Romance Series Lists discussion

The series begins with 6 books about the members of the Bar Cynster (which is what the eldest male cousins of the family are called). The series then extends to other Cynster family members, a rival of the Bar Cynster and siblings of the wives of the Bar Cynster.

I put down both the Cynster name and the actual given name of the men.

Prequel. The Promise in a Kiss (Sebastian, 5th Duke of St. Ives/Helena)

1. Devil's Bride (Devil[Sylvester], 6th Duke of St. Ives/Honoria)

2. A Rake's Vow (Vane[Spencer]/Patience)

3. Scandal's Bride (Scandal[Richard]/Catriona)

4. A Rogue's Proposal (Demon[Harry]/Flick[Felicity])

5. A Secret Love (Gabriel[Rupert]/Alathea)

6. All About Love (Lucifer[Alasdair]/Phyllida)

7. All About Passion (Chillingworth[ Gyles]/Francesca)

8. On a Wild Night (Amanda/Martin)

9. On a Wicked Dawn (Amelia/Luc)

10. The Perfect Lover (Simon/Portia)

11. The Ideal Bride (Michael/Caro)

12. The Truth about Love (Gerrard/Jacqueline)

13. What Price Love? (Dillon/Priscilla)

14. The Taste of Innocence (Charlie/Sarah)

15. Where the Heart Leads (Barnaby/Penelope)

And More to Come

Is this a good series?

I've considered starting it a time or two, but could never decide. I like Laurens' Bastion Club series, and how she mixes suspense into the historical, but I've also read some of her older stuff and didn't like them. So I end up undecided on the Cynsters.

I actually like the Cynsters better than the Bastion Club, especially the earlier ones (Bar Cynsters).

I understand that people like Devil's Bride very much (which is the only one from the first 6 books I haven't read.) However, I didn't like the ones I've read much because the plot is interchangeable:
Rake doesn't want to get married, meets spinster/young lady who decides to take a lover, they have lots of sex, he decides they must marry but she doesn't want to, he spends most of the book convincing her to marry him while they have sex (sometimes in public) while they solve some sort of mystery.

It amazes me that a writer could get by writing almost the exact plot.

Do the Cynster novels need to be read in order?

I've got 3 random books from the series and don't know if I should hold on to them until I can read them in order or to just go ahead and read the ones I have.

Yeah, I think that you should. IMHO, they're streets ahead of the Bastion novels. But then that's what I said in a recent review!

You don't need to read them in order but it does help especially in the later books.

I actually prefer the Bastion series myself. I was starting to get bored with the Cynsters. I liked the 1st half dozen or so then it just wasn't working for me anymore.

Updated list:

Prequel. The Promise in a Kiss
1. Devil's Bride
2. A Rake's Vow
3. Scandal's Bride
4. A Rogue's Proposal
5. A Secret Love
6. All About Love
7. All About Passion
8. On a Wild Night
9. On a Wicked Dawn
10. The Perfect Lover
11. The Ideal Bride
12. The Truth about Love
13. What Price Love?
14. The Taste of Innocence
15. Temptation and Surrender

A new spin-off of the Cynster series is
THE CASEBOOK OF BARNABY ADAIR
1. Where the Heart Leads

**********

Stephanie Laurens

Isis FG wrote: "Do the Cynster novels need to be read in order?

I've got 3 random books from the series and don't know if I should hold on to them until I can read them in order or to just go ahead and read the o..."

Isis, i personally read all the Cynster novels in order, and it really helped me keep all the characters in order. I don't know if i'm strange or something, but i like to invision a face with a name when i'm reading a book, and then continue imagining that person when i'm reading about them in other novels. I love the Cynster novels. Boy, they can get my blood boiling, but i've never read the Bastion Club ones yet

I personally read the Cynster books out of order. Although at times I didn't know a character, that didn't stop me from enjoying the story. It just made me want to read their story as well.

I hipe you enjoy the books!

The Cynsters are continuing:

Barnaby Adair Casebook:
The Peculiar Case of Lord Finbury's Diamonds
The Masterful Mr. Montague
The Curious Case of Lady Latimer's Shoes
Loving Rose; The Redemption of Malcolm Sinclair

Cynster Sisters Trilogy:
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue
In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae

Cynster Sisters Duo:
And Then She Fell
The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh

Cynsters Next Generation:
By Winter's Light
The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
A Match for Marcus Cynster
more to come in the future...