A Kiss of Fate (Putney, Mary Jo) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Duncan Macrae inhaled deeply, intoxicated by the rampant scents of summer..." (more)
Key Phrases: enchantress power, weather mage, scrying glass, Lady Bethany, Glen Rath, Lady Brecon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Love and magic prove to be comfortable bedfellows in this enchanting mid-18th-century romance from Putney (A Twist of Fate; The Bartered Bride), which launches a new series focused on the Guardians, a group of English and Scottish folk who possess supernatural powers. Gwynne Owens, daughter of an English Guardian, has grown up as a scholar of the group's lore, though she has few powers of her own. An early, platonic marriage left her a wealthy widow, and though she values her independence, she finds it hard to resist her attraction to Duncan Macrae, a Scottish mage who is adept at manipulating the weather. As Duncan aggressively courts Gwynne, the winds of war between England and Scotland grow stronger, along with the Guardian council's sense that a catastrophe is imminent. Gwynne eventually marries Duncan, but when the uprising of Bonnie Prince Charlie occurs, she realizes she must betray her husband, who has aligned himself with his countrymen. Putney plays out the consequences of their decisions until the very end, keeping readers enthralled all the way up to the inevitable coming together of hero and heroine. Their final love scene is a touch trite, but overall, Putney does a fine job of weaving magical elements together with actual historical events to create a rich, romantic tapestry.
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–An excellent historical romance with a nice touch of fantasy. The setting is Scotland during the unsettled time when Bonnie Prince Charlie tried to take the throne. Gwynne thinks that she is a mundane, an ordinary human, but she is well aware of the Guardians's mystical powers to cast spells and influence human events, albeit very slightly. When the powerful Guardian Council asks her to marry Duncan Macrae, she does not understand this request, but she obeys. After her wedding night, she learns that she is actually a powerful Guardian who receives her power after her first sexual experience. Conflicts develop as to how much help Duncan will give to Prince Charles. Putney is a master at describing the time period–the feuds, customs, and clan loyalty come alive with special flair. This story could be used to introduce mature readers hooked on romance to fantasy.–Claudia Moore, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; No Additional Listings Printed edition (June 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345449169
• ISBN-13: 978-0345449160
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #952,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very exciting premise's potential unrealized, July 14, 2004

By	Deborah MacGillivray "Author," (US & UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

There are supernaturally endowed Guardians who lived amongst the Mundanes, mere mortals. The Guardians each have special talents, and were sworn to protect the Mundanes. Years ago, Gywnne's father, a powerful Guardian too a Mundane to wife. This was not forbidden, but was discouraged because a Guardian man needed an equally strong woman to balance and enhance his powers. As Gwynne grew up in her father's home, she inherited his love for history and lore. When her father died, she was seventeen. Alone in the world, she passively accepts marriage to a man over 50 years older than she. Over fifteen years pass, with Gwynne still working in the library of her childhood home, keeping companionship with her late husband's sister. She's content to pass through life like some hothouse flower.

When Duncan McCrae, the Lord of the Storms, sees Gwynne he knows she is his destiny. Gwynne is a pain to Duncan (and the readers) by her willingness to avoid life. When Duncan makes it clear to her he wants her for his wife, she is shocked and rebuffs him. Gwynne believes she does not have any power and hesitates to welcome a union with such a powerful Guardian.

Duncan accepts Gwynne's mandate to leave her alone and is preparing to depart for his home in Scotland. Gwynne is been summoned by the Guardian Council and told she must marry Duncan. Gwynne hesitates, but finally accepts as a member of the Guardian society she must married Duncan. She is warned that war between Scotland and England is looming, and that Duncan will need her. He is a Scot, but his loyalties lay with Hanoverian rules in England. This will make his power as a Guardian very pivotal for both countries.

Duncan and Gwynne marry within days and start their journey toward Scotland, just as Bonnie Prince Charlie has landed in Scotland to raise the Clans. Gwynne and Duncan soon discover she is an Enchantress mage, a woman who can control men through her sexual aura. She did not know this, because Enchantresses only unlock their power after they have slept with a man they truly love.

Within short order, Duncan and Gwynne are tossed into the Jacobite rebellion and Gwynne soon sees her husband is using his power to help the Scottish cause, and only she can stop him.

