Customer Reviews

Much Ado In the Moonlight

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lynn Kurland has once again taken us on a whirlwind journey through time. Once again we find two ill fated lovers who must face the test of time or be fated to never touch the other. And that is the problem with this book. It is a once again novel. I have waited for this book for several years. Once we met Conner and Victoria in MY HEART STOOD STILL, I have looked forward to the book. The book has all of Kurland's usual cast of characters and yet I wished for alittle more, maybe alittle more in the past. Most of this one is in the present. No one does a historical with more humor or elan than Kurland. My personal favorite is still FROM THIS MOMENT ON, Even though it follows a preset path, it is still a very good read. Not as much humor as usual, but still full of fun.

Victoria McKinnon is the sister of Thomas McKinnon and runs a playhouse and a troupe of actors who do Shakespeare. Her brother offers Thorpewold Castle as a setting for Hamlet. She is delighted and hurries over to start staging the play. Unfortunately she finds a host of ghosts at the castle one of which she finds most fasinating.

Conner is a ghost because his unfaithful wife ran off with a french troubadore. When he is murdered by the minstral he finally settles at Thorpewold Castle. Raging against the loss of his life, he is bad tempered and very loud.

When these two very strong minded people meet you expect fireworks but not the kind you get. Both seen to temper their responses to each other and fall madly in love. There are some comic scenes as they dance around each other. When Victoria's granny finds her way into Shakespeare's England, Victoria, Conner and Jennifer, Vicki's sister, must go get her as well as Michael Fellini, the lead actor in her Hamlet.

I enjoyed the book and will be watching for the next tale of the McKinnon family. Jennifer still needs to meet her match. I love Kurland's books. I enjoy every chance to read her unique view of romance. Don't miss this book.

If you read Lynn Kurland regularly, you know that this is what she does best. In her latest, a McKinnon heroine goes to England to produce a play in a castle haunted by the Laird Connor MacDougal a ghost with a past like one of Shakespeare's plays. The intereaction between these two is really enjoyable and while I did not laugh outloud while reading this book, I did smile. Kurland has turned more toward the inner workings of what men think versus what women think instead of the formula writing of most romance novels. (if you are a regular reader you'll recognize alot of these characters from previous work--James McLeod for one.) This is a light read, not the intesity of some of Kurland's work but if you want to be entertained and feel good when you finish reading this is for you. It's not at the top of my Kurland list but I'm not sorry I paid full price for it! And Victoria McKinnon isn't a wimp, which gets tiring in alot of these books by other authors. Buy this one!

I am a huge Kurland fan. Although her last few books didn't quite hit their mark with me.

This one, however, seemed more in line with her older work. It was an entertaining tale. The characters were interesting. I enjoyed the humor in the story. The book was pretty long, maybe a bit longer than need be, but worth reading.

I recommend this book. Because Kurland is following along with characters from previous stories, I would recommend you read her books in order. Its more enjoyable to understand the characters that are reintroduced.

Lynn Kurland has been a #1 favorite of mine. I love the fact that she keeps her writing PG rated, but you still get all the lines in between. I have openly laughed while reading her books. (Even during the stares of onlookers that don't understand the magic of storytelling.) Her characters always come to life and I can't wait to visit old friends again, while anxiously awaiting her next release. Although I agree that the characteristics of Conner and Victoria seem to be a little off from what we knew of them in previous stories, I still enjoyed the book. It will join the other re-reads on the bookcase, but not one of my absolute favorites. Definitely pick up any of her books and I know you will be hooked!

Producer Victoria McKinnon is exhilarated that her wealthy brother Thomas is allowing her to produce Hamlet at his Thorpewold Castle in England. Victoria thinks a genuine old castle adds flavor to the staging of the Shakespearean masterpiece.

However, Thomas failed to inform Victoria of a minor problem, Connor MacDougal, the grumpy resident ghost who not only opposes people especially women because he was betrayed by his wife when he was alive eight centuries ago; he also is irate that they plan to butcher the Bard. Victoria is not one to back down from a specter, but is outraged that her sibling failed to warn her. Still on with the show, but instead of causing further trouble, Connor finds himself attracted to Victoria and wants to help her achieve her goal because he finally has met his true love; alas there is a slight problem as she is mortal and he is dead.

