TEST
In every series, there comes a time when we must say goodbye. As much as we loved the all of the characters, even the black sheep middle brother who finally returns home after years abroad, at some point we must leave them with the knowledge that they are living the happily ever after. Otherwise, you get this book: An excuse to showcase past popular and lovable Cynster characters sidelined by a half-hearted romance and mystery.
Oh, where to begin with what was wrong with this book? Well, let’s just say a more appropriate title might be Then She Fell Asleep This book was unbelievably boring. The best way I can explain the experience of reading this book is to compare it to watching your boring distant cousin endlessly circle around and then finally marry someone as equally boring. And you were only sort of paying attention to their “courtship” because they ran out of booze at the family reunion.
The heroine of this story is Henrietta Cynster, the cousin of Sylvester “Devil”, the original Cynster (for those of you who decide to read the print version, despite this review, there is a handy little family tree at the beginning). Henrietta is twenty-nine and while not yet on the shelf, the duster is at the ready. This apparently does not bother Henrietta since there is no mention of her making any attempt to get married. And it is not because she is a radical feminist or an Elizabeth Bennett type that will hold out only for love. Nope, she just prefers to manage the love lives of her social peers, which earned her the delightful and not at all unflattering moniker The Matchbreaker. Her role began when young women approached her and asked Henrietta to use her vast social connections to find out the true motivations of their intendeds. Henrietta would then use her investigative powers to determine if the men were solely after the girls for their money or if their actions were driven by more tender emotions. And so a tradition began among the young women of the ton: They couldn’t agree to marry without Henrietta passing judgment upon their fiancés.
Enter James Glossup, Henrietta’s brother Simon’s best friend (still with me?), who is pursuing a young woman. Of course, said woman relies on her dear “friend” Henrietta to find out James’ motivation. Henrietta does her duty and asks around since, apparently, she knows nothing about James at all, despite his long time friendship with her brother. She discovers that James will not inherit his estate without a wife and snitches on him. He is then rejected by aforementioned woman and is publicly disgraced as a blackguard. He angrily confronts Henrietta, informing her that without him, his family estate will be in ruins and the poor people that rely on the estate will be doomed. And shocker, for the first time ever, it occurs to Henrietta that perhaps some people are forced to make a marriage of convenience (which, as we all know, will obviously result in a love match, of course!). Henrietta doesn’t acknowledge that she was wrong; however, she does decide to help James find a bride out of guilt. All of these events happen by around page fifteen. From this point, which I considered the climax of the story, it all goes downhill.
Let’s talk about our hero. According to Laurens’ description, he is a quiet, tall, intelligent man. He is described as having “soft chocolate” eyes. He is not one of her most alpha male characters; which is fine, there is something to be said about the quiet types. Except James continuously makes references to his past as a “wolf;” which is a memory that only he has, since it is never mentioned by anyone else. That he actually was a “wolf” is unlikely since he used the terms “flibbertigibbets” and “ninnyhammers”(talk about a subtraction in sexy points!)
Neither of the characters were honest with themselves and in that case, these two are a match made in heaven. Henrietta was under the impression she was assisting through her interference and James believes that he was a regularDon Juan when in fact, he needs to be rescued at the end of the story.
What was perhaps the worst part about the book was the forced chemistry between Henrietta and James. Readers are presented with two characters who have known each other for a long time, that suddenly find the other attractive. You are left wondering “where did that come from?” Yet there was no background to even the attraction, nothing like “Henrietta had always carried a flame for James.” It as if two virtual strangers decide to enter into courtship. Their love story never develops any further, for the rest of the story is dedicated to a mystery.
Oh right, I forgot to throw in the “mystery” that consumes the second half of the book. These two were so boring that they couldn’t even fill up a full book; the second half of the book focuses on the many attempts on Henrietta’s life. All I have to say is that for a woman who condemned all those poor saps to life alone; I’m surprised that it took this long for her to be attacked.
This was my first Laurens’ novel and I feel that this story does not do her justice as a romance author. This book was about as cookie cutter as they come, without any of the passion and depth that her early novels supposedly contain. As I mentioned before, this book failed because of its sole reliance on being a Cynster series. There were constant references to what it means to be a Cynster, characteristics of a Cynster, descriptions of the countless number of Cynster family members that kept popping up, and not enough about the two main characters. This book gave me a serious Cynster hangover. Other side effects of this book include: severe boredom, listlessness, and a longing to be reading something else from your TBR pile.
Grade: D
Book Type: European Historical Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 25/04/13
Publication Date: 2013/04
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.