Review: Bourne

BOURNE (River of Time #3.1)
Lisa T. Bergren
Historical Young Adult
e-novella
Self-published
Available Now
Received from author for review

THE STORY (from author website)
In this e-novella, River of Time #3.1, the dramatic tale about the Betarrinis and Forellis continues, picking up directly after where Torrent left off… The battle is done at the front, but the battle is only beginning back at Castello Forelli. Marcello fights for his life; Lord Greco fights to find his place; and Lia fights for love.

MY THOUGHTS
A read that’s easily devoured in a single sitting, Bourne is a treat for fans of The River of Time series, returning us to the Betarrinis for a brief but emotionally and physically intense visit before leaving us wanting more of everything from the characters and world we’ve come to care about so much. This novella gives a little something new in the form of Lia’s point of view, allowing us into the head of the younger Betarrini sister as she and Luca continue their romantically-tense dance, but with the new we also have the familiar comfort of Gabriella’s perspective as she and Marcello deal with the aftermath of the events of Torrent. As always, Ms. Bergen sublimely depicts both the beauty and the ugliness of life in medieval Italy, sweet flirtations accompanying the brutality of war to leave us utterly exhausted by the end given all the energy we’ve expelled reveling in the happy moments and despairing in the tragic ones.

Gabi and Lia are as enjoyable as ever, both strong-willed women who’ve proven themselves to be skilled fighters, and it’s nothing short of an absolute pleasure to watch as these modern young woman are courted in a time of chivalry and extreme gallantry. Both girls delight in Marcello and Luca's ingrained sense of honor at the same time they rebel against it, wanting to take up arms and defend those they love with every ounce of strength they possess instead of playing demure ladies who simply wait for their loved ones to return from battle. Spending extra time with Lia and Luca is thrilling, the tension between them crackling so strongly we can almost feel the tingles in our fingertips as we touch the pages (or screen as it were), our desire to see their romance unfold all-encompassing now that Marcello and Gabi are married.

Fans of Lord Greco may be slightly disappointed in this novella as Rodolfo is present throughout but definitely relegated to the background when Lia and Luca take center stage, and though we certainly won't complain about the new couple at the forefront, we can’t help but want more time with the man who is an undeniably intriguing mystery–sometimes a friend and sometimes a foe, but always someone who draws our gaze whether or not he is meant to be the object of our unwavering focus. Overall, Ms. Bergren packs a great deal of action as well as a touch of romance in a short number of pages, reminding us of what we love about this world and the characters who inhabit it while also making it glaringly apparent that we’ll not be satisfied until we have happy endings for every single person to whom we’ve been introduced.

Rating 4/5

Waterfall Wednesdays: Chapters 24-28

Welcome to the very last week of the Waterfall Read-Along! For those of you who don't know, the wonderful ladies behind Tina's Book Reviews, Edgy Inspirational Romance, Irresistible Reads, The Unread Reader and myself are hosting a read-along of Lisa T. Bergren's time-travel young adult novel Waterfall (LOVED!). Each week we'll pose and answer five questions about the book and then hop around to the other blogs who have signed up to check out everyone's answers!

Nic is the host this week, so be sure and pop over to Irresistible Reads to link up your posts and, in doing so, get entered in a giveaway to win signed copies of the entire series.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to hop over to Small Review, be sure and stop by as she's having a River of Time Series extravaganza with all sorts of fun giveaways running through September 30th.

CHAPTERS 24-28

After Gabi is injured, the doctor gives her a tonic. Gabi questions the doctor several times what is in it but he refuses to tell. Would have you taken the tonic in Gabi's situation?

Good question. I consider myself a pretty suspicious person by nature, and given that medical remedies in this time period were not exactly up to snuff, I think I might balk as Gabi did especially since the doctor adamantly refused to tell her what was in it. There would be all sorts of disgusting things going through my head like "Am I drinking feces? Poison? Feces and poison? WHY WON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT'S IN THIS?!"

Before the games Gabi asks Lia to let Lord Forabosch win in the archery event as people, especially Lord Forabosch, are becoming suspicious of them. But during the games Lord Forabosch upsets Lia trying to throw her off her game. So Lia decides to win. Do you think she did the right thing by not letting Lord Forabosch bully her or do you think she took an unnecessary risk?

