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de Piaget #9
Stardust of Yesterday
Dreaming of her wonderful castle, she imagined that it contained a handsome, brave knight�
Suddenly, her eyes flew open. She scrambled over her chair, looking with alarm at what was quivering in front of her, only an inch away from where her toes had dangled off the edge�
It was a sword.
“I’ll not miss my mark a second time.� A deep voice grated from behind her.
She whirled around.
It was her knight.
It was also her ghost.
Genevieve Buchanan inherited a castle—and a ghost to go along with it. But Kendrick de Piaget was no typical ghost. He was a handsome and infuriatingly arrogant thirteenth-century knight. At first he wanted to frighten Genevieve, though she was more charmed than scared by his ghostly tricks. But when his thoughts turned to wooing her instead, Genevieve had to face her greatest fear: falling in love.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open. She scrambled over her chair, looking with alarm at what was quivering in front of her, only an inch away from where her toes had dangled off the edge�
It was a sword.
“I’ll not miss my mark a second time.� A deep voice grated from behind her.
She whirled around.
It was her knight.
It was also her ghost.
Genevieve Buchanan inherited a castle—and a ghost to go along with it. But Kendrick de Piaget was no typical ghost. He was a handsome and infuriatingly arrogant thirteenth-century knight. At first he wanted to frighten Genevieve, though she was more charmed than scared by his ghostly tricks. But when his thoughts turned to wooing her instead, Genevieve had to face her greatest fear: falling in love.
368 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1996
152 people are currently reading
2691 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kurland
60books1,549followersLynn 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 216 reviews
June 18, 2010
Stardust of Yesterday is a contemporary story about a woman who inherits an old Scottish castle, only to find that the castle's original owner is still very much in residence..er..that is..the ghost of the 13th century knight who once held deed to the residence. Betrayed by the woman he was to marry, Kendrick de Piaget was killed and his castle was stolen. Adding insult to injury, Kendrick was left with a curse that he will not know eternal peace until he can rightfully regain ownership of Seakirk Castle.
It is now 700 years later and Genevieve Buchanan is the last heir to the castle and the only thing standing between Kendrick and his beloved relatives who wait for him in eternity. Naturally, Kendrick is impatient to finally be free of the curse and sets out to remove Genevieve from the equation. Unfortunately for him, Genevieve is somewhat of an eccentric and is amused rather than horrified by Kendrick's "ghostly" actions. In turn, Kendrick is fascinated by this 5-foot-nothing slip of a girl who refuses to be terrorized out of her inheritance. The two reach an agreement to co-inhabit the castle and soon their unusual friendship gives way to mutual feelings of love.
At this point in the story, I was very much invested in the hero and heroine. Kendrick was a knight of the Clan Stud, as most medieval heroes in romance novels hail from. Sexy, witty and totally arrogant...yet such a cutie dressed in his Raider's sweatshirt & jeans, sacked out in front of the tv obsessed with the game of football. Genevieve was even tolerable at this point in their relationship. She had no family or special memories from childhood; therefore, she was captivated by Kendrick and his endless stories of medieval family affairs. They spent months alone together at Seakirk Castle (along with an ancient manservant and a few wayward ghosts who had come with Kendrick); and, although they couldn't touch, they would "cuddle" together at night and whisper until the wee hours of the morning.
At this point in the story (plus about 50 more pages to tie up loose ends and bring the couple to a plausible HEA), the book could have ended. Of course, with a lusty warrior and feisty heroine, the sexual tension building throughout the story would have needed dissipation (taking up about 40 of those last pages). As a reader, I would have been totally satisfied, given the book a solid 4-star rating and moved on to see what else Kurland had written.
That didn't happen. Instead, I was subjected to 100+ pages of..of...I don't even know what it was. Filler? A story within a story? I'm not sure but at some point the touching, poignant, heartfelt story that had been the first half of the book gave way to something like "I guess you had to be there" comedy. Ugh
***SPOILER***
Kendrick & Genevieve each make a silent prayer asking for nothing more than the chance to touch the other just once. This was definitely a Hallmark moment because we are very much in tune with this couple and understand how strong this need is. Things happen and suddenly Kendrick can actually feel Genevieve's head resting on his shoulder! They touch and revel in the fact that they can touch. Genevieve, still somewhat normal at this point, says "Kendrick, take me to bed before something happens." Happy to oblige, Kendrick sweeps her up and starts up the stairs to the bedchamber only to have Genevieve fall through his arms. Unable to handle the pain & misery, a heroic Genevieve signs the deed to the castle over to Kendrick so that he can finally rest in peace.
More things happen and Kendrick morphs into a corporeal existence. After a fleeting loss of 700 years of memory, it all comes rushing back to him and he and Genevieve wed. End of story? Epilogue? No, dammit...the train has just unhooked from the caboose.
Genevieve is afraid of Kendrick - more precisely, she is afraid of sex. After pages of reacting to Kendrick's simple sexual overtures like a deer caught in headlights, she is finally able to tamp down her desire to bolt and lets him kiss her. 'So this is the French kissing her mother warned her about' Genevieve thinks. 'So we have a heroine in need of a shrink' KarenH thinks. Kendrick would like to make love to his wife! Yes, they have now been married for over a week and at Genevieve's insistence, they are occupying separate bedchambers. She likens this point in their relationship as the "hand-holding stage" in a normal relationship, and is hoping that they can progress to that final stage (shudder!) in 6 months or so. WTF??? We've got a virile, lusty, normal stud warrior-turned-gorgeous Jag-driving, football-loving, contemporary hero here that would really like to consummate their marriage but can't because his wife says they have only known each other physically for a short time. OMG! That wouldn't happen in real life so it definitely doesn't work for me in a romance novel. Kendrick, smitten fool that he was, never forced the issue. Jeez, he didn't have any warrior huevos after all!
