Replay
Replay by Ken Grimwood is a book that has been recommended to me several times since I launched this site in late 1997. Although it is more science fiction than romance it is none the less a very good book, and for romance readers who have not read science fiction I believe that this book would be one of the best to start with.
It is 1:06pm October 18 1988 and Jeff Winston is dying. There was no warning, no ill health, no accident, no nothing....just death at his desk in his office and the next life to look forward to.
After dying Jeff wakes up to his new life. It is May 6 1963 and he is in his room at college. He is young again and has been given the chance to live his life over again. He is a Replayer.
After the initial shock Jeff sets out to live his life again, this time doing things right. He will make a better future for himself and his wife and his knowledge of the future will assist him in this. Recalling the financial problems of his life he resolves to use his knowledge to make money and try to save his marriage.
But things do not always work out at planned and Jeff finds that as he alters things in his life he soon loses control of the outcomes. He also finds that he is limited in the amount of things he can change. His attempts to alter the course of history do not turn out quite the way he expected.
As Jeff comes to terms with his time travel he starts to see life from another perspective and begins to explore the possibilities of his unique situation.
And so life goes on and as 1988 approaches he reflects on his altered life and the daughter he has been blessed with in this time. But all too soon he is at his time of death and once again he is catapulted into his past life to live it again, and again, and again, each time letting his life take a different route to the last.
Things continue pretty much in the same way until in one of his replays he hears about a wonderful new film, the biggest blockbuster movie of all time, Starsea. Ever heard of that film? No? Well neither had Jeff which could mean only one thing....he was not the only person re-living his life.
Jeff soon tracks down Pamela Phillips and together they set out to discover the answers to their question.
What are their limits on changing history?
Why do they return to different times each time they die?
Are there other Replayers?
And most importantly why?
Together they explore the possibilities and begin to realise that although they appear to have all the time they could wish for appearances are deceptive, and their time is running out just as surely as everyone else's.
I have to say that I thought this book was very gripping and the possibilities of this situation are endless. Each life Jeff lives is different and unique, some are poignant, some are romantic and some are a living nightmare. But when will he get it right?
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