Customer Reviews

The Truth About Love: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Novels)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Summary of this Book...

The latest addition to the Cynster Novels by Stephanie Laurens, and it follows the formula to a "t". You should remember Gerrard Debbington, the younger brother to Patience who is married to Vane. Well, he is now old enough to succumb to fate's whim. Gerrard is a painter of the first water and he travels to Cornwall to paint the legendary gardens of Hellebore Hall. There is a caveat, the owner of the hall requires Gerrard to also complete a portrait of his daughter, Miss Jacqueline Tregonning. But not because she is pretty and Lord Tregonning requires a picture of his only offspring. There is murder afoot, and the neighbors all believe Miss Tregonning is responsible. Gerrard must prove her innocence, even as he takes hers

I didn't like...

Gerrard featured in two other Cynster novels and I thought I knew him. But this wasn't the same Gerrard. I know he's somewhat older, but I just didn't believe that this was the same guy.

The author of this Book...

Stephanie Laurens is one of the staples in current Historical Romances. Her lush sensual relationships make you want more.

Further Comments...

After the successes of her past two releases, it appears that Miss Laurens just couldn't find a romance worth writing about. After the first two chapters I could plot out exactly what would happen, who the bad guys were and why, and even how the love scenes would be scripted. All signs that my favorite romance author needs to take a break and look for fresh ideas. I was disappointed. If you're new to the Cynsters, I would recommend visitng the earlier novels. Read this one after you're hooked.

In a return to the captivating world of the Cynsters, Laurens continues the saga with Gerrard Debbington, brother-in-law to Vane Cynster who married his sister Patience. Gerrard who has now had the good fortune to grow and prosper under the Cynster tutelage has become a much sought after painter. Wealthy in his own right, he chooses only those projects that inspire him. When the opportunity to paint the fabulous gardens, rumored to exist but seldom viewed, at the reclusive Lord Tregonning's Hellebore Hall he is tempted beyond measure, but with that opportunity comes a price. The catch to painting the gardens only comes if Gerrard agrees to paint an honest portrait of Lord Tregonning's daughter Jacqueline. Gerrard hated the idea of bargaining this one point, but when push came to shove, the chance to see and be allowed into the gardens was too much to pass up.

Jacqueline Tregonning, is twenty-three and Gerrard knew in a glance that this was a woman who would be able to arouse him as no woman ever had. He was captivated at once by not only her beauty, but her cool reserve. What he would soon discover were the layers of her reserve hid a frightened and complex personality that he would soon have the opportunity to free. Within the beautiful gardens of Hellebore Gerrard finds an evil that lurked in the shadows that he would have to conquer before he could liberate the woman he'd come to believe was his soulmate and would inspire him to believe in the truth about love.

*** In reading the diverse reviews of love and hate this book has caused I will honestly say that Ms. Laurens has not lost her touch with creating beautiful love stories with dynamic and totally dreamy heroes. It is slower than some of her more action sub-plots but the vividness of her descriptive prose in setting the stage and her more than adequate sultry seductions are well worth the read. I was somewhat surprised at the ending and identity of the villain and the ending was poignant enough to have me reaching for tissues. While I will not say it was a great read, it is a good read, and the pure pleasure of revisiting the noble Cynsters will always be a draw for me. --- Marilyn, for www.historicalromancewriters.com ---

Gerrard Debbington desperately wants to paint the famous gardens of Hellebore Hall--but has not interest in painting the portrait of another English girl/woman. Finally, though, Lord Tregonning of Hellebore Hall makes him an offer he can't refuse. Paint the portrait--and he'll be given access to the gardens. Refuse and Tregonning will make sure Gerrard is banned for life. But when he travels to Cornwall, to Hellebore Hall, Gerrard discovers that the painting is only one part of a puzzle. Instead of the girl/woman he anticipated, Gerrard discovers Jacqueline Tregonning, a beautiful woman with unplumbed depths, and with the suspicion that she murdered her own mother hanging over her head. Jacqueline and her father have decided that only a painting that reveals her true soul--and her inner innocence--can clear her from the horrible rumors and doubt that have surrounded her since her mother's 'accident.'