By chapter 38, page 290 something when Genevieve is trying to seduce Kendrick by plopping a big bowl of ice cream in his lap and running her fingers through his hair - secretly feeling at ease because she is certain he won't try to have sex with her that night - the book was ready to hit the wall. In audiobook-speak, I yanked the earplugs out and turned the ipod off. Later, I went back and finished listening to the book. They did consummate the marriage that night but I was changing lanes and missed it...had to replay that one paragraph over again. :(
Because the first half of this book was so great I don't doubt Kurland's ability to write good romance.I have another book by her in my tbr pile, "One Enchanted Evening", so eventually I'll try her again.
But for now I'll just mosey on back over to familiar territory, where Liz Carlyle, Toni Blake, Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Jessie Michaels, et al, will keep me submerged in good romance for a long time to come!
It is now 700 years later and Genevieve Buchanan is the last heir to the castle and the only thing standing between Kendrick and his beloved relatives who wait for him in eternity. Naturally, Kendrick is impatient to finally be free of the curse and sets out to remove Genevieve from the equation. Unfortunately for him, Genevieve is somewhat of an eccentric and is amused rather than horrified by Kendrick's "ghostly" actions. In turn, Kendrick is fascinated by this 5-foot-nothing slip of a girl who refuses to be terrorized out of her inheritance. The two reach an agreement to co-inhabit the castle and soon their unusual friendship gives way to mutual feelings of love.
At this point in the story, I was very much invested in the hero and heroine. Kendrick was a knight of the Clan Stud, as most medieval heroes in romance novels hail from. Sexy, witty and totally arrogant...yet such a cutie dressed in his Raider's sweatshirt & jeans, sacked out in front of the tv obsessed with the game of football. Genevieve was even tolerable at this point in their relationship. She had no family or special memories from childhood; therefore, she was captivated by Kendrick and his endless stories of medieval family affairs. They spent months alone together at Seakirk Castle (along with an ancient manservant and a few wayward ghosts who had come with Kendrick); and, although they couldn't touch, they would "cuddle" together at night and whisper until the wee hours of the morning.
At this point in the story (plus about 50 more pages to tie up loose ends and bring the couple to a plausible HEA), the book could have ended. Of course, with a lusty warrior and feisty heroine, the sexual tension building throughout the story would have needed dissipation (taking up about 40 of those last pages). As a reader, I would have been totally satisfied, given the book a solid 4-star rating and moved on to see what else Kurland had written.
That didn't happen. Instead, I was subjected to 100+ pages of..of...I don't even know what it was. Filler? A story within a story? I'm not sure but at some point the touching, poignant, heartfelt story that had been the first half of the book gave way to something like "I guess you had to be there" comedy. Ugh
***SPOILER***
Kendrick & Genevieve each make a silent prayer asking for nothing more than the chance to touch the other just once. This was definitely a Hallmark moment because we are very much in tune with this couple and understand how strong this need is. Things happen and suddenly Kendrick can actually feel Genevieve's head resting on his shoulder! They touch and revel in the fact that they can touch. Genevieve, still somewhat normal at this point, says "Kendrick, take me to bed before something happens." Happy to oblige, Kendrick sweeps her up and starts up the stairs to the bedchamber only to have Genevieve fall through his arms. Unable to handle the pain & misery, a heroic Genevieve signs the deed to the castle over to Kendrick so that he can finally rest in peace.
More things happen and Kendrick morphs into a corporeal existence. After a fleeting loss of 700 years of memory, it all comes rushing back to him and he and Genevieve wed. End of story? Epilogue? No, dammit...the train has just unhooked from the caboose.
Genevieve is afraid of Kendrick - more precisely, she is afraid of sex. After pages of reacting to Kendrick's simple sexual overtures like a deer caught in headlights, she is finally able to tamp down her desire to bolt and lets him kiss her. 'So this is the French kissing her mother warned her about' Genevieve thinks. 'So we have a heroine in need of a shrink' KarenH thinks. Kendrick would like to make love to his wife! Yes, they have now been married for over a week and at Genevieve's insistence, they are occupying separate bedchambers. She likens this point in their relationship as the "hand-holding stage" in a normal relationship, and is hoping that they can progress to that final stage (shudder!) in 6 months or so. WTF??? We've got a virile, lusty, normal stud warrior-turned-gorgeous Jag-driving, football-loving, contemporary hero here that would really like to consummate their marriage but can't because his wife says they have only known each other physically for a short time. OMG! That wouldn't happen in real life so it definitely doesn't work for me in a romance novel. Kendrick, smitten fool that he was, never forced the issue. Jeez, he didn't have any warrior huevos after all!
By chapter 38, page 290 something when Genevieve is trying to seduce Kendrick by plopping a big bowl of ice cream in his lap and running her fingers through his hair - secretly feeling at ease because she is certain he won't try to have sex with her that night - the book was ready to hit the wall. In audiobook-speak, I yanked the earplugs out and turned the ipod off. Later, I went back and finished listening to the book. They did consummate the marriage that night but I was changing lanes and missed it...had to replay that one paragraph over again. :(
Because the first half of this book was so great I don't doubt Kurland's ability to write good romance.I have another book by her in my tbr pile, "One Enchanted Evening", so eventually I'll try her again.
