Till There Was You
Grade : B

This book was an unusual choice for me. I don’t usually like paranormals, time travel romances, or medievals—and yet this book is all three. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Till There Was You by Lynn Kurland.

Zachary Smith doesn’t want to do any more century-hopping, so when he stumbles back into the mid-1200s unintentionally, all he wants to do is get back to his own time. However, while he’s at a medieval keep, he comes across the daughter of the laird, Mary de Piaget. He’s instantly drawn to her, but he knows that he “can’t leave a footprint,” so he keeps his distance.

Mary, however, is about to become betrothed to a knight who may be a bit pompous, but seems generally better than all of her other suitors. However, Mary sees beyond his polished surface, and legitimately fears for her life. Zachary wants to help her, and must decide between allowing the past to remain unchanged, and saving the woman he loves.

Zachary and Mary were both good, likable characters. Their relationship was strong and believable, and there were some great moments between them. Though there’s very little sensuality, they still have good chemistry and a level of sweetness that makes their relationship strong. I do think Zachary spent a bit too much time fighting his attraction, though, which impeded the development of both the plot and their relationship. We went in circles just a bit too long, and thus the end of the first half of the book dragged a bit, but once you get through it things pick up quickly.

From what I can tell, this is the 10th or 11th book in a series that follows a time-traveling family with a penchant for falling for people of another era. Because of this, there isn’t a whole lot of world building or explanations – readers are forced to jump right in. As I wasn’t familiar with Kurland’s universe, it was a bit disorienting at first, and later in the book there were a number of secondary characters that probably should have been familiar to me, but weren't. People who haven’t read the previous installments can still follow this book, but just be sure to pay close attention – or you might get lost.

There were a few missteps in terms of plot holes that never resolve themselves and conflicts that are resolved a bit too easily (it’s certainly convenient that Zachary speaks Medieval Gaelic), but overall Till There Was You was enjoyable. It’s a strong romance, and one that didn’t rely on physical chemistry to propel the relationship. And it certainly helped me see the good things about medievals, a subgenre I’ve avoided for a long time.

Reviewed by Jane Granville
Grade : B

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : May 19, 2009

Publication Date: 2009/06

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