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Bastion Club #4
A Fine Passion
The men of the Bastion Club are powerful, loyal, and not averse to overcoming danger if they must. Now, after years of loyal service to the Crown, they each -- one by one -- must face that greatest danger of all ...love.
The last of his line, Jack, Baron Warnefleet, has fled London after nearly being compromised into marrying a dreadful female. Turning his back on the entire notion of marriage, he rides home to the estate he has not seen for years, determined to set in motion an alternative course of action.
But then in the lane before his gate, Jack rescues a startlingly beautiful lady from a menacing, unmanageable horse. However, while he begins by taking command, the lady continues by taking it back. Lady Clarice Altwood is no meek and mild miss. She is the very antithesis of thewoolly-headed young ladies Jack has rejected as not for him. Clarice is delectably attractive, beyond eligible, undeniably capable, and completely unforgettable. Why on earth is she rusticating in the country?
That enigma is compounded by mystery, and it's quickly clear thatClarice is in danger. Jack must use every ounce of his cunning and wit to protect this highly independent and richly passionate woman ... who has so quickly stolen his heart.
The last of his line, Jack, Baron Warnefleet, has fled London after nearly being compromised into marrying a dreadful female. Turning his back on the entire notion of marriage, he rides home to the estate he has not seen for years, determined to set in motion an alternative course of action.
But then in the lane before his gate, Jack rescues a startlingly beautiful lady from a menacing, unmanageable horse. However, while he begins by taking command, the lady continues by taking it back. Lady Clarice Altwood is no meek and mild miss. She is the very antithesis of thewoolly-headed young ladies Jack has rejected as not for him. Clarice is delectably attractive, beyond eligible, undeniably capable, and completely unforgettable. Why on earth is she rusticating in the country?
That enigma is compounded by mystery, and it's quickly clear thatClarice is in danger. Jack must use every ounce of his cunning and wit to protect this highly independent and richly passionate woman ... who has so quickly stolen his heart.
425 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 30, 2005
269 people are currently reading
1809 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
206 books5,589 followersStephanie Laurens was born in Sri Lanka, which was at the time the British colony of Ceylon. When she was 5, her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, where she was raised. After continuing through school and earning a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in Australia, Stephanie and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
Once in London, Stephanie and her husband both began work as research scientists in Kent. They lived in an area surrounded by history. Their own cottage was built in the 16th century, while next door were the protected ruins of an early Roman villa, and nearby was a 14th century castle.
After four years in England, Stephanie and her husband returned to Australia, where she continued to work in cancer research, eventually heading her own research laboratory. One evening Stephanie realized that she did not have any more of her favorite romance novels to read. After years of thinking about writing her own novel, during nights and weekends for the next several months, she began crafting her own story. That manuscript, Tangled Reins, was the first of her books to be published. After achieving a level of success with her novels, Stephanie "retired" from scientific research and became a full-time novelist. Her novels are primarily historical romances set in the Regency time period.
Stephanie and her husband live on peaceful acreage on the outskirts of Melbourne. If she isn't writing, she's reading, and if she's not reading, she's tending her garden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 183 reviews
June 7, 2019
***4.25 "Best of the series" ***
Simply perfect! This book has all the points I enjoy!
A strong heroine that takes charge ✅
Sexy hero that respects & values his strong heroine ✅
Great sex.✅
Murder, attempted murder, and secret plots.✅
Thoroughly enjoyed this read. It reminded me of past Stephanie Laurens books and why I fell in love with her writing. Now that my faith is renewed, I look forward to the next book in the series!!
Simply perfect! This book has all the points I enjoy!
A strong heroine that takes charge ✅
Sexy hero that respects & values his strong heroine ✅
Great sex.✅
Murder, attempted murder, and secret plots.✅
Thoroughly enjoyed this read. It reminded me of past Stephanie Laurens books and why I fell in love with her writing. Now that my faith is renewed, I look forward to the next book in the series!!
October 30, 2018
Stephanie Laurens at her best. This is why I like her books so much – likeable and intelligent characters, believable romance and fascinating suspense. Exactly what I was looking for.
I have to admit that at the very beginning I didn’t like Clarice. She is so full of herself, always knows better and always has to have the last word. But either these features become less exposed, either I got used to them, because after a while I find her a great heroine. And Jack is such a great hero – I know that’s the case with most of Laurens men, but I truly loved him.
I absolutely loved the dynamics of Clarice and Jack relationship. She is a very strong and independent woman and Jack recognizes that and find it precious. He just lets her be the way she is supporting her every step. That’s unique in historical romance, especially that Jack is a strong hero himself. Their relationship is really one of a kind. I won’t be surprise to come back to this story one day as a comfort read.
I also really like the suspense part focused on a spy/political intrigue. It’s interesting and take a good part of the book adding some twists to the story. It’s nice that we can meet some characters from other books. I also enjoyed the strand about Clarice brother’s and their brides.
Stephanie Laurens is always a good choice but I find this book particularly great. I hope my next read from this author will be as good.
October 28, 2017
"A Fine Passion" is the story of Jack and Clarice aka Boadicea.
Jack, Baron Barnefleet is a member of the Bastion Club and returns back to the country after escaping a devious marriage trap- only to run into Lady Clarice, the daughter of an aristocrat- whom he "rescues".
Our heroine been living for past 7 years with her cousin James in a parish after a scandal forced her to give up the gentry life and live life helping out a then absent Barnefleet's estates.
Soon they are involved in solving the case of James's persecution, while enjoying what starts as a no strings barred relationship, but develops into something much more deeper.
Kind alpha hero, amazingly strong heroine with a backbone of steel, hot lovemaking as well as crazy stepmothers form this story. Loved how ultimate badass the heroine was- especially the scenes where she rescues her brothers from the evil clutches of the stepmother and gets them to their love. The sex scenes are HOT, and the culmination satisfying.
That being said, the first half was too slow and the last half went too quick. But overall a good read.
Safe
4/5
Jack, Baron Barnefleet is a member of the Bastion Club and returns back to the country after escaping a devious marriage trap- only to run into Lady Clarice, the daughter of an aristocrat- whom he "rescues".
Our heroine been living for past 7 years with her cousin James in a parish after a scandal forced her to give up the gentry life and live life helping out a then absent Barnefleet's estates.
Soon they are involved in solving the case of James's persecution, while enjoying what starts as a no strings barred relationship, but develops into something much more deeper.
Kind alpha hero, amazingly strong heroine with a backbone of steel, hot lovemaking as well as crazy stepmothers form this story. Loved how ultimate badass the heroine was- especially the scenes where she rescues her brothers from the evil clutches of the stepmother and gets them to their love. The sex scenes are HOT, and the culmination satisfying.
That being said, the first half was too slow and the last half went too quick. But overall a good read.
