William Through Time

In Buursma’s diverting second Magical Bookshop romance (after Rose Through Time), a time traveler helps a queer war veteran deal with his past. In 1815, William Chambers returns to England from the Napoleonic Wars both physically and emotionally scarred after the death of his lover, fellow soldier James. He receives a cryptic letter from his best friend, John Easton, asking William to travel to his country estate. John and his wife from the future, Rose, explain that they have found another time traveler, Austin Miller, who needs assistance finding his way back to his present. William agrees to help, burying his attraction to Austin despite encouraging hints as Austin slowly opens up about his painful childhood. After a hunting trip triggers William’s PTSD, Austin convinces William to visit James’s father for some closure. As William and Austin draw closer, however, William’s odious former military commander arrives and attempts to blackmail William over his sexuality. There’s plenty of drama and intrigue afoot, though the time-travel element feels minimized; and since the story is told entirely from William’s perspective, it’s hard to know exactly how Austin feels about navigating the Regency world. Buursma makes good use of Regency social conventions, however, to raise the stakes on the men’s forbidden love. Fans of queer period romances will find much to enjoy. (Self-published)