But for now I'll just mosey on back over to familiar territory, where Liz Carlyle, Toni Blake, Linda Howard, Lisa Kleypas, Jessie Michaels, et al, will keep me submerged in good romance for a long time to come!
August 28, 2019
The hero was a ghost for the last 700 years.
The heroine was the last descendant of the woman who betrayed and killed him 700 years ago and he determinant to kill her or made her mad like what he did to her previous descendants, lol.
Until he fell in love with her, of course! 😘
Sweet read, very vintage and fluffy! 😂
❤️
The heroine was the last descendant of the woman who betrayed and killed him 700 years ago and he determinant to kill her or made her mad like what he did to her previous descendants, lol.
Until he fell in love with her, of course! 😘
Sweet read, very vintage and fluffy! 😂
❤️
June 18, 2009
Main characters who are ghosts are apparently not my thing.
Neither are characters who are 30-year-old virgins. I'm sorry, but no.
A 30-year-old virgin who is in love with her husband but still bursts into tears at the thought of having sex with him makes me feel queasy.
Once she finally caved in and decided sex wasn’t this horribly awful thing, the author cut away from the moment of truth to a pointless scene about ghosts standing in the hallway hoping to catch the couple in flagrante for the first time. So apparently I don’t like implied sex scenes in romance novels either—the dirtier the better, tyvm.
This book also took me over 4 days to read. I'm not a speedy reader, but a book like this should not take me 4 days to read. 2 or 3 at the max, not 4. Oof.
Neither are characters who are 30-year-old virgins. I'm sorry, but no.
A 30-year-old virgin who is in love with her husband but still bursts into tears at the thought of having sex with him makes me feel queasy.
Once she finally caved in and decided sex wasn’t this horribly awful thing, the author cut away from the moment of truth to a pointless scene about ghosts standing in the hallway hoping to catch the couple in flagrante for the first time. So apparently I don’t like implied sex scenes in romance novels either—the dirtier the better, tyvm.
This book also took me over 4 days to read. I'm not a speedy reader, but a book like this should not take me 4 days to read. 2 or 3 at the max, not 4. Oof.
September 18, 2014
WHY did I not read this book in 1996 when it was first published, or in 2001 when it was re-released?!?! Someone, please tell me where this book was hiding? It was Amazon.com who recommended it to me when I purchased a Gwen Cready book. I am so glad I dropped it into my virtual cart.
Stardust of Yesterday has to be one of the sweetest, most enchanting romance stories I have ever read! It has everything; knights, castles, ghosts, cheeky butlers, and lovemaking with oven mitts...don't ask, just read! It is a ghost story, but not your typical lonely ghost waiting for a lady to rescue him. This ghost is an angry, scheming, arrogant ghost that you will fall in love with as he grows to love the heroine - guaranteed! This romance delivers on the most important goal of a Romance Novel, other than the HEA; it makes the reader fall in love with the Hero and you can imagine yourself being the heroine.
I will keep this book to rediscover in the future, which is saying quite a bit, as I pass most of my books on to friends when I am finished. My next stop is Amazon.com to see what else Lynn has written.
Stardust of Yesterday has to be one of the sweetest, most enchanting romance stories I have ever read! It has everything; knights, castles, ghosts, cheeky butlers, and lovemaking with oven mitts...don't ask, just read! It is a ghost story, but not your typical lonely ghost waiting for a lady to rescue him. This ghost is an angry, scheming, arrogant ghost that you will fall in love with as he grows to love the heroine - guaranteed! This romance delivers on the most important goal of a Romance Novel, other than the HEA; it makes the reader fall in love with the Hero and you can imagine yourself being the heroine.
I will keep this book to rediscover in the future, which is saying quite a bit, as I pass most of my books on to friends when I am finished. My next stop is Amazon.com to see what else Lynn has written.
January 3, 2022
Re-read. Kendrick de Piaget's story. I do believe this was the first book in the series that started it all (4/1996). Who knew that Kendrick de Piaget would continue to play a significant character in many of the future books, popping up when you least expected him to, but loving his appearance all the same. The keeper of secrets! I can tell you that this was the very first Lynn Kurland book I ever read. Little did I know the world that Ms. Kurland would open up for me. Many, many hours of sheer reading bliss! This series is a MUST read for me every couple of years. I still love it! Kendrick, you devil! ;)
December 14, 2022
Read this one years ago and just reread. It’s such a cute story. Some may find the sweet romance a bit unexpected but I thought it was cute.
March 1, 2021
this book is special in that it suffers not from a lack of plot but from an overwhelming and disorienting number of them. literally nothing made sense, there was no spice, both main characters are either disgusting or unsympathetic. 5/5 stars it blew my mind
August 8, 2023
I was expecting a better story, I found it a bit boring at times and ended up flickering through the book .
2.5 stars ⭐️
2.5 stars ⭐️
May 13, 2010
The heroine of this book is a 30-year-old overgrown baby who wears "footy" pajamas and is uncomfortable with the idea of sex with her loving husband. But I guess I'm supposed to relate to her, because OMG, she eats ice cream when she's upset! And she really cared about her career for about 10 pages! I spent the whole book feeling bad for the hero that he would end up with this woman-child.
