Rating: 
Summary: A Promise Broken
Review: Like so many other reviewers, I had trouble getting past Sebastian's future infidelity revealed in the Bar Cynster series. At first, it didn't really play a big part in how I viewed the story. The beginning is captivating and holds a great deal of promise for the rest of the book. But towards the end, when the honesty and unfailing devotion come into play, it gets a little hard to swallow. I think Helena and Sebastian would have been better served to be written with less emphasis put on the "powerful" nature of their characters. The reader expects their love to be just as powerful as they are themselves, and that characteristic is in direct opposition with a future already revealed.I am a fan of Laurens, and have read the entire Cynster series. Aside from the inconsistencies between this and the later novels, this is not one of the better books she has written. I found myself easily putting it down at the slightest distraction, skipping paragraphs and wondering how far ahead I could go without losing the train of the story. I think Laurens' fans will be disappointed. Those readers who haven't yet read her other books will probably view the novel in a more favorable light.
Rating: 
Summary: Stephanie Laurens is one of the best
Review: This is a great christmas special novel. I have read other "christmas special" novels in romance series that go back in time and explain the beginning. None of them were as captivating and true to the story line as this one. Stephanie Laurens really stayed true to her previous character types and the stories she created. It was fun to see "where it all started." I enjoyed finding out how french born Helena met and fell in love with Sebastian. I also loved getting to "meet" the parents of the bar cynster and Charles' mother. The one who I read about and was the explanation for why Charles was after Devil. I can't recommend this novel enough. Especially to those followers of the cynster series. The novel is full of adventure and sensuality. Stephanie Laurens always has the perfect mix. Definitely a novel worth reading.
Rating: 
Summary: It all started with just one kiss....
Review: Helena first meets Sebastian Cynster when he literally falls at her feet, then proceeds to kiss her under the mistletoe. Seven years later, Helena has left her native France for London to find a manageable husband, and finally release herself from her guardian's thumb. Upon their meeting again in a London ballroom, she discovers Sebastian is the Duke of St. Ives and he's a passionate pursuer. This is one of a whole series of novels centered on the Bar Cynster family. This story, which was written after some of the others, goes back in time to the love story of the patriarch (Sebastian) of the clan. Although there is a conflict to be solved concerning the manipulative plans Helena's guardian has for her, this is mostly a love story surrounding how these two characters come together. I've read a total of three or four of Ms. Lauren's books, but this one was my first and favorite. Overall, I feel this was a good read and a great love story. Her stories tend to be brooding but quite sensual. I gave it four stars, instead of five, for a couple of reasons. First, the intrigue between Helena, Sebastian, and her guardian was for me rather anticlimatic in it's resolution. I'll leave it at that so the ending isn't given away. Secondly, the thing with Ms. Lauren's novels is they're all relatively the same. She doesn't do much with subplots, so I became bored and no longer read her work. If you read her novels and like them, you'll like this one. However, after reading some of the other reviews of this book, I would like to add the fact I haven't read the novel where Sebastian was unfaithful to Helena. It upsets me to find it out now. I believe if I had read that particular book, and knew that fact beforehand, it would most likely change my view of this story. If you've never read Ms. Laurens previously, I still feel this would be a good choice to try her out.
Rating:
Summary: Sexy, Sizzling and Sincere
Review: In this prequel to the rest of the Bar Cynster series, we finally meet Sebastian, the 5th Duke of St. Ives. He's wonderfully sexy and just as daring and arrogant as the rest of the Cynster lot. Of course, it's this nature that leads him to steal a kiss from a beautiful woman in a Parisian convent. Seven years later, the Duke comes face to face with Helena de Stansion and instantly recognizes her as the woman he kissed that night. A lush seduction begins between the two. As the passion burns between them, the more Sebastion fights to free it. However, Helene under the thumb of her powerful guardian, unwittingly becomes a pawn in a scheme that could kill any love between her and St. Ives. Again, Laurens provides us with a strong woman being seduced by a handsome, but caring man. And Sebastion makes one heck of a love interest. In true Cynster fashion, Helene and Sebastion when together provide some steamy love scenes. Overall, this book encompasses everything that makes a romance the escape you want. It has witty dialogue, great secondary characters, intrigue and pure sensuality. It's a wonderful addition to the Bar Cynster series!
