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dayamarie's review
3.0
I love a good time travel but this one fell a little flat for me. It had enough entertaining parts to keep the story moving. The romance part of the plot seemed out of place. Maybe it was just setting up the next book.
loumele3's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Ooooh I loved this. Gabi was unconscious for an important part and I would have wanted to read more about it so that’s my only gripe. Besides arsenic poisoning everything went swimmingly for most of them. I’m ready to see how Romana is an evil evil lady and how her famoly is evil too. Marcelo and Luca are my manzzz
deanneestelle's review
3.0
I'm giving this book 2.5 stars (I round up). It was fun at times, and had a decent story, but there were some things that really irked me while I was reading it, and they took away from the enjoyment.
The romance drove me CRAZY. The main character was completely infatuated with a guy simply because he was the first hot guy who had ever been into her. Literally. She came very close to stating that herself. The love interest Every time the main character went off on an inner monologue about how hot he was, or how they had this beautiful connection and he made her feel known and seen, I groaned. It was completely without substance or depth, and there were a couple spots in the middle and end where it completely kept me from enjoying the rest of the book.
That said, I did enjoy the story. It was a fun time to read about the main character and her sister lost in time, figuring out how to navigate medieval Italy. The personalities of the two sisters were very enjoyable, and I thought that most of the characters had depth and well-roundedness that I could appreciate. The main character was a good balance of sensitive and brave. Overall, it was a fun read, and I'll probably read the next book.
The romance drove me CRAZY. The main character was completely infatuated with a guy simply because he was the first hot guy who had ever been into her. Literally. She came very close to stating that herself. The love interest
Spoiler
was a jerk, pursuing the main character while still engaged to another girl. He literally used the excuse that "she would get over it".That said, I did enjoy the story. It was a fun time to read about the main character and her sister lost in time, figuring out how to navigate medieval Italy. The personalities of the two sisters were very enjoyable, and I thought that most of the characters had depth and well-roundedness that I could appreciate. The main character was a good balance of sensitive and brave. Overall, it was a fun read, and I'll probably read the next book.
kristiacole's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This book was so much fun! I really enjoyed all the trials and tribulations of time travel. It was fun learning about medieval Italy. I want to find out what happens next!
Content Warnings
There's a near sexual assault that may be uncomfortable for some people. Nothing happens as she is rescued but still could be uncomfortable.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
This series has been on my radar for quite some time already. I discovered it when someone was selling their books through Facebook, but unfortunately we couldn't agree on the right price. I rediscovered the books when Enclave Publishing started publishing a spin-off on this series. Since I always like to start at the beginning, mostly because the world building is better explained that way, I got myself this book first.
From the moment the handprints on the artefact are mentioned, we of course know that those two girls are gonna travel back in time. The time travel itself is not really explained in this book yet. Gabi spends the first part of the book trying to find her sister and then the rest of the book they're trying to get home again. However, it's quite clear the story has only just started and I'm therefore certain the time traveling will be explored further in future installments.
That doesn't mean the entire book focusses on getting home. Especially Gabi quickly finds her place in this time. That has of course everything to do with a certain knight in shining armor, but it's also because her being from the future makes her different from the girls who've grown up in this time. And I know some people don't like that trope, in this case it makes total sense. Just like it makes sense that there are guys who might actually prefer these different girls.
I have to admit that I didn't really feel the romance entirely. Luckily Gabi also mentions that it's a little soon to call it love, to get married and to promise each other forever. However, it's quite clear this knight is a keeper. He's caring, he's understanding, he's supporting and he's not afraid to trust his girl in risky situations. However, I do hope that in future books we see them having more honest conversations now the truth is out there.
From the moment the handprints on the artefact are mentioned, we of course know that those two girls are gonna travel back in time. The time travel itself is not really explained in this book yet. Gabi spends the first part of the book trying to find her sister and then the rest of the book they're trying to get home again. However, it's quite clear the story has only just started and I'm therefore certain the time traveling will be explored further in future installments.
That doesn't mean the entire book focusses on getting home. Especially Gabi quickly finds her place in this time. That has of course everything to do with a certain knight in shining armor, but it's also because her being from the future makes her different from the girls who've grown up in this time. And I know some people don't like that trope, in this case it makes total sense. Just like it makes sense that there are guys who might actually prefer these different girls.
I have to admit that I didn't really feel the romance entirely. Luckily Gabi also mentions that it's a little soon to call it love, to get married and to promise each other forever. However, it's quite clear this knight is a keeper. He's caring, he's understanding, he's supporting and he's not afraid to trust his girl in risky situations. However, I do hope that in future books we see them having more honest conversations now the truth is out there.
brendalovesbooks's review
4.0
Pretty good YA time travel book. I'll definitely read the second in the series.
stefs_library's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
I reread this book from when I was younger (along with the rest of the series). It's fun! I remember feeling uncomfortable when I was a tween reding it because the series (especially the later books) often puts women in situations where they're at men's mercy before they're rescued by another man. And tween me had a point. Of course the lead is a strong, independent character (read: makes really stupid decisions in the name of refusing to take orders), but parts of the book still comes across as rape-y. It's otherwise "clean."
