The Taming of Ryder Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens

The Honorable Miss Mary Cynster always gets what she wants. As the last unwed Cynster of her generation, she is determined to remain in charge of her life and of the man she will marry. At the very bottom of her list of potential husbands is Ryder Cavanaugh, the daring and devastating Marquess of Raventhorne, an overwhelming and utterly unmanageable lion of the ton. But destiny has a different plan.

Ryder needs Mary as his wife, not just because she is delightful, fiery, and tempting, but because he values all she could be. When fate and circumstance hand him the chance, he claims Mary as his marchioness...only to discover what he truly desires is not just to take her hand in marriage, but to capture her heart.

REVIEW:
This book is apparently the 20th in this series, though I have not read any of the previous offerings. Sadly this book is simply too long and frankly overblown. I found myself skipping over the love scenes because they were laughably absurd. The supernatural subplot of the necklace got barely any time, and the supposed mystery was no mystery at all- it was clear from the first attack on the hero just who the culprit must be. It a shame really because I liked both Mary and Ryder and think they were a good match given their independence and commitment to preserving it. The relationship certainly seemed to be an equal partnership but unfortunately reading this book simply became a chore as it droned on and on. Maybe better for those who already love the Cynster family; I however won't be rushing out to pick up others in the series.