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If I Could Turn Back Time: A Novel by Beth Harbison
Told with Beth Harbison's wit and warmth, If I Could Turn Back Time is the fantasy of every woman who has ever thought, "If I could go back in time, knowing what I know now, I'd do things so differently..."
Thirty-seven year old Ramie Phillips has led a very successful life. She made her fortune and now she hob nobs with the very rich and occasionally the semi-famous, and she enjoys luxuries she only dreamed of as a middle-class kid growing up in Potomac, Maryland. But despite it all, she can't ignore the fact that she isn't necessarily happy. In fact, lately Ramie has begun to feel more than a little empty.
On a boat with friends off the Florida coast, she tries to fight her feelings of discontent with steel will and hard liquor. No one even notices as she gets up and goes to the diving board and dives off...
Suddenly Ramie is waking up, straining to understand a voice calling in the distance...It's her "Wake up! You're going to be late for school again. I'm not writing a note this time..."
Ramie finds herself back on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, with a second chance to see the people she's lost and change the choices she regrets. How did she get back here? Has she gone off the deep end? Is she really back in time? Above all, she'll have to answer the question that no one else What it is that she really wants from the past, and for her future?
Thirty-seven year old Ramie Phillips has led a very successful life. She made her fortune and now she hob nobs with the very rich and occasionally the semi-famous, and she enjoys luxuries she only dreamed of as a middle-class kid growing up in Potomac, Maryland. But despite it all, she can't ignore the fact that she isn't necessarily happy. In fact, lately Ramie has begun to feel more than a little empty.
On a boat with friends off the Florida coast, she tries to fight her feelings of discontent with steel will and hard liquor. No one even notices as she gets up and goes to the diving board and dives off...
Suddenly Ramie is waking up, straining to understand a voice calling in the distance...It's her "Wake up! You're going to be late for school again. I'm not writing a note this time..."
Ramie finds herself back on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, with a second chance to see the people she's lost and change the choices she regrets. How did she get back here? Has she gone off the deep end? Is she really back in time? Above all, she'll have to answer the question that no one else What it is that she really wants from the past, and for her future?
Hardcover
First published July 28, 2015
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About the author
Beth Harbison
27 books1,695 followersBeth Harbison grew up in Potomac, Maryland, in the shadow of Washington, D.C. Apart from the occasional irritation at being held up in traffic by a presidential motorcade, she has remained fairly uninvolved in the politics that define her home town. Her latest book is CONFESSIONS OF THE OTHER SISTER, William Morrow 10/11/22
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 516 reviews
July 31, 2015
I made it about a third of the way and then I had to give up. The concept was interesting but the author constantly says the same thing over and over again. I don't know if that was to make the book longer or to just torture me. Either way, I hated it.
June 27, 2015
For me, this book had a good beginning and ending. The middle part lasted so long that I felt I was definitely going through the same thing as the main character. The middle was WAY too long! I fell asleep like 4 times during that part.
I mean I really liked the writing and the characters, I just think that a shortened version would be better. If I could turn back time, I would have skipped this book. Sorry.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
I mean I really liked the writing and the characters, I just think that a shortened version would be better. If I could turn back time, I would have skipped this book. Sorry.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2015
It's hard to remember now why I picked up IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME. I think it was the promise of time travel, which I tend to enjoy. But the blurb hints at one of my major problems with the book. IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME falls into that old pattern of successful, self-made woman figures out what she really needs is to be emotionally honest and find her soulmate.
In the end, I think IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME did some interesting things, but they tended to be too little, too late. The execution of the beginning didn't grab me. When Ramie wakes up after her disastrous 38th birthday party as a seventeen year old, she falls into a tendency to repeat information over and over as if the reader might've forgotten a detail from the previous two pages. The timeline also doesn't quite work. Ramie is clear that the first time she lost her virginity was six months after her eighteenth birthday, but that she and the guy broke up at their graduation party a few days after her eighteenth birthday.
The biggest problem is that all of the interesting stuff is rushed and crammed into the ends of the novel. IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME starts to complicate things and introduce the idea that Ramie is driven and motivated and wouldn't be happy as just a housewife having children. Her career doesn't get completely jettisoned, which I definitely appreciated, but the actual romance ended up being just a sketch of an idea after her romantic life was built up so much.
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME has some interesting ideas, but I just couldn't get invested. Does any almost forty-year-old woman really think that her high school boyfriend might've been the one? I don't think Ramie was fulfilled at the beginning of the novel, but I was never convinced that focusing on her high school romance was a good focus for reflecting on her regrets.
In the end, I think IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME did some interesting things, but they tended to be too little, too late. The execution of the beginning didn't grab me. When Ramie wakes up after her disastrous 38th birthday party as a seventeen year old, she falls into a tendency to repeat information over and over as if the reader might've forgotten a detail from the previous two pages. The timeline also doesn't quite work. Ramie is clear that the first time she lost her virginity was six months after her eighteenth birthday, but that she and the guy broke up at their graduation party a few days after her eighteenth birthday.
The biggest problem is that all of the interesting stuff is rushed and crammed into the ends of the novel. IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME starts to complicate things and introduce the idea that Ramie is driven and motivated and wouldn't be happy as just a housewife having children. Her career doesn't get completely jettisoned, which I definitely appreciated, but the actual romance ended up being just a sketch of an idea after her romantic life was built up so much.
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME has some interesting ideas, but I just couldn't get invested. Does any almost forty-year-old woman really think that her high school boyfriend might've been the one? I don't think Ramie was fulfilled at the beginning of the novel, but I was never convinced that focusing on her high school romance was a good focus for reflecting on her regrets.
August 17, 2015
This was my first experience with a Beth Harbison novel. I can see why readers like her. She has a genuine way of connecting her readers with her characters. Ramie was easy to sympathize with throughout the story. I was worried she'd be this perfect, popular girl and that I wouldn't be able to relate to her, but it turned out that she had awkward moments, stuff to worry about, and even mean girls to deal with. (I am allowed to be jealous that she had a hot boyfriend in high school, right?!?) I know I wouldn't want to go back in time to high school, even if it meant telling off some people I know I'd never see again anyway.