This scene made me smile. Yes, both girls were starting to raise suspicions. Yes, Lia behaving as a proper lady deferring to her male "betters" (gag) in a display of skill probably would have been beneficial to their cause. However, I just can't find it in me to fault Lia as I'm a competitive person too and would find it extraordinarily difficult to allow someone who thought so very little of me to best me when I knew I could win, repercussions be damned. So, in summary, I like to win. GO LIA!

When Gabi is dying and she and Lia decide to return to the tombs so they can get the cure at home but they have to tell Marcello the truth. Even though Marcello thinks that it is madness that they are from the future he believes in Gabi because he loves her. Do you think this is believable? What would you have done if you were Marcello?

I think given all that's unusual to Marcello about Gabi and her sister it's easier for him to believe they are a from a different time. I think if Gabi had mentioned it right when she stumbled out of the tomb, despite her odd clothing, he would have thought her crazy or working some kind of witchcraft. By the time they tell him though, there had been so many little things adding up that I found his willingness to accept their story believable.

In the end Gabi and Lia return home. Do you think Gabi will return to Marcello? Would you go back?

In a truly spectacular display of deductive reasoning on my part, I did figure Gabi was going to go back to Marcello given that there were two additional books in the series. The way my mind works is intimidating isn't it? Don't worry, we can't all be as magnificently intelligent and modest as me ;-)

The romantic in me would absolutely go back. I would have a very hard time living out my life wondering "what if", and knowing Marcello was waiting for me would eat at me every single day until I could bear it no longer. Deliciously sexy knight pining day in and day out for my return = my hand on that print in the tomb in a second.

Looking back at Waterfall what was your favourite moment?

I only get to pick one? That's nearly impossible. I think my favorite moments would be the tension-filled interactions between Marcello and Gabi. Romantic tension is my favorite part of almost any book, and theirs was so tangible I could practically reach through the pages and touch Marcello. Wait. Not Marcello. Touch it. It, as in the tension. And if my fingers happen to fondle Marcello while they were in there I can't really be held accountable now can I? No.


I want to say a huge thank you to Missie, Nic, Serena, Joy, and Tina for organizing this event and allowing me to be a part of it! A special thank you to Lisa Bergren as well for writing such an amazing series and for offering up fabulous prizes to those who participated each week. I hope everyone had fun with the read-along, and for those who continue on with the series after this I have one word for you: GRECO. That is all:)

Waterfall Wednesdays: Chapters 18-23

Welcome to week four the Waterfall Read-Along! For those of you who don't know, the wonderful ladies behind Tina's Book Reviews, Edgy Inspirational Romance, Irresistible Reads, The Unread Reader and myself are hosting a read-along of Lisa T. Bergren's time-travel young adult novel Waterfall (LOVED!). Each week we'll pose and answer five questions about the book and then hop around to the other blogs who have signed up to check out everyone's answers! I'm the host this week, so please link up your answers at the bottom of this post.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to hop over to Small Review, be sure and stop by as she's having a River of Time Series extravaganza with all sorts of fun giveaways running through September 30th.

CHAPTERS 18-23

Gabi and Lia both face several life and death situations in these chapters, having to pick up weapons in defense of those they love and experiencing first hand the brutality of close combat. If you had the choice between picking up a weapon and standing on the front lines or staying behind to tend to the wounded as necessary, which would you choose?

I would be on the front lines I think. Blood and I do not get along, so having to tend to the wounded would be sort of a horrific form of entertainment for all those in the medical ward. I can't imagine I'd be of much help to anyone running to hork up everything in my stomach after every new injured patient comes in only to end up in a bed myself because I've passed out in a fit of extreme squeamishness and have broken something on my way to a nice meeting with the floor. Clearly the front lines would not be blood-free, but I think trying not to die would keep me focused enough that the blood wouldn't affect me quite as much.

Both girls get to wear extraordinary gowns to their victory celebration; what would your dream medieval gown look like?



That's me and the husband on our wedding day. I was madly in love with the back of my dress when it was bustled with its tiered effect, so I'm thinking something similar to it would be ideal for a medieval ball. Only not in white. White + Jenny = much Photoshop work needed. Maybe something in a rich green since that's always been a much more flattering color for me than white. Another small change in the above photo to make things medieval ball worthy would be a minor switch of leading men. I love my husband to pieces and consider myself pretty darn lucky, but for the sake of this discussion, let's just plug Lord Greco into that picture shall we? Excellent.

Gabi has crude stitches put in and must endure both their removal as well as the cauterization of the wound. How is your threshold for pain? Do you think you would have simply gritted your teeth as Gabi does?

