Never leave me by Jody Hedlund.

I finished the remaining chapters in one sitting after beginning the book a day before.

As usual, Jody took me on an adventure to the middle ages and I enjoyed myself through the pages.

Never Leave Me is book 2 of the Waters of Time series.
This particular book centred on Ellen and Harrison stories. I also got to know more about Marian and Will.

I am so grateful to Revell for letting me read the two books. I still cannot forget the plots.

The themes were insightful. The action plot and twists were perfect.

I am rating this book 5 golden stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are mine.

Jody Hedlund's Water of Time series is a mix between sci-fi, history, and romance. Never Leave Me is a great read. As Harrison and Ellen dig deeper into the powerful properties of the Holy Water, I couldn't help but feel a part of the story.

3.5/5

The Waters of Time series is such a unique universe. After enjoying the characters and fast-paced plot from Come Back to Me, I was really looking forward to Never Leave Me!

~Plot
Overall, the plot was good. I felt like the holy water/healing/time travel concept made a little more sense. Once we're taking to the middle ages, the book is very fast-paced. It seems like one thing after another goes wrong for poor Ellen and Harrison (which makes the story much more exciting for us.)
I loved that we got to visit Will and Marian. They stole the show for me!
I struggled with the plot at the beginning and middle. Particularly the vacation scene. I completely understood why Ellen stayed with Harrison during her treatment. But, renting a honeymoon suite after they were healed was kind of odd for a Christian book. The farce with the older couple was really, really odd. I
And, finally I was a little disappointed that our adventure was cut off so abruptly, with so many questions about the secondary characters.

~Characters
I really liked Harrison. He was daring and sweet and vulnerable and everything a hero should be. I wish he wouldn't have played the "Oh. I'm going to lie about my feelings" card but I completely understand why he did.
And I loved how he held his own against Will. Nice.
Ellen's personality was sweet, and I really felt her dilemma as she thought about the ultimate cure and the children she helped at Serenity House. Not to mention her feelings for Harrison.
I think her little farce in the beginning of the novel made it difficult for me to connect with her but I am pleased with where she ended up.
~Writing
Overall the writing was good. Beautiful, descriptions and a driven storyline. My only complaint is that there some odd info dump scenes. For example, when Harrison is healed in the beginning of the novel, I was ripped from the moment to learn about his life history. Or, there were odd moments of attraction during danger. This wasn't a deal breaker, but it did take me out of the story a couple times.
~Content
Overall clean. Some kissing, violence. and Talk of forced marriages. The characters spend a weekend at a resort but there's no sketchy content there.
~Would I Recommend
Yes! This is a good time traveling book that Christians will love for its passionate yet clean romance and action.

4.5⭐ - A great addition to the Waters of Time series.

I enjoyed the latest instalment of Ms Hedlund's time-travel series. I find the premise of going back and forth in time fascinating, and the weaving of true-life historical events into a fictional story such a thrill to read!

Off the bat, I need to disclose that I absolutely adored Marian and Will in the first book. Okay, who am I kidding. I LOVE Will! So it was absolutely wonderful to see glimpses of them in this second book. But the be fair, I don't think I connected as well to Ellen and Harrison as I did her older sister and her broody, delicious knight. 😉

That being said, I read this book with anticipation. The suspense in this story felt different to book 1, but the crazy and terrible situations were still unique and, naturally, shocking to my modern sensibilities. The chemistry between Harrison and Ellen was less fiery than Marian and Will, but every person/couple is different, and the romance and attraction was stilll fun to "watch" unfold.

A wonderful read... can we now have a book involving Sir Nicholas, please? I forsee a spectacular story in his future.

NB I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley. THANK YOU!

The Waters of Time continues with Ellen and Harrison. Both of the are battling health issues and Harrison want them both to drink the water in the flasks that he found. He believes they have healing powers, but Ellen is not so sure. Soon after Harrison ingests some, Ellen starts to believe. They soon learn that others are after the healing water and will do anything to get it.

I received a copy to read, the review is mine.

