This Time Around ~ Lone Star Book Blog Tours Review & Giveaway

 

THIS TIME AROUND

by

Kimberly Packard

Time Travel Romance / Contemporary Women’s Fiction / Romantic Comedy

Publisher: Abalos Publishing

Date of Publication: June 11, 2024

Number of Pages: 286 pages 

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SYNOPSIS

Most of us would jump at a chance for a do-over of our teenage years...but what if our worst mistakes lead to our happily-ever-after?

Josie Gardner’s life revolves around her amazing children and her career. But, when her husband threatens to take her kids in their divorce, and the business she’s put most of her passion, time and money into building is at risk of failing, a panic attack shatters her grip on reality… and the present.

Josie wakes up in her teenage bedroom, thirty years in the past. She’s forced to relive her emotionally devastating senior year of high school — the year she cut her father out of her life, caused one of her best friends to sever ties, and turned away the boy she loved.

Determined to get back to her children in her own time, Josie tries to fix the mistakes she made, in the hope that righting wrongs will send her back to the present. But when tempted by her high school crush Josie faces the real possibility of losing her future for good.

Would you take a second chance for love…even if it meant losing everything?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly Packard is an award-winning author of women’s fiction.

When she isn’t writing, she can be found planning her next trip, asking her dog what’s in his mouth or curled up with a book. She resides in Texas with her husband Colby, a clever cat named Oliver and a precocious black lab named Tully.

Her debut novel, Phoenix, was awarded as Best General Fiction of 2013 by the Texas Association of Authors. She is also the author of a Christmas novella, The Crazy Yates, and the sequels to Phoenix, Pardon Falls and Prospera Pass, and her stand-alone titles Vortex, Dire’s Club and This Time Around. She was honored as one of the Top 10 Haute Young Authors by Southern Methodist University in 2019. Vortex was the 2019 winner of the Pencraft award in Women’s Fiction, and Dire’s Club, was awarded the 2021 General Fiction of the Year by the North Texas Book Festival.

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REVIEW

Kimberly Packard’s new book, This Time Around, is a fun twist on the time-slip trope. The story begins with heroine Josephine Berry Gardner, a 47-year-old divorcee, experiencing a terrible day before she’s even had lunch. Troubles loom at home and the office, and the stress of it all propels her back in time to the beginning of her senior year of high school.

The story is enjoyable and has a depth that goes beyond typical time-traveling tales. Yes, Josie is conflicted between exploring what would happen if she didn’t let go of “the one who got away,” but she is also trying to prevent tragedies from happening the way they did 30 years ago.

As a middle-aged mother of a teen girl, trapped in the body of a 17-year-old, Josie’s interactions with her own Mom were priceless. Their relationship is one of the many places Josie’s eyes of experience give her more insight and a broader view of events as they unfold. As she says, “If nothing else, slipping back to my past allowed me to see beyond the glow of the headlights of youth.”

Packard’s compelling insights about parenting, friendship, and choices that permanently impact our lives are punctuated by moments of humor – notably as Josie survives (happily) without the internet or cell phones.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, mostly because I wanted to find out how things ended for Josie. Would she choose her children or her childhood sweetheart? Would she prevent any of the tragedies from her first time around? Finding answers to those questions propelled me to the end of the book in less than two days.

My one critique would be wanting to know more at the end. I found myself wishing for a couple of beats about how Josie’s life moved forward. Thankfully, it sounds like Packard is already working on the story of one of Josie’s friends in the story. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll get an update there.

If you loved this story, you’ll enjoy the following films: When Peggy Sue Got Married, Back to the Future, Groundhog Day, and 13 Going on 30.

Don't miss Kimberly Packard's playlist for This Time Around! 

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THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, 

or visit the blogs directly:

06/11/24	Ames for the Stars	Review
06/12/24	LSBBT Blog	Review
06/13/24	Book Fidelity	Review
06/14/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
06/15/24	Jennie Reads	Review
06/16/24	Boys' Mom Reads	Review
06/17/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
06/17/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
06/18/24	Carpe Diem Chronicles	Review
06/18/24	It's Not All Gravy	Review
06/19/24	Reading by Moonlight	Review
06/19/24	Bibliotica	Review
06/20/24	Rox Burkey Blog	Review

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