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MacLeod #5
Much Ado In the Moonlight
Award-winning and USA Today bestselling author Lynn Kurland “consistently delivers the kind of stories readers dream about.”* Now, she pens a wonderfully romantic tale about an eight-hundred-year-old ghost and the modern woman who turns his plans for a peaceful afterlife upside down…
When Victoria McKinnon’s brother offers to finance her production of Hamlet, she leaps at the chance. She can’t imagine anything better than staging Shakespeare’s masterpiece in an honest-to-goodness English castle. There’s just one problem: the place is haunted by a grumpy, gorgeous Highland warrior who’s furious that anyone dares to invade his home.
Connor MacDougal has no intention of relinquishing his authority over Thorpewold castle to anyone, let alone a McKinnon. But when he catches a glimpse of the beautiful intruder, suddenly he can’t help but wonder why it’s taken eight hundred years into his afterlife to find the love of a lifetime…
*The Oakland Press
When Victoria McKinnon’s brother offers to finance her production of Hamlet, she leaps at the chance. She can’t imagine anything better than staging Shakespeare’s masterpiece in an honest-to-goodness English castle. There’s just one problem: the place is haunted by a grumpy, gorgeous Highland warrior who’s furious that anyone dares to invade his home.
Connor MacDougal has no intention of relinquishing his authority over Thorpewold castle to anyone, let alone a McKinnon. But when he catches a glimpse of the beautiful intruder, suddenly he can’t help but wonder why it’s taken eight hundred years into his afterlife to find the love of a lifetime…
*The Oakland Press
468 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 25, 2006
90 people are currently reading
807 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kurland
71 books1,556 followersLynn began her writing career at the tender age of five with a series of illustrated novellas entitled Clinton’s Troubles in which the compelling hero found himself in all sorts of . . . well, trouble. She was living in Hawaii at the time and the scope for her imagination (poisoned fish, tropical cliffs, large spiders) was great and poor Clinton bore the brunt of it. After returning to the mainland, her writing gave way to training in classical music and Clinton, who had been felled with arrows, eaten by fish and sent tumbling off cars, was put aside for operatic heroes in tights.
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
June 29, 2021
I was tricked into trying this by the premise of a haunted production of Hamlet. I didn't have tremendously high expectations: frothy romance with a little Shakespeare thrown in, I figured. But I'm a sucker for books set around Shakespeare productions. A nice change. However ... This book read like a Three Stooges film. There were moronic ghosts. There was idiotic behavior, there were prat falls, there was screaming and running and fainting. There were random acts of violence played for laughs. There was a sword pole vault. I'm a little stunned there were no kilt wardrobe malfunctions, but then I stopped reading around page 60, so anything's possible.
It was evident from constant references that the writer flatters herself that anyone picking up this book will have read whatever others she has written. I didn't know she'd written any, haven't read them - and never, ever will do so. This book is an object lesson in how *not* to continue a series: don't assume your reader knows who all the players are. Don't assume your reader knows which are dead and which are not. Don't blurt out the key points to your other books' endings, because that takes away a great deal of the motivation to read them if one hasn't.
Even aside from the above, the characters were unlikeable (I'm expected to accept that the "heroine" will continue to nurse a passion for a moron who has shown himself to be outrageously rude? Welcome to the 21st century...?). They were alternately insecure, smug, or simply annoying, and, in the case of the ghosts, caricatures. (Now that I've mentioned the Stooges, one of the ghosts is, no offence to the human, very like Moe.) The undead were horrendous parodies of characters the writer read about somewhere else, and the living characters... Evidently the ghosts' primary reason for continued existence is to play matchmaker. If these mortals couldn't find mates for themselves, they would do far better to refrain from breeding.
A review I saw somewhere consists of "I have been dreaming about Connor since I read this book...yummy!" Seriously? A dead, mildly psychotic, none-too-bright pseudo-drill sergeant? Oh, wait - he was wearing a kilt. That explains everything. I adore Diana Gabaldon; she created a wonderful, wonderful series - but she has a great deal to answer for in the massive amounts of trash written to grab onto her coattails.
It was evident from constant references that the writer flatters herself that anyone picking up this book will have read whatever others she has written. I didn't know she'd written any, haven't read them - and never, ever will do so. This book is an object lesson in how *not* to continue a series: don't assume your reader knows who all the players are. Don't assume your reader knows which are dead and which are not. Don't blurt out the key points to your other books' endings, because that takes away a great deal of the motivation to read them if one hasn't.
