Vale is a first-person POV novel about time travel, curses, fate, 1840's England, depression/grief, romance, and finding yourself and place in life through all of the turmoil.

The book follows Vale, a 36 year old married mother of 2, who lives in 2021 and gets taken back in time to the 1840's. Vale get's reverted back to her 18 year old body, but keeps all of her memories of her life - meaning she still remembers the children she left behind.

The cover and the synopsis had me really thinking I was going to love this book. It has all the markers for me for a good time reading, but it fell flat and confusing for me personally.

The atmosphere of the book and the setting are the book’s strongest points. I think the author spend a lot of time researching the differences and similarities of the time periods and that really shined in Vale. The writing/prose is also well done and Bentley paints a great picture of her world. I enjoyed the world building a lot.

I feel that this book really could have used an extra chapter or two of exposition before the time traveling aspect came into play because I found I didn’t care at all about Vale’s former life and the little mentioned about her family didn’t create any ties for me as a reader to invest in them. It took 23% of the book to even learn of the children’s ages. Even though she has been mourning the loss of them the whole time, we know little to nothing about them. I feel like we could have had a shining moment of learning more about them to get the reader really emotionally attached to them but we didn't.

One of my biggest gripes is the constant breaking of the fourth wall where the main character will address "the reader" for no reason at all. It happens at least 7 times in the book and the first one is on page 3. It's so jarring and takes you right out of the world Bentley built. There is no reasoning for it as there is never a mentioning that Vale knows she is in a book or that she is writing a journal/letter/etc. about her life.

The thing I really could not get over was the cousin incest. Now - I understand and acknowledge that in the 1800's things were very different than they are now in regards to marriage. Marrying cousins was normal as you needed to keep assets in the family, etc. However, having your protagonist being a 21st century woman who time travels back in time and then have her be blood related to her love interest, without a SINGLE thought about it from the protagonist is off-putting to say the least. I was close to DNF'ing at several points because of these choices. I kept pushing through it because I really wanted an explanation, and I eventually got one, and it did not make me feel that much better.

Another hit to my enjoyment of the book is that I found I was really in search of more information on the magic in the book. The way it ended up being explained turned more offensive to the community she drew it from rather than a satisfying or fleshed out magic.

The pacing was also a really big problem for me in the book, it starts medium-paced, then hits slow-paced 20% in and stays slow until the last portion of the book. Then in the last 20% of the book its just fast-paced out of left field. The ending felt rushed and honestly un-satisfying for me personally.

The side characters are shining stars of the book, Anne and Margot are my favorite characters in the book. Anne feels like a real person and you really understand all of her motivations and reasonings. Anne's friendship with Vale felt pure and real, and her personality was a joy to read. I loved all the Anne scenes. If Anne has no fans, then I am dead.

Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, Assault, Sexual Assault, 1800's Treatment of Women/General Misogyny, Emotional Abuse, Mentioned Suicide.

3 stars Vale - Tessa Bentley

I am soooooooo torn with whether I like this book or not - but it has so many positives so I’ve decided to focus on that within the review. Put simply, I am giving Vale 3 stars because the plot is incredible - and for the most part, extremely well executed but the TOV is confusing and takes away from one of the most interesting premises of a book I’ve seen lately.

The characters and their backstories are set up really well - sometimes I find this lacking due to narrator bias but Bentley did a really really good job here at making all the characters, and their relationships with other character really three dimensional.

The TOV throughout the book just did not sit right with me. From the offset, it is made clear that Vale is a modern-day Californian women - so I’m just really confused why the novel reads as though the main character was born-and-raised in Victorian England?

Looking back - I’m not sure if the book was meant to be Vale reflecting back on her life? But if so, that means that the tenses sometimes simply do not add up, which is also frustrating so either way the book has left me a bit frustrated :(

That being said - the curse family & the second chance at love tropes are executed super well and if you’re looking for a cute fantasy romance set in Victorian England, you probably will enjoy this!! Just maybe don’t deep the tone of voice as much as I did 😪

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This read is definitely outside of my normal wheelhouse but I was pulled in by the GORGEOUS cover. It took me a little bit to get into, but I did enjoy it. It started off really modern, as Vale is from the current time and then brought into the 1800s. There are twists, turns, and betrayals, and a lot of emotions as Vale mourns the centuries of separation she now has from her kids. But there is hope as she assimilates to her current life in the 1800s— a time where she actually belongs— and a much better husband than the emotionally abusive one she left behind in the 2000s. Sometimes your perfect man is just in the wrong century.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

When I first saw this available on NetGalley, the cover pulled me in. I’m a sucker for a nice cover. I read the description and thought maybe I can give it a try. Im typically not a historical fiction kind of person but I really did enjoy this book while I read it. It kept drawing me back in to keep reading. The writing in this book was wonderful.

