[Review] Time After Time - Hannah McKinnon

Summary: Time After Time is a fresh and funny work of women’s commercial fiction, which explores the romantic paths that could have been . . .
Hayley Cooper, a powerful but now struggling lawyer, fantasizes about what her life would be like if only if she’d made different choices. It’s understandable; the past two years have been hell. She barely sees her kids, her boss is trying to sabotage her, and her marriage is falling apart.
Burnt out, Hayley goes to sleep wishing for a different life. When she wakes up married to her first boyfriend, one she has not seen in over twenty years, she realizes there might be some truth in the saying “be careful what you wish for”. Over a single weekend, like Ebenezer Scrooge, Hayley gets to see her life on other side of the white picket fence – not just with her first ex, but with each of her past loves. But is the grass always greener, and will she ever want to go home? (Pub Date: Jun 2nd, 2016)

Thanks to Netgalley, this ARC was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Hayley is going through some rough times. Even though she has dedicated her all to work, barely having time for her family, her latest tasks have all fallen through and now she might be fired. To top her day, she engages into The Fight with her husband, lately a stay-at-home daddy trying to open his own business. Perhaps, life would have been better had she given a chance to her previous men... That is when the magic happens and shows her a glimpse into her alternate life.

In the beginning, I thought the atmosphere the cover and the blurb imply was misleading. The first parts are far from heartwarming and much closer to a comedy full of wit on how life could actually be worse. However, the story evolves into something more serious and closer to what you envision from that cover—without losing steam.

Is this really a debut novel? I found it amazing the control the author had over the story. This also proves how important an editor can be. You don't need to analyze much to notice how well planned this was. And I have a thing for planning, I feel goosebumps when pieces fall together.

Divided in two moments, Hayley's travel through her alternative lives and her past. I'm not fond of flashbacks but I found myself interested in both stories right because of how well the author managed to fit past and present. Also, be prepared for well calculated cliffhangers at the end of chapters. They always make sure I go for one more chapter before I go for some other activity. However, because of the structure, the answer to each question the end of the chapter left you with will only be found in the chapter after the following one.

For that, the book was not only easy to read but also engaging.

And I haven't even gone into the characters or the story itself!

Present-days Hayley is stressed out in the beginning and by the time you can get how she actually is, she is already going through changes. However, younger Hayley was a nice character. I confess I was a little jealous about how successful people kept saying she was—I prefer identifying with those who shine less. It was never a reason for me to feel anything negative toward her. In fact, it did make me understand better how her present-days situation may affect her even deeper than the norm.

The rest of the characters were even more interesting. Even though it was assumedly a Groundhog Day type of plotline, it allowed me to see the main ones through different lights. I was in love with Mark and Ellen, I must say.

Hayley's men were a little stereotyped in the beginning, I could even give them objecticized nicknames, like "the rich one", "the eternal baby one"... However, as the story progressed, their personalities too became more tridimensional. I did shed tears for poor Matthew, such a nice guy to the end...

The ending was more than satisfying. When you think she was able to reach perfect closure, the author went beyond for a few more pages. Usually, I would have felt anxious—"The story is over!" I'd scream at my e-reader—but I was so in love with the characters and her style I felt even happy for the extra time I got to spend with them.

My sole complaint is more of a personal standing but reviews are for personal opinions after all. I felt bothered by how the author associated happiness with "marriage and two kids". Her idea of an ultra unhappy ending implied choosing to live a single's, childless life.

This is surely a page turner. Don't be fooled by the cover, this is a lively, easy-to-read story in which the author entertains you with all changes one life can suffer when you follow a different path. But don't think this is just a light rom com; won't even notice until you are already too involved. I can't wait for more from the author and see how much better she'll become.

Rating: 4 out of 5.