In my head I have this pretty glorious opinion of myself as someone who is like Gabi and is able to endure pain with dignity, but alas, I think reality is far different. Anything medically related I handle pretty poorly, even when I give myself a pep talk about how this time is going to be different and I'm going to maintain my cool like a normal person and will treat myself to 15 books when I'm finished on a self-congratulatory shopping spree for behaving like a mature adult. I have never once bought myself those 15 books. Needles freak me out. Tourniquets nearly make me pass out. Blood pretty much guarantees I'm going to be on the floor within seconds. And pain is just something we don't need to talk about. I'm a wuss. Straight up.

Marcello wants to properly court Gabi after they express mutual feelings of affection, wanting to speak with her mother about his intentions. What do you think is the most romantic aspect of medieval courtship?

I think when a guy asks the family for permission to court/date/marry the object of his affection it's really sweet. Not so much in the context of the young woman being a piece of property switching hands from father to husband, but I guess in the more modern sense of the custom. I also like how everything was incredibly proper back then and even the smallest gesture such as holding hands held so much significance because touch of any kind before marriage was a rare thing. Just think how much tension there would be if the only exchanges you had with your intended were glances here and there or brief dances with minimal contact; it would be kind of an exquisite torture.

Gabi and Lia find themselves with conflicting desires toward the end with Lia wanting to return home and Gabi hoping to stay. Do you think that Gabi is being unfair to Lia for wanting to stay, or is Lia being unfair to Gabi for demanding they go? A little of both?

I think a little of both in this case. I can only imagine how I would feel in either of their shoes – it would be extremely difficult to choose between what you want for yourself so desperately and what you can so clearly see your sister wants with equal fervor. Acting on what I wanted most would make me feel incredibly selfish, but denying myself something like the love Gabi feels for Marcello or the home Lia wishes to return to would be almost unbearable.


Link your discussion Q&A below for your chance to win The River of Time series, signed by the author. Winner will be chosen tomorrow morning. Leaving your link below enters you into the drawing. Also, commenting on any Waterfall Wednesdays post automatically enters you into the Tuscan Earrings Giveaway from Lisa T. Bergren! Good Luck!

Review: River of Time Series

RIVER OF TIME SERIES (Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent)
Lisa T. Bergren
Paranormal Young Adult
David C. Cook (publisher)
Available Now
Bought and received for review from author

Warning: review contains minor spoilers

THE STORY
Gabriella Betarrini and her sister Lia are used to following their mother around on archaeological digs, spending their summers in beautiful Italy but ultimately stuck at the dig site unable to explore much themselves. When they stumble into their mother's latest find, an ancient tomb, and place their hands on painted hand prints on the wall that seem identical to their own, they find themselves sucked back in time.

Yanking her hand from the wall a few moments before her sister, Gabi finds herself still in the tomb, yet everything has changed. When she emerges, she sees the ruins she expects restored to all their medieval glory and watches as the battle taking place in front of her proves itself to be no mere reenactment.

This series follows Gabi, Lia and eventually their mother as they navigate their way through medieval Italy and all the beauty and horror of the time, picking up weapons in defense of those who have been wronged and finding unexpected love amidst the chaos of war.

MY THOUGHTS
The River of Time books transport us to an utterly enthralling medieval world, enchanting us with knights in shining armor and their chivalry, but also never letting us forget the difficulties of the time period. With the extravagant gowns and the propriety we also experience lives governed by the point of a sword–often lived fast and lost quickly–as accompanying the gallantry we find greed and a desire for power; just as with loyalty we also discover the brutal sting of betrayal. Ms. Bergren paints her world in hypnotic color, gloriously illustrating the joys and pains of the medieval era, dazzling us with rich historical details and intricacies, and thoroughly entertaining us with characters who win us over with their vibrant personalities. Gabi and Lia drag us through the tomb's portal with them, companions on a an epic adventure that has us keeping track of the page numbers with increasing dismay and grieving the speed with which they're flying by as we catapult toward an end we're simply not prepared to accept just yet.

Gabriella is a heroine virtually impossible to dislike, her quick mind coming to her aid again and again as she moves through a world she's only read about previously, never despairing of her circumstances but rather embracing the soft romanticism of a medieval lady's life with the hard-edged brutality of civilization at the time. While it would be shockingly easy for her to lose herself in the grandeur of living in a castle with the attentions of its handsome lord, she never forgets herself entirely or allows her mind to fall prey to the beautiful illusion, instead remaining cognizant of what's waiting for her in her life back home and the effect her decisions will have on her family. She swoons over Marcello and then mentally chastises herself for doing so, approaching her relationship with remarkable maturity and level-headedness–perhaps more so than we do as readers given that we find ourselves weak-kneed and foggy-minded when faced with Marcello, Luca, and Lord Greco.

