A beautiful and wonderfully engaging book, The Time Traveler's Guide to Modern Romance was a fantastic read for me! This book really made me hungry in a sense to read more. I love when books do that for me, and the story was fantastic! I cannot recommend this enough! Thank you to netgalley for the review copy!

3.5/5*

This book was provided by the publisher through Chapter by Chapter in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Entangled Teen and Chapter by Chapter!

The Time Traveler’s Guide to Modern Romance tells the story of Elias and Tyler, two boys who both want to feel wanted.

When I first read the synopsis, I knew that I had to give this book a try. Time travelling is always interesting to read about, especially when the author wrote about two boys liking each other. I always love reading books with LGBT+ characters, so I had to pick up this book.

I really liked the story in general, The Time Traveler’s Guide to Modern Romance is an amazing and interesting concept, but the story was a bit slow and hard to get into. I read this book in 1 day because it was just 166 pages, but it took me longer to finish this book than usual.

But The Time Traveler’s Guide to Modern Romance was still an amazing book, and I really liked the story and the characters. There were also a lot of funny moments and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling while reading this book!

I just love time travel books and this is no exception. It's such an amazing story about two boys who are from different worlds and yet somehow find themselves on an adventure together.
Elias is from nineteen-century, he is not happy with his life there and when given an opportunity he chooses to travel in time to the modern era. So, you can imagine how it is going to be for him, learning new things, meeting new people, and having the time of his life. Unfortunately, time travel has its consequences and he will need to deal with those too.
Tyler falls in love with him as soon as he saw him. He is Elias guide in the modern world and spending time together just brings two boys closer. They are a cute and quite romantic couple. I enjoyed reading their story and I think anyone who likes time-travel or YA/LGBT will definitely like this novel.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Modern Romance is a YA sci-fi romance where a teenager from the Victorian era travels to the modern day. This was a short, light, fun read and I'd recommend it.
The reading experience was enjoyable but it was a bit predictable at times. There were certain plot beats that are typical of this type of setup which this story followed. That's not bad, it's very comforting and familiar but this isn't a ground breaking sci-fi story by any means.

I am so sorry, but I just couldn't finish this book.
I was so enchanted with the premise, but when I started reading I just felt my attention slip.

I didn't like the story. It is extremely instalove focused, their is no chemistry between the characters and it uses all the hated YA tropes.

But what made me really hate the book was the very akward writing style.

I just couldn't finish this book... and let's be honest, life is to short to read bad books. Lucky enough what I think is bad, other people will love.

If you're looking for something quick and easy and gay, definitely pick up this book. It was enjoyable for the most part, but it was nothing really special.

The Time Traveler's Guide to Modern Romance is about a bisexual boy named Tyler who is an amateur filmmaker. He sees the world through his camera lens and only really has two friends who he is close to, although he wishes he could be close to others. The second main character is Elias, a boy from the 19th century who manages to time travel to the 21st century and becomes Tyler's problem.

Tyler and Elias are quite sweet and cute together, but the romance develops very quickly. I don't usually have problems with fast developing romance (so long as it's not insta-love) but I think the shortness of the book was a reason why I just didn't care that much about the boys? I think the main reason I liked the book was because you get to see the world through Elias' 19th century eyes and everything is amazing and beautiful to him.

The first half of the book was pretty good, but the last maybe 30% brought my rating down. The writing wasn't as good as it had been at the beginning of the book? I don't know if that's because I read an ARC, but I definitely think the writing grew more childish towards the end of the book and was definitely more 'tell' rather than 'show'.

But if you want to read something super quick and easy to binge and queer, pick this up!

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

When I heard about the premise of this book I just knew that I had to read it. Time travelling gays from Victorian England? Hell yes.

The book is narrated in a dual POV: Tyler, a 21st century bisexual boy who wants to be a filmmaker, and Elias, who was born in the 19th century and has a hard time finding a sense of belonging in his Victorian London. Elias' grandfather shares a secret with him and Elias finds himself in front of Tyler's camera, across one ocean and more than one century away.

By far the aspect that was the most fun to read was Elias discovering everything there is to know about the world now: the technology, the music, the culture and language. In this aspect the book was everything I was hoping it would be.