Safe
4/5
August 18, 2025
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (Soooo long and I was bored)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (I felt like it was pretty light because it happened early and it was just….easy between them)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (It’s very…..euphemistic)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow
When mains are first on page together: very soon in – chapter 1
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I wanted to continue the series – I’ve liked some of Lauren’s books in the past
Mains: Jack (Baron Warnefleet) and Lady Clarice Altwood – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I think this stands alone pretty well. There’s some minor character cross over (and Lady Osbaldestone has some light romantic mysteries (no sex) that take place prior to this series after she loses her husband) – I feel like Devil is mentioned the most and his book is book 1 of the Cynster series which comes after this. Laurens has a chronological reading log of her books on her website if you want to follow that reading order.
Basic plot:
Jack returns home to find the intriguing Clarice helping on his estate.
Give this a try if you want:
- historical romance
- prodigal hero returns to England (he’s been gone for 7 years but hasn’t met the heroine prior – she has been helping on his estate while he’s been gone)
- former soldier hero
- Baron hero
- mid to higher steam – yes there’s a lot of scenes (at least 7) but she writes very flowery and euphemistically. The scenes are long (literally every sentence she writes is long) but the scenes aren’t super explicit.
Ages:
- hero is 34, heroine is 29
First line:
Apple blossoms in springtime.
My thoughts:
I know that Stephanie Laurens is really hit or miss for me. She’s so long winded and her books are just endless….which if I love the characters and the tension building is so good then I am loooooving that. But many times I find her just….boring. And I found that here sadly.
It’s not a bad story – there were some funny parts and things I appreciated. But I think the easy relationship between the two just lead to a lack of tension for me. They get intimate fairly soon in and he let’s her lead the way and it’s just so…..easy. Pages and pages and pages of flowery, euphemistic sex that I didn’t care about.
And then a lot of plot was fairly mundane. And I can like that too – I really tend to enjoy simple books with relaxed plot points focused on the characters – but it was pages and pages and pages of gardening and flowers and just things I didn’t care about. The kind of mystery/family drama ramps up in the second half and it was a bit more interesting to me but I was also just so ready to be done with the story because their relationship was already easy and established and just all the things I love in romance never happened or were already over and I was left with 11 hours of audiobook I didn’t care about 😆
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 17
Average rating from me: 3.47 stars
Favorite book: maybe Devil’s Bride? I’ll have to reread and see...
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖 (Soooo long and I was bored)
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡ (I felt like it was pretty light because it happened early and it was just….easy between them)
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (It’s very…..euphemistic)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥+
Humor: Yes
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow
When mains are first on page together: very soon in – chapter 1
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the mains
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to an audiobook from the library (Hoopla)
Why I chose this book: I wanted to continue the series – I’ve liked some of Lauren’s books in the past
Mains: Jack (Baron Warnefleet) and Lady Clarice Altwood – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
I think this stands alone pretty well. There’s some minor character cross over (and Lady Osbaldestone has some light romantic mysteries (no sex) that take place prior to this series after she loses her husband) – I feel like Devil is mentioned the most and his book is book 1 of the Cynster series which comes after this. Laurens has a chronological reading log of her books on her website if you want to follow that reading order.
Basic plot:
Jack returns home to find the intriguing Clarice helping on his estate.
Give this a try if you want:
- historical romance
- prodigal hero returns to England (he’s been gone for 7 years but hasn’t met the heroine prior – she has been helping on his estate while he’s been gone)
- former soldier hero
- Baron hero
- mid to higher steam – yes there’s a lot of scenes (at least 7) but she writes very flowery and euphemistically. The scenes are long (literally every sentence she writes is long) but the scenes aren’t super explicit.
Ages:
- hero is 34, heroine is 29
First line:
Apple blossoms in springtime.
My thoughts:
I know that Stephanie Laurens is really hit or miss for me. She’s so long winded and her books are just endless….which if I love the characters and the tension building is so good then I am loooooving that. But many times I find her just….boring. And I found that here sadly.
It’s not a bad story – there were some funny parts and things I appreciated. But I think the easy relationship between the two just lead to a lack of tension for me. They get intimate fairly soon in and he let’s her lead the way and it’s just so…..easy. Pages and pages and pages of flowery, euphemistic sex that I didn’t care about.
And then a lot of plot was fairly mundane. And I can like that too – I really tend to enjoy simple books with relaxed plot points focused on the characters – but it was pages and pages and pages of gardening and flowers and just things I didn’t care about. The kind of mystery/family drama ramps up in the second half and it was a bit more interesting to me but I was also just so ready to be done with the story because their relationship was already easy and established and just all the things I love in romance never happened or were already over and I was left with 11 hours of audiobook I didn’t care about 😆
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 17
Average rating from me: 3.47 stars
Favorite book: maybe Devil’s Bride? I’ll have to reread and see...
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
January 30, 2018
I like this entire series, but this one was pretty much the favorite. Mainly cause I like managing females, probably because I tend to do a bit of managing myself.
(Tho mostly I manage cats and they laugh at my futile posturings and then sit on my head at 3:3o in the morning when they think the kibble bowl needs topping up. It is an ongoing management project really.)
Plus I am a HUGE fan of Boudicea, and Clarice had that demeanor down pat. Plus Jack was a sweetie, so I even forgave the name. I even like the evil step mother trope, tho honestly I do have to ask what kind of lurve mojo motilator control skills these Norman Lord Conqueror's have?
(I also have to confess that I am against William winning in 1066, I was rooting for Harold Godwinson - but I blame reading Morgan Llywelyn at an impressionable age for that. However the way these boys seem to operate, the French must have thought it was Henry V and Agincourt all over again -- so no wonder they are so determined to get these H's.)
I mean none of these ladies ever gets preggers before the wedding and trust me, these folks are not holding back on the daily dose of love in a mist or a hedge or a spare room with a chair or the back entrance to the hotel, really.
Awesome! I am in truly in AWE of their mighty Clubs of Lurve and really HP H's should take a Tardis and learn a thing or two - their h's turn up preggers if the H just breaths half a continent away.
This is the kind of wallpaper historical I want to read. There is the flavor of the era, but nobody has to deal with distressing smells or boring balls they don't want to be at, the waltzes are always divine and show stopping and there is even a spy plot to catch the infidels when we need a break from the purple passion. The love scenes are frequent and NO ONE ever gets caught! Even in the middle of a formal ball- unless of course they want to.
The proposals are always romantic and really this is the just the kind of fantasy historical to take you away to the beach with the Captain in the middle of cranky cats and sink full of dishes. These books have got it all and they are a great way to have your historical cake and eat it too, so carry on Ms. Laurens, this is what a good read is all about.
(Tho mostly I manage cats and they laugh at my futile posturings and then sit on my head at 3:3o in the morning when they think the kibble bowl needs topping up. It is an ongoing management project really.)
