A STRANGE SCOTTISH SHORE – Juliana Gray

***WARNING – THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!***

Emmeline Truelove is a very modern woman – modern for 1906 that is. Emmeline is a researcher and works with Maximillian Haywood, currently along the Scottish shore. They are researching an unusual discovery made recently along the Orkney Islands…a suit of clothing, which, according to family legend, belonged to a selkie (a mythological creature that appears to be a seal when in water and becomes human on land) who came from the sea and married the first laird of the castle.

Truelove and Haywood are joined along the way by their acquaintance/friend, the silky, smooth, Lord Silverton. Silverton shows up just in time to protect Truelove from a curious stranger who follows her aboard a train. This stranger is someone we most likely met in one of the previous books in the series as Truelove recognizes and has some fear of him.

But Silverton is possibly not all he lets on to be. First, he seems remarkably interested in Truelove – to the point where he might be considered a ‘stalker’ today. He manages to convince her that he should stay in her room with her, in case he needs to fight off another villain. The fact that he gets her tipsy certainly helps his case. But when Truelove wakes in the morning, Silverton and the special item she was carrying, are gone. And when Max and Emmeline discover later that Silverton has truly disappeared, Emmeline follows him, through time – a journey that may not have a return trip.

When I requested this book, I thought I was requesting a historical romance – I did not know that this was a historical romance fantasy. I did not know that time travel would play a crucial role here, until it happened. There were clues, looking back on it I can see that now. And perhaps there were more clues in the earlier books – especially centering around the stranger who follows Truelove on the train.

This is the sort of surprise that is neither good nor bad. I enjoy time travel fantasy/sci-fi books just fine – I just usually know what I am getting into when I read one. Because this took me by surprise, it took me out of the book. I had to stop and go back to re-read a few chapters to make sure I was reading everything right. Yup. Traveled through time. Once I accepted that and moved on, I was fine and enjoyed the book well-enough. I just wish I’d had some sort of clue as to what sort of book I was reading.

Looking for a good book? This historical romance mystery, A Strange Scottish Shore by Juliana Gray, is actually a historical romance mystery fantasy. Be prepared. And then enjoy.