I normally enjoy a good, steamy sex scene in a romance, but it's good that Kurland is uncomfortable with putting sex scenes in her romances. A sex scene between the kind-of-hot adult hero and the infantile heroine would have been disturbing.
I normally enjoy a good, steamy sex scene in a romance, but it's good that Kurland is uncomfortable with putting sex scenes in her romances. A sex scene between the kind-of-hot adult hero and the infantile heroine would have been disturbing.
January 10, 2015
Well, this is one of those books. I mean the ones that kind of sweep you off your feet when you are distracted?
This book did this to me. I started reading it in June 2013, but the hero kind of got on my nerves, and even though I love most of Lynn Kurland's books I was ready to drop that one and stopped reading it.
And time passes.
So one of these days I find the book, then ask myself "oh, well. Why not?"
And so I decided to read it, determined to finish the book this time. And I'm so glad I did.
So, Kendrick got on my nerves. He was mean, determined to drive the heroine mad or to kill her, and just grouchy... Until he falls for her.
Oh, he's still grouchy, but it's a cute sort of grouchy. He's adorable and they make the sweetest couple ever. I love Kendrick's friends as well -those ghosts are so cool! Here's to hoping for a nice love story for Royce, Stephen and Nazir.
There's a bit of tension about the bad guy, but I really didn't worry for Kendrick or Gen for a moment - it's not really all about adventure, so to say. It's a romance, full of scenes that will make you turn into goo and saying 'awww'.
So, if you can hang on past the mean Kendrick, this book becomes the sweetest romance you can imagine, making it totally worth the read - and I'm still calling myself bad names for taking so long to read it.
This book did this to me. I started reading it in June 2013, but the hero kind of got on my nerves, and even though I love most of Lynn Kurland's books I was ready to drop that one and stopped reading it.
And time passes.
So one of these days I find the book, then ask myself "oh, well. Why not?"
And so I decided to read it, determined to finish the book this time. And I'm so glad I did.
So, Kendrick got on my nerves. He was mean, determined to drive the heroine mad or to kill her, and just grouchy... Until he falls for her.
Oh, he's still grouchy, but it's a cute sort of grouchy. He's adorable and they make the sweetest couple ever. I love Kendrick's friends as well -those ghosts are so cool! Here's to hoping for a nice love story for Royce, Stephen and Nazir.
There's a bit of tension about the bad guy, but I really didn't worry for Kendrick or Gen for a moment - it's not really all about adventure, so to say. It's a romance, full of scenes that will make you turn into goo and saying 'awww'.
So, if you can hang on past the mean Kendrick, this book becomes the sweetest romance you can imagine, making it totally worth the read - and I'm still calling myself bad names for taking so long to read it.
August 19, 2009
This book was awesome! Lynn Kurland is an author who is on my list of auto-buy authors. That means I will buy her books usually sight unseen or without knowing what the book is about. I am that confident that the book will deliver hours of entertainment and enjoyment. She writes romance with everything from a time traveling character or a ghost to straight historical settings.
This book features a woman from the United States who travels to England to go to the castle she has inherited. Unfortunately, there's a ghost residing in the castle and he doesn't want to share his castle with anyone and he's not above scaring people to death to get them to leave. When you've been betrayed and murdered and are dead for nearly 700 years, it could make just about anyone cranky. However, the fun begins when our heroine decides to stand up to the charming, but cranky ghost.
This book features a woman from the United States who travels to England to go to the castle she has inherited. Unfortunately, there's a ghost residing in the castle and he doesn't want to share his castle with anyone and he's not above scaring people to death to get them to leave. When you've been betrayed and murdered and are dead for nearly 700 years, it could make just about anyone cranky. However, the fun begins when our heroine decides to stand up to the charming, but cranky ghost.
April 18, 2017
Eleventh of the De Piaget historical paranormal-romance series revolving around the De Piagets' time-traveling family. Interestingly enough, Stardust of Yesterday hasn't the standard time-travel connection as Kendrick de Piaget has simply lived for over 700 years.
In 1997, Stardust of Yesterday won the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Paranormal Romance & Best First Book.
My Take
I laughed. I cried. I can't help it. I just love most of Kurland's De Piaget series. And this one was a pip! I find myself hoping she'll continue this series, and let us know what happens to the progeny of Kendrick's family…it should be a challenge!
I do love Kurland's characters. They are all alpha males with eventually-strong women with a mix of 12th century manners and a contemporary outlook with an intense loyalty to family and friends.
Kurland mentions Genevieve's antiques hunting a bit, but I do wish Gen had re-started up her business in England instead of these little teasers!
Kurland paints an incredible picture of historical England, even if she does gloss over the clash of medieval male and contemporary female.
The Story
Kendrick is a ghost tied to Seakirk Castle. Other than the lack of senses, Kendrick seems to have had it pretty good. He's certainly not lacking in funds which he uses to manipulate those hated Buchanan to Seakirk.
And there is only one way to break the curse that ties Kendrick to the castl,e and he fully intends to terrify Genevieve into freeing him.
The Characters
Kendrick has had a reputation for battle and womanizing (there is a brief reference to Jason's wooing back in Tapestry: "To Kiss in the Shadows", 10), and he's had centuries to nurse his hatred for the traitorous Buchanans.
Poor Genevieve is the last of the Buchanans, and she has finally stepped out from behind her cold parents and has been making a name for herself with her Dreams Restored business.
The Cover and Title
The cover is very soft and romantic with its figured cream background and a long-stemmed red rose lying at the base of a framed portrait of a dark-haired hunk. I do not understand the significance of the title unless it's a play off Dreams of Stardust.
