Customer Reviews

Temptation and Surrender LP: A Cynster Novel

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I'm so glad I borrowed this from our library and didn't pay purchase price. I love(d) Stephanie Laurens and couldn't wait for this Cynster novel to come out.

What I found was a main character believable for a heroine in this century, not 18th century, nor was there good character development. And by the end of the book, I think I would have screamed if I read about her "Colyton spirit" once more.

Gratuitous sex scenes, pages and pages, over and over, which I just wound up skipping over....several seemed identical (or extremely similar) to previous works. We got the picture. The more you run over a dead cat the flatter it gets. The scenes should enhance, not detract, from the story line.

The treasure "hunt" was somewhat entertaining, but also somewhat predictable.

I did finish it and will probably continue to check her books out of the library as published...for now. I think for me the Cynsters may be reaching the end of the line, though. It just felt that this was written to succumb to publisher pressure. I didn't feel the great writing that I have come to expect, and I was very disappointed. And saddened.

I was waiting impatiently for the paperback edition of this story, and I must say, "my lungs seized" (sorry, I couldn't resist) when I found it, in hardcover, in a donation box at the used bookstore where I volunteer. I snagged it for $2!!! Something should have told me there was a very good reason for it to find it's way to a used book store so quickly--because that almost NEVER happens.

After skipping through most of the story, I am almost done. Which is the first odd thing--normally, I couldn't be pulled, kicking and screaming, away from a Laurens book before finishing it, and I NEVER skip, but here I am.

My sentiments echo most of the posters', so I'll just cut to the chase. I love Laurens. I have and will continue to read everything she writes, but this one was not her best. The story wasn't bad; it was just unimpressive. Two likeable characters who did deserve a story, I suppose, but perhaps that story would have been better told as a secondary plot in a more compelling romance, or as a short story in a collection. I too found myself skipping over the sex scenes--which is, again, pretty unusual for me--and while I can't put my finger on it, the fact that so many of us felt the same way bears some thought.

Laurens has a repetitive habit of using phrases rather than full sentences--dropping off subjects or pronouns. For example, "Needed him to gently strip away her gown." or "Had him feeling like surrendering." I normally don't notice it as much, but this time I found it very annoying, and I can only conclude that such abbreviated sentences are only effective when the reader's lungs are seizing as violently as the heroine's, which was not the case with this story, so in my opinion, the mechanism didn't work in this book.

It was a "nice" story, but now, 16 books down the line, think about how this story compares to "Devil's Bride". Much as I HATE to say it, I think the Cynsters are done, and probably should have been done a long time ago--maybe after the initial six. Did we jump on Jonas' story because he made such a strong impression in "All About Love", or was it really because we wanted to see what Lucifer was up to these days?

On the other hand, I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion of the Bastion Club series, with Dalziel's story, next month. And let's hope that unlike the Cynsters, this series ends right there, having resolved the fate of the initial heroes.

'Temptation and Surrender' is another in Stephanie Laurens' Cynster series, although the hero, Jonas Tallent, is related to the Cynster clan through marriage and they play a fairly minimal part in the story. Jonas is living back out in the country near the village of Colyton and trying to get to grips with being a landowner - including finding a decent innkeeper.

When a young lady, Emily Beauregard, comes to apply for the job of innkeeper, Jonas accepts her for the position. He is immediately attracted to her and realises very early on that something doesn't quite add up about her story and her references for the job. As he gets to know Emily more he realises there is a very special spark between them, one they both feel.

But Emily and her brother and sisters have secrets that they dare not entrust to anyone else. Their arrival in Colyton isn't accidental and they hope to reverse their fortunes by finding the Colyton treasure. Only where should they look? And can Emily keep her younger siblings safe from their nasty uncle?

The romance side of this book was a very gentle falling-in-love story without the usual misunderstandings and fallings out that are so often found in this sort of story. Both hero and heroine were appealing characters and it was a gentle read. The 'baddie' wasn't at all difficult to spot and the treasure hunt felt, at times, a little half-hearted, but it was an enjoyable read and will no doubt appeal to Laurens' fans and new readers alike.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2009

I agree with the reviewer who gave this book one star. Had I never read Stephanie Laurens, I might have thought differently. I have read every one of her books, and they are now very predictable, and the sex scenes are interchangeable. These scenes go on forever and could have been written for any one of her more recent titles.

Midway through, I decided it was not worth my time, and I did not finish the book.

I am disappointed because I use to relish the Cynster novels.

Novelists must entice readers to enter the world between the covers of their books. This book doesn't. It's a twenty-first century plot that has some late 1700 coloring smeared on; the author doesn't even get some of that right. For example, referring to a leader in a pair of horses is nonsense -- leaders are the front horses in a team (2 or more pairs of horses harnessed one behind the other.)

Would a woman be able to walk up to the front door of the gentry and ask for a job running an inn in the late 1700's? Not hardly. She might inherit the job from a family member, but, broadly speaking, in those days women did not work outside the home unless they were servants.

