Stolen Days in by Maria Lorca Review

 Cover design: Cherie Fox Design. 

 BLURB 

Laura Valdés is a 22nd -century time agent when the Consortium and the Opposition fight in a generational war for the last resources on a devastated Earth. In a world that’s moved underground, Laura longs for the 20th century, where love, life and loss proceed in the open, come rain or shine.

When a mission to Occupied France arises, Laura volunteers to jump to 1944 to stop Opposition agents from killing Le Renard, the charismatic leader of the Resistance. To let that happen would mean to change the course of history. The last thing she expects is to meet Henri Beaumont, whose movies have become an obsession – a preoccupation that could put her usual by-the-book approach to the test.

Laura and Henri are thrown together into a dangerous operation through Aquitaine to save their comrades. Not only must they avoid German patrols, they must avoid their feelings too.

In the face of isolation and danger, they’re on the verge of falling for one another. But unless Henri can be convinced to marry Marie and preserve the timeline, Laura and Henri might never meet in the first place.

Can a woman from the future and a man living a lie history chose for him be destined for each other?

Only time will tell.

BOOK LINKS 🔗 

AMAZON - GOODREADS - STORYGRAPH 

REVIEW

 

Stolen Days : How far would you go for the right person in the wrong century? by María Lorca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

BOOK: Stolen Days by Maria Lorca (Format: ebook)

TITLE: Stolen Days  
Author: Maria Lorca  
Status: Read  
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

QUICK IMPRESSION  
"How far would you go for the right person in the wrong century?"
As a fan of time-travel agents (Star Trek: Picard’s watcher Tallinn comes to mind!), I was immediately hooked by the premise of Stolen Days.
In a bleak future, becoming a Time Agent comes with severe risks—but also massive perks, like traveling to eras where clean air and fresh food were abundant. Agent First Class Laura Valdés loves the early 1900s, using surviving classic cinema to prep for her missions. Her newest assignment takes her to WWII-era France near Bordeaux, where she must stop an assassination targeting Le Renard (The Fox), a key figure in the French Resistance.

QUICK NOTES  
One of my thoughts on the subject of going back in time, is how little or how much should the agent interact...
One intense scene really hurt, but I understood the moral dilemma of why Laura couldn't intervene.

QUOTES TO KEEP  
• “If it weren’t for duty and responsibility, I would say let’s take our boat and sail it to a desert island. Live on the island and make love all day.”

• “I’m a time traveller from the future!”

• “But the way I see it, is that every minute with you is a gift. We were never meant to be, but despite this, we found each other. Our love transcends time and space. That’s how strong it is.”

• “We were always meant to be and not even time and space could keep us apart. But it’s still not enough time.”

• “Maybe we meet in passing in this life, and I will see you in the next life,”

• “I’m ninety-seven years old. Most people don’t reach that age. I had a good life and have made my peace with dying. We all die one day and the rest of the days we don’t.”

• He kissed me again, and this time, the kiss was everything.  

KEY CHARACTERS  
• Character 1: Laura Valdés: Role/Class: Time Agent First Class. History major, has the knowledge that is crucial to adapt to the challenges of WW2, loyal to her supervisor Mike, she prefers her own company but has a best friend, Time Agent Second Class Lizzie Rossi is there to support her when needed. Her latest mission is to stop the 'Opposition' from assassinating the leader of the French Resistance near Bordeaux. His code name is Le Renard, (The Fox).
• Character 2: Michael Nelson, or just Mike: Role/Class: Supervising Time Agent. Mike has feelings for Laura, but she's oblivious to it at first. He is supportive of his agents and well liked. He is willing to go up against his superiors to ensure his team are ok.
• Character 3: Henri Beaumont: Role/Class: Principal in the Time mission objective. Henri worked for the French Resistance during World War II, and afterwards creates a career in Hollywood. Married to Marie and father to Sylvie. Laura is a big fan of his movies.

FINAL THOUGHTS  

• The Good:

• Seamless Worldbuilding: Multi-timeline stories can get convoluted, but the pacing and timeline shifts flowed naturally.
• Smart Protagonist: Laura uses her knowledge as a history major and classic film enthusiast to adapt to WWII challenges.
• Emotional Depth: The story presents genuine moral dilemmas around interference in the timeline—one scene in particular was heart-wrenching, yet completely understandable.
• The Bad: There really wasn't anything in particular.
Room for More:
I would love to explore more of the future timeline in upcoming books—specifically why neither the Consortium nor the Opposition uses their time-travel technology to fix their degraded present. Hoping for answers in Book 2.
• Verdict:A refreshing departure from standard Romantasy and a fantastic sci-fi romance read. Recommended for fans of time travel, WWII espionage, and star-crossed romance. "How far would you go for the right person in the wrong century?" That says it all...

TROPES  
• ⏳ Right person, wrong time
• ✨ Star-crossed lovers
• 🔒 Forced proximity
• ⚖️ Moral dilemma & war conflict

View all my reviews 

AUTHOR BIO

Maria Lorca is a Spanish author who lives in Germany. Raised between two cultures, she is a native speaker of Spanish and German. Maria began writing poetry in her teens before transitioning to short stories and novels. She also co-wrote the libretto for an award-winning musical. Introduced to fantasy and science fiction by her older brothers at a young age, her fascination with these genres never faded. In her free time, she enjoys flamenco and salsa dancing, as well as reading classic literature. She is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in English, with a focus on English literature.

AUTHOR LINKS 🔗 

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