Few writers if any can merge humor with the supernatural inside a star-crossed romance as well as the incomparable Lynn Kurland can consistently does. If you believe that just try this novel, MUCH ADO IN THE MOONLIGHT, or Ms. Kurland's terrific time travel tales like DREAMS OF STARDUST; you will be a fan after reading any of those. Her latest entry is a terrific paranormal romance starring a crusty creaky ghost and the enthusiastic human female who brings him to life for the first time in his existence. Sub-genre fans will curl around this one sitting treat.

Harriet Klausner

In all honesty, and it's very sadly this book was simply not worthy the average 4 or 5 stars I normally give her works. I've been an avid fan of Lynn Kurland since I first laid my eyes upon, "This is all I Ask." Since that novel I had made it a point to read back and collect every book or anthology I had missed. So I know the work she is capable of, and have been very happy with her stories except for perhaps her latest two, now including this one.

I liked this book, but that's it, "Much Ado In The Moonlight" left me a bit cold in the romance department. The magic that her former novels had inspired for me previously just didn't appear to be there, and made it a somewhat difficult novel for me to get through. I didn't quite feel that the split plot engines were needed. I'm also not so certain all of the character cameo was necessary. As much as I enjoy those every now and again!

I imagine that to a new reader of her work that this story line might seem quite busy, since there are all these characters springing from here and there. I do feel that with out one reading her earlier novels, a person might lack the knowledge about the cameo characters. And since it's our attachment through their fore stories that which makes the revisit so endearing to us. I just don't think this one stands very well on it's own.

If you haven't read any of her earlier novels, I highly suggest them! Please, go out right now and check them out! Then come back and read this one after, the reader may appreciate it more.

Kurland has added another fun novel with the matchmaking ghosts teaming up with Thomas McKinnon and Iolanthe MacLeod (of My Heart Stood Still) to wed Thomas' sister Victoria to Connor MacDougal, the ghost who has taken over the haunting of Thomas' partially restored castle. Readers of the series will be familiar with many of the characters who appear, but those new to Kurland should at least read Jamie MacLeod's story (A Dance Through Time) and My Heart Stood Still to get a better understanding of the background of Victoria and Connor's romance.

Only one thing dissatisfied me with Much Ado in the Moonlight--the almost complete change in characterization of Victoria and Connor from their depiction in My Heart Stood Still. As an English teacher, I understand that writing from a different perspective changes the story, but . . . both Victoria and Connor were completely unlikable before, but now display hearts of gold, hearts that they've been hiding because of traumas in each's past.

This is the first romance novel that I have read from Lynn Kurland. It seemed to take forever to get going and the first half of the book really dragged on. The last half got much better but there was really no hot sizzling romance to speak of in the story. From the other reviewers, it sounds like her earlier novels were much better so I will try one of those.

I am a Lynn Kurland fan and she did not disappoint with this book. While it may not be as humourous as some of her others, it is still worth each and every of the 5 stars I've given it. This is the story of Victoria McKinnon and the ghost Connor MacDougal, whom she comes to love and who loves her. The problem of course is that he is a ghost, he died over 800 years ago. But there is a way to restore his mortality by going back in time through a fairy ring and preventing his death. Of course Victoria sacrifices everything to do this because even if she can save him, he may not want to come forward in time to be with her, and even if he did he may not remember her or the love that they shared while he was a ghost.

This is a beautifully written love story with great supporting cast. The time travel elements are also well done. The reader has no trouble following the time frames that the author takes you through.

I was sorely disappointed in this book. I am a long time fan of Kurland's books, but this one was very boring for me. It felt a lot like she just rehashed the plot from one of her prior ghost stories and just changed the names and added a few extra bits to make it different. It did not have the feeling of an original work at all.... If you are just starting out reading Kurland's work, I'd suggest start with one of the earlier books instead of this one, as it isn't a very good example of her work.