All About Passion

I found this book more enjoyable than the usual romance novel - and trust me, I've read my fair share of romance novels! This was a chance find from a Little Free Library, and as it turns out, a worthwhile one.

So many romance novels have the most predictable twists, and I won't say that this story didn't have some predictability to it (there are hints about a character) but the romance itself was refreshing. Chillingworth thinks he is getting a meek, docile bride, but thanks to a honest misunderstanding, and his own aloofness, his "mistake" is not revealed until his wedding day.

I found the character of Francesca to be refreshing. She is a virgin, as is proper for a woman of her breeding/standing, but she is not naive as so many brides show more are in these romance novels, and I found her openness and attitude to be quite refreshing.

Overall I found this book to be honestly enjoyable, and definitely better than most of the standard romance novels I've read. It IS a bit clichey in parts, but it is well-written. show less

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 show more 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 show less

All About Passion
4 Stars

Gyles Rawlings, Earl of Chillingworth, has vowed never to succumb to the allures of love. Required to marry in order to secure the family line, Gyles selects the perfect candidate for a pliant wife, Francesca Rawlings, and proceeds to arrange the nuptials. Fate, however, has other plans as Gyles's betrothed is neither timid nor obedient. Rather, she is a proud, passionate and opinionated vixen who evokes all of his possessive, barbarian traits. Will Francesca be able to capture his heart as well?

The appeal of Chillingworth's character in the previous installment lay in his rakish yet enigmatic persona. This mysterious air held the potential for an incredible romance. Unfortunately, although his story is show more entertaining enough, the tropes are all very familiar and there is nothing unique or original to make it particularly noteworthy.

Gyles and Francesca's relationship contains several themes that are common to historical romance including a mistaken identity, a hero resistant to love, a feisty heroine determined to win her husband's devotion not to mention the trips round Hyde Park and waltzing at Almack's. It has all been done before and by Laurens herself no less.

That said, Gyles and Francesca are exceedingly likable and their chemistry is tangible. The minor mystery plot increases the tension even though it is rather predictable and easy to guess the villain.

All in all, an easy and entertaining read. Looking forward to the next one. show less

Typical Stephanie Laurens. Her character development is always good. She draws you into the story and makes you care about the characters. They do things that you'd expect and some things that you don't, but rarely do they do things that would be out of character. I know that most of my book ratings end up being a 4 or 5, but I don't stick with a book that I don't really enjoy and I definitely enjoyed this book

I absorbed the first four or five chapters in this book. I was so drawn into finding out if Gyles Rawlings "Chillingworth" would finally find out who Francesca really was. He has been so determined to have a wife that is meek and quite and won't give him any trouble. It is amazing that he never asks who Francesca is he just assumes that first woman he meets and Rawling House is the one he is going to marry. It was fun watching him dig himself further and further into a hole with Francesca. It was also wonderfully funny to read how he reacted when he finally saw Francesca walking down the isle instead for Franni. I also enjoyed Devil's remarks upon seeing the Bride.

This story is a little different than the previous books in this series. show more While there is a little mystery on who is trying to kill Francesca or Gyles it isn't the focus of the story. This story is more about Gyles coming to terms with a woman that he never wanted to have as a wife. Francesca is the one woman that will shake up his ordered life and finally show that love and family are the most important things in the world. It is fun to watch Gyles fall for his feisty wife. There is a real depth of emotion in all these stories and this one isn't any exception. Ms. Laurens also continues to write some of the hottest love scenes in the publishing world. There aren't any of the C words but the page burn with the passion of the main characters.

It was nice to see Devil and Honoria an Demon in this story. Although Demon only put in a small appearance. This is a very good story to add to this series and one that I had looked forward to for sometime. show less

This was my first Stephanie Laurens book. She violates a cardinal rule of novel writing in that she tells more than shows. Getting through the book, therefore, became an unpleasant chore. Not an auspicious introduction to Ms. Laurens, and I've tried to stay away from her books ever since. There are so many romance novels out there, so I'd recommend not wasting your time on this.

I really liked this latest installment of the Cynsters series. It did get off to a slow start but I'm glad I stuck with it. Franchesca is definitely one of my favorite heroines of the series, behind Honoria.