Just One Damned Thing After Another

Just One Damned Thing After Another introduces St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research, where historians conduct covert time travel missions to document historical events. The story follows Dr. Madeleine Maxwell ("Max") as she joins this secret organization and learns to navigate both academic politics and dangerous expeditions through time. The historians at St. Mary's face strict rules about non-interference while investigating pivotal moments in history, from the Cretaceous period to Victorian London. Their research missions combine professional rigor with barely-controlled chaos, as team members dodge both known historical hazards and unexpected complications. Technical time travel mechanics mix with office dynamics, romance, and action sequences throughout the narrative. The unconventional historians must balance their academic duties with survival skills as they protect history from those who would alter it for personal gain. This first entry in Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's series explores themes of responsibility in historical research and the human cost of academic pursuit. The story raises questions about the intersection of scientific advancement with institutional ethics.

Readers describe this as a fast-paced time travel adventure with humor and heart. The story combines historical fiction, science fiction, and romance with British wit and sarcasm. Readers praise: - Sharp, witty dialogue - Complex female protagonist - Balance of humor and serious moments - Historical details and research - Quick pace and action sequences Common criticisms: - Chaotic writing style - Too many tragic events - Romance subplot feels rushed - Time travel rules lack consistency - Confusing timeline jumps Review Scores: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (69,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (12,000+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4/5 Sample reader comments: "Like Doctor Who meets The Librarians with more swearing" - Goodreads "The chaos is part of the charm but sometimes hard to follow" - Amazon "Started strong but gets overwhelmingly dark" - LibraryThing The book launched a series with devoted followers who continue through multiple sequels despite initial criticisms.

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman A dimension-hopping librarian collects important books through time while navigating politics between dragons, fae, and alternate worlds.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai A time traveler from a utopian 2016 alters history and must navigate between different versions of his life across parallel timelines.

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis Time-traveling historians from Oxford attempt to prevent paradoxes while navigating Victorian England and the complexities of temporal physics.

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North A man who relives his life repeatedly from birth retains his memories and discovers others like him throughout history.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. by Neal Stephenson, Nicole Galland Government operatives use quantum physics to enable time travel and work with witches to alter historical events for strategic purposes.

🕰️ The St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research featured in the book was inspired by the author's lifelong fascination with history and her desire to create a place where historians could experience events firsthand. 📚 Though "Just One Damned Thing After Another" was Jodi Taylor's debut novel, she wrote it at age 59 after retiring from her career in local government. ⚡ The book's title comes from a quote attributed to Arnold Toynbee: "History is just one damned thing after another." 🔍 Despite being rejected by traditional publishers, the book became a massive success after Taylor self-published it as an e-book, leading to a publishing deal with Accent Press. 🌟 The series has grown to include more than 13 main sequence novels, multiple short stories, and a spin-off series, with a dedicated fan base calling themselves "Disaster Magnets" after the book's accident-prone historians.