Plus I am a HUGE fan of Boudicea, and Clarice had that demeanor down pat. Plus Jack was a sweetie, so I even forgave the name. I even like the evil step mother trope, tho honestly I do have to ask what kind of lurve mojo motilator control skills these Norman Lord Conqueror's have?
(I also have to confess that I am against William winning in 1066, I was rooting for Harold Godwinson - but I blame reading Morgan Llywelyn at an impressionable age for that. However the way these boys seem to operate, the French must have thought it was Henry V and Agincourt all over again -- so no wonder they are so determined to get these H's.)
I mean none of these ladies ever gets preggers before the wedding and trust me, these folks are not holding back on the daily dose of love in a mist or a hedge or a spare room with a chair or the back entrance to the hotel, really.
Awesome! I am in truly in AWE of their mighty Clubs of Lurve and really HP H's should take a Tardis and learn a thing or two - their h's turn up preggers if the H just breaths half a continent away.
This is the kind of wallpaper historical I want to read. There is the flavor of the era, but nobody has to deal with distressing smells or boring balls they don't want to be at, the waltzes are always divine and show stopping and there is even a spy plot to catch the infidels when we need a break from the purple passion. The love scenes are frequent and NO ONE ever gets caught! Even in the middle of a formal ball- unless of course they want to.
The proposals are always romantic and really this is the just the kind of fantasy historical to take you away to the beach with the Captain in the middle of cranky cats and sink full of dishes. These books have got it all and they are a great way to have your historical cake and eat it too, so carry on Ms. Laurens, this is what a good read is all about.
July 6, 2016
Picked up this book on a whim, years after I chucked the only other Stephanie Laurens I attempted to read away five pages in. Actually very pleasantly surprised by this! Probably mainly because Clarice is just my kind of heroine and I really felt engaged by her story. The mystery was involving without taking over from the romance - I want to read the next one in the series now! The love scenes were not too samey and I felt a real sense of satisfaction on completing it. Very pleasantly surprised!
October 16, 2014
Author: Stephanie Laurens
First published: 2005
Length: 425 pages
Setting: Gloucestershire and London, 1816 (Regency).
Sex: Explicit. Frequent. Varied. A magic vagina that cures headaches through lovemaking.
Includes: Excerpt from The Truth About Love
Book 4 and it's feeling like more of the same...
A different story, different characters, but the same, frequent sex that takes over half of the book. Same positions. Same desire for control.
In "A Fine Passion" the sex is less integral to the story -- she leaps into bed and abundant sessions and positions within a couple of days of meeting him, and never really leaves it. It has very little to do with relationship or story propulsion. It's just sex. Hot sex. Mature adults indulging their whims. But not in the least necessary to the story and, IMO, without it the story would be stronger.
Overall, it's a really good Regency story. Well paced and well plotted. As a heroine, Clarice is a bit difficult to take - she's the arrogant Alpha of the story who likes to take control. When seen with Jack's intelligence, respect and protectiveness, though, we get a complementary couple who have a mature, knowledgeable relationship built on mutual respect and trust. And lust.
It's just that all the sex isn't necessary. And detracts.
:-(
Bastion Club Series:
Prequel Captain Jack's Woman (1991) - Miss Kathryn (Kit) Cranmer and Lord Jonathon (Jack) Hendon
Book 1 The Lady Chosen (2003) - Tristan Wemyss, Earl of Trentham and Miss Leonora Carling
Book 2 A Gentleman's Honor (2003) - Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington and Alicia Pevensy
Book 3 A Lady of His Own (2004) - Charles St. Austell, Earl of Crowhurst and Lady Penelope Selborne
Book 4 A Fine Passion (2005) - Jack Warnefleet, Baron Warnefleet of Minchinbury and Lady Clarice Altwood
Book 5 To Distraction (2006) - Jocelyn Deverell, Viscount Paignton and Phoebe Malleson
Book 6 Beyond Seduction (2007) - Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst and Madeline Gascoigne
Book 7 The Edge of Desire (2008) - Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne and Lady Letitia Randall
Book 8 Mastered By Love (2009) - (Dalziel) and Minerva Chesterton
.
References:
Author's website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com
(ISBN 978-0-06-059331-5)
-CR-
First published: 2005
Length: 425 pages
Setting: Gloucestershire and London, 1816 (Regency).
Sex: Explicit. Frequent. Varied. A magic vagina that cures headaches through lovemaking.
Includes: Excerpt from The Truth About Love
Book 4 and it's feeling like more of the same...
A different story, different characters, but the same, frequent sex that takes over half of the book. Same positions. Same desire for control.
In "A Fine Passion" the sex is less integral to the story -- she leaps into bed and abundant sessions and positions within a couple of days of meeting him, and never really leaves it. It has very little to do with relationship or story propulsion. It's just sex. Hot sex. Mature adults indulging their whims. But not in the least necessary to the story and, IMO, without it the story would be stronger.
Overall, it's a really good Regency story. Well paced and well plotted. As a heroine, Clarice is a bit difficult to take - she's the arrogant Alpha of the story who likes to take control. When seen with Jack's intelligence, respect and protectiveness, though, we get a complementary couple who have a mature, knowledgeable relationship built on mutual respect and trust. And lust.
It's just that all the sex isn't necessary. And detracts.
:-(
Bastion Club Series:
Prequel Captain Jack's Woman (1991) - Miss Kathryn (Kit) Cranmer and Lord Jonathon (Jack) Hendon
Book 1 The Lady Chosen (2003) - Tristan Wemyss, Earl of Trentham and Miss Leonora Carling
Book 2 A Gentleman's Honor (2003) - Anthony Blake, Viscount Torrington and Alicia Pevensy
Book 3 A Lady of His Own (2004) - Charles St. Austell, Earl of Crowhurst and Lady Penelope Selborne
Book 4 A Fine Passion (2005) - Jack Warnefleet, Baron Warnefleet of Minchinbury and Lady Clarice Altwood
Book 5 To Distraction (2006) - Jocelyn Deverell, Viscount Paignton and Phoebe Malleson
Book 6 Beyond Seduction (2007) - Gervase Tregarth, 6th Earl of Crowhurst and Madeline Gascoigne
Book 7 The Edge of Desire (2008) - Christian Allardyce, 6th Marquess of Dearne and Lady Letitia Randall
Book 8 Mastered By Love (2009) - (Dalziel) and Minerva Chesterton
.
References:
Author's website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com
(ISBN 978-0-06-059331-5)
-CR-
August 29, 2016
The storyline is fairly interesting and the heroine Clarice has an interesting background as the unfairly disgraced daughter of a marquess living in the country as, essentially, the housekeeper of a cousin of hers who is a parish rector and military historian. The hero Jack is a baron who returns to his country estate, near the house where Clarice lives, after 13 years away at the wars, although he spent the war as one of those dreaded "Regency spies". Clarice and the rector get inadvertently involved in some obscure scheme by an unnamed "traitor" (I guess this guy is only unmasked in the last book in the Bastion Club series) and Jack is of course the perfect guy to save them from this plot.
