From reading the back cover copy for The Lady’s Command, I didn’t really know what to expect of this historical romance. Would it be set on the high seas? Would there be pirates? Would it be mostly set in English society with a husband who feels out of place? I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up my Kindle and started reading, especially when the couple were already wed before the opening pages–how refreshing!
Declan Frobisher comes from a shipping family, and he captains a ship that deals with specialized cargo. He’s more of an adventurer when needed, and his family has had an agreement with the English crown for years that they will help when called on for special assignments. He fell in love with Lady Edwina Delbraith rather easily, who comes from a noble family full of headstrong women and equally crafty and resourceful men. Once they’d wed and the London society came to accept to mysterious Declan as worthy of Lady Edwina, he figured that she’d be the wife he’d always pictured: staying home safely in England, doting on their children while he captained his ship.
But he underestimated Edwina’s willingness to put herself out there to make sure that they have a marriage as equals. He loves her wit and the easy way that she reads and interacts with all types of people. She loves his caring, sweet nature, but never thought to ask exactly what kind of shipping he did. When he’s called upon to sail to West Africa to look into four missing soldiers, she stows away on his ship even though he’s asked her to stay home. And so their adventure begins where they look into the mysterious disappearances of not only men, but women, and children as well while under the guise of traveling for their honeymoon. Lady Edwina fits in well with the society women and knows how to infiltrate the upper tier easily, while Declan has many investigative talents that he uses to prod the military men and the government officials, along with the shipping workers, to gain information.
I give The Lady’s Command a four out of five. This story was basically two parts: a husband and wife’s strengthening relationship as they got to know one another better and an adventure/mystery as they tried to find out what happened to the missing people. The cast of characters was large but Stephanie Laurens handled it well. I had no problem remembering any of the characters. While lighter on the romance and heavier on the mystery, I liked that their time aboard the ship sailing to and from West Africa wasn’t drawn out. The pacing was well done and flowed nicely. The mystery is however, not wrapped up completely. This is a four book series, so the cliffhanger will move answers into book tow. The next book will feature Declan’s brother Robert, and I’m definitely looking forward to that release in April!
About Stephanie Laurens
#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly became a career when her first novel was accepted for publication, and with entirely becoming alacrity, she gave up writing about facts in favor of writing fiction.
Laurens’s novels are set in the time period of the British Regency, and her settings range from Scotland to India. Laurens has published fifty works of historical romance, including 29 New York Times bestsellers. All her works are continuously available in print and digital formats in English worldwide, and have been translated into many other languages. An international bestseller, among other accolades Laurens has received the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA Award for Best Romance Novella 2008, for The Fall of Rogue Gerrard.
Her continuing novels featuring the Cynster family are widely regarded as classics of the genre. Other series include the Bastion Club Novels and the Black Cobra Quartet. For information on upcoming releases and updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanie’s website.
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I like the fact that the main character were already married – it definitely gives a different feel to the story than if they were just getting together.
Thanks for being a part of the tour!
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