Peeking Between the Pages

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Book Review: Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

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When I first started reading Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch I thought it was just going to be a fun novel of a woman being given the opportunity to travel back in time to her past and relive it but it turned out to be so much more than that. This novel has so many intricacies to it especially having to do with relationships with your spouse, your children, your parents, and most importantly yourself.

Jillian is drowning in married life. Married with baby Katie, Jillian feels that all that her marriage was when it started out has fizzled out. Then one morning she wakes up in her past, seven years ago to be exact at a time when she was living with her ex-boyfriend Jack; before she had met her now husband Henry. Jillian sees this situation for what it is. She’s been given a second chance to change her life. She still fantasizes about what might have been with Jack and now she can steer her life towards that as she’s gone into the past with all her current knowledge of the last seven years.

While there are some positive things that Jillian is able to change, there are a lot of instances where she’s thinking back to her life and wondering if it was really that bad. She’s back at her job as an executive thinking that’s what she really wanted when she was home with a baby everyday but really, does she want to be spending all her time logging in long hours and having no life? Was her fantasy of Jack much more enticing than the real thing? How many times do we look back at our past and make it seem so much better than it had really been? I know I’ve done it and so might have Jillian. Could it be that Henry really was the man she was meant to be with all along? And what about baby Katie? Can she really live without ever holding that little girl again?

Jillian is an easy character to like. From the beginning I liked her and felt invested in her journey to find herself. As a child, Jillian’s mother had left her family. Consequently Jillian has spent her life trying to be perfect and doing what everyone expected of her so that they would love her and not leave. What she discovered on this journey back in her past is that she is the one that needed fixing, not everything and everyone around her. What she realized is that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. She realized that ‘what if’ isn’t always all that it’s cracked up to be.

I read The Department of Lost and Found by Allison Winn Scotch ages ago and she captured my attention then as a favorite author and she did it again with Time of My Life. There is something about Allison’s writing that just seems to pull you into her stories and make you feel like you’re there. While time travel may not be a realistic concept, the message in this book is – live your life without regrets – live your life true to yourself and who you are.

I read Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch for her TLC Book Tour so many thanks to Lisa with TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to participate. I was excited to read this novel and I was not at all disappointed. Be sure to pop over and visit Allison’s website here and her book is available to be purchased here in the US and here in Canada. Don’t forget to check out the other tour stops for Time of My Life here.

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Comments

  1. I really like the sound of this book. I've added to my list. Great review Dar, thanks!

  2. Interesting! I would imagine there are days when everyone wishes they could redo part of their lives, but when the rubber meets the road, would they really? I bet 90% of people would take their lives, good and bad. I give the author credit for a thought provoking plot!

  3. This book has been on TBR list for a while now. I'm so glad you did a review! Thanks Dar!

  10. Great review, Dar. Had never heard of it, or the author previously, but what a fantastic concept. Definitely putting this one on my TBR list!

  12. Dar, I'm thrilled you enjoyed the book! Thanks so much for the time and energy you put into reading and reviewing Time of My Life. And now you've got me interested in Allison's earlier book, The Department of Lost and Found! Adding it to the list…

  13. Great review. I too am reading this book for TLC and really enjoyed it (much more than I thought I would)!

  15. This sounds like a good one Dar. Great review as always. I think I have now read about three reviews for this one and it is a must read. Thank you.

  16. Oh my, who hasn't thought "what if" about things that happened in their past! I could use a little bit of that snow on the cover right about now, too!!

  17. THis book sounds really interesting. Everybody ponders what if scenarios. Good review Darlene

  18. I read another positive review of this book today. I think it sounds like a great read, and one that I could get really caught up in. Thanks for the great review, I will be on the lookout for this book!

  19. I really liked that Jillian found it was herself that needed changing. It's so much easier to see how others could change, but not so easy to see how we ourselves can change. Glad you liked to book as much as I did!

    Trish

  22. I loved your thoughts on this one Dar. And I just love that cover!! Sounds like a great story and one that I'm sure I will be reading soon!!

  23. This book was mentioned recently in Entertainment Weekly, and I have seen it at Target. I have a few other books I have to read first (can't keep buying and not reading – husband might get cranky) but I can't wait to read it!

  24. This sounds like a great book Dar. I think so many of us do go through the "what if's" sometime in our lives. It sounds like this one hits home for many and I like a book that makes me think! I'll be adding this one to my wishlist.
    Thanks for a great review.

  25. Great review. It sounds like the kind of read everyone needs to check out at some point. Adding it to my wishlist!

  26. I think that one should live life with absolutely no regrets. This sounds great, thanks for your interview!:)

  27. Great review, Dar! I really enjoyed this one and I'm glad you did, too. I also thought the book ended up being about so much more than I thought it would be at first glance–it made it that much better!!

  28. Sounds great. Just today I read a great review of this one. I have added this to my wishlist already!