Etta Spencer is preparing for her violin debut, something a long time in the coming. Nicholas Carter is preparing to get himself a ship of his own. But the life direction isn't the only thing dividing these two. So is time. Etta lives in modern New York. Nicholas is from the 18th century, revolutionary America to be exact. There is no reason for these two to ever meet. Until Etta is kidnapped back to the past by a time traveling family, a family Nicholas is connected to. He's the bastard black son just trying to escape his fate. Etta just wants to get home. But, as they go on a scavenger hunt across the world and across the centuries, they may find that home is more complicated than they thought. 
 First of all, when I opened the first page of this book and realized it dealt with a person of color in time travel, I was in. Nicholas was great. I loved him. We acknowledged Nicholas' given circumstances, the limitations for him of the time he's living in. One of my favorite scenes was where a fellow captain was extremely offensive to Nicholas, despite having a very polite facade. There was just so much simmering under the circumstances, and to have Etta in the scene as well as our contemporary mindset. But in spite of all of this, scenes like this demonstrated Nicholas' strength. 
 The characters in this are just complex and fun. One of our antagonists is a woman who is attempting to grab power in the time and circumstances she was born into. She was awful, but we also understood why. And there is the set-up for character growth from her as well. 
 This book set up a potential betrayal that would split up our couple. But they have excellent, superior communication skills. Like really. These two. They understand where the other is coming from, despite growing up in different circumstances and having different worldview. They want the best for the other person, and understand that can mean sacrifice. I was just so impressed. 
 This pacing in this one could be a slow burn, and to be honest, my favorite parts in terms of time travel were after Etta initially goes back. I love that period. The end was great as well. Really, unsurprisingly, the periods we got to spend the most time in are the most intriguing. 
 There will be a sequel, and there is a major cliffhanger at the end. This was a great kickoff to this potential year of time travel in young adult. So buckle up, and get ready. You want to be aboard this ship. 
 Review on Tea and Tomes