With Every Breath

Title: With Every Breath
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 11)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance


Sunshine, Madelyn's sister (Garden in the Rain) has been living in Scotland since her sister moved there, as the MacLeod witch. She wants a real reason to stay and is contemplating moving back to the states. Then one evening a man knocks on her door because he says he needs the MacLeod witch.

The man is Robert Francis Cameron mac Cameron, Cam for short. His brother is on his death bed and he risks it all to steal away with Sunshine. Little do either of them know, but Sunshine's doorstep has turned into a time gate. Sunshine jumps from present day to the 1300's (Cam's time) when she walks through her doorway.

Cam's life as Lord at his keep is not too fantastic. His cousin is trying to turn all of Cam's subjects against him and is suspected to have poisoned Cam's father and uncle. Once Sunshine arrives, he tries to drown her and mark her as a witch. Cam is able to save her and the two have a little medieval romance. They then go back through the time gate to be in the future together.

Unfortunately, they do not end up in the same year. Sunshine arrives and is devastated to find that Cam isn't with her. Imagine her surprise when she runs into him at Jamie's castle and he doesn't know who she is.

Lynn Kurland is fast being a favorite author of mine. Her stories are all different. Often I feel like an author finds a recipe and sticks to it a little to strictly. Same storyline, different characters. This is not the case here. They may all be centered around time travel - but they each go about it in a different way. As I've mentioned before, the books also seem to have so much substance and event to them.

One more to finish of the series before I start at the beginning.

When I Fall in Love

Title: When I Fall in Love
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 10) / De Piaget (Book 4)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Jennifer (MacLeod) McKinnon isn't really happy with where her life is. She's living in Manhattan, an amazing and on the up violin player. But, her apartment was broken into (again), stuff was stolen (again) and she has no love interest. She visits her sister in England and decides to do a little sightseeing while in the area. Thanks to a few family ghosts, she is thrust through a time gate into the 1300s where she meets Nicholas De Piaget.

Nicholas is rumored (in modern day through family folklore) to be the most perfect and chivalrous knight. He automatically knows that Jennifer is from the future because his brother-in-law is as well. He falls for her almost immediately and is somewhat rude to her because he doesn't want to fall for her and then have her leave.

After Jennifer tries 3 gates and none of them work, she realizes that she may be stuck in the past. Nicholas hasn't let her know that he knows her secret, nor has she told him. The two decide to spend 2 weeks together without worrying about the future and fall in love.

This book belongs to both series, because it is a crossover between the two families and it's not the only one. I am loving the author more and more. I feel like in many novels, you get to the ending and feel like you wish there was just a little more to see what happens. I feel like the author gives that to me. Usually I think the novel would traditionally be over, but there are another 2 or 3 chapters where we still get to follow them.

I love the little Time Travel complexities such as Jennifer's family seeing her name in the past in the current family history books. I was also a fan that the time gates seem to be such a revolving door that they can go back and forth to visit and such. Amazing.

Up next is one book I get to actually read in order - MacLeod series book 11!

A Garden in the Rain

Title: A Garden in the Rain
Author: Lynn Kurland
Series: MacLeod (Book 8)
Genre: Time Travel, Historical Romance



Madelyn Phillips just arrived in Scotland. She gets to her first hotel to find that her ex-fiance has "stolen" her reservations. The ex-fiance, Bentley, is a rude dislikable guy. When he is done taking what she's brought with her and her home life, she is left with nothing. No clothes (at home nor in Scotland), no car, no money, no job and she will have to go home to live with her parents. He has also stolen her violin, her purse (with ID and plane ticket) and pretty much her self confidence and worth. Then she stumbles into Patrick.

Patrick MacLeod is not your average guy. He grew up in the 1200s and managed to walk through a time gate and was transported to present day, where he has been for almost the past decade. He lives in a crumbling castle, which he doesn't repair because he really doesn't see why he should. Patrick has tons of money from being a body guard to the rich. He cannot stand to see Madelyn so broken down, especially since he gets a funny otherworldly feeling when he looks at her.