There were a few things that really bothered me with the book, but I managed to finish it anyway. First of all, in typical Laurens fashion, Jack and Clarice are super-humans. Clarice is constantly and annoyingly described as having "regal" stature - this is one of the things that apparently Jack admires about her the most. However, most of the queens of England in the last couple of centuries have been tiny in stature - Victoria, the current queen Elizabeth II, her mother Elizabeth - if "regal stature", i.e. well above-average height, was a requirement for being a queen, they would be disqualified!
Secondly, Clarice and Jack engage in a great deal of boringly and lengthily described unprotected sex, with no mention of the possibility of pregnancy, and with Clarice having no intention of marrying Jack until near the end of the book. This just put me right off - the concern of possible pregnancy would surely have been at the top of Clarice's and Jack's mind considering the time-period of the story, and should have been dealt with by the author instead of being completely ignored. Maybe Jack and Clarice, being super-human, could just decide mentally that pregnancy won't happen unless they want it to happen ...
Thirdly - in several places in the book the author ascribes Jack and Clarice's attractiveness and super-humanness to their class, i.e. the English aristocracy. In one sense this is correct for the time-period - England was an extremely class-based society at that time (and still is, but to a lesser extent), so it's very likely that neither Jack nor Clarice would consider as a colleague or friend or romantic partner anyone who was not born into the aristocracy. But to say that the hero and heroine are attractive and wonderful in all ways because they are aristocrats is ridiculous and rather ugly in the 21st century.
There were a few things that really bothered me with the book, but I managed to finish it anyway. First of all, in typical Laurens fashion, Jack and Clarice are super-humans. Clarice is constantly and annoyingly described as having "regal" stature - this is one of the things that apparently Jack admires about her the most. However, most of the queens of England in the last couple of centuries have been tiny in stature - Victoria, the current queen Elizabeth II, her mother Elizabeth - if "regal stature", i.e. well above-average height, was a requirement for being a queen, they would be disqualified!
Secondly, Clarice and Jack engage in a great deal of boringly and lengthily described unprotected sex, with no mention of the possibility of pregnancy, and with Clarice having no intention of marrying Jack until near the end of the book. This just put me right off - the concern of possible pregnancy would surely have been at the top of Clarice's and Jack's mind considering the time-period of the story, and should have been dealt with by the author instead of being completely ignored. Maybe Jack and Clarice, being super-human, could just decide mentally that pregnancy won't happen unless they want it to happen ...
Thirdly - in several places in the book the author ascribes Jack and Clarice's attractiveness and super-humanness to their class, i.e. the English aristocracy. In one sense this is correct for the time-period - England was an extremely class-based society at that time (and still is, but to a lesser extent), so it's very likely that neither Jack nor Clarice would consider as a colleague or friend or romantic partner anyone who was not born into the aristocracy. But to say that the hero and heroine are attractive and wonderful in all ways because they are aristocrats is ridiculous and rather ugly in the 21st century.
May 30, 2023
Siendo el libro 4 de la serie tenía una idea bastante clara de lo q me iba a encontrar, y fue exactamente eso, pero la autora es muy buena en lo suyo y, con los mismos ingredientes nos muestra una historia no solo hermosa, sino rica en matices q la hace única.
Clarisse es una joven de la buena sociedad q vive exiliada en el campo a raíz de un "escándalo" del pasado x el cual fue repudiada x toda su familia. Allí la encuentra Jack, otro de los miembros del Club Bastión q se metió en la Temporada londinense con la mejor intención de buscar esposa y terminó huyendo como alma q lleva el demonio. Ambos son almas gemelas, fuertes, decididos, con ganas de q las cosas resulten y se haga todo a su propia manera pero sin gestos de prepotencia, solo arrogancia q va con el puesto q ocupan los de clase acomodada; almas guerreras q se encuentran y se reconocen casi al instante.
De más está decir q me ha encantado la pareja q hacen Clarisse&Jack, no solo xq ella es un personaje femenino de los q deberían abundar más, no x su rebeldía sino x su carácter y su eficiencia a la hora de enfrentar los conflictos, ya sea decidir sobre los turnos de provisión de flores para el servicio de la Iglesia los domingos, como para luchar por demostrar la inocencia de un familiar muy querido; y sobre todo combinado con un personaje masculino como el de Jack, q la entiende y la quiere tal cual es ella; y sabe como tratarla, sin manipularla, solo dejandola q ella se de cuenta solita de que su lugar esta con él.
Igual consideración positiva para el contexto en general de la historia, principalmente xq no han sido personajes secundarios q se han limitado a ser relleno, sino q han aportado sus propias pequeñas historias realzando la relación de Clarisse con su familia y su vuelta al redil familiar y a la vida tan particular de la buena sociedad de la época de Regencia.
El suspense, a diferencia de otros libros de la serie, no ha tenido una marcada presencia. Planteado el conflicto q se debía investigar, se ha planteado en pequeñas dosis de incógnitas aquí y allí como para q no olvidemos q existe un misterio sin revolver; pero centrando todo el peso de la trama en la relación entre Jack&Clarisse, q podría resultar soporífero si no sabes lo q estás escribiendo, especialmente cuando vas x el 4o libro de la serie. Pero esta autora es muy buena en lo suyo y sabe cómo mantener la acción vivita y coleando sin entrar en clichés reiterativos ni aburridos.
Cuestión q seguimos en carrera para casar a todos los caballeros del Bastión´s Club.
Clarisse es una joven de la buena sociedad q vive exiliada en el campo a raíz de un "escándalo" del pasado x el cual fue repudiada x toda su familia. Allí la encuentra Jack, otro de los miembros del Club Bastión q se metió en la Temporada londinense con la mejor intención de buscar esposa y terminó huyendo como alma q lleva el demonio. Ambos son almas gemelas, fuertes, decididos, con ganas de q las cosas resulten y se haga todo a su propia manera pero sin gestos de prepotencia, solo arrogancia q va con el puesto q ocupan los de clase acomodada; almas guerreras q se encuentran y se reconocen casi al instante.
De más está decir q me ha encantado la pareja q hacen Clarisse&Jack, no solo xq ella es un personaje femenino de los q deberían abundar más, no x su rebeldía sino x su carácter y su eficiencia a la hora de enfrentar los conflictos, ya sea decidir sobre los turnos de provisión de flores para el servicio de la Iglesia los domingos, como para luchar por demostrar la inocencia de un familiar muy querido; y sobre todo combinado con un personaje masculino como el de Jack, q la entiende y la quiere tal cual es ella; y sabe como tratarla, sin manipularla, solo dejandola q ella se de cuenta solita de que su lugar esta con él.
