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MacLeod #2

The Very Thought of You

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Alexander Smith had found success in the world of corporate takeovers—but not happiness. That had always escaped him...along with true love. Then, at the MacLeod Keep in Scotland, he found a pirate map that miraculously answered his yearnings—with a journey to another time. And when he was captured in Medieval England by Margaret of Falconberg, a fierce beauty hidden in knight's armor, he rediscovered his own chivalrous—and passionate—heart...

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

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About the author

Lynn Kurland

58 books1,539 followers
Lynn 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!

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5 stars
1,280 (45%)
4 stars
1,034 (36%)
3 stars
434 (15%)
2 stars
77 (2%)
1 star
10 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
Profile Image for Denise.
415 reviews31 followers
April 11, 2013
Okay, I officially love Lynn Kurland and her time travel romances.

I want to give a special shout-out to Scottsdale (AZ) Public Library for loaning me this book through the interlibrary loan program. I think it is funny that I am in Phoenix and Scottsdale is an interlibrary loan not just a reserve (same with Glendale Public Library). Okay, that has nothing to do with the review so I will move on.

As you can tell by the 5 stars I loved this book. Kurland makes her characters so real. Some you love and some you hate but I at least felt like I knew them and was vested in their story. I cried some (not as much as her first book in the series but there are a few sniffle spots--or at least if you are a crier). Where the first book takes place primarily in Scotland this one is in medieval England in the 1100s. That is all I will say about it.

I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Kirsi Johnson.
309 reviews3 followers
June 3, 2015
This is a MOSTLY clean romance novel with two caveats:

1. If the word is in the bible, Ms. Jutland has no issue using it. So if you're opposed to some biblical profanity, you might want to steer clear.

2. While there aren't any sultry sex scenes, there is some blatant innuendo, and a few saucy kissing scenes.

I'm kind of torn between posting this at 3 stars or 4, so I'm just gonna say 3.5, which of course, according to math rules, must be rounded up to 4. Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I mean honestly, who doesn't like a time traveling romantic romp through England/Scotland!
Profile Image for Lea Ann.
453 reviews17 followers
June 8, 2012
The first half of this time-traveler romance was a little slow for me, but the second half was unpredictable enough that it kept me turning the pages well into the night. Margaret, our heroine, is not your usual damsel in distress. She is a 12th Century tomboy who first tries to kill 20th Century Alex when he unexpectedly "drops" in on her. I thought Kurland developed a great cast of characters, had plenty of attention to historic details, tied it all up nicely at the end, and wrote some of the funniest scenes I've ever read in a historical romance (I especially loved the scene with the chocolates). Fun read!
Profile Image for Rissa.
33 reviews
September 28, 2014
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

Let's start this review by saying I am utterly in love with Alex. So pardon me if I gush over him too much.

Well Lynn Kurland has done it again. I have to admit to reading her books completely out of order, but so far almost all of them have been a complete hit with me. This one just didn't hit 5 again because Margaret - the heroine on this book - has irritated me some when she time and time again broke her promises to Alex.

Kurland's writing style really pleases me, and all in all I really enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Anita.
337 reviews6 followers
March 1, 2010
Alexander Smith, is tired of corporate piracy and take-overs, he needs a vacation - hopefully somewhere sunny and warm. Alex finds a "treasure map" in his brother-in-laws office, with a X marked Barbados, hopeing to take a time gate to Barbados, Alex steps inside a fairy ring that takes him to medieval England instead. There Alex is kidnapped by Margaret of Falconberg, who hopes to hold him for ransom. Margaret has been keeping the rest of the nobility at bay from her lands by keeping secret the death of her father for over six years. She trains as a knight and can best any man who dares to try against her.

This is not my favorite Kurland novel, but still an enjoyable read. I just didn't love the characters like I usually do.
Profile Image for Brooke.
205 reviews3 followers
February 22, 2012
So, I didn't love this one... It was slow, and I lost interest several times... It might just be my mindset, I took a short break from historical and was reading modern and it was hard to get back there... That being said, Alex was hysterical, he was a great character, funny, charming and witty... Margaret had her moments as well... I didn't feel invested with them though...
Profile Image for Susan.
1,386 reviews5 followers
May 17, 2014
I love these time travel romance stories by Lynn Kurland and this one did not disappoint. The characters are richly developed and strong. It did not end as I thought it would which had me on the edge of my seat(or bed) at points but ended with a good feeling. I am ready for another.
Profile Image for Kron.
361 reviews4 followers
November 22, 2016
Rocky start. Hit the ground running when we're introduced to Margaret. BAM! She's kickass.
This book has one of the best marital consummation scenes I've read. Fun and worth the read.
Profile Image for Albert.
166 reviews7 followers
April 6, 2020
Relatively nice and clean time-travel romance.

