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de Piaget #12
All For You
FALLING THROUGH TIME IS DANGEROUS…
Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…
UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU.
Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one who can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….
Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…
UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU.
Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one who can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….
303 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 24, 2012
79 people are currently reading
777 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kurland
69 books1,566 followersLynn began her writing career at the tender age of five with a series of illustrated novellas entitled Clinton’s Troubles in which the compelling hero found himself in all sorts of . . . well, trouble. She was living in Hawaii at the time and the scope for her imagination (poisoned fish, tropical cliffs, large spiders) was great and poor Clinton bore the brunt of it. After returning to the mainland, her writing gave way to training in classical music and Clinton, who had been felled with arrows, eaten by fish and sent tumbling off cars, was put aside for operatic heroes in tights.
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
Somehow during high school, in between bouts of Verdi and Rossini, she managed to find time to submerge herself in equal parts Tolkien, Barbara Cartland and Mad Magazine. During college, a chance encounter with a large library stack of romances left her hooked, gave her the courage to put pen to paper herself, and finally satisfied that need for a little bit of fantasy with a whole lot of romance!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 29, 2020
2 Stars
I used to love Lynn Kurland's time travel books. Some of her earlier novels are still among my favorite romances. Unfortunately this book isn't up to her usual standards. There's less time travel in All For You and it isn't particularly exciting; the addition of far too many stupid mean girls out to get Peaches (really? Peaches?) and a boring, cookie cutter bad guy don't help. The last part just drags on and on as though the author was being paid by the word. Perhaps Kurland is over writing this genre or it could very well be that I've outgrown this type of romance. Either way, it's the sad end of an era for me.
I used to love Lynn Kurland's time travel books. Some of her earlier novels are still among my favorite romances. Unfortunately this book isn't up to her usual standards. There's less time travel in All For You and it isn't particularly exciting; the addition of far too many stupid mean girls out to get Peaches (really? Peaches?) and a boring, cookie cutter bad guy don't help. The last part just drags on and on as though the author was being paid by the word. Perhaps Kurland is over writing this genre or it could very well be that I've outgrown this type of romance. Either way, it's the sad end of an era for me.
December 24, 2021
Re-read. Still sigh worthy. :)
November 21, 2020
Wonderful time travel romance!
The mystical elements of time travel are present in this wonderfully sweet opposites attract story. Peaches and Stephen don't immediately click, but when a rescue to the past is in order, things change.
Peaches is such an interesting choice of names for such a go-getter type of character and I enjoyed watching her figure out her spot in life when things go awry. Her trek to the past was very entertaining, especially when Stephen arrives. I loved the way they worked together on his medieval work and most definitely liked it when the sparks and jealous darts started to fly. Stephen, although a bit stuffy, is fascinating and manly. It was a joy to watch him spar and fend off the flirtatious women chasing him.
Kurland always weaves a magical tale, full of love, romance, and danger and this one was especially lovely.
Content: mild Bible swears; mild violence; mild+ romance
The mystical elements of time travel are present in this wonderfully sweet opposites attract story. Peaches and Stephen don't immediately click, but when a rescue to the past is in order, things change.
Peaches is such an interesting choice of names for such a go-getter type of character and I enjoyed watching her figure out her spot in life when things go awry. Her trek to the past was very entertaining, especially when Stephen arrives. I loved the way they worked together on his medieval work and most definitely liked it when the sparks and jealous darts started to fly. Stephen, although a bit stuffy, is fascinating and manly. It was a joy to watch him spar and fend off the flirtatious women chasing him.
Kurland always weaves a magical tale, full of love, romance, and danger and this one was especially lovely.
Content: mild Bible swears; mild violence; mild+ romance
August 30, 2014
Late comer to this series, so I am reading this for the first time. Love these time travel books!
April 27, 2012
This is the first review of Lynn Kurland's time-travels that I've written in a while because... well... I was a little disappointed by the last several. Disappointed as in I-only-liked-them instead of I-loved-them. At the same time, others I knew absolutely DID love them! So (especially since I was hard-pressed to define anything specific) it seemed best to skip reviewing them.
This one, however, I do most definitely love. It has the flavor and romantic pacing of Lynn's older romances (which have always been my favorites). It also has something that no Kurland story since the very first two (12+ years ago in the de Piaget line) have had--characters with a history before the book opens. In this one, Stephen had heard of Peaches for years from her sister, Tess (heroine of [[ASIN:0515149519 One Magic Moment]]). They actually met sometime in the relatively-recent past, and their relationship definitely got a very bad start. Therefore, this is not exactly a love-at-first-sight story. Neither is it a fall-in-love-with-someone-from-a-different-century story like the last five have been. Stephen and Peaches are both firmly living in the present, and they are not exactly getting along when the book opens. Thankfully, Time has a bit of fun nudging them in the right direction. ::smiles::
As the book opens, Peaches' life has recently gotten turned on end, and she's decided to jump at the chance for a Cinderella-story of her own. (As in the kind of Happily-Ever-After Cinderella story that her sisters got in the last two Kurland time-travels, rather than the delusional experience that her sister-whose-name-is-Cinderella had in [[ASIN:0515147915 One Enchanted Evening]]. And yes, I agree...their parents followed strange naming tendencies.) It doesn't take too long, however, for Peaches to realize that her "prince" prospect is anything but gallant, and she is stuck very much needing rescued.
Fortunately for her, Stephen de Piaget, the handsome academic Medieval Studies scholar and heir to the earldom of Artane, is there to rescue her. Unfortunately for Stephen, he's stuck his foot in his mouth one too many times for Peaches to be interested in anything he might or might not want to do for her, with her, around her...you get the idea. And so he does his rescuing anonymously. But then Time steps in, forces his hand, and shows Peaches a side of Stephen that very few know exists.
I'll stop my teaser there, for I don't want to tell you how this beautifully-written love story goes. But I will add this little bit for Kurland fans. (If you're not a fan, skip this part, as you won't know what I'm talking about.) I am happy to report that while Peaches does feel unworthy of being a countess, she does not carry it to extremes like a Certain Other Character In Another Story does. And while Stephen has reasons for holding back and not declaring himself, he isn't afraid to leap into the fray and pursue--really pursue--the woman he loves as soon as she gives him a chance, like Certain Other Male Characters have been. And while this is still a very clean romance story, you will NOT have to wait 'till the end of the book for some great kiss scenes, like Certain Other Books Have Made You Wait. ::grins::
The only real drawback I had with the story was that the last few chapters felt both tacked-on and rushed. I know that's a strange combination, but they were. You could almost take them off the book and still have the same story... or you could feel cheated out of what what might have been a great scene or two. For me, though, this small drawback didn't come close to ruining the beauty of this love story between the girl-with-the-awkward-name and the earl who loved her.
