Customer Reviews

The Perfect Lover

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

As a fan of Stephanie Laurens and the Cynster family, I was happily anticipating this book. What a dissapointment! Simon and Portia's romance is, essentially, the same story that Laurens told in her last Cynster novel, ON A WICKED DAWN, except in a different setting, with a different cast of characters. I'm not sure why this last Cynster novel was published by William Morrow instead of Avon as the others were, but the switch in publishers didn't help. The editing of this hardback novel is terrible -- there are typos throughout and no one seems to have alerted the author to the fact that she repeats the same verbs over and over again to the point that they were distracting to me. I finally started to count how many times someone "hauled in a breath" or how many times Simon "prowled" behind Portia, but finally couldn't stand it any more. I can live with mediocre editing (maybe) if I pay a paperback price, but I expect more when I'm shelling out the money for a hardcover.

Stephanie Laurens is a very talented author and all I can think is that she must have either rushed the writing of this novel or just run out of steam with this last Cynster male. It's too bad really, since she had the opportunity to write a new kind of Cynster in Simon, a man who came of age during the end of the Regency period, and on the eve of the Victorian period.

I will read her new (coming in 2003) Bastion Club novel in hopes that, by leaving the Cynsters behind, she recaptures her old spark.

Plot description on this book's Amazon.com page. This is better than ON A WILD NIGHT & ON A WICKED DAWN. I really disliked those two books. DEVIL'S BRIDE was the best in this series. About this book: it was OK till about a third of the way through; then it seemed to lose its direction. There are just so many pages of sex that can take the place of character and plot development. All the two main characters did was talk about their control issues. They are not willing to risk their heart/soul to another--and the secondary characters were cardboard figures, this book could have been so much more. Simon is part of a group of males who mate for love, and are happy. Yet he seems not to want to risk anything to attain this. It's as if he is afraid of being happy and fulfilled. To be honest, I've never understood the theme that runs through these books about these strong, true men being afraid to love and equating that with the loss of control. Ms. Laurens has beat this idea to death for this series, and it's boring. Simon and Portia have pages of discussion with themselves about what they are feeling and should they/will they connect with each other and if they do can they keep something of themselves back--who cares! You can see the minor mystery coming from a mile away, and the villain is easy to spot. The promise is there but the book is disappointing. Read WORTH ANY PRICE by Lisa Kleypas instead or re-read DEVIL'S BRIDE. At the end of this book is an intro for a new series Ms. Laurens is doing that takes place in the year following Waterloo (1815) with what looks to be 7 men. Let's hope it will be different and more plot driven. Ms. Laurens--sex in romance books is always great, but it should go hand in hand with a good plot, not instead of it.

"The Perfect Lover" turned out to be a rather interesting read -- once I had skimmed through all those pages that dealt with the ... antics of Simon and Portia, that is. Nothing against [explicit] scenes, but there is a limit to how many such scenes I want to plod through, and when these scenes didn't really advance the plot in any way (in my opinion) and actually begin to detract from my reading pleasure -- well then what's the point of having them? And a further word of warning: if you're a mystery buff, don't expect too much from the mystery subplot. While the murder of the flighty, malicious and naive young Kitty Glossup takes place in the middle of the book, discovering who the murderer is, esp since the murderer seems to have set his/her sights on Portia, still takes back-seat to the sexual situations between Portia and Simon.

On the whole, there weren't too many things that niggled about this novel. But one thing that really puzzled was how Simon and Portia were able to disappear for hours on end and no one remark on it. (And how it is that no one notices their crumpled clothing or mussed hair also beggared belief. Ms Laurens doesn't really go into this either. Perhaps that why Simon is the 'perfect lover' in that he's able to do all those things to Portia and for her to still remain in relatively neat and pristine condition?). Portia is even able to spend several nights in Simon's bed without any servant remarking on this, and any gossip making the rounds. If anyone's looking for the perfect country house to have a tryst, Glossup Hall is definitely the place to consider! (And am I the only one to think that Portia's and Simon's sneaking around to [make love] while a murderer is stalking her odd?

