Review: review of the crusader
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 21, 2012
What an astounding and exceptional story from Ms. Kathryn Le Veque!  This is my first time travel romance novel and she sure does not disappoint me!  I was instantly captivated and pulled in by not only the story but by our hero Kieran.  Our hero Sir Kieran Hage is a marvelous knight and man who is just fantastic not only does he deal with modern times so effortlessly but courageously it is so easy to fall under his spell and just love his character!  Our heroine Dr. Rory "Libby" Osgrove annoyed me at first.  I didn't like how she was leading on her friend and colleague Bud playing with his emotions I know she at times couldn't really help it but she really had the power to stop it.  Plus how she treated Kieran at times but eventually as the story progressed I did warm up to her.The story starts off with Kieran who is mortally wounded is about to die in Nahariya Israel 1192.  So he goes to a healer/alchemist who agrees to heal him giving him a potion to revive him in order for him to be healed though the alchemist tells him "a kiss given to him by the one who loves him best" in order to awaken Kieran from his slumber.  In present day Nahariya Israel Dr. Rory "Libby" Osgrove our heroine is a biblical archeologist on her first official biblical dig.  She is with two associates of hers Dr. Bud Dietrich and Dr. David Peck from the University of California San Marcos looking for the elusive Christ crown of thorns.  For fourteen days they are unable to find the crown but just as they are going to be pulled off the site and Rory is considered a failure she happens upon a grave our hero Kieran Hage instead.  She is instantly enthralled with the handsome knight who is surprisingly intact but also looks as if he is merely sleeping instead of dead.  Rory is immediately drawn to him.  As she reads more and more of Kieran's journal which is also buried with him she becomes smitten and attached to the knight eventually falling for him.  In fact it was hard for me not to fall for Kieran too!  The story just pulled me in and was such a page turner it was really hard to put down! There was so much to the story action, adventure, magic in a kiss, an evil villain in either Kieran or Rory's time and a love that surpasses even time itself!I usually don't like cliff hanger endings but I purchased the next book way beforehand so I will know what happens in the end.  Even though it took me a long time to like Rory/Libby I could care less because Kieran more than made up for the story.  That's why I rated the book 4 stars.  I definitely wouldn't mind being pulled back in time just to meet Kieran though.  I know kingdom come the next in the series is going to be as exceptional as this novel!  This is a definite keeper despite my rating because I know I will read it again.  I will happily read another book by Ms. Le Veque well after I finish reading kingdom come of course!