Kissing Shakespeare

May 28, 2012 Tracey rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, two-time-periods, time-travel, shakespeare, netgalley

Oh dear. I have this feeling I should have run screaming from this book. But the premise both repelled and interested me. I do love a good time travel story. (A good time travel story.) I love the idea of going back and meeting, say, Shakespeare. Unfortunately, that's not really what this book is about.

What the book is about is a self-centered and not very intelligent girl put into a ridiculous circumstance, and an utterly predictable doomed love story. Shakespeare is barely a secondary charact...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: singles-para, read-in-2012, didnt-like

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

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Synopsis (from Goodreads): Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school's staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Fellow cast member, Stephen Langford, has other plans for Miranda. When he steps out of the backstage shadows and ask...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-egalley-for-review

Kissing Shakespeare is a fun, cute and quick read that I really enjoyed. The main character, Miranda, loves all things Shakespeare. She knows all of his plays, sonnets and poems. On the night of her HS production of The Taming of the Shrew, student Stephen Langford tells her that he needs her help right away. Turns out Stephen is from the year 1581 and needs Miranda to save William Shakespeare from joining the priesthood or else all of his classics will be gone forever. Miranda, of course, think...more Kissing Shakespeare is a fun, cute and quick read that I really enjoyed. The main character, Miranda, loves all things Shakespeare. She knows all of his plays, sonnets and poems. On the night of her HS production of The Taming of the Shrew, student Stephen Langford tells her that he needs her help right away. Turns out Stephen is from the year 1581 and needs Miranda to save William Shakespeare from joining the priesthood or else all of his classics will be gone forever. Miranda, of course, thinks that Stephen is crazy until she is transported to 1581 and meets Will.

I think what I loved most about Kissing Shakespeare was the relationship between Stephen and Miranda (who is now pretending to be Olivia, Stephen's younger sister). They were so cute and sweet together and I could not get enough of them. I really enjoyed Miranda's character. She was part of something that she would never believe was possible and I think she handles it very well. She was so real and funny. While I did love Stephen and Miranda together, I still thought that that Stephen was a stupid boy. He had no idea how to deal with girls! I also loved young Will. Before he was a famous writer, he was just a boy trying to figure out what his path in life should be.

I also enjoyed the historical aspects of Kissing Shakespeare, specially how much religion was apart of life back then, and you could be persecuted for believing in something different. The Jesuits were a real thing and I think Pamela Mingle did a good job incorporating them into the story.

What first drew me to Kissing Shakespeare was the cover. I love the pink and even though I don't think the cover fits with the story, it still holds your attention to want to read the synopsis. The story is filled with mystery, romance and history and I was very pleased. The ending was bittersweet but I think it had to happen that way. I just hope it means that there will be a book two eventually!

Overall, I think Kissing Shakespeare is worth reading. I enjoyed it very much. Sometimes you need a light, fun read and Kissing Shakespeare is perfect for that!(less)

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Aug 18, 2012 Pixie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-releases, arc, netgalley, dnf, hurt-my-brain, i-screamed-at-this, shakespeare

I’m not attaching a rating to this one. There’s not really any stars to be found here. It was a DNF.

I really dislike writing negative reviews. More so when I can’t even finish a book entirely. I did not enjoy writing this review at all, but I have to be honest. All of my reviews are.

As a Shakespeare fanatic, I was fascinated and excited to read this one. I was drawn in by the cover and the premise. I’d hoped I could enjoy it. But the worst-case scenario happened and in the end, I put it down a...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Best rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, ebook, historical, netgalley, young-adult, time-travel, reviewed, 3-stars, arc

THIS REVIEW ON B'S BOOK BLOG!

"How would you like to meet William Shakespeare?" A laugh burst from my mouth. "You're crazy."

When time-traveler Stephen Langford chooses Miranda as the one to take back to the 16th century to save young William Shakespeare from becoming a Jesuit, she doesn't have a choice but to go along with him. Once there, Miranda has to learn to adapt to the way of life of the people in that century, and she also has to pretend to be Stephen's sister, Olivia, while the real o...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

No, no, no, no, no! I wasn't ready for this book to end!

The title had caught my eye, and I thought the summary was really intriguing, but at the same time, I was worried because it sounded similar (though maybe more of the opposite) of The Juliet Spell, which was one that really ended up disappointing me. I am happy to announce this book didn't do that to me.

Some may be disappointed that this book wasn't really Shakespearean and wasn't littered with more references to his work. Some may be angry...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Despite the somewhat humorous and a bit too unrealistic premise, “Kissing Shakespeare” by Pamela Mingle has everything a historical romance should have—a new light shed on an old time, wonderfully written period dialogue, and, of course, plenty of kissing.

I do not read much historical fiction, but whenever I do, I am always amazed at the amount of research that authors of this genre must put in before they can even begin writing. Scholars who have dedicated their lives to the life of William Sha...more Despite the somewhat humorous and a bit too unrealistic premise, “Kissing Shakespeare” by Pamela Mingle has everything a historical romance should have—a new light shed on an old time, wonderfully written period dialogue, and, of course, plenty of kissing.

