There's a quirky twist on the distracted, "nutty professor" theme in this latest Laura Kinsale novel, in that the character happens to be female !
Merlin Lambourne is the absent-minded, slightly eccentric, albeit adorable inventor,who ,unbeknownst to her, is working on an invention that is of great interest to Her Majesty's government and Her enemies.
Enter Lord Ransom Falconer, sent to seek out this scientist and protect him; only to find out that the"him" is a a very cute "her" and all the related complications that ensue . Throw in, that the invention is a flying craft and our typically damaged Kinsale hero has a crippling fear of heights and it makes for a funny, poignant and ,at times, heart-stopping tale ! Although "Flowers from the Storm" and "Prince of Midnight" are still my favorites, you should definitely be pleased with this new Kinsale read. Enjoy !

MIDSUMMER MOON
LAURA KINSALE

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Merlin Lambourne wants nothing more than to perfect her flying machine. She is very sure that someday, she will be able to soar the skies to view the land below her. All else is lost on her, as long as she can learn the mystery of flying.

Ransom Falconer, Duke of Damerell, has been sent to see if Merlin has created a truly magnificent innovation that can be used in the war against Napoleon. When he discovers her, he finds that her life is in danger, and he will do anything to protect her and her inventions. Promising her that she can work on her designs at his estate, they leave immediately.

Fearful of her safety, he finds it necessary to forbid her work on her dream. Will she be able to comply and give her love to him, even as he holds her back? Can he save her from the danger that lurks nearby?

Ms. Kinsale weaved an enchanting tale of two great people who had no plans to find love, but it found them anyway. The characters were intelligent and very entertaining. I loved Merlin's absent-mindedness and how Ransom was able to just go with it. I wish that Ransom had disclosed his fears earlier in the story, so that Merlin could understand his demands, but then that would have taken away from the story itself, so I do understand why they weren't disclosed. I also feel that Ms. Kinsale blended the mystery of the true villain well into the story, I was never sure who the foe was, until revealed.

Ms. Kinsale is a New York Times Best-Selling author. You can learn more about her at www.laurakinsale.com.


Aemelia
Enchanting Reviews
May 2008

I'll start out this review by stating that I have no idea why the book is titled Midsummer Moon. Usually book titles have at least something to do with the book;s content, but this one... I never did quite figure it out. But that's okay, because it's a lovely book.

Merlin did, on occasion, drive me batty. She's so vague and oblivious and has no comprehension of sarcasm whatsoever. But that's okay, because it's her character. She's a vague and dreamy sort of inventor, the sort who pretty well blocks out the world to concentrate solely on their inventions. And she was inadvertently amusing several times, to the point where I did, in fact, giggle. Ransom was a bit better -- he loved her, but he could be fairly unscrupulous to get what he wanted, and knew it.

I also loved how Merlin didn't want to get married, and maintained that decision throughout the majority of the book. She loved him, but she knew he would clip her wings, so to speak, and so she took the harder decision and refused to marry him. You don't often see that in a romance novel, and I find it refreshing.

This is a really good read with engaging characters and a story that draws you in and holds you to the end. One of the better books I've read in a long while.

I don't care what the others thought. I still believe this to be THE best of Kinsale's books. The inventor was just SO smart that she invented things to improve HER life (such as the talking box aka phone) and never considered that others would find it a miracle. Once her invention works, she forgot it and went on to the next. She was not absent minded or dense. She was just so smart she moved on.

This is my all time favorite of Laura Kinsale's books. That is saying something since Laura Kinsale is my personal all time favorite author!

I can hardly wait for "Enchanter" to come out within the next year!