Even aside from the above, the characters were unlikeable (I'm expected to accept that the "heroine" will continue to nurse a passion for a moron who has shown himself to be outrageously rude? Welcome to the 21st century...?). They were alternately insecure, smug, or simply annoying, and, in the case of the ghosts, caricatures. (Now that I've mentioned the Stooges, one of the ghosts is, no offence to the human, very like Moe.) The undead were horrendous parodies of characters the writer read about somewhere else, and the living characters... Evidently the ghosts' primary reason for continued existence is to play matchmaker. If these mortals couldn't find mates for themselves, they would do far better to refrain from breeding.
A review I saw somewhere consists of "I have been dreaming about Connor since I read this book...yummy!" Seriously? A dead, mildly psychotic, none-too-bright pseudo-drill sergeant? Oh, wait - he was wearing a kilt. That explains everything. I adore Diana Gabaldon; she created a wonderful, wonderful series - but she has a great deal to answer for in the massive amounts of trash written to grab onto her coattails.
April 7, 2012
Now, as sweet as My Heart Stood Still is, we know the next one won't be the same just based on who the characters are. We first met the hero and heroine in Thomas's book and their spiky natures promise there won't be a book of complete devotion from these two.
Victoria McKinnon is a hard edged theater producer. She is suffering from some serious middle child syndrome. The second in the McKinnon family, she has been invited to her older brother and her younger sister's weddings, but darned if she can remember either one. She was too busy, too focused, too jet lagged, and, to be honest, too self absorbed to care too much about where she was or what she was doing. Despite that, you have to love Victoria. Her hard edges are a nice change of pace in a Kurland. In her own book, she is no less a force of nature than she was in her brother's. But whereas in Thomas's book, you saw her through the eyes of others, in her own, you see her thoughts behind her actions and you can't help but love her. She is driven by her own expectations of herself and, just as much as her siblings, she is just looking for her own slice of happiness. While her siblings want the love and devotion, Victoria is just looking to be able to trust those around her. Not trusting is a lesson she learned the hard way and it gave her the edges she has.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
Victoria McKinnon is a hard edged theater producer. She is suffering from some serious middle child syndrome. The second in the McKinnon family, she has been invited to her older brother and her younger sister's weddings, but darned if she can remember either one. She was too busy, too focused, too jet lagged, and, to be honest, too self absorbed to care too much about where she was or what she was doing. Despite that, you have to love Victoria. Her hard edges are a nice change of pace in a Kurland. In her own book, she is no less a force of nature than she was in her brother's. But whereas in Thomas's book, you saw her through the eyes of others, in her own, you see her thoughts behind her actions and you can't help but love her. She is driven by her own expectations of herself and, just as much as her siblings, she is just looking for her own slice of happiness. While her siblings want the love and devotion, Victoria is just looking to be able to trust those around her. Not trusting is a lesson she learned the hard way and it gave her the edges she has.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
July 9, 2011
Loved the interaction between the characters. This is the first book that I've read where the ghosts have a very prominent roll in the story. It was fun to read about their mischief and once again the characters were great!
August 8, 2015
Not one of her better books in the series. It takes waaayy too long to get interesting. There are still issues for me with the ghosts, how they can do so many things and become so solid that people think they are normal. The last fourth of the book was better.
May 26, 2019
Good paranormal. I liked this take on a ghost hero and a castle. Victoria is doing a play in Connor's castle. She's about to discover ghosts are real. This is a really cute romance.
June 1, 2023
Victoria is self reliant until she realizes she loves a ghost and must endure the obnoxious actors she has brought to Scotland to produce Hamlet in an ancient castle.The usual ghosties are around to help her.
February 24, 2010
I should note before my review that I read this on the way to a funeral, which may have tainted my views somewhat.
This book rambles a lot and is very episodic. I suspect some of its rambling nature is so that Kurland can add in bits that reference other novels in this series, but for someone who's entering in the middle (I know Jamie, but not the rest of the characters), some of the bits seem more like blind alleys.
I liked the feistiness of our lead female, Victoria, and I liked that, though she initially was swoony over the wrong guy, she saw through him pretty quickly without needing anyone else to beat her over the head.
I thought that Connor was a bit of a pushover for someone who'd been haunting a castle for hundreds of years, trying to keep folks out. He was very much Scottish Hero (TM), without much to differentiate him.
