11 Time Travel Books Guaranteed to Provide a Magical Escape

Bursting with undeniable wit and charm, this heart-wrenching yet hope-filled tale follows Lydia Bird after she loses her fiancé, Freddie, in an accident. But when Lydia finds a way to be with Freddie through “lucid dreams,” her mom, sister and best friend, Jonah, begin to worry for her. As Jonah helps Lydia through her grief, she slowly starts to see that reality may hold all the love she needs. 

Spellbinding and deeply romantic, author Audrey Niffenegger captures readers’ hearts in this iconic time-travel novel that was made into both a major motion picture starring Rachel McAdams and an HBO TV series. The story follows dashing librarian Henry DeTamble who is an involuntary time traveler, but when he meets artist Clare Abshire, his life changes again. Soon, the two marry and embark on a passionate adventure across time, hoping that Henry’s condition won’t rip them apart. This novel is perfect for fans of science fiction, romance and magical realism!

Memorable scenes, lovable characters and a bit of magic meld in this time-hopping saga. When Lucy Young stumbles upon a wishing machine after a terrible date, she puts in a coin, not knowing what might happen. But she makes a wish anyway: Please, let me skip to the good part of my life. When she wakes up the next morning, she has a husband, a great job and two perfect children. But she soon comes to realize trading her past for her future caused her to miss a huge chunk of her life. Now, she’ll have to decide if going back is worth leaving the good part behind.

This tender, thought-provoking story penned by bestselling author Emma Straub offers a clever new twist on traditional time travel tropes. When Alice wakes up on what is supposed to be her 40th birthday, she is back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday in her 16-year-old body. When she sees her dad, he’s the lively 40-something from her childhood, not the ailing father she’s been caring for. With knowledge of the future, Alice now has to decide if there’s anything she could — or should — change about the past.

An unforgettable romance and captivating characters abound in the first book of Diana Gabaldon’s acclaimed Outlander series, which was made into an immensely popular Starz TV show. In 1945 Scotland, former British combat nurse Claire Randall embarks on a second honeymoon with her husband. While there, she stumbles upon a standing stone in one of the ancient circles, and suddenly, she turns into a Sassenach — an “outlander” in the year 1743. Now, her only chance at survival is a handsome young Scots warrior named Jamie Fraser. What follows is a fiery battle of wills, time, hearts and, ultimately, love.

Fans of Me Before You will adore this heartfelt exploration of friendship, loss and love. Dannie Cohan is a lawyer on track to achieve her five-year plan. Then one night, she falls asleep and wakes up in 2025 beside a man — who is not her current fiancé. After an hour, Dannie wakes back up in 2020 and forgets the dream. But four years later, Dannie sees the man from her vision. A dazzling tale about true love and destiny.

Romance and time travel blend in this entrancing novel. Reeling from the loss of her grandfather, Anne Gallagher travels to his ancestral home in Ireland to spread his ashes. She knew this was an enchanting place, but when she awakens to find herself back in 1921, she discovers its magic is real. On the cusp of a war, the Ireland she’s in is different from the one she left. Alone and injured, she’s treated by Dr. Thomas Smith — guardian of the boy who will one day become her grandfather. The spitting image of her missing great-grandmother, Anne takes on her identity, determined to learn how their fates are linked. But will these truths lead her back home or has her heart found a new one?

This rich and breathtakingly written novel begins when Carly Sears, a young woman widowed by the Vietnam war, finds out her unborn baby girl has a heart defect. Contrary to what she’s been told, her brother-in-law, a physicist with a mysterious past, tells her there may be a way to save her baby. Carly’s last hope of rescuing her little one pushes boundaries of faith and science and requires her belief in the unbelievable. 

A fun and nostalgic story unfolds in Amy Lea’s first time travel novel — and it’s sure to charm the young at heart! All Charlotte Wu needs to do is plan the perfect prom and then she’ll be done with high school. But then, she falls off a ladder right in front of her archnemesis, J. T. Renner. Even worse? When Charlotte wakes up, she finds out that not only is she 30 years old, she’s also engaged to Renner. Now, the two must piece together what happened during the years they missed and try not to fall in love in the process. The book is perfect for fans of the time-travel rom-com Thirteen Going On Thirty!

When book publicist Clementine inherits her late aunt’s apartment, she gets much more than real estate — she inherits a magical place that slips through time, both seven years into the future and seven years into the past. So when she comes home to find a handsome stranger with a Southern accent standing in her kitchen, she realizes her new roommate is from seven years ago. Iwan is an aspiring chef who makes the best lemon pie ever. But time is tricky, and one day he vanishes. Will Clementine reconnect with present-day Iwan? And is the man of today the same one from the past? 

Bestselling author Gillian McAllister returns with another clever and twisting read. After Jen witnesses her 18-year-old son, seemingly happy son Todd, stab a total stranger on Halloween night, she is distraught. When he’s brought into custody, she falls asleep in total despair. But when she wakes up…it is yesterday — and the murder hasn’t happened yet. Now, Jen must venture back in time to figure out what led Todd to commit such a heinous crime and stop it from happening again. An astonishing, heart-racing thriller!