Anything by Michael Baron
Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo
Genre: Romance
Publisher: The Story Plant
Publication Date: October 2011
Rated: PG

On the brink of marriage, Ken Timian is hunting for the perfect wedding gift for his bride-to-be, Melissa. When he enters their favorite jewelry shop, the owner offers him an extraordinary opportunity — to have his greatest wish. Ken wants to travel back and see Melissa’s life from the day she was born. However, this journey to the past reveals a horrible secret that Melissa has never told anyone.

Ken is given the chance to go back and alter that fateful moment, but in doing so, he changes the course of their lives. In this world, Ken and Melissa have never met. Now, he must find Melissa and make her fall for him again or lose the woman he loves forever.

Michael Baron’s Anything presents readers with an interesting question. Would one be willing to do anything for the person he/she loves even if it means giving them up? I experienced mixed feelings with this novel. The writing style is very clear and easy to read. It amazed me at how fast the pages went. However, I really struggled with the main character. To me, Ken came across more as a controlling and selfish man than one in love. I did not like the way he went back into Melissa’s life unbeknownst to her and later changed her past even after she clearly told him not to. Knowing that, I could not empathize with Ken’s struggles to win Melissa back.

While the novel started out too slow and then ended too fast, I did really enjoy Baron’s vivid descriptions. He had a way of making everything clearly unfold before my eyes and even made traveling back in time seem normal — or at least plausible.