DNF 35%

I feel bad for giving up on an advanced reader book but it's so dull. Nora dies from a train crash at Grand Central Terminal in 1925. Joe in 1937 meets her spirit (maybe she's a spirit) at the terminal. They immediately fall in love and I'm bored. The flashbacks of Nora are interesting. Joe is a boring character, though. And since this book is a romance, I knew I was never going to enjoy it. There is no conflict. The blurb says that there will be one but I'm not going to continue reading to get to it.

I gave it a two star instead of one because of Nora.

Quite simply, a beautiful love story I never wanted to end. Along the way I learned so much about Grand Central Station and Manhattenhenge. Joe and Nora were such heroic main characters. Every move they made was both heart breaking but understandable. A joy to read.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a charming, heart wrenching, unlikely love story about two people who never should have met and fallen in love. Nora had just come back to New York from Paris when she was a victim in a train crash in Grand Central Station. It's December 1925 and she died in the terminal that day. Joe is a leverman at the station and happens upon her one morning in 1937 as he gets off work, she has no coat on a December morning and clothes from a different time and he's instantly smitten with her...but she disappears when he trys to walk her home. They see each other occasionally over the years and Joe works to learn all he can about her and what happened to her. Their love is instantaneous as he trys to figure out how to keep her in his time. Not only is this a touching love story that spans two decades but I also enjoyed the little looks into the history of New York and the Grand Central Station.
Thank you Netgalley from the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Lisa Grunwald. I usually do not like time travel stories, but this won’t works. The setting and time period (end of The Great Depression and World War II) is my favorite. I loved learning about life was affected in a normal family affected by the war. The author’s excellent research shows up as she paints a picture of Grand Central station. A wonderful love story develops between Nora and Joe. So many obstacles and sacrifices to overcome. Be sure to read about the author at the end. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially drawn in by the cover of this book (covers matter, y'all!!), and then the tagline snagged me for real: "A magical love story, inspired by the legend of a woman who vanished from Grand Central Terminal, sweeps readers from the 1920s to World War II and beyond, in the spirit of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

I MEAN. HELLO.

This book delivered on everything it promised and more - I was totally spellbound from almost the very first sentence and there wasn't a single chapter of this book that I wanted to end. If anything, I had to force myself to read slower because the details of the book were so beautiful when you really stopped to savor them. My absolute favorite thing, even more than the wonderful love story of Nora & Joe, was everything Grand Central.

I love that the author was able to make the setting a character in it's own right, and I was fascinated at all of the information she was able to share about GCT without it ever feeling like an info dump of "Super Interesting Factoids About The Grand Central Terminal." The history of the terminal itself is so much more rich and nuanced than I knew - I did not know that you could reach the Biltmore Hotel from the terminal, nor did I know that there used to be a 242 seat theater that, for over 30 years (!), showed newsreels, short films, and cartoons. The information about Manhattanhenge, or the Manhattan Solstice, and how it briefly connected so beautifully and meaningfully to Grand Central Terminal's arched windows, was also so interesting - I wish I could have seen that aspect of the phenomenon!

I had such an affection for both Joe and Nora, and their story was so great to read. For as complicated as their love was, they communicated well and often, and were open with one another about their worries, hopes, dreams, and wishes (which is always refreshing!). The magic and mystery surrounding Nora's sudden appearance was done SO WELL, I found myself going back and reading previous parts of the book to see if there were any small Easter Eggs that I had missed (and maybe just wanting the book to last a little longer). Also, it's important to note that Nora is probably one of my new favorite heroines: brash, feisty, loving, passionate, stubborn, fierce, independent, smart, and vulnerable. She was such a well drawn out character, and I was never ready to leave her POV. (Joe's pretty great, too.)

I'm not sure exactly what you would call this book if you were to classify it - there's definitely bits of historical fiction in here, but there's also a bit of maybe, magical realism? or Science Fiction? or Fantasy? I could see arguments for any of these, but I think I would have to call it a Magical Realism Historical Fiction. Sure. That's what I'm going with. But however you define it, it's 100% worth the read. (Also, I think this would make an excellent book club pick - so much to unpack here! Especially the ending. Yowza.)

