Where the Heart Leads
is considered the 15th book in the Cynsters Family Saga, and although
the Casebook of Barnaby Adair is mentioned on the cover, that is the
true nature of the book. Cynster fans, looking for a story like the
earlier passionate and heart stopping handsome Cynster males sensually
pursuing strong beautiful ladies, made-to-be Cynster brides, may be
left just a bit disappointed. That is not to say that Stephanie
Lauren's most recent book is not extremely well-written with characters
of depth, it is just that after a while the whole Cynster mystique gets
diluted so much down the line of cousins and siblings of Cynster
relations that the reader now has to expect something different; and
this story is different, not close to the original fabulous Cynster
novels that were written early on. Those will always remain favorites
for romance fans and collectors.
No one knows the Regency Period and 19th century more than Stephanie
Laurens; especially when she wrote a few Cynster novels with storylines
about the rare and extremely interesting horse racing world that took
place during the period. Now she entertains and educates readers
further with her knowledge of what it is like behind the glittering
ballrooms, gentlemen clubs, shining ladies in silks and rogues
outfitted in Hessians and superfine. During this period there were
those that suffered while others lived lives of leisure. In this book
we see how the other side lives.
Portia Cynster started a Foundling School for Orphans that aids poor
orphans after the death of their only living relative, which was the
focus of another Cynster novel and mentioned in some of the others. Now
after marrying Simon and running a house and having children of her
own, the responsibility of the school has been turned over to Penelope,
Portia's sister. A beauty, but considered a bluestocking and a bit
overwhelming to many gentlemen of the ton, Penelope has been dedicated
to her work and has never thought of marrying, believing she would
never be able to find the type of true love other Cynster women have
found, especially in her unique position of running the school and
having a rare intelligence and deep calling for social justice. Her
feelings about love, passion, and even marriage begin to change a bit
after four boys due to arrive at the school show up missing and she
considers asking the third son of a nobleman, Barnaby Adair, well-known
for solving mysterious cases of the ton, to consider helping her find
these boys. As soon as she knocks on his door late one night she
realizes that she is drawn to the handsome and intelligent Barnaby, and
is more thrilled when she realizes he understands, respects and is not
judgmental about her school, intelligence and involvement in social
causes. What a coincidence that the stunning and intelligent Penelope
shows up at Barnaby's door just when he is sitting alone in his parlor
nursing a brandy and deciding what to do with his life that was once
exciting and now seems to hold no appeal anymore. To him it is love at
first sight, but he knows he must move carefully and allow Penelope to
realize they were meant to be together so that he doesn't lose her and
his one chance at finally finding a woman that is his equal and worthy
to be his wife.
Barnaby obtains the aid of his friend Basil Stokes, of Scotland Yard,
and together with an East End woman, Griselda Martin, who worked her
way up from the poor East End to becoming a successful tradeswoman as a
milliner, the two couples work together to solve the case of the
missing boys and the discovery of a burglary school that is snatching
them away as soon as they are orphaned before they can make it to the
school. The danger intensifies as murders begin to take place before
the children can be orphaned and are snatched, while at the same time
love and passion are blooming for the two couples.
This story is a delightful change for Ms. Laurens and hopefully the
fans of the Cynster books will realize that there are just so many
Cynsters and the originals and their storylines would lose being
unique, if every story was similar. This book, like "An Unwilling
Conquest," brings out the unique talent and unlimited knowledge base of
Stephanie Laurens that expands way beyond the Cynster family.
Publisher: Avon
(January 2009)
Reviewed
by Beverly,
Beverly Romance Books
