Tag Archives: Historical

Historical books are ones that take place prior to the time the book is written. Therefore a book that takes place in the 1980s but was written in that decade would not be a historical but a book written about the 1980s but written in 2015 would be a historical.

Review: One Night for Love

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Review: One Night for LoveOne Night for Love (Bedwyn Prequels #1) by Mary Balogh
Series: Bedwyn Saga #0.5
Published by Dell on August 1999
Genres: Historical
Pages: 375
Goodreads
four-stars

Heartbreaking Story of Two People from Different Worlds

ONE NIGHT FOR LOVE is the story of Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne. Neville is marrying his cousin when a ragged woman enters the back of the church and declares herself his wife. Lily Doyle is the daughter of a commoner. Lily and Neville met when Neville was in the army. They married and the next day both are shot. Neville believes Lily dead and goes on with his life. He never tells any one about his marriage, returns to England and a year and a half later plans to marry the woman that he was expected to his whole life. Lily has returned after being held prisoner. She is illiterate, uneducated and far from being a lady. The gulf between the two seems impossible to cross. The two love one another, however, and this book is the story of how they learn to live together.

I really liked this story. The book is slow at times because it is a lush, romantic exploration of the feelings of the two. It is the story of how love alone is not enough. Lily and Neville need to deal with guilt and pain. Lily also has to change so that she can learn to live in Neville’s world. Those changes.are about discovering one’s.potential. By the time, this book ends the reunion and happy ending between the two is satisfying.

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four-stars

Review: Heir to the Duke

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The Duke's First Son
The Duke’s First Son by Jane Ashford
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

Not Much of a Romance Here

FINAL DECISION: I found the heroine shallow, immature and unlikeable and didn’t feel and connection between the hero and heroine. Despite its promising and funny beginning, I could barely make it through the remainder of the book.

THE STORY: Nathaniel Gresham, Viscount Hightower and oldest son of the Duke of Langford is respectable, reliable and takes care of those around him. At the age of thirty, he has decided it is time to get married. Not having found the woman he loves, he agrees to an arranged marriage with Lady Violet Devere, a respectable twenty-six year old wallflower, daughter of an earl and seemingly a good match for the steady Nathaniel. Violet is looking forward to her marriage and the freedom it will allow her. After a lifetime of being under the thumb of her family, especially her controlling grandmother, Violet wants to explore things that haven’t been allowed her — choosing her own wardrobe and friends, drinking and flirting and having fun. Just when it seems like life is going well for Violet, she discovers a family secret that threatens her newfound freedom and her marriage.

OPINION: This was not a book for me. The heroine annoyed me from the beginning. I found her to be immature and selfish. While Violet has married Nathaniel and knows what he expected from their marriage, she decides to make a spectacle of herself and resents her husband’s mature instincts. I understand the the book is attempting to show that Violet will bring fun into Nathaniel’s life, but for me, assisting friends in committing adultery, considering flirting with other men, putting herself into scandalous circumstances is not about fun but about being a child. Even worse, her husband is nothing but kind towards her and yet she resents him. Violet also insists that she is attempting to break free of her family’s control and manipulation and yet she allows herself to be manipulated by everyone around her — except her husband.

For me, there was no real connection between Violet and Nathaniel. They begin the book the day of their marriage and there is no emotional development between them. Instead, this is a book about Violet’s insecurities and immaturity. The sex scenes are tepid and since that is the only part of their marriage that works for Violet and Nathaniel, they are disappointing.

This book started well with a very funny prank committed on Nathaniel by his brothers who steal all his clothes the morning of his wedding and leave him naked. After that, however, the book went downhill for me. I think it is a difference in philosophy. I like a man who is concerned about his responsibilities and I don’t think that it is necessary that responsibilities be ignored, shoved aside and neglected in order to have fun. I found Violet’s worldview shallow and immature and unlikeable.

