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The Cynster Sisters Duo #1
And Then She Fell
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to another utterly irresistible branch on her beloved Cynster family tree in And Then She Fell.
Set in Regency England, London's Henrietta Cynster, known as "The Matchbreaker" has a special talent for making sure that bad marriages never happen. After breaking up one ill-suited couple, Henrietta is obligated to find the perfect bride for the debonair James Glossup.
The assignment proves to be a challenging one for the single-minded Henrietta, who believes that finding love isn't in her own stars. But Henrietta discovers--in spite of her personal denials of love--that both she and James are indisputably drawn to each other.
Fans of Stephanie Laurens's Cynster books and readers of smart and compelling historical romances will be transported and entertained by And Then She Fell.
Set in Regency England, London's Henrietta Cynster, known as "The Matchbreaker" has a special talent for making sure that bad marriages never happen. After breaking up one ill-suited couple, Henrietta is obligated to find the perfect bride for the debonair James Glossup.
The assignment proves to be a challenging one for the single-minded Henrietta, who believes that finding love isn't in her own stars. But Henrietta discovers--in spite of her personal denials of love--that both she and James are indisputably drawn to each other.
Fans of Stephanie Laurens's Cynster books and readers of smart and compelling historical romances will be transported and entertained by And Then She Fell.
370 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2013
401 people are currently reading
3463 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
207 books5,596 followersStephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Stephanie and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 344 reviews
March 29, 2013
If you can ignore Ms. Laurens' propensity to say the same thing in ten different ways in the span of a paragraph, especially during her love scenes, then this book is a fine addition to her Cynster series. Harriett Cynster, nicknamed the Matchbreaker for helping other women of her station sniff out their beaus' ulterior motives, finds herself falling in love with James Glossup, one of her victims. When she's made to feel guilty over her interference, James enlists her in helping him compile a list of likely mates from the tons' assortment of debutantes. With the help of a special necklace that's been handed down to Harriet from older Cynster cousins, both she and he realize that what he's looking for is pretty close at hand.
The standard Laurens format is present here. What is so good about her books is how quickly you come to love her characters. So despite the ridiculousness of some of her writing (honestly, her books would be much better if she would just tone down her repetitiveness), this one is a must read if you are a fan of the Cynsters.
The standard Laurens format is present here. What is so good about her books is how quickly you come to love her characters. So despite the ridiculousness of some of her writing (honestly, her books would be much better if she would just tone down her repetitiveness), this one is a must read if you are a fan of the Cynsters.
November 25, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
A trope in the tantalizing journey of friends-to-lovers-to-marriage against the backdrop of menace and danger. James and Henrietta are very likable and downright cute as they cut an elegant swathe through ton society on the dance floor, outings, gliding on the wings of courtship.
What gives this novel a bit of height, is that the Cynster ladies are allowed to congregate, organize and shine as they plan, plot and carry off an amazing rescue sans the force of their over-protective men. Well played.
A trope in the tantalizing journey of friends-to-lovers-to-marriage against the backdrop of menace and danger. James and Henrietta are very likable and downright cute as they cut an elegant swathe through ton society on the dance floor, outings, gliding on the wings of courtship.
What gives this novel a bit of height, is that the Cynster ladies are allowed to congregate, organize and shine as they plan, plot and carry off an amazing rescue sans the force of their over-protective men. Well played.
April 3, 2013
Super, super dull. There is no huge conflict in this novel at all, and the writing is on par with Stephanie Laurens' other works; good, enjoyable, but nothing exemplary that would evoke strong emotions like make me want to burst into laughter (Julia Quinn) or sob like a baby over a big pint of Ben & Jerry's (Lisa Kleypas). There are no big overwhelming conflict over the entire book, there's a minor plot of oh, danger, Will Robinson, but it's done rather...halfheartedly. I felt like the danger and intrigue are thrown in there to flesh out the nonexistent plot rather than as an integral part of the story itself.
There is absolutely nothing to prevent the two h/h getting together. Hell, Henrietta even has a magical-heirloom-necklace that is pretty much a compass that would point her to the right man. Shockingly, her sister Mary digs it up and gives it to Henrietta to wear just before she meets James. And when she meets him, it warms up! Shocking! Gasp! James even admits his attraction and growing love for Henrietta right after their second or so encounter. She's a spinster, but those are a dime a dozen in romance novels, he's a bit of a rake, but nothing compared to others I've read in Regency books. He sleeps around a little bit. Horrors! But he's all ready to settle down and is actively looking for a bride to fulfill his filial responsibility and all, so his rakish ways are in the past. Way, way in the past. Like almost nonexistent. As in he is as boring as they come. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but if he's so nice and she's so nice, what's stopping them from coming together? Fah. No conflict at all.
I guess I'm used to the usual Stephanie Laurens formula of rakish men like Devil, Lucifer, etc., the reformed rakes, so that when a character like James comes along, he becomes unfairly dull in comparison. I don't really like rakish men; sleeping around, gambling? Pff, give me a nice guy any day, but I have to admit that they do add a little spice when it comes to a good romance novel. This book is so boring that it needs a little bit of heat.
There is absolutely nothing to prevent the two h/h getting together. Hell, Henrietta even has a magical-heirloom-necklace that is pretty much a compass that would point her to the right man. Shockingly, her sister Mary digs it up and gives it to Henrietta to wear just before she meets James. And when she meets him, it warms up! Shocking! Gasp! James even admits his attraction and growing love for Henrietta right after their second or so encounter. She's a spinster, but those are a dime a dozen in romance novels, he's a bit of a rake, but nothing compared to others I've read in Regency books. He sleeps around a little bit. Horrors! But he's all ready to settle down and is actively looking for a bride to fulfill his filial responsibility and all, so his rakish ways are in the past. Way, way in the past. Like almost nonexistent. As in he is as boring as they come. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but if he's so nice and she's so nice, what's stopping them from coming together? Fah. No conflict at all.
I guess I'm used to the usual Stephanie Laurens formula of rakish men like Devil, Lucifer, etc., the reformed rakes, so that when a character like James comes along, he becomes unfairly dull in comparison. I don't really like rakish men; sleeping around, gambling? Pff, give me a nice guy any day, but I have to admit that they do add a little spice when it comes to a good romance novel. This book is so boring that it needs a little bit of heat.
October 6, 2013
Posted on Buried Under Romance
It's fair to say that half of the book is a romance story between Henrietta and James, while the second half is involved entirely with the mysterious murderer who's attempting to get rid of Henrietta. The writing is more in tune with Stephanie Laurens's more traditional regencies (naturally, with a degree of "spice" that's prevalent in this genre) than her earlier Cynster novels, Devil's Bride, for example. What didn't hook me to the story wasn't the fact that James is a man exuding a quiet confidence unlike the other alpha heroes of the Cynster family, but that the romance was almost completely overshadowed by the murder, which isn't what one wants to see in a romance novel.
It is also unfortunate that the given blurb highly exaggerated the extent of Henrietta's fall. Yes, Henrietta was known amongst the ton as "The Matchbreaker," but that is merely a moniker given by the spurned males of those ladies she helped. She was more like a relationship investigator, fishing out details to help ladies determined if their intended is marrying them for love, or for some other purpose. That said, Henrietta was far from denying the institution of marriage, mainly waiting for the right man to sweep her off her feet, which, given her logical and relatively sangfroid nature, had frightened many off until James.
James is the best friend to Henrietta's brother Simon, and due his grandmother's will decreeing he must marry by a certain date or forfeit his inheritance, in which case he would have to no way to support his lands and people, he has increasingly found Henrietta the object of his affections. The more time they spend together convinces him of this fact, and so the first half of the book is involved with James's trying to woo Henrietta and her trying to ascertain her own feelings for James.
My other disappointment lies in that the characters seem too generic, too flat to be of real substance. There really was no spark flying off the pages between them (the "consuming passion" seemed to pop out of nowhere); they both seemed to accept that they liked each other enough, and after a time, convinced that it's love. Well it's acceptable to certain standards, I certainly expected more out of a Stephanie Laurens novel. In fact, the villain of the story seemed more interesting character-wise than either James or Henrietta, and he's a cold-blooded murderer!
My final verdict on this is unfortunately, disappointment. Even without the alpha traits of the Cynsters males that have captivated fans for ages, the story could still have progressed better, more of a "capturing" of Henrietta (she was unwed by age 29, after all), anything but having the last half of the book turn into a murder mystery that did nothing to further the romance, as James and Henrietta had already gotten together before that.
I am waiting to read Mary's book, though it may or may not be the last Cynster novel I readI am waiting to read Mary's book, though it may or may not be the last Cynster novel I read, seeing as the allure of feisty, intelligent heroines paired with protective, alpha males is gone.
It's fair to say that half of the book is a romance story between Henrietta and James, while the second half is involved entirely with the mysterious murderer who's attempting to get rid of Henrietta. The writing is more in tune with Stephanie Laurens's more traditional regencies (naturally, with a degree of "spice" that's prevalent in this genre) than her earlier Cynster novels, Devil's Bride, for example. What didn't hook me to the story wasn't the fact that James is a man exuding a quiet confidence unlike the other alpha heroes of the Cynster family, but that the romance was almost completely overshadowed by the murder, which isn't what one wants to see in a romance novel.
It is also unfortunate that the given blurb highly exaggerated the extent of Henrietta's fall. Yes, Henrietta was known amongst the ton as "The Matchbreaker," but that is merely a moniker given by the spurned males of those ladies she helped. She was more like a relationship investigator, fishing out details to help ladies determined if their intended is marrying them for love, or for some other purpose. That said, Henrietta was far from denying the institution of marriage, mainly waiting for the right man to sweep her off her feet, which, given her logical and relatively sangfroid nature, had frightened many off until James.
James is the best friend to Henrietta's brother Simon, and due his grandmother's will decreeing he must marry by a certain date or forfeit his inheritance, in which case he would have to no way to support his lands and people, he has increasingly found Henrietta the object of his affections. The more time they spend together convinces him of this fact, and so the first half of the book is involved with James's trying to woo Henrietta and her trying to ascertain her own feelings for James.
My other disappointment lies in that the characters seem too generic, too flat to be of real substance. There really was no spark flying off the pages between them (the "consuming passion" seemed to pop out of nowhere); they both seemed to accept that they liked each other enough, and after a time, convinced that it's love. Well it's acceptable to certain standards, I certainly expected more out of a Stephanie Laurens novel. In fact, the villain of the story seemed more interesting character-wise than either James or Henrietta, and he's a cold-blooded murderer!
My final verdict on this is unfortunately, disappointment. Even without the alpha traits of the Cynsters males that have captivated fans for ages, the story could still have progressed better, more of a "capturing" of Henrietta (she was unwed by age 29, after all), anything but having the last half of the book turn into a murder mystery that did nothing to further the romance, as James and Henrietta had already gotten together before that.
I am waiting to read Mary's book, though it may or may not be the last Cynster novel I readI am waiting to read Mary's book, though it may or may not be the last Cynster novel I read, seeing as the allure of feisty, intelligent heroines paired with protective, alpha males is gone.
March 28, 2013
Two and a half stars. Laurens has fallen into the trap of following the disappointing trends in historic romance writing.