I liked the concept of this novel...going back in time to high school. I would have liked more 90s references though. I'm a pop culture geek and thrive upon that stuff. It was hard to gather a sense of which year this story took place as a result. I also liked that there were some surprises and twists that kept me on my toes. The story never became predictable. Even though it wrapped up a bit too neatly, I wanted things to end on a high note for Ramie.
I was given an uncorrected galley to review from St. Martin's Press. I had to just overlook the errors and hope that things got tightened up and corrected by the final print. Even so, a lot of the story was focused on philosophical conversations and inner monologues where Ramie just kept questioning all her decisions.
Overall, it was an entertaining novel and I found myself breezing through it, even during a hectic week.
As far as casting, I could see Cameron Diaz as 38 year-old Ramie and Hayden Panettiere as 18 year old Ramie. Maybe Bella Thorne as Ramie's best friend, Tanya.
I liked the concept of this novel...going back in time to high school. I would have liked more 90s references though. I'm a pop culture geek and thrive upon that stuff. It was hard to gather a sense of which year this story took place as a result. I also liked that there were some surprises and twists that kept me on my toes. The story never became predictable. Even though it wrapped up a bit too neatly, I wanted things to end on a high note for Ramie.
I was given an uncorrected galley to review from St. Martin's Press. I had to just overlook the errors and hope that things got tightened up and corrected by the final print. Even so, a lot of the story was focused on philosophical conversations and inner monologues where Ramie just kept questioning all her decisions.
Overall, it was an entertaining novel and I found myself breezing through it, even during a hectic week.
As far as casting, I could see Cameron Diaz as 38 year-old Ramie and Hayden Panettiere as 18 year old Ramie. Maybe Bella Thorne as Ramie's best friend, Tanya.
July 26, 2015
If you had the opportunity to go back to high school to change your path in life, would you? This is the question that If I could Turn Back Time tries to answer.
On the eve of her 38th birthday, while Sailing on a yacht with her friends and acquaintances, Ramie Phillips reflects on her life and the choices she has made--she realizes that she chose a path of practicality and safety, and as a result has become cold. Post-reflection, she winds up hitting her head while diving overboard. When Ramie awakens, she has returned to her childhood home to discover it is the eve of her 18th birthday. Ramie now has the opportunity to correct the mistakes she made when she turned 18. She reconnects with her parents and her high school boyfriend and ultimately discovers that changing her past is not the answer--she needs to embrace the present in order to gain the life she desires.
If I Could Turn Back Time is a fun summer read! I highly recommend!
On the eve of her 38th birthday, while Sailing on a yacht with her friends and acquaintances, Ramie Phillips reflects on her life and the choices she has made--she realizes that she chose a path of practicality and safety, and as a result has become cold. Post-reflection, she winds up hitting her head while diving overboard. When Ramie awakens, she has returned to her childhood home to discover it is the eve of her 18th birthday. Ramie now has the opportunity to correct the mistakes she made when she turned 18. She reconnects with her parents and her high school boyfriend and ultimately discovers that changing her past is not the answer--she needs to embrace the present in order to gain the life she desires.
If I Could Turn Back Time is a fun summer read! I highly recommend!
July 30, 2015
Beth Harbison always writes really fun stories; her description of Ramie waking up in her childhood home/room/bed, though, takes the cake. I immediately started thinking about what it would be like to wake up, with the mind and experiences that I have now, in my 18-year-old body and accompanying situations of that time. Can you imagine? So crazy, right? One of the things I couldn't stop thinking about is this quote:
"There is something about the smell of school that you never completely forget. It stays lodged in your subconscious, ready to resurface unexpectedly, when you least need to feel anxious and uncomfortable. I couldn't have recalled it, or pegged any particular characteristics to it, but as soon as I walked in, I knew it well. A thousand, maybe even a million, memories flooded into my head, most of which I couldn't have put words to, but I could feel them. School."
Ramie also revels in the feel of "springing out of bed," without a single pain, creak or stiff joint and realizes how much she took her lithe, limber 18-year-old body for granted; these days, I can't even begin to imagine what my body would feel like at 18 again! Not only was this a humorous, entertaining read, but there is also a message to be digested; Harbison does a great job of weaving in elements that get readers thinking about the choices and decisions we've made and how those have directed the path of our lives. I would definitely recommend this one to those of you who enjoy funny, yet poignant, tales of self-discovery and relationships.
"There is something about the smell of school that you never completely forget. It stays lodged in your subconscious, ready to resurface unexpectedly, when you least need to feel anxious and uncomfortable. I couldn't have recalled it, or pegged any particular characteristics to it, but as soon as I walked in, I knew it well. A thousand, maybe even a million, memories flooded into my head, most of which I couldn't have put words to, but I could feel them. School."
Ramie also revels in the feel of "springing out of bed," without a single pain, creak or stiff joint and realizes how much she took her lithe, limber 18-year-old body for granted; these days, I can't even begin to imagine what my body would feel like at 18 again! Not only was this a humorous, entertaining read, but there is also a message to be digested; Harbison does a great job of weaving in elements that get readers thinking about the choices and decisions we've made and how those have directed the path of our lives. I would definitely recommend this one to those of you who enjoy funny, yet poignant, tales of self-discovery and relationships.
July 28, 2015
Read my full review here: http://www.ivoryowlreviews.blogspot.c...
It took me forever to read this because I kept daydreaming! Seriously, what would you do if you suddenly woke up in your 18 year old body with all your current knowledge? Haven't we all asked ourselves, at one point or another, "If I had it all to do over again, what would I do differently?" The storyline was engaging but I kept taking my own journey off to "what if" land. Ramie's high school bedroom was MY high school bedroom and so many details in the book brought back previously forgotten memories of my own senior summer. The best part about this novel is that Ramie changed things she thought she regretted but when the new outcomes came to fruition, she second-guessed herself again. This book was the perfect length and I loved the ending. Prepare yourself for crazy flashbacks and a fun time following Ramie's "do over."
