Customer Reviews

A Matter of Time (Time Passages)

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The MacKendimen saga comes full circle with this stunning conclusion to the two part series that began with "A LOVE THROUGH TIME". Dr. Douglas MacKendimen (30 year old son of Maggie and Alex - ALTT) is once again in Scotland for the annual clan gathering. This has been a family tradition, since his parents met there and fell in love with the help of the fates and a magical stone arch. Douglas has grown up on his parents tales, but regards them as nothing more than "bedtime stories".

Of late he's been troubled by two dreams, each involving the same mysterious woman, a woman like none other, a woman he's never met. One dream is frightening, the other erotic, and Douglas can't help but compare all others to the "woman of his dreams", he's waiting for something, what? he doesn't know.

The clan seer, the old woman Mairi who was instrumental in his parent's own journey of discovery, tells him that he must now meet his destiny, which will involve saving this woman, and being saved by her, and answering to the fates, which are not pleased with him.

He scoffs but a woman's cry of distress finds him dashing through the arch, to find her under attack by a rival clan. Without hesitation he acts to save her. At the very moment he recognizes her as the woman he has dreamed of, he's rendered unconscious by a severe blow to the head.

The woman is Caitlin, the 17 year old daughter of Moira, the visionary who had helped Maggie and Alex during their journey through time, and the smithy Pol. Caitlin too, has had the dreams, of this man, the man she knows she will love with all her heart. She is the clan healer, an herbalist, but she also has a "gift" - the ability to cure with her touch. The gift has its price for Caitlin assumes her patients' pain.

Douglas is awed by the care she has for her patients and the sacrifices she is willing to make for them. Why have the fates sent him here when any involvement will surely end in heartbreak when returns home as prophesied? He soon comes to realize that he has defied the fates by immersing himself in technology and shielding himself from his patients suffering. He's forgotten to care. He was conceived in this time through his parent's great love for each other, their very own lesson, and he realizes he's been sent back to the place where HIS soul began to find it once more. But in finding his soul will he lose his heart? What will become of him and of Caitlin when he is sent back home, having learned the lesson of the fates? Will these few short weeks be enough to last them a lifetime? Can the fates be defied?

I cried at the end of this story, but don't let that put you off, I loved both stories and the saga ends happily, never you fear. I highly recommend reading both books and there's a little surprise at the end of this one that I think you will enjoy.

I've also learned that there is the possibility of a straight historical featuring Anice, who appears in both stories, and Robert who succeeded his half brother Sandy as laird to the MacKendimen clan in the past time. It is to be hoped that this is truly so, as I think it is a story that needs to be told! Ms. Brisbin will give us a new tale with the September release of the Queen's Man. I'm greatly looking forward to reading more of this fine author's efforts. -- Leslie Tramposch Copyright © 2000 ~Paranormal Romance Reviews

This book is enjoyable, escapist entertainment. It is a fairly well written, time travel romance. I read it, not realizing that there was a prequel to it. It did not really matter, as the author had enough background information interwoven in the book, so as to make it totally comprehensible. The only thing it did was whet my appetite for the prequel, which I fully intend to read.

Here, a twentieth century doctor, Douglas MacKendimen, disillusioned with the practice of medicine, inadvertently goes back in time to fourteenth century Scotland. Having been brought up with tales of time travel by his parents, stories that he took to be fairy tales, he is amazed to find them to be true. While in the past, he discovers people who knew his parents and is amazed to realize that he himself was conceived in the past.

He also meets the woman of his dreams, literally. You see, Douglas had, for some time, been dreaming of a raven haired, green eyed beauty, and here she is in the flesh in the fourteenth century! It turns out that she is Caitlin MacInnis, a healer in her own time. With her help, the disillusioned doctor rediscovers why it was that he went into the medical profession in the first place, and he regains his joy in being a healer. Having fallen in love with Caitlin, he must now decide whether he will return to his own time, or remain in the past with the love of his life.

Read the book, to find out what he decides to do.

A MATTER OF TIME by Terri Brisbin Review by Barb Deane, Barb'sAll Romance Book Store

Terri Brisbin's second book from the JoveTime Passages imprint, A Matter of Time, is the sequel to her first book, A Love Through Time. This book features Douglas MacKendimen, son of Maggie and Alex. If you haven't read A Love Through Time, rush out and get it too so that you can read both of these beautiful books.

Terri is a new author and has found a wonderful voice for these time-travel books. Both are set in modern day and fourteenth Century Scotland, although Maggie, Alex and Douglas are actually Americans. Whereas Alex and Maggie travelled through time together, their son Douglas walks through the stone arch all alone. This makes for an interesting contrast to the previous book and leaves you wondering from the very start if he stays or she goes.

Douglas is a twentieth century American doctor visiting Scotland for the annual MacKendimen family gathering. When he finds himself running through the forest of his fourteenth century clansmen, killing three men in an attempt to save the young woman whose face has haunted his dreams for years, he ends up unconscious from a heavy duty knock on the head. Fortunately for him, this woman, Caitlin, is the clan MacKendimen healer and she is able to bring him back from the fires of fever and the doors of death. She, too, has foreseen their meeting in her dreams, which are identical to the dreams Douglas has had.

Once he awakens, it is difficult for him to believe that he has actually travelled through time, even though his parents told him of their own journey to this very time. Although a few things have changed in the years since his parents left, many of the people there remember his parents and knew of their time-travel. They help him adjust and come to believe in the impossible, as well as finding him useful work with Caitlin in healing the clan's ill.

