A Multiple Award Winning Historical Time Travel Romance NovelWhile college graduate Forrest tries to find a job, quick witted Annet works at the Keizer Manor, the museum where the oils from 19th century master painter Alexander Keizer are exhibited.After a fight, the couple strolls through the dunes to talk. When dark clouds roll in, the beautiful sunny weather turns into a thunderstorm so … turns into a thunderstorm so violent that they get separated.
The next morning, Forrest finds himself alone. So does Annet.
Regaining consciousness in a monastery, Annet is convinced the nuns are playing a prank on her. It can’t be the 1800’s! She’s a pregnant Twenty-first Century woman and doesn’t belong there. But how will she get back to her own time?
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The story opens at a point where the relationship between Annet and Forrest is complicated by their different pasts and by their different aspirations for the future. As is often the way, their feelings for one another really only crystallize when they are blindsided by events that change everything for them.
As the narrative progresses, the reader is reminded of the importance of both communicating one’s love for another so that nothing is left to assumption or doubt, and of making the most of every moment, not taking each other for granted.
This book delivers a fascinating study of the contrasts in moral judgements and social expectations of women between the 19th and 21st century, and challenges the reader to contemplate how they might cope if they found themselves in a different time, and without electricity, cars or smart phones. Annet is challenged not only by the differences between the two time periods, but also by the prejudice with which she is treated by those who have no understanding of her origins or culture.
The story is quite well structured and progresses at a good pace. The characters are realistic and varied, and generally quite well developed, although I did feel that Forrest was a little too prone to dithering about and moaning without really developing or progressing the story much at a crucial part of the plot when he could have heightened the drama and suspense had he responded differently.
The use of alternating points of view enabled the reader to have quite deep insight into the thoughts and feelings of both Forrest and Annet, engaging in their circumstances and becoming quite invested in how the complications of the story might be resolved.
Overall, this was quite an enjoyable and interesting book.
This was an exceptional story, from the first page to the last sentence. I have to start with, I am NOT a romance reader, but this book blew me away. The author has a very easy to read style that comes alive the further into it you get, and has such a magnetism that you sit down thinking you will read for twenty minutes and before you know it a couple hours and 2/3 of the book has passed! I loved the seamless switching from Annet to Forrest and from past to present with NO confusion, that’s really hard to pull off and was spectacularly done here. All in all a fantastic read, and thank you for the opportunity to review this jewel.
Our two main characters Annet and Forrest, have been together since high school. They moved in with each other right after finishing high school. Annet has been working at Keizer Manor, the museum while Forrest went to college. After graduating Forrest is having a hard time finding a job.
Their lives are turned upside when Annet finds herself pregnant. Forrest is overjoyed with the news but Annet is having a hard time dealing with it. There is no doubt in her mind that she is going to have the baby but is having to deal with and accept it is another story.
On the two hundredth anniversary of the Keizer Manor, Annet and Forrest has an argument and decides to take a walk on the beach through the dunes to make up. A great big thunderstorm pops up out of nowhere. It is dark making it very hard to see. The storm is raging also making it very hard to hear. Annet and Forrest become separated during the storm.
Annet awakes to find herself all alone. She calls and calls for Forrest but he never comes. She awakes in the 1800s in a monastery with nuns. She learns that the person who rescued her from the snow is none other than the great painter, Alexander Keizer himself.
Annet finds herself alone and stuck in the year 1840 and pregnant without a husband. Annet is about to change these people’s world forever. Annet is known for spitting out the truth, truth from the twenty-first century that is. Is Annet about to change the world? How are the people in the 1800s going to take someone like Annet? Will they think she is crazy when she introduces them to things that have not been invented yet? Will they accept an unmarried pregnant woman in the 1800s?
Meanwhile back in the twenty-first century, Forrest is going crazy looking everywhere for Annet and soon finds himself a suspect in her disappearance. Can Forrest prove his innocence? Or will he go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit?
Storm at Keizer Manor is my third book by Ramcy Diek that I have read and I do believe that each story gets better and better. I have really and truly enjoyed reading Storm at Keizer Manor. Storm at Keizer Manor reminded me of the TV show Outlander playing on Netflix.
Storm at Keizer Manor was so unpredictable it kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end not knowing what was going to happen next. I so enjoyed Annet and her way of talking and would have loved to see the looks on everyone’s face in the 1800s especially if she could still surprise a few people from the twenty-first century.
I did try my best to picture this in my mind but I am sure I couldn’t do it justice. Oh, and I so enjoyed the time when they were describing to Annet what women wore in those days from the undergarments to the dress.
