With Every Breath [Mass Market Paperback]

Since Garden in the Rain is my favorite LK book, I knew With Every Breath would be a winner, worth the months of seemingly endless waiting. While this one is not quite as good as Garden in the Rain, it is still wonderful reading. Sunshine (aka Sunny) Phillips is now living in Moraig's hut (the previous Macleod witch) in Scotland. She works at a yoga studio and part-time at an herbs and sundries store. She is doing what she loves best. All that is missing is a loving husband and a family of her own. She lives nearby to many dashing, manly Highlander types that leave a lot to be desired in the village men folk. Patrick (my favorite LK hero is in fine form- being sweet, overprotective, full of stern looks and grumbles), Jamie, and Ian all make fitting reappearances. Then one day Robert Francis Cameron mac Cameron knocks on Sunny's door asking for her aid and sweeps her across the threshold back into medieval Scotland and into his heart. Och, aye...

I will begrudgingly admit that I am getting a wee bit sick of the usual time-travel story, feeling almost formulaic. BUT I was very happy that there are a few surprises and twists in With Every Breath. And the story did keep my interest secured. I had to make myself read and savor every word, and not rush through and possibly skip something important. I wanted to wait and save this or at least make it last me through a couple of days' enjoyment but I had a hard enough time putting it down to go to sleep so I could get up and go to work. Bah, work... There is after all only one Lynn Kurland and she is a masterful storyteller. She could write just about any type of story and it would be a wonderful read. She writes with such detail, vivid in imagery and such real characters that you feel a part of the story. You feel all that Sunny goes through. You fall in love with Cam right along with her. *Sigh* Reading these stories leaves you pining for a trip to Scotland to explore and find a dashing *swoon* Highlander of your own...At least it does for me ;-)

Overall a beautiful story that has many sappy-smile inducing moments, along with some sweet lol overprotective Highlanders, constantly needing to prove their manhood. What's a Scottish tale without some good swordplay, eh? Savor every word, every breath until the end. The only thing that bothered me, but only a bit, was all the weeping. It made some parts feel almost melodramatic. But that's the only complaint; for me, that marks a keeper. And as with any LK book, I will definitely be re-reading this in the near future! Ms. Kurland is a master of romantic tales. You're in for a treat with every read. I envy those who get to enjoy her books for the first time. Her characters feel like old friends and I'm so glad she is able to weave them back into stories so that we can 'catch up'. Plus it makes you want to read their stories all over again...

For more on...
Patrick and Madelyn- A Garden in the Rain
Jamie - A Dance Through Time
Alexander Smith- The Very Thought of You
Zachary Smith's story is 'to come'

In A Garden In The Rain, we got to meet Sunshine Phillips, Madeline's herb-wielding older sister. Madeline and Patrick MacLeod are now settled in Scotland, but Moraig, the healer/witch/whatever-she-might-be who lives in Patrick's little hut has died, leaving her home and legacy to Sunny. Sunny is almost perfectly happy in her crooked little hut amongst her herbs... but she wants love, even though it seems impossible to find.

Then Robert Cameron, laird of the clan Cameron, pulls her across her threshold into the 14th century so she can attempt to save his brother's life...

It's obvious from the start that Sunny won't be able to return home right away, and that Cameron and Sunny will fall in love. And fall in love they do. But that's where the "standard" time-travel romance plots deviate from this one. I won't give away early spoilers like I'm sure other reviewers will do (judging from reviews on other bookseller sites). I'll just say that Lynn Kurland has introduced a new twist here that is quite interesting, as well as fun to watch the characters figure out. She's got a new breed of villain in this book as well.

Other characters from her books are included in this story, too... but not in the wild confusion that some new readers complained about in When I Fall in Love. Those that are included here each serve a purpose and are introduced nicely for those who might not not have been introduced to them yet.

All in all, this is a great story. Not her best, (I reserve that for If I Had You, This is All I Ask, and The Mage's Daughter)... but still five-star according to my personal ratings requirements. After all, Lynn Kurland is in a class of her own.

I usually lovee Miss Kurland's books, but I'm glad i only checked this one out from the library instead of buying it. It really drags in places and if that stupid "Sunshine" could quit crying for a while maybe the story could move along. I'd save my money on this one, not awfull, but not worth re-reading either.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 45 reviews  3.7 out of 5 stars