The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae (Cynster Sisters Trilogy Book 3)

Once again Stephanie gets it oh so right with the continuing Cynster saga. My only complaint is that is seems so long between books. I know it isn't but I no sooner finish one that I want to know what happens next.

I thought the book started out with an intriguing story line. However, it went down hill from there. There was too much attention to the sexual exploits of the characters and not much suspense after the first 1/4 of the book. I would not recommend this book.

After the first two horrible books in this series, I was trying to be optimistic that this one would be better. In some parts it was. However, once again the book was dragged out, almost as if the author was writing a term paper and had to have a minimum number of pages. The first three chapters were interesting but once again, once our couple got on the road, boy did it drag. As filler, Ms Laurens added love scenes that just seemed awkward to me. If they weren't traveling they were in bed. At a couple points the heroine asked our fearless hero about the lay out of Edinburgh and if she could look over their route on a map. I literally groaned out loud. After the Eliza story with the endless maps and this blow by blow description of towns in Scotland, I feel like I've been there. In fact, I came up with the idea that maybe Stephanie had recently returned from a trip there and was attempting to use her new knowledge in the book!

Although we finally get filled in on the deal with the goblet, it was trite and I felt that it wasn't all that plausible. But hey at least we knew why this was happening! The villain in the story is never really fleshed out. At first you think its one person who must be a little crazy and then all of a sudden you find out something else. Had we learned more about the real villian and the past, this could have been a great story.

The parts with the Original Cynsters are great but few and far between. I miss them so!!

This had the potential to be a GREAT story but sadly, it was just one more mediocre novel but one of my formerly favorite authors. I used to buy Stephanie's books without ever reading the back cover or looking at reviews. I strongly doubt I will ever read another Stephanie Laurens book without letting some time pass and reading reviews again. Sad face =(.

I really enjoy all of Stephanie Laurens books, but, this book I did live through the story. Very strong characters, suspense, colorful descriptions of Scotland and a very good story. I kept thinking that my questions of how Ms. Laurens brought into the story would not be resolved when the story ended, but, all of them were answered. GREAT READING!!

From the outset the characters and the action were unbelievable! What young girl wouldn't be scared when kidnapped? What young girl would immediately think she could "change" her kidnapper and make him her romantic, perfect hero within minutes of being kidnapped? This book was so unbelievable that I couldn't continue reading it. Don't waste your money! I wish I hadn't wasted mine!

To truly appreciate the literary quality of Ms Laurens, you must begin at the first of the Cynster series. Each book builds upon the family dynamics layer upon layer in a truly brilliant fashion. The Trilogy is a magnificent addition to the original books. The characters are realistic and are not shallow or unbelievable. Hooray, Ms. Laurens.

Have read Stephanie Lauren's books. They are normally enjoyable and full of romance. This book just didn't cut it from beginning to end. Just not up to her normal standards. This whole series was bad. Skip it.

This book is the conclusion of a new "Cynster Sisters" trilogy within the "Bar Cynster" series, and is the final part of a three volume story set in 1829 which features three sisters, Heather, Eliza and Angelica Cynster. It is essential to read these three books in the correct sequence, which is

1) "Viscount Breckenridge To The Rescue" (Heather)
2) "In Pursuit Of Eliza Cynster" and
3) This book, "The capture of the Earl of Glencrae" (Angelica)

Spoiler alert - it is difficult to describe these books without "spoilers" which give away plot detail. I have avoided any serious spoilers for "The capture of the Earl of Glencrae" in this review - anyone who has read the first two books and the back of this one will be aware of most of the details given. However, it is not possible to explain say anything much about the setting of this final book in the trilogy without giving away, at least by inference, significant spoilers for the previous volumes and particularly the second book. Indeed, the very existence of this third book is something of a spoiler for the second one!

So if you have not yet read the first two novels in this trilogy I would advise you to stop reading here and follow the links above to the first two books.

Heather, Eliza, and Angelica Cynster, the heroines of the three books of this trilogy are the daughters of Lord Martin and Lady Celia Cynster, who are the uncle and aunt of "That Devil Cynster," (Sylvester, 6th Duke of St Ives and hero of "Devil's Bride (Bar Cynster)). Our heroines are also the younger sisters of Rupert Cynster (a.k.a. Gabriel, A Secret Love (Bar Cynster)) and Alasdair (a.k.a. Lucifer, All About Love (Bar Cynster)).