I used to be a huge Laurens fan and I have read all of her books at least once and many multiple times. Her novels were always so strong: she’s a great wordsmith, can pull you into Regency life like no other, can elicit wonderful emotion and used to draw great characters. However, her last several books have lost their dramatic tension and her characters have devolved into the same old characters in every other romance novel.
One reason there is no dramatic tension in her latest novel is that there is no real conflict between the protagonists. In Then She Fell, the characters both want to marry; they find each other attractive and respect each other. Nothing to keep them apart except for their fear of admitting their feelings to each other. Junior high stuff. In fact, Laurens can’t stretch the “boy-chases-girl, boy-gets-girl” part longer than the first half of the novel.
The reason for the lack of tension in Laurens’ more recent novels is that she, like many popular authors, has followed the romance trend toward making the h so “everything,” strong, smart, brave, skilled, etc.; there is no room for her to grow over the course of the book. She doesn’t have to overcome weakness. She doesn’t have to come to terms with her own sexual longings: heck, even in bed, the virgin h in this novel tears off the hero’s clothes and goes down on him. The woman’s only “weakness” is being mildly and temporarily distressed when attempts are made on her life. Geesh!
Concomitantly, Laurens has followed the trend of making the H rather wishy-washy, not particularly strong or skilled or even very cocky, let alone Alpha. This H hasn’t a macho bone in his body. He is supposed to have been a rake but the only rake-like characteristic we are aware of is that he used to sleep around. So, he was young and single. Big deal.
In the early Cynster novels, the H’s were much more rake-like, engaging in numerous risky behaviors as well as bedding lots of women. The earlier H’s were also very full of themselves, arrogant, rather Alpha. They would say, “I want this woman. And she WILL be mine.” Then they would go after her with all stops out. God, have we lost something when we lost that. These new wishy-washy heroes do nothing for me.
Not that the Bar Cynster women were weak--in fact, emotionally, they were stronger than more contemporary heroines who emote a lot. The original Cynster h's were completely comfortable in their own skins, knew who they were, what they wanted and calmly did whatever needed to be done. I really, really liked them. These h’s would say, “No way am I going to hook myself up with this arrogant, macho man who could then control my whole life. My life is very good just the way it is, thank you very much.” And, with the control men had over their wives during that period, that decision was a really smart one, not just a ploy of the novelist. I really enjoyed their run-ins with the macho males. It produced all sorts of conflict and tension. And, in the end, the h’s had the men eating out of their hands. Great reversal.
Laurens attempts to up the tension in the story by including a murder mystery cum attempted assassination attempts. This plot frankly made me yawn. I skipped over much of the last part of the book it was so boring. In the end, our Superwoman gets her friends to help her plan and carry out the rescue of the H, poor thing.
I must confess I don't understand this trend in historic romance. We are reading these kinds of novels in order to vicariously live as women from a different era. And, yet, Laurens has fallen into the trap of so many historic romance authors, that is, having basically contemporary protagonists in a historic setting. So we miss the drama and fun of conflict with macho men. Heck, the H's in most contemporary romantic suspense books make recent historic romance H's look downright girly. Blah! This means we also miss watching both protagonists grow and change as their relationship grows.
If you are new to Laurens and like a strong male lead, read Devil’s Bride, the first novel in the series about a set of cousins known as the Bar Cynster. For a particularly hot novel in the series, try the fifth one, A Secret Love.
Oh, Stephanie Laurens, I sure am sorry we lost your wonderful characters. Won’t you give us a strong male lead and a female who has some weaknesses? And, protagonists who grow and change over the course of the novel.
I used to be a huge Laurens fan and I have read all of her books at least once and many multiple times. Her novels were always so strong: she’s a great wordsmith, can pull you into Regency life like no other, can elicit wonderful emotion and used to draw great characters. However, her last several books have lost their dramatic tension and her characters have devolved into the same old characters in every other romance novel.
One reason there is no dramatic tension in her latest novel is that there is no real conflict between the protagonists. In Then She Fell, the characters both want to marry; they find each other attractive and respect each other. Nothing to keep them apart except for their fear of admitting their feelings to each other. Junior high stuff. In fact, Laurens can’t stretch the “boy-chases-girl, boy-gets-girl” part longer than the first half of the novel.
The reason for the lack of tension in Laurens’ more recent novels is that she, like many popular authors, has followed the romance trend toward making the h so “everything,” strong, smart, brave, skilled, etc.; there is no room for her to grow over the course of the book. She doesn’t have to overcome weakness. She doesn’t have to come to terms with her own sexual longings: heck, even in bed, the virgin h in this novel tears off the hero’s clothes and goes down on him. The woman’s only “weakness” is being mildly and temporarily distressed when attempts are made on her life. Geesh!
Concomitantly, Laurens has followed the trend of making the H rather wishy-washy, not particularly strong or skilled or even very cocky, let alone Alpha. This H hasn’t a macho bone in his body. He is supposed to have been a rake but the only rake-like characteristic we are aware of is that he used to sleep around. So, he was young and single. Big deal.
In the early Cynster novels, the H’s were much more rake-like, engaging in numerous risky behaviors as well as bedding lots of women. The earlier H’s were also very full of themselves, arrogant, rather Alpha. They would say, “I want this woman. And she WILL be mine.” Then they would go after her with all stops out. God, have we lost something when we lost that. These new wishy-washy heroes do nothing for me.
Not that the Bar Cynster women were weak--in fact, emotionally, they were stronger than more contemporary heroines who emote a lot. The original Cynster h's were completely comfortable in their own skins, knew who they were, what they wanted and calmly did whatever needed to be done. I really, really liked them. These h’s would say, “No way am I going to hook myself up with this arrogant, macho man who could then control my whole life. My life is very good just the way it is, thank you very much.” And, with the control men had over their wives during that period, that decision was a really smart one, not just a ploy of the novelist. I really enjoyed their run-ins with the macho males. It produced all sorts of conflict and tension. And, in the end, the h’s had the men eating out of their hands. Great reversal.
Laurens attempts to up the tension in the story by including a murder mystery cum attempted assassination attempts. This plot frankly made me yawn. I skipped over much of the last part of the book it was so boring. In the end, our Superwoman gets her friends to help her plan and carry out the rescue of the H, poor thing.
I must confess I don't understand this trend in historic romance. We are reading these kinds of novels in order to vicariously live as women from a different era. And, yet, Laurens has fallen into the trap of so many historic romance authors, that is, having basically contemporary protagonists in a historic setting. So we miss the drama and fun of conflict with macho men. Heck, the H's in most contemporary romantic suspense books make recent historic romance H's look downright girly. Blah! This means we also miss watching both protagonists grow and change as their relationship grows.
If you are new to Laurens and like a strong male lead, read Devil’s Bride, the first novel in the series about a set of cousins known as the Bar Cynster. For a particularly hot novel in the series, try the fifth one, A Secret Love.
Oh, Stephanie Laurens, I sure am sorry we lost your wonderful characters. Won’t you give us a strong male lead and a female who has some weaknesses? And, protagonists who grow and change over the course of the novel.
March 16, 2017
Henrietta Cynster, Simon's sister is the 29 year old, known in the society as the "matchbreaker"- as mama's and prospective brides rush for her opinion due to her strong connections regarding their husbands' intentions for marrying them.
When one such match leads her breaking James Glossup's engagement, he confronts her about his reasons and she decides to help him find a bride.
Soon they realize they are actually attracted to one another and heavily give into their passions.
While their marriage is fixed, a murderer tries to harm Henrietta which forms the rest of the story.
Pretty classic Cynster novel. Same plot, different couple. Few but heavy in lust love scenes.
It was a good read overall.
Coming to the epilogue- Mary and Ryder do sound interesting.. but I hope its not the same wolf in different sheep's clothing.
Safe
3.25/5
When one such match leads her breaking James Glossup's engagement, he confronts her about his reasons and she decides to help him find a bride.
Soon they realize they are actually attracted to one another and heavily give into their passions.
While their marriage is fixed, a murderer tries to harm Henrietta which forms the rest of the story.
Pretty classic Cynster novel. Same plot, different couple. Few but heavy in lust love scenes.
It was a good read overall.
Coming to the epilogue- Mary and Ryder do sound interesting.. but I hope its not the same wolf in different sheep's clothing.
Safe
3.25/5
May 10, 2013
It has been 8 years since their cousin Anjelica handed the magical pendant to Henrietta, but Henriette has not worn it in years. She doesn’t think she is meant to find a love match, and the pendant is supposed to help her find her one and only hero, the one man who can make her happy in marriage. But Mary is 22 now, and she wants to start her own life, which means Henrietta has to find her husband first, and then she will be able to give Mary the pendant on the evening of her engagement ball, as tradition wants it.
She refuses to accept the pendant now, and Henrietta doesn’t have much choice but to start wearing it again, as her little sister is relentless when she wants something. It is apparent that Mary already has her eyes set on a certain gentleman, but she does not want to reveal his name, she wants things done properly, and the pendants acknowledgement. Of course fate doesn’t work that way, but Mary will find that out in her own book.
That evening Henrietta has to tell her best friend Melinda Wentworth and her parents what she has found out about Melinda’s latest suitor, James Glossup. Which is not easy, as James is one of her brother Simon’s best friends. But Melissa wants to marry for love, and James is not in love with her. She knows he has to marry to get his great aunts fortune. Which means he is not a fortune hunter, as he has money enough of his own, but he is not after Melinda for love. Melinda is disappointed, as James is a fine figure, but she also did suspect those facts already, or she would not have asked Henrietta to look into things.
James though is furious when he finds out that Henrietta meddled in his affairs. He needs to be married before the end of next month, or he will loose his great aunts money, and he needs that to keep up the properties he has inherited from her. Which means he will have to fire all the staff and servants, and he really does not want to do that. He is rich, but not nearly rich enough to pay for everything that is necessary. Of course Henrietta did not know that, and when he explains it to her, she promises to help him find a suitable bride.
With Henrietta’s guidance, he quickly gets access to the right kind of ladies, and he won’t be shunned when it gets known that the Wentworths have rejected him.
Henrietta and James have known each other for many years, as he is her brother’s best friend. But they never spend much time together, so they don’t really know the other. And now that they are planning and plotting and going out together to find him a suitable bride, there is this unsuspected attraction between them. To his own surprise, James enjoys her company, Henrietta is a smart and elegant young lady, and with 29 used to going her own way. She doesn’t need to be chaperoned by her family anymore, and goes out into society on her own.
Dangerous accidents are happening to Henrietta, but luckily James is there to safe her. And when they find out that a dangerous murdered is after Henrietta, as he thinks she might recognize him, they need the whole family to keep her safe and find this killer.
I really enjoyed this story. It read much easier than her previous books, as though she has changed her writing style a little. Less difficult words, and less time spend just thinking. I like this change a lot.
I liked Henrietta, she is very sensible and 29 years, which is firmly on the shelf in that time, but she enjoys her life. Finding a man to love was not on her to-do list at all. I like reading about older heroines in my books, although the sassy debutantes are fun as well. But Henrietta knows what she wants from life, and how to get it. She knows her place in society and uses that to help others find a love match. She is known as the Match Breaker, but she also approves a lot of matches.
