by Stephanie Laurens is another of her delightfully romantic reads. This particular book was a little different from the usual fare and I enjoyed the mystery that accompanied the author's traditional Regency romance. My Amazon review is at this link.
Royal Bridesmaids
is an anthology of tales written by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase. There are three short Regency Romance stories that showcase the talents of three very different authors who demonstrate their ability to pen a cohesive romance that, although short, are very satisfying. The deft characterizations establish the stage for longer tales even as they are presented in a cohesive romantic vignette. My Amazon review is at this link. Fair warning, there are multiple excerpts from the authors' other works so the book isn't quite as long as one would think.
I have been a fan of Stephanie Laurens ever since I happened upon one of her earliest Cynster novels (I think it was A Rake's Vow) and started with my obsession with her books. I have tried to read almost all of her titles, assiduously searching for the earlier titles such as Tangled Reins and Four in Hand and I believe that I have only inadvertently missed some of the very early titles that I couldn't get my hands on. She has several series such as the 'Lester Family', the 'Bastion Club' and the 'Black Cobra' as well as several anthologies but of course I am most fond of the extended Cynster family.
I was fascinated to read that Ms Laurens was born in exotic Ceylon and currently lives in Australia and I am always delighted to introduce new readers to her books. I was most gratified to introduce one of my professional mentors to the joys of reading these great books after almost despairing of convincing her to read lighter fiction. An academic librarian, my friend and former boss was much more likely to read Germanic literature so I was gratified to finally find an author that piqued her interest, especially since my friend is now homebound.
Ms Laurens is my absolute favorite Regency Romance author and I couldn't believe my eyes when I read that she was going to attend the RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference this year in Anaheim. Thus began my quest to attend! Even better, she was going to participate in the Literacy Signing event! If all else failed, I would be able to actually meet her in person at that worthwhile session. I was so excited that she was coming so far to attend and I was so tongue-tied when I finally met her that I was too flustered to remember that I intended to have her autograph a book for my friend. I had to get back in line and felt like an idiot, lol. Fortunately, she is a very gracious person and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see her several times during the conference.
I also had the very good fortune to hear the keynote speech (thanks to a very generous person who gave me her ticket) that this very discerning author presented wherein she delineated the shifting relationship between authors and their readers, pointing out that the traditional route from author to publisher to distributor to retailer to reader has been expanded to pathways that include both self-publishing and the power of the internet and therefore requires adaptation by authors, publishers, distributors and readers. It was very enlightening and an interesting look at the business side of the industry.
Ms Laurens' website is at this link. If you are new to her books and you are a fan of historical romance that has spice, alpha males, determined females, strong family relationships and plenty of lovely romance...I invite you to try one of this prolific author's books. If you have already read any of her works, you are probably already a fan!
