The Reckless Bride audiobook

Sbg buku penutup dari seri Black Cobra ini, saya antara kecewa dan puas dgn novel ini. Kecewa krn ceritanya masih saja dilambat-lambatkan. Puas krn musuhnya tidak terduga.Rafe Carstairs adalah pemegang bukti asli yg bisa menjatuhkan Black Cobra. Dalam perjalanannya kembali ke Inggris, Rafe mengambil rute tercepat yaitu melalui daratan Eropa Timur ke Eropa Barat. Tapi krn gangguan tanpa henti dari antek-antek Black Cobra, Rafe malah yg terakhir tiba di Inggris. Dlm perjalanannya tsb Rafe bertemu dgn janda tua Esme yg membawa keponakannya yg masih muda, Loretta balik ke Inggris setelah puas dgn tur mereka di Eropa. Awalnya Rafe dan Loretta spt jinak-jinak merpati, pura-pura saling tidak menyukai dan sibuk menghindar satu sama lain. Tapi tidak butuh waktu lama akhirnya mereka saling menyukai juga apalagi sejak mereka mengetahui misi utama Rafe. Di perjalanan tsb, Rafe sempat kecele mengira segerombolan penjahat mengejar dirinya. Ternyata bukan cuma Rafe yg dikejar-kejar. Esme juga punya rahasia yg berharga yg membuat dirinya dikejar-kejar di Eropa juga.Di novel ini saya dimanjakan dgn pengetahuan berbagai katedral/gereja dan istana bersejarah di sepanjang Eropa Timur ke Eropa Barat ini krn Loretta mirip dgn saya yg menyukai segala yg berbau sejarah. Petualangan Rafe dan Loretta layak dibaca krn seru dan pemukulan para penjahat oleh para wanita membuat saya ketawa dlm hati membayangkannya.Karakter Rafe tidak se-seru yg saya prediksikan. Digadang-gadang sbg yg paling slebor diantara ke-4 perwira, di novel ini Rafe justru tidak menampilkan sosok yg ceroboh ataupun terlalu gloomy oleh kematian James MacFarlane. Tetap saja karakter hero buatan author selalu tampil kompeten dan cekatan alias terlalu sempurna.Tapi jangan mengira Loretta adalah lady yg lemah dan melulu menjemukan dgn pengetahuan sejarah dan kemampuan menulisnya. Terkadang wanita juga bisa tidak bisa diprediksi apalagi saat dirinya terancam."Wanita lebih mematikan daripada pria."Apaan sih? Ya harus dibaca, kalau nggak itu namanya spoiler.

Wow. Okay. Y'all know what they say about Assuming things, right?Ms. Laurens definitely got me with that twist which was revealed about the true identity of the Black Cobra. I mean, wow. I blinked, froze for a moment and mentally re-evaluated every single scene that this person was involved in... Then I kicked myself for missing the signs.This, the final installment of the Black Cobra Quartet was wonderful. Indeed, the entire series as a whole was wonderful. Each book was unique in its own way even if the main male characters were all on the same mission with the same goal in mind. I greatly enjoyed these works, and will definitely be going back, so to speak, to read the Cynster Novels and Bastian Club novels that I missed out on, since these books were the first by this author that I had seen.

The Reckless Bride is about Captain Rafe Carstairs' journey back to England. He was the last to arrive and he carried the original letter that could end the Black Cobra. He travelled with Hassan but along the way met Esme and her niece, Loretta. For the benefit of both groups, they travelled together taking the river route. It's quite surprising how little the cultist showed up compared to the last 3 books. Even the attacks that happened actually was aimed for Esme not Carstairs. I love both Esme and Loretta character and quite enjoyed the progress of Loretta and Rafe relationship. Loretta was not overwhelmingly / annoyingly independent - she definitely knew when to back down and let Rafe took care of things. Out of the 4 books, I enjoyed this the most. The flow of how the relationship bloomed was really pleasant and enjoyable. Although the Black Cobra storyline and how they 'finished' their misson wasn't satisfying at all. Black Cobra and all of their leaders didn't seemed so hard to defeat. I wondered how all of them could plot and established such big/scary/complex organisations throughout India if they couldn't even outsmart Wolverstone at least once. I definitely expected that Alex (the last villain) was at least on Wolverstone level. I mean, she was after all the master mind of such big powerful group. I skipped on some parts at the end (and some sex scene) because they were boring but could definitely turned a blind eye on them.I think it would be nice to re-read the 4th book someday in the future. But never ever read this series right from one to the other. It is better to be read separately - taking a break in between with other books so you can forget bits of details from the story lines - therefore the whole storyline in this series won't feel too repetitive.

