Publisher: Entangled Teen
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
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Goodreads description:
On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.
Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore. Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?
My Thoughts...
A quick, fun read, Ms Harris' debut is a super sweet read that will delight fans of historical and contemporary YA romance alike.
What I Liked:
From the start, the main character, Cat, is a free-spirited young woman who is clearly having a hard time dealing with her family--from her in-the-spotlight mother to her soon-to-be stepmother and her not-always-there father. She's looking to relax but the universe has a different lesson in mind. Her transportation back to Renaissance Florence is fun and her personality begins to shine as she gets to know her ancestors. They clearly awaken something in her that helps her learn to embrace herself and others and I quite enjoyed watching the transformation.
The setting and side characters are perfect as well. I mean, what's not to love about fun family members, hot boys, and Italy? Ms. Harris does a great job creating a magical historical world where lessons can be learned and rules are made to be broken. The slightly whimsical nature of the time travel aspect fits well with the story and allows the reader not to get too bogged down in the details.
What Was Disappointing:
I would have liked to see just a little more build up to Niccolo's character as the main "villian" of the story. The plot worked and I understood but the rapidness of his insinuation into her life and therefore the shortlived affair she had with Lorenzo left me wanting just a little more from both relationships.
Overall...
While I will admit that my very picky students may not love this one, I certainly did and I wish I hadn't let this set unread on my shelf for such a long time. The only positive is that I don't have to wait NEARLY as long for the sequel as I would if I had read it last year! ;)
1 comment:
Love your review! This one sounds super cute. My sister read it and enjoyed it as well, but "historical YA" really isn't my thing, so I'll probably never get around to read it. Glad you're able to read the sequel so soon.
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