The Tempting of Thomas Carrick (Cynsters, #22) by Stephanie Laurens
Historical Romance
Paperback
February 24, 2015
Mira

Reviewed by Tori

Thomas Carrick is determined to make his own life in the bustling port city of Glasgow, far from the demands of the Carrick clan, eventually with an appropriate wife on his arm. But disturbing events on his family’s estate force Thomas to return to the Scottish countryside—where he is forced to ask for help from the last woman he wants to face. Thomas has never forgotten Lucilla Cynster and the connection that seethes between them, but to marry Lucilla would mean embracing a life he’s adamant is not for him.

Strong-willed and passionate, Lucilla knows Thomas is hers—her fated lover, husband, protector, mate. He is the only man for her, just as she is his one true love. How can he ignore a bond stronger than reason and choose a different path? She’s determined to fight for their future, and while she cannot command him, she has enticements of her own to wield when it comes to tempting Thomas Carrick. (Goodreads)

Stephanie Laurens’ newest installment, The Tempting of Thomas Carrick, is the next generation of Cynsters and the twenty-second book in the series. For those familiar with the series, Lucilla Cynster is the daughter to Catriona and Richard (Scandal’s Bride, #3). We are now focusing on the happily ever afters of the children.

Lucilla Cynster, like her mother, and her mother before her, are all healers bound to the Lady of the Vale. A deity of sorts to whom this branch of the family worships. Lucilla met her one true love, Thomas Carrick, years ago but he has yet to accept their fated destiny. When he arrives at her estate, begging her help for a family of crofters who has succumbed to a mysterious illness on his family’s estate, Lucilla views this as the perfect opportunity to cement her bond with her future husband.

Thomas Carrick may have been born to the Clan Carrick but he has made a life in Glasgow and is determined to remain there. When he is summoned back to the Clan over some changes in management, he finds things unsettled. Seeing Lucilla Cynster again further unsettles him as he has run from the connection they have shared since first meeting her. He doesn’t believe in fate or destiny and when the problems at home are solved, he plans on running again.

A fan of Ms. Laurens’ since she penned and published her first romance, her Cynster series has always held a special place on my bookshelf. A family that excels with deliciously dominant men whose demands and arrogance only serves to make their fall more entertaining and the intelligent, graceful women whose wit and resources allows them to graciously let the men think the chase was all their idea. Consummate humor, intrigue, passion, and heartache have kept me coming back for years. With twenty-two books in all, there have been a few that weren’t quite as engaging as others. The Tempting of Thomas Carrick unfortunately falls onto that list.

This book failed for me on all levels. Lauren pens a weak mystery involving Clan Carrick that is almost completely obliterated by the romance.  Laurens blends the two together, using the mystery to help push the hero and heroine’s relationship in the direction she wishes them to take. The problem is the mystery and secondary characters surrounding it can’t compete against the hero and hero. Thomas and Lucilla are the focal point and their romance takes precedence. We get strong clues and informative scenes only to be dragged back into the romance and the connection readers need is lost. It’s all tell and not show. Also, seeing this develop only from Lucilla and Thomas eyes hinders some of the subplots.

The romance also fails for me. I couldn’t connect with our hero and heroine at all.  They are almost puppet like in their actions and feelings. No real emotion could be felt from them. It’s all revealed very methodically. The chemistry between them is flat except in bed, and that is mainly due to the overly flowery prose and descriptive phrasing that Laurens suffers from occasionally. Everything Lucilla does, every plan she makes to bring Thomas to heel, is because her goddess has told her he is the one for her. She never convinced me she really cared anything for him on a personal level. And how could she? She doesn’t really know him. While she does occasionally make an off-hand comment on his “wide shoulders and strong thighs”, there are no convincing internal dialogue waxing poetic to his looks, his personality, or even his work ethic. In fact, I’m not even sure she knows what he does for a living. Everything Lucilla feels or wants circles back to the Lady and her “prediction.” Bland almost analytical dialogue between them only serves to reinforce the lack of emotion. Thomas isn’t anymore forth coming. He makes the obligatory remarks to her hair, eyes, and figure but we don’t hear anything complimentary about her in regards to her personality or healing skills.

Laurens tries to use their burgeoning relationship to define Lucilla and Thomas, giving them the depth and emotional maturity they both seem to be missing on a personal level. However, the plan backfires in my opinion. The entire book is unbelievably tepid. No true emotion is seen anywhere. These are the most  dispassionate characters I’ve ever seen. Even in thought they are calm, cool, and collected.  What I missed most was the impetuous nature of the past that has always been a huge part of this series. The Cynsters live and love hard with lots of shouting, raging, loving, and laughter but in here, non of that was seen.

We are left to continue along in the vein of Lucilla plotting and weaving her web and Thomas constantly denies their attraction while tidbits of the conflict leak through, giving readers a vague indication of what and who are causing the troubles concerning Thomas’s family. A single event pushes Thomas into Lucilla’s arms, creating a domino effect that solves the mystery and surrounding subplots.

Though I will always remain a fan of Lauren’s earlier works, The Tempting of Thomas Carrick for me was anything but tempting or even interesting.

RATING: D

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