Intriguing concept, though the romance did not work for me.

3.5 stars rounded up.

A dash of magical realism and time travel that allows an unhappy Josephine Reynolds, recently widowed and wishing she'd never been born, to travel back in time and meet her great-grandmother - and possibly change her own fortune? Sign me up! My love for family history (and history in general) made this book an absolute must read for me. And talk about a stunning cover!

The author really delivered on the family history, and the feeling and setting of the 1920s timeline Josephine travels to was impeccable. I enjoyed her writing, and she did an amazing job with the different characters.

However, Josephine's decisions made it hard for me to root for her at times - if you travel back in time to prevent something from happening, wouldn't all your focus be on doing that? Instead, Josephine was very easily and constantly distracted. More importantly, the romance angle dampened things and just did not work for me. When the book opens, Josephine is fairly recently widowed and still grieving her husband of fifteen years. However, as the story progresses, her husband just sounded more and more controlling and, honestly, quite horrible. I get that grief is grief, especially after a long time spent with someone, but to want to cease existing without him seemed extreme, given how seriously unpleasant he came across. As for the new romance possibility, it just didn't seem credible - those two hardly spend any time together at all, and it felt mostly unnecessary and distracting. While I did enjoy how that romance tied into the ending of the story, the reveal in the end was a bit... icky to me if you think about it in terms of family.

Overall, this was a solid and enjoyable, though not flawless, read with much less magical realism than I was expecting.

I received a copy of both the novel and the audiobook, and in this case much preferred the former. While the audiobook production was good and I liked the narrator and her impersonation of Josephine, her rather high-pitched voices for both Katherine and especially Alma didn't feel like a great fit for me personally and made those characters sound very juvenile.

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for the copies of this book / audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

"The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" was published on January 14, 2025.

Loved Jennifer Moorman’s last book. I usually don’t read books that have magical realism included and Jennifer has a magical way of including MAGiC in her writing that is intriguing, whimsical, and hooks you from the start. I love her books and this one another home run!!

I loved this book. It was just what I needed to read. A touch of magic and love. A time travel that takes you back to 1927. To a time when things were so different but in ways the same. It was such a good story...

What if you could go back in time. Would you? If so, who would you want to meet? I'm not sure who I would want to see and talk too. Maybe a relative I read about in a genealogy report that I read about. He was called "The Lost Poet Of Georgia." A long time ago. That would be kind of cool, right? But at the same time it would be scary...

Josephine Reynolds was grieving the death of her husband. As I read a little about him I didn't much like him. Or maybe it was just her. She gave up everything for him. All of her dreams. Even the decorating of their home was his choice. But she loved him and she was grieving for him.

Josephine decides to sell the home she made with her husband and buys her grandmother's old home. The house is now in a historical district so there are things Josephine has to do to keep the house up. Including getting a front door. She finds the original door and has it installed. Things take a big turn now. One day Josephine walks in and everything is different. A whole different era for her. She's with her great grandmother, Alma.

Alma ran a speakeasy in her basement back in 1927. It was booming and seemed to all be well. Something is going to happen though that may cause a big difference in her great granddaughter, Josephine's life. Josephine has to stop events from happening but how can she convince Alma that it's really true.

There is also love in the air. A birthday party. A raid. A discovery of self. I throughly enjoyed this book. It started out strong for me and ending right where it should have. A few things made me hold my breath and other's made me gasp out loud. This book is so good. Traveling back in time was fun. Thinking about who I would visit was exciting. A wonderful book...

Thank you #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsFocus, #HarperMuse, for this ARC.

I loved the written version and I loved the audiobook version even more.
Phenomenally written and holds your interest throughout. Great characters. I love the setting. Just a really nice book.

I really love this book! I thought it was perfectly atmospheric and sweet. I liked the timelines in this book and the various POVs. Overall, a solid and engaging book.

I absolutely hated for this book to end and I will add I wished it would have ended another way for romance sake but it was a lovely book full of romance (not too graphic either) and fashion. Josephine needs a new start and she finds it in the most adventurous way. The roaring 20s comes alive in a sweeter way then is often depicted but what we so often see is not a typical day in that time. Two worlds woven very easily together.. 10/10

This one wasn’t for me. I was a bit too whimsical with the magical realism aspects of the book. While the story was there it just wasn’t really holding my attention.

A great dual timeline book. Lovable characters. And the time traveling element that kept me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed reading about Josephine traveling back in time from present day to almost a century ago to her great-grandmother’s speakeasy. I really enjoyed reading and gelt what the roaring 1920’s must have been like! The author did a great job describing the style of that era.

