Review: Timepiece An Hourglass Novel

Title: Timepiece An Hourglass Novel

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:
 Kaleb Ballard was never supposed to be able to see ripples—cracks in time. Are Kaleb’s powers expanding, or is something very wrong? Before Kaleb can find out, Jonathan Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, reappears. Why is he back, and what, or whom, does he want?

In the wake of Landers’s return, the Hourglass organization is offered an ultimatum by a mysterious man. Either they find Landers and the research he has stolen on people who might carry the time gene, or time will be altered—with devastating results for the people Kaleb loves most.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their extraordinary powers to find Landers. But where do they even start? And when? Even if they succeed, just finding him may not be enough. . . .

The Review:
 This is the second book in the hourglass series by Myra McEntire. I previously reviewed the first in the series, it also received a 5 star review. I loved this book even more than the first. It was told from a different point of view which I was a bit wary about in the beginning but then I realized it was being told from the point of view of resident bad boy Kaleb Ballard. Kaleb was one of my favorite characters in the first book so I was really excited about learning more about him.

Kaleb is such an interesting character because he has so much emotion in him. His dad came back from the dead, his mom has had her memories taken from her and is now in a coma, and the girl he had feelings for is with his best friend. He is constantly underestimated by his dad and I love that throughout this book he is trying to prove his worth to him. While Kaleb has all of these hard things to deal with he is always a nice guy and does his best to help people.

On top of all of the things he is dealing with Kaleb Ballard also has the power to feel people's emotions which can get a bit overwhelming. It gets even more complicated when he starts seeing ripples in time. He shouldn't be able to see the ripples like Emerson and Michael but something is changing the way time works and Kaleb and the others who work for hourglass have to figure out what's going on before time is changed forever.

In the beginning of this novel I was curious about whether or not Kaleb would be trying to get together with Emerson Cole, the character who told the story from Hourglass. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that while Kaleb still harbored some feelings for Emerson, he wasn't going to try to pursue her. I was glad partly because I didn't want him interfering in Emerson's and Michael's relationship but I was mainly happy because I don't think Kaleb and Emerson would work well in a romantic way. I like them more as friends.

Emerson's best friend Lily plays a much bigger role in this book than she did in the first one. Lily has the power to locate things and this is something that Kaleb and the team greatly need. Kaleb and Lily's first meeting does not go well. He makes some drunken advances and she slaps him for it (which is awesome). As they begin to work and get to know each other They start to understand one another and that really brings them closer together.

Myra McEntire is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors (especially because of the awesome Doctor Who references). She has a great writing style and creates amazing characters that I really care about. I am so excited for the next book in the hourglass series. I will be anxiously waiting for Infinityglass to come out on July 9th. Thank you Myra McEntire for the great stories and characters.
 

Review: Hourglass

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5 stars

The blurb: 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Review:

Emerson Cole sees things. She sees people from the past who are long gone and no one else can see them. She always thought she was crazy until her brother Thomas hires Michael Weaver, who understands what she is going through, to come and help her. Emerson and Michael have instant chemistry which is surprising to Emerson because she has virtually no experience when it comes to guys. She is initially wary of him and even ends up punching him, but slowly Emerson comes to trust him and she is able to tell him things that she has kept bottled up for years.  Michael helps Emerson and teaches her that she isn't a freak and shows her that there are others like her, including himself.

Oh my God, this book was so wonderful! The writing was spectacular and I was pulled in right from the beginning of the book. Author Myra McEntire is an excellent writer. She builds the world in a realistic way and the characters are fun and interesting. Emerson The seventeen year old protagonist is short, sarcastic, and feisty. She is certainly no damsel in distress, which I really appreciate. Michael Weaver, Emerson's love interest, is mysterious and sweet. Emerson really is an intriguing character. She has a very interesting back story that begs to be told.

There are some other really interesting and well written characters as well; such as Emerson's older brother, Thomas, who has taken care of her ever since their parents died four years ago. He is an architect who loves to renovate old buildings and he deeply cares for his sisters safety. There is also Drue. Dru is Thomas's wife. She is awesome! She fills the void left by Emerson's mother and has a very sweet nature. One of the things that I love in this book is that Thomas and Dru know what's going on. It's refreshing after reading so many books where the main character has to hide what's going on from her family so I really appreciate that McEntire was able to do this differently. The other characters include Lily, Emerson's best friend who may have a secret of her own. There's Kaleb, who is Michael's best friend. He can be a bit of a screw up but he has good intentions. He also has feelings for Emerson which cause a slight love triangle. There is Cat is a theoretical physicist who has her own special abilities. And last but not least there is Ava, who is seemingly Michael's girlfriend, which honestly upset me. It was obvious to me that Michael and Emerson should be together so I was very upset that this character had the gall to be with him.

This book was great. I read it in one sitting and it has everything: time travel, romance, action, twists, and references to Doctor Who and Harry Potter!! Those references honestly made me love the book even more so thank you Myra McEntire for being awesome.