This was a great third installment in the series! I loved seeing Colin finally meet his match and Ellie was absolutely perfect for him!

Post goes live 12 JUNE

I love time-travel romances so when saw this one, I jumped on it. Unfortunately, this is book #3 of a series and I was instantly lost. The author, I think, tried to explain things but it was done in such a way that there were two HUGE info dumps in the first few chapters. So much, that my brain went dead and I swore I got a headache from the sheer amount of information. If I had started at book one, I (hope) wouldn’t have been as lost, but the info dumps still would have been too much. (The leads are different in each book, but there is a tremendous amount of information that ties the books together.)
The characters were a bit too angsty for my tastes. Colin, especially. She’s meant for me, but I won’t tie her to me. I got tired of hearing that really quickly.
Now, that said, I did think the romance between Colin and Ellie was cute. From that first moment they met in the garden to when she went to the states with him, to when they (finally) went back through time. All great parts of a time-travel romance.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough depth in the writing for me. Many times the dialogue came across as young adult rather than adult. Sometimes there were so many characters that I would get lost as to who they were.
When mixed in with several huge grammatical errors, I couldn’t give the book more than 3 stars.

Colin O’Rourke and his family own an elite matchmaking company. They are trying to expand their business when a columnist challenges them. When Colin sees who the challenge is, he’s determined to fight his fate to save her heartache.
I’ve only read a few time-traveling books but I’ve always wanted to find an author who could write such books that I like and not call BS. This is the second book I’ve read from this author and I think I’ve found such an author. The story really grabbed me. I loved all of the characters and the time jump in the book was my favorite part. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I hadn't read the first two books so I wasn't sure what I was in for, but it sounded pretty good. I love reading books set in Ireland and Scotland so I jumped at the chance to read this. Not only is the setting right up my alley but so is the time travel aspect of the story. Needless to say, I LOVED this book. In fact, when I finished it, I grabbed the first two in the series. That being said, I had no trouble reading it as a standalone.
I completely fell in love with every character in this book and I truly hope Ms. Scanlon continues with the stories of the secondary characters (REILLY!!). This book will capture your imagination and not let go. (I read it in one sitting.)
The story takes you from Boston to Ireland to London and beyond. It's engaging, absorbing and flows perfectly. I didn't want it to end, that's why I grabbed the first two books!
The characters are well developed and well written. Aiden and Reilly are hilarious. I have to say, I did beat Ellie in falling in love with Colin because well, what's not to love about tall, blonde, and incredibly gorgeous. And he's a protector to boot. And smart. And filthy rich. See!?!

'Once Upon a Summer Night ' by Nancy Scanlon is book Three in the "Mists of Fate" series. This is the story of Colin O'Rourke and Eleanor Carberry. This can easily be a standalone book.
Colin is owner of a American Matchmaking company. But more than that he is fated time traveling protectors for his family line. Colin also knows there is a mate out there for him but he has yet to meet her. When a story is printed that his Matchmaking company is only for the privileged and says other bad publicity comments, they ask for the story to be retracted. The writer who has a single niece says she will do so if they prove how successful they can match her niece.
Colin goes to London to meet this niece to fix her up so that he can have his company's good name back. But on the first night he meets 'Rose' who Colin believes to be his mate.
Eleanor is doing her Aunt a favor when she agrees to the matchmaking task. But Eleanor has been hurt before by someone and that has been mainly the reason she is single. But when she surprising meets Colin she gives him her name as Rose. Eleanor doesn't know who he is nor does Colin know who 'Rose' is.
Enjoyed this story and how things unfolded.
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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Once Upon a Summer Night by Nancy Scanlon
Mists of Fate #3

Colin O’Rourke is a time traveler. He is also wants to expand his matchmaking business to Europe. With a gossip journalist blackmailing him with bad press if he does not find her niece the “perfect match” he sets out to do just that only to find that perhaps HE is the match to be found. With his job as a family protector weighing heavy on his shoulders he finds himself in conflict trying to figure out whether or not to follow his heart or meet his family obligation…is it possible to do both? There is some time travel, some romance, some violence and some characters from previous books make an appearance while others appear that may show up in future books of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diversion Books for the ARC – this is my honest review.