Gerrard falls hard for the beautiful Jacqueline, but he suspects a painting, however clear, won't be enough. He needs to find the true killer, and protect Jacqueline from the threats that surround her. In the meantime, a painter needs to get close to his subject--and Gerrard wonders if he might have strayed too close to this candle to avoid getting burned.

Author Stephanie Laurens mixes a bit of mystery, post-Regency manners, and a heavy dollop of sex in an intriguing novel. Okay, the mystery isn't hard to guess and Gerrard's goings-ons about owning Jacqueline are a little hard to take, but the sex sizzles, the English manners are in high form, and Laurens adds some slap-bang action to the exciting conclusion.

Previous books by Stephanie Laurens in the Cynster series have had more of a conspiracy feel to the plot. However, Laurens starts the book by having Gerrard Debbington confess that he doesn't believe he can love deeply and completely and still have the energy to paint.

This book isn't about conspiracy. It's about the truth of love. The last pages of the book are very beautiful. Love is defined by everyone differently. But this book is a wonderful expose on a deep romantic love that is beyond words and is about feelings. In this case, Gerrard Debbington paints his love.

Like all books by Laurens, this one has good use of language and beautiful settings. However, this is definitely the weakest plot of her Cynster series. There is no tension between the male and female protagonists - their relationship is so predictable and comfortable that it becomes boring within the first third of the book. The only mild tension in the story is a conspiracy that is made obvious to the reader early on. I am a longtime fan of Laurens, including several earlier Cynster novels, but this series is definitely played out. My advice to other fans - don't buy this one; get it from the library.

I couldn't even finish this book..it was that awful. Endless description of the 'gardens', zero romantic tension, ridiculous mystery. Buy an earlier Stephanie Laurens book.

I have really enjoyed this series up till now but this one was a disappointment. I finished the book but it was a tough haul. The characters were not well developed and there was little fire between the main characters. I found the premise to be oddly presented and not plausible. I certainly hope she gets her edge back in the next one. If you feel like you need to read this because it's the next Laurens, I would recommend you go to the library or wait for the paperback of this one, don't waste your money on the hardcover.

I was very disappointed in this book. I loved all of the Cynster novels, but this one was not the same caliber as Ms. Laurens' other books. The last 100 pages finally got into the plot and the characters finally began to fill out. The first 300 pages were filled with long narratives describing looks, sighs, emotions, a kiss, and feelings. I never got a real sense of the main characters; they never became real for me; they were very flat. Early in the book you become aware of Gerard's obsession with painting the Hellebore Hall gardens and his reluctance to paint Jacqueline's portrait, which was the condition for being allowed to paint the gardens. Gerard slowly begins to realize that something is going on at the Hall and that Jacqueline is not telling him everything. You keep expecting something to happen, but the novel drags on and on. In the last 100 pages, the plot finally starts coming together, but by now it's too sudden and weak. I felt that there were loose ends, which prevented the plot from coming together smoothly and cohesively as it should have. I have never had any difficulty staying focused on Ms. Laurens' novels, but I had a heck of time staying focused on this one. It certainly was not up to her usual high quality, especially to the quality of the Cynster novels.

I've read and enjoyed Stephanie Laurens novels over the years - some more than others, but overall, all have been at least good.

This one is horrible! Hero and heroine are basically an item from the first 40 pages or so, and after that it is an incredibly lame plot involving murder, intrigue and so on. Zero romantic tension (but lots of sex). Way too much detail and the plot is the most ridiculous thing I've ever read! (And I like silly romance novels, my standards are pretty low here!)

Give this one a pass.

I believe this book contains some of the most ridiculous plot lines that I've ever read in any novels! A whole neighborful of people suspecting the heroine of murder just because she argued with her mother once on the morning of the mother's mysterious death? And even her own father suspecting her of it? And trying to dispell this suspicion just by making a portrait of the her & presenting it to the world? And the heroine, a noble lady, sleeping with the hero, Gerrard Debbington, without even the promise of a forth-coming marriage(as far as she knew) when the hope of making a respectable marriage for herself in the future wasn't still beyond her & doing so without even taking any precautions against a possible pregnancy? Does this make any sense to anybody? (It sure doesn't to me!)