The Promise in a Kiss

A Cynster Novel

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens delights her many fans with steamy tales of Regency-era seduction and intrigue.

In a quiet moonlit courtyard, Helena encounters a handsome and mysterious Englishman. Before parting, he rewards her with a special kiss - a delicious, enticing, unforgettable kiss that makes her whole body shiver with desire. Helena doesn't yet know that she has met her destiny - and he is Sebastian Cynster, Duke of St. Ives.

This luxurious tale of passion features a potent reading by narrator Simon Prebble.

Savor another Cynster novel.

©2001 Savdek Management Proprietory Ltd. (P)2004 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"With an exquisite finesse, Laurens manipulates the sexual tension between her dark, dangerous hero and her clever heroine into sensually charged love scenes, and the book's swashbuckling climax, worthy of Dumas, should please readers who like a bit of adventure along with a passionate love story." ( Booklist)

A Promising Start to the Cynster Family

What made the experience of listening to The Promise in a Kiss the most enjoyable?

By all means, Simon Prebble! As with all of his stories, he is animated, passionate, and provides enough diversity in his voices, that you almost think there are multiple narrators. I get LOST in Simon's readings.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really enjoyed Helena. She is a strong woman and you get a better understanding of why she made the best choice for The Duchess of St. Ives.

What about Simon Prebble’s performance did you like?

He is always so animated and passionate. He's really one of the best I have had the priviledge of listening to!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

It all started with a promise...in a kiss!

Any additional comments?

SPOILERS: I liked learning more of the background to Sebastian. We don't hear much of him in the first of the Cynster novels. We only hear of the "scandal" and it might bear a bitter taste to most who didn't listen to this story. Not that his actions are approved by me! I just now get a better feeling as to why he was lead down that path. Of course, without that leading, we would have never had Richard and the scandal that almost wasn't! The book also gives brief introductions to the other Cynsters like Almira (Charles' mother) and Sebastians brothers, as well as Lady Osbortsten, who is prominant in most of the Cynster novels that take place in London!

Stunning

What a treat to read such a masterfully written novel with superb narration. It is richly historic and unbelievably sensual. I will definitely continue reading this series!!

Good story

Great, fast pace story. Didn’t have a slow or boring part. Enjoyable to the end

OMG! They're at it again!

Fun revisiting this vintage story. I liked this series when I first came across it in the used book store wo was happy to find it in audiobook.

The narrator was a definite downer -- "peridot" is pronounced pair - ih - doe, not "dot." It's French! And pronouncing "shone" as "shawn"...seriously??? Was there no director, editor etc. to listen to to how this guy was murdering the language. There seems to be a propensity for hiring English actors as narrators for these things. I'm not sure what guidance the narrators are given, but having worked as a "talking head" for television news and documentaries, I know that we were directed to use standard news reader accent without local accent or expressions. Obviously, in novel narration, it's necessary to give characters their unique speech patterns when appropriate, but the rest of the time couldn't they get of the theatre speech horse or whatever he's using? Sorry, Simon, for singling you out. You are not the only narrator who does this, not even in the minority, and as I remarked earlier, you should have been given guidance at the beginning and notes as production began. Just hell.

There is a fair amount of fairly explicit sex in this book, tastefully done of course, in the book. But it's different listening to something when you can flip ahead a few pages to get the the exact end of the scene and continue wtth the story. Not anything that would cause me to recommend against the book/story, though. But that narrator.

one of my favorite books

this is one of my favorite books . I'm always a little sad when it ends. Fabian is one of my favorite characters even though he is the antagonist

Loved, loved, loved it!

This is my first audible book by this narrator, he is amazing. I thought I wouldn't like it being narrated by a man, but he does a great job with all the voices. Very interesting story. I had not read any of the other novels in this series, now I suppose I'll have to listen to all of them! I have read other books by this author. This one is a favorite now. Might have to buy the hard copy just to have it on hand. Highly recommend this one!

A Perfect Prequel

This is the love story of Helena and Sebastian, Devil Cynster’s parents. It’s full of all the good stuff... stolen kisses in a French convent, an evil guardian, a Duke as a hero, a strong ( but naive ) heroine, and rescues of damsels in distress. It’s a great story of two very strong people and how they come together in the cultural context of 1784 England.
If you love the Cynster’s, this is a must read. If you haven’t started the series yet... Start here! And the narration is perfection!

love this series

I have read this series and now I am listening to it. It is awesome. The narrator did an excellent job.

Slow to start, but well worth the time.

It was difficult to wade through the first quarter of the story. But once the couple realize they are a good match, sparks fly!

Eye roll and gritting teeth

What is it with female authors trying to make domineering bullying men into heroes?

The emotional punching bag the author tries to pass off as a heroine is just sad and pathic. She couldn't hold firm in her convictions on a breakfast order. She says she's tired of being a puppet and a pawn of her controlling and bullying guardian. So she devises a plan to get away from him by marrying a nice, unassuming husband so she'll gain control of her family estate and fortune. Sounds good on paper, but the guardian will always walk all over her because she caves faster than a toilet paper tent in a hurricane to anything male. So the poor little thing needs a big, strong bully to treat her like she's a 3 year old. When the big, strong bully hero decides he's going to marry her, he doesn't ask her he tells her. He makes her sit on his lap, not in the lovingly I want to hold you way, but in the I'm going to treat you like a toddler with no choice way, and informs her she will marry him whether or not it's what she wants. But that's ok because he knows what's best for her. She's just a dumb woman and can't possibly know what she wants.

I agree with another reviewer that this book reads/listens more like it was written by 1950's misogynistic old man than a 21st century female. Yes, yes, I know, that's just the way it was, but female authors don't have to keep perpetuating these detrimental, woman hating stereotypes in romance fiction. Just because it was that backward then doesn't mean you have to glamorize now.