I will start by noting this book ticked a lot of boxes for me before I even turned the first page; standing stones, time travel, England – I was all set. And I don’t judge books by their covers any longer because they can be very deceiving. While this wasn’t the most history based of historical fiction I have read lately the story was solid and bodice ripper cover belies what’s inside.

As with all time travel novels you just have to let reality go and accept the premise that someone can fall through stones and land in another century. If you try and fight this the book is just not going to work for you. You can’t try and logic it out, you can try and assume the impossibility of it. Just accept, accept, accept and enjoy the ride.

Arik is not sure about this new woman in his domain but he feels a spark around her. Rebeka is still trying to figure out how she came to be where (and when?) she is. Last she remembered she was learning about her new inheritance, Fayne Manor. THAT came as a huge surprise as her father never told her their family had relatives in that area.

Rebekah is explained away as someone who will help to figure out what is causing strange lightening and other problems in Arik’s domains. She soon settles into the household but all is not well as forces are coming for Arik. Problem is, he thinks Rebekah might be against him.

i really did enjoy this book; the story was intriguing and the Druid elements were different from most books I read. I do find myself with some questions left after reading the book but there is another chapter in the story and I suspect they will be answered in that next volume. It is good when a book leaves you thinking.

Knight of Runes was a great way for me to spend my Thursday. The hours sped by quickly as I went back in time with Arik and Rebeka. ( )

So I give this book a solid 3 stars, maybe 3.5.

Knight of Ruins started a little slow for me. I put it down a handful of times before really giving it a chance. The story just didn't grab me. However, once I got about a quarter of the way in, I wanted to know what happened next.

The plot: I really liked the plot. Time travel, romance, homicidal maniac...what's not to love. Outside of the uneven pace, which starts slow, gets a little faster, then finishes at breakneck speed, I have no complaints.

The characters: This is tough. I wanted to like the characters, but I never felt like I really got to know them. There is back story, but it didn't really illicit a connection for me...so it felt like I just knew the characters based on their reactions to what was going on. But there is a ton of potential.

The writing: Again, aside from the pace, I have no complaints. The author tends to tell more than show, but it's not done enough to take away from the story overall.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I've never read this author, so I'll probably check her out. If you like romance and time travel as well as magic, you should read this!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. ( )

This was a bit too long in places. It was overly descriptive and had unnecessary info dumps.

Rebeka irritated me at times. There was nothing she couldn't do. She was smart, conveniently studied the time period in which she ended up, she had a black belt in karate, ran 5 miles a day, etc, etc, etc. It was just a bit unrealistic.

Aside from that I enjoyed the story and the romance. ( )