C2’s review of All for You (de Piaget, Book 15) by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance published by Jove 24 Apr 12

Sometimes a girl just needs a knight in shining armor – and, in a pinch, tweed (and the help of some matchmaking ghosts) will do quite nicely.

Peaches Alexander’s life is not going as smoothly as she would like.  Her career has imploded, she has no real employment prospects and her savings account is dwindling.  There has been a lot of upheaval in her family recently (see One Enchanted Evening and One Magic Moment), and Peaches is stressed out.  And if she wishes for a starring role in her own personal fairy tale, well…a girl can dream, right?

Stephen de Piaget is mostly satisfied with his life – he gets to study (and teach) a subject he enjoys, spend time with his family at a castle he loves, and runs up to Scotland for hands-on medieval swordplay (and more) whenever he can get away.  If sometimes he wishes he could experience things a little more authentically, well…one can’t have everything, right?

Stephen and Peaches have a difficult relationship.  They got off on the wrong foot and have stayed there – due to Stephen’s talent for putting that foot in his mouth whenever Peaches is around.  Only after they both attend a house party given by the Duke of Kenneworth – Stephen’s nemesis and someone who has shown a great deal more interest in Peaches than Stephen would like – and Stephen helps her out of a series of bad situations does Peaches start to let go of her dislike for him.

(An aside – the series of circumstances that throw Peaches and Stephen together on the way to the house party are much too contrived.  I say, if the premise of a story is something unlikely – like time travel – everything else has to be extra realistic…maybe that’s just me.  Onward!)

After Stephen helps Peaches (another brief aside – how much do I dislike the name Peaches??  I don’t care if your parents were hippies…pick a new name! *ahem*) escape the duke’s evil clutches, they settle into a truce.  Stephen even hires Peaches as his research assistant (not only for her brain but because he wants to keep her nearby).  But just as things start to develop between them, the evil duke rears his icky head.  Suddenly, Stephen’s whole way of life is in peril. He realizes the only way to protect his future is to revisit the past – and head things off at the pass, as it were.  Stephen wants Peaches to stay safely in the present, of course, but she senses her help will be needed.

Will Stephen and Peaches find each other in the past?  Will fate allow them to change things enough to avert disaster?  With a little help from some ancestors, there can be no doubt.

This is not my favorite of the series – the hero and heroine are a bit bland and overshadowed by the supporting characters that show up along the way.  Still, faithful reader, if you are a frequent visitor to The Pond, you know I love Lynn Kurland’s books. They are an example of a world that keeps getting richer and more real with every story. And in her world, love is magical…how can that be anything but good?

Grade: B

Summary:

FALLING THROUGH TIME IS DANGEROUS…

Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only problem: Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…

UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU.

Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double life: respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one who can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….

Read an excerpt.

Closely connected books:

Other directly connected books:

Other loosely connected books:

The rest of the series:

For reading order info, click here.

Sandy M’s review of One Magic Moment (De Piaget Series, Book 12) by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance published by Jove 3 May 11

Could y’all hear my heartfelt and happy sigh out there when I turned the last page of this book? I always have the best time when reading Lynn Kurland. She has a seamless way of bringing the past and the future together with characters who are so personable and charming, it’s like you’ve been best friends forever. You want to be there for them, give a shoulder to cry on, share in the laughter as well as the sadness, cheer them on, and revel in their happiness when it finally comes.

I wish I had the time to sit down and read all of her time travel books back to back, only because when so much time passes between books, some of those very important and salient moments are dim and sometimes forgotten from two or four or more books ago. And it would also help to keep all the characters straight. There are a wide variety of family on both sides of the timeline in these books that it’s difficult to remember them all. But it does come back to when you meet them again, if it’s their turn for an appearance or two.

So all I can say with regard to John de Piaget before One Magic Moment is that he is talked about, the son and brother who left home one day and has never been seen or heard from again. Some of his family assume and hope he did go to the Future, but they just don’t know. Luckily, John did make it and he’s been living a solitary but comfortable life in the English countryside where he doesn’t have many folks around to ask questions he doesn’t want or can’t answer due to his time traveling circumstances. He now owns a small garage in a small village and life is pretty good. Until the day she brings her car in for some work. That’s the day that everything changes for John, despite his efforts to keep away from her and keep his secrets safe.