I'll also say this... as other reviews come out, I'm surprised that other readers are rating the whole book lower for various reasons. I'm going to discuss them so other readers can understand why I rate this book 5-star despite the problems others mention.
1) Some don't like that the time spent in the past is shorter. That, I suppose is personal preference. Me... I'd rather have a book that's different and a good romance, rather than just have more of the same. Several of the last several books have been far-too-similar for my tastes, which is why I ENJOYED the fact that this one didn't follow the same path. (Though I still admit like like to have seen a certain scene in the end.)
2) Others are too bothered by a few timeline discrepancies (that most likely got introduced and switched and then missed on the cutting room floor, 'cause I know how that happens). Me... I didn't even notice them until the others pointed them out. I read history if I want to focus on timelines, and romance if I want to enjoy a good romance. I bought this book hoping for a very well-written romance between characters I could fall in love with, and it delivered on that.
3) Some have not cared for the fact that other characters from other books didn't show their face, but I feel like all the scenes with other characters popping in to say hi bog the story down. They also make it harder for new readers to enjoy the story. (Though one or two reviewers felt that this one didn't stand alone as well as the last several which WERE bogged down with cameo appearances. Go figure.) Anyway, I, personally, didn't mind at all that Pippa and Montgomery didn't make an appearance, and wouldn't have minded if Robin, Nick, and the twins hadn't either. It's personal preference, not writing skill.
So anyway, that's why none of those issues kept me from loving this book.
::happy sigh:: Here is one very happy Lynn Kurland fan.
This one, however, I do most definitely love. It has the flavor and romantic pacing of Lynn's older romances (which have always been my favorites). It also has something that no Kurland story since the very first two (12+ years ago in the de Piaget line) have had--characters with a history before the book opens. In this one, Stephen had heard of Peaches for years from her sister, Tess (heroine of [[ASIN:0515149519 One Magic Moment]]). They actually met sometime in the relatively-recent past, and their relationship definitely got a very bad start. Therefore, this is not exactly a love-at-first-sight story. Neither is it a fall-in-love-with-someone-from-a-different-century story like the last five have been. Stephen and Peaches are both firmly living in the present, and they are not exactly getting along when the book opens. Thankfully, Time has a bit of fun nudging them in the right direction. ::smiles::
As the book opens, Peaches' life has recently gotten turned on end, and she's decided to jump at the chance for a Cinderella-story of her own. (As in the kind of Happily-Ever-After Cinderella story that her sisters got in the last two Kurland time-travels, rather than the delusional experience that her sister-whose-name-is-Cinderella had in [[ASIN:0515147915 One Enchanted Evening]]. And yes, I agree...their parents followed strange naming tendencies.) It doesn't take too long, however, for Peaches to realize that her "prince" prospect is anything but gallant, and she is stuck very much needing rescued.
Fortunately for her, Stephen de Piaget, the handsome academic Medieval Studies scholar and heir to the earldom of Artane, is there to rescue her. Unfortunately for Stephen, he's stuck his foot in his mouth one too many times for Peaches to be interested in anything he might or might not want to do for her, with her, around her...you get the idea. And so he does his rescuing anonymously. But then Time steps in, forces his hand, and shows Peaches a side of Stephen that very few know exists.
I'll stop my teaser there, for I don't want to tell you how this beautifully-written love story goes. But I will add this little bit for Kurland fans. (If you're not a fan, skip this part, as you won't know what I'm talking about.) I am happy to report that while Peaches does feel unworthy of being a countess, she does not carry it to extremes like a Certain Other Character In Another Story does. And while Stephen has reasons for holding back and not declaring himself, he isn't afraid to leap into the fray and pursue--really pursue--the woman he loves as soon as she gives him a chance, like Certain Other Male Characters have been. And while this is still a very clean romance story, you will NOT have to wait 'till the end of the book for some great kiss scenes, like Certain Other Books Have Made You Wait. ::grins::
The only real drawback I had with the story was that the last few chapters felt both tacked-on and rushed. I know that's a strange combination, but they were. You could almost take them off the book and still have the same story... or you could feel cheated out of what what might have been a great scene or two. For me, though, this small drawback didn't come close to ruining the beauty of this love story between the girl-with-the-awkward-name and the earl who loved her.
I'll also say this... as other reviews come out, I'm surprised that other readers are rating the whole book lower for various reasons. I'm going to discuss them so other readers can understand why I rate this book 5-star despite the problems others mention.
1) Some don't like that the time spent in the past is shorter. That, I suppose is personal preference. Me... I'd rather have a book that's different and a good romance, rather than just have more of the same. Several of the last several books have been far-too-similar for my tastes, which is why I ENJOYED the fact that this one didn't follow the same path. (Though I still admit like like to have seen a certain scene in the end.)
2) Others are too bothered by a few timeline discrepancies (that most likely got introduced and switched and then missed on the cutting room floor, 'cause I know how that happens). Me... I didn't even notice them until the others pointed them out. I read history if I want to focus on timelines, and romance if I want to enjoy a good romance. I bought this book hoping for a very well-written romance between characters I could fall in love with, and it delivered on that.
3) Some have not cared for the fact that other characters from other books didn't show their face, but I feel like all the scenes with other characters popping in to say hi bog the story down. They also make it harder for new readers to enjoy the story. (Though one or two reviewers felt that this one didn't stand alone as well as the last several which WERE bogged down with cameo appearances. Go figure.) Anyway, I, personally, didn't mind at all that Pippa and Montgomery didn't make an appearance, and wouldn't have minded if Robin, Nick, and the twins hadn't either. It's personal preference, not writing skill.
So anyway, that's why none of those issues kept me from loving this book.
::happy sigh:: Here is one very happy Lynn Kurland fan.
March 24, 2013
How in the world could things get any worse for Peaches Alexander? Her best client has just thrown in the towel and her other clients are rapidly following suit. Although spending a lot of time in England with her sister wasn’t in her immediate plans, it seems that Peaches has little choice. Perhaps the invitation she received to the ball held by the very eligible Duke of Kenneworth might change her fortunes.
Unfortunately, no one comes to pick her up at the train station and Peaches is forced to slog through the rain to the estate. She’s cold, wet and miserable. So much for her ridiculous dreams of a fairy tale ending! To add to Peaches’ woes, who should drive up beside her but Stephen de Piaget, a medieval studies guru who seems to have a technique for ruffling her feathers. The insufferable man won’t allow her to continue walking to the estate on her own and suggests that Peaches drive both of them to the estate in his lavish car. There doesn’t seem to be a polite way to refuse his kind offer. Peaches has to admit that the dry warmth of the opulent vehicle does feel heavenly.