I loved this book, it reminds me of The Time Traveler's Wife. Joe works at Grand Central Station and only sees Nora who looks out of place on a particular day of the year. One time he walks her home and she disappears leaving his coat behind. Can Nora and Joe be together once they figure out her appearance and disappearance? The setting is around World War II which is my favorite historical fiction time period.

I’m a sucker for stories with time travel and stories with old-time-y New York history, and this had both. I loved it. It’s a beautiful love story that starts when Joe, a worker in Grand Central Station, meets a beautiful but mysterious, young woman named Nora in the station on a December morning in 1937. He loses track of her suddenly though, and then doesn’t see her again for a year, when she again, disappears in a very strange way. I don’t want to give too much away, but when Nora arrives again, they both soon discover the surprising reason for Nora’s repeated disappearances—and along the way, they fall hopelessly in love. Together, they learn the complicated way they must keep Nora in one place, but this comes with some major downsides—which turn into impossible choices. This book is rich with New York history and spans the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. I rooted for the characters, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. Perfect for fans of romance, strong characters, historical fiction, time travel, and life after death, Time After Time is a beautiful, engrossing novel that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I would really have to describe Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald as imaginative! While it is a sweeping romance that spans time, it is part supernatural and part historical fiction. For that reason alone, I’m a wee bit on the fence with this one.

When Joe sees Nora standing at Grand Central Station he is intrigued — she has no suitcase and no coat, yet it is barely dawn on this December morning in 1937. She appears to be out of place. He goes to see if she needs help, but when he offers to escort her home, she vanishes.

As the year passes, Joe sees her yet again. In the same dishevelled, out of date clothes, there she is one year later. It is a special day, not only for her return, but also because of the Manhattanhenge that takes place. It is when the rising sun lines up exactly with the East-West grid of Manhattan. Sure enough Joe is captivated by this rare occurrence of Nora appearing like this, but before long, he is head over heals for her. But will Joe’s life and family obligations get in the way of this budding romance? And can Nora stay safe only with the Biltmore Hotel attached to the terminal? In this backdrop of World War II, Grand Central becomes the heart of Joe and Nora’s love.

I will say this book pleasantly surprised me. I’m not a big fan of historical fiction novels but I did enjoy certain aspects of this one. The background on Grand Central Station was very interesting and refreshing. I really found the significance of Manhattanhenge to be fascinating. I’ve never witnessed it, but I’ve seen photos of it and it is stunning. That bit of history with the fantastical aspect of time travel made this book authentic.

On the other hand, I was very disappointed by the characters. They felt underdeveloped and unlikeable. I really had a hard time resonating with Joe and Nora. I was waiting for the plot to unravel this sweeping romance that defies the laws of age and time, but what I got were two very flat characters. I didn’t feel any connection between Nora and Joe, which is really required in a romance, especially given the whole premise of this book. It left me feeling entirely defeated with the romance aspect.

I will give Lisa Grunwald credit where it is due. She is a brilliant writer. She has a lot to offer in terms of the creativity behind the book; even the historical facet was brought to life with her descriptions and imagery. With that being said, I could see this being adapted for the screen, especially with the supernatural, even magical elements sprinkled throughout the book.

While Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald would normally not be my cup of tea in terms of genres to enjoy, it had some intriguing elements that held my interest. Although it lacked in the romance department, the fantasy and historical details gave this book the charm it really needed. It is a well conceived and executed book that had its ups and downs. If you’re looking for an engaging and easy read, this book is worth getting!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Lisa Grunwald for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Time After Time swept me off my feet! This was a unique story that taught me so many incredible facts about Grand Central Terminal and Manhattanhenge. For those that don't know about the Manhattanhenge sunrise and sunset, this book does an excellent job of describing it in detail. Had I not read this title, I would have never known about this historical fact!

The first few chapters are certainly a slow burn, yet I became quickly addicted to character's Nora and Joe, intrigued to know happened next in their story. I had a different idea about how time travel would be originally incorporated into this novel, however Grunwald caught me by surprise and definitely exceeded my expectations. While this a bittersweet love-story, both Nora and Joe tugged at my heartstrings numerous times and felt relatable in several ways. Anyone who enjoys historical fiction romance should definitely give this title a read!

