I have a really lengthy review on GR and I'm honestly surprised I haven't posted it here, could have sworn I thought I did. I LOVE IT. There's no other word for it. 5 for 4~4.75.

ATM it's quite hard for me to write a coherent review, because I don't really know where to start. I'll start by saying, usually I don't read "reviews" that have a gigantic portion summarizing the plot of the book; they felt like book reports for school assignments and I'd rather read actual reviews, like, what the reviewers thought about the book, since, I read the book myself and I don't need the recounting. For this book though, I think this will be the first one that urges me to do what I previously couldn't fathom why people were doing. It's just.... Oh so very meticulous and interesting... imo, at least.

I'll also admit, I usually don't like multi-POVs, where one sometimes would be in the middle of following a character's crisis, only to be reading about another (that one cares less for) in the next chapter. It's a personal preference. That said, IDK if it's because this is a mystery AND the POVs are sometimes in different years even decades, somehow, for the purpose of solving the mystery, it just worked for me. I am NOT saying "hey, I don't like multi-POVs, but I like this book, so people who also don't like multi-POVs would like this book as well." The logic is completely faulty, so I'm making it extra clear; I'm not implying anything, just a simple and honest fact that, for some reason, the way this book was put together, did work for me.

Oh, so, it probably should be noted that the "hows" of why time machines and time traveling are possible, isn't the point of this book, which is why I don't really think it's sci-fi forefront; just know that, in the reality of the book, time travel is a thing, and now, there's a murder mystery plus extra craziness because hey, the murderer isn't limited to one's present but also past and future.

The blurb is pretty sufficient but I'll give you the names of the four female scientists who worked together to build the world's first time machine: Barbara, Grace, Lucille, and Margaret.

Now here comes the plot details that I've always avoided but am now giving, in order to share my thoughts at the same time. SPOILERS in a sense, but I'd also advise you to not just take my word for it, because that's how I personally concluded when I read it, doesn't mean you'd feel the same way.

In 1967, just as time machines are being introduced to the world via an interview with the four scientists, Barbara "broke down," a rather unfortunate timing for it to happen, though I don't really think it was her fault, for she seemed quite sane up until she suddenly wasn't. She was then cut off from the project due to this "embarrassment." Honestly, I cheer, good for you, Barbara! It's a blessing in disguise. I shared my disgust in some of my reading status updates: Basically, from the incident onward, it became pretty clear to me that Margaret was a total poisonous bitch. Grace and Lucille seemed nice enough, but only just enough. My heart immediately sided with Barbara, but in the back of my mind, I was also terrified that she'd have resentment and it'd grow and one day finally snap, for her to then turn total psychotic and murderous or something lmao. It's quite a nice mind-game imo.

In July 2017, Barbara, then around 82-years-old, with her granddaughter, Ruby (past 30-years-old at the time?) at her side, received some info: Death of a woman in her eighties with undisclosed identity; date of death: 6 January 2018.

Was the deceased (though still alive when the message was received) woman Barbara, meaning she'd only have around 5 months to live? Should that be the case, Barbara decided to have no regret, and prepared to rejoin the crew of time travelers.

On 6 January 2018, Odette (early twenties?) was unfortunate to be the one to discover the dead body and crime scene. It was quite gruesome imo. She was never really successful at getting rid of the imagery, so she wanted to find out what really happened, therefore she decided to join the time-traveling business to investigate.

And so that's pretty much a slightly more detailed way to introduce how the story was set up. There are, to me, quite a few characters, that, after finishing the book, I feel like were just thrown in for confusion and diversion lol. Like, were THEY the ones who died/killed? etc. lol. This is a book I'll need to revisit, because I want to believe every POV characters held significance, and I just happened to miss said significance for some of them. xP

Full review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2540803800

**Mother and Daughters Book Club Read for March, 2023**

I'm happy to say the three of us enjoyed this unusual story of time travel (especially since I chose this month's selection, haha). It's set in an alternate past, and begins in the year 1967, when four women scientists, Margaret, Lucille, Grace and Barbara, invent time travel. Just as they are going public with their successful invention, Barbara has a very public breakdown and it's learned she a mental disorder, possibly worsened by the time travel. Afterwards, the other three determine to exclude her from any further involvement with the project.

The story travels back and forth across time in loops, very similar to the time travel experience itself. In February, 2018, Barbara's granddaughter, Ruby, learns about a murder that will happen the following January and worries that her grandmother might be the intended victim. I used that moment in time to anchor the rest of the story for myself--events taking place before or after that crime.

