“The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds” by Jennifer Moorman is the story of a recently widowed woman who is lost in her grief and wishes she could just disappear. With her sister’s urging she moves forward by buying her grandmother’s home to find herself and move forward with her life. She begins to find old family heirlooms and stories about her great grandmother. These lead her to a magical door which brings her back to 1927 where she meets her past and helps her to resolve her future.

The story is beautifully written and very heartfelt. It speaks to friendships, family and the bravery of women.

I felt the beginning and end of the story were strong and engaging, but the middle dragged a lot for me thus the 3 star review.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

In "The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds," readers are taken on a mesmerizing journey through time, where one woman’s grief-stricken wish sets off a chain of events with life-altering consequences. Widowed at thirty-five, Josephine Reynolds seeks solace in renovating her ancestral home, a dilapidated Craftsman bungalow. The discovery of the home’s original door in a salvage yard seems like a stroke of luck—until Josephine installs it and steps into 1927.

Transported to the Jazz Age, Josephine meets her daring great-grandmother, Alma, who runs a speakeasy in the bungalow’s basement. The bond they form is profound, but upon returning to the present, Josephine discovers that history has been altered, and Alma’s life was tragically cut short. As Josephine's own existence begins to unravel, she must race against time to save both Alma and herself in a thrilling, time-bending adventure.

"The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" is a captivating blend of historical fiction and suspense, with richly drawn characters and a plot that keeps you hooked from start to finish. The novel explores themes of loss, love, and the intricate connections between past and present, making it a compelling read for anyone who enjoys stories where time itself becomes the ultimate antagonist.

Oh my goodness what a book!!! A story of love, grief, history and coming to terms with your present and future while trying to understand your past.

Jennifer Moorman writes a gorgeous story that left me sobbing several times.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the honor to read and review this amazing book!!!

Omg this book was evertything i expected. It, had love , grief, friendship, healing , time traveling . i felt in love from the beginning. It was captivating.
Recently widowed Josephine Reynolds, in all her grief, feels that she is just a shadow or ghost of her usual self and wishes she could just disappear. Her sister Katherine encourages her to move through her grief and become the woman she wants to be, to be her real self. When they find that their great-grandmothers home has gone into foreclosure, Katherine convinces Josephine to buy the house. The tale that ensues is a magical tale of a Narnia-like portal Josephine passes through to meet her great-grandmother in 1927 where she experiences fringed flapper dresses, cloche hats, windowpane suits, , prohibition , and a speakeasy.
The book is so atmospheric , it literally takes you back to the 1920s.I felt as if I was there with the characters in the book. This was my first time reading Moorman’s work - it definitely won’t be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for the e ARC and the chance for reading this book.

I thought this was a really fun read. It felt a little slow to begin with but I really ended up liking it a lot. I thought it was really heartfelt and it was a cool concept. I liked the time travel aspect. It made me want to go back in time to see my great grandparents. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

finished this book in 6 and a half hours and i loved every second of it! a magical book that hugged me in the midst of talks of grief and rebirth

Well written and engaging, The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds pulled me in from the first chapter and held my attention throughout - I read it in two sittings over the course of one day.

With excellent character development and a compelling plot, I really didn’t want to stop reading this. I don’t want to write anything that could be considered a spoiler so I will simply add - I loved this story, absolutely adored it ❤️

This was my first time reading Ms Moorman’s work - it definitely won’t be the last.



Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the DRC

I love that the whole time travel aspect wasn’t too complicated. I love a good time travel story even though they usually make me so anxious about timelines. This was such a great read though the character development that happens throughout through the discovery of how things were in a different time really makes this such a special read.

This is such a healing story too, things aren’t glossed over too quickly which is nice to see because there is a lot of emotion to be felt with the death of a spouse.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC

What a fun story! Although I felt like it was lacking something it was a fun read! I felt like
It needed more storyline

The premise of this book drew me in but it was kind of confusing and hard to keep up. It was a tough thing just to finish.

I'm having a hard time describing this book because it was such a unique reading experience. Almost literal fiction in a way. And totally unput-downable.

Wow If you are looking for a great read, pick up The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds. You will not be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is a historical novel, with a time travelling element which makes it fun and quirky.

Josephine is recently widowed who buys her great-grandmothers house as a long term project. When she installs the original front door she is transported back to her Great Grandmothers speak easy; but finds herself in a race against time to undo damage caused to the timeline.

This is a fun book – Josephine is a likeable character as is her grandmother and her sister. The writing is lighthearted and fun to read. Even though Josephine is recently widowed and devasted at the loss of her husband.

There is romance, dancing and moonshine which makes this book which for me made it rather enjoyable.

“[Wishes] made from the deepest part of someone's heart, even the broken pieces, well, they can dramatically change a life. The stronger the wish, the stronger the possibility of change.”

After unexpectedly losing her husband, Josephine Reynolds has begun to lose the will to go on. In a moment of grief, she even wishes she’d never been born. When she buys her ancestral home and begins restoring it to its glory, Josephine finds herself stepping through time—directly into 1927. But she soon realizes that she has begun to change the past, in turn unraveling her own future. Can Josephine right the wrongs she’s created in her own family history? Or will she simply cease to exist?