On the romantic side of things, Tyler and Elias were cute enough but I didn't lose sleep over them. I just felt like their only reason to like each other was the fact that they were both a novelty in the eyes of the other, and this meant that I wasn't incredibly invested in the romantic conclusion of this. I cared more about Elias staying in our century because we have better hygiene and antibiotics than staying because of Tyler, but at the end it was just a cute lil love story (there wasn't really a plot, just some drama that I didn't care about) so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Generally speaking, while I definitely liked this overall, I also found the last 25-30% kind of boring and repetitive, with some plot lines that went nowhere and writing that felt more immature than the rest of the book (but I guess endings are harder to write).

Overall I would recommend this to anyone who loves time travel and gay stories and is looking for something light-hearted and quick to read.

I think I saw a tweet about this book and the description sounded so fun I just ran off to request it on Netgalley immediately. Then one sleepless night I started reading it and was only supposed to read one chapter, but maybe six more happened and I made it to like 23%… Then the next night I read the remaining 77% in one go. I have no idea how long the book actually is because I couldn’t find a page count but I can’t remember the last time I read any book this fast.

The story just had me smiling the entire time. I went in expecting a fun, light story and that’s exactly what I got. Elias and Tyler’s relationship was just really cute, and that’s pretty much how I would describe the whole book. These two boys in love brought me much joy and I would read more about them watching Netflix together and going on cute dates.

It’s pretty easy to forget that this is supposed to be a time travel book, because even though it is mentioned a lot Elias adjusts to the modern world pretty quickly (I think the whole book takes place within less than 2 weeks?) and the actual time travel isn’t very complicated in the end. A little silly even, because you can pretty much come and go as you please once you figure it out, but honestly that’s also what I liked about it. Yes, they should probably be a bit more concerned about the repercussions of it but things don’t always have to be so life and death deep. I’m very into the idea of casual time travel adventures.

Probably the only thing that disappointed me a little bit was the whole dramatic twist towards the end, because it’s made out to be this huge conflict and then it’s just… A weird fluke I’m not sure is even actually possible? It was mostly weird because it felt like someone had suddenly decided at that point that “no I take it back, I don’t want this to be as horrible after all”.

That one thing aside, I just enjoyed this book so much! My timing for reading this was so perfect too, because I’ve been reading so much fantasy lately it was nice to take a break to read something where the character’s aren’t constantly in life threatening danger and just worry about little things like having a crush on your cute time traveling friend.

Basically, if you want a light, happy and super cute read, Time Traveler’s Guide to Modern Romance is so it.

*possible spoilers*

Thanks to both Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Time travel plus m/m romance - this definitely sounded like my kind of book!
The main characters, Elias and Tyler, are both likeable and there's enough of a spark between them to make the relationship feel realistic. The romance was a little too 'instalove' for me. I like a bit more angst and slow burn before the HEA but that's just my personal preference (I blame all the fanfiction I've read).

This was quite a quick read and the story moved along well. Again just my personal preference but I reached the end and wished that the book had been half as long again. Making it longer would have allowed for that slow burn to build and for a bit more depth to be given to the characters so that we could really get know them and experience their reactions to situations and to each other.

A sweet, easy read which kept me interested enough to read on and not become frustrated with the lack of explanation or expansion at times.

I was hooked with the synopsis of this book. Seriously, time travel/lgbt YA story? Yes, please.

From the beginning, this book was so easy to read. It was fast-paced and the romance in it was really cute! I wish it would have been even more developed (the 'i love you' part kinda felt rushed) but that's okay, I didn't mind a bit of insta-love.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I hope you will too. However, just because it's labelled as 'historical fiction' doesn't mean the story is taking place (for the most part) in the past. The majority of the story is set in our time, with the exception of a couple chapters. I have to admit at first, when I read the introduction of Elias in the 19's century, I wasn't sure if it was happening a few centuries ago or if it was happening now.

Also, <spoiler> I don't believe his friend Oscar didn't actually steal his files and posted them on the internet. I mean, his attitude was really weird and the MC seemed a bit naive to easily believe the excuse Oscar told him.</spoiler>

(Thank you to the publisher and author for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

This is a quick story about time travel and two men discovering their paths in life. It was not really in depth and the insta-love is not a favorite of mine. Story line was a good one but it just fell a bit flat for me. I did enjoy Eli's discovery of Tyler's time. Tyler's friends just seemed like acquaintances, even the so called friendship lacked depth.

