Welcome back to my Neo-Victorian Voices series, in which I blog about novels set in the 1800s but written in the 2000s. This month, I’m writing about Samantha Silva’s Sometime This Century (2026)—and I haven’t had this much fun reading Regency-Era time travel since I reviewed Kathleen A. Flynn’s The Jane Austen Project back in 2017!
In her author’s note, Silva tells readers that this novel was once a screenplay described as a “feathered fish,” and it’s true Sometime This Century is genre-bending. It includes many tropes that historical romance readers will enjoy, but it’s also a rom com that sends up modern influencer culture, and, of course, it includes sci-fi/speculative elements.
American literary agent assistant and wannabe novelist Annabel Blake believes she was born in the wrong century, unlike her social-media-loving sister, Cassie. That’s why she jumps at the chance to spend time in a crumbling English manor. But then she attends a ball hosted by a local Regency historical society that’s just a little too realistic and meets a dashing young man named D’Evercy.
When Cassie and her “Instagram husband” Billy arrive on the scene unexpectedly, the stage is set for a clash between cultures and centuries. Which time period does Annabel really belong in, and can she find love along the way?
Austenites will appreciate the literary references throughout, but this novel would be a fun read, whether or not you know sense from sensibility. If you’re looking for a lighthearted read to end the summer, this one comes highly recommended.
Which novel should I read and review next as part of my Neo-Victorian Voices series? Let me know—here, on Facebook, on Instagram, or by tweeting @SVictorianist. Want reading recommendations delivered monthly to your email inbox? Sign up to my newsletter here.
