ssejig's review against another edition
3.0
Though a part of the Cynster series, Laurens continues the work she's been doing in the "Casebooks of Barnaby Adair" series detailing relationships between couples who are not haute ton. In this book, one of the tutors to the next generation of Cynsters, Daniel Crosbie, and one of the governesses, Claire Meadows, find their own path to true love.
By dint of their occupations, Daniel and Claire have been thrown together during the Cynster celebrations. Now that his charges are about to all be off to school, Daniel is excited to be asked to stay on as Lucifer's amenuensis, assisting Lucifer with his collections. It would be enough to support a family...
But Claire has a past. As a widow, she's not really sure that she wants to get married again, but there's something about Daniel.
There was a lot of time given to the next generation of Cynsters, getting ready for the next books in the series. We see the five oldest of the children from the first round entering into their own adulthood. We see Sebastian and Michael (Honoria and Devil's oldest), Marcus and Lucinda (twins of Catriona and Vane), and Prudence (didn't catch the parents) working to help a small crofter get his house in order while his wife struggles to birth their first child.
In this book, we get our first glimpse of Thomas Carrick, Lucinda's one true love. He bursts into the cottage with his deerhound in a whirl of snow and manages to not only catch her eye but her interest as well.
By dint of their occupations, Daniel and Claire have been thrown together during the Cynster celebrations. Now that his charges are about to all be off to school, Daniel is excited to be asked to stay on as Lucifer's amenuensis, assisting Lucifer with his collections. It would be enough to support a family...
But Claire has a past. As a widow, she's not really sure that she wants to get married again, but there's something about Daniel.
There was a lot of time given to the next generation of Cynsters, getting ready for the next books in the series. We see the five oldest of the children from the first round entering into their own adulthood. We see Sebastian and Michael (Honoria and Devil's oldest), Marcus and Lucinda (twins of Catriona and Vane), and Prudence (didn't catch the parents) working to help a small crofter get his house in order while his wife struggles to birth their first child.
In this book, we get our first glimpse of Thomas Carrick, Lucinda's one true love. He bursts into the cottage with his deerhound in a whirl of snow and manages to not only catch her eye but her interest as well.
valefimbres's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hopevollm's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
We didn’t even get enough of the characters we were supposed to be following for me to even remember their names.
wc4's review
4.0
A novella romance between Daniel, a tutor in Lucifer Cynster's household and Claire, governess to Gabriel Cynster's daughter. Enjoyed this, because I like the Cynster books, and I enjoy seeing how they have fared through the years. This is also a preview to Lucilla Cynster's book, The Tempting of Thomas Carrick. It worked, now I can't wait to read that book.
whimsicalmeerkat's review
2.0
No one should have to read 75% of a Stephanie Laurens book without a sex scene. Especially not when there's no mystery to support the parts between sex scenes. Even more the case when a large chunk of the book is setup for the next book. I suppose she felt she needed a book between those about the ones who were alive in Devil's Bride and those with the children of the Bar Cynster and their relations, but she really didn't. The age difference between the girls in the Trilogy and Duo and Lucilla and Marcus is negligible. The story of the holiday was sweet, I suppose, but really, this should have been a much shorter novella.
balletbookworm's review
2.0
Like two novellas that got pasted together. Probably would have been better to run them as ebooks separately. The younger Cynster plot where they wind up helping the crofter family was more interesting than the Claire/Daniel love story (Laurens handled middle-class lovers much better in The Masterful Mr Montague)
lissielove's review
2.0
So the only reason I bumped this up from one star to two stars was that I enjoyed the potential storylines of the book.
I know Ms. Laurens intended this book to serve as a bridge between the older generation and their children, but I don't think this was a great introduction to the lower children. I honestly don't think they were given enough individuality to warrant there being a cast of more than forty in this book (our six original couples, each with four or five children, so my numbers might be off, plus their governesses, tutors, servants--my God.) This book needed an editor something fierce.
And while I'm looking forward to Lucilla and Marcus's books later this year, I skipped the majority of their story in this book because it dragged on and on and on. I completely understand that I was supposed to be introduced to the connection between Lucilla and Thomas, but it was completely lost in a sea of characters I couldn't keep straight.
So even though this book was a complete mess, why am I still bumping it up a star? Daniel and Claire were engaging characters when they were given page time--I would have loved to see more development for them, and save the development of the individual children for their books.
An interesting effort as a bridge book but it mostly fails.
I know Ms. Laurens intended this book to serve as a bridge between the older generation and their children, but I don't think this was a great introduction to the lower children. I honestly don't think they were given enough individuality to warrant there being a cast of more than forty in this book (our six original couples, each with four or five children, so my numbers might be off, plus their governesses, tutors, servants--my God.) This book needed an editor something fierce.
And while I'm looking forward to Lucilla and Marcus's books later this year, I skipped the majority of their story in this book because it dragged on and on and on. I completely understand that I was supposed to be introduced to the connection between Lucilla and Thomas, but it was completely lost in a sea of characters I couldn't keep straight.
So even though this book was a complete mess, why am I still bumping it up a star? Daniel and Claire were engaging characters when they were given page time--I would have loved to see more development for them, and save the development of the individual children for their books.
An interesting effort as a bridge book but it mostly fails.
wyvernfriend's review
3.0
Governess and tutor find themselves drawn to each other. Meanwhile family life for the Cynsters continues and the next generation face up to the fact that childhood is almost over.
Good bridge novel between the older generation and newer.
Good bridge novel between the older generation and newer.
gwenj's review
5.0
I think I can't wait for the next book to come up. As always, I devoured this book, and have therefore stayed up past my bedtime so I could finish reading it. I will say that while it isn't precisely necessary to have read the Cynsters series, it is very helpful. More helpful still, to have a family tree close by so you can remember who is who. Loved this book, and thought it set the stage perfectly for the stories of the next generation of Cynsters.
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