And Then She Fell audiobook

If you can ignore Ms. Laurens' propensity to say the same thing in ten different ways in the span of a paragraph, especially during her love scenes, then this book is a fine addition to her Cynster series. Harriett Cynster, nicknamed the Matchbreaker for helping other women of her station sniff out their beaus' ulterior motives, finds herself falling in love with James Glossup, one of her victims. When she's made to feel guilty over her interference, James enlists her in helping him compile a list of likely mates from the tons' assortment of debutantes. With the help of a special necklace that's been handed down to Harriet from older Cynster cousins, both she and he realize that what he's looking for is pretty close at hand. The standard Laurens format is present here. What is so good about her books is how quickly you come to love her characters. So despite the ridiculousness of some of her writing (honestly, her books would be much better if she would just tone down her repetitiveness), this one is a must read if you are a fan of the Cynsters.

When ladies of the ton want to know if a man is interested in them or their fortune, they appeal to Henrietta Cynster. Her uncanny ability to strip a relationship down to its bones has earned her the title of Matchbreaker. Unfortunately, her gift for making others happy does not seem to include a happily ever after of her own.James Glossup needs to marry if he is to fulfill the terms of his aunt’s will and be able to care for the tenants on his land. When the infamous Matchbreaker cuts his marital aspirations short, he is furious. He confronts her, determined to put a stop to her meddling. He is shocked to discover she is willing to put aside her matchbreaking for a bout of matchmaking.Henrietta attacks James’s marital goal with all the aplomb of a general preparing for battle. The two of them attend events together with the hope of narrowing the field to one or two prospects. The more time James spends with Henrietta, the more he believes she is the one he has been seeking all along. When Henrietta becomes the target of a murderer trying to cover up his crimes, James knows he must act now or lose the only woman who can make his life complete. Though this book is filled with the vibrant cast of Cynsters from Ms. Laurens’ other novels, you need not read those to enjoy And Then She Fell. This story is actually a bit of a story within a story. Readers are treated to a lovely twist on the "friends as lovers" theme only to be swept into a murder mystery that ends in quite a spectacular climax. A must have for every fan of historical love stories.Kaitlin Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

It has been 8 years since their cousin Anjelica handed the magical pendant to Henrietta, but Henriette has not worn it in years. She doesn’t think she is meant to find a love match, and the pendant is supposed to help her find her one and only hero, the one man who can make her happy in marriage. But Mary is 22 now, and she wants to start her own life, which means Henrietta has to find her husband first, and then she will be able to give Mary the pendant on the evening of her engagement ball, as tradition wants it. She refuses to accept the pendant now, and Henrietta doesn’t have much choice but to start wearing it again, as her little sister is relentless when she wants something. It is apparent that Mary already has her eyes set on a certain gentleman, but she does not want to reveal his name, she wants things done properly, and the pendants acknowledgement. Of course fate doesn’t work that way, but Mary will find that out in her own book.That evening Henrietta has to tell her best friend Melinda Wentworth and her parents what she has found out about Melinda’s latest suitor, James Glossup. Which is not easy, as James is one of her brother Simon’s best friends. But Melissa wants to marry for love, and James is not in love with her. She knows he has to marry to get his great aunts fortune. Which means he is not a fortune hunter, as he has money enough of his own, but he is not after Melinda for love. Melinda is disappointed, as James is a fine figure, but she also did suspect those facts already, or she would not have asked Henrietta to look into things.James though is furious when he finds out that Henrietta meddled in his affairs. He needs to be married before the end of next month, or he will loose his great aunts money, and he needs that to keep up the properties he has inherited from her. Which means he will have to fire all the staff and servants, and he really does not want to do that. He is rich, but not nearly rich enough to pay for everything that is necessary. Of course Henrietta did not know that, and when he explains it to her, she promises to help him find a suitable bride. With Henrietta’s guidance, he quickly gets access to the right kind of ladies, and he won’t be shunned when it gets known that the Wentworths have rejected him. Henrietta and James have known each other for many years, as he is her brother’s best friend. But they never spend much time together, so they don’t really know the other. And now that they are planning and plotting and going out together to find him a suitable bride, there is this unsuspected attraction between them. To his own surprise, James enjoys her company, Henrietta is a smart and elegant young lady, and with 29 used to going her own way. She doesn’t need to be chaperoned by her family anymore, and goes out into society on her own. Dangerous accidents are happening to Henrietta, but luckily James is there to safe her. And when they find out that a dangerous murdered is after Henrietta, as he thinks she might recognize him, they need the whole family to keep her safe and find this killer.I really enjoyed this story. It read much easier than her previous books, as though she has changed her writing style a little. Less difficult words, and less time spend just thinking. I like this change a lot.I liked Henrietta, she is very sensible and 29 years, which is firmly on the shelf in that time, but she enjoys her life. Finding a man to love was not on her to-do list at all. I like reading about older heroines in my books, although the sassy debutantes are fun as well. But Henrietta knows what she wants from life, and how to get it. She knows her place in society and uses that to help others find a love match. She is known as the Match Breaker, but she also approves a lot of matches. James was never in a hurry to marry, which is why his great aunt put that stipulation in her last will. So now he has to hurry and find himself a bride, and one who will agree to be married really soon. He though Melissa would suit him, but he did not know she was after a love match. Nor did he tell her the truth about his own reasons. And while Henrietta is busy making a short list of suitable brides for him, he just wants to put her name on it. But he doesn’t want to scare her away by being too hasty. He will just invent reasons why those women won’t suit him at all. But when Henrietta is in danger, all his protective instincts come to the fore, and he just knows she is his. Now he will have to convince Henrietta of this fact. I loved seeing the whole family including Barnaby and Inspector Stokes rally around them, tying to catch the killer. And he really is a cold blooded psychopath, who managed to surprise me in his cunning ways. I am looking forward to the next book.9 stars.© 2013 Reviews by Aurian Full review on my blog, www.boeklogboek.blogspot.com

