We don’t fully understand time travel, but we have a lot of opinions anyway—THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley

🚨 Time travel, book rants & chaos incoming! 🚨In this episode of Reading Between Deadlines, Rachel Johns and Anthea Hodgson take on The Ministry of Time—a book that dares to mix time travel, romance, and social commentary. Does it work? Do they even understand the plot? Who's to say!Along the way, they tackle:⏳ The baffling science of time travel (we’re still confused)💔 A romance that…was technically there?🔥 Sideburns, honour, and whether Victorian men can handle the 21st century🤯 A plot twist that came in way too late📖 The real reason this book blew up (spoiler: we have theories)Plus: Listener reviews, husbands with opinions, and a rating system that gets more chaotic by the episode.Join us for bookish banter, hot takes, and at least one moment of Wait, what just happened? 🎙️👉 Subscribe, leave us a review (preferably with words!), and tell us what book to tackle next!⏰ Timestamps00:00 – Intro & Weather Chat – Because every good book discussion starts with a dramatic climate update.03:42 – Podcast Reviews & Listener Feedback – We read your reviews! Some glowing, some… interesting.06:39 – Husband's Feedback & Podcast Dynamics – The men have opinions. Some are useful. Some are… less so.09:12 – Introducing the Book: The Ministry of Time – Time travel, romance, and sideburns for days.10:35 – Book Awards & Reception – This book has won everything. But do we agree?12:26 – Book Recap & Our Wildly Fluctuating Rating System – Kiss, Kill, Marry—or do we need a new category?13:56 – Character Names & Why We Apparently Don’t Need Them – A bookish trend or just confusing?14:18 – Story Recap: Time Travellers, Secret Agencies & Victorian Charm – A crash course in who’s who.16:13 – Time Travel & Romance: A Perfect Pairing? – Or just an awkward history lesson?18:05 – Social Commentary: Race, Climate Change & Colonialism – Big themes, but do they land?20:07 – Plot Twists & Character Development – Surprises! Betrayals! Future versions of ourselves!22:04 – Ratings & Personal Reflections – Is this a book we’d marry, kiss, or dramatically dump?26:04 – Final Thoughts on the Book – Wrapping it all up before we time travel out of here.28:49 – The Romance: A Slow Burn or Just… Slow? – Exploring the chemistry (or lack thereof).35:00 – Confusion vs. Clarity: Did We Keep Up? – A deep dive into what worked and what left us scratching our heads.41:28 – Why Is This Book So Popular? – Theories, analysis, and maybe a tiny existential crisis.46:20 – Engaging with Literature & What’s Next – Looking ahead, plus how you can help pick future books! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readingbetweendeadlines.substack.com/subscribe