THE RECKLESS BRIDE by Stephanie Laurens is a historical romance set in 1822 India and England. It is the fourth in The Black Cobra Quartet (Book One, The Untamed Bride,Book Two, The Elusive Bride, Book Three, The Brazen Bride) but can be read as a stand alone. It is well written with details and depths. First, let me say I so enjoy this author's writing. To that, let me say I thought this was a little slow to begin with. It seemed to have more of another plot, than the others and less of the The Black Cobra plot.Saying that it has a successful conclusion to The Black Cobra Quartet Series. It has adventure, romance, sensuality, passion, vengeance, suspense, intrigue, suspense and the ending to the dreaded traitorous fiend The Black Cobra. The fourth of the brave,determined ex-officers of the Crown,Rafe,is trying to get the last piece of the puzzle of who the Black Cobra really is into the right hands and avenge his fallen comrade, James. The other three have landed in England. In the meantime, Rafe, meets the lovely Loretta, who is traveling with her aunt throughout Europe. Together, they battle cultists and someone out to kill her aunt. Loretta, is determined to deny convention and not fall in love or marry but enters Rafe. They will meet their destinies together. If you enjoy mystery, suspense, intrigue and adventure you will enjoy this one. Although, I enjoyed the other three better, this one seemed to engage more in another plot concerning Loretta and her Aunt instead of The Black Cobra affair. I would still recommend this one, but beware, the conclusion to The Black Cobra Quartet is not toward the first of the book. This book was received from Net Galley for review and details can be found at Avon,An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and My Book Addiction and More.

Favorite of the SeriesTHE RECKLESS BRIDE is the fourth and final book in the Black Cobra Quartet. The series tells the story of four men who have discovered the identity of the English leader of a murderous cult in India. The four men are coming back to England with proof of the leaders identity. This book is about the fourth man, Rafe Carstairs, aka "Reckless" who has the original letter. While on his way back to England, Rafe ends up meeting Loretta Michelmarsh who is traveling with her great-aunt. Of course, the two end up working together to defeat the Black Cobra.This was my favorite book in the series. I liked the action better. The book flowed more cohesively between the travels and the English action. In addition, the numerous characters that appeared from the Cynster and Bastion Club series were better used here and did not feel as disruptive to the story. I also loved the characters of Rafe and Loretta. Reckless Rage must learn in this book to be careful and protective and Loretta must shed her proper facade in order to take control of her strong, independent and powerful side. I sped through this book because the story was tight and engaging. There was some good suspense action and while I figured out the twist before the reveal, I was satisfied with the resolution of the ongoing story. Rafe was adorable and I truly felt that the characters built a serious relationship. At times, Laurens substitutes sex for relationship building. Here, Rafe and Loretta had a relationship outside of sex. I think that readers could skip the other three boss in the series and not miss much. This is the gem.Rating 4.5.

A good end to the series. Good enough that I'm going back to read the first three. I already have "reviewed" them to remind myself of the whys and wherefores.2018--Definitely the best of the series.2019--Maybe not really 4 stars, 3...something. But definitely the best of the series. Introduction of the secondary "mystery," (not that the Black Cobra cult is a mystery...certainly not at this point) is a good thing.

