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jeannette_andrews's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
whitneywillis20's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars
Just another lovely Stephanie Lauren's romance book. Nothing ground breaking but still lovely to read.
Just another lovely Stephanie Lauren's romance book. Nothing ground breaking but still lovely to read.
simplyparticular's review
3.0
Another Cynster re-read. I really liked Lucifer, Phyllida was charming albeit a bit too stubborn, but I had a hard time suspending disbelief over "smuggling." Luckily, the murder mystery kept the plot moving. I think story also suffered because I have recently read Jonas and Emily's book, so it all felt a little too repetitive.
ssejig's review against another edition
4.0
Not my favorite Cynster book but definitely better than the later novels. Lucifer is the last of the notorious "Bar Cynster" to get married. His brother was the latest to get married and Lucifer thinks that by running to the country to help his friend Horatio, he can avoid the same trap. But, when he walks in, Lucifer finds Horatio dead and then something knocks him out, almost killing him. When he awakens, he is immediately smitten by Phyllida Tallent. But before the two can live happily ever after, they must confront a murderer.
tellmeastoryxx's review against another edition
3.0
This is the sixth and supposedly last book in the series. Don’t worry though, there are more, many more in fact. I am guessing this was supposed to be the last but Laurens must have loved this series too much to give up on it at the end of this instalment.
This novel follows the story of the sixth member of the Bar Cynster, Lucifer. We find him in the lush landscape of Devon, where he meets his soon to be wife, Phyllida. This novel is not just only a Historical Romance, but there is a murder mystery plot running throughout.
So my thoughts on this are a lot improved of the last book in the series. Mainly this is because there was none of that repeated “I’m too proud to admit I’m in love” theme running through that seems to be a part of all romance novels. Phyllida is a breath of fresh air as a female character. Lucifer really does have his work cut out for him. Having said that, I really enjoyed Lucifer as a character too, he did not have this big ego and arrogant way about him that some strong male characters can be perceived as.
The beginning was very slow, it did take me a while to get into, but once I did I was hooked. It is raunchy, romantic and racey. It certainly had me wanting more, not only because I wanted the main characters to fall in love but I found myself caring about the mystery that was surrounding the story.
I have given this 3 stars as I did enjoy it. Would I recommend it? Probably not, it’s ok for an afternoon read but it’s nothing more than a nice romantic fancy however, I am interested to see where Laurens goes from here now that we have run out of men in the Bar Cynster.
This novel follows the story of the sixth member of the Bar Cynster, Lucifer. We find him in the lush landscape of Devon, where he meets his soon to be wife, Phyllida. This novel is not just only a Historical Romance, but there is a murder mystery plot running throughout.
So my thoughts on this are a lot improved of the last book in the series. Mainly this is because there was none of that repeated “I’m too proud to admit I’m in love” theme running through that seems to be a part of all romance novels. Phyllida is a breath of fresh air as a female character. Lucifer really does have his work cut out for him. Having said that, I really enjoyed Lucifer as a character too, he did not have this big ego and arrogant way about him that some strong male characters can be perceived as.
The beginning was very slow, it did take me a while to get into, but once I did I was hooked. It is raunchy, romantic and racey. It certainly had me wanting more, not only because I wanted the main characters to fall in love but I found myself caring about the mystery that was surrounding the story.
I have given this 3 stars as I did enjoy it. Would I recommend it? Probably not, it’s ok for an afternoon read but it’s nothing more than a nice romantic fancy however, I am interested to see where Laurens goes from here now that we have run out of men in the Bar Cynster.
thenia's review against another edition
2.0
Another Cynster finds his match and yet again, I can't say I was all that invested in his story, from the mystery to the romance, to everything in between.
Not liking the heroines the author writes is becoming a pattern and one Phyllida fit too, as she seemed to confuse independence with stupidity, going to a mysterious secret meeting by herself when it's a known fact that someone is trying to kill her.
I have read six books in the series so far and, while the stories are okay, they just don't seem to draw me in as much as I would have liked.
It might be in part because of Simon Preble, the audiobook narrator, who, despite bringing the characters to life, might be the reason why I find many of them irritating, especially if they're female...
