Today's Special - - Stephanie Laurens' Lord of the Privateers Blog Tour

Lord of the Privateers
By Stephanie Laurens
The Adventurers Quartet - Book 4
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: December 27, 2016
  

The eldest of the Frobisher brothers and widely known as the lord of the privateers, Royd Frobisher expects to execute the final leg of the rescue mission his brothers have been pursuing. What he does not expect is to be pressured into taking his emotional nemesis, childhood sweetheart, ex-handfasted bride, and current business partner, Isobel Carmichael, with him. But is it Isobel doing the pressuring, or his own restless unfulfilled psyche?

Resolute, determined, and an all but unstoppable force of nature, Isobel has a mission of her own—find her cousin Katherine and bring her safely home. And if, along the way, she can rid herself of the lingering dreams of a life with Royd that still haunt her, well and good.

Neither expects the shock that awaits them as they set sail aboard Royd's ship, much less the new horizons that open before them as they call into London, then, armed with the necessary orders and all arrangements in place, embark on a full-scale rescue-assault on the mining compound buried in the jungle.

Yet even with the support of his brothers and their ladies and, once rescued, all the ex-captives, Royd and Isobel discover that freeing the captives is only half the battle. In order to identify and convict the backers behind the illicit enterprise—and protect the government from catastrophic destabilization—they must return to the ballrooms of the haut ton, and with the help of a small army of supporters, hunt the villains on their home ground.

But having found each other again, having glimpsed the heaven that could be theirs again, how much are they willing to risk in the name of duty?


Stephanie Laurens brings her The Adventurers Quartet to a close with a story of adventure, suspense, and a second chance to claim the love of a lifetime. 

Royd and Isobel are a couple that should have made it. They had known one another since childhood, were friends before falling in love, and shared common interests and goals. But they were young when they were handfasted and it fell apart, largely due to a lack of communication and trust...on both sides. They've continued to be business partners but Isobel has been clear that there will be no second chance for a personal relationship...until the day she appears in Royd's office to insist she be allowed to sail with him to West Africa to look for her cousin who has disappeared from the settlement there. 

I'm all for high seas romance and the potential inherent in Royd and Isobel being confined aboard ship for a weeks long journey had me rubbing my hands with glee. It was obvious desire, and deeper feelings, between them still simmered, even though Isobel fought it every step of the way. Watching them dance around each other had me flipping pages to see what would happen next but it was the surprise awaiting them when they boarded Royd's ship that really mixed things up and had me second-guessing just whose side I was on. And, while they are both likable characters, one of them is responsible for a decision that I was not quick to forgive...though in the end, I did.  

I've enjoyed all of the main couples in the quartet and Royd and Isobel are no exception. I always enjoy a good second-chance romance that doesn't come easily and Laurens put these two through some significant hoops and individual soul searching that made their happy ending all the more enjoyable.

While the first half of the book focuses primarily on Royd and Isobel's relationship, once they arrive in West Africa it switches to the rescue of the captives as well as the mystery of who has been behind the abductions. I like the mix of suspense and romance that has continued throughout this series and found that part of Lord of the Privateers to be as intense and satisfying as I had hoped. 

If you enjoy a blend of mystery, romance, and high seas adventure, I recommend you give Stephanie Laurens' The Adventurers Quartet a try. I also strongly suggest reading the four books in order as each builds upon the events of the previous book. They are, in order: The Lady's Command, A Buccaneer at Heart, The Daredevil Snared, and Lord of the Privateers.  

