Guest Review: Asher’s Dilemma by Colleen Kwan

Asher knows that something in the near future causes Minerva Lambkin, the woman who turned down his marriage proposal, to be erased from existence. And he’s sure it has something to do with his device. Alone in a familiar world where he doesn’t belong, he’ll have to find a way to destroy the time machine to save the woman he loves from extinction. Even if that means erasing his own future.

Asher Quigley thinks he’s going crazy. He’s having terrible headaches and he keeps seeing this woman everywhere but she’s not real. What the heck is going on? One night he picks up one of his inventions and it practically pulls him to his workshop where it more or less forces him into his own Millenium machine. It’s actually a time travel machine and once he goes back in time 8 months he figures out exactly who the woman is – she’s the woman he loves.

Asher quickly remembers exactly who Minerva is a figures out why he couldn’t remember her 8 months in the future. Something had happened to erase her from his life and he’s determined that it won’t happen again.

In the time he’s in now the current Asher makes an ass of himself when he proposes to Minerva and she turns him down. Not that she doesn’t love him but because she wants her independence – which she’s never had. The future Asher – who is referred to as Quigley – tries to make up for Asher’s assishness by writing Minerva love letters and letting her know all of his thoughts and emotions that he never said to her before disaster struck.

As it happens past Asher meets future Asher and together with Minerva they must figure out how to keep Minerva alive and thwart the villain at the same time.

After I read this novella I realized that there was a book 1 in this story called Asher’s Invention. I really didn’t feel like I missed anything by not reading it so I think this one would be a good standalone. The story is quite clever and the execution is good. All of the characters were involved in mathematics in some fashion so none of them were too surprised at the future Asher’s appearance.

The reason for Minerva’s future extinction was due to vanity on someone’s part and though it seems like a shallow reason I could totally see it happening. I was quite happy when the villain got her just desserts.

Toward the end of the story things got a bit complicated because of how many people were involved – current villain, future villain, current Asher, future Asher – but it all worked out. Though a bit sad at the end it had to happen that way and it was good.

Rating: 3 out of 5 

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place

This book is available from Carina Press. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher for an honest review.