In addition to an extraordinary leading lady, Ms. Bergren also increases our love for this series by steadily integrating the presence of Gabi's family, drawing us blissfully further into the story as the dynamic of a modern family traipsing through and forever altering an ancient world fully captivates us. We start with the brief presence of Lia in Waterfall, then progress to the addition of the girls' equally strong-willed and physically fearsome mother in Cascade, and finally see the completion of the Betarrini family in Torrent with their father. Each Betarrini member supports the others fully but also questions them, ensuring no decision is made lightly or without forethought, and we can't help but admire each of them for their individual strengths as we watch a jump in time save a family in so many different ways.

The River of Time series is an absolute pleasure to read, keeping our emotions constantly in flux as we discover both how wonderful and terrifying medieval Italy can be. All three books are incredibly action-packed with family feuds and political battles taking center stage while sweet romance is expertly interwoven to keep our hearts beating double time for hundreds of pages. These novels will appeal to a wide variety of readers as no single element overpowers the others, and we are left with a solid conclusion but also the potential for so much more. The possibility that this world is just waiting for us to return is a heady one, bringing a smile to our faces every time we think of it.

Overall series rating: 4.5/5

Waterfall Wednesdays: Chapters 12-17

Welcome to week three the Waterfall Read-Along! For those of you who don't know, the wonderful ladies behind Tina's Book Reviews, Edgy Inspirational Romance, Irresistible Reads, The Unread Reader and myself are hosting a read-along of Lisa T. Bergren's time-travel young adult novel Waterfall (LOVED!). Each week we'll pose and answer five questions about the book and then hop around to the other blogs who have signed up to check out everyone's answers!

Serena and Joy are the hosts this week, so be sure and pop over to Edgy Inspirational Romance to link up your posts and, in doing so, get entered in a giveaway to win signed copies of the entire series. I have the pleasure of hosting next week, so you'll find the next 5 discussion questions at the bottom of this post.

Also, before you go, if you haven't had a chance to hop over to Small Review, be sure and stop by as she's having a River of Time Series extravaganza with all sorts of fun giveaways running through September 30th.

CHAPTERS 12-17

In Siena, on her way to the ball at Palazzo Publico, Gabi likened her experience to being on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, the goal being "to see and be seen." If you were a peasant, watching from the crowd, what would you be thinking as this procession passed by?

I think if I saw the likes of Marcello and Luca walk by I’d probably curse my birth status repeatedly and long to dive through the throngs of people in order to dramatically throw myself on one of them only to have them realize as soon as they saw me that they were, in fact, madly in love with me and couldn’t bear to spend another minute out of my presence. Upon further reflection, it's entirely possible I misinterpreted this question to be “what is your Marcello and Luca medieval fantasy from the viewpoint of you as a peasant?” Now you are all in the know. About my YA Marcello/Luca fantasy anyway, the adult romance version I’ll keep to myself other than to say that it also involves Lord Greco. Wait. I seem to have veered drastically off course here…

Though quite nervous about dancing at the ball, Gabi discovers a strange feeling of connection to the time, the people, and the society through the unified beauty of the dance. Have you ever been in a position where you felt out of your element, but, in one, pinpointed moment, became a part of or connected to something bigger than your fear?

Wow. This is a very thoughtful and deep question and my typical flippant response doesn’t seem fitting, so I honestly don’t have a good answer to the above. Deep is sometimes lost on me and I fail completely at this question.

The kiss. Oh, the kiss. When Marcello finally kisses Gabi, he believes the experience to be proof that they are meant to be together. What did you think about his assumption? Were you surprised at Gabi's reaction to it? Have you ever experienced a kiss that seemed to be prophetic in a similar (or opposite!) way?

*dreamy sigh* Oh Marcello, you big romantic you! I think his reaction is sweet and adorable and the drama of it seems to suit the time period in which he lives. Life is hard and short, so I think making a prophetic statement about being “meant” for each other after only a brief kiss is fitting for them. I remember getting butterflies (for lack of a better term) when I first kissed my husband, but I wouldn’t say I knew at that very moment that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, that came from all the times he made me laugh and all the small gestures over the years we were dating.

