What would you do for the one you love…when time runs out?
There are some promises that are devastating to keep after a heart has been broken. One such promise made out of his undying love for Victoria sends Trevor on a journey that will lead him across the world. Yet where to begin?
His unexpected discovery of an unburned medical journal found at the Winterhust Estate sends Trevor onward to London. Seeking the consultation of a doctor who is listed on several of the pages, Trevor learns of a conspiracy within the medical community that forced the doctor to flee England.
With the aid of two people familiar with the doctor he seeks, Trevor embarks on a journey that takes him to the unspoiled plains of East Africa. It is there where he experiences how beauty and danger collide…and at times can be one in the same. It is also there where his promise is fulfilled while other promises from both the past and present are revealed with devastating consequences.
PUBLISHER NOTE: This is the 2nd story in the Out of Time series. While it is a stand-alone story, we advise reading the series sequentially.
5 STARS LASR Reviews
No one can deny the power of love, but that power is about to be stretch to its limits.
Trevor’s character development was phenomenal. As much as I liked him in the last book, I became an even bigger fan of him in this one. He’s changed quite a bit since I first met him, but all of Trevor’s personal growth makes sense given everything he’s been through so far. Some of my favorite scenes involved this character remembering those previous experiences and changing his behavior as a result of what he learned from them. They were incredibly well done.
The places Trevor visited during the course of his adventures were etched vividly into my imagination. One of the things I appreciate the most about this author’s writing style is how much thought he puts into his word selection. Mr. Botzenhart can sketch out what a room looks, sounds, and feels like in a handful of sentences, yet his descriptions are so complete that I can see exactly what he’s talking about when I close my eyes. This is a big part of the reason why I get so excited about checking out new stories from him as soon as they’re ready.
There’s something to be said for conversational dialogue. The other major reason why I enjoy Mr. Botzenhart’s stories so much is that his characters speak in such organic and relatable ways. Science fiction content aside, their conversations sound like something I’d overhear while walking down the street as opposed to something that bubbled up in the author’s mind before he wrote it down.
This is the second tale in the Out of Time series. While it can technically be read out of order or on its own, I strongly recommend picking up Clockwork Heart first. There are certain parts of the character and plot development that will be especially thrilling for readers who are already familiar with this universe.
Everyone needs to read A Flaw in the Mechanism. Simply put, it was perfect!
Review by Astilbe LASR Reviews
5 STARS Emma’s Book Reviews
Thank you to Jeffery for sending me a copy of this book for review. This is the second book in the Luminosity series, the first being Clockwork Heart which I read last year. I love the first installment so I was very excited when I received this book!
I really liked Trevor in the first book but Clockwork Heart was more about Victoria, so we didn’t get to see him develop as much he could have done. After reading this book I think that was a good thing because with him being the main character in this book we got to see who he really is, his emotions. I became a huge fan of Trevor and was rooting for him the whole way through the book.
Although Jeffery’s books are short, you feel as though you have been with the character’s for much more than 50 pages. The author describes the places, people and actions so effortlessly that you feel like you are there with them. A lot of authors will take a paragraph to describe a scene or situation, but Jeffery manages to do it in only a few words. He is able to stuck you in from just a few pages in and have you hooked right to the end.
About half way through the book I thought I had figured out what was going to happen at the end but there was a huge twist that I did not see coming. The way Jefffery had written the story had made you think one thing, but the complete opposite was actually true! Brilliant writing!
I would recommend this book to anybody that wants a quick, romantic read that shows just how powerful love is. This book can be read as a stand-alone novel but I would recommend reading Clockwork Heart first to understand just how powerful this book is.
Review by Emma Emma’s Book Reviews
The gentle touch of her hands running through his hair was what he noticed first as he lay there with his eyes closed. The tip of her nose then began to travel gently down his cheek as he felt the warm exhale of her breath upon his neck. Her hands traced down to his shoulders and then on to his chest. Soft wet kisses were placed upon his closed eyelids and nose before her lips found his. The pleasure of her kiss lasted for only a moment as she playfully drew her attention down to his stomach.
Trevor attempted to speak, but her finger placed to his mouth silenced his words. He rested his head back on the pillow as she continued her delightful torture of his body. He thought he could hear the beating of his heart, as his breathing grew labored. His resolve to maintain control was fading under her sensual touch.
The weight of her body shifted on the bed as she moved closer to him. Her supple breasts against his bare chest only added fuel to his raging desire for her. As Trevor’s kisses traced down her neck, he heard the faint ticking from her clockwork heart. And just as his lips came closer to the pendant … the ticking stopped.
Confusion rapidly assaulted his mind. The sensation of her warm flesh against his suddenly grew cold. He held his breath for a moment as his heart nearly burst through his chest from its rapid beating. The chill of a cold sweat covered his body. “No!” he yelled as he abruptly sat up.
It took only a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness within the room. With dread, he looked to his side, only to find a barren space where Victoria once rested next to him. He ran his hand lightly over the sheet as if searching for any traces of warmth that might still remain. There was nothing. She was no more than a dream.
Trevor reluctantly pulled himself out of bed. Sometime after their escape, the house had regretfully been ransacked. Victoria’s bedroom lay littered with discarded objects, one of which was a once precious china doll with a now shattered face.
After pulling on his shirt and trousers, Trevor lit a candle and moved from one room to the next as he surveyed the damage to this once beautiful home. A few unwanted pieces of clothing from her father’s wardrobe were strewn upon his bedroom floor. Furniture that had not been taken lay in ruin upon a soiled carpet. Two other bedrooms held similar fates.
Cautiously he stepped over shards of broken glass from a mirror that once hung in the hallway. From the portion that remained in the frame, he noticed his candle-lit reflection. It was as if the apparition of a ghost was looking back at him. Yet he was uncertain as to which seemed more lifeless—his tormented reflection or himself.
Once downstairs, he silently walked into the parlor. All of the furnishings and curtains were missing. The painting of Victoria’s mother was also gone from above the mantle. Discarded cigarette remains and a few broken wine bottles offered more evidence of the destructive and careless nature of the thieves.
Upon entering Doctor Winterhurst’s study, Trevor’s body trembled from a chill. Victoria had once commented that this was her favorite room in the house. There were always the lingering fragrances of leather and cherry-scented tobacco. Both were long gone, the room holding no noticeable traces of these scents.
Trevor’s bare feet walked over torn pages from books that were once displayed on mahogany shelves behind her father’s desk. He reached down and collected handfuls of these pages. Stepping over to the fireplace, he used the poker to move the ash around. At the very back of the grate, he discovered something large and barely singed. Holding it near his candle, Trevor realized it was one of Doctor Winterhurst’s private journals.
Trevor could barely believe his eyes as he read handwritten notations and entries regarding the surgical procedures performed for the attachment of a clockwork heart. The complexity in the details of the medical terminology was difficult to comprehend. Several pages included intricate diagrams of the human heart. Yet the simplicity of other details, as well as side notations, illustrated the delicate nature of the surgery. He was startled by a drawing of a gear at the bottom of a page that was accompanied with the words “a flaw in the mechanism.”