Tess has inherited a castle, which is a dream come true, considering her love of things medieval. She’s an expert in that field, especially the politics of the day, teaching, giving lectures, and holding events in her new home. She’s still somewhat melancholy over the loss of her sister Pippa, who now lives in 1241 with her husband, Montgomery de Piaget. When she meets the new garage owner, she’s either seeing double or this man is related to her brother-in-law. Since he obviously is hiding his past, Tess says nothing and figures they won’t cross paths all that much anyway.

John pretty agrees with that – the less he sees of anyone, the less they can find out about him – but every time he turns around, he and Tess do cross paths. And then John finds himself offering to help out or take Tess places. He knows he should keep his distance, but this is the first woman in the Future he’s found interesting. And annoying but sassy. Definitely intelligent. Then out of the blue, little out-of-the ordinary things begin to pop up to make John suspicious and has his instinct kicking into high gear. Some things a man never forgets, and though John doesn’t need a sword to survive in today’s world, he still listens to his gut when needed. Someone is stalking Tess, and he’ll be damned if he’ll let anything happen to her. Not after finding her after all this time.

But the culprit has an agenda, and the next thing John and Tess know, they’ve been forced back to medieval times – John’s home that he hasn’t seen, along with his family, for a lot of years now. And I have to say, these scenes, especially with John and his family, are some of my favorites in the book. It’s an emotional reunion with his brothers first and later with his parents. And now Tess is getting a whole new outlook on all things medieval, not sure if she’d be able to live in this time like her sister has chosen to do. But can she leave John, knowing he’ll now want to stay with his family after being away from them for so long? She can’t ask him to return to her time and leave his life and loved ones all over again.

And when the danger also follows them to the past, John has to finally be honest with Tess, tell her everything that’s happened and admit his feelings for her. This is where my only little nitpick comes in. Even after John has told her how he feels in no uncertain terms, Tess still has doubts – about John, about his option of staying or going, about his feelings. That just doesn’t make sense to me. Especially because she returns his feelings and tells him so. I would have preferred her embracing those feelings and working with the man to figure out the best thing for them to do together. That finally comes, of course, but it just should have been a little sooner. If John hadn’t made his feelings so clear, that might have made a difference to me. But the man couldn’t speak any plainer than he does.

I do enjoy the twists Ms. Kurland always works into her storylines, and this book is no different. We learn how it comes to be Tess inherits her castle and all the little side bits that go with it and other elements in the story. Everything is sewn together nice and neat after a surprise or two, and it amazes me every time how she does it.

If you’re a Lynn Kurland fan, this book will hit the spot. If you haven’t read her yet, well, I don’t know that this would be the best book to start with. Starting at the beginning would be a little daunting but at least read Montgomery and Pippa’s story, One Enchanted Evening, to become oriented with their families. Other members of the families you’ll just have to catch up with as you read other books. No way around it. But I know you’ll have fun doing so.

Grade: A+

Read C2′s review here.

Summary:

There’s no time like the present . . . if you’re running away from the past.

Tess Alexander has it all: family within reach, work she loves, and the chance to live in a perfectly restored medieval castle. But then a trip to the village brings her face-to-face with the new owner of the local garage, who looks a great deal like the man who married her sister . . . eight hundred years in the past. She’s determined to remain objective about magic and destiny, yet she can’t help but wonder about the mysterious, sword-wielding mechanic . . .

As far as John de Piaget is concerned, he has no past; it’s safer that way. The last thing he needs is the nosey medieval studies scholar from the nearby castle dredging up ancient history—his ancient history. But from the moment he lays eyes on Tess, John can’t help but wonder how he ever took a decent breath without her . . . or how he’s going to protect her from the treachery that threatens both their futures.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

C2’s review of One Magic Moment (de Piaget, Book 14) by Lynn Kurland
Time travel romance published by Jove 3 May 11

Everyone has comfort reads – those books that you always enjoy and pull off the Keeper Shelf when you’re in the mood to read something you know is going to be good – and some of us have comfort authors, too.  For me, Lynn Kurland is a comfort author – lots of authors write romance novels but Ms. Kurland writes romantic novels.   So if she has a new book, I know odds are practically 100% that I will enjoy it.  I mean, how can you go wrong with knights, castles, sword fights, and cell phones?

