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

Stephanie Laurens - A Rake's Vow

He vowed never to marry.
She vowed no man would trap her.
But some vows are meant to be broken...
Vane Cynster greatly enjoys his dalliances, but he's always remained aloof when other Cynster men stepped up to the altar. Resolved to never submit to being leg-shackled to any woman, he believes hes found the ideal temporary refuge from London's infuriating husband hunters at Bellamy Hall. But an encounter with irresistible Patience Debbington has his head—and his heart—spinning...and soon he has more than mere seduction on his mind.
But Patience is not about to succumb to arrogant, presumptuous Vane's sensuous propositions. Certainly his kisses leave her weak, and his caresses leave her flushed and burning with desire. But he is bound to be unfaithful—just like every other man—and despite his assurances, she will not trust the handsome, elegant rogue with her heart.
But can a promise to resist temptation stand firm when passion demands otherwise?

Comment: Last year I've read the first book in the Cynster novels, which are quite popular and one of the author's most successful work. I liked that book although it wasn't perfect, so I felt curious to keep going. I've gotten this second book and hoped for more of the same which did happen but the main characters weren't as likable to me as the ones from the other book.

In this second novel, we have the story of Vane, another one of the six older male cousins who are the central characters in the beginning of the series.

Vane wants to avoid the same fate that affected his cousin Devil, who found his bride in unusual circumstances and that is why he has avoiding riding during storms, for instance. However, one day he does get stranded and knowing aunt Minnie lives nearby and having always been fond of her, he seeks temporary shelter in her house. As soon as he arrives he sees a lady looking for something beneath a windowsill and when she turns around, he is smitten. Aunt Minnie always has a full house, of relatives and connections, and he knows he will find out who this woman is, but the longer he stays, the more devoted he feels to Patience, his aunt's niece...will he convince her they would be a perfect match or her wariness of men of leisure be too much to win her favor?

As I expected, this story develops in the same way and style as the first one. With this I mean it's a quiet story with some mild mystery ongoing - someone is stealing small inconsequential things in Minnie's house and most of the guests seem to blame Gerrard, Patience's younger brother, he is 17 and at considered to be at an age to amuse himself with pranks - and a central romance between Vane and Patience, the same method seen in the previous book. I can only assume most books in the series will have similar plots and formulas.

I think the formula works and allows the author to develop things in a steady and relatable manner, making it seem as if the characters are taking their time to act and think about their actions. This also means it becomes easier to think time is passing by and interactions help create an opinion, so if we see them having conversations, thoughts about one another and such, the connection they are creating seems more believable and when the HEA comes, it will feel emotionally stronger.

For me, the problem here is that I wasn't as invested in these characters as I was in the first book. Vane is pretty much a copy of Devil and this isn't to be a surprise, all cousins are made to look like they're alpha males with self confidence and arrogance, but they cherish their family and those who are part of their sphere of influence. One might see them as being too controlling and influential but that is obviously part of the allure. But Vane considers himself to be a great catch and when he starts thinking Patience is his choice, he acts in ways that made me think him of being conceited.

I expected this, so I wasn't too concerned for I was looking for to see how the author would "humble him" so that the romance would be more balanced. The problem is that Patience wasn't the heroine I imagined... I did like how cautious she was at first, thinking of Vane as being someone too out of her expectations, plus she had seen how her parent's marriage crumbled because her father didn't love her mother the same way and she wishes to remain independent and love free. I did like this aspect of her character and how she seemed to be firm in her wants.

Of course, we wouldn't have a romance without compromise and a change in both their attitudes but I was a little disappointed by how Patience saw her relationship with Vane as soon as she realized she was attracted to him. She felt like "experimenting" because he was a rake and they could just be close without having to marry or anything. I can understand the logic but the romance reader in me was disenchanted because I wanted her to try to stay away for longer or perhaps she would see he wasn't as bad as that in a different way. Their relationship felt very silly from a certain point on.

Anyway, things progressed in a more traditional way after a while and the HEA being more than obvious,the focus would also be on the plot and the case of the thieving, as well as exposing the error which was to think Gerrard was the prankster everyone believed him to be. I liked how certain things were developed and how some characterization of secondary characters was hinted at, I bet it will be important in future books. 

