plot and I appreciated how intentional these plot points are.

I do wish there was more commentary on how race and class affected folks in both timelines our protagonist finds herself in. There was one mention of segregation and a little bit about poor folks but I think a lot more could have been explored to deepen the effectiveness of the sub-plots and supporting characters.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to fans of dystopian sci-fi and psychological thrillers, folks who enjoy critically analyzing Americana aesthetics and Cold-War era history, and anyone who loves a good unlikeable main character!

I'd highly recommend the audiobook as well! The narrator keeps the action alive with their voice and points of tension are enunciated to perfection!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

This was an enjoyable read. I've read a bunch of cookie-cutter thrillers lately, and this break of predictability was a nice treat. Would recommend.