Review: Waterfall, Cascade and Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Lisa Tawn Bergren's new YA series, River of Time, is romantic, historical fiction in which the plucky heroine doesn't have to fear a vampire's bite but must still fight for her life.

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

My Thoughts:

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

I have read Time Travel books before and for some of them I found it difficult to keep up with the story, they traveled to much, and the flipping back and forth seemed to have me lost or going back to re-read as I thought I had missed some piece of information, I felt confused. I was a little fearful going into the book that would be the case and I not be able to keep reading it.  Well I am very happy to tell you that was not the case with Lisa'a book Waterfall: A Novel (River Time Series).  I fell in love with this book, with both books.  It has totally captivated me in ways I didn't think it would. 

Gabirella (Gabi) Betarrini and her sister Evangelia (Lia) are on their summer vacation with their Mom who happens to be an Archaeologist as was their father who had recently passed away.  They are bored beyond bored, it's hot, dusty and they are upset that they have to spend another summer on one of their parents digs, all they want to do is see Italy and all the hot guys that go with it.  When exploring one day where they should not be, they find handprints in one of the ancient tombs, Gabi touches it and she is surprised to find it warm to the touch, Gabi urges Lia to touch it and see how it feels when she does, and it's the same, when they place their hands there together this is when their adventure begins and they are both thrown back in time and end up in the middle of a battle between a lot of knights in the 14th Century Italy.

When Gabi arrives she is very startled and can't believe her eyes when she leaves the tomb, she is captured by the very dreamy Sir Marcello the youngest son of Lord Forelli.  Marcello takes Gabi back to his home and she is offered their protection and assistance after telling them she has been separated from her sister and mother, when they leaped back into time Gabi and Lia had gotten separated. In order for to not be considered a spy, she spins a tale of being separated from her Mother and sister and all their possessions stolen from them, they also come from Normandy not 700 years in the future.

Lady Rossi is the betrothed of Sir Marcello and Gabi has a funny feeling about her, after being around Marcello and his family, she is finding it very hard not to have feelings for him and making the right decision of not falling in love with Marcello.  It makes it even harder when he is funny, kind, protective, and it really doesn't hurt that he is the hottest she has ever seen.

I haven't fallen in love with a Historical Romance like this one in a very long time.  This book has reminded me of some of my favorite books by Beatrice Small who has always captured my heart with her Historical Romance's.  As I have said, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started to read the first book, but it totally sucked me in and had no intentions of letting me go.

For me this book has everything I look for in a great novel, action, details but not so many that you get confused by them, a great flowing story, a plot that makes sense and characters you can not only fall in love with but you can relate to them, feel for them, cheer them on, feel their pain.  This had all that for me. When you figure out that Gabi is starting to fall for Marcello I found myself hoping they would fall in love with each other, their relationship is so pure and intense and as the book comes to a close they are so in love with each other they can't bear to be apart.

The characters Lisa has created are superb, Gabi, the kind hearted, wanting to do the right thing by not interfering with Marcello and Lady Rossi's upcoming marriage, she is strong and willing to fight for the right thing, and she can wield a sword like no other woman they have seen in the 14th Century.
Lia (Gabi's sister) younger than Gabi, Lia is the artistic sister but can wield a bow and arrow better than any man, she is also strong when faced with fighting for her life or that of those she loves.
Marcello, the youngest son of the Lord of the Manor, fighting for his family and to keep all those within his walls safe from the enemy, who falls deeply in love with Gabi despite his arranged marriage to Lady Rossi.
Luca, so handsome, funny, he will make you smile all the way through this series, he's handsome (sufer dude handsome) and he can't help but fall in love for Lia. I can't wait to see if their affection for each other take's off. Will be interesting to see in the next novel.
All the other characters will hold some piece of your heart they all flow so well together. There are twists and turns and things you didn't expect to see. If you have not picked up your copy of Waterfall yet, you better get one or you will be missing out on an amazing book. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have, it is a real page turner you will not be able to put down!!!!

Here is the trailor for Waterfall. Enjoy!!

