Rating: 
Summary: A good beginning to a new series
Review: In 1818 England, the Cynster extended family has some of the Ton's most eligible bachelors even though they have notorious reputations and nicknames to live down or in their minds, up to. The most infamous of the next generation of bachelors is Sylvester "Devil" Cynster, the 6th Duke of St. Ives, who plans to continue his scandelous nights on the town for many years to come. However, when he is caught in a compromising position with governess, Honoria Wetherby, he bedevils everyone by announcing his plans to marry the chit. Honoria, who seeks adventure in her ho hum life, firmly believes that Devil is the right moniker for Sebastian. Though his kisses seem to provide her plenty of excitement, Honoria has plans to see the world as soon as she solves the case of who was the assailant of the body she found? It remains for Devil to prove to Honoria that they can share the adventure of a lifetime together. DEVIL'S BRIDE, the debut novel of the Cynster family series, is a will-written Regency romance that will add to the growing reputation of Stephanie Laurens as one of the leading writers of the sub-genre. Though the tale follows the structure of the typical Regency tale, Ms. Laurens' detailed descriptions make this a refreshingly absorbing novel. Devil is the typical arrogant rake who always stars in these books, yet in the incredibly competent hands of Ms. Laurens, he is a heroic figure who will garner deep feelings from the readers. Likewise, Honoria too will be well-liked. Though at times, the pace seems a bit slow, genre fans will want to read this enjoyable novel and the subsequent future stories starring Devil's cousins. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Just awful!
Review: I've just recently started reading romance novels, and this book is the epitome of every negative preconception I've ever had about the genre. I prefer historical romances, and although Laurens' book takes place in the 19th century, you wouldn't know it. Part of the reason I like historicals is because of the sense of time that they evoke. I want to be carried away to a different place and period. In my opinion, Laurens spends far too little time creating an 1800s atmosphere. The setting might as well have been an estate in the 21st century, but for the carriages.
Also, there was no plot or character development. Within the first two chapters, the leading man has already decided to marry the leading women. Where's the anticipation? Personally, I like my romance novels to be...well, romantic. "Devil's Bride" was simply too smutty for my taste. I prefer a gradual build up, versus a quick burn/burn-out (which was the case in "Devil's Bride").
As far as I know, regency/historical romances are characterized by the focus on manners/etiquette/propriety and the conflict that arises when love/desire manifests itself. I don't think the hero/heroine really gave a fig about what society thought about them, they were too hot and heavy for each other. This book should have taken place in a brothel, that's how bad it was.
Worst of all, Laurens decided to tack on an abysmal murder-mystery storyline that filled in the spaces between the sex romps. (...)
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read -- a lively romance!
Review: I have read all of Ms. Lauren's books, including the five about the Bar Cynster, but my ABSOLUTE favorite is "Devil's Bride"! If I am in need of a rollicking romance, with an iron-willed duke and a strong-willed duchess (both before and after the marriage), then I pull this book from my stack and enjoy the ride! I enjoyed watching Devil find his will often thrwarted by Honoria, and how they move from a marriage of passion to one of deep, abiding love. And I am a hopeless romantic to know that the vows they made to one another would be held until the end of their days. Sigh -- how much better can it get? Adventure, love and humor, with wonderful insight into Regency England and the Ton. The rest of the Bar Cynster is interesting, but to me the books only light up with Devil and Honaria make an appearance! Thank goodness there is still Lucifer's story to see them again, although I have hopes of the twins' story and to see the Bar out in force to protect them!
Rating:
Summary: The first and THE best of the Bar Cynster novels
Review: What a great way to start the Cynster series! I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. This is a great introduction to the Cynster family, especially those disgustingly handsome and sexy Bar Cynster cousins. As soon as I finished reading this, I bought the other 5 Cynster novels because I wanted to know what happened with the rest of the Bar Cynster.
Devil and Honoria are my favorite Cynster couple. Devil is just to die for and Honoria is the perfect match for him. He is rakishly handsome and so arrogantly sexy. He is strong, devoted to his family and, of course, he is the Duke of St Ives, the leader of the notorious Bar Cynster and the most eligible bachelor in the ton. As for Honoria, she is the strongest and most interesting of the Bar Cynster wives - not to mention the most stylish and sophisticated. The part in the book where someone mentions that she was born and bred to lead the ton and take on the role of the family matriarch couldn't be more true. When reading the succeeding books, I couldn't help but measure up the other heroines against Honoria, and couldn't imagine any of them in the Duchess' role. I love the interaction between those two, and the way they slug it out during their heated exchanges is very entertaining. It is always delightful to read about them in the other Cynster books, in fact, I'm always looking forward to their appearance.
If you can overlook the weak murder plot/mystery and concentrate on the romance, you will love this book. This is the best out of the series and one that I will read over and over again.
Rating: 
Summary: fun but ahistorical
Review: To be brief, the plot centers around Honoria Anstruther-Wetherby, a finishing governess of high birth who sets out to help her latest charge, Melissa, snare a duke as husband. It so happens that she gets caught in a storm, finds a murder victim, and meets her future husband - the aforementioned duke who is of no mind to marry Melissa. He forces her to abandon her plans for governessing; she in turn decides to help him and his cousins solve the murder mystery. On the way, they get married and fall in love. Like many of Laurens' heroines and heroes, Honoria is almost "on the shelf," and of a mind of her own; she's stubborn and strong-willed, though not shrewish. Devil Cynster (the duke) is a rake who's sworn that he'll never fall in love. As a reader, you MUST suspend historical reality to believe that a story like this could ever take place in Regency England. The setting provides a wonderful backdrop - it's elegant, sumptuous, and kind of vapid - but the actions of the characters don't gel with what was historically acceptable. If you can get past these discrepancies, then it's an entertaining read. I'm not sure that the intimate scenes are very realistic, and they contain a lot of what I consider hyperbolic metaphors. The murder mystery itself is very transparent. Personally I don't think that the characters are very well-developed, but then again, Regency is not part of the established canon. Despite all these shortcomings, I did enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: What the Devil??
Review: I bought this book because it was reviewed so highly by readers here as the best of Stephanie Laurens' books. I had never read her and if this truly was the best she had to offer, I probably won't again. First of all, was I the only one who was turned off that Mr "Devil" Cynster was coldly plotting seduction and marriage to Miss Honoria over the still-warm murdered body of his young nephew, to whom he had apparently been close? Where was the grief? Where was the pain, the anxiety, the rage over the nephew's untimely death? Instead there he is sizing up his future bride and plotting her conquest. I'm surprised he made it to the young boy's funeral. Devil is perhaps the coldest and most selfish hero I have ever read. But even coldness and selfishness can be forgiven if he changes for the better by the end. However, Ms. Laurens seems to have left his behavior at that, as if there were nothing wrong with it, perhaps to suggest how strong and manly and sexy he is. Unfortunately, I thought it showed what a shallow, self-centered and unappealing man he was and frankly, I wanted Honoria to have nothing to do with him. So that ruined the point of the story for me by page 40. Not to mention, what silly nicknames for the Bar Cynsters: Devil, Vane, Demon, Gabriel, Lucifer, Scandal, especially when none of them come even close to living a lifestyle that would merit such designations. As far as they've been depicted, they're a bunch of noble, upstanding, fair, dedicated men who love their family...so how did the nicknames come about? And how can grown men call each other that without laughing out loud? Sorry to say, this was a pretentious, ill-concieved and illogical book. The emotions need to make sense for a romance to work. This one didn't.
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