The trilogy began at an unidentified castle in the highlands of Scotland, where a mortal enemy of the Cynster family plots revenge against them for something which happened a generation before and which she has allowed to totally warp her life. This being the final book in the trilogy we finally discover in this volume who the lady is, what injury the Cynsters have supposedly done her, and just how sick in the head she is. To this last point the answer is that the villainess is very sick in the head indeed, and as a consequence there is a near-pornographic scene in this story which seriously pushes the envelope for the genre, in which the characters have to go to extreme lengths to fool her.

As readers of the previous books will be aware, the villainess has found a way to blackmail her son, an honorable man who has no wish to harm the Cynsters, into taking part in her schemes by threatening to beggar not just him but every member of his clan, people he is responsible for. She has stolen from his safe a valuable item without which he and all his people will lose their land and homes, and as the price for its' return she demands that her son kidnaps one of the Cynster daughters and brings her to Scotland, destroying the girl's reputation in the process.

When Heather was kidnapped in the first book of the trilogy the Cynster family became aware of the threat but at that stage it wasn't quite clear to them or the reader whether the target could be any unmarried Cynster girl or specifically one of the three daughters of Martin and Celia Cynster. In this book it becomes clear that it is the latter.

The villainess's son - who in the first two books was known to the reader and to the Cynster family mainly as "The Laird" - has been trying to find a way to get his mother to hand back the stolen item without actually harming one of the Cynster girls. In the first two books he employed kidnappers, under strict instructions that the young ladies were to come to no harm, to snatch first Heather and then Eliza Cynster. But both girls escaped with the help of the heroes of their respective books, and found in the process that those gentlemen were their personal "heroes" e.g. the men they want to spend their lives with.

At the start of the second book, after Heather's kidnapping, Eliza and Angelica were under close guard: particularly against any Scottish noblemen. Scrope, the villain who "the laird" employed, had to pull off a daring and brilliant trick to snatch Eliza.

But towards the end of that book both Eliza and her hero, Jeremy Carling, saw "the Laird" fall off a cliff. They are convinced that he could not possibly have survived the fall.

At the start of this third book in the trilogy, because the Cynsters know that "the Laird" is dead, they are allowing the third sister, 21 year old Angelica, to attend balls and functions without being guarded within an inch of her life. Angelica has always believed that she will know her future husband the moment she sets eyes on him. At a soiree hosted by Lady Cavendish, she sees a very handsome man with a proud and distinguished air, and is instantly convinced that he is the man she wants. She inquires after his identity and a mutual friend tells her that he is Dominic, Viscount Debenham, and speaks highly of him.

An English Viscount whose identity and integrity are rapidly confirmed and who is very much alive cannot possibly have any connection to a dead Scottish laird, so Angelica brazenly arranges to have herself introduced to Viscount Debenham. And thus begins a most unusual adventure ...

If like many readers you have difficulty suspending disbelief for the sake of enjoying a book when something unlikely or out of character for the period happens, you should probably leave this entire trilogy alone. I had huge difficulty believing that any real-life woman would make some of the decisions which Angelica makes during this book. I had similar difficulty believing that her family would ever forgive and forget some of the things which they do decide to forgive and forget.

Despite doublig in size over seventy years because of the creation of new peerages during the reigns of George III and IV, the historical House of Lords only had about three hundred members in 1829. Given this, I found it very unlikely that an active member of that house, e.g. Devil Cynster, would not already have known or very rapidly have been able to discover certain critical information about a fellow peer of the realm of which the Cynster family remain unaware for days in this book, even after they have started actively investigating the individual concerned. It would not have been left until an elderly aunt thinks to suggest that they look him up up in a newfangled book called Burke's Peerage and Baronetage.

Well-brought up young ladies of the ton, as high society was called in the early nineteenth century, did not generally behave like the heroines of this book and most of Stephanie Laurens' other recent books. In particular they rarely abandoned their virginity as readily as these heroines do, not least because a young Georgian maiden who enthusiastically jumped into the hero's bed would not have a reliable means of avoiding pregnancy. Fortunately in these works of fiction the pregnancy never seems to arrive before the wedding.

