If you enjoy a time traveling novel that is full of nostalgia for the 1920’s and a nice, sweet story about moving on from grief, you will love this new novel by Jennifer Moorman.

Josephine Reynolds is a young widow who after losing her husband, a cardiac surgeon, is feeling lost and lonely for her old life. She decides to move into her grandmother’s home in Nashville where she discovers a door that leads back to the 1920’s and her grandmother's illegal speakeasy. Her discovery begins to alter the future, so Josephine must find a way to go back in time and save her grandmother from harm or lose her entire family, including herself.

This was a fun jump back in time, and I want to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the Advanced Reader Copy. #NetGalley #TheVanishingOfJosephineReynolds

It was a fun read and I really enjoyed it. Even though I'm pretty sure most of its success on me was thanks to the audio narrator, it still is a lovely light-hearted story to spend an evening with.

Thanks NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with the audiobook

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version.
I have been waiting for what feels like a very, very, very long time for this author to release a new book. I was so excited to be gifted this novel!

I love how Moorman writes, and her stories are always so warm and cozy. This was a great concept, and oh, how I would love to go back in time and meet my ancestors.

If you are a fan of Saraha Addison Allen, you will love this novel! The narrator did a great job, and the cover is beautiful!

Oh my gosh, The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman is an absolute must-read! If you're a fan of Beatriz Williams or Kristin Hannah, then this book is going to absolutely blow you away. It's the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and time travel, and trust me, you're going to be hooked from page one.

Seriously, if you love historical fiction with a dash of mystery and time travel, this book has everything you could want and more.
I couldn’t get enough of it.

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: 1/14
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After the loss of her husband and wishing that she was never born, Josephine Reynolds has the opportunity to purchase her family’s house. When there she finds a speakeasy and from there she is transported into the past in order to fix the past that she set in motion.
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I absolutely love a time travel story and when I found out that this one sends the main character back to the 1920s, I was immediately like sign me up!! I absolutely loved Josephine and Catherine and their bond. The raw honesty from Catherine to make Josphine to make her realize that she always became what the men she dated. I love how this made Josephine really take a deep dive into who she was and how that was deepened even more when she traveled back to the 1920’s to stop a raid of the speakeasy in her great grandmother’s house.
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This was like a coming of age, historical fiction and romance all in one. The pacing in this story is steady throughout, I found myself hooked to this story and its characters. I felt that Josephine really grew as a character throughout this story. I loved the meaning behind the carving in the antique door that was able to transport Josephine between times. I especially loved the epilogue and how we were able to get complete closure. It was really a super fun read.
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I listened to this one via audiobook and Kathleen McInernerny was fantastic as Jospehine. I really felt like I was in this story the entire time I listened to it. It was a quick listen and I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to read this book!
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Huge thank you to @netgalley @harpercollins @harpermusebooks and @jenniferrmoorman for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. Be sure to check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook; the time traveling fictional story held my attention throughout. Some time travel books can become confusing with multiple timelines, however I was able to follow this one's plot without any trouble. The story reminded me of the "The Time Traveler's Wife" crossed with "The Great Gatsby." Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook and am giving it a 4 out of 5 star review.

The Vanishing Of Josephine Reynolds is the third stand-alone novel by American author, Jennifer Moorman. The audio version is narrated by Kathleen McInerney. “I wish I’d never been born” is what thirty-five-year-old Josephine Reynolds mutters on a particularly bad day when she’s been widowed six months. She had moulded her life to suit his, so Nathan’s absence has eliminated Josephine’s purpose and direction.

But her sister Katherine is determined to bring back the Jo-Jo she once was, and has suggestions, starting with selling the house that was Nathan’s status symbol, a way to showcase his ambition and impressive lifestyle, but was never what Josephine wanted. The impetus to actually do so comes when she learns that Grandma Dorothy’s historic Victorian mansion in Bell Meade has been foreclosed on: she can easily afford the wonderful home their Uncle Donnie helped himself to when his mother died.