A strong finish to the Black Cobra Quartet. This is a series that MUST be read in order. The stories and journeys happen contemporaneously and there are discoveries about the Black Cobra that happen throughout and would be spoilers, if read out of order.Rafe is the last of the four former officers and he is the courier with the original letter that serves as evidence and for which James (set up in book 1) lost his life. Rafe is moving overland, which serves to provide a wide range of settings along the rivers of Europe. Rafe is the one that in the other three books, the other couriers express the most concern for. He has the original document, he is younger, and he is known by his nickname, Reckless. He and his assistant, Hassan, join forces with Lady Esme and her niece, Loretta, when Lady Esme hires them to act as guard and guide. It is not a role Rafe wants, but (theme throughout the series) he fears the cultists have seen him and Hassan with the ladies, leaving the ladies in danger and he with no choice but to protect them. It's a stretch in this one initially, though later on it is undeniably a factor. Loretta is on this journey with her aunt to discover herself, can she be the woman she truly is or will she continue to hide behind the demure facade she shows her brother and the ton? Because of the slow pace of the river journey, Rafe and Loretta have a great deal of time to get to know each other and fall in love. Along the way to England, the 6 (including two maids) experience several attacks, most of which are not what they seem to be. Eventually Esme and her maid stay hidden, and the other four continue the journey. Until there were two, when traveling as a group becomes more conspicuous and difficult. Rafe and Loretta are forced to hide and the search is on by both the Wolverstone crew and the Black Cobra assassins. The whole host of characters are there are at the end, from the Cynsters, the Bastion Club, the first three of the Black Cobra Quarter and of course, all of the women. Throughout there is often more subterfuge at play than outright battle scenes, but no less suspense. While I still believe the third book was the best, this is a quality conclusion to the series, and to the interconnected stories of the world that Laurens created through so many books.

Esperaba algo espectacular. Y aunq ha sido una historia bastante buena, no ha sido todo lo espectacular q yo esperaba. De todas formas mantengo la calificación xq en general ha cumplido. Rafe es el último de los oficiales en misión de entregar la prueba q condenará a la Cobra Negra. En su camino tropieza con Loretta, la q será la dama su corazón. Hay mucho de las historias anteriores q se repiten en esta trama, x ejemplo los analísis introspectivos de Loretta y muchos detalles sobre la ruta q se estaba siguiendo - como lo q tuvimos con Emily&Gareth - pero a diferencia de estos, con Rafe&Loretta no hubo esa permanente sensación de peligro, xq los seguidores fue obvio q no supieron por donde fue Rafe en buena parte del camino. Eso podría haber quitado mucho suspense a la trama y hacerla un tanto aburrida, pero hubo suficiente con esa vuelta de tuerca q se le ocurrió a la autora y tengo q felicitarla x su ingenio para armar tramas secundarias q no desvían la atención sino q la enfocan para luego terminar en algo completamente inesperado. El romance sí estuvo presente, aunq al principio fue muy frío. Ambos personajes no parecían muy dispuestos a dejarse llevar por la atracción y x momentos eso ralentizó bastante el ritmo de la historia, pero una vez q ambos cayeron en cuenta de lo inevitable ya se dejaron llevar y la trama fluyó normalmente. Mención especial merece el desenlace, el pequeño detalle q se me escapó completamente sobre la identidad de la Cobra Negra. No lo esperé en absoluto, xq supongo q el atavismo todavía tira demasiado y siempre estamos acostumbradas a esperar q el villano sea el viejo misógino, patriarcal sexo fuerte. Puedo decir q la verdad siempre estuvo ahí, pero solo te das cuenta de los detalles significativos cuando miras hacia atrás. Solo x eso podría haberle dado las 5 estrellas. Por qué no lo hice? Xq con semejante giro de acontecimientos, siento q el final de la Cobra Negra merecía más q nunca un final mucho más despampanante y digno de su maldad; pero no. El final fue caballeroso y honrado. Aburrido, pero digno del honor inglés.