I loved the first book and had seriously high hopes for this one. I was a little let down with the slow beginning. Sadly I didn't like Ellen. She rubbed me wrong and I just couldn't get passed it. She was very immature. The story line had some holes, it was not believable and just felt a little off. The book was fun to read when it got going but there were some eye roll moments. I did enjoy this book as a whole and will read the next....which was alluded to a little. We could have a 3rd easy with the investigator and the brother Christian.
This is a clean Christian romance time travel book.

If you would like to return to Canterbury in Middle Ages, don’t miss Never Leave Me, the second book in the time crossing historical fiction series by Jody Hedlund. Join Ellen and Harrison as they cross time to reunite with family and attempt to escape Dr. Lionel.
Never Leave Me is a good addition to Hedlund’s “Waters of Time” series. To fully understand the characters, it is helpful to read Come Back to Me, the first book in the series before diving into Never Leave Me. I eagerly anticipate the next book in the “Waters of Time” series and recommend Never Leave Me to readers who enjoy mystery and intrigue combined with time travel historical romance that includes an uplifting Christian message. Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

The first book in this series, Come Back to Me, took me by surprise- I loved it. This follow up wasn't as powerful for me. While this book was action packed and suspenseful, but I just didn't connect to the main character or see her growth the way I would like. 3.5 stars- rounding up to 4.

I am a Jody Hedlund fan. I really enjoyed this first book in this series and I couldn’t wait to read this one. I will say, this book took me a lot longer to get into. I was about forty percent of the way in before I really started getting into it.

I was curious how everything would work out. How would Ellen get back to the present and what would happen to her while she was in the past.

As always and in true Hedlund style, she writes some great romance scenes.

Overall, I did enjoy this book.


A copy of this book was given to me through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I never thought I would enjoy time travel books that one of the time periods took place in ancient times. After all how could I possibly enjoy reading about a time period that is so different than mine? Well that was before I read Jody Hedlund's, The Water's of Time series. Now granted I only gave it a try because I LOVE the author's books and figured why not give it a shot. The first book was excellent and somehow I thought this book was even better.
Her eloquent writing style left me unable to put the book down once I picked it up making for a late night read, but I'm okay with that.
I felt just as comfortable reading the time-travel areas as I did the modern times. The author pulls you in with her exquisitely researched book. The book has you holding your breath a few times wondering how the characters can get out of the situations they are in. This very intriguing book had me captivated with it's fast paced suspenseful moments and the romance was spot on.
Highly recommended!

Pub Date 04 Jan 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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Story Notes

The second in the Waters of Time series is a wonderful read that will stretch the imagination and warm your heart with it's romance.

I had mixed feelings about this story. On the one hand, the romance was beautiful, the characters were engaging and the history was intriguing. On the other, the concept of holy water from the seeds of the Tree of Life is a bit of a stretch for my finite mind. I had a hard time with how this water healed and allowed time travel too. Not that I don't believe in healing or have my own personal faith but I just had a hard time with making it work in my mind. I did enjoy the story otherwise and how everything built on the discoveries and situations of the first book. I will say that this book moved much faster than the first book and I definitely had to go back and reread things to keep it all straight. I would recommend this book for others as I liked it pretty well but be aware that the content isn't typical fare nor does it follow typical rules.
I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Revell Publishing via NetGalley. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review but am pleased to do so. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

This story blew my mind. It really was breathtaking. The Waters of Time series is one of the most unique I can ever recall reading. I don’t know how Hedlund does it, but I was taken on an adventure unlike any other and I couldn’t get enough. I was blessed to read the first book in this series, and while you don’t need to read it to enjoy this one, I totally recommend you do. I first met Ellen and Harrison in Come Back to Me, I easily fell in love with them then, and couldn’t wait to read their story. I was also secretly hoping to spend some more time with Will and Marian. Hedlund did not disappoint. I found myself staying up later than I should trying to find a spot where I would be satisfied with waiting until morning to read again. I was kept on the edge of my seat, and had no way of guessing what could happen next. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Historical Romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was in no way forced to post a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Picking up in present day aftermath of the previous book, Harrison is working to continue Marian and her father's work to find a cure for Ellen's VHL. But there are those who would use a cure for their own selfish gain and stop at nothing to attain it.

I loved Harrison from Come Back to Me so I knew that this book would be fantastic with his noble selflessness and quick thinking, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I think that I liked this book even more than the first. Ellen is compassionate and has a heart for helping others, and I loved seeing her open her eyes to the possibilities of love.

