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The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4)
The Reckless Bride - Black Cobra, Bk 4
Author: Stephanie Laurens
He races to complete their mission against escalating odds -- his task made more perilous when he loses his heart. — She's determined to defy convention and live a solitary life -- until she tastes the reckless pleasure found only in his arms. — Drawn together by fate, united by fiery passion, they pursue their shared destiny...one they'll...  more »
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ISBN-13: 9780061795190
ISBN-10: 0061795194
Publication Date: 10/26/2010
Pages: 400
Rating:
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 124

3.8 stars, based on 124 ratings
Publisher: Avon
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

chamber-maid avatar reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on
Helpful Score: 8
Story: 2 stars
Romance: 3 stars

Darn, I am SO disappointed!

For years, I have been a big Stephanie Laurens fan. Sadly, it was a struggle just to finish this fourth in the Black Cobra series. Problem One: you must read all four books in order. Problem Two: all four stories are SO similar, it feels like you're reading the same book four times. [I swear, if I EVER read the word "cultist" again, I will run screaming from the room.]

I think Ms. Laurens may have been attempting to recreate the success of Elizabeth Hoyt's "Four Soldiers" series. Unfortunately, Laurens misses the mark in a BIG way. Since Hoyt is the more creative story-teller of the two, the four stories in HER series are absorbing and unique where they are NOT in the Black Cobra series.

An interested reader would get the gist of the series by reading the first book. However, each of the four stories contains at least one critical component to the cohesiveness of the entire story SO you need to be prepared to read all or none.

Problem Three: it felt gratuitous to include a bunch of Cynsters as supporting characters in each of these four books. Enough with the Cynsters, already!
warbler43 avatar reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on + 83 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
After finishing this book, I actually felt relieved that the series was finally done. I've never felt that way before about a Stephanie Laurens book or series. I have several Bastion Club books as well as a few of Stephanie's older books on my TBR shelves to read yet. Those will have to be read BEFORE I buy anymore SL books. I never thought I would see the day when I wouldn't be interested in her books anymore. I think it is time she moved out of the Cynsters, their friends and extended family and find some new people to write about. She has built her entire career around them but I feel her writing is getting stale.

This story starts only after Rafe has traveled from Bombay to Austria where he first meets Loretta and her Aunt Esme boarding the riverboat on the Danube River. While I enjoyed the basic story of The Reckless Bride and gave it 3 out of 4 stars on my rating scale, the first 250 pages where about as dull as dish water. The H/H didn't even have sex for the first time until then...after that, they were like rabbits (give me a break already), until they got to England...then they didn't have time! It wasn't until the travelers arrived at the Channel, ready to cross to England that the action started. All of it, including the promised surprise twist near the end, was crammed into the last 200 pages. BTW, that twist was a surprise that I didn't see coming!

IMHO, she could have written only 2 books, running simultaneous stories for 2 of the guys in each book...wrapping it all up neatly in the last book. I was really enthused when I first read about this series. I thought it had such great potential and being a huge SL fan, I couldn't wait to read the books. I feel deflated and very disappointed overall. As I mentioned previously, I will have to take a long, hard look at her work in the future before I consider buying anymore of her books. I know she plans on writing stories of the Cynster girls but I think I'm done with that.

I know this review sounds like a pan, but there were some good parts in the book...enough to rate 3 of 4 stars. I didn't want to give spoilers here. So all you readers who rated the books 5 stars, don't hate me,,,I have to tell 'em like I see 'em!

Happy Reading!
reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on + 103 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Boring! I was so disappointed in this book over all the others. I really thought this one was going to be a page turner and instead I've had to force myself to read it. I'm on 6 days of trying to get through it when I can normally finish a good book in one day. It lacks action, a plot, character development, romance, and everything else in between.
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waucondacarol avatar reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on + 319 more book reviews
I read many reviews not liking this book and series, but I enjoyed the entire Black Cobra Quartet and noticing characters from Laurens' Bastion Club series was fun. I could not figure out who the Black Cobra was and that was suspenseful. As it is a novel, I had no problem with the killers from India popping up all over Europe and England, and the many fighting scenes. I liked the determined spinster heroine of this book. I think you should read the novels in order as part of a whole to really enjoy each and the final denunciation.
reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on + 157 more book reviews
Fantastic way to bring this quartet together! Love the way she writes! Also that she brings in the various characters from her other books... it makes everything seem so together!
reviewed The Reckless Bride (Black Cobra, Bk 4) on + 5 more book reviews
After all the detail on getting to England, I expected more conflict, but I loved the end!


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