A Kingdom of Dreams

Rating:
Summary: A real treasure
Review: Abducted from the abbey that she has been in for the last couple of years, Lady Jennifer Merrick, a feisty Scottish beauty, finds herself a captive of Royce Westmoreland, along with her stepsister, Brenna. Known as "The Wolf", he is feared and loathed by his enemies. However, he finally meets his match in Jennifer. Stubborn and fearless, she is the one person who, even when she yields, makes him feel like he is the one who's been conquered.

This novel is funny, poignant, romantic and heart-warming. I thought Jennifer's escapades were entertaining, and her aunt's comments also made me laugh. But nothing beats that part when she talks to Royce as if he were a kid - that "Forty is this many" scene was so hilarious it took me a while to read it, as I couldn't stop laughing. And the romance is one of the best I've read of. The first time that they made love and Royce told her he was sorry, I thought it was so considerate and sweet of him. But nothing beats the tournament part. I don't want to divulge the whole plot as I don't want to ruin it for other readers, but let me say that the scenes where Royce salutes Jennifer, Stefan runs into Jennifer's chamber ordering her to come out onto the battlefield and Jennifer then kneeling to Royce and swearing her fealty to him in front of thousands of people including her Scottish clan, those scenes brought tears to my eyes. I was practically speechless. And I cannot say enough how happy I was when Jennifer realized that she finally got the "kingdom of dreams" that she dreamt of as a child - a kingdom where she felt loved by her husband and her people.

I really loved this book and highly recommend it. This is romance at its best. There are many heart wrenching scenes and simply beautiful tender moments. The scenes are well-described that everything seemed so vivid. The characters are so likable. I felt every single emotion they were going through - their pain, confusion and happiness.

This is the first novel I've read by Judith McNaught and this definitely won't be the last.

Rating:
Summary: I am Speechless
Review: WOW!!! This is romance novel at its best!! I have so much I want to say I don't even know where to start. First, I'm not a fan of medieval period romances at all, and I only decided to read this because I loved Whitney, My Love and the ending where Whitney was doing that ritual thing that all Duchesses of Westmoreland do really intrigued me, esp. when she was crying and laughing while she was reading the adventures of the first Duchess of Westmoreland. If you've read Whitney, My Love, you'll know what I mean. Also, I wanted to learn more about the ancestor of Clayton, the very FIRST Duke of Westmoreland and what kind of person he was. He does not disappoint....

The beginning was awesome, as you read about Jennifer escapades while she was a "hostage" of Royce, the "Black Wolf," Jennifer's clan's mortal enemy. Royce and her had so many confrontation and the tension between them was almost tangible, even when they fell for each other. Their meeting and all the adventures that followed were very entertaining and funny, and kept me riveted to the book. However, after their first misunderstanding though, it got a bit confusing with the king and the clansman and the subtle power struggles that a few pages cannot really fully explain, and I was getting increasingly bored and ready to just finish the book and get it over with. The period right before their marriage and immediately after was so predictable and I was getting rather disappointed when, BAM! the climax came.

And OH MI GOSH, WHAT A CLIMAX!! It hit me hard because I did not expect such power of emotion to pour from this book, but it did, and I will never ever forget the jousting/tournament part no matter how many romance novels I read. The whole part I loved, but one of the sweetest, most touching scenes I've ever read in my life were, first, the one where Royce rode up on his horse, frighteningly in all black, and saluted Jennifer. I could almost feel at that moment what she was feeling, so touched and loved and amazed and confused at what to do. And then, in a scene that made me speechless with emotion, was when Jennifer ran out onto the field as Royce was sacrificing himself for her, and she in return bestowed upon him a gift that was tremendously touching. I thought their marriage was irreparable after what he did (no, it's not rape), so that scene was all the more shocking and heartbreakingly sweet. Think about it: Royce, the most feared man in all of England and Scotland, who has fought hundreds of battles and killed thousands of men, a legendary warrior and a fierce opponent, subjected himself to ridicule and defeat and sacrificed his body and pride and honor for the woman he loved, in front of the whole world. He could lose honor in front of everyone else, but he did not, could not lose his honor in front of the woman he loved. This is the ultimate gesture of love, and what can be more romantic than that? Jennifer, thank God, realized this and in return gave him an equally touching gift. I couldn't even cry, couldn't even remember who I was or where I was at, so involved I was with the characters, feeling how they feel, carried away by the sea of emotions that engulfed the scene...

