A Family of His Own: Library Edition

Cynster Next Generation #14

by Stephanie Laurens, Matthew Brenher (narrator)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to the quintessential question of what family means to a Cynster in this tale of the last unmarried member of the Cynster Next Generation and the final mission that opens his eyes.

Toby Cynster is not amused when informed that his new mission is to be his last in the shadowy service of Drake, Marquess of Winchelsea. Courtesy of Toby being the last unmarried Cynster of his generation and the consequent martial obsession of his female relatives, he will be given no more excuses to avoid society and, instead, expected to devote himself to finding a suitable bride. But Toby sees no point in marrying—thanks to his siblings, he has plenty of nephews and nieces with whom to play favorite uncle, and he has no thoughts of establishing a family of his own.

But then the mission takes an unexpected turn, leaving Toby to escort the irritatingly fascinating Diana Locke plus the three young children of a dying Englishman from Vienna to England.

Diana is no more enthused about their journey than Toby, but needs must, and forever practical, she bows to events and makes the best of things for her godchildren’s sakes. She’s determined to see them to safety in England and does her best to ignore her nonsensical and annoying awareness of Toby.

But then their journey becomes a flight from deadly pursuit, and their most effective disguise is to pass themselves off as a family—the sort of family Toby had been certain he would never want. Through a succession of fraught adventures, Toby, Diana, and the children lean on each other and grow and mature while furthering their ultimate aim of reaching England safely, and along the way, Toby and Diana both learn what having a family actually means to them, individually and together, and each discovers the until-then-missing foundation stone of their future lives.

A classic historical adventure romance that sprawls across Europe to end in the leafy depths of the English countryside. A Cynster Next Generation novel. A full-length historical romance of 108,000 words.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction, Regency Romance

Audio CD

First published March 14, 2024

About the author

Stephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Stephanie and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.

Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.

After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.

Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.

Reviews

[LaShawn Wiltz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so listen

I’ve been reading Stephanie Laurens since the very first Cynster novels so about 20 years now and I SWEAR they used to have more actual sex in them 😜

And those sex scenes were always a little more ..vivid? Than they are in her last few books

Now don’t get me wrong, the actual story telling is still top tier. Since the bastion club series I’ve always loved a mystery or a bit of danger along with my love story and sex scenes!

I mean I don’t need smut but I need what we had around the Beyond Seduction years and before the Black Cobra series and back to the Cynster sisters series

Now it’s just a bunch of flowery words? I mean it’s beautifully written but I miss the way she used to write love scenes.

Still a good read but.. yeah .

[Marian Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Catheters are one of my favorite families

I have enjoyed all the Cynster books from the start. Toby's story is great. I love the family connection they have. Toby meets the right lady finally and ties the knot. They have many adventures with their wee little charges. I laughed and I cried so it is a wonderful story.

[Teddi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best of the series. The chase was really fun and honestly this is the only one of the whole series I would enjoy as a miniseries. The children were wonderful.

[Annette Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a spy/mystery/romance combo! Also liked the race across Europe in the lesser-traveled areas. Wonderful story to closed out this generation of Cynsters.

[Anne-Mammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, there is a feeling of coming to the end of this series. which by Book 14 feels rather tired . The plot is pretty non descript and although Toby is a likeable character, a true Cynster who makes everything right, the other adults are pretty lack lustre. The children are rather too good to be true. Occasionally, there is some tension but at the same time the reader knows all will be well in the end. The all important family trope is rather overdone and encountering previous Cynsters in the last few pagesas well as the odd allusions to Toby's younger days which brought back previous books to mind: Pru in Ireland, the Scottish episodes for example, do not make up for the rather dreary previous pages. Stephanie says she will now focus on more mysteries from the Cases of Barnaby Adair, well, they have been uneven. Let's hope his next case is one of the better one.

[Barbara Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara’s rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Cynster Next Generation #14
Publication Date: 3/14/24
Period: Victorian
Number of Pages: 428

I read the book and I listened to the audiobook. The audio is excellently narrated. The flow is smooth and seamless and the narrator's voice very pleasant.

