Customer Reviews

With Every Breath

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Since Garden in the Rain is my favorite LK book, I knew With Every Breath would be a winner, worth the months of seemingly endless waiting. While this one is not quite as good as Garden in the Rain, it is still wonderful reading. Sunshine (aka Sunny) Phillips is now living in Moraig's hut (the previous Macleod witch) in Scotland. She works at a yoga studio and part-time at an herbs and sundries store. She is doing what she loves best. All that is missing is a loving husband and a family of her own. She lives nearby to many dashing, manly Highlander types that leave a lot to be desired in the village men folk. Patrick (my favorite LK hero is in fine form- being sweet, overprotective, full of stern looks and grumbles), Jamie, and Ian all make fitting reappearances. Then one day Robert Francis Cameron mac Cameron knocks on Sunny's door asking for her aid and sweeps her across the threshold back into medieval Scotland and into his heart. Och, aye...

I will begrudgingly admit that I am getting a wee bit sick of the usual time-travel story, feeling almost formulaic. BUT I was very happy that there are a few surprises and twists in With Every Breath. And the story did keep my interest secured. I had to make myself read and savor every word, and not rush through and possibly skip something important. I wanted to wait and save this or at least make it last me through a couple of days' enjoyment but I had a hard enough time putting it down to go to sleep so I could get up and go to work. Bah, work... There is after all only one Lynn Kurland and she is a masterful storyteller. She could write just about any type of story and it would be a wonderful read. She writes with such detail, vivid in imagery and such real characters that you feel a part of the story. You feel all that Sunny goes through. You fall in love with Cam right along with her. *Sigh* Reading these stories leaves you pining for a trip to Scotland to explore and find a dashing *swoon* Highlander of your own...At least it does for me ;-)

Overall a beautiful story that has many sappy-smile inducing moments, along with some sweet lol overprotective Highlanders, constantly needing to prove their manhood. What's a Scottish tale without some good swordplay, eh? Savor every word, every breath until the end. The only thing that bothered me, but only a bit, was all the weeping. It made some parts feel almost melodramatic. But that's the only complaint; for me, that marks a keeper. And as with any LK book, I will definitely be re-reading this in the near future! Ms. Kurland is a master of romantic tales. You're in for a treat with every read. I envy those who get to enjoy her books for the first time. Her characters feel like old friends and I'm so glad she is able to weave them back into stories so that we can 'catch up'. Plus it makes you want to read their stories all over again...

For more on...
Patrick and Madelyn- A Garden in the Rain
Jamie - A Dance Through Time
Alexander Smith- The Very Thought of You
Zachary Smith's story is 'to come'

In A Garden In The Rain, we got to meet Sunshine Phillips, Madeline's herb-wielding older sister. Madeline and Patrick MacLeod are now settled in Scotland, but Moraig, the healer/witch/whatever-she-might-be who lives in Patrick's little hut has died, leaving her home and legacy to Sunny. Sunny is almost perfectly happy in her crooked little hut amongst her herbs... but she wants love, even though it seems impossible to find.

Then Robert Cameron, laird of the clan Cameron, pulls her across her threshold into the 14th century so she can attempt to save his brother's life...

It's obvious from the start that Sunny won't be able to return home right away, and that Cameron and Sunny will fall in love. And fall in love they do. But that's where the "standard" time-travel romance plots deviate from this one. I won't give away early spoilers like I'm sure other reviewers will do (judging from reviews on other bookseller sites). I'll just say that Lynn Kurland has introduced a new twist here that is quite interesting, as well as fun to watch the characters figure out. She's got a new breed of villain in this book as well.

Other characters from her books are included in this story, too... but not in the wild confusion that some new readers complained about in When I Fall in Love. Those that are included here each serve a purpose and are introduced nicely for those who might not not have been introduced to them yet.

All in all, this is a great story. Not her best, (I reserve that for If I Had You, This is All I Ask, and The Mage's Daughter)... but still five-star according to my personal ratings requirements. After all, Lynn Kurland is in a class of her own.

I usually lovee Miss Kurland's books, but I'm glad i only checked this one out from the library instead of buying it. It really drags in places and if that stupid "Sunshine" could quit crying for a while maybe the story could move along. I'd save my money on this one, not awfull, but not worth re-reading either.

With Every Breath fills in another blank in Lynn Kurland's family tree of time travel romances. In this case, the way-back machine carries Sunshine Phillips, an American living in Scotland, back to the fourteenth century. This comes to Sunshine as less of a shock than it might to some, since Sunshine's sister is married (in modern times) to a man from that time.

