Thursday, July 21, 2011

Kiss of Snow


Title: Kiss of Snow
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changling (Book 10)
Genre: Paranormal



Sienna Lauren defected from the Psy-Net with the rest of her family. She is a cardinal X and no cardinal X has ever lived past an age of twenty-five. It looks like she's getting closer and closer to synergy, which will cause her to burst into flames and consume everything around her and herself.

Hawke is the alpha of SnowDancer and has been attracted to Sienna since she showed up in his territory. Unfortunately, she was too young then, and he think she's still too young. There is a large age gap between the two. Hawke also lost what he thought was going to be his mate at a young age and is sure that he could never mate.

There is more uproar between the Psy and Changelings and it comes down to a full scale war in San Fransisco and surrounding areas. Being Alpha, Hawke is right in the middle of it.

Hawke and Sienna did a lot of dancing around each other for the book and I loved their relationship. Every time I read another Changeling book, I am reminded of how much I love the series. Something about Hawke and Sienna's relationship really reminded me of my own relationship and I spent a majority of the book fading in between the two relationships. It was an entirely different type of reading experience. I don't know if it was something that author did that many will feel in the story, or how close their relationship seemed to hit to my own.

This was the story that I have been waiting for the most, and I was not disappointed. Time to wait until 2012 for the next book in the series. I mentioned in December that I had thought I missed book 8. Looking for it, I still don't see it in my blog. Oddly enough, it's sitting on my bookshelf and I can't remember if I read it or not but I feel like I did. Looks like a good way to fill the gap between now and 2012.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Three Wise Ghosts


Title:The Three Wise Ghosts (Anthology: Christmas Spirits)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 6)
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Ghosts


Megan MacLeod McKinnon has a hard time holding on to a job. Most recently, her brother has given her the "job" of traveling to Scotland to see his castle and report back to him. Little does she know, but her brother was persuaded by three ghost ancient relatives to give her this job.

Gideon de Piaget is a workaholic and is sent on a holiday by his brother to the same inn in Scotland that Megan is at. The two meet and through some slightly comical circumstances, get together and fall in love.

I think I liked this short story the least of the few I've read recently. The two seem to get engaged pretty much overnight. It seemed a little too far fetched (I only feel like this can be allowed in some areas, such as time travel)

Saturday, July 16, 2011

The Icing on the Cake


Title: The Icing on the Cake (Anthology: Opposites Attract)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 5)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Samuel MacLeod is a writer and at home chef. Sam is not your average guy, he doesn't know how to chop wood, or use tools. What Sam does know is cooking and baking. He has moved to the Alaskan wilderness for a while and has rented a room in a cabin. Little does he know, but the cabin is also home to a woman.

That woman is Sydney Kincaid, who is very surprised when she learns that this handsome man is staying in her cabin. If you haven't guessed, Sydney is also not your average woman. She can't bake or cook, but is really good at things like fishing, chopping wood and using tools.

The two clash a bit at first before they realize that they like each other. Neither tells the other but uses the excuse that they are learning from each other so they will have good prospects for future relationships.

One interesting thing about this short story is that neither of the main characters is a time traveler, nor does any of it take place in Scotland or have anything to do with any other characters we know. This seems more like a stand alone story. Change Sam's last name and it wouldn't matter.

Only one more short story in the MacLeod series and I am grateful. I'm tired of reading this less interesting and developed then normal stories. I'm ready to sink my teeth into the last two full novels of the series (well, last two that I haven't read). But first, one more short story.

Monday, July 11, 2011

The Traveller


Title: The Traveller (Anthology: A Knights Vow)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 4)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance

Julianna is having a rough time in life. She's unemployed, broke, boyfriendless and trying to eat right - carob covered carrots?! She decides on a whim to write her friend Elizabeth. Elizabeth sends her a copy of Jamie's time traveling map and tells her to watch where she goes. Julianna is a bit cocky and goes to sit on The Bench that Elizabeth herself sat on (A Dance Through Time). She is transported back in time where she meets William.

William is the second son of an unsuccessful second son. He doesn't have much, but is given a keep as inheritance. His father steals the keep for himself and William is trying to get it back when he finds Julianna. In the end he trades his father the keep for Julianna and they go to the future.

Another 100 page quickie in an anthology. I adore when William comes to the future. It's another light hearted with characters that I don't recall seeing come up again yet. William is a de Piaget - I just realized this and wonder why it is in the MacLeods' grouping on the website but not the de Piaget. Hmm.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

And the Groom Wore Tulle


Title: And the Groom Wore Tulle (Anthology: Veils of Time)
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 3)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance

At some point in the series we have previously learned that Ian MacLeod is wasting away in a dungeon. Eventually, his captors believe that he is dead, so they remove him from the dungeon and throw him into the forest on his own land to make his people angry. Fortunately for Ian, instead of waking up in his own time, he wakes up in a Bridal Shop in the 20th century.

Jane is getting walked on at her job at the Bridal Shop. She never imagined she'd be designing gowns and letting someone else take the credit for it. She's working another long holiday weekend (alone) when she finds Ian in the backroom.

Immediately, Jane takes Ian in, buys him clothes, feeds him, and gets on a plan with him to Scotland to find Jamie (A Dance Through Time) They find/meet Jamie and bam! Decide to get married.

