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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
neeuqdrazil's review against another edition
3.0
I do enjoy Laurens' world. She pulls characters from her earlier series into this one, which makes it feels like a more full story.
This one was ok, but it felt a bit too pat. Hopefully the next two novels in this series are better.
Reread on holiday.
This one was ok, but it felt a bit too pat. Hopefully the next two novels in this series are better.
Reread on holiday.
hcampbell28's review against another edition
4.0
A Buccaneer at Heart picks up immediately after the ending of The Lady’s Command, so I would highly recommend that you read these books in series order. Edwina and Declan Frobisher have returned from the first leg of the reconnaissance mission to Freetown, Africa to learn why people were going missing there. Having returned with some eye-opening information, it is time for the next part of the mission to begin, and who better for that mission than another of the Frobisher brothers – this time Robert. Robert sets sail to take the mission deeper into the heart of the slums and the jungle to find out where these people are being taken and why. He doesn’t expect to encounter a beautiful but driven young woman, Aileen Hopkins, already in Freetown searching for her missing brother who is at times both a help and a hindrance, but at all times a lovely woman he starts to fall for. What will they uncover in Africa, both about themselves and the mission?
One thing that sets this book apart from the first in the series is how the romance plays out. In The Lady’s Command you have a married couple right from the first few pages of the book and that plays out distinctly different than Robert setting out on this mission as a single man with some thoughts towards seeking a bride upon his return home. As a matter of fact, Robert and Aileen exist on separate storylines through the first third or so of the book – they are relatively aware of the other’s presence, but do not encounter one another. Even once they meet, the main thrust of the story is the mission – for Aileen it is to find her brother who went missing in Freetown and from Robert it is to locate the camp of the kidnappers. This at times sets them at odds with each other as their missions sometimes do not support the other. I did find their early moments to be sort of funny and their relationship flourished at an expedited pace because of the nature of close proximity during their shared mission. By the end of the novel there are a couple of sexy scenes between the two, but you will wait quite a while as the novel is centered more on the adventure than the romance for most of the book.
I liked the characters of Aileen and Robert in this book, more than I liked Edwina from the first book for sure. Aileen is a woman who can take care of herself, she even comes packing her own weapons AND knows how to use them! While she does have a damsel-in-distress moment and needs rescuing, she does return the favor with Robert by the end of the book. We also return to a few characters that we met in the first book, Declan and Edwina book end the novel, but also some of the locals in Freetown make a second appearance here and are quite enjoyable.
Action there is aplenty here, even beyond the bedroom! There is spying, kidnapping, escaping, shootouts, sword-fights, encounters by boat, subterfuge, and more. I think that the adventure was well plotted and feels like a natural progression of the greater story arc across what will be a four book series. While I think that the necessity for the brothers to each complete one part of the mission and then return all the way back to London to report seems a little drawn out to be ultimately believable, I can suspend that disbelief and enjoy the sense of adventure here as it does draw you in. I would weigh the adventure aspect more heavily than the romantic elements in this novel.
There was only one set of awkward scenes, and while I understand why they were written the way they were, it came off very difficult to read. Sprinkled throughout the novel there are a couple scenes where the kidnappers are the central focus and they are discussing their nefarious ways. Obviously the author didn’t want the reader to know who they were yet, as some of them will be revealed later in this book and others likely in the forthcoming titles. So instead of unique names, we have generalities that read very much like, “the first man said to the third man”. This repeated usage began to drive me crazy and I couldn’t wait for those scenes to end because I was even more confused than when I began that section. I’m not sure how to improve this section, but it was just awkward reading.
