Four In Hand by Stephanie Laurens

Four gorgeous sisters in town for the season, all wards of one dangerous duke, or are they? In actuality, the oldest sister, the one who the duke is the most attracted to, is no longer in his care, and therefore not off-limits. But he doesn't want to let her know so he can stay close. Especially since these girls are rare beauties and he knows exactly what men are after. Even his friend and his brother who are the front runners for two of the girls. Can the girls get their men without giving up their virginity?

This is obviously an earlier romance novel with heroines who are arch but innocent and heroes who are rakes but in love.

Three stars

This book came out in 1993

This was a hard copy I didn't keep

Opinions are my own

The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens

Lord Godfrey Cavanaugh has always love art and paintings. He loves his job as an art authenticator... usually. Right now, he is slogging through a winter storm and isn't sure that he is going to make his destination. His valet has twisted an ankle and things are looking dark. Luckily, he finds a man named Masterson who is heading to the same manor house. Unluckily, being out in the cold brings out the same weakness that he used to suffer as a child, basically a really bad flu. 

Elinor "Ellie" Hinckley is hopeful that selling her mother's favorite painting will help restore some of the family's money. At least enough to get them through for awhile longer. She's 28 and the daughter of minor gentry so she has no hopes of marriage when a handsome man lands in their family's lap; she's more concerned about the painting being proved to be an original masterpiece. 

But all is not as it seems in the manor and Godfrey is going to be the person to help figure out what is going on. 

If you've enjoyed other books in the series, you know what you're going to get. It's a romance from Stephanie Laurens but a little muted since there is a looooooong stretch where Godfrey is ill so the action is a little lacking. I am curious about the side character of Mr. Jeffers (I was listening to the audio so the spelling might be wrong here) -- he was introduced as a man shrouded in mystery and, at least in my mind, ended the book in the same place.

Three and a half stars

This book came out 

Follows The Beguilement of Lady Eustacia Cavanaugh

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Intrigue by Stephanie Laurens

It is once again Christmas and Lady Osbaldestone is hosting an additional person this year, her youngest son, Christopher. He usually stays in London as long as possible, joining the family as close to Christmas as possible. But this year, his work in the Foreign Office is making him change his habits. Someone has been staking out his London residence and the higher ups are afraid it might be someone from France. The war from Napoleon looks like it might be ending soon (God willing) and Christopher's web of informants will be vital in rebuilding should the war actually be at an end. So if a French agent is staking out his house, Christopher needs to disappear. Add in to that the fact that he suddenly seems to be on the target of eligible lades, he's ready to disappear. And heading to Little Moseley might be the answer. He loves his nieces and nephews and knows that they've had fun there the last few Christmases. Joining them there might be a bit of a hardship but not entirely.

Marion Sewell is tracking Christopher but not for matrimonial purposes. Instead, she is trying to do a favor for her brother who is in the Foreign Office. But she thinks that Christopher might suspect her of the former. He certainly ran away from her in that London ballroom fast enough. But she is going to be relentless in making sure that he hears what she has to say, even if she tracks him down in the back of beyond.

The Christmas Chronicles usually focus around a mystery with a little romance on the side. This book is no different. But from the description (and even the way I described it myself), the romance seems to take the fore. However, there is actually a lot of back and forth between the children and Christopher, the children and Lady Osbaldestone, and even the children and the man sent to protect Christopher. The mystery in this one was weaker than usual and there was a lot of running around with little to show for it until a lot of action was packed into the last 5% of the book.

Three stars

This book came out in October 15th, 2020
Follows Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings 

Followed by The Meaning of Love

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Murder at Mandeville Hall by Stephanie Laurens

Alaric, Lord Carradale, is finally ready to settle down. He doesn't want to spread the news because it means that he will be inundated with "help" from his three sisters. While he is a wolf of the ton, right now, no one knows the extent of his family fortune. God forbid the matchmaking mamas start to look into him if and, if he even hints that he might be looking at marriage, they will dig and they will start pushing their daughters at him.
He's at Mandeville Hall to show up at the house party his friend Percy throws every year but he's not ready to partake of the licentiousness as usual. Instead, he plans to retire to his own home at the end of every evening. But when he comes back after the first day, he discovers a body.
Miss Constance Whittaker has been sent by her grandfather to retrieve her cousin from a house party that is known to be rather... licentious. But she arrives too late; her cousin is dead. And Alaric is cradling her body. But she doesn't think that he is the one who killed her. Instead, she decides to team up with him to figure out what is going on. Unfortunately, there is another murder and Scotland Yard needs to be called in. As this is a titled group of people, of course, Inspector Stokes and Barnaby Adair are called in to help figure out what is going on.
This book mainly focuses on Constance and Alaric which is good for seeing their relationship grow but won't be good for the people used to seeing Barnaby and Penelope in the middle of the action. And the mystery wraps up early with a heavy romance on the romance for the rest of the book.

