Rating: 
Summary: What a disappointment!
Review: I expect wonderful stories from Ms. Kurland, but this wasn't one of them. Her other books are terrific, but this is one to miss. The main characters were flat and the events they endure are not what I want in a romance novel (e.g., the hero standing guard outside the bedroom door while the beroine has a painful wedding night with her abusive husband). The ending was surprisingly interesting (I finished the book only through sheer determinism), but I think I would rather she told the story of the hero's parents or grandparents. They were much more interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great book by Kurland
Review: I had read the customer reviews and was a bit leary of reading this book, but Lynn Kurland has written another wonderful book. It's not a light read at all, but the characters are well drawn and easy to love. However their own love is not so easy. It's a refreshing change to have a hero who doesn't try to fight his way out of every situation. Rhys recongnizes his own limitations and he holds to his honor even when doing the right thing doesn't make either him or Gwen happy. Rhys is sensitive to Gwen's love for her children and he too cares for them, more than their own father does. He's a complex hero, with faults and limitations, but he truly loves Gwen and he stole my heart as well.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: I hate to see a beautiful book maligned. Lynn Kurland brings intense emotions, humour and sensuality to her stories in a way that simply eludes most of today's romance authors. I too hated it when Gwen was forced to marry Alain and Rhys sat outside her marriage room, but their forced separation made their story far more realistic to the times than most historical romances. Kurland manages to create characters that you can relate to and fall in love with (what a man Rhys is!) while remaining true to the time period she writes about. And, her stories are even more sensual and emotional because she doesn't include love scenes. In lesser novels, the lack of love scenes would make the romance feel forced and empty. But, in Kurland's novel, Gwen and Rhys's love is all the more intimate because they keep their bedroom life private. Kurland's novel is perfection that I have read several times. I will never tire of Rhys or Gwen (and her big ears).
Rating: 
Summary: Hello...I don't think so
Review: I just loved "Stardust of Yesterday" so I thought I may enjoy this story as well by Ms Kurland, but I was disappointed. I could have done without Gwen procreating with another man while the man she loves stands right outside her bedchamber. Yuk, I would be beyond mortified. And all this just for a piece of land? This is romance? This is love? Hello...I don't think so. Though I enjoyed all her other books, I wasn't too pleased with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Lynn, Why?
Review: I know this sounds silly, but I have lived to read Lynn Kurland's books! Her book "This is All I ask" was the first book I ever completed. After "This is..." I had to read more of her writing and became addicted. I even bought the books that had multiple authors, just to read 80 pages of her writing. I kept putting this book off because of the bad reviews, but finally I ran out of her other books and had to get this one...... I am only on page 85, but I have gotten headaches from reading it. I have it by my bed right now just so I will have something to put me to sleep at night. I hate to say this about one of her books, because she is my favorite writer in the world and has inspired me to continue reading, but WHY? Why wasn't this a better book? I think the writing was confusing and in her past books there was more humor and less destruction. The writing seemed as if it wasn't really Lynn's writing. I can see that she was trying to really take us to the medieval ages and show us what it was like back then, but why does it have to be so nerve wrecking? This book has seriously stressed me out! Anyway, please, if you are a first time reader of Lynn Kurland's try "This is All I ask" first. Then her other books after that. Save this one for last (or never).
Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: I love Lynn Kurland's books, especially the ones entitled This is All I Ask and The More I See You but somehow this particular novel seemed disappointing. This book lacked something that the others had which is humor. Instead, it appeared to have misery written all over it. Here, we witness the enforced marriage of Gwennelyn, in addition to the enforced servitude of her knight, Rhys. Two years later, the situation doesn't look any better: Gwen is saddled with two kids by Alain, the baron that she had been forced to marry; Rhys is tourneying in France in order to save a nestegg for himself and Gwen (if a bribed annulment from Alain is accomplished, in addition to recuiting some knights; and Rhys' land (bequeathed by his late foster father) was overrun by dangerous mercenaries. Though the book does have a bit of humor in it, expecially when Gwen persists in becoming a mercenary to guard Rhys back among other things, I thought that it came out lacking, for the most part. However, some of the finer qualities of the plot is redeemed when, predictably, the couple manages, despite everything, to overlook their misery and maintain their love for each other, in addition to finally finding a chance to marry each other in the end as they had wanted to do from the beginning. All in all, this book is o.k. but it could've been better. If you want masterpieces, look for This is All I Ask, The More I See You, and A Dance Through Time where humor, wit and love are perfectly balanced. These are really something to sink your teeth into!
Rating:
Summary: Good Reading
Review: I love the way the caracters grow over the passage of tim
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing.
Review: I loved Kurland's first three books. However, this one -- bad. Kurland wrote the book as though it were an effort -- the characters were dark and weighted and the story line was creeky, depressing and not at all "magical".
Rating:
Summary: Trying but not quite there.
Review: I read this book after hearing of it on an email list for another author. I was expecting the same type of writing...descriptive and completely engrossing. This was just okay; not nearly as well written as the books written by the other author. If you want to read WONDERFUL books by an author who is great with a good story, history, and romance, try Diana Gabaldon's 4 books beginning with "Outlander"...they're the real thing!!
Rating:
Summary: Did not meet expectations
Review: I was impatient waiting for this book to come out. But it ended up being a big disappointment. Lynn Kurland's best book is This is all I ask. This certainly does not measure up. Gwen was a disappointment. She was forever getting into scrapes and thinking she could save the day, but all she ever did was make things worse. Rhys was interesting, but lacked the charisma of some of Kurland's other heros. Overall, I am glad I read this book because it explains where the de Piagets come into the picture, but otherwise it was a waste of time.
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