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kathydavie's review against another edition
2.0
Fourteenth in the De Piaget paranormal romance series about the De Piaget family throughout time. The couple focus in this story is on Peaches and Stephen de Piaget, the future Earl of Artane in a contemporary England.
My Take
The ghosts are matchmaking again.
Peaches makes me nuts. She's magnified some comments Stephen made into this HUGE thing, and he's actually the fairy tale she claims to want. Not believable. She is so bloody overly sensitive about organic chemistry. Why be so damned sensitive when it's a field in which I'm sure she gets lots of weird comments? Stephen says he thought it had to do with manure in the garden…pretty much the same comment that David makes later at which she laughs. Even when he makes it worse with all the put-downs about Stanford being in California and obviously mediocre because of that fact. She's a stupid bitch, and she's just pissing me off.
No, I don't buy the set-up at Kenneworth House at all. The room she's put in, the maid's attitude, the horse David is insisting she ride. And Peaches just rolls over and takes it??? WTF? I just don't get how Peaches can think David is "just so right". And Stephen so wrong. Why would Peaches think so little of herself to allow the Prestons to abuse her? David is an ass. Irene is a bitch.
Look, Kurland, it's one thing to write the words to tell us this, it's another thing completely to show us and make us feel it! I have to assume that Kurland was simply trying to create tension, and all it's doing is making me nauseous. Peaches thinks the incredibly rude David "taught advanced studies in manners"? Where was Kurland's editor?? It's that or Peaches is on some really fine drugs… Wait, maybe it's me? Maybe I'm on drugs…??
I'm not sure Kurland was "with it" at the start of this story. She seems to have been rather desperate for filler. Very poorly done.
Okay, on the bright side, there's a touch of Cinderella when Peaches loses her slipper going through the timegate.
Gimme a break! Stephen is busy fighting for their lives, and Peaches thinks it's a good idea to try and get his attention to chat?? Again, WTF…
Oh lord, the clichéd "I have no money or titles" gag… Well, at least it's consistent with most of the triteness in this story.
The Story
Subbing for Tess at a Cambridge luncheon and faking her way through it, Peaches meets Stephen de Piaget again. A quite chivalrous Stephen who covers for her deception and insists on seeing her back to Holly's. However, the day doesn't end well when Stephen encounters those matchmaking ghosts.
Back in contemporary England, Peaches finds herself undergoing a sea change and has another much more fairy tale-like ball to attend, albeit a bomb of a scandal drops.
The Characters
Peaches Alexander's career as a life coach is dead in the water when her twin lets loose. Fortunately, John knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who can help with Peaches' sudden visa problem. And, well, Peaches has been wanting a change, she'd just had the idea that the change would be more organized.
Tess, Peaches' twin, is the Lady of Sedgwick, Sedgwick Castle, and married to the ancient John de Piaget.
Stephen de Piaget, Viscount Haulton and Baron Etham, practices swordplay with Ian and Patrick MacLeod when he isn't teaching Medieval History at Cambridge. Winston Humphrey is his extremely enterprising man.
David Preston, the Duke of Kenneworth, has marked Peaches for his next vic-…ah, love, and invited her to a ball. His sister Irene is a right bitch. Raphaela Preston is the Duchess of Kenneworth — David and Irene's mother. Surprisingly, she's a decent women unlike others, and she likes Peaches very much. Andrea Preston is David and Irene's cousin and "seems" nice enough. Hubert of Kenneworth is a serious enemy of Robin's.
Edwina has been hired to act as lady's maid (and security) for Peaches while at Kenneworth House. Louise Heydon-Brooke, Lady Chattam, is also Stephen's picky, pushy grandmother. An interfering, autocratic woman with high standards. She has no objections as to whom Stephen marries as long as she suits. And it's not Peaches. Lord Gideon and Lady Megan have a daughter and appear in a cameo along with Lady Helen, Gideon and Stephen's mother. Their father, Lord Edward, has an extremely brief appearance. It seems that Lord Reginald de Piaget, an early nineteenth century ass, er, earl, has a lot to answer for along with the cheating Lionel Preston, Duke of Kenneworth. Samuel and Theophilus de Piaget make an appearance in our time.
The Cover and Title
The cover is framed in the leafy greens of spring, flowers floating in the moat below the bridge that leads up to the castle. It's almost a vacation just looking at it!