3 Stars

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started to read this novel. Sometimes time travel stories struggle to make both periods of time seem authentic. However, Ms Scanlon has been successful in making both her characters and the setting believable. Colin O’Rourke is the CEO of the matchmaking agency known as Celtic Connections and finds himself blackmailed by a gossip columnist. His task – to find the perfect match for Eleanor Carberry yet Colin had already met Eleanor and knows that she is his soul mate and so his perfect match. The catch is that his role of time-travelling Guardian of the O’Rourke’s means that he will not make her his partner, and force her to live the life that he must. This leads to much of the angst in the novel where you just want Colin to make the leap and tell Eleanor how he feels.
There are many great secondary characters in this story that made me want to quickly finish so that I could explore the previous two books in the series. I also look forward to hearing about Reilly and Gwen in books to come.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher's Description:

Time, worlds, and hearts collide in this mesmerizing time-travel romance, perfect for fans of Diana Gabaldon.

Colin O’Rourke’s elite matchmaking service is taking off until Winifred Emsworth, Great Britain’s most influential gossip columnist, writes a scathing article about it. She’ll retract the column…if Colin can match her shy, bookish niece with a modern British aristocrat.

But that’s not Colin’s only problem. As one of the O’Rourke time-traveling Guardians, Colin’s destined for one woman only. His thinks he’s found her when she wanders into his cousin’s garden, but she leaves before he can get her name. If he doesn’t track her down again, he’ll never know true love.

Eleanor Carberry is happy with her life as a bookshop owner, and she knows she has her dear aunt Winifred to thank for it—especially as Winnie helped smooth over a very public breakup and a very personal loss. Her aunt has never expected anything in return, so when she asks Ellie to help vet an American matchmaking company, Ellie reluctantly agrees.

When Colin and Ellie meet, Colin realizes she’s the woman from the garden. He’s bound by contract to find her an Englishman, or he’ll lose the business he’s worked so hard to grow. Despite the distance he tries to keep between them, Fate has other plans when Ellie takes an unexpected trip back in time—once upon a summer night.

My Thoughts:
When I read the description of this book I expected a traditional time travel romance. What I got was something entirely different!
The beginning of this book was a sometimes confusing and stilted read. I almost put it aside for something else, but I did agree to read it so I went on. As it progressed I found it more compelling by the chapter.
the final half of the book was very well written and kept my interest.
The characters also became more interesting and compelling as the story progressed.
I gave this book 3.75 of 5 stars for storyline and characterization. and a sensual rating of 2 of 5 flames. There is almost no physical interaction between our hero and heroine. There is, however the threat of rape when our heroine is kidnapped.
I received a complimentary digital ARC of this title from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed.

This was a fun book. I am kind of partial to time travel romances. I guess I like the idea of imagining what it would be like to suddenly be thrust into an entirely unknown situation and trying to figure out what to do. I was really in the mood to read a time travel romance so I decided to pick up this book and I am glad that I did.

This is the third book in the Mists of Fate series and it read just fine as a stand alone even though I think I would have liked it a bit more if I had been more familiar with some of the characters. I definitely want to go back and read the first two books in this series so that I can see how things worked out for the other couples.

This book features Colin and Eleanor, or Ellie, and starts out in the modern time period. Colin runs a matchmaking business, Celtic Connections, and Ellie's aunt wants Colin to personally find her a match. Ellie and Colin have already met and the chemistry between them was intense right from the start. I had a lot of fun watching this pair together. Colin tried to suppress his feelings and Ellie went on the dates that were set up for her but they always seemed to come alive when they were with each other.