Would a woman be able to take over guardianship of younger siblings upon her 25th birthday in the late 1700's from a man? Not hardly.

And would ANYBODY be able to enter houses of minor nobility looking for family treasure? NOT HARDLY. And wouldn't anything found in a house belong to the householders, even in this day and age?

Lastly, considerable space in the book is devoted to the sexual activity between the hero and heroine, both gently bred. Is this likely in the 1700's, especially when the heroine has never been married? Not hardly.

The writing is serviceable, but the preposterous plot and the setting for that plot are just ridiculous. Rejigger the darned book and either be accurate on the history, or don't bother putting the badly researched historical details on a story of modern sexual dynamics. It's preposterous to pass this off as a historical novel.

I agree with some of the other reviewers who gave this book a 3 star or less rating. For being a virgin, she quickly gets the hang of it and seems to enjoy learning more and more even before she's married. One wonders if Jonas would be enough for her after a year or so. The characterization of Jonas is also uneven. He doesn't seem to be very busy because he has the time to stalk her until she gives in. And then this thing about primative passion, etc., taking over him or coming out of him is weird. He seems to enjoy all the various ways of sex expecially from behind.
Having experienced the ton, it's a wonder he doesn't have a mistress.
Why was the ton so popular if Sl always writes about it negatively?
As someone else mentioned the story was pretty predicted and formulated in the style of her past books. The sex scenes were numerous and interchangeable with some of her previous books. I found myself saying, "I've read this before."
Yes, I, too, checked it out of the library and was very glad I did. I barely finished it after skipping several parts.
Don't waste your money on this one.

As a big fan of the early Cynster novels, I keep reading them, but regret this one. Laurens' writing in this series has become boring and predictable, even sometimes downright bad. If I had to read one more mention of the heroine's "Colyton soul" or nature, etc., I think I'd have thrown up. And most of the time I can ignore these things if the story is good. The saddest part is that the last Cynster book about Barnaby was quite good compared to the recent ones and I though Laurens was getting back on track. No such luck. If you MUST read this, get it from the library, borrow from a friend, or at least buy it used.

Stephanie has been an auto-buy since the first Cynster hit the shelves. Still reread them occasionally just to get my alpha male fix. This book reads like the author is hurrying to get it out of the way. Well, I read half and donated it. Sorry Stephanie, I love the cousins and the twins, but the rest of the family can get lost.

Miss Emily Beauregard has a problem. The sole provider for her family of impoverished brothers and sisters, Emily knows that unless she finds some sort of employment and/or the supposed family treasure hiding in her hometown, she and her family will be in dire straits. When she sees the employment ad in the paper for an innkeeper, Emily doesn't hesitate to travel to Devon in order to apply. She knows that as a woman, she will have a hard row to hoe getting Jonas Tallent to agree to hire her. Lucky for her the other applicants are not even worthy of an interview. Jonas agrees to give Emily a trial run because if he is honest with himself he has to admit that Emily Beauregard is worth every bit of Temptation and Surrender.

Emily's no nonsense attitude and independent nature endeared her to me the instant I started reading Temptation and Surrender. Jonas Tallent had to grow on me. He was basically the epitome of an English gentleman but with very few likable attributes. He was `bored' with having to deal with his country home and that blasé attitude grated on my nerves. His treatment of Emily was sort of a mix between a tease and a lover I would say because I never bought into his feelings for her until the end of the book.

As for storyline and plot, Temptation and Surrender is definitely not Ms. Lauren's best effort by any means. Unless you are addicted and completely hooked on the Cynster family, I would encourage either skimming this novel or skipping it altogether.

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I'm actually a big fan of Ms. Laurens. I've read every single installment of her Cynster and Bastion club series. But what I am NOT a fan of is some authors' tendencies to over use their 'standard' phrases. Meaning, early in their career they "invent" a clever description or phrase. Then proceed to use that phrase over and over in every subsequent novel. "Her lungs seized" happens to be Ms. Laurens's favored phrase and it annoys me enough to throw me straight out of the narrative and my comfy suspension of disbelief.

As for the book itself, it is definitely not her best work. I'd probably say mediocre. I liked the characters, REALLY liked the inclusion of Phyllida and Lucifer (some of my favorites from her world). What I didn't like was the complete lack of suspense in the treasure hunt (I had it figured out much too soon), the lack of real menace with BOTH kidnappings of the twins, and the way the ending seemed slapped together. The setting, also, was extremely sketchy. There was far, far more detail in All About Love, Lucifer's story. I also, predictably, skimmed/skipped the sex scenes because they are far too explicit and repetitive for me.

It's nice to read Jonas's story--who has a far more direct Cynster connection that some of the previous 'Cynster' novels. But I honestly think Ms. Laurens has been writing about the family far too long. Time to challenge herself in both substance and phrases. Please, I'm begging you, no more seizing lungs.