Finally, like her sister in the previous volume, Angelica disguises herself as a young man at one point in the story. Which presents the author with an instant dilemma: the choice between making the disguise effective or providing an opportunity to draw the attention of the hero, because you can't have both.

If you are trying to disguise an attractive woman as a young man, and want the disguise to actually fool anyone, you have to go for relatively loose garments, particularly around the bust, hips, and thighs. An attractive woman has curves at the hips which we men are biologically programmed to notice, and in tight trousers those curves will draw the attention of any straight man with normal eyesight like a magnet.

The problem for a romance writer if the heroine is disguised as a man, is that the author usually wants the hero to notice those curves but for the the disguise to work on everyone else. This dilemma has been rather an issue in some of Stephanie Laurens previous books such as "Captain Jack's Woman" in which the heroine was unrealistically successful at disguising herself as a teenage boy, given the hero's reaction to her shape in riding breeches.

In the book immediately preceding this one, Miss Laurens managed a reasonable compromise between the effectiveness of the heroine's disguise and the hero's reaction to her in that disguise, by having him notice Eliza Cynster's "subtle curves" largely concealed under the skirts of her jacket. But in "The capture of the Earl of Glencrae" the impact of her sister Angelica in snugly fitting corduroy trousers on the hero of the book is about as subtle as a sledgehammer - he thinks she looks like, quote "An angel from one of his more salacious dreams."

If her shape wearing these clothes has that effect on the hero, the disguise isn't going to fool many other men, is it?

But however unlikely I found their behaviour, I liked the main characters in this book, the ongoing romantic tension building between them, and the fact that a lot of the story is told with dry wit and humour which was more than a little amusing.

Overall: so many aspects of this book are ridiculously implausible that it should have been a complete turkey, but I actually found myself enjoying it. If you like the other recent Stephanie Laurens novels, you will probably like this.

The Bar Cynster books are usually described as Regency novels and they did begin at that period, but stricly speaking this is a Georgian romance rather than a Regency one, as it is set in the last year when "Prinny" was King in his own right as George IV. This romance in the "Bar Cynster" series is numbered 18 in the table and family tree which appear at the front of the book, but if you count the prequel, (The Promise in a Kiss (Bar Cynster)) and the "Barnaby Adair" adventure "Where the Heart Leads" this is actually the twentieth Cynster novel.

The Cynster series to date consists of

1) Devil's Bride (Bar Cynster) (Devil and Honoria)
2) A Rake's Vow: Cynster Family Series, Book 2 (Cynster Novels) (Vane and Patience)
3) Scandal's Bride (Richard/Scandal and Catriona)
4) A Rogue's proposal (Harry/Demon and Felicity)
5) A Secret Love (Rupert/Gabriel and Alathea)
6) All about Love (Alistair/Lucifer and Phyllida)
7) All About Passion (Bar Cynster) (Lord Chillingworth gets Rachel for Leah)
8) On a wild night (Amanda Cynster and Martin)
9) On a wicked dawn (Amelia Cynster and Luc)
10) The Perfect Lover (Simon Cynster and Porchia)
11) The Ideal Bride (Martin and Caro)
12) The Truth about love (Gerrard and Jacqueline)
13) What price love? (Dillon and Priscilla)
14) The Touch of Innocence (Charlie and Sarah)
15) Temptation and Surrender (Jonas Tallent and Emily)
16) Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue (of Heather Cynster)
17) In pursuit of Eliza Cynster (Eliza)
18) This book, "The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae" (Angelica)

As mentioned above there is also a prequel "The Promise in a Kiss" which tells the story of the romance between Devil Cynster's father and mother, and the Barbaby Adair story, "Where the heart leads" which tells the romance between Barnaby and Porchia Cynster's sister Penelope Ashford.