AUTHOR BIO:

Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over thirty books that have sold more than two million copies combined. She’s written fiction of all sorts (romance, historical, contemporary, suspense, YA), nonfiction and children’s books. She divides her time between writing, editing, traveling and co-parenting her three children (16, 13, and  with her husband, Tim. The Bergrens reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

AUTHOR CONNECTIONS:

http://www.LisaBergren.com (author web site)

http://www.theworldiscalling.com (the Bergrens’ travel web site)

Facebook: “Lisa Tawn Bergren” and “River of Time Series”

Twitter: @LisaTBergren

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

My Thoughts:  

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

Ok so if you have read Waterfall, the first novel of this series, hopefully you had the second book Cascade ready to go when you were done, I did and thank goodness I did.  The way Waterfall ended would have drove anyone crazy if you had to wait for the second book.  As the second book begins the sisters get back to their own time, find their mother and try to explain to her what had happened.  At first she doesn't believe them, but when they take her to the tombs she starts to wonder if it's really possible.  So off they go, back to the 14th Century, where Marcello has left a note and some clothes for them.  

If you thought it was action packed in the first book, the second book will knock you off your chair with action, and the love story with Lia and Luca heats up as well, I was very happy to their budding relationship progress.  Marcello and Gabi are still as deeply in love as ever and Marcello has broken his betrothed with the Lady Rossi so he may be with Gabi, now that's true love if I ever saw it, but because of how important it was for the two families to become one the Lady Rossi was then betrothed to Marcello's older brother and heir Lord Fortino, his part in this book was not as prominent as the first book and he was a little bit colder than usual, but none the less I still was happy to see him there. 

Gabi and Lia's mom totally rocked in this book, I loved that she got skills with her new weapon of choice, It was clear to see where her daughters got there spunk from.  The girls were nicked named the She-Wolves of Siena,  and once again the battle was raging on. It was awesome to see the amount of detail Lisa poured into this book as well, it made me feel like I was right in the story, I could hear the horses pounding down the roads, feel the fear as they were trying to escape only for Gabi to be captured.  I could almost see the hillsides and the valleys, the castles the knights on their horses.  

Again the characters took my breath away and pulled me into the book yet again, I am just waiting very anxiously for the third book Torrent, it's driving me crazy not having it right now, the cliffhanger at the end of Cascade had me gasping and my mouth hanging open hoping their was be an excerpt from the next book, but sadly there wasn't.   I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did!!! This series is truly a MUST READ :)

Here is the book trailer for Cascade:

AUTHOR BIO:

Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over thirty books that have sold more than two million copies combined. She’s written fiction of all sorts (romance, historical, contemporary, suspense, YA), nonfiction and children’s books. She divides her time between writing, editing, traveling and co-parenting her three children (16, 13, and  with her husband, Tim. The Bergrens reside in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

AUTHOR CONNECTIONS:

http://www.LisaBergren.com (author web site)

http://www.theworldiscalling.com (the Bergrens’ travel web site)

Facebook: “Lisa Tawn Bergren” and “River of Time Series”

Twitter: @LisaTBergren

Review of Torrent book 3 of the River of Time Series:

*Sigh* What and ending to such a wonderful series. Torrent is the last book to the Waterfall series, and what a book it was.  I started to read this series and right from the first page of the first book Waterfall, it had me captivated. All three of these books are filled with action, suspense and a love story like no other.  It was impossible for me to put these books down.  Any one from any age group would love this series and would not be disappointed one bit. It made me laugh, cheer for the good guys, and shed a little tear when a character I liked had died.  I think most of all the love story that unfolded between Gabi and Marcello made me swoon.  Gabi's sister Lia also has fallen more for her love interest Luca, who is sooooo in love with her. Gabi and Lia's mom and dad played a more prominent part in this book and I was happy to see that, I loved their mom, so strong and willing to fight to the death for her daughter's and what they believed in, not only that willing to fight to the death for those family's whom her daughter's loved.

Going back in time to see if they could rescue their father from his tragic accident left me breathless, I lost my dad 4-years ago and I would have given anything to do that, I felt their hurt and pain over losing him, so to see him saved brought tears to my eyes and warmed my heart. I hope at some point Lisa will tell more of Lia and Luca's love story, I would love to read more of them.  Such a vast love this family has for each other. If you want to read a great love story, I urge you to pick up this series, you will not be sorry you did. Lisa Bergren creates a world of suspense, action, love and reaffirms that family is the most important thing that matters.

I hope you all will pick up your copies, and I hope you all will enjoy reading them as much as I did. These are books that I will keep on my shelves and re-read again and again.  Congratulations Lisa on such an wonderful, amazing set of novels.