As seen in Issue 4 of Uncaged Book Reviews. To read the Uncaged interview with Lynn, please see the issue.
Letterbox Love Stories
Anthology
Lynn Crain – and more
Contemporary Romance
Blurb for Sealed with a Kiss by Lynn Crain
In 2084, time travelling detective, Tandi Reynolds, tipped off by a letter, needs to stop an assassin before he kills a newly elected leader. When she finds him in 1874, Vienna, it’s clear a cold blooded killer is only one of her problems. Time is fleeting, so falling in love with her contact, the charismatic Count Leopold Radetzky von Radetz, is a bad idea, but keeping her feelings in check is not easy when she relies on him for her every need.
Excerpt
She couldn’t believe she was here, nor when here was. True time travel had always been theoretically possible, but…she stretched her neck, trying not to think about it…she had a job to do, then hopefully return to her well-ordered life.
Hell, who was she kidding? Once she got back, her life would be anything but well-ordered as she’d be unique, being someone who had successfully time-travelled. Unfortunately, that would all be kept within the confines of the Time Travel Bureau as the world could never know how they were kept safe from the Desmond Draeggers of the world. They’d even made her sign a non-disclosure document before MI6 would let her step inside their damn time travel device.
Let’s face it, the only reason she was sent back here was that the letter had come to her and it was a direct threat on the man who would lead the European Union. She tried to get her bearings as she looked around her. It took a moment before she could see the lush grounds attached to a Viennese Palace. The gentle noise from the running water calmed her nerves as she moved, a little unsteadily, toward it.
She soon found herself at the edge of a magnificent fountain, complete with cherubs and horses and…what were those things? She leaned over, cupped her hands and pulled the cool water over her face. It did little to dissipate the nausea she felt welling up. She now realized she should not have eaten the huge pastrami sandwich the night before she left and heaved the contents of her stomach into the fountain.
The sharp intake of breath behind her, made her turn and sink to the ground with a slight moan. The handsome man with dark hair and blue eyes was talking to her but Tandi couldn’t understand a word he said even though she knew it was German. Any other time and she’d be drooling over how attractive the man was. Through her sickness haze, she reached up and pushed the small button behind her ear. To most, it would look like a mole but to her it would be a lifesaver as it would prompt her understanding of a language she wasn’t proficient in. And the tone of the man couldn’t be more clear.
“Tell me you didn’t just puke in my fountain?” He gave a disgusted click of his tongue and frowned at her before moving to her side. His hand went to her head. “You’re clammy. Guess time travel is rough going, huh?” He questioned, switching to English. Hauling her to her feet, he then swept her up in his arms when her knees buckled. “I guess you’re the great Tandi Reynolds, the woman sent to save the world.”
Uncaged Review: This was the first time travel story I’ve read in quite a while, and even though it’s part of an anthology and was a short story, it was detailed enough to get a grasp on the characters and the time period, and that in itself is not an easy accomplishment.
The time we start out at, is the future, in 2084. Tandi, a detective – is sent a letter, that was sent to her from the past and tips her off to an assassination. When she takes the letter in, she finds that time travel is possible, and must head back to the time and era to meet with the Lord who sent the letter and stop the assassination attempt. She meets someone from the past that she never believed possible.
Since this is a short story, I won’t go into more details, as it will give too much away. This is well written, engaging, and an original storyline that had me completely invested and engaged. Perfect amount of suspense and very substantial for the length of the story. Reviewed by Cyrene