It took me forever to read this because I kept daydreaming! Seriously, what would you do if you suddenly woke up in your 18 year old body with all your current knowledge? Haven't we all asked ourselves, at one point or another, "If I had it all to do over again, what would I do differently?" The storyline was engaging but I kept taking my own journey off to "what if" land. Ramie's high school bedroom was MY high school bedroom and so many details in the book brought back previously forgotten memories of my own senior summer. The best part about this novel is that Ramie changed things she thought she regretted but when the new outcomes came to fruition, she second-guessed herself again. This book was the perfect length and I loved the ending. Prepare yourself for crazy flashbacks and a fun time following Ramie's "do over."
July 24, 2016
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beth Harbison delivers a poignant and witty story of a woman’s journey back to the past, IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, coming in paperback June 14, 2016 (with a new 83/18 cupcakes adorable cover). Readers will go back to revisit their younger years, for a thought- provoking look at the people in our lives, choices, and questions, of what if.
“Sometimes – some rare times—when a soul has left in its own time, it leaves a love one wholly unprepared. Missing some of the most important lessons that were meant to be shared.”
“Can a soul find it’ way back to communicate in a less subtle way? To remind their loved one of those things they must know in order to find their own fate."
The night before Ramie Phillips; thirty-eighth birthday, she is on a boat (yacht) off the coast of Miami, Florida-- like something you would see on the cover of Conde’ Nast Traveler or other luxury magazine.
She did not grow up rich, In her youth she enjoyed a happy Charlie Brown landscaped middle class life in Potomac, Maryland, close to the DC border. She grew up loving math and her dad was a banker. When she was five her dad taught her about the stock market and how to track a portfolio. He taught her how to invest.
Thanks to her dad, she had a nice little nest egg for herself before she hit it big working with Whitestone, one of the top private equity investment firms in the country.
A daddy’s girl, her Dad died unexpectedly halfway through her college education. He smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, then a stroke. She thought he would be around forever and in her life. He was to be a grand dad. Her mom had always feared his upcoming death. Her mom had a hard time; however, Ramie came through for her investing her life insurance so she could live off the dividends.
Skip to the boating event, as the book opens, with champagne, cocktails, friends and a little too much to drink. Her friend just found out she is pregnant. Here she is, close to forty years old and now she is feeling sorry for herself. Her big birthday bash, had been overshadowed by toasts and congratulations for Lisa’s unexpected pregnancy.
What happened in her life from ages eighteen to thirty-eight?
She knows she is feeling like a baby. Beings selfish. Could she have known her previous partner in crime (herself) might feel a little weird about being ambushed by the news of her total acquiescence to domestication. She knew her friend would never be fun anymore. She tells her she is happy and begins to dwell on her situation. She has a nice life and career, but no personal life. She is not happy. She had been left behind. She had made mistakes.
Soon she dives off the boat and all she remembers is pain, and everything going black.
She wakes up in her childhood room. Dream or not, this was a moment in her life where she would get a second chance, with someone she had loved and lost. However, she is trying to talk about things in the future and her dad is of course still alive. Her mom thinks she is getting ready to go to school.
Now she finds herself back in time to the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Will she be able to change her decisions, and get what she wants from the past for her future?
Harbison always combines wit, emotion, and some tough life lessons. We all wish we could have a redo; and regret many things in our past, and questions of "what if" we had made a different decision, or choices back when,--- how would my life be different today. A journey of a thirty-eight year-old woman with her insight into the future and in her current role as age eighteen.
Thought-provoking! Makes you take a step back and appreciate those in your life. For Fans of In Twenty Years and The Year We Turned Forty as well as time traveling. I am normally not a fan of time travel; however this one was done really well.
For all you wondering why I am just now reviewing this book. I read it last year, and realized when reading an advanced reading copy of her upcoming new book, One Less Problem Without You, (great read), Coming July 26, 2016, was referring back to link to the review, and discovered I failed to write the review. (my bad)!
Quickly did a recap, since still on my Kindle, and even purchased the audiobook, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy for a fun time-travel trip. Guess my review, will be “timely for the paperback”, coming June.
I do not read as much chick-lit, as I did in my younger years; however, always enjoy Harbison’s books. She was initially the one to turn me on to the genre with her funny audiobooks. Always tons of fun, wit, and humor-and much more than fluff –there is depth, life, emotions, and so much more!
On a different note: Would like to take this opportunity to highlight St. Martin’s Press and compliment the team on all the beautiful covers! The Beth Harbison name is branded by her covers, and each and every one pulls you in to her character’s world. They are perfect. A cover can make, or break a book in my opinion, and all St. Martin’s Press’ covers are first-class- one of my favorite publishers.
Be sure and move, One Less Problem Without You to the top of your list! (just finished it and "promise" to write my review before Tues. pub date). You will love the Cosmo chic cover, the three gals whose lives connect, a bad guy, teas, and "Diana’s Drinks" with 30-yummy cocktail recipes at the end of the book. Need I say more?
On a personal note: I think I was meant to go back and re-read this book. Makes you think of your parents. This week received the news my mom (some of you know she has battled cancer for 3 ½ yrs.) -now her body is shutting down, with less than a few months left to live. All of her many friends are saying their goodbyes, and I will be returning home, within the next couple of weeks, from South Florida to NC to spend some time with her and the family. This will be a difficult time- and not sure what lies ahead, as my dad depends on her for everything (they just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary), and his health is poor as well.
This is when we all want "more time", and regrets for all the time we have wasted. As she mentioned this week, even though she has known she has stage IV cancer for years, she kept thinking she was going to beat it, and she would have "more time." Now there is none. This book brought back some special memories and times with my mom, as a teen.
JDCMustReadBooks
Beth Harbison delivers a poignant and witty story of a woman’s journey back to the past, IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME, coming in paperback June 14, 2016 (with a new 83/18 cupcakes adorable cover). Readers will go back to revisit their younger years, for a thought- provoking look at the people in our lives, choices, and questions, of what if.
“Sometimes – some rare times—when a soul has left in its own time, it leaves a love one wholly unprepared. Missing some of the most important lessons that were meant to be shared.”