Overall, I found this second book more enjoyable than the first (which is very unusual for me) and I can’t wait to dive into the third book in this series which follows the youngest and more spontaneous brother, Caleb.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
One thing that sets this book apart from the first in the series is how the romance plays out. In The Lady’s Command you have a married couple right from the first few pages of the book and that plays out distinctly different than Robert setting out on this mission as a single man with some thoughts towards seeking a bride upon his return home. As a matter of fact, Robert and Aileen exist on separate storylines through the first third or so of the book – they are relatively aware of the other’s presence, but do not encounter one another. Even once they meet, the main thrust of the story is the mission – for Aileen it is to find her brother who went missing in Freetown and from Robert it is to locate the camp of the kidnappers. This at times sets them at odds with each other as their missions sometimes do not support the other. I did find their early moments to be sort of funny and their relationship flourished at an expedited pace because of the nature of close proximity during their shared mission. By the end of the novel there are a couple of sexy scenes between the two, but you will wait quite a while as the novel is centered more on the adventure than the romance for most of the book.
I liked the characters of Aileen and Robert in this book, more than I liked Edwina from the first book for sure. Aileen is a woman who can take care of herself, she even comes packing her own weapons AND knows how to use them! While she does have a damsel-in-distress moment and needs rescuing, she does return the favor with Robert by the end of the book. We also return to a few characters that we met in the first book, Declan and Edwina book end the novel, but also some of the locals in Freetown make a second appearance here and are quite enjoyable.
Action there is aplenty here, even beyond the bedroom! There is spying, kidnapping, escaping, shootouts, sword-fights, encounters by boat, subterfuge, and more. I think that the adventure was well plotted and feels like a natural progression of the greater story arc across what will be a four book series. While I think that the necessity for the brothers to each complete one part of the mission and then return all the way back to London to report seems a little drawn out to be ultimately believable, I can suspend that disbelief and enjoy the sense of adventure here as it does draw you in. I would weigh the adventure aspect more heavily than the romantic elements in this novel.
There was only one set of awkward scenes, and while I understand why they were written the way they were, it came off very difficult to read. Sprinkled throughout the novel there are a couple scenes where the kidnappers are the central focus and they are discussing their nefarious ways. Obviously the author didn’t want the reader to know who they were yet, as some of them will be revealed later in this book and others likely in the forthcoming titles. So instead of unique names, we have generalities that read very much like, “the first man said to the third man”. This repeated usage began to drive me crazy and I couldn’t wait for those scenes to end because I was even more confused than when I began that section. I’m not sure how to improve this section, but it was just awkward reading.
Overall, I found this second book more enjoyable than the first (which is very unusual for me) and I can’t wait to dive into the third book in this series which follows the youngest and more spontaneous brother, Caleb.
This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.
tracey_aussiereader25's review against another edition
4.0
Loving these characters. Romance and adventure.
zoer03's review against another edition
5.0
Love love it totally enjoyable and a good romping adventure a slight issue would be the heroine but she does grow on you. another well written book :)
meuyi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
shawniebooks's review against another edition
2.0
This one wasn't for me. Narratives were too lengthy, I didn't see real characterization, and I was distracted throughout most of it. The male narrator had a nice voice, but the tone was very somber. It sounded more like a dry mystery, which was not what I was looking for.
lillowo's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
It was an interesting book. Light and engaging! I liked the plot more than the last.
Same as last time, don't read too much into the sociopolitical stuff or some of the gender stuff (overtly empowering, implicitly not).
Same as last time, don't read too much into the sociopolitical stuff or some of the gender stuff (overtly empowering, implicitly not).
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
Another great read from Stephanie Laurens in The Adventurers Quartet series. Even though the heroine and hero had a stand alone romance in this novel the overarching plot line did begin in book one so I'd recommend starting there. Aileen knows that hunting down her missing naval brother isn't the best idea but with no one else in her family available she's ready for the challenge. Captain Robert is on a mission for the crown and having Aileen interfere is not what he needs but her determination, smarts, and beauty is not something he expected. As they try to unravel the disappearance of not only Aileen's brother but other men, women, and children their feelings grow. But can they trust a romance built on something so quickly or did they find that one in a million chance at love when least expected? Great read and I'm excited to continue the series!
jencook29's review against another edition
3.0
I love Stephanie Laurens...but I am struggling with this series overall. It doesn't read as fast as her other series. However, I liked this one a lot more than the first, so am giving the third one a try!