A classically sweet tale of love under circumstances out of the ordinary, Time After Time creates a story both simple and anything but. A story that could’ve starred Judy Garland and Robert Taylor back in the glory days of cinema following WWII.

Grunwald has crafted two lead characters who have endearingly remarkable chemistry. From the first time Joe Reynolds and Nora Lansing meet up, you can’t help but cheer for them to get together.

The obstacle keeping them apart isn’t the typical one, and it isn’t even the larger issues happening around them—the Great Depression and World War II feature as backdrops to this heartwarming tale that stays, not only stateside, but grounded in New York’s famous Grand Central Terminal. The hurdle that Joe and Nora must overcome is the distance created between them by the same phenomenon that allows her to remain corporeal, despite her death years before their 1937 meeting.

Grunwald clearly did excellent research in order to create the atmosphere for the 1930’s and 1940’s Grand Central Terminal. In that way, this story overlaps nicely with what I imagined of GCT from reading The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. Also included is a phenomenon called Manhattanhenge—a time when the setting or rising sun aligns perfectly with the grid pattern of streets and buildings in New York City for the summer and winter solstices, respectfully (similar in the way it does for Stonehenge, hence its name).

Which actually leads me to a bit of a beef I have with this book. A quick internet search for this term (doesn’t everyone look up interesting facts and tidbits when reading?) shows me that this is a term coined by astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson. Meaning this couldn’t logically have been used some 60-70 years beforehand. While I might allow a little leeway for the author, it’s really hard here because the naming of it and apparent popularity only seems to be after the turn of the most recent century. I’m not saying no one noticed this lovely sight before the year 2000, but I am saying that the casual way Joe Reynolds throws this term around really seems to be a leap here.

Despite that science snafu, Time After Time did bring a nice element of discovery and investigation as Joe and Nora work to understand what allows her to stay, what makes her suddenly disappear, and how she became trapped in the first place. With Joe pitting scientific applications against his religious background in order to explain the unexplained provided some of the deeper thoughts from this book. And once the pair of them established a working perimeter for Nora to stay bound within, the story itself became more grounded and steadied.

The book’s blurb totes this as being, “in the spirit of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” I’m not sure I agree with that categorization. While both of those feature a character sort of out of their time, The Time Traveler’s Wife is literally about time travel, and Benjamin Button is about a man who ages backwards through his lifetime. Whereas Time After Time is quite simply a ghost story with a bit of the added element of Nora being out of her time.

What Time After Time could’ve used a bit more of was more in-depth characterizations. There were many instances when both Nora and Joe felt more fleshed out than others. For instance, Grunwald states in her Author’s Note that the times when she is housebound because of her multiple sclerosis, her home feels more like a safe zone rather than a cage. That moment felt fully translated for Nora and her situation, and helped really finished that element of her character. It felt true to life because it is and it was a moment for the book when Grunwald was showing more than telling. This was a problem (inconsistently so) over a good bit of the book. I also had a problem with many of her tertiary characters—particularly those who fill the pages from the Grand Central Terminal. Many of these characters, from the preacher to the café owner to the fortune teller, seemed to serve merely as bodies with which to interact during the many comings, goings, and doings of Joe and Nora.

Despite its flaws, Time After Time was a darling and charming story with an interesting premise and great atmosphere. A transportive and timeless ghost story, taking the reader back to the Grand Central Terminal of the 1930’s and 1940’s, along with a dash of 1920’s Paris to boot.

I was delightfully surprised by this novel. It’s not in my usual realm of interest but was well conceived and well executed. Joe spots Nora at Grand Central Station and is intrigued. He loses sight of her but he sees her again a year later. And again- always wearing the same clothes and looking slightly out of date. That’s because Nora is dead. Or is she? Thus begins a relationship that has everything working against it. Through World War II, Grand Central is at the heart of Joe’s and Nora’s lives. While one particular element of the story becomes a bit repetitive, it’s mostly strong with good characterization and a solid premise and explanation for what Nora is experiencing. Easy read and engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free e-ARC.

I thank Netgalley and Random House for providing this ARC to me. In return, I give my honest review below.