“Can a soul find it’ way back to communicate in a less subtle way? To remind their loved one of those things they must know in order to find their own fate."
The night before Ramie Phillips; thirty-eighth birthday, she is on a boat (yacht) off the coast of Miami, Florida-- like something you would see on the cover of Conde’ Nast Traveler or other luxury magazine.
She did not grow up rich, In her youth she enjoyed a happy Charlie Brown landscaped middle class life in Potomac, Maryland, close to the DC border. She grew up loving math and her dad was a banker. When she was five her dad taught her about the stock market and how to track a portfolio. He taught her how to invest.
Thanks to her dad, she had a nice little nest egg for herself before she hit it big working with Whitestone, one of the top private equity investment firms in the country.
A daddy’s girl, her Dad died unexpectedly halfway through her college education. He smoked three packs of cigarettes a day, then a stroke. She thought he would be around forever and in her life. He was to be a grand dad. Her mom had always feared his upcoming death. Her mom had a hard time; however, Ramie came through for her investing her life insurance so she could live off the dividends.
Skip to the boating event, as the book opens, with champagne, cocktails, friends and a little too much to drink. Her friend just found out she is pregnant. Here she is, close to forty years old and now she is feeling sorry for herself. Her big birthday bash, had been overshadowed by toasts and congratulations for Lisa’s unexpected pregnancy.
What happened in her life from ages eighteen to thirty-eight?
She knows she is feeling like a baby. Beings selfish. Could she have known her previous partner in crime (herself) might feel a little weird about being ambushed by the news of her total acquiescence to domestication. She knew her friend would never be fun anymore. She tells her she is happy and begins to dwell on her situation. She has a nice life and career, but no personal life. She is not happy. She had been left behind. She had made mistakes.
Soon she dives off the boat and all she remembers is pain, and everything going black.
She wakes up in her childhood room. Dream or not, this was a moment in her life where she would get a second chance, with someone she had loved and lost. However, she is trying to talk about things in the future and her dad is of course still alive. Her mom thinks she is getting ready to go to school.
Now she finds herself back in time to the eve of her eighteenth birthday. Will she be able to change her decisions, and get what she wants from the past for her future?
Harbison always combines wit, emotion, and some tough life lessons. We all wish we could have a redo; and regret many things in our past, and questions of "what if" we had made a different decision, or choices back when,--- how would my life be different today. A journey of a thirty-eight year-old woman with her insight into the future and in her current role as age eighteen.
Thought-provoking! Makes you take a step back and appreciate those in your life. For Fans of In Twenty Years and The Year We Turned Forty as well as time traveling. I am normally not a fan of time travel; however this one was done really well.
For all you wondering why I am just now reviewing this book. I read it last year, and realized when reading an advanced reading copy of her upcoming new book, One Less Problem Without You, (great read), Coming July 26, 2016, was referring back to link to the review, and discovered I failed to write the review. (my bad)!
Quickly did a recap, since still on my Kindle, and even purchased the audiobook, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy for a fun time-travel trip. Guess my review, will be “timely for the paperback”, coming June.
I do not read as much chick-lit, as I did in my younger years; however, always enjoy Harbison’s books. She was initially the one to turn me on to the genre with her funny audiobooks. Always tons of fun, wit, and humor-and much more than fluff –there is depth, life, emotions, and so much more!
On a different note: Would like to take this opportunity to highlight St. Martin’s Press and compliment the team on all the beautiful covers! The Beth Harbison name is branded by her covers, and each and every one pulls you in to her character’s world. They are perfect. A cover can make, or break a book in my opinion, and all St. Martin’s Press’ covers are first-class- one of my favorite publishers.
Be sure and move, One Less Problem Without You to the top of your list! (just finished it and "promise" to write my review before Tues. pub date). You will love the Cosmo chic cover, the three gals whose lives connect, a bad guy, teas, and "Diana’s Drinks" with 30-yummy cocktail recipes at the end of the book. Need I say more?
On a personal note: I think I was meant to go back and re-read this book. Makes you think of your parents. This week received the news my mom (some of you know she has battled cancer for 3 ½ yrs.) -now her body is shutting down, with less than a few months left to live. All of her many friends are saying their goodbyes, and I will be returning home, within the next couple of weeks, from South Florida to NC to spend some time with her and the family. This will be a difficult time- and not sure what lies ahead, as my dad depends on her for everything (they just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary), and his health is poor as well.
This is when we all want "more time", and regrets for all the time we have wasted. As she mentioned this week, even though she has known she has stage IV cancer for years, she kept thinking she was going to beat it, and she would have "more time." Now there is none. This book brought back some special memories and times with my mom, as a teen.
JDCMustReadBooks
September 23, 2015
Ever wonder what it would be like to wake up the day before you turn 18 again?
While out on her yacht with friends, Ramie is partying it up when she cartwheels right off the yacht and wakes up the day before her eighteenth birthday. When she fell into the water? She was 38 so waking up right before you turn 18 again is definitely a trippy experience for Ramie. Getting to do things differently, right some wrongs and all that made for an interesting story.
Ramie was an interesting character, one that I didn’t think I would connect all that much with but in little ways, I did. This book made me think to when I was 18, the choices that I made back then. Would I change things or not? It made me remember the kind of person I was back then. How different things were back then and how the choices I made then, molded me into the person that I am right now. Would I risk losing everything I have now to maybe change my life for the better?
Even after reading through Ramie’s journey, I’m not sure if I would or not.
This was an enjoyable book and I probably would have enjoyed the book more if the middle didn’t drag and if the lessons being taught in this book didn’t come off as so freaking preachy. There were times when I would put this book down because I didn’t want to roll my eyes down the street. I felt that I was being preached to and I’m not a fan of that in the books that I read for fun. I thought this book would be a lot lighter than it actually was and even though I enjoyed the beginning and the end, the middle was hard to get through at times. I wanted to speed things up a lot.
It was a solid story but not quite what I was expecting and wanted. I will definitely be reading more books from Harbison though because the beginning to this book was strong and the ending did a great job of wrapping things up so I’m game for more.
