THE TIME COLLECTOR

An eccentric collector and a struggling artist learn to connect with each other and their special abilities while solving an ancient mystery in Womack's (The Fortune Teller, 2017, etc.) third book.

Roan West is a powerful psychometrist: By touching an object, he can sense the emotional history it carries with it and observe everything—and everyone—who's come into contact with it. His gift has made him a wealthy antiques collector, but it has also led to his closing himself off from others, except for a few close friends like fellow psychometrist Stuart. For years, Stuart has unsuccessfully tried to get Roan to join him and others in investigating mysterious "ooparts"—out-of-place artifacts, objects chronologically and geographically at odds with their surroundings. When Stuart disappears, Roan forces himself out of isolation to find him, but instead he finds Melicent Tilpin, an artist and budding pyschometrist just realizing her own powers. As more psychometrists vanish, Roan must solve the mystery while also protecting Melicent and her teenage younger brother. But Melicent refuses to be sidelined: She discovers the real threat to Roan and races to save him. Both Roan and Melicent have to confront their own pasts and griefs, as well as their growing attraction to one another, if love is to have its obligatory chance to save the day. Strong historical and cryoptozoology research help ground the book and move the plot along; unfortunately, this often outshines the actual characters, who proceed through their romance in a generic and by-the-numbers arc.

Despite an unsurprising romance, fans of history and the paranormal may find much to love in the intriguing premise and worldbuilding.