Now, if you’ve never read one of Ms. Kurland’s books, you may be saying “Hold up!  Cell phones??  One of these things is not like the others, C.”  Calm yourself, faithful reader.  Most of Ms. Kurland’s books have a time travel element so those things do go together, I swear.  And she doesn’t just drop time travel into her books to get her characters where they need to be for the story – the time travel and fall out connected to moving through centuries not their own and how the characters deal with it all are an important part of the story too.  So there isn’t a lot of “Oh look!  Here I am in a century with no indoor plumbing, no real medical care and no chocolate – wheeeeeeeeeee!  I fit in perfectly!  I think I’ll stay forever and be blissfully happy!” Because, for crying out loud, that so would not be the reaction most people have.  Jeez.

Onward!

John de Piaget recently purchased a garage in a small village.  He enjoys working on his own cars and has someone else to work on everyone else’s.   It’s a good investment and should allow him to live quietly, as is his preference.  The last thing John expects is to meet (and be instantly attracted to) a lovely woman who, apparently, is struck dumb at the sight of him.  Still, he has no interest in starting up a relationship with anyone…he has too many secrets.

Tess Alexander is a scholar – her specialty is medieval political thought – and has recently been given a castle.  The former owner decided to retire to France and wanted to leave it in good, appreciative hands. Tess has events there – dinners, re-enactments and whatnot – and still gives the occasional lecture at Cambridge.  At the beginning of One Magic Moment, Tess is in a bad place.  She is dealing with the loss of her sister Pippa – whose story you can read in One Enchanted Evening – and struggling to wrap her brain around the idea that her sister is now living in the medieval version of the very same castle Tess now runs in the 21st century.  So imagine her reaction when she takes her car to the local garage and comes face to face with a man who looks exactly like her 13th century brother-in-law.  And certainly, no matter how attracted she is, Tess already knows how it feels to lose a loved one to another century, so she isn’t interested in a relationship with John either.

Fate, however, has other plans.  Tess and John are thrown together again and again.  And you can’t fight Fate, right?  But both have secrets and neither wants to start the discussion that would reveal those secrets…so Fate (with a little help) gives them a push.  Literally. And Tess and John find themselves in the 13th century, being stalked by an unseen enemy.  Of course, John knows people and knows how things work in the 1200s, so they are able to find their way to the castle of his brother Nicholas (love him!) and the awkward Secrets Discussion happens, finally.

Seeing John in his own time and surrounded by family, Tess cannot imagine that he would ever want to return with her to the 21st century. Even though he says he wants to.  But John sets out to convince her his feelings are real and watching a medieval lord start up the determined woo-age is nothing but fun.  He is so sweet and clueless.  And Nicholas is such a determined chaperon – and annoyance to his younger brother, which is the main goal.

Eventually most of the family gathers together because John’s grandmother is ill.  It is always a joy to see previous couples pop up – so much love and so many children!  But Fate isn’t finished with them yet and their enemy finally makes his move.  Will they get their happy ending?  Oh, faithful reader, would I even be talking about it if they didn’t?

Admittedly, the villain of the piece doesn’t get a lot of page time. And really that part of the plot is mostly manufactured to get them back in time.  It is resolved quickly with a little swordplay.  And it does explain some things that happen earlier in the book.  Tess is often sad, but it is understandable to the reader why so it isn’t too annoying.

So, does this book stand alone?  No.  But you don’t have to read all of the series to be up to speed.  I would suggest reading Nicholas and Jennifer’s book and Montgomery and Pippa’s book first – especially Montgomery and Pippa’s.  Also, if you are looking for a book with sexytimes on every third page, this is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a sweet, romantic read with medieval folks who know a bit more about the future than they strictly should (and with a lot of sword fights), this series is definitely for you.

Lynn Kurland has a distinctive voice.  Her books are filled with whimsy and gentle humor and have their own touch of stardust.  Her books don’t work for everyone, but if you are at all on the fence, I definitely recommend trying one.  She might become a comfort read for you too.

Grade: A-

Summary:

THERE’S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT…

Tess Alexander has it all: family within reach, work she loves, and the chance to live in a perfectly restored medieval castle.  But then a trip to the village brings her face-to-face with the owner of the local garage, who looks a great deal like the man who married her sister…eight hundred years in the past.  She’s determined to remain objective about magic and destiny, yet she can’t help but wonder about that mysterious, sword-wielding mechanic…

IF YOU’RE RUNNING FROM THE PAST.

