Customer Reviews

All About Passion

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When I saw Stephanie Laurens' latest book on the shelf, I snatched it up and read it in two days! If you are a fan of her Bar Cynster series, you will not be disappointed! This is the tale of Chillingworth, the character who has gone from Devil's arch-enemy in Devil's Bride to close friend and honorary Cynster in All About Love. Let me tell you that as a leading man in a romance novel, he held his own with the Cynsters! I am also delighted to report that our leading lady, Francesca, is a well-developed character who manages to be high-spirited and strong without being whiny, manipulative, or self-centered. The plot is well-formed and the relationship builds and grows throughout the book- just as it should. The thread of suspense is also interesting without being too distracting, and even though fairly transparent, I was still hooked to the end to see how the situation would resolve. I highly recommend this to all fans of historical romance. However, if you have not yet read the first six books in the Cynster series, you're missing out! I'd start with Devil's Bride (the first and best!) and move on from there. Enjoy Chillingworth and Francesca!

I loved this book, and I will try hard not to spoil the plot, but this is a LOVE STORY. Yes, we know how it ends...IT IS A LOVE STORY. It is, however, a really good love story. I hope you enjoy All About Passion, but let me warn you: First, Chillingsworth isn't a Cynster, he doesn't act like one. Yes, he follows a strict code of acceptable behavior, but he wasn't raised with a large number of close relations and his actions are those of a single son. Second, Francesca was not raised to be English, so she doesn't act like a Cynster wife, he should be glad she didn't resort to a gun. Third, we were only reading the book; we aren't living it. Don't complain because the people in the story behave in a socially acceptable manner for the time period while trying to find the villain. And, by the way, my older brother didn't immediately realize that I was the one who broke his toys, and he was pretty sharp.
The development from physical desire, to companionship, devotion and finally to love flows well. Happily, there is no sonic jump of emotions. I hate stories that have the heros in one scene fighting bitterly then, in the very next scene they can't breathe without the one another. So irritating, but luckily this story moves very smoothly and logically and, even better, has enough intrigue to keep you wondering what will happen to the villain, and the sex scenes are hot without becoming silly. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I, but please remember he isn't a Cynster.

I waver between 4 and 5 stars for this book. Overall, Stephanie Laurens is very, very good. She consistently turns out satisfying books, mixtures of some mystery and lots of romance. When both elements (mystery and romance) are "on", she can't be beat. When one element is "off", she's still pretty darn good. A few of her past books - Captain Jack's Woman (which was really a dry run for a Cynster novel), Devil's Bride, A Rogue's Proposal, and All About Love have hit both nails on the head. All About Passion is one of her very best romance stories - but the mystery/suspense story never really gets off the ground. It's blatantly obvious who the "villain" is and the pathetic red herrings that are thrown in mix into the story like chocolate sprinkles on a beer. On the other hand, I think she could have really used our boys (the Cynsters) more to round out the story. Devil plays a bit of a role and Harry (Demon) shows up on one scene, but that's it. As for the story between Chillingsworth (always one of my favorite minor characters in the Cynster novels) and Francesca - it's superb, one of the best in this series. Of course, his obsession about not falling in love is absurd, but you always have to suspend reality when you're reading in this genre. She's one of the best heroines in the series, too. As always, Laurens writes some of the steamiest copy around, but you get a feel for the personalities and character of both of the main characters. Overall, a pretty darn good read - probably could have used a bit more time in the writing process to make it perfect.

I just finished reading this story and was absolutely thankful that Chillingworth got the story...and the girl that lived up to all the teasing Ms. Laurens has done to us over the past stories. He was everything and more that you would expect form this group....Dashing, arrogant, sexy and oh so ready to take the fall that Fate had coming his way in the form of Francesca, the one woman brave enough to see past all the masks and insecurities of the suave rake to find and care for the heart of the man.

Again, I found the thing(s) I read in other reviews the main point of interest in this book. The reasons not to love stemmed from others experiences via the "Ton" and a life-altering event that affected his life and the lives of his family. He was afraid of the loss of control that love would bring...very important things to those Cynster men (even though he's only honorary). Plus the villain, although obvious to us, was unthinkable and completely unexpected to them.

I loved Francesca's spirit. She was, next to Honoria and Alathea, one of the best heroines to date. I recommend this story for the in depth look into these characters souls and how their relationship moves from passion, to friendship and then love...all the while having a WICKEDLY fun "ride" in the process. Thank you Stephanie for sharing these characters with us and making us laugh, cry and fall in love along the way (Can't wait to read the next installments and to, also, see how it all began...*BG*).

"All About Passion" confirms that these days the best regency romances are being written by Stephanie Laurens. This is the story of the Earl of Chillingsworth, a secondary character who appeared throughout Laurens' Bar Cynster series. Chillingsworth is every bit as complex and appealing a hero as the Cynsters, and thankfully he isn't burdened with one of their silly names (Devil, Demon, Lucifer, etc.). He recognizes that he has a duty to marry and beget heirs, so he cold-heartedly sets out to contract a suitable match. Thanks to a childhood trauma, he is leery of deep emotions, and wants his marriage to be a politely distant one. Much to his surprise, his bride, Francesca, turns out to be the antithesis of what he was expecting. Francesca is simply a great heroine. She's smart, self-confident and passionate. There's very little plot in this book besides the primary characters trying to work out their relationship. However, since they are so well-developed and interesting, it makes for a good story. If you don't read romance novels, you won't get much from this book, but romance fans will find it thoroughly satisfying.