Three stars

Follows Confounding Case of the Carisbrook Emeralds

This book came out

Audiobook borrowed from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Confounding Case of the Carisbrook Emeralds by Stephanie Laurens

I had thought of this as being Laurens' mystery series but, as usual, it is more about the relationships and the characters than the actual mystery. Which I am okay with. We have a very lovely romance between Hugo Adair and Cara Di Abaccio. 
We are dropped in when Cara's aunt accuses her of stealing the Carisbrook emeralds. Of course, she is innocent but no one is willing to go against her aunt. No one except Hugo that is. He immediately realizes someting is wrong when she doesn't come to church and finds her at Scotland Yard. Of course, Inspector Stokes immediately also realizes that she is innocent and sets out with Barnaby and Penelope to clear her name. 
The solution ends up being rather convoluted with many layers but I don't know if people are reading these for the mysteries.

Three stars

Follows Loving Rose

Followed by The Murder at Mandeville Hall

This book came out June 14th, 2018

Opinions are my own

Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings by Stephanie Laurens

For the third year, Lady Osbaldestone's grandchildren have decided they want to come visit her before going to the larger family gathering. This year, the original three and their cousin Melissa are joined by her sister Amanda (Mandy). They come to the village in a propitious year. Lady Osbaldestone's plum trees have cast off an abundance of fruit. Her cook has offered to make everyone in the village a plum pudding in order to have something to do with them all. The village has been taking up a collection of pennies in order to have something to put in the plum pudding and that is the children's first task, to sort the coins and clean them up so they can be put into the food. But when they find three coins that are obviously older than the currently used currency, it's time to call in reinforcements. A professor and his amanuensis niece are called in and a mysterious gentleman with ties to the professor show up. The stories of love and mystery don't twine as well in this book but still a fast, fun, and fluffy that would be good to pick up when you just need a palate cleanser.

Three stars

This book came out October 17th, 2019

Follows Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols

Followed by Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Intrigue

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own 

Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols by Stephanie Laurens

Once again, Lady Osbaldestone's three grandchildren are joining her for a village Christmas. They had so much fun last year that they begged to come back. This year, her granddaughter Melissa (a cousin of the original three) is also there. Her older sister was invited to a house party but Melissa has hit her teen years hard and her mother is scared to take her. Therese decides to do what she does best. Meddle but only from a distance and only when she should.

This year, there is a new organist who has a mysterious past. There is also a female visitor to the village. One who knows her own worth and is ready to wait for the right husband. 

Again, Laurens-light. Not super-complicated but not a lot of depth either.

Three stars

This book came out October 18th, 2018

Follows Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose

Followed by Lady Osbaldestone’s Plum Puddings

Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose by Stephanie Laurens

Light romance, light mystery -- this book was a fun introduction to Lady Osbaldestone with her own stories. Now widowed but still a grand dame of the ton, she is connecting (somewhat warily) with three of her grandchildren while their parents are dealing with an illness. Definitely, the children are a little more precocious than might be believable but, if you can suspend your disbelief, this is just a fun story.
Therese is trying to figure out how to entertain her grandchildren in her small village but there is a built-in mystery of where all of the geese, raised for Christmas dinner, have disappeared to. While they are doing that, helping a local injured hero to realize that he might be worth love is a secondary task. 
Very Laurens-light with a rather whimsical romance.

Three stars
This book came out October 19th, 2017
Followed by Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols
Borrowed as an audiobook from Audible
Opinions are my own

The Beguilement of Lady Eustacia Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens

Frederick, Marquess of Albury, is renown for his skill at the piano but he is equally well known for not playing in public. Lady Eustacia "Stacey" Cavanaugh would like to change that. She feels like the musicians of England are in the shadow of the great names from the continent. Her plan is to have Frederick come and play in a series of musical evenings to inveigle the ton to also come and listen to her proteges. 
He isn't easily persuaded. But Stacey is a master manipulator (which has a negative connotation for me so it made the story an interesting one to listen to) so she bides her time and finally convinces him to play for her. But while thanking him, they have an accident putting them in a compromising position and Frederick gallantly proposes. He soon wants to make their fake engagement real but will have to work to convince Stacey that she's nothing like her mother.
I was actually enjoying this story quite a bit. There was A Woman in Frederick's past and she doesn't (gasp!) actually come back to haunt him. But then there was a murderer thrown in? For Reasons. It wasn't a story woven throughout the whole book and made little sense to me since Laurens is such a good writer there could have a different way to convince Stacey she could love.