As far as John de Piaget is concerned, he has no past; it’s safer that way.  The last thing he needs is the nosy medieval studies scholar from the nearby castle dredging up ancient history – his ancient history.  But from the moment he lays eyes on Tess, John can’t help but wonder how he ever took a decent breath without her…or how he’s going to protect her from the treachery that threatens both their futures.

Sadly there is no excerpt available. O_o

Closely connected books:

Other directly connected books:

Other loosely connected books:

The rest of the series:

For reading order info, click here.

Sandy M’s review of One Enchanted Evening (de Piaget Series, Book 6) by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance published by Jove 27 Apr 10

I’m in shock. There hasn’t been a Lynn Kurland book to date that I haven’t totally loved. Until now. I just like this one. It’s still a good book, wonderful characters, great time traveling, and a good storyline. But this time there was a little silliness included and that just didn’t work for me, especially because it took away from the beautiful writing that Ms. Kurland is known for in her books.

Pippa Alexander’s passion is fashion design. She’s just shy of getting her huge break in the business, something she’s waited and worked so long and hard for. A bigwig in England is interested in her designs, so she’s headed to her sister’s castle to meet the man and make the deal of a lifetime.

Karma is having its way her with first, however. The apartment building where she lives burns to the ground and she makes it out with only what she’ll need in England. Then her parents, who are flower children still going strong, show up, along with another sister, Cinderella. (I kid you not, mom and dad kept tokin’ it up over the years. There’s Peaches and Moonbeam too, and Pippa’s true name is Persephone. Tess and Valerie got lucky.) I did laugh a few times when these characters were introduced.

Cindi has decided she’s going into the design business also, so she’s hitching a ride with Pippa to talk to Mr. Megabucks. This sister is a real piece of work. Self-centered and self-absorbed, Cindi is the princess of them all. So when they do reach sister Tess’ castle, Cindi makes sure she’s in the right places at the right times, shoving and pushing to be in the limelight. It’s that shoving and pushing that land them both in Medieval England, the year of our lord 1241.

That’s the year Montgomery de Piaget’s father gives him Sedgwick Castle, a ruin with holes aplenty, hardly any walls, muck everywhere, and relatives who would rather see him dead. The next thing he knows, the Faery Queen and her handmaiden have dropped out of thin air to grace his home with their presence. And this is where the story gets silly in spots.

Cindi doesn’t fare well after time traveling. She takes her princess complex to a new level and becomes the queen Montgomery and his people think she is. She demands constantly and Pippa delivers. Cindi has gone completely off her rocker, the stress of her circumstances getting to her. This part of the book just doesn’t have the Kurland flare, the beautifully strung-together words that make reading her a pleasure.

After half the book, Cindi is flung back home and Pippa is left in 1241. Just like that. And my thought was, “Why was Cindi even part of the story?” It just seemed unnecessary, all the antics and whatnot, and it didn’t nothing for the storyline.

The second half of the book is so much better, back to the Lynn Kurland I know and love. More and more Montgomery and Pippa’s feelings for each grow, but they know they can’t be together because she has to return to her own time. Montgomery has to figure out which of his vengeful relatives is trying to kill him, all the while endeavoring to put his home in order and assemble a guard to protect it.

Pippa is learning to live in Medieval England, and as she finally admits her feelings for Montgomery, just before he’s ready to ask for her hand, she’s thrown back to Sedgwick in present day. Not willing to live with questions of what might have been, Montgomery takes time into his own hands and goes after his love.

I enjoyed Montgomery’s reactions to 2010′s marvels. He acclimates quite well, only because he’s always known his family has had paranormal oddities over the years, and he has other family in modern England who help him out. But finding Pippa and spending time with her in her world only gives them more questions about their future, and just when they sit down to talk about it, time intervenes once again.

We also get to catch up with past characters from previous books, which is a lot of fun, especially through Montgomery’s eyes. So that made this part of the book more of a pleasure to read too. And I’m glad. I had too many doubts while reading early on that I was going to like the entire thing. But change came and I’ve never been so glad to see it.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Montgomery de Piaget attracts responsibilities like blossoms lure bees. Where other knights have bonny brides, laughing children, and noble quests, he has the task of rebuilding the most dilapidated castle in all of England. A bit of magic might aid him—if only he still believed in that sort of thing.