It did take this book a long time to get to any time traveling. It was fun once it happened and a lot of exciting things occurred while they were in the past. This was definitely what I would call a sweet romance. If you are looking for a romance with a lot of heat, this one may not be the right choice because kissing is about as steamy as this one will get. I enjoy this kind of sweet romance that really makes you see the main characters get their happily ever after.

I would recommend this book to fans of time travel romance. This was really a heartwarming romance that had a lot going for it. This is the first book by Nancy Scanlon that I have read but I definitely hope to read more of her work in the near future.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Diversion Books via NetGalley.

Summary

Colin O’Rourke is one of the fated time traveling protectors, he was born to be one and will die as a protector. Colin has always known that there is only one woman fated to be his true mate. But has mixed feelings knowing the kind of life he has to live and that she would have to live as well. But he also understands the dangers of denying or refusing what is meant to be. Colin is also running a high end matchmaking business. But when there is slander and gossip surrounding the company, Colin will have to take a risk. The columnist behind the gossip is against Colin spreading the company from the States to Ireland and the rest of the UK. In return for her shutting down the negative commentary about his company, he will need to match make her great niece. But when he realizes that she is his mate, he will have to decide if she is worth the risk…
The Hero

Colin O’Rourke has made his share of mistakes especially when it came to spiting the fates and their will. He had to bear his punishment if he wanted to live. Now that he has succeeded, he also knows the consequences of not heeding their call. He is determined to make sure that no one is hurt because of his actions. Colin was born a protector of the family line of time travelers, and it is a life bound duty. Colin sticks with women that want no strings attached. He wants to be free and not burden another woman with his burden. But when he meets Ellie, he knows that she is his mate but refuses to claim her. He knows that the life he could give her would be hard to bear, being the mate of a time traveler protector is difficult and challenging and he wants more for Ellie than what he has to offer. I did like Colin quite a bit, but his stubbornness and the way he kept rejecting Ellie was painful and even though I understood some of his reasons, I didn’t get why he kept trying to hurt her even though it wasn’t intentional.
The Heroine

Ellie has always felt clumsy and awkward, and has never quite fit in. She feels at home with her books and a good cup of tea. She has paved her way into the making of a bookstore and loves sharing books with others. But it can also be very lonely. She was burned when a man that was titled, ruined her reputation through scandal and she hid away for years from it. But when her aunt convinces her to try out this match making service, she agrees if only to make her aunt (her only living relative and family) happy. But from the moment she meets Colin, she feels a chemistry and a connection she never imagined. I truly adore Ellie, she is so easy to relate with. She loves books and doesn’t fit in as easily with others and she was such a strong yet sweet character that had so many endearing qualities. She fights for Colin when she realizes how powerful what they have is. I truly admired her passion and zest and determination to not back down.
Plot and Story Line

Once Upon A Summer Night was a delectable read and once again I fell in love with this talent, this wonderful author keeps captivating me with her stories and I stayed up all night reading this one. I just didn’t want to put it down and Nancy Scanlon writes enchanting time travel romances and she keeps making me fall in love with her characters and the adventures they have. Now this book has two settings….the first part of the story begins in the modern era. Colin has traveled to Ireland to set up his office for the extension of his business and this is where Colin and Ellie meet. Now at first, they don’t know each other and have no idea of what will bring them together but they share a unique moment that sets the stage for their story.

Then we see them working together, which was quite fun. Colin is determined to set her up with the perfect man even if he knows she is his mate but chooses not to try to court or date her at all because of some inner demons he struggles with. But then Ellie and her friend get lost in the woods, and find themselves traveled back 500 years in Ireland. Where they meet up with some of Colin’s family, The family of our first couple which was so exciting to see their children and most especially their one daughter who I have a feeling will be a heroine in a future book in the series (I hope). Colin goes back in time after her, and some pivotal moments occur that deepen the relationship that is between Colin and Ellie. But also some painful moments happen as well. But I felt like this changed the relationship—for the better.