The title comes from a young man proposing to his girl — a violinist, the dancing and — "it's All For Uou… Isn't that reason enough?"
My Take
The ghosts are matchmaking again.
Peaches makes me nuts. She's magnified some comments Stephen made into this HUGE thing, and he's actually the fairy tale she claims to want. Not believable. She is so bloody overly sensitive about organic chemistry. Why be so damned sensitive when it's a field in which I'm sure she gets lots of weird comments? Stephen says he thought it had to do with manure in the garden…pretty much the same comment that David makes later at which she laughs. Even when he makes it worse with all the put-downs about Stanford being in California and obviously mediocre because of that fact. She's a stupid bitch, and she's just pissing me off.
No, I don't buy the set-up at Kenneworth House at all. The room she's put in, the maid's attitude, the horse David is insisting she ride. And Peaches just rolls over and takes it??? WTF? I just don't get how Peaches can think David is "just so right". And Stephen so wrong. Why would Peaches think so little of herself to allow the Prestons to abuse her? David is an ass. Irene is a bitch.
Look, Kurland, it's one thing to write the words to tell us this, it's another thing completely to show us and make us feel it! I have to assume that Kurland was simply trying to create tension, and all it's doing is making me nauseous. Peaches thinks the incredibly rude David "taught advanced studies in manners"? Where was Kurland's editor?? It's that or Peaches is on some really fine drugs… Wait, maybe it's me? Maybe I'm on drugs…??
I'm not sure Kurland was "with it" at the start of this story. She seems to have been rather desperate for filler. Very poorly done.
Okay, on the bright side, there's a touch of Cinderella when Peaches loses her slipper going through the timegate.
Gimme a break! Stephen is busy fighting for their lives, and Peaches thinks it's a good idea to try and get his attention to chat?? Again, WTF…
Oh lord, the clichéd "I have no money or titles" gag… Well, at least it's consistent with most of the triteness in this story.
The Story
Subbing for Tess at a Cambridge luncheon and faking her way through it, Peaches meets Stephen de Piaget again. A quite chivalrous Stephen who covers for her deception and insists on seeing her back to Holly's. However, the day doesn't end well when Stephen encounters those matchmaking ghosts.
Back in contemporary England, Peaches finds herself undergoing a sea change and has another much more fairy tale-like ball to attend, albeit a bomb of a scandal drops.
The Characters
Peaches Alexander's career as a life coach is dead in the water when her twin lets loose. Fortunately, John knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy who can help with Peaches' sudden visa problem. And, well, Peaches has been wanting a change, she'd just had the idea that the change would be more organized.
Tess, Peaches' twin, is the Lady of Sedgwick, Sedgwick Castle, and married to the ancient John de Piaget.
Stephen de Piaget, Viscount Haulton and Baron Etham, practices swordplay with Ian and Patrick MacLeod when he isn't teaching Medieval History at Cambridge. Winston Humphrey is his extremely enterprising man.
David Preston, the Duke of Kenneworth, has marked Peaches for his next vic-…ah, love, and invited her to a ball. His sister Irene is a right bitch. Raphaela Preston is the Duchess of Kenneworth — David and Irene's mother. Surprisingly, she's a decent women unlike others, and she likes Peaches very much. Andrea Preston is David and Irene's cousin and "seems" nice enough. Hubert of Kenneworth is a serious enemy of Robin's.
Edwina has been hired to act as lady's maid (and security) for Peaches while at Kenneworth House. Louise Heydon-Brooke, Lady Chattam, is also Stephen's picky, pushy grandmother. An interfering, autocratic woman with high standards. She has no objections as to whom Stephen marries as long as she suits. And it's not Peaches. Lord Gideon and Lady Megan have a daughter and appear in a cameo along with Lady Helen, Gideon and Stephen's mother. Their father, Lord Edward, has an extremely brief appearance. It seems that Lord Reginald de Piaget, an early nineteenth century ass, er, earl, has a lot to answer for along with the cheating Lionel Preston, Duke of Kenneworth. Samuel and Theophilus de Piaget make an appearance in our time.
The Cover and Title
The cover is framed in the leafy greens of spring, flowers floating in the moat below the bridge that leads up to the castle. It's almost a vacation just looking at it!