A beautifully written fantasy that navigates the past, the present, abuse, family and relationships, Vale is a book that makes you walk in to the pages and take a seat, taking in everything this book has to offer.

A lovely romance with that takes you on a journey, this book gives to the very last page a sense of cosiness and a sense of magic that won't leave you for a while. The past and present stories are told brilliantly and make for incredible reading but also in moments heartbreaking too (check trigger warnings for this).

A gem of a book, if you want a little fantasy romance that brings you something different to the usual this is perfect for you.

I wanted SO badly to like this book. It sounded so good, and the cover was beautiful.

But the story was SO long and drawn out.

I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. I haven't read many gothic fantasy books so I'm not sure if maybe that's the case, and all are similar to this, but I hope not.

A slow paced historical fiction. Was a bit disappointed and not what I was expecting. The plot was cute though!

Such delightful a time-travel historical romance! I love this book, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a historical romance this much and I love how relatable the MC is. Thank you Netgalley, author and publisher for this e-ARC

Rating: 3.8 stars
Pace: Rather slow
Genre: Historical fiction 50%, Romance 40%, Fantasy 10%.

I quite liked the book, I enjoyed reading about Victorian England life.

It's slower paced book, with little happening, but it's still enjoyable if you like Historical Fantasy to experience life of the past.

Life in Victorian Northern England from perspective of aristocrat women is nicely explained. Nice touch to understand it is that Vale, main character, time travelled from modern time. It uses this to showcase how different it would be, though also from perspective of someone who knows plenty of life in 19th century. I personally find that it would have been a lot harder for me to adjust to no running water, electricity and loss of rights. Vale explains this a bit, why it was not too hard for her to accept.

I think it's fairly realistic presentation of culture of the time.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I don't think I would have discovered this book otherwise.

Firstly- the cover is absolutely beautiful. Dark and mysterious.
I enjoyed this easy read, it was touching and cute and had an unexpected twist! What more could you want?!

Vale by Tess Bentley is a historical romance with a touch of magical realism and maybe a little of gothic elements of the atmosphere added in. Set in mostly in the 1800s Victorian era, this book primarily is a love story.

Vale, a woman in her mid-30s, a mom of two children, in an abusive marriage, is dragged by a man who says is her kin to Victorian era England. In this period, Vale gets acquainted with Edward, George, and Anne. Who are they, and what role do they play in her life is the essence of this story.

This book is a slow burn historical romance. There's a twist at the end that breaks the monotone of the romance. However, I wished that I could have known all little about Vale's life before she is dragged to the Victorian era. The ease with Vale accepting her life in this period was a little problematic for me. Also, the pace itself was a little slow for me.

Thank you, Liefman Books, for this book.

CW: Sexual assault, kidnapping, grief, depression

I enjoyed this even though there wasn't really a plot. Vale and Edward were cute and I liked them. I do feel like a lot of their connection was described to the reader and not actually shown to the reader. I would have liked to maybe get his pov and maybe that would help.

I received an arc through netgalley.

I really really loved this book. The characters will draw you in and make you feel for them through all of the twists and turns. The writing really lets you sympathize with the protagonist and stay completely engaged in the story line. Also, people say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but this cover is just as beautiful and the quality of storytelling in this book. If you couldn't tell already, I think you should read it, especially if you are a fan of historical romance or time travel.

This is a great read for those that are a fan of contemporary or historical fictions. The characters are well-fleshed out and it's a great insight about the difficulties of suddenly having to navigate a historical period.

Does anyone else love historical fiction more when there's a hint of fantasy thrown in too, or is it just me?? The fantasy twist in this book: time travel!