Well, we’ve come to the end of this Cynster generation – and the end of this series. Not sure when, or if, there will be an additional Cynster series, but they are about to cross the mark into the 1900s and I’m not sure I’ll be interested in those. The author is going back to add more books to the Casebook of Barnaby Adair series and I am happy to see that because I really enjoyed those.

Toby, the last unmarried Cynster of his generation, is now undertaking his last mission for the Crown. Talk about miffed – not only is Drake, Marquess of Wilchelsea, buckling to pressure from all of the Cynster ladies who want Toby married, but he is also sending him on a babysitting mission. So, rather than ending his career with an exciting mission, he’ll be escorting a doctor, his daughter, and a packet of intercepted German dispatches back from Vienna. Ho-Hum!

However, by the time he makes it to Vienna, he finds everything has changed. The doctor is deceased, perhaps not naturally, and both the Germans and the Austrians are trying to retrieve the packet of dispatches. Heinrich Maier, an Austrian, is a longtime foe of Toby’s and is almost as good as Toby. While the Austrians are a threat to the mission, it is the Germans who are dangerous. The two German agents operate by force and brute strength rather than intellect.

The babysitting mission Toby expected turns out to be as exciting as he’d want his last mission to be. That certainly wouldn’t be a problem except he is now escorting the doctor’s daughter and three children she refused to leave behind. Their escape through Austria, Germany, and Italy is fraught with danger. It also has a delightful set of children who make the book – you will love them. You’ll also love the descriptions of the beautiful countryside – and the idyllic time spent hiding on a lovely island in a beautiful Italian lake.

It was lovely to see Toby – who always wanted to be the bachelor uncle to his nieces and nephews – find the true meaning of family and love. I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I also hope you are looking forward to those new Barnaby Adair books starting in July 2024. Happy Reading!

[Cunningham Sandra Chamber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books and I hope that more is to come💜💖💜

Diana turned her head to the left, to where, on the lawn, little Dominica Barbero was playing dolls with Evelyn. Shifting her gaze farther, Diana took in the row of five narrow male backs lined up along the seawall. Pietro, Franco, and Enrico had been delighted to learn that Roland and Bryce were back, and the five were now fishing, much more quietly and seriously than had been the case a year ago. Smiling to herself, she lay back and closed her eyes. Life was good. She and Toby now had four children, and they loved them all. Ten minutes later, Toby, having returned from a successful fishing expedition with Giovanni, wandered out of the house and halted on the patio. He drank in the sight of his wife cradling their equally somnolent son, then raised his gaze and took note of his other children playing and fishing. There were moments when he looked at them all and felt so intensely proud and blessed he could barely contain the emotion. Times when the reality of what family truly meant crashed through him. Finally, he had learned what his siblings and cousins had for so long tried to explain. Family mattered. It was a living, breathing entity and, to him, meant more than anything else in the world and always would. Of course, he’d known and accepted that about the Cynster family as a whole. What had taken him much longer to understand was that the crux of his personal happiness lay in having a wonderful, joyous family of his own. A family exactly like the one waiting for him today. With a smile wreathing his face, he walked forward to embrace it.

[Rosemarie Grainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb ending to an era...the last Cynster Next Generation book is a winner!

Toby is sent to Vienna for his final mission to bring Diana and her father back to England with some important documents from Prussia. Unfortunately, the father had died before Toby got there, but Diana is willing to go with him after they find the documents. In a striking twist of fate 3 young children also need to be guided to England. Now Toby has to safely guide Diana, the children and the documents to England with Austrian and vicious Prussian agents trying to catch them and seize the documents. During this fraught journey, Toby will learn a lot about himself. Can he get everyone and everything safely to England. Or will his final mission be his last of anything?