However, once inside the impressive estate, Peaches finds herself exiled to the servants’ quarters, while elegantly-clad ladies and gentlemen enjoy the hosts of beautiful suites that the castle has to offer. Stephen, however, learns of Peaches’ inferior treatment and immediately orders a few changes. A new wardrobe magically appears in her room, including a stunning ball gown that makes Peaches feel like a princess. When Peaches learns the truth about who bestowed the gifts upon her, she cannot believe Stephen’s kindness. Perhaps, she needs to give the man a second chance.
The more that Peaches gets to know Stephen, the more she realizes that there is a lot more to the man than meets the eye. The viscount is a time traveler. Stephen brandishes swords with a Scotsman from another century and has the opportunity to visit and reason with some of his own ancestors.
Still, when disaster strikes and Stephen de Piaget is threatened with losing his entire estate, Peaches must somehow find the courage to follow him into the time gate. If the growing affection Peaches feels for Stephen is strong enough, perhaps she can protect both of them in the past and into an uncertain future.
I really enjoyed the time traveling element of this story. It gave the novel an unexpected flair and made me consider the affect that changes in our past might have on the future. May Stephen and Peaches’ timeless love for each other be enough to see them through the ages.
Unfortunately, no one comes to pick her up at the train station and Peaches is forced to slog through the rain to the estate. She’s cold, wet and miserable. So much for her ridiculous dreams of a fairy tale ending! To add to Peaches’ woes, who should drive up beside her but Stephen de Piaget, a medieval studies guru who seems to have a technique for ruffling her feathers. The insufferable man won’t allow her to continue walking to the estate on her own and suggests that Peaches drive both of them to the estate in his lavish car. There doesn’t seem to be a polite way to refuse his kind offer. Peaches has to admit that the dry warmth of the opulent vehicle does feel heavenly.
However, once inside the impressive estate, Peaches finds herself exiled to the servants’ quarters, while elegantly-clad ladies and gentlemen enjoy the hosts of beautiful suites that the castle has to offer. Stephen, however, learns of Peaches’ inferior treatment and immediately orders a few changes. A new wardrobe magically appears in her room, including a stunning ball gown that makes Peaches feel like a princess. When Peaches learns the truth about who bestowed the gifts upon her, she cannot believe Stephen’s kindness. Perhaps, she needs to give the man a second chance.
The more that Peaches gets to know Stephen, the more she realizes that there is a lot more to the man than meets the eye. The viscount is a time traveler. Stephen brandishes swords with a Scotsman from another century and has the opportunity to visit and reason with some of his own ancestors.
Still, when disaster strikes and Stephen de Piaget is threatened with losing his entire estate, Peaches must somehow find the courage to follow him into the time gate. If the growing affection Peaches feels for Stephen is strong enough, perhaps she can protect both of them in the past and into an uncertain future.
I really enjoyed the time traveling element of this story. It gave the novel an unexpected flair and made me consider the affect that changes in our past might have on the future. May Stephen and Peaches’ timeless love for each other be enough to see them through the ages.
April 24, 2013
Another great read from Lynn Kurland. I really enjoyed that these two characters already had a developed history that we've seen in other books, so this book could focus on not getting to know the characters, but watching the characters figure each other out and come to terms with their feelings for each other. I was surprised how short the stint into the past was, but then was glad they did travel back again. It was very interesting to think about Nicholas and Robin being in their 50's. But I was THRILLED that Stephen got to meet Robin, even though that was not the time period that the problem was going to be solved in. With that, I like that Stephen was able to give Robin and Anne reports on two of their children and the masses of grandchildren. And then how the end was perfectly wrapped together with Zach and Mary's book ending even though that one came out quite a while ago! I loved it! BUT, I seriously want Isabelle's story! I need closure to Rhys and Gwen's children - and we already know that there is a story there. One of her children plays a major role in Mary's story! Come on!
**After reading the most recent DePiaget novel, I had to go back and read the three sister's (Pippa, Tess and Peaches) stories in order and one right after the other. Because.......they all happen within weeks of each other - in the stories - but were written/published years apart. Slight little comments or facts now make so much more sense about Montgomery, John and Stephen - as well as Pippa, Tess and Peaches. It was mentioned in the first few chapters of this book that there was already a new mechanic in town. I now wish, reading back through, that the twins could have seen each other then - even though they did get their reunion in John's book. And, Stephen's quarks and Peaches prejudices make more sense in their story because things build in the two books before their story is completed. I highly recommend, if you haven't done so already, going back and reading this one, One Magic Moment, and All For You together and in order.
**After reading the most recent DePiaget novel, I had to go back and read the three sister's (Pippa, Tess and Peaches) stories in order and one right after the other. Because.......they all happen within weeks of each other - in the stories - but were written/published years apart. Slight little comments or facts now make so much more sense about Montgomery, John and Stephen - as well as Pippa, Tess and Peaches. It was mentioned in the first few chapters of this book that there was already a new mechanic in town. I now wish, reading back through, that the twins could have seen each other then - even though they did get their reunion in John's book. And, Stephen's quarks and Peaches prejudices make more sense in their story because things build in the two books before their story is completed. I highly recommend, if you haven't done so already, going back and reading this one, One Magic Moment, and All For You together and in order.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2012
Oh, Lynn Kurland. Could it be that you are getting tired of writing about the de Piaget and MacLeod families? I know it's tough to find new and unique circumstances and obstacles to romance, and I really had hope this time because the characters seemed to have some sauciness going on at the beginning. But then, quickly, it all seemed too easy on the romance front.
And then there seemed to be an actual time travel paradox going on at the end! If a certain party read certain historical documents, and then other certain parties went back in time and altered those historical documents, does it not follow that the first certain party did not, in fact, read those historical documents in the new and improved timeline? And so, does it not follow that they would have no case and would not then cause a certain other party to perish?
Much as I love this series of books, especially the earlier ones (big shout out to A Garden In The Rain and If I Had You: De Piaget Family Series, Book 2), perhaps it's time to take a step back and look for fresh material. It saddens me. Nobody else really writes good time travel romance. You have the corner on this market.
And then there seemed to be an actual time travel paradox going on at the end! If a certain party read certain historical documents, and then other certain parties went back in time and altered those historical documents, does it not follow that the first certain party did not, in fact, read those historical documents in the new and improved timeline? And so, does it not follow that they would have no case and would not then cause a certain other party to perish?
Much as I love this series of books, especially the earlier ones (big shout out to A Garden In The Rain and If I Had You: De Piaget Family Series, Book 2), perhaps it's time to take a step back and look for fresh material. It saddens me. Nobody else really writes good time travel romance. You have the corner on this market.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2012
I saw a castle this morning and I thought it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Just look at the cover art, it's G-L-O-W-I-N-G!!! WOW!!