~PJ


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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Connect with Stephanie

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Stephanie Laurens’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 16th: The Sassy Bookster

Tuesday, January 17th: Reading is My Superpower

Wednesday, January 18th: Bibliotica

Friday, January 20th: Reading Reality

Monday, January 23rd: Buried Under Romance

Tuesday, January 24th: Dwell in Possibility

Wednesday, January 25th: The Romance Dish

Friday, January 27th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, January 30th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, January 30th: Let Them Read Books – Excerpt

Wednesday, February 1st: A. Holland Reads

Friday, February 3rd: Becky on Books

Monday, February 6th: Broken Teepee

Tuesday, February 7th: Laura’s Reviews

Wednesday, February 8th: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

Friday, February 10th: The Maiden’s Court

Blog Tour Review - - The Daredevil Snared

The Daredevil Snared
The Adventurers Quartet - Book 3
By Stephanie Laurens
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: June 28, 2016

Although he captains his own ship, as the youngest of four sons, Caleb Frobisher is still considered the reckless baby of the family by his older brothers and, as such, has been excluded from the more dangerous assignments taken on by his family in support of the Crown. Caleb is determined to prove that he has the skill and maturity to handle any mission on the table. The third leg of the government's covert plan to shut down an illegal diamond mine in Africa and rescue the kidnapped men, women, and children who have been forced into slave labor there should suit his purposes perfectly.

Traveling from England to Africa, Katherine Fortescue has settled into her new role as governess for a Freetown family when she disappears. Kidnapped by mercenaries and taken deep into the jungle, Katherine is held prisoner along with other men, women, and children who are forced to work a secret diamond mine. Katherine's role, along with cleaning and sorting diamonds, is to oversee the children of the camp and keep them in line. Outwardly, she appears to have accepted her captivity but underneath that calm exterior flows a deep determination to find a way out...for all of them. When the mercenary in charge agrees to allow Katherine to accompany a young boy outside the camp to gather nuts she encounters Caleb and members of his crew who have been secretly observing the camp.

Caleb's orders are to locate the mine then return to England where the fourth segment of the Crown's plan - a rescue - will be put into effect. Katherine and her fellow prisoners are determined to stay alive long enough to see that plan happen. Unfortunately, the sadistic mercenary running the camp is determined to see both of their plans derailed.

The Daredevil Snared is a much slower-paced novel than the one that precedes it though no less necessary. Think of it as more of a chess match than a sword fight. There are several new characters introduced and, in some ways, it feels like the introduction to a new series rather than the third installment. However, it does move the overall series arc forward and more information is revealed surrounding the mystery of those who are behind the kidnappings and the mine. In Caleb and Katherine, as well as their fellow prisoners, Laurens has created characters that intrigued me and for whom I came to care as I began to know them. And while the action is not as fast-paced nor the tension as "in your face" as the previous book in the series, the more subtle evil of their captor and the certainty of what awaits when there are no more diamonds to mine brings a chilling effect to this third story in The Adventurers Quartet.

The books in this series do not stand well on their own. Each book builds upon the previous one and I strongly recommend reading them in order.

~PJ

Are you reading The Adventurers Quartet?

Do you enjoy historical romances set outside Great Britain?

Do you like trilogies or quartets with an overarching mystery that isn't solved until the end of the series?

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Today's Special - - The Lady's Command

The Lady's Command
By Stephanie Laurens
Publisher: MIRA
Release Date: January 1, 2016

The instant Captain Declan Frobisher laid eyes on Lady Edwina Delbraith, he knew she was the lady he wanted as his wife. The scion of a seafaring dynasty accustomed to success, he discovered that wooing Edwina was surprisingly straightforward—not least because she made it plain that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Declan's vision of marriage was of a gently-reared wife to grace his arm, to manage his household, and to bear his children. He assumed that household, children, and wife would remain safely in England while he continued his life as an explorer sailing the high seas.

Declan got his wish—up to a point. He and Edwina were wed. As for the rest—his vision of marriage…

Aunt of the young Duke of Ridgware and sister of the mysterious man known as Neville Roscoe, London's gambling king, even before the knot was tied Edwina shattered the illusion that her character is as delicate, ethereal, and fragile as her appearance suggests. Far from adhering to orthodox mores, she and her ducal family are even more unconventional than the Frobishers.

