This is basically a Titanic story with a vampire and some time travel. For me, it was a very slow start. Set in 1980s California at the beginning, there is lots of college angst and it doesn’t take much angst to wear me out. Jamie is worried about his looks, do the girls like him, do the guys want to be his friend, is he worthy in his chosen field of study, etc. Of course, some of the other students have some of the same angst. Maggie, one of 2 female characters that have names and lines for the entire book, has been dating Jay but she has to admit she has growing feelings for someone else.

I have to mention that there were too many J names in this book. First off, Jamie goes by James, Jimmy, Jack…. and then there’s his friend Jay, who for a time I thought was just another nick name for Jamie. Somewhere along the line we get a John.

Let’s talk vampire! Because I thought it was high time we had a Titanic-time-travel-vampire mash up. I’ve read the original Dracula and an in-depth bio on Bram Stoker so you know I have a fondness for references to the original Dracula. When Jamie starts experiencing symptoms that point directly back to Renfield (a character in the original Dracula), I was finally interested in the story. Jamie has spent some considerable time researching the Titanic so he soon realizes that his symptoms and his dreams and the Titanic are all wrapped up together. Hence, he drags the story out into the middle of the Pacific for the second half of the book and that’s where we get the paranormal transport through time.

Back in 1912, Jamie meets Kate, our second female character for the book. There’s some insta-love, which I rarely like. So, yes, we have Jack (aka Jamie) and Kate (think of Kate Winslett who played Rose in the movie Titanic). Rose’s love interest in the movie was also named Jack. So if you have pined for a sequel to the movie all these years, here it is in book form.

OK, back to the ladies. Why are there only 2? Not realistic. Women are everywhere and in fact actually attended college in California in the 1980s in droves. There’s a few other ladies that pop up here and there and they either have no lines or no names. Kate and Maggie actually get to interact at some point and they do indeed talk about men. Sigh…. I was disappointed in the ladies all around.

OK, so what about that vampire? Well, yes, he is a danger and he must be dealt with but for the most part, he was not memorable. The impending Titanic disaster is much more of a danger to more people. The strain of vampirism in this tale lacked the dark sexuality, mystery, and danger I expected.

I did like that Jamie is faced with some very tough choices once he’s on the Titanic. He wasn’t thinking clearly before his little time trip, but once he’s there, he has to choose whether or not to do his best to avoid or mitigate the disaster. Even after all the big scenes are over, Jamie still has some tough surprises and I really felt for him.

All told, I feel the author tried to pile in too much to one book and therefore all aspects felt a little stretched thin. The love story didn’t work for me. The time travel was by the simplest of mechanisms – a paranormal event. It was a penny tour of the Titanic instead of a deeper historical fiction. The vampire tale was more of a distraction than an added bonus. 3/5 stars.



I received a free copy of this book.

The Narration: Aaron Landon did a good job with this story. His voice for the angsty Jamie is perfect. He does a good job with Jamie’s emotions through the story. He also makes a good angry Jay. His female voices are feminine. He also did voices for the elderly well too. I also liked his regional accents. 5/5 stars. ( )

A very different book from what I usually read, but with this being the 100th year of the sinking of the Titanic it peeked my interest. This book has it all with time travel, history, romance, and vampires?? The vampire part kind of grossed me out!
What starts out as an ordinary year in his college life for Jamie Collins, surely doesn't end that way. He develops a very strange and scary illness...basically he can't stand sun light.
This book does become a page turner...you have to find out what is going to happen? Will Jamie win his love? Will he be able to stop the disaster? I dearly loved the ending of this book..so very sweet.
Don't miss this very different book and great read!

I received this book through Pump You Book Virtual Tours and the Author Michael Bowler, and was not required to give a positive review. ( )

Love is timeless, time is heartless, and fate is unmerciful, so begins A MATTER OF TIME, which is an emotionally charged voyage into the value of friendship, the power of love, the impact of evil, and the vagaries of fate. Inspired by the Titanic, the book which comes out in the centennial year of the Titanic tragedy is a timely and refreshing read.

A MATTER OF TIME tells the story of James Collins, a student Santa Clara University, who has developed a strange disease that transported him back in time to the days leading to the Titanic disaster. During daytime he is sensitive to light, wears dark clothes, a large hat and sunglasses to protect himself. He tells his story to his roommate and an English professor. While they both found it difficult to believe, they supported him and assisted James in his attempt to change the course of history.

For those who have been fascinated by the Titanic story, this is a must read. The plot revolves round “the world’s greatest evil,” and the world’s greatest ship, Titanic.

Jamie in 1986 who, through a series of dreams, discovers that he is somehow connected to Titanic’s sinking, despite his having not been alive at the time. A mysterious cell appears in his blood, a cell that, in his case, originated aboard Titanic. His roommate Dan, Dan’s sister Maggie, and Jamie’s friend Kevin attempt to help him, but they cannot understand what is happening. Jamie finally announces that the only way he can save himself from the deadly effects of that “cell” is to circumvent time and board Titanic before she sinks in 1912.

While everyone thinks he’s delusional, including his writing professor and his parents, Jamie sets out to solve the mystery and save his life. Dan, for whom Jamie has become a good friend, agrees to accompany him on as much of the journey as possible. He knows that if Jamie can somehow “jump” time and board the ship, he would not be able to follow. Their adventures together and Jamie’s ultimate destiny make up the bulk of the story.

Will Jamie be able to save himself from the clutch of the mysterious disease? Will he be able to save the fate of the ship and its passengers?

A MATTER OF TIME high drama, lots of romance, unrequited love, lasting friendships…and much more! A story which is stranger than fiction! ( )