I liked very much that the heroine Margaret of Falconberg was one heck of a strong (and beautiful) heroine. She beats every man in court duels.

I didn’t so much like the hero Alexander, who describes himself as a corporate pirate. He had become very rich in the process, but didn’t like what he saw when looking back upon his life. In my view, the simple fact of being sorry for what you have done is a bit like overloading the victims of mass shootings with thoughts and prayers. That doesn’t really help any of the victims. Of course, the hero later redeems himself by his actions in the novel, but that still does not help any of his previous victims.

The intensity of the feelings of the MCs for each other was very convincing. This novel is a perfect example that you don’t need explicit graphic sexual details for a convincing romance with strong chemistry between the MCs. I also found the medieval parts of the story very well executed: the world really came alive in my imagination.

The time-travel, going there and back several times with multiple characters, was a bit less convincing for me. There was also a three year old child, who has just had his parents murdered and has been able to escape to Alexander. He instantly bonds with Alexander, and a few days later with Margaret without even once asking for his murdered parents. What the heck? I know that in a time-travel romance you should not be too critical of the reality aspect, but a three year old child instantly bonding with new parents? I don’t have any real-life experience with this, but it seems very far-fetched to me.
Profile Image for Kathy Davie.
4,849 reviews720 followers
July 19, 2023
Second in the MacLeod Family historical paranormal romance science fiction genre series and revolving around members of Jamie MacLeod’s family. (It's sixth in the combined DePiaget/MacLeod series.) The couple focus is on Alexander Smith and Margaret of Falconberg.

My Take
Time travel. I've always thought it would be cool to go far back in the past and then fast forward and see how the earth changes — like a flipbook . . . Alexander certainly thinks time travel would be fun, as he heads for a faery circle for his own adventure.

This was a fun story with some drama and some tension. For the most part, I suspect it would be a good beach read.

The characters are, okay, mellow isn’t the right word. Ralf and a few others are the only bad guys; most of the others are quite honorable.

Margaret is something else. She would fit right in with today’s women. She’s strong. She’s determined. And Alex’s courtship is a treat. He makes some missteps — he is a man and one from the future.
”’Tis my experience that a body cannot come home until his task in the past is finished.”
I do feel for Margaret, as she does not fit in with her time period. Her tenants and vassals are so very uncooperative. As for “Lady” Lydia and her women, jesus, what a bunch of vicious cats.

It helps that Kurland uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Alex’s and Margaret’s perspectives, so we experience everything they think, feel, and experience with a wee touch of global subjective when Lord Odo and a few others react to the moans and groans from Alex and Margaret’s marriage bed — and wait’ll you discover what really causes them *more laughter*.

Alex has a better chance than most at surviving medieval England, as Jamie is his brother-in-law. No one can escape swordplay at the MacLeods. Alex also has a better sensibility about marriage and partnership than any other in medieval England. It’s a shocker for Margaret.

Kurland has Jamie making an interesting point about Jamie’s tie to the gates. It’ll be interesting to see how this theory works out in future stories.

There are a few customs that Kurland has fun with. Medieval bathing was one!? Poor Margaret has to cope with windows, cars, books, TV, stairs, and a modern kitchen — all of which leads to great guilt.

The action keeps moving along and Alex will have some great memories as he witnesses history in the making.

The Story
An enemy, Ralf de Brackwald talks Prince John into giving him Margaret of Falconberg as wife. A deal that Margaret will resist with everything in her.

Alex is considering a family, starting one. He was rich, owned half of Jamie’s Lear, and could cook. Still he does hanker after an adventure, in Barbados, where the sun is warm and the women are almost naked . . .

The Characters
1998
Alexander Smith is a lawyer who intended to save the world but became a pirate doing corporate raiding. Beast is his horse. Zachary is Alex’s slob of a brother. Robert Smith, their father, is a pediatrician, and he has three other brothers besides his sister.

Elizabeth, Alex’s sister, is married to Jamie MacLeod ( A Dance Through Time , 1), and they have a son, Ian. Patrick MacLeod is Jamie’s younger brother. Jessie had been Jamie’s son in his distant past. Megan had been Jesse’s wife. Joshua MacLeod is Jamie’s minstrel. And good at desserts.

Antony “Tony” DiSalvo is a corporate raider who employed a fresh-faced Alexander Smith. Roddy MacLeod keeps an inn.