The title comes from a young man proposing to his girl — a violinist, the dancing and — "it's All For Uou… Isn't that reason enough?"
smalltown_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy the storylines and characters the Lynn Kurland creates. The men are lovable and handsome, and the women have a strong streak of bravery and resiliency I really like.
alboyer6's review against another edition
3.0
Not the best of the de Piaget stories but a fun read none the less. The female lead character I had a hard time taking seriously wit a name like Peaches.
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
Loved the book. I really liked Stephen in his appearances in earlier books. He is one of the quieter members of the family, but I always got the feeling there was a lot more to him than it appeared at the time. Peaches is at a crossroads in her life. Her previous work as a life coach/organizer has come to a screeching halt, and she isn't sure where to go from there. She has been invited to a gathering by the Duke of Kenneworth that Stephen attends also. There has been trouble between those two families for a long time. The Duke turns out to be not very nice and events of the weekend have Stephen coming (very quietly) to Peaches rescue. There are some great scenes with Stephen's man Humphreys that are hysterical. Peaches also ends up stepping through a time gate and captive of the Duke's ancestor. Stephen, having gone looking for Peaches, recognizes the gate for what it is. Being a very intelligent man, he contacts a couple of people who know what he'll have to deal with for advice, and then goes after her. During that rescue and after, Peaches comes to realize that she has misjudged Stephen and that she has been attracted to him all along. As she starts to work for him and they spend time together, she figures out that what she took for stuffiness was actually a bit of shyness on his part. He is very relaxed with other people, but can't seem to get it together around her. I loved their time together and seeing their conversations as she learned more about him and discovered that he was in love with her. She can't believe it and is convinced that she is all wrong for him, due to what she sees as her being far below him on the social scale. He is trying to convince her that she is wrong when the Duke drops a bombshell on his family that Stephen needs to figure out how to fix. This involves another bit of time travel, which he tries to leave Peaches out of. She follows him with some new information that he needs, and also some unwelcome news. I loved their time with Robin and Anne, and some of the scenes with Robin are a riot. There's a final bit of travel to Regency England that was needed for the solution, then home. I really wish there had been more detail on that trip, as its activities were necessary for the resolution of the problem. We got no detail at all on how it happened and I didn't like that. The final chapter was very good, and I suspect we'll be seeing more of the twins. I adored Stephen and his quietly alpha persona. He didn't need to yell and hack at things with swords (though he was quite good at that too). He simply put his brain to work and got the job done. I loved his way of looking at Peaches and "herding" her in the direction he wanted her to go. I liked Peaches, though her lack of self esteem where Stephen was concerned bugged me a bit. I was glad she saw the light about the Duke. I also enjoyed seeing her as her feelings for Stephen grew and she learned how to read him and his care of her. I loved the conclusion and can't wait for the next book.
jazzrizz's review against another edition
4.0
Sigh...I love to read this author.
Time Travel books are one of my very favorite escapes. This trip through time with Stephen and Peaches was great. I love the accidental and purposeful trips through the time gates in this one.
As always, I'll be patiently waiting for the next installment.
Time Travel books are one of my very favorite escapes. This trip through time with Stephen and Peaches was great. I love the accidental and purposeful trips through the time gates in this one.
As always, I'll be patiently waiting for the next installment.
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
3.0
This is book 14 in an ongoing series and the first book I have read by Lynn Kurland. It should have been a problem and yet I enjoyed myself immensely and am keen to read earlier entries in the series.
There is no escaping the fact that this book is SILLY. Everyone is very blasé about time travel and class and ghosts and all kinds of shenanigans which would provoke a much stronger reaction from sane people placed in a similar position, but once you adjust to the silliness, it's easy to have fun.
I liked Peaches and Stephen a lot. The whole set up is the kind of story I lap right up (enemies-to-lovers, Darcy and Elizabeth style) and I was cheering for them throughout. The first foray to the past happens about half way through the book and was surprisingly brief - I think I would have preferred a bit more of a challenge and a lengthier jaunt, but no matter.
Unfortunately, I lost some enthusiasm as we trundled towards the conclusion. A lot of plot needs to be covered before the book can conclude, but there was obviously a restriction on the number of words Ms. Kurland could employ. In true Forsterian style ("The funeral was over") we would see characters outlining a plan by the end of one chapter, only for the start of the next chapter to leap frog the event in question and deal with the aftermath. Which is a shame, as there was lots of fun to be had with these events and I felt like I was being rushed.