Grade: 3 out of 5
While out on her yacht with friends, Ramie is partying it up when she cartwheels right off the yacht and wakes up the day before her eighteenth birthday. When she fell into the water? She was 38 so waking up right before you turn 18 again is definitely a trippy experience for Ramie. Getting to do things differently, right some wrongs and all that made for an interesting story.
Ramie was an interesting character, one that I didn’t think I would connect all that much with but in little ways, I did. This book made me think to when I was 18, the choices that I made back then. Would I change things or not? It made me remember the kind of person I was back then. How different things were back then and how the choices I made then, molded me into the person that I am right now. Would I risk losing everything I have now to maybe change my life for the better?
Even after reading through Ramie’s journey, I’m not sure if I would or not.
This was an enjoyable book and I probably would have enjoyed the book more if the middle didn’t drag and if the lessons being taught in this book didn’t come off as so freaking preachy. There were times when I would put this book down because I didn’t want to roll my eyes down the street. I felt that I was being preached to and I’m not a fan of that in the books that I read for fun. I thought this book would be a lot lighter than it actually was and even though I enjoyed the beginning and the end, the middle was hard to get through at times. I wanted to speed things up a lot.
It was a solid story but not quite what I was expecting and wanted. I will definitely be reading more books from Harbison though because the beginning to this book was strong and the ending did a great job of wrapping things up so I’m game for more.
Grade: 3 out of 5
September 21, 2015
I am always excited when Beth Harbison has a new book released, she always weaves fun stories. Fun stories, but ones that sometimes make you think of your own life and imagine "what if" for a good part of the book. This would be one of those. What would you change in your past if you could? Were things as you remember? And if you had the chance to change something, would it alter everything or would things still come out the same In the end? We all have regrets, I know there's things in my past that if I had the experience and wisdom that I do now, would I want to have a different outcome? Dangerous thinking because one change could make my life entirely different, I may not be married to who I am married to, my kids wouldn't be my kids. That's not to say that I wouldn't pay more attention to things or special people around me or want rearrange a few things but maybe the mistakes we make, we are supposed to make, to get us where we should be.
After a huge smack on the head Ramie finds herself waking up in her bedroom at the age of 18. How do you act 18 when you are 38 and are an investment banker with all the wisdom of 38 years? Your parents are close to your own age, your friends are 20 years your junior and you know so much about how the world is now that they couldn't even imagine. Although as Ramie said , those teenage make out times were pretty fantastic, there is just something magical about them, experiencing that again might be worth the trip. And what I wouldn't give to have my 18 year old body again.
But what happens if Ramie never goes back? What happens to all of the people she knows now? Does she have to relive the last 20 years over again and everything changes? Would she make totally different choices and her whole world is altered?
This would make a fantastic movie, some parts were hysterically funny and I could just imagine them on the big screen. But while some of this book was so funny and nostalgic, there is a message too. Going back to a time in our teens might just give us wisdom and understanding and closure. This is a pretty quick read but to me it is not a forgettable one but one that will stay with me. I thoroughly enjoyed Ramie's trip to the past.
After a huge smack on the head Ramie finds herself waking up in her bedroom at the age of 18. How do you act 18 when you are 38 and are an investment banker with all the wisdom of 38 years? Your parents are close to your own age, your friends are 20 years your junior and you know so much about how the world is now that they couldn't even imagine. Although as Ramie said , those teenage make out times were pretty fantastic, there is just something magical about them, experiencing that again might be worth the trip. And what I wouldn't give to have my 18 year old body again.
But what happens if Ramie never goes back? What happens to all of the people she knows now? Does she have to relive the last 20 years over again and everything changes? Would she make totally different choices and her whole world is altered?
This would make a fantastic movie, some parts were hysterically funny and I could just imagine them on the big screen. But while some of this book was so funny and nostalgic, there is a message too. Going back to a time in our teens might just give us wisdom and understanding and closure. This is a pretty quick read but to me it is not a forgettable one but one that will stay with me. I thoroughly enjoyed Ramie's trip to the past.
September 2, 2015
Blah. Picked this one up because the premise was interesting and wanted to see the author's spin on it. Who doesn't want to go back and see what would have happened if things turned out differently?
So we get a lot of chapter time on when she goes back to being 18. Then we get pulled into going back at 25? after she changed things at 18, with realizing that she made all the wrong changes...and a short abrupt shift back to present day with the result that she was really in a short coma the entire time.
Typical, nothing new, nothing special. It would have been far more interesting to find out that the father had warped back (when she was in the 18 time period and was talking to him and trying to get him to change his ways) and was stuck in the same situation.
The ending was very abrupt and all of suddenly very "but everything will be okay now".
So we get a lot of chapter time on when she goes back to being 18. Then we get pulled into going back at 25? after she changed things at 18, with realizing that she made all the wrong changes...and a short abrupt shift back to present day with the result that she was really in a short coma the entire time.
Typical, nothing new, nothing special. It would have been far more interesting to find out that the father had warped back (when she was in the 18 time period and was talking to him and trying to get him to change his ways) and was stuck in the same situation.
The ending was very abrupt and all of suddenly very "but everything will be okay now".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2016
Interesting time travel novel. A 37 year-old woman returns to her life as a 17, soon to be 18 year-old. Still haunted by her father’s death when she was 20, she now has the chance to tell him how much she loves him. Her father in turn, has the chance to offer her philosophical advice (you wonder how he has the time!) which will ultimately uplift her. The theme of the road not taken is always present in this novel. There’s a bit of a twist and surprise at the end. Ultimately, a cheerful book and one that makes you question if a) you want to return briefly to your past and b) whether one small change would affect your life’s outcome.
to-read-arc-or-galley
July 23, 2015All I can think of in my head when thinking of this book title is the Cher song of the same name, but nonetheless, looking forward to the read. :P
February 4, 2017
If I could turn back time and undo grabbing it from the library's bookshelf! I could rewrite it in 100 pages, wonder why it was so excruciatingly long!
March 21, 2017
It took me a month to read it. That says it all. Boring, slow. Very similar to a made for TV movie I watched a few years ago.