The pace is fast and the tone is uncertain yet hopeful with an action and character oriented storyline that has some steamy scenes but not a ton of details. The characters are vibrant and engaging, especially the children. They are as key to the story as Toby and Diana, and very well drawn. This is the final book in Cynster Next Generation series. I heave a huge sigh when stating that. It has been a glorious ride! The best way to read these is in order starting with the introductory Promise in a Kiss and then going on to Devil's Bride and the official start of the original Cynster series. If you like wonderfully strong male and female characters and a ton of action then these books are for you. Enjoy the ride!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last in Laurens' Cynster Family sub-series The Next Generation - ending during the Victorian era in 1863. Toby is now 38 and the family and societal pressure is on for him to put aside his life of adventures working as a government agent and settle down into marriage, family, and full-time management of the family's renowned horse racing breeding stables. The pressure has been so intense that even his 'boss', the man who assigns him his missions, has said the one he's now embarking on is the last. Toby is put out, to put it mildly, as he's convinced he has no need to be more than everyone's favorite bachelor uncle.

Off he heads via a roundabout route to Vienna, his last mission seemingly little more than picking up a packet of papers and escorting a doctor and his daughter back to England from Vienna, just a glorified babysitter. He couldn't be more wrong. He arrives in Vienna to find the doctor dead, and not only the doctor's daughter needing to be escorted, but 3 about to be orphaned children under the age of 10. And it's clear that danger is hot on their heels. Off they head, with all pretending to be a family (parents and 3 children) taking an indirect route to England, pretending to be Austrians on vacation.

There are lots of wonderful adventures, fantastic descriptions of interesting places, especially an island in Italy's Lake District, and a perfectly delightful romance, with just enough smutty romance, plenty of action adventure, and a terrific HEA and wrap up of the Cynster family through the Next Generation - for now.

[Tantalizing Tomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, here’s the thing. I can’t pinpoint what it is about this book that doesn’t feel like her others. Don’t get me wrong it’s good, it’s just not great. There are bits and pieces that make me smile, or laugh. But as a whole there’s a piece missing compared to other books in the Cynster series. Yo say I love me my Cynsters is an understatement!
The spice is low there a couple of scenes that are spicy but only a couple. Which is fine, but not what you get in her other books. You don’t quite get the tension from these two leads you get from all the other Cynster books, which is somewhat disappointing.
The story gives you false leads here and there but I feel like the book drags a little. I do love the dynamic between all the characters. But I also feel like the adults don’t act realistically when it comes to some of the things the little girl does. I have four children and if I was in a stressful situation like these adults were I don’t think there’s away I would be upset with the child for what they had done.
Overall the book is good, would it be the first Cynster book I would recommend, no. But once someone has fallen in love with the Cynsters then I think they would enjoy it.
I hope this helps you find your next Tantalizing Tome.

[Judy Hankom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toby Cynster has been a spy for England for several years, working under Drake, Marquess of Winchelsea. He has enjoyed his work very much. A side benefit of his work is that he has a reason for being absent from society. His female relatives want to get him married off. Now he has been informed that this will be his last mission as a spy. He is not happy at all. He really is not interested in marrying. He has plenty of nephews and nieces and that is enough for him.

But he travels to Vienna where he is to receive important papers and get them to England. But he ends up escorting Diane Locke and the three young children of a dying Englishman along with the papers. Their father asks Toby to get the children safely back to England to his great aunt.

But there is danger afoot. Other countries want these papers and will kill to get them. So Toby, Diana and the children are forced to pose as a family so that they better disguise themselves as they travel. Along the way, Toby comes to realize what he is missing out on. The five people in their group come together to really work as a family and lean on each other.

Toby knows how important family is to the Cynster Family and he comes to experience how important it is to him to have a family.

I really enjoyed this story.

[Wendy Tavenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Toby and Diana’s story. Drake sent Toby on a mission to Vienna to retrieve papers and escort the Doctor and his daughter safely home.
Diana was still shocked her father was gone but she was determined to find the dispatches her father hid to give to Drakes man. When Toby arrives he finds out the Doctor had died and his daughter was at a friends home taking care of 3 children. When he locates her they decide to try and find the dispatches but when they arrive at her father’s home was torn apart and the culprit still in the home. Diana was shocked to find out it was her father’s partner. That’s when she realized he had poisoned her father. He escapes but then killed, that’s when Toby realizes he needs to get Diana home to England. The children’s father asks Toby and Diana to escort his children to their Great Aunt. They agree and decide to say they’re a married couple traveling with their children.
A wonderful intriguing story with a beautiful ending.

[Dallass · Rating 4 out of 5]

End of an era.