This book was very boring and very repetitive. It was the longest book! Even when it was supposed to end, it just kept going. The print was very small, so the 437 pages were more like 874. The story was too far fetched, and the characters
were not likeable in the least, especially Angelica! I kept waiting for Dominic to turn to her and say, " By the way, you're just like my scemeing evil mother, but that must be why I'm so attracted to you." I didn't care whether they got together. I didn't care if they fell in love. I didn't care what happened to them almost from the begining of the book. I was actually hoping he would reject her. This book's last lines should have been: They both fell of the cliff to the rocks below. That's such a shame. The end. Seriously, this book was literally the book that refused to just end. It was monotonous! The entire middle of the book could have just been removed! Everything was overdone. Too many towns, too much description, too many words, and too much book! I understand people want to get their money's worth, but to this extent is ridiculous! I couldn't wait for the end. I finished the book only because I had invested so much time in it already. I won't read another book by this author, not even the ones that are a dollar. I had read one of her books before, and it was nothing like this! It was just a regular book. Now, I'm paranoid that the others will be the same as this one.

In this Book 3 of the Cynster Sisters trilogy, Angelica Cynster is confident, competent, and in charge of her destiny, and there it is, clearly stated in the title and reinforced in the first chapter as she focuses on her hero. Why? What, for me, made the three books so satisfying? As always, it is the developing romance, the characters acting with honor and innate intelligence and bedrock goodness, discovering love. Plots, however far-fetched or, dare I say contrived, are secondary. Even the roads, tracks, paths and trails leading to the highlands, with which I am now much more familiar, are secondary. Angelica's story, even more than Heather's and Eliza's, focuses on a dominant Cynster who happens to be female.
This is not, in any way, lessening the impact of Dominic's appeal as the ultimate alpha hero. His presence -size, power, authority, determination and honor - is gradually revealed through the three books. I have no difficulty watching him listen to Angelica and readjust, reconfigure his plans, goals, and life. I am as much in thrall to the Cynsters as ever.

Reading was slow going, with the author repeating herself ad nauseam, many missed opportunities for something to finally happen, and disagreeable characters. The bossy and manipulative heroine, Angelica, was less likable the more I read and the Earl was far too easily controlled. I wanted to enjoy this story but I disliked Angelica so much by the middle of the book that I gave up in disgust--I might have slogged onward to see her get her comeuppance but that would be a different story.

Stephanie Laurens provides many extraneous details including descriptions of characters entering and leaving rooms, the routes they take when out walking, characters summarizing their conversations, etc., all of which slow down the story telling. She also changes the point of view so frequently, even in the middle of sentences, that I found myself re-reading to figure out which character was thinking what thoughts.

The story contains generous descriptions of Georgian life and the premise was interesting, and for that it earns two stars rather than one.

Definitely the best of the trilogy! Even though the whole "I'll know my hero the second I see him" bit was a tad much, the rest of the book more than made up for it. Angelica's story didn't have any of the ridiculousness of her sisters'--the "I love him but he'll never be able to love me back, so even though the sex is great a Cynster has to marry for love, oh well, woe is me" drawn out drama that just felt like it was there to make the book longer. This one had none of that feeling of wasted space. Instead, the drama is kept drawn to a nice edge throughout, and the romance--in spite of Angelica's sixth-sense--is well-written and believable. And now I'm back to working my way through the original series--Spencer's (Vane's) book is up next!

In the finale to the CYNSTER SISTERS TRILOGY: THE CAPTURE OF THE EARL OF GLENCRAE, I sincerely believe Ms. Laurens has come back to her roots in creating the type of novel I have always associated with her. Angelica Cynster is nobody's fool and is certain now that she has the special talisman hanging around her neck that she would finally meet her hero, and meet him she does. It's like the old stories - a look across a crowded ballroom and Angelica knows without a doubt that he is the `one'! After an introduction and a short conversation, Angelica invited him for a walk outside - then before she knew it, found herself being abducted.

*** For the people that have read the previous books in this series: VISCOUNT BRECKENRIDGE TO THE RESCUE (Heather's story); IN PURSUIT OF ELIZA CYNSTER (Eliza's story); can rest assured Ms. Laurens left the best for last! Basically, the story revolved around the eighth Earl of Glencrae was being forced by his maniacal bitter mother to capture and ruin Celia Cynster's daughters - didn't matter which. The reason is fully explained in this last book, hinted at in the former books so I will not spoil the mystery for those that have not read the the first two books.

Not only was the Earl of Glencrae's mother trying to ruin any one of the Cynster sisters, but she was also trying to bend her son to do something that he clearly had no stomach for. However, she held all the cards and knew for the sake of his clan, he would succumb to his mother's threats.