It forces Colin to face his inner demons and realize what he would be giving up if he gives up Ellie. A truly heart warming romance that gives you a breath of fresh air. Not one to miss out on especially if you love time traveling romances or are intrigued by it!!
The Cover

I really love the summer feel to this book, with the soft yet golden colors and I do like the colors of his attire—its not a kilt, I can’t remember what the Irish called it back then but quite yummy looking on this model. And doesn’t the backdrop make you want to take a plane to Ireland right now?? I know I do.
Overall View

Once Upon A Summer Night is an enchanting love tale of adventures through time, discovering love and also fighting to keep to….the endearing characters that worm their way into your heart and a powerfully written story that keeps the reader enthralled!! MEMORABLE!

a wonderful mix of staid modernism and fanciful notions

I would like to thank Nancy Scanlon, Diversion Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Colin O’Rourke aims to expand his matchmaking business to the UK, but Miss Winifred Emsworth, a popular gossip columnist, is not a fan. She holds a lot of sway with the public, and Colin needs her endorsement to be successful. He asks what he can do to convince her his company is as great as he purports—and she gives him an ultimatum: find her niece a suitable love match, or his new branch is DOA.

Because the Fates have something against him, he discovers Emsworth’s niece, Miss Ellie Carberry, is the same woman he’d met in his cousin’s garden a few days prior—the same woman he’d known, instantly, to be his soul mate. But Colin didn’t meet Emsworth’s list of requirements, nor was he prime happily-ever-after material. He was going to have to weather the pain of marrying off the woman he loves—the only woman he ever would—and make peace with a lonely future, for the good of his company—and the good of Ellie.
_____

I seriously enjoyed this book! I couldn’t stop reading it. Had it done inside nine hours or something. I have a favorite line: “Rainbows will sprout wherever you walk, and unicorns will prance under them in joy.” Delivered in wry humor, of course.

But in retrospect, I do have some problems with the story.

First, I’m a little disappointed in the Celtic Connections matchmaking company. It was said that the company “deals with life partners.” I can get behind that 100 percent. But then Colin goes on to say that “[m]arriages are the end goal.” As someone who admires commitment but isn’t interested in marriage, I find that unfortunate. Also, I never gleaned any sort of indication that the company matches any orientations besides hetero. In this day and age, I thought that restriction unfortunate as well. Of course, I could be wrong on both counts, and the author simply didn’t think it necessary to specify.

Second, this book can be read as a stand-alone. Everything that needs to be explained for the sake of the plot is explained. BUT I did feel that I was seeing a small piece of a much larger picture. Or as if I had walked in at the end of a long conversation and only heard the last bit. Since this is the third book in the series, obviously there’s a story behind the characters of Brianagh and Nick and Emma and Aiden—which I have already purchased and plan to read—but I was absolutely fascinated by Reilly and this time traveling business. He was a complete mystery, and I want soooo badly to know what his story is. So badly that it almost distracted me from Colin and Ellie.

Colin was thoroughly a martyr and took choices away from Ellie before she even knew she could make them—not only that, but he teased her with them, dangling them in front of her face before tearing them out of her grasp—which very nearly irritated me to the point of disliking him…but I could see where he was coming from, and he was so kind and smart otherwise, I let him get away with his pity parties. He was one of those heroes who was so selfless that he was, in fact, being quite selfish. Some might call him an asshole, actually. But he realized the error of his ways and all was well.

Ellie was a darling. I related to her very much, as I, too, am a clumsy, timid bookworm. But I did have a couple issues with her. While I adored her overall, her character arc prodded a sore spot with me. She had a bad experience when she was young—a public one—and in defense, she retreated into “invisibility,” spending all her days working in her bookshop and, as I understood it, most of her nights at home with a book. When Colin comes into her life and toys with her heart, she realizes she’s been hiding and needs to get out and experience life. It’s also implied that, with this realization and in light of her recent adventure, her love of books has faded? There’s nothing wrong with that, per se (though if I were her, I’d have called it a nightmare, not an adventure, and would be very eager to return to my books). I understand the philosophy and respect its merits, but I also don’t think she should be ashamed of living a quiet, book-filled life if that was what she wanted. Only arrogant extroverts would say readers are hiding from life. I think you should do whatever makes you happy, and if you feel you’ve lived a full life, then you have.