I will try listening to the next book in the series, [b:All About Passion|508225|All About Passion (Cynster, #7)|Stephanie Laurens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388204946s/508225.jpg|2480691], and Chillington, the "honorary Cynster's" story, but if my feelings remain lukewarm I'll either switch to reading the rest of the books or put the series on the "on hold" pile.
Not liking the heroines the author writes is becoming a pattern and one Phyllida fit too, as she seemed to confuse independence with stupidity, going to a mysterious secret meeting by herself when it's a known fact that someone is trying to kill her.
I have read six books in the series so far and, while the stories are okay, they just don't seem to draw me in as much as I would have liked.
It might be in part because of Simon Preble, the audiobook narrator, who, despite bringing the characters to life, might be the reason why I find many of them irritating, especially if they're female...
I will try listening to the next book in the series, [b:All About Passion|508225|All About Passion (Cynster, #7)|Stephanie Laurens|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388204946s/508225.jpg|2480691], and Chillington, the "honorary Cynster's" story, but if my feelings remain lukewarm I'll either switch to reading the rest of the books or put the series on the "on hold" pile.
stacey42's review against another edition
3.0
Here is my issue with these "Oh a man like me can never admit love" bullshit spewing guys.
They see it happening constantly. Their siblings, their friends, their cousins, whoever... men they know and claim to respect are admitting to loving a particular woman and then marrying her. And they are HAPPY about it. Vane is not constantly out at ton balls looking for a new mistress, Demon isn't whinging on about how tied down he is, Gabriel isn't complaining that his wife now runs roughshod all over him. To a man these men are happy to be married & in love.
It's just perverse bloody mindedness or straight up fear/cowardice keeping the remaining single ones single.
Neither of which is terribly heroic.
They see it happening constantly. Their siblings, their friends, their cousins, whoever... men they know and claim to respect are admitting to loving a particular woman and then marrying her. And they are HAPPY about it. Vane is not constantly out at ton balls looking for a new mistress, Demon isn't whinging on about how tied down he is, Gabriel isn't complaining that his wife now runs roughshod all over him. To a man these men are happy to be married & in love.
It's just perverse bloody mindedness or straight up fear/cowardice keeping the remaining single ones single.
Neither of which is terribly heroic.
mellowhale's review against another edition
4.0
The last of the Bar Cynster meets his fate in a sleepy Devon town when he discovers an old friend and mentor murdered and sets out to solve the mystery with the help of the daughter of the local magistrate. Lucifer and Phyllida find themselves in each other's presence very often as they work together, especially once the murderer sets his sights on Phyllida next.
Stephanie Laurens certainly loves a good mystery. This time I got a distinct Murder She Wrote vibe from the plot. It was really good, but it did drag towards the end of the novel. Each novel tends to feature a reappearance of other Cynster characters, and this one brought Demon and Felicity to Colyton, which did not thrill me. But the epilogue was a really sweet wrap up of the first 6 books in the series. But hold on to your hats, because there are NINE more books in the series, the next three center on Chillingworth and the twins. I am a little sad Chillingworth wasn't the partner for one of the twins, but I'm looking forward to all their stories. The last of the books center one Cynster and the siblings or close friends of the wives of the Bar Cynster. Should be interesting. There are also spinoff series that include more Cynsters, I will cover them eventually.
Ok, let's talk Lucifer. I really enjoyed him. He felt more grounded than most of the Bar Cynster, like a more realistic character. His Big Thing is that he collects valuable items, particularly jewelry. The way Laurens has written him is simpler than other characters, but I rather enjoyed that. He still has his own personality that separates him from the rest of the Bar Cynster, but it did feel like he was a much better version of Demon at times. His proposal to Phyllida is really sweet, honestly, I really loved that.
If Lucifer is a better version of Demon, Phyllida is exactly what Felicity was supposed to be, in my opinion. I LOVE Phyllida. You could argue that she's a Mary Sue character, but why is that a criticism? There can be very good Mary Sue characters, and Phyllida is one. She realizes that the men who are interested in her are only interested in her for their own benefit, not because they actually like/love her, so she has eschewed the idea of marriage completely. And her father supports her completely, which is so refreshing. She may be the daughter of the magistrate, but she's really the mayor of the entire town. She runs EVERYTHING. She even runs a SMUGGLING RING. She's badass and I love her.
