Miles in Time - everything you want in a time-travel mystery

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Miles in Time is a page-turner—a high-stakes mystery with heart, humor, and a ton of imagination. Whether you’re a teen or an adult, it’s an adventure worth taking. Told through the eyes of 14-year-old Miles Hardy, the story immerses readers in his thoughts, emotions, and evolving sense of courage as he embarks on a time-traveling quest to uncover the truth and protect the future.

 

About Miles in Time 

As a longtime fan of time travel stories, I’m always on the lookout for authors who bring fresh ideas to the genre while respecting the internal logic that makes time travel so compelling. In Miles in Time, Lee Matthew Goldberg delivers exactly that—an engaging, twist-filled adventure that blends mystery, suspense, and smart science fiction, all with a tone that’s pitch-perfect for young adult readers.

Miles Hardy is an insecure yet brave amateur detective who finds himself in the middle of a life-altering mystery after the sudden death of his older brother, Simon. What begins as small-town sleuthing quickly evolves into a thrilling journey through time, featuring shadowy threats, hidden laboratories, and a mission as personal as it is perilous. Goldberg nails the emotional complexity of adolescence, making Miles a protagonist readers can genuinely root for—flawed, earnest, and unexpectedly heroic.

 

Book Hookup Book Review: Miles in Time 

One of the book’s biggest strengths lies in its handling of time travel. The mechanics are imaginative and internally consistent, with just enough rules to raise the stakes without bogging down the story. Goldberg avoids the trap of over-explaining or dumbing things down; instead, he keeps the pace brisk and the twists sharp, grounding the sci-fi elements in emotional reality.

That said, there were a few moments when modern themes of inclusiveness felt somewhat shoehorned in—non-essential to the plot and mildly distracting, slightly sidetracking the story’s tension and narrative flow. Still, this is a minor critique rooted in personal preference and does little to detract from what is otherwise a gripping and heartfelt story.

Miles in Time is everything you want in a time-travel mystery: smart, fast-paced, and emotionally resonant. Whether you’re a young reader with a taste for the unknown or an adult who appreciates a well-crafted story, this book is absolutely worth your time. It's thrilling, clever, and surprisingly moving—proof that a great adventure transcends age.

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from Blackberry Book Tours and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. 

 

About the Author: Lee Matthew Goldberg 

Lee Matthew Goldberg is the Anthony, Lefty, and Prix du Polar nominated author of fourteen novels including THE ANCESTOR and THE MENTOR, and THE GREAT GIMMELMANS along with his five-book DESIRE CARD series. After graduating with an MFA from the New School, he’s been published in multiple languages and his writing has also appeared as a contributor in CrimeReads, Pipeline Artists, LitHub, Chicago Quarterly Review, Electric Literature, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Jewish Book Council, The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Mystery Tribune, The Nerd Daily, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review, Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review, The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Maudlin House and others. He is the publisher of Fringe Press, the co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series, and lives in New York City. Follow him at LeeMatthewGoldberg.com

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Enemies-to-lovers wholesome romance

The Cowboy Billionaire’s Enemy is a fast, entertaining read, with likable clean-cut characters who are flawed and carry emotional baggage. It’s an engaging romance, that keeps the pages turning. Perfect for Hallmark fans looking for an upbeat, inspirational, feel-good story to read while they cozy up with a good cup of coffee.

 

The two love interests, Brooke Winding and Callum Bannon grew up on neighboring ranches in small-town South Dakota amid a family feud. Now as adults with disappointments of life under their belts, fate reintroduces them to life as neighbors when Brooke returns from New York after the death of her estranged father. She’s looking forward to getting back to her small-town roots as a rancher, but the ranch has been run into the ground. Financially things look dismal, where can she turn? On the other side of the equation is her mortal enemy, Callum Bannon. He’s rich, successful, and generous, but he is also divorced, alienated from his children, and lonely. They are thrown together in a couple of awkward meetings and slowly develop a relationship with an unexpected chemistry that evolves into an undeniable love. But of course, it is never as easy as that. What about their families and the circumstances that stand in the way?

I’m happy to award The Cowboy Billionaire’s Enemy 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to readers looking for a heartwarming enemies-to-lovers wholesome romance.

 

Love ignores societal separation

The protagonist of An Unlikely Belle is Madelyn MacNalling, better known as Maddy. Born into the lower class, her life has not been easy. Both of her parents have died and the only family she has left is her older brother, Nate. Thanks to him, Maddy has received an education, and upon graduation, she moves to live with him on the Stirlingshire Estate where he is the head hostler. She loves horses and is happy when she learns she will work under her brother caring for three horses. But living on the estate opens a whole new world where love ignores the societal separation that comes with wealth and brings about life lessons that test young Maddy’s faith.

 

Book review: An Unlikely Belle

An Unlikely Belle by Dannie Marie delivers well-written characters that are likable but flawed and combines them with family secrets on the Stirlingshire Estate. Maddy is not ashamed of her humble standing, or her work in the stables with her brother Nate, but her life changes when Elizabeth Stirlingshire, daughter to the Viscount, accepts Maddy as her best friend. Maddy is invited to participate in social events above her standing. Dressed in Elizabeth’s clothing, Maddy fits right in, and soon her dance card is filled with young men who have no idea of who she really is. 