1194, medieval England
The tall Margaret of Falconberg rules, keeping William of Falconberg’s, her father’s, death secret for ten years. She had three brothers who all died. Because she’s a woman, her peers won’t help her, although she can defeat any in Odo’s tournaments. Which is part of her problem. Sir George, formerly of York, is her captain; Sir Henry of Blythe is his second-in-command. Timothy is her page. The daft Baldric is her bard. Alice and Frances are maids (whom Kurland confuses when we first meet Alice). Master Jacob is a healer. Joel, an orphaned kitchen lad, becomes Alex’s squire. Amery is a toddler who belongs to Brackwald.

The bold Edward of Brackwald encounters Alex out of the time gate. A raider, he helps himself to Margaret’s sheep. The vicious, brutal Ralf de Brackwald, his brother, prefers to attack Margaret with insults and petty thievery. Haslett is a scribe. Sir Walter of Brackwald is a comrade-in-arms of Edward’s.

Lord Odo of Tickhill will hold a tourney. Lydia is his yippy wife. Prince John rules England while King Richard is held for ransom by Leopold. Queen Eleanor is Richard and John’s mother.

The Cover and Title
The cover has a pale pink background with a tapestry border at top and bottom, taken from the leafy tapestry with a lion rampant in the center that hangs to the right below the author’s name and to the right of the title, which are both in a script font. The author’s name is at the top in a purplish blue with an info blurb in black to the right. Below her name is a testimonial in black. Below this is the title in the same purplish blue.

The title is what’s in Alex’s and Margaret’s minds, for The Very Thought of You is what drives them.
322 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2023
This is the second book in the Lynn Kurland MacLeod time travel series, and concerns Alex Smith our 20thC hero and Margaret of Falconberg our 12thC Heroine. Margaret has been defending her lands and people for 10 years since the death of her father. This has made her: strong; stubborn; wary of men; tenacious; and lonely. Alex, finds himself back in the 12thC, after walking away from a career as a “corporate pirate”. He is: determined, strong, restless; and lonely. They clash loudly and often, however, they do come to recognise the strengths in each other and as being worthy of loving.
This was a good well written book: the plot was balanced between our heroine and hero; the secondary characters added depth to the story and a contrast to Margaret and Alex; and the action was well paced, it didn’t fell rushed nor di it drag. The ending was fun and aptly suited to both Margaret and Alex.
I enjoyed this when I first read it many years ago and I enjoyed it again.
Profile Image for iStarr.
67 reviews4 followers
October 13, 2024
Another timeless time travel tale...

To be sure, it’s more of a continuation of the previous book, with plenty of Jaime & Elizabeth making appearances throughout. The plot is different in that it is Elizabeth’s brother, Alex who does the time travelling to the 12 century and meet Margaret of Falconberg.

The humour of what a modern man might miss were such travel a reality makes for an engaging, romantic novel.
19 reviews1 follower
March 21, 2019
Wonderful story! Loved the plot. Loved the strong but feminine heroine character. Adorded the hero especially since he was not in the least bit intimidated by the heroine. Just a really wonderful book.
85 reviews
December 6, 2020
Another great read

I’ve enjoyed almost all of Kurland’s historical novels, though I haven’t yet read any of her Kingdom ones. So many great characters, and we get to see them again in other books.

Definitely recommend her MacLeod and dePiaget books. Read and enjoy.
216 reviews
September 3, 2021
Amusing

I enjoyed the story of a woman who can fight with swords as well as a man if not better. The interaction between the main characters was amusing and romantic. I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Susan Ross.
Author 8 books5 followers
January 13, 2024
I really liked all the characters and the story. This had the makings of a five star book but I just found it too long and drawn out. It did not keep me rivetted throughout the book. There were some wonderful scenes, however; some were hilarious. My favourite was the consummation scene.
4 reviews
March 24, 2020
Love Lynn Kurland! I love her story lines, character development and love stories.
Profile Image for Amanda Esposito.
43 reviews1 follower
October 5, 2021
Typical romance, same plot as most of the other Lynn Kurland historical romance books. Good fast read for once in a while.
Profile Image for LilaBird.
104 reviews16 followers
October 18, 2012
Okay, even though I gave this 3 stars...it's more of a 3.5. I did like it. But it was a little cheesy and I don't feel like I got enough of WHY they fall in love. What do they like about each other? Sometimes I think Kurland makes people fall in love just because they like the other person's eyes, or something else just as ridiculous. What about conversation, shared interests, laughing together, etc? Anyway, I like Alex and I like Margaret. I do like that she appeared to be different from most of Kurland's female characters at the beginning. She was strong and could weild a sword. She spent 10 years not only surviving and protecting herself, but ruling the whole keep! Wow, she must be amazing. She must be a really deep character with some intense backstory. Right? Not so much... She's really just a weak girl underneath, who wants a man to rescue and take care of her. Kind of annoying. I mean, she keeps up her swordplay and does disobey him and try to fight anyway, but still. She didn't measure up to what Kurland made us think she was.

