Coshocton, Ohio, 1855 and the Present

Penelope Barton is the Vice-President of Marketing for Hyper Trans. In a male dominated field with just a spattering of women, she is determined Hyper Trans will not fail. She has put a bad marriage behind her, and is focused solely on her career. To recruit more investors, Penny coordinates a trip on an old steam train to use the nostalgia of the old to promote the new high-speed rail link of today. She is also working on getting the same investors to support the upcoming draft bill to open the state owned right of way to private investors. The four hour trip with actors dressed in costumes is a success with all the investors. Everything looks so authentic; a handsome stranger even boards the train at an unexpected stop. Who is he?

As Fletcher Dawes boards the train, he is pleased with how many people are aboard. Rail travel is so new, some people are afraid of it, preferring the slow pace of the canals. Business is good. Even better, he spies a lovely young woman, and as there is no other place to sit, he introduces himself and sits next to her. Fletcher is very taken with Miss Barton. Penny is intrigued and finds Mr. Dawes fascinating. As she continues to chat with him, Penny is impressed because he is totally into his character, so she plays along. They both discuss her book, Jane Eyre, and Mr. Dawes tells Penny he would like her to meet his Aunt Emily, and may they call on her. All too soon, Mr. Dawes arrives at his stop, and he disembarks, leaving Penny with his business card. A Stop, what stop?

Both Fletcher and Penny feel a strong attraction, and as they attempt to find each other, they discover the other person does not exist. Penny becomes obsessed with finding Fletcher. She finally goes to the small town of Coshocton, remembering that Fletcher said he lived there. Of course, there is no Fletcher, but when she stops at the Old Warehouse Restaurant to eat, she glances at all the old pictures on the wall. One picture in particular catches her attention; it is an old photograph of a group of men in front of a dry goods store. This cannot be -- Penny looks closer and sees Fletcher Dawes...the picture was taken in 1853. Is she having a nervous breakdown?

Penny is distraught, but when she has to do a photo shoot for the publicity blitz, she once again puts on the costume of the day. While waiting, Penny starts to feel dizzy and sees a blinding beam of light; she looks around and she is not where she should be. How can she be in the past?

TRAIN TO YESTERDAY is a thoroughly enjoyable read that the reader will not want to put down. Penny is a modern woman; can she adapt to the 1800s? Women did not even have the right to vote! What about the danger to the railroad? Fletcher does not trust Penny when what she tries to tell him is beyond belief. Can these two trust each other? Can a romance flourish between them when one of them is out of time? Secondary characters blend and add to the substance of the story, from the fighting Irish to Fletcher’s Aunt Emily, while the hostility between the canals and the railroad fuels the suspense.

Nell Duvall has taken her love of Ohio history and crafted an electrifying story of romance, betrayal, greed, and new beginnings. This reviewer can only hope that we will see more of Penny and Fletcher in Nell Duvall’s future works. I want more.

Enjoy

Deborah C Jackson