2.5 stars, maybe 3 Hmmm.... Stephanie Laurens has a definite pattern/formula that she follows. And while her books always have something unique about them, as a reader, I'm starting to get bored by the predictability of the overall story.* Avowed Rake meets Beautiful Spinster - upon meeting, he decides that she's The One.* Beautiful Spinster, considered to be "on the shelf" because she's over the age of 21, has no intentions of marrying. But she's "curious" enough to allow Rake liberties, which begin with kissing, and always progress to The Act.* Rake is stupid enough to think like a typical male and not realize that the words "I Love You" are what Beautiful Spinster needs to hear to believe that he's not just being a "gentleman" and offering for her because she allowed him liberties, including deflowering her. He thinks that ACTIONS are called for, including his overbearing protectiveness, when a MYSTERY surrounds her.In this case, we're dealing with Vane Cynster and Patience Debbington. And while both are quite charming, and the crux of their story is entertaining, there's too much of the USUAL and the MUNDANE thrown in. The MYSTERY is over-blown and always takes far too long to uncover - probably because the Hero and Heroine are so lost in the throes of their passion every few pages, they can't possibly accomplish anything other than making love. Thinking under such hormone duress is just not possible. And no one else of the company is able to solve the mystery without Hero and Heroine, of course!While I'm intrigued by the Cynster family and the germ of each story, I just see too much of a pattern to envision myself enjoying Ms. Laurens' books. Which is really too bad. If I need to a book with lots of steam, I know where to go; unfortunately, steam doesn't a book make - not for me. And there's just too much OTHER STUFF in the way to slog through for me to enjoy these stories. *sigh*
