Book Review: Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

Title: Cascade
   Author: Lisa T. Bergren
   Series: The River of Time
ISBN: 978-1434764317
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pub. Date: June 1, 2011
Source: Author
Genre: YA/ Historical Romance/Time-Travel
Pages: 416
Rating: 5 Kisses
   Buy: Amazon | Book Depository
Excerpt | Website 

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): 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 Reveries and Ramblings:  If you haven’t read Waterfall, the first book in the River of Time series, then I urge you, nay, kick you to the bookstore to buy, yes, you heard me right; buy Waterfall because it is so worth it!  Now, stop reading because this review will spoil the end of Waterfall for you.

When my package (Cascade) came in the mail, I screamed and ripped it open. I beheld a signed copy of Cascade with signed bookmarks (Thank you, Lisa Bergren!)  Apparently all the noise I was making alarmed my family.  When they walked in the room asking me what was wrong, they found me jumping up and down repeating “yes yes YES! AHHHH, I’m so happy!”   They just looked at me shaking their heads, probably flashing back at the last time this happened (during my Twilight phase). 
EPIC.  That was the first word that came to mind when I finished Cascade.  I didn’t think it was possible to love a book more than I loved Waterfall, but Ms. Bergren proved me wrong.  This book was even better than Waterfall.  The stakes were raised even higher in this installment.  Gabi and Marcello are forced to really think about the direction of their relationship.  For Gabi to stay in the past, she would have to force her family to stay with her.  She would also have to start thinking about marriage-people got married at a much younger age back then (they also died earlier).  When the three Betarrini women travel back in time, they find themselves in the middle of a war.  No one is safe; especially the “She-wolves of Siena.”  Gabi and Lia are confronted with numerous obstacles in this sequel.  The enemies of Siena are constantly hunting them.  As a source of hope for the people of Siena, Marcello and Luca, the girls must survive.  I’m going to stop talking about the plot here, because there is just too much that happens and I really don’t want to spoil it for anyone.  Just know that there are three things the girls are up against: 1) The plague, 2) the war, and 3) the choice to either go back to the present or stay in the past. 

Okay, now for my gushing!  I. Love. Marcello.  I might have said that in my Waterfall review, but I don’t care.  It’s true!  Ms. Bergren created a hero that is charming, swoon-worthy, and…..Italian!  All my favorite scenes involved Marcello.  Ahhh, I’m smiling just thinking about him.   Ms. Bergren did add a new potential swoon-worthy guy, Lord Greco.  His status in the book is a bit complicated, so I’ll just say this: YUM!   Yep, he has the whole Ash (from the Iron Fey series) attitude.  He’s goal-oriented, sly, and is more than meets the eye.  He is charged with capturing the Betarrini women.  After accepting the task, he finds out that this is much harder than it seems. 

Cascade was exhilarating!  The story never stalled.  I was constantly turning the page wondering what happened next.  Whenever Gabi overcame one obstacle, there were two more waiting for her on the next page.  Just when I thought “Thank God they made it!” the suspense comes creeping back.  Usually authors have an action scene then a relationship scene.  Ms. Bergren effortlessly blends the two together.  The reader feels the urgency the characters are feeling, throughout the book.  This made me feel like I was a part of the story; like I was right there in the battlefield/forest. This sequel was much more emotional than Waterfall.  Ms. Bergren was not afraid to kill off characters.   Gabi, as well as Lia and their mother, had to deal with death at a much closer and bloody level.  They begin to realize how tragic and dangerous this war is.  They have a responsibility towards the people of Siena whether they like it or not.   Whatever Gabi felt, I felt.  I could feel her pain and sadness over each death.  War is so tragic; it was heartbreaking to read it through Gabi’s POV.  

I couldn’t put the book down! The only problem was that it ended.  Ms. Bergren took me on an exciting adventure that I will never forget!   WARNING: Don’t read the book in a public place unless your are fine with being stared at.  I read Cascade on the train.  Every time something really great happened I wanted to jump up and down.  Every time something tragic or sad happened I wanted to scream or cry.  Of course stifling my laughter by coughing doesn’t really work because my “coughs” sounded more like cackles.  When I finished it (on the train) it took EVERYTHING I had to calmly shut the book.  I wanted to dance and run around yelling “THAT WAS AMAZING! WHY DID IT HAVE TO END?!?!?!?!”  But instead I fidgeted in my little window-seat replaying my favorite scenes and thinking about how far away the release date for Torrent is.  

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