When Pippa Alexander is invited to England to provide costumes for an upscale party, she jumps at the chance to showcase her own line of fairy-tale inspired designs. Not even her older sister’s decision to act as Fairy Queen crushes Pippa’s hope that this time, she’ll wind up wearing the glass slippers. Not that she believes in fairy tales, or magic that whispers along the hallways of an honest-to-goodness medieval castle…

But the castle is full of more than cobwebs, and danger lurks in unexpected places. And only time will tell if Montgomery and Pippa can overcome both to find their own happily every after . . .

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:

Sandy M’s review of Till There was You (Time Travel Series, Book 10) by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance published by Jove 28 Apr 09

I’m one of those Lynn Kurland fans who doesn’t care what she writes. Her writing has a flow, a feeling, a fluidness to it that just calls to me. No matter what century she takes me to in her time travels, I feel like I’m there right in the middle of the story. And though we always get at least one new character to add to our time traveling family, part of the fun of reading these books is getting to see the previous characters being woven together in a fairly complex way, now that there are so many books in the series.

After all that, I do have to confess one small thing. The beginning of this book didn’t hook me like her others have. Looking back, however, I’m blaming that on my mood at the time, because after laying the book after one chapter, I picked it up again several days later and it hit the spot with me like all of Ms. Kurland’s books usually do.

This time around the story is about Zachary Smith, the youngest of the Smith siblings and the one who has century-hopped with Jamie for years since Jamie made his home permanently in the future. They know where a good portion of these time portals are, but when they find a new one, they’re off to investigate it. Zachary, though, is tired of all the time traveling. Tired of fighting for his life when a journey here and there doesn’t go as expected. On top of that, he’s also dissatisfied with his job, so he’s quit. Walked away wanting happily ever after with the right woman.

Having car trouble on his way to that better future, he stops in at Artane, home of the de Piaget family for generations. While there he stumbles into one of those heretofore unknown portals and finds himself still at Artane, only it’s now 1258.

Finding himself thrown into the castle dungeon after trying to rescue a servant girl from a number of bloodthirsty warriors, he’s surprised when the same girl tries to free him from his prison. What he doesn’t know yet is this is Mary de Piaget, only daughter of Robin of Artane, a man he comes to respect and admire while having to take advantage of his patience and hospitality during his sojourn in Robin’s time.

Mary, it seems, is running from her current suitor, one who doesn’t give up easily, much to Mary’s dismay. So she needs this new stranger to help her flee to a relative’s abode far enough away until said suitor leaves her home to try again another day to win her favor. Though she truly hopes not.

Thus begins the fight of Mary to keep her life independent from a money-hungry husband combined with the fight of Zachary to keep her alive without letting on who he is and where he’s from and without changing history. Tossed into the mix, besides Robin’s ever-increasing irritation with Zachary’s comings and goings in and out of his home, are Mary’s numerous cousins who love her dearly and will protect her no matter the cost. They even make it difficult for the couple after they’ve declared their love for one another; terrific comic relief at times.

Zachary hopes to keep Mary alive past the date of her death and still return home, leaving her behind because there really isn’t a future for them because of the time distance between them. He knows that will be difficult, but sometimes you have to make difficult decisions in life. But when fate proves to him you can’t change what was meant to be, his choices aren’t many to choose from. Leave her in his time to die or try to take her to his time where she may have a chance at life after all, even though there’s no guarantee he’ll get her there before it’s too late.

We also get a good look at the intricacies of all the different players who have time traveled and settled down in the 21st century, all very interesting and intriguing the way Ms. Kurland has woven everything together. There’s also hints of future travelers, which will give us fans many more books to come. I, for one, am very glad of that!

Grade: A+

Summary:
.
Zachary Smith is finished with high-maintenance women, impossible clients, and paranormal adventures. But when he walks through a doorway into a different century—and meets Mary de Piaget—he knows his life isn’t going to turn out quite the way he planned.
.
No excerpt found.

Other books in Kurland’s Time Travel series – go here for the reading order for the de Piaget Family series:

I liked C2′s idea of a Best of 2008 list.  Then Liv got into the action, so thought I’d give it a try too.  (Of course, mine are the best of the bunch.)  I was never one to keep track of my reads, and 2008 was the first time I’ve done that; therefore, this list, though difficult to choose just a few in the long run, was easy for me since I didn’t have to rely on a twelve-month memory.

