"dreamspell" by tamara leigh

This is one of my rare "I didn't have to write this review" reviews. When I saw a review of Dreamspell on another book blog, I knew I needed to check it out. And, as Dreamspell is one of the books Amazon Prime members can read for free, I didn't even have to pay for it!

About the book (from Amazon): A time to live. A time to die. A time to dream.

Sleep disorders specialist Kennedy Plain has been diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor. When her research subject dies after trying to convince her he has achieved dream-induced time travel and her study is shelved, she enlists herself as a subject to complete her research. But when she dreams herself into 14th-century England and falls into the hands of Fulke Wynland, a man history has condemned as a murderer, she must not only stay alive long enough to find a way to return to her own time, but prevent Fulke from murdering his young nephews. And yet, the more time she spends with the medieval warrior, the more difficult it is to believe he is capable of committing the heinous crime for which he has been reviled for 600 years.

Baron Fulke Wynland has been granted guardianship of his brother’s heirs despite suspicions that he seeks to steal their inheritance. When the king sends a mysterious woman to care for the boys, Fulke is surprised by the lady's hostility toward him--and more surprised to learn she is to be his wife. But when his nephews are abducted, the two must overcome their mutual dislike to discover the boys' fate. What Fulke never expects is to feel for this woman whose peculiar speech, behavior, and talk of dream travel could see her burned as a witch.

My take: Dreamspell had me at time travel. I am predisposed to loving anything dealing with time—time travel, time loops, etc. So even though medieval romances aren't usually my cup of tea, I thought I'd give it a chance. To my surprise, I loved the action in the 1300's ... and I couldn't get through the modern scenes fast enough, as I wanted to know what would happen in the "past."

I enjoyed watching Nedy try to fit into the middle ages—especially when it came to hygiene issues!—and I liked her relationship with Fulke. I also especially liked Marion, Fulke's sister ... her defense against an unwanted marriage was pretty genius!

While I preferred the scenes in the 1300's, the most touching scene was the epilogue involving Kennedy's mother in the present. It was an absolutely genius way to wrap up the story!

Tamara Leigh is known for her Christian fiction, but Dreamspell is more of a general market romance. That said, it's a clean, enjoyable read. 4 stars.

About the author: Tamara Leigh holds a Masters Degree in Speech and Language Pathology. In 1993, she signed a 4-book contract with Bantam Books. Her first medieval romance, Warrior Bride, was released in 1994, followed by Virgin Bride, Pagan Bride, and Saxon Bride. Tamara continued to write for the general market, publishing three more novels with HarperCollins and Dorchester and earning awards and spots on national bestseller lists.

In 2006, Tamara's first inspirational contemporary romance, Stealing Adda, was released. In 2008, Perfecting Kate was optioned for a movie and Splitting Harriet won an ACFW "Book of the Year" award. Both books were released as audiobooks. In 2009, Faking Grace was nominated for ACFW "Book of the Year" and RITA awards. In 2010, Leaving Carolina was featured in Target stores' "Emerging Authors: New, Notable, Red-Hot Reads" section. In 2011, Tamara wrapped up her "Southern Discomfort" series with the release of Restless in Carolina.

Tamara lives near Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and sons, a Doberman that bares its teeth not only to threaten the UPS man but to smile, and a Shih Tzu with a Napoleon complex and something of an eating disorder.