I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
One Enchanted Evening
by
Lynn Kurland
It is part of the De Piaget #6 series and is a historical romance, paranormal romance, time travel in Paperback edition that was published by Jove on April 27, 2010 and has 384 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Love Came Just in Time, Tapestry, Stardust of Yesterday, One Magic Moment, From This Moment On, Spellweaver, Gift of Magic, All For You, Roses in Moonlight, Dreams of Lilacs, Ever My Love, A Tapestry of Spells, Star of the Morning, The Mage’s Daughter, Princess of the Sword, Dreamspinner, River of Dreams, Dreamer's Daughter, A Dance Through Time, This is All I Ask, The Very Thought of You, Another Chance to Dream, My Heart Stood Still, If I Had You
Sixth in the De Piaget time-traveling, historical paranormal romance series. Chronologically, it should come after Stardust of Yesterday, 11, which is all about Kendrick’s adventures and how his romantic life completes itself. After all, if Kendrick is going to be showing up at contemporary Artane, with 13-year-old triplets…
My Take
The “4” is my compromise between the “3” I wanted to plant on it for Pippa allowing Cindi to be such a bitch and the “5” I felt for the rest of the story. It really irritated me that Pippa ran around serving Cindi and letting her get away with it. I thought Kurland’s excuse that Pippa would need Cindi to be able to get back through the gate was pretty lame. As for the rest of Cindi’s behavior, I don’t know how Pippa could have been so stupid as to be taken in by it all her life!
I suspect Kurland was in a bit of a hurry as she kept leaving out crucial words. Or, at least, not connecting the dots in even a transparent manner. I know it’s bad when I have to keep going back and re-reading the material trying to figure out what I missed. And, still missing it.
The Story
At last, Pippa has her chance at creating her line of medieval-inspired fashions for ladies both young and older. Tess’ friend, Stephen de Piaget, is interested in her designs and has the funds to get her started. Doing this while living in Tess’ newly inherited castle, Sedgwick, is simply the icing on the cake as far as Pippa is concerned.
The one negative. And, it is a huge one, is Cindi has decided to come along. All her life, Cindi has been sabotaging her efforts, and this visit to Sedgwick is no different.
The results of Cindi’s maneuvering do result in a trip into a fresh, clean moat that unexpectedly becomes a medieval cesspit with an even more unexpected audience of one Montgomery de Piaget, newly-arrived Lord of Sedgwick. Newly-arrived in 1241 that is.
The Characters
Persephone “Pippa” Josephine Alexander has been working behind the scenes, sewing and eventually designing costumes for theatrical groups. Her goal in life is to create a line of her own work and go on to “fashion world domination”. Cinderella “Cindi” Alexander is Pippa’s sister and a professional beauty queen with a history of taking and ordering anything and anyone she wants from her sisters and anyone else. Their other sisters include the twins, Peaches and Tess, Moonbeam and Valerie.
Montgomery de Piaget, youngest son of Rhys and Gwen de Piaget (Another Chance to Dream, 1), has just been given Sedgwick Castle for his own. A serious man of 28, he wonders why his parents hate him so much. Robin, his oldest brother, teases him unmercifully even as he leaves his son, Phillip, with Montgomery as his squire. Ranulf is captain of his garrison.
Hugh McKinnon, the ghost, makes an appearance with plans of making a match between Pippa and Stephen de Piaget, the son of the current Earl of Artane, who is interested in investing in Pippa’s designs. Various other members of the de Piaget family show up including a modern-day Kendrick, Zach Smith, Megan, Gideon, and Mary with 13th-century Robin de Piaget and Anne (If I Had You, 2), Amanda and Jackson Kilchurn IV (Dreams of Stardust, 3) with Jackson V, Nicholas and Jennifer (When I Fall in Love, 4), and an 11-year-old Kendrick and James. Everard of Chevington, a former squire to Rhys de Piaget, has also come to help Montgomery settle in to his not-so-welcoming castle.
Lord Denys hasn’t much to say in this as he has just died, causing Sedgwick Castle to revert to Rhys’ hands who has chosen to place it in Montgomery’s, bypassing Denys’ wife, Gunnild, and his children: Boydin, Martin, and Ada. For some reason, the Sedgwicks object…
The Cover and Title
The cover is a bit doom-and-gloomish with its black-and-white atmosphere of a castle on a hill hunkered down in the mist and surrounded by forest. Rather appropriate for what Montgomery encounters when he first arrives at Sedgwick with its broken and holey walls, a drawbridge that exists more in name, a suspect garrison, and definitely hostile Sedgwick cousins.
The title is appropriate if somewhat contradictory when applied to the One Enchanted Evening when the wing-clad Pippa and Cindi accidentally fall through one of the time gates from contemporary Sedgwick to the Sedgwick of 1241. From a fairy-themed birthday party to a medieval celebration “welcoming” Montgomery to his new holding.