Igual consideración positiva para el contexto en general de la historia, principalmente xq no han sido personajes secundarios q se han limitado a ser relleno, sino q han aportado sus propias pequeñas historias realzando la relación de Clarisse con su familia y su vuelta al redil familiar y a la vida tan particular de la buena sociedad de la época de Regencia.
El suspense, a diferencia de otros libros de la serie, no ha tenido una marcada presencia. Planteado el conflicto q se debía investigar, se ha planteado en pequeñas dosis de incógnitas aquí y allí como para q no olvidemos q existe un misterio sin revolver; pero centrando todo el peso de la trama en la relación entre Jack&Clarisse, q podría resultar soporífero si no sabes lo q estás escribiendo, especialmente cuando vas x el 4o libro de la serie. Pero esta autora es muy buena en lo suyo y sabe cómo mantener la acción vivita y coleando sin entrar en clichés reiterativos ni aburridos.
Cuestión q seguimos en carrera para casar a todos los caballeros del Bastión´s Club.
October 7, 2019
La historia me ha encantado porque él para nada espera que ya no sea imprescindible y que una mujer haya ocupado su lugar con tanta facilidad...
Dejó aquí mi opinión para no desvelar nada de la trama que me ha tenido enganchada varios días, pero decir que sigo quedando totalmente agradecida al género, me fascina y lo disfruto como uno más de la historia.
Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
Dejó aquí mi opinión para no desvelar nada de la trama que me ha tenido enganchada varios días, pero decir que sigo quedando totalmente agradecida al género, me fascina y lo disfruto como uno más de la historia.
Reseña completa: https://atrapadaenunashojasdepapel.bl...
February 8, 2018
Rating: 4 1/2
A delightfully passionate tale of strong-willed individuals born to the highest echelons of society defying the odds to be true to their nature and to what they find together. This was thrilling to read!
Clarice and Jack have electrifying chemistry and there is a hint of intrigue and dastardly characters to bring them just a bit closer. As a heroine, Clarice is likable and admirable in that she defies the ton and is respected for it. Jack is an outsider in ways that are hidden--Clarice's are visible --but for different reasons. Like his colleagues, he is a throwback to an age that no longer exists and a man seeking a woman who can embrace all that he is. He finds this and more with his warrior-queen.
The Bastion Club series is a spin-off set in the universe of the Cynster saga. The Cynsters don't make an appearance but memorable supporting characters pop up now and again.
The hunt for brides by the (retired) gentlemen spies is on! Can't wait to read the next book.
I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Regency with amazing historical details and assertive characters. The end goal of The Bastion Club is to find and wed on their own terms and it is great fun discovering the women that they meet. There is always a mystery to unravel and they are up to the challenge, including keeping unwanted aggressive types at bay.
A delightfully passionate tale of strong-willed individuals born to the highest echelons of society defying the odds to be true to their nature and to what they find together. This was thrilling to read!
Clarice and Jack have electrifying chemistry and there is a hint of intrigue and dastardly characters to bring them just a bit closer. As a heroine, Clarice is likable and admirable in that she defies the ton and is respected for it. Jack is an outsider in ways that are hidden--Clarice's are visible --but for different reasons. Like his colleagues, he is a throwback to an age that no longer exists and a man seeking a woman who can embrace all that he is. He finds this and more with his warrior-queen.
The Bastion Club series is a spin-off set in the universe of the Cynster saga. The Cynsters don't make an appearance but memorable supporting characters pop up now and again.
The hunt for brides by the (retired) gentlemen spies is on! Can't wait to read the next book.
I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys Regency with amazing historical details and assertive characters. The end goal of The Bastion Club is to find and wed on their own terms and it is great fun discovering the women that they meet. There is always a mystery to unravel and they are up to the challenge, including keeping unwanted aggressive types at bay.
August 18, 2023
Reread on August 14, 2023: God, I forgot how dire these middle two books are. Similar complaints to the previous installment's review, but this one is slightly better because they went to London for the second half. I cannot wait for the heroines in this series to have ambition again.
It’s been four books but I’ve finally recovered from my shock enough to speak my truth: I strongly reject the way that the narrator pronounces Dalziel. No, just no. I also repudiate the way Google says it’s pronounced. What the hell happened to half the letters in the middle, I ask you. A waste of a perfectly good Z. The name doesn’t sound hot, a deeply upsetting revelation for the hottest character in the series.
Read via Scribd/audio (narrated by Jill Tanner).
It’s been four books but I’ve finally recovered from my shock enough to speak my truth: I strongly reject the way that the narrator pronounces Dalziel. No, just no. I also repudiate the way Google says it’s pronounced. What the hell happened to half the letters in the middle, I ask you. A waste of a perfectly good Z. The name doesn’t sound hot, a deeply upsetting revelation for the hottest character in the series.
Read via Scribd/audio (narrated by Jill Tanner).
April 21, 2021
April 21, 2021
Listened through Hoopla
Spies. Romance. Murder Mystery.
Thanks to free applications as Hoopla , I can once again revisit - no string attached - to books I read and enjoyed decades ago. Hence , me re-listening Historical Romance writer , Stephanie Lauren's Bastion Club Series .
I like this writer stories as the heroines are always strong and assertive. Conflicts aren't based on miscommunication between the couple and besides the romance , there is a good plot with interesting mystery.
Listened through Hoopla
Spies. Romance. Murder Mystery.
Thanks to free applications as Hoopla , I can once again revisit - no string attached - to books I read and enjoyed decades ago. Hence , me re-listening Historical Romance writer , Stephanie Lauren's Bastion Club Series .
I like this writer stories as the heroines are always strong and assertive. Conflicts aren't based on miscommunication between the couple and besides the romance , there is a good plot with interesting mystery.
July 2, 2020
Although I liked the main characters in this book, I found it hard to get through it. I'd estimate half the book is sex or introspection versus story so I was not a big fan. I generally enjoy Stephanie Lauren's books but some I find very slow due to an overuse of sex which I view as a way to fill pages versus having a really good story. This book probably would have been much better had an editor deleted a goodly amount of the sex and made the book 50-100 pages shorter.
November 24, 2023
Agree with others that this was the best. Mostly because this is probably the first one in the series where we see the most complete picture of how a noble wife handles her domain from the country affairs to London intrigues. Their seduction scenes are also very steamy. The mystery is a drag.
May 23, 2021
A Fine Passion
4.5 Stars
After barely escaping the Parson's noose, Jack Warnfleet flees London for the Gloucestershire countryside only to encounter the lovely yet warrior-like Lady Clarice Altwood, who has very definite opinions about life, love, and marriage.
Stephanie Laurens is a wonderful storyteller; her characters are exceedingly appealing, and she certainly knows how to write a sizzling hot sex scene. That said, her writing style takes some getting used to as her sentence structure can be awkward (albeit grammatically accurate) and her narrative more concise.