He pampers her with clothing and anything else she could ever want, including a new violin. The two seem on their way to a wedding when Patrick's previous deceased wife's father comes and wreaks havoc. He decides the best thing for Madelyn is to be sent home and gets ready to do so.

Unfortunately, she falls through another time gate and ends up with the 1300's in the hands of the MacLeods' enemies. It's up to Patrick to save her and bring her back to the future.

Thanks to Amazon for recommending this book. I had been searching about another book and it recommended Lynn Kurland as a similar author.

This book to me was fascinating. I enjoyed how everyone seemed to either be from a different time or married to someone from a different time. The unexpectedness of the time gates throughout their properties, even if they weren't actually used too much in the story.

I'm having a hard time getting my hands on some of the books in the series, so I will definitely (but unfortunately) be reading them out of order. Now that I know the general idea behind them, I think it'll work out decent enough.

Something interesting about the author's writings, is that they are PG books. There is nothing above kissing mentioned. It is discretely suggested at otherwise with Madelyn being, "extraordinarily glad Dewey's brass bed had been too much for Uncle Frank's back." Uncle Frank having taken just about all furniture from the house, but that's it. It was very tasteful and I honestly didn't really even notice that it was missing.

After checking out the author's website, I'm still slightly confused by the family tree and through searching it seems I'm not the only one. It appears that the MacLeod series also intertwines with another series, which I'll probably get to after. Hopefully after reading all the books (albeit in the wrong order) I'll have a better idea of the family tree.

My Hero

Title: My Hero
Author: Glynnis Campbell
Series: Knights of de Ware (Book 3)
Genre: Historical Romance



Garth de Ware has immersed himself in the monastery. He is scarred from the one woman who he let himself believe that he loved. She laughed at him and told him he can never satisfy her, that he's half a man. Ever since then he believes that he indeed is not good enough for any woman and throws himself into his studies.

Lady Cynthia has recently lost her elder husband of 2 years. While there was affection between the two of them, it was not a love match. When her husband dies, he bids her to marry again and this time for love. Cynthia has no intentions of doing so.

When Cynthia's husband dies, she sends away the Abbott, from whom she got the feeling that he disliked her. Garth comes to fill his spot and Cynthia recognizes him from when they were younger. She remembers the wonderful, gentle and full of life little boy that he use to be and vows to help him remember some of that part of life.

The two are immediately drawn to each other and while Garth tries his best to keep the distance between himself and Cynthia, she is quite determined to keep it otherwise.

A fitting end to the trilogy. I enjoyed the last few chapters when all of the brothers came together with their wives (and wife to be).

My Warrior

Title: My Warrior
Author: Glynnis Campbell
Series: Knights of de Ware (Book 2)
Genre: Historical Romance



Holden de Ware, the middle brother, is in service for the King. He is currently working to establish each of the border clans for England.

Cambria Gavin, is the daughter and heir to her clan. Her father has taught her as he would a son, how to hunt, swordsmanship and how to read. She isn't happy that her father is making a bargain with England, but she'll deal with it. When her father is brutally killed, she immediately starts to distrust all of the English soldiers.

Cambria and Holden have a lot of back and forth between their two keeps, kidnapping one another or holding each other hostage. They decide that the only way to keep both of them safe and their clans happy is to marry. The marriage is to be in name only, a political move.

Cambria is such a spitfire, although there were a few times when I wanted to strangle her for her stubbornness. I did feel like their back and forth went on a little too long. I think that is a trait of this series. Whenever I think the book is going to be over, something else happens that keeps the two main characters apart.

That did lead to a very interesting story, however, that would not let me put it down.

My Champion

Title: My Champion
Author: Glynnis Campbell
Series: Knights of de Ware (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance



Linet de Montfort likes to think of herself as of noble blood and a lady. She would have been, except her father fell from his family's grace when he married a commoner and had Linet. When Linet's father was disinherited, her mother left him right after Linet was born. Because of these circumstances, it was drilled into Linet by her father never to trust nor fall in love with a commoner. She made him a promise on his deathbed.