James was never in a hurry to marry, which is why his great aunt put that stipulation in her last will. So now he has to hurry and find himself a bride, and one who will agree to be married really soon. He though Melissa would suit him, but he did not know she was after a love match. Nor did he tell her the truth about his own reasons. And while Henrietta is busy making a short list of suitable brides for him, he just wants to put her name on it. But he doesn’t want to scare her away by being too hasty. He will just invent reasons why those women won’t suit him at all.
But when Henrietta is in danger, all his protective instincts come to the fore, and he just knows she is his. Now he will have to convince Henrietta of this fact.
I loved seeing the whole family including Barnaby and Inspector Stokes rally around them, tying to catch the killer. And he really is a cold blooded psychopath, who managed to surprise me in his cunning ways.
I am looking forward to the next book.
9 stars.
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
She refuses to accept the pendant now, and Henrietta doesn’t have much choice but to start wearing it again, as her little sister is relentless when she wants something. It is apparent that Mary already has her eyes set on a certain gentleman, but she does not want to reveal his name, she wants things done properly, and the pendants acknowledgement. Of course fate doesn’t work that way, but Mary will find that out in her own book.
That evening Henrietta has to tell her best friend Melinda Wentworth and her parents what she has found out about Melinda’s latest suitor, James Glossup. Which is not easy, as James is one of her brother Simon’s best friends. But Melissa wants to marry for love, and James is not in love with her. She knows he has to marry to get his great aunts fortune. Which means he is not a fortune hunter, as he has money enough of his own, but he is not after Melinda for love. Melinda is disappointed, as James is a fine figure, but she also did suspect those facts already, or she would not have asked Henrietta to look into things.
James though is furious when he finds out that Henrietta meddled in his affairs. He needs to be married before the end of next month, or he will loose his great aunts money, and he needs that to keep up the properties he has inherited from her. Which means he will have to fire all the staff and servants, and he really does not want to do that. He is rich, but not nearly rich enough to pay for everything that is necessary. Of course Henrietta did not know that, and when he explains it to her, she promises to help him find a suitable bride.
With Henrietta’s guidance, he quickly gets access to the right kind of ladies, and he won’t be shunned when it gets known that the Wentworths have rejected him.
Henrietta and James have known each other for many years, as he is her brother’s best friend. But they never spend much time together, so they don’t really know the other. And now that they are planning and plotting and going out together to find him a suitable bride, there is this unsuspected attraction between them. To his own surprise, James enjoys her company, Henrietta is a smart and elegant young lady, and with 29 used to going her own way. She doesn’t need to be chaperoned by her family anymore, and goes out into society on her own.
Dangerous accidents are happening to Henrietta, but luckily James is there to safe her. And when they find out that a dangerous murdered is after Henrietta, as he thinks she might recognize him, they need the whole family to keep her safe and find this killer.
I really enjoyed this story. It read much easier than her previous books, as though she has changed her writing style a little. Less difficult words, and less time spend just thinking. I like this change a lot.
I liked Henrietta, she is very sensible and 29 years, which is firmly on the shelf in that time, but she enjoys her life. Finding a man to love was not on her to-do list at all. I like reading about older heroines in my books, although the sassy debutantes are fun as well. But Henrietta knows what she wants from life, and how to get it. She knows her place in society and uses that to help others find a love match. She is known as the Match Breaker, but she also approves a lot of matches.
James was never in a hurry to marry, which is why his great aunt put that stipulation in her last will. So now he has to hurry and find himself a bride, and one who will agree to be married really soon. He though Melissa would suit him, but he did not know she was after a love match. Nor did he tell her the truth about his own reasons. And while Henrietta is busy making a short list of suitable brides for him, he just wants to put her name on it. But he doesn’t want to scare her away by being too hasty. He will just invent reasons why those women won’t suit him at all.
But when Henrietta is in danger, all his protective instincts come to the fore, and he just knows she is his. Now he will have to convince Henrietta of this fact.
I loved seeing the whole family including Barnaby and Inspector Stokes rally around them, tying to catch the killer. And he really is a cold blooded psychopath, who managed to surprise me in his cunning ways.
I am looking forward to the next book.
9 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com
March 23, 2013
When ladies of the ton want to know if a man is interested in them or their fortune, they appeal to Henrietta Cynster. Her uncanny ability to strip a relationship down to its bones has earned her the title of Matchbreaker. Unfortunately, her gift for making others happy does not seem to include a happily ever after of her own.
James Glossup needs to marry if he is to fulfill the terms of his aunt’s will and be able to care for the tenants on his land. When the infamous Matchbreaker cuts his marital aspirations short, he is furious. He confronts her, determined to put a stop to her meddling. He is shocked to discover she is willing to put aside her matchbreaking for a bout of matchmaking.
Henrietta attacks James’s marital goal with all the aplomb of a general preparing for battle. The two of them attend events together with the hope of narrowing the field to one or two prospects. The more time James spends with Henrietta, the more he believes she is the one he has been seeking all along. When Henrietta becomes the target of a murderer trying to cover up his crimes, James knows he must act now or lose the only woman who can make his life complete.
Though this book is filled with the vibrant cast of Cynsters from Ms. Laurens’ other novels, you need not read those to enjoy And Then She Fell. This story is actually a bit of a story within a story. Readers are treated to a lovely twist on the "friends as lovers" theme only to be swept into a murder mystery that ends in quite a spectacular climax. A must have for every fan of historical love stories.
Kaitlin
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
James Glossup needs to marry if he is to fulfill the terms of his aunt’s will and be able to care for the tenants on his land. When the infamous Matchbreaker cuts his marital aspirations short, he is furious. He confronts her, determined to put a stop to her meddling. He is shocked to discover she is willing to put aside her matchbreaking for a bout of matchmaking.
Henrietta attacks James’s marital goal with all the aplomb of a general preparing for battle. The two of them attend events together with the hope of narrowing the field to one or two prospects. The more time James spends with Henrietta, the more he believes she is the one he has been seeking all along. When Henrietta becomes the target of a murderer trying to cover up his crimes, James knows he must act now or lose the only woman who can make his life complete.
Though this book is filled with the vibrant cast of Cynsters from Ms. Laurens’ other novels, you need not read those to enjoy And Then She Fell. This story is actually a bit of a story within a story. Readers are treated to a lovely twist on the "friends as lovers" theme only to be swept into a murder mystery that ends in quite a spectacular climax. A must have for every fan of historical love stories.
Kaitlin
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
August 3, 2016
I really liked this one! The heroine in here, Henrietta Cynster, was so completely different from any of the other heroines in this series. She didn't feel the need to go off on her own and do something without telling her guy, she didn't balk at the idea of getting married after being thoroughly compromised (and she knew what she was doing when it happened), and she didn't insist on waiting to hear him say "I love you" and spend an endless amount of time wondering if he did.
And best of all....THERE WERE NO LESSONS!!!! (my buddy read friends know exactly what I'm talking about :) )
And best of all....THERE WERE NO LESSONS!!!! (my buddy read friends know exactly what I'm talking about :) )
March 10, 2013
I received my review copy of this book – Kindle edition – from Edelweiss, as part of an online book tour.
The novel tells a story of Henrietta, a twenty-nine-year-old ton lady and the society Matchbreaker. For years, she’s been investigating her female friends’ prospective grooms for the possibility of a love match. When she finds out that James, who is wooing her friend Melinda, doesn’t love her, Henrietta delivers the sad news to Melinda, and the match is broken.
James is furious. He has a reason to marry (quite honorable, as it’s revealed later) and a deadline, and Henrietta’s meddling destroyed his hopes of the timely match. When he confronts her with his accusations, she feels sorry for him and promises to find him another bride, and do it swiftly to adhere to his deadline. Thus the story starts, and of course, the hero and the heroine fall in love with each other.
My impressions of this book were two-fold. I’ll start with what I didn’t like and then proceed to what I did like.
I didn’t like the POV jumping from head to head without a pause, occasionally inside the same paragraph. It was jarring and disorienting.
I didn’t like any of the secondary characters – there are plenty of them, and they’re all flat, interchangeable.
I didn’t like the over-long explanations of the heroes’ feelings and the extended, convoluted sentences that stretch indefinitely throughout the tale. Sometimes, such sentences appear in dialog, and by the time the closing quotes arrived, I wondered what it was the person was really saying.
To counteract the above failings, the story was charming, divided into two clear parts. The first part deals with Henrietta and James falling in love, dancing around each other in tentative confusion, asking themselves the same ages-old questions: Does she love me? Does he love me?
James’s reaction to Henrietta is original and utterly gratifying to female readers:
By the middle of the book, the lovers’ doubts are resolved. They decide to get married, but a new, much more sinister problem arises. Someone is trying to kill Henrietta. Strange incidents keep happening to her, and only James’s courageous interventions save her life again and again. The protagonists must deal with the dire situation before they can savor their well-deserved happily-ever-after.
This second half of the book, the part of mystery and danger, reads much faster, the tension mounts on every page, and the pacing picks up considerably. The only moments when the action stops dead are the torrid sex scenes. In my opinion, there are too many of them and they are too long, but that is a subject to taste. When each of their brush with death leads our heroes to unrestrained bouts in the bedroom, I can’t really hold it against them.
Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed is its heroine, Henrietta. A smart, no nonsense young woman, she is at times compassionate and kind, sensual and brave. She loves James deeply and is ready to sacrifice her life for him… within reason and with the help and support of her relatives and friends. I found her realistic approach refreshing and practically unique in the romance genre. .
And then, there is the antagonist – the bad guy of the novel. Exceptionally smart and absolutely ruthless, he is almost impossible to defeat, a worthy opponent for Henrietta and James. The entire clan of Henrietta’s family mobilizes to topple the blackguard. The musings of the family’s head, the duke, are worthy of a special notice:
The arrogance of this statement took my breath away. Would it be OK, I wondered, if the murderer didn’t target a Cynster? Aside from this one twitch of my low-classed sense of equality, misplaced in this case, I believe, I relished watching Henrietta and James bringing down their enemy. The protagonists’ victory was so much sweeter because the villain was so magnificently scary.
Overall, a good story. Recommended for fans of historical romance.
The novel tells a story of Henrietta, a twenty-nine-year-old ton lady and the society Matchbreaker. For years, she’s been investigating her female friends’ prospective grooms for the possibility of a love match. When she finds out that James, who is wooing her friend Melinda, doesn’t love her, Henrietta delivers the sad news to Melinda, and the match is broken.
James is furious. He has a reason to marry (quite honorable, as it’s revealed later) and a deadline, and Henrietta’s meddling destroyed his hopes of the timely match. When he confronts her with his accusations, she feels sorry for him and promises to find him another bride, and do it swiftly to adhere to his deadline. Thus the story starts, and of course, the hero and the heroine fall in love with each other.
My impressions of this book were two-fold. I’ll start with what I didn’t like and then proceed to what I did like.
I didn’t like the POV jumping from head to head without a pause, occasionally inside the same paragraph. It was jarring and disorienting.
I didn’t like any of the secondary characters – there are plenty of them, and they’re all flat, interchangeable.
I didn’t like the over-long explanations of the heroes’ feelings and the extended, convoluted sentences that stretch indefinitely throughout the tale. Sometimes, such sentences appear in dialog, and by the time the closing quotes arrived, I wondered what it was the person was really saying.