It's late September when Josephine moves into the Carter Mansion. The sound of music takes Josephine down to the cellar where she stumbles on a hidden door. When they open it, she and Katherine discover what used to be a speakeasy. A bit of internet sleuthing reveals that their great-grandmother, Alma, given the house by her first husband, Franklin Carter, ran the speakeasy in the late 1920s during Prohibition, and was once almost arrested during a raid.

Soon after getting essentials unpacked, Josehine’s priority is to replace the ugly front door Donnie put up, probably to annoy the fussy neighbourhood association. The door that Leo Freeman at the salvage yard shows her is perfect: it’s the door his father originally crafted for the house. His mother blessed it, and he even has the door key. This was meant to be! Leo does mention something about Alma being shot dead in a raid on the speakeasy, but she lived to the ripe old age of ninety-eight, so that can’t be right.

The new door fitted, Josephine spots some words engraved next to one of the glass panels, a Gatsby quote she recites just before turning the key and finding herself in the mansion’s foyer, being greeted by Alma Carter. She bluffs her way through, and begins to realise she’s stepping between dual timelines or, as she later understands, duelling timelines.

Back in her own time, Josephine notices that random items, clothing, furniture, photographs, seem to be disappearing, and her chat with Leo, the only person who might not think she’s crazy, leads to the conclusion that her throw-away wish might come true if the timeline in which Alma is shot prevails. If Josephine wants to continue to exist in the 2020s, she needs to save Alma’s life in 1927.

Moorman certainly evokes her era and setting, although her wordy descriptions of clothing, furniture and buildings do become a little tedious. The time-hopping is fairly well handled, with any anomalies put down to Josephine’s ignorance of quite how it works. There’s a good bit of drama in the climax, and a sweet, possible happy ever after at the end. An enjoyable time-travel romance tale.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Focus.

I loved this time hopping love story. Josephine purchases her great grandmother’s home after the loss of her husband and mysterious things begin to happen. After a trip to the salvage yard where she acquires the original door and original key to the home, she installs it and the door becomes a portal to 1927 where Josephine meets her great grandmother, Alma. I loved the historical fiction parts of the story where clothing, music, prohibition, cars etc. were all discussed as Josephine helps Alma throw a party. When things begin to change in present day because of what is now happening in 1927, Josephine has to make some decisions. The characters were all wonderful, especially Josephine who flourished and the strong women represented were wonderful. The plot was easy to follow even though it jumped back and forth between timelines. This was a story about love, loss and family. The ending of the book was done to perfection.

This started out okay, not something I would consider remarkable writing but good enough to pass the time. Living on the Kentucky/Tennessee boarder, I enjoyed the setting of the Nashville area. It made the story feel homey and fimilar. I thought the narration was okay but also not my favorite. Around the 19% mark, as the FMC was looking for a door for her historic home, the shop owner announced his mother was a "see-er" and put blessings and protection over the door/home. I went back to re-read the synopsis and learned she apparently repeats some words inscribed on the door and then is transported back in time. I'm okay with a little time travel, but I think this dabbles a little too far for me as magic, and occult-type practices are not a subject I am willing to tolerate regardless of "innocence". It's a no for me.
Thank you, NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus, and Harper Muse for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

I loved the reflective nature of this story. I felt that I really saw parts of myself in the Josephine character, and I felt that the conclusion was satisfying, and not taking the easy way out.

4.3 ⭐

What an amazing story! 🫶🏻

Plot: 5/5
Pace: 3+/5
Female characters: 4.5/5

I loved Josephine's journey coming back to life after a long year of grieving.
She felt lost and sad, but seeing how the women in her life helped her see the beauty of life was inspiring and heartwarming.

The magical element in the book is something I'm really drawn to (time travel) and I would like to read more about in the future.

The ending has me smiling and cursing a bit too. I think I needed a second epilogue 🥹

And I also think I need to keep an eye on this author and her stories.