I had a lot of trouble buying that her whole cast would walk out because of her jerky lead actor. Come on! At least SOME of them would have seen through him. I understand why Kurland wanted the ghosts to star, but really - I would have had an easier time buying it if just SOME of the actors had walked.
I really wanted more suspense in the last third. The fact that Connor was going to get his memories back and we'd get the HEA was a given; it was hard to see what Victoria was stressing about.
One thing that bugged me waaaay more than it would probably bug the normal reader is that Victoria decides at the end to give up directing for acting. It's incredibly difficult for a woman to get into directing, and the idea that she would give that up and act instead bothered me. If Kurland had instead written Victoria deciding to direct AND act, I would have loved it. Instead, Victoria gives up her artistic control, and that bugged the heck out of me. (And the play needing EVERYONE in their little theater troupe that wasn't a ghost was so forced that I couldn't take it.)
This book rambles a lot and is very episodic. I suspect some of its rambling nature is so that Kurland can add in bits that reference other novels in this series, but for someone who's entering in the middle (I know Jamie, but not the rest of the characters), some of the bits seem more like blind alleys.
I liked the feistiness of our lead female, Victoria, and I liked that, though she initially was swoony over the wrong guy, she saw through him pretty quickly without needing anyone else to beat her over the head.
I thought that Connor was a bit of a pushover for someone who'd been haunting a castle for hundreds of years, trying to keep folks out. He was very much Scottish Hero (TM), without much to differentiate him.
I had a lot of trouble buying that her whole cast would walk out because of her jerky lead actor. Come on! At least SOME of them would have seen through him. I understand why Kurland wanted the ghosts to star, but really - I would have had an easier time buying it if just SOME of the actors had walked.
I really wanted more suspense in the last third. The fact that Connor was going to get his memories back and we'd get the HEA was a given; it was hard to see what Victoria was stressing about.
One thing that bugged me waaaay more than it would probably bug the normal reader is that Victoria decides at the end to give up directing for acting. It's incredibly difficult for a woman to get into directing, and the idea that she would give that up and act instead bothered me. If Kurland had instead written Victoria deciding to direct AND act, I would have loved it. Instead, Victoria gives up her artistic control, and that bugged the heck out of me. (And the play needing EVERYONE in their little theater troupe that wasn't a ghost was so forced that I couldn't take it.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2008
Chick Lit and Romance novels are deeply, darkly, secretly so much fun to read. Except when they're painfully, and embarrassingly cheesy - which they very often - are. Kurland however has the rare ability to take what could be cringe-worthy subject matter and manage to make it somehow loveable, laughable, and fun to read.
Her novels are decidedly romantic but they are also upbeat, comedic, and full of fun facts about the historical and geographical periods they're set in. You won't be impressing any literary snobs with these on your shelves but you won't be wasting your time if you curl up on the couch with this one either.
Her novels are decidedly romantic but they are also upbeat, comedic, and full of fun facts about the historical and geographical periods they're set in. You won't be impressing any literary snobs with these on your shelves but you won't be wasting your time if you curl up on the couch with this one either.
March 19, 2012
I liked some parts, yawned at others, and it felt like it went on and on... I loved Connor, Victoria was ok... I feel like I missed a lot by not reading Thomas's story but I couldn't find it... Oh well.
July 9, 2008
Time travel with a paranormal twist. Lynn just keeps producing one wonderful book after another. Another beautifully told story in the de Piaget family. An absolutely delightful read.
January 14, 2011
Started out slow but really turned out great. Who doesn't love a hot grumpy scottsman from the past! :)
November 28, 2023
This is another in the MacLeod/de Piaget series, which I am rereading in the closest order that I can work out. I enjoyed this book, but either I have been reading too many Lynn Kurland books, or she is rehashing her plots too much. This felt a bit too similar to her other stories most notably the novels “My Heart Stood Still” (which is Thomas and Iolanthe McKinnon’s story) and “A Dance Through Time” (which is Jamie and Elizabeth MacLeod’s story).
Victoria McKinnon and Connor MacDougal (our heroine and hero) we met in “My Heart Stood Still.” Now it is time to shine. Victoria is a demanding, micro-managing person who is the director of a small theatre troupe. She is also bossy, opinionated, strong willed and loves her job. Connor is a fierce warrior, stubborn, and demanding on his garrison, and oh he and his garrison are ghosts. This is where the fi]un starts as Victoria and Connor clash over her being at Thorewold Castle for her summer production of – yes- Hamlet.
