Dreams of Lilacs by Lynn Kurland – Review and Giveaway
Dreams of LIlacs
De Piaget series – Book #16
by Lynn Kurland
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository
Description:
Isabelle de Piaget is determined to elude her overprotective family by means of a hasty escape to France. But instead of making a surprise visit to her brother there, she winds up shipwrecked on the French coast with no memory of who she is or how she came to awaken in the dark and forbidding castle of an equally brooding lord.
Gervase de Seger rescues—very reluctantly—the bedraggled urchin he finds on the road and puts her to work where he can ignore her. Unfortunately, he soon realizes that her brother is an intimidating lord who is going to be absolutely furious when he learns that his beloved sister has been laboring as a scullery maid. Yet Isabelle may be the one who holds the key to solving Gervase’s most pressing problem: that someone has been trying to finish the task of separating him from his title and his lands.
Finding the truth propels Gervase and Isabelle from the buried secrets of half-ruined keeps to the glittering French court, and to the realization that love can blossom in the most perilous circumstances—and in the most unexpected places of the heart .
Review:
Dreams of Lilacs, written by Lynn Kurland, is the 16th installment into the De Piaget series. Although this author–having produced one of my top 5 favorite series in literature (The Nine Kingdoms series)–is very well known to me, this book itself was a new experience. Upon discovering Kurland’s wonderful, and lyrical writing style over a year ago, I have planned on branching out and looking into her other works. An ARC from the Reading Cafe, was just the excuse I needed to find out if her romantic fantasy series is where I will strictly stay, as a reader. Happily I report that Kurland has a true gift of storytelling, one of which beckons me out of my literary bubble. 🙂
Researching this series could be a little confusing to a reader at first. To my knowledge there are two other series’ written by this author aside from the Nine Kingdoms series. These are the MacLeod’s, and the De Piaget’s. My understanding is that at some point, the two have intertwined. Despite entering this world at book 16–and after the story arc has woven into the MacLeod’s–I found that this author does a fine job of creating a stand alone flow for this novel. I only experienced a passing moment of uncertainty, and no more than one would feel upon getting to know the details, and characters, of a new book.
Our journey begins with the female lead, Isabelle De Piaget; who is the youngest of her family. She receives a threatening missive from an unknown source. It holds mysterious, and vague instructions for Isabelle to arrive in France alone, or her entire family will be killed. She hatches a very extensive, and creative plan in which to travel there, unawares of the over bearing; protective men in her family. This “plan” entails cutting off her long hair, and dressing up like a lad…and may have been more successful, if our heroine had not ended up shipwrecked, and concussed on De Seger shores. To make matters worse, Isabelle awakens with no memory of who she is, or where she came from.
Enter Gervase De Seger, our moody, and injured hero, who mistakes Isabelle as an unusually comely lad. (Although he discovers his error in regards to her gender relatively quick.) When the woman awakens with amnesia, and is nearly attacked, Gervase puts her to work in his kitchens where a better eye can be kept upon her. Unsure of how to process his curiosity, and fascination towards the strange woman, and unaware that he is bestowing back breaking work upon a noble woman, with a very well known father.
Isabelle quickly remembers whose family of which she belongs, and yet the reason for being alone in France eludes her. She continues with the farce, in hopes of remembering the cause, something she feels must be dire…knowing the moment her unwitting kidnapper discovers who she is in truth, would mean a speedy trip home. The hilarity of the relationship, and attraction forming between Gervase and Isabelle is quite enjoyable, and presented in a memorable format. The story takes a darker turn, when newly written, mysterious threats, begin to find themselves on Gervase’s doorstep.
Like I have come to expect with the Nine Kingdoms series, Dreams of Lilacs showcases a whole cast of enjoyable main and secondary characters, as well as appearances from those of previous books. This is one of the many elements I have always enjoyed from this author, as it creates a familial atmosphere, and humorous banter. I may have fashioned a smile throughout this entire novel, mostly stemming from the interactions between the hero, and heroine themselves.
Something I find unique unto the romance genre, and something I deeply appreciate about this author, is Kurland’s ability to build a palpable love connection between the hero and heroine, without a single intimate scene. I am the type of reader who looks for the emotional side of romance first, and the physical side, second. There are many romance authors, (a few who are also on my top favorite author list) with the ability to create literary poetry by blending the emotional, and physical sides of romance seamlessly. Yet to create a bond which is equally felt by the reader, using only one side of the coin; is rare, and something this author excels at. I am compelled to give credit to an author that brings something new, in a genre that oft times repeats itself.
In closing, Dreams of Lilacs is a fast paced, fun read, that can easily be loved by long time fans of this series, or by newbie’s such as myself. Upon completion, I look forward to reading all the previous installments of the De Piaget’s, and MacLeods. There are no words I can find, in which to recommend this author highly enough. I will simply say, buy her books, and love them with me. 🙂
Reviewed by Miranda
Copy provided by Publisher
Lynn and her publisher are offering a paper copy of Dreams of Lilacs to one (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.
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6. Giveaway runs from May 1 to May 4, 2014
