The More I See You(De Piaget Book #8)by Lynn KurlandGenre: Historical Romance | Time TravelA wish upon a star transports the luckless-in-love Jessica Blakely back in time to the thirteenth century, but her desire for a fair and gallant knight yields the fearsome Richard de Galtres. Though wary of Jessica’s mysterious ways, Richard protectively harbors her in his castle by the sea. Though her stubborn will nearly drives him mad, the very sight of her puts a smile on a face that has known too few. And when Jessica’s tender desire pierces the armor around his heart, Richard fears he may never be able to recover – or resist…Jessica eagerly accepts a month long trip to England (on a university faculty sabbatical) with her blind date, Mr. Stafford III, in hopes of having a "vacation from her life" and "a chance to get some perspective on the Big Picture" (pg 10) Except shortly into her trip, she makes a wish for "a man who would love her as much as he loved himself" (pg 19) and instead of finding herself among manicured bushes in an English garden, she emerges from a fog in the year 1260 at Burwyck-on-the-Sea. Adjusting to a Medieval lifestyle is harder then she expected; especially when she has to deal with Richard de Galtres's stubbornness, preconceptions of women duties (i.e. sewing & cooking...something Jessica knows nothing of), and the lack of music. If this is to become Jessica's new world/life, how will she survive (especially with out chocolate)?I'm a sucker for time-travel tales, especially when they involve a little historical romance as well. So, after reading Lynn Kurland's One Enchanted Evening, I opted for more and, I have to say, I highly enjoyed The More I See You quite a bit. It wasn't as kooky and ridiculous as some time-travel stories can easily become and I enjoyed that Jessica didn't really make it a secret of her time slip. Richards harshness was easy to find displeasing, but you could also easily see him falling for Jessica throughout the book - which was adorable. Happily, the ending wasn't abrupt . . . since you could feel the story winding up quickly, you'll be glad to read more chapters after the fact to tie everything together nicely. Something I love!The reader gets a lot of one on one time with Jessica & Richard for the first half of the book, with a few of Richard's comical guards thrown in here or there. Yet, my favorite interactions were when Jessica was forced to mingle with other Medieval women in the second part of the story and finds a kindred spirit. Sadly, I felt the good-byes at the end were bit rushed though and would have been much harder to accept personally, but the characters do do a great emotional roller-coaster and I even found some other characters (ex. Kendrick & Abby) that I want to continue reading up on in the future. Can't wait!Likes: At least there was more "parallel action" in this book compared to the last one I read, One Enchanted Evening. Nothing too graphic, but enough to satisfy my romantic side.Dislikes: They made such a big deal of Richard's past treatment as a child in the first half, but it kind of fizzled away in the second half. I would have liked the fact to have been pursued a little more to get a deeper understanding of his character.
In honor of Valentine's Day this week I re-read The More I See You by Lynn Kurland. Kurland is my very favorite romance writer because she is such a fantastic storyteller. Many critics claim that she out writes other romance writers by a mile, and I tend to agree. Plus, I like that her books are PG or PG-13: They leave plenty to the imagination! ;PThe More I See You is probably my very favorite of all of Lynn Kurland's books. In Kurland's world, a simple wish upon a star can transport you back in time, and that's exactly what happens to Jessica Blakely. Jessica is an up and coming composer and doctoral candidate on holiday in England with her obnoxious professor boyfriend. At a dress-up tea, her boyfriend carries her thrown over his shoulder while he's wearing full mail and armor. She has had enough, so she ditches her date to take a walk. As night falls and mist seeps into the garden, Jessie wishes upon a star for a strong, chivalrous knight. Suddenly, the Victorian extension to the castle disappears, and Jessie is almost run-over by a medieval hunting party. Richard de Galtres is the most fearsome knight in thirteenth-century England. When the hunting party returns to Richard's keep, Burwyck-on-the-Sea, Richard's nightmarish past is slowly revealed to a patient and loving Jessica. Richard razes the old keep to the ground because it reminds him of his abusive father and is rebuilding the castle with stone. Jessie's modern ideas and artistry enchant Richard, and they soon fall in love in the half-built castle.The plot is chock-full of conflict: Richard's internal battle with his past; Richard's superstitious brother who suspects Jessica of being a fairy; a sullen squire who prefers the priesthood and singing to training; and Richard's flirtatious and sexy foster brother Kendrick. This book has more action and violence compared to most of Kurland's other books, but Richard's character more than makes-up for the nail-biting passages. If you haven't read any of Lynn Kurland's romances, you should do yourself a favor and check one out today!Lynn's next romance will be released April 30th. Lynn is also well-known for her fantasy series, too.
What do You think about The More I See You (1999)?
What started out as a slow typical romance quickly turned into a fantastic paranormal historical romance. The heroine is thrust back in time and into the very unwilling arms of the hero. He's surly, gruff and without the patience to deal with her as he's urgent to repair his keep. The story really picked up once they arrive at the castle when the two characters go from strangers bound together by chance to a reluctant friendship. The hero is tortured by his abusive childhood and as a result he's very self conscious and unable to properly express his feelings. He never smiles, doesn't know how to be kind but despite this, he's so sweet. Though he's argumentative and brisk, he goes out of his way to make the heroine happy. The heroine just wants to go home. She's often stealing his horse and running away, making the hero track her down and drag her back. But soon she finds herself drawn to him. She sees inside of him and is willing to wait patiently for him to open up to her. I loved this book because it was about real people. The heroine is attacked and as she's recovering, she had to wear a make shift diaper. This is a very simple thing but very rarely do authors pen about it. But Kurland allows the heroine to cry and show utter embarrassment because it allows the hero a chance to comfort her and to grow closer to her. One thing about this book, however, was the fact that it's PG. Absolutely nothing is written about sexual except kisses. Mind you, with the chemistry between the characters, it was hot, but I felt cheated somehow when I wasn't able to experience that natural joining. That being said, I loved this story. It's so much more than a time travel, it's so much more than a cheesy period romance. It's about two lost souls finding each other in the darkness. Lovely.
—Paranormal Romance
Reading in order of publication makes things a bit easier to understand the Kendrick background and how well she has planned out her books. She inserts tidbits that will come in handy in future stories. But, it's hard to continue to go in published order. Once you are in the inner working of one of the families you find you don't want to leave that family. To be completely honest. I think if I were to give an opinion on how one should read them I would say to surely start with Stardust of Yesterday - because so many of the stories include Kendrick. However, from there I would start with not the published order, but the order by family. It would make sense why Kendrick is in all the stories, but then you could continue on - as you will want to - with one family at a time.
—Erin
I read this book for the A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay challenge. 2 – One is good, two is better. Read a romance book or a book that has a partnership. Two can also mean repetition. Read a book about second chances. This book was decent, but I feel like it was just too tedious for what it is. The author could have said things in one page, but took five to do it. The time travel aspect is always a fun trope in my opinion, albeit not the most realistic, and it is well done here. The villain is entirely too two-dimensional, and it's unfortunate that we're left wondering if Kendrick is really dead. I can see why this author is so popular (this is the first book of hers that I've read) but I'm not entirely sure if I would seek out any more of her books.
—Sara