Loved the idea of this book and the specifics involved in Nora’s time travel. For some reason the characters never really “came alive” for me. In particular, Joe had so much potential but he seemed so flat to me. He did all the right things, especially with his niece and nephew, but didn’t seem to have much affect. I never found myself caring about him as a character. Nora was somewhat more defined and seemed to fit within the life she could lead. Loved the way she forged a life within the parameters of GCS, especially going to art school. The ending seemed to fit the book but was not what I had hoped for. Thank you to Lisa Grunwald, Random House, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book, just published yesterday.

On December 5, 1938, Joe Reynolds see a beautiful woman on the floor of Grand Central Station. He rushes to the clock and helps her to stand. Something doesn’t feel right with Nora Lansing, but at first, he can’t place what it is.

Once Joe realizes that Nora should have died in 1925, they work together to attempt to determine how and why she appears on December 5 some years but not others. During their time together, Joe and Nora fall in love and make the “Grand Central City” their own.

Nora is only twenty-three, forever. She is an outspoken and strong woman even for the 1920s. The reader watches Nora mature while she stays the same biological age. She continues to seek out things that fulfill her. She does not allow her limited surroundings to crush her dreams or prevent her desires.

Joe is pulled between the woman he loves and the family he has always been close to. Would they understand? Joe’s overwhelming feelings for Nora burst forth and he doesn’t let anything, even reality, to diminish his feelings.

Take the opportunity to follow Joe and Nora as they fall in love, figure out how to maximize their time together and discover things about themselves they never knew. The descriptions and specificity of Grand Central station will make you believe that you are there. If you are like me, you will be planning a trip to New York to see Grand Central and look for Joe and Nora while you are there.

Highly recommend this book. It explodes the repeating day writing form into a believable love story that develops the characters and focuses on the relationship rather the fact that something reoccurs.


I received an ARC Random House Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.

I enjoyed this book, but it could have been so much more than it was.

I can't discuss what I liked and didn't like without spoilers, so I'll just dive in. This is NOT a time travel book. This is a ghost story. Sort of. The revelation of how Nora is stuck between life and death, and the mechanism of why, is really the best thing about the plot. It's *clever* as well as being, mmm, sort of plausible.

The good: The lively, loving descriptions of Grand Central Station and its architecture, secret passages, and inhabitants. The author clearly did her research and did a fantastic job bringing GCS of the 30s and 40s to life. I kept envisioning the spaces as I read, both the spots I've been to there and the ones I haven't. It felt very real. The diner, the lost and found, the offices and basements -- they were characters as much as any of the people. I picked up a real sense of what it might have been like to work there early in the century, the pride and wonder that still surrounded such elaborate edifices compared to how we take them for granted now.

The eh: I really, really wish this story had focused on Nora, not Joe. I ... didn't really care so much about Joe aside from his interactions with Nora. I got bored every time the narrative left Grand Central and went off to Joe's family and his tangled emotions around his obligations. I wanted to know more about Nora, her interactions with the denizens of Grand Central, how she carved out her niche, and particularly what happened to her after 1947.

I know this was a love story, but it really should have been Nora's story. Interacting with Grand Central's people through the years, watching them grow old while she stayed the same; exploring her feelings more in depth about being stuck in those few hundred square feet. We got some of that, toward the end, but only in contrast to Joe's itchy feet and his conflicted emotions. And again -- I really didn't care about Joe's emotions much. He didn't seem to give much thought at all to what it was like to be Nora. And it really, really bothered me that Joe was the one to figure out *every* revelation about Nora's situation. Yes, he had the knowledge of the building to go on, but c'mon, Nora, have some curiosity and ask some questions!

The bad: The ending. GAAAAH the ending. Skipping ahead 40 or 50 or whatever years, Nora has done who-knows-what and avoided detection who-knows-how. She's interacted with hundreds of people passing through and working in Grand Central, but of course she still pines for Joe, because that's twu wuv. Argh. It was schmaltzy and seemed written for a straight-to-video cheesy film version.

Don't get me wrong -- I think this story was a great twist on a ghost romance, and I really loved the character of Nora. Her determination, empathy, strength of character were really well presented. The comparisons among a young woman of the 20s and the women of the two following decades was a fascinating contrast in social norms and attitudes. That's why I wanted more of her, and less of the stereotypical over-protective boyfriend.

