I absolutely loved this book. There is nothing better than a cozy time travel story. This was such a cozy heartwarming read. I really enjoyed this audiobook and look forward to reading more by Jennifer Moorman.
Narrator : Kathleen McInerney was great ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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!!!

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.

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

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

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.

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!

Time travel is one of my favourite tropes and I really enjoyed this! I loved that Josephine was able to travel between eras and wasn’t stuck in the past. Josephine was really well developed as a character and her relationships with other characters were all well done. I listened to the audio version and found it really engaging.

Josephine, newly widowed, purchases her late great-grandmother’s home. In her grief, she wishes to disappear, and discovers that, through the early death of her great-grandmother, her wish is coming true. She finds a way to travel through time, and works to save her great-grandmother’s life, and therefore her own.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the advanced review copies.

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. Although I am typically not a fan of time travel, I found this one a delight! I adore historic 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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Wow this book was so fun. I have never read a book with a time traveling storyline, but it was definitely a good time. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was pleasant to listen to.

I loved the relationships Josephine formed with the individuals from the past and I secretly wish she could have somehow ended up with Danny, but it's understandable that she didn't. I found myself wanting more at the end hoping there would be more ties to the past or that she would find love again with someone like Danny's great grandson.

I would definitely recommend this book!

Book reviews

Wow, is all I can say about this book . It’s simply amazing!! I give this book 10 out of 10. I’m excited to read more books by Jennifer Moorman.
For starters the cover is beautiful. I know it’s the beginning of the year, but this is by far my favorite book, I have read in a long time.
The adventure, the theme, the storyline, the characters all pop. The author made me feel like I was there the whole time. I absolutely loved how she took each character and made them so realistic. And at the end, how she wrapped everything up. This is an amazing book. It’s a must read if you like time travel And mystery you must read this!!!

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds is one of the most beautifully written stories that I have ever read about loss, healing, self discovery, family, and believing in the impossible. This book is pure magic and transports you through time… literally to the 1920’s and introduces you to an era and characters you can’t help but fall in love with. I am so thankful to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the opportunity to listen to an advance audio copy. I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator did an excellent job bringing this enchanting story to life!

What a lovely and enchanting story. I really enjoyed this book and I didn’t want it to end. The writing was amazing. I enjoyed the character. Great narration.
I just all around loved this audiobook.

I had the pleasure of reading the ARC of this amazing book and loved it. The audio version just kicked it up a notch!! Kathleen McInerney did an amazing job of bringing this outstanding cast of characters to life. I binged this in one day, absolutely phenomenal!

The ending had me clutching my pearls as if it were the first time I had heard the story. Jennifer has an amazing gift of writing magic into the real world; because why can't I find a magic door to another timeline? It could happen. Vivid attention to details when character and world-building for this book. Everything had a meaning, there were no wasted characters and the wrap up was seamless.
Again, an amazing coming of age, fantasy, dual timeline romance, with the perfect splash of magic!

Jennifer Moorman will forever be an auto buy author for me!

Thank you so much Netgalley, Harper Collins Focus/ Harper Muse, and Jennifer Moorman for this beautiful ALC of The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds.

I loved The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds so much!

I received an advance audiobook. The narration was great. An easy quick listen that pulls at your heart.

Looking forward to more from Jennifer Moorman.

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds gives a premise vaguely reminiscent of Paige Crutcher's The Lost Witch. In the midst of depression, Josephine's sister convinces Josephine to buy their ancestral home and work on it. Unbeknownst to Josephine, there is a magic about the place and Josephine is transported back in time to connect with her great-grandmother. Josephine realizes however that this whole magical endeavor is too good to be true, and realizes she has shaped the future with her time-travel.

Thoughtful and endearing, The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds will have you considering your life and what would happen if all of your wishes came true. Josephine and Alma were both gorgeously fleshed out characters and the narration of the audio version was excellent; it kept me engaged and eager to keep listening all the way to the end.

This was a beautiful heartfelt read and I think it could be recommended to almost any reader.