Crossing in Time: Between Two Evils #1

De: D. L. Orton

Narrado por: Noah Michael Levine, Erin deWard

If someone took everything you live for, how far would you go to get it back?

When offered a one-way trip to the past, Isabel sacrifices everything for a chance to change the rapidly deteriorating present - and see her murdered lover one last time. When she arrives 20 years in the past, buck naked and mortally wounded, she has 24 hours to convince a stunned but enraptured 19-year-old to change their future. Definitely easier said than done, as success means losing him to a brainy, smart-mouthed bombshell (her younger self), and that's a heart breaker, save the world or not.

This offbeat tale is about falling madly in love when one is too cynical for such things, letting go of pessimism when it's the last life jacket on a sinking ship, and racing against the clock when one doesn't have the proper footwear. It's a coming-of-age story for old fogeys, a how-to-make-love guide for diehard celibates, and a laugh-out-loud tragedy with a hopeful twist.

©2015 D. L. Orton (P)2024 D. L. Orton

Reseñas de la Crítica

2015 USA Best Book Awards Finalist, Cross-Genre Fiction

"Engaging, funny, romantic, and harrowing.” ( Publishers Weekly Starred Review)

“The Best Science Fiction Love Story of the Year.” (R. J. Kauffman, Panda Books Press)

more romance than sci-fi but engaging

I am not a romance fan. I am not a time travel book fan. I am not a multi-cast narration fan.

And yet...

When I started this book, I was disappointed to find how much of the book was centered on the romance (and I do mean romance - flirting and feelings, lovey-dovey stuff, and even some steamy descriptions) rather than on the science fiction mystery of the time machine mystery. However, these were adults. They had relatable feelings and were genuinely likeable and sweet. I ended up really liking them.

The dual narration was superbly done. The voices were a good match, and the production editing was smoothly done. I was astounded.

The time travel - well, that fell down a bit. The sci-fi part of the plane was a bit disjointed and weirdly contrived.I'm not sure I bought all the science (Sure, we can write a computer program to trace a towel across the multiverse...) in the fiction. I prefer a bit more plausibility.

The writing style was natural, smooth, and fun. Romance fans will enjoy the book. Not recommended for hard core sci-fi junkies.

Enjoyable

I truly enjoyed the experience of a well written story, enhanced by two excellent narrartors.

The characters feel very real

Crossing In Time is the first book in the Between Two Evils series and D.L. Orton's debut novel. That is difficult to believe because her style of writing is extremely fluid and wonderfully immersive. She has a fantastic command of language, and I loved the subtle humor throughout the book.

Crossing In Time can't be classified as belonging to one single genre. This is science-fiction, it is romance, it is action and adventure. There is something here for everyone.

It is the story of the relationship between Isabel and Diego and how this relationship could prevent world annihilation. It is told from three different perspectives: Isabel's, Diego's and Matt's. Matt is a British scientist who is recruited with a bunch of other interesting characters to develop a time machine which enables Isabel to travel back into the past to work on her future relationship with Diego.

The characters feel very real and are easy to relate to. There are no one dimensional alpha males or damsels in distress here; these are your average people next-door type of characters that are properly fleshed out and authentic.

The romantic relationship between Isabel and Diego was endearing and sweet. There are some sex scenes, which I found fairly mild and tastefully done, but I have noticed that other reviewers felt they were steamy and explicit. So I guess it depends what you are used to reading. My only criticism would be that the sexual relationship took over a bit towards the end of the book. The stroking and caressing could have been condensed.

What I particularly enjoyed were the scenes of Isabel coping with survival in the bleak and dangerous dystopian future. Some of those descriptions got my heart pumping more than the love scenes. Overall, the story kept me thoroughly entertained and engrossed.

The ending leaves you with the frantic need to find out more about Isabel and Diego's as well as Matt's future, and I will certainly look out for part 2.

As far as the narration is concerned: I would give more than 5 stars if I could.

Having two narrators can be very tricky. The way that it was done here was absolutely impressive. Noah Michael Levine and Erin de Ward were a fantastic team. They had perfect timing and the narration was incredibly fluid. Noah Michael Levine did an amazing job switching effortlessly between the characters of Matt and Diego and keeping the accents straight. It felt like being at the movies. Outstanding performance! This is the sort of audiobook you want to give to people who don't do audiobooks to show them what they are missing. There were no issues with the production.

Crossing In Time should appeal to a wide audience because of its mix of genres and because of the exceptional narration.

Audiobook provided for review by the author.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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really good

If you do not listen to this book you are missing out. Story is a cliffhanger can't wait for next book. Narration is wonderful. All books should be read in this manner.

Simply Spectacular !!!

The main characters Isabel and Diego are intense. It took a short time to comprehend the plot. Yet, once I did, I could not stop listening to this book. The imagery is amazing. What a well polished author D.L. Orion is. The action, suspense and love are perfectly situated within the plot. A story of true love with major cosmic barriers preventing their bliss. I anxiously await the sequel. I highly recommend this book for all.

Crossing in time

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I really enjoyed this book. I love the Time Traveller's Wife and the Outlander series, so I thought I would give it a try . The book captured my interest and by the end I did not want the book to end! I will be waiting for the next in the series.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy courtesy of AudiobookBoom.

