THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER…

An avid gamer, Jamie Marten loves to escape into online adventure. But when she falls through an antique mirror into a lavish bedchamber—200 years in the past!—she realizes she may have escaped a little too far.

Micah Axelby, Earl of Dunnington, has just kicked one mistress out of his bed, and isn’t looking to fill it with another—least of all this sassy, nearly naked girl who claims to be from the future. Yet something about her is undeniably enticing…

Jamie and Micah are worlds apart. He’s a peer of the realm. She can barely make rent. She’s wi-fi. He’s horse-drawn. But soon the pair will do anything to avoid a Game Over.

This was, by in large, a successful and entertaining read for me.  Its also not something you take anywhere near seriously or think too hard on honestly.  Especially the end, which seems to be a direct slap in the face of everything Micah was talking to Jamie about earlier (more on this in a bit).

Jamie is mostly amusing, reacting in a believable way I think.  Her running commentary as she's sucked into the mirror is almost word for word how I would be reacting, though I think he inability to process that she's in a time period that requires her to act less...brazen was irritating.  I'm not sure what part of that she wasn't understanding, but she didn't make very many attempts to make HER life easier (never mind Micah's), but learning the rules of the time.

Micah, or Mike as Jamie insisted on calling him (I'm not sure but were shortened names for men common in Regency England?  I know women often called each other shortened names, but men in the peerage?), did what any self-respecting lordling with scandal in his past would do--treated her like a madwoman.  The fact he becomes obsessed with Angry Birds is amusing, but his high-handed manner with Jamie got grating.  And it continued well after he admitted his feelings.

The underlying danger is telegraphed pretty early on and feels more than a little silly at times.  We're never given to understand WHY Micah is so highly prized by the person.  He's not the richest, handsomest or well-titled person on the block and its not as if the person did it from undying love.  So why?  The easily written off excuse of insanity is just that--a cop out.  There was little no depth of character to the person.

As to what I referred to earlier on.  At one point, when Jamie is doing her best to fit in, she lands in a conversation with Micah about a recent scandal involving a Peer running off with his mistress, leaving his estates in shambles, his dependents ruined and his family devastated.  He does all this for love, which Jamie notes he says with a lot of disdain.  This next part is spoilery, so highlight to read. [spoiler] Not a page later Micah is wondering what he said to Jamie to cause her to give him such a cold shoulder.  Then at the end he comes to our time to be with Jamie for love...despite the fact he just left behind a whole estate that desperately needed him.  Being a hypocrite in other words.  This is never addressed by either party, nor is it addressed if he made 'provisions', as some time travel romances like to say. [end spoiler]

The funniest part is possibly when Jamie manages to set up a 'modern day date' in his parlor room and MacGuyver's a fake TV, laptop, and other such things from articles in his house to show him what her 'world' is like. I found it so cute, especially the pizza part. Overall this was a quick paced, easy read. Definitely worth a look!