The other thing that niggled was Portia's incredibly modern attitude about having an illegitimate child. About halfway through the book, while she's pondering whether or not to surrender her virginity to Simon, she suddenly decides that the whole concept about an unmarried woman being a virgin was an outdated thing and that having a child out of wedlock would not be a problem because she came from a loving and supportive family that would not turn their backs on her. And anyway who cares what Society thinks? Not she! The fact that the unfortunate child would face taunts and some ostracism at school and later on in life never even crosses the silly twit's mind. To clarify: there's nothing wrong about Portia's attitude if this were a modern day romance novel, but in 1830? No matter how forward thinking, no sensitive woman would have wanted to burden any child with the stigma of illegitimacy.

On the whole, though, except for these two issues, I rather enjoyed "The Perfect Lover." Stephanie Laurens did a rather good job of melding together the murder at a country house subplot with that of a sensual ... romp. I also liked the little character sketches she provided in the first chapter of all the guests at the house party, as well as how she managed to imbue the novel with an atmosphere of impending doom and disaster. Also nicely done was how Ms Laurens explored the whole issue of marriage, what it entails and means, by juxtaposing the unhappily married Kitty Glossup's antics with Portia's serious ruminations. I even enjoyed the pairing of Simon and Portia and rather wished that Ms Laurens had spent more time exploring their friendship and blossoming love instead of concentrating on bedroom gymnastics. I also rather wished that she had spent a little more time dwelling on how and why Kitty had ended the way she had, and in fleshing out a couple more characters, like Winifred Archer (Kitty's elder sister), (more esp) Drusilla Calvin, a mousy and frumpy spinster who seems to have little or no interest in any of the eligible men at the house party, and the Bow Street investigator, Stokes.

Given that I don't generally expect much from a Cynster novel, "The Perfect Lover" was a pleasant surprise. However, I do think that this is a novel that fans of the Cynsters will enjoy more fully, as I was definitely left with the feeling that while this was a pleasant enough read, the novel could have been so much more if certain aspects, characters and the murder subplot had been more developed.

Simon Cynster has inherited a house and now he needs a wife. He's never considered his childhood acquaintance Portia Ashford as a potential mate before, but when she proposes that he seduce her and teach her about the sexual side of a relationship, his thoughts come to a quick focus. Portia is an independent woman. Simon is much too demanding to be right for her, but she can't deny the attraction.

Author Stephanie Laurens is comfortable with sex, delighting in descriptions of escalating foreplay and frequent intercourse as Portia and Simon act through their charade. In THE PERFECT LOVER, she is a little less comfortable with story. Portia and Simon settle into frequent sex for the first two hundred pages, then decide to solve a murder between sexual interludes in the second half of the book.

Set in 1830s England, the games of nobility and manners play out in a country summer party. THE PERFECT LOVER is well enough written, with some amusing word choices (if her breath really comes in ragged pants, shouldn't she repair those pants soon?). The book's real strong point, though, is the sex. Readers who find detailed accounts of sexual activity offensive will want to avoid THE PERFECT LOVER as will readers hoping for a plot. Readers who like titillation in a safely historical setting may find THE PERFECT LOVER a delight.

I am really surprised at the low rating this book has received. I have read most of SL's books and this is one of the few I have kept. Not that her others are bad, they are all really good stories, but this one hooked me right from the start and I only put it down when I had to (I even read it in the tub, and I've never done that before!). I liked the fact that Simon and Portia didn't dance around their attraction to one another. Rather, they chose to give into it in a controlled manner to see if a relationship between two strong-willed people would be possible. None of this "you compromised me so we have to get married" nonsense that shows up in so many historical novels. Rather, Portia chooses how much intimacy they will have, and honestly admits that marriage is not a guaranteed outcome. I envied her for having a handsome, intelligent man willing to satisfy her curiosity at her pace. That they fall in love despite their assumptions that they wouldn't may be predictable (romance novels do have happy endings), but the way this confusing turn of events affects the couple and makes them learn more about themselves is fascinating. And those other reviews that make the book sound like a nonstop sexathon are ridiculous. They don't make love until halfway through the story, which is pretty late for many romance novels, and while there are several very steamy love scenes that follow, they all serve to clarify or deepen some aspect of the relationship. SL writes these moments as erotic and tender, not just the "position of the day". I'm very glad I trusted my history with this author more than the lopsided reviews here, or I might have missed out on of the best stories I have ever read.