Beneath her fairy-princess exterior, Edwina possesses a spine of steel—one that might bend, but will never break. Born to the purple—born to rule—she's determined to rule her life. With Declan's ring on her finger, that means forging a marriage that meets her needs as well as his.

But bare weeks into their honeymoon, Declan is required to sail to West Africa. Edwina decides she must accompany him.

A secret mission with unknown villains flings unexpected dangers into their path as Declan and Edwina discover that meeting the challenge of making an unconventional marriage work requires something they both possess—bold and adventurous hearts.


The Lady's Command is the first of four books in Stephanie Laurens' new series, The Adventurers Quartet. It's a bit out of the norm in that the reader does not accompany the hero and heroine on their journey to love. Instead, the book opens three weeks after Declan Frobisher and Lady Edwina Delbraith have wed. While Edwina and Declan are in love and happily living within the honeymoon glow, it quickly becomes apparent to the reader that they have different ideas of how their marriage will work. Declan expects Edwina to tend to home and hearth while he sails off on company business and the occasional secret mission his family is called upon to complete for the Crown. Edwina is determined to have a marriage of equals. She's in the dark as to what Declan will be doing when he announces he must sail to West Africa mere weeks into their marriage but there's one thing of which she is certain. She will not be left behind. But when she stows away on Declan's ship, leaving him no choice but to take her along on his secret mission, will it bind them closer together or will the danger to Edwina tear them apart forever?

The Lady's Command is a tale of two halves. I found the first part of the book, set amidst ton dinners and balls in London, to be repetitive and slow-moving. It's filled with a lot of descriptive prose and establishing the hero's and heroine's thoughts regarding marriage. It's a lot of "tell" and not much "show." The pace picks up when Declan and Edwina arrive in West Africa and I began to enjoy the book a lot more. There's a mystery to be solved and as we learn more about the people who have gone missing and who the villain might be we also begin to delve beneath the surface with our main characters. There's much more development of them individually and as a couple.

There's a lot of stage-setting in this book, as one might expect from the first in a four-book series with an over-arching mystery. While that slowed things down a bit, I still enjoyed the second half of the book and am invested in discovering who is behind the kidnappings and why they are taking place. I have to admit that while I liked Declan and Edwina and was happy for their happy ending, I found myself more intrigued by the mystery aspect of The Lady's Command than I was by the romance. Maybe I didn't feel as invested in their HEA because I missed out on the emotional intensity of their courtship. I am, however, invested in the mystery and will be picking up the second book in the quartet, The Buccaneer at Heart (April 26) to find out what happens next!

~PJ

Do you like mystery mixed with your romance?

Do you enjoy a sea-faring romance?

Stephanie Laurens’ TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, January 4th: Romancing the Book

Tuesday, January 5th: Bewitched Bookworms

Wednesday, January 6th: The Sassy Bookster

Thursday, January 7th: Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

Friday, January 8th: A Chick Who Reads

Monday, January 11th: The Romance Dish

Tuesday, January 12th: BookNAround

Wednesday, January 13th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, January 14th: Worth Getting in Bed For

Friday, January 15th: Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Monday, January 18th: Reading Reality

Tuesday, January 19th: The Maiden’s Court

Wednesday, January 20th: Black ‘n Gold Girl’s Book Spot

Thursday, January 21st: FictionZeal

Friday, January 22nd: View from the Birdhouse

Monday, January 25th: Bibliotica

Tuesday, January 26th: A Night’s Dream of Books

Wednesday, January 27th: One Curvy Blogger

Thursday, January 28th: It’s a Mad Mad World

Friday, January 29th: Stranded in Chaos

Today's Special - - A Match for Marcus Cynster Excerpt Tour

A Match for Marcus Cynster

The Cynster Novels: Book 2

By Stephanie Laurens

Publisher: Mira

Release Date: May 26, 2015

It wasn’t his place to ask. He reminded himself of that as he closed the door and followed her. She’d swept straight through into the living room. As he ducked beneath the archway, he saw her pause by the table, inspecting his endeavors. She turned as he crossed the room toward her.