The second issue pertains to her past trauma. It’s talked about just once, at the beginning, and I kept waiting for it to come up between Colin and Ellie, but it never did. And now that I think on it, Colin’s issues and misgivings with life take the stage while Ellie’s wait in the wings. While she, herself, cerebrates on it, no one else ever asks her why she’s so resistant to dating and marriage. They just assume she’s antisocial and timid, and they take her for a one-dimensional creature. Gwen might have discussed Ellie’s past briefly, because she would have known about it, but if she did, I don’t remember the passage. If they weren’t going to do anything with the miscarriage (which isn’t really a spoiler, because it had little significance, as I’m explaining), they should have omitted that bit.

And that leads to my final complaint—the ending seemed rather abrupt. While it was satisfying in the moment, I feel there was more that needed to be said between Colin and Ellie before I could sign off on their happily-ever-after. I guess I have to assume there was full disclosure and they worked it out.

Other than that, I might have noticed a typo or two, but I was so enthralled with the story that I don’t even remember what they were. The writing style was smooth, intelligent, and uncomplicated.

Lastly, I have to commend the fact that this book contained no sex scenes whatsoever, not even almost-sex, yet it was very sexy. What’s more—I didn’t even want a sex scene! Actually, I was so wrapped up in the story that it didn’t occur to me until the end that there hadn’t been any sex. And I was okay with it. The story didn’t need it. That’s not an easy feat for a romance.

noapologybookreviews.com

DNF. Couldn't get into it at all, but that's just me. Thanks to the Publisher for the review copy.

This was a sweet, thrilling time travel romance, with realistic, engaging characters, and a creativity that sparks the reader's imagination. I had no trouble picturing each scene in the story, and when the characters went back in time, I felt like I was really there beside them. It was excellent storytelling and an exciting new take on the time travel subgenre.

Colin O'Rourke, time traveler and owner of the Celtic Connections matchmaking service, is between a rock and a hard place. Blackmailed by a gossip columnist, he is forced to find the perfect match for her niece, Eleanor Carberry. The problem is that she is his perfect match, his soul mate, and he knows he could never make her happy. Setting out to find her a better man, they encounter many trials, but only one will matter most when it comes to saving the possibility for them to have life's greatest gift - true love.

Colin was one of those heroes you can't decide if you want to hug him or slap him silly. He had moments where he was the knight in shining armor, ready to come to Ellie's aid if she ever needed someone. But of course, when his heart was in jeopardy, he turned from a knight into a wart-ridden frog. It's one of those book moments when the hero hurts the heroine "for her own good" - I hate that. He redeemed himself in the end, though it was a bit too neat of an ending to feel very realistic. Eleanor was such a sweetie! She was quiet, friendly, and having been burned before in love, hesitant to jump back into romance. As the owner of a bookstore, she immediately resonates with most romance readers, I am sure, as most of us all wish we had our own bookstore. At least, I do!

This is the third book in a series, but I hadn't read any of the previous books and found it easy to read without them. The author does a great job of introducing characters, explaining the time traveling, and keeping the reader fully informed! I can't wait to read the next book, which I hope will feature Ellie's friend, Gwen, and the hunky Reilly.

Really good book. I liked the chemistry between characters.

