A Garden in the Rain

TEST

Lynn Kurland is beloved for her portrayals of the time-traveling MacLeod family of Scotland. Various family members have traveled to modern-day Scotland from their home in the 13th century Highlands. One by one, each found love in their new place in time and, if this book is any indication, Ms. Kurland has earned her large following for very good reason.

In the hands of the wrong author, this premise could be painful, but instead, the author strikes a good balance between the absurd and the poignant to create a very touching story. And even though it’s obvious that this novel is one of a series, it stands alone very well for those readers who, like me, have never read any of her work.

Madelyn Phillips is caught in the middle of the ultimate traveling nightmare. After losing her job and her condo in Seattle, she arrives in Scotland for her carefully planned dream trip. But, thanks to the obviously vile ex-fiance who caused her to lose everything but the clothes on her back, she’s forced to spend her vacation staying in a cramped broom closet of a room while said vile rat stays in the spacious room that was to have been hers. Adding insult to injury, he steals her clothing and passport, causes her rental car to be repossessed, and follows her around as she sightsees in an attempt to ruin her trip and mold her to his will. What a catch he would have been!

Fortunately for Madelyn, she has a knight in shining armor. Though Patrick MacLeod has been through great tragedy in his life and is not inclined toward romance, he is instantly touched by Madelyn when he meets her during her stay at his cousin’s inn. Patrick feels so protective of her that even puts aside his work as a bodyguard in order to spend time showing her around.

Patrick and Madelyn discover that they genuinely enjoy spending time together as friends – a discovery that’s just as important to them as the later revelation of falling in love. This aspect of a relationship is something that one of my AAR colleagues noted about Kurland’s books and it’s a positive aspect of her writing that is both rare and refreshing. The mix of humor and mutual awkwardness as Patrick, the man who thought he had built a wall around his heart, and the newly jilted Madelyn grow to care about each other is tender and mixed with a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor.

Patrick MacLeod is an enjoyable character. He’s obviously tormented by his dark past, but his inner conflicts do not keep him from being able to be a valued brother, uncle, and friend to those around him. He is determined to craft a life for himself and watching him grow as he comes to know, trust, and eventually love Madelyn is one of the strong points of this novel.

Unfortunately, Madelyn is not Patrick’s match. While not entirely TSTL, she is still several vertebrae short of a full spine. There are some situations in which her insecurities and hideous judgment would seem natural, but the reader is supposed to believe that Madelyn, a fearsome litigator (Harvard-trained, no less) who steadily rose to the top at her law firm back in Seattle, is the same Madelyn who had the supremely bad judgment to get involved with a rat. What further strains credulity is that her ex is painted as being so obviously dreadful that anyone who comes into brief contact with him can easily discern his sliminess, and yet the supposedly brilliant Madeleyn fell for him. The reader is also expected to accept that Madelyn is such a helpless sheep that she cannot secure her own belongings in a hotel room, control her own credit card, or even keep up with her passport.

Throughout the story, Madelyn also toys with idea that she would like nothing better than to chuck her law career and simply let a man (perhaps Patrick) take care of her. As an attorney myself, I must say I found this plot twist unbelievable and even vaguely offensive. The sort of people who are dedicated enough to go through seven grueling years of college and law school at a top university usually are not inclined to suddenly decide to chuck it all and let themselves become so incredibly passive. Changing fields, or even becoming a less-than-passive homemaker, would have rung true, but the clinging vine tendency simply was not realistic. In many ways, Madelyn seemed more retro than most historical heroines.

Kurland is a vivid writer and the mix of humor and sincere emotion in her dialogue is absolutely wonderful. She crafts an engrossing story here with a truly sympathetic hero and an entertaining supporting cast. If you can get past Madelyn’s weaknesses, this is an exceptional book that has certainly convinced me to read more about the MacLeods.

Reviewed by Lynn Spencer

Grade: B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date: 22/09/03

Publication Date: 2003

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Recent Comments …

  1. excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.

I enjoy spending as much time as I can between the covers of a book, traveling through time and around the world. When I'm not having adventures with fictional characters, I'm an attorney in Virginia and I love just hanging out with my husband, little man, and the cat who rules our house.

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