Storm at Keizer Manor feels like a hallmark movie but at the same time, it feels more on the side of an HBO movie only because I think it needs a different rating than hallmark would give it. You see there are some scenes you wouldn’t want to leave out, that unfortunately would have to be left out of a hallmark movie.
I guess I would describe Storm at Keizer Manor as a hallmark movie because it has that warm cozy feeling to it. A kind of story that you would want to read when it is snowing out and you can curl up on the sofa with a warm cozy blanket and a roaring fire to keep you warm.
I highly recommend Storm at Keizer Manor to, well, everyone. One-click your copy of Storm at Keizer Manor today and travel back in time with Annet! Be sure to check out Ramcy Diek’s other novels as well, for more great adventures!
I thoroughly enjoyed the wild ride this story took me on. Going from place to place and time to time on the wings of a storm was exhilarating. I could not decide who I wanted Annet to wind up with! I liked Forrest and I liked Alex as well. She had a more stormy relationship with Alex, so that created more drama, but both men were great characters who I could root for. The intensity of the relationships and the beautiful settings made this book a page-turner that I finished rapidly.
Storm at Keizer Manor, literally picks you up and sweeps you from the 21st century into the 19th, then forward again you get the POV of both main characters. I enjoy time travel stories and this one held my interest from start to finish. It has angst, some art & historical history, and a beautiful love story.
Susan Marlowe narrator did an excellent job telling this story.
Thank you Ramay Diek for gifting me this audible book.
I found myself enthralled with this audio book. It is a time travel story, but like no other I’ve ever read. The outspoken, foul mouthed heroine didn’t ask to be sent back in time. The awkwardness of finding herself in a time where the women must wear voluminous uncomfortable garments, watch their mouths and take care of the home is severely challenging for Annette. That added a lot of levity to the story. Her showing up in that time period pregnant and unmarried was a whole different aspect to the time travel.
There were twists and turns to the story that kept me flipping the pages with anticipation. Annette loves a man in each time period. If she has a choice of staying back in time or returning to her normal life, which will she choose? I’m not telling.
I was given a complimentary copy of this audio book. All thoughts are my own.
This is the perfect book if you are looking for time travel. There is a lot of back and forth between time as you will see what is going on with both main characters but not so much that it will be confusing. To watch all of these people find their true happiness after such a phenomenal change is such a joy to listen to. I hope to see more from this author in the future.
Narration with this book was done very well.
Annet find herself traveling to 19th century, the creator of the paintings of Keizer manor, the paintings she was helping organise in the 21st century. Now she finds herself between staying or going back in time. The audiobook was good, the narrator Susan Marlow did a good job, I found the audiobook enjoyable and not monotonous, the voice changes where subtle but worked.
Audiobook Review:
Storm at Kaizer Manor takes a diverse style with a flare. Two stories entwined together in a exceptional way that goes back in history and to current time Well detailed vivid descriptions & settings of two divergent era’s. With a bit of angst & unexpected twists seeping through the pages. The ending was fittingly unexpected.
Narator Susan Marlowe performance embodies all the right sentiments at the write time. The pace and tone flowed through flawlessly.
I don’t normally read time travel romances, but I’m so glad I purchased this one. The characters are highly developed and well written. I enjoyed the unique storyline. Storm at Keizer Manor includes an irresistible mixture of romance, art, history, and suspense. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
Hooked from the start! I couldn’t put this book down! I became a fan of time travel romance after reading and then watching the Outlander series. This gem of a story by Ramcy Diek won’t disappoint. It is very believable. Have you ever felt like something was out of sync? Rather than wanting to marry her long-time boyfriend when she becomes pregnant, Annet feels unhappy and at odds. She tries to reconcile her discordant feelings but continues to argue with him. During an event at the Keizer Manor where she works, they argue, she runs out and goes missing during a storm. I can’t say more without spoiling the story – but there may be a good reason for those feelings.
This was my first Ramcy Diek’s book. This is a captivating Time Travel Romance. The storyline is intriguing and captivating. Annet, Alexander (Alex), and Forrest are such wonderful characters. This is a beautifully written romance. The story is told with Annet’s POV from the 19th century, and Forrest’s POV from the current century, which is really original, and interesting. Annet is smart, sassy, feisty, and independent. The 19th century wasn’t prepared for her! Alex is enigmatic, and caring. Forrest is handsome, and determined. The story has unpredictable and surprising twists and turns. Susan Marlowe did an excellent job with the narration. If you like Time Travel Romance, this one is definitely for you!