Stephanie Laurens

I hate giving a book just one star, but I'm really not sure I enjoyed any aspect of it. The heroine was a naive, judgemental, reckless, nitwit. Practically her only attribute was her love for her brother. And the hero was so incredibly full of himself, but almost worse, the author seemed to be full of him too. Apparently he's supposed to be just the end-all-be-all of men. I bet he was called some version of 'hunter', 'warrior', or 'conqueror' well over 50 times! Every little thing he did was show more described as being 'masterfully done' or some nonsense. It would have been funny perhaps if it were done tongue in cheek or something, but it just dripped with sincerity. I can't think of when I last rolled my eyes so much at a book. They're in opposition for a large part of the book, and he tries to school her into bending to his will or something, but he's experienced, rich, worldly, etc. and she's very young, sheltered, ignorant, and a literal orphan, just trying to look out for her brother! They could not possibly go-toe-to-toe because it's nowhere near a fare fight! And if it's not, then him not pulling any punches against her is really just bullying. They both have pretty paltry communication skills, pretty much all their major revelations about the other are just told to them by someone else. ugh. Also, I really think 75% or so of the story revolved around their sexual encounters. Perhaps I wouldn't have minded if they were engaging, or meaningful, or at least hot or something, but they were largely rubbish too. I think the author was trying to make them 'epic', but the scenes fell very short, so the lofty language just exaggerated that feebleness. Like a toddler shuffling around in their parent's shoes. Tons of vague, flowery language too, like 'then he fell off the edge of the world as her starburst exploded'... (that's not a direct quote, but both of those analogies really were used). It felt like the book went on forever. Also there was a sort of dismal attempt at a mystery, but somehow it ended up the least of my grievances. *sigh* I'll still try to move forward in the series, I believe the later ones will be better, and I like to read in order. show less

Devil holds my heart but Demon is a close second.

At the heart of the story is a nonsensical dilemma that takes center stage, turning what could be minor hurdles into significant challenges for our protagonists. While some may find the melodrama a bit over-the-top, I enjoyed it.

Demon’s allure and charm shine through, leaving me in love with him.

Despite the occasional exaggeration and the plot’s penchant for making a mountain out of a molehill, “A Rogue’s Proposal” is a delightful show more addition to my collection of historical romances.

Those who appreciate a healthy dose of cheesy romance will find themselves enchanted by the devilish allure of Demon.

In the end, this love story may be over-the-top, but it leaves an indelible mark on the heart. show less

Terrific book. Now that his brother's wedding was over, Kit was ready to head for Bristol and get his dream of Cavanaugh Yachts launched. All he needed was the right location and the craftsmen with the right skills, and he would be set. The site was quickly found; all he needed to do was wait for the charity using it to vacate the premises.

Daughter of a vicar, Sylvia found her calling in providing education for the sons of Bristol dockworkers. She and her team worked hard for the last two show more years and had just started seeing real progress in their efforts when she found out that they were losing their building.

I loved both Kit and Sylvia, both of whom made brief appearances in the previous book, The Designs of Lord Randolph Cavanaugh. Kit had quite the reputation around London as a rake. What no one knew was that it was a carefully cultivated reputation, designed to discourage his manipulative mother's matchmaking aspirations. Having been a witness to his parents' marriage, Kit had no desire to marry. In reality, Kit was an honorable, kind, and hardworking man. Sylvia gave up on the idea of marriage for herself long ago, after she endured one season of the glitz and glamour. She is intelligent, determined, and kind. Both of them have dreams that they are passionate about.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Kit and Sylvia. Their first encounter was at Rand's wedding, where they were partnered during the wedding celebration. Kit was intrigued by Sylvia, but she treated him coldly, so he tried to put her out of his mind. Sylvia struggled to maintain her distance from the rake she was inexplicably drawn to and had crushed on two years earlier. She never expected to see him again and was dismayed to find he had leased the building that housed her school. I loved their next meeting, as Sylvia burst into Kit's office and harangued him about dislocating her school. Kit was stunned by the difference in Sylvia and intrigued all over again. I loved how he took the wind out of her sails by merely agreeing to help her find a new spot for her school. As they spent time together looking for a new location, both Kit and Sylvia discovered that their previous beliefs about each other were all wrong. I enjoyed seeing them get to know and respect who the other is, and the realization of how much alike they are. I liked Kit's move into courting Sylvia, though it took a bit for her to realize what he was doing. As the trouble that stalked them heated up, I loved Kit's protectiveness of Sylvia, which added to his growing feelings for her. Sylvia was also protective of Kit, and I enjoyed how she did things that would help him. But it took the danger at the end for them to realize just how deep their feelings for each other were.

