I received an eARC of Spirit In Time by Julie Howard from The Wild Rose Press, Inc, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
5 stars! I absolutely LOVE time travel books, so naturally, I was thrilled to come across this gem. Spirit In Time was a fantastic read! If you are a fan of the paranormal and time travel, I highly recommend this book!

I enjoyed this novel a lot. It can be read as a standalone. I didn’t know it’s part of a series at first but it made me want to read the other novels as well.
If you like time-travel stories, this book is for you. It hits all the right spots and more. The pacing is fast and there is no dull moment. It’s also thanks to the characters. The author did a great job with them. I really felt for Jilllian/Jane and reacted the same way to the challenges thrown at her. I especially liked when she is acted exactly as I wanted her to act!
It’s a fast intriguing read; don’t miss it!

***Thank you, Julie Howard and The Wild Rose Press, for the e-ARC.***

So, I didn't realize this was book 2 in a series. I felt like there was so much I wasn't understanding with the storyline and now I know why. The author does a great job fleshing out the setting and drawing you into the story.

Good book, is the third book in the series but can be read stand alone.

Time travel and historical fiction is my type of book. The author takes you on a great trip in the book. I would like to read more in this series.

This review of Spirit in Time by Julie Howard is courtesy of NetGalley. #SpiritInTime #NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

This is my first time reading a book by Julie Howard which I picked to review solely based on the description which included time travel and mystery. I did not realize that it was the 3rd in the series (according to the book, though Amazon lists it as 2nd in the series) but it was a standalone novel and didn't require any prior knowledge.

It's clear that the author did some research for the book as at least some historical figures were mentioned and actual locations.

I found the story generally enjoyable with a nice ending.

I like books that involve time travel. It really helps to appreciate how things have changed over time.

Having misread her train reservation from PM to AM, Jillian decides to do a little "touristy" sight seeing to pass the time, Jillian Winchester writes a ghost blog and also has a strange ability where she can see and hear ghosts. While walking she sees a man in a window of a prominent family's mansion and museum. While touring the museum, she comes across a famous painting and sees a likeness of her boyfriend Mason. Curious about the painting she decides to ask about the painter, but before she can do that she feels an earthquake. But it isn't an earthquake. She has discovered a portal to the past where she will meet several people in which she tries to enlist their help to return to the present.

Paranormal blogger Jillian Winchester has time to kill while waiting for her train in Sacramento, California. She asks some locals where to visit while in town who suggest a prominent family's mansion and museum. While touring the museum, she comes across a famous painting with a familiar face. Is it her boyfriend, Mason, or a mere coincidence? Before she can ask the security guard for more information, an earthquake shakes, and she tumbles into the past. It's 1872 and she's in disbelief. Is time travel real? Or did she just hit her head? While trying to figure that out, she poses as a maid at the same prominent family's mansion she was just visiting. She's got a million questions, mostly about the painting and Mason posing for the painting. When she reunites with Mason, her life gets even more complicated. Can she and Mason find a way back to the present day? What if Mason doesn't want to go back? Will Jillian find a way home, or will she be a spirit in time?

Spirit in Time is a riveting paranormal mystery I couldn't stop reading. The descriptive narration is historically accurate and allowed me to feel every emotion Jillian experienced. I've never time-traveled myself but I'd like to think I'd react in the same way as Jillian. The plot moves at the right pace, not too quick, and not too slow. The characters were beautifully portrayed with their thoughts and emotions appropriate for the time period. The mystery part of the story kept me invested as I whipped through the pages until the very last page. Julie Howard's writing is sublime, and I honestly didn't want to leave the world she created. Part historical mystery, part paranormal adventure, Spirit in Time is your passport to time travel. If you love time travel, you'll love Spirit in Time. If you're a paranormal reader, you'll want to read Spirit in Time. Highly recommend!


My Rating: 5+ stars

In Book 3 of the Spirited Quest series, Jillian Winchester, author of the paranormal Spirited Quest website, is on her way to Nevada when she is stranded in Sacramento for twelve hours. Making the best of the situation, she heads to the Crocker Museum, a historic mansion built in the late 1880s, with its famous artwork including, “Sunday Morning in the Mines,” to do a little impromptu research for a future blog. After she detects something startling in that painting, an earthquake strikes, that flips her universe upside down.

I loved this time-slip historical paranormal novel with its taste of an authentic Sacramento in the late 1800s where life is hard, technology doesn’t exist, and women don’t have many choices. Questions plague her as she wonders who that mysterious Asian man in the window was, if her boyfriend, Mason, is still in Brazil on his photography assignment, and how she can get back to the place where she began.

Readers will experience the juxtaposed realities of current times versus life in Sacramento over a century ago. The ending presents twists and turns the reader won’t anticipate leading to a satisfying read. Although this book will draw in readers from a variety of places and times, I think this book would be of special interest to readers, like me, who have grown up with insider knowledge of California history. I can’t wait for more in this series!

Quite enjoyable. This has a slightly unique aspect, which is adding a clairvoyant character to a time-travel story. The author pulled if off, and writes well. The story includes some nice twists and I enjoyed the ending. Recommended to time-travel fans.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

I almost lost interest in the book. I say almost because after picking it up again the third time to finish what I started, I found myself embroiled in everything that was happening in the book. I enjoyed the characters so much. i could be friends with. This was a very enjoyable read!

I received a free copy from Netgalley. I am leaving my honest review.

When I requested this book, I didn't realize it is the 3rd in a series. However, this book can b read as a stand alone novel.

Jillian is a ghost blogger. She winds up hijacked from present day Sacramento, CA and brought through time to the late 1800s with no idea how to return home.

The author's depiction of Sacramento in the past was vivid. It served as a reminder of the conveniences we take for granted.

The characters were well done but the plot was fairly predictable. How will Jillian get home?

That said it is a quick and pleasurable read.

I

Time is not on her side

Spirit in Time: Book 3 in the Spirited Quest series, a February 2021 release out of the Wild Rose Press, written by Julie Howard as part of the Fantasy Rose line.

Time travel isn’t real. It can’t be real. But ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester discovers otherwise when an enigmatic spirit conveys her to 1872 to do his bidding. Jillian finds herself employed as a maid in Sacramento, in an elegant mansion with a famous painting.
The artwork reveals another mystery: Why does the man within look exactly like her boyfriend, Mason Chandler? Morality and sin live side by side, not only in the picture, but also within her. As her transgressions escalate, she races the clock to find the man in the painting, and hunt down a spirit with a disconcerting gift.

Our Review: Once again, Julie Howard takes the reader on a wild ride as her protagonist Jillian Winchester hunts out spirits in need, helping them in their quest for resolution or closure—whatever their needs might be. This time we travel back in time to Sacramento. One of Howard’s gifts—or talents if you will—is her attention to historic detail whether it be architecture and background of the city of Sacramento, the mores and customs of late nineteenth century, or the plight of immigrant Asian populations. A delightful read and even more, a terrific addition to this most original series.

On a scale of 1-5, Spirit in Time deserves a 6.

Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews.

Spirit in Time
by Julie Howard

This is a story about time travel and so much more. It deals with recognition - and precognition. The story is somewhat predictable, for the time travel genre and yet reveals that the author has spent a good deal of time thinking about all the possible outcomes and what effects time travel might have on the course of history - both on a macro and micro scale - world events and very private, personal events.

The author also brings clairvoyancy into her story - people who can see and interact with ghosts. And also people who may be able to act upon the lives of total strangers from various time periods based on their ability to foresee the future.

I found this to be a somewhat unique outlook that made me examine whether I myself can believe that these things can be possible.