I can't stop staring!!!
I have been waiting year for this book to come out and I'm glad I finished it with a smile. I had doubts to like this book in the beginning because it started a little slow. Not my favourite but still a good story.
I can't stop staring!!!
I have been waiting year for this book to come out and I'm glad I finished it with a smile. I had doubts to like this book in the beginning because it started a little slow. Not my favourite but still a good story.
September 14, 2017
Boring. 30% through and all I know is that they don't like each other. I get it. Can we move on, please? (Actually he apparently fell instantly in love with her the first time he saw her but for some reason she thinks he hates her. So she hates him. This is what is supposed to pass for character motivation, I guess.) The heroine seems like a particularly insecure 13 year old who dislikes every woman on the planet and is convinced they're all trying to humiliate her or talking about her behind her back. The hero makes no sense at all.
I thought this was a time travel book, but no one's gone anywhere yet. A couple of "ghosts" and references to others who did time travel isn't cutting it for me. I've never read anything by this author, and this doesn't encourage me to try again.
I thought this was a time travel book, but no one's gone anywhere yet. A couple of "ghosts" and references to others who did time travel isn't cutting it for me. I've never read anything by this author, and this doesn't encourage me to try again.
August 8, 2012
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.
February 4, 2022
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!
March 10, 2013
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.
March 27, 2024
DNF
This book was just too tedious, long winded and the plot sketchy. We have met both Peaches Alexander and Stephen de Piaget (our heroine and hero) in “One enchanted Evening” and “One Magic Moment.” Peaches was a pain in both of these books with her organic diet & lifestyle and her organizing every one and thing, and that didn’t change in this book. She comes across as petulant and childish, especially in her dislike of Stephen de Piaget. She can’t seem to make up her mind about her feelings for him. Stephen for his part, comes across as slightly distant, however, he does improve as the book progresses, but sadly peaches doesn’t.
The plot is stale, I’m sure that it is recycled from an earlier book in this series, or at least significant parts of it are. Again, we get the 3 matchmaking ghosts of Ambrose MacLeod, Hugh McKinnon and Fulbert de Piaget, whoa re extremely annoying (apart from Ambrose), especially Fulbert’s habit of saying his nevvy all the time. I read the first few chapters, skimmed the rest, and read the last few chapters. I found the end to be slightly contrived. One more thing that annoyed me, surely for someone as bright as Peaches she would have changed her name at the earliest convenience. How can she expect to be taken seriously with that name.
This book was just too tedious, long winded and the plot sketchy. We have met both Peaches Alexander and Stephen de Piaget (our heroine and hero) in “One enchanted Evening” and “One Magic Moment.” Peaches was a pain in both of these books with her organic diet & lifestyle and her organizing every one and thing, and that didn’t change in this book. She comes across as petulant and childish, especially in her dislike of Stephen de Piaget. She can’t seem to make up her mind about her feelings for him. Stephen for his part, comes across as slightly distant, however, he does improve as the book progresses, but sadly peaches doesn’t.
The plot is stale, I’m sure that it is recycled from an earlier book in this series, or at least significant parts of it are. Again, we get the 3 matchmaking ghosts of Ambrose MacLeod, Hugh McKinnon and Fulbert de Piaget, whoa re extremely annoying (apart from Ambrose), especially Fulbert’s habit of saying his nevvy all the time. I read the first few chapters, skimmed the rest, and read the last few chapters. I found the end to be slightly contrived. One more thing that annoyed me, surely for someone as bright as Peaches she would have changed her name at the earliest convenience. How can she expect to be taken seriously with that name.
June 13, 2012
Ahhh! Spring is in the air. For me, that means sitting outside in the sun with a cool breeze and a good book. It also means that I can look forward to an evening spent with a chivalric de Piaget or a dashing MacLeod. And this spring, that de Piaget lad was Stephen, the future Earl of the magical castle Artane.
Stephen de Piaget has a problem. Well, he has many. For one thing, he is a Cambridge professor of Medieval Studies who is torn between his public persona of being the heir to an ancestral family seat and his personal persona of knight in training. His grandmother is firmly trying to force him into a marriage with a woman of his station, but the women that she presents all look at Stephen and see merely his title and his hall. To top it all off, the woman he is madly in love with, Peaches Alexander, hates him. Profusely.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
Stephen de Piaget has a problem. Well, he has many. For one thing, he is a Cambridge professor of Medieval Studies who is torn between his public persona of being the heir to an ancestral family seat and his personal persona of knight in training. His grandmother is firmly trying to force him into a marriage with a woman of his station, but the women that she presents all look at Stephen and see merely his title and his hall. To top it all off, the woman he is madly in love with, Peaches Alexander, hates him. Profusely.
For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
December 9, 2023
9/27/12 : I love Lynn Kurland books! I want to be either a McCloud or a de Piaget. What awesome families, and so much fun and romance. Yes, a little heavy on the sugar & fantasy perfection, but who cares. They are so fun to read!
6/21/17: a little more sugary sweet than I remembered, but still enjoyable to read. The interaction with all the rest of the family is really fun. Didn't love the narration. Her voice was too low & hard to understand.
12/8/2023: Sweet, light & fun.
6/21/17: a little more sugary sweet than I remembered, but still enjoyable to read. The interaction with all the rest of the family is really fun. Didn't love the narration. Her voice was too low & hard to understand.
12/8/2023: Sweet, light & fun.
May 12, 2012
I really liked this one! Loved how Stephen was so nervous and was constantly putting his foot in his mouth. It made the romance so much sweeter. LOVED that we got to see Nicholas and Robin and caught a bit of Nicholas's sons. Made me love the de Piaget family all over again.
July 26, 2012
All For You
(de Piaget Family Series, Book #17)
by Lynn Kurland
Rating: 3.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Time-Travel
FALLING THROUGH TIME IS DANGEROUS… Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only problem: Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…
UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU. Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double life: respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one that can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audentes Fortuna Juvat
Fortune Favors the Bold
-Aunt Edna
My Review: Peaches Alexander is slowly coming to terms with the uncomfortable truth that she is utterly distraught with her current lifestyle. Not only is she pretty-much broke and unsatisfied with her current job, but she also cannot stop foolishly dreaming about some magical fairy-tale escape, similar to what happened to her sisters. So, when a private invitation from the Duke of Kenneworth arrives for a weekend house party, Peaches eagerly jumps at the opportunity to live out (at least temporally) her princess-inspired fantasy and, with a bit of luck, find her handsome prince at the fancy-dress ball.
