Review by AnnaLibri -- Yesterday by Samyann

[AnnaLibri]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Yesterday" by Samyann.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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After suffering a series of tragic losses, including the death of her fiancé, Amanda Parker has resigned herself to being alone. Things begin to change, however, when she saves the life of Chicago policeman Mark Callahan during an elevated train derailment. The two are immediately drawn to each other, though Amanda, terrified of losing yet another loved one, tries to keep Mark at arm’s length. Yet even as Amanda resists committing to this new relationship, neither she nor Mark can shake the feeling that they already knew each other before she saved him on that fateful day.

Anxious for answers, Amanda turns to past life therapy. She is transported into the life of Bonnie, a young girl who escapes the South during the Civil War and later finds a new family in Chicago. Although the past life therapy initially complicates her relationship with Mark even further, Amanda’s discoveries eventually help her to see that love is truly timeless.

I found while reading Yesterday that I enjoyed the idea behind the novel more than the execution of that idea. While plenty of historical fiction involves time travel or a plot that moves back and forth between different eras, the inclusion of past life therapy and reincarnation definitely made this book stand out in a very crowded genre. I appreciated author Samyann’s ambition in exploring these subjects and the possible repercussions of past life therapy, and I must admit that the theme of a love that keeps on surviving and returning over centuries is an irresistibly romantic one. The historical plot involving Bonnie and her family was also very well done and contained some surprises; in fact, it was a good enough story that it easily could have been expanded into a novel all its own.

However, while I found Yesterday an interesting and pleasant read overall, there were some elements with which I took issue. Amanda and Mark were likeable lead characters, but they also felt a little too much like romance story clichés – namely, the beautiful but lonely woman and the impossibly handsome and charming leading man. I also found some of the prose overwrought and flowery and the tone of the novel a little inconsistent. Some sections were very dark and heavy, while others were almost self-consciously lighthearted, as if trying to mix romantic comedy into everything else that was already going on in the book. These more lighthearted passages, I thought, ultimately lessened the impact of the unconventional story at the novel’s core.

Despite its flaws, the book is very professional, with very few typos or errors to be found. There is some sexual content, but none of it particularly explicit. The book definitely shows a great deal of faith in the idea of reincarnation and the practice of past life therapy, which some readers may find objectionable, depending on their personal beliefs.

I rate Yesterday 2 out of 4 stars. There’s a great story here that historical fiction fans and hopeless romantics alike will appreciate. However, the strange combination of the unusual and the expected and the inconsistent tone make the book feel a bit messy and keep it from being a true stand out.

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Yesterday
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[SenSen]

I agree with everything you said. The main problem I had with this book were the main characters and their relationship that felt rushed. Thank you for the review!