WORTH MENTIONING: There is a very funny scene where Violet and her friend go bathing in the ocean.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HEIR TO THE DUKE is the first book in The Duke’s Sons series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 1.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Review: The Legend of Lyon Redmond

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Review: The Legend of Lyon RedmondThe Legend of Lyon Redmond (Pennyroyal Green, #11) by Julie Anne Long
Series: Pennyroyal Green #11
Published by Avon on September 29, 2015
Genres: Historical
Goodreads
five-stars

DAZZLING, EMOTIONAL CONCLUSION TO THE PENNYROYAL GREEN SERIES

Once in every generation, a Redmond and an Eversea are destined to fall in love with disastrous results…
“It was time for a reckoning.”
FINAL DECISION: Beautiful, satisfying and so different than I imagined, THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND rewards readers of the Pennyroyal series with a book worthy of the anticipation built up over the series.

THE STORY: The Redmond and the Everseas have been enemies for generations. An ancient curse holds that once in every generation, a Redmond and an Eversea will fall in love but that it ends in disaster. The curse appears to have been fulfilled with the heir Lyon Redmond falls in love with Olivia Eversea. Rumor has it that Olivia broke Lyon’s heart and he left for parts unknown five years ago and has not been seen since.

In the intervening years, Lyon has been masquerading as Mr. Hardesty, a trader with an alter ego of Le Chat, a notorious pirate. In the meantime, Olivia has been dazzling suitors but always keeping herself emotionally apart. To the shock of all of society, she has finally agreed to marry a viscount.

“She’s getting married on the second Saturday in May.”

A note sends Lyon back to Pennyroyal Green to confront the woman he loved. The years have changed them both…but will love finally prevail between the Redmonds and the Everseas.

OPINION: After ten books of build up, I approached THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND with trepidation. I have often been disappointed with the final book in a series. After so much buildup, it becomes difficult for a mere book to satisfy the raised expectations of readers. The romance between Lyon and Olivia already was legendary before the first words of this book. It would have been simple for this book to fall into simplistic drama and conflict. I am happy to report that this book not only met but exceeded all of my expectations.

At the onset, I encourage readers to avoid spoilers. The book develops in unexpected ways. Fans can be assured that this book answers the question of what happened between Lyon and Olivia five years ago.

I started this book expecting angst and drama, but instead I found a treatise on the beauty and pain of love.

“Of course. Of course it’s you I’ve waited for my entire life. Of course we’re meant to be together forever. Of course.”

Powerful and mysterious figures throughout the series, this book delves deeply into Lyon and Olivia. In many ways the catalysts for the romances of the prior books, Lyon and Olivia have a powerful connection from the moment they first see one another. I am not sure I have ever read another romance book where the entire book is so concentrated on the thoughts and emotions of the hero and heroine. Everything else in the world falls away when Lyon and Olivia are together and this book reflects in its construction that reality.

The contrasts between the simple things that Lyon and Olivia find joy together in and the intense melodramatic storm that the two are caught up in give this story realism and yet an epic feel. I love that Lyon and Olivia are the ultimate star crossed lovers and yet they are intrinsically human.

“They were born to love each other.”

The hard question that this book raises is not about love. There is never any doubt about the love between Lyon and Olivia…the question is what lengths will one go to for love.

I cannot express just how beautiful I thought this story was except to say that it exceeded all my expectations and raised the standards of what I expect from romances.

WORTH MENTIONING: Long has done a wonderful job of wrapping up the Pennyroyal Green series. Fans will be delighted to get a final look at their favorite characters in a way that is deeply satisfying.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE LEGEND OF LYON REDMOND is book eleven of the Pennyroyal Green series. While it is possible to read this book independent of the series, this book concludes the storyline that has run through the entire series. In my opinion, it should not be read before the others in the series in order to appreciate the story.

STAR RATING: This book gets five enthusiastic stars. The best of the series.

five-stars

Review: Sweetest Scoundrel

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Sweetest Scoundrel
Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Loved This One: Sexy, Sensual with One of the Best Non-Sex Sex Scenes Ever

“This had been a mistake. A terrible mistake. The garden was in shambles, the opera didn’t look like it would ever be staged, and Mr. Harte was a brutal animal.”

FINAL DECISION: The plot of the rebuilding a pleasure garden mirrors the rebuilding of Eve’s own life and ability to find joy and happiness and pleasure after a horrible incident in her childhood. Sensual and emotional with a good dash of mystery and action, this is a great addition to a wonderful series.