Unbeknownst to Peaches, the academically brilliant and annoyingly titled Stephen de Piaget happens to also be invited to the same weekend house party. And as bothersome as he can be, he does have some very tempting offers (ex. a Medieval castle, talented sword/Claymore skills, and a secretive pining crush for only Miss Alexander) that could easily appeal to a women craving something magical in her life. Now Peaches must battle with her nagging feelings that Stephen is out to either: 1) ruin her life (but can it really get any worse?) or 2) be her knight in shining armor (ok, really knight in tweed!). And, as Stephen begins to prove himself by saving her from various embarrassing, exhausting, and somewhat disastrous situations, Peaches realizations that "even Cinderella had gotten off to a rocky start" helps her decide to finially let her heart lead where it will ... which could really be toward the future and even the past.
All in all, an enjoyable book from a time-travel author I always look forward to reading. Peaches story really took on a more contemporary romance feel this time compared to previous character narratives within the same series. Moreover, her and Stephens courtship was in its own way peculiar, but believable as well as somewhat silly and sweet. Unfortunately, the story's pace was rather slow at times and the heated sexual scenes were limited for the reader, but that was easily made up for by Peaches foolishly funny mannerism and her stubborn determination to experience her fairy-tale fantasy - no matter the odds against her. A fun bonus, if you are a fan of the series, is that you will treated to some great past character updates as well as receive some fascinating foreshadowing and future character introductions. So, if you are a young at heart reader who takes pleasure in fairy-tale adventures, check out All For You -- good fun!!
Likes: Two Words -- Stubborn Determination and boy, does Stephen display that. He was always coming to Peaches rescue despite her rude, straightforward, and sometimes rather distant treatment toward him. So, who wouldn't enjoy a male lead like that?
Dislikes: More time-travel please!!! For some reason, I felt this book was severely lacking in that department and I really kept wishing for more historical adventures with all the crazy fun drama that occurs during the characters rocky adjustment to the past. But, sadly, the time-travel trips within All For You were almost too easy, too planned, and overall too blah in comparison to some of Kurland's other works.
Chapter One/Paragraph One: "If life were a set of scales, Peaches Alexander could safely say that Fate had just dumped a load of bricks on the opposite balance."
Favorite { Scene, Character or Setting }: Scene
She could only hope that the blasted thing {suitcase} was waterproof. If it wasn't, her clothes were going to need some series attention once she was in what she could only assume based on the invitation would be an embarrassingly opulent room.
She took another look around, just to see if the sleet that had begun a renewed assault on her was going to be moving past anytime soon, then jumped a little at the sight of lights coming up the road behind her.
Great. It was one thing to sneak in the kitchen door and make a dash for her room where she could lock the door, shower, then pull herself together before she made her grand entrance down the main staircase. It was another thing entirely to be seen in her bedraggled state by a party guest with a potentially very big mouth. She looked around herself quickly to see if there might be somewhere to hid, but unfortunately all that surrounded her were foggy acres and manicured grounds.
Dotted by topiaries, as it happened. Well, there was obviously only one thing to do, and she did it without hesitation. She leaped off the road and well into the verge, plopped her suitcase down flat on the soggy ground, then hopped up on it and struck a pose. It was foggy enough, surely, that she would just look like a toga-draped goddess atop a pedestal, shrouded by mystery and a few bird dropping.
She remained motionless as the car came closer. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say she prayed with great fervor that the owner of that automobile would be so overwhelmed by the sight of Kenneworth House riding up majestically in the distance that she would simple drive on and not be looking over onto the right of the road.
Alas, things were just not going her way.
Her mother would have told her it was karma dealing out just deserts for having traded her hummus and sprouts sandwiches to unsuspecting fifth graders for Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Peaches probably would have told any number of her clients the same thing.
But having karma gunning for her was another thing entirely.
The car slowed to stop. Peaches left her hands outstretched in a goddess pose in hopes the driver would simply think he or she was seeing things and move right along.
The driver's side window began a slow, agonizing descent into its allotted space in the door. Peaches fully expected to see David, the Duke of Kenneworth, frowning thoughtfully at a statue none of his ancestors had put there.
Instead, the driver was revealed to be none other the Stephen de Piaget, vexter of innocent life organizers and chief tormenter of poor, helpless Yanks who were currently freezing their statuary off just north of the Yorkshire moors.
He frowned thoughtfully for a moment or two, then rolled his window back up.
Typical.
Peaches could hardly wait to see his tailgates, but it occurred to her that if she did, that would mean that he was driving up the way to the manor, which meant he was going to be in the same space with her for the weekend.
Well, at least she wouldn't have to see him in the immediate future--
Or, maybe she would.
He had put on his flashers and gotten out of the car. She wanted to warn him that he was going to ruin his lovely dress shoes by tromping around in the slush, but she could only stand there, her arms outstretched and her mouth gaping open, as he walked across the greensward toward her.
And then he looked her straight in the eye.
More Reviews at http://bookstoburyyourselfin.blogspot...
(de Piaget Family Series, Book #17)
by Lynn Kurland
Rating: 3.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Time-Travel
FALLING THROUGH TIME IS DANGEROUS… Peaches Alexander is thrilled to receive an unexpected invitation to a weekend party given by the handsome, eligible Duke of Kenneworth. The only problem: Stephen de Piaget, a stuffy medieval studies scholar who seems determined to get in the way. Peaches has absolutely no desire to get involved with Stephen, until a quirk of Fate sends her hurtling through time…
UNLESS THERE’S SOMEONE TO CATCH YOU. Stephen de Piaget has been leading a double life: respectable professor by day, knight-in-training during holidays and summer terms. When Peaches goes missing, Stephen knows he’s the only one that can rescue her from medieval peril. Little do they know that the greatest danger they’ll face won’t be the business end of a sword, but their own unruly hearts….
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audentes Fortuna Juvat
Fortune Favors the Bold
-Aunt Edna
My Review: Peaches Alexander is slowly coming to terms with the uncomfortable truth that she is utterly distraught with her current lifestyle. Not only is she pretty-much broke and unsatisfied with her current job, but she also cannot stop foolishly dreaming about some magical fairy-tale escape, similar to what happened to her sisters. So, when a private invitation from the Duke of Kenneworth arrives for a weekend house party, Peaches eagerly jumps at the opportunity to live out (at least temporally) her princess-inspired fantasy and, with a bit of luck, find her handsome prince at the fancy-dress ball.
Unbeknownst to Peaches, the academically brilliant and annoyingly titled Stephen de Piaget happens to also be invited to the same weekend house party. And as bothersome as he can be, he does have some very tempting offers (ex. a Medieval castle, talented sword/Claymore skills, and a secretive pining crush for only Miss Alexander) that could easily appeal to a women craving something magical in her life. Now Peaches must battle with her nagging feelings that Stephen is out to either: 1) ruin her life (but can it really get any worse?) or 2) be her knight in shining armor (ok, really knight in tweed!). And, as Stephen begins to prove himself by saving her from various embarrassing, exhausting, and somewhat disastrous situations, Peaches realizations that "even Cinderella had gotten off to a rocky start" helps her decide to finially let her heart lead where it will ... which could really be toward the future and even the past.