I have been following these characters since I picked up Devil’s Bride from my local library in the early 2000s (2003?). I have enjoyed their adventures and watching their family grow. This was a little bittersweet. I liked the premise, but was a little disappointed that we didn’t get more of the wider family involved in the adventure like we usually do. Toby is the usual Cynster type, and Diana and the children were interesting.

Perhaps it is because I read the book during the early hours of the night when I couldn’t sleep, but the cat and mouse antics, plus the repeating events of Evelyn skipping out did frustrate me a bit. One the whole, this was an enjoyable end to this next generation. Not sure how another generation series will go, as Helena, and her peers would definitely be gone by then, and a book without a glimpse, or mention, of Helena or Therese Osbaldstone, or Martin, Arthur or George would be a sad story to read.

4.25 🌟

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for road trips in historical romance, hence, this book is right up my alley. I quite enjoyed the descriptions of the different locations. It felt like I was visiting these places vicariously through these characters. The protagonists were being pursuit by hostile groups, but at no point I was overwhelmed with fear or anxiety (I'm prone to doing that :-S). Instead, the dangerous chase rendered the journey enthralling. It was fun!

I liked Toby and Diana's romance. They are both mature and sensible characters. I like that about them, given the difficult situation they found themselves in. Even though I'm not a big fan of kids in romance books, it worked in this case. It was poignant and heartfelt.

I wonder what's next for the Cynsters? I'm ready for the children to grow up and embark on their romantic adventures.

[Susan Clair Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Family of His Own

Toby Cynster is the last of his generation that remains unmarried. At 38 he doesn't see a need for this to change, he doesn't need to marry or have children since he has no title and his siblings and cousins have guaranteed the family line. Drake has called him in for a mission and tells him this will be his last due to familial pressures. He is to go to Austria and escort a doctor, who has intercepted a document about German movements, and his daughter back to London. When he arrives he finds the doctor is dead and his daughter is nursing a sick neighbor. The neighbor is actually dying and her agrees to also escort his three young children to his aunt in England. With mystery, intrigue and death they make it to England only to find the aunt passed away two years before and letters were sent ahead that the father had passed away and would they become the children's guardian. They marry and adopt the children. Love this author and her stories.

[Ailsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

This was not a light read before bedtime kind of book. This was a gripping, it will keep you up until the early hours of the morning kind of book, although I managed not to read it in one setting!
I loved, as suspected, how different it was to Meg’s and Drago’s book. Diana’s and Tobby, in my opinion, signified the times of the mid 1800s. The rise of the social mobility of the middle class and the becoming globalisation of Europe. It gave me ‘good vibes’ considering the uncertainty of Europe’s current geopolitically because of Putin. Also, I want to re-read this at some point as I won’t be so griped by the plot!; and mark down their root for when I get interested in slow travel. At the moment, thank god for airlines as I’m going to the Swiss/French boarder this Easter!

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read several books in this series. This one was entertaining but I could not help but notice a few things. First of all, these kids were the BEST kids on the planet. SPOILER ALERT: after losing both their parents, and being asked to act like experienced field agents and even observing men being killed, these kids are just as happy and well adjusted as can be. No tears, no pesky grieving or inconvenient shock seen anywhere. The are respectful, happy, polite and agreeable in every way. Same goes for the heroine. She never seems to grieve the loss of her father, despite him probably being murdered. Diana also is just super perfect; very agreeable and never affected by grief or trauma. So, this book is entertaining but you have to suspend reality.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series! Laurens is taking a break from the Cynsters for a while after this - But there should be many more of this generation! It's 1863, and here, Toby Cynster, erstwhile spy and courier for Drake Verisy, the Marquess of Winchelsea, is tasked with escorting Diana Locke from Vienna to London - her father recieved secret dispaches from a patient that London needs - more than the Germans or Prussians. But arriving in Vienna, Toby finds her with a friend, who is dying, and his three children. So Toby's plans change from escorting one lady, and becoming a fake family, racing to stay ahead of the Germans, who are of like minds with Toby in sensibilities, and the Prussians, who are likely to use violence. And soon, the fake family starts becoming all too real.