Oh my goodness. It has been some time since I read a Cynster book, and after reading this one all I want to do is to go find all the stories of the older cousins the Bar Cynsters. I had faithfully read all the Cynster books till the Cynsters Sisters Trilogy, when for what ever reason I just dropped the ball and missed those- so now I'm off to find and read those book.This book like the others takes you back to the 1800s London, and you get transported to that time period with this book. I have always loved that about these book its to easy to get lost in that time period. With Simons younger sister Henrietta, who has made a name for herself as the Matchbreaker. She has the uncanny ability to find out truths that others want to be hidden. So her peers have turned to her to find out if that particular someone who is courting then is really the one for them. Since most want a love match, they usually want to know if the gentleman really loves them or is only after their money or something else. So Henrietta has become a great friend to the ladies but someone that the gentlemen don't always like because she has thwarted many marriage plans due to her knowledge. But Henrietta is also quick to point out that she has helped many couples to the alter too by her information gathering.In this case though Henrietta is helping out a close friend Melinda learn why James Glossup is really courting her, its not the love match that Melinda really wants. But what Henrietta later learns is that James really does need to marry, or else those people who depend on him for their lively hood might just find themselves in deep trouble do to James an inheritance from his grandaunt. So Henrietta decides to find James a wife that will really work for him, because she sees that James is really trying his best to take care of those who he is ultimately responsible for. So Henrietta and James spend a lot of time together combing the eligible ladies who might be right for James. During this time they both start to fall for each other, but due to their relationshop it takes a lot for them to really admit it to themselves and then to the other person. Add into the mix the 'accidents' that are happening to Henrietta where James is forced to come to her rescue. This is a really good story, the characters, both the new ones and our old favorites are as likable and as interesting as ever. There is plenty or mystery, intrigue, suspense, romance and even murder to keep you turning the page. This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...A wonderful romance! And Then She Fell was a sweet, lovely historical romance that I really enjoyed. Henrietta was a brilliant heroine. She's a little different in the world of historical romance. Her reputation of "The Matchbreaker" makes her a go-to for any bride that wants to know if her fiance is being honest. Obviously, Henrietta is very clever. But, not only that, she was also a very strong heroine when she got caught in the middle of a murder mystery. I especially liked that she wasn't one of the heroines that was in denial about being in love for most of the book. Once she realized that she loved James, she knew and she did everything she could to win him over. I really liked her-she was lovely.James was just as marvelous. He has to marry to inherit land that his grandmother left him or all the people working the property would be out of jobs. He immediately comes off as a perfect love interest. For one, his motives for inheriting his property were entirely unselfish. And he continues to prove himself as a swoon-worthy hero. He is very sweet and very clever in dealing with the murderer. I really adored him.Henrietta and James were very sweet together. They realize early on that they are in love with each other and it doesn't take long for them to admit it. They were mostly a sweet couple, just a sprinkle of spice but it was enough to keep things interesting.The plot was okay. It moved quickly, for the most part. But, about halfway through, the plot stalled for a few chapters. It wasn't terrible, but it did keep me from being totally invested in the story the whole time. But, everything else was brilliant. The issue of James looking for a wife and the two characters getting together was resolved about a third of the way through. The other two thirds was about the couple dealing with a murderer who is coming after Henrietta in a murder mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. That was brilliantly done. The culprit ended up being someone I never would have guessed. The ending was lovely, nice and sweet.And Then She Fell is a wonderful historical romance, one that I would recommend to any lover of the genre!*Thanks to Edelweiss and Avon for a copy!