In 1997, Stardust of Yesterday won the RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Best Paranormal Romance & Best First Book.
My Take
I laughed. I cried. I can't help it. I just love most of Kurland's De Piaget series. And this one was a pip! I find myself hoping she'll continue this series, and let us know what happens to the progeny of Kendrick's family…it should be a challenge!
I do love Kurland's characters. They are all alpha males with eventually-strong women with a mix of 12th century manners and a contemporary outlook with an intense loyalty to family and friends.
Kurland mentions Genevieve's antiques hunting a bit, but I do wish Gen had re-started up her business in England instead of these little teasers!
Kurland paints an incredible picture of historical England, even if she does gloss over the clash of medieval male and contemporary female.
The Story
Kendrick is a ghost tied to Seakirk Castle. Other than the lack of senses, Kendrick seems to have had it pretty good. He's certainly not lacking in funds which he uses to manipulate those hated Buchanan to Seakirk.
And there is only one way to break the curse that ties Kendrick to the castl,e and he fully intends to terrify Genevieve into freeing him.
The Characters
Kendrick has had a reputation for battle and womanizing (there is a brief reference to Jason's wooing back in Tapestry: "To Kiss in the Shadows", 10), and he's had centuries to nurse his hatred for the traitorous Buchanans.
Poor Genevieve is the last of the Buchanans, and she has finally stepped out from behind her cold parents and has been making a name for herself with her Dreams Restored business.
The Cover and Title
The cover is very soft and romantic with its figured cream background and a long-stemmed red rose lying at the base of a framed portrait of a dark-haired hunk. I do not understand the significance of the title unless it's a play off Dreams of Stardust.
May 28, 2019
Me ha gustado mucho la pareja entre Kendrick de Piaget y Genevieve Buchanan. Ambos se complementan muy bonito y me alegro mucho que pudieran encontrarse.
Hubo momentos donde Genevieve me alteraba pero supongo que es normal que actuara de esa manera, me alegro que Kendrick la comprendiera y tuviera paciencia.
Debo admitir que leí este libro un poco lento porque la historia llegó a parecerme tediosa, está narrado de una forma que es muy rápida de leer pero la historia en sí no me atrapaba, se me hizo algo lenta y ya por el final era cuando quería seguir leyendo más rápido.
Los personajes de Royce, Nazir y Worthington me han encantado, son tan leales que me dan ganas de darles el mundo como agradecimiento.
Me ha encantado el epílogo, me alegro mucho del final que obtuvo la historia.
Por cierto, últimamente tengo una debilidad por el romance histórico que tenga que ver con Anglosajones y Normandos y aunque aquí no se vea al 100%, Genevieve dice en una parte de la historia que Kendrick suele murmurar en francés normando, UFFF AMIGOS, NORMAN FRENCH ES VIDA PARA MÍ.
•� 👻 👻�
"—Nunca me pareció tan malo, probablemente no tenía nada más con qué compararlo."
"—Son casi las diez, Genevieve.
—Todavía esta oscuro.
—Eso es porque tienes los ojos cerrados."
“Estoy ciego de amor por mi esposa y profundamente agradecido por el regalo que me has dado estos días. Nada en esta vida o en la próxima podría reemplazar esto.�
Hubo momentos donde Genevieve me alteraba pero supongo que es normal que actuara de esa manera, me alegro que Kendrick la comprendiera y tuviera paciencia.
Debo admitir que leí este libro un poco lento porque la historia llegó a parecerme tediosa, está narrado de una forma que es muy rápida de leer pero la historia en sí no me atrapaba, se me hizo algo lenta y ya por el final era cuando quería seguir leyendo más rápido.
Los personajes de Royce, Nazir y Worthington me han encantado, son tan leales que me dan ganas de darles el mundo como agradecimiento.
Me ha encantado el epílogo, me alegro mucho del final que obtuvo la historia.
Por cierto, últimamente tengo una debilidad por el romance histórico que tenga que ver con Anglosajones y Normandos y aunque aquí no se vea al 100%, Genevieve dice en una parte de la historia que Kendrick suele murmurar en francés normando, UFFF AMIGOS, NORMAN FRENCH ES VIDA PARA MÍ.
•� 👻 👻�
"—Nunca me pareció tan malo, probablemente no tenía nada más con qué compararlo."
"—Son casi las diez, Genevieve.
—Todavía esta oscuro.
—Eso es porque tienes los ojos cerrados."
“Estoy ciego de amor por mi esposa y profundamente agradecido por el regalo que me has dado estos días. Nada en esta vida o en la próxima podría reemplazar esto.�
December 3, 2014
This is the Lynn Kurland book I’ve re-read more than any other. Kendrick is a ghost, cursed along with two warriors who had come with him, to meet his bride. He can’t leave the grounds, but his two friends can and they come and go. And he’s got a butler, from a line of butlers who’ve been serving him and keeping the place up for all these years. Genevieve is the last descendant of the witch that’s alive and she’s somewhat surprised to learn she’s inherited a castle. He believes he has to kill the last of the Buchanans in order to break the curse, but he can’t do it.
So a ghost raised on chivalry, sword fighting and jousting falls in love with a young woman in the current time period who loves him back. It gets a little frustrating that they can’t do anything about it. Or can they? And she’s in danger from a surprising source.
