Author: Melissa Pearl
Genre: Fantasy
Published on: December 14, 2011, self-published
Gemma's parents have put enough rules around her relationship with Harrison that she feels like she's living on parole. But she wins one battle—a summer job working for Harrison's step-father. It is the perfect chance to spend the steamy, hot Florida days with her boyfriend. It's also a great distraction from the cellphone hiding in her underwear drawer—her only contact with Gabe, the mystery man who's stalking her.
When she confronts Gabe, he tells her that her parents are not who she thinks they are, and Harrison has the gall to believe him. Surrounded by conflict, Gemma doesn't know what to believe, and it takes a trip back in time for her to glimpse the sickening truth.
Thanks to her parents, she returns to the present to find the love of her life no longer exists. His family line was broken and now, so is she.
This betrayal forces her to seek out Gabe. Setting aside her fear of the truth, she must trust this man and learn what he can teach her... otherwise, she'll never get her boyfriend back.
After reading Golden Blood, I bought the next two books right away. It was a quick but riveting novel. This sequel picks up shortly after Golden Blood ends. The book’s main heroine is Gemma Hart, a time spirit (a human who can time travel). She’s dating Harrison Granger, a normal human she’s had a big crush on for a small while. The two fell in love rather quickly, but I found nothing wrong with that. Some people are just made for each other.
Gemma’s family are also time spirits. Alistair and his wife Penelope use their time travel power to improve the world. They’re very traditional and strict, though, bordering on archaic. Gemma's parents forbid her from dating anyone who’s not a time spirit. They found out about Harrison by accident and didn’t take it well. Alistair in particular is furious about it. Gemma had to coerce them to let her have her happiness. They ended up agreeing, as long as Gemma and Harrison break up after their high school graduation.
A new character approached Gemma at the end of book one. His name is Gabe, and he claims to know what Gemma is. He believes she’s a “pure one,” though she’s not certain what that means. Gabe also makes Gemma a confession that pushes her away. Harrison, though, believes in what Gabe has to say. This puts Gemma and Harrison at odds. They have an argument before Gemma is whisked into the past for another mission. Little did she know what her parents have been plotting. They make a change that alters the timeline in a heartbreaking way...for Gemma.
This unexpected betrayal makes Gemma go full-on Bella Swan. Alistair and Penelope chose a nuclear option to separate Harrison from their daughter. Gemma already considered him her true love. Like her, I couldn’t believe Alistair would hurt his own daughter that way. It was utterly cruel and wrong. Gemma spends a while avoiding the Harts, feeling both furious and sorrowful. Not even Ruby and Dom, her siblings (who had nothing to do with their parents' scheme) can get through to her. I don’t fault Gemma for her reaction. What kind of parents would essentially kill their daughter’s boyfriend just because he doesn’t fit into their plans for her?
Eventually, Gemma remembers about Gabe. Fortunately, he wasn’t a casualty of the altered timeline. As a former time spirit, Gabe remembers the world as it used to be. Gabe doesn’t know about what happened to Harrison, though. When he finds out, he’s shocked. Gemma forms an (at first uneasy) alliance with Gabe. She wants to bring Harrison back if it’s possible. Gabe agrees to help her, with a few conditions. It’s nothing sinister or shady. He just wants to slowly open Gemma’s eyes to the reality of her situation.
Golden Blood explained that the Hart family time travels as a unit. Alistair, as the leader, is in control of their power. Whenever he travels, he can bring along his entire family if he wants to. This has caused a few problems for Gemma already. Alistair can force her to time travel at any time. She can’t resist it. Now, it’s revealed that there’s more to time spirits than what has been shown so far. The Harts turn out to be very unusual. I won’t spoil the truth of their power. The time-travel mechanics shown by the Harts seemed odd to me from the start, though.
This was a great follow-up to Golden Blood. Gemma faces a huge betrayal she must rectify. What’s worse, it came from people who are supposed to love her. The odds against Gemma are high. Although she has vast innate power, I wasn’t sure Gemma would succeed. There was no one else she could rely on, either. Gabe is the only time spirit we’ve met who’s not from her family. And he’s unfortunately not able to help. Luckily, Gemma is very smart and resourceful. She might just be able to defy her parents and fix the timeline.
My rating: ★★★★
4 stars - Definitely enjoyed it!
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