Love Through Time • Across Eternity

Across Eternity by Aris Whittier
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: March 11, 2011

Source/Format: Author (Thanks!) || e-book
[I received this book from the author. This in no way affects my review.]

Born a genius; education, wealth, and prestige came easy to Logan Richards. Actually, there wasn’t much that Logan couldn’t learn or acquire. However, he knew there was more to life than money and power. Logan was determined to find the woman who he'd dreamed of his entire life and know what it was like to love her before he died.

Amber Lewis, a waitress for a five-star restaurant in, Dana Point, California, was overworked, stressed, and wary of life since her sister, Heather, had passed away. Then, one evening while working she fell hopelessly in love with Logan Richards, a chivalrous man who felt deeply familiar. 

For Amber, it was the beginning of a voyage of self-discovery and renewal. For Logan, it was the completion of life. For each of them it was the deepest sort of love.

To be frank, the reason that Across Eternity really blew me away was because, going into it, I didn't know what to expect. When I first read the synopsis, I thought interesting. But then, thinking about it, I was really of a mind to believe that it was going to be your typical romance novel so I didn't go into it expecting something new and different from what I've read before. 

This book deserves the highest of praises from me, as it went so far as to have me laughing out loud and then tearing up like crazy while I was reading it. I love books that truly tap into my emotions; Across Eternity definitely does that. And, as another plus in its favor, I was so absorbed in the tale that I really couldn't put it down and finished it within two hours. Although it has the typical elements of romance novels, something about it just clicked with me and had me speeding through the pages.

I thought, however, that Logan and Amber were slightly too stereotypical for my tastes - he being the handsome, intelligent, rich, mysterious man and she the beautiful, naive girl that he falls for. This did not prevent me, however, from enjoying myself as I got a front row seat to watching their relationship unfold. I thought it was sweet, and I just about died of the romantic bits in the book. Aris wrote some really great scenes between the pair, scenes that had me believing in them and rooting for them to get their happy ending.

I also enjoyed reading the little parts with secondary characters, especially Logan's family Kevin, Anna and Marian. They were all such interesting personalities, and their warmth and love for Logan and Amber made me love them as well. Plus, it's always fun for me to read about families in books!

The story's quite simple, but Aris weaves the plot together tightly and effortlessly. She effectively showcases Logan and Amber's relationship and entices us into falling in love with the pair - before she suddenly and abruptly pulls the rug out from underneath our feet, so to speak. 

Though Across Eternity is bittersweet, I commend Aris for writing a beautiful love story and would definitely recommend this to fans of romance.