Rating: 
Summary: An Engaging Read
Review: Karen Marie Moning wrote a great book that is magical, humorous, sensual, and romantic to boot.
"Kiss of the Highlander." Generally I am not a fan of either Time Travel books or of books about the Highlands but I couldn't find anything else that looked interesting and thought 'what the hey, I'll take a chance', and I wasn't disappointed.
Gwen Cassidy and Drustan MacKeltar are both engaging and vulnerable without being whiney or arrogant. And Ms. Moning found a great way to inject tension into the plot, the whole time travel -- do we believe each other thing -- without having to make either of her main characters behave as jerks. When one or the other is suspicious of the other character it is for good reason rather than some terminal character flaw like extreme jealousy, insecurity or just plain stupidity.
It was a great book that I devoured in one sitting and I look forward to reading all of her "Highland" books in the near future.
Rating:
Summary: A Sit on the Edge of Your Seat Romantic Adventure
Review: Gwen Cassidy was just trying to add a dash of spice to her ho-hum way of life. At twenty-five she has no family left to speak of, she's sick of her job, and there's no man in her life. So she embarks on a group tour of Scotland, but little does she know her trip will lead to the adventure of a lifetime, and then some. While out exploring alone, she stumbles and falls into a cave, directly on top of the sexiest man she's ever laid eyes on. A Highland warrior, who awakens from a nap that has lasted centuries.Drustan MacKeltar is determined to keep Gwen by his side, especially once he discovers he has been enchanted for five hundred years, and only ruins remain where his castle once stood. He knows he must return to his own time by using the closely guarded power and knowledge of his Druid heritage. Drustan has the ability to travel through time, and he'll not leave Gwen behind. She has no idea she will accompany him, until she finds herself whisked back to sixteenth century Scotland. It is then that Gwen realizes the life of the man she loves, along with the fate of Drustan's entire clan, rests solely with her. For there is an enemy plot which will eventually cause the death of Drustan's people, unless she can successfully alter the course of time. But can this diverse couple, each from a different century, find a way to remain in one place together for all time? I believe my first thought after finishing this book was, "Wow!" This was my first novel to read by Ms. Moning, and I was definitely impressed. I've previously read a couple of time travel books by other authors, and found them too unbelievable and just lacking something. Now I do realize that any way you look at it, time travel is unrealistic. But the difference here is Ms. Moning makes it realistic, and very possible. This story was a non-stop, sit on the edge of your seat, quick, turn that page, nail-biting adventure! In fact the pace reminded me of watching an Indiana Jones movie. This book has it all: well-developed main characters, interesting secondary characters which add to the plot, fast-paced adventure, humor, romance, and some sizzling love scenes. A definite five star keeper, and I can't wait to read the rest of this series!
Rating:
Summary: Slow start but it got sooo much better
Review: This book started pretty slowly. Gwen, the heroine, seemed like a ditsy character with one goal in mind. I was discouraged to think this was just another shallow novel with no real plot (besides getting the guy in bed) and no real character development.
But I was wrong. As the plot unfolded, Gwen showed greater depth and resourcefulness and became someone I cheered for. Drustan, of course, was the magnificent hero with more to him than the gorgeous outside package. I really enjoyed the time travel and the issues it raised. I also liked the little substories of Silvan and Nell and of course Dageus. The ending, with its unexpected twist, certainly brought on a good cry. And I chuckled at the wonderful teaser for her next book "Dark Highlander" at the end of the book. I picked up that one almost immediately after I finished "Kiss of the Highlander" to continue on with the story.
I read this really quickly. A wonderful book to hunker down with on a cold New England night!
Rating:
Summary: once again I'm drooling
Review: OMG these highlanders make ya sweat! Great book couldn't get enough of it, always a pleasure to read Karen Moning.I've re-read all her books many times and they are the best.Drustan and Gwen- loved the sexual tension that radiated between the two of them and finally the love that spanned centuries xoxoxooxox. Fabulous book really makes you want to take a vacation to a far away land where there may be a kilt or two being paraded around in.You wont be disappointed in this book always leaves me smiling.