 

@donnasundblad An Unlikely Bell Review #bookreview #bookreviews #bookreviewer #historicalromance #christianromance #bookhookup #booktok #readersoftiktok ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

As she navigates the social norms of the Regency era, the complications involved with her new relationships, and the possibility of love, tests humble Maddy’s faith as she asks for God’s guidance. An Unlikely Belle is a faith journey couched in a heartwarming romance that swept me away to another time. Readers who enjoy historical Christian romances like A Viscount's Stolen Fortune will enjoy this read. I’m happy to give it 5 stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

A fun read with stunning artwork for Pre K and early readers

Simon the Sloth by Molly Arbuthnott offers pages of stunning art depicting the story of Simon, a sloth who loves to play the bagpipes. He’s very good at playing the right notes, but he has a problem. He plays so slowly that his music sounds like yowling cats and screeching foxes. If you’ve never heard that fox noise just Google it. Their cries sound like a woman’s high-pitched scream, so the description was perfect for getting the point across that no one wanted to listen to Simon play. 

Book Review: Simon the Sloth

The story follows Simon’s journey around the world as he seeks an answer to this problem, but no matter where he played, he was just too slow. I won’t say more because I don’t do spoilers. This story is a fun read, though I wished it were a little more developed. The artwork is stunning and colorful. Kids will love it because it includes all kinds of details not mentioned in the story which a parent can point out in a teaching moment. I recommend Simon the Sloth as a Pre-K read-aloud story and for early readers. It’s a gentle, sweet story that provides a practical lesson in perseverance and reaching goals on a toddler’s level. I think those who enjoyed The Bear and the Piano by David Litchfield, or The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright will love this book. I give it a strong 4 stars.

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I received a free review copy of this book from Book Tasters and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About Author Molly Arbuthnott

Molly is a teacher, author, editor, and academic from Scotland, UK. She's passionate about the promotion of children’s literature. With a solid understanding of literature and the ability to read, she believes you can take on the world. She has completed an M.A. in Art History and an M.Ed in children's literature. She has gone on to write nine award-winning picture books.

She uses experiences from life as inspiration for her writing. Teaming up with four fantastic illustrators has helped breathe life into the stories. Each story is loosely based on family or friends who have been important in her life whilst also trying to tell stories honestly and gently, singing praise to things we have to celebrate in our world. Teaching children to look out for others, work as a team, and not be afraid of doing the right thing is important. Such lessons might then filter through and be reflected in the way we live in the magical world around us.

 

Unpredictable, suspense-filled, magical fairy tale for young and old

The Magic of Last Resort: Book 6 of The Western Lands and All That Really Matters series by Andrew Einspruch, delivers a satisfactory conclusion to the epic tale of Queen Eloise Gumball III's life from a young adult princess to a crown plonked queen soon to be officially crowned sovereign. 

 

As book six opens, Queen Eloise Gumball III faces the threat of war on her Eastern border, depleted coffers, and an ill-prepared military. On top of that, she and her twin sister are at odds. With all this going on, she considers tapping into the magic of the Star of Whatever, if she can figure out how it works but in the meantime, tries diplomacy. This effort calls together all the former leaders met in the previous books and makes for some interesting negotiations. Especially, since many still consider her young, naïve, and inexperienced.

 

@donnasundblad Magic of Last Resort #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #bookhookup #booktok #books #bookreaders #bookreads ♬ original sound - Donna Sundblad

Book Review: The Magic of Last Resort

Einspruch’s gift to tackle serious situations with elements of humor woven throughout is masterful. He seamlessly unfolds a sequence of cause and effects across the beginning, middle, and end of this fairytale-like story. The worldbuilding of this unique land with talking animals, becomes believable as you get lost in the story with beloved characters both human and not. 

I’ve read all the books in this series, and absolutely loved them. The one exception, for me, is that I was not thrilled with the end of the series. I felt it a little rushed and was disappointed that it didn’t deliver what I’d been hoping for throughout the series. A resolution of Eloise’s relationship with Lorch. At the end, when Eloise goes out to get a breath of fresh air, I thought, this is it! They will finally talk about how they feel toward one another. Even if it is impossible, they can admit it. And in my thinking, if Eloise can find her way out of the Whacking Great Hole, she can find a way to overcome protocol and convince Lorch Lacksneck to become her King. BUT that wasn’t meant to be. The end took another direction that did bring this book to a satisfying conclusion.

I give this whole series 5 stars, including this book. I devoured it in two days but then stopped at 90 percent read. I wanted to savor the end. Saying goodbye to characters I’ve grown to care about is always hard. A type of withdrawal. Even though the end wasn’t what I was hoping for, the book is deliciously unpredictable, well written, and delightfully entertaining. I highly recommend this action-packed, suspense-filled, magical fairy tale for young and old. The Einspruch musical puns made a curtain call at the end which did help ease my self-inflicted disappointment. The entire series is worth picking up. Two thumbs up!

 

Other Western Lands and All That Really Matters books

• The Purple Haze: A Humorous Fantasy Novel (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters Book 1)
• The Star of Whatever: A Humorous Fantasy Novel (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters Book 2)
• The Light Bearer: A Humorous Fantasy Novel (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters Book 3)
  
• The Crown Plonked Queen: A Humorous Fantasy Novel (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters Book 4)
• The Eastie Threat: A Humorous Fantasy Novel (The Western Lands and All That Really Matters Book 5)

I received a free review copy of this book and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.