In 1937, this mysterious girl turned up in New York Grand Central station, and mysteriously disappeared again suddenly. Nora is the name of the mysterious girl who Joe met. It was love at first sight. The first two chapters got me hooked. I always love a good historical romance with bits of paranormal twist. The twist is predictable though, as soon as Nora disappears in thin air, I knew she must have been a spirit that lingers in the station. I love the concept of trapped souls coming back to life and forming a relationships with the living. It shows how powerful destiny can be.

The concept is good. I also enjoyed the story overall about Joe and Nora, Joe’s family, and Nora’s background. That said, the last few chapters are slow. I’m not sure why, but the back and forth between Joe and Nora, their quarrels and their eventual separation, was a drag. It was difficult for me to pick the book back up. The ending was also predictable, however sad for Nora. Overall, it was interesting to read about the World Fair, and how WWII affected the families of the soldiers in the US and the unity of people at that time.

What a beautiful, brave and magical book. I am in awe of Lisa Gruenwald's ability to come up with such an original tale, to recreate the world of the 1930s and 1940s so perfectly, to create such memorable characters and and make every aspect of the fanatical. believable. Like the classic Portrait of Jenny and Somewhere in Time, Time after Time is sure to become a classic time travel novel, that will fill readers hearts and bring them to tears for years to come. Bravo!!!

Let me say that I love the cover art on this it absolutely grabbed me and made me want to read what it was about. Fantastic work. Next I loved this! Omg so sweet and had me laughing and crying out loud! This is gonna be a bestseller! It had romance and some history too I couldn’t get enough!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. Loved the characters, loved the historical aspect of it and loved the love story. It's a story that will hook you from the first page and keep you reading until the end. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and give it 5 stars. Since reading it, I haven't been able to stop talking about it. Joe is a Lever Man (controls the train tracks) at Grand Central Terminal, and very early one morning he finds a beautiful young woman who has apparently fallen inside the Terminal. As he helps her to her feet, he notes she's dressed in an old fashioned way, and she only has French currency in her pocket. She inquires about a bank, and as he leads her outside the Terminal, she disappears. He can't get her out of his mind, and years later, she reappears in the same clothing and remembers him. Theirs is a mysterious romance, involving Manhattanhenge, (a real phenomenon), and they try to work out a way that Nora can remain with Joe, since she can never leave GCT. Intriguing, quick read, full of history, art, family ties, and lots of love. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

For my money, there's nothing wrong with a story of star-crossed lovers, as long as those lovers are well developed, believable characters facing believable twists of fate. Where Time After Time first became challenging for me was when I realized that one of the lovers was dead. This was going to have to be believably explained...

The year is 1937. Joe is a leverman at Grand Central Terminal, a highly skilled employee responsible for controlling the movement of trains. He's a proud member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, a kind and dependable guy and all around good catch, 30ish and single when Nora walks into his life and turns his world upside down. Strikingly beautiful, talented and outgoing, she's alive in a way that brings him to life. The procession of Irish Catholic girls his brother's wife has been trying to fix him up with pale in comparison. He's a goner and he knows it from the moment they meet. And, as mentioned, there's an unusual issue complicating matters.

Nearly the entire story takes place in New York's architectural gem, Grand Central Station. The author weaves the building's early 20th century history into the story in well-researched detail, making for fun and interesting reading, particularly throughout the WWII sections.

Manhattanhenge, also known as the Manhattan Solstice, is the device that drives the plot forward.  It occurs when the rising or setting sun is aligned with the east–west streets of the Manhattan grid, creating a spectacular display of light that's a popular event celebrated by New Yorkers.

While I enjoyed the historical setting and details, and the romance as well, the fantasy element was a stretch for me. I'm capable of suspending disbelief and some of my favorite books have involved time travel, but I have trouble buying in unless all elements make perfect, if alternative, sense and I couldn't quite get past the holes in the story. How, I kept wondering, did no one besides Joe ever notice Nora's appearances and disappearances? And a major quibble: the term Manhattanhenge was apparently coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2001. When the story takes place, the event would have been referred to as the Manhattan Solstice - an anachronistic error throughout the book.

Intriguingly, the story is based on true events that provided Grunwald's inspiration. The story behind the story is fascinating, indeed.