Because this is in an anthology and somewhere around 100 pages, there is little development between the main characters. Aside from that, and the fast pace, it was a decent and quick read that gets Ian married off.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Very Thought of You


Title: The Very Thought of You
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 2)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Alex Smith, Elizabeth's brother (A Dance through Time) has found Jamie's Time Traveling Gate Map and decided that some time in Barbados soaking up the sun sounds like fun. Unfortunately, he's not the best map reader and instead ends up in Medieval England. He almost immediately finds himself somewhat between a feud between neighbors. He is kidnapped by Margaret as part of the feud.

Margaret has been overseeing her keep for the past 10 years since her father died. But now, it seems that the king is going to force her to get married to a man who wants to rule her and her lands. She is most unaccepting to this plan - hence the feuding. She is somewhat of a tomboy, always wearing mail and training in the lists with her man. Never has she gotten that tingly feeling from a man or wished to be more womanly. Until she meets Alex.

Alex and Margaret work together to try and save both Margaret and her lands from falling into the wrong hands and along the way fall in love.

I seemed to have a harder time getting into this story then the others I've read so far in the series, so I'd say it was a little slow. It did still contain those laugh out loud moments that I've come to love about this series.

Although I had mentioned before how the fabric of time seemed to be a new concept in Zachary's later book, I've since noticed that it is indeed in both this book and the first book in the series. Perhaps it just takes a backseat during the middle stories, or maybe there is some more development about what it happens.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A Dance Through Time


Title: A Dance Through Time
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 1)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Elizabeth is engaged to a "wimp" of a man who has readily admitted that he never actually wants to get married. She is fed up with her small NYC apartment and has just dreamed about her dream guy. When she awakens, she finds that she can still hear his voice and thinks she's going a bit crazy. She decides to take a walk and then take a nap on a bench in the park. Surprisingly, when she wakes up, she has found her self in 14th century Scotland.

Jamie MacLeod is the laird of the keep. One of his rules, passed down from his father, is no women in the keep. When his trusted adviser, Angus brings a woman home, Jamie is none to pleased. She is kept briefly in his chamber before he decides to throw her into the dungeon/pit.

Eventually Jamie has a turn of heart and lets her out. The two struggle to find a comfortable relationship, with Jamie being hard headed and at times rude and Elizabeth wishing for some romance, but with a spine of steal. The two come to the time when Jamie should have died, but lived because Elizabeth is in his time. The two then decide to jump forward to Elizabeth's time.

After reading this book, I really wish I would have read them in order. There were little things that I remembered from books further in the series that connected with this one. Such as the Inn/Innkeeper where Madelyn (Garden in the Rain) stays at is the same place Elizabeth and Jamie stay when they come to the future.

One thing I did struggle with, is I felt the Jamie of this book was nothing like the Jamie of the books later in the series. Maybe his being with Elizabeth has mellowed him 0ut and that's why he's slightly different in my opinion.

I find it interesting that usually I love the first book of a series the best. I always wondered if it had something to do with the author writing the book first or because I read it first. Although I did enjoy A Dance Through Time, I feel like I enjoyed some of the later novels more. This also could have something to do with the fact that there are more familiar characters later on, where in this book there are very few.

I do admit that this book had me both laughing aloud as well as crying (while waiting for a orthodontist appointment ...how embarrassing) It still was of the PG-13 nature that I now know the author is known for, although it is a little more intense sexually then her later books, which she has addressed on her website.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Till There Was You


Title: Till There Was You
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 12) / De Piaget (Book 12)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance

Zach, Elizabeth's brother (Jamie's wife; A Dance Through Time) has sworn off time traveling. Although he's done a lot with Jamie in the past, he wants to turn his life around. So he makes a list of all the things he's not going to do. Of course, this means that he is going to end up doing exactly all of those found on the list. He visits Artane and while stepping through a doorway in the keep is transported to the 13th century where he meets Mary.

Mary is somewhat of a tomboy. She loves to muck out horse stalls and care for her horses in general, including training/breaking them. Her father mentions several times that he went wrong when he set her on a horse for the first time. She is being forced into marrying a man from her time, but fears for her life.

Zach and Mary seem to fall for each other the minute the meet. Zach then continues to unintentionally woo her with his chivalrous side. The rest of her family treats her like one of the guys, so to be treated as a lady, yet accepted as she is makes her fall for Zach.

Unfortunately, Zach has had it drilled into him throughout his travels with Jamie that he cannot change the past or leave any "footprints." He suffers through knowing he can't have Mary but seems to come to terms with it. That is until he remembers that he saw her death date and it's only a few days from where he is. He throws caution into the wind and tries to save the one he loves.

I spent a lot of time consulting the family trees that are included in the back of the book. I feel like I'm really starting to get a handle of them. I definitely didn't do myself any service reading the books in a mixed up order. There is also a lot of references to previous books that I often don't understand.

Aside from that, I enjoyed Mary and Zach's story, but had one problem with it. I didn't feel like in any of the previous books leaving footprints seemed to be an issue. People were flying back and forth between times, taking items and animals through to different times and no one mentioned anything. Then, in Till There Was You, leaving a footprint is one of the main concerns. I feel like it kind of came totally out of left field.

Because I read the stories out of order, this is the first time that I am able to see a character from the past have to come to terms with living in the future. Previous to this, all of the past characters living in the future have already acclimated before their story takes place. I enjoyed hearing Mary describe the marvels of the future.

This is currently the last book in both the De Piaget series and MacLeods series. I've gotten my hands on all but 2 of the MacLeods series, and those two are on hold at the local library. This means I'm starting over at the beginning. Hopefully it will all come together.