The synopsis of this book immediately caught my eye and reminded me of The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young, which I had recently read and loved. The premise of this book is fascinating and has some similarities to Young’s novel, while also incorporating enough differences to make the two distinct from one another. I loved reading about Josephine’s physical and mental journey through time. I simply couldn’t put this book down and loved the ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperMuse, and Jennifer Moorman for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Stay tuned for the release of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds on January 13, 2025!

Based on the description I thought I would enjoy this more. I never connected with Josephine (maybe because she was so pathetic in the beginning?) and I got confused with the time travel rules (which even at times I felt like the author didn't know how to handle, so the cop-out of "who knows how this works" was used).

I liked Josephine's relationship with her sister and with Alma. The insta-love with Danny felt predictable. I felt like not everything was resolved at the end either (most notably, what did happen to the uncle)? I think I wanted a little bit more from the ending.

Overall I liked it but maybe I just wasn't the right audience for this.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds through Netgalley, and I am absolutely blown away. Jennifer Moorman has crafted a mesmerizing tale that seamlessly blends historical fiction with time-travel suspense.

Josephine's journey is both heart-wrenching and exhilarating. Her connection with her vivacious great-grandmother, Alma, is beautifully portrayed. As the plot twists and turns, I found myself on the edge of my seat, desperate to discover how Josephine would save both her past and future.

Moorman’s vivid descriptions transport readers to the roaring twenties while simultaneously building tension in the present. This novel is a must-read for fans of time-travel and historical fiction alike.

Five stars without a doubt!

The beginning of this was so slow, and I felt like I had to almost force myself to keep reading. BUT, once I got 50 or so pages into it I started to enjoy it. I liked hearing about the speakeasy and the fashion of the 20s. This was a clean read without any swearing and only a little bit of “necking” 😆

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

O m g!! I am in love with this book!! It was everything I've expected and more..
I was so excited to read about two timelines, and especially because one in set in 1927., and the 20's are such a fun time to read about. That was one of my favorite parts of the book, how well Jennifer Moorman described the atmosphere, the parties and dresses, the men! The courtship, the manners.. it's just chef's kiss!

Jospehine is a widow in her 30's who decides to move house to get a fresh start, and she ends up buying her great grandmother's Alma house. The house is full of Alma's things and memories, and anything but ordinary; and soon Josephine is immersed in Alma's world, and quite literally so.
I'm not gonna give too much away, but she is faced with decisions that could alter both timelines - and hence the title - changing the future so much, she might never even exist..!

There's so much more to it, the female friendships, family, romance, hope.. How things that are meant for us will always find us, and bravery will always be rewarded.
It was SUCH a heartwarming read that I can't waitttt for all of my friends to read; and I can't believe we have to wait for January for that to happen!
But once it does!! This will actually be a PERFECT winter read.
Add it to your TBR's, folks! So beautiful, a full 5 star!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. But, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for my first ever ARC! :)

(I made a little moodboard for how I imagined the book & you can see it here :) - https://i.pinimg.com/736x/83/38/f1/8338f191da1f29e5cc34fca264629543.jpg )

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

Captivating. Captivating is the first word which springs to mind when thinking about this book. Jennifer Moorman again delivers a beautiful tale of magical realism.
Josephine Reynolds, newly widowed in her mid thirties, makes a rash and thoughtless wish in a moment of grief. Thinking no more about it, she embarks on a journey to restore her great-grandmothers home to its former glory, however she soon realises that there may be more work than just the property restoration to challenge her.
When she discovers miniscule words carved into the front door, she is transported back to the 1920's, and into her great grandmother Alma's circle of friends.
With a parallel timeline emerging, Josephine decides to get to know her great grandmother, however, when the timelines being to merge, Josephine can feel herself slowly disappearing.
Can Josephine find herself again? Can she start to heal her heart and mind?
Jennifer Moorman again expertly blends magical realism with historical fiction. The descriptions of the 1920's are descriptive, evocative, and you can almost imagine you are side by side with Josephine in the roaring 20's. As a reader who enjoys historical fiction, this read was beautiful

Thank you Harper Muse for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of the novel is extremely compelling: Josephine Reynolds, a newly widowed woman in her mid-thirties, moves back into her ancestral home and discovers a magical door that transports her to 1927. She meets her great-grandmother, Alma, who is running an illegal speakeasy in the home’s basement. But Josephine accidentally alters history – and finds her own existence vanishing as a result.

I love time-travel stories, and this one caught my attention immediately because it reminded me of The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young (a favourite of mine). Unfortunately this book didn’t quite live up to my hopes; I found the plot to be pretty slow moving at times, and often found myself drifting while reading. I didn’t feel particularly attached to Josephine; she read as two-dimensional to me, and ultimately, I did not finish this book because I did not feel invested enough in the story.

I think the author has a very interesting premise here, and this book will appeal to people who are looking for a cozy, historical fiction-esque novel. For me, I found the action of the novel happened too slowly and it fell a bit flat for me as a result.