I loved reading Vale's journey of personal growth in this story. It was told in such a sensitive and thoughtful way. I found myself growing more thoughtful about my own inner self. I loved it when a book can evoke such a deep thought process. With that being said, this did feel very instalovey for me which is one of my least favorite tropes.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical romances and deep journeys of personal growth.

I had a great time reading this book and I'm glad that I requested it.

The plot and the twists were intriguing. But I think it could have a chapter or two on the current time so that we could understand Vale's relationship with her husband and children. That could make it easy to understand her feelings considering she was so sad about it for such a long time. Also, I was hoping for their divorce scene.

The chemistry between the main characters was good. I was expecting a slow burn but never mind. Only one thing irritated me, Edward talks about Vale's beauty way too much. Almost every convo of them had mentions of that. It's good to compliment but too much is irritating. Sometimes it felt like he liked her only for her beauty. Except that, he was so gentle and sweet.

No doubt Vale was my favorite throughout the book but I feel her character was portrayed as a weak one. She could be a little stronger. Among the side characters, Anne was my favorite.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange of an honest review.

A time travel story of a woman, Vale, who is sent back in time, leaving her children and husband. I did have some trouble following the plot at the beginning but decided to just see where the story took me. With a cast of characters, some not who you thought they would be, Vale and Edward grew attached to each other giving this reader a good love story. This book was not quite what I expected, yet it was a good read.

An intriguing and ambitious historical fiction novel in which a twenty first century American woman named Vale Leifman unexpectedly finds herself transported to Victorian England. What follows are the trials she faces as she adjusts to her new world and mourns the loss of her old one. The reasoning behind why she is transported there is a little difficult to grasp and therefore makes it more difficult to understand why she cannot be returned to her own place and time. I felt her relationship with Edward to be a little forced despite the sweet nods to Jane Eyre. I also didn't particularly like Edward as a character. Vale herself is likeable enough but it's the supporting characters who tend to make the novel shine in the places it does - Anne and Margot are favourites of mine. What the novel excels in is highlighting the cultural chasm faced by Vale and her reaction to being out of her own time. My favourite parts were her reactions to some of the differences (including vinegar!) which range from scared to amused to bemused. Overall this is an enjoyable novel and one which demonstrates great promise from its talented author.

