I was attracted to this book by its cover which is very prette. However, the real reason why I don't give this book 5 stars is..not all stories are excellent. The firt story, Piece of Dreams, by Jennifer blake is just OK.. It's my least favorite of all three. The plot is kind of a bit boring although I love the idea of one main character has an identical twin!. It's fun to have two of a kind. However, I found that conversation between characters was not really appealing to keep you going until the end. I ended up skipping to read the second story before coming back later. The second story, Liar's moon, is my most favorite. I considered this story is one of the best romantic novellas I've ever read. Kristin Hannah is capable of making an ordinary plot into an enchanting, fun-to-read story. It made me laugh and smile the whole time. Two main characters are so adorable.. And not only romantic true-love feeling you will feel while reading this story but unconditional family love as well. Excellent job on this one!!. The last story, A midsummer's day dream, is fine. Not so good but not so bad either. To me, time-travelling concept is fun. However, in my opinion, this story could be better if it's not a novellas but a real, nice, long novel. Feeling between two main characters is too superficial (although, in the book, it said that's 'true love'). I kind of feel that they're attracted to each other by only physical appearances. There're a lot of questions about some other characters need to be answered and the story ended by leaving many questions about Who, Why, How did those things happen??.. So although, by overall, it's not a superb book, I like it. At least, it's good for a 'stress-free' day!!

After reading other wonderful time travel stories by other authors, I was excited to come across this one. What a disappointment. While the first 1/3 of the book kept my interest, after that it was a struggle to even go on with it. I ended up just skimming the pages to get through it. At first, it was interesting with the time travel and her confusion with the whole thing. After that, tho, it just got old. I didn't find the characters interesting, and I felt like it was just the same drama repeated page after page. I got tired of her crying. Do yourself a favor, and spend you money on "Knight In Shining Armour." THAT is a great time travel story!

When Lightening Strikes, is a great time travel/fantasy romance story by Kristin Hannah. Alaina Costanza is thrown back into time, captured into the latest romance story she is writing. Unbeknownst to Alaina, her villain character, Killian, is actually her soul mate, reaching across time and space to Alaina to rectify the loss and love in both of their lives in the late 1870's.

I thought the concept was ingenious and really enjoyed this book of time-travel! I also found it interesting that Hannah picked out several elements from her book, The Enchantment, and used those elements in this book! I thought it very clever!

Hannah once again paints a heroine who is strong and determined, with supporting characters that are as equally believable. The reader is immediately drawn into the story, and I thought that the story line moved great! This is the last book of Hannah's that I had left to read, and it, too, did not disappoint me.

Kristin Hannah has quickly become one of my favorite authors due to her ability to draw the reader intensely into the heart and plot of the story, with believable and true to life characters. Her love stories are warm and sensitive, with the heroine able to overcome obstacles in her life, and embrace love once again. I have found that all of Hannah's books contain messages of struggle, hope and love. And as always, once you fall in love with the characters in her books, you are dying for a sequel!

"When Lightning Strikes" definitely struck a chord with me.

The basic plot of the book is as follows. Alaina (Lainie) Costanza is a romance writer, but she's no wimpy, frou-frou darling. Nope, she chain-smokes, drinks on occasion, wears tacky outfits, and is generally a hell-raiser. There are reasons for her behavior I'll get to in a moment; suffice it to say that only two things are keeping her together at this point: her writing talent, and her teenage daughter, Kelly.

John Killian is an outlaw, a former Texas Ranger who feels like he's lost everything. His wife died years ago and he couldn't save her; once that happened, he felt his soul rip apart, and decided to live down to his reputation. Now he's the leader of a notorious bunch of outlaws.

How do these two relate? It's not as simple as it appears at first. At first, Lainie gets thrown back from her time (early 1990s) to Killian's time (late 1800s); Killian isn't exactly overjoyed to see her. Lainie is in a state of shock at first, thinking it's all a dream.

But it's not.

Instead, Lainie finds out slowly that Killian is her soulmate. And that she, in an earlier life, was the wife that left him alone. And as she and Killian learn to trust each other again, they overcome nearly insurmountable problems.