All in all, an enjoyable book from a time-travel author I always look forward to reading. Peaches story really took on a more contemporary romance feel this time compared to previous character narratives within the same series. Moreover, her and Stephens courtship was in its own way peculiar, but believable as well as somewhat silly and sweet. Unfortunately, the story's pace was rather slow at times and the heated sexual scenes were limited for the reader, but that was easily made up for by Peaches foolishly funny mannerism and her stubborn determination to experience her fairy-tale fantasy - no matter the odds against her. A fun bonus, if you are a fan of the series, is that you will treated to some great past character updates as well as receive some fascinating foreshadowing and future character introductions. So, if you are a young at heart reader who takes pleasure in fairy-tale adventures, check out All For You -- good fun!!
Likes: Two Words -- Stubborn Determination and boy, does Stephen display that. He was always coming to Peaches rescue despite her rude, straightforward, and sometimes rather distant treatment toward him. So, who wouldn't enjoy a male lead like that?
Dislikes: More time-travel please!!! For some reason, I felt this book was severely lacking in that department and I really kept wishing for more historical adventures with all the crazy fun drama that occurs during the characters rocky adjustment to the past. But, sadly, the time-travel trips within All For You were almost too easy, too planned, and overall too blah in comparison to some of Kurland's other works.
Chapter One/Paragraph One: "If life were a set of scales, Peaches Alexander could safely say that Fate had just dumped a load of bricks on the opposite balance."
Favorite { Scene, Character or Setting }: Scene
She could only hope that the blasted thing {suitcase} was waterproof. If it wasn't, her clothes were going to need some series attention once she was in what she could only assume based on the invitation would be an embarrassingly opulent room.
She took another look around, just to see if the sleet that had begun a renewed assault on her was going to be moving past anytime soon, then jumped a little at the sight of lights coming up the road behind her.
Great. It was one thing to sneak in the kitchen door and make a dash for her room where she could lock the door, shower, then pull herself together before she made her grand entrance down the main staircase. It was another thing entirely to be seen in her bedraggled state by a party guest with a potentially very big mouth. She looked around herself quickly to see if there might be somewhere to hid, but unfortunately all that surrounded her were foggy acres and manicured grounds.
Dotted by topiaries, as it happened. Well, there was obviously only one thing to do, and she did it without hesitation. She leaped off the road and well into the verge, plopped her suitcase down flat on the soggy ground, then hopped up on it and struck a pose. It was foggy enough, surely, that she would just look like a toga-draped goddess atop a pedestal, shrouded by mystery and a few bird dropping.
She remained motionless as the car came closer. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say she prayed with great fervor that the owner of that automobile would be so overwhelmed by the sight of Kenneworth House riding up majestically in the distance that she would simple drive on and not be looking over onto the right of the road.
Alas, things were just not going her way.
Her mother would have told her it was karma dealing out just deserts for having traded her hummus and sprouts sandwiches to unsuspecting fifth graders for Twinkies and Ding Dongs. Peaches probably would have told any number of her clients the same thing.
But having karma gunning for her was another thing entirely.
The car slowed to stop. Peaches left her hands outstretched in a goddess pose in hopes the driver would simply think he or she was seeing things and move right along.
The driver's side window began a slow, agonizing descent into its allotted space in the door. Peaches fully expected to see David, the Duke of Kenneworth, frowning thoughtfully at a statue none of his ancestors had put there.
Instead, the driver was revealed to be none other the Stephen de Piaget, vexter of innocent life organizers and chief tormenter of poor, helpless Yanks who were currently freezing their statuary off just north of the Yorkshire moors.
He frowned thoughtfully for a moment or two, then rolled his window back up.
Typical.
Peaches could hardly wait to see his tailgates, but it occurred to her that if she did, that would mean that he was driving up the way to the manor, which meant he was going to be in the same space with her for the weekend.
Well, at least she wouldn't have to see him in the immediate future--
Or, maybe she would.
He had put on his flashers and gotten out of the car. She wanted to warn him that he was going to ruin his lovely dress shoes by tromping around in the slush, but she could only stand there, her arms outstretched and her mouth gaping open, as he walked across the greensward toward her.
And then he looked her straight in the eye.
More Reviews at http://bookstoburyyourselfin.blogspot...
September 26, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: Get drawn in every time you pick it up.
Opening Sentence: If life were a set of scales, Peaches Alexander could safely say that Fate had just dumped a load of bricks on the opposite balance.
The Review:
Ever come across a storyline and find it difficult to be able to summarize it all in one page?
We enter this story as our heroine, Peaches’ life has suffered a major upheaval. It seems that her sister intercepted a phone call from one of her more well-known clients. Peaches Alexander is a personal organizer for the wealthy, keeping their offices and personal spaces clean, tidy and efficient. But when her twin, Tess, goes off on a prominent TV personality, Peaches’ business goes up in flames. Also, on this day of great change, just as Peaches is making a decision about her future, an invitation to a traditional English ball hosted by the dreamy David Preston, Duke of Kenneworth arrives. And it seems that a happily ever after, complete with knight in shining armor, may truly be within her reach. Unfortunately, like any good fairy tale, the trip to her HEA is riddled with speed bumps and rain storms. And the presence of the one whom she believes is her worst enemy.
The hero, Stephen de Piaget, Viscount Haulton, also a baron, and future earl, is painfully aware of Peaches and of her feelings towards him. But he certainly does not return those sentiments. In fact, his feelings for the very pretty Miss Alexander have him tongue-tied whenever he finds himself in her immediate vicinity, and in this condition, has tasted his foot more than once. One evening he is set upon by three ghosts, or shades as they are referred to in this series, and they talk him into attending a ball at the home of his greatest rival, none other than David Preston. As he reaches David’s home he finds himself taking the position of Peaches’ protector, even if she can’t know about it. And, by the end of the party, he realizes that no matter how she feels about him, he means to have her.
Peaches overhears some rather disturbing gossip while in the loo, and decides that she needs to escape from the party for a time. When she stumbles upon a time-traveling gate, her escape not only takes her away from the party, but drops her into the Middle Ages, where she is taken prisoner by some of David’s ancestors. (It is not exactly clear to me how all this works, and I assume it is explained in the earlier books in the series.) When Stephen notices her absence, he begins to look for her outside in the gardens. Like the prince in Cinderella, he is confronted by a solitary shoe, and a missing princess in a beautiful ball gown. When Stephen deduces where, or more aptly when, Peaches has disappeared to, he quickly prepares himself and rushes off to her rescue.
