This is a time travel, dual timeline romantic novel and I thought it was fantastic. Very well done.
Josephine was a heroic character, with strength and courage to travel back in time to save her family from extinction.
Many thanks to Net Galley and HarperCollins Focus for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have totally loved being swept away by this beautiful story!

Not my usual genre but after reading the synopsis I thought I’d give it a go and it was such a welcome change.
I loved the magical reality that released Josephine from her grief and took her on a mission to change the future and realise her own potential.

A light hearted beautiful story, totally enjoyed this read

On paper, this book felt like it was just for me. I love the 20s, time travel, magical realism, and a mystery that needs to be solved. I found the story intriguing: Josephine can step back in time through the door to her house, and the speakeasy, and having to save her grandmother to save herself. However, some things nagged at me. For instance, Josephine's relationship with her dead husband—she spent so much time mourning, but as the story progressed, I got the feeling that she wasn't happy in the marriage. And that's okay, I guess. I just felt that she had been married to this guy for a long time, and it seemed like she now realized she wasn't happy. At first, it didn't bother me; however, as the book progressed, she thought more about how controlling he was, how he swept her off her feet, and how she lived in a golden cage that she seemed to like—at least until he was gone, and she now realized everything. It's perhaps a small, thing, but it was just something that annoyed me throughout the story since she was at first so sad. Then, of course, there is someone else that she meets...also a thing that I was not completely sold on. However, it made the ending quite good. So, I will admit that it wasn't all that bad the romance part of the story.

I did enjoy the book, but not as much as I hoped I would. As I mentioned above, some things bothered me; however, I did love going back in time through the magical door and that her grandmother had a speakeasy. The story felt a bit easy to predict, but overall, it was a good story.

This book is beautifully written, featuring a parallel timeline, and a time-travel storyline with a historical setting. I enjoyed the story's pace and fell in love with the characters. The narrator did a wonderful job and was very easy to listen to. I loved this book, and I can't wait to add it to my shelf!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers

I ws given a copy for an honrdt review.

So before this book, i never read or even heard of this author before. So when i saw this being talked about on social media, i told myself i needed this book. Especially time travel and magical realism and going back to the 1920s. It reminded me of one of my favorite series of all time, the surviving trace by calia read. But without all heavy romance. You have a story about a woman who goes back and meets her great grandma and saves her but also chosing who she wants to me. This was one of my top favorites of this month

A fantastic premise, but unfortunately the completed product falls short. The writing style and one-dimensional characters made this book very difficult to finish.

A twist of fate allows widowed Josephine Reynolds to become the latest owner of the Carter Mansion. Travel along as Josephine finds herself stepping back in time through her own enchanted front door into the home once owned by her great grandmother. Once in the past, she finds herself on a mission to save her great grandmother’s life. Josephine must race the clock to change the past or she risks her present-day life vanishing.
I enjoyed this quick read. I loved the author’s note included with the book which gave us a glimpse of her inspiration in writing this story. She mentions seeing an old door years ago at a salvage store that left her day dreaming of all the history that this door had been witness to during its existence. This inspired her time travel story, complete with the setting of a home in the 20s with a secret speakeasy. Author Jennifer Moorman does a great job of weaving a time travel tale filled with mystery, new friendships and a dash of romance.

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds
by Jennifer Moorman
Narrated by Kathleen McInerney

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

This was a kind of science fiction romance, more fiction than science, but there is time travel, a time-travel-mance? A roman-science-fiction? Whatever the proper (or even the best made up) term for this genre - it’s awesome.

It’s easy to imagine this fantastical story as being entirely plausible. Jennifer Moorman (the author) created gold with this book.

If you are into:
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Great Gatsy by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Kate & Leopold (2001 movie starring Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan)
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
or To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
-then you might enjoy this book

I highly recommend this book to readers. I also highly recommend this book to movie writers & producers, because this would make a great movie!

Kathleen McInerney did a remarkable job narrating this book. A truly impressive narrator!

How I feel: Hopeful, happy, excited for life and possibilities

This is not for me. I loved the concept. A woman finding herself after allowing herself to meld with her partner, stepping through time and discovering family history.

Unfortunately it comes off incredibly juvenile. The narrators sweet voice added to that feeling.

This novel is reminiscent of Marty McFly meets the Great Gatsby. Josephine buys a historic family mansion in an affluent neighborhood in Nashville, only to discover repeating a phrase carved into the antique front door and turning the knob transports her through portal back to the 1920s when the house belonged to her great-grandmother. There is a sultry southern speakeasy in the basement serving exclusive cocktails and swinging jazz music.

It's a race against impending doom when Josephine finds out she has only days to change the fate of her family. But will altering the past irrevocably alter her present life? The dual timeline format is fun since the same female protagonist exists in both plots, but 100 years apart, and she must try to fit in with the fashions and mannerisms of the roaring 20s time period. This book typical of the time travelling trope is lighthearted and nostalgic, but also a fast-paced read with a race against the clock.