Ich fand den Klappentext ganz spannend und vielversprechend: die 36jährige Kalifornierin Vale, Mutter zweier Kinder, ist in ihrer Ehe unglücklich, und just als sie für sich entscheidet, einen Neuanfang zu wagen, passiert das Unglaubliche: ein mysteriöser Verwandter entschwindet mit ihr ins viktorianische Zeitalter und Vale findet sich 150 Jahre in der Vergangenheit wieder, auf dem englischen Landsitz Avenhurst Manor. Augenscheinlich stand gerade sie im Mittelpunkt eines Fluches, und wurde nun zurückgeholt. Sprich, dies sei die Zeit, in die sie eigentlich gehört – und das auch noch in ihrem 18jährigem Körper.
Fand ich eine coole Idee, ist ein spannender Ausgangspunkt für eine Zeitreise-Geschichte, und das viktorianische Zeitalter finde ich auch per se eine interessante Ära. Also: das Buch musste ich lesen.
Und jetzt muss ich sagen, diese Ausgangsszenerie war auch schon das Beste an der ganzen Story. Ich bin mit Vale nullkommanull warm geworden, und für mich hatte der Roman sehr viele Längen. Ich versuche, dass mal ein wenig näher zu erklären. Wir haben hier eine moderne Frau aus dem 21. Jahrhundert, die urplötzlich durch die Zeit geworfen wird, und was macht sie? Ist geschockt und heult erst mal eine Runde. Und da zumindest ein Teil der neuen Familie nett wirkt, bleibt sie spontan auch bei den Netten und lässt sich ohne viel Theater auf das neue Dasein ein. Vale neigt zu Depressionen und Angstzuständen, das ist eine Seite an ihr, die sie selbst auch (by the way, die ganze Geschichte ist aus Vales Ich-Perspektive erzählt) thematisiert. Das sieht dann so aus, dass sie gerne tagelang kaum das Bett verlässt und sich in die Schwermütigkeit ergibt und dem Verlust ihrer Kinder nachtrauert. Und anstatt sich vielleicht irgendwie zu überlegen, wie sie wieder zurück in ihre Zeit kommt (ein Gedanke, der im ganzen Buch kein einziges mal gemacht wurde), ergibt sich Vale in diese Trauer. Und versucht, im neuen Leben klarzukommen.
Ich muss sagen, das hat mich echt getriggert. Die Lady hat alles mehr oder weniger akzeptiert und sich einfach nur angepasst. Ich weiß nicht, vielleicht würden die meisten Leute tatsächlich so nicht-agieren, aber in einem Roman erwarte ich von der Hauptperson eigentlich ein bissle mehr Aktivität.
Und noch was hat mich schwer geärgert, und zwar Vales problemlose Akzeptanz der Rolle der Frau. In der viktorianischen Gesellschaft hatte die Frau kaum Rechte, und ohne jetzt irgendeine Gleichberechtigungsdebatte anzufeuern fand ich es schwer verständlich wie eine moderne Amerikanerin sich so fraglos darin einfinden kann. Nein, mehr noch, die zarte junge Neu-18jährige begibt sich sehr gerne in den Schutz starker Männer. Denn Frauen brauchen ja Schutz. Und das sind jetzt nicht meine Worte! Ich muss sagen, das passte für mich gar nicht – wie hat die Dame mit dieser Einstellung 36 Jahre in Kalifornien leben können?
Ja, ich habe die ersten 2/3 des Romans mehr oder weniger kopfschüttelnd verbracht, und schon überlegt, ob ich das Buch abbreche, aber dann kam noch mal eine Lovestory, die mich für ein paar weitere Seiten bei der Stange gehalten hat. Der Klappentext deutet es ja schon an, und ich spoilere jetzt mal, Vale und Edward, Herr von Avenhurst Manor, sollen sich verlieben. Und nein, es ist keine gewöhnliche Romanze, es ist DIE once-in-a-lifetime-Lovestory, mit Gefühlen, die nicht grösser und poetischer sein könnten. Und damit hat mich die Geschichte dann endgültig verloren, das war mir zu viel der rosaroten Emotionen, das hätte ich vielleicht in meinen Teenie Zeiten so lesen wollen, aber mit U50 bin ich da echt draußen gewesen.
Die letzten 50 Seiten habe ich nur noch quergelesen. Kam aber kein Knaller mehr.
Der Erzählstil war übrigens gut, das Buch lies sich flüssig lesen, und das hat mich auch so lange bei der Stange gehalten.
Ich bin ein bissle unschlüssig, ich habe gerade andere Rezensionen hierzu gelesen, andere Leser feiern das Buch durchaus, vor allem auch ob der authentischen viktorianischen Atmosphäre. Ja, das Setting ist perfekt getroffen, der Punkt geht an die Autorin. Allerdings ist ja jede Rezension im Endeffekt eine zutiefst subjektive Meinung, und mich hat der Roman nicht erreicht.

Vale is a Victorian era romance about grief, fear, betrayal, and redemption. Following 36-year-old Vale as she is ripped from her modern life by magic to being her 18-year-old self in Victorian England, she must navigate the loss of her two children and adjusting being a young woman in the 19th century, as well as an old family curse tied to the man who has become her protector.

When I started the book I was expecting a lot more Outlander vibes as opposed to delving into the struggles of a woman being stripped from the life and children she knew. The rawness of Vale’s emotions and the growth that she shows throughout the book regarding her situation was refreshing. Some very heavy topics were main themes in the story and I felt that the portrayal of the internal struggle caused by Vale’s abuses and losses was presented in good depth and not brushed to the side. There was so much character development in the story, not just from the main characters but from minor characters as well. I enjoyed being taken into the mind of someone trying to reconcile what they have been taught about history versus what they were witnessing. The romance was tender and respectful yet also sultry.

I did find that halfway through the book there was quite a lull—in that way it felt like I was reading a Jane Austen novel. I think that things slowed down a little too much in the middle before picking up briskly in the last portion. I was able to predict a lot of the events that unfolded which left me more wanting to get to the “action” rather than anticipating what was to come.

Overall, for a person who loves historical fiction set in Victorian times with a touch of gothic/witchiness, I think Vale is a great fit! Please do check trigger warnings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC!