Carnelian is a solid start to what seems like is going to be a really interesting series. It has romance, magic and time travel, which I Thought was an interesting combination. I was easily drawn into the world that B. Kristin McMichael created. It was an interesting read and has me hooked enough that I want to continue on. There were some crazy twists and turns at the end of the story that I didn't see coming. They seemed a bit unbelievable, but they were a cool twist to the story. 
 I liked how self assured Mari was. She is not one to let someone push her around, but when she makes up her mind about someone, she is loyal and determined to stick by them. I liked that about her. She was skeptical about Seth, and rightly so. But eventually he wore her down, and from that point on she was committed. She didn't waver anymore. The romance was cute. There was a bit of insta-pull but it was more of the prophesy/destiny variety. I thought the tingles that they each got when they were near the other were adorable too. 
 I liked Seth and his brothers. They were interesting. I thought the author's take on time traveling. You lose some of your memories from the different times and there are some interesting side effects on healing when you are in another time. I thought the way the author worked those details in was a nice touch. 
 The ending of the story left open some really interesting possibilities for the next book in the series. I liked this story and I am interested in seeing what the author is going to bring us next. I can't wait to see what is going to happen in the past as well as where we stand with the romance.