Double Fault (Vortex #2)
by Janine Caldwell
Published March 12th 2012 by Smashwords
(first published March 10th 2012)
ISBN 1476419221 (ISBN13: 9781476419220)
DOUBLE FAULT is the 2nd book in The Vortex Series where Cassie and Trent’s problems have only just begun. As they fight through the repercussions of creating a parallel world, other dangers are lurking. After years of running, Trent and his orphaned sister, Lorelai, sense the dangerous and power-hungry Dr. Fox is close to discovering their whereabouts.
While Cassie fears for Trent’s life, her tennis career hangs in the balance. Caught between her old and new life, she watches her world slowly crumble until it’s a tragic portrayal of all that she used to know. But worse yet, if her secret is revealed, she might lose what’s most dear to her heart.
While Cassie fears for Trent’s life, her tennis career hangs in the balance. Caught between her old and new life, she watches her world slowly crumble until it’s a tragic portrayal of all that she used to know. But worse yet, if her secret is revealed, she might lose what’s most dear to her heart.
About the Author
Janine Caldwell is the YA fantasy author of the romantic yet action-filled trilogy, The Vortex Series. She lives in the desert town of Anthem, AZ with her husband and two sons. When she's not trying to cool off, she's playing tennis, practicing yoga, banging on the drums, or reading.
Books published by Janine include Visited, a YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch, Double Fault, and Deuce.
To follow or learn more about Janine:
Books published by Janine include Visited, a YA coming-of-age fantasy, Rematch, Double Fault, and Deuce.
To follow or learn more about Janine:
Author Links
I am a huge fan of this Vortex series. I loved book one, and went into this one with high hopes, though there was a lot less time-travel in this one, and it focuses more on Trent and Cassie’s relationship and dealing with the changes from this 2nd timeline after Trent tries to “fix” it. There was more focus on romance than there was in the first, maybe a bit more that I would have liked. It kind of took some of the uniqueness of this series away, but I still loved the book.
There was some pretty good unexpected twist in this one, and that was really exciting. I really like Cassie, and absolutely adore Trent.
If you like sci-fi/paranormal with some romance, then you will love this series as much as I do.
I highly recommend this book.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
Cover Review: I love the cover on this book, it’s a lot better than even book one, it gives that nice sci-fi feel to it. Covers are important, and its part of the reason I wanted to read the series.
I was given a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
I was given a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
You can read my review for book one, Rematch Here, and also an excerpt too.
This review is also at Goodreads and Amazon
This review is also at Goodreads and Amazon
Buy Links
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We are at it again. Trying to force Lorelai to remember. However, up to now, only Trent and I can remember both worlds. This makes Trent, my on-again time-traveling boyfriend, quite put out. It forces him to accept that maybe I’m more like him—more supernatural than normal. Let’s face it, the life he’s envisioned for me is not possible anymore, and I’ve never been more grateful. It’s no good pestering his sister with all this I tell him. What’s the point when I can remember plenty enough for all of us?
“Ugh! Would you stop?” Lorelai growls. “For the last time... I... DON’T... REMEMBER!” She narrows her eyes at the two of us into daggers of aggravation. If we keep at this much longer, she’s bound to chuck her cell phone at us, hoping to draw blood. We’ve clearly pushed her beyond her patience quota for the day, but I also suspect she’s feeling resentment behind her frustration. My brain, for some strange reason none of us can explain, has given me the ability to remember parallel worlds. I think this bothers her more than she’ll admit because it leaves her on the outside for the first time ever.
“Come on, Lorelai, think harder!” Trent orders. He paces back and forth along the condo’s wall of windows, one hand supporting his chin and the other across his stomach. He stops suddenly as if struck by a new idea.
“What about the morning Cassie made us breakfast in our rental house? It was right after my mission to the Grand Canyon. We made total pigs of ourselves. We were going on and on about Cassie’s stellar cooking. Come on, you have to remember that! It was when Cassie invited us to have dinner with her parents.” With eyebrows raised in hopeful anticipation, he cocks his head, waiting eagerly for his sister’s brain to comply with his demand to remember.
Lorelai presses her strawberry-stained lips together and solemnly shakes her head, her loose coils of dark hair bouncing over her shoulders.
