The Sentimental Journey

Author: Tammy Sinclair
Genre: Romance/Time Travel

Kara Michaels could have gone on living her simple, solitary life if it wasn't for her insatiable curiosity. And of course, the old trunk in the attic. When an antique watch catches her eye, she is suddenly thrust back in time - and onto the homefront of WWII.
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Kara is terrified until the family residing in her home takes her under their wing. Soon, their enlisted son returns for a visit and she finds herself instantly drawn toward him. But their time together can't last.

While she and Jerry face being parted by war, she has to decide where she belongs. Although she's learning to feel at home in this new world, she knows it's not truly hers. Is she willing to stay, even if Jerry can never return?

As Kara wrestles with uncertainty, she longs for the same faith she sees in Jerry and his family, but with so many questions, it's hard to completely trust.
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Especially when she has to hold tight to her strange secret alone.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

I love it when I find new authors. I especially love it when they write time-travel romance! The Sentimental Journey by Tammy Sinclair is a delightful romp through time that kept me up until the wee hours.

When Kara Michael places a jewelled watch she found in an old trunk on her wrist, she is magically transported back in time to 1943 - in her own house. When she walks downstairs to find strangers in her kitchen, she starts to demand who they are and then begins to take in her surroundings. Why was her kitchen different? Before she has a chance to process things, she faints and awakes to discover her entire house transformed into something out of the 40s. That's when reality starts to hit her.

I was surprised at the generosity of the Jeffers family who took her in. After all, to them, Kara was someone who had snuck into their house and was living in their attic. They had no idea she was from the future, yet they treated her as a lost lamb and loved her despite the strangeness of it all. The attention to detail like furniture, clothing, hairstyles and music created a sense of nostalgia in me right away as I remembered my grandparent's home.

The "love at first sight" storyline between Kara and Jerry took me a while to get used to. While I loved the romance that developed between them, I still felt it rushed and somewhat forced. A bit more time developing the characters would have helped this aspect of the story. Also, the question of the note with the watch at the beginning of the story is never addressed. It should be, as it is a big plot hole.

When Jerry goes off to war and leaves Kara behind, the question of whether or not she should stay in 1943 or try to return to her own time, filled a better part of the story. While she is thinking about what to do, she starts to adapt to her new timeline and takes a job. I loved the attention to detail the author gave in respect to the dangers women of that time faced while working jobs generally held by men. Her research into the era showed and greatly enhanced this novel.

​While the formatting of the book for Kindle was a bit off, and there were some typos, overall, I enjoyed this story very much. I look forward to reading more by this author. If you like time-travel romances, you will enjoy this one!

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