THE STORY: Asa Makepeace aka Mr. Harte is the owner of Harte’s Folly — a theater and pleasure garden. Rebuilding after a fire that destroyed his life’s work, Asa entered into a deal with the devil when he took an investment from the Duke of Montgomery. Now Asa has the Duke’s half sister Eve Dinwoody looking over his shoulder. The prim and proper Eve has agreed to oversee her brother’s investment. The sensual and physical Asa frightens Eve even as she challenges him. An incident in her childhood has left her with a deep fear of men — especially angry, violent ones. At the same time, Eve finds herself intrigued by the loud and brash Asa.

OPINION: Hoyt once again creates unique characters that dazzle in many ways — and in this case, she gives us regular looking people for the main characters — not models in historical garb.

“His face wasn’t pretty. The exact opposite, in fact. It was strong, lined, and fierce, and everything that was masculine. Everything that Eve most dreaded.”

Asa is bawdy, bold, emotional, earthy, and physical — thus being reflective of the theater world he lives in. Impulsive and a bit wild, Asa is the black sheep and the last unmarried Makepeace sibling (the siblings make appearances here for fans of the Maiden Lane series). His relationship with Eve allows Asa to have quieter, more protective moments — although he also protects her violently. Asa is sexy and earthy and definitely different from the outward appearances of the Makepeace family. Readers of the series know that underneath the reserve of the siblings there is definite heat. For Asa all the passion is on the surface and the quiet and reserve is hidden. Asa is determined, he never gives up. That quality is important here where he has to be patient with Eve, but refreshingly he doesn’t treat her as fragile and unable to deal with life. Indeed, he believes she has been protected too much.

“Eve liked her quiet life.”

Eve is reserved and plain with a long beak-like nose (that Asa rudely insults). She wants a quiet controlled life. For over ten years, Eve has been placed in a bubble and protected from the things that frighten her. A horrible incident as a child has made Eve afraid of being touched by men or even being around angry, violent men. Although Eve sees herself as broken, Asa recognizes her as strong (he calls her a harpy). Eve fights in a quiet and polite fashion but she is strong and determined.

“She should be afraid of this man. Perhaps she was. Perhaps the hammering of her heart, the quickening of her breath were fear.”

What a romance that begins which Asa insulting Eve’s nose! Asa and Eve have a contentious relationship from the beginning. The two fight but when Asa witnesses Eve’s pain, his protective instincts toward her begin to turn the two from adversaries to friends and then to lovers. Asa not only calms Eve’s fears by giving her control and opportunity to rebuild her own sexual identity.

Wow this book is hot. Asa recognizes in Eve a passionate woman hidden away from the world. Because she is afraid of the touch of a man, Asa and Eve have some interesting sexual encounters before they finally engage in intercourse. There is one scene (no I won’t give away spoilers) that is incredibly sexy and hot and the two never touch one another. Sexy and sensual and earthy but steeped in relationship and emotion so these are not gratuitous sex scenes but ones that are vital to the storyline.

The plot involves the suspense of who is trying to stop the reopening of Harte’s Folly and that threatens the lives of Asa and Eve. Closely connected with the couple, this plot is important to the romance itself.

The book has one of Hoyt’s trademark fairy tales to begin each chapter. Because there are often subtle and clever connections between the fairy tale and main story, puzzling out those connections is part of the enjoyment of the novel for me and I often (as I did here) re-read the fairy tale only at the end to appreciate the full story.

WORTH MENTIONING: The line that made me anxious to read the next book: “Bridget Crumb kept the house of the wickedest man in England.”

CONNECTED BOOKS: SWEETEST SCOUNDREL is the ninth book in the Maiden Lane series. It can be read as a standalone but it closely connected with DARLING BEAST and DEAREST ROGUE (which form a mini trilogy in the series) and I recommend reading those first.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Review: Luck Be a Lady

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Luck Be a Lady
Luck Be a Lady by Meredith Duran
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My Favorite of the Series

“Since their first meeting, she had wondered about him. He was so very . . . free . . . in this attitudes and behavior. She had never met anybody like him.”

FINAL DECISION: Lovely story with a sexy and charming self-made rogue and a strong woman who wants to make her own way. LUCK BE A LADY is steamy and dramatic and filled with deep emotions. It satisfies fans of the series but also can be thoroughly enjoyed by new readers.

THE STORY: Catherine Everleigh is talented and has wanted nothing more than to work in her father’s auction house her whole life. Her father left the auction house in equal shares between Catherine and her brother, but Catherine cannot control her share until her marriage. Known as the “Ice Queen”, Catherine is a spinster with no desire for marriage, but she will sacrifice in order to save the auction house. Her brother has begun to embezzle from the business and Catherine knows that there is no time to lose. In her desperation, she turns to Nicholas O’Shea and proposes a marriage of convenience. Nick is a survivor and a crime lord who is moving into legal operations. He agrees to Catherine’s proposition in order to protect his own turf and because he has wanted Catherine for a year. While their marriage is supposed to be all business, Nick intends to seduce the ice queen.

OPINION: I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Nick is dashing and naughty and incredibly wonderful. A man who has made something of himself despite all odd to the contrary. He is also incredibly respectful of Catherine’s abilities. That is what she ends up appreciating most. He likes her mind and her strength and is not threatened by her. Catherine is proud and smart and hard working. She is a working woman in a society that has no appreciation for her talents. In the prior book in the series, LADY BE GOOD, I didn’t like her very much. Through Duran’s talents, Catherine is made entirely sympathetic here. These are complex and fascinating characters and I didn’t want their story to end because I liked them both so much.

I am a huge fan of social mismatch stories and this story is a good one. Their match is so inappropriate that Catherine uses it as blackmail. The romance is deep and adult and there are not silly misunderstandings. These two people learn to talk to one another, to see things in each other that they did not expect and to fall in love.

The plot is also exciting as well. There are unexpected twists that kept me turning the pages quickly even as I wanted to savor the story. The story was complete and satisfying but at the same time I was sad when I finished the last page because I loved these characters so much.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will get a surprise appearance by a character who readers met before and who plays an important role in this book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LUCK BE A LADY is the fourth book in the Rules for the Reckless series. Although there are appearances from characters from the series, this book can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

Review: Dark Horizon

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Dark Horizon by Courtney Milan
Series: Carhart #0.25
Genres: Historical
three-stars

Dark Horizon is a short vignette set in the Carhart world (#0.25) and tells a story of Gareth Carhart’s trip to Brazil and the dangers involved. This is a nice add on to the series but doesn’t substitute for any of the books. I appreciate the additional content but it is for fans of the series rather than a new reader.

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three-stars

Review: Tall, Dark, and Wicked

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Review: Tall, Dark, and WickedTall, Dark and Wicked (Wicked Trilogy, #2) by Madeline Hunter
Series: Wicked Trilogy #2
Published by Jove on October 6th 2015
Genres: Historical
Pages: 400
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Loved This Intricate Historical Story of a Lawyer and the Daughter of a Defendant

“This lawyer was not merely handsome, but handsome in a way that made fools of women when they saw him.”

FINAL DECISION: I loved the story of Ives and Padua. There is a twisty mystery along with an intense romance between Ives and Padua. I love the romances where everything seems hopeless but then things work out in the end.

THE STORY: Lord Ywain “Ives” Hemingford is the younger brother of a duke and is a barrister who often works as a prosecutor for the English Crown. Padua Belvoir comes to Ives to ask him to represent her father who has been arrested and thrown in Newgate. Ives must say no because he has been engaged as the prosecutor against her father. Although Ives knows that he cannot risk having anything to do with a defendant’s daughter, he cannot resist the prickly and intelligent teacher Padua.

OPINION: I loved this story. Ives is a man who engages his romantic liasons logically and with much planning. Padua blows apart his ordered life and makes him take risks that he never would have expected himself to take. Her influence on his life is demonstrated by his brothers’ surprise at his actions. Padua is a woman who doesn’t fit into the social constraints of the day. She is a radical in her own small way and refuses to be shoved into a category or to be protected. She insists on making her own way even when it gets her into trouble. But she owns her mistakes and does not blame others. She challenges Ives but she also fits right into his desire for justice and doing right. Their romance is hot and also seems doomed even as Ives begins to realize that he wants more for Padua than he has ever wanted from a woman before.

WORTH MENTIONING: As with the first book in the series, I especially liked the relationship between the three brothers which is funny and caring and feels like a brotherly relationship with all the squabbling and affection one might expect.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TALL, DARK, AND WICKED is the second book in the Wicked Trilogy. It can be read as a standalone.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: His Wicked Reputation

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Review: His Wicked ReputationHis Wicked Reputation (Wicked Trilogy, #1) by Madeline Hunter
Series: Wicked Trilogy #1
Published by Jove on March 3rd 2015
Genres: Historical
Pages: 401
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Intriguing Mystery with a Sensual Romance

“His air and manner, the very way he sat on that horse, announced he would be nothing but trouble for a woman.”

FINAL DECISION: I absolutely loved this book. The relationship feels natural and well written. The mystery was intriguing and integral to the story without overwhelming the romance. The characters are fun and survivors and very wicked.

THE STORY: Gareth Fitzallen is the bastard son of a duke. He has a good relationship with two of his half brothers and upon the death of the heir, the remaining brothers are allowed to resume their relationship and draw closer to one another. Gareth’s lawyer brother Ives asks for his assistance in uncovering some missing artwork. Traveling to the house that he inherited, Gareth encounters a local spinster, Eva Russell, who intrigues him. As Gareth is drawn deeper into a relationship with Eva, what he doesn’t know is that she may hold the clue to uncovering the missing artwork.

OPINION: I loved the humor and sexiness of this book. Often books with wicked in the title fail to live up to that designation. Gareth is shown from the beginning to have wicked tendencies (along with his brothers) and thus the name is well placed. He is also a very good man. His relationship with Eva always comes from a position of equality. The two become involved with one another, but they are adults about their relationship. I loved how Gareth is confused by his reaction to Eva as he is unable to place her into a neat category in his life. There is great sensuality and humor in this book even as the mystery works its way out. This book is incredibly well paced and the pages turn effortlessly. I look forward to reading about the other brothers because they are intriguing characters themselves.

WORTH MENTIONING: I absolutely loved the relationship between the three brothers who are the heroes in the three books in this trilogy. Funny and loving and very masculine, these brothers have a special relationship with one another that was enjoyable to read.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HIS WICKED REPUTATION is the first book in the Wicked Trilogy.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

four-half-stars

Review: Dukes Prefer Blondes

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Dukes Prefer Blondes
Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lovely Bickering Couple Who Are Wrongly Perfect for One Another

“To begin with, he was obnoxious.”

FINAL DECISION: Simply adorable with a hero and heroine who are clever and witty to one another. The banter is high in this one. A social mismatched between an aristocratic heiress and a barrister is filled with laughter and a serious romance that is a keeper.

THE STORY: Lady Clara Fairfax is slowly being smothered by her role in society. She keeps getting marriage proposals from men who don’t interest her. She has begun to want more. When she sees a young seamstress in training upset because her brother has disappeared, Clara becomes determined to help. Clara ends up seeking legal help and meets Mr. Oliver “Raven” Radford, a barrister who also is in line of become a duke unless his cousin straightens out his own life. Raven is brilliant and steps on people’s toes. As the two join forces to help the young boy, they also bicker and argue into a sens of respect and then something more. But can a man who wants nothing to do with the aristocracy and a woman bred for nothing else ever have a future together?

OPINION: This was a book that snuck up on me. The pages went by and when the book ended, I realized that I adored it and went back to re-read my favorite parts. The fact that I wanted to re-read so quickly is a good sign that this book will be on my keeper shelf for years to come.

Clara and Raven make such a terrific bickering couple. No one does bickering love better than Loretta Chase. The main characters argue and push against one another and seem to be entirely wrong for one another until the moment when it becomes clear that there could never be anyone better.

This is a cross-social love story where it turns out that both social positions are necessary to the success of the romance. I love what Chase has done with Clara’s character. She has grown from the young woman who was willing to be led to become a woman of substance and determination. My favorite part of the courtship between Clara and Raven is his willingness to allow her to be herself and not be constrained by the rules for women. HIs acceptance of Clara is rather sexy and romantic. He sees her for who she is and he falls in love with her.

Honestly, however, my favorite part of this book is Raven himself. Irritating, brutally honest, brilliant and willing to annoy people to do right, he is one of my favorite heroes. This is a self-made man who is happy with his life but finds it turned upside down by this beautiful aristocratic woman. When he falls for her, he is willing to change everything for her. Sexy, sweet, annoying, nerdy, talented — I adored him as a character.

The plot of this book is multilayered. There is the story of the children who bring Clara to Raven and her determination to save the brother who has fallen into bad company. There is the story of the person who is trying to kill Raven (because he is the kind of man that people think about killing). There is also the story of Raven’s relationship with his cousin the duke. The threads of these stories are seamlessly woven into the romance in a way that everything advances as a whole.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book has a slow buildup for the romance but it is so worth it.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DUKES PREFER BLONDES is the fourth book in the Dressmakers series but it can be read as a standalone as it is really a spin off from the original series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

Review: The Lady’s Command

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Review: The Lady’s CommandThe Lady's Command (The Adventurers Quartet, #1) by Stephanie Laurens
Published by MIRA on December 29th 2015
Genres: Historical
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-stars

“Marrying the lady of his dreams had proved surprisingly easy.  Forging the marriage of his dreams…That, apparently was an entirely different challenge.”

FINAL DECISION: Focused on developing a mystery that will play out between four separate novels, this book features a newly married couple working to develop a marriage that satisfies both of them.  Deftly focusing on the mystery allows for more harmony between the couple than might be expected, but this allows their relationship to grow rather than be mired in pointless conflict.

THE STORY: Captain Declan Frobisher quickly wooed and wed the woman of his dreams.  He knew immediately that she was the one. When a secret mission disrupts his honeymoon, Declan hopes to accomplish his mission and return to his wife in short order.  Lady Edwina nee Delbraith (a duke’s daughter and sister of gambling king Neville Roscoe from THE LADY RISKS ALL) is pleased with her husband but as a strong, definite and strategic woman she intends of building a marriage based on a working personal relationship.  She has no intention of staying home while her husband sails the seas.  She will take risks to show her husband that the two belong side by side.

OPINION: This book is more mystery than romance. The usual romance depicted in similar books happens before this book begins.  This book is about the formation of a marriage relationship.  That being said, I really like books that are about marriage.  There is much drama to be found in two people learning to navigate together and creating a life together instead of merely two lives running parallel.  That is what is at the heart of the romance in this book. Declan and Edwina have to discover what one another want and need in their marriage.  That requires talking and understanding and compromise from both of them.

Initially, Declan expects a marriage that will feature a lady wife to manage his home and children while he sails the world.  This conflicts with Edwina’s vision because she knows that she is not delicate and she is determined to fully share her husband’s life and she intends that the two of them wllll manage their life together.  Her adventurous soul attracted Declan to her and his desire to put her in a box to protect her cannot satisfy Edwina.

That being said, the normal drama and conflict is largely missing from this book.  These two respect and love one another from the beginning and therefore there is some — but not a lot — of conflict between Declan and Edwina.  Instead, there is the beginning of a mystery that will last throughout the four books of the quartet.  Therefore, anyone expecting a solution to the mystery will be disappointed.  This book is the first part of the mystery.  Some secrets are revealed, but there is much left for other couples to discover. Indeed, it is clear that Declan and Edwina still have a part to play in future books.  The mystery itself was well developed.  Regular readers of Laurens will know that she almost always has a serious mystery element in her books. Here, the mystery takes more prominance than in, for example, the Cynsters series.

This book clearly takes place in the same world that Laurens other novels.  Making a prominant appearance is Wolverstone (from the Bastion Club series) and there are mentions of the Black Cobra Quartet. While never overwhelming the current storyline, there are many Easter eggs for fans to find.

The remainder of the series will feature Declan’s brothers and the women they find.  This book has to do the heavy work of introducing characters and developing the ongoing storyline.  This book accomplishes that while giving readers a different type of romance.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book reminds me of the relationship between Penelope and Barnaby Adair in the Barnaby Adair Mystery series that Laurens also writes.  The emphasis on the mystery is also similar to that series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE LADY’S COMMAND is the first book in The Adventurers Quartet.  This is a truly connected four book series. Each of the books will build upon the story before and therefore the books are meant to be read together.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.  I also purchased my own copy of this book.

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four-stars