I really enjoyed the author’s exploration of time travel and magical realism. What happens if a wish is made in current time and how does that affect the past and future? What happens if you change the past to correct the future? What happens to an object like a book if carried 100 years into the future? Does it look old and withered and does it look new when returned back in time.

More importantly do the people forget a traveller they’ve met in the past when they have to return to their current day? I really enjoyed thinking about these elements while Josephine is struggling with loss in her current day and then again in the past.

Thank you Netgalley for extending me an ARC as well as the audiobook. I am familiar with the narrator who really tells the story rather than just read it. I was able to easily pick up the audio where I left off in the book. Both print and audio were quite enjoyable. The opinions expressed are my own.

This was my first read from this author. The story is told in third person and while it did start off a bit slow, I found myself not wanting it to end or even knowing how I wanted it to turn out. The author did an amazing job intertwining events of the past into the present, enough so that I would love a novella just to see how things work out. This is a book that sort of sticks with you for a while afterward, leaving you to ponder how impactful our thoughts or wishes could truly be.

This was a cute time travel novel that takes you back to the 1920s. This book kept me interested until the end. If you like magical romances you will love this book. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Loved the time-travel elements and empowerment theme of this quick historical novel.

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

This is my first book by Jennifer Moorman and I enjoyed her writing style a lot! It's a good story with a dual-time line.

In the present day Josephine Reynolds is recently widowed and trying to put her life back together. With help from her sister she decides to purchase her old historic family home just outside of Nashville. As she begins to organize and refurbish the home she finds a secret trap door in the basement and it surprisingly opens and there in all it's glory is a "speakeasy" from 1927. Soon she finds herself in that world and she needs to save her Great-Grandmother from a terrible fate.

This story has a good mix of historical fiction with time-travel and romance. I just found it a little slow-moving but it did entertain.

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds was my first book by Jennifer Moorman, but it certainly won’t be my last. This book is a mix of a few genres: fantasy/magical realism/time travel, romance, women’s fiction (I hate that name), and historical fiction. It kept me entertained, for sure, wondering how events would turn out.

Josephine is widowed at age 35. Deeply grieving the sudden loss of her husband, she starts to realize that she had let herself “vanish” into whatever he wanted her to be and that she’d lost her sense of self along the way. One day, in despair, she wishes she’d never been born, not realizing the far-reaching consequences of that wish.

Her sister has started trying to encourage Josephine to get on with her life, to try something new or go back to something she wanted to do before her marriage. Her sister works in Nashville real estate and shows Josephine that their old family home, mismanaged by their uncle, is now in foreclosure. Josephine decides to buy it and restore it to its former glory.

I don’t want to spoil the story for future readers, but the publisher’s blurb gives a lot away. As Josephine and her sister explore the mansion, they uncover what looks like a former secret speakeasy in the basement. Via the newly rediscovered original door, Josephine finds herself transported to 1927, meeting her great-grandmother Alma as a young widow herself (blame WW1). Upon her return to the present, things start disappearing from her current life and she realizes she needs to go back and somehow stop her great-grandmother from dying in a Prohibition-era raid, to avoid her own existence going poof.

I loved the details of everything Josephine encounters in the 1927 timeframe. There were some wonderful characters, including a love interest for Josephine. How will that pan out? And will Josephine be able to warn the partygoers in time to avoid disaster? The current timeline also has some fun characters, including the obnoxious nosy neighbor who is on the committee/homeowners’ association that oversees what owners can and cannot do with their historic homes.

I had access to both the ebook and the audiobook and the narration by Kathleen McInerney was excellent. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

After her husband dies at 35, Josephine doesn't know who she is. Her whole life was wrapped up in her husband, and now he's gone. When she attaches the original door to her family home, she is able to step back into the time period of her grandmother. While in this other world, Josephine begins to rediscover herself. There are beautiful depictions of the Jazz age. I found myself caught up in this story of a woman realizing who she is as an individual.

The first thing that grabbed me was how beautiful and descriptive the writing was, immediately evocative and emotional — this set a great tone for the story. This was an emotional story that did a great job capturing the complexities and stages of grief, particularly widowhood. Josephine felt like a fully realised, vulnerably-written character that had a beautiful character arc amidst fantastical circumstances.

There was a lot of attention to historical detail which helped to really immerse myself in the story. I expected an emotionally-driven story to be slower paced by the high stakes kept the pacing quick.

Sometimes the greatest grief you can feel is the mourning you feel when you have lost yourself, in a marriage especially. The era of time worked to weave a magic background to this fascinating story.

Intensely captivating and utterly enchanting!

