A Rogue's Proposal (Cynster Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Unfettered freedom! He'd escaped..." (more)
Key Phrases: afternoon stables, inn boys, jaw setting, The Flynn, Hillgate End, Miss Parteger (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting: Regency England
Sensuality: 8

Harold Henry Cynster--better known as Demon to family and friends--leaves London society for the all-male environment of his Newmarket stables in an attempt to escape matchmaking mamas and the spate of marriages that have decimated the ranks of his bachelor cousins. But Demon barely sets one foot on his property before he notices a too-shapely boy settling into the saddle of his favorite Irish Thoroughbred. Beautiful Felicity Parteger hasn't seen Demon Cynster since she was a young girl, when with clear-sighted practicality she'd reasoned that the handsome rake was a threat to every female's heart and had scrupulously disappeared every time he visited her guardian, General Sir Gordon Caxton. When Demon finds her masquerading as a stable lad and demands an explanation, she has no choice but to confess that she's trying to uncover information about a racing syndicate that bribes jockeys. The General's son, Dillon, has fallen in with them and is now in hiding to escape their threats on his life.

With cool efficiency Demon attempts to take over her campaign to save Dillon. Felicity, however, refuses to sit home and tend to her needlework while Demon has all the fun, and a partnership of sorts is formed. Much to Demon's delight, she also willingly cooperates in his plans for seduction; but pleasure turns to frustration when Felicity refuses his marriage proposal. Although she's head-over-heels in love with him, the independent young woman has no intention of saying "I do" to the infamous rake before he says "I love you" to her. While the two lovers risk their lives in tracking the dangerous syndicate, they engage in a courtship dance that risks both of their hearts as well.

In this, the fourth book in the Bar Cynster series, Laurens offers a hero and heroine full of honor, courage, wit, and humor; Demon Cynster--a man who has never wanted love and marriage--meets his match in Felicity, an intelligent and passionate woman who refuses to settle for anything less than his heart. The course of true love never did run smoothly, and it's no different for these two, but they're clearly two halves of a passionate whole--and passion and romance, solidly anchored in a well-crafted plot, is something Laurens does so very well. --Lois Faye Dyer

From Publishers Weekly

Demon, another rake in Laurens's line of Cynster family heroes, is determined to avoid the snare of marriage that has trapped other males in his Regency period familyAuntil he discovers that Felicity Parteger, a longtime friend, has blossomed into an attractive young woman. Felicity's charms are somewhat diminished, however, by her disguise as a young male jockey in her effort to identify the "syndicate" members plotting to throw races. When Demon agrees to help her, their sleuthing, propelled by Felicity, conveniently presents them with several chances to rendezvous. Unfortunately, the plot (which assumes such a secondary role to the lengthy love scenes that it often seems an afterthought) and historical details are too thin to yield a believable period romance. Moreover, while the 1820 setting classifies the book as a Regency, it fails to fit the formula (for example, no Regency hero would bed a young woman of good family before he marries her). It may serve fans of the genre well to save their time or reread Laurens's earlier titles (Devil's Bride, etc.). (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Avon (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380805693
• ISBN-13: 978-0380805693
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #20 in	Books > Romance > Historical > Regency
  #37 in	Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Laurens, Stephanie

• This is item 4 in The Cynster Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, December 12, 1999

By	Audrey (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

I suppose it's a bit like Christmas morning.... you run downstairs, and, after months of waiting, instantly attack the biggest box with your name on it. You open it up, anticipation drumming inside you, and then.... you find that instead of the Pokemon item you wanted, you received last year's garble-talking Furby.

That parallels my reaction to A Rogue's Proposal. After falling in love with the Bar Cynster and sighing over the three preceding books, I breathlessly, eagerly awaited for the fourth one. I guess I could tell I had a problem with A Rogue's Proposal when I didn't feel compelled to finish it in one setting; I read it over two days, always faithfully returning to it but never really felt driven (as I had with the others) to find out what happened to Demon and Flick. The storyline was so slow I skipped pages, because all that was happening was Flick attending London balls and fretting over Demon's love for her. There weren't any major faults with the characters, except for Flick's almost-bordering-on-stupidity escapades, but even that wasn't a major crime since it was an "almost." However, I still couldn't bring myself to care for the hero and the heroine. The love scenes, while still pretty R/NC-17 rated, were even kind of dull and trite. I would recommend this book to a devoted Cynster fan, but if you're new, start with Devil's Bride or even A Rake's Vow.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rogue's Proposal, June 19, 2000

By	"purelyjoy" (Hong Kong SAR) - See all my reviews

This is the fourth book in Stephanie Laurens' wildly popular Bar Cynster series. The Bar Cynster is the informal name given in the family to the six, extremely handsome cousins. The Bar Cynster members are known for their way with the ladies and their strong aversion to being tied down. But three members have already succumbed to matrimony (See, Devil's Bride, A Rake's Vow and Scandal's Bride), and Harry Demon Cynster is determined not to be the next victim. So he leaves the whirl of parties of London society, and heads off to his stables at Newmarket. But there he finds Felicity Pargeter, a beautiful, independent and innocent young lady, ward of his next door neighbor, masquerading as one of his stable boys. Intrigued, he corners her and demands an explanation. Felicity (or Flick as she is called) is investigating a race-fixing syndicate. Demon offers to help, and then their hearts dance together. Love is never smooth, they risk their lives while tracking the syndicate.

With the passion and sensuality as her trademark, Laurens builds a story which is highly romantic, charming, witty and passionate. I can't wait to read more of her stories. She really know what she writes!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maybe Laurens best, January 16, 2000

By	"dfischet" (Paris, Ky USA) - See all my reviews

I have fallen in love with Laurens. Her first Cynster about Devil remained my favorite until 'ARP'. Demon and Flick interact so well together they almost seem 'real'. Flick is so far removed from the other Cynster women that I found her refreshing. I had just about had enough of needlepoint. I just can't say enough good things about Laurens. The sensual content in her books is almost erotic - not too much, mind you. (Scandal's Bride, not my favorite Cynster book, was probably the most sensual. And for Laurens that is saying something.). Laurens has fast become my favorite writer. She writes awfully well, she knows the regency period and she knows how to write a mind boggling love scene. If Laurens gets any better, I might have to learn how to 'swoon'. Check out her 'pre' Cynster work 'Captain Jack's Woman.' It's delightful. Keep up the good work, Stephanie!