A Lady of Expectations

I always know that when I pickup a book by Stephanie Laurens that chances are good that I will enjoy the book. This was no exception. Her characters are well developed and the story flows. A great read!

This is a great romance for a light read, or for a younger romance reader, who maybe shouldn't be exposed to the Connie Mason-esque sex scenes that appear in some novels. The story is good, complete with a few conflicts, some unnerving characters, a few love-to-hate personalities, and a handful of boiseterous children and a slew of horseback riding outings in the park. Sophie has just enough pique and pizazz to be fun to follow and Jack is steady and determined enough to hold the tension out throughout the course of the book. Still, there is no grand derring-do - up until the last fifteen pages, anyways. Unlike many other romance novels, no one has a deep, dark secret, no one is a spy, pirate, illegitimate issue, etc. This is simply a boy-wants-girl-but-girl-wants-boy-to-fulfill-his-dreams-rather-than-throw-them-away-for-love-which-she-feels-too story. At the end of it, the reader feels happy for the Sophie and Jack (and Clarissa and Ned,too), but you aren't going to be reading this one into the wee hours of the morning. As usual, Laurens has the same, accessible style that allows for a broad readership. It's worth a read, but try to get it used or from a library.

I have always enjoyed Stephie Laurens. Her historical and romantic descriptions are excellent as are her characters and plot. While this may not be her best, it was still a good read and I enjoyed it. I am interested in the rules and mores of the time, and this book encompasses these. Karen Greenstein

The story was simple. Reputed rake Jack Lester was ready to settle down. Not wanting to broadcast his good fortune and financial windfall, mainly in order to keep the ton's matrons at bay, he wanted to discover a woman who would love him for himself, while thinking him poor as a church mouse. Naturally, he finds his ideal mate, Sophie Winterton - perfect in every way. So perfect, in fact, that even though Sophie loves him, when she's told he needs money to refurbish his estate she does her best to dissuade and refuse his suit. Unselfishly thinking that he can find and marry the heiress `she determines' he needs to shore up his estates. The plot goes on the way of traditional regencies with a full complement of supporting and engaging secondary characters and romances in a predictable manner. No big surprise here. Yet, even in this earlier effort, Laurens expertise in character development shines in giving you a totally loveable cast of lead characters. *** I knew when I picked this up that it was a reprint of an earlier work and that it would be more indicative of the traditional regency read with more emphasis on the conduct and wooing practices of that period. In this I was not disappointed. Naturally, fans of the very successful Cynster and Bastion Club series will probably miss the highly charged sensuality that Laurens newer work provides but while I missed the sensuality, I delighted in the clever dialogs and the way she created the character of Jack Lester. Written without the seductive sensual scenes she is so very capable of, Laurens still imbued our hero Jack with an undeniable air of superiority and strength that I could only think she would ultimately use to be her model for Devil Cynster in her later novels. Jack was an alpha male so utterly commanding and with such simmering sensuality that you want to see him ravish the heroine yet, he's always marvelously in control, drop dead gorgeous, and ultimately lethal - in other words, a total turn on! Naturally, to each his own - but for me I only see him as totally divine! Some say this was boring, but for those looking for the truly traditional regency read will enjoy it. --- Marilyn, for www.romancedesigns.com ---