Her Lost Love (also known as Christmas Once Again) is the most creative, nail biting time travel novel I have ever read with an added bonus of having a romantic WW2 premise. Romance and war are like oil and water but this story focuses on the interactions/relationships between people who participated in the fight for freedom. Sons, husbands, lovers and fiancés had to leave their loved ones, never knowing if they would see each other again. Who would not want to go back in time and prevent the many losses that happened? Her Lost Love cover this and more, including the love and support provided by families, friendships and marriages.
Kate Arden has fallen for Jeffrey Rushbrooke the ‘rich’ son of her boss. But so many things are against her. It doesn’t worry Jeff though, for he adores her. The war is on and many are being sent for training. Jeff wants to help fight and his mother uses that desire to make sure he is separated from his love, Kate. The scenario plays out and it is not a good one. Broken-hearted, Kate is forced to move on and we see her twelve years down the track in 1955. In the process of trying to reassemble her life, she moves away, acquires a healthy independence and achieves an admirable career. Even with all she gains, her loss is never far from her heart.
Little sister Lucy is a handful as a teenager but she is a strong supporter of her big sister, Kate; especially when the heartbreaking news arrives. But now Lucy, all grown up, is in need of the same sisterly support and calls Kate to come home for Christmas. It is in this moment Lucy inadvertently plays an important role that not only launches Kate’s trip back to her hometown for Christmas but also to the past. It is on the train ride home that her world begins to change.
This story puts the heroine, Kate, in a unique position to make a difference but she must also weigh the pros and cons of changing history. She is dropped into the past knowing what will happen to people. This inevitably becomes a heavy burden to bear. How should one use such information? Her heart, though, as determined as it is to save her own beloved Jeff, is not selfish and on this journey she touches many lives and creates some wonderful events that alleviate suffering. I was constantly amazed at how Jina worked out the decisions and directions Kate had to go. It gave me much food for thought when I cast myself in her character’s position. What would I do? And how would I plot out a feasible path—one that would deliver a good outcome without creating negative effects? Difficult yes, maybe impossible to achieve. But Jina manages to work it all out and provides that delicate balance; offering an ending that is sublime.
This is one of the most beautiful Christmas stories I have read and makes me think of Dickens’ Christmas Carol in some ways. It is so riveting I could not put it down until I turned the last page (in a day). I became totally engrossed in the lives of these people. I was transported into this fictional world that made me believe in the power of lasting love. The characters were all well developed and the female villain was very probable. In fact, Jina has written this whole story in a such a way that you could easily imagine time travel to be real. So original and thought-provoking. I loved every minute of it.
This novel is a true Christmas treasure that I highly recommend. Three major ingredients of this novel are faith, hope and love that deliver up a surprising treat filled with magic, memories and goodwill. Yes, a special reading feast for Christmas! 5 timeless stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
