Book Review: Ripples Through Time by Christina Courtenay

Book ReviewHistorical FictionBlog Tour
Written By Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Part of the Rachel’s Random Resources Blog Tour

A love that will change them forever

A treasure that will bring them home

West Mercia, AD 873 – Merewen's settlement is on guard against the outside threat of the ‘Heathen’ Norsemen. But for Merewen, the real threats come from within, as her future is cruelly snatched away from her.

Eirik, a Norseman, finds himself abandoned and injured after his uncle’s plunder of Mercian land goes wrong. He thinks his fate is sealed – until Merewen saves his life.

Hereford, Present Day – Left reeling after a huge betrayal, Alix moves to her grandfather's farm in Hereford to heal her broken heart. There, after being given a family heirloom, she soon finds herself haunted by memories of a life she never lived, a relationship she never had, and a time in which she never existed.

Local farmer Noah is being hounded by the police to find the Viking hoard that his sister and her criminal boyfriend stole from his farm. Noah must prove his own innocence while struggling to decipher the curious connection he has to newcomer Alix – a bond that seems to transcend their own reality.

As they search for the lost treasure, Alix and Noah start to feel the whispers of a love they never expected, one powerful enough to echo through history.

NB the author warns of  some violence (Vikings and Anglo-Saxons fighting), a couple of sex scenes (not too graphic)

My Review of the Novel:

A fun timeslip modern-day and Viking-era set romance novel, Christina Courtney’s tale is all that you could wish for.

An attractive man and woman in modern day England, brought together by unhappy circumstances. An attractive Viking (Norse) man and a Saxon woman in England, brought together by unhappy circumstances.

There are family betrayals and jealousy, buried treasure, and two kind people, attracted to each other—in both timelines!

And did I mention the fantastic setting—Viking invaded Saxon England? Swords and axes, healing herbs, and ancient stone monuments to the dead...

Of course, we can tell fairly early on that these are likely the same souls, meeting again in another life after (possibly) centuries apart (who knows, perhaps they meet in every life?).

What we don’t know is: will they get together? Will they overcome the jealousies and betrayals that are forcing them apart? And will there be a Happy Ever After in either of the timelines, or both? Could it be that this is a second chance for them after tragedy in the first life? Afterall, the risk of death is always there, lurking, in 9th Century England, with the Heathen Army cutting down anyone and anything in its evil path.

Oh, and did I say, there are bad Saxons as well as bad Norse?

Who wouldn’t enjoy this quick, easy read, filled with all the things we want to see, centred on two loveable characters, fated to meet again centuries later?

If you love immersive historical backdrops, compelling romantic stories, a touch of fantasy, and a good balance of historical detail and accessible storytelling—and Vikings, of course!—then pick up a copy, I’m sure it won’t disappoint.

You can buy YOUR copy here: https://geni.us/ripplestime

Author Bio

Christina Courtenay Author

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 chairman 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.  RIPPLES THROUGH TIME (dual time historical romance published by Headline Review 21st November 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  Christina Courtenay Author Page - https://www.facebook.com/christinacourtenayauthor?fref=ts

Twitter/X  @PiaCCourtenay - https://twitter.com/PiaCCourtenay

Instagram  @christinacourtenayauthor - https://www.instagram.com/ChristinaCourtenayAuthor/

Bluesky  @christinacourtenay.bsky.social - https://christinacourtenay@bsky.social

Rachel Elwiss Joyce

Rachel Elwiss Joyce, Author of Historical Fiction.

Exploring power, loyalty, and love in turbulent medieval England.

Rachel came to novel writing later in life, but she has always been passionate about history, storytelling, and the forgotten voices of women. She writes meticulously researched, immersive historical fiction that brings overlooked heroines into the light.

She started inventing tales about medieval women living in castles when she was just six years old—and never stopped. But when she discovered the extraordinary story of Nicola de la Haye, the first female sheriff, who defended Lincoln Castle from a French invasion and became known as ‘the woman who saved England’, Rachel knew she had found a heroine worth telling the world about.

Lady of Lincoln is her debut novel, the first book in her Nicola de la Haye Series, with sequels to follow.

https://rachelelwissjoyce.com
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