I love this story where the impossible becomes possible. I believe this is her first book involving a ghost that comes back to life. Both the primary and secondary characters are wonderful and heck, I’d really like to meet Royce. Why hasn’t he had his own book?
There’s humor, romance, chivalry, fighting and a woman putting up with a lot as these guys can be so caring, but overprotective. And it’s fun to what Genevieve getting used to being around all these ghosts.
So a ghost raised on chivalry, sword fighting and jousting falls in love with a young woman in the current time period who loves him back. It gets a little frustrating that they can’t do anything about it. Or can they? And she’s in danger from a surprising source.
I love this story where the impossible becomes possible. I believe this is her first book involving a ghost that comes back to life. Both the primary and secondary characters are wonderful and heck, I’d really like to meet Royce. Why hasn’t he had his own book?
There’s humor, romance, chivalry, fighting and a woman putting up with a lot as these guys can be so caring, but overprotective. And it’s fun to what Genevieve getting used to being around all these ghosts.
October 19, 2011
A friend of mine has been trying to get me to read any book written by Lynn Kurland for years. When I saw that the first one was available for download on my library's site for MP3, I decided it was time to give in. I'm glad I did. Stardust of Yesterday is unlike any paranormal romance that I have read before. The premise is unique. Genevieve and Kendrick both live in a castle and become friends. They slowly fall in love with each other. The catch...Kendrick is a 700 year old ghost.
Parts of this book are heart-wrenching and I had tears in my eyes. But, it is also filled with many humorous scenes and word play between the two lovers. I loved Genevieve and Kendrick together and found myself holding my breath to see if they would have their HEA. There are also a score of other characters that only enhance the story. I hope some of them show up in later books.
I definitely recommend this one. It is cheesy in parts, but such a sweet story that you can't help but want to ignore them
Parts of this book are heart-wrenching and I had tears in my eyes. But, it is also filled with many humorous scenes and word play between the two lovers. I loved Genevieve and Kendrick together and found myself holding my breath to see if they would have their HEA. There are also a score of other characters that only enhance the story. I hope some of them show up in later books.
I definitely recommend this one. It is cheesy in parts, but such a sweet story that you can't help but want to ignore them
May 23, 2016
I thought this was a sweet romance, but there was plenty that was hard to believe. The initial premise was okay - Genevieve, a 30 year old woman from San Francisco, inherits an estate in England that just happens to have a resident ghost, Kendrick, from the 13th century. The romance between these two is fun. However, the ghost (with little explanation) becomes corporeal. And that's where this becomes a little harder to swallow. The lovers marry quickly and THEN Gen gets cold feet...(maybe that's why a grown woman wears footie pajamas - wha? is this woman 3 or 30?)...and basically does not want to consummate the marriage. I can believe that she's a virgin, but she's afraid of her husband. I think that's the point at which this book slid down a notch or two in my opinion. There was nothing here that was fresh and the conclusion was no surprise.
January 26, 2011
I love Kurland because she is a clean romance author. This book was not clean like her others so I was a little sad.This is the story of Genevieve Buchanan and Kendrick DePiaget (Ghost). I liked the over all book and was able to skip over the parts that I didn't want to read.
September 11, 2016
I read this story years ago and started to read it again. Everything came flooding back and I soon realized I didn't miss the story. It was light on romance and there was lots of unnecessary filler.
September 9, 2011
Was completely enchanting. I laughed, I cried, I cheered and groaned. Read it! It's great!!!
January 12, 2021
A fun read
January 4, 2022
Loved it
Read
January 8, 2018DNF. Ive been wanting to read this book for awhile but I just could not get into it.
February 24, 2021
I just listened to this on audiobook and I love the way Kurland weaves a dashing romance with a time travel. I enjoyed it just as much, although the door is cracked for some of the love scenes. They're not super descriptive, but a little more than I'm used to reading/listening about. Kendrick and Gen are the most adorable couple! I love that Scottish knight.
(8/12) I love Lynn Kurland books!! I just couldn't figure out how in the world it would turn out like her other books, but it somehow did. However, this story was MUCH (*much*) spicier than the others I've read by her, although there weren't too details given (but there were enough to make me blush).
Genevieve has led a very sheltered life where men are concerned. She is very self-sufficient until her business suddenly goes south, shortly after she is notified that she's the last descendant in line to inherit a castle overseas. She goes and is immediately accosted by resident ghost, Kendrick. An unlikely friendship ensues and the rest is history.
I though Gen was very contradictory--she was very naive and timid one minute, yet very sassy and spunky the next--but for me, that worked. Kendrick was just as I imagined a strong, loyal knight to be.
Content: language, pretty spicy love scenes, but nothing way over the top.
(8/12) I love Lynn Kurland books!! I just couldn't figure out how in the world it would turn out like her other books, but it somehow did. However, this story was MUCH (*much*) spicier than the others I've read by her, although there weren't too details given (but there were enough to make me blush).
Genevieve has led a very sheltered life where men are concerned. She is very self-sufficient until her business suddenly goes south, shortly after she is notified that she's the last descendant in line to inherit a castle overseas. She goes and is immediately accosted by resident ghost, Kendrick. An unlikely friendship ensues and the rest is history.
I though Gen was very contradictory--she was very naive and timid one minute, yet very sassy and spunky the next--but for me, that worked. Kendrick was just as I imagined a strong, loyal knight to be.
Content: language, pretty spicy love scenes, but nothing way over the top.