The action is most well-paced, once you get into the book, something that is common with many of Lynn Kurland’s books. The characters are fun and even the ghostly trio of Ambrose MacLeod, Hugh McKinnon and Fulbert de Piaget(whom we have met in previous books) are more tolerable. In this book we meet up again with characters from previous books: the MacLeods, Jamie, Patrick, and Ian; Megan McKinnon de Piaget and her husband Gideon; Victoria’s family; and the ghostly garrison. In addition we have the actors Michael Fellini and Cressida Blakenship, neither of whom are particularly nice people, which adds to the fun. The plot was involved but woven well together, I did enjoy the trip into Elizabethan London and Shakespeare’s world. The moments of self-reflection by both Victoria and Connor, when they looked back over their lives and didn’t really like what they saw they had been, was fitting for the ending. The only real issue that I had with this book, was the hidden treasure, just a bit too repetitive and convenient.
A good book, but not the best in the series.
Victoria McKinnon and Connor MacDougal (our heroine and hero) we met in “My Heart Stood Still.” Now it is time to shine. Victoria is a demanding, micro-managing person who is the director of a small theatre troupe. She is also bossy, opinionated, strong willed and loves her job. Connor is a fierce warrior, stubborn, and demanding on his garrison, and oh he and his garrison are ghosts. This is where the fi]un starts as Victoria and Connor clash over her being at Thorewold Castle for her summer production of – yes- Hamlet.
The action is most well-paced, once you get into the book, something that is common with many of Lynn Kurland’s books. The characters are fun and even the ghostly trio of Ambrose MacLeod, Hugh McKinnon and Fulbert de Piaget(whom we have met in previous books) are more tolerable. In this book we meet up again with characters from previous books: the MacLeods, Jamie, Patrick, and Ian; Megan McKinnon de Piaget and her husband Gideon; Victoria’s family; and the ghostly garrison. In addition we have the actors Michael Fellini and Cressida Blakenship, neither of whom are particularly nice people, which adds to the fun. The plot was involved but woven well together, I did enjoy the trip into Elizabethan London and Shakespeare’s world. The moments of self-reflection by both Victoria and Connor, when they looked back over their lives and didn’t really like what they saw they had been, was fitting for the ending. The only real issue that I had with this book, was the hidden treasure, just a bit too repetitive and convenient.
A good book, but not the best in the series.
April 1, 2022
Much Ado in the Moonlight is about an American director going to stage a performance of Hamlet in the old castle owned by her brother. The castle is haunted by the male main character, an 800 year old ghost who was not particularly happy when Victoria’s brother bought the castle and is not particularly happy to hear that Victoria’s going to invade it with props and actors.
I liked this book because the main characters didn’t change a lot even when they did fall in love. Both of them are kind of jerks, in the way that makes a character appeal to the reader, and I appreciate that that doesn’t change just because of some romance. Romance books are not my usual genre, but I enjoy Lynn Kurland’s stuff because of the time travel, which was pretty good in this one. I also like the fact that background from other books can be helpful but isn’t necessary to understand the plot. The male main character being a ghost was also an interesting plot point that I haven’t seen in a lot of other books. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
I liked this book because the main characters didn’t change a lot even when they did fall in love. Both of them are kind of jerks, in the way that makes a character appeal to the reader, and I appreciate that that doesn’t change just because of some romance. Romance books are not my usual genre, but I enjoy Lynn Kurland’s stuff because of the time travel, which was pretty good in this one. I also like the fact that background from other books can be helpful but isn’t necessary to understand the plot. The male main character being a ghost was also an interesting plot point that I haven’t seen in a lot of other books. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
July 25, 2020
I cannot recall how or when I found this book (or it found me), but I am forever grateful that I did. This is hands down a go-to favorite. I love it more and more with each reading! Lynn Kurland is clever, funny, and witting and she writes incredible characters with great personalities and their own unique voices. I also had forgotten how seamlessly she ties in quotes and paraphrases from other great writers. While I do have a lot of Kurland's other works, Victoria and Connor were my first couple of her's to cheer for and will always be my favorite. This book is so great as it not only is full of time-travel and romance set in the wilds of Scotland, but also ghosts, and acting, and Shakespeare! A true recipe for perfection!! ;)
What it lacks in ripped bodices, heaving bosoms, or steamy love scenes, it more than makes up for with some of the truest love and devotion that I have ever found in fiction. Long live Lynn Kurland!!!
