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Stephanie Laurens

Author of Devil's Bride

152+ Works 33,595 Members 666 Reviews 85 Favorited

About the Author

Stephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. Her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she eventually received a Ph.D in biochemistry. She and her husband moved to London for four years where they worked as research scientists. They returned to show more Melbourne where she worked in the field of cancer research and eventually ran her own research laboratory. She began writing romance novels as a hobby, but due to her success she became a full-time novelist. Her first book, Tangled Reins, was published in 1992. Her other works include the Cynster Family series, the Cynster Sisters series, and the Bastion Club series. Stephanie's book's, By Winter's Light and The Lady By His Side made the New York Times bestseller list. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: photo by Sigrid Estrada

Series

Works by Stephanie Laurens

Devil's Bride (1998) 1,314 copies
A Rake's Vow (1998) 948 copies
A Rogue's Proposal (1999) 907 copies
Scandal's Bride (1999) 907 copies
A Secret Love (2000) 905 copies
On a Wild Night (2002) 854 copies
The Perfect Lover (2003) 852 copies
All About Love (2001) 850 copies
On a Wicked Dawn (2002) 840 copies
All About Passion (2001) 827 copies
The Lady Chosen (2003) 813 copies
The Promise in a Kiss (2001) 804 copies
A Fine Passion (2005) 788 copies
To Distraction (2006) 784 copies
The Ideal Bride (2004) 775 copies
A Gentleman's Honor (2003) 750 copies
A Lady of His Own (2004) 749 copies
The Taste of Innocence: A Cynster Novel (2007) — Author — 727 copies
The Untamed Bride (2009) 637 copies
Captain Jack's Woman (1997) 635 copies
Beyond Seduction (2007) 633 copies
Mastered By Love (2009) 587 copies
The Edge of Desire (2008) 573 copies
Temptation and Surrender (2009) 568 copies
Four in Hand (1993) 521 copies
The Elusive Bride (2010) 508 copies
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue (2011) — Author — 493 copies
In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster (2011) 443 copies
The Reckless Bride (2010) 429 copies
The Brazen Bride (2010) 428 copies
The Reasons for Marriage (1994) — Author — 421 copies
Impetuous Innocent (1994) 412 copies
An Unwilling Conquest (1996) 377 copies
It Happened One Night [Anthology 4-in-1] (2008) — Contributor — 364 copies
And Then She Fell (2013) 356 copies
A Comfortable Wife (1997) 353 copies
Hero, Come Back (2005) — Contributor — 351 copies
Secrets of a Perfect Night [Anthology] (2000) — Contributor — 348 copies
A Lady of Expectations (1995) 339 copies
The Lady Risks All (2012) 319 copies
By Winter's Light (2014) 277 copies
It Happened One Season (2011) — Contributor — 251 copies
My Scandalous Bride [Anthology 4-in-1] (2004) — Contributor — 250 copies
Rogues' Reform (3-in-1) (1994) 219 copies
A Match for Marcus Cynster (2015) 218 copies
The Lady's Command (2016) 210 copies
The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (2015) — Author — 205 copies
A Buccaneer at Heart (2016) 166 copies
The Daredevil Snared (2016) 156 copies
Lord of the Privateers (2016) 150 copies
Tangled Reins (1992) 131 copies
Royal Bridesmaids (2012) — Contributor — 100 copies
Fair Juno (1994) 98 copies
Rules of Engagement (3-in-1) (1994) — Contributor — 93 copies
The Lady By His Side (2017) 86 copies
Royal Weddings: An Avon Impulse Anthology (2011) — Contributor — 66 copies
Captain Jack's Woman [and] A Gentleman's Honor (2006) — Author — 55 copies
An Irresistible Alliance (2017) 52 copies
Rose in Bloom (1999) 42 copies
Scandalous Lord Dere (2000) 41 copies
Melting Ice (2004) 28 copies
The Trouble with Virtue (2-in-1) (2013) — Contributor — 24 copies
The Fall of Rogue Gerrard (2008) 24 copies
The Meaning of Love (2021) 23 copies
Desire's Prize (2013) — Author — 22 copies
The Games Lovers Play (2021) 20 copies
Foes, Friends and Lovers (2022) 19 copies
The Wedding Planner (2012) 18 copies
Lost and Found: a novella (2005) 18 copies
The Time for Love (2022) 13 copies
A Return Engagement (2012) 7 copies
Salva Por Um Cavalheiro (1900) 3 copies
Razones Del Amor, Las (2004) 3 copies
Todo sobre la pasión (2007) 2 copies
Under the Mistletoe Box Set (2012) — Contributor — 2 copies
Sombras al amanecer (2008) 2 copies
The Adventurers Quartet Complete Collection (2017) — Author — 1 copy
Long, Live, Love: Omnibus — Contributor — 1 copy
Raptada por Um Conde (2017) 1 copy
Preco do Amor, O (2007) 1 copy
Una esposa a su medida (2005) 1 copy
Un amor sorprendente (2014) 1 copy
Primer y único amor (2013) 1 copy
Second 5 books of the Cynsters series (2003) — Author — 1 copy
Third 5 Books of the Cynsters series (2003) — Author — 1 copy

