A Twist in Time    by Susan Squires Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2010 (2010) Paperback, e-Book Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte A Twist in Time is Squires' second spin-off after One With the Darkness that incorporates Leonardo da Vinci's time machine as a nifty plot device and takes heroine Lucy back to 9th century Britain to discover her fate. This time however, Squires adds an additional twist and fast-forwards the barbarian hero back into Lucy's world. Lucy Rossano passes her days as a quiet and unassuming bookseller until the day she's gifted with a priceless book written by da Vinci that outlines how his time machine works - a device that just happens to be sitting in the Stanford University Super Collider lab where her late father conducted his research. She's fascinated by the machine, as is research assistant Brad and shady military man, Colonel Casey. When the opportunity arises to test da Vinchi's machine, Lucy insists on being the guinea pig and whisks herself 'to a time when magic was possible'. Moments later, she lands in the midst of a fierce battle and is on the verge of being attacked by a man with 'bad teeth and worse breath'. It's only through the intervention of another huge warrior that Lucy is saved, but by this point she's terrified and dials home, only to discover that her wounded saviour has hitched a ride back with her. It doesn't take long for Lucy, and her wounded warrior Galen, to become fugitives from Casey's military minions. It's only with the help of Lucy's landlord - a Vietnam vet and former CIA operative - that they're able to temporarily disappear. As Galen heals and Lucy learns more about her fellow fugitive, the pair discover a personal connection that neither could ever have imagined. Lucy is certain they were fated to meet, but Galen is desperate to believe that their being together has something to do with his mother's magical prophesy that he would some day heal the world. But with Casey's thugs closing in, they might never discover the truth. While the villains come across as rather clichéd and Galen's purpose reveals itself a little too late in the story, Squires nevertheless spins another well-written, imaginative, history rich and absorbing tale with just a touch of the paranormal - as well as an intriguing lead-in to the next recipient of Leonardo's largesse. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews