Torrent: River of Time Series, Book 3

When Gabi and Lia finally learn to surf the river of time, they realize they must make hard choices about life and love in the third and final book in the River of Time series.

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times.

But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.

Language

After Greco kisses her, and Gabi sorta kisses him back (I was screaming at the book at that point; NO NO NO) she calls herself a "Traitorous, two-timing, skanky wench." for betraying Marcello. I won't say I agree with the severety...but who cheats on Marcello??? Apart from that, unless I missed stuff (which is a possibility) this book didn't have much of the banter that the other two had.

Violence

There is the usual fighting, but, also as usual, Lisa never dwells on the aftereffects or the blood or anything. It's pretty much "One down, oh! There's another one." Tomas is injured, and Gabi has to cauterize his wound.

Sexual Content

Again, there's, like, lots of on-the-lips-kissing in this book before, and after, Gabi and Marcello are engaged.

Things go pretty smoothly until about page 105, when Paratore makes a comment, "Lady Gabriella is hardly the virgin daughter of nobility, awaiting her groom-" At which point all the Forelli dudes jump up and are about ready to kill him. Gabi tells Marcello to let it go, thinking "I never thought a hundred men would be in the room when the subject of my virginity came up."

Then, on page 131, Gabi kisses Greco/is kissed by Greco. Then Gabi feels insanely guilty because she feels that she's betrayed Marcello, which, in a way, she has. All thoughout the time in which she is around Greco, she struggles to process the feelings that she has for him.

Page 142, Gabi realizes that they plan to force her to marry Greco right away, and asks if they can convince the organizers to wait a day, to which Greco replies "There is no need to hesitate. You shall find me the most gentle of husbands." at which knights snigger. If you didn't quite catch the meaning of that, Gabi clarifies by thinking "Okay, whatever. Pretend that is the reason; that I'm afraid of my wedding night."

On page 186, Tomas tells Gabi that they will keep her in Firenze by the surest means possible; "consummated wedding vows" and that "four lords of the grandi will ensure that those vows are properly consummated." *seriously creepy*

Pg 231finds Gabi and co. escaping. Gabi is wearing a torn and dirtied wedding toga, and they look for a woman who looks similar to her to exchange clothes with. When Gabi tries to talk to the woman, the woman looks at her with surprise. Gabi says, "It was then that I realized that everyone on the street believed I was a prostitute." - also to be noted, the woman says, at one point, "For four florins? I'd wear about anything."

308 has Gabi and Marcello alone in a tower. They are kissing, and Gabi asks how long it will be before they are married, to which Marcello replies, "on the morrow." Eventually Gabi says, 

    ""Then I think I can wait one more night." 

         He looked to the side, as if he was really wondering if he could wait too.

      "But," I dared whisper, "who would know if we didn't?" (I lost a little bit of respect for Gabi at this point.)

         He stilled, but his eyes betrayed the weight of the struggle that I felt inside. "God. And if it is He who has brought us together, should we not honor Him in this way?""

He kisses her again, then takes her down to her room. Gabi then contemplates how easy it would be to make him cave to her, but doesn't. I like the way she phrased it; 

"I struggled against it. Against the pull of the power I now knew I wielded over him. Against the desire I felt within me.

But I couldn't do that to him. To either of us. To our future.

We'd made a promise, and I didn't want anything, anything to get in the way of that promise. I didn't want our union to be less-than, tarnished, shadowed, robbed of its potential power.

And judging from what I'd just experienced, that was a whole lotta power indeed."

Pg 342 finds us just after their wedding (you knew it was gonna happen!! the wedding, I mean) , with Gabi and Marcello in Marcello's room. The most Gabi says about it is that he helped her unbutton her dress. They then have a brief exchange about a bruise on her arm. Then he kisses her (AGAIN). I proceed to relate the rest of the scene.

"It was like being given access to the most perfect tropical beach ever. No one on it.. Palm trees arcing over the white sand. Warm turquoise waters, lapping at the shore. Freedom. Delicious heat. And yet perfect cool, too.

And in the hours that followed, I discovered what it might be like to be given a piece of quiet paradise.

To be given intimacy. Tenderness. Passion.

Oneness..."

During the night, a sentry comes to inform them that enemy forces are approaching, and afterward, Marcello climbs back into bed, saying, "First love, then war."

The next day, Marcello makes a comment, "It took everything in me to leave you in my bed." A little awkward...to me anyways.

Anyways, great book! My reaction to this series has been; First read - AWESOME. After I think about it a while - It was a little crude. Second read - LAh-UUUUVE it! AMAZING SERIES - never mind that on-the-lips kissing would never have taken place between two people who weren't married, and never in public.