To me, the title of the novel reveals the main theme--the 'psychology' of time travel. How does it affect humans to loop back and forth through time, knowing the future and not being able to change it or the past, so that people have to accept that fate or destiny governs our lives. Some of the travelers develop an adaptive strategy to deal with the death of loved ones. Some become emotionally jaded and enjoy witnessing emotion vicariously through games they force others to play.

The mystery is quite intriguing and there's a bit of romance that stands the test of time. We also appreciated some references to Dr Who and a few laugh-out-loud funny details, like new slang words for time travel. An example: 'Feeling angry with someone for things they won't do wrong for years is called zeitigzorn.' And then there's sexual slang expressions like 'flux capacitor' or 'quantum tunneling' or a phrase for having sexual relations with oneself in the past or future which I won't mention, haha.

My copy of the book was a paper arc I received from the publisher. It included a letter from the author that my daughters' library copies did not have in which she tells how she wanted to focus on female characters in her fiction. So often in the field of psychics, women aren't given credit for their contributions. In this novel, she wanted to show women of varied backgrounds achieving great things, visible for all to see. I love that sentiment. We can only hope that books like this one, as well as real life role models, inspire more women and girls to work in the science fields.

I have a confession to make and do a bit of traveling back in time myself. As I mentioned, I was given a paper arc of this book as well as an arc through NetGalley, way back in 2018. At that time, we were in the midst of buying a new house and getting ready to pack and move from our old after 40 years. This book got packed away, never to see the light again for some time. So obviously I owe an apology to both the author and publisher for neglecting to read this book in a timely fashion. It was my loss. This review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Although this was very promising, I've enjoyed past time travelling stories that I've read. I had a very hard time connecting with this story.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. I enjoyed this book overall. I liked the time travel stories and the characters. The story was a bit predictable, but I still had a fun time. It was a quick read though, so maybe the author could have written more and made it a longer book. If you enjoy sci-fi you should give it a read!

I have tried this book a couple of times, and it just doesn't seem to be working for me. However, I have went through and read some reviews, and I'm so glad it worked for other people. I think I might just be time traveled out right now.

I apologize. I will not be giving a review of this book at this time. I did not read before it was archived. I appreciate the opportunity that was given. I hope this will not dissuade from offering me ARCs in the future.

This book was not my "cup of tea." It bounced around too much to keep up with and was too confusing. Unfortunately, it touched some rather uncomfortable subjects that just took away from the storyline. It will most definitely not be recommended.

Couldn't get into the the science fiction aspect and multiple story lines. A slow beginning that I couldn't get past.

Mascarenhas’ novel is deeply rooted in the idea of Time travel. We are presented with a list of terminologies with their meanings. We are given light to what could possibly happen to a time traveler’s mental state, and the steps or tests to be desensitized to death and/or the idea of it. Also, in this novel, time travel is widely known. It’s something normal. The Conclave is a whole different “company” which has their own set of laws, and is outside the jurisdiction of the government. Family members of those who work at the Conclave are aware they would eventually be interacting with the future versions of them.

I was having a good time trying to figure out who the deceased was. I had notes even if there wasn’t much to go on. I am aware that with mystery novels there is always the big reveal. It can range from who did it, who died, the reason why they died. Here’s the thing: how the person died was pretty cool. However, finding out who the dead person was was a bit anticlimactic.

The Psychology of Time Travel also allowed us to be time travellers ourselves by giving us chapters bouncing between the past and present. There is an issue within the story relating to the mental state of time travellers after they’ve travelled through different time periods. It is believed that at some point too much time travel can mess with a person’s mind that they would mix up which fact belongs in the correct year. Having to get a glimpse of that by reading through this is a nice touch.

It has been years since I requested this book and I don’t think I am interested in reading this book anymore.

This was an incredibly unique and interesting story about four women who pioneered the invention of time travel in 1967 and the repercussions of that choice and ability. This book was 100% #LADYPOWER and I absolutely loved that. However what I didn't like is how absolutely confusing the book got and a little convoluted. Honestly it is a bit of a miracle I finished the book.

This is such an inventive read! I feel I need to disclaim that I am so drawn to books about time travel, but this one was something special. I love the way that the characters were interwoven between each other and time and how it all seemed to effortlessly blend together.

I also need to give extra kudos to the fact that this was very female forward. Loved all the female main characters.