Gyles Rawlins, the Earl of Chillingworth, was a minor character in several of the earlier Cynster books. Now that the Bar Cynster members are all married off, Laurens turns her attention to other characters in their environs, and her first - and very welcome - choice is Chillingworth. Of course, this development was trailed very clearly when, at the end of All About Love, the Duke of St Ives declares Chillingworth to be an honorary Cynster. He's determined not to go the same way as his friends, however, when it comes to matters of the heart.

So, yes, it's another hero who is determined not to fall in love. But Chillingworth seems to mean it; he has decided to contract an arranged marriage with a suitable female, and preferably the sort who will be indistinguishable from the wallpaper in his various homes. If she happens to come with strategically-important land, such as the segment which was cut out of his own lands some years ago, so much the better. Such as his distant cousin, Francesca Rawlins.

Francesca, he believes, is quiet and dull; the kind of woman he can marry, bed and then leave safely buried in the country while he carries on with his normal lifestyle. What Chillingworth doesn't know is that the young woman he saw wasn't Francesca but her cousin Frannie (why Laurens felt the need to give the two women such similar names is beyond me. It certainly wasn't necessary for the plot).

Anyway, Chillingworth and Francesca marry, and are very attracted to each other - this is not the kind of marriage Chillingworth was looking for, however! He's determined not to fall in love, and so his behaviour towards Francesca is very odd; he keeps sending her mixed signals. He's warm and passionate in bed, and yet very distant elsewhere. She, on the other hand, is finding her new husband more and more irrestible. But if he doesn't want her, is there any hope of happiness?

My sneaking liking for Chillingworth in the earlier books was confirmed in All About Passion, and I also liked Francesca very much. This is quite a bit better than a number of the other books in the Cynster series, largely because it's *not* a carbon copy of the other books. It's still similar, but at least this time I didn't feel as if I was reading exactly the same book yet again. This could have been a very enjoyable and interesting study of an arranged marriage which turned out to be something other than what Chillingworth had intended. But, as usual, Laurens had to bolt a dramatic plot onto it, in this case murder attempts. The villain, as ever, was predictable, and in this case it was a particularly offensive use of stereotypes. I wish this book had been purely about the relationship; if it had been, I would have rated it more highly.

I almost never submit reviews, but this book was such a huge letdown I just had to. After having read all ofthe Cynster series, I was prepared to be just as thrilled. How dissappointed I was. The Cynster series worked because there was a strong plot in which the characters grew closer as they worked together. In this book, the author spends the first 100 pages on an obvious mistaken identity. It was so excrutiating waiting for the obvious discovery that you knew was coming. And she never explains why Chillingworth has decided he can't love. It is so illogical that he would be so close to the Cynsters, who have all found true love, but he has decided he should never love his wife. That just doesn't ring true without a very compelling reason.

Then, the rest of the book drags out a plotline so obvious and elementary you wonder what is so smart about the hero and heroine. I certainly hope with the next books on Amanda and Amelia we return to the intrigue that is so much the strength of the Cynster series.

If you are a Cynster fan, skip this one and wait for the next.

I have never submitted a review, but this book was such a disappointment I felt the need to. I've read all the other "Cynster" books and thoroughly enjoyed them. As I started the book, I kept reading thinking that the story would pick up and it would get better. As time went on it became a real struggle to "make myself" finish the book. It was long and lacked much of a story.

The character of Chillingworth always intrigued me. He seemed the ultimate rogue - the eternal bachelor. And I hoped his downfall would be exciting and passionate. Well, it was and it wasn't.

First of all, the whole thing about Francesca learning about sex from watching her parents (on multiple occasions) was more than a little disturbing. She didn't just walk in on them. She spied on them and learned her sex moves from them. Can you say, creepy?! Come on, that is downright bizarre. But, if you could get past that, the story was decent.

This book was all about Chillingworth. The author gave very little insight into Francesca's character. We know nothing about her parents, her life growing up in Italy, and what she thinks and feels. She is a very 2 dimesional character. She is half-Italian, passionate, and hot-blooded. But rarely does her passionate nature shone through. She is content to rein herself in to capture Chillingworth's heart - noble? Maybe. A little boring? Definitely.

This was a nice read (aside from the whole sex/parents thing). Definitely not my favorite, but decent.

I loved this book! I picked it up at the library not really expecting to enjoy it too much (it wasn't, after all, about the Cynster men). Even after reading a few pages, I almost just put it down. I am so glad I kept reading. This is by far one of my favorites by Stephanie Laurens (The Promise in a Kiss is my all-time favorite).

I enjoyed seeing the married life of Gyles & Francesca, not just the "courting period" like the other books. I loved that we got to see Gyles fall in love with Francesca & that he had an actual reason for not wanting to admit & succomb to that love. Francesca was wonderful herione, strong, passionate, loving, intelligent & Gyles was just as wonderful. I truly enjoyed reading this book & watching these two fall in love.