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Rating: 
Summary: By all the saints' purple boils...
Review: ...mayhap I have picked the wrong Coulter novel with which to begin. Even still, I cannot say it has been totally without mirth. I have found some of the dialogue laugh-out-loud funny (audio book version.) Talking back in response to the ludicrous dialogue affords some diversion, though mayhap most for drivers around me.
Must everything be redder than red, blacker than black, whiter than white, higher than high, etc? Did I really hear that the earth moved during a vigorous amatory adventure? In subject matter, this dialogue is clearly intended for adult audiences. In construction, it rivals "See Spot run". By all the saints' pimply noses, mayhap the most fun is to be derived from the creative and deliberately non-repetitive invocations of said saints. I could wish though that someone close to the author would favor us by building an auto-correct into her word processor to over-ride "mayhap" and "hard".
Oh, aye, I'll finish it (it really is a long, boring drive home and it is futile to wish the time back) but I'm glad this was a library freebie. By all the saints' split ends, I'd have been madder than mad had I purchased it.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: Having loved the first four books in this series I was eager to read this one, until I read the other reviews, which were less than flattering. I am glad I ignored those reviews and read it anyway! I loved the weaving of past and present. The plot was fun, the characters had wit and charm, and there was balance between the good and evil. I am always a sucker for a good magic story anyway. I can't wait to read the next series!
Rating: 
Summary: The Plot Sounded Good !
Review: I am an avid reader of historical romances and have been very fortunate in my selections to find books that appeal to my sense of romance and emotions. I myself rely heavily on reviews and authors track records, and even if a book does get slammed, if it is from an author whose excellence has been proven in the past, I try to still give it an unbiased read. Set in the 13th century, this tells the story of Merryn, a young woman who is forced to marry four times and is widowed and still a maiden when Sir Bishop of Lythe arrives at castle Penwyth. (This plot line sounded real interesting to me!) Penwyth bears the brunt of an ancient curse, which declares that no man will ever take Penwyth, or it's heiress, by force. All four husbands died within hours of storming the castle and seizing Merryn. Is the curse real or is their foul play at work? Bishop is wise enough to take precautions and figures he'll be safe if he woos the lady first. He starts to settle into life at the castle, then he starts having dreams featuring an unknown wizard and witch and this is where I feel the novel itself starts falling apart - at least for me. The dream-story/real time story - eventually overpowers the romance between Merryn and Bishop and at one point - I wasn't sure who the story was about as I believe there was an editing mistake that spoke of Bishop but the story seemed to be related to the dream couple. It was very convoluted and difficult to follow. The jumping around from past to present left me dizzy. Bottom line, I couldn't find myself getting emotionally involved with either couple and although there were a few quite humorous moments in the dialogs, I didn't find it to be an enjoyable and relaxing read - it was too much work to figure out who was who and where!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I expected
Review: I got this book at the library's used book sale and am definitely glad I didn't pay full price for it. The plot summary on the back cover sounded interesting, but the book itself did not live up to the description. I stuck with the book until the last page but only because I wanted to find out how it ended. I didn't think the characters had much personality and I couldn't get myself interested enough in them to be enthusiastic about following their story. Not a total waste of time, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Not Coulter's Best - Pass on this one!
Review: I was very disappointed in the much anticipated book. I had hoped for an exciting story about a curse and people in love. What I got was a time travel story with Witches, Warlocks etc... And a character who kept pulling one of the main characters back in time.
I found this story confusing and disappointing. Not up the Coulter's usual excellent writing. There seemed to be parts of the story that were missing and that she had to force some aspects of the story to get things to match up. There were sections where things mysteriously appeared with no real explanation etc... At the same time I kept listening in hopes of being more interested. I recommend that you either look to the Legacy Series or read the Song series. Don't buy this one new. I'd wait until you could get it used.
Rating:
Summary: Difficult Read
Review: I've read many books by this author and have enjoyed most of them. This book was enjoyable but it also dragged out much longer than it should have. There were two stories incorporated into one and this was not always done smoothly. Cute idea and shows much imagination.
Rating:
Summary: Expect the Unexpected...
Review: If you're expecting CC's usual medieval romance you'll be taken off guard and frequently jolted into a sometimes confusing paranormal story that transpires simultaneously in another dimension of time - which was meant to explain the history of the curse and how to break it. Personally, I enjoy it when an author adventures outside of their comfort zone and enters into challenging new territory. In this début, CC did a relatively decent job.
I really did not feel the "romance" per say of the leading characters Bishop and Merryn's relationship, but I did feel it for the paranormal co-stars Prince and Brecia. However, I did view Bishop as being purely physically motivated for sex and Merryn by her curiosity and fascination of seeing, touch and becoming acquainted with a man as young as she; especially since she basically lived her entire life secluded within the walls of her castle and amongst elderly people. Each couple's journey for truth was unique, adventurous and amusing.
As always, CC allows previous characters from her series to surface, by bringing in snippets of humor from scenes with Dienwald & Phillippa - they always remind me of "Ralph" and "Alice" in the 60's sitcom `The Jackie Gleason Show'.
This is what I would describe as a "float or sink" read; not one I would highly recommend nor judge the author's exceptional writing talents by.
Rating:
Summary: Sometimes engaging, sometimes confusing. An uneven book.
Review: There were moments in which I really enjoyed this book, but often I was thrown out of my state of disbelief by
little thing like the phrasing of dialogue, the changing sense of continuity between the
past and the "present," or the ferocity of the lust between the main characters (or their counterparts).
There was just enough eerieness to keep the mind engaged in the paranormal mystery, but somehow it never
developed into a seamless whole.
An air book in places, but hardly a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: This book is a curse
Review: This is a first (and last) Catherine Coulter book I've read, or at least tried to read. What started out with great potential very quickly became a confusing, error-ridden mess. The only question I have is did this book not have to pass through editing? It is simply a mess, just a bunch of words on paper bounded together to impersonate a book. Shame on the publisher!
Rating:
Summary: Difficult Read
Review: When I first got this book I was reluctant to read it because I had just finished Rosehaven, which i disliked very much, but once I started I was plensently surprised. The characters are much more likeable and romance is much more probable. This is a very good story that blends medieval life and fantasy perfectly. Although the two romances had to be shorter, they were both very well develped and sweet. I loved trying to figure out how they were related and how the mystery would end.
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