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A Dance Through Time
by
Lynn Kurland
historical fiction, paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on September 2, 2003 and has 367 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Love Came Just in Time, Tapestry, Stardust of Yesterday, One Enchanted Evening, 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, This is All I Ask, The Very Thought of You, Another Chance to Dream, My Heart Stood Still, If I Had You
First in the MacLeod Family historical paranormal romance series (and second in the overall de Piaget/MacLeod series) revolving around the clan MacLeod. The couple focus is on Elizabeth Smith from NYC in 1999 and Jamie MacLeod in Scotland in 1311.
My Take
Too funny. Elizabeth rewrites all the tragic endings of plays, which leads to an unsettling conclusion. She has reached another conclusion about her “fiancé” and his true purpose behind that “engagement”. Oh boy.
Kurland uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Elizabeth’s and Jamie’s perspectives, which gives us insight into their thoughts and emotions. Definitely fun!
Okay, hygiene is obviously not a problem back in Jamie’s day. I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth’s work cleaning up that hall and restoring pride in several of Jamie’s men. As for the inedible food presented, lol.
Jamie’s reaction to her father’s profession was hilarious.
I am confused when Kurland says Jamie has one of the most powerful clans in Scotland and yet his clan seems to be scraping by. It appears Jamie is also scraping by in romantic bedding and seeks advice from the womanizing Ian, lol. Yeah, Elizabeth isn’t impressed by her wedding night.
Kurland has a tricky way of preventing history from being unsettled, and I did enjoy Elizabeth’s reckoning of Jame’s family history. I also got a laugh at Jamie’s reactions to 1996.
But this trip forward is not the only time traveling done nor are Elizabeth and Jamie the only travelers. And Roddy’s stories provides us with foreshadowing of the future de Piaget/MacLeod stories.
There’s history, the conflict of time travel action, the contrast between historical attitudes, a range of characters with plenty of action, and a sweet happily ever after.
The Story
Jamie has never allowed a woman in his fall, and Elizabeth Smith is a most unwelcome “guest” who changes everything Jamie has believed.
The Characters
Elizabeth Smith, a.k.a. “Geoffrey”, is a dreamer with a tiny apartment furnished in early starving writer. She has five brothers: Jared and Stephen, who are both doctors; Alex, a big mucky-muck marauding lawyer with a great wardrobe; Sam plays in a band on the side; and, Zachary has just graduated from law school and already has an degree in architecture. Her father, Robert, is a pediatrician; her mother is Mary. Elizabeth’s grandfather used to tell her stories of the Scots and taught her Gaelic.
Clan MacLeod in 1311
The thirty-year-old Jamie MacLeod is the clan chief, the MacLeod. Jesse MacLeod is Jamie’s son. Patrick is Jamie’s younger brother who had disappeared in the forest. Astronaut is Jamie’s horse. Yeah . . . Kenneth also wandered off. Ian Weis is Jamie’s cousin. Douglas MacLeod had been Jamie’s father and the man who originally banned all women. Other kinsmen include Angus; the corrupt Nolan MacLeod, a wicked man with a preference for rape; Malcolm, who wants to be Elizabeth’s guardsman; Hugh, who is the “cook”; Megan, who is disguised as a boy with a talent for illustration; the disabled Everett gets his pride back; Dougan, who is also disabled with an astonishing knowledge of herbs; and, Friar Augustine is the clan’s priest who offers refuge. Natalie is the sister of Ian’s latest lay. Young Innis and his bride suffer from the Fergussons’ actions. Joshua of Sedgwick is a very loyal wandering minstrel.
Andrew MacAllister sold Jamie some horses and informs Elizabeth he’s Jamie’s favorite ally. Robert McShane is another of Jamie’s allies and has just lost his bride. Guilbert McKinnon, a another MacLeod ally, has a reputation as a womanizer and for getting rid of problems by burning them. Richard, Guilbert’s brother, is more sensible.
Clan Fergusson are . . .
. . . enemies of the MacLeods. Kincaid Fergusson had been their chief.
Robert the Bruce was King of the Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. Several hundred years later, Daniel and Dougan McAfee, twin brothers, fight each other for the lairdship of their clan.
Scotland, 1996
Roddy MacLeod runs an inn and is full of various historical stories about James MacLeod and his bride. Ryan Fergusson now owns Castle MacLeod.
New York City, 1996
Stanley Berkowitz works at the New York Public Library, wants to be Elizabeth’s fiancé, but isn’t thrilled about her chosen career. Mr Perkins is the “suffering” maintenance man at Elizabeth’s apartment building.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a faded pale blue background that appears to be a gradated image of a forest from almost transparent to a bit more visible on the right. The primary text is mostly burgundy from the more reddish info blurb at the top to the darker author’s name with yet another info blurb below that in black. Below the graphic is the title with a testimonial, in black. The centered rectangular graphic has a burgundy ribbon’d border with a golden sword a’slant the graphic. Within the border is a golden castle on a tall hill against a blue summer sky with a picnic basket on a burgundy checked tablecloth in the forefront.
The title is the travels of the Smiths and MacLeods in A Dance Through Time.
