When The Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

About the author.

Gabrielle Meyer (www.gabriellemeyer.com) has worked for state and local historical societies and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides along the banks of the Mississippi River in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. By day, she's a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and nonfiction filled with hope.

Review

‘When the Day Comes’ is much more than a romance book, it's two amazing historical fiction books combined in one with a dash of love and mystical qualities. I fell for this book so hard and devoured it in one sitting, I just had to find out what happened to Libby as soon as possible. The premise of this book is very unique and I hope this is going to be turned into a series as I would love to carry on living in this world and there are so many characters that the author could pick up and run with them! The time-slip element in this book was such a wonderful device and didn't feel forced at all.

Libby is living two lives - one in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and another in 1914 Gilded Age New York and Britain. Every time she falls asleep she awakens on alternative days in each of her lives. She remembers each of them but leads vastly different experiences in each. In 1774 she owns a printers with her mother and is struggling to survive. She is in love with Henry Montgomery but due to her social class he is out of her reach. In 1914 she finds herself in Britain as her mother is determined to find her a rich and well-connected husband. Libby is aware that on her 21st birthday she has to make a choice and decide to live in one period for the rest of her life. Which one will she choose and why?

This felt impeccably researched for both periods and I learned so much reading the sections in the pre-civil war America. Its not an area in which I know much about and I went on many a Google rabbit hole. This is why I love historical fiction as you get an education as well as an entertaining read! It was the writing and the small details which meant the reader felt as if they were walking down the streets alongside the characters. Both timelines had common themes - suffrage, emancipation, gender divisions and class divides. All elements were expertly plotted and the historical details were on point. It was this authentic feel that makes this novel. When Whitby popped up in the story I was so pleased! I grew up in Scarborough and have spent many a day trip in Whitby and I loved these sections of the story. Especially when the only exciting event in Scarborough’s history was featured - the bombing of the east coast during World War I.

The characters in this book are also why I was enraptured by the story. Libby is such a strong female protagonist, especially when in these eras there were such deep gender divisions. The standard of writing was superb and I felt as if I could be friends with Libby very easily. She was strong, intelligent, independent and very resourceful. Her story’s resolution was perfect in my eyes. I didn't think it was going to be that character that showed up in the end but that of the ‘lodger’!

I fell so hard for this book and I would urge you all to read it. I took a chance on this book as ‘romance’ is not usually my genre but by only giving it this category is doing it an injustice as it is much more than that. It's a weird combination of historical fiction, romance and fantasy and that it turns out is very much my bag! Please say there are more books coming Gabrielle…

Let me know if you pick this one up!