I do not read much historical fiction, but whenever I do, I am always amazed at the amount of research that authors of this genre must put in before they can even begin writing. Scholars who have dedicated their lives to the life of William Shakespeare have finished their studies still unsure about what Shakespeare did when he wasn’t writing and acting. Yet Mingle turned what were mostly guesses into a mystery that kept me glued to the page. William Shakespeare is in danger of abandoning his writing and acting to become a Catholic priest, a profession with high stakes in newly Protestant England. Will Thomas persuade Shakespeare to devote his life to God or will Miranda and Stephen succeed in keeping Shakespeare the playwright he was meant to be?

Mingle also did an excellent job of describing the differences between living in present day and living in the twenty-first century. I was both intrigued and appalled by the descriptions of public teeth picking and medical treatments in the sixteenth century. I was both amazed and surprised by the similarities that were shown between the two times. The religious battles of then are not so different from the arguments between liberals and conservatives. My favorite aspect of the historical nature of this novel was the dialogue. Mingle did an excellent job of using sixteenth century language in her novel without confusing her readers.

Another aspect of Mingle’s novel that I enjoyed was the characters. I was particularly fond of Miranda’s narration. Her opinions on the ways of the sixteenth century and attempts to fit in were rather amusing at times. I also enjoyed her relationship with Stephen. The two bicker a lot, which was an excellent way to show their varying opinions on how to save Shakespeare. Shakespeare himself was also very well characterized. He was a thinker, an educator, a lover. Given his plays, those qualities certainly seem to suit him. The many romance plots between these characters as well as others serve to deepen the characters themselves and the challenge Miranda and Stephen face in saving Shakespeare.

I have two complaints about this novel. First, a sixteenth century time traveler who sees visions? I mean, really? Although Miranda tried to get a deeper explanation of Stephen’s abilities on various occasions, she never got much out of him. His explanations seemed to satisfy her, but I highly doubt they will satisfy many others. Second, the ending was too much of a tie-it-up-with-a-pretty-bow ending for my liking. All of the plots and subplots are tied up nicely. The romance plot tried to put a tear in the bow, but it did not quite succeed.

Above all, this book does an excellent job of honoring William Shakespeare, a man who deserves all of the honors he has previously received and all of the honors he will receive in the future. I cannot imagine how different all of the literature that has been written and read over the past four centuries would be if William Shakespeare never had a chance to write his plays and sonnets. I mean, is there a writer or reader in this world today who has not read at least some of Shakespeare’s work? I doubt it. Obviously, Pamela Mingle’s “Kissing Shakespeare” would not exist without Shakespeare’s works. So, whether you are a lover or a critic of William Shakespeare, I suggest picking up Mingle’s novel. The lovers will feel even more for the most celebrated writer in the English language, and the critics might have a new appreciation for his work.(less)

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Jan 12, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: time-travel, teen, romance, colorado-author

I enjoyed this book--time-travel and Shakespeare, what could be better?! While I thought the idea of seducing Shakespeare in order to keep him from joining the priesthood a tad bit ridiculous, I appreciated the insight into the issue of protestants vs. catholics and how dangerous it was to be a catholic at the time. I thought she really nailed it here--I felt how scary it was to be catholic during this time. This was not something I'd really known or understood before reading this book. I also e...more

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Dec 22, 2012 Nina at Death Books and Tea rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review: Miranda has spent her life growing up with Shakespeare. So when Stephen, boy from her drama group, offers her the chance to travel back in time, meet William Shakesperae and keep him on a writing path. This leads to her taking on the disguise of Stephen’s sister, Olivia (but for purposes of continuity, she will only be known as Miranda throughout this review), dodging religious fanatics of Elizabethan times, and as the title suggests, kissing Shakespeare
Time travel stories involving real...more
Review: Miranda has spent her life growing up with Shakespeare. So when Stephen, boy from her drama group, offers her the chance to travel back in time, meet William Shakesperae and keep him on a writing path. This leads to her taking on the disguise of Stephen’s sister, Olivia (but for purposes of continuity, she will only be known as Miranda throughout this review), dodging religious fanatics of Elizabethan times, and as the title suggests, kissing Shakespeare
Time travel stories involving real people are always nice to read. I wasn’t sure if I’d love it, but the premise was interesting to fans of romance, historical, and Shakespeare alike.
It starts off really quickly, which is nice. We get an establishing scene of Miranda working playing Kate in her school’s production of The Taming of the Shrew, but it’s obvious that this isn’t the point. Miranda’s love for Shakespeare’s plays is revealed as we go further on, saving boring character building and working it into the plot.
It’s really fun how Miranda and Stephen have to try not to be discovered having dropped in from modern day America. Miranda’s reactions to actually being in 1581 are understandable, and even more understandable are Miranda’s actions when adjusting to life in the 14th century and when she is told that she’ll be seducing Shakespeare. I wouldn’t want to be pulled back to a time when women are seen as possessions or suddenly be told to chat up my idol either.
Miranda develops a bit. She becomes more mature over the course of Kissing Shakespeare, and a bit more interesting. The other characters are also good, Stephen and William especially. The other supporting ones are interesting, but not that great.
The plot is good, without being overshadowed by the romance, even if that was part of the main plot. Shakespeare being tempted to join the church was a major part. It wasn’t all that interesting though. This is a rare book where I enjoy the romance more than anything else.
I found it really cute seeing Miranda and William work together on The Taming of the Shrew, with him telling her the early version and she telling him the lines that she’s learnt, hundreds of years later. This then creates an awkward paradox which, quite simply, makes my head hurt.
There’s one scene in which Miranda goes off with Shakespeare, being fairly successful in her task of seducing William. And they get kind of on. and then he calls her Anne. Way to kill the mood. But it also is a nice bit of character building for him, especially as we know that he ends up marrying Anne Hathaway. It also furthers their relationship, as just friends. The romance between Stephen and Miranda is done nicely.