I could so easily see this becoming a series.

An interesting and entertaining read which isn't confined by traditional time travel tropes.
The Psychology of Time Travel focusses on four women who have invented a time machine, and how their lives and their world change once it's out in the world.
I loved that this book didn't hold itself to the traditional 'rules' of time travel, and instead encouraged its characters to seek out their past (and future) selves, and even live most of their lives in times other than their own. You need to take the science with a pinch of salt, and let yourself live in this world rather than bringing pre-conceived time travel notions into it, but as long as you can do that it's a highly enjoyable story.
Add to it a murder mystery focussed on a room that's locked from the inside, and you've got a fun, intriguing read, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The premise of this sounded absolutely amazing, but the multiple narrators and the jumpy style of the narration made it difficult for me to stay engaged with the story.

WOW, what a story! There are so many books out there about time travel, but this one takes the cake. It was so well developed and unique, and I really enjoyed reading about the four women. Thank you netgalley!

As a science fiction meets murder mystery, this book settles in between two interesting genres. However, for some readers it features too much academia to be hard science fiction, but too much science fiction to be considered a mystery. In this way it straddles a few genres that kept me turning pages until the very end.

At first there are a litany of interesting women characters that it was a bit difficult to discern between them, but as their role in the overarching mystery becomes clearer, they, too, grow more complex and flawed and soon become their own driving forces of the story.

Expect that book about time travel will jump back and forth between time and characters slowly building tension as a mystery unravels. For some, this may be off-putting because just when the story begins to build it changes channels.

Overall, I commend the risks this book and the journey of learning more about the fresh characters in this genre-bending mystery.

Four women invent a time machine and successfully test it on a rabbit. But then.... a human test subject comes back a little coo coo—kinda wants to hop around, twitch her nose, and nibble some fresh timothy. That’s a very weird side effect, and what a cool angle to explore. Did the rabbit and the woman leave some sort of residue in the time machine? What made the woman go coo coo for carrots? After all, this is called the Psychology of Time Travel, right?

But no, the book then turns into a whodunit and refers to psychology in general and not a psychological study of time travelers.

After the end of the novel, there are bonus materials:
- A Cosmo magazine style test you can take to see if you have the right stuff to become a time traveler
- A glossary of time travel terminology. E. G. “Legacy fuck: time traveling to have sex with yourself”
- A set of questions to help you and your book club figure out what questions are important for you so you don’t have to think up any questions yourself

OMG

I was uncomfortable with the book having so many female characters, the way they were depicted, and the lack of an interesting time travel plot. It left me feeling felt like there was an undercurrent of “fascinating womanhood.” I’d have to reread it to put my finger on it, but I’m just not that interested.

Don't let the whiplash of chapters and timelines deter you. The Psychology of Time Travel is a feat. The inclusivity, the honor to cultural constructs, the commitment to science - this is an unforgettable world build of literally colorful characters I will not soon forget. I hope to read many more within its bounds.

Sometimes before I tell you about a book, I like to tell you where I sit before I tell you where I stand. You should probably know I’ve got a thing for time travel. Time travel and vampires. I love books about time travel. Time travel makes me think. Sometimes time travel can give me a headache.

I know time travel isn’t for everyone. I have a feeling that with this particular read, people will love it or hate it. I loved it. I love thinking about the ins and outs and complexity of time travel and just all the possibilities.

In 1967, four female scientists work together to invent a time-traveling machine. The invention is a success, the Conclave is created, and time-traveling becomes a profession. For three of the four women; the fourth (Barbara) has a nervous breakdown and is forced to leave the project. Flash forward 50 years to 2017. Barbara receives a mysterious clipping from the future: in five months, an unidentified woman will be murdered. Is Barbara the victim? The murderer? Barbara’s granddaughter Ruby is determined to find out more.

To tell the story, Ms. Mascarenhas jumps around through time. While the timeline is out of order, the information is presented in a way that makes sense for the reader to learn more about the Conclave, the characters, and the mystery of the dead woman. The story is actually pretty complex, and it can get a little confusing as the time travelers themselves do not live their life on a linear timeline. I really enjoyed little “aha!” moments and small threads that connected throughout the story as I read.

Like I said, I know time travel isn’t for everyone. This book is full of strong female characters and mystery. And time travel. And it was a great pick for me to start the year with.

This was a book that was not for me. I've had other readers rhapsodize about the lyrical quality of the writing and the enjoyable story. But for me...it was a miss.