On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephanie Laurens (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science, a hobby that quickly became a career. Her novels set in Regency England have captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance world's most beloved and popular authors.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060002050
• ISBN-13: 978-0060002053
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (84 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Laurens, Stephanie

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Weak Plot with Emotionally Shallow Characters, May 15, 2004

By 

"klpepsi" (Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Amelia Cynster, along with her twin sister Amanda, have been searching London ballrooms for six years looking for their perfect match. Each is bored with the uninteresting prospects, and both have decided to take matters into their own hands.

After seeing her sister triumphantly wed to the man of her choosing, Amelia sets out to do the same. Her choice is Lucien "Luc" Ashford, Viscount Calverton, whom she has always loved. Now she's going to do something about it. So one night she anxiously lies in wait for him to return home so she can set her plan in motion. Amelia boldly proposes to him, under the guise of how much her dowry will assist his family with their financial problems. Luc agrees, then passes out at her feet.

He actually already loves Amelia, but won't tell her because he feels it would give her too much power over him. Amelia also won't divulge her love for him. Will these two ever trust each other enough to confess their true feelings?

That is basically the whole book in a nutshell. It started out pretty good with her proposing to him, which I thought showed some originality. Well, that's the extent of the originality found here. He won't just quickly marry her, but wants to court her first. The whole plot becomes, who will seduce whom first. At first this is okay, but after so many of these scenes, plus when they start getting horizontal (which doesn't take long), the story then becomes a stream of love scenes without much of anything else to offer. I ceased to care about the characters after awhile. There was no depth of emotion, and no indication of anything between them besides lust. Of course, Luc is the rake who is the master of seduction, and she's blonde, curvaceous, outgoing, and perfect in every way, including a voracious sexual appetite. YAWN!

There is nothing unique or special here. This was my third book to read by this author, and probably my last. I cannot recommend this.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's The Girls' Turn!!, March 2, 2003

By 

"casey_" (Perth, Western Australia Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

After many years looking for husbands without any success, twins Amelia and Amanda decide that instead of waiting for the men to come to them, they were going to get their men.

This is Amelia's story.

I had been looking forward to this book ever since I heard it was being written and I was not disappointed.

It was great seeing Stephanie Laurens writing about some of the Cynster women now, and discovering that in many ways they are like there powerful male Cynster cousins, they are determined to get what they want, and look-out the men who get in their way.

The story begins when Lucien Ashford has hit the jackpot and restored his family fortunes, and after a night out celebrating, stumbles home drunk. And there he encounters Amelia on his doorstep, and she proposes!

Having always loved Luc, she uses the excuse that she knows that his family is struggling and that her dowry would help re-establish them to convince him to marry her, not knowing about Luc's change of fortune. Luc accepts and passess out at her feet only seconds later.

Luc has always loved Amelia but with the state of his families fortunes, he always believed that she was out of his league and is amazed that she would want to marry him, not that he is about to try and change her mind.

There is one condition he puts on their marriage: he will court her properly, amongst the ton.

But he does not tell her right away that his fortunes have been restored, fearing that she will change her mind about marrying him. Instead he proceeds to act as though his family are still struggling as he courts her so that she will fall in love with him.

This was a very well written book and a great addition to the Cynster series.

A must-read.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book was 200 pages too long!!, August 1, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: On a Wicked Dawn (Cynster Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I was pretty hard on the sister book "On a Wild Night" when I reviewed it but I was determined to keep an open mind about this one. As with "On a Wild Night" the book starts out promisingly enough, but it doesn't last. And it is a shame. Amelia and Luc are appealing characters, but there is no story here. And who cares who the klepto is that keeps stealing stuff from all the house parties? There is just not enough story here.

The thing that annoyed me most was that this couple seemed obsessed with who was "in control" of the relationship. How pathetic to feel the need to be so calculating and manipulative in a relationship with someone you supposedly care about. If I had to read one more line about who "held the reigns" in the relationship I'd scream! I kept asking myself what the point of this book was. These two seemed to be pretty much in love with each other from the first chapter but we have to plow through 300 more pages before they finally admit it. Why? What's the point?

I got so bored that I put this book down three separate times and read three other books in between before I forced myself to finish this one. Three FAR SUPERIOR books: Heart of the Condor by Laura Renken (excellent!), The Seduction by Julia Ross (beautiful!) and Master of Seduction by Kinley McGregor (fun!).

Do yourself a favor - read one (or all!) of these other books and skip this one!