Associated Works

Northanger Abbey (1817) — Afterword, some editions — 21,478 copies
These Old Shades (1926) — Foreword, some editions — 2,365 copies
Scottish Brides [Anthology 4-in-1] (1999) — Contributor — 501 copies

Tagged

18th century (113) 19th century (707) anthology (254) audiobook (131) Austen (285) Bastion Club (354) British (385) British literature (329) classic (947) classics (1,083) Cynster (683) Cynster series (154) Cynsters (161) ebook (643) England (899) English (187) English literature (316) fiction (4,057) gothic (395) historical (1,587) historical fiction (630) historical romance (3,297) humor (124) Jane Austen (449) Kindle (471) literature (459) mystery (215) novel (445) own (325) paperback (186) read (837) Regency (1,705) Regency England (115) Regency romance (318) romance (5,108) satire (234) series (500) Stephanie Laurens (251) to-read (2,403) unread (292)

Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

Historical romance maybe regency, England in Name that Book (September 2015)

Reviews

I read the book and I listened to the audiobook. The audio is excellently narrated. The flow is smooth and seamless and the narrator's voice very pleasant.

Well, we’ve come to the end of this Cynster generation – and the end of this series. Not sure when, or if, there will be an additional Cynster series, but they are about to cross the mark into the 1900s and I’m not sure I’ll be interested in those. The author is going back to add more books to the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series and I am happy to see that because I really enjoyed those.

Toby, the last unmarried Cynster of his generation, is now undertaking his last mission for the Crown. Talk about miffed – not only is Drake, Marquess of Wilchelsea, buckling to pressure from all of the Cynster ladies who want Toby married, but he is also sending him on a babysitting mission. So, rather than ending his career with an exciting mission, he’ll be escorting a doctor, his daughter, and a packet of intercepted German dispatches back from Vienna. Ho-Hum!

However, by the time he makes it to Vienna, he finds everything has changed. The doctor is deceased, perhaps not naturally, and both the Germans and the Austrians are trying to retrieve the packet of dispatches. Heinrich Maier, an Austrian, is a longtime foe of Toby’s and is almost as good as Toby. While the Austrians are a threat to the mission, it is the Germans who are dangerous. The two German agents operate by force and brute strength rather than intellect.

The babysitting mission Toby expected turns out to be as exciting as he’d want his last mission to be. That certainly wouldn’t be a problem except he is now escorting the doctor’s daughter and three children she refused to leave behind. Their escape through Austria, Germany, and Italy is fraught with danger. It also has a delightful set of children who make the book – you will love them. You’ll also love the descriptions of the beautiful countryside – and the idyllic time spent hiding on a lovely island in a beautiful Italian lake.

It was lovely to see Toby – who always wanted to be the bachelor uncle to his nieces and nephews – find the true meaning of family and love. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I also hope you are looking forward to those new Barnaby Adair books starting in July 2024. Happy Reading!
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Flagged
BarbaraRogers | Mar 18, 2024 |
My second read, and I found this book to be just as enjoyable as the first time around.