Master storyteller Jennifer Moorman's latest magical tale, THE VANISHING OF JOSEPHINE REYNOLDS, is a testament to her exquisite storytelling skills. It's a must-read for all book lovers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction and time travel narratives.

From the time travel, romance, and self-discovery to the excitement, adventure, and speakeasy to the glamour, decor, fashion, parties, and charm of the 1920s era reminiscent of The Great Gatsby—it will surely captivate fans (Alma and myself included).

With Jennifer Moorman's signature blend of Southern magic, charm, historical details, and family bonds, THE VANISHING OF JOSEPHINE REYNOLDS is a beautifully told story of courage, resilience, self-discovery, and second chances.

Audiobook...

I enjoyed reading the book and listening to the audiobook performed by one of my favorite narrators, Kathleen McInerney, @theveronicat, a perfect voice for this Southern gem. The magic, history, and vivid descriptions come alive as the characters with an engaging performance, ensuring an entertaining and immersive experience. I highly recommend the audiobook. (I love Kathleen/MKA audiobooks).

About...

Josephine Reynolds, a 35-year-old widow, finds herself at a crossroads after her husband Nathan's death. It has been six months, and she is still grieving. She had lost herself in their marriage, giving up her friends, preferences, and identity to fit into his world.

Her sister Katherine suggested she sell the house and move elsewhere to start over fresh. Then they found their grandmother's house in Nashville was being foreclosed, and she decided to buy and renovate it.

The historic Victorian home in Belle Meade, The Carter Mansion, was a wedding gift to her great-grandmother Alma when she married in 1916. She had not been inside the house since childhood, but the photographs resurrected those memories.

First, she finds what appears as a speakeasy in the basement, and then she goes to replace the front door with an original one and finds herself transported back to 1927 and the magical era of the roaring 20s, where she meets her great-grandmother Alma, a daring woman running an illegal speakeasy in the basement.

What happens next transports readers to another time and the what ifs? Josephine must race against time to rewrite history to save Alma and her future, where the past and present collide.

My thoughts...

CAPTIVATING! I loved this charming story of Josephine Reynolds and her great-grandmother Alma. I am typically not a fan of time travel; however, I found this one a delight! I adore anything historical homes and the 1920s!

The drama builds with each page, and I could not wait to see how it would turn out. A seamless blend of choices and chances celebrates the enduring spirit of women. Memorable, atmospheric, nostalgic, suspenseful, and mysterious, with an unforgettable heroine.

With parallel timelines, Josephine faces decisions in the present and the lush Jazz Age of the 1920s. I enjoyed the present with Josephine, her mom, and her sister, as well as the 1920s timeline with all its prohibition, speakeasy, scenery, drama, vivid descriptions, and fashion.

Heartwarming: The author opens the door to possibilities and offers readers a perfect blending of Southern, literary, and historical fiction, romance, coming-of-age, time travel, and some magic! From self-discovery, loss, love, and second chances! A testament to family ties and the power of love.

This is my first book by the author, and I cannot wait to read more!

Recs...

This is for fans of the author and those who enjoy Sarah Addison Allen, Sarah Jio, Rea Frey, Patti Callahan Henry, Karen White, Matt Haig, and Meg Shaffer.

A special thank you to Harper Muse and Harper Collins Focus for an ALC and ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Jan 14, 2025
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I gobbled bus book up in no more than 24h. It reminded me by turns of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams, or of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig and without being as an intense a love story as the former or as dark as the latter, this had the depth of historical detail of the first and endearing characters of the second. Absolutely recommend for fans of historical fiction and not only.

P. S. If you ever wondered what fabulous outfits and make-up being a flapper girl would've entailed, this book is for you!

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Can one thoughtless wish erase a life?

"Infused with Jennifer Moorman's signature blend of magical detail and heartfelt storytelling, The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds is a tale of resilience in the face of loss and a testament to the timeless bond of family."

This is an incredible story that was hard to put down. It is a real story of grief, finding yourself in the midst of heartbreak and starting over—simply magical. Moorman's vivid descriptions and intricately crafted characters drew me in completely. I love dual timelines, and this book delivered that element beautifully. All the details were truly tied together so seamlessly.

I plan to revisit this story at a later date, but for now, I am rounding this down to 4 stars. However, I may bump it up later on...we shall

What to expect:

✨ Mystery
✨ Magical Realism
✨ Historical Fantasy
✨ Dual timeline /time travel
✨ Atmospheric

Thank you so much, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, for providing me with this ARC. The publication date is January 14, 2025. Many thanks also to Jennifer Moorman. I was fortunate enough to get a signed, personalized edition in addition to reading the ARC. 🥹


As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