Title: GallimoreSeries: Stand-alone
Author: Michelle Griep
Genre: Adult time-travel romance
Excerpt from Chapter 1 of Gallimore:
“Would you mind terribly?”
The obtrusive words broke into Jessica Neale’s thoughts, making no sense. Turning away from a clouded pane of double-thick glass, she glanced up into a pair of startling green eyes. “What?”
“I said, I see you’ve room beneath the seat in front of you, and being that the overheads are near to full, would you mind terrible if that’s where I stored my bag?”
Other passengers continued to file in, bumping and jostling in an odd sort of dance. She’d hoped the empty seat next to her would remain vacant. No such luck.
“Sure.” She resigned herself to accept his leather briefcase.
“It’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
For a fleeting moment, Jess studied the man as he stuffed a second bag into the small space at his feet. The width of his broad shoulders as he worked and wiggled to wedge his baggage into place all but blocked her view of his face. The accent struck her as decidedly British, and his manners seemed polished. Satisfied he wasn’t an axe-murderer, the little interest she held in her seatmate evaporated.
A car accident sends a 21-century tourist on a medieval quest for love.
The Craft: The medieval ages were a brutal and rough time, with far less refinement and chivalry than the fairy-tales make them seem. The modern era is a far cry from those ages. Yet Ms. Griep has brought together these two contradicting worlds to create a compelling and somehow believable romance.
The plot strikes me a predictable, a usual romance with common time-travel devices to make the romance work in the end.
Rather, Gallimore’s strength rests with the characters. While I didn’t connect until the jump back in time, once there the characters blossomed into an intriguing, funny, and at times heart-rending cast.
This, coupled with the details of the medieval world, is what makes this story work.
The Content: Learning to love again after death is Gallimore’s poignant theme. But it is hardly the only one. Prayer, God’s protection, His Sovereignty, and forgiveness also weave in and out of the story. All are present quite overtly; however, they rarely overwhelm the story. Instead, they flow from the depths of the character’s questions and hurts, even if the ends are tied-up perhaps a bit too neatly.
Other content notes: The villain and other characters employ magic, but the magic is clearly portrayed as evil and God’s power is always stronger.
Also, as the romance blossoms, so does the physical attraction and sexual tensions, especially since both hero and heroine were in a physical relationship before. Adding to this, the villain has less than honorable intentions toward the heroine and many other female characters. There are a few kisses, several mentions or rape, a couple attempts of the same, and a few ripped bodices. However, little is shown and much is implied, making this more accessible to those still outside the marriage bond.
Summary: Gallimore is not a romance you would want to hand a young teenager (I would recommend over 16 at least), and caution is advised for the visually stimulated reader and those who easily fall in love with love. However, Gallimore still remains fairly accessible to most and is an enjoyable twist on a typical romance with some delightful characters.
Rating: Craft—3, Content—3, Overall—3.6 out of 5 stars
The obtrusive words broke into Jessica Neale’s thoughts, making no sense. Turning away from a clouded pane of double-thick glass, she glanced up into a pair of startling green eyes. “What?”
“I said, I see you’ve room beneath the seat in front of you, and being that the overheads are near to full, would you mind terrible if that’s where I stored my bag?”
Other passengers continued to file in, bumping and jostling in an odd sort of dance. She’d hoped the empty seat next to her would remain vacant. No such luck.
“Sure.” She resigned herself to accept his leather briefcase.
“It’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
For a fleeting moment, Jess studied the man as he stuffed a second bag into the small space at his feet. The width of his broad shoulders as he worked and wiggled to wedge his baggage into place all but blocked her view of his face. The accent struck her as decidedly British, and his manners seemed polished. Satisfied he wasn’t an axe-murderer, the little interest she held in her seatmate evaporated.
A car accident sends a 21-century tourist on a medieval quest for love.
The Craft: The medieval ages were a brutal and rough time, with far less refinement and chivalry than the fairy-tales make them seem. The modern era is a far cry from those ages. Yet Ms. Griep has brought together these two contradicting worlds to create a compelling and somehow believable romance.
The plot strikes me a predictable, a usual romance with common time-travel devices to make the romance work in the end.
Rather, Gallimore’s strength rests with the characters. While I didn’t connect until the jump back in time, once there the characters blossomed into an intriguing, funny, and at times heart-rending cast.
This, coupled with the details of the medieval world, is what makes this story work.
The Content: Learning to love again after death is Gallimore’s poignant theme. But it is hardly the only one. Prayer, God’s protection, His Sovereignty, and forgiveness also weave in and out of the story. All are present quite overtly; however, they rarely overwhelm the story. Instead, they flow from the depths of the character’s questions and hurts, even if the ends are tied-up perhaps a bit too neatly.
Other content notes: The villain and other characters employ magic, but the magic is clearly portrayed as evil and God’s power is always stronger.
Also, as the romance blossoms, so does the physical attraction and sexual tensions, especially since both hero and heroine were in a physical relationship before. Adding to this, the villain has less than honorable intentions toward the heroine and many other female characters. There are a few kisses, several mentions or rape, a couple attempts of the same, and a few ripped bodices. However, little is shown and much is implied, making this more accessible to those still outside the marriage bond.
Summary: Gallimore is not a romance you would want to hand a young teenager (I would recommend over 16 at least), and caution is advised for the visually stimulated reader and those who easily fall in love with love. However, Gallimore still remains fairly accessible to most and is an enjoyable twist on a typical romance with some delightful characters.
Rating: Craft—3, Content—3, Overall—3.6 out of 5 stars
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