- Title: And Then She Fell (Cynster Sisters Duo)
- Classification: Adult Fiction
- Genre: Historical Romance
- Format: Paperback: 384 pages
- Publisher: Avon (March 26, 2013)
- ISBN-10: 0062068644
- ISBN-13: 978-0062068644
Henrietta Cynster is known throughout London society as "The Matchbreaker". With her family's high standing in society she is privy to information the majority of Londoners are not. When approached by a woman or family who wishes to know if their said fiance/future son-in-law is marrying for love, money, or other nefarious reasons, Henrietta is just the person to uncover any unpleasantries associated with them. She's never counseled anyone on what to do with the information she discovers; she just makes sure they have the information they need to make an informed decision.
The most recent request made of her was to discover what she could about her brother's best friend, James Glossup, for one of her friends, Melinda Wentworth. When James discovers what Henrietta has done, he quickly takes her aside and explains his situation to her. The woman known as 'The Matchbreaker' is about to turn matchmaker. The Cynster family necklace, however, has other ideas.
After eight years of not finding a match and declaring herself a spinster, The 'Matchbreaker' has finally met her match.
This was truly a delightfully fun book. It's the first book of the latest Cynster series, The Cynster Sisters Duo. If you haven't read the previous books, don't worry. Stephanie Laurens did an excellent job of summing up what is going on at the beginning of the book. You won't feel lost, but be warned, you're going to want to read all the books of her previous series. It's been eight years since Henrietta received the charmed necklace from Angelica. As Henrietta's sister Mary points out, you have to wear the necklace to find your special someone. The necklace was gifted to the Cynster girls by a Scottish deity and is said to assist the wearer in finding her true hero--the man by whose side she would live in wedded bliss for the rest of her life. I think quite a few people would love to get their hands on a necklace like that. :)
Henrietta is a strong woman not really looking for love. She has nothing against it, it's just never been one of her priorities. When she finds out about James' predicament, she decides to help him find someone to marry. He has only 4 weeks to find and wed a suitable bride or he'll lose a portion of his inheritance. Not wishing to let down all the people who would lose their jobs, he's decided it's time to face up to his family responsibilities and marry. As the two set a plan in motion and start sifting through the eligible females of the ton, they realize they get along well with each other and enjoy each other's company. It also soon becomes clear to James that he really doesn't have to look very far for his perfect match, and he sets out to entice Henrietta. But amidst a budding romance, it becomes obvious that someone is trying to kill Henrietta as series of unfortunate events prove to not be so unfortunate but deliberate. The question then becomes who is trying to kill her? A jilted fiance or a person who isn't happy with her meddling with other people's business? No one is really certain.
While I'm not usually one for whirlwind romances, even in book form, I felt the near death experience these two faced definitely sped up the process of getting to know each other. Additionally, as James was one of Henrietta's brother's good friends, I'm guessing the two already knew each other a little before they united to find him a match. The mystery and drama behind the attempts on Henrietta's life made for a very fun tale. It wasn't until Henrietta had an 'Aha!' moment that everything started to fall in place for me.
Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 roses. A fun mixture of drama, suspense, and romance. If you've read the other Cynster books you'll be delighted to see the little glimpses of those who were paired before Henrietta. Also, it should be noted that Ms. Laurens stated that the next book, The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh, which will feature Henrietta's sister Mary's pairing, begins in the midst of this one. I look forward to seeing how these two books fit together. Plus, I love the glimpse Ms. Laurens gave us at the end of this book of the next. It sounds like it will be a most enjoyable book. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this book gets a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.
Order of the series:
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