May 3, 2015
this book was so cheesy - the "heroine" was a winey, irritating, immature, unlikeable woman. I picked up this book because it was compared to Outlander and A Knight in Shining Armor. It was nothing like those books. It was boring with a super flimsy plot.
Spoilers....
The story was really weak - in fact there was barely a story at all and it had serious plot holes. So, the guy is a ghost, but he can't smell or touch anything - he tells Gen that he lost all his senses when he died -yet he can see, hear and speak. The speaking part is explained by saying that he is speaking into her mind, but later we are told that his area of reach is only his estate. So how is it that he can speak on the phone? I'm all for having paranormal parts of the story - I'm happy to go along with it - provided it makes sense. Another gripe is that there are all these other ghosts that want to hang around his castle, but his family and loved ones all apparently passed on to the other world. Why are all these ghosts still around? Are they all cursed too? It's just a stupid book.
PS - the epilogue...SERIOUSLY... she has triplets at home...and she didn't know she was having three babies- that's just beyond the realm of plausibility. In a world of modern medicine, they would have been able to tell her she was having triplets. This whole book was just STUPID (did I already say that!).
Spoilers....
The story was really weak - in fact there was barely a story at all and it had serious plot holes. So, the guy is a ghost, but he can't smell or touch anything - he tells Gen that he lost all his senses when he died -yet he can see, hear and speak. The speaking part is explained by saying that he is speaking into her mind, but later we are told that his area of reach is only his estate. So how is it that he can speak on the phone? I'm all for having paranormal parts of the story - I'm happy to go along with it - provided it makes sense. Another gripe is that there are all these other ghosts that want to hang around his castle, but his family and loved ones all apparently passed on to the other world. Why are all these ghosts still around? Are they all cursed too? It's just a stupid book.
PS - the epilogue...SERIOUSLY... she has triplets at home...and she didn't know she was having three babies- that's just beyond the realm of plausibility. In a world of modern medicine, they would have been able to tell her she was having triplets. This whole book was just STUPID (did I already say that!).
September 28, 2010
I'll start this off by saying I'm not a huge fan of ghost romances, but even with that caveat, this was still just an ok read. Genevieve bounced between realistic (scared when confronted by a ghost) to unrealistic (never been kissed at 30, how she behaved after the wedding) to just plain annoying (crying jags). Kendrick was pretty much a jerk until he fell in love. I can't believe how he treated the lawyer. The beginning of the book was also pretty strange (I can't believe it was that easy to do that to her business). There is a nice happy ending and I loved Worthington (the butler).
June 18, 2010
This book is my absolute favorite of all Kurland books I've ever read! The ghost is awesome. I will never forget the scene where the butler dialed the phone for Kendrick ( the ghost) and he said into it, "Come home Genevieve....." Ahhhhh what a guy!
September 26, 2012
This wasn't my favorite, it had some cheese... But I liked it, I loved Kendrick... It had some sad parts, some funny, lots of schmooze, and it was a bit predictable... But I had been waiting for Kendrick's story, so I'm happy with it....
May 8, 2015
Gen and Ken!!! Ahh maze zing book! Rlly held my attention from chapter to chapter. The characters couldn't be any more different but the same. It has it's funny medieval bits. And the ending. What a big surprise!!! Where art thou my chivalrous knight?
March 13, 2021
I liked this book and would give it 3.5 stars. I felt like it took a while to get going to the relationship between Genevieve and Kendrick and didn't feel much chemistry to begin with; but if you stick with it, the chemistry does slowly build and their ghost/human relationship is really painful to watch (but in a good way because you hope it will resolve).
I did feel like it was a bit long in parts that could have been tightened up or even eliminated. Perfect example -- I think there were three scenes of them watching football and the first scene was in minute detail. I don't enjoy watching football, let alone reading about other people watching it and having the game explained in detail.
I really liked Kendrick's character, especially in the second half of the book. But I didn't get Genevieve. I liked her in the first half of the book but then suddenly in the second half she just became too skittish and then suddenly two brave. I could buy that she was a virgin at 30 but never kissed anyone?And then she's basically afraid of Kendrick and the idea of sex? It just kind of comes as a surprise, especially when it comes after the “wish� scene where she’s the opposite (and by the way that wish scene was out of nowhere and unexplained). And then somewhere after a week of Kendrick's patient wooing she suddenly becomes this sexy but clumsy siren. Nope. Just didn't work for me. I could believe in ghosts, but not that :).
Speaking of, it bothered me that she obviously could believe in ghosts - especially after obviously interacting with them - but couldn't even consider the thought that witches could exist.
I didn't understand the ultimate bad guy either. I get that you don't want to give everything away but he just seemed to kind of hover too much in the background with no real purpose until the very end. And I couldn't understand why he'd act now after 700 years. Why not after 500? It just didn't make sense to me. And how does he just drive up in his car to a gated castle where there are ghostly and human bodyguards? That was a bit unbelievable as well.
Also, I don't mind that there were no sex scenes but some of the scenes of them kissing - especially those written from her perspective - were just too detailed. I felt like I was reading a teenage girl's diary (and considering her lack of experience she was basically a green teen), which kind of dulled the chemistry factor for me. There are authors who can describe a sexy scene without being too graphic or even describing the sex and Kurland could do it when she wrote from Kendrick's perspective.
I would love to see a story about Royce, but doubt that will happen. He was an interesting character.
