The Lady’s Command

In Laurens’s Adventurers Quartet opener, newlyweds Capt. Declan Fergus Frobisher and Lady Edwina Delbraith navigate through expectations of marriage and their new social roles in Regency-era England. When Declan is called to command a military mission to West Africa, Edwina, eager to chart a new course for herself, insists on staying by her husband’s side. Intent on creating a strong, equal partnership with her Declan, and driven by her passion for adventure, she hatches a plan that makes her a key player in Declan’s mission. Edwina is a formidable protagonist: dignified, elegant, loyal to her husband, intelligent, and strong-willed. Declan is a proven leader at sea, but when it comes to matters of the heart, he is at his wife’s command. Laurens successfully weaves mystery into the romance as the two lovebirds turned amateur sleuths investigate a series of suspicious disappearances. The narrative smoothly transitions between high society’s sophisticated yet superficial pleasantries and the romance of stolen glances and tender intimacy between Edwina and Declan. Edwina and Declan share the narration, and their sweet, humorous thoughts give readers pleasant guidance on this romantic journey. (Jan.)