A Ripple in Time - Angel of the Titanic (Celtic Cousins' adventures) [Kindle Edition]

In a paranormal Sophie's choice, modern day Wren is linked psychically in a dream with a girl on board the titanic. His knowledge lets her save the ship, but in doing so it alters history as we know it.

Wren awakes in a present day in which world war 1 never ended, and the alternate him died as a small child. With the help of the granddaughter of the girl from his dream he must find a way to go back and restore the time line. If he does, the lives of those aboard the vessel will be lost, and the love of his life will never be born.

Will he be able to save the present, or is history as we know it doomed?

Hughes blends Celtic mythology with a very interesting storyline. The dilemma for Wren is clear cut, and his first instinct is to apply Benthamite logic, and go with the utilitarian view of 'Which will cause less deaths?' but that clarity is muddied by the notion of losing the love of his life. How can a man consign the love of his life to a fate worse than death? With the timeline restored, she wouldn't even have been born.

This title is billed as a paranormal romance, and it does have strong paranormal and romantic themes. However the action behind it, and the sheer curiosity value of an alternate timeline raise this from mere chick lit to something that would be at home in a BBC drama script.

A few historical truths have been stretched, but this is perfectly reasonable artistic licence, and it helps to keep the flow of the story. I don't think the first chapter is the strongest which is a shame as it compromises the bulk of the sample available. At 70,000 words this is a reasonably short novel and could be comfortably read in one or two sittings, so for those inclined to immerse themselves in a foreign world for an evening of escapist fantasy I would recommend this wholeheartedly.
4.5*

This is a great story that combines a time travel adventure with romance and Celtic mythology. A key historic event is prevented and the change causes a catalyst that changes the world. I really liked the alternative reality and the merging in one place of people from different centuries.

The characters were engaging and the pace was just right. The formatting and spelling is also of a professional standard so rest assured the quality is there as well. Give this story a chance, you won't be disappointed.

Wren finds himself unexplainably linked to a young girl aboard the Titanic and she uses Wren's knowledge to save herself and prevent the ship from sinking.

Only this causes the butterfly effect - a tragic one where Wren wakes up in a future where world war 1 never ended and he died as a child.

Wren must travel back in time to put right some tragic wrongs in order to save himself and the future which he is fighting to grasp back.

The tragedy of the Titanic begins to unfold as Wren boards the ship. He's faced with a terrifying decision. Does he just stand back and watch the sink ship, dragging thousands of lives to the bottom of the ocean with it or will he take action - despite this sacrificing his world and more importantly, his life?

Wren's emotions and morals are dragged to the surface throughout `A ripple in time' as it's decision time and he doesn't have all too long to falter on what he should do.

The dilemma is painfully obvious. Or so he thought. Is killing the least amount of people the less of two evils? Yes, it must be. But how can he resign the girl of his dreams - the one he loves - to a fate darker than death? If he manages to restore the timeline, she wouldn't have been born at all.

The novel as a whole is a great adventure-romance with unexpected twists and heart-warming characters. There are a few stretched truths but this novel is not a history lecture - it is far from that and most enjoyable it is.