Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

Lisa Tawn Bergren is an award winning author with over 30 books to her credit.  This is book one in a new series called "River of Time".

I must say that before reading this, I was only familiar with her 'God Gave Us' series of children's books, which are beautiful, and check out well here at our library.  The artwork is wonderful and they are so colorful and sweet.  So I was anxious to read this new YA series and see what her teen books were like.

She does not disappoint.

The Bentarrini sisters, Gabi and Lia, are spending the summer in Italy with their mother, a famed Etruscan scholar.  One day they wonder into an ancient tomb and happen to place their hands atop a handprint there and find themselves transported to fourteenth century Italy.  To complicate matters, the sisters are separated in the time jump, Gabi falls for a knight on one side of the conflict, and in the search for her sister gets caught up in a battle between two opposing forces.  Gabi is frantic to find her sister and find a way to return home, but what about her knight in shining armor who is literally from a different world? Can she truly leave behind a love she has only just found and yearned for her whole life?

This book is a nice blend of history, romance, and time travel.  Gabi is a spunky heroine whose dialogue and thoughts ring true as typically those of a teen and add humor to the unusual predicament she finds herself in.  The writing is good, the story flows well, there is good characterization, and the story is laced with adventure so you are compelled to keep turning those pages.  This book would definitely appeal to teens, but also to adults as well.

Cascade, the next volume in the series, is due out shortly.  I will definitely be adding this to my "to read" list, as I am interested in seeing how the rest of the story unfolds.