What if you had the ability to live two separate lives in different time periods simultaneously, but on your twenty-first birthday, you must choose only one of the paths for the rest of your days? This is the premise of When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer. I finally just read the very well-reviewed novel, a first in a four-book series, and I’m kicking myself for putting it off for so long. The dual timeline book was published last May, and Meyer has since released the second book in her Timeless series.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she’s the same person at her core in both times, she’s leading two vastly different lives.
In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives—and any hope of love—are put in jeopardy.
Libby’s life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about—women’s suffrage—is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.
But Libby knows she’s not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other–but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?
MY THOUGHTS:
Wow, where to begin? I wouldn’t have said until recently that I’m a fan of time travel stories, as I’m not really a SciFi reader. I still haven’t read many, but this novel by Gabrielle Meyer was getting a lot of attention in the reader groups I belong to. The intriguing cover was gorgeous! The epic premise was captivating, and I was especially interested in how the author would tie faith into the time travel concept, so I added it to my TBR. And there it languished for several months. Until I finally picked it up this past weekend.
I’ll get right to the point: I LOVED When the Day Comes! It was my first book by Meyer but I’ve already jumped into In This Moment (Timeless Book 2) and plan to check out Meyer’s backlist as I wait for Book 3 (For a Lifetime) of the series.
This story was so creative. I’ve read many dual timeline stories, a bit of science fiction, plenty of historical romance, and one or two time travel stories, but somehow Meyer combined all of these genres and tropes into one ambitious, cohesive, engrossing tale. Meyer handled her dual timelines seamlessly and executed the time slip mechanics logically and with excellence. That both timelines featured the same heroine was an interesting twist.
I adored the character of Libby. She was intelligent, noble, loyal, and strong. Her two paths were very different, but I loved how the true essence of Libby and her character shone through in both timelines and their differing circumstances. Several other characters were also well done, particularly 1774 Libby’s wise and kind time travelled Mama and the brave, swoon-worthy love interest, Henry. Meyer created a diabolical villain in Libby’s conniving Mother Wells in 1914, as well as a complex and surprisingly sympathetic, unwanted husband in Lord Cumberland. I think my opinion of him is probably an unpopular one, but when the author can craft a character who commits atrocious acts but later seeks to repent and earn forgiveness in a way that moved me, I’m going to feel for the guy in all his brokenness and humanity.
Historical fiction is one of my favorites, and this novel hit two endlessly fascinating historic eras. Each timeline put Libby in a world on the brink of two very different wars. Both the 1774 timeline in Williamsburg and the 1914 story in New York and England sucked me in. Meyer obviously conducted meticulous research, and she made each time and place come alive. I felt like I could see, hear, and smell all the details of the settings.
I’m trying to be cautious about giving away any spoilers, but I’ll say this: there are some twists and turns that I did not anticipate and a big one toward the end that blew my mind. I was not sure how things would work out for Libby, and I love how Meyer gave her a happy ending perfected connected to her theme of God’s sovereignty. And I never saw that HEA coming, an absolute delight for this prolific reader.
One more thing of note for trigger warning purposes: there are two instances of marital rape in the novel. They’re not graphic or described in detail but some readers may find it upsetting.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gabrielle Meyer grew up above a carriage house on a historic estate near the banks of the Mississippi River, imagining real and make-believe stories about the occupants who had lived there. She went on to work for the Minnesota Historical Society and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River, not far from where she grew up, with her husband and four children. By day, she’s a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and non-fiction filled with hope. Learn more about Gabrielle and her writing by visiting www.gabriellemeyer.com.