Overall: Strength 3 tea to a book with good potential, but not amazing results.(less)

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Dec 11, 2012 Bridget rated it 2 of 5 stars

YES, I read a book called Kissing Shakespeare.

Now that that's out of the way: what a strange read this was. At its core, this book is a sweet, somewhat educational story along the lines of those time-travel novels you read as a kid (we have to prevent some change to history from happening!!!). However, one of the main plot devices is much less sweet and a little disturbing, considering the ages of the characters - not to mention the low hygiene standards of the mid- to late 1500s. Kissing Shakes...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a darling book, albeit not a cross-over novel for adults, particularly. Pamela Mingle, true to the former teacher and librarian in her, has the school teacher's touch with this one. She's interested in telling a sweet love story, while at the same time getting as much information about 16th c. England and culture across to her adorable readers as possible.

First let me say that physically this is a beautiful little book. Just adorable pink and black and white. Perfect for a teen-ager's r...more This is a darling book, albeit not a cross-over novel for adults, particularly. Pamela Mingle, true to the former teacher and librarian in her, has the school teacher's touch with this one. She's interested in telling a sweet love story, while at the same time getting as much information about 16th c. England and culture across to her adorable readers as possible.

First let me say that physically this is a beautiful little book. Just adorable pink and black and white. Perfect for a teen-ager's room! I love the cover and the book itself...hot pink, black edged with gilt script...too gorgeous. I think we all need one just to toss on our nightstands. Must buy the hardcover.

I found the story a light-hearted one although it captured mostly the unsettling times for Catholics in the Protestant reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Ms Mingle spends much of the novel relating her research about the life and times of the people, and has only cameo sorts of appearances of Shakespeare until almost halfway into the book. While dress, foods, feasting and such are interesting, it was nearly 100 pages into the 300+ novel before the plot began to build and the "kissing" began in earnest. A bit slow, but it got there.

The love story here is a triangle, we find, and that makes for a titillating story ultimately. Will Shakespeare is a handsome and rakish young man who has more than one love interest. Miranda is caught between two worlds and two hunks with her spunky ways to help balance them. And, Stephen is a mystery man...one who was, frankly, much more appealing to me than Shakespeare! These characters were endearing.

Pam Mingle has created a lovely book with an inspired way of bringing us Shakespeare as a young man just before he makes the decisions that will turn him into the world's best loved Bard. I loved the book for that alone, if nothing else! This is a sweet little escape novel. Not strong meat for one looking for a heavy and complicated plot. Just a darling book for the teen set...and maybe a lover of Shakespeare who wants to be taken back a few (hundred) years!
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Sep 08, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one YA that will be on the ‘Top’ list when it comes to the best YA reads of 2012. Fun, entertaining, historical, exciting, romantic - this author has brought it all to the table!

Ah…Shakespeare. What would life be like without the bard who gave the world some of the best words ever written? Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing - the man created some of the most amazing characters in popular culture that have most definitely survived after all these centuries.

In t...more This is one YA that will be on the ‘Top’ list when it comes to the best YA reads of 2012. Fun, entertaining, historical, exciting, romantic - this author has brought it all to the table!

Ah…Shakespeare. What would life be like without the bard who gave the world some of the best words ever written? Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing - the man created some of the most amazing characters in popular culture that have most definitely survived after all these centuries.

In this story we meet Miranda. The daughter of two famous actors with the New England Shakespeare Company, she finds herself beginning to despise acting. Even though her mother is the ‘best of the best’ and the school teachers remember her as the ‘star of all stars’ and want her daughter to take over the position, Miranda is starting to feel like she’s being pushed in a direction she doesn’t want to go - even though she loves being on the stage.