Oh how I loved this. It is so sweet and wholesome and fun! I love the house and all the characters. What a wonderful book! The narration is perfect too!
That ending! I was so into this one. I love old homes and history.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice rating: 🌶️/5

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
This book was so different from anything I have ever read. I was captivated by the story pretty quickly. I love the authors writing style as well. Highly recommend this book and ordering my copy right now!

This is right up my alley!

Time travel? ✅
Dual timelines? ✅
1920’s and flapper outfits ? ✅
Underground hidden Speakeasy’s? ✅
Strong family ties? ✅

So we open up with Josephine, who is a young widow. She recently lost her husband ( a renowned cardiologist) and feels like she has nothing left to live for…

So one night, while she’s throwing herself a pity party, she “wishes” she was never born. (What do they say about making wishes??? Nothing good…)

And so, her life begins to unravel…
Until, her sister calls her to proclaim the home she just saw listed in the foreclosures section… Their great-grandmothers home. An ancestral home. One that was basically stolen from them by an uncle…

And so, Josephine vows to buy the house back and restore it!

And she does….but she discovers things along the way. Things that don’t make sense. Things she needs to investigate further. Things that might lead to BIG CHANGES in her own life…

🛑🛑 I’m going to STOP RIGHT HERE! 🛑🛑

If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, please consider looking for it!

#TheVanishingLifeOfJosephineReynolds by #JenniferMoorman and narrated beautifully by #KathleenMcinerney.

4 big, bright beautiful ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsFocus and #HarperMuse for an ARC of the audiobook which was just released on 1/14/25, so you can look 👀 for it on shelves now!

You can also find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

I do not like the narrators voice and it is hard to get into the story when she sounds like a breathy teenager. I am going to switch to the book and review there. Thank you!

I love a good historical fiction x time travel. I feel like when the two are combined the right way, with just enough elements of both, something fun and incredible can be created. This is the case with The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds. Josephine is dealing with grief after the passing of her husband and, understandably, wishes she was never born. In the midst of dealing with this grief, she decides it's time to move out of their home and into her late great-grandmother's home, which was just listed for sale. After moving in, she is told she would need to make a few renovations, starting with the front door. Coincidently, Josephine is able to find the original door that was made for the house and notices it has all its original features, including a quote carved into it. When Josephine reads this quote and opens the door, she finds herself back in the 1920s, staring at her great-grandmother. Josephine is confused by this, and as time goes on, she notices her current life is starting to slowly fade away. It turns out that Josephine had never been born. It's up to her to come up with a way to change the past and the outcome of her and her family's future.
This book is such a fun read! I loved the elements of time travel combined with history and life during the 1920s. This book is ultimately one of rediscovery, acceptance, and, of course, processing and coping with grief. It was well-written, and I would 100% recommend if this is a genre that you're into. 4 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Jennifer Moorman for this engaging read!

With a blend of historical fiction and time travel (two of my favourite things), I couldn’t wait to jump into The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds.

One of the things I enjoyed most of this book was the way Josephine’s grief was explored. Her trip to the past and disappearing the in the present was an intriguing parallel to her social withdrawal following the death of her husband. The speakeasy setting and the diverse cast of characters were fun to explore, making this a cosy and engaging read. I would have loved a bit more of Josephine’s life and relationships after the end of the book, but overall really enjoyed the story of her relationship with her great grandmother.

I enjoyed this as both an ebook and audiobook and both were great. The audiobook narration was engaging and bright, and really brought to life the full cast of characters.

Thank you Harper Muse for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This book was a cute historical fiction set in the roaring 20s. It involves the main character time traveling to her great grandmother's time. At times it was slow confusing and the love story seemed quick. While I enjoyed this story I feel it was missing some magic somewhere.

I struggled with the print version as the writing style didn’t immediately capture my attention. I switched to the audio book and was instantly able to be drawn into the story.
Perhaps I have never loved someone enough but I cannot imagine making a wish to not have lived just because my husband was gone…..but Josephine does just that. Add in a magical door and you have a story involving prohibition, family and insta-love. Which all ends up tied up in a perfect bow. Very Hallmark style.
A lot of people will love this book. For me, it was a solid read/listen but not mind blowing.
I received a ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

I love historical fiction and I am always happy to go back to it. I also love stories about grief. This was both and it was nice. Life in speakeasies during prohibition and the story of a woman finding herself through grieving. The magic door added something to the story as well and on paper it sounds perfect for me but I feel like it would have been better without the romance. I didn’t like that part and found it unnecessary and kind of unnatural in a way. It was still a good story and I enjoyed myself. I read some of it and listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. I like this narrator.