The romance that began with Angelica, who was determined to tame her abductor, was perfectly played out by Laurens with frequent laugh out loud moments. Lauren's fashioned Angelica as the most perfect foil for the often taciturn earl and she was bound and determined to capture his heart, not just his hand in marriage. What came to mind while reading this was something of flashback to DEVILS BRIDE and another very strong willed woman - Honoria, who kept Devil at arms length before she decided to marry.

Lauren's treatment of Angelica's earl was perfect as well and he was another dream hero, powerful, drop-dead gorgeous and with a heart as big as himself! All in all, THE CAPTURE OF THE EARL OF GLENCRAE was a divine read and one I can heartedly recommend.

Marilyn Rondeau, for [...]

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

Without a doubt, The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae is my favourite of the trilogy. I just loved it.

Angelica is my most favourite type of regency heroine. She is smart, (really smart in a manipulative way), patient, knows what she wants and then just simply goes after it.
There is this one scene where she once again uses her manipulative charm and gets her way by having Dominic purchase her a horse of her choice. Now bear in mind that Dominic is an extremely smart business man and he knows how to effectively read people. He is after-all the laird and leader of a clan in Scotland. He barters and buys the spirited filly and then is pretty much dumbfounded on how that all came to be. I totally loved that Angelica smiles into his eyes and says, "Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Well I burst out laughing. I adored her from page one.

Look past the heroine on the cover art. This picture is so maddening to me. Angelica is a fiery red head and not the least bit demure as the cover art portrays. At least she does wear a gold gown at one time for dinner but barely not worth mentioning. It would have been a perfect picture to have her reading The History of Scotland book (or just a book) on the cover, or wearing a green riding habit while riding a black horse or even in her disguise a male youth but this cover does not do the book justice. How hard would it have been to at least get the hair colour correct? A huge pet peeve of mine.

The drawing to the end of this trilogy answered all of the outstanding questions that were raised through each of the pervious books. The reason for the kidnappings and the importance of the goblet all come to a perfect close. I loved the chase, the build up and the ending made my heart beat fast. I especially loved that when Angelica runs past her brothers and cousins in pursuit of a murderer and calls them all "idiots". Angelica brought more smiles to my face than I expected.

Angelica and Dominic's love scenes were fabulous and so far, The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae is going on my "2012 Best Of" list for best deflowering scene. Stellar!

Do not read The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae as a stand alone or you will be lost. Each book is meant to be read in order.

Teasers: Angelica the master manipulator, riding by mail coach across England, hidden castle stairwell, "Just lay back and think of England"

After reading Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Sisters Trilogy), I'm not sure why I tortured myself with an attempt at reading this book. Granted, I thought that Breckenridge presented at least half a good book, and the mysterious laird intrigued me, so I figured I'd skip In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster: A Cynster Novel (Cynster Novels) and just get to the story I really wanted.

I have to say, I made a wise decision, at least in skipping the second book of this trilogy. I don't think I would have been able to stay awake if I'd had to read any more of the silly plotting behind the kidnapping of the three immeasurably "independent," "intelligent," and quite ridiculously-susceptible-to-being-kidnapped Cynster girls.

The problem with this third book is that the first three chapters are almost entirely expository. The Earl of Glencrae, in a very long, very tedious, very drawn-out manner, explains his motives to an all too willing Angelica Cynster. And worse, the girl who has just been kidnapped immediately starts to plot ways to excuse Glencrae for the kidnapping because he's her "hero" and he "needs" her.

I was ready to read a tale of a villain redeemed, but after just three chapters, I came to the not-at-all-difficult decision to put this book aside and spend my time pursuing other endeavors. While I always admire Stephanie Laurens' writing ability, I think I've come to the point where I'm not willing to excuse a ridiculous, poorly contrived plot that rehashes the Cynster romances of the past just on the off chance that she might be able to save it in the end. I might give the older tales a try, but her recent books have just become too annoying for me to bear.

