The Lady's Command

November 2, 2015
In Laurens’s Adventurers Quartet opener, newlyweds Capt. Declan Fergus Frobisher and Lady Edwina Delbraith navigate through expectations of marriage and their new social roles in Regency-era England. When Declan is called to command a military mission to West Africa, Edwina, eager to chart a new course for herself, insists on staying by her husband’s side. Intent on creating a strong, equal partnership with her Declan, and driven by her passion for adventure, she hatches a plan that makes her a key player in Declan’s mission. Edwina is a formidable protagonist: dignified, elegant, loyal to her husband, intelligent, and strong-willed. Declan is a proven leader at sea, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he is at his wife’s command. Laurens successfully weaves mystery into the romance as the two lovebirds turned amateur sleuths investigate a series of suspicious disappearances. The narrative smoothly transitions between high society’s sophisticated yet superficial pleasantries and the romance of stolen glances and tender intimacy between Edwina and Declan. Edwina and Declan share the narration, and their sweet, humorous thoughts give readers pleasant guidance on this romantic journey.

December 15, 2015
Ordinarily, Captain Declan Frobisher knew exactly what to do with stowaways. However, when the stowaway in question is your brand-new wife, the usual rules do not apply. The moment Lady Edwina Delbraith married Declan, she promised herself that she would share every aspect of his life. So if Declan thinks he is going to sail off on business and leave her behind to sit quietly at home, well, her new husband is in for a big surprise! Laurens launches her new Adventurers Quartet on a high note, with a fast-paced tale that is jam-packed with dangerous intrigue and red-hot passion. Readers looking for something a little bit different than the usual Regency historical will be delighted with the exotic African setting of the book as well as its swashbuckling plot, in which one can almost picture Tyrone Power.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)