Trip to the past holds much to change the future

A sci-fi romance that gave me a bit more than I was expecting but allowed me to feel the journey of time travel back to the past to make a correction that could make significant changes to the present/future for the better. Their love may save the future of all mankind. There may have been more to the two of them than anyone else could have guessed. The ups and downs took the senses on an emotional roller-coaster that involved danger, suspense, some mystery, and find love, loss, and redemption. You may cry, laugh, scream and/or shout while listening. Isabel and Diego have a way of together stealing your heart and taking you mind on their ride. What would you risk to make the world a better place in the future?

Passion/pain, past/present, love/loss, ups/downs watching this one unfold gives you a sense that you have a complete story from beginning to end. You get so much from this one that you will feel the need to move forward. This was a full well rounded listen. The cast of characters both main and secondary give you some place to take hold and enjoy it all. Well written and well executed.

The narration here was excellent. The duo Noah and Erin makes the intricate depths of this sci-fi romance come to life. Things take on a new experience with this audio version that gives you more to see with your mind. Your senses take a journey of there own while listening.

Brilliant! - You may be surprised at who you are

Who the hell am I? After listening to the audio version of this book, I have to question who I am. There were a few things that prior to listening to this, had me believing that this was not a book I would enjoy. How do I know? Because who knows me better than me, right? Well, I guess that question is still open because in the end, I now see myself in a new light. Let me explain. . .

First, duel or multi-cast narrations, I am not a fan. If I had to pick between fiction and non-fiction as the genre that identifies me, it would be non-fiction. Duel or multi-cast narration does not translate well into non-fiction and so it is what this grumpus has grown accustomed to. In fact, I am such a non-fan, that this is a feature I consider when deciding whether or not to choose an audiobook. However, the fluid team narration between Noah Michael Levine and Erin deWard seamlessly brought me into their world and won me over. I cannot imagine the resulting impact if this was read by a single narrator. Their voices and timing of their interaction was outstanding and impressive. This is not my father’s multi-cast, old-time radio styled presentation I envisioned and feared. I liked it, I really liked it! It had me questioning myself as to who I am. Maybe I didn’t know myself as well as I thought.

Love stories? Typically, I avoid them unless they are part of a non-fiction historical perspective—like John and Abigail Adams. The only “love story” I’ve enjoyed was ironically, the time travel based Outlander series. I’m very reluctant on picking up anything as trivial as a “love story”. So again, I questioned who the hell am I, that I should be drawn into the love story of these likeable characters?

Okay, so I like the narrators and their acting skills in terms of bringing the author’s characters to life. I’ll admit too, their love story was initially intriguing but would the overall story hold? I don’t recall ever using the ubiquitous adjective of a paid (book or movie) reviewer prior to this in any of my reviews/comments but it is well-deserved here--brilliant! The time travel aspect of the book was handled in a unique, believable manner and kept me engaged throughout.

I am not a prude—or so I thought. I don’t mind a love story but I was a little embarrassed by some of the sex descriptions. Maybe it was the multi-cast which gave it a more realistic feel. So realistic it felt as if I was in the room with them while this is happening. I doubt a single narrator could deliver that type of impact--but it did make me a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was the fact that my typical love story is from a more sterile, 18th century perspective? Remember my mention of John Adams and Abigail Adams? Who the hell am I?

After listening to this book, I don’t know who I am any more. Have I grown? Possibly. While I may no longer have a good mental picture of who I am, I do know that I am a now fan of D.L. Orton, and if someone like me enjoyed this book so much, I’m certain more “normal folks” will too.

A very nice Sci-Fi Romance story

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."

First, I must admit to not being a regular reader of romance and erotica novels, yet I enjoyed this book and got caught up in the narrative. There's a little bit of everything in this nicely crafted plot, sci-fi, fantasy, action, drama, romance and erotica. Ok, it's a bit heavy on the romance/erotica for my personal taste, but it only slightly took away from the story. I would have liked to have the time travel aspect a bit more in the foreground of the story. And once Isabel goes back in time, near the last third of the book, nothing much happens to move the plot forward except hot misty scenes of Isabel and Diego mostly getting it on. Still, I must say that I am intrigued enough by the plot to pick up the following chapter in this series.
The characters are very well done by the author, and the dialogues are simply fantastic. And having two voice actors (one male and one female) in the audiobook narration added a lot to the immersion. The two voice actors did a splendid job by the way.
I'm an avid reader of horror and sci-fi/fantasy and I have given this novel a chance to broaden my horizons. It's a success.

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey... Stuff!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I asked the author for a copy so I could listen and write a review with my impressions, so I didn't quite know what to expect. I put the book on my iPod and went out for a walk... I was enthralled by the time I left the building.

Narration was superb, really. I didn't know it was read by two people, so the first time a male voice interpreted a line of dialogue after a few moments of female narrative, my eyes went wide. Noah Michael Levine and Erin DeWard did an amazing job in this book. They were able to give voice to such a varied set of characters! There was emotion in their voices, too. Not only were they able to sound young or old as needed, they were also able to convey joy, fear, longing, lust, anger, and so much more. I had never listened to a dual-narration audiobook before, and all books henceforth will be compared to this one. Just... wow!

The story revolves around Isabel and Diego, and while it's all about love, it's also much more than a love story. This was a very enjoyable book with sci-fi, romance, adventure, time travel, dystopian futures and... have I mentioned romance?

There were so many moments I let out a breath I wasn't holding, and I snickered so many times from Diego's punny jokes! More than once I caught myself getting off the bus a stop later so I'd have to walk home and listen a few extra minutes! That's how invested I became in the story. It was such a pleasant surprise!

I will wait for the audio sequel anxiously, and get it as soon as it's available. D. L. Orton, you got yourself a fan!