To counteract the above failings, the story was charming, divided into two clear parts. The first part deals with Henrietta and James falling in love, dancing around each other in tentative confusion, asking themselves the same ages-old questions: Does she love me? Does he love me?
James’s reaction to Henrietta is original and utterly gratifying to female readers:
“…her perfume, a subtle blend of citrus and rose, wreathed his brain and trapped his wits.”
By the middle of the book, the lovers’ doubts are resolved. They decide to get married, but a new, much more sinister problem arises. Someone is trying to kill Henrietta. Strange incidents keep happening to her, and only James’s courageous interventions save her life again and again. The protagonists must deal with the dire situation before they can savor their well-deserved happily-ever-after.
This second half of the book, the part of mystery and danger, reads much faster, the tension mounts on every page, and the pacing picks up considerably. The only moments when the action stops dead are the torrid sex scenes. In my opinion, there are too many of them and they are too long, but that is a subject to taste. When each of their brush with death leads our heroes to unrestrained bouts in the bedroom, I can’t really hold it against them.
Another aspect of the novel I enjoyed is its heroine, Henrietta. A smart, no nonsense young woman, she is at times compassionate and kind, sensual and brave. She loves James deeply and is ready to sacrifice her life for him… within reason and with the help and support of her relatives and friends. I found her realistic approach refreshing and practically unique in the romance genre. .
And then, there is the antagonist – the bad guy of the novel. Exceptionally smart and absolutely ruthless, he is almost impossible to defeat, a worthy opponent for Henrietta and James. The entire clan of Henrietta’s family mobilizes to topple the blackguard. The musings of the family’s head, the duke, are worthy of a special notice:
“…how we can identify the gentleman who, quite aside from already being a double-murderer, apparently thinks it’s wise to take aim at a Cynster.”
The arrogance of this statement took my breath away. Would it be OK, I wondered, if the murderer didn’t target a Cynster? Aside from this one twitch of my low-classed sense of equality, misplaced in this case, I believe, I relished watching Henrietta and James bringing down their enemy. The protagonists’ victory was so much sweeter because the villain was so magnificently scary.
Overall, a good story. Recommended for fans of historical romance.
April 14, 2013
2.5 Stars
I know there is much more to a book than the sex scenes. In fact, I have read some very good books that had no sex scenes in them at all. But just like bad sex can ruin a relationship, so too can it ruin a book. Especially when the book was just ok to start with.
OK. That sounds harsh. Let me back up a little.
And Then She Fell is the latest installment in Stephanie Laurens uber-huge Cynster series. It focuses on Henrietta Cynster, who has come to be known as "the Matchbreaker." She has made it her mission to help young ladies weed out the fortune seekers among potential suitors. At 29, she doesn't really believe marriage is in her own future. But when her younger sister asks her to don the Lady's crystal necklace and seek out her hero, she agrees to try.
It just so happens that she has recently ruined the marriage prospects of her brother's best friend, James, who desperately needs to wed to earn his inheritance and save the livelihood of the people who work his land. When Henrietta learns of the mess she made, she agrees to help him find a new bride. And of course, they end up falling for each other.
The romance wasn't bad. Both James and Henrietta were pretty likeable characters. It was easy enough to root for them to make a go of it, though neither was truly remarkable enough to thoroughly invest me. There was a little extra oomph worked in when someone starts trying to kill Henrietta and James must save her over and over again.
But then they get to the bedroom and it was all over the top figurative language and ... just... see for yourself:
In the second love scene, alliteration joined the party.
I could not stop rolling my eyes. Which made it very difficult to keep reading. Yet I did. And the big villain reveal was a total fail, because he was nobody we had even met before in the course of the book. Can you spell anticlimactic?
(*sigh*) I know a lot of people love Laurens' early work, but this is my fourth try with her. The others were so-so. After this, I just don't see me reading her again.
Rating: C-
*ARC Provided by Avon
*ARC Provided by Avon
I know there is much more to a book than the sex scenes. In fact, I have read some very good books that had no sex scenes in them at all. But just like bad sex can ruin a relationship, so too can it ruin a book. Especially when the book was just ok to start with.
OK. That sounds harsh. Let me back up a little.
And Then She Fell is the latest installment in Stephanie Laurens uber-huge Cynster series. It focuses on Henrietta Cynster, who has come to be known as "the Matchbreaker." She has made it her mission to help young ladies weed out the fortune seekers among potential suitors. At 29, she doesn't really believe marriage is in her own future. But when her younger sister asks her to don the Lady's crystal necklace and seek out her hero, she agrees to try.
It just so happens that she has recently ruined the marriage prospects of her brother's best friend, James, who desperately needs to wed to earn his inheritance and save the livelihood of the people who work his land. When Henrietta learns of the mess she made, she agrees to help him find a new bride. And of course, they end up falling for each other.
The romance wasn't bad. Both James and Henrietta were pretty likeable characters. It was easy enough to root for them to make a go of it, though neither was truly remarkable enough to thoroughly invest me. There was a little extra oomph worked in when someone starts trying to kill Henrietta and James must save her over and over again.
But then they get to the bedroom and it was all over the top figurative language and ... just... see for yourself:
Her maidenhead ruptured and she didn't even flinch; instead, the honeyed walls of her heated sheath tamped tight around his rigid member, the ultimate velvet vice...
Clinging, gasping and utterly in thrall, they reached for the peak, the thunder in their veins escalating, the thudding of their hearts a single beat that swept them on, whipped them higher.
Until they broke through the clouds and ecstasy beckoned, as hot as the sun and more brilliant than the stars...
That elemental tide of pure sensation wrecked them, wracked them, then, like flotsam, flung them high and far, out and into the void.
To where glory rolled in and filled them, healed them, sealed them, fused and remade them.
Then, with a gentle hand, set them floating free, bliss-filled on a golden sea.
In the second love scene, alliteration joined the party.
Reassuring, restating, revisiting, and reiterating, they dived in again, plunged in again, seized and surrendered and shared the scintillating delights once again.
I could not stop rolling my eyes. Which made it very difficult to keep reading. Yet I did. And the big villain reveal was a total fail, because he was nobody we had even met before in the course of the book. Can you spell anticlimactic?
(*sigh*) I know a lot of people love Laurens' early work, but this is my fourth try with her. The others were so-so. After this, I just don't see me reading her again.
Rating: C-
*ARC Provided by Avon
*ARC Provided by Avon
March 29, 2013
Oh my goodness. It has been some time since I read a Cynster book, and after reading this one all I want to do is to go find all the stories of the older cousins the Bar Cynsters. I had faithfully read all the Cynster books till the Cynsters Sisters Trilogy, when for what ever reason I just dropped the ball and missed those- so now I'm off to find and read those book.
This book like the others takes you back to the 1800s London, and you get transported to that time period with this book. I have always loved that about these book its to easy to get lost in that time period. With Simons younger sister Henrietta, who has made a name for herself as the Matchbreaker. She has the uncanny ability to find out truths that others want to be hidden. So her peers have turned to her to find out if that particular someone who is courting then is really the one for them. Since most want a love match, they usually want to know if the gentleman really loves them or is only after their money or something else. So Henrietta has become a great friend to the ladies but someone that the gentlemen don't always like because she has thwarted many marriage plans due to her knowledge. But Henrietta is also quick to point out that she has helped many couples to the alter too by her information gathering.
In this case though Henrietta is helping out a close friend Melinda learn why James Glossup is really courting her, its not the love match that Melinda really wants. But what Henrietta later learns is that James really does need to marry, or else those people who depend on him for their lively hood might just find themselves in deep trouble do to James an inheritance from his grandaunt. So Henrietta decides to find James a wife that will really work for him, because she sees that James is really trying his best to take care of those who he is ultimately responsible for.
So Henrietta and James spend a lot of time together combing the eligible ladies who might be right for James. During this time they both start to fall for each other, but due to their relationshop it takes a lot for them to really admit it to themselves and then to the other person. Add into the mix the 'accidents' that are happening to Henrietta where James is forced to come to her rescue.
This is a really good story, the characters, both the new ones and our old favorites are as likable and as interesting as ever. There is plenty or mystery, intrigue, suspense, romance and even murder to keep you turning the page.
This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own
This book like the others takes you back to the 1800s London, and you get transported to that time period with this book. I have always loved that about these book its to easy to get lost in that time period. With Simons younger sister Henrietta, who has made a name for herself as the Matchbreaker. She has the uncanny ability to find out truths that others want to be hidden. So her peers have turned to her to find out if that particular someone who is courting then is really the one for them. Since most want a love match, they usually want to know if the gentleman really loves them or is only after their money or something else. So Henrietta has become a great friend to the ladies but someone that the gentlemen don't always like because she has thwarted many marriage plans due to her knowledge. But Henrietta is also quick to point out that she has helped many couples to the alter too by her information gathering.
In this case though Henrietta is helping out a close friend Melinda learn why James Glossup is really courting her, its not the love match that Melinda really wants. But what Henrietta later learns is that James really does need to marry, or else those people who depend on him for their lively hood might just find themselves in deep trouble do to James an inheritance from his grandaunt. So Henrietta decides to find James a wife that will really work for him, because she sees that James is really trying his best to take care of those who he is ultimately responsible for.
So Henrietta and James spend a lot of time together combing the eligible ladies who might be right for James. During this time they both start to fall for each other, but due to their relationshop it takes a lot for them to really admit it to themselves and then to the other person. Add into the mix the 'accidents' that are happening to Henrietta where James is forced to come to her rescue.
This is a really good story, the characters, both the new ones and our old favorites are as likable and as interesting as ever. There is plenty or mystery, intrigue, suspense, romance and even murder to keep you turning the page.
This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own
January 30, 2013
And Then She Fell is a "Cynster" novel by Stephanie Laurens. This book is published by Avon/HarperCollins and is will be released in March of 2013. This book is 384 pages in length.
Set is 1837 London, Henrietta Cynster has gained the reputation as "The Matchbreaker". Young ladies call upon Henrietta to see if a man's intentions are pure or motivated by money or position.
Henrietta's friend, Melinda has been courted by James Glossup. Melinda is sure he about to propose, but something just doesn't feel right. So, she asked Henrietta to look into it. Sure enough, James is a bit desperate for a bride. He must marry within the year or lose his entire inheritance.
Henrietta hated to tattle on James, since he was one of her brother's closet friends, but she couldn't lie to Melinda. Once Melinda knows the truth, she breaks it with James, in a somewhat public manner, thus notifying all eligible women that Henrietta had found some fault with him.
James is furious with Henrietta. She had no idea the real situation he was in and how her actions would effect so many people. When confronted with the consequences of her actions, Henrietta vows to help James find a wife in time to safe his inheritance.
On another front, Henrietta finds herself being the victim to several "accidents", all of which could have been fatal. When she survives each accident , it is made quite clear that someone wants Henrietta dead.
Part regency period romance, part mystery, this book has all the elements to be a great novel. But, for some reason this one just didn't seem to have the charm or substance the past "Cynster" novels have had. This was still a quick, light read, and quite an acceptable escape. I did feel as thought the romance was rushed a bit and the chemistry was forced. I did like the mystery part of the book and liked how the lovers worked together to solve the crime . These were two adults that behaved as such, so there wasn't a great deal of angst or misunderstandings.
