The Hourglass Door - Lisa Mangum

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time?

Abby's senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when Dante Alexander, foreign-exchange student from Italy, steps into her life, he turns it upside down. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before. Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens not only her future but the lives of those she loves.

I really liked this book and I'm definitely left wanting more. Luckily the next book is in my possession and next on my list. There was a fair amount of setup with Abby - getting to know her and her friends, and how she sees her life and her relationship with her boyfriend. The way she and Dante get to know each other reminds me a little bit of Twilight, but once things start being revealed the similarities end.

I truly enjoy Abby and being in her head - since she's the narrarator. She's very relatable as a 17 year old girl trying to please those she loves while also trying to find her independence and figuring out what she wants out of life. She's very kind hearted and I find her an excellent herione. Dante is mysterious, sensual, and incredibly sweet, I loved him from the beginning. Some of the supporting characters didn't seem quite as fleshed out as others, but the villians were definiletly well written.

As for the mythology, it was very different from anything else I've read since for the most part everyone is just ordinary humans, but there are "circumstances" that make it otherwordly. It wasn't terribly hard to follow, but I still feel as though there are many things left unexplained or unexplored. This doesn't really bother me though, since it will be a trilogy and I have one more book to read and one more to wait for before I object to unanswered questions. I like how her "world" works and I find it a refreshing change from other paranormal romances I've been reading lately. (Although don't get me wrong, I love vampires and werewolves as much as the next fangirl.) I'm definitely excited to see what happens next for Abby and Dante.

4/5

The Hourglass Door
Lisa Mangum
Shadow Mountain Publishing
432 pages
$18.99 (hardcover)