This is a fast paced read, engaging from the start, with well developed and likable heroes. Romantic and full of adventure, this was a riveting read. I enjoyed the time bending fantasy elements, as well as how this book dealt with difficult ethical questions. Harrison and Ellen work well together, both of them are so selfless and have a passion for helping others.

Time travel, adventure, romance, this book has it all. I loved getting to see familiar faces from Marian's story, as well as meeting new characters like Sybil. A totally enjoyable read from beginning to end, it will be interesting to see if there are more books in the series, perhaps Nicholas will make an appearance? Wonderful for fans of romantic adventure, with tastes for speculative fiction.

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

Never Leave Me continues where Come Back to Me left off. This time the focus is on Marian's sister Ellen, and her father's former assistant, Harrison.

Ellen Creighton has chosen to live out her final days at her longtime friend, Harrison Burlington's estate. She doesn't know it, but Harrison has been in love with her for years. The only thing holding him back from professing his love? He became paralyzed as a child and wants Ellen to be able to fall in love with a "whole" man instead of settling for him. When he finds more of the healing water said to have originated from the Tree of Life, he wants Ellen to drink it and be healed. Unfortunately, she still blames the water for the deaths of her father and sister the year before and wants nothing to do with it. However, she can't deny it any longer after Harrison drinks a flask and finds himself able to walk and to see without his thick glasses for the first time in decades.

I was excited to read Ellen and Harrison's story after getting a glimpse of them in Come Back to Me. I was a little disappointed that I didn't love their story as much as I enjoyed Marian and William's. Most of the book felt very rushed and the plot, while exciting and fast-paced, didn't seem well developed. However, I really enjoyed getting to go back in time again to see what happened in Marian's life since the last time we "saw" her, and the chapters back in time were my favourites once again. Although this wasn't my favourite out of the series, I would still have to give it a solid 3.5/5 stars.

*I received a complimentary copy of Never Leave Me through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

Time Travel + Christian Fiction + Chaste Steam + Marriage of Necessity + Second Chances

Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund, the second and final book of the Waters of Time series, met my high expectations as a much-anticipated new release in early 2022..

The concept of holy water connected to the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden having miraculous powers of healing and time travel was introduced in Come Back to Me and is continued in this story which features Ellen and Harrison, intriguing secondary characters from book 1. Harrison loves Ellen but won't act upon his feelings due to his disability and age. Ellen never imagined marriage and motherhood in her future because of her terminal medical condition and imminent death. The discovery of two tiny vials of holy water impacts their lives, as well as the lives of others, beyond their comprehension.

If the term "chaste steam" doesn't exist, I'm inventing it for this novel! Harrison's longing for Ellen before and after their marriage of necessity was intense but his actions didn't cross a moral line, and Ellen's feelings for Harrison grew as her future expanded. Jody Hedlund's writing is a great example that romance need not be 'graphic' to express passion and desire.

There's a LOT of time travel in this story, and some of it became confusing, but I enjoyed the ride and was pleased with the ending for all of the characters, even though it felt a bit rushed.

I'm going to be book-bossy and insist that readers must read Come Back to Me before reading Never Leave Me. The framework for this 'world' is established in the first book, and the second picks up soon after the first ends without lengthy explanation (which I appreciated).

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell Publishing for the review copy of this fabulous novel.

I have been impatiently waiting for this second book in author Hedlund's Waters of Time series. I was pulled into the lives of this family from the first book, and I really wanted to get Ellen's and Harrison's story. What was going to happen to them now that they just have each other, and would Ellen ever see her sister or father again?

Now Ellen has a very serious disease that is killing her along with tumors that is making life really painful for her. She has lost her sister and father and only really has Harrison her best friend to see her through her final days.

Harrison is deeply in love with Ellen and has been for a long time. He never felt he could pursue a relationship with Ellen as he is about 12 years older and he also is in a wheelchair, not sure if he can be or wants to be a father. But he is desperate to save Ellen, but he is losing her each day to the disease that is wasting her away. So, he does what he can and makes her comfortable in his caste.