In terms of this installment, Jack and Clarice's reluctant lovers romance is my favorite in the series thus far. Clarice is a very forthright and opinionated heroine, and her prickly nature might not appeal to all readers. Nevertheless, for me, her take no prisoners attitude is a breath of fresh air.
Jack is very similar to the other heroes in the series - bored with the simpering debutantes of the ton and their marriage-obsessed mamas. He is, however, looking for a place to call home and a woman to love and have a family with. Once he sets his sights on Clarice, nothing will stand in his way.
The plot surrounding the investigation into Clarice's cousin and her return to London society is interesting, especially the hints at a traitor hiding amongst the highest echelons of society, but definitely takes a back seat to the charming romance.
To sum up, this is a delightful read and I am looking forward to finding out more about the mysterious and enigmatic Dalziel, although his book is the last in the series.
4.5 Stars
After barely escaping the Parson's noose, Jack Warnfleet flees London for the Gloucestershire countryside only to encounter the lovely yet warrior-like Lady Clarice Altwood, who has very definite opinions about life, love, and marriage.
Stephanie Laurens is a wonderful storyteller; her characters are exceedingly appealing, and she certainly knows how to write a sizzling hot sex scene. That said, her writing style takes some getting used to as her sentence structure can be awkward (albeit grammatically accurate) and her narrative more concise.
In terms of this installment, Jack and Clarice's reluctant lovers romance is my favorite in the series thus far. Clarice is a very forthright and opinionated heroine, and her prickly nature might not appeal to all readers. Nevertheless, for me, her take no prisoners attitude is a breath of fresh air.
Jack is very similar to the other heroes in the series - bored with the simpering debutantes of the ton and their marriage-obsessed mamas. He is, however, looking for a place to call home and a woman to love and have a family with. Once he sets his sights on Clarice, nothing will stand in his way.
The plot surrounding the investigation into Clarice's cousin and her return to London society is interesting, especially the hints at a traitor hiding amongst the highest echelons of society, but definitely takes a back seat to the charming romance.
To sum up, this is a delightful read and I am looking forward to finding out more about the mysterious and enigmatic Dalziel, although his book is the last in the series.
October 13, 2017
Semakin sering membaca karya author, semakin sulit membedakan karakter H/H nya yg nyaris mirip semua. Kali ini Clarice dan Jack Warnefleet. Clarice digambarkan sbg wanita cerdas nan pemberani bagaikan Ratu Boadicea. Dgn masa lalu kelam penuh skandal, dgn 3 kali pertunangan yg gagal semua ke pelaminan. Kebetulan ada skandal yg menimpa James, sepupu Clarice, sehingga memaksa mereka berdua ke London. Setibanya mereka di London, Clarice hrs berhadapan dgn Moira, ibu tirinya yg seorang social climber dan manipulator ulung. Moira sengaja menjegal pernikahan kakak-kakak lelaki Moira demi menggolkan ambisi pribadinya.
Sangat disayangkan ending cerita masih menggantung, siapa dalang di balik semua ini belum terungkap. Capek deh. Kebanyakan narasi angst bikin lelah juga krn novel ini tergolong tebal juga utk ukuran HR. Yg membingungkan saya kenapa nyaris semua H/H di seri Bastion ini hampir kembar kepribadian semua? Alias tawar-tawar saja. Yg menolong novel ini adalah love scenes yg lumayan royal ditulis oleh author. Scene kipas-kipas ini lumayan membantu melibas kebosanan akut di novel ini.
Sangat disayangkan ending cerita masih menggantung, siapa dalang di balik semua ini belum terungkap. Capek deh. Kebanyakan narasi angst bikin lelah juga krn novel ini tergolong tebal juga utk ukuran HR. Yg membingungkan saya kenapa nyaris semua H/H di seri Bastion ini hampir kembar kepribadian semua? Alias tawar-tawar saja. Yg menolong novel ini adalah love scenes yg lumayan royal ditulis oleh author. Scene kipas-kipas ini lumayan membantu melibas kebosanan akut di novel ini.
September 15, 2024
This is just some random period romance but OMFG. I have never read something that is so ME. The dynamics between the MCs, the discussions about power in a relationship.. idk it felt tailor made to my tastes.
We have a very strong and dominant man, an ex spy, and lord of a large estate. Then we have a very dominant woman who has run the whole thing in his absence. I loved that no one had to compromise their strength for the other to be comfortable. She didn’t tone herself down for him, and he didn’t lose the confident and strong parts of himself to be with her. In fact, they brought out stronger leadership qualities in each other and had a give and take that came out of earned trust over time.
I was shocked that a book this old covered such a complex set of characters without dumbing them down or reducing them to less than they were at the beginning. ! the spice was 👌🏻!
We have a very strong and dominant man, an ex spy, and lord of a large estate. Then we have a very dominant woman who has run the whole thing in his absence. I loved that no one had to compromise their strength for the other to be comfortable. She didn’t tone herself down for him, and he didn’t lose the confident and strong parts of himself to be with her. In fact, they brought out stronger leadership qualities in each other and had a give and take that came out of earned trust over time.
I was shocked that a book this old covered such a complex set of characters without dumbing them down or reducing them to less than they were at the beginning. ! the spice was 👌🏻!
May 30, 2022
…had about 20 to many quotes stating “chest to breast”…🙄
February 13, 2022
Love this one.
March 23, 2022
3.5 *
August 19, 2014
Onward with the Bastion books! After some searching, I decided to cast William Levy as Jack . I think he fits decently enough. I liked Jack's role in the last book, and was kind of looking forward to his story. I liked how it started, but then when Clarice (Hannibal Lecter and his 'Hello, Clarice' kept running through my head, lol) was introduced, I wasn't sure what to think about her. She was rather prickly and bossy and I didn't think I was going to like her much. Then Jack kept referring to her as Boadicea, his warrior-queen, and I was kind of getting tired of it. Yea, I got it, she was strong and in-charge. Yea, yea. I did grow to like her pretty well by the end, but it was not assured at first. When it's revealed that she pretty much took over running things in Jack's absence during the war, I had to work really hard to suspend my disbelief. She was a young, single woman that was exiled from society, and yet she was running everything in the town (and she wasn't even from that town), from the ladies doing church things to dealing with the farmers and their crops and livestock, to the business owners in town. Heck, she was even pretty much doing a chunk of the running of Jack's estate, what with giving his man-in-charge advice, to making the business deals for all of his tenants, and even taking care of fixing things on the manor grounds, like his mother's rose garden, and the complete repair and refurbishing of the folly. Commanding his servants, even! And he didn't even know who she was, she wasn't related to his family in any way! I couldn't believe that any servants of a titled man would just let some unknown, unmarried female, unconnected to the estate by ties of family, be in charge, whether she was the daughter of a marquess or not. Like I said, I had to work really hard to suspend my disbelief and go with it. Then they're jumping into bed (in the folly, of course) on the second day of knowing each other. Or maybe it was the third day. Like it matters. I actually, though, did not skim or skip any of the love scenes in this one. They were not too bad this time around. The mystery in this one, however, was less intriguing than in the last few. It was a slow mystery. Slow to build, slow for anything to happen in the course of the investigations. Not much exciting happened, and even when Jack enlists the help of Trentham and a couple of the other Bastion guys, the investigations seemed very much on the back burner. Dalziel was really the only exciting thing about it. I can't wait to get to his story! Most of the second half of the book was about how Clarice and Jack go to London and do the ton thing. Plenty of balls to attend (though, amazingly, the couple this time eschewed all sex acts at other peoples' houses! Really, I was impressed!) and society grande dames to woo to their cause. Lady Osbaldestone had a bit part, which is always good to me. I thought the little secondary 'villain' of Clarice's step-mother was rather anti-climactic, though. All this build-up of painting her in a horrid light, all this talk of the terrible things she's doing to keep Clarice's brothers from getting married, and then she makes two or three tiny, tiny appearances, and then is vanquished without much ado and everything's all good. I would have liked to see more of a confrontation with her or something. Even the main villain was dealt with almost too easily, though the true mastermind is still at large.
