The Talisman: Crisscross

TIME TRAVEL:  Trish Larsen has come home in utter defeat.  At thirty years old, she has failed the bar exam for the third time and has no idea what her future will bring.  The only thing she has left is a trinket left to her by her beloved Grammy — one that can unlock the secret of time travel. Until now Trish has never believed the stories Grammy told her. When she finds herself transported into the past, Trish struggles to keep her secret, and her heart secure from a man she should never fall in love with.

“The Talisman” is a decent read.  Ms. Gonzales has made a good start with her character, but Trish's promise remains undeveloped.  The reader doesn’t really get a chance to know her before she is whisked away into the past and presented with challenges.  With a great deal of the narrative being expositional in nature, the story misses its chance to show us what kind of a person Trish is. Editing is also an issue in this novel.  The author changes point of view at the end of chapter one and the dialogue is often awkward.  The secondary characters are undeveloped and lack depth beyond window dressing for the plot.  The insertion of the modern-day scenes does little to add depth or development of the story.

There is a refreshingly surprising ending to this story which opens the window for more adventures for Trish. 

Gwenellen Tarbet