A Time For Dreams by Jen Holling is a time travel set in the time of the final months of the life of Mary Queen of Scots.

Audrey Williams had visited Drochaid Castle in Scotland with her father when she was a young girl.  During that visit she discovered the wall that contained a corridor that only she could see and when she went down it she found herself in the past. 

Her first visit to the 16th century lasted only a few minutes and the only person she met was a young boy of about fifteen years.  A quick conversation with him soon sent her running back through the corridor, or to his eyes through the wall.  Leaving behind no trace of her visit except for her locket.

Now sixteen years later, after the death of her husband, Audrey has returned to the castle to try to rid herself of the dreams that have plagued her nights since her time travelling visit to the past.  Haunted by the image of a woman being executed she sees the boy she met as a man and begs him to save the woman’s life.  Hoping that a return visit to the castle, and to the past, will cure her of her nightmares she plans her trip to the past and returns once more through the wall to the world of Brendan Ross.

Knowing a little about the family from her tours of the castle she hopes to blend into the castle life but soon draws attention to herself when she comes face to face with Brendan, the literal man of her dreams.

Brendan is shocked by the appearance of Audrey as he too has been plagued by the same dreams for the last sixteen years.  He is determined not to let Audrey away from his side until he has solved the mystery.

Kidnapped by the future heir Audrey rebels against his domineering attitude and tries to convince him that the reason for both of their dreams is that so she can have the chance to stop him from ruining his life by his failed attempt at rescuing Queen Mary.

However Brendan is very reluctant to abandon his plans and dishonour his promise to the Earl of Bothwell.  Especially since Audrey is reluctant to confide in him just how she is able to walk through walls and where she has really come from.

Bound together on their journey into England Audrey, Brendan and his brothers, Camden (a womaniser) and Gavin (rumoured to be a warlock) head ever closer to the Queen’s prison and her ultimate fate.

Audrey and Brendan soon overcome some of their differences and submit to the attraction they feel for each other.  But Audrey knows that Brendan must marry well and even if she didn’t, his father reminds her of this fact at the first available opportunity.  The tension between them reaches breaking point when it becomes obvious that one of his brothers has also fallen for Audrey’s charms.

But even after Audrey reveals where she has come from, and how she knows about the future, all is not resolved between them.  Brendan continues to make demands about just what Audrey should do and soon she swept up by the events and placed by Brendan in a key role in the rescue.   Forced to comply with the plan or risk her own life Audrey continues to try to make Brendan see that the plan can do nothing else but fail.

On this journey across Scotland and England in the 16th century we follow both Brendan and Audrey as they both battle to leave behind the demons of their pasts to find a future together.

A wonderful novel with detailed historical accuracy that is obviously well researched and shows almost immediately.

My only complaint is the “killing off” of a leading secondary character, and one of the most likeable at that.  I would have liked to have read his story but I guess this was not to be.

A brilliantly researched and refreshing debut novel from a new and talented author.

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