So here’s my Best of 2008, in no particular order.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Contemporary Romance Audiobook released by Brilliance Audio 25 Mar 08

Actually, I drooled over Hardy Cates while listening to him with the audiobook of Blue-Eyed Devil. My first foray (including Sugar Daddy) into Kleypas books and I loved every darned minute of it!

Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance released by Love Spell 27 May 08

I never thought I would fall in love with a hero who’s a sympathy puker.  Don’t wrinkle your nose!  Read the book, it’s hilarious! Christie Craig is making a huge name for herself and her wonderful humor.
Double Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Love Spell 26 Aug 08

A breath of fresh air with a new take on the English social castes.  Fun, intriguing, and very romantic. And loads of magic along with shapeshifting, both of which give readers a different look at old favorites.

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance released by Brava 1 Jun 08

Really, you can interchange any one of the three Sexy books in here. Just love those Sky High Men! Ms. Shalvis has a way with humor, romance, mystery, and fun.

Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings
Contemporary Romance released by Avon 26 Aug 08

I enjoyed all three books about the Darling family, but it’s the hero of this one that gave it top honors for me in 2008. I’ll definitely be reading more of Ms. Stillings.

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Paranormal Fantasy Romance released by Leisure Books 30 Sep 08

With just one more book to go, this series is now my favorite of all time. Ms. Wilson has created a world that is just absolutely fantastic and she’s giving us a love story like no other.

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Release by Berkley 2 Sep 08

I’ve loved every book in this series.  They’re all incredible.  But Dorian has always been my favorite from the very first book and I’d anticipated his story for so long.  Ms. Singh did not disappoint!

Scandalous by Night by Barbara Pierce
Historical Romance released by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 29 Jul 08

Barbara Pierce has become an all-time favorite historical author for me.  This book she gave readers a darker side of her writing and Everod is her best hero yet.

With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance released by Jove 27 May 08

Beautiful writing, sweeping Scottish vistas, love and romance that crosses time boundaries, and characters you’ll love forever. What’s not to love?

The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Trade 4 Nov 08

As I said in my review of this book, Ms. Walker has outdone herself with this one.  Absolutely mesmerizing.  If you haven’t read it, you should.  You’re missing out, big time.

Honorable mentions:

Ask Adam by Jess Dee
Contemporary Romance released by Samhain 29 Jul 08

Ms. Dee is a first-time author for me and I enjoyed her writing and storytelling immensely.  I have a feeling she’s really going to go places!

The Hot Line by Cathryn Fox
Contemporary Romance released by NAL 4 Mar 08

Another first-time author for me. Had to love the idea of the Hot Line, firefighters just waiting to help a lady out. And those boys know what they’re doing!

Are you tired of reading 2008 wrap-up lists yet?? Too bad! Read on, suckers gentle readers.

My top 10 books I read in 2008 (in no particular order): 

	Heart Fate (Celta’s HeartMates, Book 7) by Robin D. Owens Fantasy romance released by Berkley Trade Sep 2008 A series that just keeps getting better and better!
	Flat-out Sexy by Erin McCarthy Contemporary romance released by Berkley Sensation Nov 2008 Sweet, sexy, fun read! The internet buzz sucked me in and I’m glad. )
	Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb Futuristic romantic suspense released by Berkley Aug 2007I purposely keep myself behind in this series but I’m catching up – oh noes! I must pace myself better.
	Pleasure Unbound (Demonica, Book 1) by Larissa Ione Paranormal romance released by Forever Jun 2008 An excellent start to a new series! With a looonnngggg wait between books one and two. However, books two and three will be out back-to-back. Yay!
	Gabriel’s Ghost by Linnea Sinclair Sci-Fi romance released by Bantam Oct 2005  Sully! Does anything else need to be said? I didn’t think so.
	Grimspace by Ann Aguirre Sci-fi romance released by Ace Feb 2008
	A Lady’s Secret by Jo Beverley Historical romance released by Signet Apr 2008 I love the Mallorens and this was one secret I was glad to see revealed.
	At the Bride Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker Historical romance released by Avon May 2008An excellent Avon debut! Ms. Parker’s website says she is working on the sequel.
	Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James Contemporary romance released by Berkley Oct 2008 More online buzz I couldn’t ignore and another excellent debut.
	With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland Fantasy time-travel romance released by Jove May 2008One of my very favorite authors! She doesn’t get the attention she deserves, says me.