Rating: 
Summary: I just couldn't get into it!!!
Review: I have loved all of the Cynster novels but I just couldn't get into this one. Knowing that Sebastian is going to be unfaithful to Helena in the future made me unable to get into the book. I mean how can you credit happily ever after when the hero has a child with someone else? That ruined the book for me. I'm with one of the other reveiwers who said that Stephanie Laurens should have had Richard's mother drug Sebastian as Catroina did Richard. That would at least had made the cheating understandable AND made this book something worth reading! All those who love the Cynster novels would do well to give this one a miss.
Rating:
Summary: Nice story but it doesn't work as a prequel
Review: It would be interesting to know how readers who aren't familiar with the Bar Cynster series feel about this prequel. Standing on its own, I'd imagine that it would be considered a top-notch regency romance. As in all of Laurens' books, the hero, Sebastian, is devastatingly handsome, madly in love with the heroine and woes her with single-minded determination. The plot is entertaining, and the love scenes are intense. My problem with the book? It was difficult to accept the heroine, Helena, who appears in the Bar Cynster series as a family matriarch, as a somewhat flighty young girl. Furthermore, the whole love story was tainted for me because of some facts that Bar Cynster fans already know about the conception of Sebastian and Helena's son Scandal. These aren't characters who cried out for their story to be told; in fact, I would have liked this story much better if it had been totally divorced from the Cynsters.
Rating: 
Summary: Bittersweet...
Review: Does Stephanie Laurens really have to write Sebastian and Helena's story? The other Cynster books already gave a preview to their marriage. It's quite a spoiler to know that Sebastian will die before his sons get married (That means he's going to leave Helena and he's not going to see his grandchilden. What decent grandparent wouldn't want to witness the birth of his first grandchild before he die?) then there's the infidelity thing (I mean, he could have fathered Richard against his free will but NO he still have his wits when he did it!). I could certainly rant and rave about this more and give it only 1 star. BUT the story's still good (if you don't know the Cynsters yet). So I gave it a 2 (I still could get over what I know will happen in the future. So I can't give it a 3).
Rating:
Summary: I also couldn't get past Sebastian's future infidelity.
Review: Based on Stephanie Laurens' descriptions of Sebastian and his feelings for Helena, there is NO way he would have cheated. It made the whole story very unbelievable and, frankly, not anything I cared to finish. I stopped about 3/4 of the way through before I just couldn't do it anymore. :) I cannot recommend this book to anyone looking for a good romance.
Rating:
Summary: Betrayal
Review: Having read all of Laurens' admittedly ridiculous, yet addictive books, I was really eager to find out Helena and Sebastian's story. However, like many readers I found the knowledge of Sebastian's future infidelity not only out of character but also contradictory to what (i thought) Laurens was trying to get at: the characters' eternal love. Personally, I thought Laurens would have used the prequel to explain (ADEQUATELY) Sebastian's infidelity. I think it would have been more in character if his little affair with Scandal's mother had occurred before he'd met Helena.
Anyhow, as for the book itself. I found it boring and lacklustre. Instead of completing the Cynster circle, it only contradicted the 'fairy-tale' endings of the other books.
Rating:
Summary: Not Happy!!
Review: O mi God, I couldn't wait to finish the book. It is so boring from the start that I actually felt like throw away the new novel when I reached pg. 220 (It is prety patient of me). What I think of this book is Ballroom, ballroom and ballroom again. And it seems that we are just led to view the sex scenes which is hot... however, the whole story is just so cheap that I think I could just bought any new writer's piece to get the same story....hmmm.. not happy!!
| 
