Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

My Chronicle Book Box Review:

This book was recommended to me by a fellow bibliophile and when he said it contained time travelling historians visiting dinosaurs I knew I had to read it and of course review it for the Bookasaurus Blog. It is the first in a series of which there are seven novels to date and also several short stories.

Wow, just wow! This is a rollercoaster of a book with exhilarating highs and soul crushing lows complemented by humour and romance. The book follows the fortunes of the intrepid Dr Maxwell and her crazy colleagues at St Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. This is a top secret research facility where a small group of historians travel back in time in pairs to observe and record past events. We see Maxwell and a group of new recruits go through the extensive training needed before becoming field historians which is when the trouble and danger really starts.

Once they have gained some experience Max and her partner Sussman are given the opportunity to travel further back in time than has ever been attempted before. They travel to the Cretaceous period, 67 million years ago, and the time of the dinosaurs. Things do not go entirely to plan however and the dangers are not limited to the dinosaur predators.

Time travel has always been perilous and Max’s is not the only present from which people time travel resulting in dangers in both the past and from the future where it appears that time travel is not so closely controlled. Or perhaps it is just that those in control do not have the same moral compass as those at St Mary's. This results in secrets being revealed and the remit of St Mary’s having to adapt to the threats facing it and history itself.

This is an adrenaline filled adventure novel full of chaos and catastrophe which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I was completely unprepared for a book about historians to be so electrifying and I was quickly enthralled and swept along. The title really does suit the book very well and while I breathed a sigh of relief at the end that the disasters were over, at least until the next book, I really enjoyed it. I go back to my analogy that this book is like a rollercoaster, so if you like that kind of ride and time travel then I highly recommend this to you.

Hi, I'm Louise the founder of My Chronicle Book Box and I hope you have enjoyed reading my blog post.

Here at MCBB we are proud to have put in the hours reviewing, shortlisting, considering publishing schedules and ultimately selecting what we think are the best books for your book box. From our rural Yorkshire base we curate stunning book boxes filled with the latest novels signed by the authors, exclusive author interviews and top quality bookish goodies, which we send to our wonderful customers all across the UK and indeed the world!

We compliment the selected books with a range of hand-picked related treats for the ultimate book subscription box reading and unboxing experience.

Please visit our Gifts for Book Lovers page for bookish gifting ideas for friends and loved ones.

Subscription 3 book quarterly options available as Crime and Mystery Book Subscription Box or Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Subscription Box

Subscription 1 book monthly is available as Crime & Mystery Monthly Book Subscription Box