A great many Cynsters were present here and were involved with the crime solving element of the book.
I did enjoy the book, don't get me wrong, I just didn't feel it was as good as some of the others.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good regency romance with a little mystery on the side.
Overall this one gets a C+
Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for the advance copy.
Set is 1837 London, Henrietta Cynster has gained the reputation as "The Matchbreaker". Young ladies call upon Henrietta to see if a man's intentions are pure or motivated by money or position.
Henrietta's friend, Melinda has been courted by James Glossup. Melinda is sure he about to propose, but something just doesn't feel right. So, she asked Henrietta to look into it. Sure enough, James is a bit desperate for a bride. He must marry within the year or lose his entire inheritance.
Henrietta hated to tattle on James, since he was one of her brother's closet friends, but she couldn't lie to Melinda. Once Melinda knows the truth, she breaks it with James, in a somewhat public manner, thus notifying all eligible women that Henrietta had found some fault with him.
James is furious with Henrietta. She had no idea the real situation he was in and how her actions would effect so many people. When confronted with the consequences of her actions, Henrietta vows to help James find a wife in time to safe his inheritance.
On another front, Henrietta finds herself being the victim to several "accidents", all of which could have been fatal. When she survives each accident , it is made quite clear that someone wants Henrietta dead.
Part regency period romance, part mystery, this book has all the elements to be a great novel. But, for some reason this one just didn't seem to have the charm or substance the past "Cynster" novels have had. This was still a quick, light read, and quite an acceptable escape. I did feel as thought the romance was rushed a bit and the chemistry was forced. I did like the mystery part of the book and liked how the lovers worked together to solve the crime . These were two adults that behaved as such, so there wasn't a great deal of angst or misunderstandings.
A great many Cynsters were present here and were involved with the crime solving element of the book.
I did enjoy the book, don't get me wrong, I just didn't feel it was as good as some of the others.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a good regency romance with a little mystery on the side.
Overall this one gets a C+
Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for the advance copy.
January 24, 2013
This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...
A wonderful romance! And Then She Fell was a sweet, lovely historical romance that I really enjoyed.
Henrietta was a brilliant heroine. She's a little different in the world of historical romance. Her reputation of "The Matchbreaker" makes her a go-to for any bride that wants to know if her fiance is being honest. Obviously, Henrietta is very clever. But, not only that, she was also a very strong heroine when she got caught in the middle of a murder mystery. I especially liked that she wasn't one of the heroines that was in denial about being in love for most of the book. Once she realized that she loved James, she knew and she did everything she could to win him over. I really liked her-she was lovely.
James was just as marvelous. He has to marry to inherit land that his grandmother left him or all the people working the property would be out of jobs. He immediately comes off as a perfect love interest. For one, his motives for inheriting his property were entirely unselfish. And he continues to prove himself as a swoon-worthy hero. He is very sweet and very clever in dealing with the murderer. I really adored him.
Henrietta and James were very sweet together. They realize early on that they are in love with each other and it doesn't take long for them to admit it. They were mostly a sweet couple, just a sprinkle of spice but it was enough to keep things interesting.
The plot was okay. It moved quickly, for the most part. But, about halfway through, the plot stalled for a few chapters. It wasn't terrible, but it did keep me from being totally invested in the story the whole time. But, everything else was brilliant.
The issue of James looking for a wife and the two characters getting together was resolved about a third of the way through. The other two thirds was about the couple dealing with a murderer who is coming after Henrietta in a murder mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. That was brilliantly done. The culprit ended up being someone I never would have guessed.
The ending was lovely, nice and sweet.
And Then She Fell is a wonderful historical romance, one that I would recommend to any lover of the genre!
*Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for a copy!
A wonderful romance! And Then She Fell was a sweet, lovely historical romance that I really enjoyed.
Henrietta was a brilliant heroine. She's a little different in the world of historical romance. Her reputation of "The Matchbreaker" makes her a go-to for any bride that wants to know if her fiance is being honest. Obviously, Henrietta is very clever. But, not only that, she was also a very strong heroine when she got caught in the middle of a murder mystery. I especially liked that she wasn't one of the heroines that was in denial about being in love for most of the book. Once she realized that she loved James, she knew and she did everything she could to win him over. I really liked her-she was lovely.
James was just as marvelous. He has to marry to inherit land that his grandmother left him or all the people working the property would be out of jobs. He immediately comes off as a perfect love interest. For one, his motives for inheriting his property were entirely unselfish. And he continues to prove himself as a swoon-worthy hero. He is very sweet and very clever in dealing with the murderer. I really adored him.
Henrietta and James were very sweet together. They realize early on that they are in love with each other and it doesn't take long for them to admit it. They were mostly a sweet couple, just a sprinkle of spice but it was enough to keep things interesting.
The plot was okay. It moved quickly, for the most part. But, about halfway through, the plot stalled for a few chapters. It wasn't terrible, but it did keep me from being totally invested in the story the whole time. But, everything else was brilliant.
The issue of James looking for a wife and the two characters getting together was resolved about a third of the way through. The other two thirds was about the couple dealing with a murderer who is coming after Henrietta in a murder mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. That was brilliantly done. The culprit ended up being someone I never would have guessed.
The ending was lovely, nice and sweet.
And Then She Fell is a wonderful historical romance, one that I would recommend to any lover of the genre!
*Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for a copy!
February 26, 2013
I received a review copy of this book from Edelweiss.
Stephanie Laurens is usually hit and miss for me. I either love her books, or are just eh. This was an unexpected big hit.
Henrietta is firmly on the shelf at 29 and is something of a 'Matchbreaker' as other young ladies seek her advice on their marriage prospects. Henrietta uses her extensive connections to find out whether a particular young man has any ulterior motives for offering for a particular young lady since 'love matches' are all the rage. When she thwarts a potential match, she finds some young men have better reasons than others to marry for practical reasons. Enter James. In a somewhat surprising moment of conscience, Henrietta offers to help him find a bride in a short period of time. Instead, the two realize they want no one but each other. This all happens by the middle of the book, as the rest of the book turns toward the mystery of who is trying to kill Henrietta, which turns into an exceedingly interesting plot device. I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events that led the reader through the mystery.
If you like Stephanie Laurens, definitely read this latest installment in the Cynster family series!
Stephanie Laurens is usually hit and miss for me. I either love her books, or are just eh. This was an unexpected big hit.
Henrietta is firmly on the shelf at 29 and is something of a 'Matchbreaker' as other young ladies seek her advice on their marriage prospects. Henrietta uses her extensive connections to find out whether a particular young man has any ulterior motives for offering for a particular young lady since 'love matches' are all the rage. When she thwarts a potential match, she finds some young men have better reasons than others to marry for practical reasons. Enter James. In a somewhat surprising moment of conscience, Henrietta offers to help him find a bride in a short period of time. Instead, the two realize they want no one but each other. This all happens by the middle of the book, as the rest of the book turns toward the mystery of who is trying to kill Henrietta, which turns into an exceedingly interesting plot device. I was pleasantly surprised at the turn of events that led the reader through the mystery.
If you like Stephanie Laurens, definitely read this latest installment in the Cynster family series!
March 11, 2013
Henrietta Cynster is as strong-willed and dynamic as any female member of her family, but she has never been the type to welcome the advances of the foolish men she sees in the ballrooms and parties she attends. Henrietta uses her social bearing and her intelligence to learn all about those men and in turn assists the women of the ton by sharing that knowledge to either foster or discourage a match. For the women she helps she is a godsend; to the men of the ton she is “The Matchbreaker.” After providing the information to break-up a friend’s eminent engagement, Henrietta is confronted by the jilted fiancé James Glossup, who informs her that sometimes her interference can have consequences outside of just breaking up a couple. Henrietta, having never looked past her own actions to see the after effects, makes the bold proposal to assist James in finding another woman to marry in her friend’s place, using all of her skills at gleaning the truth about people to become James’s ultimate Matchmaker.
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2013/0...
For the full review, please go to http://www.thewindowseat13.com/2013/0...
March 17, 2013
Everyone heroine needs a hero to stand by her side
Every Cynster family member had a specific role to play and did so with grace. Henrietta was known for her ability to unmake the wrong match as love was in the air and needed to be in a marriage as well. When Henrietta thought a match for James Glossup was a mistake she stated her case and the young woman walked. However, James needs a timely match and Henrietta is going to make not break this man’s heart.
However, the match that is made surprises everyone but Henrietta and James who may have freely spoken to others but held their affection for each other silently. The only problem now is Henrietta has to stay alive long enough to make both their dreams come true. Henrietta is not sure whom she saw one foggy night but that person is convinced she can identify them and whatever it takes to stop her will be done. Love is a rocky and bumpy road but it is not usually connected with actual rocks being hurled at you!
Stephanie Laurens fills the pages of her books with charming characters and fabulous love stories that bring a sigh to your lips.
Every Cynster family member had a specific role to play and did so with grace. Henrietta was known for her ability to unmake the wrong match as love was in the air and needed to be in a marriage as well. When Henrietta thought a match for James Glossup was a mistake she stated her case and the young woman walked. However, James needs a timely match and Henrietta is going to make not break this man’s heart.
However, the match that is made surprises everyone but Henrietta and James who may have freely spoken to others but held their affection for each other silently. The only problem now is Henrietta has to stay alive long enough to make both their dreams come true. Henrietta is not sure whom she saw one foggy night but that person is convinced she can identify them and whatever it takes to stop her will be done. Love is a rocky and bumpy road but it is not usually connected with actual rocks being hurled at you!
Stephanie Laurens fills the pages of her books with charming characters and fabulous love stories that bring a sigh to your lips.
September 6, 2015
What a boring, emotionless and disappointing story. There wasn't a single point of conflict between the heroes, they were so sensible and sure of their feelings, it wasn't at all what I came to expect from books by Laurens. And not what I wanted to read. It was also actually a contemporary story - the heroine wasn't thinking or acting the way she would if it was really a historical.
And did Laurens really have to bring ALL the pairs from her previous books into this one? I didn;t even try to keep track who was who amongst those I didn't read about or didn;t remember well.
And did Laurens really have to bring ALL the pairs from her previous books into this one? I didn;t even try to keep track who was who amongst those I didn't read about or didn;t remember well.
March 6, 2023
And Then She Fell
4 Stars
Series note: This is book #1 in the Cynster Sister Duo not to be confused with the Cynster Sister Trilogy. The trilogy focuses on Gabriel and Lucifer's sister while the duology is about Amanda and Amelia's sisters. Both the trilogy and the duology are connected through the pendant gifted by The Lady in book #3 of the original Cynsters series. Yes, it really is a bit convoluted, but carry on regardless!
Henrietta Cynster is known throughout the ton as the "matchbreaker" for her ability to ferret out the fortune-hunters and other less-than-agreeable suitors courting the young women of society. When she ruins James Glossup's chances, he is furious as he needs to marry to gain his inheritance. After learning about the conditions of his grandaunt's will, Henrietta agrees to help James find a suitable bride, but the two soon realize they are the perfect match for each other. The only problem is the pesky attempts on Henrietta's life.