Also, I am SOOO sick of these characters being obsessed with chocolate (and even Twinkies, of all things, in this book!)! Ugh! Seriously?? Not everyone in the world looooovveesss chocolate that much. Especially not enough to be freaking out about it constantly. I mean, if you want to put it in A COUPLE books, fine. But Kurland has been putting this in basically every single one of her books, and I'm on number 15 or 16 right now! It's getting a little overdone and stale.

Okay, so other than those things, this book had some sweet parts. Alex rises to the challenge of taking care of Margaret and all her kin/garrison/keep/etc. He devises plans of how to protect her from the evil Lord Brackwald. And we are treated to scenes with Richard the Lionheart as well, which was especially fun! It is always wonderful when characters from past books crossover too. In this book we get a visit from Elizabeth (Alex's sister) and her husband, Jamie and their young son, Ian.

A good MacLeod book, but definitely not Kurland's best.
Profile Image for Paranormal Romance.
1,253 reviews45 followers
December 8, 2022
Alex's very aware of time travel being a reality but with all the documented portals in mind, he
thought himself safe from accidentally stumbling upon one. But unfortunately, his brother in law
failed to let him know about one and of course, Alex just happens to find it himself.

Margaret has run the keep for 10 years after her father died and nobody knows it but her and
her men. If word should get out, many many Lords will be fighting themselves for the chance to
own her and in turn, her property. So she's known across the land for be a fearsome ruler of her
land.

Alex spends his time with the enemy of Margaret and her kin, until he is kidnapped by the lass.
It's there that he realizes he might not want to get back to his own time. Not when he's found the
woman whom he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

I enjoyed the characters in the book but the plot was absolutely some basic shit. Alex is a
capable warrior in his own right but has vowed to keep the peace after a life of fighting. He
is funny and charming and generally a likeable guy. Margaret was the star though. She was a badass warrior woman who even when loving Alex, never lost her fighting spirit. She was also not known for being a lovey dovey gal or one prone to tons of display of emotion.

I would have loved for the book to stop after Alex wins Margaret's hand in marriage from the king
but instead the author chose to extend the story into the conflict of will Alex stay in the future
or will he go back with Margaret. This however is rather useless as Alex made it clear shorting
into the story that he would remain with her without question.
Profile Image for The Window Seat.
689 reviews69 followers
April 7, 2012
Although I am a long time fan of Lynn Kurland's, I have to acknowledge that even the best of authors have bad days, or bad books. For me, one such book is The Very Thought of You. In this book, Lynn Kurland revisits her time travelling MacLeods and introduces us to one of the main characters older brothers, Alex Smith. Alex is a corporate attorney who is tired of the rat race and has decided to take his millions and retire, at the ripe old age of 32, to his sister's estate in the highlands. Having been there before, he knows that the estate is not one to travel across lightly. He has experienced Jamie MacLeod's time travelling escapades before and knows that all does not always go well. Despite that, he still begins a haphazard trek across the estate and then, somehow, is surprised that he finds himself in Medieval England.

Now, the real fun starts. He gets caught up in a feud between two rival families, only to realize that he is in love with the head of one of the families. Margaret of Falconberg has lived for years running her estate without king or anyone else anyone the wiser that her father and brothers have died. She is tough, naive, and abrasive. She, apparently, defies the laws of physics and is able to wield a sword better than most men. Somehow, we are supposed to believe that she is not only able to fall in love with someone whose butt she can easily kick, we are supposed to believe she can do it in the first place.

For the full review, please go to http://thewindowseat13.blogspot.com/2...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anne Patkau.
3,665 reviews66 followers
February 1, 2011
*** "The Very Thought of You", by Lynn Kurland, sends tall handsome Alex of Seattle, from 1998 Scotland to medieval England, where tall beautiful Lady Meg alone has led her keep (castle and surrounding village) for years. A favorite part, unlike many modern romances that jump into bed immediately, is that they fight and kiss for 300 pages before joining, in private. Other drawbacks nag. We must find another book to learn how Alex has travelled time before and learned sword skills. Their accents are skimmed awkwardly. The old bard with modern limericks, and thumb-sucking tot, are both too cute for me. Bringing together the hero and heroine was also accomplished by healing infection in Kurland's The More I See You. [Spoiler - So was the back and forth until happiness is present-day.] Why happiness is chocolate and Twinkies is beyond me. But I am a sucker for happy ever after with chuckles, so I will read more Kurland.
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