Item 1: Lainie was gangraped at least once. Used to do drugs. Her parents abandoned her, and the foster system didn't work. Her daughter is the result of the rape; she kept her daughter and loves her, which shows enormous strength of character. (As if being creative and reaching for her dreams wasn't enough strength for anyone; well, this is a romance, and I suppose this is a bigger "hook" to grab the reader.)

Item 2: Killian was a Texas Ranger, as I said before, and was a very good law enforcement officer. He was married to Emily (Lainie's previous incarnation), and was sent off on a mission to Mexico. While there, he got thrown in jail; she waited for a long time, then, (perhaps after being raped and abused herself because her husband was gone -- she lived on the Texas frontier alone), ended up killing herself. That's how John became a villain; he felt like he must be one, because his beloved wife had left him like that. And he blamed himself for being thrown in jail, and couldn't forgive himself.

Both characters are looking for salvation, and in this book, they find it. In each other, granted, but that's what they needed. Both needed a second chance with the other, to be able to love and be loved in return. They get that chance through an unusual twist; they don't want to give it up, yet if Lainie doesn't return to the 20th century, Kelly will be put in foster care -- and Lainie knows all about _that_.

So, she and Killian believe it's a choice between love of parent for child and love for each other, and both make love to each other with a sadness that is palpable. Instead of being joyous, they are miserable; they know this is all they are ever likely to have. Yet, how could they pass it up?

How Ms. Hannah brought off the obligatory happy ending is up to you to find out; I will say that I enjoyed it and found it reasonably realistic. (I still wonder, though, how Killian found the 20th century, what he found to do, how Lainie was able to get him the ID she'd so blithely talked about, and what Kelly thought of him. This book demands a sequel.)

So, even though some of the historical details one of the editorial reviews talked about were missing (Lainie doesn't spend much time on detail; she does talk about what the men wear and a lot about the scenery), this book deserves five stars. For more than one reason; it's not every book that shows that love, even a love like this, can be funny, sexy, sweet, poignant, and sad, all by turns.

Yet love, in real life, _is_ like this. And that is why I'd give "When Lightning Strikes" five stars.

Two more things. The character of Viloula is wonderful; check her out. She might live in the late 1800s, but she's a modern woman indeed, and I believed fully in her characterization. Also, Ms. Hannah is to be commended for how she writes her love scenes; the dialogue and description crackles with life, and it shows exactly how Lainie loses what barriers she has left and surrenders to love. And to herself.

Highly recommended. And by far the best book Ms. Hannah has ever written.

Obviously, this is an early work of Kristin Hannah. I've read most of her books, and can honestly say, had I read this first, I never would have read the others she's written. I've never been so happy to put down a book in my life. I thought it would never end. The first novel of Hannah's I read was Home Again and I've read all her works since then. This book isn't even in their league.

Emaline "The mad hatter" Hatter is ruthless, cold, experienced investment banker... And... Entirely female!

When Emaline decides to help out an old family friend, by hosting a dinner party for HIS friend, a struggling professor.... Little does she realize that she will be suckered into investing in him, entirely out of sympathy!

Professor Larence Digby has a dream. Finding the LOST city of Cibola. Unfortunately, that means finding rich investors who will finance him, because he is dead broke! When he meets Emaline Hatter he knows that he would like more from her than money- Can Larence convince Emaline to give love a chance?

I /really/ cannot say enough positive things about this book! Emaline Hatter is a really great romance heroine. No 'twittering' virgin, Emaline loves one thing... MONEY! And she intends to have a lot of it! Larence is a naive 'absent minded professor type' who enjoys all the details that life provides. These two make a great pair!

I recommend this novel for people looking for something different in romance!

Wow for being a historical novel, this book defintly had a modern flair. I found it refreshing to have a heroine who wasnt A a virgin in her late twenties and B a heroine who didnt have an awful experience with sex.

The chemistry was great and the love scenes were steamy.

I recomend this book highly especially if you like take charge heroines!