Cascade by: Lisa T. Bergren

Read my review of book one in The River of Time Series, Waterfall.

What if you not only fell back through time... but fell in love, too?

Cascade is the second tale in The River of Time Series. In this book, we continue the story of the Betarrini sisters, Gabi and Lia, and their escapades in fourteenth-century Italy. Except this time, they've got their mom with them.

Gabi's heart is continually drawn towards Marcello Forelli, but many things are keeping them apart. For example, she is from the twenty-first century, and he the fourteenth. Gabi can not leave her family, and she can not ask them to go back and live in the past. But Lia, Gabi's fifteen year-old sister, seems to have discovered feelings towards Luca, as well.

War is raging on in Italy, and all three of the Betarrini women are right in the middle of it. But there are also good things coming out of this. Gabi and Lia are feeling a connection with their mom - something they haven't had for a long time, courage, and the realization that good things often mean sacrifice.

After much pondering, the Betarrini women decide to travel in time to the moment just before their dad dies and save him. But is it really possible to go into the past and change your future? And will Gabi and Lia fulfill their heart's desires and marry the men they love?



My thoughts:

I quite enjoyed this book! I am curious, though, how the last book in the series is going to finish. Because it would be a little weird if Gabi and Lia stayed in the fourteenth-century and married Marcello and Luca when they're really two twenty-first century American teenagers.

One thing I definitely did not like about this book, though, is that despite the fact it carries the title, "Christian book," it did not really have any mention of God in it. Sure He is brought up once or twice, but it is not enough to satisfy me. Some people would probably say I'm just picky.

I love how Gabi is so independent, but Lia always kind of annoyed me. I know she is supposed to be sweet, but I don't find her to be so.

And, like I said in my Waterfall review, I absolutely l♥ve the cover art!

Objectional Content:

Language: None that I remember.

Romance/Sexual Content: Marcello and Gabi kiss several times. Marcello proposes to Gabi. Lia begins to fall for Luca.

Violence: Some sword fights, and some painful wounds.

Drugs/Alcohol: Nothing that I can recall, except for maybe some wine at a feast.

Waterfall by: Lisa T. Bergren

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in another world?

The Betarrini sisters decide to explore an ancient tomb during their visit to Italy with their archaeologist mother. They are bored out of their minds, so it takes Lia very little convincing from her sister Gabi to check out the tomb, not matter how dark and uninviting it may look.

While in the tomb, Gabi places her hand in a hand print, and finds herself transported to fourteenth-century Italy. And worse still, she arrives in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces. All she wants to do is get out of there, but one side - the good side, she hopes - takes her with them to their castle.

It doesn't take long for Gabi, who isn't afraid to get in on the action, to make a name for herself. She believes her sister was transported with her, yet she cannot find her. The search begins. The knight who rescued her from the fight, Marcello Forelli, will do everything in his power to help her find Lia, her sister. Maybe too much? Marcello, after all, is already betrothed, to Lady Rossi, a flirty girl who doesn't want Gabi to get in the way.

Even though they are betrothed, there is no true love between Marcello and Lady Rossi. On the other hand, could there be some between Marcello and Gabi? But how could that ever come to be? Gabi is from the twenty-first century, while Marcello is from the fourteenth. Why does Gabi always seem to fall for the guy she can't have?

At a ball, her partner tells her he knows where her sister is, and he only requires one thing. Something she would be a traitor to give.

My thoughts:

Argh! I hate cliff-hanger endings! This book is so cool, I just have to know what comes next! I want to go get the next book, Cascading, right now! Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

I love the cover!!! Though I'm still wondering what the book has to do with waterfalls.

I fell in love with Gabi. She's so strong and smart, and I love the way she always wants to get in on the action, and she wants to fight her own fights, though all the other girls think it's scandalous.

Objectional Content:

Language: A few uses of the word "heck" and one other word that I can not remember.

Romance/Sexual Content: Marcello and Gabi kiss a few times. Luca falls in love with Gabi's sister, but it is rarely mentioned.

Violence: Some sword fighting, and some nasty wounds.

Drugs/alcohol: They drank some wine at the feast

Here is the book trailer: