22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Blah, November 1, 2009
Very familiar plot line. No spark, no interest in the main characters. Frankly, they could have been very pleasant secondary characters but as the main characters rather boring. Not a bad book but no point in reading again. I was incredibly upset realizing that at least a fifth of the book was advertising for previous books, not that this book actually needed more pages but thought I was buying a half-way decent size book. Books are getting shorter and shorter and prices higher than higher. Stephanie Laurens used to be a buy in paperback but is heading quickly to library check out.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
No Surprises, Just the Standard Laurens Plot, November 1, 2009
See if you can tell me the name of this book:
Handsome, heroic nobleman meets independent-minded, feisty noblewoman. He is instantly attracted and pursues; she is attracted and resists. Her lungs seize. He flashes a wolfish smile. He seduces her. Lots of sex scenes. Oh, and there's a mysterious traitor/murderer and at some point the hero and heroine are in physical jeopardy. He gets overly protective, she resists again...
Yes, it's a template for every Stephanie Laurens book in print. What makes this one a bit different is the cast of thousands from prior novels who converge at one place toward the end of the novel. Here's the sad part -- when gathered together in the same place at the same time, most of the characters, especially the women, are so interchangable that the reader really doesn't need to know anything about their individual backstories. And that's the problem with this book: the two lead characters are so two-dimensional, so identical to the protaganists in prior books, that it's hard to view them as anything but carbon copies.
Generally, I'm able to get beyond the carbon copy plot because Laurens is a very capable writer (unlike so many others who tend to make up their own rules of grammar), with a very fluid, lyrical style. Not this time; I just couldn't warm up to this book. I can only hope that the next one in the series has some glimmer of originality...
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Untamed Bride, November 29, 2009
Colonel Derek "Del" Delborough and four of his friends have been tasked by the Governor-General of India to bring down the Black Cobra, head of a cult that has been terrorizing Indian villages, raping, pillaging, and murdering Indians and Englishmen alike. After discovering the identity of the Black Cobra, Del and his men know that to bring them down, they're going to need hard evidence and help from the powerful Duke of Wolverstone. Del's mission becomes personal when one of his friends is killed by the Black Cobra's men while securing the evidence they need. Under Wolverstone's instructions, Del and his friends split up, one carrying the original piece of evidence, the other three carrying decoys. Each is heading to England by a separate route; and that's just the beginning of Del's adventure.
Arriving in Southampton, Del receives word from his aunts that he needs to escort a neighbor back home with him. Since Del is on a mission, he absolutely refuses to do so. Too bad for him Miss Deliah Duncannon, has no intention of being packed off by herself. As Deliah is drawn into Del's mission, the now-retired colonel realizes that while he has faced off against numerous enemies, he has no chance against one brash, stunning Englishwoman, or his attraction to her. The Black Cobra's men are closing in on the pair, but possibly more frightening to both than losing their lives is the possibility of losing their hearts.
Though the Black Cobra Quartet is all new, The Untamed Bride is classic Stephanie Laurens. It has a strong, protective hero, an unconventional, intelligent heroine, romance to warm your heart, and action a plenty. Del is a hero straight out of Ms. Laurens's library with his strong sense of honor and his acknowledgment that he's powerless to resist his desire for the woman destined to be his. As for Deliah, she's a woman with a somewhat scandalous past who may seem unusual among women of her time, but fits right in with Ms. Laurens's other heroines. The similarities to previous heroes and heroines is apparent because the Cynster cousins, Bastion Club members, and their wives all play strong supporting roles in The Untamed Bride. Readers new to Ms. Laurens's work do not have to fear being lost, for The Untamed Bride is written to stand on its own. Those already familiar with Ms. Laurens's books will likely enjoy revisiting some of their favorite characters once more; I definitely did.
While the romance between Del and Deliah is at the heart of The Untamed Bride, equally important is the baiting game the group plays with the Black Cobra and his men. I was drawn into Del's mission and avidly read the story to see what would happen next in terms of intrigue, every bit as much as I did for the love story. All in all, The Untamed Bride was a satisfying read and a strong start to what is sure to be an exciting quartet. I'm eager to see what happens next and as such, can't wait to read book two in the Black Cobra Quartet, The Elusive Bride.
Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
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