Review Detail

A Kiss in Time is a creative twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty story, mixing a modern setting with a fairytale world in a way that feels fresh and entertaining. The story follows Talia, a princess who fell into a deep sleep for 300 years after touching a cursed spindle, and Jack, a bored teenager on a European tour who accidentally finds her hidden castle and wakes her up with a kiss. What follows is a chaotic and unexpected journey as Talia is suddenly thrown into the modern world, while Jack is stuck dealing with a very spoiled and completely out-of-place princess. Their dynamic is honestly one of the best parts of the book, because they clash a lot at first, but slowly start to understand each other in ways that feel natural and actually kind of funny.

The story isn’t just about romance, it’s also about growth. Talia starts off as a very bratty and entitled character but being forced out of her comfort zone helps her change and see the world differently. Jack also grows, showing that he’s more than just a laid-back, careless guy. I really liked the banter between them, especially how blunt Jack is about Talia’s behavior and how shocked she is by modern life. It made the story feel lively and not too serious, even when there were real consequences to what happened. My favorite part is watching Talia experience the modern world for the first time, because it’s both funny and kind of eye-opening. Also, this was actually the first book I ever read by Alex Flinn, and it absolutely inspired me to go on and read the rest of her books. There’s something about the energy and humor in this story that just sticks with you.