Basically, it's Sunshine's turn to find Mr. Right, and since Real Men can only be found in the distant past, through the time gate she must go.

With Every Breath is completely formulaic in construction (boy meets girl, girl is forbidden fruit because..., etc.). There is a small embellishment taking advantage of the ease of time travel in the MacLeod lands.

I found my first Lynn Kurland tale was low key and romantic, but as I've read more I feel like she's turning the crank. I'd like to see her stretch her capabilities a little, and provide more depth to the characters. However, on the plane or beach, With Every Breath will suffice.

This book started off good, but took a nosedive a few chapters in and never recovered.

I agree with other reviewers who beg the question WHERE WAS THE EDITOR? Too much whining, swooning, moping... Half of the book deals with this, where as it seemed like there were several oppurtunities to strenghten a weak scene, or expand on an important detail that was overlooked.
Something else that annoyed me was the change in Sunshine's character. At the start of the story she is an independent woman who easily defended herself against Cameron on numerous occassions. Yet, as the story wore on she became increasingly more weak and dependent on Cameron. One reveiwer pointed out how she suddenly, conveniently, lost all of her money mid-way. Very little was made about this, but then much was made about all the money that Cameron threw her way.
And Cameron... His motto is "keep your friends in your hall, your enemies at your table." He states that this belief served him well in the past. I was confused here. His cousin (said enemy sitting at his table)turned his clan against him, killed his preist and his healer, tried on numerous occassions to kill him, and eventually drove him away from his home. I don't understand how that philosophy really served him well. In fact, I was very frustrated with Cameron's continued lack of action, and backbone. First with his cousin, then with his fiancee.
To return to an earlier point, in the start of the story Sunshine easily defends herself against Cameron, knocking him down on several occassions. Yet later, when she is attacked she is easily disabled. Which only reinforces the feeling that Cameron is weak and not able to care for what is his. Not very heroic.

I have read the first three books in this series and enjoyed them very much. Came across this one at a local used-book store and decided to give it a read. I'm not finished with it yet - only about 70 pages to go - and I cannot WAIT to get to the soggy end! I've made it a personal mission to finish this book, although I'm almost ready to borrow my neighbor's canoe to paddle through all the sobbing - good grief!!! This book gives new meaning to the phrase, "cry me a river" (or in this case, a mid-sized pond)! ;-)

With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland
Really 4 ½ stars

This was a wonderfully, sweet time travel. Sunshine Phillips goes back in time to Scotland where she finds the sinfully attractive Cameron. Although it takes some time, Sunshine convinces Cameron she is from the future. Cameron is the Laird but with power there is also envy. In the last battle his closet kin dies and now there is a plot to murder him. Tired of watching his back, Sunshine and Cameron decide to travel back to the future together. But it doesn't end there!! On the way back Sunshine and Cameron are attacked and separated. Cameron is struck my amnesia and when he meets the mysterious Sunshine he is attracted but confused. Sunshine is in anguish, Cameron doesn't remember her and he has a fiancée, too.
This is where the story really starts to pull at the heart strings. This is a romance, so you know the ending will be happy. But until then, I really cried and boy did I enjoy it! Fabulous story that I remembered long after the last page was done!


Reviewed by Steph at Bookaholics Romance Book Club

OK, I know a lot of people thought that this book could have used some more editing, and I will agree with that. The only other thing I thought was a little excessive was the crying and pukeing. I think everyone in that story threw up at least once if not several times. I thought it was a little unreal, but aside from that ....it really is a good story. I had just finished Garden in the Rain, which everyone gave such high praise. I thought "Garden" was good too, but "With Every Breath", I was really pulled in. I had a hard time putting it down. I finished it in two days, and I am also in the middle of moving to a new house. You won't be disappointed if you are Kurland fan, and if you can ignore the pukeing. It is a solid story, some good twists and turns.

I will buy anything this author writes automatically and this book will not change that but I found it wearing. It should have been edited more closely so that the crying, moping, and mooning over the Hero didn't go on and on. The Hero became less dashing as he is seen more as someone who is looking after his Heroine to the point of making her seem like a baby. All of this abundance of angst could have been taken care of with a little cut here and a little cut there. The secondary charecters who were not in other books also seemed flat and could have used a bit of fleshing out. As for those from past books,they too seemed flat even when we know so much about them and there does not seem to be any growth. Please get this wonderful author a good editor!

I will still read her things since she is one of those authors, like Nora Roberts, who entertain even with their poor efforts that prove to be still better than their competion.

I have enjoyed many of Kurland's books, but this one was ho-hum. I guess I got tired of the "heroine" not doing much else other than crying her eyes out every few pages.