[Darien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 * for a spy caper road trip, great for an Audiobook listen while I take my walks. The romantic element is quite literally a part of a 'found family' theme, and is successful because both protagonists are intelligent adults who both have to find a new way forward after life changes. The children in the story are somewhat "plot moppets", but with enough of their own character that they do still add to the overall story. This author's writing may be a little long-winded at times, but in a way that I appreciate - she spends a lot of time on the protagonists internal dialog and personal growth which gives their relationship depth and their character arcs a realistic feel.

[Jo Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

an important dispatch was intercepted by a dr and he realizes he needs to get them back to England for the sake of the country. Toby Cynster was sent to bring them back but has found out His last mission is not going to be quite as easy as he thought. Between unexpected traveling companions, a dog, a teddy bear, and loads of traveling and adventure. With a splash of romance and 2 people figuring out their future… I was hooked from the beginning, I cried, and was rooting for them to escape!!! Well done!!!
Looking forward to Ms Lauren’s next read!!!

[Rachel Ward · Rating 1 out of 5]

instalove, blissfully character development free

I was hoping to be happily surprised with this story, and maybe even for a miracle given that it’s the last one for this series. Nope.

Just like the last several of the next generations series, I don’t feel like I get to know anybody and because I don’t get to know anybody I don’t get to care about anybody. I feel like I got to know Diana more than Toby, and well, that’s great, and also not much.

Welp. I’m glad the series is over so I can stop being disappointed and wasting time and money.

[Ronda Blanke Geiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Family of his Own

What an amazing way to end this series. I absolutely love the way the story wraps around the sense of family. From a last secret mission, to a dying father, and race for England, this story was all about family. Toby and Diana are the perfect pair for the for 3 young ones and adding Bruno made just the right amount of laughter. I absolutely loved this book. I am sad to see the end of the Cemetery series but excited for the next book in the Barnaby Adair series.

[Diane Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this is the end of this next generation of Cynsters stories, then it was excellent, and definitely well done. Stephanie Laurens is a master at writing, and I would read whatever she writes without question. I adored Toby and Diana's story. Wonderful love story with a bit of thriller mixed in, that had me somewhat on the edge of my seat. So looking forward to reading more from this talented storyteller.

[Sharon App · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting to the Cynster Next Generation series

Having read the entire series, this one is bittersweet; Toby finally gets his book but this will be his last mission for the Crown. But he finds a lovely lady and three adorable children and sets forth to make his future with them. Along the way there is action and excitement as they make their way from Vienna to London. It was a great read!

[Patti Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 I liked this book and read it in one sitting. Definitely a different plot than others that I’ve read so that was good. I’ve been reading Stephanie Laurens since the beginning. So it’s kinda sad that this is the last cynster book. I certainly knew where the book was headed all along but I was fine with that. One criticism is that the three children were absolutely perfect throughout the whole book. I think a tantrum or tears would’ve be good at some point.

[Donna F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of Cynsters best

Story if Toby. Youngest son of Demon and an agentvof Winchelsea. His last mission provides him with a family to care for. Plot twists and relationships are very believable. Enjoyed this as much as any of the younger generatiinbexcept Drake and Louisa - myball time favorite!

[Lydia Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best story mine was e

I like this book very much because it is completely different with all the places that the characters traveled. One the parts is very sad but very good described. For me was like I was really there. Well all her books are spectacular I have all of them in kindle and in regular book and some in both.

[Ed Hornbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony's story, a favorite for sure.

I love all of Stephanie's books. You could pick up any one and not be disappointed. This one is such fun. The personality of each character comes across clearly and is easily pictured. And what's not to love in a story featuring mystery, romance, kids and a dog?

[Beth Newell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when "A Family of His Own' by Stephanie Lauren came. We are finally getting Toby Cynster story, and it was worth the wait. This was such a lovely story of Toby and Diana Lock coming together as they and the Fellow children as they travel across Europe dodging spies and danger. This is a great book that should not be missed by any fan of Stephanie Laurens.

[Patricia Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family is all.

I have always enjoyed all versions of Cynster
Life, from Devil now to Toby. Stephanie always crafts interesting plots with all kinds of twists and turns. I am very happy to see Toby well settled.