I selected Time After Time based on the cover art, the plot description, and the intriguing historical setting, and, while not exactly my cup of tea, it did deliver in those regards.

What’s not to love about a fast-moving tale with romance, mystery, a disappearing girl, a stalwart leading man and a phenomenon called Manhattanhenge? Place this enticing mix in Grand Central Station amidst first the Great Depression and then WWII and it is nearly impossible to put this charmer down. I couldn’t and read it straight through in one sitting. There are bread crumbs all over my iPad. It was just that good. I kept wondering how author Lisa Grunwald could ever end this great story. She does it really well. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley and feel very lucky about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a Kindle ARC of Time After Time.

I really enjoyed The Time Traveler's Wife so the premise of Time After Time intrigued me.

Nora Lansing is a young woman who meets a young leverman named Joe Reynolds at Grand Central after the Great Depression. The two have an instant connection but Joe will soon discover that Nora is no ordinary lady.

Their love will transcend time and boundaries but what do you do when love is not enough?

There were many things I liked about Time After Time, including:

1. The research that went into depicting Grand Central during the 1930s and how it grew into the central transportation hub it is now

2. As a native New Yorker, I loved the depiction of New York during the Great Depression, the difficult times, the laborers and struggling families, war times and how it brought the community and people together

3. I liked Nora and Joe, their chemistry and their unconventional love story. Who wants to be like everybody else?

4. I liked how the author used the science of Manhattanhenge and how it was the portal to Nora's existence

5. A not quite there ghost story written with heart and warmth that is very easy to suspend disbelief for

What I did not like:

The cliche almost romance that developed between Joe and Faye, his brother Finn's wife, when Finn goes off to war after Pearl Harbor is bombed.

Does every story that takes place around wartime have some kind of stereotypical romance with a sibling's spouse?

I found this trope disrespectful to Nora, especially if Joe is the kind of decent, level headed guy he is who loves and cares about Nora so much, why would he be swayed by Faye so easily?

Because she's alive and she's there? That's a poor excuse.

And when he realizes he and Faye are not suited to each other, he pines for Nora once again. What is he, 16?

I hated this part of the book and made me question Joe's integrity. He began as a mature, kind, responsible man but this act made him look like every other cliche dick I read about.

Second, there was a bit too much filler such as when Nora takes up painting. I understand its a part of her character development but there was just so much everyday routine that didn't sound monotonous.

This was to be expected because Joe and Nora's life is restricted to Grand Central and the Biltmore because she is tied to the station.

The book could use another edit to tighten the pacing. There were parts toward the end of the book that dragged the story down.

I enjoyed the parts when Joe and Nora went apartment hunting or figuring out how Manhattanhenge was the cause of Nora's reappearance. These routine couple activities were a reminder that their relationship was anything but ordinary.

Overall, I enjoyed this story, the setting of a post-Depression era New York City and Nora and Joe, likable, personable characters.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The cover and book description is what originally made me interested in this book. The storyline drew me in and kept me interested throughout the book. The love story between Joe and Nora is bittersweet, spanning over time. The ending was a disappointment to me, but I would still recommend this book.

There is nothing like a great piece of historical fiction to transport you through time and place and Lisa Grunwald’s Time after Time accomplishes that and more. The love story between Nora and Joe takes place largely inside of Grand Central Station in New York City in the 1930s and 40s. I am generally not a fan of ghosts (in novels and in my life!) but Nora felt so charming and three dimensional that I was not bothered by the fact that she was actually dead. The life that they created within their 700 feet was rich and fascinating, set in a time period that was equally compelling.

I found the characters and their relationships to be richly layered. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Joe and his brother Finn and their “No-Matter-What” pact that allowed them to share the most intimate details of their lives. My heart broke with Joe’s when Nora disappeared and soared with Joe’s when Nora reappeared. The ending surprised me and I was happy to read about what needed to happen, rather than what I wished would happen.

The writing was beautiful, and I found myself highlighting phrases throughout each chapter. I am in awe of the amount of research that was done about Grand Central Station, as well as the events, fashion, and entertainment happening during that time period. I cannot wait to take a train to NYC and walk around the terminal, noting all of the places that were mentioned in the book.

