Gabrielle Meyer has done it again.
When the Day Comes, her first dual-timeline novel, was one of my top reads of 2022, and In This Moment is even better. It follows the same basic structure: a heroine who lives in multiple timelines simultaneously.
Margaret’s three lives are in 1861, 1991, and 2001.
She lives in Washington, DC, in all three the periods, which places her at the centre of politics in three years which are each significant in US history. She has an interest in medicine in all three lives. In 2001, Meg is an overachieving medical student who is about to graduate as a doctor, 1941 Maggie is a nurse in the US Navy, and 1861 Margaret is a volunteer nurse with Clara Barton, who will later found the Red Cross.
I really enjoyed watching Maggie and Margaret practice medicine in the with the challenge of sometimes knowing the answer (thanks to modern medicine) but being unable to share their knowledge for fear of contaminating the timeline.
Margaret has decided she doesn’t want to get emotionally involved with a man in any of her lives, as that would complicate her eventual decision.
But this is a romance, so of course Margaret meets eligible young man in each of her three lives.
That becomes her central internal decision: which timeline—and man—will she choose—the secretive British gentleman, the reclusive Navy surgeon, or the ambitious US congressman? As a reader, I had definite opinions on each man … but would Margaret make the same choice?
It’s a testament to the strength of the writing that Margaret’s eventual decision became obvious and didn’t leave me thinking she’d chosen the wrong man (as I often find in plots where a character has to choose between multiple suitable suitors).
Margaret had a strong Christian faith in each timeline, which shouldn’t be a surprise: she is the same character throughout.
What was good to see was that her three families were Christians as well, and faith was shown as a natural part of life. She does turn to God to help her make her decision, but (as is so often the case) the answer still didn’t become clear.
Margaret’s choice is one big difference between the two books. In When the Day Comes, Libby always knew she wanted to stay in 1775 with her marked mother (not least because her other mother was overly avaricious and insufficiently caring). With In This Moment, Margaret/Maggie/Meg had no idea which path she would choose.
There were a couple of scenes I didn’t enjoy reading in When the Day Comes, but have to acknowledge that they were essential to the plot. There were no such scenes in In the Moment (whew!). When the Day Comes also had a childbirth epilogue—not my favorite literary device. However, the epilogue was necessary as it was setting up the sequel (yay). In this Moment does the same thing, which is fantastic because it promises another sequel … and because it signals the twist that will make Timeless #3 different from the first two books in the series (brilliant!).
It’s not necessary to read When the Day Comes to enjoy In This Moment, as the first paragraph of In This Moment sets up the story:
Most days, I could pretend that my life was normal. I was a twenty-year-old woman searching for my place in the world, trying to find my future. The only difference was that I had three normal lives, and on my twenty-first birthday. I would have to choose which one to keep and which to forfeit. Forever.
(But if you read In This Moment, you will want to go back and read When the Day Comes.)
I recommend In This Moment to all fans at Christian historical romance or Christian dual timeline romance.
It’s a unique concept, and I’m looking forward to the next Timeless novel.
Thanks to Bethany House and Net Galley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Gabrielle Meyer
Gabrielle lives on the banks of the Upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing historical and contemporary novels inspired by real people, places, and events. The river is a constant source of inspiration for Gabrielle, and if you look closely, you will find a river in each of her stories.
When Gabrielle is not writing, you might find her homeschooling her children, cheering them on at sporting and theatrical events, or hosting a gathering at her home with family and friends.
Find Gabrielle Meyer online at:
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About In This Moment
Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night, she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives–and everyone she knows in them–forever.
In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of a senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she joins a hospital ship going to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she’s a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon.
While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer. With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?
Find In This Moment online at:
Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
