One Magic Moment [Mass Market Paperback]

I was delighted to find One Magic Moment in stores before it was officially released. Even though I had already pre-ordered it, I quickly snatched it up and starting reading. When you only get a new book every year, you take it when you find it! While in many ways OMM feels like a mish-mash of previous stories, it is still an enjoyable read, as we have come to expect with Ms. Kurland... There are some mysteries that I couldn't predict the outcome of, but for the most part it is a sweet and even-keeled ride. I will say with this one, that you would benefit from having read One Enchanted Evening before this. While you don't have to, I think it would heighten your enjoyment of OMM. I'm going back to re-read it now myself.

So after reading and enjoying One Enchanted Evening, I was excited to read John's story. He was the mysterious double to Montgomery, in being his twin. They were pretty much always together, the times they are mentioned. But Montgomery was the more outspoken of the two, so you feel like you know him better. That leaves John as the strong, silent type. All that we really knew about it him was that he was there and then he just disappeared. Well in One Magic Moment, we get to see what happened to him.

Tess, Pippa's sister, is still living and working at Sedgwick castle as when we left her in OEE. She has a PhD in medieval studies, and she enjoys creating that world for events that she holds there as well as the lectures she gives on occasion. She is greatly grieving for the loss of her sister; knowing that Pippa is happy and in love doesn't quite take away the sting of someone being gone from your life.

On a trip into town, Tess swipes off another side mirror. So she stops at the local mechanic shop and who should she happen to meet but a doppelganger for Montgomery, her sister's love. Knowing what she does about where Montgomery came from and where he is now, Tess knows that there is more to this John than meets the eye.

John is in many ways similar to previous LK heroes. He is overprotective, tall, dark and handsome. They both fight their attraction to each other, but John is unable to resist Tess. And Tess can't help but fall in love, after all John is a dashing, de Piaget! There are some great moments of him trying to "herd" Tess, to keep her behind him to protect her. LK found some winners of word choice and phrases in this one. There are a lot of laugh out loud and sappy smile inducing sweet exchanges in OMM.

A madcap, awkward romance ensues of two sides hiding the truth from each other, when it really would help them if they'd just say what they're thinking. A few times through the story, I wanted to clunk their two heads together to just get on with it... ;-) Their 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. Once again there are some reappearances from some past favorite characters. 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 enjoy theirs all over again.

One Magic Moment is a wonderful escapist read. I am purposely vague in my plot summary-- I didn't want to give anything away! I hope you enjoy!

For more on:
Jennifer and Nicholas- When I Fall in Love
Robin and Anne- If I Had You
Rhys and Gwen- Another Chance to Dream
Miles and Abigail- The Gift of Christmas Past from Love Came Just in Time
Jackson and Amanda- Dreams of Stardust
Pippa and Montgomery- One Enchanted Evening
Peaches- to come!

P.S. I am a bit "on the fence" that Peaches, Tess and Pippa's sister, is the story to come. I'm afraid it will be too much a repeat of the two stories before it... At least there isn't another de Piaget brother that's still single. I think we're overdue for a ghost story, what say you? Wink wink nudge nudge ;-)

This was embarassingly disappointing. Kurland has been doing less than stellar work recently and has killed a delightfully imaginative series with disjointed plotting, odd errors in English periods (For example, from the book: "Victorian England, perhaps?" "Believe me, I'm tempted. Especially since it would mean you'd have to wear heels and hose more often." -- Was't that a style more for the Georgians and elderly Regency characters? Search under 'Regency fashion men'.)

The characters were just okay for me, but not that engaging. Dragging in every major character from the series gave the book a grand finale feeling, which for me it is. Was this book was something she had to write but is no longer really into herself anymore, and then the book was given little editorial attention to detail by the publishers? Her editor did not seem to be really into romance, time travel, British Regency/Victorian genres or continuity issues in such a convoluted book.

I bought this because I have really enjoyed her books in the past, but her work will no longer be an automatic buy for me. I hate it when that happens.

I love the entire concept of the dePiaget/MacLeod families and can fully accept the "rules" that have been developed around time travel, paranormal oddities, etc. I even found it refreshing that the characters in this books accept time travel and are not freaked out about moving from one century to another.

But. There was no character development. John is taciturn,and that's about it. Tess is alternatively assertive and independent or on the verge of helpless tears. (make up your mind, honey). Stilted narrative such as "she stood there and shook" doesn't exactly reach out and grab the reader--not to mention, we've had an awful lot of weeping heroines in the last few offerings in this series. (does anyone actually *say* "watch it, buster" or "I think I'm losing it" in real conversation?? Both of those have appeared in at least the last three books; I don't know if Kurland is taking shortcuts or if her editor is, but those phrases are becoming tiresome.)

There's no plot development. The first 150 pages acould have been condensed to a third of that. The reasons why Tess wouldn't tell John that she knew his brother in another time are vague and pointless. It would make sense for a while, but the she-knows-he-knows-but-no-one's-telling dance is also becoming trite. There are enticing hints of Robert Cameron and Jamie MacLeod, but they're only mentioned as if they're being checked off a list somehow. It's hard to summon any sense of urgency as a reader when the writer doesn't seem interested, either.

"Till There Was You" seemed to be an enticing glimpse into the next generations of dePiagets, and how they would have grown up around the various parents, aunts and uncles who were not of a medieval ilk ('ilk' being another overused word)--this seems more like "oh, the fans want another time travel story; who hasn't been paired off yet?"

I used to mark my calendars for Kurland releases. I honestly forgot about this one until a month after it came out, and thought "oh, yeah, I better read that". Next time--assuming there is one--I may just borrow it from the library and save both the $$ and the space on my ereader.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 35 reviews  3.5 out of 5 stars