She was petite while he stood over six feet tall; her head barely reached his shoulder.

Rather than tower over her, he waved her to the pair of armchairs that faced each other across the wide hearth. He sensed rather than saw her approval of the courtesy as she walked on and, with a swish of her heavy skirts, sat.

He followed and sat in the other armchair. His gaze on her face, he tried to imagine what she was doing there—why, after all these months of no contact, she’d sought him out. When she volunteered nothing, just studied him, as if trying to imagine his likely reaction to some request, he said, “I would offer you some refreshment, but my housekeeper and majordomo have gone shopping. I don’t think you’d appreciate my efforts at making tea.”

She blinked, slowly, and he saw her absorb the information that she was alone with him in the house. If this was a social call…

Definitely not a social call, then. Her big blue eyes still measuring him, she caught her lower lip between her teeth—something he’d noticed she did when uncertain, or cogitating about something that bothered her. Him? Or what had brought her there?

He sat back, attempting to look as unthreatening—as encouraging—as he could. “So, how can I help you?”

Now she was there, face to face with him, Niniver had second and even third thoughts about the wisdom of her course, but she still needed help. She desperately needed a champion, and there he sat, the perfect man for the task.

With his black locks—not true blue-black but black with an underlying hint of red, the very deepest mahogany—framing his face, one dark lock falling rakishly over his broad forehead, sitting as he was, relaxed and at his ease, his long-fingered hands elegantly disposed on the chair’s arms, his muscled horseman’s thighs, long, buckskin-clad legs, and top-booted feet arranged in an innately graceful pose, he should have appeared no more dangerous than any London dandy. Instead, a tangible aura that seethed with restrained power, edged with menace, emanated from him.

As a deterrent to her importuning suitors, she couldn’t imagine finding better.

Squelching all caution, she met his dark blue gaze—a midnight blue so dark it was difficult if not impossible to guess his thoughts. “Remember that promise you made to me up at the lookout?”

He blinked, dense black lashes briefly screening his eyes before they rose again, and he pinned her with his gaze. “That if you needed help, you could count on me—that you only needed to ask?”

She nodded—once, decisively. “Yes. That.” She paused to marshal her words. “I need help with a particular problem, and I think—I believe—that you are the most appropriate person to ask for assistance—the person most likely to be able to help me resolve the issue.”

He was now considering her exactly as she’d previously considered him. “And your particular problem is?”

“Men.” The word slipped out before she’d thought. She grimaced and forged on, “Specific men—namely men of the clan who assume I must be looking for a husband, and who are putting themselves forward overenthusiastically.” She couldn’t hide her irritation; it underscored her tone.

To her surprise, Marcus…stilled. There was no other word for it. His gaze remained on her—he was still looking at her—yet she got the distinct impression he was seeing something else. That he was viewing something beyond her.

He barely seemed to breathe.

But then he blinked, and he seemed to draw back, pull back. He hesitated, then asked, “How…enthusiastic have they been?”

His voice had lowered, deepened. For an instant, she wondered if she was doing the right thing in setting him on her poor unsuspecting clansmen. Then she remembered the scene in the stable yard. She tipped up her chin. “I suppose you could say that, each in their own way, they’ve been trying to woo me, but they keep tripping over each other, and then they clash. But even worse, they egg each other on to ever more ridiculous exploits, ones that are harder and harder for me to…avoid.”

Put into words, the situation didn’t sound that bad, but to her, it was seriously bothersome, and more worrying than she could easily convey. “I know it sounds silly, but I have a position within the clan to maintain, and with matters as fraught as they are at the moment, having to deal with idiotic behavior directed toward me personally, behavior that tends to—well, belittle me—is distracting, disturbing, and sometimes unnerving. On top of that, some of the men involved are sons of clan elders, and that adds a certain political constraint to how blatantly I can repel their advances.” She blew out a breath. “I need someone who will simply step in and tell them all to stop. Someone they’ll listen to—because not one of them pays a posset’s worth of attention to me.”