After opening night of Taming of the Shrew, where she basically performs the lead role as a statue, a boy who’s a senor year transfer student from England that no one has really spoken to, comes up to her and tells Miranda she has to come with him. Apparently this Stephen Langford is from 1581 and he’s there to tell her that THE William Shakespeare is in danger. He may never become the master that the world loves because he’s being pulled into the Jesuit priesthood.

Of course, Miranda thinks he’s insane. But when she’s pulled up on he roof of the high school and is transported to a world where the 911 definitely doesn’t work on her cell, no cars are around, and the first people she meets up with are two men carrying a body dead from the plague in their cart, Miranda soon sees that this is completely and utterly real.

What does Stephen Langford want her to do? He wants Miranda to seduce Shakespeare so that the future bard will forget all about becoming a priest. Trouble is, not only does Stephen fall for her instead, but Miranda is also met with a whole screwed up world of religious upheaval and the fight between Queen Elizabeth’s Protestant ways versus Mary Queen of Scots Catholicism.

This is a particularly awesome story. From Miranda’s comic trouble with the 1500’s fashion and her mistakes with the free-flowing ale at mealtimes, not to mention trying to adjust her accent to fit in with the crowd, each and every scene offers sheer entertainment. But the author goes further when she offers the truth about the time period and how hard things were for the people.

From a priest being roasted on a pyre to dealing with a romance that may take over her heart and keep her in the 1500’s - leaving everyone she loves in another time - Miranda is a very cool character, and the pages are filled with a truly unforgettable plot.

Fun, romantic, historical - one of the best YA’s of 2012!

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Sep 06, 2012 Marlyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, young-adult

Miranda's parents are acclaimed Shakespearean actors. And that's what Miranda wants to do when she finishes school, at least until she screws up her performance of Kate in her school's production of The Taming of the Shrew. She's backstage after the show, still agonizing about it when she's approached by fellow cast-member Stephen Langford.

Miranda hardly knows Stephen, who appeared at the school just in time to audition for Shrew. He didn't hang out with the other students, and never revealed m...more Miranda's parents are acclaimed Shakespearean actors. And that's what Miranda wants to do when she finishes school, at least until she screws up her performance of Kate in her school's production of The Taming of the Shrew. She's backstage after the show, still agonizing about it when she's approached by fellow cast-member Stephen Langford.

Miranda hardly knows Stephen, who appeared at the school just in time to audition for Shrew. He didn't hang out with the other students, and never revealed much about himself.
When he asks her if she'd like to meet William Shakespeare. Miranda assumes he wants her to go to a Renaissance Faire or some kind of re-enactment with him, and ungraciously declines.
He explains that he's a contemporary of Shakespeare's, and that the aspiring playwright is being wooed by the Jesuits for the priesthood, which is very dangerous in Elizabethan times, as Catholics (particularly Jesuits) are being put to death by fanatical Puritans. If Shakespeare becomes a priest, none of his amazing work will be created, and all of history will be changed.

Miranda doesn't believe him, and after some discussion, he finally tosses her over his shoulder and carries her up to the roof of the building. There, he pulls out an astrolabe which he uses to open a portal into the sixteenth century.

Even when Miranda suddenly finds herself lying on the ground in a forest, she's skeptical. When she runs away from him, intending to find help, she comes across a pair of men who seem confused by her attire and strange manner of speech. She realizes that, indeed, she has been transported to Shakespearean times, and that Stephen intends her to seduce the young William Shakespeare in order to keep him from joining the priesthood. Meanwhile, she has to learn how to fit in as a teenaged girl in sixteenth century England.

Time travel is a concept that makes less sense the more one thinks about it. Mingle's book is no exception, but it is well-written and -researched, and will appeal to fans of the sub-genre.

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Aug 16, 2012 Bibliojunkies rated it 4 of 5 stars

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school’s staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Fellow cast member Stephen Langford has other plans for Miranda. When he stops out of the backstage shadows and asks if she’d like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Chelsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I appreciated this book so much. Being a college English major I have sat through my fair share of Shakespeare readings, reenactments, and of course his famous plays. This book took another look into the life of Shakespeare as historians know it and I was very pleased with the way that this novel was written! Shakespeare is often a touchy subject amongst scholars because of the conspiracy theory that he did not in fact right half of the plays, sonnets, and poetry that his name claims. (I, of cou...more I appreciated this book so much. Being a college English major I have sat through my fair share of Shakespeare readings, reenactments, and of course his famous plays. This book took another look into the life of Shakespeare as historians know it and I was very pleased with the way that this novel was written! Shakespeare is often a touchy subject amongst scholars because of the conspiracy theory that he did not in fact right half of the plays, sonnets, and poetry that his name claims. (I, of course, think this is bull crap!!) Mingle did her research and her perspective of Will Shakespeare was a rather pleasant one to read about. I was just so pleased that I felt I needed to share that little tid bit first!

