A CONQUEST IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST is the seventh book in the Cynster Next Generation series by Stephanie Laurens. If there's one thing Prudence Cynster knows, it's horses. On the hunt for quality horses for her family's renowned stables and breeding program, Pru's search takes her to Ireland and Glengarah Castle. Deaglan Fitzgerald, Earl of Glengarah, is devilishly handsome and throwing out some serious "Mr. Rochester" vibes to make romance readers swoon. Rather than just evaluating horses, Pru and Deaglan end up evaluating each other and falling in love during the process.
Like many stories by Stephanie Laurens, there is both mystery and romance in A CONQUEST IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST, though the romance shines through before the mystery presents itself. Stephanie Laurens is one of the few authors I know of who can balance mystery and romance equally for an entertaining story, and she does it again with this tale of love and horses. Prudence Cynster comes from a family of wealth and privilege, but one that understands and appreciates talent and hard work -- both of which she has. Although Pru could easily sit back and do nothing more than enjoy her family's wealth and attend various entertainments in high society, she prefers to work at something she loves. Horses are a vital part of her life and her family's. Her family trusts her to go on a scouting expedition to Ireland to look over the Earl of Glengarah's horses and determine whether a deal should be brokered. What Pru finds is a man with the same appreciation for horses and who values family as much as she does. I love stories in which the hero and heroine have a lot in common and work together to solve a problem or defeat some villain. Although Pru and Deaglan are ostensibly on opposite sides of the negotiating table, they recognize each other as equals and combine their mental powers to unmask the figures behind all the trouble on Deaglan's estate. The sexual tension and evocative setting of the Irish countryside and castle create a compelling picturesque world for readers to get lost in.
A CONQUEST IMPOSSIBLE TO RESIST is a tale of horses, scoundrels, and a dazzling mix of romance and mystery. Prudence Cynster is another in a long line of shrewd and confident heroines written by Stephanie Laurens, and Deaglan is a hero worthy of her. This is an absorbing mystery to curl up with on a rainy day and delight in. As always, I can't wait to read the next Stephanie Laurens historical romance.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie
Laurens returns to the Cynsters’ next generation to bring
you a thrilling tale of love, intrigue, and fabulous horses.A notorious rakehell with a stable of fabulous
Thoroughbreds and a lady on a quest to locate such horses
must negotiate personal minefields to forge a greatly
desired alliance—one someone is prepared to murder to
prevent.
Prudence Cynster has turned her back on husband hunting in
favor of horse hunting. As the head of the breeding program
underpinning the success of the Cynster racing stables,
she’s on a quest to acquire the necessary horses to refresh
the stable’s breeding stock.
On his estranged father’s death, Deaglan Fitzgerald, now
Earl of Glengarah, left London and the hedonistic life of a
wealthy, wellborn rake and returned to Glengarah Castle
determined to rectify the harm caused by his father’s
neglect. Driven by guilt that he hadn’t been there to
protect his people during the Great Famine, Deaglan holds
against the lure of his father’s extensive collection of
horses and, leaving the stable to the care of his brother,
Felix, devotes himself to returning the estate to prosperity.
Deaglan had fallen out with his father and been exiled from
Glengarah over his drive to have the horses pay their way.
Knowing Deaglan’s wishes and that restoration of the estate
is almost complete, Felix writes to the premier Thoroughbred
breeding program in the British Isles to test their interest
in the Glengarah horses.
On receiving a letter describing exactly the type of horses
she’s seeking, Pru overrides her family’s reluctance and
sets out for Ireland’s west coast to visit the now-reclusive
wicked Earl of Glengarah. Yet her only interest is in his
horses, which she cannot wait to see.
When Felix tells Deaglan that a P. H. Cynster is about to
arrive to assess the horses with a view to a breeding
arrangement, Deaglan can only be grateful. But then P. H.
Cynster turns out to be a lady, one utterly unlike any other
he’s ever met.
Yet they are who they are, and both understand their world.
They battle their instincts and attempt to keep their
interactions businesslike, but the sparks are incandescent
and inevitably ignite a sexual blaze that consumes them
both—and opens their eyes.
But before they can find their way to their now-desired
goal, first one accident, then another distracts them.
Someone, it seems, doesn’t want them to strike a deal. Who? Why?
They need to find out before whoever it is resorts to the
ultimate sanction.