“What about when we took Bart to San Francisco?” I chime in optimistically. “You insisted on buying me that outrageously expensive dress for the Homecoming Dance. You told me it made my eyes pop. Do you remember that day at all?”
“Expensive taste, huh? That certainly sounds like me, but no. Like I’ve said for the hundredth time, I can’t remember. Give it up, will you two? I don’t remember those first three months and I never will!” She shoots up looking positively ready to explode.
Even furious, I can’t help but think how alarmingly stunning she is. A warm shade of rose dots her high cheek bones over a flawless olive complexion, making her all the more captivating. If I didn’t know her better, I would’ve run away from her wrath by now, locking myself safely in a bathroom until she was gone. Her confident fierceness intimidates everyone, at least anyone with any sense. I, especially, was terrified of her at first. In time, though, when she fully grasped my love for her brother, when she understood that it was genuine and ran deep, she became an old softy. Not that I would ever make the mistake of calling her that to her face.
After one last huff, Lorelai whips around and storms out of the condo, slamming the door so hard behind her it makes the windows rattle.
“Maybe we should--” I start to say.
Trent, biting back a smirk, lifts a finger to interrupt me. “Hold on. She’ll be back.”
“I don’t think so,” I reply skeptically.
Chuckling at Lorelai’s theatrics, he points to the cherry-wood console next to the front door. There, inside the silver bowl, are Lorelai’s forgotten keys. A few moments pass before the front door cracks open just wide enough to accommodate Lorelai’s arm. Blindly, she reaches in and clumsily gropes for her keys.
“Lorelai, it’s okay that you don’t remember,” I call out to the fumbling hand. “It doesn’t mean anything. We’re sorry that we upset you.”
She grabs the jingling metal before disappearing without a word. I sigh and peer into Trent’s deep-set eyes that never fail to cause my stomach to flutter. Even after a month of telling myself over and over that he’s really mine; he still manages to affect my entire nervous system with one simple glance. Today, though, there’s disappointment shading his dark eyes.
“I guess our theory is wrong,” I say glumly. “It’s like her mind is defensively preventing her from remembering. We really shouldn’t push her anymore.”
Trent strides across the room to sink into the couch next to me. He picks up one of my hands and gently traces over the contours of my knuckles, while the lines in his forehead deepen; worry lines that shouldn’t be so exaggerated on an eighteen-year old.
“I just thought if anyone could remember it would be my sister. She’s been dealing with my supernatural powers for so long; I thought for sure we could jog that part of her brain. Why is it, Miss Cassie Moore, that you’re the only one who can remember?” He runs his hand through my long hair before brushing my freshly cut bangs out of my eyes. “Not that I’m complaining. Your memory brought you back to me. I just don’t understand how you were able to remember.”
I involuntarily shiver from his touch, which brings a warm smile to his face.
“I told you how. My extremely private journal was crammed with so much detail about my first life that reading it sparked my old memories. Maybe our problem with Lorelai is that we haven’t found the key experience to rekindle her memory. We need to ask her about something tremendously significant, something that would stir up emotion in her,” I say, then think in silence for a few moments.
Shrugging, I add, “Then again, my parents show no signs of remembering either. If witnessing their only daughter be shot right before their eyes isn’t emotionally powerful enough to make them remember, then I don’t know what is.” I shake my head at the mystery of it all. “It’s crazy. When we run into Mindy and her family now on the tennis circuit, my parents just stare blankly at Mindy’s father as if he’s just any other fanatical tennis parent.
“Even Kelli, my best friend in the whole world, can’t remember our friendship from the old life. She only thinks of me now as her friend with the never-ending tennis obligations,” I grumble, frowning at the loss.
Trent puts his finger under my downturned chin and lifts my face so he can read my eyes. He has often said that my eyes are a dead giveaway to my thoughts.
“I’m sorry that you lost out on sharing some happy, and some not so happy memories with the people you love, but I’ll never regret preventing you from being shot. Just you mentioning Mindy’s father, walking around free to do anything he likes, makes me insane!” His fists clench up and his jaw spasms at this. “If I had to do it all over, I would do the exact same thing,” he says with gritty determination.
Trent always leaves me in a state of awe at his passion when it comes to my life. I don’t know why he feels so compelled to protect me, but I’m not complaining. I can think of worse situations than having a gorgeous hero by my side fighting my battles.
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