What it lacks in ripped bodices, heaving bosoms, or steamy love scenes, it more than makes up for with some of the truest love and devotion that I have ever found in fiction. Long live Lynn Kurland!!!
January 2, 2018
I got this book at a secondhand store, not realizing it was the 5th in a series-I'm new to romances, and the blurb sounded interesting. Though I might have understood a few minor parts better with the other 4 books under my belt, I still found this book pretty good as a stand-alone.
Sure, it had a few almost cheesy bits, but it's a fun romance that isn't smutty. The characters were good, and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. That's all I can really ask for.
It's good enough for me to want to read the previous books in the series, and it is definitely worth a read if you like time travel and ghosts (which I do).
Sure, it had a few almost cheesy bits, but it's a fun romance that isn't smutty. The characters were good, and the storyline was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. That's all I can really ask for.
It's good enough for me to want to read the previous books in the series, and it is definitely worth a read if you like time travel and ghosts (which I do).
October 24, 2024
A Man who can quote Shakespeare is always in fashion....
The ghostly matchmaking trio is once again engaged in seeng their posterity settled in wedded bliss. Not quite as hilariously funny as the Three Wise Ghosts or as poignant as My Heart Stood Still, it’s a very fine read with plenty of drama and the weaving of a very fine tale of one who will brave time travel to medieval Scotland to save a life worth saving. Truly endearing tale of romantic intrigue coupled with Shakespeare and a Granny who lives to knit 🧶 and uses her needles as weapons in Elizabethan England.
The ghostly matchmaking trio is once again engaged in seeng their posterity settled in wedded bliss. Not quite as hilariously funny as the Three Wise Ghosts or as poignant as My Heart Stood Still, it’s a very fine read with plenty of drama and the weaving of a very fine tale of one who will brave time travel to medieval Scotland to save a life worth saving. Truly endearing tale of romantic intrigue coupled with Shakespeare and a Granny who lives to knit 🧶 and uses her needles as weapons in Elizabethan England.
April 25, 2020
Slow romance with a little mystery and magic thrown in. It takes awhile to get into the story. It begins in US describing Victoria and her career. The reader doesn't meet ghosts and extended family until they are in Scotland. That is where the mystery and magic begin and lastly a romance. It is unique in that the ghosts seem to appear to most people, usually it is only movement of objects, breezes and chills with only a couple exceptions.
May 13, 2021
I read this a second time and loved it. The plot was full of surprises for me. Lets just say I loved the laat few chapters in the book. I could feel the emotions so vividly of the 2 main characters. I cried steady until the end.
July 2, 2020
Excellent story, loved the twist that took it from ghost to happily ever after!
November 2, 2021
Recommend it
I enjoyed all the characters and their interaction with each other. Connor and Thomas amused me. As always I enjoyed the happy ending.
I enjoyed all the characters and their interaction with each other. Connor and Thomas amused me. As always I enjoyed the happy ending.
November 20, 2021
Couldn't Finish ... tried twice!
October 11, 2022
Amazingly funny, romantic and fantastic. Second time reading it, and yet, I think I can read it again!!
October 25, 2015
Endlich wieder mal ein Buch beendet :)
3 gebrauchte Lynn Kurland Bücher hatte ich auf meinem SUB, da ich ihre De Piaget/McLeod Reihe ausprobieren wollte, vor allem wegen dem Zeitreise-Aspekt.
- Buch 1 "Das Erbe in den Highlands" war katastrophal
- Buch 2 "Der Schatten des Highlanders" konnte mich positiv überraschen. Leider war der Zeitreise-Liebesroman im Endeffekt auch "nur" nett (3*), weil die letzten langweiligen 80 Seiten einfach unnötig für mich waren und die gute Resthandlung herabsetzten.
- Buch 3 "Der Geist des Highlanders" - Hat mich schon mal wegen der Geisterthematik abgeschreckt, die auch schon in Buch 1 vorkam. Insgesamt hat es mir zwar besser als die Geistergeschichte in Buch 1 gefallen, aber durch den langweiligen langezogenen Schreibstil und die laue Liebesgeschichte, konnte mich die Autorin wieder nicht überzeugen.
