The Lady Risks All
4 Stars

For reasons of his own, the notorious and enigmatic Neville Roscoe lives according to his own moral code and is satisfied with the life he has chosen to lead. That is until the prim and proper Miss Miranda Clifford appears on his doorstep with a request for his help. Tempted by her honesty, loyalty and passion, Roscoe is suddenly faced with the reality of all he has sacrificed and must decide whether he is able to continue living without the love and happiness he needs.

Series note: While not officially connected to either the Bastion Club or Black Cobra Quartet, the hero, Neville Roscoe, does appear in book #7 of the former and book #4 of the latter. Moreover, book #1 in the Adventurer Quartet focuses on Roscoe's sister. As such, this can be considered book #0.5 of that series.

Readers are finally rewarded with the details concerning the mysterious Neville Roscoe. Not only do the events of his past explain his current occupation and choices, but they highlight the true nobility of his nature as well as the lengths to which he will go to protect those he loves.

Miranda is also a delightful heroine and the absolute perfect match for Roscoe in every way. She is fiercely loyal and unfailingly honest, and her respectable facade conceals a passionate nature. Moreover, like Roscoe, she is also lonely with a strong desire for love and a family of her own. Thus, Roscoe and Miranda's have an intense and tangible connection, and their romance is wonderful.

The mystery surrounding the kidnapping of Miranda's brother is intriguing, and it is fun following along as Roscoe and Miranda search for him and fall in love in the process. That said, the eventual explanation for the crime seems more like an afterthought, and there is very little foundation in the storyline for the revelations at the end. Also, the final section is unnecessarily drawn out and overly angsty.

Overall, Lauren's historical romantic suspense style becomes more appealing with each of her books and I look forward to continuing with the next spin-off series - the Adventurers Quartet. ( )

Here's my full review:
http://www.sholee.net/2019/11/mpov-lady-risks-all.html ( )

A tie-in with the Black Cobra Quartet (The Reckless Bride) & The Bastion Club (The Edge Of Desire).

A sensual story about a rakish young man who gives up his right to have a happy marriage & a good life to save his family's good name & retore their fortune.

In enters a well respected young lady who needs his help to save her kidnapped brother & risks her reputation to rescue him. Along the way, they fall in love. But now it is her turn to risk everything to claim her true love.

An elegantly written story. Superb. ( )

Miranda Clifford’s brother goes missing and the only person she thinks will be able to help her find him is the notorious neighbor, Roscoe. How Miranda, an unwed lady, manages to get herself into the situation of travel alone with an unmarried man, and thinking that she will just find her brother and bring him home is just a little hard to swallow. The characters were lack in full 3 dimensions and the story dragged. Not one of my favorites. ( )

I am a fan of this author, but not all of her books are on my keeper shelf. With Ms. Laurens, it's hit or miss for me. This one falls somewhere in between and for that I blame the pace of the story. It was a bit slower than I'd like, but the characterization and the plot definitely saves the story.

If you've read Ms. Laurens's Black Cobra Series, which I didn't, you may remember the hero as a secondary character in them. I wonder if by reading that series would have helped me understand the hero better, but plot wise, I don't think it's necessary to read that series in order to follow this story.

I have to say I liked the story most of the time. The characterization of the main characters was well written and the plot was okay, but the pace could have been better and with the mystery aspect of the story that should have helped, but it didn't. That's not to say that it wasn't intriguing or entertaining.


If you're this authors fan, you'll probably like it, but it won't be your keeper or your favorite. If you've never read her, then this shouldn't be your introduction to this author. I suggest you begin with 'A Rogue’s Proposal', a book I adored!


Melanie for b2b

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher

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