Other than that, it is really fun. The book literally whisks its characters into another time, and the reader gets pulled along with them. Romance and adventure abound. There's a lot to like, and man I was craving more mediaeval romance by the end of it.
Other than that, it is really fun. The book literally whisks its characters into another time, and the reader gets pulled along with them. Romance and adventure abound. There's a lot to like, and man I was craving more mediaeval romance by the end of it.
mea9an's review
1.0
I tried so hard to finish this book, I really really did. I did not want to leave this in the "Didn't finish" folder, because I was so close to the end, but I had to.
This book had so many things wrong with it, that it made me want to scream! No seventeen year old girl should be saying things like, "a total hottie." WHEN THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TIME PERIOD!
WHO DOES THAT?! You know what I would be doing? Screaming and running for my life!
Not only did she lust over Marcello who was about as interesting as a cardboard box, but she had an excuse for every situation that came up in the 1300s.
Need to use a sword? No problem, she learned to fence from her father. Need to cure a guy of an illness, perfectly fine my mother taught me recipes for curing sickness. Oh, what? My sister is missing and I'm riding to slow on my side saddle, that's okay, I was taught to ride bareback on a horse.
I would have enjoyed this book so much if it wasn't for the Valley Girl language, the unrealistic abilities she had, and the fact that she LUSTED over Marcello the other characters would have been better to "fall in love" with.
I honestly don't think this author spoke to a group of seventeen year old, because no one talks like Gabriella.
Speaking of Gabriella, she was just annoying from the start, I wanted to smack her across the face about 18 times! She could WRITE her story, but when she was actually THINKING it came off like a valley girl with a high pitched voice. She ended up in a new time period, in the middle of a battle ALONE, and the first thing she thinks about is some random guy fighting in a sword fight? If my sister disappeared and I was in a completely different time period, I'd probably cry, scream, and collapse in a heap of emotion!
Nobody even cared that Gabriella was from a different time period! No women in the 1300s wore jeans! Men didn't wear jeans, but she was like, "Oh, I'm from Normandy",and it was perfectly okay.
LIKE WHAT?!
She even hated Marcello's soon-to-be wife, because she was exactly that, his fiancé! She wanted Marcello because he was hot, he rarely had a conversation with her, and when he did it wasn't anything deep and personal! His fiancé (can't remember her name), was such a sweet girl, she was probably just confused over the fact that Gabriella just randomly showed up, and didn't know if she could trust her. She was actually a tolerable character.
What I did like was Luca. It would have been better if Gabriella went for him instead. At least Luca had a personality. He had his funny one liners that made me laugh which is what honestly kept me interested in the book. Other than that, I wanted to toss my Nook across my bedroom.
Just don't even bother reading this because it put me in a book coma. Literally, I thought about smacking myself in the forehead for even continuing it.
This book had so many things wrong with it, that it made me want to scream! No seventeen year old girl should be saying things like, "a total hottie." WHEN THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TIME PERIOD!
WHO DOES THAT?! You know what I would be doing? Screaming and running for my life!
Not only did she lust over Marcello who was about as interesting as a cardboard box, but she had an excuse for every situation that came up in the 1300s.
Need to use a sword? No problem, she learned to fence from her father. Need to cure a guy of an illness, perfectly fine my mother taught me recipes for curing sickness. Oh, what? My sister is missing and I'm riding to slow on my side saddle, that's okay, I was taught to ride bareback on a horse.
I would have enjoyed this book so much if it wasn't for the Valley Girl language, the unrealistic abilities she had, and the fact that she LUSTED over Marcello the other characters would have been better to "fall in love" with.
I honestly don't think this author spoke to a group of seventeen year old, because no one talks like Gabriella.
Speaking of Gabriella, she was just annoying from the start, I wanted to smack her across the face about 18 times! She could WRITE her story, but when she was actually THINKING it came off like a valley girl with a high pitched voice. She ended up in a new time period, in the middle of a battle ALONE, and the first thing she thinks about is some random guy fighting in a sword fight? If my sister disappeared and I was in a completely different time period, I'd probably cry, scream, and collapse in a heap of emotion!
Nobody even cared that Gabriella was from a different time period! No women in the 1300s wore jeans! Men didn't wear jeans, but she was like, "Oh, I'm from Normandy",and it was perfectly okay.
LIKE WHAT?!
She even hated Marcello's soon-to-be wife, because she was exactly that, his fiancé! She wanted Marcello because he was hot, he rarely had a conversation with her, and when he did it wasn't anything deep and personal! His fiancé (can't remember her name), was such a sweet girl, she was probably just confused over the fact that Gabriella just randomly showed up, and didn't know if she could trust her. She was actually a tolerable character.
What I did like was Luca. It would have been better if Gabriella went for him instead. At least Luca had a personality. He had his funny one liners that made me laugh which is what honestly kept me interested in the book. Other than that, I wanted to toss my Nook across my bedroom.
Just don't even bother reading this because it put me in a book coma. Literally, I thought about smacking myself in the forehead for even continuing it.
amybachelder's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5