This was a great conclusion to the latest Cynster trilogy by Stephanie Laurens. Angelica Cynster is the youngest of her sisters and have watched from the sidelines as both have been kidnapped, rescued, and met the man of their dreams. Believing that she is safe from abduction, Angelica sets out at the latest ball to try and find her hero. She is almost instantly drawn to Viscount Debenham, a relatively unknown English Lord because while he was away from London society he has since inherited his father's title, Earl of Glencrae, who was our notorious Scottish Lord from earlier in the series. Even though he has been out to do harm to the Cynster sisters, I've always liked our unknown Earl because even though he tried to kidnap the Cynster sisters when his plans failed he always tried to make sure they were well taken care of. I always liked that softer side that was shown in the earlier novels. Now that his original plans have been foiled he has to take his matters in to his own hands and kidnap Angelica himself. Angelica is still convinced that the Earl is her hero and that they are destined to fall in love but she needs to make him realize that as well. This was a great story of their journey not only across England and Scotland to try and save his clan while evading her family but also their journey to fall in love. There was a great connection between these two. I loved that they both respected the opinions of the other and were open to working as a team. Great read and another great story by Stephanie Laurens.

This was definitely my favourite of the trilogy. Angelica was the most interesting of the sisters and therefore the plot was the most interesting. I really enjoyed her knowing her one true love on sight and going after him with purpose. The romance in this book was also the best of the three. It was a relief to finally work out the true motive behind all the kidnappings. Although pleased to finally learn why Mirabelle wanted to hurt the Cynsters, I thought her supposed motivation was a bit weak and unrealistic. Stephanie Laurens is always a safe bet.

I enjoyed reading this last book in the trilogy much better than the first (Viscount Breckenridge...). Angelique is much more likeable than Heather. Heather 's independence is frustrating. Also, Laurens did not use so much inner reflection in this book. I flipped through much of Heather 's story at the end. So, if you like Laurens , but did not like the first book (Viscount Breckenridge...) try reading this one. It's much better.

"The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae" by Stephanie Laurens. I thought this was an excellent book & I gave it 5 stars. The story was different, intriguing for an Historical Romance, and fun. I loved both the H&h and actually all the characters were good, some fleshed out more than others, according to their importance, as it should be. Ms Laurens rarely fails to hold your interest in any of her books and I admit I am a fan. I recommend this book.

The beginning, up to her extended stay at Glencrae's London home and the middle to end, from hailing the gatehouse on, were vintage Laurens/Cynster. For me, the middle showed us what I would assume was what a true daughter of the ton was like. Aggravating. Annoying. Selfish. Self-centered. All to be excused with a flick of the wrist because she is a beauty and a Cynster. Even when she was being nice to others she had an agenda. As an expose' Angelica's story was an interesting study and deserves five stars. As a romantic read, not so much. I thought the Earl was an awesome character. I did give myself a pat on the back for wading through the series. Regardless of the beautiful covers, they are not on my list for re-reading. Can't wait for the next series.

Angelica Cynster has seen both of her sister find their future mates and Angelica is certain she will know hers on sight. But the danger to the Cynster Sister is not over and before she knows it she is taken by Dominic Guisachan, the 8th Earl of Glencrae. Once Dominic has a chance to explain to Angelica the reason for the taken of her older sisters, Angelica agrees to help him to save his clan.
"The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae" by Stephanie Laurens is the last book in the "Cynster Sister" series and I for one was very happy. I thought that Angelica's reactions to everything that was happening to her seem a bit unreal. She didn't seem to worried that she had been kidnapped and that seem off to me. Overall, I am glad to have this series done and was able to move on to a different writer for a while.

Too long and wordy, I literally skipped several pages at a time and was still on the same scene. It would have been perfect with about 100 fewer pages. I stopped reading her books several years ago because of this. Her short stories and novellas are much better.

The capture Of the Earl of Glencrae is nice story with lots of adventure. The only think I wish the author change was that she stop repeating . I really like the story and this one was the second book I bought from Mrs. Laurens but too much repeating the sentences for my taste.

This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Cynster Sisters Trilogy with the mystery as to why there have now been three kidnappings being quickly spelled out, which I appreciated. I was also happy with the reason behind the kidnappings and it showed our hero, Dominic Lachlan Guisachan, eight Earl of Glencrae in a positive light. Just as he is re-entering society he catches the attention of one Angelica Cynster and being the bold, headstrong female that she is, knows that this tall, mysterious man is her husband to be. Angelica is pleasantly surprised when her attentions seemed to be returned and convinces Dominic to step out for a bit of air, though it is highly improper. Dominic can not believe that the last Cynster sister is falling into his lap and proceeds to whisk Angelica away from the ball.