Their relationship develops more quickly from here on out, and eventually it becomes Stephen who needs a bit of rescuing in a time long past, when it appears as if his titles, estates and well way of life are at stake. And by the end of our time-traveling duo’s trip into the past love is truly in the air. And this love is enough to last centuries.
I must say, I enjoyed this story very much. So much in fact, that when I went to thumb back through looking for a notable scene, I ended up reading it all over again. Twice! Which I’m sure is fantastic news to my esteemed site creator, since she’s been in need of reviews…lol. It is so nice to, every so often, read a story for the story. A nice gentle flowing read that makes you feel good on a bad day. And lord knows there’s enough of those to go around.
Notable Scene:
The bloody palace was gone. In its place was a hut. Well, it wasn’t exactly a hut. If she’d been out in the Middle Ages looking for a quaint little place to crash in for the night, she would have found it perfectly acceptable. But when compared to the splendor that had been Kenneworth House, this was something else entirely.
It was a hovel.
And the unkempt, barely intelligible men standing in a little semicircle facing her were not wearing the standard uniform of David’s footmen.
She made a very quick list of her options. She could scream, which was tempting; she could faint, which was even more tempting; or she could run. She considered the last, only she wasn’t quite sure where she would run to. She backed up onto the gate and hopped up and down a time or two.
Nothing.
She swore, because it seemed like the right thing to do. She was left with her third resort, which was to run. Surely, she would find another gate somewhere in the area. After all, England and Scotland were hotbeds of paranormal activity. And who could blame a shade? The climate was unreasonably lovely, what with all that rain and cloudiness and lovely winds caressing the trees.
Or perhaps they stayed for the history. There were castle stairs to come thumping down, old enemies to continue to vanquish, king and country to defend—as well as any number of lesser territories and families to uphold the honor of.
Then again, it might have been, she had to concede, continued irritation about the food. She was all for a lovely bed-and-breakfast or well-appointed hotel, but she had had the worst meals of her life in London.
She realized that the moon, which she hadn’t noticed before, had come out in time to reveal her companions carrying a pointy thing each. She considered running again, but she only had one shoe left. Maybe the gate had rested long enough and would now carry her back to where she was supposed to be. She put aside her antipathy for everyone and everything at the future Kenneworth House and jumped forward onto the time gate.
She looked up, but no joy.
She decided that perhaps she just hadn’t been firm enough, so she jumped a few more times. Her trio of companions seemed to find the sight rather alarming because they backed away, crossing themselves, spitting over their shoulders, and making all kinds of other hand motions she didn’t recognize but imagined she wouldn’t care to know the meaning of.
It took a while, but she eventually got tired of jumping. It wasn’t that she wasn’t in decent shape, it was just that she was in one heel and a fancy ball gown, and she was slightly stressed.
She finally stopped and leaned over with her hands on her knees to try to catch her breath.
And that was the last thing she knew before blackness descended.
De Piaget Family Series:
1. Another Chance to Dream
2. If I Had You
3. Dreams of Stardust
4. When I Fall in Love
5. The Christmas Cat
6. One Enchanted Evening
7. This is All I Ask
8. The More I See You
9. From This Moment On
10. Tapestry
11. Stardust of Yesterday
12. Till There Was You
13. One Magic Moment
14. All For You
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of All For You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: Get drawn in every time you pick it up.
Opening Sentence: If life were a set of scales, Peaches Alexander could safely say that Fate had just dumped a load of bricks on the opposite balance.
The Review:
Ever come across a storyline and find it difficult to be able to summarize it all in one page?
We enter this story as our heroine, Peaches’ life has suffered a major upheaval. It seems that her sister intercepted a phone call from one of her more well-known clients. Peaches Alexander is a personal organizer for the wealthy, keeping their offices and personal spaces clean, tidy and efficient. But when her twin, Tess, goes off on a prominent TV personality, Peaches’ business goes up in flames. Also, on this day of great change, just as Peaches is making a decision about her future, an invitation to a traditional English ball hosted by the dreamy David Preston, Duke of Kenneworth arrives. And it seems that a happily ever after, complete with knight in shining armor, may truly be within her reach. Unfortunately, like any good fairy tale, the trip to her HEA is riddled with speed bumps and rain storms. And the presence of the one whom she believes is her worst enemy.
The hero, Stephen de Piaget, Viscount Haulton, also a baron, and future earl, is painfully aware of Peaches and of her feelings towards him. But he certainly does not return those sentiments. In fact, his feelings for the very pretty Miss Alexander have him tongue-tied whenever he finds himself in her immediate vicinity, and in this condition, has tasted his foot more than once. One evening he is set upon by three ghosts, or shades as they are referred to in this series, and they talk him into attending a ball at the home of his greatest rival, none other than David Preston. As he reaches David’s home he finds himself taking the position of Peaches’ protector, even if she can’t know about it. And, by the end of the party, he realizes that no matter how she feels about him, he means to have her.
Peaches overhears some rather disturbing gossip while in the loo, and decides that she needs to escape from the party for a time. When she stumbles upon a time-traveling gate, her escape not only takes her away from the party, but drops her into the Middle Ages, where she is taken prisoner by some of David’s ancestors. (It is not exactly clear to me how all this works, and I assume it is explained in the earlier books in the series.) When Stephen notices her absence, he begins to look for her outside in the gardens. Like the prince in Cinderella, he is confronted by a solitary shoe, and a missing princess in a beautiful ball gown. When Stephen deduces where, or more aptly when, Peaches has disappeared to, he quickly prepares himself and rushes off to her rescue.
Their relationship develops more quickly from here on out, and eventually it becomes Stephen who needs a bit of rescuing in a time long past, when it appears as if his titles, estates and well way of life are at stake. And by the end of our time-traveling duo’s trip into the past love is truly in the air. And this love is enough to last centuries.
I must say, I enjoyed this story very much. So much in fact, that when I went to thumb back through looking for a notable scene, I ended up reading it all over again. Twice! Which I’m sure is fantastic news to my esteemed site creator, since she’s been in need of reviews…lol. It is so nice to, every so often, read a story for the story. A nice gentle flowing read that makes you feel good on a bad day. And lord knows there’s enough of those to go around.
Notable Scene:
The bloody palace was gone. In its place was a hut. Well, it wasn’t exactly a hut. If she’d been out in the Middle Ages looking for a quaint little place to crash in for the night, she would have found it perfectly acceptable. But when compared to the splendor that had been Kenneworth House, this was something else entirely.
It was a hovel.
And the unkempt, barely intelligible men standing in a little semicircle facing her were not wearing the standard uniform of David’s footmen.
