TIMEPIECE by Myra McEntire

Timepiece
Myra McEntire

Rating: C-
Release Date: 06/12/12
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results. 

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.


My thoughts on the book:
I am going to be very honest in this review, even though it pains me to do so. I am extremely disappointed in Timepiece, the follow-up to the amazing Hourglass novel by Myra McEntire. Hourglass completely blew me away. I read it all in one sitting, and when the book ended, I was sitting there with my mouth hanging open, and all I could say was "wow." Timepiece had the exact opposite effect on me. I was so looking forward to this novel, and I adore Kaleb. Therefore, I was super excited when I found out he was going to be the narrator. However, this book fell incredibly flat for me. It took me three days of reading to get through it. I had to force myself to pick it up, and every time I did, I'd sigh and think, "let's get this over with." I will be reading the sequel, though, because I have faith in McEntire. I firmly believe that this was just a rough patch and things will get better from here on out.


Kaleb was fine as a narrator, but he and Lily had no chemistry whatsoever. Also, there was no relationship development. They randomly poured their hearts out to each other for no reason when it seemed like they didn't even know each other that well. Also, they invited one another to be present for private family moments, and that seemed really awkward. I didn't buy into them as a couple, and I am so sick and tired of authors throwing a couple's two best friends or siblings together in a convenient match. It just wasn't believable. And Kaleb and Lily were just... blah. It felt forced, and there was no chemistry between them at all. I was hoping for some Emerson and Michael type chemistry, but alas, none came. I really hope Kaleb and Lily break up and Kaleb finds someone better suited for him because this was awful. He still seemed to care more about Emerson than Lily, too. Maybe something will come of that and it'll add some spice to the next book.


McEntire's writing was amazing. I love her descriptions and how she gives each of her characters a unique voice. When I read her books, I can hear the characters' voices inside my head when they speak. That doesn't happen for me often in novels. I also enjoyed getting to know more about Kaleb, his power, and his past. Additionally, the new characters that were introduced were intriguing and I can't wait to learn more about them. Jack, of course, was the most despicable bad guy ever. The more I learn about him, the more I hate him, which I think is the intended reaction.


The plot itself was a bit all over the place. It wasn't as well-defined and easy to follow as the plot in Hourglass. However, the mystery and suspense should have had me intrigued, and it would have had it not been for the god awful pseudo-romance between Lily and Kaleb. The two of them together really ruined the entire story for me. I don't think I've been this strongly against a couple since the Nightshade series with Calla and Shay. I hated Shay with a deeply burning passion, though, and I don't hate Lily and Kaleb... I just hate them together as a couple. Anyway, back to the plot. The pacing was spot-on, and the book didn't drag at all. A lot was going on, and sometimes it was hard to keep track of things, but I really felt like I was inside Kaleb's head. There were a lot of twists and turns, and I never knew what was going to happen from one second to the next. When I was ignoring the crappy romance, I was kept on the edge of my seat. The ending was a bit of a cliffhanger, but a few things were tied up from Hourglass. Also, Kaleb grew a lot as a character, so I felt that the novel accomplished what it set out to do. 


Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who loved Hourglass. If you haven't read Hourglass, you need to go out and buy it stat. Timepiece was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I will be continuing the series. I have a feeling that the next book will blow my mind and totally make up for this disappointment. As I stated, my main problem with this book was the romance between Lily and Kaleb. It just didn't feel real. Hopefully something will be done about this in the following books. While I wasn't impressed with Timepiece, it's a definite must-read for all Hourglass fans! 


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