That grumble aside, I still had a lot of fun reading All For You and I am definitely interested to read more from this labyrinthine series, even though I am unsure which one to read next...
There is no escaping the fact that this book is SILLY. Everyone is very blasé about time travel and class and ghosts and all kinds of shenanigans which would provoke a much stronger reaction from sane people placed in a similar position, but once you adjust to the silliness, it's easy to have fun.
I liked Peaches and Stephen a lot. The whole set up is the kind of story I lap right up (enemies-to-lovers, Darcy and Elizabeth style) and I was cheering for them throughout. The first foray to the past happens about half way through the book and was surprisingly brief - I think I would have preferred a bit more of a challenge and a lengthier jaunt, but no matter.
Unfortunately, I lost some enthusiasm as we trundled towards the conclusion. A lot of plot needs to be covered before the book can conclude, but there was obviously a restriction on the number of words Ms. Kurland could employ. In true Forsterian style ("The funeral was over") we would see characters outlining a plan by the end of one chapter, only for the start of the next chapter to leap frog the event in question and deal with the aftermath. Which is a shame, as there was lots of fun to be had with these events and I felt like I was being rushed.
That grumble aside, I still had a lot of fun reading All For You and I am definitely interested to read more from this labyrinthine series, even though I am unsure which one to read next...
shelbybee's review against another edition
2.0
I'm on a Lynn Kurland kick and the premise seemed fun. Unfortunately I'd have to say this one just wasn't for me. It's probably my fault for jumping into the thirteenth book in a series and not bothering with any of the previous ones, but I just couldn't get into the world. There were so many side characters who, I could assume from context clues, all had their own books and they were constantly alluded to.
Also the main character's name is Peaches so I couldn't take anything she did seriously. I'd hope it's a nickname, because her sisters had names like Tess and Pippa (which was short for Persephone, but I think that's actually way more normal than Peaches, which is just so out of place to me I couldn't get over it). But if it is a nickname, no one ever mentions, or alludes to what her real name could be. If they did and I wasn't paying attention, I apologize. But I won't take back what I said about Peaches being a very silly given name. Because it is.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I was promised a time traveling romance and they barely spent five chapters in the past. Maybe because at this late stage in the series, the romance has time traveled both ways several times. But that was disappointing for me.
I think my expectations for the book would have been way more interesting than the actual story I got.
Allow me to tell you what I thought this book was going to be about, if only so I can get it out of my system.
I thought the medieval history professor would secretly know a way to get to the past that he would use in his spare time to live in the world he studied, and be a literal knight-in-training there as part of his research, and that our heroine would accidentally find her way back to the past as well, and get into some trouble that the professor would be uniquely able to help her out of, since he knows the time period so well and has connections there. And they fall in love despite not liking each other very much in the beginning as they work together to deal with the dangers of Medieval living and try to return to the present.
That is the story I was promised in the blurb goddammit!
Also the main character's name is Peaches so I couldn't take anything she did seriously. I'd hope it's a nickname, because her sisters had names like Tess and Pippa (which was short for Persephone, but I think that's actually way more normal than Peaches, which is just so out of place to me I couldn't get over it). But if it is a nickname, no one ever mentions, or alludes to what her real name could be. If they did and I wasn't paying attention, I apologize. But I won't take back what I said about Peaches being a very silly given name. Because it is.
Anyway, at the end of the day, I was promised a time traveling romance and they barely spent five chapters in the past. Maybe because at this late stage in the series, the romance has time traveled both ways several times. But that was disappointing for me.
I think my expectations for the book would have been way more interesting than the actual story I got.
Allow me to tell you what I thought this book was going to be about, if only so I can get it out of my system.
I thought the medieval history professor would secretly know a way to get to the past that he would use in his spare time to live in the world he studied, and be a literal knight-in-training there as part of his research, and that our heroine would accidentally find her way back to the past as well, and get into some trouble that the professor would be uniquely able to help her out of, since he knows the time period so well and has connections there. And they fall in love despite not liking each other very much in the beginning as they work together to deal with the dangers of Medieval living and try to return to the present.
