Blog Tour: Golden Blood by Melissa Pearl

Golden Blood (Time Spirit #1) by Melissa Pearl
★★★★★
Release Date: November 2011
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural, Time Travel, Love
Format: e-book
Source: A Tale of Many Reviews Book Blog Tours
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Gemma Hart never knows when her father is going to whisk her back in time. Her toes start tingling and she has a few minutes to find a secret haven where she can disintegrate and appear in another time and place. While “across the line,” her training and skills are put to the test as she completes a mission that will change history for the lucky few her father has selected.

Gemma's parents are adamant that secrecy is paramount to her family’s safety. If people knew what they were capable of, they could be "used and abused", as her mother always says. Afraid she might accidentally utter the truth and break the ancient oath of her people, Gemma spends her school days as a loner. Only one thing can throw her sheltered life askew... Harrison Granger.

Harrison never expected to talk to the strange Hart girl, but after a brief encounter he can't stop thinking about her. He begins a campaign to chisel away her icy veneer and is met with unexpected consequences. As he slowly wins this girl over, he enters a surreal world that has him fighting to keep his newfound love and his life.

Melissa Pearl, you have successfully sucked me into this marvelous story of yours and compelled me to put all other books on hold to finish your series. Thank you for that, no really, thank you!

Golden Blood is a magical tale about time travel, living your life, love, family, and so much more. Trying to be a normal teenager has been hard for Gemma Hart, so she has shut everyone out and become the school freak. Until, the only boy she's noticed begins to take an interest in her as well. And from there her life changes drastically. She begins breaking rules that she never questioned before. She grows immensely in this journey.

A big part of the story is time travel, it's what the Hart family does and helps others. I really liked that the reader is introduced to the family (mainly Gemma and her life) before the details of the time travel or the change in time occurs. I was familiar with everyone before being thrown into the past, which was done in a way that flowed with the overall story. It also helps those not familiar or used to science fiction or fantasy books. Melissa Pearl eases the reader into the fantastical elements of the story, and doesn't overwhelm.

The characters Melissa has molded are nothing short of extraordinary. They are fun and lively group who surprised me throughout the story. I love this book, if that isn't already clear, and I feel completely connected and on a first name basis with not only Gemma and Harrison but their families as well.

Gemma and Harrison are my newest favorite couple. They balance each other perfectly and the fact that their romance is forbidden makes it all the more fun. Gemma is a tough girl, beating up boys and is thought to be mean. But, the reader quickly learns that that's not who she is at all and when Harrison refuses to give up on her, he finds out how much she shines when she finally opens up.

This story is full of mystery and questions, it's an excellent first book in a series in that it creates this world for the author to build on in the coming books. I haven't read many time travel books, but it's a genre I am very fascinated in, especially after reading this one.

The ending still has me speechless and I'm really glad the rest of the series has been released because I don't think I could take a long wait for book 2 (which I plan on reading as soon as I finish this review)!

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