Helpful Score: 8
Story: 2 stars
Romance: 3 stars
Darn, I am SO disappointed!
For years, I have been a big Stephanie Laurens fan. Sadly, it was a struggle just to finish this fourth in the Black Cobra series. Problem One: you must read all four books in order. Problem Two: all four stories are SO similar, it feels like you're reading the same book four times. [I swear, if I EVER read the word "cultist" again, I will run screaming from the room.]
I think Ms. Laurens may have been attempting to recreate the success of Elizabeth Hoyt's "Four Soldiers" series. Unfortunately, Laurens misses the mark in a BIG way. Since Hoyt is the more creative story-teller of the two, the four stories in HER series are absorbing and unique where they are NOT in the Black Cobra series.
An interested reader would get the gist of the series by reading the first book. However, each of the four stories contains at least one critical component to the cohesiveness of the entire story SO you need to be prepared to read all or none.
Problem Three: it felt gratuitous to include a bunch of Cynsters as supporting characters in each of these four books. Enough with the Cynsters, already!
Romance: 3 stars
Darn, I am SO disappointed!
For years, I have been a big Stephanie Laurens fan. Sadly, it was a struggle just to finish this fourth in the Black Cobra series. Problem One: you must read all four books in order. Problem Two: all four stories are SO similar, it feels like you're reading the same book four times. [I swear, if I EVER read the word "cultist" again, I will run screaming from the room.]
I think Ms. Laurens may have been attempting to recreate the success of Elizabeth Hoyt's "Four Soldiers" series. Unfortunately, Laurens misses the mark in a BIG way. Since Hoyt is the more creative story-teller of the two, the four stories in HER series are absorbing and unique where they are NOT in the Black Cobra series.
An interested reader would get the gist of the series by reading the first book. However, each of the four stories contains at least one critical component to the cohesiveness of the entire story SO you need to be prepared to read all or none.
Problem Three: it felt gratuitous to include a bunch of Cynsters as supporting characters in each of these four books. Enough with the Cynsters, already!
Helpful Score: 5
After finishing this book, I actually felt relieved that the series was finally done. I've never felt that way before about a Stephanie Laurens book or series. I have several Bastion Club books as well as a few of Stephanie's older books on my TBR shelves to read yet. Those will have to be read BEFORE I buy anymore SL books. I never thought I would see the day when I wouldn't be interested in her books anymore. I think it is time she moved out of the Cynsters, their friends and extended family and find some new people to write about. She has built her entire career around them but I feel her writing is getting stale.
This story starts only after Rafe has traveled from Bombay to Austria where he first meets Loretta and her Aunt Esme boarding the riverboat on the Danube River. While I enjoyed the basic story of The Reckless Bride and gave it 3 out of 4 stars on my rating scale, the first 250 pages where about as dull as dish water. The H/H didn't even have sex for the first time until then...after that, they were like rabbits (give me a break already), until they got to England...then they didn't have time! It wasn't until the travelers arrived at the Channel, ready to cross to England that the action started. All of it, including the promised surprise twist near the end, was crammed into the last 200 pages. BTW, that twist was a surprise that I didn't see coming!
IMHO, she could have written only 2 books, running simultaneous stories for 2 of the guys in each book...wrapping it all up neatly in the last book. I was really enthused when I first read about this series. I thought it had such great potential and being a huge SL fan, I couldn't wait to read the books. I feel deflated and very disappointed overall. As I mentioned previously, I will have to take a long, hard look at her work in the future before I consider buying anymore of her books. I know she plans on writing stories of the Cynster girls but I think I'm done with that.
I know this review sounds like a pan, but there were some good parts in the book...enough to rate 3 of 4 stars. I didn't want to give spoilers here. So all you readers who rated the books 5 stars, don't hate me,,,I have to tell 'em like I see 'em!
Happy Reading!
This story starts only after Rafe has traveled from Bombay to Austria where he first meets Loretta and her Aunt Esme boarding the riverboat on the Danube River. While I enjoyed the basic story of The Reckless Bride and gave it 3 out of 4 stars on my rating scale, the first 250 pages where about as dull as dish water. The H/H didn't even have sex for the first time until then...after that, they were like rabbits (give me a break already), until they got to England...then they didn't have time! It wasn't until the travelers arrived at the Channel, ready to cross to England that the action started. All of it, including the promised surprise twist near the end, was crammed into the last 200 pages. BTW, that twist was a surprise that I didn't see coming!
IMHO, she could have written only 2 books, running simultaneous stories for 2 of the guys in each book...wrapping it all up neatly in the last book. I was really enthused when I first read about this series. I thought it had such great potential and being a huge SL fan, I couldn't wait to read the books. I feel deflated and very disappointed overall. As I mentioned previously, I will have to take a long, hard look at her work in the future before I consider buying anymore of her books. I know she plans on writing stories of the Cynster girls but I think I'm done with that.
I know this review sounds like a pan, but there were some good parts in the book...enough to rate 3 of 4 stars. I didn't want to give spoilers here. So all you readers who rated the books 5 stars, don't hate me,,,I have to tell 'em like I see 'em!
Happy Reading!
Helpful Score: 3
Boring! I was so disappointed in this book over all the others. I really thought this one was going to be a page turner and instead I've had to force myself to read it. I'm on 6 days of trying to get through it when I can normally finish a good book in one day. It lacks action, a plot, character development, romance, and everything else in between.
