Guest Review: The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens

It has been said that “ . . . a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” Without attempting to overstate the case, this is how I feel about a really good book. Right at the outset I would also state that I love all books passionately, but I am particularly fond of historical romances set in the 12th to the 19th centuries and involving the British aristocracy. Having begun my literary journey with the glorious tales spun by Georgette Heyer and others for whom she was a muse, I now find that the decades have not dimmed my love of a good Regency romance or an adventurous romp set in the lush surroundings of a castle or grand estate. Stephanie Laurens has given us just such a novel.

The Untamed Bride is the first of four stories wherein a member of the East India Company are highlighted. Each book is the tale of the hero’s adventure as he attempts to return incontrovertible evidence to England of death, revolution, corruption and greed caused by a cult known as the Black Cobra. The romance between the main characters develops within the context of adventure, suspense, and the social connections of long-time friends.

The Untamed Bride has some special qualities about it. First, the personalities of both the main characters as well as the supporting cast are strong and vibrant. This is especially true of the women. In a society where women were to be the equivalent of attractive brood mares, gilding the existence of wealthy aristocrats, and groomed to preside over soirees while pleasing a husband in the bedroom, these women exhiibit graceful individuality and intelligence with a singular tenacity. No wilting lilies here! They have married for love and their husbands and children feel the force of their personalities, not only accepting their contribution to their lives but relishing their participation in life fully.

Likewise, the supporting cast of men are individuals who, while wealthy and able to live in ease and luxury, have chosen to be purposeful and diligent in working for the good of their society and their country. The reader encounters people who seek to use their exalted station to right social wrongs and to insure the well-being of their own small social world as well as the greater good of the English people.

This book has the character of a great painting: each scene leads the reader to the next. The characters are well developed, the settings are beautifully described without being ponderous or taking over the story, and the conflict is teased out as a “story within a story,” carried along by the sexual and romantic tension. This is not a “slam bam, thank you m’am” kind of novel. The romance is beautifully and skillfully woven throughout the tale. No gratuitous sex to be had. There is friendship, regard and deep respect within the relationships in this book. The thoughtless evil of the Black Cobra and its minions is never able to overcome the sense of joy in being alive and connected to others who love life and one another.

I have always been a little worried that a series of novels such as the Black Cobra stories could easily deteriorate into four books that are simply travelogues detailing the movements of the main character but essentially telling the same story over and over again. I don’t think a writer of Ms Lauren’s vast experience, knowledge of the world and of the period, and obvious insight into the feelings and desires that drive human effort and activity would present the world with novels which were so predictable and so easily dismissed as a result. Her research is excellent and her ability to tell the story are without question.

When all is said and done, The Untamed Bride is a delightful novel and a very good read!

Rating: 5 out of 5