Temptation and Surrender

January 26, 2009
In Lauren’s 17th Cynster novel, romance abounds, but the plot lacks drive. Twenty-five-year-old Emily Beauregard escapes her hateful uncle’s house with her four younger siblings and settles in Colyton, getting a job as the manager of Red Bells Inn, a rundown establishment in need of an overhaul. She is drawn to her new boss, Jonas Tallent, a dashing, wealthy aristocrat and Cynster relation, who returns Emily’s affections, but Emily can’t be distracted from what she came to Colyton for—to find her family’s long-lost treasure and regain her status in society. The suspense of where the treasure could be is not enough to hold this story together; when Emily excels as the inn’s manager, Tallent professes that he wants to marry her, and the town showers her with affection, it becomes unclear why she so desperately needs the treasure anymore. The extended sex scenes will delight Laurens’s fans, but the repetitive arc (Emily swooning over Tallent then denying his advances, Tallent trying to discover what brought Emily to his town while seducing her) is wearying.

Following Simon Prebble's steamy renditions of previous episodes in the Cynster story, Roz Landor has big shoes to fill. At first sounding prim and proper, like the British gentry she depicts in this Regency romance, Landor quickly shows why she's an award-winning narrator. She convincingly portrays terrified 10-year-old girls, ardent lovers, nefarious kidnappers, and disgruntled relatives. As the passion between innkeeper Emily Beauregard and gentleman Jonas Tallent threatens to boil over, Landor's even pacing serves to increase the anticipation. While Landor usually brings just the right tone to each character's voice, at times her impression of Jonas sounds more tired than virile. But even that doesn't detract from her overall impressive performance. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

September 1, 2009
"New York Times" best-selling author Laurens (www.stephanielaurens.com) pens her 15th novel in the Cynster seriesfollowing "The Taste of Innocence" (2007)this time focusing on the character of Jonas Tallent, Lucifer Cynster's brother-in-law. The satisfaction of reacquainting yourself with the series' characters is offset by occasional historical and character-based inconsistencies (e.g., the exceedingly independent Regency-era heroine). The smooth reading by actress/narrator Roz Landor ("Seduction of a Proper Gentleman") helps create some suspense, but she cannot overcome the unfortunately mediocre character development and numerous rote seduction scenes. This more modern-seeming-than-Regency tale, though disappointing, will attract Laurens's many fans. [Audio clip available through www.harperaudio.com.Ed.]Denise A. Garofalo, Mount Saint Mary Coll. Lib., Newburgh, NY

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