Opinions on Stephanie Laurens?

athena_d · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 68

I've been in a slump lately, never quite finishing any of the books I've been trying to read. I read the first couple of chapters, yawn, roll my eyes, skim, then skip to the ending.

I've been seeing Stephanie Lauren's name around a lot. She has a huge backlist, but I never really gave her a chance.

For those who have read her books, what do you think of her writing style? would you recommend her? What're your favorite books by her?

Thank you! I'd appreciate the help! =]

ATHENA

PatW · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 614 Location: Central Maryland

I'd recommend the first books in the Bar Cynster series, starting with Devil's Bride.

If you look at the Laurens list in Favorite books by Favorite authors:
http://www.likesbooks.com/favesbyauthor3.html#laurens

you will see those at the top of the list.

As the series went on into the next "generation" IMO the plots and style got very predictable and repetitive and I gave up.

I have rather enjoyed the Bastion Club books too.

I do NOT recommend her earliest historicals though.

Her characters are fairly predictable - usually the hero is the pursuer - he decides the heroine is THE ONE and spends the rest of the book trying to convince her of that fact - including lots of sex! as the Cynster series progresses the "set-up" for allowing that to happen in a society where upper class girls were carefully chaperoned gets more and more implausible (IMO, of course).

I would start with Devil's Bride - my favorite and that of a lot of others. If you like it, read the Cynster series in order if you can for about 5 or 6 books, then tread with care....

Have fun.
_________________
When in doubt, read.

Schola · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1867

+IHS+

There's not much else one can add to PatW's post, Athena (which is probably why you have so few replies and so many views). Smile

So at the risk of sounding like an echo . . . I, too, started reading Stephanie Laurens because her name kept popping up during my reading of Romance sites and blogs. I was lucky to start with Devil's Bride. Everything else has been a bit of a disappointment.

I find that what I enjoy least about Laurens is her heroines. I'd choose a strong woman over a shrinking violet any day, but her heroines are so mulishly independent that they strike me as stony. Well, Honoria (of Devil's Bride) is all right, but the others I've read are just variations of the same theme.

It's hard for me to warm up to them, and while I understand what the heroes see in them, their attraction between them makes me think of magnets rather than human beings. In later novels, even her famously hot sex scenes fall flat for me: too many sentence fragments, one-sentence paragraphs and weather metaphors in one place are a distracting mix. Confused

All her novels (or those which I've read) also feature subplots involving mysteries or crimes the hero and heroine must solve together, but I find them a bit boring, too. Yet this may be just my personal taste. Smile

In summary, I'd recommend Devil's Bride and maybe A Rake's Vow, but nothing else. I suppose if one truly does like Laurens' style, she'll know where to proceed from there. Smile

_________________
"To be in a romance is to be in uncongenial surroundings. To be born into this earth is to be born into uncongenial surroundings, hence to be born into a romance." (G.K. Chesterton)

JaneO · Joined: 17 Feb 2008 Posts: 752

Yes, Devil's Bride is the place to start - it's by far her best. As for the ones that come after that, if you've read one you've read them all. They're not bad, but they are all alike. At least you know what you're getting.
_________________
JaneO

sula · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 352 Location: Virginia

You might also read through this thread for some more discussion on Laurens.

I second (or third) the rec that you start with Devil's Bride.
_________________
I can't change the world, but I can change the world in me - Bono
My blog sula's space

Danielle D · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 492 Location: Wheaton, IL

I enjoy all her books espcially Captain Jack!!!
_________________
Ciao,

So many books, so little time

http://www.myspace.com/danielle_de
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/DanniD?ref=profile
http://www.shelfari.com/dani807

Now a Lady of Leisure

dick · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 2245

I agree with DanielleD--I've enjoyed all her books. I'm not quite as enthusiastic about her writing style, although it's certainly distinctive.

LizA · Joined: 22 Mar 2007 Posts: 140 Location: Austria, Europe

I've read the first seven of the Bar Cynster novels because I tried to convince myself there had to be something there. Sadly, I did not find it and was sorry about the waste of money (luckily I'd been able to give away most of her books on bookmooch). Basically, I really dislike her heroes - I find them sexist, dominant, domineering, annoying know-it-alls. I thought her sex scenes were mind numbingly dull, her characterization flat, and her plotting unimaginative. Can you tell I am not a fan? I also did not like her female characters, imo they were just fake-independent. And if I even read of a hero "indulging" his bride when he "lets" her do the things she likes to do, I will throw the book to the wall. That is a personal pet peeve of course, but of all the patronizing things to write!

Needless to say, I am not a fan. This is just my own impression of course but I wanted to add it along with the praise and the so-so. Just in case! And no offence to those who like the books, of course. You know how it is with taste!

athena_d · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 68

thank you all for your replies! your opinions really helped. =]

I figure if I'm in a slump and I'm tossing books against the wall left and right, I wouldnt have much patience with Stephanie Laurens .

BUT I am definitely going to read Devil's Bride along with the other 3 Cynster book recommended to me! I figure I wouldnt judge the author until I give her a try =] Now i know where to start.

Thanks again!

Susan/DC · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Posts: 1596

I read Devil's Bride and liked it up to the point where the hero and heroine married. Before that she (Honoria?) seemed likable and reasonably interesting, and the hero's single-minded pursuit made sense. But after the marriage she became bland, and her great dream of travel was tossed by the wayside and not even mentioned again as far as I remember. I couldn't understand why a man would pursue someone and say he loved her, yet not assist her in fulfilling her dreams (isn't that what love does?). Plus, the villain was quite obvious: the only male who wasn't extremely handsome, extremely virile, and a Cynster.

Kelly B · Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 136

Kristie(J) · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 6:34 am Post subject:

I tried reading Devil's Bride a while ago and HATED it. I've never been tempted to try her since.

jitterbug · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Posts: 137

Schola · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1867

Kayne · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 783

My Fav Stephanie Laurens book is A Secret Love. It is a Cynster novel and there is a review here. It got a B review here and the reviewer said that she thought the first half of the book was a C+ read but the last half an A+ read.
http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=2340