15. Into a Golden Era. Gabrielle Meyer. 2026. 384 pages. [Source: Library] [christian fiction, christian romance, series book, 3 stars]
First sentence: I needed help, and I didn't have much time.
Premise/plot: Into a Golden Era is the newest in Gabrielle Meyer's "Timeless" series. Ally, our heroine, lives in two timelines. She lives in California in 1849 during the "Gold Rush," and in California in 1929 as an actress in the Golden Age of Hollywood. In the 1849 story line, Ally is trying to use her knowledge of the future (though not well thought out research) to make her family rich so she doesn't feel guilty leaving them for her more modern life. She knows where gold will be found, and is going to try to get there and take some before it is actually actually found. In the 1929 story line, Ally and her family (who own a small, independent film company) are filming Little Women. Ally is faking a relationship with Hollywood bad-boy, Spencer, who is starring as Laurie in the film. This is the life that she supposedly wants, but, she's not particularly happy in it. Well, to be fair, Ally is having all the issues in both timelines.
The two love interests are Sam (in the 1849 story line) and Spencer (in the 1929 story line). The reader can guess the outcome extremely early on.
My thoughts: I don't mind formulaic romance. I don't. It can be a great joy, a "guilty pleasure" if you will. Guilty not because it's sinful or shameful but because it isn't the most super amazing quality of literature. The books are allegedly Christian fiction. And there's a shallow amount of Christianity to be found. Which is completely fine. The speculative fiction of this series makes it strange. And perhaps it's for the best that theology or doctrine isn't inserted in this super strange world. Two bodies, one soul. It is just ODD if you overthink the theology of it.
I wanted to love this one more than I did. But I did like it better than some in the series.
