Stephanie Laurens - Scandal's Bride

Catriona Hennessy wants an heir. Richard Cynster wants the rights of a husband. But neither wants the inconvenience of a wedding.
Catriona is aghast to learn that her guardian's will decrees that she must marry Richard Cynster . . . within the week! How could the proud Scottish lass possibly consent to a union with the English rake they call "Scandal," a masterful man with a deplorable reputation? It is true his commanding presence charms her, his heated kisses excite her--and the mysterious Lady of the Vale whom she serves has prophesied that they will wed. But Catriona will never give up her independence!
Richard is equally stunned by the will's command, since marriage was not on his agenda. But lately he's been feeling strangely restless--and perhaps taming the exquisite lady is just the challenge he needs. He burns for Catriona--but can he entice her into the marriage bed without making any binding and revealing promises of love?
And when passion and love are truly destined, can even the most stubborn of hearts resist?

Comment: I was browsing my books and stumbled on Stephanie Laurens, an author I had forgotten I had read two books already, so I decided to get the next one in the series...

In this third installment in the Cynster series, we have the story of Richard Cynster, brother to the hero of book #1, a baby everyone knew was not legitimate but his stepmother Helena decide to raise him as her own. If this shocked many, no one really gave it a second thought, considering the influence of the family and Richard has had a good life, even if something in him has always longed for stability, for a path...

Catriona Henessey has been responsible for a special area in Scotland, a region where many still worship The Lady, and Catriona is her heir of some kind. Catriona's guardian has always wanted to see her married but she is independent and has resisted those schemes. Her guardian is dead and his son doesn't have the same willpower to keep suitors away, but everything changes when her guardian leaves his will, demanding she marries Richard Cynster, the illegitimate son of her guardian's first wife...

Again, as it had happened with the previous two novels, the main characters meet in special circumstances and their relationship starts based on what I'd say is attempts of power plays. Both have firm beliefs and want things their own way and the reason whey they now must interact - Richard has a week to think about the will's clauses - is only a setup for their romance to not begin right away. I say this because they have an immediate connection, which the author doesn't delay in any way...

I have to say this setup is a little annoying now, after three books. In the first I liked the idea the main characters were "meant to be a couple" because the way they met forced the issue - Honoria and Devil were in a compromising situation - but in the second and now in this third one, it feels as if the author only wanted lust and attraction to be so overwhelming that there could not be any other option but have the main characters interact in such a way the reader has to see they are an everlasting couple.

Richard is an independent man but with a lot of love and respect for the family who loves him back, despite how he came to live with them (I won't even get started on the why his father slept with his mother despite both having been married and how no one seemed to care about it?) and at his core, he is a good and worthy man. I cannot argue with the characterization but Richard also has a strong personality and he wants to have his own way. He deters to Catriona as the story moves along so he can show her he doesn't want to steal her authority but before they marry, I was not very fond of his behavior, especially in how he thought about Catriona.

I can see the author's heroes - perhaps only the Cynsters? - will all be alike, but despite what others say about them, despite the descriptions of their actions, I still have the feeling they are too controlling and while this might be realistic for such a family, I still wanted them to have a softer side when it comes to the heroines, but this only happens after a while, as a way to convince us the couple is perfect if only they talk and are honest with one another. Something about this whole tactic feels uneven and I felt a bit annoyed while I was reading certain sections.

I have to confess Catriona is a heroine that got on my nerves, often her choices felt very silly and unfair when it came to Richard. I did like how she wanted to do her job and how she managed for a long time, but I would have easily accept she would need Richard's help, as she had to from a certain moment on, if their romance had developed in a different way. Something about how they are meant to be together, or the interactions they have, feels very stilted and I didn't really warm up to them. I wasn't fond of how their romance begins either.

The author clearly has a specific style which works out in some scenes, and does not in other, for me. I think this mix of presenting things in a likely realistic and historically accurate mood with the characters' actions and the whole seduction thing feels very weird at times and makes me dislike certain elements. In this novel, what I liked the best and that saved the overall book for me was the dedication the characters had to do a job well done and the competence they demonstrated when doing something not related to the romance.

I also liked seeing the family interactions closer to the end of the book, I can really understand the appeal when so many people who care for one another are around and how the author demonstrates this with small details or by having cute and domestic scenes.

However, the book cannot be only about this... I won't go into the plot and all the things that happen because in this case that feels almost secondary. The romance disappointed me and Catriona and Richard didn't feel like such amazing people while I was seeing them in a romance mode or interacting in that regard, before and after they get married. Their relationship feels bumpy throughout the story and even though I can accept their HEA, I was not amazed by how it got to happen.

 

All things considered, this didn't quite got there for me, but there were positive elements nevertheless... I do hope the next story is better, I'll pray it can be closet to the aspects I've liked in book #1.

Grade: 6/10