July 10, 2017
"Vor mir die Sterne" hat ein interessantes Konzept. Wer hat sich nicht schon gefragt, wie das eigene Leben verlaufen wäre, wenn man eine andere Entscheidung getroffen hätte? Und es haben sich bestimmt schon viele Leute gewünscht, die Möglichkeit zu bekommen, ihre vermeintlichen Fehler zu korrigieren. Ramie Phillips bekommt diese Gelegenheit. Sie ist beinahe 38, hat eine erfolgreiche Karriere hinter sich, tolle Freunde - aber keinen Partner. In ihrem Leben gab es verschiedene Beziehungen, aber keinen Mann, der 'der Richtige' gewesen wäre; allerdings macht sie sich Gedanken, ob nicht vielleicht ihr Freund von der High School perfekt für sie war... und so versucht sie, diese Hypothese zu testen, als sie plötzlich als Siebzehnjährige aufwacht und noch mit ihrem Freund zusammen ist. Sie handelt anders als beim ersten Mal, sie genießt ihren jungen Körper und die Optionen, die sich ihr auftun, aber zugleich hat sie Angst, in dieser Welt gefangen zu sein und nicht in 'ihre' Realität zurückkehren zu können. Diesen Aspekt fand ich sehr realistisch.
Ich hatte ein paar Probleme mit Ramie. An sich ist sie mir sympathisch, ich fand toll, dass die ungewöhnliche Erfahrung sie dazu gebracht hat, über ihr Leben zu reflektieren und im Umgang mit ihren Freunden sieht man, dass sie an sich ein toller Mensch ist. Leider kam sie mir oft unglaublich oberflächlich vor und das nicht nur, weil sie ausgiebig darüber philosophiert, wie wunderbar ihr junger Körper doch ist und wie schön es wäre, mit ihm Sex zu haben... dagegen mochte ich wiederum, dass sie nicht perfekt ist, sondern klare Schwächen hat. Es war nur manchmal anstrengend, diese Gedanken zu lesen.
Besonders gefallen hat mir die Geschichte um Ramies Vater, der verstorben ist, als sie noch jung war. Das 'Wiedersehen' mit ihm bedeutet ihr viel und die Beziehung der beiden war für mich klar das Highlight des Buches. Die Autorin hat wunderbar beschrieben, wie Ramie zwischen Trauer, Hilflosigkeit und Liebe hin und hergerissen ist und dieser emotionale Konflikt hat das Buch für mich bereichert.
Ein bisschen deplatziert kam mir die 'zweite' Zeitreise vor, da sie für mich nicht richtig in die Handlung gepasst hat - obwohl ich verstehe, welche Botschaft Harbison vermitteln wollte, meiner Meinung nach hätte bereits die erste Erfahrung ausgereicht. Dennoch war es ein interessantes Gedankenspiel. Das Ende kam mir dann ein bisschen zu kurz, es war allerdings passend und ein guter Abschluss der Geschichte.
3,5/5 Sternen
Ich hatte ein paar Probleme mit Ramie. An sich ist sie mir sympathisch, ich fand toll, dass die ungewöhnliche Erfahrung sie dazu gebracht hat, über ihr Leben zu reflektieren und im Umgang mit ihren Freunden sieht man, dass sie an sich ein toller Mensch ist. Leider kam sie mir oft unglaublich oberflächlich vor und das nicht nur, weil sie ausgiebig darüber philosophiert, wie wunderbar ihr junger Körper doch ist und wie schön es wäre, mit ihm Sex zu haben... dagegen mochte ich wiederum, dass sie nicht perfekt ist, sondern klare Schwächen hat. Es war nur manchmal anstrengend, diese Gedanken zu lesen.
Besonders gefallen hat mir die Geschichte um Ramies Vater, der verstorben ist, als sie noch jung war. Das 'Wiedersehen' mit ihm bedeutet ihr viel und die Beziehung der beiden war für mich klar das Highlight des Buches. Die Autorin hat wunderbar beschrieben, wie Ramie zwischen Trauer, Hilflosigkeit und Liebe hin und hergerissen ist und dieser emotionale Konflikt hat das Buch für mich bereichert.
Ein bisschen deplatziert kam mir die 'zweite' Zeitreise vor, da sie für mich nicht richtig in die Handlung gepasst hat - obwohl ich verstehe, welche Botschaft Harbison vermitteln wollte, meiner Meinung nach hätte bereits die erste Erfahrung ausgereicht. Dennoch war es ein interessantes Gedankenspiel. Das Ende kam mir dann ein bisschen zu kurz, es war allerdings passend und ein guter Abschluss der Geschichte.
3,5/5 Sternen
August 14, 2015
Are we all living the life that we are supposed to?
Where would our romantic lives be if we hadn't broken up with a certain boyfriend?
What if we picked a different major? Would we still have wound up at our current job with our current friends ... or would everything be completely different?
Or better yet, what if we became a completely different person? Our experiences help shape our personalities. So what we never experienced those events...would we still be the same person or someone else?
If you could go back and change something from your past, would you and what would it be?
Raimey Phillips is about to fins out the answer to all those questions.
Drinking heavily on a yacht with friends. Raimey realizes that she isn't so happy in her life. She's 38 and somewhat wealthy from her job, but is over worked, overstressed, has no pets, no boyfriend, no baby, and frankly no really good relationships with people except a few friends. So when she takes a misstep off the the boat and wakes up 18 again and 3 days before high school graduation (after the WTF moment) she realizes she has the chance to change her life. Maybe she shouldn't have dumped her high school boyfriend who was in love with her or maybe finance really wasn't the best career choice. And more importantly, is there a way to save her dad?
But the bottom line is... Would you go back knowing what you know now... and what would you do differently?
I have to say I thought this was beyond well written and told from the maturity of a 38 year old woman who is pretending to be 18. She has all this insight and wisdom for living an extra 20 years, and yet, in many instances her maturity is evident and others comment on it, and other times, hell.. I'm 18 again!!!!! But the point is, that there was an air of maturity to Raimey and the fact that it was told from her POV her inner thoughts were extremely poignant and made this read, at times, examine the wisdom that one has achieves over time. As much as she struggled with her decisions, she never faltered... and best of all she got her answers
Where would our romantic lives be if we hadn't broken up with a certain boyfriend?