The Time Travel’s Guide To Modern Romance by Madeline j. Reynolds
3⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for an E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this novel, for me the beginning was a little slow but it definitely grabbed my attention. The characters we are introduced to are beautifully written and created. The world building is also amazing.

One aspect I absolutely loved was the representation for LGBTQ+. Sometimes it’s hard for it to be written like it should be but in my opinion Madeline did it’s justice! I personally wish this book was longer so there could of been more world building, character development and just more explanation in the story but over all I enjoyed it. I would recommend this novel to anyone who wants a quick read and/or a cute LGBTQ+ read.

I WISH I enjoyed this just a bit more than I did. I had pretty high hopes going into it, and, of course, not all of them were going to be met, but there were some areas where this story was lacking, and it really took away from my enjoyment of the novel as a whole.

The Pros:
The premise!!! This story has such a cool idea behind it, and I personally have yet to encounter a LGBT focused time-traveling story, so that was really cool. I hope to see more of this trope in the future!

Elias!!! I liked Elias a lot! He’s probably the most fleshed-out character in this novel, and he has the most personality! He’s definitely the black sheep of the 1800s and it’s definitely easy to love this troublemaker. I just would have liked to know more about him! Also, Big Shoutout to my chaotic bisexuals!!!!

The Cons:
Character development!! I really think I could have loved all of the characters in this story, I just felt, in the end, that I didn’t get to KNOW any of them well enough, so a lot of them fell flat, or left me wondering what their specific purpose in the story was. Elias, being the main character, has an okay foundation, but I really wanted to know so much more about him!! Tyler…. was the biggest disappointment for me. Again, I wanted to like him, but he was just... kinda boring, because I didn’t know anything about him beyond that he’s gay and he wants to go to film school.

Possible minor spoilers ahead, proceed with caution:
Plot development (and relationship development)!! There just was not enough plot development. I wanted to know more about Elias’ life in the 1800s: His family, his GRANDFATHER, his relationship with Peter (i LIVE for unrequited love tropes)!!!!!, and his motivations for leaving beyond the fact that he feels like an outcast. I also wanted to know more about the magic in this universe! It was pretty random and convenient that the one and only bit of magic that is discussed in this novel is in fact the watch that his grandfather just randomly gives him, with very little instruction or warning; it made the whole thing seem really unrealistic. Outside of that, the relationship development is a little strange. Because I didn’t get enough character development, I felt like I didn’t know why Tyler and Elias had such a strong bond,,,, especially one that was enough to have Elias leave his family (who he now knows really loves him) and stay in the 21st century.

TL;DR
I would love to read a MUCH longer version of this story. Same timeline, but with SO much more detail!

This book was a load of cute. That’s the best way to describe it. It’s quick and easy to read and the characters are extremely likeable. It was a short and kind of predictable in the best way.

I liked both Eli and Tyler a lot. They were both likeable characters. Their romance was really cute too. It was interesting reading from Eli’s perspective since he was from a time where being gay wasn’r accepted, and I especially liked there wasn’t a plot line where he avoided his feelings and what not.

This was overall a quick, easy, and simple read. Nothing impactful, but you get what you think you will with this kind of premise.

I loved this story! I have always liked a good time travel story and if you throw in romance, I’m in! Such strong characters and well written and devised story make this such s great fun read.

I don't have a ton of experience in the time travel genre (as far as I can remember, the only book I've read with time travel is the Once a Witch duology. However, this still felt like it didn't stick out in the genre or rise above what I'm sure is an expansive collection of other books with time travel.
I do have to credit the book for getting right into the action because the time travel happened sooner than I was expecting. In fact, it was almost too soon for my personal preference because I was really enjoying the chemistry between Elias, the time traveler, and Peter, his acquaintance from his own time. In fact, one of my major problems with this book is that I found myself rooting for Elias to go back to his own time to end up with Peter instead of rooting for the main romance with Tyler from the present. The main problem with the time-separated relationship wasn't with any statistical problem of how it would work, but with an unfortunate lack of chemistry between the two POV characters. I can suspend my disbelief and deal with a little insta-love in my YA, but I just didn't feel anything between them which made when they broke out the I love you's feel so unnatural and weird.
I did appreciate the representation (for the most part) in this book. I think it's really great that one of the POV characters is an out-and-proud bi man because bisexual representation, especially in men, is extremely lacking. However, I do think the way the lesbian characters were represented in this book could've been improved.
I feel like I've mostly said negative things, but I do want to end this with the fact that I'm giving this book 3/5 stars because despite its flaws, I enjoyed my time reading it. It was a quick read, and while I didn't feel attached to any of the characters, I enjoyed following their journey. I laughed and smiled a couple of times, and I think that although it's not one of my new favorites, that's okay because I still enjoyed reading it.