Meine Meinung zum Inhalt:
Die Geschichte um Victoria, die auf dem Schloss ihres Bruders Thomas ein Theaterstück aufführen möchte und dabei Regie führt, wurde von der Autorin viel zu langatmig erzählt, wenn ich nicht ein paar Passagen überflogen hätte, wäre ich wohl eingeschlafen. Die Idee mit den drei Geistern, die verkuppeln fand ich ja ganz nett, aber dann die ganzen Geister, die sich dauernd zeigten und dass dann die Geister Theater spielten, fand ich extrem seltsam und unglaubwürdig (wenn man bei Geistern davon sprechen kann ;) ). Auch dass es nur eine Vorstellung gab fand ich etwas extrem für den betriebenen Aufwand. Und auch Fellinis Part fand ich ziemlich unspannend eingebaut. Die Liebesgeschichte war für mich etwas fad, hätte aber Potential gehabt. Schade...
Fazit:
Werde die Reihe nicht weiterverfolgen. Mir schreibt die Autorin einfach zu unspannend und ausschweifend und auch die generelle Lösungen scheinen sich auch sehr zu ähneln.
WERTUNG: 1.5 Sterne
3 gebrauchte Lynn Kurland Bücher hatte ich auf meinem SUB, da ich ihre De Piaget/McLeod Reihe ausprobieren wollte, vor allem wegen dem Zeitreise-Aspekt.
- Buch 1 "Das Erbe in den Highlands" war katastrophal
- Buch 2 "Der Schatten des Highlanders" konnte mich positiv überraschen. Leider war der Zeitreise-Liebesroman im Endeffekt auch "nur" nett (3*), weil die letzten langweiligen 80 Seiten einfach unnötig für mich waren und die gute Resthandlung herabsetzten.
- Buch 3 "Der Geist des Highlanders" - Hat mich schon mal wegen der Geisterthematik abgeschreckt, die auch schon in Buch 1 vorkam. Insgesamt hat es mir zwar besser als die Geistergeschichte in Buch 1 gefallen, aber durch den langweiligen langezogenen Schreibstil und die laue Liebesgeschichte, konnte mich die Autorin wieder nicht überzeugen.
Meine Meinung zum Inhalt:
Die Geschichte um Victoria, die auf dem Schloss ihres Bruders Thomas ein Theaterstück aufführen möchte und dabei Regie führt, wurde von der Autorin viel zu langatmig erzählt, wenn ich nicht ein paar Passagen überflogen hätte, wäre ich wohl eingeschlafen. Die Idee mit den drei Geistern, die verkuppeln fand ich ja ganz nett, aber dann die ganzen Geister, die sich dauernd zeigten und dass dann die Geister Theater spielten, fand ich extrem seltsam und unglaubwürdig (wenn man bei Geistern davon sprechen kann ;) ). Auch dass es nur eine Vorstellung gab fand ich etwas extrem für den betriebenen Aufwand. Und auch Fellinis Part fand ich ziemlich unspannend eingebaut. Die Liebesgeschichte war für mich etwas fad, hätte aber Potential gehabt. Schade...
Fazit:
Werde die Reihe nicht weiterverfolgen. Mir schreibt die Autorin einfach zu unspannend und ausschweifend und auch die generelle Lösungen scheinen sich auch sehr zu ähneln.
WERTUNG: 1.5 Sterne
March 16, 2011
Well as always I love one of her books. I always enjoy reading them and going to England or Scotland. This is the story of Victoria McKinnon and Connor. This one had a ton of characters from other novels if this is the first book of Kurlands you have read put it down and go to her web sight and start with the Macleods and then go on to the De Piaget's. But this book was not one of my favorites. It was clean and sweet and had all the good stuff in a Kurland book but the story was already done and just didn't hold my attention like the rest. I also just need to vent a little. I love these books don't get me wrong but there are certain things about Mrs. Kurlands writings I would change if I could.Why does every character blame there digestion for seeing ghost or traveling back in time. Every time they blame the food, it's getting old. The words wooed, wench, whore-son and swoon to name a few are used often and in every book. Every character that has to speak another language catches on so quickly. I can't imagine Gaelic or French is easy to learn. I just wish these are the things I could tell her to try not to repeat in more books. But I will put up with it because I love them.Oh well
September 13, 2011
It's nice to visit old friends sometimes. It has been awhile since I ventured into the magical worlds of Kurland and I found I still thoroughly enjoy it! She is still way too wordy, somewhat silly but always wonderful fun.