Rating:
Summary: Great Series
Review: This book is part of a series and so far they have all been great....these twins are unbelievably hot
Rating: 
Summary: Crude and Unoriginal
Review: I purchased this book based on the glowing reviews - and was let down completely. Obviously, I am one of the few people who didn't like "Kiss of the Highlander." Why? First, it was crude. Too crude. I didn't find the horny heroine's quest to lose her virginity very endearing. She came off as way too desperate, and her "cherry picker" references became more annoying with every citation. Who in the world calls it a "cherry," anyway? Plus, Ms. Moning's choice words for the male anatomy sounded more like something you'd hear in a porno than in a romance novel. Second, the storyline was a rip-off of better time travel novels. "A Knight in Shining Armor" by Jude Deveraux is a trillion times better than "Kiss of the Highlander" and was written long before it. In fact, "Kiss" follows the plot of "A Knight" almost word-for-word. Hunky warrior from Great Britain's past appears in modern times. Girl thinks he's crazy, but takes him shopping and shows him modern appliances. Hot sex follows. Girl ends up going back in time to a point in the warrior's past in which he does not remember her or the fact that they are in love. She has to make him remember, all the while exclaiming over what it's like to live in the past. More sex. Then she gets transported back to her own time - without him again - until they magically find one another. The only difference between "A Knight" and "Kiss" is that the hero in "Kiss" is a spell-casting Druid and the heroine is a physicist who, in her younger years, discovered a means to create weapons of mass destruction (adding, of course, to the ridiculousness of the story).
"Kiss" has a sequel called "Dark Highlander," which I think is better written, more engaging, and has better characters (in "Dark," the brooding hero is cursed and must find a way to break it before evil takes over his body). You don't even have to read "Kiss" to understand "Dark Highlander." My suggestion is to read "Dark Highlander" and "A Knight in Shining Armor" and to avoid "Kiss of the Highlander" completely.
Rating:
Summary: Well, you got another winner
Review: I read over half of the reviews before I decided to write my own. I loved this book I hate saying that because it's what most people said. However, it's true, Ms. Moning has written a series of books that takes time travel and love to another height/level. I work in the library and it was a book that was mention by a patron as a must read. I was feed up with stupid love stories, from reading those savage loves and books like that. if you never read Skye OMalley go get it from the library. I will always love Skye Omalley. Great story. but these books are like one reader says is the bomb and I totally agree! There are more five star rating than one star rating, think about that.
Rating:
Summary: I was going to say trite, derivative, nothing new...
Review: Gwen Cassidy is a walking scientist cliché. Her parents were cold scientists and so she got sort of cold or something and then rebelled or something and then I guess her parents died while she was working for an insurance company. Anyway, let's just skip her unnecessary back story and say that she's 25 and in Scotland to lose her virginity when she falls down a hole/cave right onto McRip VanWinkle. The last thing Drustan MacKeltar knew he was in sixteenth century Scotland mourning the death of his brother and the fiancé he'd never actually met. Now, he wakes up with Gwen on top of him in the twentieth century. "Kiss of the Highlander" is a lot of fun. Not fun in a corny "rompy" sense, but just sort of escapist fun. Apparently Drustan was put into a cursed sleep and was accidentally awakened by Gwen. Our pair of lovebirds wander around Scotland for a few days in the twentieth century trying to come to terms with each other before Drustan sends them back in time with some mystical druid magic his clan was entrusted with. Things go wrong, Gwen sort of ends up fending for herself in sixteenth century Scotland, Drustan can't remember her, etc. I don't really know how to describe the story without spoiling some of the more major points so I guess I'll just avoid it. There are some frustrating misunderstanding type situations and no one seems to act terribly intelligently, despite what we're constantly told about them. Gwen is not the greatest heroine, in fact I find her pretty irritating a lot of the time. Drustan fares a little better, but I'm never quite sure why he fell so quickly for Gwen. I dunno, I guess for me there's more sexual chemistry than romantic chemistry between them. "Kiss of the Highlander" is very readable, and great for a poolside read, but it's not exactly setting the world on fire. On the other hand if you're a fan of Ms. Moning, or just a fan of a well written time-travel you'll probably enjoy this one. Also check out Ms. Moning's "The Dark Highlander" or "To Tame a Highland Warrior".
Rating:
Summary: Perfection!
Review: After reading hundreds of romance novels by countless authors, I can honestly say it doesn't get any better than this, folks! There are not enough words to express the perfection of this story. After my second readthrough, I am just as enchanted as I was initially. Karen Marie Moning has found the optimim blend of adventure, humor, love and passion that will captivate you from cover to cover, and have you thinking about it long after you're done. You cannot help but fall in love with the characters created in this book...main and supporting alike. Ms. Moning has shown her true genius in this genre by developing a tale that will have you eagerly turning the pages, revelling in it's creativity, giggling at it's humor, sighing at the romance, and panting at the passion! I have read all the books in this series, and whereas they all have their own specific charms, this is the book I will keep on the shelf for easy access and future reads. Can't wait for her long overdue next installment "The Immortal Highlander" scheduled to be out Summer 2004. Well done!
|