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing fiction.

Laurens's novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and her settings range from Scotland to India. Laurens has published fifty-three works of historical romance, including 31 New York Times bestsellers. All her works are continuously available in print and digital formats in English worldwide, and have been translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other accolades Laurens has received the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award for Best Romance Novella 2008, for The Fall of Rogue Gerrard.

A Match for Marcus Cynster continues Laurens' popular series of books revolving around the Cynster family. 

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Duty compels her to turn her back on marriage. Fate drives him to protect her come what may. Then love takes a hand in this battle of yearning hearts, stubborn wills, and a match too powerful to deny. 

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens returns to rugged Scotland with a dramatic tale of passionate desire and unwavering devotion. 

Restless and impatient, Marcus Cynster waits for Fate to come calling. He knows his destiny lies in the lands surrounding his family home, but what will his future be? Equally importantly, with whom will he share it? 

Of one fact he feels certain: his fated bride will not be Niniver Carrick. His elusive neighbor attracts him mightily, yet he feels compelled to protect her—even from himself. Fickle Fate, he’s sure, would never be so kind as to decree that Niniver should be his. The best he can do for them both is to avoid her. 

Niniver has vowed to return her clan to prosperity. The epitome of fragile femininity, her delicate and ethereal exterior cloaks a stubborn will and an unflinching devotion to the people in her care. She accepts that in order to achieve her goal, she cannot risk marrying and losing her grip on the clan’s reins to an inevitably controlling husband. Unfortunately, many local men see her as their opportunity. 

Soon, she’s forced to seek help to get rid of her unwelcome suitors. Powerful and dangerous, Marcus Cynster is perfect for the task. Suppressing her wariness over tangling with a gentleman who so excites her passions, she appeals to him for assistance with her peculiar problem. 

Although at first he resists, Marcus discovers that, contrary to his expectations, his fated role is to stand by Niniver’s side and, ultimately, to claim her hand. Yet in order to convince her to be his bride, they must plunge headlong into a journey full of challenges, unforeseen dangers, passion, and yearning, until Niniver grasps the essential truth—that she is indeed a match for Marcus Cynster. 

 

Stock Up Saturday

I had laptop problems yesterday and wasn't able to get these reviews posted.  So welcome to Stock Up Saturday...on Sunday! :)

Bride by Mistake
By Anne Gracie
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Release Date:  January 3, 2012

Haunted by the wartime secrets that have hardened his soul, Luke Ripton has vowed never to return to Spain but he left something behind when he came home to England following the war:  the young girl he rescued and married to keep her safe from her unscrupulous cousin.  Leaving her with her aunt in a secure mountain convent, they agreed that Luke would obtain an annulment when it was safe but eight years later a letter arrives that makes it clear that he has no choice but to travel to Spain to claim his secret bride.  At least he has the consolation of knowing that, after being raised in a convent, Isabella will be a sweet, biddable wife with no objection to leaving Spain immediately for Luke can't bear to be there any longer than necessary.

Smart and courageous, Isabella secretly kept the residents of the convent from starving during the war. But bored to tears with the other aspects of convent life, this tomboy who despairs of ever being a desirable woman romanticizes her young girl's memories of the handsome, carefree English lieutenant who rescued her and dreams of the day he will return to claim her hand and vow his undying love.  Reality comes calling when her "prince" turns out to be an autocratic ex-soldier, resigned to keeping the wife he never really wanted.  To make matters worse, Luke announces they will be leaving immediately for England but Isabella has a mission to complete; one that will take them deep into the region of Spain that Luke never wants to visit again, and she's determined to go - with or without her husband.

Bride by Mistake is the fifth book in Gracie's Devil Riders series.  I've waited a long time for Luke's story and I wasn't disappointed.  Gracie takes Luke and Isabella on a fast paced journey across Spain where they both confront the ghosts of their pasts and gradually begin to see themselves through the eyes of the other, opening their hearts to hope, happiness and love.