Not the Big Bang ending we thought this was going to be. To be fair though the ending was still good. So far up to this point, everyone has come together for the ending of each book. Not so they the were completely solo, but it was not as much a group effort as what Mom and I expected, especially from this author who likes to throw in a thousand cameo from her other books. ( We all finished the Blades of Roses Series, and we liked how everyone came together for the ending of the four book series.) The ending though was still good, it felt the climax was good, and for the characters in this book well deserved.Mom and I all together liked the book. We did have a good laugh though that this book had minimal sex compared to the previous one. It almost seemed to come full circle to us in how the last one seemed the most similar to the first one. Not that the 2nd and 3rd book in the series were bad, in fact they were rather fun, but aside from the fact the Black Cobra and some character cameo’s it feels like they have very little in common, to the poit it feels the author was more try out new styles of writing rather than trying to make a completely succinct series. (We would like to remind everyone these are our thoughts and feelings.) Over all this book has some awesome adventure and fun. A good end to a waiving series.

This story is the final installment of the Black Cobra series. Captain Rafe Carstairs is the last of the four special military group traveling back to England with a document that names the true identity of the Black Cobra. He is traveling with Hassan to get the evidence back safely.On the way, they run into Esme, a grand lady from England, and her nice, Loretta, who are concluding a grand tour of Europe. Loretta has turned down many proposals of marriage and Esme has taken her on the tour to get her out from under her family who want her to marry. Due to circumstances, Esme, Loretta and their two maids end up being escorted back to England by Rafe and Hassan.Of course, Rafe and Loretta end up being attracted to each other. They also work together to help defeat Black Cobra. There are many pitfalls on their journey home to England, as their relationship grows.This was an interesting reveal of the Black Cobra head. And a great resolution to the four military men and the women each has come to love. Liked it a lot!

L'identité du Cobra Noir est une (bonne) surprise. Et j'ai aimé les personnages. Mais il y a pas mal de similitudes avec les tomes précédents. Surtout l'évolution du couple et les questions qu'ils se posent sur leur relation et leur avenir. L'auteur a du mal à se renouveler, c'est le même schéma dans les 4 livres.Quant à l'histoire globale, une chose m'a un peu gênée : dans chaque tome, les partisans repèrent assez facilement les héros. Ils cherchent pourtant 4 hommes voyageant seuls. Or les héros font des rencontres en chemin et voyagent donc accompagnés.Vu les faibles moyens de communication de l'époque (et les partisans n'ayant pas de photos/portraits des héros), voyager incognito aurait dû être beaucoup plus facile pour ceux-ci... C'est partisans sont aussi particulièrement à l'aise en Europe alors qu'ils viennent du bout du monde.Mais bon, si on passe sur les petites incohérences, cette série est agréable à lire.

The culmination of the Black Cobra Quartet was UNREAL!!I had no idea ALEX was FEMALE!! That was quite a shock.Rafe's and Loretta's romance was so intense -- here is a reckless guy being extremely cautious and an extremely cautious woman learning how to be more impulsive and real!The final battle of between Rafe, Loretta, and the Black Cobra leader was unbelievably intense. I especially LOVED Royce's response to Alex's demand to end her life and how he would not use the hands that he lovingly touched his beloved wife and children with.It was great to hear how all the relationships started in Book 1 were finalized in Book 4 and how each wedding took place.

Good readBook 4 is the longest of all....681 pages! This author really did her research. I used Google Map to follow the travels of our hero and heroine and their entourage on their winding and twisting journey. There were gobs of angst, danger, intrigue, loads of hot sex, romance, attempted kidnappings (side story), and falling in love. The characters are fantastic. The whole series is well worth the read. Highly recommend.

It's not often that I am surprised by an author -- usually when I read a mystery, I've figured out who did the crime within the first 50 chapters. The fact that Stephanie Laurens was able to keep such a big secret, while yet hinting at it for almost four books, was astounding to me, and is one of the reasons she is my all time favorite romance author.

Excellent as always. Wonderful descriptions with intelligent characters. Intriguing storyline as with each of the first three stories in this 4 part series. Will keep and will reread as I have done with several other books.

Excellent 4-story arc completed with this volume. Wow.... what an amazing author. She creates such intriguing characters painted against vibrant scenery. The love story paired with mystery are so well written and flow seamlessly. Don't miss this series.

The last of the series. An exciting adventure. Another woman to save the day.