The sexual chemistry between Douglas and Caitlin is immediate; actually it begins before they ever meet, due to their intense dreams. Their skills and knowledge in healing compliment each other, all to the benefit of the clan. But they both know that Douglas is a visitor in this time and that he will be going back when the Fates dictate it. Although they try to fight the attraction they feel for each other, it is much too strong to be denied.

Terri has done a wonderful job of making the logistics and reasoning behind time-travel believable. I believed that Douglas found ways to make himself useful in medieval Scotland, although he longed for the comforts of his own time as well as the technology of his medical training. The love story is strong and compelling, as is the suspense of how these two will end up together. If you enjoy time-travels, or even if you have never tried one, I strongly recommend A Matter of Time, as well as A Love Through Time. Read and enjoy! Barb Deane Copyright© 1999, Barb's All Romance Book Store. All rights reserved

In September 2000 Dunnedin, Scotland, Dr. Douglas MacKenzie returns from his American home for a family reunion. Douglas still suffers from nightmares that include an unknown but beautiful lass. A distant but weird relative Mairi sends Douglas to fetch her basket lying near the arch. When he arrives at the arch, he picks up the basket while at the same time he hears a woman's terrorized scream. He races through the arch to confront three knaves accosting a lass. He rescues her, recognizing her as the woman occupying his dreams. However, one of the attackers knocks Douglas unconscious.

Caitlin MacInnis realizes that Douglas is the person in her dreams. With the help of her parents, they help Douglas heal from his head injury. He has a difficult time accepting that he now lives in the fourteenth century. However, he has less trouble realizing that he loves Caitlin. She reciprocates his feelings. Still, both fear that he can return to his twenty-first century roots abruptly ending their growing relationship.

A MATTER OF TIME is an enjoyable time travel romance starring two warm protagonists. The story line is enchanting, but the cast makes the novel a winner. The secondary players provide depth, mysticism, and authenticity to this well-written tale. Terri Brisbin is quickly becoming one of the sub-genre elite with her latest tale and her previous book, A LOVE THROUGH TIME.

Harriet Klausner

Terri's follow-up novel lives up to her first romance novel, A Love thru Time. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I don't usually read romances. But Terri's actually have a great plot and character development. I actually cared about these characters and wanted to see how they end up. Ok, now that I've got that off my chest, on to the review! Douglas MacKendimen, son of Maggie and Alex (from Terri's first book) is visiting Scotland for a family reunion. His parents have always told him the stories of when they went back in time and fell in love, but Doug always thought they were just stories until he finds himself in the same place about 20 years after his folks had been there. In the past, Doug meets Caitlin McInnis, literally the woman in his dreams. She's a healer, an actual one, as opposed to Doug who is a doctor. In the past, Doug finds his destiny. The only question is does he return a better person and leave the woman he loves behind or does he give up everything for Caitlin?

This book is enjoyable, escapist entertainment. It is a fairly well written, time travel romance. I read it, not realizing that there was a prequel to it. It did not really matter, as the author had enough background information interwoven in the book, so as to make it totally comprehensible. The only thing it did was whet my appetite for the prequel, which I fully intend to read.

Here, a twentieth century doctor, Douglas MacKendimen, disillusioned with the practice of medicine, inadvertently goes back in time to fourteenth century Scotland. Having been brought up with tales of time travel by his parents, stories that he took to be fairy tales, he is amazed to find them to be true. While in the past, he discovers people who knew his parents and is amazed to realize that he himself was conceived in the past.

He also meets the woman of his dreams, literally. You see, Douglas had, for some time, been dreaming of a raven haired, green eyed beauty, and here she is in the flesh in the fourteenth century! It turns out that she is Caitlin MacInnis, a healer in her own time. With her help, the disillusioned doctor rediscovers why it was that he went into the medical profession in the first place, and he regains his joy in being a healer. Having fallen in love with Caitlin, he must now decide whether he will return to his own time, or remain in the past with the love of his life.

To find out what he decides to do, read the book. You will not be disappointed.

I didn't even know there was a prequel to this book until I saw other reviews for this book. Now I will definitely have to go back and read the first. But, although I didn't read the first book, I was not lost while reading this one. The author was very good about putting some background into this one, the second book. I loved this book. I was held in suspense until the very end.

This is one of the few books I have read where it is the hero that goes into the past. And he learns things about himself while he is there. A physician who became caught up in the power, money, and prestige of being a doctor, he is made to realize why he became a doctor in the first place, while working side by side with the heroine, a healer. The romance develops nicely as both learn from the other. Definitely a reader! And now I think I will go back and read the first! :)

I was looking forward to reading this book as I had just read A LOVE THROUGH TIME. Terri continues the story but this time it is Maggi and Alex's son Douglas who is sent back to the middle ages. It is great to read about the characters inteviening 20yrs, since Maggie and Alex went home. I was so glad that Anice had changed from the spoilt brat that she was in the first book. I felt really sorry to find out what had happened to her. The ending was not what I expected it to be, but it was still very good. I do hope Terri will continue with the series. It would be great if she could give the other characters a turn like Lynn Kurland did with the MacLeod's and the De Piaget's in STARDUST OF YESTERDAY and A DANCE THROUGH TIME to mention just a couple of her books.