And Then She Fell

Cynster Sisters, Book 5

By: Stephanie Laurens

Narrated by: Matthew Brenher

Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best-selling author Stephanie Laurens has returned to another utterly irresistible branch on her beloved Cynster family tree....

The only thing more troublesome than a Cynster man...

...is a Cynster lady who believes love is not her destiny. Famously known in London society as "The Matchbreaker", Henrietta Cynster's uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials - not in falling victim to Cupid's spell.

But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage of convenience.

A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall....

©2012 Savdek Management Proprietary Ltd. (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Classic Laurens

If you've listened to more than one Cynster novel, you probably know the formula, and yet, like me, continue to buy because the characters are cozy and familiar.

This one is better than some - less repetitive description, more interaction between hero and heroine, and reappearance of characters from older books.

If I had one complaint, it would be the paucity of Lady Osbaldestone's acerbic dialogue.

(Has anyone else noticed that change of narrators means change in pronouncing her name?)

I liked it, which means I will listen to it again - my personal benchmark for any book.

Much better! Stephanie wrote a story!!

Any additional comments?

I picked this up with a forlorn hope, but it seems that someone has gotten though to Stephanie that we enjoy her novels for the stories! I definitely don't object to a well done bodice ripping in support of the plot and character development but I'm not interested in gratuitous sex. I've seen a lot of complaints, and obviously agree with them all, that her recent books have completely neglected the story and characters for the sex scenes, which is disappointing and tiresome. HOWEVER, this book takes it back to the basics, I don't think there is a full on sex scene in the entire novel and it's wonderful. I didn't have to skip 3/4 of the book!! I love SL's stories and I hope this means that she's bringing them back!

Oh, and, the reader is abysmal. He's got a radio announcer voice which really would have been better as a straight read; too bad someone told him to try and voice characters. It takes an effort to ignore that he sounds like he'd be more comfortable announcing a horse race or game of golf. But the story is good if you can get around it.

Great Story, Weak Narrator

This was a really good book in the Cynster Sisters series. I think it is helpful to have read a couple of stories on the Cynster family before you read this book, but it is not critical. I really liked Henriettta and James' story - it developed well and the characters were interesting. Henrietta, at 29, was known in society as the "Matchbreaker." She broke-up James' plans to marry another lady that he did not love, but he needed a wife in a set time frame to meet the terms of his Great Aunt's will. After learning his circumstances, Henrietta agrees to help James find a new bride, but they end up falling in love with each other during that process. I think what helped keep the book really interesting was the murder/attempted murder-mystery that intertwines with the story. I was surprised at the very PG nature of the sex scenes in this book, which were often times cheesy in their attempt to keep out any details, mild or otherwise. I seem to recall her books having much more heat and passion.

The narrator, Matthew Brenher, was not good. His female voices were pathetic and distracting. However, the book was still worth listening to.

Ms. Laurens set-up the next book for Henrietta's sister Mary, and based on the preview, I am hopeful that Mary's book is going to be excellent, so I look forward to listening to that!

Murderer, Mystery and Romance

Enjoyable story of heroine giving advice to women if the man they are interested in truly loves them. Heroine unfortunately bumps into murderer who now is after her and finds the lover who rescues her from the murderer’s attempts. Narrator does a good job.

Late but not last

Date: 1837 Apr-May

Chronology: set after Where the Heart Leads and The Peculiar Case of Lord Finsbury’s Diamonds; before The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh.

Henrietta has left the Lady’s necklace in her jewelry box for 8 years since she received it from her cousin Angelica. At 22, Mary has decided she’s ready to move on to the next stage of her life and she can’t wear the necklace until Henrietta 29, finds her true hero. No surprise that things start happening. Henrietta has agreed to help James Glossup find a bride in one month, and they are drawn together as he repeatedly protects her from a murderer. James is Simon’s friend from The Perfect Lover.
Brenher is an ok choice for narrator.

And Then She Fell by Stephanie Laurens

It was very enchanting! I didn't expect the twist at all and how they fall in love with each other is totally predictable but oh so romantic! ❤

Decent story, narrator is a disappointment.

Story has some good moments but it is a rehash of so many preceding stories of the Cynsters. Maybe that is deliberate.

Narrator just doesn't make it. His voice seems just wrong for such a book; his voice is very "growly" at times. He rarely shifts his voice for different people. There is little pacing, which could be effective in place of modulating voices from character to character.

excellent as always for this pairing!

Except for the way the love scenes stretch out I can't find anything to say that isn't positive exclamations!

horrible narration

The narrator was really grating on me. I had listened to other books in the series with the same narrator and he was actually ok, but his portrait of the main character was flat out horrible.
The story itself was a typical Cynster novel, just a little less steamy then the earlier ones.

makes you want more

wonderfully entertaining- interesting and leaves you wanting more. can't wait to read the next book