Ok, sexy talk time. The build up to the first sex scene is so hot. The first kiss is great, there's an interlude against a hedge that is incredible. Mostly because Phyllida literally asked Lucifer to show her more, which is great. I respect a woman who can voice what she wants. The first sex scene starts off SO STRONG. There is a literal sword involved, and it is HOT. Laurens is a bit lighter on the details in that first scene than I would have liked, but it's better than some other scenes she has written. It's the second encounter that had me fanning myself while reading. It was different from any other scene she has written, and was very heavy in details, so I was quite happy. After that, the sex scenes are really more a mention than described in detail.
Phyllida is truly the star of this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give it 4/5 whales.
Stephanie Laurens certainly loves a good mystery. This time I got a distinct Murder She Wrote vibe from the plot. It was really good, but it did drag towards the end of the novel. Each novel tends to feature a reappearance of other Cynster characters, and this one brought Demon and Felicity to Colyton, which did not thrill me. But the epilogue was a really sweet wrap up of the first 6 books in the series. But hold on to your hats, because there are NINE more books in the series, the next three center on Chillingworth and the twins. I am a little sad Chillingworth wasn't the partner for one of the twins, but I'm looking forward to all their stories. The last of the books center one Cynster and the siblings or close friends of the wives of the Bar Cynster. Should be interesting. There are also spinoff series that include more Cynsters, I will cover them eventually.
Ok, let's talk Lucifer. I really enjoyed him. He felt more grounded than most of the Bar Cynster, like a more realistic character. His Big Thing is that he collects valuable items, particularly jewelry. The way Laurens has written him is simpler than other characters, but I rather enjoyed that. He still has his own personality that separates him from the rest of the Bar Cynster, but it did feel like he was a much better version of Demon at times. His proposal to Phyllida is really sweet, honestly, I really loved that.
If Lucifer is a better version of Demon, Phyllida is exactly what Felicity was supposed to be, in my opinion. I LOVE Phyllida. You could argue that she's a Mary Sue character, but why is that a criticism? There can be very good Mary Sue characters, and Phyllida is one. She realizes that the men who are interested in her are only interested in her for their own benefit, not because they actually like/love her, so she has eschewed the idea of marriage completely. And her father supports her completely, which is so refreshing. She may be the daughter of the magistrate, but she's really the mayor of the entire town. She runs EVERYTHING. She even runs a SMUGGLING RING. She's badass and I love her.
Ok, sexy talk time. The build up to the first sex scene is so hot. The first kiss is great, there's an interlude against a hedge that is incredible. Mostly because Phyllida literally asked Lucifer to show her more, which is great. I respect a woman who can voice what she wants. The first sex scene starts off SO STRONG. There is a literal sword involved, and it is HOT. Laurens is a bit lighter on the details in that first scene than I would have liked, but it's better than some other scenes she has written. It's the second encounter that had me fanning myself while reading. It was different from any other scene she has written, and was very heavy in details, so I was quite happy. After that, the sex scenes are really more a mention than described in detail.
Phyllida is truly the star of this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I give it 4/5 whales.
valefimbres's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
nday's review against another edition
4.0
The sixth book in the Bar Cynster series. I decided to reread this one because I looked at my top romance books of all time from a few years ago, and this was the top SL book on the list.
As it turned out, I wasn’t quite sure why. I think I like the fifth book better. Anyway, this was a good read, I enjoyed the story, the characters and the romance. I just didn’t feel it. I didn’t get wrapped up in it emotionally, and that’s what makes for a truly outstanding book for me.
So, this one didn’t live up to my previous opinion of it, but still a good romance that entertained.
As it turned out, I wasn’t quite sure why. I think I like the fifth book better. Anyway, this was a good read, I enjoyed the story, the characters and the romance. I just didn’t feel it. I didn’t get wrapped up in it emotionally, and that’s what makes for a truly outstanding book for me.
So, this one didn’t live up to my previous opinion of it, but still a good romance that entertained.