What if we picked a different major? Would we still have wound up at our current job with our current friends ... or would everything be completely different?
Or better yet, what if we became a completely different person? Our experiences help shape our personalities. So what we never experienced those events...would we still be the same person or someone else?
If you could go back and change something from your past, would you and what would it be?
Raimey Phillips is about to fins out the answer to all those questions.
Drinking heavily on a yacht with friends. Raimey realizes that she isn't so happy in her life. She's 38 and somewhat wealthy from her job, but is over worked, overstressed, has no pets, no boyfriend, no baby, and frankly no really good relationships with people except a few friends. So when she takes a misstep off the the boat and wakes up 18 again and 3 days before high school graduation (after the WTF moment) she realizes she has the chance to change her life. Maybe she shouldn't have dumped her high school boyfriend who was in love with her or maybe finance really wasn't the best career choice. And more importantly, is there a way to save her dad?
But the bottom line is... Would you go back knowing what you know now... and what would you do differently?
I have to say I thought this was beyond well written and told from the maturity of a 38 year old woman who is pretending to be 18. She has all this insight and wisdom for living an extra 20 years, and yet, in many instances her maturity is evident and others comment on it, and other times, hell.. I'm 18 again!!!!! But the point is, that there was an air of maturity to Raimey and the fact that it was told from her POV her inner thoughts were extremely poignant and made this read, at times, examine the wisdom that one has achieves over time. As much as she struggled with her decisions, she never faltered... and best of all she got her answers
December 16, 2016
Books like this really drive home to me that I’m not a normal mid-30s lady. Women in their thirties in books always seem so OLD. Ramie in this book is just year older than me, but I didn’t identify with her at all. And I felt like she went back farther than 20 years. Or maybe the “now” of the book isn’t supposed to be 2015? Because 20 years ago is the mid-90s and it felt to me like she went back to the 80s or early 90s. Not that huge of a difference, but it didn’t help me settle into the story when I was constantly like “ok, there are car phones but they’re not common…no email…what year are we in???”
I also think the author missed a lot of opportunities for Cher references. None, with that title??
I also think the author missed a lot of opportunities for Cher references. None, with that title??
July 28, 2019
** 4.5 stars - the midsection was a bit slow**
If I Could Turn Back Time turned out the be exactly the book I was expecting/hoping for, but I didn't realize that until almost the end. Is that confusing?
The beginning of the book was good. I love the "accidentally waking up back in time to possibly change what went wrong" trope (think 13 Going on Thirty and, especially, Hindsight), and it initially seemed that Ramie had gone back to save the relationship with her high school boyfriend AND her father's life. What Ramie soon realizes is that knowledge doesn't always equal power, and sometimes you don't get what you want, but what you need.
What follows is Ramie's trials of being a thirty-eight-year old in her eighteen-year old body, trying not to mess up the space-time continuum (to quote Back to the Future) and to maybe make a choice that leads her older self to a happier life. Ramie does move from the past to an unknown-to-her-future, learning what impact her changes have made. Some not so pretty, but it does build up to a brilliant conclusion that was just perfect, and left me crying in my soup. Happy tears.
If I Could Turn Back Time is a smart book. Rest assured, everything makes perfect sense in the end. It is very slow-building, so I suggest patience and to let the story come to you. You will not be smacked in the head with plot explosions or big events, but each moment culminating into an ending that is so very satisfying.
Recommend.
If I Could Turn Back Time turned out the be exactly the book I was expecting/hoping for, but I didn't realize that until almost the end. Is that confusing?
The beginning of the book was good. I love the "accidentally waking up back in time to possibly change what went wrong" trope (think 13 Going on Thirty and, especially, Hindsight), and it initially seemed that Ramie had gone back to save the relationship with her high school boyfriend AND her father's life. What Ramie soon realizes is that knowledge doesn't always equal power, and sometimes you don't get what you want, but what you need.
What follows is Ramie's trials of being a thirty-eight-year old in her eighteen-year old body, trying not to mess up the space-time continuum (to quote Back to the Future) and to maybe make a choice that leads her older self to a happier life. Ramie does move from the past to an unknown-to-her-future, learning what impact her changes have made. Some not so pretty, but it does build up to a brilliant conclusion that was just perfect, and left me crying in my soup. Happy tears.
If I Could Turn Back Time is a smart book. Rest assured, everything makes perfect sense in the end. It is very slow-building, so I suggest patience and to let the story come to you. You will not be smacked in the head with plot explosions or big events, but each moment culminating into an ending that is so very satisfying.
Recommend.
June 14, 2015
I loved this book! When Ramie is almost 38 years old, she has an accident where she hits her head really hard. When she wakes up again, she's in her 18 year old life.
She knows it's weird, can't figure out why she's there. She wonders if she should be trying to save her dad from his early, at age 52, death. Or if she shouldn't have broken up with her high school boyfriend, Brendan. She does things a little differently than she did the first time around but isn't sure that's what she's supposed to be doing.
Then she wakes up as a pregnant 26 year old, married to Brendan, and she's miserable. This life really does't feel right to her and she really has no idea what to do in it.
When she finally wakes up in the hospital, it's been 3 weeks since she hit her head and she's experienced a lot of things in her dreams. Or were they dreams? She tries to explain it all to her best friend, Sammy. She wonders if she will ever find her true love.
I loved this book so much, I just couldn't put it down. Two thumbs up for If I Could Tun Back Time! :-)
She knows it's weird, can't figure out why she's there. She wonders if she should be trying to save her dad from his early, at age 52, death. Or if she shouldn't have broken up with her high school boyfriend, Brendan. She does things a little differently than she did the first time around but isn't sure that's what she's supposed to be doing.
Then she wakes up as a pregnant 26 year old, married to Brendan, and she's miserable. This life really does't feel right to her and she really has no idea what to do in it.
When she finally wakes up in the hospital, it's been 3 weeks since she hit her head and she's experienced a lot of things in her dreams. Or were they dreams? She tries to explain it all to her best friend, Sammy. She wonders if she will ever find her true love.