One question remains for me: how is it that no one else in the terminal noticed that Nora did not age one day throughout all of those years? It seems like it would have been obvious, and I wish that was addressed in the story.

I especially appreciated the author’s interview at the end of the book. Lisa Grunwald’s insight into the relationship between her life and her story was the icing on the cake, allowing me to appreciate the message even more fully.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway

3.5 Stars

When Joe first sees Nora standing in Grand Central Station, she has no suitcase, or coat even though it was early in the December morning of 1937, barely dawn. She seemed completely out of place, and her clothing seemed from another time. He approaches her, offering assistance, information, whatever help she needs. He’s intrigued. When she tells him where she’s trying to go, Turtle Bay Gardens, he recognizes the neighborhood, as it’s only a few blocks away from the YMCA where he lives, as a significantly more posh area than his own humble dwellings. He offers to escort her home, and along the walk there, she vanishes.

Joe is a leverman at this renowned terminal, and so when a year passes, and the solar event that occurs two mornings every year –where the rising sun lined up exactly with the east-west street grid of Manhattan – he is there to see her return. He’s more intrigued at first than smitten, but it isn’t long before he falls for Nora.

Solving the dilemma of how to continue life this way is a matter of trying to avoid what has failed, and sticking to what they believe will keep Nora in the here and now (or then, as the case is), and with the Biltmore Hotel attached to the terminal, Nora can remain safely there, but there are family duties for Joe that pull him away periodically, and events that, ultimately, affect both of them.

Since this is a book around a time-travel story, I wasn’t expecting everything to line up perfectly, but there were several things in this story that stood out to me and bothered me. Things that, for me, were somewhat blatant in not fitting in the era, and other things that were completely implausible, and not in a time-travel related way. For that reason this fell a bit short of ‘love’ for me, but I did enjoy this, overall. I just didn’t love it.

The Winter Solstice event, Manhattanhenge, that used to occur in the morning hours and bathe Grand Central Station in its light on these fluctuating two mornings a year (weather permitting), is no longer visible in Grand Central Station. Progress - another building was built which blocks the sun’s rays from hitting the window from the east as it did before. And more’s the pity. The Summer Solstice event, Manhattanhenge, is still a significant draw for those looking for a more urban version of Stonehenge, and occurs as the sun sets over to the west. Of course other cities in other states and countries have similar times when the sun’s rays create magic, you just have to look for them.


Pub Date: 11 Jun 2019

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group / Random House

As with many other time travel romances, the central conflict is that the traveler doesn’t age the way the non-traveler does. Despite the repetition of that plot element, this is still a good story. Joe and Nora are engaging and believable characters, and it’s fascinating to see how cleverly they deal with the challenges of Nora apparently being confined to Grand Central Terminal. Most of the action takes place in the 1930s and 1940s, a particularly vivid time in Grand Central history.

For aficionados of time travel books, I should mention that this is not at all a science-bound time travel book. There are discoveries of a sort about what happened to cause Nora’s situation and what rules she is bound by, but you really don’t want to think too hard about them.

I’m not going to say that this is a great work of literary fiction, but this book did remind me in a way of Amor Towles’s A Gentleman in Moscow. In both books, a character is forced to live for decades confined to one building. In both cases, it’s a large and many-faceted building, with workaday functions, hidden places and wonders, and its own regular cast of characters. The main character(s) make the building an entire world in itself, and the authors convey that in a way that makes the reader visualize a life in such a world.

The story of Nora and Joe is a good one, but it’s the exploration of the world of Grand Central that takes this story into a magical realm.

Be sure to read the author’s notes at the end of the book to learn about Grunwald’s two main inspirations for the book.

Liza Grunwald's Time After Time is an impossible story of love between a flapper and a trainman, unfolding over several decades inside Grand Central Station, fueled by the magic of Manhattenhenge. It's a story of love and longing, responsibility and freedom, destiny and choice.

An intriguing and fantastical story of love and fate that sweeps you into the 1920's taking the reader on a time ride through the magical history of New York City's Grand Central Station and seduces you into a by gone era. Just loved this book! It was fresh and quirky and I was bewitched... I wanted to believe that anything is possible.