The suspense in the story was good. There were attacks on the business, attacks on the school, and Sylvia's persistent feelings of being watched. Were these incidents related, or were they separate issues? There were multiple twists and turns as each event was dealt with, revealing some interesting motivations and solutions. The final confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

The secondary characters gave added depth to the story, helping both Kit and Sylvia shine. The boys that Sylvia teaches, and their families, showed another side of Victorian England. The advances in the technology of boat building changed the economy of Bristol, and this book showed the effects on the ordinary people. The struggles to take care of their families was vividly portrayed. I liked Sylvia's compassion and practical ways of helping and dealing with problems. Her connection with her students and their families also played a big part in helping Kit get his business started. I loved Kit's practical methods of running his business, and his hands-on approach. It was especially fun to see the variety of reactions. I loved the assorted boys and their parts in the book. Each one has a unique personality and history. There were some pretty funny situations that they got involved in, but they also played a huge part in the final confrontation. I liked the appearances of the previous couples in the series and their roles in moving the relationship along. show less

Fun Christmas story starring the wonderful Lady Osbaldestone, Grande Dame of Regency society. She has been one of my favorite characters throughout the Cynster books, and it's always an experience when she shows up. As the story opens, Lady Osbaldestone is debating settling down in her widowhood at her dower property in the small village of Little Moseley. She's not sure there will be enough to keep her busy, but at the moment she is well-occupied. Three of her grandchildren are staying with show more her while their father is ill and they have her life turned topsy-turvy.

I loved the opening as the children explain the brouhaha they have caused to the church. They are obviously intelligent children with a lot of curiosity. I loved seeing Lady O try to keep a straight face as she deals with them and the vicar. She realized that she is going to have her hands full keeping them out of trouble. When the vicar mentions that the village's flock of geese has mysteriously disappeared, she gets the idea of involving them in the search. It will also give her a chance to get reacquainted with the residents of the village. I loved the call on Eugenia, who is in charge of their estate until her brother comes of age. She is frustrated with the antics of him and his friends while they are visiting from Oxford. I laughed out loud when those young men encountered Lady O.

Lady O also calls on another neighbor, the reclusive Lord Longfellow. Christian is a former soldier who is hiding away, as he received injuries that have caused facial scarring a feels that he isn't fit for society. Lady O gains access to Christian in a rather unorthodox way, but it is effective. She also settles on two goals for herself: bring Christian out of hiding so he can live again, and see if she can guide Eugenia and Christian together. Just the kind of challenge she loves!

I loved both Eugenia and Christian. She is kind and compassionate, but she also has spirit. Christian is a good man who believes that his future is now pretty bleak. He doesn't want to endure pity, so he locks himself away instead. Christian and Eugenia already know each other as neighbors but haven't seen each other in awhile. Sparks fly between them from the moment they meet again. I loved the encounter about the gate, Eugenia's conspiracy with Lady O, followed by the whole decorating gig.

Because Lady O is such a force, she generally gets her way. I loved her use of a small dinner party to ease Christian further out of his shell. The actions of those who attended warmed my heart with their matter-of-fact acceptance of Christian as he is. Each of them also does their part to pull him back into village life. Christian quickly finds himself getting more involved, no matter how he tries to avoid it.

I liked seeing the relationship develop between Christian and Eugenia. While she aches for his pain, pity isn't what she feels around him. Christian first tries pushing her away, but she won't be pushed. It also takes some additional prodding from a pint-sized matchmaker, which was fun to see. There are some hair-raising moments at the end when Christian discovers that he's not as useless as he thought he was. Both he and Eugenia realize the truth of their feelings for each other.

II loved following the mystery of the missing geese. All three children really got into the spirit of trying to find out what happened to them. I enjoyed the way it gave me the opportunity to meet various people in the village and experience a little of their daily lives. As Christmas nears and the village is without the geese for their Christmas dinners, the searchers become more determined. I loved seeing the way things came together to solve the mystery just in time.

I am looking forward to a yearly tradition of Christmas stories about Lady O and her adventures. show less