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bangalee57's review against another edition
3.0
Grammatically, this book is a sad collection of fragment sentences and redundant descriptions. However, this is like fudge sauce on my ice cream after eating my peas (blech!). Sometimes, I'm just in the mood for silly reading.
meuyi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mflake's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-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
4.5
clairey_fairy82's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
gaspersr's review against another edition
1.0
This was a book club "challenge"....it was a challenge alright. It's probably one of the worst books I've read in a long time. I can't believe I read the whole thing.
balletbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
I have now finished the Bastion Club series! One down....
Stephanie Laurens plays a long game - she set up Malcolm Sinclair's backstory in these two books, made him the guilty party in [b:The Taste of Innocence|171545|The Taste of Innocence (Cynster, #14)|Stephanie Laurens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388444376s/171545.jpg|586020], and then brought him back as the hero in the upcoming [b:Loving Rose: The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair|18759903|Loving Rose The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair (Casebook of Barnaby Adair, #3)|Stephanie Laurens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399278397s/18759903.jpg|26655810]. Long game.
I liked the dynamic between Gervase and Madeline, but once again the curse of reading too many Laurens's similar plots at once struck. It gets very blah after a while.
Stephanie Laurens plays a long game - she set up Malcolm Sinclair's backstory in these two books, made him the guilty party in [b:The Taste of Innocence|171545|The Taste of Innocence (Cynster, #14)|Stephanie Laurens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388444376s/171545.jpg|586020], and then brought him back as the hero in the upcoming [b:Loving Rose: The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair|18759903|Loving Rose The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair (Casebook of Barnaby Adair, #3)|Stephanie Laurens|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399278397s/18759903.jpg|26655810]. Long game.
I liked the dynamic between Gervase and Madeline, but once again the curse of reading too many Laurens's similar plots at once struck. It gets very blah after a while.
pattydsf's review against another edition
3.0
As always, I really enjoyed this book by Stephanie Laurens. She draws the reader into the story and into the world she had created by starting with a problem. Usually the male lead talks himself into a corner and then we watch and hope while he finds his way to true romance and marriage.
Yes, this is a formula. That is why I read romance - it is predictable. However, every Laurens romance is unique - she does not rest on her laurels. If someone asks me for a good historical romance - Stephanie Laurens will be at the top of my list.
It is hard to believe that this is the first Laurens romance I have added to my "read" books. There was a time when I was reading every Cynster novel she was publishing. Just goes to show that my romance reading has greatly expanded. I have 16 different authors under historical romances - I didn't count all the romance authors that I have read in the last three years.
I like the way that Stephanie Laurens writes. I find her novels to be more involving, more interesting because there is more adventure and mystery than in an average Regency romance. There will be more Laurens romances on my shelves as time goes on.
Yes, this is a formula. That is why I read romance - it is predictable. However, every Laurens romance is unique - she does not rest on her laurels. If someone asks me for a good historical romance - Stephanie Laurens will be at the top of my list.
It is hard to believe that this is the first Laurens romance I have added to my "read" books. There was a time when I was reading every Cynster novel she was publishing. Just goes to show that my romance reading has greatly expanded. I have 16 different authors under historical romances - I didn't count all the romance authors that I have read in the last three years.
I like the way that Stephanie Laurens writes. I find her novels to be more involving, more interesting because there is more adventure and mystery than in an average Regency romance. There will be more Laurens romances on my shelves as time goes on.
diz_tn's review against another edition
3.0
It was readable, but not really memorable. This book was a little strange because the predominant POV was the male hero's (probably just over half the book). I never did feel like we got a good look into the heroine's head. I liked the kick-ass heroine. But the story seemed too long at times, and there were some annoying literary tricks happening at times (for instance, we only find out at the very end, right when everyone is getting into a sword fight, that our heroine knows how to fight very well??).