Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens

Honoria Anstruther-Wetherby and Sylvester "Devil" Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives' book



Devil's Bride (Cynster book 1)

By Stephanie Laurens

Book Blurb:To have...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 ton 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.

...and to hold.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?

About a year ago I was lucky enough to have won a trilogy of the Cynster sisters. I enjoyed those books and I knew that the trilogy was a spin off of the original Cynster series by Stephanie Laurens. I checked out the series and since this first book, Devil's Bride was originally published in 1998 and the series was still going strong, I just knew I had to read the book that started it all. 

The Kindle copy of Devil's Bride is really expensive at $11.22 so when Amazon had a super deal of only $2.22 I snatched it up. I'm glad I did because it is now back up to $11.22. I guess that just goes to show you, even though it is a vintage romance, they can still be pricey. 

I really enjoyed Devil's Bride although in many places it really dragged on. I kind of contradict myself here because on one hand I am glad that the murder mystery that surrounded Devil's cousin, Tolly didn't have the protagonists easily making the murderous connection and then on the other hand, it sure took them a long time to make the connection.  The reader easily figures out who the murder was and I was really hoping for a surprise where Stephanie Laurens was taking the reader down a path and then surprise us at the end. Unfortunately that was not the case and I was a bit disappointed. 

As much as I adored Devil and Honoria together, I couldn't quite figure out why Devil wanted to marry her so badly from the beginning. He pursues her seductively and eventually the stubborn Honoria gives in. There were times I thought he was wearing her down but ultimately I do believe it was her choice to marry him. 

I felt that there weren't many intimate scenes but the private moments that Devil and Honoria experienced did have a lot of heat. I was excited for them when they finally gave into their desires and I really felt that they were meant to be. 

One thing I really liked about Devil's Bride is that the author Stephanie Laurens included actual locations and street names. I love when an author includes real locations set in with fictional characters. So many times I have read historicals with such vague locations that it was great to make a note of the streets and look on a map. I loved that. 

Devil and Honoria make a great couple and definitely have the staying power and presence to be the head of the entire Cynster family. A fabulous book to start it all.  

Teasers: wood cutter's cottage, cake-eating demon horse, Grosvenor Square,  saved by a flask

The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens

Dominic, Earl of Glencrae and Lady Angelica Cynster






The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae

By Stephanie Laurens

Book Blurb:
Three heros, three rescues, three weddings.

We joyfully request your attendance at the wedding of Miss Angelica Cynster
...but not until she and her hero confront a devious enemy and lay to rest an ancient grudge in the Scottish Highlands!

Headstrong Angelica Cynster is certain she'll recognize her fated husband at first sight. And when her eyes meet those of a mysterious nobleman across a candlelit ballroom, she knows beyond doubt that he's the one. But her heart is soon pounding for an entirely different reason--when he hero abducts her!

The eighth Earl of Glencrae has no choice but to kidnap Angelica, the one Cynster sister with whom he hadn't wanted to tangle. But to save his castle and his clan, he must persuade her to assist him--and he's prepared to offer marriage to seal the deal. 

Without a doubt, The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae is my favourite of the trilogy. I just loved it. 

Angelica is my most favourite type of regency heroine. She is smart,  (really smart in a manipulative way), patient, knows what she wants and then just simply goes after it. 
There is this one scene where she once again uses her manipulative charm and gets her way by having Dominic purchase her a horse of her choice.  Now bear in mind that Dominic is an extremely smart business man and he knows how to effectively read people. He is after-all the laird and leader of a clan in Scotland. He barters and buys the spirited filly and then is pretty much dumbfounded on how that all came to be. I totally loved that  Angelica smiles into his eyes and says, "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Well I burst out laughing. I adored her from page one. 

Look past the heroine on the cover art. This picture is so maddening to me.  Angelica is a fiery red head and not the least bit demure as the cover art portrays. At least she does wear a gold gown at one time for dinner but barely not worth mentioning. It would have been a perfect picture to have her reading The History of Scotland book (or just a book) on the cover, or wearing a green riding habit while riding a black horse or even in her disguise a male youth but this cover does not do the book justice. How hard would it have been to at least get the hair colour correct? A huge pet peeve of mine. 

The drawing to the end of this trilogy answered all of the outstanding questions that were raised through each of the pervious books. The reason for the kidnappings and the importance of the goblet all come to a perfect close. I loved the chase, the build up and the ending made my heart beat fast. I especially loved that when  Angelica runs past her brothers and cousins in pursuit of a murderer and calls them all "idiots".  Angelica brought more smiles to my face than I expected. 

Angelica and Dominic's love scenes were fabulous and so far, The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae is going on my "2012 Best Of" list for best deflowering scene. Stellar!

Do not read The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae as a stand alone or you will be lost. Each book is meant to be read in order. 

Teasers:  Angelica the master manipulator, riding by mail coach across England, hidden castle stairwell, "Just lay back and think of England"

In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster by Stephanie Laurens

Jeremy Carling and Elizabeth Cynster's book






In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster (The Cynster Sister's Trilogy book 2)

By Stephanie Laurens

Book Blurb:

The pleasure of your company is requested at the wedding of Miss Eliza Cynster . . . but not until she’s rescued from a daring abduction by the most unexpected of heroes!

Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather’s engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north to Edinburgh. Desperate and determined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along— gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling.

Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy’s expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to escape the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold— if both are bold enough to capture and own the unexpected love they now share.

Fan of beta heroes? Then In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster is for you. I certainly do not intend for that comment to be a bad thing at all. There are times where is it just nice to read about a hero that is smart and well, just a man. No bulging muscles or alpha attitude. I liked it. 

Comparing book 1, Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue against In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster is fairly easy for me. I liked the romance in book 1 more but I really enjoyed the actual pursuit and chase in book 2 better. I was very pleased that book 2 was not the exact same story as the previous. Yes the kidnapping plot was the same but the how, what, where was different. I was pleased about that. 

Is this not beautiful! From Goodreads

Eliza and Jeremy are not your typical main stage protagonists. They are both quiet people and pretty much allow others to be the center of attention. Eliza is a woman who actually likes to embroider and Jeremy is a highly renowned scholar that specializes in ancient texts. Yes, not your typical romance couple that you would imagine scurrying and hiding all over the Lowlands of Scotland while being chased and shot at. 

This mysterious laird was starting to frustrate me though. He attempts to have these women kidnapped and then whisked away from their families but then goes out of his way to ensure their safety once they have escaped. The readers are fed only tidbits about this laird and I am really anxious to read this next book 3, The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae. I need to know what is the deal with the ever-loving goblet the laird's mother has stolen that will rip apart his land & people and then make him lose everything? Is it the Holy Grail or something? The ending leaves off in a bit of cliffhanger so I am off to book 3 right now. 

Teasers: secret Scotland underground tunnels, Eliza in breeches, walking for days upon days, awesome proposal

Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens

Viscount Breckenridge & Heather Cynster's book




Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue (The Cynster Sisters Trilogy #1)

By Stephanie Laurens

Book Blurb:

Three heros, three rescues, three weddings.

You are cordially invited to the wedding of Miss Heather Cynster

...but not before she encounters kidnappers, danger, and a daring rescue at the hands of Viscount Breckenridge.

Determined to hunt down her very own hero, one who will sweep her off her feet and into wedded bliss, and despairing of finding him in London's staid ballrooms, Heather Cynster steps out of her safe world and boldly attends a racy soiree.

But her promising hunt is ruined by the supremely interfering Viscount Breckenridge, who whisks her out of scandal-and straight into danger when a mysterious enemy seizes her, bundles her into a coach, and conveys her out of London.

Now it's up to the notorious Breckenridge to prove himself the hero she's been searching for all along..

How refreshing to read a romance novel story unlike any other that I had read before. I really enjoyed the kidnapping premise of the story. The cover has nothing to do with the book at all. At least the heroine did have blonde hair. 

Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue is my first Stephanie Laurens' book. I know pretty amazing considering that this book was her 45th book. Yep, I need to get a bit caught up. As Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue is book 1 in a trilogy, I will move on to book 2, In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster right away. I am very curious to read how this series continues. 

Extra bonus art available on Goodreads

It is very obvious that this story and the Cynster sisters are a spin off from another Cynster family series. I did find myself often confused at the size of this family and referenced the family tree chart provided at the beginning of the book often. There are not a lot of updates about those previous family members but they're mentioned a lot. I don't like to read books out of order so I'm on the fence on how I feel about this being a spin off book and that was my first to encounter reading about the Cynster sisters. Granted I did feel I could read Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue as the stand alone (or the beginning of the spin off). It is just my own comfort level of needing to start at the beginning. I liked Stephanie Laurens' writing style enough that I just may check out the other books or at least, the first few of the Cynster family beginning books. 

The love scenes in Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue are very emotionally descriptive. I don't mean sexually descriptive like an erotic book but rather highly focused on the feelings and emotions the protagonists were experiencing. Sometimes they were a bit too descriptive that I just wanted the scene to be over so I could move onto the story itself. Which I loved.

As mentioned in the book blurb above, Heather Cynster gets kidnapped right in front of the Viscount at the very beginning of the book. It was an awesome chase as Breckenridge follows in pursue of the kidnappers. I could picture the author having a map of England and Scotland right in front of her as she wrote out the travels and towns the villains whisked Heather through in the horse carriage. I have to admit though I was a little confused as to who was actually driving the carriage. From what I pictured, Heather was inside a carriage with the two male kidnappers and a lone female kidnapper. As they traveled from town to town I wondered exactly how they were doing it.  Was it just a coach carriage for hire and different driver each time?? I seemed to miss that part of the explanation along the way. 

Stephanie Laurens offered great explanations on why Heather didn't try to escape when Breckenridge finally caught up to them. I really enjoyed this part of the story. The secret sneaky rendezvous and the methods of communicating was a lot of fun to read. 

It was also a joy to read how Breckenridge and Heather, who previously mildly tolerated each other, started to fall in love with each other. Easily my favourite part of the entire story. It was slow and the build up including the simple act of walking together holding hands like a team, made me melt a little. The over the top demand of Heather wanting the words, "I love you" declared frustrated me. As a woman I completely understood that she only wanted to marry for love but it felt a like a record stuck on repeat. 

The mystery of who the Laird from Scotland was who orchestrated and planned the kidnapping was not solved and as a reader, there is little we know about his story. What was shared was definitely curious and that is why I am about to open, In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster. 

Teasers: midnight rendezvous, long long walks, hidden in the Vale, bull gorge