Angelica was a delight to read. She is strong, fiesty and at the same time, caring and loving. She agrees to Dominics crazy plan but not without her own little twist. As she knows deep inside her heart that this is the man for her, she has no qualms about stepping up and helping him rescue his clan. She steps into the role of presumed countess-to-be with a great deal of grace and charm. And Dominic can feel the love growing between them but still refuses to bend to passion until matters are taken out of his hands. Phew! Can these two burn up the sheets! But with her family searching for her and Dominic running out of time to save his clan, can these two overcome all the obstacles being thrown there way?

It took me a bit to really get into this story but once I did, I was flipping through the pages and finished it up in one night. I thought our couple were perfect for each other and balanced each other nicely. The mystery that has been surrounding the laird from the previous two books is revealed quickly but I thought the ending was a bit abrupt. Like all the loose threads were tied up too neatly and quickly. But even with these hesitations on my part, this was a delightful book that will give past Cynster fans more glimpses of this large, bold family but will also showcase a romance destined to be. 4 stars

This is the third book in Stephanie Laurens' trilogy of three Cynster sisters who are targeted by a mysterious Scotsman. Angelica Cynster is the last and youngest of the sisters, all of whom had sworn not to marry until they find the "one". The first two sisters found their heroes while trying to get away from the minions hired by a mysterious Scottish Laird to kidnap them and bring them to Scotland. Angelica spots her man across a crowded ball room in London. Tall and darkly handsome, she finds out he is the Viscount Debenham, a man who has been away from the ton for several years. During the ball, they take a stroll out onto the patio and the next thing she knows, Angelica is in a coach and off to an unknown estate.
At last, we find out who the mysterious Laird is from the previous books. The Cynsters thought he had died in the previous book, so they had relaxed their vigilance with Angelica. Angelica remains convinced that Debenham, or Dominic Guisachan the Earl of Glencrae as she discovers, is her hero and resolves to give him a chance to redeem himself. Hints of the reasons behind his fixation with the Cynster women have been in the previous books, but this latest book gives us the full explanation. His family has a long ago history with the Cynsters and he is being forced to carry out this kidnapping or there will be dire consequences for his clan folk.
Angelica is a typical Cynster, brash and fearless, willing to jump in and help her man. She sets some conditions of her own and he is forced to agree to get her to go to Scotland with him. Thus begins Angelica's chance to have a lifelong love match that all Cynsters aspire to. Dominic is a sympathetic character, doing something that is obviously opposite to his own morals. There is lots of chemistry between Angelica and Dominic but they also have big areas of disagreement that keeps the relationship from getting boring.
Like all Cynster novels, there is a villain to be vanquished and lots of Cynsters to keep things interesting. All in all a very satisfying end to an excellent trilogy. I couldn't wait to read this book and it was so worth the wait!

The first book in this series was interesting. The second book was okay, but predictable, since the plot was basically the same as the first book. Girl gets kidnapped for mysterious, to her, reason, is not harmed, gets away with aid of new hero on the scene.

This third book is, surprise, the mysterious kidnapper kidnapping the third girl and all ends well. This book is amazingly tedious. Was it my imagination that it seemed twice as long as the other two books? It also gets a bit stomach-turning before the end - is Laurens going for the S&M crowd?

Angelica Cynster is known for being the most headstrong of the Cynster sisters. She never imagined her bold personality would be the key to finding her hero.

There's a well known saying, "If you want something done right, do it yourself". The mysterious Laird struck out with his attempts to capture and keep the two eldest Cynster sisters, now he'll take the matter into his own hands. Imagine his surprise when his prey practically falls into his lap.

The long awaited third novel in the Cynster Sister's trilogy couldn't come quick enough for this reader. I devoured both Heather and Eliza's stories knowing it would be the last book that would finally reveal the identity of "the mysterious Laird". Dominic Debenham, eighth Earl of Glencrae was exactly as I had pictured him from the clever details woven into the first two books but he's hardly a match for the formidable Angelica Cynster. She doesn't behave as a kidnapped young miss would react in that situation. In fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to say she's quite content to be the pawn in his scheme.

