Product Description

From the sparkling ballrooms of Regency London to the wealthy glamour of the country house - let Stephanie Laurens be your guide! Content with her humdrum country life, Miss Dorothea Darent had no intention of marrying. She knew that her unfashionable curves and her outspoken ways made her a disastrous match for any gentleman of the ton. But one kiss from a dashing stranger changed everything. Gossips said that the scandalous Marquis of Hazelmere would never choose a bride. But when he encountered Dorothea, he was entranced by her innocence. He didn't expect Dorothea's unconventional sweetness and charm to take the glittering world of the Regency by storm. The lady was surrounded by suitors - and now the confirmed rake must fight for his beautiful prize!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16219 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Review
'I found this book too good to put down.' --Coventry Telegraph on The Ideal Bride

I found this book too good to put down --Western Morning News on The Truth About Love

Customer Reviews

An okay read but a little dull
This is a traditional Regency novel which seems rather dated now. We generally expect something a little more racy from Ms Laurens!

The story was fairly good but I felt that the interaction between the characters was set too soon and little developed thereafter. I actually found the Marquis rather annoyingly smug in his perfection.

One minor irritation: I don't expect 19th century language to be used in these stories but a certain style is typically used. My pet peeve is when a young wife talks of being "pregnant". That was avoided but equally annoying was when the question "Have you slept with him yet?" was posed. Oh dear.

Forgettable!!!!
Tangled Reins is one of those books one reads during the summer holidays when they really have nothing better to do and is easily forgotten within a few days.

The story is simple and far from original. From the very first page one guesses how the story shall end. Basically Dorothea is a strong, independent woman who believes she shall never marry. On the other hand the Maquis of Hazelmere believes he shall never settle down. What do you think happens when these two meet? Predictable or what?

Ignoring the fact that the story is incredibly obvious this book also annoys in its lack of action. Understandably it is a book about the Regency Period, a time when people lived conservative lives, striving to upload society's expectations of them but that still is no excuse for the monotony of this read. There is only one major event in the entire book but that is incredibly rushed over and rather foolishly handled, pushing credibility.

The characters are not very well drawn. For example if Dorothea is as independent as the author makes out in the opening page why is it in the second page we see her already flustering in the presence of the Maquis? Not very convincing characterisation! Would anyone in their right mind have been foolish enough to follow the abductor of their sister? Plus the characters are not very likable. Dorothea becomes incredibly boring with her endless rants about whether the Maquis loves her or not, which judging from his attentions are rather silly. The Maquis fares a bit better but is far from being the interesting romantic hero I'm sure Laurens intended.

I think the main problem with this book is that the two leading characters come in contact with each other too quick. A little characterisation on both sides would have helped alot. Instead we are left with a story that is really going nowhere, except around in circles.

The only exciting part of this read was the dress and sexual descriptions, which are rich in colour and vitality. It is mainly for this reason that I give this novel 2* instead of one.

Overall if you're looking for a light, flimsy, forgettable read, Tangled Reins is the book for you. Anything deeper I'm afraid you will have to look elseware.

Great fun
From the moment I started reading I immensely enjoyed reading this book. The humour and interaction between Dorothea and Hazelmere is witty and sparkling. An easy and most enjoyable read.