She made a very quick list of her options. She could scream, which was tempting; she could faint, which was even more tempting; or she could run. She considered the last, only she wasn’t quite sure where she would run to. She backed up onto the gate and hopped up and down a time or two.
Nothing.
She swore, because it seemed like the right thing to do. She was left with her third resort, which was to run. Surely, she would find another gate somewhere in the area. After all, England and Scotland were hotbeds of paranormal activity. And who could blame a shade? The climate was unreasonably lovely, what with all that rain and cloudiness and lovely winds caressing the trees.
Or perhaps they stayed for the history. There were castle stairs to come thumping down, old enemies to continue to vanquish, king and country to defend—as well as any number of lesser territories and families to uphold the honor of.
Then again, it might have been, she had to concede, continued irritation about the food. She was all for a lovely bed-and-breakfast or well-appointed hotel, but she had had the worst meals of her life in London.
She realized that the moon, which she hadn’t noticed before, had come out in time to reveal her companions carrying a pointy thing each. She considered running again, but she only had one shoe left. Maybe the gate had rested long enough and would now carry her back to where she was supposed to be. She put aside her antipathy for everyone and everything at the future Kenneworth House and jumped forward onto the time gate.
She looked up, but no joy.
She decided that perhaps she just hadn’t been firm enough, so she jumped a few more times. Her trio of companions seemed to find the sight rather alarming because they backed away, crossing themselves, spitting over their shoulders, and making all kinds of other hand motions she didn’t recognize but imagined she wouldn’t care to know the meaning of.
It took a while, but she eventually got tired of jumping. It wasn’t that she wasn’t in decent shape, it was just that she was in one heel and a fancy ball gown, and she was slightly stressed.
She finally stopped and leaned over with her hands on her knees to try to catch her breath.
And that was the last thing she knew before blackness descended.
De Piaget Family Series:
1. Another Chance to Dream
2. If I Had You
3. Dreams of Stardust
4. When I Fall in Love
5. The Christmas Cat
6. One Enchanted Evening
7. This is All I Ask
8. The More I See You
9. From This Moment On
10. Tapestry
11. Stardust of Yesterday
12. Till There Was You
13. One Magic Moment
14. All For You
FTC Advisory: Berkley/Penguin provided me with a copy of All For You. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
November 12, 2024
Not my favourite of the de Piaget series...
The most off-putting thing about this book is the name of the main female character. That in itself didn’t endear the book to me. The second most off-putting thing is the convoluted storyline comprising multiple trips to different time periods.
I also thought it extremely weird that there was no mention of Montgomery in the book, and no reunion with Montgomery and Pippa in medieval England. It seemed as though Stephen didn’t realise that Nicholas had married the sister of his brother Gideon’s wife, Megan.
Nicholas & Jennifer’s twins, Theo and Samuel de Piaget, make cameo appearances as time travelling teenagers who are bilingual in medieval Norman French and modern day English.
It’s almost too fantastical and improbable.
It isn’t a ‘bad’ read but it isn’t as exceptional as others in the series. Plus, you discover that the de Piaget line contains a few unsavoury characters.
I would hope that there will be more stories that included Rhys & Gwen as they are the two who founded Artane. However, Robin and Anne are called upon to help save Artane’s posterity and legacy once again.
The most off-putting thing about this book is the name of the main female character. That in itself didn’t endear the book to me. The second most off-putting thing is the convoluted storyline comprising multiple trips to different time periods.
I also thought it extremely weird that there was no mention of Montgomery in the book, and no reunion with Montgomery and Pippa in medieval England. It seemed as though Stephen didn’t realise that Nicholas had married the sister of his brother Gideon’s wife, Megan.
Nicholas & Jennifer’s twins, Theo and Samuel de Piaget, make cameo appearances as time travelling teenagers who are bilingual in medieval Norman French and modern day English.
It’s almost too fantastical and improbable.
It isn’t a ‘bad’ read but it isn’t as exceptional as others in the series. Plus, you discover that the de Piaget line contains a few unsavoury characters.
I would hope that there will be more stories that included Rhys & Gwen as they are the two who founded Artane. However, Robin and Anne are called upon to help save Artane’s posterity and legacy once again.
April 16, 2017
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?"
November 12, 2020
Stephen and Peaches appear to dislike each other at the onset. I found it cute how Stephen admittedly gets tongue tied around Peaches and makes stupid remarks. Peaches is a marathon running vegan. Stephen is a meat eating academic historian, opposites, Stephen rescues Peaches from a storm and a disastrous house party. Peaches slowly begins to see that he may be the fairy tale that she has been hoping for.
July 8, 2023
This one was just okay. I liked the characters but I felt like there was too much story at the beginning and not enough in the end. The end felt to rushed and like it was missing some parts. However, the beginning felt like it dragged on for quite some time. There were some things that probably should have been taken out so that the ending would've be more satisfying. And we didn't get that much of other characters, just one character and that was pretty much it.
March 14, 2024
I loved this man, the extra star is for him. However, the girl was a very unlikable character in my opinion and the book is confusing if you haven’t read the others in the collection.
No 🌶 which I appreciated but the romance wasn’t written well and the plot was not all that interesting. It was kind of all over the place and the “paranormal” encounters were not prominent enough in the story for this to be a “paranormal romance.”
No 🌶 which I appreciated but the romance wasn’t written well and the plot was not all that interesting. It was kind of all over the place and the “paranormal” encounters were not prominent enough in the story for this to be a “paranormal romance.”
February 25, 2017
This one not as exciting as others past in series. I love Peaches and Steven, but the first half of the book finds them seeming wishy washy. The people they became in the last half are Heroes to root for and fall in love with. I would have liked a bit more of the destroying of the Duke, but it was great it happened.
October 3, 2017
All for you (from the marvellous DePiagets)
This Book is absolutely the best Story of the DePiaget Family. If You love Time Travel you will love this Story. If You love Romance you will love this Story. Read this Book and you will enjoy several hours of a very good Story indeed. I
This Book is absolutely the best Story of the DePiaget Family. If You love Time Travel you will love this Story. If You love Romance you will love this Story. Read this Book and you will enjoy several hours of a very good Story indeed. I
June 13, 2020
This wasn't too complicated. It's a bit different from other time travel books I've read as after the first time, they decide when to go back in time and others from the past come to the current time often. It's just getting together with relatives past and current. I didn't like the name Peaches for the female lead. But the romance was enjoyable.
November 15, 2025
I liked Stephen alot but nothing about Peaches appealed to me. This is my first book in the series and you really need to start at the beginning because it references much from previous books. Nothing about the story was believable. DNF
June 28, 2017
This book is so boring.
October 20, 2017
Quick easy enjoyable read.
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