The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds

Moorman (The Magic All Around) delivers a heartwarming story of love, loss, and time travel. In a bout of grief and depression, 35-year-old widow Josephine Reynolds wishes she had never been born—a wish that changes the course of history. After her sister, Katherine, suggests a fresh start, Josephine buys Carter Mansion, her great-grandmother Alma’s home in Nashville’s historic district, aiming to restore it. She tracks down the house’s original front door and key at a local salvage yard—and, after installing and stepping through the door, finds herself transported back to 1927. As Josephine is swept into the Jazz Age, she meets and bonds with Alma and finds love with a handsome man named Danny. But Josephine soon realizes her careless wish has altered the timeline, and unless she can change history by stopping a police raid on Alma’s speakeasy, her existence in the future will be erased. Josephine’s low-heat romance with Danny takes center stage for much of the light and entertaining narrative, which comes full circle in a predictable yet cozy ending. Despite a slow and somewhat superficial plot, readers will be captivated by Moorman’s lovely descriptions of the 1920s. It’s sweet and comforting reading. (Jan.)