Three Wishes (River of Time California Book 1)

I'm a fan of Lisa Bergren and especially of her time travel books. This was a little bit different, so without any hints, just hang in there and you'll enjoy the ride through time in California. I like the history of California that is woven into the story. The main character is a strong woman and is talented in many ways which enable her to make life interesting and easier for her in the past.

Zara Ruiz goes down for a walk on the beach after her abuela's funeral. Life is looking pretty bleak after the loss of the only family she's ever known just weeks before she turns 18. She wanted to go to college and become a meteorologist, but now she may have to stay and keep her grandmother's restaurant running so she can maybe afford college. While on the beach, Zara wishes she weren't all alone and had a family, that she had someone to love, and that her life could have a little adventure in it. Suddenly she discovers herself transported to the past. She's in Alta California 180 years before her time with no idea what she's doing there or how to explain to the suspicious residents where she came from. She's taken in by the family of a man she may have kinda beaten up on the beach because she didn't like how he was approaching her. Despite their rough first encounter, Zara finds Javier de la Ventura most intriguing and his family starts to treat her as one of them. But Zara can't get wrapped up in a relationship or the Ventura family's problems because she's got to get back to her own time. If only her heart would get with the program.I have a whole group of readers at our school who absolutely adore Bergren's original River of Time series and can't wait to get their hands on this one. (And no, they aren't related at all except in time travel.) They won't be disappointed. Bergren knows how to write great time-travel romantic fiction. I like how she makes the main character seem authentically from the present and realistically struggling with adjusting to life and customs in the past. The past also reads with plenty of convincing evidence that Bergren has done her research on that time period. You get transported with the main character, and anachronisms that the character throws in get pointed out. The romance elements are "clean steamy" in that it'll make some readers swoon or squeal with excitement, but it stays PG. Recommended for anyone who likes clean romance or time travel or historical fiction with memorable characters.

Zara Ruiz is a young girl that wishes for adventure, finding love, and a family. All the things she doesn’t presently have. While walking the beach, she discovers a priceless object in a tide pool. As she touches it, she is thinking of her wishes and is thrust a hundred and eighty years into the past. Here she meets a handsome rancher, Javier de la Ventura, a man with big dreams and wishes of his own. He along with his family and a vast land that is familiar to her and yet completely different from what she has known is what is in front of her with no foreseeable way to return home. Now Zara must decide if she’s discovered what she has wished for in the past, or if her heart’s three wishes can only be found in her own time.There is the saying “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.” Well, with this new series by Lisa Bergren, I am wishing for the next one right now. I was turned on to her writing with her Remnants series, which is one of my favorite series by far. When I saw this coming out, I decided to give it a go as well. I haven’t read any of the River of Times books that many compare this too as a possible prequel story but have to say I extremely enjoyed Three Wishes. The characters were fun and easy to connect with and not at all over the top with how they got together. I didn’t think I would enjoy the romance of the two main characters as much as I did, but it all played out well. The story was just long enough, not so long that I found it dragging like so many novels tend to do. There were a few predictable moments but nothing to take away from the story. Three Wishes was a delightful read, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

So, I pre-ordered this book and obsessively checked my Kindle the entire day before it was released hoping it might drop early! The next morning (when it did download) I started reading and I finished reading it that night!! This is how I excited I was about it. I absolutely LOVE Lisa Tawn Bergren's  River of Time (5 Book Series)  and have read it several times. So, I jumped into this new series with abandon--and then about two paragraphs in thought, "What if I don't like it as much? What if it's not as good?" (Sorry, Lisa!)Thankfully, I did love it--it had the same feel as the other books but with great new characters. And as much as I wanted Zara to put her hands on a handprint to slip through time, the way it happened for her was perfect and surprising and I loved it. I'm also a big fan of the 1840's and westward expansion, so the setting was just lovely.I thought the characters were great--Zara was her own great heroine, relatable and strong. I'll admit Javier had to grow on my as he seemed to be a bit of a rogue at first. But their relationship and that of the entire family won me over quickly!This book is less of a swashbuckling adventure (that Waterfall was) and more of a let's-deal-with-this-time-travel thing and I liked the emotion and twists it brought. I am super excited about the rest of the series and where it's going to go.For mamas and other folks concerned about the romance-ness of it--there were a couple of heated kisses but there's a focus on "real love" that I thought was very mature.Overall, such a fun, exciting read with rich characters! When do I get to slip through time??!!