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Mad About the Earl
By Christina Brooke
Publisher:  St. Martin's
Release Date:  January 3, 2012

Christina Brooke continues to shine with the second book in her Ministry of Marriage series, Mad About the Earl, an absolute delight of a Beauty and the Beast tale.

When Lady Rosamund Westruther travels to the country to meet the man to whom she has been betrothed, she quickly discovers three things:  he's huge, he's rude and, with one passionate kiss, he (unknowingly) claims her heart for his own.  Returning to London after the betrothal papers are signed, Rosamund patiently waits for Griffin to come for her.  And waits...and waits...and waits...until patience disappears and a stubborn resolve takes its place.

Growing up in an all-male household with an abusive grandfather, Griffin deVere, Earl of Tregarth knows little to nothing about romancing a lady.  To make matters worse, he's been told his entire life that he's ugly, clumsy and completely undeserving of  love.  He's sure that a petite, exquisite beauty like Rosamund, a lady to her core, could never be happy with a man like him yet, when his beloved sister's happiness is at stake, he has no choice but to travel to London and seal the deal by marrying the lovely lady.  Imagine his surprise when the lady turns out to have a spine of steel and a few conditions of her own before she'll consent to become his bride; conditions that require Griffin, a man more at home in the stables than the ballroom to publicly court her before claiming her.  For Rosamund has a higher goal in mind than a mere wedding.  The beauty who has lost her heart to the beast is determined to show him that he is a man worthy of love and a man who has love to give.

I read this book in one day and enjoyed every delicious bit of it.  Griffin and Rosamund are a wonderful couple and Brooke has surrounded them with a fascinating cast of secondary characters.  We get to know the male cousins better which has me even more excited about reading their stories and the excerpt from Cecily's book, A Duchess to Remember, has me wanting her story now!

Mad About the Earl stands well on its own but if you enjoy it as much as I did, you'll probably want to pick up a copy of the first book in the series, Heiress in Love too.  

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The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae
Cynster Sisters Trilogy - Book 3
By Stephanie Laurens
Publisher:  Avon
Release Date:  January 31, 2012



The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae is a fast-paced, adventurous road romance that is Stephanie Laurens at her very best.  From the glittering London ballrooms in the very heart of the Cynster family to the remote wilds of Scotland and a woman who lives to make one particular Cynster matriarch suffer, you won't want to miss a minute of this journey!

Dominic, the Earl of Glencrae is an honest, loyal and honorable man.  He does not want to kidnap and ruin a Cynster sister but he has no choice.  To save his clan from ruin at the hands of his cruel and devious mother, Dominic must do as he's been instructed.  The people he hired to kidnap the two older sisters bungled the job, though it ended happily for them as they fell in love with good men and are both now engaged and safe, thanks to Dominic's efforts.  After all, he hadn't intended to actually ruin them but to obtain their help in thwarting his mother's plan while offering marriage in return.  But with them out of the picture, the only sister left is Angelica, the baby of the family.  The one sister Dominic did not want to have to deal with as he can only imagine how spoiled and pampered the youngest daughter of a Cynster family must be.  Oh, Dominic, are you in for a surprise!

Angelica Cynster is a hellion.  There's just no better word for it.  Headstrong, stubborn, intelligent and loyal to the core, she's the first to jump into adventure and the best one to get you out of a scrape.  Like her older sisters, she is confident she'll recognize her hero when she sees him and when she spies the Earl of Glencrae across a crowded ballroom, her heart immediately recognizes its mate. She maneuvers an introduction and a walk in the garden but imagine her surprise when the romantic stroll ends with her being bound and stuffed into a carriage!  It doesn't take long for her to realize that her hero is none other than the mysterious Highland Laird who has been plaguing her family but don't despair, dear readers.  Our industrious Angelica quickly figures out there must be a good reason for his actions and joins forces with Dominic and his small corps of servants as they attempt to keep her family at bay while saving the Earl's clan.  Plenty of twists and turns keep things interesting along the way as well as long-held family secrets that reveal the root of the hatred Dominic's mother holds for the Cynsters.  There are also heart stopping moments, plenty of laughter and a truly sigh worthy ending.