I loved this book so much, I just couldn't put it down. Two thumbs up for If I Could Tun Back Time! :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2015
Meh. Lots of metaphysical twangst with the MC constantly asking annoying questions that never really got answered within the book. Her 38 year old self in her 18 year old body seemed more into banging her boyfriend earlier than she did the first time around. That made up most of the plot, along with her trying to convince her dad to quit smoking. Ramie was pretty self-absorbed and did a lot of navel-gazing without seeming to gain much insight into herself, save for the cliched ones about how hindsight is 20/20 and sometimes the road not taken is best left untaken even the second time around. The inner editor in me cringed at the goof not too far into the opening where Ramie is describing her neighborhood as having "bridal paths". I think she meant "bridle paths" like you'd ride a horse on, but it was a bit amusing to imagine a path full of brides flouncing about.
January 3, 2016
A very sweet book. An easy read, somewhat of a "beach read" but instead I chose to read this cuddled up next to a fire and it was perfect. This book is about second chances, following your heart, Rekindling your relationships with your parents, and learning to alway make time to check in with yourself to ask "am I happy". It's important to be happy in your life, that's really all that matters. This book is about realizing it and figuring out how to get there.
July 25, 2019
If I Could Turn Back Time - By Beth Harbison!
A Good Read!!! I like time traveling plots usually, but here author handled it in such a way that she didn't have to get into a lot of science. Beginning and ending were good, but in between story is very slow for me! Its an easy read. I just felt like it was kind of repetitive and it dragged on for what it seems like forever. I was interested but not intrigued...
A Good Read!!! I like time traveling plots usually, but here author handled it in such a way that she didn't have to get into a lot of science. Beginning and ending were good, but in between story is very slow for me! Its an easy read. I just felt like it was kind of repetitive and it dragged on for what it seems like forever. I was interested but not intrigued...
June 16, 2020
I won this book through a goodreads giveaway.
This book gave a very good life lesson, it teaches the reader that everything happens the way it should and that the choices you make get you to the point in your life that you've always been waiting for.
This book gave a very good life lesson, it teaches the reader that everything happens the way it should and that the choices you make get you to the point in your life that you've always been waiting for.
March 26, 2017
What is that movie with Jennifer Garner - 13 going on 30?... this is exactly what this book reminded me of.
Ramie Phillips gets a little life check & then hits her head & wakes up in her bedroom - very Peggy Sue Got Married like. I guess this story has been done a few times. Let's throw in the one with Zac Efron & Matthew Perry too... I like the idea of going back & knowing what you know now & how would you do things differently kinda stories.
& while this was cute, it was just what you expected... though it did have a little extra twist in it which was nice.
It just sort of bothered me how some things were repeated over & over - like how Ramie knows she's 38 years old but its OK she's hanging out with 18 year olds because... blah blah blah... no one is judging here Ramie. & just small things that just got on my nerves. It was like they were trying to drag the story out but it just made it feel just like that - DRUG OUT.
I did enjoy it though - enjoyed the story of Ramie getting to go back & see her father again & seeing how life could have been different if she took a different path ... Hello Mr. Destiny - forgot that movie!
A fun easy read - not life changing - but a good one to pass the time.
Ramie Phillips gets a little life check & then hits her head & wakes up in her bedroom - very Peggy Sue Got Married like. I guess this story has been done a few times. Let's throw in the one with Zac Efron & Matthew Perry too... I like the idea of going back & knowing what you know now & how would you do things differently kinda stories.
& while this was cute, it was just what you expected... though it did have a little extra twist in it which was nice.
It just sort of bothered me how some things were repeated over & over - like how Ramie knows she's 38 years old but its OK she's hanging out with 18 year olds because... blah blah blah... no one is judging here Ramie. & just small things that just got on my nerves. It was like they were trying to drag the story out but it just made it feel just like that - DRUG OUT.
I did enjoy it though - enjoyed the story of Ramie getting to go back & see her father again & seeing how life could have been different if she took a different path ... Hello Mr. Destiny - forgot that movie!
A fun easy read - not life changing - but a good one to pass the time.
October 18, 2018
The last 13 months of my life have been pretty tough, but the to say the loss of my father was tough is a total understatement. The main character in this book loses her father much younger than I did, but I could relate to her, and relate to her feelings with regards to her father during her time travel. A sweet concept for a novel. With a 15 year old in the house, you just want to say, really do enjoy this, no we're not kidding, because one day you will want this carefree stuff back. With a 3 year old in the house too, we can try to enjoy her sweet innocence and love of her parents as much as we can.
June 1, 2018
Wow. Más de lo que esperaba. Me alegro que ofreciera más de un universo alternativo y confirmara que su primer novio no era necesariamente el amor de su vida. Sino que ese hombre misterioso fuera otra persona de su pasado.
Igualmente, lo mejor del libro: las conversaciones entre Ramie y su papá. Se me pintaban un lagrimón cada vez que estaban juntos. Y el epílogo fue genial...
Para leer y apreciar el amor de un padre
Igualmente, lo mejor del libro: las conversaciones entre Ramie y su papá. Se me pintaban un lagrimón cada vez que estaban juntos. Y el epílogo fue genial...
Para leer y apreciar el amor de un padre
July 4, 2018
Beth Harbison's "If I Could Tun Back Time" isn't great literature, but it doesn't need to be to leave me feeling that my time was well spent inside its pages. What happens when you are 38 but suddenly wake up in your childhood bed only to realize you are eighteen years old again, and about to graduate from high school? Would you do things differently with the wisdom and maturity of having lived another 20 years? Or, could it be, that things turned out exactly as they were meant to be, and that regret is a wasted emotion? This was a fun and quick read, but not a piece of fluff as it definitely gives the reader a lot to ponder about the here and now, our pasts, and how our lives unfold.
January 12, 2023
I really like Beth Harbison's books but this story was not that compelling. A 38yo woman gets hit on the head, then "time travels" back to high school. Very repetitive questions about the path she has taken during the high school part, then a quick jaunt to her as a 26yo, then a very quick wrap up.
December 13, 2017
3.5 stars
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