A side note – I have got to change my rating system, dang it all. I suppose I’ll go back to numbers. I always have too many books with the same rating and then I can’t sort them properly.

Honorable Mention:

	Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English Mysteries – yup, I read them all in 08…I can haz moar, plzkthx?
	J.L. Langley’s Englor Series – just so fab!

Sandy M’s review of With Every Breath (The MacLeods, Book 11) by Lynn Kurland
Historical Time Travel Romance released by Jove 27 May 08

Once I pick up a time travel, the bug hits me all over again and I want another as quickly as I can put my hands on one.  Time travels are my favorite paranormals to read, and one of the best at them is Lynn Kurland.  I’ve not read all of her books yet.  I save them and savor them.  I don’t want to run out of her books and have to wait a year or more for the next to be released.  So, suffice it to say, I had a wonderful time reading this latest in her MacLeod series.

One of the things I really like about this series is that everyone in the MacLeod family knows there’s time travel portals all over their property.  Jamie has even mapped the portals out and hands out a copy to everyone living there.  That includes Sunshine Phillips, whose sister did her fair share of time traveling and ended up married to Jamie’s brother, Patrick.  Sunny has decided to stay in Scotland at Jamie’s request.  She loves the rain and tending her garden.  She also longs for a man of her own, a man just like Jamie and Patrick, but knowing medieval men are hard to find in this day and age, she keeps dreaming while staying away from those portals.

Until one night there’s a knock on her door from someone asking for help.  She agrees to accompany this handsome man who thinks she’s the MacLeod Witch.  Well, in a way she is.  He takes her to the Cameron keep where she finds a man dying and unfortunately she’s unable to save him.  Eventually she figures out she’s no longer in modern day Scotland, but there in a time when dying in such a way is all too common.  Robert Cameron is the laird who has a tenuous hold on his clan, and when she finds the portal near her home is not willing to allow her to return home, she has no choice but to stay with Cam and hope he can protect her from those who would do her harm.

Having lost his brothers in this latest battle, Cam now has no one at his back whenever his cousin decides to take Cam out of the picture and make himself laird.  He’s tired of all the fighting, especially now that Sunshine is in his life.  When things don’t quite work out the way he planned, he tosses his duty aside and goes to the future with Sunny.  But those plans don’t work out just right either.  Cam ends up in a time not his own, but there’s an eight-year time span between him and his love, a love he now can’t remember.  And as much as Sunny wants him to remember once she finds him again, as much as she tries to help him remember, nothing works.  Again, duty keeps him from her, so she decides to go back to the states where she won’t have to see him, long for him, knowing she can never have him.

Cam has other ideas, however, once he spends some time in Sunny’s company.  He doesn’t know why, but she’s so familiar to him and he begins to fall for her.  Even having to deal with those MacLeods is fine by him if he can be by her side.  Asking Sunny to trust him, he goes about cleaning up the mess of his life, but even as careful as he is, Sunny gets caught up in the craziness.  There’s a couple of interesting turns the plot takes, so if you think you have it all figured out, you’re going to be wrong.

I enjoyed reading about Jamie and Patrick and their families again.  In fact, Jamie has always been my favorite Kurland character for a while now, but Cam is definitely giving him a good run for his money.  Though he’s a medieval warrior, I love his sensitivity.  The scene where Sunny and others pledge fealty to him is just wonderful.  He holds his own with those MacLeod boys.  Sunny goes through the ups and downs a woman does when faced with losing the man she’s waited so long for, but she always picks herself up and keeps going, making a decision when necessary and doing what she feels is right.  As with all of Ms. Kurland’s books, I’m thoroughly taken with this one.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Sunshine Phillips’ heart lies in Scotland, a land of rain, legend, and dangerously handsome Highland lords. She longs to call the magical place home, but after a day which includes such delights as blackening the eye of her lecherous boss and changing a flat tire in a chilly spring deluge, she’ll settle for an evening spent curled up in front of a fire with a cup of tea. But what Sunny wants is not what Sunny gets…

When Robert Cameron pounds on Sunny’s door, he isn’t paying a social call. With one brother killed in battle and another fighting for his life, the medieval laird has braved a trip onto enemy soil to fetch the MacLeod witch, a crone rumored to have healing powers. But the woman who opens her door to him is enchanting and young—and not from his century.

Now, it seems that they’ve both found just what they need—if only time will let them keep it.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series (in suggested reading order):