This book should be made into a movie, and it would be a blockbuster and blow everyone away with its majesty and grandeur and I can almost see it played in my mind the scene on the tournament field, the dramatic ending of the feud and the beginning of their true married life. There are so many wonderful memories in this book that will stay with me for a long long time...I especially liked that scene where Jennifer was making fun of Royce about where he left his men right after they got married, it was SO CUTE and they behaved just like an old married couple, only they didn't realize it at the time. The love between them is vividly described and you can feel their love and loyalty as if it were your own. Royce is a very likable hero, being that he was a relatively tender JM leading man in spite of his ferocious career, and Jennifer is an admirable heroine, full of passion and loyalty and courage. They are the perfect couple, the perfect beginning to the Westmoreland line, and I highly encourage you to read this book as well as Whitney, My Love, which tells the tale of the ninth Duke of Westmoreland. This book is amazingly touching, despite many technical descriptions that I have to admit I skipped over, and once you get to the ending you'll realize the grandeur and wholesomeness of his book. It is definitely not corny and no matter how much I write, words cannot describe the depth of feeling evoked by some of the scenes, you will only find that out when you read for yourself...a kingdom of dreams.


Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Historical Romance Expedition
Review: I loved this book just as I did all of Mc Naught's books. The story, characters, description of scenes, scenery & emotions expand your imagination to the extent that you feel you're in a movie. It so happens that when events reach a crescendo in this book, you feel compelled to read more to know what happens next (which in turn will take a few EXTRA hours). Furthermore, the character of Royce in the book happens to be the ancestor of the lead character in "Whitney My Love". I truly recommend this book for enjoyment, increasing vocabulary & a bit of knowledge on medieval history.

Rating:
Summary: COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
Review: I love Judith McNaught's books but toward the end, the book became too predictable. I couldn't put the book down during the first half but the ending reminded me too much of the movie, "A Knight's Tale". If your going to read a good Judith McNaught book, try "Paradise" , "Until You", and "Whitney, My Love". When I read "A Kingdom of Dreams", I thought I was reading a novel by Julie Garwood. Don't get me wrong, I love Julie Garwood books but I was expecting something different from Judith.

Rating:
Summary: Kingdom of Dreams is one of the best!
Review: "Kingdom of Dreams" was my first romance novel, ever, and I loved it then. I re-read it again recently with some trepidation. I had loved it as my first romance book, but I had read many, many books since then, and I doubted that this book had really withstood the test of time. Well, it did!

I read it again, and I loved it again. Judith McNaught is an excellent writer, she writes beautifully with just the right amount of plot twists to keep you turning the pages, but what makes this book a keeper for me is the larger-than-life hero and heroine, their basic goodness and decency, and their love which grows by degrees, not just a "fall-in-lust" tale.

You will never find a better hero than Royce - both tough warrior and gentle lover - and Jenny, although I don't usually like very "spirited" heroines, I can understand where Jenny is coming from. Another reviewer earlier mentioned that she didn't like the way Jenny kept being more loyal to her father than to Royce - but I think that it's a beautiful character trait of Jenny's. She is loyal to her own, and even after her father treats her badly, she keeps making excuses for him, and taking his side against the enemy. This is also a very good excuse for the back-and-forth that takes many, many pages to resolve - but to me, that is very realistic.

"Kingdom of Dreams" is considered a classic, and rightly so. If you are trying Judith McNaught for the first time, please, please, please start with "Kingdom of Dreams". And if you have read "Whitney, My Love" and didn't like it, please give Ms. McNaught another chance, and you will probably fall in love with her writing just like I did.

Rating:
Summary: A definate 5-star.
Review: I've read all of Judith McNaught's historical romances and a good lot of others, so I can safely say that AKOD does a very good job of standing out of the crowd.
The heroine is feisty, headstong, stubborn and proud: nothing new there right? But it is splendidly written in such a way that she is NOT annoying or irrasional or whiny even, it helps also that the dialogue between her and her captor is very funny and it flows, without there having to be too many descriptions to cloud it up. The disagreements between them are not ridiculous, and justified on both sides.
And Royce Westmoreland as a hero is just a dream come true. Although the author does make sure we know he's handsome, well-built etc, you don't really pay much attention to what his exterior is like because his personality outshines it so much more. It is like so, but more, with Jennifer. I also liked that in this book, the author does not bother with other women associated with the hero, i.e. former lovers, consorts etc, to play a role in the story. For example, Jason's paramour Sybyl in Once and Always.

A wonderful, wonderful read from a fast start to a very touching ending. A joy to read. No chance at all at being dissapointed.

Rating:
Summary: Judith McNaught book's are always5+'s,andIread all of them!
Review: This is lovely, hilarious, heart wrenching,tormenting, and keeps you guessing. Judith McNaught is one of the Absolutely Talented writer's out there. This book is simply Magical! I love it ,it is a historical,her contemporaries are even more addictive. Try Paradise,matt, and Meredith will make you cherish them as real friends,and Ms. McNaught's works as well!You like funny,love,unexpected stories,she's your Master.I also suggest Julie Garwood,very similiar.Both AMAZING!!!!

Rating:
Summary: A GREAT STORY!
Review: Finally, an author whose title corresponds with the book. A standing ovation to Judith McNaught for that! I was enthralled throughout the story.
The heroine changed as the story progressed from girl to woman, in very dynamic ways. She blossoms under the care of the Duke.
The hero is gorgeous, and all man. What he wants, he takes, and what he cannot get, he strives for.
Together, these two "enemies" make a kingdom of dreams for themselves.