All About Love

February 1, 2001
In the sixth installment of Laurens's series of Regency-set romances involving the devilish men of the Cynster family (A Secret Love, etc.), the familiar "curse" that causes the Cynster men to fall in love with and marry independent women comes into play once again. Alasdair Reginald Cynster, widely known as Lucifer, arrives at the country home of his mentor, Horatio Welham, only to discover he's been murdered. Knocked unconscious himself, the last thing Lucifer feels before he blacks out is a woman's touch. When he awakens, he is at the family home of Phyllida Tallent, his angel of mercy. Although Phyllida and Lucifer join forces to solve Horatio's murder, Phyllida conceals a secret that she is unwilling to reveal despite a growing attraction to her handsome new companion. As for Lucifer, once he's recovered from his initial distaste at being in love, he sets about wooing Phyllida, and only her determination to remain independent keeps them apart. Phyllida and Lucifer are rich, engaging characters, and Laurens's writing shines. Loyal fans of the series will also be pleased to note that Devil and Demon, protagonists from the previous novels, make an appearance as well. (Feb. 6) Forecast: Laurens is quickly building a name with this exceptional series, and her growing number of fans will eagerly pluck this one off the shelves. With her skill at depicting strong female leads, she also is likely to attract a number of contemporary romance readers.