While the premise holds so much promise, this novel is missing the usual Putney "Fallen Angel" fire. The two leads just don't capture the emotions or the heart in true Putney Style. Thunder of Roses and all the Fallen Angels are just so much more than this book. Since it dealt with Scotland, and the lore angle, I REALLY wanted to love this book. It an enjoyable read, just pale, The whole plot had so much potential she totally left untapped. Even the prose was failed to sparkle - "her waist was so tiny he could span it with both hands"....how many times has that overused phrase been trotted out in Historicals? A writer of Putney's strengths and talent should never fall back on something that worn out. And referring to Gwynne's wedding night as being "initiated in the ways of Aphrodite"...<g>

The second half of the book is much stronger and I was glad to see it picked up and started to come "alive", but it never overcame to "shallow" emotions of the characters. Putney is truly one of the greatest writers in Romance today. Thunder of Roses and Dancing on the Wind are prime examples of just how evocative her prose are. A Kiss of Fate is just not true Putney.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars W-O-W-! This is not to be missed!, June 29, 2004

By	Detra Fitch (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Everyone carries a spark of magic in his soul. Guardians just have more ...

"Guardians" have always lived among "Mundanes" (A.K.A. normal people). Guardians are those humans who have mage talents. There are several different types of mages with various levels of talent. Each take an oath, to swear to support what was good for the largest number of people. They were never to use their powers for harm, self gain, or to interfere with the normal process of the world such as war.

Gwyneth Owens had, at one time, a Guardian father and a Mundane mother. She lived among the Guardians and took the oath, even though she had never shown any magical abilities. She would have been content to live out her remaining days in the vast Guardian library. Fate had different plans for Gwynne. She caught the eye of Duncan Macrae, Lord of Thunder, a powerful Weather Mage of Scotland. Though attracted to each other, Gwynne refused his offer of marriage. One with such power should marry his equal. However, the Guardian Council's scrying glasses showed dark times ahead. There was talk of a Jacobite rebellion. Prince Charles, The Pretender, had landed in Scotland and civil war loomed ominously. Gwynne was all but ordered to marry Duncan. No one could see why, but as his wife Gwynne would give him balance. She could make sure his emotions never clouded his judgement. As the Lord of Thunder, Duncan's power of controlling the weather could sway the outcome of the war, which was against the Oath.

Soon Gywnne would learn about her own dormant mage talents and why they took so long to show. Only Gwynne's talents and her love for Duncan and the clan can keep the rivers of Scotland from running red with blood.

***** W-O-W-! This is not to be missed! It is the first of a new breathtaking series by the best-selling mistress of historical romance, Mary Jo Putney. Fans will want this one in hardback so it can be read many times in the future. (And just wait until you meet Gwynne's cat. It is half wild cat and very protective of her.) Excellent tale that will keep readers glued to the pages! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

14 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Aliens abduct Mary Jo Putney!, September 5, 2004

By	canadianlibrarian - See all my reviews

Aliens must have abducted Mary Jo Putney because there's no way she wrote this book! Putney, one of my all-time favourite authors and who I once named "Queen of Romance" usually writes brilliant, heartwarming stories with page-turning action, to-die-for valiant, handsome heroes and equally admirable heroines. KISS OF FATE was a boring, drawn-out historical novel about the Jacobite rebellion, Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Battle of Culloden. The history should have been a backdrop to a tender love story (that IS WHY we read romance, isn't it??) Instead, the characters were wooden, deceitful and totally two-dimensional. There was no depth to their relationship nor did the storyline help form their personalities or actions. Everything was preplanned - it was Fate and Destiny. Well - if everything was BOUND to happen from page 6 onward, how compelled did Putney think I would be to read to the end? NOT VERY! So I skimmed the last 150 pages just to finish this horribly disappointing book. No big mystery that the sequel will feature Jean and Simon - the author made sure we "got" that.
So who wrote this book???? Certainly not the "real" Mary Jo Putney. I'd recognize her style anywhere in books such as Shattered Rainbows, China Bride, Bartered Bride and The Rake. Try these if you want captivating love stories worthy of the name Putney.