// Thank you to Netgalley, Jennifer Moorman and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to read the ARC of this in exchange of my honest opinion //

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsFocus for the book#TheVanishingOfJosephineReynolds by #JenniferMoorman. This book is about grief, time travel and moving on and is absolutely amazing. Josephine is grieving her husband’s death and doesn’t want to move on and wishes she had never been born. After her sister convinces her to sell her home and buy her great grandmas house, she realizes it’s not like any other house. The front door has a key that sends her back and forth to 1927, where she will discover what it would be like if she was never born. Can she save her life among others before it’s too late?

I absolutely LOVED this book by Jennifer Moorman. A magical realism novel with time travel, a perfect cozy read for the winter. I could not stop listening to this book - the audio version was fantastic and kept me hooked the entire time. My first 5 star read of 2025!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse for allowing me to read and review this audiobook.

Though I appreciated the concept of this story, it seemed like something was lacking. Even though Josephine experienced a sense of urgency to resolve her wish, it felt as if she was dawdling for much of the book. It was charming, but there was still an element that felt incomplete.

This was a sweet, wholesome, and a wonderful audiobook. The narrator did a good job and her higher-pitch voice added to the sweetness of the book - without being over the top. There were touches of magical realism (time travel) and themes of family relationships, grief, new love, and change. If you’re looking for a southern fiction read that is positive and wholesome, I recommend this one!

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this novel in exchange for an honest review.

3.5-The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds is a historical fiction, time travel story. It centers around Josephine who comes across a magic door for a home she purchases which was previously owned by her great grandmother. The door brings her to the 1920’s where she meets her great grandmother as a young woman. I absolutely loved this concept, and while I still enjoyed this audiobook, I think it had so much more potential. Without giving too much away, I felt like the connection between the timelines needed to be more fleshed out such that the reader understands the impact of something that happens in one timeline on what happens in the other. Additionally, I would have loved to have seen her sister play a bigger role throughout the novel.

Overall, I think it was an enjoyable novel, and I would definitely read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Jennifer Moorman for this free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review! This was my first novel from this author.

I ADORED this book! Not only do we have magical realism, but historical fiction as a storyline -- the 1920's fashion, social scene, jazz and prohibition. (The 20's was always one of my favorite eras to research in school.) Josephine was distraught after her husband's death, unsure of the direction of her new life. A project to restore her great grandmother's home, was just what she needed to take her mind off of things. Who knew that just changing a door could alter the course of history!

Similar to Back to the Future and June Farrow, we have a story of choices and directions -- the, "what if's". I was fully invested to see what direction Josephine chose. So... Much...Fun!

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. I loved the time travel storyline. Loved that it was historical fiction, characters were good! Sort of reminded me of Back to The Future though. Overall I liked it.

I really loved The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds! This book got me thinking—what if I could go back in time and meet my great-grandparents when they were young? What secrets might I uncover about them or even about myself? It’s such a beautiful story about family and the things we don’t always know about the people who came before us.

I also loved how the time-travel element was done—it felt so natural and grounded, not overly sci-fi, which made it even more relatable. The characters pulled me in right away, and the twists kept me hooked until the very end. It’s one of those stories that sticks with you and makes you think about your own family history in a whole new way.

I listened to an advance audiobook and have to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the chance to check it out early. The narration was fantastic and really brought the story to life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. The fabulous Kathleen McInerney does an exceptional job narrating this one and made it very enjoyable!!!

This one is a cross between Back to the Future and the Time Traveler's Wife and it works really, really well!

Josephine is a young widow who is depressed and in an early midlife crisis. Making a hasty wish that she should not have been born sets her up for an incredible life change. She purchases a family mansion that has gone into foreclosure and begins the process of taking the property back to its glorious origin. The first thing she does is replace the front door, which her broke uncle had swapped out the original door for a gaudy wooden one, to spite the neighborhood preservation committee. At the local restoration place, she trips across the original door and has it re-installed. This results in her time-traveling back to the late 1920's when her great grandmother owned the house and ran a speak-easy out of the basement. Discovering that her great grandmother Alma may have died in a raid sets in motion a series of events that result in Josephine re-evaluating her life.

This is a well written story with strong, likeable characters. It was a pleasant change and a fresh story line for a historical fiction tale. I found it to be fast paced, believable and an all together, wonderful read! Highly recommend!!!