Miranda Graham is completely discouraged when we are introduced to her because of her recent performance in Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew. Readers soon learn that her parents are huge stage actors and are traveling all over Europe and Miranda feels it is pertinent to live up to their expectations even though she thinks she will never be as good as her mother. Mingle gets straight to the point in Miranda’s story. I believe that even before the first chapter has ended Miranda and Stephen have already traveled through time back to England, 1581. I can definitely appreciate this is a book because the parts I hate the most are the ones where I, as the reader, am waiting and waiting and waiting for the action to take place. Mingle does not ask you to wait, but instead writes an exciting adventure that hooks you after the first few pages.

Once Stephen Langford, who is from Shakespeare’s time, and Miranda have safely arrived back in England it is wonderful to read about Miranda’s adjustment. She has to give up her modern clothes and technologies (tough for any teenager or young adult). He is constantly reminding her not to slip up and say the wrong thing because in a time such as this she could be easily mistaken for a witch or worse if her modern tendencies were to surface. I loved reading about Shakespeare’s England from Miranda’s perspective. I mean can you just imagine? I would not know what to do with myself. And one of my favorite parts is when Miranda is actually supposed to be helping Shakespeare critique his play, The Taming of the Shrew. Miranda is actually sitting in his presence listening and watching him read and act out the play and then she realizes that she is in the presence of one of the greatest literary masterminds! I got chills just reading this section.

I loved all of the characters and it is seldom that I will say that. My favorite was probably Stephen Langford who was in fact able to travel through time and brought Miranda back to England, 1581 in order to help save Shakespeare’s career as one of the best known playwrights of all time. Stephen did not fall head over heels right from the start for Miranda and I almost expected that to happen, but was so glad that he didn’t. It was a change and for once the whole novel was not revolving around a love story. This was a well written book and I really enjoyed my time spent reading it. If any potential has any love or admiration for Shakespeare at all then I suggest you pick up this book!

***A copy of this book was provided by Delacorte Press for review purposes***
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Jun 17, 2012 Jennifer Whitehead rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 20, 2012 Mollee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-read

I absolutely devoured Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle. Miranda is a modern day teen who grew up on the stage, in the shadow of her Shakespeare-performing parents. When a strange classmate, Stephen Langsford, sweeps her back to the 16th century and explains her mission to seduce a teenaged Shakespeare in order to keep him on course to become the Bard, she can hardly believe what's happening - let alone grasp what he's asking for her. It's mysterious and romantic, well-written and engaging....more

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May 05, 2012 Mira rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reviewed for Kindle and Me.

Kissing Shakespeare is about a girl named Miranda Graham who is suddenly transported to the sixteenth century by Stephen Langford - one of the cast members of the play that took place that night and in which she believes she performed terribly - in order to 'seduce' William Shakespeare so he would not give up his love for writing and acting because if he did, the future would forever lose its greatest literary figure.

I had heard rather good things about this book so I...more Reviewed for Kindle and Me.

Kissing Shakespeare is about a girl named Miranda Graham who is suddenly transported to the sixteenth century by Stephen Langford - one of the cast members of the play that took place that night and in which she believes she performed terribly - in order to 'seduce' William Shakespeare so he would not give up his love for writing and acting because if he did, the future would forever lose its greatest literary figure.

I had heard rather good things about this book so I was looking forward to reading it and I admit, the plot was intriguing. I wondered how the author managed to blend in the characters of the past with those with the future. But, to be honest, when Stephen converses with Miranda using words like 'God's breath!' and 'wench' while she retaliates with 'I wanna' and 'Oh, sure', it was strange and even kind of funny. If the humour was intentional, it worked. If not, it took a bit of getting used to.

I am not very familiar with all of William Shakespeare's work; I've studied a couple of his plays as part of my English course and like anyone else, I deeply respect him. And judging from his plays, it looked to me like Shakespeare was a rather cynical young man. In the story, he's about seventeen and even though he's only a teenager, I could not help but feel that even at that age, Shakespeare would have been cynical. So I would have appreciated it a lot more if the author had given him a bigger role, made his character more defined and brought in more of the cynicism, witticism and intelligence. Instead, most of the time, we see him torn between choosing God and his passion. I guess my characterization of Shakespeare clashed with that of the author's and that made the story a little less interesting to me. But I did like that he was a flirt.

The relationship between Miranda and Stephen was, again, a little vague. When they talk, it's mostly about the seduction plan, which is understandable. (view spoiler)

In the end, everything falls into place all of a sudden. As for Miranda and Stephen, well, there couldn't have been any other way to end the book.