The story line in "Much Ado..." is very much the same as is has been throughout the entire Piaget/MacCloud series with the hero (in this instance Conner MacDougal) and heroine (Victoria MacKinnon) jumping through time on their quest for true love. In previous books, Conner was portrayed as a nasty, rather unlikeable character and Victoria the overly brash and headstrong sister to other main characters. Here, we find them both completely changed, Conner cries and Victoria's insecure. While we understand Victoria's about-face (after all, we all experience those self-doubting moments - even the most determined of us) but Conner's weeping jags just cannot rise to believable if we are to also accept him as a hardened medieval Laird. Aw well, one reads Kurland for the fantasy after all and THAT part never disappoints!
The story line in "Much Ado..." is very much the same as is has been throughout the entire Piaget/MacCloud series with the hero (in this instance Conner MacDougal) and heroine (Victoria MacKinnon) jumping through time on their quest for true love. In previous books, Conner was portrayed as a nasty, rather unlikeable character and Victoria the overly brash and headstrong sister to other main characters. Here, we find them both completely changed, Conner cries and Victoria's insecure. While we understand Victoria's about-face (after all, we all experience those self-doubting moments - even the most determined of us) but Conner's weeping jags just cannot rise to believable if we are to also accept him as a hardened medieval Laird. Aw well, one reads Kurland for the fantasy after all and THAT part never disappoints!
December 19, 2012
Funny at some places, believable characters. No thrills, no sex (another best point of the book - I mean who wants a character like Miss Steele bathing in the drool of her own making?).
It was the character development that I loved the most. This is the first book from Kurland's time travel series I've read, and it did not confuse me even though I read it out of order. This book just makes me curious; curious enough to read the entire series.
I did figure out the climax after 100 pages, but the 'sub-climax' was unexpected, and had the little bits of thrills.
All in all its a mellow rom-com novel with the garnishing of supernatural.
It was the character development that I loved the most. This is the first book from Kurland's time travel series I've read, and it did not confuse me even though I read it out of order. This book just makes me curious; curious enough to read the entire series.
I did figure out the climax after 100 pages, but the 'sub-climax' was unexpected, and had the little bits of thrills.
All in all its a mellow rom-com novel with the garnishing of supernatural.
June 2, 2025
Started off very rough with both protagonists being somewhat unlikable. Luckily they both improved over the course of the story, and I started enjoying it after they got back from their travels to rescue her grandmother. I am really tired of the super annoying side characters/antagonists and how convoluted the plots are getting. I enjoyed these books more when I first read them because they were always published about a year apart. Reading them back to back allows the irritating bits to become a bit cumulative in effect, even though it helps somewhat with keeping track of past events; but because things are so twisty it’s actually still kind of difficult to keep track of it all.
March 1, 2010
Victoria Mckinnon's brother offers the use of his castle in England as the backdrop for her theatre troups production of Hamlet. However, like in the play, there are also ghosts at this castle as well. One's that don't want anyone with the last name of Mckinnon any where near their castle.
Ahhhh. Time travel, ghostly romance, Shakespeare - it doesn't get much better than this. My family couldn't pull my nose out of it all weekend. They kept saying, "It must be a really good book." It was! Clean too.
Ahhhh. Time travel, ghostly romance, Shakespeare - it doesn't get much better than this. My family couldn't pull my nose out of it all weekend. They kept saying, "It must be a really good book." It was! Clean too.
November 13, 2010
Ghosts and time travel I learned to come to grips with because I liked the characters. But falling in love with a ghost and then going back in time to save his/her life only to have them not remember you - for at least 3 chapters - was a bit much. I admit I did some skipping. And I'll openly admit I'm not a fan of Shakespeare and it seems like it is in every YA (and yes, I know this is not YA) book lately that I'm a bit done. Not my favorite from this author, but I have enjoyed the De Piaget and MacLeod families.
June 26, 2010
Victoria McKinnon's brother offers to the use of his castle for her production of Hamlet. She doesn't want to let that chance go by her since he will pay for it to. But she does wonder WHY?
Conner MacDougal has no intention of relinquishing his authority over Thorpewold castle to anyone, let alone a McKinnon. Victoria cannot believe when she starts seeing ghosts not just one but many.
This story is good, but slow in spots.
Conner MacDougal has no intention of relinquishing his authority over Thorpewold castle to anyone, let alone a McKinnon. Victoria cannot believe when she starts seeing ghosts not just one but many.
This story is good, but slow in spots.
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