The Untamed Bride
4 Stars

Series note: This is a spin-off of the Bastion Club and Cynster series, and several characters from these books put in an appearance. Plotwise it is not absolutely necessary to have read the Bastion Club and the first 7 Cynster novels, but it does make it more entertaining.

India, 1822 - A cutthroat gang of thieves, rapists and murderers is terrorizing the countryside. The East India Company is convinced that an English gentleman is behind the attacks, and 4 soldiers are tasked with uncovering the evidence, transporting it back to England, and placing it in the right hands. After two assassination attempts, Colonel Derek Delborough is relieved to find himself back on English soil to deliver the evidence, but his relief is short-lived when Miss Deliah Duncannon arrives to intrude on his carefully laid plans.

Anyone who has read Stephanie Laurens before will recognize the characters and the romantic relationships. Nevertheless, the stories are entertaining and her writing has, thankfully, become more concise albeit not less awkward over time.

Del and Deliah are well-matched in temperament and the hero-in-pursuit trope is engaging (as it always is with Laurens' books). They have strong chemistry and there is no unnecessary angst or conflict.

In terms of the suspense plot, there are some good action scenes but no real mystery as the identity of the villain is revealed early on. Moreover, the excitement at the end is somewhat anti-climactic as there is no real danger to speak of (unlike the Bastion Club where there is always a convenient

In sum, this is an intriguing beginning to the series, and I particularly enjoyed tracing the path of each messenger using Google Maps. Gareth Hamilton's journey is next and I already like the heroine. ( )

Laurens provides appearances from many Cynsters and Bastion Club heroes and heroine while beginning a new quartet centered on stopping an Indian cabal intent on making money regardless of the human cost. Del, recently retired Colonel Derek Delborough, meets his match in the strong spirited Deliah Duncannon who insists they work together as equals to being the hidden mastermind of the Black Cobra into the light. This Regency era romance that mixes espionage, adventure, and steamy sensuality. ( )

I didn't really like Simon Prebble's narration - it was too much like a VB ad - "matter of fact, I've got it now". Story was a bit ordinary too. ( )

Stephanie Laurens has created a new series that utilizes characters from her Cynster series. It's great to see characters that you already feel comfortable with who will come to the aid of the new characters in this series.

Derek Delborough and four of his friends are serving in India when they come across information that could end the reign of the Black Cobra. They make copies of the letter, separate, and head back to England to try to bring down the villain. When Del in arrives in Southampton, he is enlisted against his will to escort Deliah Duncannon north.

The Black Cobra's minions try to intercept them as they travel and gain the letter. The relationship that develops and the adventures involved are entertaining along with the chance t o see old friends. ( )

Set later than the Bastion Club novels this is a story that has the members of that club as secondary characters. Starting off in India with five men who are reduced to four, who have to get proof of evildoing to England. They are pursued by this man, who has connections high up in England and the cultists he has collected around him.

Now the story isn't bad but you know from the setup that it's all about these four men and the story won't be resolved properly until the fourth book. The characters were quite well written and I love Deliah, though I do think having male and female romance characters who start with the same name doesn't quite work for me, particularly as he has a different first name, Derek, it's his surname, Delborough, that provides the nickname and with folks like Devil etc around, he could have been Rough! Still, they were good characters who had to resolve their issues before becoming a proper pair. I also liked the way the spy came into their lives!

On re-reading it stood up well. ( )