Laurens has once again hit the mark in a series that is more miss than hit overall.
Henrietta and James's romance is engaging (putting aside the purple prose sex scenes), and the mystery is suspenseful.
Henrietta and James have an intense attraction and their friends-to-lovers romance is very entertaining. There is also, thankfully, no keeping secrets trope as she is aware of his need to marry at the outset.
The suspense plot revolving around the reason for the various attempts on Henrietta's life ratchets up the tension. The explanation for the crimes is logical, and the climax and resolution are excellent. The fact that it is is an added bonus.
While it is clear that Laurens' never met an adjective or adverb that she didn't like, it is possible to look past her often repetitive writing and enjoy her stories. This is a prime example. Looking forward to Mary and Ryder's book next - the teaser in the epilogue is promising.
4 Stars
Series note: This is book #1 in the Cynster Sister Duo not to be confused with the Cynster Sister Trilogy. The trilogy focuses on Gabriel and Lucifer's sister while the duology is about Amanda and Amelia's sisters. Both the trilogy and the duology are connected through the pendant gifted by The Lady in book #3 of the original Cynsters series. Yes, it really is a bit convoluted, but carry on regardless!
Henrietta Cynster is known throughout the ton as the "matchbreaker" for her ability to ferret out the fortune-hunters and other less-than-agreeable suitors courting the young women of society. When she ruins James Glossup's chances, he is furious as he needs to marry to gain his inheritance. After learning about the conditions of his grandaunt's will, Henrietta agrees to help James find a suitable bride, but the two soon realize they are the perfect match for each other. The only problem is the pesky attempts on Henrietta's life.
Laurens has once again hit the mark in a series that is more miss than hit overall.
Henrietta and James's romance is engaging (putting aside the purple prose sex scenes), and the mystery is suspenseful.
Henrietta and James have an intense attraction and their friends-to-lovers romance is very entertaining. There is also, thankfully, no keeping secrets trope as she is aware of his need to marry at the outset.
The suspense plot revolving around the reason for the various attempts on Henrietta's life ratchets up the tension. The explanation for the crimes is logical, and the climax and resolution are excellent. The fact that it is is an added bonus.
While it is clear that Laurens' never met an adjective or adverb that she didn't like, it is possible to look past her often repetitive writing and enjoy her stories. This is a prime example. Looking forward to Mary and Ryder's book next - the teaser in the epilogue is promising.
November 21, 2017
Toda a gente está farta de saber que sou super fã de romances históricos e quando a editora Harper Collins publicou este não resisti e tive de o pedir. Agradeço desde já pela amabilidade em cedermo-lo ❤
Nunca tinha lido nada desta escritora e agora já estou atenta aos livros que ela publicou e vai publicar pois fiquei fascinada pela sua escrita e pela sua imaginação. Tem uma escrita fluída e tornou este livro mais que um cliché, trouxe uma história não só com um romance, mas com um assassino à solta, com pistas espalhadas pelo livro todo até finalmente chegarmos ao verdadeiro culpado.
Divertido, cativante, romântico, mágico e misterioso, impossível pousá-lo, só descansei quando terminei e isso foi em pouquíssimos dias.
Embora a história se concentre em Henrieta e ... (continuar a ler em https://nerdechique.wordpress.com/201...)
Nunca tinha lido nada desta escritora e agora já estou atenta aos livros que ela publicou e vai publicar pois fiquei fascinada pela sua escrita e pela sua imaginação. Tem uma escrita fluída e tornou este livro mais que um cliché, trouxe uma história não só com um romance, mas com um assassino à solta, com pistas espalhadas pelo livro todo até finalmente chegarmos ao verdadeiro culpado.
Divertido, cativante, romântico, mágico e misterioso, impossível pousá-lo, só descansei quando terminei e isso foi em pouquíssimos dias.
Embora a história se concentre em Henrieta e ... (continuar a ler em https://nerdechique.wordpress.com/201...)
November 7, 2017
Why am I still reading this series? I'm not really sure. It's super repetitive and they tend to the overwrought but I can't help myself (especially when I'm looking for something that feels familiar). So there you go. I actually really liked both Henrietta and James (though I've always liked James). There's nothing amazing about the plot, but I'm not going to be able to rest until I finish this series probably though obviously it's taking me a long time due to not caring as much as I did when it first started. (Which was when I was in college. Just for perspective.)
January 19, 2019
Gostei bastante desta historia!
Uma trama apelativa e que se lê bastante bem.
A historia em si, não acrescenta nada de novo, mas a autora, com uma trama simples, conseguir captivar o leitor, página após página, até ao desfecho e claro como não podia deixar de ser, ao felizes para sempre.
Deixa em aberto a sequela... que já fiquei curiosa de ler. :)
Uma trama apelativa e que se lê bastante bem.
A historia em si, não acrescenta nada de novo, mas a autora, com uma trama simples, conseguir captivar o leitor, página após página, até ao desfecho e claro como não podia deixar de ser, ao felizes para sempre.
Deixa em aberto a sequela... que já fiquei curiosa de ler. :)
June 15, 2020
5 ESTRELAS!!
Adoro cada vez mais esta autora. QUERO LER TUDO DELA!!!!
Adoro cada vez mais esta autora. QUERO LER TUDO DELA!!!!
April 5, 2013
Originally published at Reading Reality
And Then She Fell is the first one of Stephanie Laurens' Cynster books that I've read in some time. But like many readers, the earlier books in the series are among my favorite Regency romances ever. I was very curious to see how much I would miss not having read the ones in the middle. And whether I would go immediately hunting through my shelves to find them!
And Then She Fell is the story of Henrietta Cynster, the next-to-the-last Cynster female of her generation. Which does mean there is one more female, and one more book The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh in this particular cycle.
Henrietta is mature for a Regency heroine at 29, and I like her for it. She's sensible and knows what she does and doesn't want out of life. She's no giggling, simpering miss. Even though she's not sexually experienced (she's unmarried and that would be very much out-of-character) she is intelligent and otherwise knowledgeable about the ways of her world. She doesn't hold back on her opinions and she knows very well how to use the influence she has as a member of the illustrious Cynster family.
She's earned a well-deserved nickname as "The Matchbreaker". Young ladies of the ton come to her to investigate the true motives behind their suitors' courtship. Henrietta delivers the goods. Not malicious gossip, but absolute facts. She doesn't just break matches, she also makes them.
The story begins because her friend Melinda has requested an investigation of her suitor James Glossup's motivation behind his courtship of her. Melinda desires a love match. James has another motive entirely. His great-aunt's will left him a landed estate, but reserved the capital required to maintain it unless he married within one year of her death. James is wealthy enough to keep himself and a wife quite comfortably, but not to take care of all the tenants that he feels responsible for. Unless he marries in time, he'll have to sell the estate. He was not honest with Melinda about his motives so Henrietta tells her friend that James would not suit her.
This leaves James with less than a month to find a bride. Complicating matters, James and her brother Simon are best friends. He's a good man, he just has a big problem.
Henrietta the matchbreaker feels some responsibility for his predicament. The ton will know that she pronounced judgement on his unsuitability, without knowing the reason why. So she agrees to help him find a wife.
But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that the only match that needs to be made, is one between themselves.
However, Cynsters only marry for love. And that was not what James was initially offering. He will need to convince Henrietta that he has changed his mind. Or rather that his heart has truly become engaged in a suspiciously short period of time.
All while trying to protect her from mysterious attempts to take her life, for a reason that no one seems to be able to determine.
Have they left it too late?
Escape Rating B: And Then She Fell is a well-told addition to the Cynster saga. Henrietta's position as "The Matchbreaker" makes her different from the usual run of Regency heroines, as does her position as a late-20's woman who is not a widow and not a wallflower. She's interesting in her own person, and not just as another Cynster. (Not that the Cynsters aren't plenty interesting all by themselves!)
James Glossup was not particularly different from any other Regency male, at least as seen in this story. There are references to his having been a "wolf", but in this outing he seems relatively tame. His "wolfish ways" might have been more apparent in some of the stories I missed.
The wonderful thing about the Cynster series is that it is terrific to see the members of the clan again, however briefly. One of the great things that happens is that when there is trouble, and there inevitably is trouble, the hero or heroine is not alone. She, or he, has all the resources of this marvelous family at their disposal. Henrietta needs help, and the Cynsters deliver. One of the best parts of And Then She Fell is that when Henrietta needs assistance, she calls on the Cynster women, and not the men, to come to her aid. And they deliver!
There are so many Cynsters that the family tree in the front of the book is absolutely required!
The mystery in the story concerns the identity of the man trying to kill Henrietta, and his true motives. The author did a pretty good job concealing the who and the deeper parts of why until the very end. Well done!
And Then She Fell is the first one of Stephanie Laurens' Cynster books that I've read in some time. But like many readers, the earlier books in the series are among my favorite Regency romances ever. I was very curious to see how much I would miss not having read the ones in the middle. And whether I would go immediately hunting through my shelves to find them!
And Then She Fell is the story of Henrietta Cynster, the next-to-the-last Cynster female of her generation. Which does mean there is one more female, and one more book The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh in this particular cycle.
Henrietta is mature for a Regency heroine at 29, and I like her for it. She's sensible and knows what she does and doesn't want out of life. She's no giggling, simpering miss. Even though she's not sexually experienced (she's unmarried and that would be very much out-of-character) she is intelligent and otherwise knowledgeable about the ways of her world. She doesn't hold back on her opinions and she knows very well how to use the influence she has as a member of the illustrious Cynster family.
She's earned a well-deserved nickname as "The Matchbreaker". Young ladies of the ton come to her to investigate the true motives behind their suitors' courtship. Henrietta delivers the goods. Not malicious gossip, but absolute facts. She doesn't just break matches, she also makes them.
The story begins because her friend Melinda has requested an investigation of her suitor James Glossup's motivation behind his courtship of her. Melinda desires a love match. James has another motive entirely. His great-aunt's will left him a landed estate, but reserved the capital required to maintain it unless he married within one year of her death. James is wealthy enough to keep himself and a wife quite comfortably, but not to take care of all the tenants that he feels responsible for. Unless he marries in time, he'll have to sell the estate. He was not honest with Melinda about his motives so Henrietta tells her friend that James would not suit her.
This leaves James with less than a month to find a bride. Complicating matters, James and her brother Simon are best friends. He's a good man, he just has a big problem.
Henrietta the matchbreaker feels some responsibility for his predicament. The ton will know that she pronounced judgement on his unsuitability, without knowing the reason why. So she agrees to help him find a wife.
But the more time they spend together, the more they realize that the only match that needs to be made, is one between themselves.
However, Cynsters only marry for love. And that was not what James was initially offering. He will need to convince Henrietta that he has changed his mind. Or rather that his heart has truly become engaged in a suspiciously short period of time.
All while trying to protect her from mysterious attempts to take her life, for a reason that no one seems to be able to determine.
Have they left it too late?
Escape Rating B: And Then She Fell is a well-told addition to the Cynster saga. Henrietta's position as "The Matchbreaker" makes her different from the usual run of Regency heroines, as does her position as a late-20's woman who is not a widow and not a wallflower. She's interesting in her own person, and not just as another Cynster. (Not that the Cynsters aren't plenty interesting all by themselves!)