Kissing Shakespeare has a promising plot but the blurb is a little misleading. There isn't much of seduction - something I was REALLY looking forward to - only a lot of spying and making assumptions. Mystery in a romance novel isn't unwelcome but if mystery's what's in most of the book, then there's no point in calling it a romance novel, is there?(less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Who doesn’t love Shakespeare? In Kissing Shakespeare this question becomes a reality as Miranda, a modern girl who loves Shakespeare’s plays, must go back in time to save Shakespeare from a dangerous choice. Stephen, the time-traveler, drags Miranda back to the sixteenth century where she plays at being Olivia, Stephen’s sister, as she tries to seduce Shakespeare into forgetting about pursuing a religious path rather than his oh-so-amazing secular one. The question is can Miranda get Shakespeare...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, literature-fiction, religion-spirituality, romance, science-fiction-speculative-fiction, young-adult, mystery-thriller, advance-reading-copy-advance-uncorr

This is a time-travel story that deals with a little-known aspect of one of English literature’s most likely known men—William Shakespeare. There are gaps in Shakespeare’s life that have led to speculations about his unknown formative years. It gives inventive writers and scholars a great deal to play with and Ms. Mingle has made a spectacular debut with this subject.

Her protagonist is a struggling actress, at war with her talent and her domineering, gifted mother, that finds herself thrust back...more

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Jun 14, 2012 Ashleyn Poston rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

Shakespeare buff? Into cute time-traveling Brits? Want to brush up on some little-known Shakespearian history while reliving the glory days of The Taming of the Shrew?

Now you definitely kinda sorta almost positively can!

Ish.

Kissing Shakespeare shouldn't be taken on historical merit, I don't think. While Mingle does a fantastic job, history itself is flawed (which is why I don't particularly like historical fiction BUT this is one of those major exceptions.)

As a Shakespeare buff myself, I'm a lit...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Erica Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Miranda is about to act in ‘Taming of the Shrew’. It will be the show of a lifetime. Yet, she is about to play an even bigger role- in 16th Century England as the vixen who will seduce the very real, and very young William Shakespeare.

When Stephen Langford met Miranda, he knew she was the one to come with him through time to help the young William Shakespeare makes the decision to write and not become a Jesuit. Which at that time was a very serious offense, accompanied by execution. Miranda’s jo...more

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Sep 27, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: alternate-histories, fantasy, romance, ya

Shall we first discuss the elephant in the room? What is up with this cover? Yes it's pretty, but it really is no reflection at all of the story. If Miranda is in the 1580s, why would she be showing off her shoulders and have her hair down? Pretty... I guess, but I think it's rather insulting that a pretty cover is what's needed to draw people in. But we here at Wandering Librarians have grumbled a bit about the vapidity of covers.

Let me state that there's a theme with the rest of the review. Bu...more Shall we first discuss the elephant in the room? What is up with this cover? Yes it's pretty, but it really is no reflection at all of the story. If Miranda is in the 1580s, why would she be showing off her shoulders and have her hair down? Pretty... I guess, but I think it's rather insulting that a pretty cover is what's needed to draw people in. But we here at Wandering Librarians have grumbled a bit about the vapidity of covers.

Let me state that there's a theme with the rest of the review. Build up and let down. I felt that there was a continuous build up of a theme or information and then was let down with the follow through. I had such hopes for this, perhaps too high, and I thought that I would love it but didn't.

I liked the fact that Pamela Mingle chose The Taming of the Shrew to kick start the story, as we are supposed to see Miranda conform her modern views to the traditional Elizabethan age. Except Miranda never really comes off as the strong feminist that Katherine does. She comes off as arrogant, credulous, and a bit lacking in the personality department. She cries over almost anything that has to do with Stephen and her intense feelings for him, yet continuously goes along with his plan to seduce Shakespeare without thinking of alternatives. She finds herself in the middle of a religious and political conflict and yet doesn't really think to make a concentrated investigation of it.

I thought that the descriptions of the historical elements were very well done. The little details about dress, food, religion, were all so fascinating. But the details that made the story somewhat tolerable were pretty infrequent, and generally were overridden by the sad storytelling.

I thought that there would be this great dramatic ending (Spoiler alert), obviously Miranda wouldn't actually end up sleeping with Shakespeare but I thought there'd be at least so sort of deep conversation about what he wants in life and why priesthood wouldn't be right for him. I didn't think that Miranda would just kiss him a couple times and then he would declare that he'd already decided he wasn't going to become a priest. It just kind of showed that Miranda had no real purpose. It probably would've been fine without her, therefore this story never needed to be written. Sad.

