Untimely Partners by Karen Hulene Bartell

Untimely Partners by Karen Hulene Bartell
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Genre: Sci-Fi, Time Travel


Summary: Twenty-nine year-old Keiranne West is about to turn thirty; the same age as her mother when she died. Both the upcoming birthday as well as the end of a bad relationship pushes her to take a trip to Mexico where she is mysteriously transported to a magical time in the past where the Mayan culture is at its peak. While in this old and exciting world she becomes the close friend of Tlalocelot, a Mayan prince who is fighting against his brother for the throne. Full of uncertainty and questions, both Keiranne and Tlalocelot battle together to keep the Mayan culture alive while making a few drastic and dangerous changes; ones that may cost them their lives…or their love.

My Review: When I saw that this book was mainly set in the ancient Mayan culture, I was extremely excited. I had yet to read a time travel or historical romance set in this era, and the possibilities for this time period were endless. I was definitely looking forward to the change in setting.

Unfortunately the story was not as focused on the time or culture as it was on the plot, which was a minor downside. However, the plot more than made up for the lack of history as the reader is taken back and forth between times and plot changes almost to the point where it made me cross-eyed. The time changes were the most confusing and frustrating part of the story, but I got used to them about halfway through. My only one true irritation was a non-existent language barrier that should have made an entrance early on in the story. And if not that, at least an explanation for its absence. Otherwise, the story was fun and fresh with sweet characters and a gentle romance. And although gentle, the romance was also fun with a slight twist at the end. The sex scenes between Tlalocelot and Keiranne were brief, but they were sweet and made me feel like a melting chocolate bar by the end of them. Afterwards, I always longed for my own Mayan prince to treat me in such a way.

Altogether, with the twists and turns keeping you pleasantly confused, an evil genius to battle, and a truly happy, (if not slightly overwhelming) ending, Untimely Partners was a very tasteful read.

Rated 3 ½ Delightful Divas by Ria!