Waterfall is an Amazing Teen Read!

Waterfall is the first book in The River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren. Bergren is an accomplished writer who has written several historical fiction romances for women, but Waterfall is her first historical romance for teens. Waterfall focuses on the Bettarini sisters, Gabriella and Evangelia, as they travel back through time and find themselves in medieval Italy.

Gabi and Lia have spent their lives working Etruscan digs with their mother and father who are archealogists. Since their father's death their mother has thrown herself into her work like never before--all but ignoring the girls. Feeling excluded and angry, Gabi breaks a cardinal rule and talks her sister into going into an ancient tomb before they are cleared to do so. Once inside, they discover a set of handprints which perfectly match their own and when they touch them they are drawn back in time.

In their journey through time Gabi and Lia are separated. Gabi is taken in by the knights of the gold castle who are in the midst of a civil war against the knights of the red castle. Will Gabi and Lia be able to find one another again? The future (or the past?) is uncertain. With constant fighting all around them, they aren't even sure if they will survive let alone find one another and find a way to get back home to the present. And what will become of the handsome night who assists Gabi in her search for Lia? Waterfall is packed with so many questions and adventures that you simply won't want to stop reading.

I think that my favorite parts of the book are the many times that the girls astonish their medieval Italian friends with their modern ways. Everything from the words coming out of their mouths and the cloths that they wear gets them in trouble at some point or another. You will laugh and sigh at all the different situations that Gabi and Lia find themselves in. As the end of the book I was glad that this book is just the first of three because I can't wait to start reading Cascade!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mideval history or other books by Lisa T. Bergren or Liz Curtis Higgs.

Another great read!

More Books by Lisa T. Bergren:

All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Midnight Sun is the third book in the Northern Lights Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It is the conclusion of the stories of our four friends Elsa, Karl, Tora, and Kaatje. Each of these characters is featured as they face new struggles and strive to find the endings--hopefully happy ones--that God has in store for them.

It has been a few years since Peder was delirious with malaria and fell overboard during a storm. Still Elsa grieves the loss of her first love and struggles with the guilt she sometimes feels as his memories begin to fade. Still she must trust God that He has great plans for her. So she takes to the sea as a Captain herself! With Kristian and Eve, she begins travelling around the world and continuing to manage all the many Ramstad businesses. Will the men accept a woman as Captain? Will she ever love again?

Karl continues to work with Bradford Bresley and Trent Storm to expand his business investments. He has done very well for himself on land, but God has lead him back to sea. Now he is the Captain of his own steamer and it seems all his dreams have finally come true--save one. Karl still hasn't found the woman of his dreams. No matter how many lovely women he meets in his travels he still hasn't found a connection. Will he ever find a love all his own?

Kaatje has traveled to Alaska with Tora, Trent, and her girls to go in search of her husband who abandoned them seven years prior. She doesn't know exactly why God has put her on this path, but she knows she has to find out if Soren is dead or alive. With Trent's help she hires two guides to take her into the Alaskan wilds in search of her wayward man. Will she survive? What will she find? Is there more to her guide, James, than what there seems?

Tora has finally agreed to marry Trent. After years of following God's plan and waiting no one could be more excited than the two of them. Still Tora's past haunts her. When Decker, the man who abducted and raped her, suddenly appears in Juneau Tora must learn to trust God as never before. Will Trent love her less because of her past? Will more of her past come back to haunt her?

There are so many questions and emotions that go through you as you read Midnight Sun? Although it is a wonderful book, compared to the other two it is a little flat. There are a couple of repetitive parts which could have been condensed in favor of more storyline for James and Kaatje or for after a certain couples wedding, but other than that I thought it was absolutely wonderful! So hard to put down, and it leaves you wanting still another book that will never come. I highly recommend Midnight Sun to avid fans of the Northern Lights Series and of Lisa T. Bergren. You won't be disappointed!

Deep Emotions in Deep Harbor

Deep Harbor is the second book in the Northern Lights Series by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It continues to follow the four Bergen friends: Elsa, Kaatje, Tora, and Karl as they make their way in America. In Deep Harbor, each of them face new blessings and new struggles that will test their faith and could possibly even bring them back to God.

Elsa and Peder are still sailing around the globe. Their business and their family are growing with expansion into Washington Territory and the addition of one (soon to be two) children when disaster strikes unexpectedly. Will Elsa be able to survive? Will she be able to face her fears and one of the most evil men of the sea, Mason Dutton?

Kaatje and her two daughters have left their homestead in North Dakota to follow the rest of the Bergen to a new farm in Montana. Things promise to be better here, but there is still no word from Soren. It has been almost five years since she has seen him and four since she last heard from him. Is he even alive? Will she be able to continue to provide for their little family?


Karl has been far from God since he left his desires run away with him. He kissed Elsa (his best friend's wife) and ruined his life long friendship with Peder all in one small moment of passion. Will he ever obtain their forgiveness? Will he ever be able to talk to his father again? Can he truly come back to God?

Tora has been headstrong and manipulative her whole life. Trent Storm, her beau and one of the most powerful men in the West, just wants her to tell him the truth. Will Tora ever tell him about her past? He knows it because he hired a private investigator but he wants to hear it from her. Will she ever trust him? Or will their relationship come to an end?

The characters in Deep Harbor are complex and easy to relate too--although I have to admit that you just want to slap Tora. Still you know it's a good character when you struggle with your frustrations over them as much as the other characters in the book do. Deep Harbor is hard to put down and you truly feel the emotions and struggles these four characters are going through. It is masterfully written and leaves you wanting more--which is great since there is one more book in the series! Lisa Tawn Bergren does it again. Deep Harbor is amazing! I highly recommend it to women and to all individuals who love reading about the Western Frontier and life on the Ocean!



More Books by Lisa Tawn Bergren:

A Story of New Beginnings

I was so excited! I read this book once when I was in middle school/high school, but I couldn't remember the exact title or the author. However, this weekend I finally found The Captain's Bride again! Yeah! I searched and searched for this book because I remember it being amazing, and I wasn't disappointed.

The Captain's Bride follows a group of Norwegian immigrants as they make their new start in America. Each and every one of them is searching for a new beginning for one reason or another. Elsa and Peder have just gotten married after long years of waiting, Karl is in love with Elsa who is his best friend's bride, Kaatje's husband (Soren) is perpetually unfaithful, and Tora (Elsa's youngest sister) is head strong and seeking freedom from her father's watchful eyes.

Lisa T. Bergren uses the height of immigration in the 1880's as the perfect backdrop for all of their stories. You love these characters before they ever leave Norway. It is so easy to find a character you can relate to when they talk about the things that are driving them to America and the hopes they have for this new land. Then your heart goes out to them as they face struggles upon The Herald--the ship which Peder captains and which will eventually bring them to their beloved America. Finally, your heart aches for them when their new beginnings are not quite as easy as they hoped they would be. Would America be all that was promised to them? Would things really be new? Or would they fall to the same old trials in this new and foreign place? Bergren does an excellent job of weaving an intricate and entertaining story line which is so hard to put down!

I recommend The Captain's Bride to all historic romantic fiction lovers. Plus, if you are a Christian you will particularly love the strength and encouragement you will gain from seeing her character's struggles first hand and watching them learn to trust God even when it's easier not to. The Captain's Bride is amazing! I can't wait to read the next book in the Northern Light Series--Deep Harbor!