I like both characters and how they interact, she's strong enough to stand up to him and it was entertaining.

This is more a 3.5 rating for me but I will round it up to 4 since GR doesn't have half-stars.

I liked this book but I didn't love it as much as I loved Devil's Bride. Patience got on my nerves a few times-she was too much in her head and I just wanted her to TALK to Vane. The mystery was cool-it felt like Clue at times which is one of my fave movies ever (without all the crazy humor though! LOL). At times Patience could be kinda snobby but I think that was her more protecting herself than anything else. If you read this and the middle starts to drag just trust me and stick with it. The talk that Minnie and Vane have is great and I loved seeing Devil and Honoria, and the baby for that matter. Actually it was great to see all the Cynsters! Can't wait to read Scandal's story next!

★★★☆☆ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Ugh. Maybe I read this too soon after the first one of The Cynster Sisters Trilogy, but I didn’t enjoy Eliza and Jeremy’s story as much. Way too repetitious. Same narrator as the first one, Matthew Brenher, whom I loved. Nevertheless, this time around even he sounds bored. Poor sod.

In the first one the mysterious laird was interesting and intriguing. Now he’s just TSTL and with too much internal dialogue which proves him TSTL, as he wasn’t considering the things he should. In the first one, his following Heather (to make sure she was all right) made sense; he really didn’t know who took her from the inn. In this one... not so much! He knows Eliza was rescued. The only thread to her safety is HIM! Duh! Well, him and Scropes -- who wouldn’t be following Eliza & Jeremy if the laird hadn’t shown him the way. That, and the fact that Scropes is whack-a-doodle. Maybe the laird should set him up with his mother?

Speaking of the mysterious laird’s mother, if the author mentions one more time about her obsession -- with no hint as to why she, too, is whack-a-doodle with revenge -- I’m going to write her an “Excuse me, I got it. You’re not going to tell us until Book #3. Roger that...” letter.

I also think another kidnapping was a mistake because Scropes is too sinister. I didn’t like how he attacked Eliza to get her to take the laudanum. This makes the laird’s plans more sinister, and I really didn't want to go there. It makes the laird TSTL to not realize he is putting any young lady at risk and at the mercy of whichever evil kidnapper he hires. I mean, in a court of law, if any thing happened to Eliza, he'd be held more accountable than Scropes, it doesn’t matter his “intent to take good care of her.” This just accents this even more.

In addition, I think it was a BIG mistake to have Eliza taken from Heather’s engagement ball right off of Cynster property. There is NO way, given what we know of the Cynsters thus far, that they wouldn’t be armed to the gills. Totally ruins the mystic of the powerful, intelligent, dangerous Cynsters. I was with Susan, a member of our “buddy read.” I was totally expecting Devil to find Eliza and save her. Sure, she gets a note and follows it, but considering there is a kidnapper looking specifically for a young Cynster female? Just makes her TSTL, too.

I love a good “road trip,” but this one was too much of “if we go this way, then X, if we go that way, then Y.” I mean a lot of it.

Still, some tender interaction between a sweet heroine and a beta hero.

TSTL = Too Stupid To Live

3.5 stars

I loved the romance ,it was one of the best in the series. the hero was unique , none of that "can't confess my love" stuff .
But the action and plot weren't good. The first half was identical to the previous book and the second half was boring and tedious and there were so many characters from other SL books in it ,it was confusing.
Overall ,a very good book .