Everyone heroine needs a hero to stand by her sideEvery Cynster family member had a specific role to play and did so with grace. Henrietta was known for her ability to unmake the wrong match as love was in the air and needed to be in a marriage as well. When Henrietta thought a match for James Glossup was a mistake she stated her case and the young woman walked. However, James needs a timely match and Henrietta is going to make not break this man’s heart.However, the match that is made surprises everyone but Henrietta and James who may have freely spoken to others but held their affection for each other silently. The only problem now is Henrietta has to stay alive long enough to make both their dreams come true. Henrietta is not sure whom she saw one foggy night but that person is convinced she can identify them and whatever it takes to stop her will be done. Love is a rocky and bumpy road but it is not usually connected with actual rocks being hurled at you!Stephanie Laurens fills the pages of her books with charming characters and fabulous love stories that bring a sigh to your lips.

I really liked this one! The heroine in here, Henrietta Cynster, was so completely different from any of the other heroines in this series. She didn't feel the need to go off on her own and do something without telling her guy, she didn't balk at the idea of getting married after being thoroughly compromised (and she knew what she was doing when it happened), and she didn't insist on waiting to hear him say "I love you" and spend an endless amount of time wondering if he did. And best of all....THERE WERE NO LESSONS!!!! (my buddy read friends know exactly what I'm talking about :) )

Toda a gente está farta de saber que sou super fã de romances históricos e quando a editora Harper Collins publicou este não resisti e tive de o pedir. Agradeço desde já pela amabilidade em cedermo-lo ❤Nunca tinha lido nada desta escritora e agora já estou atenta aos livros que ela publicou e vai publicar pois fiquei fascinada pela sua escrita e pela sua imaginação. Tem uma escrita fluída e tornou este livro mais que um cliché, trouxe uma história não só com um romance, mas com um assassino à solta, com pistas espalhadas pelo livro todo até finalmente chegarmos ao verdadeiro culpado.Divertido, cativante, romântico, mágico e misterioso, impossível pousá-lo, só descansei quando terminei e isso foi em pouquíssimos dias.Embora a história se concentre em Henrieta e ... (continuar a ler em https://nerdechique.wordpress.com/201...)

Gostei bastante desta historia!Uma trama apelativa e que se lê bastante bem. A historia em si, não acrescenta nada de novo, mas a autora, com uma trama simples, conseguir captivar o leitor, página após página, até ao desfecho e claro como não podia deixar de ser, ao felizes para sempre.Deixa em aberto a sequela... que já fiquei curiosa de ler. :)

5 ESTRELAS!!Adoro cada vez mais esta autora. QUERO LER TUDO DELA!!!!

Posted on Les Romantiques - Le forum du siteReviewed by FabiolaReview Copy from the PublisherI love Stephanie Laurens’ books. She has not been translated into French since 2003, and I regret it very much! She writes light romances with nice characters and reminds me of Robyn Carr and her Virgin River series, there is just less drama with Stephanie Laurens.And Then She Fell is part of a very long series composed of two “seasons”. It’s about the famous Cynster family. This book is #4 of the second season and I think the #5 will also be the final one, because Henrietta, our heroine, has just one more unmarried sister.The book also marks my return to Stephanie Laurens and before saying more about it, I can tell you I don’t regret reading it. :)The only problem I had is that a lot of characters are spoken of in And Then She Fell, who were heroes of previous books. But it’s just a small detail because, in fact, they do have an important role in the story and are here to prove that no Cynster is alone while facing a difficult situation. The author shows us how important it is to have a big family, which we can count on.A very good point for me: And Then She Fell can be read as a stand-alone. I didn’t read the other ones but, nevertheless, didn’t sense a void. Curious readers will probably throw themselves on the previous volumes, but readers who haven’t got a lot of time can postpone reading them.There are two parts in this story.The first one is about the burgeoning feelings between the hero and heroine; the second one concerns the investigation of attempted murders on Henrietta.By the way, I loved the heroine’s reaction about that, because she never takes decisions alone, never puts herself in jeopardy and always listens to other people before acting. :)The plot is very good. Initially, we don’t know that the heroine is in danger, then we wonder if she is because of James, or because of her former activities as a Matchbreaker, and once we know the motive for the attempted murders, we still don’t know who the villain is until the end. Congratulations to Stephanie Laurens for that.There is also some originality, but I can’t say anything more, because I don’t want to reveal an important event. :) And of course, there is also some humor.I loved the main characters because they know what they want. We have a hero who needs to marry and a heroine, called the Matchbreaker, who agrees to help him find a bride. Normally, I’m not fond of this kind of plot because it brings a lot of tension when the hero courts another woman and the heroine must hide her feelings. In this book, they are already acquainted (James is an old friend of the Cynster family), they realize quickly that they are made for each other and act accordingly.Their first hot scene is well brought up and described. Even if the other scenes are skimmed over, the sensuality between James and Henrietta is very present, in their glances and the way they touch each other. After I closed the book, I believed in their true love and their future together.I loved this book and I recommend it to readers who like a cool reading, without conflicts between the hero and heroine, who are also surrounded by a loving family and friends. A bit of kindness in a brutal world, it’s a good thing from time to time. :)