James Glossup was not particularly different from any other Regency male, at least as seen in this story. There are references to his having been a "wolf", but in this outing he seems relatively tame. His "wolfish ways" might have been more apparent in some of the stories I missed.
The wonderful thing about the Cynster series is that it is terrific to see the members of the clan again, however briefly. One of the great things that happens is that when there is trouble, and there inevitably is trouble, the hero or heroine is not alone. She, or he, has all the resources of this marvelous family at their disposal. Henrietta needs help, and the Cynsters deliver. One of the best parts of And Then She Fell is that when Henrietta needs assistance, she calls on the Cynster women, and not the men, to come to her aid. And they deliver!
There are so many Cynsters that the family tree in the front of the book is absolutely required!
The mystery in the story concerns the identity of the man trying to kill Henrietta, and his true motives. The author did a pretty good job concealing the who and the deeper parts of why until the very end. Well done!
August 3, 2015
15/1 - I feel like Laurens is running out of plot lines, interesting characters and new ways to describe sex scenes. The whole story felt tired and unoriginal. The idea of Henrietta being a 'matchbreaker' was an interesting one that Laurens didn't give enough attention - she could have really made that an impressively funny plot device, instead it ended up being mostly just a piece of historical background for her and a slightly unlikely reason for Henrietta and James to be in close proximity to each other. The slight plot twist, that Henrietta's stalker/multiple attempted murderer wasn't a disgruntled broken match but was actually ... (I won't ruin the surprise, whatever there may be of it).
I finally found the perfect passage to explain what I mean when I say that the sex scenes had an existential feeling to them. It didn't feel like the characters were participating in the scene; it was more like they were floating above, observing themselves. This is Henrietta and James' first sex scene and it started over a page before where I've taken the passage from. This is from pages 139-140 in my copy of the book:
"The only disagreement they might have had, had he been able to summon his wits from the whirling maelstrom she'd engineered, lay in the tempo, the timing; he would have gone slowly, easing her through each step, but she wanted to race, and rush, and fling herself through each stage.
And straight into the next.
Henrietta had never felt so free, so powerfully sure of herself and her destiny. Realisation of the faceless threat and her brush with near death had forged a honed edge to her desire. To her consuming need to step forward and seize and reach for all she could be, to stake her claim to the role she now knew to her soul was her birthright (doesn't that sound like some from some kind of self-promotional, self-actualisation seminar?)
She wanted him. Yes, she was his, but, to her mind, that translated to he being hers. Hers to engage with as she wished, to the swirling depths of passion and the giddy heights of desire.
And she'd never been one to do anything by halves.
So she let herself free, free to be as she wished to be, to do as she wanted, to desire and explore and demand as she would, to yearn and seek satisfaction.
To take all she would, to give all she could and find the holy grail she was sure was there for the finding.
Yet despite the compulsion, beneath her driven purpose she was fascinated, intrigued, and enthralled. By him. With him. With the physical reality and the ephemeral connection, with how he, his body, felt, to her, against her, about her, and the emotions she sensed ran like a raging river beneath his smooth surface."
That's got to be the worst example of waffling in a sex scene I've ever come across, especially in a book from one of the foremost romance writers who is known for her HOT sex scenes. The Cynster books' sex scenes have been getting progressively worse since The Cynster Sisters Trilogy which started with Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. Laurens needs to go back to writing the way she did in the early Cynster books days, for example Henrietta's older sister's book, On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster, #9) had great, passionate sex scenes that made me want to read more and see who paired off with whom. And Then She Fell does not make me want to read the next book, although I may, simply because I hope and believe that she can get back to the top of the romance genre the way she used to be and that would be a great thing to see.
I finally found the perfect passage to explain what I mean when I say that the sex scenes had an existential feeling to them. It didn't feel like the characters were participating in the scene; it was more like they were floating above, observing themselves. This is Henrietta and James' first sex scene and it started over a page before where I've taken the passage from. This is from pages 139-140 in my copy of the book:
"The only disagreement they might have had, had he been able to summon his wits from the whirling maelstrom she'd engineered, lay in the tempo, the timing; he would have gone slowly, easing her through each step, but she wanted to race, and rush, and fling herself through each stage.
And straight into the next.
Henrietta had never felt so free, so powerfully sure of herself and her destiny. Realisation of the faceless threat and her brush with near death had forged a honed edge to her desire. To her consuming need to step forward and seize and reach for all she could be, to stake her claim to the role she now knew to her soul was her birthright (doesn't that sound like some from some kind of self-promotional, self-actualisation seminar?)
She wanted him. Yes, she was his, but, to her mind, that translated to he being hers. Hers to engage with as she wished, to the swirling depths of passion and the giddy heights of desire.
And she'd never been one to do anything by halves.
So she let herself free, free to be as she wished to be, to do as she wanted, to desire and explore and demand as she would, to yearn and seek satisfaction.
To take all she would, to give all she could and find the holy grail she was sure was there for the finding.
Yet despite the compulsion, beneath her driven purpose she was fascinated, intrigued, and enthralled. By him. With him. With the physical reality and the ephemeral connection, with how he, his body, felt, to her, against her, about her, and the emotions she sensed ran like a raging river beneath his smooth surface."
That's got to be the worst example of waffling in a sex scene I've ever come across, especially in a book from one of the foremost romance writers who is known for her HOT sex scenes. The Cynster books' sex scenes have been getting progressively worse since The Cynster Sisters Trilogy which started with Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. Laurens needs to go back to writing the way she did in the early Cynster books days, for example Henrietta's older sister's book, On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster, #9) had great, passionate sex scenes that made me want to read more and see who paired off with whom. And Then She Fell does not make me want to read the next book, although I may, simply because I hope and believe that she can get back to the top of the romance genre the way she used to be and that would be a great thing to see.
March 3, 2013
Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du site
Reviewed by Fabiola
Review Copy from the Publisher
I love Stephanie Laurens’ books. She has not been translated into French since 2003, and I regret it very much! She writes light romances with nice characters and reminds me of Robyn Carr and her Virgin River series, there is just less drama with Stephanie Laurens.
And Then She Fell is part of a very long series composed of two “seasons”. It’s about the famous Cynster family. This book is #4 of the second season and I think the #5 will also be the final one, because Henrietta, our heroine, has just one more unmarried sister.
The book also marks my return to Stephanie Laurens and before saying more about it, I can tell you I don’t regret reading it. :)
The only problem I had is that a lot of characters are spoken of in And Then She Fell, who were heroes of previous books. But it’s just a small detail because, in fact, they do have an important role in the story and are here to prove that no Cynster is alone while facing a difficult situation. The author shows us how important it is to have a big family, which we can count on.
A very good point for me: And Then She Fell can be read as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the other ones but, nevertheless, didn’t sense a void. Curious readers will probably throw themselves on the previous volumes, but readers who haven’t got a lot of time can postpone reading them.
There are two parts in this story.
The first one is about the burgeoning feelings between the hero and heroine; the second one concerns the investigation of attempted murders on Henrietta.
By the way, I loved the heroine’s reaction about that, because she never takes decisions alone, never puts herself in jeopardy and always listens to other people before acting. :)
The plot is very good. Initially, we don’t know that the heroine is in danger, then we wonder if she is because of James, or because of her former activities as a Matchbreaker, and once we know the motive for the attempted murders, we still don’t know who the villain is until the end. Congratulations to Stephanie Laurens for that.
There is also some originality, but I can’t say anything more, because I don’t want to reveal an important event. :) And of course, there is also some humor.
I loved the main characters because they know what they want. We have a hero who needs to marry and a heroine, called the Matchbreaker, who agrees to help him find a bride. Normally, I’m not fond of this kind of plot because it brings a lot of tension when the hero courts another woman and the heroine must hide her feelings. In this book, they are already acquainted (James is an old friend of the Cynster family), they realize quickly that they are made for each other and act accordingly.
Their first hot scene is well brought up and described. Even if the other scenes are skimmed over, the sensuality between James and Henrietta is very present, in their glances and the way they touch each other. After I closed the book, I believed in their true love and their future together.
I loved this book and I recommend it to readers who like a cool reading, without conflicts between the hero and heroine, who are also surrounded by a loving family and friends. A bit of kindness in a brutal world, it’s a good thing from time to time. :)
Reviewed by Fabiola
Review Copy from the Publisher
I love Stephanie Laurens’ books. She has not been translated into French since 2003, and I regret it very much! She writes light romances with nice characters and reminds me of Robyn Carr and her Virgin River series, there is just less drama with Stephanie Laurens.
And Then She Fell is part of a very long series composed of two “seasons”. It’s about the famous Cynster family. This book is #4 of the second season and I think the #5 will also be the final one, because Henrietta, our heroine, has just one more unmarried sister.
The book also marks my return to Stephanie Laurens and before saying more about it, I can tell you I don’t regret reading it. :)
The only problem I had is that a lot of characters are spoken of in And Then She Fell, who were heroes of previous books. But it’s just a small detail because, in fact, they do have an important role in the story and are here to prove that no Cynster is alone while facing a difficult situation. The author shows us how important it is to have a big family, which we can count on.
A very good point for me: And Then She Fell can be read as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the other ones but, nevertheless, didn’t sense a void. Curious readers will probably throw themselves on the previous volumes, but readers who haven’t got a lot of time can postpone reading them.
There are two parts in this story.
The first one is about the burgeoning feelings between the hero and heroine; the second one concerns the investigation of attempted murders on Henrietta.
By the way, I loved the heroine’s reaction about that, because she never takes decisions alone, never puts herself in jeopardy and always listens to other people before acting. :)
The plot is very good. Initially, we don’t know that the heroine is in danger, then we wonder if she is because of James, or because of her former activities as a Matchbreaker, and once we know the motive for the attempted murders, we still don’t know who the villain is until the end. Congratulations to Stephanie Laurens for that.
There is also some originality, but I can’t say anything more, because I don’t want to reveal an important event. :) And of course, there is also some humor.
I loved the main characters because they know what they want. We have a hero who needs to marry and a heroine, called the Matchbreaker, who agrees to help him find a bride. Normally, I’m not fond of this kind of plot because it brings a lot of tension when the hero courts another woman and the heroine must hide her feelings. In this book, they are already acquainted (James is an old friend of the Cynster family), they realize quickly that they are made for each other and act accordingly.
Their first hot scene is well brought up and described. Even if the other scenes are skimmed over, the sensuality between James and Henrietta is very present, in their glances and the way they touch each other. After I closed the book, I believed in their true love and their future together.
I loved this book and I recommend it to readers who like a cool reading, without conflicts between the hero and heroine, who are also surrounded by a loving family and friends. A bit of kindness in a brutal world, it’s a good thing from time to time. :)
January 6, 2014
Probably should've waited to get this used, but I didn't... :p
Our first Cynster book of the new year, and I was psyched that it was a good one. I'm giving it 3.75 Stars!, which is the highest I've rated a book in this series since the other sisters' trilogy last year. Maybe I'm just liking SL's more recent writing better than her older stuff. Either way, it leaves me really looking forward to the next book, Mary's story. I found myself liking her in this one, and our introduction to Ryder Cavanaugh at the end was interesting too. I can see myself liking him...