I was intrigued by the short blurb I read about this story. I was, for some unknown reasons, expecting a time travel book and instead, the book is a mix between ghost story and science fiction with a very long romance. While it wasn’t what I expected, it was still a good read.

My only problem with books set in the fairly recent past, as this one is, it’s easy to spot anachronisms and those can be distracting.

Once I was able to get over those small issues, I was able to enjoy the love story and the innovative idea behind it. I also appreciated the author explaining (in the follow-on notes) how it mirrored, to a degree, the relationship she has with her husband. I can relate to that as, due to illness, my world has become smaller than most others experience.

In this story, Joe, who works as a leverman, discovers a young woman in the middle of Grand Central station. She is somewhat disoriented and he tries to take care of her. Shortly thereafter, she disappears.

The story takes you from the time when the young woman, Nora, is getting ready to leave to France in the period following World War I and continues through decades. I won’t tell you where it leaves off as that would be a spoiler.

Enough to say that it was an ending that I didn’t expect but which made complete sense. I actually wanted to know more about what came next, so that is a good way for a book to end.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I loved this book! What’s not to like — New York City, era from 1925 to 1947, sympathetic couple, and a mystery of time and space. Having grown up in Connecticut, I took many a train into The City and know the public face of Grand Central Station well. Little did I know how much is hidden from the public, both below ground and high in the air. Grand Central plays as big a role in this story as Joe and Nora and it is a worthy setting for their love story.
Joe is working in the tower at GCS, skillfully routing the hundreds of trains arriving and leaving the station every day. One day he meets a lovely young woman trying to find her way home. Joe is intrigued and offers to accompany her out of the train station. Suddenly and unexpectedly, she disappears and thus begins Joe’s quest to find Nora again. It is a quest that spans many years and several tantalizing meetings over the years before the mystery is finally solved.
Once the ground rules are understood, however, the story is only half told. Our hearts ache for these star-crossed lovers who can never have the conventional “Happily-ever-after” romance. Told against a backdrop of the world at war, the story takes many unexpected twists before reaching its conclusion. Although left with several questions, I found my trip into the past gripping and the conclusion satisfying.

People often ask me where I get my book recommendations. Frequently I get them from my bookish friends, other bloggers, and authors. So when two people whose taste I respect (including author Adriana Trigiani) told me I have to read Lisa Grunwald's Time After Time, I listen.


I'm not normally a fan of time travel/magical books, but this one sucked me right in. In 1925, a young woman named Nora was killed, along with many other people, in a horrific train crash at Grand Central Terminal in New York City.



In 1937, Joe, a railroad leverman man who works at Grand Central, finds Nora standing near the gold clock at the terminal, looking lost and out of place. He asks if he can help her, and there is a spark between them. She says she has to go home to Turtle Bay Gardens, and Joe goes back to work.



Exactly one year later, Joe sees Nora again at the terminal. He takes her to lunch at a coffee shop in the terminal and they get to know each other. Joe offers to walk her home, and after a young man accosts them and Joe scares him off, he turns to find that Nora has disappeared.



When Joe goes to the address that Nora gave him, a man living there says that Nora doesn't live there- she died thirteen years ago in the train crash. Joe is astonished and can't believe the story, but something about Nora is different and maybe this could explain it.



Joe can't get Nora out of his mind. He discovers that Nora shows up on the anniversary of the day of her death, which happens to be Manhattanhenge, a phenomenon when the sun lines up with the East/West streets so that you can see it from the East River to the Hudson River.



Every year on that day, he looks for Nora at the exact place he orginally found her. Now they need to find out what makes her disappear. While they figure that out, they fall in love as they explore all of Grand Central Terminal together.



Lucky for them, Grand Central Terminal has everything they need- food, clothing stores, and Nora even takes art lessons there. They try to have as normal a life as possible, even staying at the Biltmore Hotel there.



Watching them fall in love is lovely, and seeing Grand Central Terminal through their eyes is magical. It will be impossible now to go to Grand Central Terminal and not look for Nora and Joe, as well as stare at the window that seems to be Nora's porthole to life.