Duncan de Ware, wants Linet from the moment he sees her standing up to a Spanish Captain to take goods to pay for what was stolen from her. Linet picks the most nasty of all Captains, so Duncan decides he must be her knight and keep her safe. He portrays himself as a humble gypsy, which with Linet's distaste for commoners, just rubs her the wrong way.

The two go on quite an adventure across the seas and into another country, with Duncan constantly providing and saving Linet's life, while she betrays him at every turn.

I found this book hiding in the back of my closet from high school. I couldn't remember what the story was about, so decided to give it a go. Wow, was I pleasantly surprised by the gem I unearthened. The story is full of action and twists around every corner. I couldn't put it down. This really helped me in the tail end of my slump and I'm grateful I found the 2 other books in the trilogy with it!

Throne of Fire

Title: Throne of Fire
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Kane Chronicles (Book 2)
Genre: Juvenile Fiction



Carter and Sadie are at it again, this time with magicians in training. The two are looking for the book of Ra to raise the Sun God back to his former Glory. Unfortunately, the gods of Chaos have another idea. In addition, Carter is mentally arguing with Horus who also disagrees.

Another interesting installment that is loosely based around fact. I did have a bit of a difficult time with the Egyptian Mythology. It is not one that I have a lot of knowledge around, unlike the Greek Mythology. This often results in me having no idea what the gods are, but doesn't make the book any less enjoyable.

It's suppose to be only a trilogy, so the next book will be the final book.

Taken By the Prince

Title: Taken by the Prince
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: None
Genre: Historical Romance


Saber, aka Raul Lawrance was sent to live with his biological father at a young age. His father lives in England, where Saber/Raul is from Moricadian. He is the supposed King, although another family has taken over his country and he wants to take his country back when he gets older.

Victoria is Saber's sister's best friend. She meets Saber once and he kisses her senseless. She doesn't come from the best family life and is forced to be the governess for some young girls so she can one day support herself.

Victoria's employer and family have gone to Moricadian. Of course Victoria remembers the story that Saber use to mention and mentions it to the family, where a maid over hears and tells Saber. Since Saber is truly trying to win the country back, he kidnaps Victoria to keep her quiet.

I was happy to watch the family fight for their country back and the large role that Victoria plays in it. The relationship between the two seems so natural it's beautiful. I almost wish it was part of a series (and maybe it will be) because I felt like there were a few things brought up that weren't finished.

Through a few things that are mentioned, I get the feeling that Victoria was pregnant at the end of the book, but it was never explicitly stated. I thought if there was going to be a follow up book, that it would be about Victoria and Saber bringing his sisters to Moricadian, and be Belle's book.

The Gathering

Title: The Gathering
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Darkness Rising (Book 1)
Genre: Young Adult



I can't believe I didn't read a single book for the month of May, I don't believe that has ever happened to me before. I just felt like there was nothing I really wanted to read. I was in a slump. But back on track.

The Gathering is the first book of new Trilogy Darkness Rising, it is connected to the Darkest Powers Series. It is the same world, but in The Gathering we are introduced to all new characters.

Maya lives in a small town which is a bit odd. There are less then 200 people in the town, everyone knows everyone and they are not even found on a map. The town was founded and is continued to be populated by a company: The Edison Group.

Everyone has something special about them. Maya is really good with animals, her best friend gets "vibes" about people. All the students are required to be part of something extra curricular, and they are all good at something.

New to the town Rafe, takes an interest in Maya and the two start getting closer as the town seems to start getting more weird.

I love Kelley Armstrong's worlds and was trying my best to figure out what was going to happen throughout the book. I had several good ideas that panned out, but also a few things that threw me through a loop. I have my suspicions on what may be happening in the next book in the series, and can't wait for it's release so I can confirm or dismiss my suspicions.