You don't have to have read the previous two books before reading this one but, for a better understand of the Earl's motives, I strongly recommend reading them in order:  Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue, In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster and The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae.


~PJ

Review - - The Reckless Bride

The Reckless Bride
The Black Cobra Quartet - Book 4
By Stephanie Laurens
Publisher:  Avon
Release Date:  October 26, 2010

In India, five English soldiers are assigned the task of uncovering the identity of the Black Cobra, the cold-blooded leader of a murderous cult wreaking havoc throughout the country.  When the youngest of their group is murdered by the cult, the remaining four vow to make sure that the proof he uncovered, that the Black Cobra is a member of English nobility, makes it to England and brings the Black Cobra to justice.  They resign their commissions and leave by different routes, three carrying copies of the evidence and one carrying the original.  The three decoys, those carrying the copies, have all reached their destination.  Only Rafe Carstairs, and the original evidence, have not yet arrived. 

Orphaned at the age of twelve, Loretta Michelmarsh has been raised by her straight-laced oldest brother and his wife.  Loretta learned quickly that adopting a prim and proper facade was the easiest way to be left to her own devices but now, at twenty-four, and having just rejected her eighth marriage proposal, Loretta's brother is forcing the issue.  Just in the nick of time, their great-aunt, Esme sweeps in and whisks Loretta away on a tour of European cities - a reunion tour of all the places Esme had visited with her late, diplomat husband - a convenient excuse to remove Loretta from her brother and sister-in-law's influence and turn her into a true Michelmarsh female:  one who doesn't exist on the sidelines but, instead, one who will grab life with gusto and open her heart to a passionate, life-long love. 

Esme and Loretta are beginning their journey back to England when Esme is set upon by ruffians and rescued by Rafe and his companion, Hassan.  Esme, never one to miss an opportunity, recognizes Rafe as a fellow member of the ton and, since they have all booked passage on the same river boat, insists he and Hassan join her party as their bodyguards.  Seeing a chance to "hide in plain sight" from the Black Cobra operatives, Rafe accepts but quickly regrets that decision when he discovers Esme's beautiful, young grand-niece and the matchmaking glimmer in Esme's eyes.  Rafe and Loretta's attraction is immediate but both resist for their own reasons.  Rafe's complete attention must remain on his mission and Loretta, who has never felt these emotions before, doesn't know how to handle her feelings.  However, a long, leisurely river voyage and a meddling great-aunt wear down their resistance and they begin to gradually fall in love.  But, with the increased danger of Rafe's mission as they draw closer to England, the biggest challenge is not opening their hearts to the love growing within them but whether or not they'll live long enough to have the opportunity to do so.

I've really enjoyed this series and I wanted to love The Reckless Bride.  I liked it but it didn't blow me away as much as I wanted it to or as much as the first three books did.   I had anticipated the same fast pace, adventure and life-or-death action, especially as this is the final book in the series.  I did get that but, for the most part, only in the final 100 pages.  For the first 350 pages, the story flows at a very leisurely pace, much the same as the characters' slow sail down the Danube.  I appreciated the opportunity to get to know the characters and watch Rafe and Loretta's romance gradually bloom but towards the middle of the book it started to drag for me.  I wanted more action and intensity.  The final third of the book, however, more than met my expectations and had I been reviewing just that portion I likely would have given it five stars.  Here was the action and adventure I had been anticipating, that kept me glued to the pages and culminated in a jaw-dropping conclusion that I never saw coming.   While I would have liked more of that intensity throughout the entire book, I still enjoyed The Reckless Bride, and the entire Black Cobra series, and would recommend them to anyone who enjoys historical romance sprinkled with adventure, intrigue and simmering sensuality.   

~PJ