LGBTQ rep: m/m relationship between bisexual and gay main characters; f/f relationship between lesbian girls, barely side characters

I think you could go two ways with this. If you’re a massive time travel fan a la Outlander or Chronicles of St Mary’s, the sparser world building, the lack of minute attention to historical detail and the fudging of mind sets which have 150 years of distance between them might irk you. The emphasis is very much on the romance (it’s in the title guys) and the time travel/ slip stream element providing a speculative frame work. And I’m ok with that. I thought the adventure side was gripping enough to make up for lack of rigorous detail and the romance was supercute. I believed the chemistry between the two boys. Plus bi –rep. I am all about good bisexual rep in books. So I really liked this one, even though I’m not really much of a romance reader.

ADORABLE. This is a super quick read, and it's super adorable, and there's really hardly any conflict, so if you're looking for a fun, quick read, this is the book for you.

Elias and Tyler are the cutest ever and it was really fun watching someone from the 1880s in the modern world, learning to love openly and without fear. These two kids are the absolute best and their story is really cute <3

Esse livro foi bem fofo de se ler. Não é um livro espetacular sobre viagem no tempo, mas o que a autora conta é simples e plausível, nada tão elaborado ou esquisito de ser entendido. Claro que tem uns furos aqui e ali sobre o que pode ser mudado quando o Eli viaja no tempo; tirando isso a parte da viagem no tempo é ok.
O romance é gostosinho, achei muito fofo. Os dois personagens são bem construídos, com suas próprias características, seus próprios dilemas que eles têm que viver na sua época. Pra quem procura um romance M/M, esse livro pode satisfazer o leitor.
Muitas coisas chamaram atenção nesse livro, por exemplo: a pintura do Peter e o livro sobre a família do Elias. A autora deixa claro que ele consertou as besteiras que ele fez no passado, mas não explicou como as ações dele mudariam o curso das coisas no futuro. Tipos, só foi ele voltar para a época dele e tudo se resolveria, a mancha na pintura e o livro sumiriam? Claro que para poder explicar tudo isso teria que acrescentar mais páginas ao livro e apresentar um explicação bem coesa como as coisas mudam no futuro quando o Elias faz tudo certo no passado.

Para um livro com um casal fofo e romance gostosinho, o livro é muito bom nesse quesito, mas na questão da viagem no tempo o livro deixa a desejar.

Although this book is relatively short (I went through it all in one 3 hour sitting) it packs quite the punch, emotionally speaking. From the synopsis, I knew that I just had to read this book. Despite how short in length, this doesn't take away from the fact that it feels as though it was a fully-lengthed story, with high stakes and things to lose, like any other typical story.
This book is well paced, the feelings the boys start to develop for each other never feels like it's being rushed, despite having to come through in such a short timeframe. I liked how well the chemistry was written between the characters, it was all too believable, and easily attributed to great pacing and even better writing.
Any time anything remotely romantic happened or was hinted at, my stomach fluttered. It's the feeling one gets while reading OTP fanfiction, I wanted these two to be together so bad. Despite both characters being vastly different people, I like how the story embraced their differences but gravitated them both by the ways in which they were similar, I felt as though we had a good mixture of both.
There's great bisexual representation in this book, I always jump for joy when we get bisexuality portrayed in a non-toxic way through a male character, as there is still so much bias that needs serious debunking about bisexual men. And I loved Tyler as a character, from his descriptions he sounded amazingly adorable. Basically, I need fanart of this pair right this moment and give Tyler freckles.
This book pulled so much emotion from me despite me devouring it all in one sitting, there was always something interesting happening, not to the point to where the book was too exciting but enthralling enough that I was never bored. This is relatively easier given the length of the book than a fuller length novel, but this book seemed to pack comfortability and familiarity as well as stakes all in the story and I found it to be a great balance, I was never on the edge of my seat, but I could just not stop reading.
Basically, this book totally lives up to the hype, at least the hype that was in my mind. If you think the synopsis sounds too good to be true, it isn't, please read this wondrous book.