That is the story I was promised in the blurb goddammit!
jenniferawilck's review against another edition
3.0
She's my favorite author, but I was a bit disappointed by this one--very slow going and I almost stopped a time or too. But I LOVE Stephen and as usual, her writing is superb.
rickijill's review against another edition
5.0
All for You is Lynn Kurland's latest romance novel. I think that she is the very best romance writer, and I appreciate that her books are PG. Her stories are always so much fun, and she injects humor and witty dialogue in all of her books.
All for You is Stephen de Piaget and Peaches Alexander's story. I have never been a big fan of Stephen's until this book. He might be one of my very favorite de Piaget men of all time! He is a Cambridge history professor and the future Earl of Artane. I always thought that he was a bit too nerdy, but little did I know that he has been training with Ian McLeod in Scotland. Ian's medieval bootcamp has prepared Stephen for the adventure of his life: He must rescue Peaches who accidentally slips through a time gate.
Peaches' pride will not admit she has feelings for Stephen. She fears that he is above her station, and he will never take her seriously. There is definitely a Pride and Prejudice feel to this story, and I love all the references to the book. Unbeknownst to Peaches, Stephen had fallen for her when they first met. One of the sweetest things about the book is why he loves her. His values are admirable, and I love how Lynn Kurland features what is truly important in life through her stories.
The only negatives about the book is that two critical scenes are told in flashback, and the accounts are rather short. I would have liked to have read them, and I would not have minded reading a longer book. The plot never stalled, and Peaches and Stephen (especially Stephen) were fully developed. All for You is one of her best in my opinion.
All for You is Stephen de Piaget and Peaches Alexander's story. I have never been a big fan of Stephen's until this book. He might be one of my very favorite de Piaget men of all time! He is a Cambridge history professor and the future Earl of Artane. I always thought that he was a bit too nerdy, but little did I know that he has been training with Ian McLeod in Scotland. Ian's medieval bootcamp has prepared Stephen for the adventure of his life: He must rescue Peaches who accidentally slips through a time gate.
Peaches' pride will not admit she has feelings for Stephen. She fears that he is above her station, and he will never take her seriously. There is definitely a Pride and Prejudice feel to this story, and I love all the references to the book. Unbeknownst to Peaches, Stephen had fallen for her when they first met. One of the sweetest things about the book is why he loves her. His values are admirable, and I love how Lynn Kurland features what is truly important in life through her stories.
The only negatives about the book is that two critical scenes are told in flashback, and the accounts are rather short. I would have liked to have read them, and I would not have minded reading a longer book. The plot never stalled, and Peaches and Stephen (especially Stephen) were fully developed. All for You is one of her best in my opinion.
valerielong's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up.
All for You by Lynn Kurland is the 12th book in the de Piaget series and the 18th in the de Piaget/MacLeod crossovers. While Lynn Kurland is one of my favorite authors, I have to say that I did not feel this book was as good as some of her others.
The book was not horrible, but it seemed much more stilted than some of her other books. There were times when it felt as though the story itself did not know where it was headed.
Peaches is also one of those heroines that I tend to despise - she doesn't have a spine. She constantly allows people to just walk all over her. Stephen, on the other hand, I've found charming since the first time he showed up (in 'One Enchanted Evening').
While it's certainly never going to be among my favorites and while it's not as well-written as some Ms. Kurland's other offerings, it was not horrible. I will also admit that it's possible I could be more biased because I have read so many of her books and I expect a certain level of quality which I felt was missing here. Give it a try, but if you're disappointed in it, please consider trying at least one of her other titles before you decide you don't like her as an author!
All for You by Lynn Kurland is the 12th book in the de Piaget series and the 18th in the de Piaget/MacLeod crossovers. While Lynn Kurland is one of my favorite authors, I have to say that I did not feel this book was as good as some of her others.
The book was not horrible, but it seemed much more stilted than some of her other books. There were times when it felt as though the story itself did not know where it was headed.
Peaches is also one of those heroines that I tend to despise - she doesn't have a spine. She constantly allows people to just walk all over her. Stephen, on the other hand, I've found charming since the first time he showed up (in 'One Enchanted Evening').
While it's certainly never going to be among my favorites and while it's not as well-written as some Ms. Kurland's other offerings, it was not horrible. I will also admit that it's possible I could be more biased because I have read so many of her books and I expect a certain level of quality which I felt was missing here. Give it a try, but if you're disappointed in it, please consider trying at least one of her other titles before you decide you don't like her as an author!