The Perfect Lover (Cynster series) by Stephanie Laurens Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Perfect Lover (Cynster series)
Book Review: The worst book I've read in a long time
Summary: 1 Stars
Generally, I am a fan of romance novels. I like the fact that 99.9% of the time there is a happy ending where the main characters live happily ever after. However, I like the space between the first page and the happily ever after to have some conflict, character development, and plot. This book contains none of these. As far as I can tell, the "story" is a excuse for the Author, whom I've read and enjoyed many times before, to illustrate how many different sexual acts she can describe in flowery detail. If you buy historical romances for the sex scenes buy this book. If not, don't bother.Book Review: Well I liked it!
Summary: 5 Stars
What a range of reviews! Looking through them, it's a wonder we all read the same book. I thought this was a terrific addition to the Cynster series. Simon is tender and patient when Portia asks him to help educate her on the physical happenings between men and women, and it is clear that he truly cares for her. It is fun watching Portia get in over her head with what was supposed to be an "academic" experiment that quickly has her getting emotionally involved. I was also pulled into the murder mystery, and it doesn't distract from the developing relationship of the couple. And if you like hot, tender love scenes without a lot of flowery dialogue in the way, this is a book for you.Book Review: What a waste of my time!
Summary: 1 Stars
The book has no plotline. The hero and heroine just decided to have sex with each other. It is a sex manual through and through and a boring one at that.
I like to read a "romance" novel, not a "sex" novel. I like to see how the couple fall in love with each other, their feelings and emotions. This book sorely lacks that. It is about a couple who like to have sex with each other. I never found out why they love each other.
The heroine's attitude about having a child out of wedlock was inappropriate for the time period. Her attitude was not even acceptable 50 years ago, much less 150 years. She did not think about how her actions would effect her child - who would be taunted all his/her life. Portia is a selfish, idiotic twit.
It is one thing to be unconventional (i.e. Honoratia in Devil's Bride wanted to travel instead of get married). It is quite another to be idiotic or stupid and that is what the heroine is.
This is the second Stephanie Laurens book that I read. I borrowed 2 more from the library but I think I will return them unread.
Note: Reviews are feedback to an author's work. They are not just adulations and admirations for his or her work. Any author can always stand to learn from mistakes.
Book Review: Wordy, unromantic, and boring
Summary: 1 Stars
I've been a romance reader for over 20 years, but this is possibly one of the most unromantic novels that I have ever read. To be sure, it's over 400 pages long, and there are sex scenes aplenty, but the plot and the relationship between the two main characters left me empty.
The heroine, 24-year old Portia Ashford, has decided that she wants to embark on a relationship and experience what goes on between men and women before she decides whether she wants to marry or not. She decides to have a 'relationship' with Simon Cynster. The 'love' scenes that follow are plentiful and described to such excruciating detail that they become routine and rather boring. While Ms. Laurens is very good with descriptions, it rapidly becomes overkill when each touch and look is described to such detail. It's as if Ms. Laurens took out a thesaurus and used three synonyms for every word that she used. I did not actually read this book, but listened to it on CD, and I must admit that my mind started wandering during some of the love scenes, and I was only half-listening to the story being read.
I have also mentioned that the love story left me empty. Although the two characters have known each other since childhood, I could find nothing in their relationship other than the physical aspects of it, that made me understand why they fell in love. Maybe this is because I didn't find the two main characters too appealing to begin with. Portia spends a lot of time going on walks to think about her relationship with Simon, but never seems to come to any conclusions. In fact, for all the time she spends thinking, she falls into his arms at every opportunity with hardly any thought to possible repercussions of their relationship. Her attitudes (not being concerned about having a child out of wedlock, for example) are decidedly at odds with the attitudes of young women at that time. Simon is a little better, and at least realizes that he wants to marry Portia early on. I wasn't rooting for them to come together, indeed felt apathy for all of the characters in the book.
Along with its lack of romance, the story was slow-paced. A murder mystery towards the middle of the book piqued my interest for awhile, but in general the storyline was plodding, wordy, and uninspiring.
I have only read some of Ms. Laurens' books, mainly the first ones that she wrote several years ago. This is not one that I can recommend.
Book Review: a very slow read
Summary: 2 Stars
i really enjoyed the last book in this series, explaining Sebastian and Helena's story. but this book i found hard to get into and the character's difficult to relate to. i like Portia and the dowager... i would have liked Simon better if he was portrayed better, but to my disappointment, he wasn't. Simon is a confident, strong character, but Stephanie Lauren's portrayal of him, didn't show that. sadly, i returned this book the day after i got it.