Many go through their teen years with a subdued sense of immortality. Do you think Gabi has a sense of this teen feeling? And did you think Gabi's converse observation, "Sometimes death came hunting and there was no way to cut it off at the pass." was informed more by the experience of losing her father, her self-admitted closet hypochondria, or the forced maturation of being transported to a different time? How does this observation show Gabi's growth as a character?

Jeez. These are some intense questions this week! I believe Gabi’s sense of her own mortality is probably a combination of all the factors listed above, though especially the death of her father. Given that his death was so sudden and unexpected, I think it inevitably brought the brevity of life in general into sharp focus for her, and that personal knowledge is only compounded when she gets to a time where medicine is scarce, war is not, and justice is often delivered in the form of public torture.

In the span of a few moments, Gabi goes from sword-wielding teen beauty to man-killing warrior. Did you think her realization of the finality of death -- and her justification for its necessity -- was realistic? And, in her slippers, could you have done the same?

I honestly don’t know that I could come to terms with the brutality of the time as quickly as Gabi does. Her adjustment period is impressive and admirable, but I think for her it’s a case of necessity in addition to her inherent strength that allows her to transition as well as she does. She either makes the adjustment and accepts death as a means of survival or she succumbs and wallows in the cruelty of that which she cannot change, and I think Gabi, being Gabi, quickly chooses to control the things she can as best she can.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTERS 18-23

1. Gabi and Lia both face several life and death situations in these chapters, having to pick up weapons in defense of those they love and experiencing first hand the brutality of close combat. If you had the choice between picking up a weapon and standing on the front lines or staying behind to tend to the wounded as necessary, which would you choose?

2. Both girls get to wear extraordinary gowns to their victory celebration; what would your dream medieval gown look like?

3. Gabi has crude stitches put in and must endure both their removal as well as the cauterization of the wound. How is your threshold for pain? Do you think you would have simply gritted your teeth as Gabi does?

4. Marcello wants to properly court Gabi after they express mutual feelings of affection, wanting to speak with her mother about his intentions. What do you think is the most romantic aspect of medieval courtship?

5. Gabi and Lia find themselves with conflicting desires toward the end with Lia wanting to return home and Gabi hoping to stay. Do you think that Gabi is being unfair to Lia for wanting to stay, or is Lia being unfair to Gabi for demanding they go? A little of both?

I look forward to having everyone here next week!

Waterfall Read-Along

I'm really excited today to post about a fun upcoming event that will take place each Wednesday on the blog starting August 31st and ending the week of September 28th: The Waterfall Read-Along! I just finished this book last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, so if you've yet to read it I highly recommend you give it a try. Along with the fabulous ladies at Tina's Book Reviews, The Unread Reader, Irresistible Reads, and Edgy Inspirational Romance, we will be hosting discussion questions each week that will explore Lisa T. Bergren's absorbing time travel world.

Tina, the wonderful mastermind behind this event, I think does a fabulous job explaining all the details so I'm going to borrow a snippet from her post:

We want you to join us!! Sign up with the Linky, linking up your post announcing the read-along, acquire your copy of Waterfall and read chapters 1-6. The first five questions posted here will be discussed on August 31, 2011, where you can link up your answers and get info about the next week's discussion questions. If you want to use a button (created by the very talented Missie from The Unread Reader) for your sidebar please feel free and link back to the original sign up post. You can also use the buttons for any of the discussion posts and original posts you do. And for everyone who links up and joins the read-along, Lisa Bergren herself has offered a trilogy set of her series to one winner. Yup- that means Waterfall, Cascade and Torrent, all for you!! Signing up and participating automatically enters you into the drawing and if the winner is from the US- Lisa will sign them as well.

OUR DISCUSSION SCHEDULE:

August 31- Chapters 1-6 Hosted by Tina at Tinasbookreviews

Sept 7- Chapters 7-11 Hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader

Sept 14- Chapters 12-17 Hosted by Joy & Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance

Sept 21- Chapters 18-23 Hosted by Jenny at Supernatural Snark

Sept 28- Chapters 24-28 and Wrap Up Hosted by Nic at Irresistible Reads

I'm thrilled to be a part of this event and I can't wait to read everyone's questions and answers and relive Waterfall all over again! To sign up and get the first five questions, head on over to Tina's Book Reviews.



WATERFALL (from Goodreads):

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidentally 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.