Review | Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Waterfall

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Series: River of Time #1

Release Date: February 1, 2011

Pages: 369

Review by: Cassia

Gabriella’s life hasn’t been all that interesting. Except for the fact that, you know, her parents are archeologists. Their home is in Colorado, but they’ve made a second home in Italy, where her parents search for Etruscan tombs during the summer. While her and her sister Lia love Italy and think it’s beautiful, they do not like spending their summers at digs. Their summer is just like any other--boring--until Gabi discovers two handprints in Tomb Two. They match her and her sister’s handprints exactly. When they touch them, they get thrown back in time. In another time period (literally), Gabi is drawn to young Marcello Forelli. He has been promised to another since birth, and she knows she can’t get between them. Yet she can’t stop thinking about him…

I loved this book. Yes, I know, I say that about a lot of books. (I just love books in general, so I naturally like a lot of books, but if I don’t like it, or even one thing about it, you’ll know it.) But...this one has quickly become one of my favorites, for many reasons: (1) it’s historical fiction, (2) it’s set in medieval times, (3) it’s very well-written, and (4) it has a great cast of characters. Oh, and it’s fast-paced.


I love a good action book, and Bergren mixes in just enough romance to keep you reading, but not an overload. For most of the book, the romance is...teasing, really. What I mean is, Bergren almost teases the reader with only a little romance, and does it in such a way that you keep turning page after page. Once you hit a certain point, though, it becomes full-fledged romance. Also, she incorporates a lot of themes that will warm your heart. There’s not a whole lot that I don’t like, really. It’s just a really fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Like I said, this book features an incredible cast of characters. Gabriella is very easy to like, and she’s one of my favorite characters in the book. She’s no superhero, and she knows it, but she still fights with everything she’s got. She admits her faults, and that’s the best thing I like about her. Her sister Lia doesn’t come in to the story for a while, and I like her too, but not as much as Gabi. And then you have (drum-roll, please) Marcello Forelli. I haven’t crushed on a character for a while, and I fell pretty hard for him (yes, he’s fictional, but you know what I mean). He’s just...awesome, let’s go with that. :) You also have his cousin, Luca, and I fell for him too, but not like Marcello.

Also as I said before, this book is action-packed. I was never bored. As soon as one conflict was resolved, or even before it was resolved, a new problem was introduced. Things just kept happening, one right after the other. All in medieval style. The detail was incredible; I felt like I was actually in medieval Tuscany. I really did love it. However, I do wish she would have elaborated on Marcello’s family a little bit more.

Bergren re-creates the world of medieval Italy in a racing romance novel that promises an amazing sequel.

Goodbye for now,

Cassia