Then lo and behold the past breaks through to the present again, and Harrison now believes he has the cure for Ellen. But she won't believe him, so he uses it to prove to her the validity of her family's research. After that, the story picks up speed and races through time, past and present as very evil men want to get their hands on this miracle cure as well and Ellen and Harrison are even in more danger than before.

If you are looking for romance, time travel, medieval background, contemporary, familial relationships, this story is jam packed with all of it. I have been a long-time fan of author Hedlund, and I think this series tops everything she has written so far. Her time travel technique was both unique and fun to read about. And the romance between Harrison and Ellen was swoony as all get out and a memorable one.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

3.75 stars

Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund is a unique time travel novel while hunting for Holy Water. I believe characters should read the first book Come Back to Me or much of this story would be hard to follow. While the story does continue the first story and feature the same main characters, the plot pretty much mirrors the first story. A forced marriage. Confused about deciding what time period to live in. While the first novel does feature more sexual tension than this novel, there is some of it, but not as much as in the first novel. While the story is a little farfetched of an idea, but then again, any fiction novel could do this, I wanted more of the suspense element. In the present day, Ellen is running from a certain character who wants her to chase down the holy water and bring it back to him, but it is really only one scene. Not that important to the story. I wanted more of this suspense. Hedlund left it in the air that he is still on the run, and it was the end of the story. The story seemed kind of shallow, even though the plot was interesting and different. I guessed I wanted more action in the present and more explanation of the how things work.

I received a complimentary copy of Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund, but the opinions stated are all my own.

Rating 3.5

I was highly anticipating this second story after loving book one, Come back to me. And the cover is stunning - it just screamed ‘Read Me’.

I loved being in the Medievel Times - I enjoyed the Knights, the danger and just they way they spoke and interacted. The Modern Day time line was also interesting, I just felt the pace was a bit slower.

I loved Nicholas and secretly hoping for a book 3 with him. The villains, both in the past and current times were creepy and self-seeking, which made the heroes more dashing.

Though I enjoyed this story and the love story as well, I did love book one a bit more.

Another incredible 5-star novel by Jody Hedlund! This time-travel romance will appeal to a wide range of readers, with storylines taking place both in contemporary and historical times. Even if you do not think you are a fan of time-travel romances, you will be after reading this series! Readers will want to start with Come Back to Me (book one in the Waters of Time series) to achieve maximum enjoyment of the plot lines and to fully understand the background of the characters. The series has such an interesting premise with holy water being able to heal any disease and being a means to cross time for others.

Much like book one in the series, Never Leave Me keeps readers fully invested in the storyline. The beautiful messages of faith incorporated throughout the novel, sizzling romance, and a captivating journey to the Middle Ages filled with danger, intrigue, and suspense make this a must-read novel. The storyline begins about a year after book one ends, with Ellen Creighton and Harrison Burlington taking center stage this time around. It is fascinating to read how the contemporary characters experience life in the Middle Ages and the author’s authenticity in creating the characters.

If you ever watched the time-travel TV show, Timeless, which was on NBC a few years ago, you will definitely enjoy this series.

Never Leave Me is highly recommended for fans of time-travel romance, contemporary romance, and historical romance. I did not want this book to end or have to say goodbye to this wonderful cast of characters. Jody Hedlund…if you see this, please, please, please, write book three to complete the series!!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Yay! Book two in this series is finally here! I've been waiting to read this one because the first book was good and left things primed for this story. You really need to read book one before reading this book. The story is continuing and all the characters are in both books. The first book really sets the stage for this one with background and explanations.

Time travel books are tricky to write, I think. You have to make some sort of logical sense out of it and the author does a pretty good job of it here. We start in the present day and are there for a bit, then we go with Ellen for a dip into the past. It's quite eventful to say the least! The first part of the book was really us getting to see Ellen and Harrison together, interacting and getting to know their relationship. The second part was them apart, in desperate times, trying to help each other. The pacing was good, building with tension and emotion all the way through.

I especially loved Harrison. He was so kind, gentle, and thoughtful. Ever the gentleman. He adored Ellen and it was expressed in his words and his actions. He was the hero of this book for sure. Harrison! 😍

This book was a good change of pace in my reading. Time travel is a lesser written genre and I'm glad this author gave it a go. It was fun!

Content: peril, death, mild violence, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.