Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

Jo-Anne Duffett’s novel, Adrift in Time, is a captivating and thrilling romance of two time travelers from two very different centuries. In 1626, Ralph Exmore, 32, of Oarlyn, England, is aboard the merchant ship Zest, bound for India. The ship is under attack by pirates when a terrifying cyclone hits the ship. Ralph and 11-year-old Nicholas Murland are swept up by the storm and land on a wild, unknown island off the shores of Mozambique. They build a makeshift raft and escape into the sea. Dani Burke, from Stellenbosch, South Africa, is researching ancient coral fossils in Tsingy Park in Madagascar. A cyclone hits, and Dani is swept into the storm, together with her excavation and camping gear in her backpack. She falls into the Mozambique Channel, and dolphins nudge her to the makeshift raft carrying Ralph and Nic. Bewildered but able to understand each other’s rather different English, Dani, Ralph, and Nic learn to work together for their survival, as yet another sudden storm takes them into prehistoric times. Dani and Ralph are irresistibly and undeniably falling in love. The story becomes even more mysterious and intriguing when the next time-travel event turns their worlds upside down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jo-Anne Duffett’s Adrift in Time for its remarkable characters and the beautiful, enchanting storyline of a love story interwoven with time travel. I particularly enjoyed the character development of Dani and Ralph. For me, their individual characters sprang to life from the outset, as their time travel brings them together to face daunting and life-threatening conditions, testing their endurance and courage to the limit, figuring out how to survive. I loved how Dani and Ralph both protect Nicholas right from the start. Nic is 11, curious and totally into the adventure of being in a very different world. This character greatly enriched the story, because he becomes a strong connection between Dani and Ralph. I loved the way Dani’s character springs to life through Ralph’s perspective, and equally how Ralph’s character does from Dani’s perspective, trapped as they are in a world and time totally different from their own. And yet, even so, they learn about each other’s abilities, how their knowledge and skills from their different times can still prove vital to their survival. The fantastic and detailed worldbuilding of the settings was very much a part of the growing love between Dani and Ralph. I liked the way the story transitions and how Dani and Ralph discover what matters most to them: their love. Finally, I loved the cover illustration, beautifully done. I highly recommend Adrift in Time to readers who love time travel, romance, and historical fiction.

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