Three stars
This book came out July 18th, 2019
Follows The Pursuits of Lord Kit Cavanaugh
Followed by The Obsessions of Lord Godfrey Cavanuagh

Borrowed as an audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

The Greatest Challenge of Them All by Stephanie Laurens

Very few of us like to think that our lives are decided for us since birth. Lord Drake Varisey, Marquess of Winchelsea, heir to a dukedom has been running, it feels like, since birth, trying

to get away from Lady Louisa Cynster, known to the ton as Lady Wild. But he's been dragged into trying to foiling a plot involving a LOT of gun powder and he needs help. Particularly, he needs someone who knows the ins and outs of the tonnish families. And there is no one better at that than Louisa. He knows, though, that if he gets too close, he'll probably fall in love. And that's not such a bad thing.

Louisa has been much more accepting of her fate. She's also cognizant of the fact that Drake is a strong personality and, if she wants to have a marriage where she is an equal partner, she'll have to start as she means to go on. Including making sure that Drake doesn't believe that he can run her over. 

A decent story. A lot of it is devoted to the mystery and bringing in the couples from the first two books.

Three stars

Follows An Irresistible Alliance

Followed by A Conquest Impossible to Resist

This book came out March 11th, 2017

Opinions are my own

An Irresistible Alliance by Stephanie Laurens

 Michael Cynster is startled and relieved at the beginning of this book to realize that, with the engagement of his older brother, he is no longer going to be as big a catch on the Marriage Mart. He can relax. But a hedonistic lifestyle hold no appeal; he's done that for awhile. Instead, he focuses on helping his brother with uncovering a plot involving some gun powder. Gun powder that is being moved by carts but none of them understand how shipping works. But Cleome Hendon does.
Cleo thought that working as her family's business as the manager would be exciting. And it was... for awhile. No, she's got it all figured out. So when Michael comes to her with a built-in adventure, she invites herself along. 
An okay story. Some light contortions to get a lot of people from previous books involved.

Three stars

Follows The Lady By His Side

Followed by The Greatest Challenge of Them All

This book came out March 11th, 2017

Opinions are my own

The Pursuits of Lord Kit Cavanaugh by Stephanie Laurens

The town of Bristol looks like it's going to be a great place for Lord Christopher "Kit" Cavanaugh to open up his new yacht building business. He's even found a warehouse. It's just too bad about the nonprofit he's displacing. But then he finds out it's a school for impoverished children. And one being run by Sylvia Buckleberry. He decides that he's going to make sure that the school is going to succeed. It has a much to do with wanting to help his new community as much as helping out the lovely Sylvia. But doing that means that he's spending more time with her and figuring out exactly how lovely she is.
For Sylvia's part, she's somewhat bemused by Kit's help but more than willing to take it. She thought he was nothing more than a fancy lord working his way through the debutantes of London. But she's learning that there are depths to this man. Ones that she'll need to rely on as there are people who aren't very excited  about her school moving to a nicer part of town. And enemies from the past that are against Cavanaugh Yachts succeeding.
This was a fine story from Lauren's but there were so many <i>things</i> happening in quick succession that it was annoying. One minor plot point really could have been erased and made the story so much better. I'm not sure why it was thrown in.

Three and a half stars

Followed by The Beguilement of Eustacia Cavanaugh
This book came out April 30th
ARC kindly provided by publisher and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

The Lady's Command by Stephanie Laurens

We so rarely get romance books that start at the marriage, I was really excited to read the latest from Stephanie Laurens (well, over and above the usual Laurens excitement level).
Declan and Edwina Frobisher have only been married three weeks when his top-secret government job pulls him back into play. While Declan was happy to marry Edwina and delighted to discover her link to Neville Roscoe ("The Lady Risks All"), he wants to tame some of her more...  adventurous tendencies. Oh, not all of them, just the ones that might lead her into danger.
This one didn't have the... overwhelming sense of urgency running throughout the entire book that many of Laurens' adventure novels have. And yet, I didn't feel like it suffered. And there was only one mention of someone's [adjective] [soul/spirit/etc.] which was a great relief since it got more than a little repetitive even when I first noticed it in Chillingworth's book.
A very nice addition to the Laurens canon and I can't WAIT to read the next one.

Four stars
This book comes out December 29, 2016

Followed by A Buccaneer at Heart

Hard copy from Publisher

Opinions are my own

Reread as hard copy from library April 2023

Updated review: I think this book is better read right after the other series because it took me SO LONG to get into it and re-read it. It's fine and I'm looking forward to the next books in the series but it wasn't the sense of delight I had reading it originally.