Colin – the protector- is the owner of Celtic Connections now that Brianagh (The Winter Laird) has gone back in time to be with her Nioclas. Ellie’s great-aunt, an English tabloid writer, writes an article about Celtic Connections questioning its policies to be a client and the fee it charges for its services. Colin wants to opportunity to convince Great Aunt Winnie his company is honest and the final decision lies with the client.
Challenge issued. Ellie’s aunt asks her to let CC help her with a match. Ellie already has a bit of ten year old baggage from a poor romantic choice. In addition, she is really an American who went to live with her great aunt due to her parent’s horrible choices when she was a child.

Before the actual matchmaking session can be set up, Colin and Ellie meet accidentally. They are both quickly attracted to each other. Once he realizes who she is, Colin has to consider her off limits for several reasons. First, she is technically a client through her aunt’s challenge. But most of all, there is all the century old requirements that come from being a protector. Colin realizes he could ruin his life, or her life, or both of their lives if they do not love each other. He is not willing to take the chance.

Ellie is so taken with the handsome CC owner, but is confused by his continuation of helping her find a match even though they shared that one amazing kiss before the really knew each other; she kind of gives up on him. Knowing he is a ‘protector’ I kept waiting to find out what or who he might be protecting her from in this tale.

The humorous thoughts of Ellie and Gwen when they are whisked back in time, keep you laughing at their unwillingness to believe they are living in the 15th century. But, then their circumstances become all too real in convincing them they are not in modern times. Colin does whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves, except claim her. Colin sticks with his belief of not being able to have a wife or family no matter what, you begin to believe he and Ellie may not get their HEA.

I love keeping up with the characters from the first two books in the series. It seems you even get a bit of tease about books that may be in the making with some of the characters that are woven throughout the series. This has been a great time travel series. Nancy Scanlon offers great imagery bringing you right into the story as if you are part of the family. I would love to see the series continue.

A time-traveling romance novel that's part of the Mists of Fate Series (this one is Book 3). This work can easily be read as a stand-alone book. I have not read the other novels in the series, but after reading this one, I plan to go back and read them. A family of hunky Irish time-travelers who also happens to own a matchmaking business. The MCs are captivating in a quiet way, the supporting characters are heartwarming, the settings are well-designed, and the plot is adorable and fun. The story is both contemporary and medieval in its setting. If you like historical romances, this one, although light on the physical romance side, is worth it.

Net Galley Feedback

An excellent story. Solid unique plot and romance. Enjoyed!!!!

From cosmopolitan London to 15th Century Ireland, Once Upon a Summer Night: Mists of Fate, will take you on an unforgettable journey.

With a beautiful, compelling, storyline, this sweet romance has a lot going for it.

I adored the premise of the story — Colin O’Rourke is a time-travelling Guardian of the O'Rourke tribe as well as a successful businessman. When he isn't travelling through time to ensure the safety of his clan, he is helping others find their soul mates with his match-making company, Celtic Connections. But, unlike his clients, Colin avoids love. He knows that out there somewhere is his soul mate, the one woman who he will be connected to for all time. However, Colin would never ask any woman to share the life he lives — it wouldn't be fair.

Once bitten, twice shy, Eleanor Carberry has closed her heart off to the possibility of loving again. But then she meets Colin and everything changes. Now all she has to do is convince Colin to open his heart, take a chance, and love her back and then, maybe, just maybe, they will have their happy ever after fairy-tale.

The romance is elegant in the telling, and it works so well with the principle of the story. This book is all about emotions, feelings, the heart. It is timeless. Add to the mix a little bit of time-travel and you have a fantastic read. I had to admit, that I was so enjoying the romance, that I forgot all about it being a time-travel book until the heroine ended up in 15th Century Ireland! The time-travel element doesn’t dominate this book, although make no mistake it does happen and when it does happen it is very believable. Putting that aside, what I like about the book was the way love was describe as traversing time. It would be. It was. Despite what Colin has to say about it!

Once Upon a Summer Night: Mists of Fate is a very enjoyable read and if you like clean romance with time-travel set in those Emerald Isles, then this is the book for you.

I Highly Recommend.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, and I chose to leave a review*