Joe is a linesman at the Grand Central Terminal in bustling New York City in 1937 when a young woman appears suddenly shaken and confused and that was all it took. They begin a once-in-a-lifetime, tragic love affair that will endure time but is also ruled by it. Nora is not alive nor did she die from a tragic explosion that rocked Grand Central years before. She is caught in time - destined to appear on that fateful day years later and then disappear just as quickly. Joe can't let her go but he also can't figure out how to make her stay and for them to have a normal life. They do figure out a way for Nora to stay longer as long as she doesn't venture outside the train station perimeter. Her art flourishes thanks to the art classes above the terminal and they live at the hotel nearby thanks to kind friends. Their future has no future but for Joe, there isn't a future without Nora. Sweet romance, interesting fantasy angle, and characters to fall in love with making this a first-rate historical romance with a twist. Perfect for fans of THE STRANGE CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTONS and mildly spooky gothic ghost stories. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Time After Time is a beautiful and sweet love story. It breaks your heart and makes you believe in the power of love. I love learning more about the secrets in my city and Grand Central Terminal, one of the most beautiful spots in NYC, has such an interesting history full of ghost stories. It was nice to add this one to the mix. I am a fan of historical fiction and I truly felt transported back to the Depression and WWII time. I loved Joe and Nora’s story. Both characters were equally compelling and their story transcends time and space. A must read for historical fiction and romance readers. You wont be disappointed!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this lovely book in exchange for an honest review:

It is rare that I pick-up a book and have to keep reading. I usually pick up a book, read the first paragraph or two and usually know if something is for me or not. I will, usually, return to said book and give it a chapter or two, just be fair. Not with this gem. It had me at two sentences.

Other reviews gave wonder synopsis' of the story already so I'll just share my opinion: The story of Nora and Joe is...charming, funny, sweet, heart-wrenching (literally, there was a certain scene I could feel my heart tighten for Joe) and I guess if I had to chose one word, beautiful. I loved their playful banter and wit, the way they fought and loved. I loved the little tales of the Grand Central Terminal and Crazy Mabel. I loved everything about 'Time after Time', except three, albeit, little things.

Now, please take note, these three things are in regards to this uncorrected galley:
1. "he loved the thought that she M-shaped entity..." I have no idea idea what this is. I went back to look at previous chapters, certain I missed something as I was devouring this delicious book, but still came up empty.
2. "He had never been to an ocean..." is this possible for someone from Queens, NY? He can go to World's Fair but he can't take an extra 45 minutes and go to Rockaway? Or Riis Beach?
3. "The fact that some relative of his once worked here as a trainman..." who is this person? Is this Joe's grandson? Great-grandson? Is this Mike's son - grandson - great-grandson? By using "some relative", as the reader, I have no idea who this is, expect they are part of the Joe's family. In the book, Finn, Joe, and Mike were said to all look a like. If instead of "some relative," the author might have used "grandfather" or "great-grandfather" something more specific, if only for the selfish reason, that I (the reader) would at least get my happy ending knowing that Joe got his; because I could believe that this person is part of him. As it is now, I'm left in a gray world because I have no idea who this person is and their relation to Joe.

Saying all that, I loved this book and know that when it comes out in June 2019, I will be picking up a copy for my library. It is definitely re-read material.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. Here is that review:

On a cold December morning in 1937, Joe encounters a young woman he has never seen before. And Joe has seen EVERYBODY that goes through Grand Central Station. This woman is dressed in a tattered out-of-date flapper dress and beautiful pearl earrings - and she speaks as if it were still the Roaring Twenties! After spending some time with her, Joe offers to accompany her home, but along the way she simply vanishes. A few years later, he once again runs into her - and once again she disappears. The book follows the many appearances - and a few disappearances - of Nora Lansing in Joe Reynolds' life.

This is one of those love stories you just really WANT to work out, but realize it simply can't. Suspending belief is so much fun when the book is this good - and this one really is. The penultimate chapter is dated 1947 and the last one is simply "Many Years Later", so the book covers at least 25-30 years.

Read it - you will like it!