Today I have three books in the Northwest Passage series from John Heldt. This has been a great series and I definitely recommend that you check it out. John Heldt also has another series, American Journey that I am hoping to get reviewed soon.
The Show (Northwest Passage – 3) by John A. Heldt
(Excerpt from Goodreads) Seattle, 1941. Grace Vandenberg, 21, is having a bad day. Minutes after Pearl Harbor is attacked, she learns that her boyfriend is a time traveler from 2000 who has abandoned her for a future he insists they cannot share. Determined to save their love, she follows him into the new century. But just when happiness is within her grasp, she accidentally enters a second time portal and exits in 1918. Distraught and heartbroken, Grace starts a new life in the age of Woodrow Wilson, silent movies, and the Spanish flu. She meets her parents as young, single adults and befriends a handsome, wounded Army captain just back from the war. In THE SHOW, the sequel to THE MINE, Grace finds love and friendship in the ashes of tragedy as she endures the trial of her life.
My Review
4 Stars
We return to Grace after Joel left her in The Mine to return to 2000. Grace cannot see herself living without Joel so she goes searching for clues and finds her way to 2000 and reunites with Joel. Things are going well for the both of them when one night at the movies Grace finds herself in 1918. At first she has a hard time adjusting but then she finds her great uncle, an aunt that raised her after her parents died, and her parents. Then she meets the soldier next door and they start a relationship. But she has a hard time since she wants to correct things from her past but yearns to be with Joel in the future.
Grace was bound a determined to follow Joel to the future and I loved how she looked at all the technology she encountered. Of course she finds herself back in time and she is not very happy about it. But she does from her great uncle and after a lot of convincing he takes her in. I loved seeing her parents especially after she lost them before meeting Joel. I felt bad for Grace but she is a strong woman and I am glad of how the book ended.
This is a great sequel to The Mine. The only thing I can complain about it the pacing of the book is a little off where it seems to drag. I really liked the story and enjoyed how this one ended.
To purchase The Show make sure to visit Amazon, Goodreads, and John Heldt’s website.
I received The Show a long time ago for free in exchange for an honest review. I’m sorry that it has taken so long to get this posted.
The Fire (Northwest Passage – 4) by John Heldt
(Excerpt from Goodreads) When Kevin Johnson, 22, goes to Wallace, Idaho, days after his college graduation, he expects to find rest and relaxation as his family prepares his deceased grandfather’s house for sale. Then he discovers a hidden diary and a time portal that can take him to 1910, the year of Halley’s comet and the largest wildfire in U.S. history. Within hours, Kevin finds himself in the era of horse-drawn wagons, straw hats, and ankle-length dresses. Returning to the same time and place, he decides to travel again and again and make the portal his gateway to summer fun. The adventure takes a more serious turn, however, when the luckless-in-love science major falls for pretty English teacher Sarah Thompson and integrates himself in a community headed for tragedy. Filled with humor, romance, and heartbreak, THE FIRE, the sequel to THE JOURNEY, follows a conflicted soul through a life-changing journey as he makes his mark on a world he was never meant to see.
My Review
5 stars
Kevin Johnston is a college graduation that finds diary that helps him travel back in time to 1910 in Wallace, ID. Unlike the previous books in this series, Kevin can travel back and forth through time. While in 1910 he learns a lot about life then, especially about how women were treated. He even finds himself falling in love. But when her returns to 2013 he finds that nothing has changed in his absence. While back he finds another girl he is falling in love with. Now he must decide who and where he wants to live with. Also, in 1910 there was a large fire that killed many people in Wallace. Kevin also has to decide if he should warn everyone or let history play out.
Kevin has not found love and when he learns about the shed in the back being a time portal he cannot resist going back in time because time travel is in his family’s blood. I loved watching him try to convince people that he was from 1910 and how he get a crash course in how women are treated. I did find it funny watching him learn to court women as opposed to the fast pace relationships of modern day.
I absolutely loved how we get a visit from both Joel Smith and Shelly Preston. That really wrapped all of the books in this series together. The story flowed well and we do see Kevin facing extremely tough situations. If you have not read this series you really need to. It just keeps getting better and better.
To purchase The Fire make sure to visit Amazon, Goodreads, and John Heldt’s website.
I received The Fire a long time ago for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Mirror (Northwest Passage – 5) by John Heldt
(Excerpt from Goodreads) On September 11, 2020, Ginny and Katie Smith celebrate their nineteenth birthday at a country fair near Seattle. Ignoring the warnings of a fortune-teller, they enter a house of mirrors and exit in May 1964. Armed with the knowledge they need to return to their time, they try to make the most of what they believe will be a four-month vacation. But their sixties adventure becomes complicated when they meet a revered great-grandmother and fall in love with local boys. In THE MIRROR, the sequel to THE MINE and THE SHOW, the sisters find happiness and heartbreak as they confront unexpected challenges and gut-wrenching choices in the age of civil rights, the Beatles, and Vietnam.
My Review
4 stars
Ginny and Katie are the twin daughters of John and Grace. They are at a fair celebrating their 19th birthday when they find themselves in 1964. They have heard of the time traveling of their family members so they figure they can find their way back home in 2020. Unfortunately they are going to have to wait a couple months to get back home. Now they have to fit in, find jobs, and live in 1964 until they can return home. But life is not just living, they find themselves caught up in all the events of the 60’s: Vietnam, civil rights, the Beatles, and, of course, boys.
I loved the twins and finding out that they were John and Grace’s kids. Traveling to 1964 was almost expected with their family’s history. I really liked everything that they faced. The 60’s was a pivotal time and I admit that I have never learned much about it. It was fascinating the differences from when I grew up to even today. I think the twins did a great job adjusting. But of course they have to be careful of how much they affect events around them. They also have to decide if they are going to stay or leave since they found love.
I loved this series but I have to say that the end of the books didn’t seem to have the same feel. I felt a little disappointed. Have said that, The Mirror is still a great story and I recommend it to anyone that loves time travel stories and romances. You can’t really go wrong with this series.
To purchase The Mirror make sure to visit Amazon, Goodreads, and John Heldt’s website.
I received The Mirror a long time ago for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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