One Enchanted Evening [Large Print] [Hardcover]

I have been eagerly awaiting Montgomery's story ever since his character was introduced. His sweet and innocent fascination with the land of Faery has made his love story with a future lass highly anticipated. We witnessed his mischievous and boisterous youth in Dreams of Stardust and started to see him mature in When I Fall in Love. And in One Enchanted Evening we are rewarded with him fully grown into a sweet, kind, chivalrous, and rightfully swoon-worthy de Piaget hero. He has just started work on Sedgwick, which is in even worse condition than Nicholas faced with Wickham... There are his cousins to contend with, who are not happy in the least that he has inherited their home. It is just as he is confronted by one of these foes that there is a shimmering at the end of his drawbridge. And he knows what that means, having witnessed enough other "Faery" happenings in the past.

Persephone Josephine Alexander (aka Pippa) is the daughter of free-loving, hippy-trippy parents. She is sister to Moonbeam, Peaches, Tess, Cinderella and Valerie. She is a costume designer who is on the brink of breaking into the fashion world; her niche just happens to be medieval/fairy-tale costumes. Then karma starts running amok in her life. First, her apartment burns down with her large stash of fabric and sewing supplies. Second, her parents arrive, towing along with them her pain-in-the-arse older sister and always center of attention, Cinderella. But there is one thing good coming, Pippa is preparing to depart for England, to costume a little girl's birthday party at Tess's medieval castle, which just so happens to be Sedgwick, Montgomery's castle. And we know that there are plenty of "paranormal oddities" to be found in the English countryside.

It is incredibly endearing to have a character so beloved like Montgomery find his happily ever after. His love story is not an easy one but while the ultimate path is predictable, it is not so in any way to take away from the story. (I was happy to find a heroine unlike the previous couple who is not constantly overwhelmed with tears.) There are many many sappy smile inducing moments. *sigh* Lynn Kurland sure knows how to paint heroes that make you pine for them and one real-live one of your own. Montgomery has been added to the high ranks of my favorites. And Robin's cameo appearance made him even more endearing that I had to go back and read his story again once I finished OEE. (What a smart tool this interweaving of stories is... because even if you've read the prior books, the characters reappearances make you want to enjoys theirs all over again.) Kendrick and Genevieve, Megan and Gideon de Piaget, Robin and Anne, Jackson and Amanda, Jennifer and Nicholas, Mary and Zachary, plus our favorite ghosts make reappearances here.

Enjoy this enchanting romance and savor every word. One Enchanted Evening is a wonderful escapist read. I didn't want to come back... ;-) I am purposely vague in my plot summary-- I didn't want to give anything away! First time readers, there is no reason this couldn't be your first LK foray. While other characters are mentioned, you don't need to know their back story to understand and enjoy this story. I envy you reading an LK book for the first time; you have many lovely stories to read after this, whereas I have to wait another year for a new one! :-p

For more on:
Robin and Anne- If I Had You
Kendrick and Genevieve- Stardust of Yesterday
Jackson and Amanda- Dreams of Stardust
Jennifer and Nicholas- When I Fall in Love
Megan and Gideon- The Three Wise Ghosts (in Christmas Spirits or Love Came Just in Time anthology)
Zachary and Mary- Til There Was You
Tess- One Magic Moment

It kills me to give a LK book anything less than 5 stars, but this one just seemed "off". A full third of the book is dominated by Pippa's sister and you see very little of the relationship between Pippa and Montgomery. LK's relationship writing is one of the things that makes her books so special so I was really disappointed in the lack of interaction between Pippa and Montgomery. The overly heavy Cinderella parallels seemed to sap some of the creativity out of the book. It just wasn't up to the usual LK standard. Still a good book though.

I have thought about whether or not to write this...i have been staring at the book (face down) on my bookcase, then reading other reviews - didn't want to have anyone yell at me. I have decided best to come clean, be honest (I am a big fan of Lynn Kurland) and then I can go give the book away: I didn't like it. Not one bit. And I have every single other one of her books beginning with Dance through Time to this latest one. My favorite: Every Breath. The rest: all 2d place. This Enchanted...donation pile.

*spoiler alert*
In Enchanted, there was no conflict that their timeless love was trying to overcome. There wasn't. Everything was "fixable" and I have proof: the end of the book ...pippa is in current world, Montgomery uses the new "time travel bolt hole" and just pops into her current life to ask her to come back to his time. What ? Comes forward then goes back. Not well done. pippa goes back...then comes forward...then goes back. Huh ? A few characters in her books did this travel unintentionally and to save one characters life (one time)..did time travel to get medical help. But they stayed HERE to live their lives. BACk/forth to resolve issues or not, it broke the rules we've had so far on this. Huge hiccup in the storyline I thought.

Montgomery's character: his brothers were two of the best swordsmen EVER but Montgomery felt like Ferdinand the Bull who wanted to eat flowers all day. Lukewarm was my response. And since you know I love the other brothers, cousins, all the other stories: what is missing that I didn't care for Montgomery when he has his own story ? he was "great" in the other books. Here: nope.

The plot ? It felt crazy quilt at times. No other word for it. Like it was revisited a few times to try to fix it..and thus, the quilt result for me. I don't think or read in linear fashion. I also dont think in stream of consciousness. You have a plot, I can follow it. No breadcrumbs even for me here. Nothing I could follow. No "hook".

I can replay in my mind vignettes from each of Lynn's prior books: in Stardust of Yesterday, Kendricks soul-wrenching yell when he finally "died" only to be brought back to life; Jamie & his Beth from Dance Through Time and his school boy like fumbling attempts to have her but not wed her and Beth stomping her slipper with a firm "no" -- antics are hilarious still. I remember all that while I sit here and type. Yet, I dont recall one single iota from Enchanted: nada.

I am happy (thrilled) with prior books in this series. I'll have them for years, will hopefully add to the series in the future. Enchanted however will not be in the mix. Crossing fingers for next book in the series to take me on another great adventure.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 28 reviews  4.3 out of 5 stars