In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster
2 Stars

Series note: As the plot focusing on the kidnapping of a Cynster sister continues, this trilogy should be read in order.

Unfortunately, the storyline is almost a verbatim repeat of the first installment only this time Eliza and Jeremy are traipsing all over Scotland to avoid a maniacal kidnapper (unlike the pleasant kidnappers from book 1). Moreover, the fact that Eliza just happens to encounter a person she knows on a lonely road in the wilds of Scotland requires more than a healthy suspension of disbelief.

In terms of the romance, Eliza and Jeremy have absolutely no chemistry and their sex scenes are mechanical rather than sensual.

Even the appearance of some of my favorite SL couples - Royce and Minerva, Honoria and Devil - couldn't save this travesty.

The only interesting character is the enigmatic laird and I really hope his book doesn't turn out to be a dud! ( )

Trossachs describes the book. Further rehashing of the Cynster family with a travelogue of southern Scotland thrown in. Poor

0.5 star from me; three from her ( )

I love Stephanie Lauren's writing style!!! And i adore these characters :) ( )

The mysterious Scottish Laird is at again and has Eliza Cynster abducted from her sister's engagement party at her brother's home. Realizing that she is in the same predicament that her sister had faced, Eliza, trying to stay calm, endeavors to formulate a plan to seek help.

When the carriage is slowed by narrowness of the road, Eliza sees a familiar face and cries out even though her words can't be heard. The other rider continues on and reflects on what the saw and realizes that the frightened woman was Eliza Cynster. Carefully backtracking, Sir Jeremy Carling devises a plan to rescue and return Eliza to her family, but the captors have other ideas and their pursuit is constant and unrelenting.

I enjoyed the story and the romance evolution, the Cynster always are a great story ( )

Really liked a lot of this book...until the last quarter of the novel or so. Once the danger had passed, the hero and heroine's internal "I-love-him-but-he-needs-to-realize-he-loves-me-first" and "I-love-her-but-don't-want-to-tell-her-until-I-can-figure-out-if-she-loves-me-first-oh-how-can-I-possibly-do-this" struggles (gosh, I don't know--ASK HER???) just seemed to draw the whole thing out unnecessarily. It almost felt as if there were a word or page count Laurens had to reach before she could call it quits on this one--or is that just my own end-of-Nanowrimo mindset showing? Regardless, it was a really good story until Jeremy and Eliza downgraded into sheer dithery silliness. Honestly, for two people who were so take-charge and let's-get-it-done for so much of the book, it seemed like they each took giant steps backward at that point. Oh, well. I'm still on the waiting list for Heather's book (first in the trilogy) and have definite plans to read Anglica's regardless--hopefully the mysterious laird will not disappoint in book three. ( )