When Love Bends Time
My Top 5 Reasons to Read "Time-Tripping Over You by Brennon Lane
Science fiction often explores big ideas—time paradoxes, alternate universes, and the physics of reality. But sometimes the most interesting part of a sci-fi story isn’t the science at all. In Time-Tripping Over You, Brennon Lane delivers a story where time travel is less about the mechanics and more about identity, connection, and finding where you belong.
This YA sci-fi romance follows college freshman Silas Turner, whose life is disrupted by a strange and uncontrollable phenomenon: he randomly travels back in time into his own past. During these episodes, Silas returns to his pre-transition body, reliving moments from earlier in his life without warning. Sometimes the jumps last only hours; other times they stretch into days. As an astrophysics major, Silas approaches the problem like any good scientist would—he studies it, tracks patterns, and searches for a logical explanation.
But the mystery only deepens when Silas meets Jude Forrester.
Jude is everything Silas isn’t: brash, artistic, and a little chaotic. He also claims something almost impossible—that a future version of Silas visited him and said they are meant to work together to stop the time trips. More surprising still, Jude experiences the same strange phenomenon.
From there, the story unfolds through dual perspectives, allowing readers to see both Silas’s analytical mindset and Jude’s emotional complexity. Together, they attempt to investigate the strange time-traveling events using their college’s lab resources, trying to understand what’s happening to their bodies and whether a cure is possible.
Thank you to the author and publisher for including me on this tour and for the ARC. Toppling Stacks Tours sponsors this book tour.
My Top 5 Reasons to Read Time-Tripping Over You by Brennon Lane
1. A Unique Twist on Time Travel
Instead of using a machine, the characters experience time travel through their own bodies, randomly jumping back into moments from their past. It’s a fresh take on the concept and adds emotional depth, especially when those moments aren’t always ones the characters want to revisit.
2. Meaningful LGBTQ+ Representation
The story features strong trans, gay, aromantic, and asexual representation, exploring identity, self-acceptance, and the importance of queer community. Silas’s experience as a trans man adds a particularly powerful layer to the time-travel concept.
3. Dual Perspectives That Add Depth
The story alternates between Silas and Jude’s perspectives, giving readers insight into both characters’ thoughts, struggles, and emotions. Their very different personalities—Silas the science-focused astrophysics major, and Jude the emotional musician—create a fun and engaging dynamic.
4. A Relationship-Focused Sci-Fi Story
While the book includes intriguing sci-fi elements, the heart of the story is the evolving relationship between Silas and Jude. Their journey explores love, grief, friendship, and learning what—and who—truly matters.
5. Themes About Identity, Growth, and Second Chance
The time travel element opens the door to bigger questions: What would you change if you could revisit your past? How might life be different if you had embraced your identity earlier? The story thoughtfully explores these ideas while following the characters as they shape the future they want.
What I Didn’t Like
I gave this book four stars because of the cover. In my opinion, this was a poor choice made by the publisher. It looks like a cover for a middle-grade novel or children’s book. I think there will be a lot of complaints about this, especially from a parent, grandparent, or great-auntie or uncle who accidentally purchases the book for their child/teen and discovers, oops, it is for older young adults. The main characters are in college, so it should be categorized for new adults, not YA, which is geared toward ages 18 to 25.
Final Thoughts
Time-Tripping Over You may not be a dense, technical science fiction novel, but it offers something equally meaningful: a heartfelt story about identity, relationships, and the strange ways life—and love—can reshape our timelines.
Readers looking for expansive sci-fi world-building may wish for a broader exploration of the time travel concept. But those interested in queer romance, emotional storytelling, and thoughtful representation will likely find a lot to enjoy here.
In the end, Silas and Jude’s journey isn’t just about fixing a scientific anomaly. It’s about figuring out what matters most, who belongs in their lives, and how the past shapes the future they hope to build together.
And sometimes, that’s the kind of story that resonates the most.
⭐ Perfect for readers who enjoy queer YA romance with a sci-fi twist and character-driven storytelling.
What is your favorite time-travel book? Please share in the comments below!
About the book:
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Publishing date: March 10, 2026
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Rep: trans, lgbt+
Synopsis:
“You’re not from here? Where are you from?”
“Your future. I know you, Jude. And I know you want control over the time traveling. I can fix it.”
College freshman Silas Turner is a scientific anomaly. Thrown back in time uncontrollably, he’s forced into his pre-transition body for hours to days at a time, reliving random events in his past. Why? Every cell in his astrophysics major brain is straining to figure it out. But the “time trips” just keep on coming, disrupting Silas’s life, and he’s certain he’s a one-of-a-kind phenomenon—until brash, guitar-playing Jude Forrester barges into his life, exhibiting the same symptoms.
He claims a future version of Silas visited him, and that, according to future-Silas, they’re meant to help each other stop the time trips. If working together can really lead to finding a cure, Silas can handle Jude’s tortured-artist attitude; Jude can humor Silas’s nerdy obsession with the stars.
As they get closer to a solution, they grow closer to each other. But Jude is still grieving an old connection that broke his heart, and he can’t help but wonder if changing the past might save himself and Silas a lot of heartache. Amidst cataclysmic consequences, Silas and Jude must face the cosmic circumstances that brought them together if they hope to protect their timeline—and the future they seem destined to share.
Meet the Author:
Brennon Lane is a Black, queer, trans author who can’t seem to stop creating characters whose stories beg to be told. Writing exclusively in the LGBTQ+ genre, he hopes to offer the younger queer community the diverse representation in media that he always sought. Time-Tripping Over You is his debut novel.
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