Not well done. No real point and and very disappointing ending. I read some other people's requests for a sequel, but I think it would be best to let dead dogs lie. It had potential, but never really went anywhere. (less)

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May 09, 2012 Elia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: based-on-the-bard, the-renaissance

All I can say is, there BETTER be a sequel to this book, or Pamela Mingle is going to get a sternly worded letter from me! (HA!) I am now madly in love with Stephen Langford. Almost as in love with him as I have always been with Will Shakespeare, who despite the title of the book, is really only a minor character in this excellently crafted historical fantasy.
I admit, "Kissing Shakespeare" was not one of those books that captured me right away. I thought "ok, here is another silly teen love tri...more All I can say is, there BETTER be a sequel to this book, or Pamela Mingle is going to get a sternly worded letter from me! (HA!) I am now madly in love with Stephen Langford. Almost as in love with him as I have always been with Will Shakespeare, who despite the title of the book, is really only a minor character in this excellently crafted historical fantasy.
I admit, "Kissing Shakespeare" was not one of those books that captured me right away. I thought "ok, here is another silly teen love triangle book with cheezy time travel." I was 100% wrong and I truly apologize to Ms. Mingle and her publishers! The fact that our heronie Miranda travels back in time to the Elizabethan era is really secondrary to the story. What we get instead is the story of a man and woman from different worlds falling in love depite knowing they can't ever really be together. Stephen is a man who was born with a sacred durty - to ensure that history keeps moving along towards our present day reality. He is born into a family legacy of time travelers and seers, who are sworn to protect England's future by any means necessary. When he enlists Miranda to help him keep young William Shakespeare from becoming a priest, what he wants is to prevent the erasing of the greatest writing in the history of the English language. All Miranda wants is to go home. Back to her own time, her own clothes, and most of all - indoor plumbing. And maybe a bowl of corn flakes.
To achieve that goal, Miranda is supposed to get Will Shakespeare to sleep with her. And who wouldn't want to be able to say they lost their virginity to one of the most famous men in all of history - even if no one would ever believe her. Even though young Will, (at this time in his life a local school teacher) is handsome, funny, and of course brilliant, Miranda finds herself falling for Stephen, who is now posing as her brother.
Can she sleep with Shakespeare for the good of history, literature, and England? Can she even get home again? Or will she confess her attraction to Stephen, and maybe even give everything she has even known up to stay in jolly old England (emphasis on OLD)? Read, find out, fall in love with the bard, the book, and Stephen.(less)

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Nov 27, 2012 Kelsea Dawn Hume rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, ya

Girl throws a fit after her first performance of Taming of the Shrew. Strange British exchange student shows up and kidnaps girl, insisting she must sleep with William Shakespeare in order to save history from the evil Catholics. Girl wakes up in 1581. Hijinks ensue.

This... bothered me. Quite a bit, actually. But I'll go into what I enjoyed first. The protagonist, though a rich, spoiled teenager, sometimes stands up for herself, which I consider to be a good trait. And when she gets sucked back...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

First Impressions: One of the best things about this job is getting to read books I wouldn't really know about before they come out. And since my local bookstore options are somewhat limited, I'm not sure I would have found out about Kissing Shakespeare for a while. But, I'm so glad I did, because it is my kind of book. I have recently gotten stuck in a bit of a rut with YA - reading a lot of dystopian and paranormal books - and this was a welcome distraction. I mean, honestly, a book about what...more First Impressions: One of the best things about this job is getting to read books I wouldn't really know about before they come out. And since my local bookstore options are somewhat limited, I'm not sure I would have found out about Kissing Shakespeare for a while. But, I'm so glad I did, because it is my kind of book. I have recently gotten stuck in a bit of a rut with YA - reading a lot of dystopian and paranormal books - and this was a welcome distraction. I mean, honestly, a book about what it would look like if Shakespeare's work didn't exist? That is NOT a world I want to live it, but am fascinated by all the same.

First 50 Pages: The book started out, appropriately, on the stage. Miranda is the daughter of world-famous Shakespearean actors. She loves Shakespeare's words and plays. But still, she found something lacking in her opening night performance of The Taming of the Shrew. Disappointed, she just wants to run away and hope that tomorrow will be better. Instead, she finds herself face to face with Stephen, a new student at her school. Against her better judgment, Miranda finds herself almost believing him when he says that she is the only one who can save Shakespeare's cannon of work - by going back in time. Suddenly, she finds herself in renaissance England, pretending to the Stephen's sister, meeting a young Will Shakespeare and trying to fit in a world where just being her makes her stand out.

Characters & Plot: Kissing Shakespeare is a sweet, fun story. Miranda is a well-written fish out of water. Thanks to her parents and her upbringing, she knows enough about the time period to be able to pass as one of them. But, she doesn't simply become Stephen's sister; she has to work to say the right things and know the right things. Her sensibilities as a girl of the 21st century make it hard to fit in when the expectation is to be silent, penitent and patient. Embroidery and riding side-saddle are not in Miranda's set of skills. Learning how to live out of place is a large portion of the book. Stephen tells Miranda that Shakespeare is at risk of becoming a Jesuit priest; if he does so, his work will be lost. So, he tells her that she must seduce and bed young Will, thinking that will be enough to keep him out of the priesthood and following the path that leads him to becoming one of the world's greatest playwrights. But, with feelings for Stephen overtaking the mystery of kissing Shakespeare, will Miranda really be able to do the deed? Will she give up her virginity to save the playwright whose words she loves?