Very good book. Henrietta has made a reputation for herself as a "matchbreaker" by helping young women discover if their suitors are courting them honestly. When she breaks up the potential match of her brother's best friend James, he is furious. He needs to marry by the end of the month in order to retain his inheritance and keep all the people on his estates employed. Henrietta offers to help him find a suitable bride in time for his needs. Henrietta is twenty-nine years old and has never been in love. She believes she is one Cynster who is destined not to fall. She feels guilty when she finds out why James is so desperate to find a wife and offers to help him. As she works with him to find out who would suit she discovers that she is attracted to him but believes it is only her that feels that way. She finds it harder and harder to look for someone else to marry him when she wants him for herself. When she is plagued by several suspicious accidents James is the one who saves her. I really enjoyed her independent practical look at life. She is secure in her position as a Cynster but doesn't lord it over people. She loves James deeply and is willing to do whatever it takes to keep him safe.James is furious at Henrietta's interference. She is his best friend's younger sister and he can't believe she would do that to him. When he confronts her she offers to help him and he takes her up on it. As they spend time together at events, trying to find him a suitable spouse, he begins to realize that the only woman he wants is Henrietta. He just has to figure out how to convince her because she doesn't appear to be thinking the same way. When she is nearly killed in an "accident" they admit their feelings and make plans to marry. But to do that they have to find out who is trying to kill Henrietta.The second half of the book deals mostly with the search for the person who is trying to kill Henrietta. They bring in the other Cynsters to help, but that doesn't work. The murderer is part of their world and seems to be very intelligent and devious enough to evade their attempts to find out who he is. I loved the final confrontation where, once again, the women are the ones to come up with the successful plan because the men are just too heavy-handed. There was enough tension in that final push to keep me up well past my bedtime in order to finish the book.

While I’ve read few other romances, I would still bet that the writing style in this book is typical of well-written books in the genre. The plot, however, seemed pretty unique. First, our heroine’s goal was definitely not to get married (a difference from many of Lauren’s other books, I think). Something Lauren’s seems to do a lot, but which I didn’t expect in a romance, is adding an element of mystery. This allowed the book to last longer and the reader to enjoy the main characters’ romance without artificially stretching out the formation of that relationship. It wouldn’t make me recommend the book to a fan of the mystery genre though, as the reader’s are never presented with enough information to solve the mystery themselves.Despite the mystery, the book still felt a little drawn out to me. There were two or three sex scenes with nearly identical descriptions, where I’d have been happier with one. Lengthy discussions of what to do next could also have been eliminated. And please save me from descriptions of heroes with eyes “like chips of adamantine agate”. That said, I definitely enjoyed this book enough to read more in the series. The slow burn of the romance was brilliantly executed. I loved the choice to let us know a little of what James was thinking as well so we could see both characters’ feelings evolve. The regency setting was everything I could have hoped for. At least one real person made an appearance, which I always appreciate in historical fiction. And best of all the fantasy of living in such a society with balls and romance is, if unrealistic, still unspeakably appealing.This review first published on Doing Dewey.

I'm so used to the different detailed styles of Stephanie Laurens that this one was a surprise, in a good way though. It didn't so much focus on the intimate scenes. Rather it focused on the love connection between the two characters rather than lust and desire. Although I'm sure it would have been even better had Laurens focused on ALL aspects of the book, I would have given it 5 stars! Because damn it, I love me some styled scenes of intimacy between two amazing characters!Henrietta and James are really good together. Though I just applaud James because he wasn't so much a wolf of the ton, but a nice guy. Of course, that wolf aspect was there, but thank Goodness Laurens didn't stuff that phrase in after every two minutes.All in all, a great Laurens book!