Lost in Time (Fine Art of Deception, #3)

by Alyssa Richards

[chymerra]

Lost in Time starts 2 years after Addie, Blake and Philippe were sent through a painting by Otto, Philippe and Blake’s father, and ended up in 1920 New York City. After making sure they weren’t able to get home, Otto then kidnapped Carolena, Blake’s mother and disappears. In the 2 years that they have been in the past, Blake has been searching tirelessly for Carolena, Otto and the paintings that are the key to returning them to the present. Also in the past with them are Addie’s father and grandfather….also banished there by Otto.

For 2 years, Addie and Blake have been very careful about who they talk to in the past. They do not want to change future events. But that all comes to a head when Blake meets Sarah, who Addie is reincarnated as in the future, and Addie meets Jack, who is Blake reincarnated in the future. Taken by surprise by a kiss, Addie warns Jack to be careful. What happens with those words changes her and Blake’s future and present in a big way.

Addie also has become very irritated with her relationship with Blake. In the 2 years that they have been there, he has become very focused on finding his mother and a way home…leaving Addie feeling alone and abandoned. The only way that they connect these days are when they have sex and even then, Blake is holding a piece of himself back.

Then they get word that Carolena is definitely in Paris and they all head there to go get her. Meanwhile, back in the future, Addie’s grandmother notices that a weird cloud is covering Blake in every single picture that they have. She finally realizes that something must have happened in the past for Blake to start being erased and sends word to Addie through a first edition of a F. Scott Fitzgerald book. They use that book to communicate with everyone.

What happens after they get to Paris? You need to read the book to find out.

I loved that the author chose to make Blake and Addie got through relationship difficulties…instead of everything being peachykeen. The ups and downs of their relationship was so realistic and added so much to the book. I mean, even Addie pleading with Blake to please open up, to please let her in, is something that everyone is relationships have said at one point.

Addie was definitely a fish out of water in the early 1920’s. I don’t know if I would have been able to pull off what society expected a woman in the era to be and I give her props for doing it.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Addie’s gifts in full force in this book. I mean, she did talk to 2 ghosts, she was able to pick up on Carolena just by touching a tub and she used her abilities to see if the paintings were a forgery or not (and her other gift was also used). I just wanted to see her interact more with the ghosts. I know, weird.

Blake had the weight of the world on his shoulders and I felt bad for him. He was trying to protect (or control….depends on how you look at it) Addie, find his mother, find Otto and find the paintings that can bring them home. He has been at it for 2 years and I am surprised that he didn’t crack under the pressure. He was, though, at one point in the book, starting to act just like his father and I wanted to reach through and give him a smack on the back of the head and tell him to knock it off.

The sex between Blake and Addie was as hot as ever. Those scenes scorched the pages, they were so hot. Which was very good…lol.

The end of the book was very sad, in places, and it was what I expected. All of the storylines were resolved in a very satisfactory way. I will say that I didn’t expect the people to stay in the past who stayed. Looking back, there were signs but I was still surprised.

The series as a whole was excellent. I think I learned more about art from this series of books then I expected.

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**