I wanna marry this book. This whole series. It's like Lisa took everything I want out of a book and put it all together to make the best series EVER! Even if you don't like historical fiction or time travel, this series is so much more than that. The River of Time defies simple categorization and gives readers something they so rarely get. 
 But this is a second book in a series, so you probably have some questions. Second books always sort of scare me, especially when I loved the first book like I did with this series. Will the sequel measure up? Will it spoil the happy feelings the first book left me with? Reading shouldn't be so dangerous, but when you're as emotionally invested in a series as I am with The River of Time, then the idea of opening up the sequel can be scary! 
 I'm going to try to answer the questions I had when I started reading. I'm going to try to avoid any spoilers for both Cascade and Waterfall, but some things can't be avoided (like if I mention a character appearing in Cascade, then you kinda know they didn't die in Waterfall...) So if you haven't read Waterfall yet (WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!?!), then you might not want to read this review. 
 Do the characters I love show up? 
 Oh yeah! Of course Gabi, Marcello, and Luca have plenty of page time, but Lia is also elevated to MC status (and she is totally awesome!). Romana and Fortino make a small appearance, but they're not really present much. I know, I was bummed about the lack of Fortino, too. You know who does show up and totally surprised me? Paratore. I thought we had seen the last of him, but that jerk is back for more...and I love it! 
 We're also introduced to two more characters who were totally awesome additions: Momma She-Wolf and Lord Greco. Momma She-Wolf is Gabi and Lia's mother who travels back in time with them. She is kick butt! I love that Lisa included their mother. Parents are so often ignored in YA, but when you're torn between living in the 14th century or going back home without the love of your life, well, that's kind of a decision you'd want to talk over with your mom, right? 
 Lord Greco is such a great character. I love hating him and I can't help admiring him (and finding him attractive. Yeah, there's another hot guy). Is he bad? I'm not sure. I can't tell if he's good or if I'm just trying really hard to make him good because I like him so much. I'm not even sure if I want him to be good or bad. He's such a great villain, but he is totally swoon-worthy so, you know, having him be a villain might complicate things. 
 Will I be happy with the romance? 
 Ugh, middle books usually suck when it comes to romance. You have all the happy "Yay the couple got together!!" coming off the end of the first book, but usually authors try to complicate things in the sequel. Love triangles, misunderstandings, anything to make the honeymoon end. 
 BUT NOT LISA! I just want to give her a huge hug for not putting me through that agony. Gabi and Marcello are just as awesome together in Cascade as they were in Waterfall. Not only that, but Lisa also totally avoids the annoying "Gazing into each others eyes for pages" thing that also usually happens when couples have been together for too long in books. You know how it can get boring seeing a couple just be together? Not here. Their relationship is growing and it's tender and sweet, but also realistic and still totally clean. Marcello is a 14th century guy, and while that provides a lot of perks, he also has a very different approach to relationships than we have today (like marriage age, divorce, etc). 
 I loved the scenes where Gabi and Marcello hashed out these differences. The fact that Gabi is actually considering these differences and how profoundly her life will change is so refreshing. YA girls are so quick to throw away everything in their life for their paranormal insta-love guy. This gets old and I can't help but lose a little respect for those girls. Gabi acknowledges how much she loves Marcello, but she also carefully considers all of the ramifications to both herself and her family if she chooses to stay with him in the 14th century. 
 And Lia and Luca? *Squeeee* SO adorable! 
 How's the action? Is it as good as it was in Waterfall? 
 It's better! Waterfall was a battle. Cascade begins a WAR. The stakes are super high and, honestly, I never knew what was going to happen next. There's secret passageways, espionage, heart-pounding escapes, double crossing, and plague! The political intrigue is so intense I had my eyes glued to the pages and was left gasping in surprise. I couldn't believe some of the things the characters did! Let me tell you, the 14th century is filled with JERKS. Conniving, horrible, ruthless jerks. 
 My poor, wonderful characters go through so much in this book. I was so worried about all of them, and with good reason! We're lulled into a false sense of security with some cute but benign scenes in the beginning, but before long bad things start happening and we don't have a moment's rest. The action kicks into high gear and stays that way throughout the rest of the book. Once you hit that spot you won't be able to put the book down. I'm talking taking a sick day at work because you don't want to stop reading kind of feeling. 
 How are the Christian fiction aspects? 
 If you like Christian fiction, then I think you'll be happy with the progression of Gabi's dawning faith. If Christian fiction isn't your thing, then I don't think you'll be bothered at all. The presence of Christian elements is very subtle in both Waterfall and Cascade. While Gabi slowly comes around to embracing the idea of God and God's plan, the story stands just fine on its own without these elements. 
 What I mean is, you know how sometimes in Christian fiction the entire premise is based on religion. It's a major plot point and the book doesn't work if it were removed. That's not the case here. Gabi is a strong character and able to do what she does because she's a strong, capable girl. 
 Will I be able to survive until September? 
 This is where I'm at right now: 
 But with longer arms. And like times infinity. The idea of waiting--waiting at the edge of WAR where everything hangs in the balance and I don't know if **** and how **** and whether or not **** and how **** will pan out...well, this is also where I'm at: 
 So, if in your travels you happen upon a mad woman raving about a castello and Italian hotties and the She-Wolves of Siena, please don't worry. That's just me trying to carry on the best I can until September. 
 And if you want to get a piece of this beautiful agony, make sure you enter the giveaway for a copy of Cascade! 
 Originally posted at Small Review