Review: Virginia and the Vagabond by Skyler Frey

Title: Virginia and the Vagabond
Author: Skyler Frey 
Series: Time Traveler's Network #1
Publication: April 6th 2020
Genre: Historical Time Travel Romance
Purchase it on: Amazon ($0.99)
Rating: 4/5★

Virginia Leigh is a time traveler, albeit a reluctant one. For the past two years, she has managed to blend almost seamlessly into Edwardian life, working for the Lord and Lady Howard, cleaning house and acting as lady's maid to the earl's daughter, Lara. Yet, all the while, Virginia has been plotting a way to get back to her time; back to Netflix, sweatpants, takeout, and tampons. Having the right to vote was also nice.

Eric Rylander attracts spectacle. With two Oscars, a few Golden Globes and two divorces under his belt, being accidentally dumped into the turn of the twentieth century is a bit of a shake-up. However, he finds that he prefers the lack of social media and the fast-paced production schedule of Hollywood. Living in the past for six years has allowed him to settle down for once, and set up as a star of the silent film era as he enjoys a much quieter version of fame and fortune. Finally, his days of moving around as a lonely time traveler--a vagabond--are over.

However, when Eric visits the Howard's Yorkshire home with the intention of announcing his engagement to Lara, he's stopped dead in his tracks when he finds out Virginia is also a fellow time traveler--and a fan of his work. As he reveals to Virginia that neither of them can return to the twenty-first century, they begin a friendship that quickly spins into a desperate need to be with someone who understands their big mutual secret.

But Virginia also knows about Eric's very public private life, and the humiliation of the mistakes he's made in his career and in his marriages.

She has to ask herself, is she just another notch on the belt? And what does it mean to have a twenty-first-century relationship in an era where women can't vote, own property and aren't even considered people?

Book 1 in the Time Traveler's Network Series

Starting Virginia and the Vagabond I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. Do you ever really know with any book, I wonder? I did know that I thought the cover was very pretty and that the synopsis seemed really promising but it's always a pleasant surprise when you genuinely find yourself loving a book, especially if it has many themes that I happen to enjoy. The characters totally made this book as amazing as it was. I loved getting to know the major characters, their backgrounds and how they fit into the story. I'm sure readers who love character driving stories as much as I do will really like this one.

So this book is about Virginia, who by accident somehow traveled back in time two years ago and ended up in the very early 20th century. When we meet her she's working for Lord and Lady Howard as a maid while saving money and trying to get back to her own modern times. That is until she meets Eric Rylander who happens to be a famous actor from her own time who has also ended up in the past. I feel like explaining the premise of the story like this makes it sound like a kind of corny story but I promise it is anything but corny. The story often took me by surprise and went in many different directions that I expected it to go. And that was such a good thing.

Obviously Virginia and the Vagabond is a historical romance as well as a time travel romance. I hope that much is clear by now. But it was also a pretty humorous book. Thanks to the witty characters and the witty writing I laughed out loud more times than I could count. I do have to admit that at first the romance did seemed to start and move fast, faster than I usually like, but it was only initially that I struggled with that for a tiny bit because before I knew it I was really into it and shipping the hell out of Virginia and Eric. I ended up loving the both of them so damn much as well of many of the secondary characters. Each and every one of them were very rememberable. Also don't want to give away any spoilers but I just have to say that there was a trans character in the book whom I loved and that's just another reason to read this book.

So if you liked Outlander you will love Virginia and the Vagabond by Skyler Frey. It had the same vibes, only this book was set in the early 20 century, which I must admit I enjoyed even more. The romance, the mystery, the unexpected twists and especially the characters made this book a hit with me. I can't recommend it high enough. 

About the author:
Skyler Frey began making up worlds from an early age in her hometown of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Originally, she would draw out the faces of made-up characters and the monsters that inhabited these worlds. She later studied visual art and art history in Toronto, where she finally gave herself permission to turn these invented worlds into something closer to reality.

Currently, Skyler lives in a small suburban city between Seattle and Tacoma called Federal Way with her husband. When she's not writing or reading she surfs the Seattle Pet Adoption website and works on growing her vegetable garden. She tends to enjoy books with layered female characters and an element of the speculative.

She also loves talking with everyone and anyone about books, art, video games, romance, history and science fiction over endless cups of coffee.

You can follow her on Instagram @skyler.frey to see her latest updates, drawings, and inspirations.

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