I did like the way Jack and Clarice came together though. I liked how he understood her personality, and didn't even think to try and command her. He accepted her strong nature, and dealt with it nicely. I also liked how she slowly came to realize that she cared for him, that she did want marriage and family after all. There was nothing at all in the way of melodrama, no misunderstandings. They worked together to make things happen, and when it came time for the love confession, it came naturally and kind of sweetly. I liked that.
I'll be getting to the next book soon, no doubt. Hoping to finish this series before the year's out, that's my goal!
I did like the way Jack and Clarice came together though. I liked how he understood her personality, and didn't even think to try and command her. He accepted her strong nature, and dealt with it nicely. I also liked how she slowly came to realize that she cared for him, that she did want marriage and family after all. There was nothing at all in the way of melodrama, no misunderstandings. They worked together to make things happen, and when it came time for the love confession, it came naturally and kind of sweetly. I liked that.
I'll be getting to the next book soon, no doubt. Hoping to finish this series before the year's out, that's my goal!
October 26, 2025
Still one of my favorites from this series.
June 6, 2025
might be my favourite in the series thus far. although i think some of the mystery and family drama elements landed slight anticlimactically, i did enjoy this story overall and this romance alot. there was such clear synergy between clarice and jack, they respected each other so much and could understood each other so deeply. stephanie definitely wanted us to know that they have plenty (and i mean copious) amounts of sexual chemistry as well, so i guess that's a plus. i did enjoy these characters and everyone along for the ride a lot. Clarice is wonderfully headstrong and no-nonsense but not in a way that can often come across obnoxious with several other heroines that inhabit those traits. She is not stubborn and unreasonable, she is incredibly smart and precise in her thoughts and actions. A phenomenal heroine to read for sure. Jack is perfect alongside her, treating her always as an equal and respecting her ideas while pining over her. This was a delight to read, although some punchiness of the plot fell through the cracks.
4.2/5
3.7/5 on the swoon scale
2.5/5 on the spice scale
4.2/5
3.7/5 on the swoon scale
2.5/5 on the spice scale
November 4, 2013
The funniest line I've read in a while was in this book...
"Apparently, his body couldn't throb in two places simultaneously."
Took me a while to get used to Clarice, because she was such a strong character. I'm glad she stayed that way and it was interesting to watch the relationship develop and they ended up a team (for lack of a better word),so in the end It worked for me.
Usual formula used for this one as is used for nearly all of Laurens' books, but I'm finally just going with it. :-)
"Apparently, his body couldn't throb in two places simultaneously."
Took me a while to get used to Clarice, because she was such a strong character. I'm glad she stayed that way and it was interesting to watch the relationship develop and they ended up a team (for lack of a better word),so in the end It worked for me.
Usual formula used for this one as is used for nearly all of Laurens' books, but I'm finally just going with it. :-)
August 10, 2017
¡3 ESTRELLLAS!
Hacía bastante tiempo que no retomaba esta serie y la verdad es que tenía bastantes ganas de volver a leer a los solteros del club Bastion.
El libro continúa la linea de sus predecesores con los mismos elementos pero diferentes personajes. Tenemos a Jack, antiguo espía que ha vuelto a la sociedad, y tenemos a Clarice, una mujer completamente atípica a la mujer de la época, ella es muy decidida, con carácter fuerte e independiente. Con estos dos ingredientes tenemos el romance y la atracción física que se desarrolla envuelto en un caso de misterio e intriga para descubrir al último traidor del reino. Es más de lo mismo, pero le funciona a la autora. Aunque la novela no presenta nada diferente o sorprendente al resto de libros, la trama está bien llevada y a lo largo de toda la novela vives con la intriga de saber como se resolverá todo.
En definitiva, es un libro bien escrito, se lee rápido y es a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados Stephanie Laurens.
RESUMEN CON SPOILERS
Hacía bastante tiempo que no retomaba esta serie y la verdad es que tenía bastantes ganas de volver a leer a los solteros del club Bastion.
El libro continúa la linea de sus predecesores con los mismos elementos pero diferentes personajes. Tenemos a Jack, antiguo espía que ha vuelto a la sociedad, y tenemos a Clarice, una mujer completamente atípica a la mujer de la época, ella es muy decidida, con carácter fuerte e independiente. Con estos dos ingredientes tenemos el romance y la atracción física que se desarrolla envuelto en un caso de misterio e intriga para descubrir al último traidor del reino. Es más de lo mismo, pero le funciona a la autora. Aunque la novela no presenta nada diferente o sorprendente al resto de libros, la trama está bien llevada y a lo largo de toda la novela vives con la intriga de saber como se resolverá todo.
En definitiva, es un libro bien escrito, se lee rápido y es a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados Stephanie Laurens.
RESUMEN CON SPOILERS
March 12, 2020
4 Stars
October 29, 2020
I have enjoyed the Bastion series reading them from time to time over the past year. With this title had to start skipping the plunging and release that finally became so overwhelming as to bury the story. Too much warrior queen, warrior king, could have used some explicit editing and more on story line. Best parts were initial meetings between Clarice and Jack as his initial ire at her assessment of him and taking over his responsibilities had to be readjusted. Her place in society was recognized once they moved onto London and 'the ton'. This title did give a serious appraisal of the power of gossip, the power of families whose bloodlines were almost royal, and the privileges that came with such influence. The introduction of Church politics was also an excellent touch as the intersection of state and church were firmly enmeshed in a hierarchy that was dictated again by ancient titles. If a little editing had not had Clarice raise her nose so often, or Jack envisioning Clarice as his Boadicea [the name of my rescued orange Persian at twelve for her surviving] it would have not continually ruffled feathers, or fur. The glimpse of the Bastion Club and the members involved in this investigation was very much appreciated, as was Dalziel's appearance. But it was not the favorite of the series. Although in retrospect, Jack deserved the overwhelming passion for his long years of being alone. And Clarice was his perfect partner. That I cannot argue with. Also tremendously enjoyed the aunts and would have appreciate less sex and more about their backgrounds. Was taken aback by Clarice going after the round faced man by herself, TSTL moment. The final scenes of endearment were just a little to much hearts and flowers. But hey, it is the high stress week prior to the election, and am getting through it my non-stop reading. Thus any complaints are minor to the reality outside of where these books take me.
