Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Christina Courtenay for my gifted ebook to write my honest review for the book tour.
Two souls bound together but lost in time. Until now.
AD 80
Duro of the Iceni tribe escaped life as an enslaved gladiator and is now finally home in Britannia with one thing on his mind: vengeance. For 20 years he has sought the Roman legionary who destroyed his family. What he didn’t expect was Gisel: a fierce Germanic woman with long white-blonde hair, forced into slavery by the Romans. Hypnotised by her spirit and her beauty, Duro frees Gisel and slowly tries to win her trust as they work together to complete his quest.
Present Day
Mackenna Jackson returns to Bath with a broken heart, thanks to rockstar Blue Daniels. Luckily she can still count on Blue’s former bandmate Jonah Miller as a listening ear. But Jonah has secretly been fighting stronger feelings, drawn to Mac’s quiet confidence and gorgeous white-blonde hair. As they explore the area, memories they can’t quite explain flood them both.
Is the spark between Mac and Jonah in fact a sign of something much deeper – a love enduring through millennia – or can it all be an illusion?
My Review
Christina Courtenay is an author whose books I so look forward to. Her skill in weaving stories that blend the present and the past together are second to none.
Shadows in the Spring is another dual timeline novel. This time, we travel from the present day back to Roman Britannia of the AD80s. As always, the timelines are woven so intricately that it’s a natural progression. The historical setting is so vividly described I felt like I could have been with Duro and Gisel as I read. The research is, as always, impeccable, making an authentic plot with likeable characters and an overall intriguing story.
Both timelines are linked, and the past paves the way for the present. Mac and Jordan from the present begin to spend more time in each others company. The longer they are together, the more they start to experience strange happenings connected to any Roman objects. Jordan has a ring from her aunt that she never takes off… could it be connected?
I always read this author’s books so quickly! She has the knack of catching my interest, and I’m putty in her hands. It is as good as her Runes series, and I’m over the moon she is still working on dual time novels. I am guaranteed an immersive tale with any book she has written. As always, this is another highly recommended read.
Purchase Link – https://geni.us/SITS
Author Bio
Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip/dual time and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a Vice President and former Chair and of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014) and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. SHADOWS IN THE SPRING (dual time historical romance published by Headline Review 24th April 2025) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).
Social Media Links
Website: http://www.christinacourtenay.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/
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