Speaking of the scheme that was the underlying thread throughout the series, readers are given more in depth details as to why Dominic is forced to carry out his dastardly plan. In short, he has a crazy mother at home who demands a tribute in the form of a Cynster daughter to appease her need for revenge. What could she possibly have against the Cynster clan? I'll leave that interesting bit of trivia for Ms. Laurens to detail in the book.

The setting for this book is different than the first two. Both Heather and Eliza's stories took place as they were being transported with their captors to meet up with Dominic. Half of book three takes place in London and the other half at Dominic's home in Scotland. Ms. Lauren's writing is beautifully detailed. I could picture Dominic's home through Angelica's eyes along with the lush and craggy landscape on the Scottish coast. The sounds and smells described in the scenes add to the ambiance to draw the reader right into the pages. My only regret was how, in a few places, the details overwhelmed the story and were a little repetitive. Still, this didn't stop my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

The title of this novel is a bit of hint to the twist in this story. Dominic's plan all along has been to capture a Cynster sister to appease his mother. He never anticipated how he would be caught by the vivacious Angelica.

This has been a really fun and clever trilogy to read. If you enjoy a series that draws you in and has you anticipating each consecutive story, you need to give Stephanie Laurens a try. There are many, many more books involving the rest of the Cynster clan mentioned in this trilogy. Be prepared to take a journey into Regency England with the turn of a page.

originally posted at LAS Romance Reviews

Facial descriptions notwithstanding, I listened to this book and was disappointed with it being read by a male narrator. But it wasn't bad, and pretty much held my interest, except the the phrase, "He arched a brow", was used to excess. I can't picture characters continually going around with their eyebrows raised. It would be comical.

Happy ending - but you have to go through an intricate maze to get there. Good story. This was the third book in a series. I am now reading book 1, and will follow it with book 2. I like this author's style. Sometimes, there are two many details, but I can live with it because the story line is interesting.

I enjoyed reading this book. The main characters, Angelica and Dominic, were forceful people and matched each other in every way. Their strong wills were a joy to watch unfold thoroughout the story. There's also a good lesson in which mate should lead and which should follow.
I'm sure you will enjoy this book, too.

In 1829 London, Lady Angelica Cynster receives the talisman that enables her family to find their true love. When she sees Debenham, Angelica knows he is the one. However, instead of a loving courtship, her hero abducts her.

Debenham explains why he took her and previously tried to take her sisters (see Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue and In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster); as he pleads with Angelica to save his clan. His insane mother Mirabelle, raging over his father's obsession with Angelica's mother Cecilia, recently stole a jewel-encrusted goblet that Debenham's late dad stole in `23. She threatens to expose and ruin the clan unless until her son ruins a Cynster daughter. Knowing he is her true love makes the decision easy for Angelica. As he falls in love with his "capturer", they face danger while desperately seeking the goblet.

Bonus tale: "The Wedding Planner". In 1820 Lady Margaret Dawlish is the wedding planner to the royals. Her beloved died in battle so Meg has no plans to marry. Duc Gaston Devillriers has wanted Meg for a long time. He has returned with plans to woo the Wedding Planner.

This is an engaging finish to the Cynster Sisters trilogy. Although the sisters possess almost identical bossy personalities, Debenham brings freshness to the mix as the wannabe kidnapper who is the "matchmaker" in the first two novels and the male lead in this one. Fans will enjoy his unique courtship while he learns what males find out about a Cynster female is that she is alpha to his omega. The short story is an enjoyable second chance at love Regency that was part of the Royal Weddings E-book anthology.

Harriet Klausner

I totally agree with many of the lower reviews here! I refuse to read or purchase another book by Laurens. Her early works were great, and are still some of my favorites, but now her storytelling is mediocre and HIGHLY over-priced! I'm done wasting my money and time reading poorly regurgitated stories, when there are so many other great authors out there!

I just wish people were more honest when reviewing their favorite authors...

The first two books in this series were fast paced and easy reads. I waited for this one and could hardly wait to get my hands on it. She has not done justice to the story and she has wasted too much time on the travel to the castle/keep.