The Perfect Lover (Cynster series) by Stephanie Laurens Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.97 You Save: $5.02 (63%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Perfect Lover (Cynster series)
Book Review: Laurens is phoning it in. Skip this one...
Summary: 2 Stars
Some of the original Cynster family novels are among my all-time favorite love stories. Generally the stories start off with a bang; a murder, a clandestine meeting in the dead of night, something to catch one's interest and some drama to establish the main characters as deep, faceted, and likeable with a major conflict to resolve. That's not this book.
Young Simon was a minor, inoffensive character in the first stories. Portia was mentioned in passing in a later "the next generation" Cynster story. It would have been fine to put them together in a tertiary story line in a better novel as there's not enough to them to make them good main characters. He's a happy-go-lucky playboy who had decided that his life's mission is to make a family. She's an empty and privileged do-gooder who has decided that what her life is missing is a family. Their relationship blossoms as an exercise in cold-blooded if inventive foreplay. It wasn't worth my while to stick the book through to the inevitable consummation; I just don't care that much.
Oh yeah, there's a secondary story line about a young and spoiled society wife's journey of self-destruction, on a backdrop of a house party with a dizzying number of unmemorable guests. I'm halfway through the book, and I guess this is all leading up to some big plot turn like a murder ho-hum, but so far our main characters' involvement with the tension in this story is their transitory "discomfort" over their hostess' histrionics. This is when they're not engineering opportunities to sneak off for some heavily choreographed heavy petting.
I had hopes for this novel since its plot synopsis seemed to mirror my favorite Cynster novel "A Secret Love", a story of two childhood companions who are made for each other but almost miss their chance until catastrophe brings them together; but these characters and unworthy and unlikeable, and the plot just falls soooooo flat.
Book Review: My least favorite in the Cynster Series
Summary: 3 Stars
The book was just ok. I loved the characters; Simon and Portia. However, the entire story unfolded in one location. There was also no anticipation. There was never a doubt these two would end up together. The love story took a back seat to a murder mystery and that is just unlike Stephanie Laurens. Although I thought the book was ok, it definitely lacked the other Cynster Series magic.Book Review: Not Up To Standard
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm sorry to say, but lately Stephanie Laurens' stories have not measeure up to her earlier books.In this case, the plot was boring and the love scenes were over-wrought and over-written. There seems to be a sexual encounter in every chapter (sometimes twice in one chapter), which became so boring to read. I couldn't seen to muster any interest in discovering the culprit of the "great mystery",which does not work in favour of the storyline.
We are told about Portia and Simon's tumultuous relationship prior to the house party, but we never actually see these sparks. It would have been great if we could have felt even an ember of real passion, rather than having it dictated to us. I think Charlie and Portia had more possibilities as a couple that Simon and Portia. Sad but true.
I'm sorry to say, but this book was lacking...
Book Review: Not one of the better Cynsters, but a good read nonetheless
Summary: 3 Stars
Laurens is one of my favorite romance novelists, and she always seems to deliver, even in her less than stellar works - which A Perfect Lover represents.The love is quite believable with the backstory of the hero and heroine knowing each other for some years. Both of the main characters are well drawn and likeable.
The sex, naturally, is steamy. This is something Laurens is known for, and she doesn't disappoint.
The mystery is well written up to the point of the reveal. She does a mystery writer's faux pas and pulls the villain out of a hat, allowing the reader no clues to the identity until the last moment. I would have preferred to see a more intelligent mystery, which Laurens is certainly capable of giving us (see Devil's Bride or A Secret Love).
Also a tad trite were the repeated admonitions to the reader that they should consider everyone a suspect. I could have done with about 10 less reminders.
Overall this is not one of Laurens' best, but rather a mediocre tale from an extraordinary author which, when compared to most other works in this genre, would still shine as a star among rocks. If you are a long standing fan of Laurens, you will be slightly disappointed with Simon's tale.
If you are new to her works, I suggest starting with Devil's Bride, the first in this series of Cynster novels.
Book Review: One of my Favorite Cynster books
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember when it first came out as a hardback that I wanted to read it immediately, having read her prior novels (at the time) I knew Stephanie Laurens was a safe bet that I'd enjoy the story. I did enjoy the book so much that it became one of my favorites that I have to re-read over and over.
I do think Stephanie Laurens does use the same kind of characters and similar plots, but each story has a different back drop that makes it special. I'm not saying that all her novels past "The Perfect Lover" succeed to live up to our expectations, but for Simon's story, I have to say is worth your money. It's not the best like Devil's story, but it lives up to my expectation as a Stephanie Laurens book. For me, it's not worthwhile to read a hero less than ideal to the Cynster males... those alpha males make you want to read more and more. I don't care if the characters and plots are similar-- as long as she re-delivers the magic in a different way, then I'll be there buying her books.