But anyway, back to this book here. I have to admit that I went into it with a little trepidation. I had really been looking forward to the one we read last month, and ended up not exactly enamored of the heroine in that one. Going off the cover blurb of Henrietta being a spinster, and 'matchbreaker', I wasn't expecting to like her much. So it was a pleasant surprise that I did. I liked how she was no-nonsense, not overly stubborn, not too bossy. She and I got along great. When it came time for her and James to talk marriage, I liked her even more when she didn't put up any argument, no fuss, no complaining, no underhanded moves. She simply said yes, and I loved it. The heroine resisting marriage in this series gets boring after awhile, so it was an amazingly refreshing change. I like, literally cheered. James was a good hero too. I liked how he wasn't too controlling and demanding, ala our original 6 Cynster men. He was more easy-going, more willing to see Henrietta as an equal. It was nice. I had liked him when we met him before in Simon's book, and getting to know him in his own book only enhanced that. Now good ol' Charlie just needs his match. And we know it's gotta be coming, practically every friend of a Cynster who plays a decent sized role in a book gets a story eventually, right? Lol. I kid, but I will read it when it's written :)
The mystery in this one was certainly mysterious enough, though it wasn't as engaging as some previous ones had been. I did, however, immensely enjoy how everyone in the family came together to help, and most especially how Henrietta, Mary, Amanda, Amelia, and Penelope (and Portia? She was in on it too wasn't she?) got together and schemed up a plan to rescue James, keeping all our big bossy elder Cynster menfolk out of the loop. That was fun, I was grinning like a goof. And it was neat to see the hero being the one who needed rescuing. I liked how SL didn't make him seem invincible. He took his fair share of knocks from the baddy, and wasn't all-powerful. Seeing Stokes and Barnaby playing big roles again was also great. I love them, and just can't wait for the other books in their set that are coming this year. I'm champing at the bit with anticipation.
I'm super happy that this book turned out to be an enjoyable addition to the series. We've only got Mary's book left to do in our series reading, at least until the next Barnaby case books come out. I'm certainly going to miss doing our monthly buddy read.
Our first Cynster book of the new year, and I was psyched that it was a good one. I'm giving it 3.75 Stars!, which is the highest I've rated a book in this series since the other sisters' trilogy last year. Maybe I'm just liking SL's more recent writing better than her older stuff. Either way, it leaves me really looking forward to the next book, Mary's story. I found myself liking her in this one, and our introduction to Ryder Cavanaugh at the end was interesting too. I can see myself liking him...
But anyway, back to this book here. I have to admit that I went into it with a little trepidation. I had really been looking forward to the one we read last month, and ended up not exactly enamored of the heroine in that one. Going off the cover blurb of Henrietta being a spinster, and 'matchbreaker', I wasn't expecting to like her much. So it was a pleasant surprise that I did. I liked how she was no-nonsense, not overly stubborn, not too bossy. She and I got along great. When it came time for her and James to talk marriage, I liked her even more when she didn't put up any argument, no fuss, no complaining, no underhanded moves. She simply said yes, and I loved it. The heroine resisting marriage in this series gets boring after awhile, so it was an amazingly refreshing change. I like, literally cheered. James was a good hero too. I liked how he wasn't too controlling and demanding, ala our original 6 Cynster men. He was more easy-going, more willing to see Henrietta as an equal. It was nice. I had liked him when we met him before in Simon's book, and getting to know him in his own book only enhanced that. Now good ol' Charlie just needs his match. And we know it's gotta be coming, practically every friend of a Cynster who plays a decent sized role in a book gets a story eventually, right? Lol. I kid, but I will read it when it's written :)
The mystery in this one was certainly mysterious enough, though it wasn't as engaging as some previous ones had been. I did, however, immensely enjoy how everyone in the family came together to help, and most especially how Henrietta, Mary, Amanda, Amelia, and Penelope (and Portia? She was in on it too wasn't she?) got together and schemed up a plan to rescue James, keeping all our big bossy elder Cynster menfolk out of the loop. That was fun, I was grinning like a goof. And it was neat to see the hero being the one who needed rescuing. I liked how SL didn't make him seem invincible. He took his fair share of knocks from the baddy, and wasn't all-powerful. Seeing Stokes and Barnaby playing big roles again was also great. I love them, and just can't wait for the other books in their set that are coming this year. I'm champing at the bit with anticipation.
I'm super happy that this book turned out to be an enjoyable addition to the series. We've only got Mary's book left to do in our series reading, at least until the next Barnaby case books come out. I'm certainly going to miss doing our monthly buddy read.
January 2, 2015
Very good book. Henrietta has made a reputation for herself as a "matchbreaker" by helping young women discover if their suitors are courting them honestly. When she breaks up the potential match of her brother's best friend James, he is furious. He needs to marry by the end of the month in order to retain his inheritance and keep all the people on his estates employed. Henrietta offers to help him find a suitable bride in time for his needs.
Henrietta is twenty-nine years old and has never been in love. She believes she is one Cynster who is destined not to fall. She feels guilty when she finds out why James is so desperate to find a wife and offers to help him. As she works with him to find out who would suit she discovers that she is attracted to him but believes it is only her that feels that way. She finds it harder and harder to look for someone else to marry him when she wants him for herself. When she is plagued by several suspicious accidents James is the one who saves her. I really enjoyed her independent practical look at life. She is secure in her position as a Cynster but doesn't lord it over people. She loves James deeply and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe.
James is furious at Henrietta's interference. She is his best friend's younger sister and he can't believe she would do that to him. When he confronts her she offers to help him and he takes her up on it. As they spend time together at events, trying to find him a suitable spouse, he begins to realize that the only woman he wants is Henrietta. He just has to figure out how to convince her because she doesn't appear to be thinking the same way. When she is nearly killed in an "accident" they admit their feelings and make plans to marry. But to do that they have to find out who is trying to kill Henrietta.
The second half of the book deals mostly with the search for the person who is trying to kill Henrietta. They bring in the other Cynsters to help, but that doesn't work. The murderer is part of their world and seems to be very intelligent and devious enough to evade their attempts to find out who he is. I loved the final confrontation where, once again, the women are the ones to come up with the successful plan because the men are just too heavy-handed. There was enough tension in that final push to keep me up well past my bedtime in order to finish the book.
Henrietta is twenty-nine years old and has never been in love. She believes she is one Cynster who is destined not to fall. She feels guilty when she finds out why James is so desperate to find a wife and offers to help him. As she works with him to find out who would suit she discovers that she is attracted to him but believes it is only her that feels that way. She finds it harder and harder to look for someone else to marry him when she wants him for herself. When she is plagued by several suspicious accidents James is the one who saves her. I really enjoyed her independent practical look at life. She is secure in her position as a Cynster but doesn't lord it over people. She loves James deeply and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe.
James is furious at Henrietta's interference. She is his best friend's younger sister and he can't believe she would do that to him. When he confronts her she offers to help him and he takes her up on it. As they spend time together at events, trying to find him a suitable spouse, he begins to realize that the only woman he wants is Henrietta. He just has to figure out how to convince her because she doesn't appear to be thinking the same way. When she is nearly killed in an "accident" they admit their feelings and make plans to marry. But to do that they have to find out who is trying to kill Henrietta.
The second half of the book deals mostly with the search for the person who is trying to kill Henrietta. They bring in the other Cynsters to help, but that doesn't work. The murderer is part of their world and seems to be very intelligent and devious enough to evade their attempts to find out who he is. I loved the final confrontation where, once again, the women are the ones to come up with the successful plan because the men are just too heavy-handed. There was enough tension in that final push to keep me up well past my bedtime in order to finish the book.
August 20, 2014
While I’ve read few other romances, I would still bet that the writing style in this book is typical of well-written books in the genre. The plot, however, seemed pretty unique. First, our heroine’s goal was definitely not to get married (a difference from many of Lauren’s other books, I think). Something Lauren’s seems to do a lot, but which I didn’t expect in a romance, is adding an element of mystery. This allowed the book to last longer and the reader to enjoy the main characters’ romance without artificially stretching out the formation of that relationship. It wouldn’t make me recommend the book to a fan of the mystery genre though, as the reader’s are never presented with enough information to solve the mystery themselves.
Despite the mystery, the book still felt a little drawn out to me. There were two or three sex scenes with nearly identical descriptions, where I’d have been happier with one. Lengthy discussions of what to do next could also have been eliminated. And please save me from descriptions of heroes with eyes “like chips of adamantine agate”. That said, I definitely enjoyed this book enough to read more in the series. The slow burn of the romance was brilliantly executed. I loved the choice to let us know a little of what James was thinking as well so we could see both characters’ feelings evolve. The regency setting was everything I could have hoped for. At least one real person made an appearance, which I always appreciate in historical fiction. And best of all the fantasy of living in such a society with balls and romance is, if unrealistic, still unspeakably appealing.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
Despite the mystery, the book still felt a little drawn out to me. There were two or three sex scenes with nearly identical descriptions, where I’d have been happier with one. Lengthy discussions of what to do next could also have been eliminated. And please save me from descriptions of heroes with eyes “like chips of adamantine agate”. That said, I definitely enjoyed this book enough to read more in the series. The slow burn of the romance was brilliantly executed. I loved the choice to let us know a little of what James was thinking as well so we could see both characters’ feelings evolve. The regency setting was everything I could have hoped for. At least one real person made an appearance, which I always appreciate in historical fiction. And best of all the fantasy of living in such a society with balls and romance is, if unrealistic, still unspeakably appealing.
This review first published on Doing Dewey.
February 17, 2013
I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway. I am glad that I read this book! Stephanie Laurens is redeeming herself from her last few years of books somewhat with this one. My complaint about her books over the last few years is that they drone on and on about how the characters feel, with what feels like 20 pages of talking about how they feel versus 2 pages of what they are doing because of how they feel. I am very happy to say that this book is not so ham handed in the introspection of the characters! I do feel that she is still too wordy, especially in the sex scenes. She is too effusive- there are so many run on sentences with endless adjectives in the sex scenes, I end up skimming them because they drive me nuts.
That being said, this book is closer to the good old days Laurens books that I liked so well. As I said, more action, less overly drawn out thinking. Laurnes was about to drop off my autoread list, but her last several books have brought her back into the favored author status.
It's both fun and eyeroll-inducing that she has her heroines try to save the day without their menfolk. I did find it ludicrous at the denouement that the women were planning on taking on a hardered killer all on their own without involving the Cynster men. It sucks to think about it, but we all know that in a contest of power and size, men are going to win, by sheer physics. Henrietta was TSTL at one point, which make me grit my teeth, but overall this was a fairly rolicking book for Laurens, and I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to others!
That being said, this book is closer to the good old days Laurens books that I liked so well. As I said, more action, less overly drawn out thinking. Laurnes was about to drop off my autoread list, but her last several books have brought her back into the favored author status.
It's both fun and eyeroll-inducing that she has her heroines try to save the day without their menfolk. I did find it ludicrous at the denouement that the women were planning on taking on a hardered killer all on their own without involving the Cynster men. It sucks to think about it, but we all know that in a contest of power and size, men are going to win, by sheer physics. Henrietta was TSTL at one point, which make me grit my teeth, but overall this was a fairly rolicking book for Laurens, and I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to others!
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