A Time For Us by Christine Holden is this author's debut novel and part of the popular Time Passages series published by Penguin Putnam.

As you may know, my favourite type of time travel novels are where the hero or heroine travel forward to the present from their own century in the past.  That being the case, I eagerly anticipated reading A Time For Us, a novel where the medieval maiden finds herself in the future.  I can certainly say that this novel was not a disappointment.

Ailith deCotmer is the daughter of an astrologer working for Lord Preston Claybourne.  Over the years her family has benefited from his generosity.  However as she grows older it becomes clear that there is a price to pay for his generosity - and that Ailith is the one to pay it, with her body.

Her father, as well as being astrologer is also an amateur inventor, and he believes that he has the means to send Ailith through time and ensure her safety.

His initial test on the dog does not go according to plan and the humorous result is that Ailith appears to be trapped in the past and must use her own wits to escape Lord Preston.

But when her village comes under attack Ailith hides in the tent of the Brint Pfiester, a magician and friend of her father.  Although she is told not to touch anything in the tent a she collapses onto the cot she catches a small mysterious ball which sends her into the future - into the garden of the wealthy Joshua Claybourne Kenley, the president of a medievalist club who knows that the strange young woman is not a member.

Joshua Claybourne Kenley quickly insists that the beautiful stranger who has gate-crashed his club meeting departs the property at once.  Unfortunately he is not quite quick enough to prevent one of his girlfriend's closest friends spotting them together and jumping to all the wrong conclusions.

Believing Ailith to be long gone Joshua does not expect that the desperate young woman has sneaked into his house and taken up residence in his bedroom closet.

There then follows an amusing few days while Ailith plays at cat and mouse with Joshua and his household, all the while learning of the devices of the future and the language of the people she is now amongst.

It is inevitable that sooner or later Joshua will find her and Ms Holden builds up to this moment with an expertise that is rarely seen.  All too often events are reached with no dramatic build up, or even worse, the suspense is dragged out for several unnecessary chapters.  In A Time For Us Ms Holden attains the perfect medium.

And once Joshua is aware of his uninvited guest there is more fun to come as Ailith is taken out to explore the world beyond Kenley Manor.

But it is not all happiness and fun.  Not only is Joshua already spoken for by the irritating and spoilt Melissa, but Ailith is determined to find a way back to her parents and save them from the cruel Lord Preston.  Help is not forthcoming from Joshua; he is convinced that his guest is either insane or a very clever con-artist.

But whichever she is Joshua cannot help comparing her favourably to Melissa and soon he is unable to prevent himself falling in love with the time-travelling Ailith.  But even as they plan their wedding Ailith continues to worry about her parents and together they begin to form a plan to go back in time and bring her parents forward too.

A delightful book and a great addition to the Time Passages series.  Lots of humour in both the present and the past as Ailith, Joshua and his friend Stephen embark on their quest.  I for one hope that this will be the first of many books from this talented new author.

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Also by Christine Holden: Bedazzled and A Hitch in Time

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