I found this slightly underwhelming if I'm honest. I really like Steve Jones and was hopeful about this, but it didn't blow me away. I finished it and there were moments that I enjoyed, but not the best book ever.

Steve Jones is an absolute dreamboat AND an incredibly talented writer to boot! I absolutely adored this book and definitely look forward to reading more by him. The writing is smart, witty and keenly observed. Highly recommend.

"Call Time" by Steve Jones offers a candid and insightful look into the world of filmmaking through the eyes of seasoned professionals. Jones, drawing from his extensive experience as a film director, provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the challenges, triumphs, and dynamics that shape the industry.

The book is a treasure trove of anecdotes and practical advice, covering everything from casting decisions to on-set mishaps with wit and wisdom. Jones' narrative is engaging and informative, making it a valuable resource for aspiring filmmakers and enthusiasts alike.

Overall, "Call Time" is a must-read for anyone fascinated by the magic of cinema, offering a blend of personal stories and industry insights that entertain and educate in equal measure.

I just could not get into this book no matter how much I tried.

Thank you netgalley for giving me opportunity to read

Loved this read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Took me a while to get into, but way better after the phone call is made.
Slightly alternative, if not a bit weird, but worth a read!

I really enjoyed this book. At first it was hard to see where the storyline was progressing to, and even towards the end you wondered where it would be going. Moral dilemmas, characters to love and those to hate (and then love) this book has everything and was engrossing.

Although I’m usually a bit averse to books that have a ‘magical’ element to them, despite being set in the everyday, that wasn’t the case here. I really enjoyed this one - particularly the ending.

This was a solid story with good writing. I don't think I have ever read a book quiet like this before. There is some touching scenes in this book. Pick this up if looking for a nice easy read.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book or even if Steve Jones is a good writer, I can confirm, dear reader, that he is!

This is a time bending story, with a sliding doors moment, that if you could change one thing, everything in your future would be better and different.

Bob is one of those high powered men that thinks he is gods gift, we’ve all met a Bob, they are generally d*?£s. I didn’t much like him and wasn’t especially rooting for him, until he finds the phone and calls back in time to 1986 to speak to his young self. He discovers through that call that he can change his future and if he can do that, he can bring back his brother Tom who died in an accident for which he blames himself.
This phone call sets in motion a rollercoaster of events that really got me into the book and I simply raced through the story. There are ups and downs, fear, love and redemption and it’s just a banging good story really!

A surprising, fun and entertaining read!

I really enjoyed this book. Imagine a life devoid of attachements, and with one phone call everything changes. A journey of discovery, what is important with a brilliant twist at the end. Would really recommend this a good summer read.

An interesting read but I really struggled to get into the story line. For some reason it just did not click for me which was a real disappointment, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

If you could make a phone call to someone, anyone in your past to make things turn out differently, do you think you would - and do you think it would make the difference that you think it will?
Perhaps, no matter what we do to change things - destiny will always persevere.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It was another book that took a while to get into and I kept putting it down but I picked it up again this afternoon and flew through it.

No spoilers here and I won't be repeating the blurb but I would very much recommend this.

This was a pleasant read, nothing exciting but I loved the idea of it more than I did reading it, if that makes sense? I will be reading future books of his as I think he will develop as a writer as he progresses.

Steve Jones presents an assured debut as a writer in Call Time. The protagonist Bob is introduced as a ruthless businessman who avoids emotional attachment. We learn the reason behind this tough exterior, as Bob has the chance to change the course of events from his childhood using a time travelling mobile phone. Time travel can be a tricky device for characters to ask ‘what if’ but Steve handles it well, and this is an enjoyable read.

Call Time was marketed as High Fidelity meets Sliding Doors, which I guess is fairly accurate. Bob is haunted by an event from his past and when a random phone connects him to the past he wonders if he can change the past.

While I think it was well written, the first third of the book dragged as it set the scene, and I struggled to connect with the story. Once I got past that point, I found it enjoyable and did not want to put it down. I'm not sure that the story is quite as 'Nick Hornby' as the author would have liked, but it was entertaining, with some funny moments and some seriously cringeworthy moments too.

As with most stories that change the past, it brought with it some dark moments in the present day and towards the end of the book the tension really built to a crescendo of darkness.

Many thanks to Michael Joseph Books for the proof of the book, for which I gave my honest review

Call Time is Steve Jones' debut novel, and I really hope it isn't a one off. What a clever, funny book this is!
Bob Bloomfield is a high flying exec, extremely successful at what he does, having largely closed himself off to the outside world and concentrated on work.

For the most part is extremely unlikeable. His character and barriers built on the trauma of losing his Brother at a young age.

He is, as his best friend's wife once described him, "a selfish, arrogant a**ehole".

But deep down, if he really took the time to examine his life, Bob is lonely. He has never really gotten over his Brother's death and the guilt and responsibility he feels for that day still remain.

When he agrees to go to fancy dress party with his best friend Scotty, he does so reluctantly and only on the agreement that they will get so drunk that they won't remember a thing the following day.

Bob's fancy dress costume isn't exactly his first choice, but it was late when they got to the shop, and it comes complete with the ultimate accessory - a brick of a 1980s mobile phone.

Later in the evening he realises it is a working device. For a laugh he dials his old home telephone number, not expecting anyone to answer. Particularly not the person that does.

By the time Bob realises he can use the device to call the past, he is so drunk (and high) that he thinks he's hallucinating.

But the following day when nothing is what it seems, he begins to wonder. If he can contact people in the past, maybe he can stop certain events happening?

What follows are a series of events, where we really see Bob develop as a character and become a lot more likeable as he begins to understand himself as others see him.

I can't say too much more as I don't want to give anything away. But I really loved this book, and I can't wait to read more from Mr. Jones.

Bob Bloomfield is middle-aged, successful and still has his hair, unlike his friend Scotty, who is bald and  has a rather predictable suburban life, married to childhood sweetheart Kirsty with young children. However, Bob is also a bit grumpy, a tad lonely and has just been dumped by his girlfriend. Could he be slightly envious of Scotty?

When Bob chances upon an old mobile phone in a second hand shop he discovers that he can dial back to his family, 35 years in the past! Can he influence them to do things differently and, perhaps, change his present for the better?

I found this  book a bit hard to get into at first as Bob isn't a very likeable character. However,  as the story progresses and we learn more about his past we can start to understand why he is like he is.

The time travel aspect is slightly bizarre, but once I got a few chapters in i was invested in the storyline. A fun read!

I really loved Call Time and it was one of those books that I just couldn't put down, I kept saying one more chapter until I'd finished it in one day! Bob was a distinctly unlikeable character in the beginning, but also we understand why he became so cold and closed off. Guilt over his brother's death has always haunted him. On a night out with best friend Scotty, they rock up to a fancy dress shop where Bob becomes Michael from Knightrider, complete with what he thinks is an early cell phone. Except it's actually a device that changes everything when Bob realises he can call up the past.

Giving his younger self advice, then revisiting the past to give his parents a warning, he believes he's changed the hand of fate for the better.

But be careful what you wish for has never been more true in this case.

And now, it seems it's too late to change anything.

Except, well... there's a few more delicious twists to come which I'm not going to reveal.

A really smart and entertaining debut novel which I thoroughly enjoyed.

A really slow beginning so took a bit of getting into and confusing in places.
Bob gets a fancy dress costume with an old phone then discovers he can phone his old home and change the course of history but all does not go as planned.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC