Suspension by Andrea Faye Christians is a lovely paranormal fantasy centered around the Clifton
Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. Isambard Brunel, the legendary eighteenth-century civil engineer, designed the bridge which was constructed in 1831. Fun fact: Isambard means “iron bright” or “iron axe.”

The main character, Carla, is drawn to the bridge after her death. She learns soon afterward from Matilda the psychic sidekick that she is a “dream walker.” A dream walker helps lost souls to figure out what problem they need to fix for them to cross over into wherever they are supposed to go next – heaven or hell.

Carla meets Brunel along with Ernest Hemingway at the bridge. There is a portal that Brunel guards. Ernest Hemingway doesn’t seem to do anything except be Ernest Hemingway. I guess he doesn’t have to do anything else.

Brunel also gives Carla most of the information that she is missing. She’s only been a ghost/dream walker for a few weeks and needs a bit of job training. Brunel tells her that she comes from a fairly long line of dream walkers.

While on the bridge, Carla meets David, who cannot remember anything. They hang out for a few weeks. The lost soul and the dream walker fall in love, which is not allowed. I guess it messes up the order of things.

One day, David disappears and Carla is not sure why. She goes on the hunt for her lost soul mate with the help of Matilda. Hopefully, Matilda is in book two of the series. She is my favorite character in the book.

If you are a fan of fantasy, paranormal fiction, or historical fiction with a bit of time traveling then you should love Suspension.

I think that even if you are a person who doesn’t like fantasies you will enjoy this fantasy anyway.

Links:
I received this ebook from NetGalley. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own. Obviously.
Andrea Faye Christians website

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Quite the ride! Very cinematic in scope and very much had been guessing till the very end. I want more!

📙📙BOOK REVIEW📙📙
Suspension By Andrea Faye Christians

As a longtime Bristol resident I was drawn to this book, the first in the Time Binder Series, by the setting. A unique experience for me as I’m not a fan of this genre. However having started reading I was drawn bit by bit into both the characters and the storyline. It’s a short read but well written and oddly fascinating.

Briefly, we meet Carla for the first time when she finds herself dreaming and looking down on herself. It doesn’t take long before she realises she is dead. However she is unable to move to another plane. In a surreal world she walks onto Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and meets up with Isambard kingdom Brunel who shows her that she is a Dream Walker and her job is to help other people who have died but have left certain things unsettled.

Yes very strange but kind of addictive reading. You clearly need to suspend all belief at the door but it would be nice to think that if there is some sort of afterlife there is someone there to help you! Although a bit dark in places it also has a sensitive side. I would classify it as a cosy paranormal read with a touch of humour and some great historical characters. Enjoyable.

Time travel is one of my favorite tropes in books. Ever since "the midnight library," i have not been able to find a book that makes me relive that feeling of time traveling until i read this book.

What did I enjoy?
- an excellent pace to the book
- giving hints of what was going to happen later in the book
- good character development
- I wanted to read more
- Great start to the book
- great plot

What did i not enjoy?
No complains it was a great book all around

An ingeniously written time travel romantic story. Carla falls asleep and awakens in a different time period. The timeline is in the past. This where Carla meets a myriad of historical characters and unique individuals. The plot is imaginative, and the writing brings the reader into Carla's predicament with smooth transitions. I enjoy time travel stories and this one is top tiered.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Lucid House Publishing for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is such a unique and imaginative read. The author does an incredible job of capturing the curiosity, the surreal, and almost magical concept of how life after death works and how the concept of destiny doesn’t always end or even start in life. The imagery and atmosphere the author creates are so mesmerizing, and the layered mythos that the author creates is so engaging for the reader to delve into.

Yet it was the richness of the characters and their backstories that really drew me into the narrative. The shock of the protagonist’s new reality and the explorative nature of her journey as she learns and discovers herself in this world within our own world was amazing to read. It put an all-new spin on the time-travel elements of the story, as well as the more philosophical and spiritual themes the author explored in this read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
This was a bit of a weird time travel and sci-fi novel.
It fell a bit short for me and I struggled to finish it.
I think I was expecting more after reading the description.
Just wasn’t for me.

Thank you Lucid House Publishing, Netgalley and Andrea Faye Christians for this free ARC in exchange for a review.

I tried to like this book, but couldn't get all the way through it. It didn't keep my attention, and the characters didn't have much in the way of personality.

Suspension was definitely worth the read – you’ll want to grab your copy today!

I very much empathized with the bewilderment of the protagonist, Carla Thompson, as she realized she’d died in her sleep and the confusion she felt meeting people who were in a similar situation. When Carla realized her new role in the afterlife was as a Dream walker, I thought she handled it (and everything else) rather well. I couldn’t imagine being told I have a job to do after my death, but she fully embraced her new role. I’m not saying that she didn’t whine about it a little, but who wouldn’t?

The characters Carla met were dynamic, and each one was completely unique, dealing with their lot in life differently. They all kept me wanting more, but a particular favorite was the protagonist’s interactions with Brunel. The author did a great job capturing the essence and repute of Hemmingway. Just when I’d think he had no redeeming qualities, he’d say something that made him more personable.

One thing I enjoyed about Suspension was that your beliefs, as far as if there is an afterlife or what it entails, won’t really affect your enjoyment of the story. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife, the storyline will be relatable and make sense.

There were a few places where the story seemed to drag. The flow in those parts kept pulling me from the story and is the reason I didn’t rate Suspension higher. However, I do recommend reading it. I, also, plan to read the next book in the series because Suspension left a lot of unanswered questions and I’d really like to learn more about Carla’s family history as Dream walkers not to mention Brunel’s connection to her family line.

I enjoyed Suspension even though I was not sure what to expect when I started it. The story follows Carla Thompson, a woman caught between worlds, as she struggles to understand her purpose as a Dream Walker. I found the book to be well-written and quite original as I haven't read a lot of ghost stories. Carla's exploits add a bit of mystery and romance to the story, too, and her encounters with Brunel on the bridge leave me wondering what might come next for them I would have liked to know more about Brunel and about Carla's connection to her family and her past.

You don't have to believe or not believe in an afterlife or whatever comes next to enjoy Suspension. It makes sense and kind of makes you hope there are Dream Walkers for those who need them

Thank you NetGalley, Andrea Faye Christians and Lucid House for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.