It perfectly captures the essence of a 'historical romance novel'. The dynamic between the main characters, with its mix of tension and affection, paints a picture of the slow process of building trust.

The addition of a mysterious subplot adds an extra layer of intrigue, giving the characters something compelling to pursue.

While I wasn't fond of Leonora's family members, their portrayal felt relatable, evoking sympathy for her situation. At first, some scenes were a bit off (a lady and a gentleman being left alone in the early 1800's seems questionable) but truly don't think her family members cared.

Overall, it was a fun and engaging read that struck the right balance between some romance, steam and mystery.
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selsha | 16 other reviews | Feb 27, 2024 |
This book delves into the story of Devil's Parents. Setting aside our prior knowledge from the Cysnter Series concerning Sebastian, the narrative presented here is undeniably romantic. I found myself enamored by the romance and dynamics between the main characters. I loved how they fell in love.

Alert: However, I couldn't help but anticipate an explanation for the events established in Devil's Bride, particularly concerning Richard/Scandal. I was eagerly awaiting some sort of explanation regarding Sebastian's behavior—whether it be him being drugged, abducted by aliens, or any plausible explanation where *I* could forgive him. Frankly, I needed closure on Sebastian's infidelity. And, there is no conceivable scenario where Helena would simply forgive him based on his flimsy excuse of feeling pity for Richard's mother. Unfortunately, the story concludes before this crucial moment unfolds.

Despite this narrative gap, IF we can pretend the impending events don't actually happen, the book itself is great. I rated it based on THIS book, regardless of what we know will happen further in the series.
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½
 
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selsha | 11 other reviews | Feb 23, 2024 |
I really liked this book. I cried and I laughed and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I adored Francesca and Gyles! Francesca was a breath of fresh air compared to the other Stephanie Lauren's books.

Yes, it was predictable and is your classic cheap romance novel, which is what I expected!

The only con I have with this book is; the advice given to Francesca, by her MIL. It was truly detestable to me. It hurt because I used to be young and stupid enough to listen to this type of advice.

semi -
When a man tells you he only wants one thing and is clear about it, you can't expect him to change. It's not fair to either of you. We always say we want honesty from our partners, but when they're honest and say, "I'll never love you, I'll have other lovers," we shouldn't be surprised when they do! And for Francesca's mother-in-law to be like "ohh, haha, he doesn't mean it! Just keep trying!" is just abhorrent and sets her up for failure and heartbreak.

Admittedly, this is a romance novel, so the outcome diverges from reality.


Overall- I really enjoyed this book! It's on my favorites list for Stephanie Laurens
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Flagged
selsha | 10 other reviews | Feb 20, 2024 |

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Associated Authors

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Mary Balogh Contributor
Candice Hern Contributor
Victoria Alexander Contributor
Elizabeth Boyle Contributor
Rachel Gibson Contributor
Leslie Lafoy Contributor
Celeste Bradley Contributor
Kasey Michaels Contributor
Loretta Chase Contributor
Eileen Wilks Contributor
Dee Holmes Contributor
Delilah Marvelle Contributor
Galen Foley Contributor
Alison DeLaine Contributor
Cathy Maxwell Contributor
Eloisa James Contributor
Simon Prebble Reader, Narrator
Jill Tanner Reader, Narrator
Helen Lloyd Narrator
Gaelen Foley Contributor
Elke Bartels Translator, Übersetzer
Elke Iheukumere Übersetzer
Jana Jašová Translator
Mary Javorek Jacket Photograph
Sigrun Zühlke Translator
Willem Hurkmans Translator
Isabel Aumann Übersetzer
Ineke Westerweel Translator
Dinka Mrkowatschki Übersetzer
Jacket Levine Cover designer
Georgia Sommerfeld Übersetzer
Beth Middleworth Cover designer
Alan Ayers Cover artist
Barbara Levine Cover designer
Ashford McNab Narrator
Gisela Grätz Übersetzer
Napoleon Ryan Narrator

Statistics

Works
152
Also by
3
Members
33,595
Popularity
#575
Rating
½ 3.7
Reviews
666
ISBNs
1,568
Languages
15
Favorited
85

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