Still, all things together made for a decent story but I kind of wished for more and in the end, the romance wasn't as amazing. I will probably read the next one some day... I will want to read the first six books at least, perhaps as a whole they will be more than acceptable.

Grade: 6/10

Stephanie Laurens - Devil's Bride

When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire town by offering his hand in marriage. No one dreamed this scandalous rake would ever take a bride. And as society mamas swooned at the loss of England′s most eligible bachelor, Devil′s infamous Cynster cousins began to place wagers on the wedding date.
But Honoria wasn′t about to bend society′s demands and marry a man "just" because they′d been found together virtually unchaperoned. No, she craved adventure, and while solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, she decided that once the crime was solved she′d go off to see the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?

Comment: I had this book on the shelf for more than ten years. I got it after finding it was the first of a long series and I thought that if I liked it, I'd have plenty more to look for after, but time flies... well, it's still a very long series and I did like this one so perhaps I might yet have many to come...

In this first book we meet the Cynster family, a very well respected and influential family during the Regency, and how all the men are considered swoon worthy. It helps the family is rich and important enough that everyone follows its members and looks at them for gossip. Sylvester "Devil" Cynster, the duke of St Ives, is now the head of the family and his fate is sealed the day he finds governess Honoria Wetherby trying to help his cousin Tolly, who was shot at and eventually dies. He feels he has to protect Honoria's reputation, for they were found together but when he learns of her family and in sight of her personality, he believes he doesn't have to search anymore, he has found his perfect bride. However, Honoria doesn't want to be stuck in this rigid society and she wants to travel...will Devil convince her after all? Will they find who killed Devil's cousin?

I didn't know what to expect from this book, only that it was an historical romance and that it would feature a cast of characters which would, inevitably, be populated and, therefore, sequential to what would happen from one book to another. I don't mind these types of stories, so I was looking for to be entertained and that, the book certainly achieved!

The writing style is one I actually liked, slightly introspective, meaning this is third person but very often from the perspective of one of the protagonists. This means we can understand their reasoning, their emotions without it being too ambiguous to imagine and it added a certain seriousness to what was being decided. It was also interesting to have an idea of what the main characters wanted to do before they actually did something, namely how quickly the hero decided he would marry Honoria.

I think the whole romance section was likable enough. Devil was certainly determined and assured of what he wanted and that included a wife like Honoria, who comes from a good family, even though she was working as a governess when the story begins. Their courtship starts as something quite practical, Honoria is convinced to keep the appearances but I was still eager to see how they would fall in love, even though she wanted to travel and be independent. I think the moment she decides she does want to take a chance on him, so to speak, was badly done. I wasn't convinced she could be persuaded to change her mind over the opinion of an old lady, but... I kind of wanted their connection to be such that she would decide on her own she would want to be with him.

As their attraction and mutual respect develops, I couldn't avoid thinking that everyone took for granted they would be a couple anyway... there were moments this was a bit too far fetched but I suppose the fact women had reputations to maintain helped making this seem important...when they put aside certain assumptions, though, I think it was cute to see them together and also when they interacted with others. I think this second issue could have been done better too, because some interactions weren't as smoothly done, but I could overlook that for the interest in what would happen next.

The plot has some mystery, the protagonists and everyone in the family helps somehow. Honoria wants to be aware of new discoveries but Devil and his cousins want to protect her. She still tries, which I kind of liked, even if that meant one or two silly situations. However, I must be fair, the identity of the villain behind cousin Tolly's death is incredibly obvious. I actually hoped that this was so obvious because the author had a twist hidden in her sleeve but no, that person is the villain... so cliche and weakly done, but oh well...

It is true that the story has some weak elements, things which could be improved but I could overlook the more negative details or the ones I wish had been done differently, because the story was engaging, there were enough situations, even the ones which went on and on and on..., simply because this was entertaining and while so many things are mediocre but boring, this at least caught my attention and now I do wish to read the next story.

Grade: 7/10