I can't recommend Time After Time highly enough. It is a love story to get lost in, and it feels like it is destined to be a classic, a book that you can return to again and again to reread. Joe and Nora touched my heart deeply. Time After Time is the love story of the summer. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

When Joe meets Nora in the terminal at Grand Central Station in the late 1930's, his life is forever changed. After spending he day with her, he believes that Nora may be "the one." When she literally disappears in front of him, he begins a quest to find out all he can about her. He learns that Nora actually died in a train accident in 1925, and she has been returning to the station just about every year on the anniversary of her death. Once Nora and Joe figure out that the station terminal is keeping her grounded in the living, they make the most of their life by living the buildings of Grand Central Station, Will their love endure the confines of the terminal?

What I knew going into this book:
- 1930s/1940s NYC
- Grand Central Station
- something to do with Manhattanhenge
- maybe something to do with time travel?

That was enough to draw me in and make me want to give it a shot.

Wow. Reading this book was an experience that transported me fully into the story. I sat down intending to read a few chapters - and quickly became so absorbed I could barely put it down other than to occasionally turn to Google images for some references.

This is a beautiful story - I loved spending time in Joe and Nora’s lives. I loved seeing all the different glimpses of Grand Central and this time period.

I recommend going into this without reading the plot description and just let it unfold for you as it does for Joe. I also highly recommend reading the author q&a at the end - I often skip them but this one adds even more to an already beautiful story.

Thank you so much to Random House and Netgalley for the free review copy.

I was initially attracted to this book because of the time period in which it is set. I love a good WWII story. This book is a romance but it includes history, travel, and fantasy. I thought that maybe the story was going to be a little too far fetched for me but I found myself reading as long as I could at night and woke up wondering what would happen next.I have so many other questions about this story. Did Nora ever get sick? Did they want children? How did Joe explain her absence? It is a good story and now, I really want to visit Grand Central Station and take a tour!.

Time After Time is an incredibly sweet love story by @lisagrunwald. This book has been compared to The Time Traveler's Wife, which is one of my all time favorites and involves time travel mostly set in the end of The Great Depression and World War II.

Synopsis: Joe is a sensible man, risk adverse, and works as a lever-man to ensure that trains arrive on the correct tracks. Nora is a former flapper, free-spirit, and wants to travel the world. Joe first sees Nora standing in Grand Central Station in 1937. Even though it is early December, she has no suitcase or coat, and her clothing seems dated. He approaches her to offer assistance and to escort her home. However, along the walk there, she vanishes. Nora and Joe continue to find each other again and again by luck of the "Manhattanhenge" alignment of the sun.

Review: Almost the whole book takes place inside Grand Central Terminal and the Biltmore Hotel and the author did such a beautiful job of painting the details for the story; I could see the layout and all the little shops, businesses, and secret rooms mentioned, the characters, each time period, and overall atmosphere.This is a book you become fully immersed in and I was completely spellbound in this world. This story also has you reflecting: if your life is confined with limitations and boundaries, is this truly living? What would you sacrifice to be with the one you love? I will be thinking of Joe and Nora every time I walk through Grand Central and will look for all the nooks and crannies their lives were in.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for my ARC of this wonderful book! This will be published tomorrow, June 11, 2019.

Grand Central Terminal isn't someplace that I would consider romantic. People are rushing places, tourists are looking up and walking too slow. It's never very clear where one is supposed to go. BUT then there is the Grand Central Terminal of the past. Of an art school, of the Campbell apartment, of the kissing room.

Joe is a lever man at Grand Central. He meets Nora - a girl who looks a bit out of place but has something special about her that he can't nail down. She asks to be walked home - and on the way - Nora disappears. A year later - Nora returns - and their romance begins.

Time After Time is that kind of historical fiction that I enjoy reading because it transports me. I was in Grand Central - watching as Nora arrived, watching Joe and Nora's first kiss, watching the soldiers leaving for WWII....Lisa Grunwald did a great job of capturing the feel of pre/post war New York.

There are some elements that reminded me of Joseph Cotton/Jennifer Jones movie "Portrait of Jennie" - and sure, I guess the Time Travelers Wife - but honestly, this stand alone and is the story of love.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.