I did enjoy her writing for the most part and the story and the plausibility of the curse and how it unfolded mostly worked for me. I would consider reading other stories by her. And if you're looking for slightly to a lot steamier ghost romance, try Allie Mackay
I did feel like it was a bit long in parts that could have been tightened up or even eliminated. Perfect example -- I think there were three scenes of them watching football and the first scene was in minute detail. I don't enjoy watching football, let alone reading about other people watching it and having the game explained in detail.
I really liked Kendrick's character, especially in the second half of the book. But I didn't get Genevieve. I liked her in the first half of the book but then suddenly in the second half she just became too skittish and then suddenly two brave. I could buy that she was a virgin at 30 but never kissed anyone?And then she's basically afraid of Kendrick and the idea of sex? It just kind of comes as a surprise, especially when it comes after the “wish� scene where she’s the opposite (and by the way that wish scene was out of nowhere and unexplained). And then somewhere after a week of Kendrick's patient wooing she suddenly becomes this sexy but clumsy siren. Nope. Just didn't work for me. I could believe in ghosts, but not that :).
Speaking of, it bothered me that she obviously could believe in ghosts - especially after obviously interacting with them - but couldn't even consider the thought that witches could exist.
I didn't understand the ultimate bad guy either. I get that you don't want to give everything away but he just seemed to kind of hover too much in the background with no real purpose until the very end. And I couldn't understand why he'd act now after 700 years. Why not after 500? It just didn't make sense to me. And how does he just drive up in his car to a gated castle where there are ghostly and human bodyguards? That was a bit unbelievable as well.
Also, I don't mind that there were no sex scenes but some of the scenes of them kissing - especially those written from her perspective - were just too detailed. I felt like I was reading a teenage girl's diary (and considering her lack of experience she was basically a green teen), which kind of dulled the chemistry factor for me. There are authors who can describe a sexy scene without being too graphic or even describing the sex and Kurland could do it when she wrote from Kendrick's perspective.
I would love to see a story about Royce, but doubt that will happen. He was an interesting character.
I did enjoy her writing for the most part and the story and the plausibility of the curse and how it unfolded mostly worked for me. I would consider reading other stories by her. And if you're looking for slightly to a lot steamier ghost romance, try Allie Mackay
September 6, 2020
Genevieve Buchanan is pulled out of her comfortable life when she inexplicably loses her business and discovers she has inherited a castle in England. After a few misgivings she makes the decision to claim this bizarre inheritance that seems to have come out of the blue. Her castle turns out to be haunted by Kendrick de Piaget, a knight from the 13th century.
Kendrick had been betrayed and killed by his betrothed and has spent 700 years haunting Seakirk castle, vowing revenge on her descendants. Her last descendant is Genevieve but his plans don't work out the way he had imagined.
I've been reading Lynn Kurland's books completely out of order and I started with a few of her time-travel romances. I was a bit skeptical about a love story involving a ghost but Stardust of Yesterday is exactly the same set up as her time-travel novels. Except our hero is a ghost. It's funny, I have no problem suspending disbelief regarding time-travel but falling in love with a ghost is a little much for me. It all comes down to fantasy preference as so far I find the author's books roughly exactly the same. The same sort of chocolate/ ice cream loving heroines, the same bellowing, arrogant yet lovable heroes. The same conflicts that blow over in a few paragraphs. The same sort of bad guys. And the same completely unbelievable virgin innocence from her 20th century female leads (I've lost count of how many of them are terrified of sleeping with their husbands).
Despite the cookie-cutter stories, some of her novels I truly love. This one, in my opinion, fell a bit flat. Building a dream library for your wife only to become jealous and upset when she wants to read? I don't see how that is attractive in any way. A few other strange plot points that I won't get into for fear of spoiling the book. One particular detail involving ghosts Royce and Nazir really irked me. Basically something VERY IMPORTANT that happens to them towards the end was glossed over so much that I hadn't even realized it occurred and I became confused.
Predictable, of course. Enjoyable enough. But I wasn't as in love with the characters as I have been in some of Kurland's other books and the ending was a bit trite.
Kendrick had been betrayed and killed by his betrothed and has spent 700 years haunting Seakirk castle, vowing revenge on her descendants. Her last descendant is Genevieve but his plans don't work out the way he had imagined.
I've been reading Lynn Kurland's books completely out of order and I started with a few of her time-travel romances. I was a bit skeptical about a love story involving a ghost but Stardust of Yesterday is exactly the same set up as her time-travel novels. Except our hero is a ghost. It's funny, I have no problem suspending disbelief regarding time-travel but falling in love with a ghost is a little much for me. It all comes down to fantasy preference as so far I find the author's books roughly exactly the same. The same sort of chocolate/ ice cream loving heroines, the same bellowing, arrogant yet lovable heroes. The same conflicts that blow over in a few paragraphs. The same sort of bad guys. And the same completely unbelievable virgin innocence from her 20th century female leads (I've lost count of how many of them are terrified of sleeping with their husbands).
Despite the cookie-cutter stories, some of her novels I truly love. This one, in my opinion, fell a bit flat. Building a dream library for your wife only to become jealous and upset when she wants to read? I don't see how that is attractive in any way. A few other strange plot points that I won't get into for fear of spoiling the book. One particular detail involving ghosts Royce and Nazir really irked me. Basically something VERY IMPORTANT that happens to them towards the end was glossed over so much that I hadn't even realized it occurred and I became confused.
Predictable, of course. Enjoyable enough. But I wasn't as in love with the characters as I have been in some of Kurland's other books and the ending was a bit trite.
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