The Next Together (The Next Together)

by Lauren James

[Nessa Luna]

I have to say, the words 'Time Travel" are the ones that made me purchase this book. Along with the fact that there were newspaper clippings, diary entries and just general notes in this book, a bit like Illuminae but with normal writing added as well. The fact that this book's main genre was "Romance" was something I was willing to overlook.

The Next Together tells the story of Matthew Galloway and Katherine Finchley, star-crossed lovers who are destined or doomed to fall in love over and over again, and lose each other over and over again. In 1745 we have Matthew (a coachman) and Katherine (a noble lady) whose city is about to get overrun by the Jacobites. Then in 1854 we have Matthew (a journalist) and Katy (his assistant) who travel to Crimea to write about the war with the Russians. In 2019 there are Matthew and Katherine (both junior scientists at CSL) who have just discovered something awful about the company they work for (their story is only being told by means of notes, emails and other information 2039 Matt and Kate find). And last but not least, Matt and Kate (biology students) in 2039 who find out that their ancestors were labeled terrorists by the government and killed.

Though each of these characters are the same two people over and over again, they all have some different personality traits. I have to admit, I liked the 2039 Matt and Kate the best, and the 1745 ones the least; mainly just because I don't like historical fiction and I just simply didn't enjoy reading their chapters. The ones inbetween were okay, but I still have to say that I prefered the futuristic versions the best.

I honestly just wasn't interested in their romance, even though that was one of the main subjects in this story. It was certainly why they kept on being reborn again. They had to fall in love with each other over and over again because of a reason. And that reason was a baby. They had to produce a child, and when that happened I thought to myself 'Really? That's it? That's the reason they kept on having to do this? REALLY?!' So yeah, I don't know.

They way the story was written was very nice in my opinion, I loved finding out more about each couple in pieces. On one side I wouldn't have minded for one story to be told first, then the next, and so forth, but this way it kind of stayed interesting. Though there were some tiny things, I guess I could call them spoilers, that I found annoying. In the two historical stories, a Matthew dies and a Katherine dies, and because that happens, Matt gets send back into the past to replace that Matthew. While there, he has enough time to tell Katherine exactly what happened to his Katy, which is something that hasn't actually happened in the book yet. Does it (what I've just said) make any sense? Anyway, I don't like it when things get spoiled by the book already. Foreshadowing, okay, but actually spoiling the ending for a character before it happens? No. (I am looking at you, The Book Thief).

Anyway, I thought it was a very interesting book, but I just think it wasn't great. There were some questions I still had at the end of this book, that I hope will be answered in the second. I also didn't like half of the couples, mainly because of the historical aspect. So yeah, maybe I'll read the next book, maybe I won't. I'll see when it comes out!

I recommend this book to lovers of historical and futuristic romance stories, if you're a fan of either and definitely if you're a fan of both!

My opinion on this book in one gif: