Customer Reviews

The Elusive Bride LP (Black Cobra Quartet)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I've read other Stephanie Laurens books, and enjoyed many of them. This Black Cobra series - two books out so far - is a huge, boring disappointment. The character names seem twee (why do the girls have to have the same initials for given name and surname?) and the main characters themselves are not at all interesting. I slogged through this one, and will likely sell these off and cancel my pre-orders for the final two.

There is sloppy editing: misspellings. There is sloppy writing - the Uncle character always 'croons' when he's plotting nasty things (once is interesting; more than that is boring/lazy). The title, as mentioned by other reviewers, is odd, if not daft; Emily's going after Gareth as fast as she can. Elusive BrideGROOM maybe; not Elusive Bride. Romantic? I didn't find it so. Suspenseful? Nope.

There is the frankly unbelievable - quite a number of fights with Black Cobra 'cultists' and EVERY time there are dead cultist bodies to dispose of, but never a 'goodie' - surely even in nineteenth century wherever, you couldn't go travelling through Asia and Europe leaving dozens of bodies in your wake, and nobody knew or cared? And there has been no plausible storytelling to convince the reader of why all these dozens (hundreds, through the four books) of cultists are prepared to travel hundreds of miles and get killed. And surely all this travel, purchase of weaponry etc must be a severe drain on the cult's resources? And why does it take, like, FOREVER before the cultists work out that wearing black hats, I mean black scarves, means they can be spotted in a crowd by the good guys, like, rooooollly easily? Huh? They have never been anywhere near 'How to be a Baddie 101'.

Oscar Wilde may have defined fiction as "The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means." ...but it's taken to a ridiculous length in this series. Doesn't matter if the bad guys prepare a torture chamber - no goodie is going to get much more than a scratch. Every inn/ship they find will inevitably be run/captained by kindly folk who will help them. I was reminded of the Mark Twain essay on the literary offences of Fenimore Cooper, the author of 'Last of the Mohicans' in which he comments that should there need to be a twig for a character to tread upon, so the character's whereabouts are revealed, then there will inevitably be a convenient twig.

The diary entries by Emily are tedious, and slow the novel. Diaries and letters can be excellent plot engines, or dragging anchors; these are the latter. And repetitious, in plot terms.

While it's part of a series, the integration of backstory reads as repetition too; I've read plenty of other series fiction where such overlap/information is integrated well, so as a new reader I would learn and as a knowledgeable reader I don't feel like I'm being dinged on the head with a dead, all-too-familiar fish.

Perhaps one of the aims of the series is some local colour, Asian/European travelogue. I wasn't especially intrigued or interested; the locations function for plot purposes, by and large. In terms of the times and their mores, I do wonder if an unmarried lady and gentleman could so easily and publicly cohabit, without comment. It feels as though morals/mores are invoked when convenient and ignored when not.

When other Stephanie Laurens books are good, and I would give them five stars, and they are on my keeper/reread shelf, this book, and this series feel old, tired and like an exploitation of her name recognition/success with Cynsters and Bastion series. Hey, they liked Devil Cynster - wheel him into this scene! (in which you will get little or no idea of how engaging and interesting a character he was in the novel in which he is the hero).

I hope the author/editors/publishers do some quick tightening up/editing/rewriting/improving of this series. As it stands, this is Stephanie Laurens' moment to jump the shark (as the popular culture saying goes) - I don't imagine that's an enticing prospect for the author or her publisher. What a shame.

I'm a huge Stephanie Laurens fan and loved the fact she started a whole new series and brought back Wolverstone and the Cynsters. The 1st book was great. This 2nd book is soooooo slow. I've been able to put it down and had to force myself to pick it back up to see how the story ended. We get all of Emily's inner thoughts but Gareth's thought and feelings are hidden. I get that that is part of the story but seriously he makes leaps in his supposed feelings for her but you have no idea why. Emily's character gets annoying in her constant plotting. Got to applaud a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it but this book is tedious. Hope the next 2 are better.

In the second installment of the Black Cobra Quartet, we meet Emily Ensworth, the woman who was instrumental in bringing the Black Cobra's letter rescued by the ill fated MacFarlane to his companions. When she meets Major Gareth Hamilton, she is struck with the feeling that he is "the one" for her. The book relates their travels from Aden to the sanctuary of Daziel.

As noted by other reviewers, this book was not quite to the caliber that the reader is used to when they read a Stephanie Laurens book. Normally, I read her books straight through, unable to put them down. While the book was entertaining, the plot line was slower paced to the point of dragging along. As noted by other reviewers, it would appear that you have to be familiar with Laurens' books to really appreciate this novel. Hopefully, with The Brazen Bride (next in the series)the plot will pick up and move a bit more rapidly.

I was never quite sure why Emily was referred to as the Elusive Bride - maybe it should have been called The Elusive Groom, because Gareth was the one who did all the resisting.

I'm a big fan of Stephanie Laurens. I have all the Cynster and Bastion books and have enjoyed them. But, let's face it, Ms. Laurens had become quite formulaic. Many genre authors have a template, especially prolific ones, and Ms. Laurens was definitely one of them. But by the 8th or however many books I've read, I could almost do my own breakdown of the scenes before even cracking open the cover. I could also pretty much describe her hero and heroine, save their height, hair color, and eye color. And all that is OK -- up to a point. That's why "The Elusive Bride" was such a pleasant surprise. The changes are subtle, but meaningful. Her hero, Gareth Hamilton, is everything a dashing male lead should be. He's handsome, virile, and honorable. But the touch that Ms. Laurens adds to this necessary mix is quite expected -- a believable vulnerability. A Laurens male lead that has doubts?! Who isn't sure that the heroine is attracted to him?! Wow, didn't see that coming. Major Hamilton just seems so grounded and human, while still being the stuff that female readers can wistfully pine over. The female lead, Emily Ensworth is also a welcome evolution of the Laurens archetype. Smart and capable without being an Ice Princess. No cold aloofness that the hero has to crack through with a jackhammer. Instead, she knows what she wants and goes after it with a determination that is believable. Emily is probably, for me, the most likable Laurens heroine since Althea of the Cynster series "A Secret Love." All in all, just such a nice change of pace for a Laurens book. I'm really looking forward to "The Brazen Bride." The excerpt I read seems promising. I hope in this next book that Ms. Laurens continues to challenge her own formula.

In 1822 Captain MacFarlane escorts the visiting niece of the Governor of Bombay Emily Ensworth as they flee the Black Cobra Cult. Realizing they cannot make it to safety, MacFarlane gives a letter to Emily asking her to deliver it to his superior Colonel Delborugh; he plans to wait for the cult in order for her to deliver letter though he knows he will be dead soon. She makes it and gives the letter to the Colonel and three other officers. She is immediately attracted to one of them Major Gareth Hamilton and wonders if he might be her "one".

Emily learns the four men resigned their commission and vanished although she knows Gareth is heading home through Aden. Impetuously she tells her beloved Uncle she is returning home via the Pyramids and arranges a speedy voyage to Aden to be there before Gareth to learn if he is her one. In Aden, Gareth sees a cultist try to kill Emily, but he intervenes. He rents a house to keep their combined traveling teams of nine safe. Emily tells Gareth he has a copy or the original of the letter that must be important that he and his comrades had to resign. He mentions the four are racing to England separately to deliver it to the Duke of Wolvestone so that the Black Cobra Roderick Ferrer will be convicted of crimes and his high placed father will not be able to protect him. They travel together with cultists trying to kill them while falling in love, but Gareth feels Emily deserves better while she knows he is her one.

The story line is filled with constant exciting action as the tough yet seemingly inept Cult mount attack after attack. Fast-paced with an expected but terrific final twist and a strong support cast traveling with the courageous lead couple, fans will enjoy this engaging late Regency Era thriller with more to follow.

Harriet Klausner

If Stephanie Laurens' name was not on the front of the book, I would not have known it was her writing. I have read and re-read all of her books. However the fist book in this series and this book are the first books that I have laid down and did not care if I went back to finish them. As far as the title goes, what was elusive about the her pursuit of the man? I hope this is not a permanent style change for her.

The Governor-General of India has given Major Gareth Hamilton and his four closest friends and comrades the task of bringing down the villainous Black Cobra, head of a merciless, murderous cult that has been ravaging Indian villages. While escorting the niece of the Governor of Bombay, one of Gareth's friends discovers a key piece of evidence to prove the Black Cobra's identity. But before he can get back to his comrades, the man is killed, leaving the governor's niece, Emily Ensworth, to deliver the evidence to his friends. Fulfilling his request brings Emily right into Gareth's path.

Emily knows at once that there's a good chance Gareth is her "one." The one man she could see falling in love and building a life with. But before she can explore her attraction to the handsome major, he up and leaves India! There's only one thing Emily can do - follow him. What Emily doesn't expect is that her quest for true love brings great danger with it, as the Black Cobra's assassins are not only after Gareth and the evidence he's carrying to his contact in England, but Emily as well.

With assassins around every corner, there is no place in the world for Gareth and Emily to escape peril. And behind closed doors, there's no place to hide from the attraction swiftly brewing between the two. Emily's gut instinct might be right about her and Gareth's future, but to prove her point the two will have to make it to England alive, first.

Be advised Stephanie Laurens fans new and old: The Elusive Bride is one of this talented author's best books yet! Get ready for a sweeping journey from India to England, with many stops in between as one determined, honorable hero and his bold, brave heroine battle and outwit cultists even as they navigate through the uncharted territory of falling in love. Gareth is the strong and sexy hero I have come to expect from Ms. Laurens, but he's got a little something extra that makes him stand out in a crowd: his patience and immediate acceptance of Emily's intelligence and resourcefulness. Emily is my favorite heroine of Ms. Lauren's so far. She has a boundless energy and hopefulness that drew me to her from the start. Throughout The Elusive Bride Ms. Laurens includes Emily's diary entries and those more than anything made me connect to her, as if she were a friend. I adored the fact that she saw Gareth as her "one" right from the start and, as she grew more certain of this fact, she carefully set out to make him see it as well. In a word, Emily is a "fun" heroine. Sparkling and bright and I rooted for her to not only aid Gareth in his mission, but to get her happily ever after with him. It's no secret that he falls for her fast, but I was happy to discover that this English major has a surprisingly romantic way with words.

The Elusive Bride is the second book in the Black Cobra Quartet and Ms. Laurens does provide the basic information from the first story so that those who have not read The Untamed Bride can follow along (though there are plot spoilers for the first book in The Elusive Bride). For readers who want the full background on Gareth's mission, I recommend reading The Untamed Bride first or at least visiting Ms. Lauren's website where she has the prelude to the series posted on the page for the quartet. The Elusive Bride proves that this series is just getting better, and I finished Gareth and Emily's story excited to see what happens in book three, The Brazen Bride.


Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I LOVE Stephanie Laurens i really do but for some reason i couldn't finish this book. I don't know if had something to do with the characters spending almost half of the time on a ship or the heroin writing in her dairy but i just couldn't finish it. I rather read the Cynster books and the Bastion Club again

I loved this book just like the other 2 in the series (just finished the third) and can't wait for the fourth. Don't know why others didn't like it as much but I sure did and will be rereading the whole series when the fourth book comes out in November.

Stephanie Laurens has been one of my favorite writers. I waited with baited breath for her new series. I wish I could tell you that we have a winner here. This book is painfully boring. The plot is illogical. The hero is ill-defined. The heroine is, "al'ight" but the old tired ploy of making diary entries didn't read true. It felt forced...as was evidenced by the repetitious, nonsensical postings.

Others have given the general gist of the story so I won't repeat it again. Only to say that if I ever read or hear the word, "cultist" again, I shall literally scream! Gareth and the "good guys" (now where have I heard that before)were killing "cultists" right, left and center. It was as if these were flies or rats being killed from India to England. And they would kill them this minute and blithely go make love the next. Nobody was troubled at the amount of blood being spilled, or the amount of young Indians being killed.

The most illogical aspect of this series, is the alacrity with which these hardened warriors - in this case, Gareth - handed over the rein of this high-level, sensitive case to these young women. Yes, the heroine in this book - and in the first book as well - is the one who seemed to decide what to do when. Not only did the hero tell the heroine EVERYTHING about the case, but they both proceeded to tell EVERYBODY else about it.

The book is about 390 pages too long. Really.
I do hope that the other offerings in this series is much better or Ms. Lauren would have lost me. There is a preview to book number 3 which doesn't sound too bad. Waiting to read it.