I have enjoyed all the Cynster novels, some more than others, so I was excited to discover a new book in the series. It is written with Stephanie Laurens usual flair, but I was disappointed in it. This is a FAMILY series, and part of the fun of reading them is to meet old friends in the various stories. This time Simon is off at a house party which none of his family members is attending. The only person from the other stories who appears is Lady Osbaldestone and while she is great fun, she is only a collateral family member. It wasn't until we were about three fourths of the way through the story that I discovered that Portia Ashford, who Simon falls in love with, is the sister of Luc who married one of Simon's twin sister's, Amelia (On a Wicked Dawn).

The tenth novel in the Cynster series both lives up to the expectations built by its predecessors, and also brings along something a little different. I love the Cynster family and have enjoyed watching them match up with their mates. Here, some years after the events of 'On a Wicked Dawn' Simon Cynster is going to a house party attended by, amongst others, his brother-in-laws sister (i.e. no blood relation) Portia Ashford. Simon and Portia have known each other for 10 years, and have spent the time challenging each other at every turn. Unknown to the other, both of them have recently resolved to investigate the potential of marriage. The intelligent, cerebral and at the same time beautiful Portia vows to seriously consider all at the house party. Simon has already decided, the way Cynster males invariably do come to eventually, that it is time for him to find his own branch of his family 'to have and to hold'.

Both Simon and Portia know themselves and each other pretty well. They come to recognise the latent attraction, which bursts into passion (phew, nearly sets the pages alight!) as Simon tutors Portia in the ways of physical love, while also trying to win her over emotionally.

Portia is definitely a thinking woman. She's always leaving the house to go off and think, or pacing the library (or drawing room, or her bedroom'.) and pondering on her situation. This often slows the action down, and there's action aplenty to be had because this is also a strong murder mystery book. The murder and resulting investigation naturally moves the story along, and I think it needed it. Portia is an interesting woman, but once she's thought about her situation, assessed it and come to a decision ' get on with it already! This is a small moan, for the main part I found her thought process to be fascinating, especially where she and Simon were thinking the same, and where they think differently. At one point Simon ruefully realises that Portia knows what drives him more than he does himself!

I wasn't keen on was how class conscious Portia appears. Social class is often in Portia's thoughts and although realistic for a member of the ton, I didn't find it attractive. Nonetheless, overall this book is a great addition to the series ' well written, intelligent, passionate, evocative. I'm not one for murder mysteries in general, but here Laurens has blended the two genres with great skill and capability.

I am surprised at the wealth of negative reviews about The Perfect Lover. While there are some aspects of the novel that I didn't love, all in all, it was an entertaining read. Also, compared to The Devil's Bride, the first of the Cynster novels, it's genius. That book was wretched, this book is good, yet the masses disagree. As a literary scholar of the English novel, I can tell you that Laurens does a very good job of recreating the social phenomena of the Regency house party such as I have never seen in a romance novel. At any rate, I suggest the book if you want a quick, fun read. It was a great break from the rigors of literature, and I enjoyed it.

I'm a first time Laurens reader and I have/had no idea who these characters were from any previous books. I am used to reading modern-day romantic suspense (like Nora Roberts and Meryl Sawyer) so this was a huge departure from those types of books. In general it is sometimes hard for me to read historical love stories because the language is too convoluted, but the writing here was very modern - no weird old-fashioned words.. just straightforward talk and sentences. The book was definitely lacking a substantial plot (there was a murder story in there, but very minimal and uninvolving). This was an extremely sensual story - the main character (Portia) was the typical unknowing virgin and her suitor (Simon) the wordly sex instructor, and they were going at it like rabbits on every other page. There was absolutely no shortage of sex in this book. The book started really well by giving some insight into their previous relationship as adversaries, but after the first time they made out it went downhill fast, and was just a book filled with sex scenes. I'm not sure if I'd recommend it or not - it wasn't awful.. just not high caliber writing/reading material.

Of all the Cynster novels this one is my favorite (so far). I remember thinking about Simon and Portia getting together when their brother and sister married and what an interesting story it would make - that's my favorite thing about the Cynster novels favorite characters make "guest" appearances and you get to meet them again. It's the only thing I wished had been part of this novel. The story flows well and I really like how Portia takes control - read it you won't regret it!