Time After Time

Review by Katie Lipoma

*Minor spoilers ahead*

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Time After Time by Mikki Daughtry is the sweet sapphic romance pick-me-up I needed this week. Victorian houses and queer romance…two of my favorite things! I’m 74% through this book (thank you, Goodreads for the stat), and from what I’ve read, I really like it. I’ve never been a fan of traditional heterosexual romance novels as they never seem genuine to me, but queer and sapphic romance stories always touch my heart. 

Firstly, this book is labelled as an “advance readers copy,” making it “unfinished” and not for sale which I find interesting (that explains why I found it in a free pile…yay!). I was originally skeptical of Daughtry’s writing style and wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get through the cheesy on the nose dialogue and description. “She’s the cheese to my macaroni” was pretty painful to read, but it got better thereafter (or maybe I just got used to it). Libby, meek and struggling to stray from her family’s idea of perfection, finds her footing and steps into herself after purchasing the old mysterious victorian mansion on Mulberry Lane that she’s always been drawn to and dreamed of owning. When her parents learn that she bought a house instead of saving to pay off college loans, they kick her out and disown her entirely. Tish, bold, handy, and the complete opposite of Libby in every way, is struggling financially and with finding a sense of home and family, but achieves peace through tinkering with her hands and fixing things. After Tish experiences a strange pull to Libby’s house and fate brings them together in a college design class, the pair finds themselves working side by side to renovate and restore the mansion. They soon become roommates (“and they were roommates,” haha) and fall in love…after the very necessary yearning and pining, of course.

Unique historical and supernatural components are also thrown into the mix when Libby finds a diary detailing the lives of those who fell in love in the mansion 100 years prior during the 1920s. In this diary, Elizabeth, a wealthy socialite confined to the ways of her traditional parents, finds herself falling unexpectedly head over heels for Patricia, a poor and disregarded Irish servant who works for the family. They both long to be close and to express their love for one another but fear the various repercussions. When the family leaves on a sales trip, Elizabeth and Patricia are left alone to make the most of the time they have together where they can truly be themselves. Libby and Tish bear eerie similarities in appearance and personality to Elizabeth and Patricia, and experience strange events (e.g., flashes from the past, sleepwalking, lights magically turning on and off at critical points in their relationship, etc.). There is also an odd green stone that flashes on and off within the pavement outside the house, serving as a thread that propels the story forward. I really love how all three narratives seamlessly switch and intertwine.

I went into this book thinking that Libby and Tish would be travelling back in time to fix the broken love story between Elizabeth and Patricia, and even considered that they might be related to them somehow. However, from what I’ve read so far, it’s implied that they are simply expected to freely love one another to finish the love story that Elizabeth and Patricia never had (I expect they never got it but I haven’t completely finished, so anything could happen). Also, I thought the story was pretty slow until Libby and Tish confessed their feelings for each other which was exactly where I stopped. So sadly, most of the book was about their separate lives, which I suppose was necessary for character development, but I just really wanted them to kiss already. When Tish finally asks Libby to dinner, it feels pretty anticlimactic. Similarly, I feel like there should be more showing than telling throughout as readers are told that Elizabeth and Patricia are growing closer but are only given snippets of this. Therefore, when they finally confess, it feels inauthentic and I don’t feel the full significance of their bond.

I also appreciate the inclusion of additional characters like nasty Honey Harper in Elizabeth’s narrative and Tish’s fatherlike Joe. They stick out to me because they appear very authentic and unique. Also, the house in this book acts as a character with all its specific details, strange charm, and alluring quirks. It is clearly the catalyst for Libby and Tish’s blossoming relationship. I like how love and life remains within its walls despite its weathered, decrepit exterior.

In comparison to other LGBTQIA+ and sapphic romances I’ve read, this was not my absolute favorite but has been an enjoyable read. I love books that encapsulate the beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking realities of falling in love with another woman, especially long ago. I feel inspired to write a lesbian romance now. Perhaps I will!

Thank you for reading! Farewell until next week!