Kissing Shakespeare is a fun, sweet romp through time and place. Miranda is loveable as a sweet girl who wants to do the right thing. Stephen is serious and somewhat dark, but his feelings for Miranda make him likeable even as he is pushing her into Shakespeare's arms. Shakespeare himself is a character that seems to be pieces of all the people he will later write. Sometimes caddish, sometimes gullible, always looking for the answers, young Will is a man lost in a world he's trying to understand.

Final Thoughts: As someone who loves Shakespeare, I have always wondered what he was like before he was famous. Where did the stories come from? Who are these characters he created? Is there any truth behind his passionate prose? What would the world look like if he didn't exist? Shakespeare has given us so much; he has shaped and created our culture in ways many people just don't understand. Kissing Shakespeare is an easy, fun read. A teen romance without all the "grown up" trappings, this is a book about what people will do to save what they love, first kisses and teary goodbyes. The ending is surprising and touching. I enjoyed this book, mostly because it didn't try to be anything but what it was - a love story for all ages.(less)

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Nov 26, 2012 Jessica N. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Not a fantastic book by any stretch of the imagination - just because you are writing about Shakespeare does not make your writing automatically great.
I was bugged, like others, that the vast majority of the book was focused on how the main character - Olivia/Miranda - needed to "bed" Shakespeare as the only possible way for him to avoid joining the Jesuit brotherhood and thus never writing his plays. The book reads like there was no way Shakespeare could make up his own mind without the sex. Al...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Alyson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I thought this book was EXCELLENT! The characters were sassy, and cute... Except for William Shakespeare because all I could picture was the of the man with a receding hair line and a little bit of a mustache.

I thought this was an addicting book, because Miranda/Olivia had to seduce Shakespeare. She lived in present day Boston, but Stephen was from Elizabethan times.

To be honest, a lot of the events in the book surprised me. (view spoiler)...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Lendsi rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is quite a good book about period fiction.

There are eccentricities, and romance, but the very core is lush with insights. Miranda, was pressured to be like her parents, famous theater actors, to the point where she already considered her own mother as a competitor not a mentor. Maybe to a certain point, it was true, but she built on that mental image that perhaps it became true. Then comes Stephen, who wanted her help in saving the bard less the future of the Elizabethan era be changed.

And...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-setting, netgalley, story-and-character-doorways, time-travel, ya-fiction, setting-doorway

I'm really having a difficult time deciding how to rate this one. One and a half stars for the beginning of the book, three stars for the last half, for an average of two and a half stars overall? The premise was intriguing: a young William Shakespeare is being recruited to the (forbidden) Jesuit priesthood and away from his destiny as the great playwright, so a time-traveler enlists the aid of a modern teenager from a theatrical family to seduce Will and restore history. The author seems to hav...more I'm really having a difficult time deciding how to rate this one. One and a half stars for the beginning of the book, three stars for the last half, for an average of two and a half stars overall? The premise was intriguing: a young William Shakespeare is being recruited to the (forbidden) Jesuit priesthood and away from his destiny as the great playwright, so a time-traveler enlists the aid of a modern teenager from a theatrical family to seduce Will and restore history. The author seems to have done a good job researching that era, both the history of Shakespeare & Catholicism as well as the habits of daily life, but the set-up of the story is rushed and full of holes.

The book begins with Miranda upset at her terrible performance as Katharine in her high school's production of The Taming of the Shrew. A cast member she barely knows kidnaps her, taking her first to the roof and then to Elizabethan England. Stephen tells her she is to pretend to be his sister while they stay at his uncle's house, and her mission is to seduce Shakespeare so he will decide not to be a priest after all. She thinks he's crazy and is insulted that he believes she's sexually experienced. But Catholicism has been outlawed in England, and after Miranda--now called Olivia--witnesses a priest being burned at the stake, she stops resisting the plan and becomes an active participant, intent on saving Will's life.

I am glad I kept reading. I almost quit after the fourth or fifth time "smirk" appeared in the text. (Oh, how I wish YA authors were forbidden from using that word!) Mercifully, she invested in a thesaurus about a third of the way into the novel, although that did not stop the incessant eye rolling--both mine and the characters'. However, I was reading an ebook galley copy from NetGalley, so perhaps Ms. Mingle's editors were able to take another run at the manuscript before it went to print.

Word choice aside, I struggled to get past the implausibility of Stephen choosing Miranda for this task. Why choose an American? Why not choose a British girl? How is it possible that her accent, vocabulary, and patterns of speech didn't give her away moments after their arrival at Hoghton Tower? Miranda is supposedly chosen for her acting ability and knowledge of Shakespeare's plays, yet she continues to speak like an American teenager, not like an actress immersing herself in a life-or-death role. It just felt...off. Fiction requires a willing suspension of disbelief, but this needed too big of a leap.

Still, I enjoyed the fast pace by the end. The spying and sneaking around held my attention, and I wanted to know how the story would unfold.

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character and setting are secondary. No actual sex occurs, but it's a near thing.(less)

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