July 21, 2018
Overall Response
My memory of this book was only that it was fine--and my original Goodreads rating of three stars supports that. However, upon re-reading this time and thinking about my trio of rating criteria more closely, I actually like this book a lot. It's probably the best in the series thus far (though The Lady Chosen remains a very close second).
The romance here is the best in the series, and the characters are probably the most interesting and defined. I may not totally love the subplot with Clarice's family (and we'll talk about it more detail), but it's richly written and only plays a small role in the overall larger story.
We're still tracking Dalziel's final traitor, and he shows up again--we even start getting pieces of his background. I'm relieved to say that four books into this series proper, I'm not remotely annoyed by Dalziel yet, and I'll be interested to see how closely his portrayal as a supporting character reflects his main character in the last book.
The Bastion Club members, other than Jack Warnefleet, are Paignton and Dearne (Jocelyn and Christian) whose books are both 5 & 7 respectively. Neither of them stand out yet -- they're Laurens heroes, so they won't. They play a good role, however, and their presence doesn't distract me enough to think I won't like their books. Clarice's brothers, however, are actually irritating and I'm glad they don't show up more than sparingly.
The plot is good, the romance is good, the characters are good -- there are only a few things that keep this story from being a five-star and we'll get into it in the spoilers.
Spoilers Ahead
Let me get my specific critiques out of the way because I very much want to talk about how good this romance is.
I don't like the subplot of Clarice's brothers being dominated by their stepmother. I like the setup, but there's no power in the execution. Moira simply disappears from the pages--Alton sends her away, and while Clarice suspects Moira is behind a kidnapping attempt, there's no follow up. No resolution. Her brothers end up engaged, but I don't really root for the couples. I don't find the brothers interesting, and I'm not really invested in their success.
But Clarice is, and I like her, so fine. But this really makes the book drag a bit in the second half because I am never at all interested in her idiot family. I wish that James had played a larger role or that I had gotten a better sense of him since Clarice and Jack were working so hard to exonerate him.
That being said, let's get into why this romance is better than the others thus far in the series (and what puts it above The Lady Chosen).
For the first 150 pages, we don't really get into the traitor plot. Our inciting incident is Jack and Clarice meeting after an accident fells a man who ends up being key to the plot getting going, and Clarice suspects someone tried to murder him. But while the victim is unconscious, our two leads get to know each other.
Clarice is more than just Lauren's usual strong female character--she actually has flaws that put her in opposition to Jack at first. She leaps to conclusions about him, shares her conclusions with him, and then...when she realizes she's wrong, immediately apologizes. It's kind of nice, and it's a sign that her inner strength, confidence, and haughtiness isn't from a sense of superiority that means she can't ever be wrong. It just seems she's okay enough to admit when she is. I like that about her.
And what I love about Jack is that Clarice's strength is boon. She can be stubborn and resistant, but it actually turns out to be the quality which he loves most. He gives her the nickname of Boadicea and often refers to her as a warrior-queen. In a world in which women like Clarice are still (even today!) called bitches for commanding such a presence and attitude, I love that Jack prizes that about her.
And the usual romantic conflict is actually resolved relatively early. They're both strong, commanding people. In Jack's absence while serving in the wars, Clarice has naturally stepped into some positions of power--people in his home village come to her, and he resents that when he comes home. It's not really her that he's angry with, but Jack returns to Avening seeking home, comfort, and routine, and Clarice disrupts that.
They quarrel slightly, but quickly Jack acknowledges her strength and intelligence, and then enlists her help. They start an affair--and it's not until after the affair begins that they both realize their feelings on marriage begin to change. Jack had actually sworn off marriage, and Clarice had had several bad interactions in her youth.
Jack gets there first, and spends some time trying to figure out how to win her--but he knows it's not really about changing her mind. It's getting Clarice to even consider the subject in the first place. He mostly sits back as they work together to exonerate her cousin and his friend of treason charges.
There's a moment where they're caught in a compromising position and he feels compelled to offer marriage. She turns him down, and then he doesn't get angry. He gets it. Neither of them want to get married that way, and Jack, never for a minute, thinks that it's a sign she doesn't care for him. I love that! It's so often told the other way, and I love that Jack is written as more emotionally intelligent than that.
It might make you think there's no drama, but it just means that these two people know each other so well that they're not going to have stupid arguments, which, my God, makes me so deliriously happy. I love this romance. I can't say it enough. This is a realllly good, y'all. I don't think I ever realized how well this one was written. Ha, even writing about it as made me want to give the romance the full five stars.
My memory of this book was only that it was fine--and my original Goodreads rating of three stars supports that. However, upon re-reading this time and thinking about my trio of rating criteria more closely, I actually like this book a lot. It's probably the best in the series thus far (though The Lady Chosen remains a very close second).
The romance here is the best in the series, and the characters are probably the most interesting and defined. I may not totally love the subplot with Clarice's family (and we'll talk about it more detail), but it's richly written and only plays a small role in the overall larger story.
We're still tracking Dalziel's final traitor, and he shows up again--we even start getting pieces of his background. I'm relieved to say that four books into this series proper, I'm not remotely annoyed by Dalziel yet, and I'll be interested to see how closely his portrayal as a supporting character reflects his main character in the last book.
The Bastion Club members, other than Jack Warnefleet, are Paignton and Dearne (Jocelyn and Christian) whose books are both 5 & 7 respectively. Neither of them stand out yet -- they're Laurens heroes, so they won't. They play a good role, however, and their presence doesn't distract me enough to think I won't like their books. Clarice's brothers, however, are actually irritating and I'm glad they don't show up more than sparingly.
The plot is good, the romance is good, the characters are good -- there are only a few things that keep this story from being a five-star and we'll get into it in the spoilers.
Spoilers Ahead
Let me get my specific critiques out of the way because I very much want to talk about how good this romance is.
I don't like the subplot of Clarice's brothers being dominated by their stepmother. I like the setup, but there's no power in the execution. Moira simply disappears from the pages--Alton sends her away, and while Clarice suspects Moira is behind a kidnapping attempt, there's no follow up. No resolution. Her brothers end up engaged, but I don't really root for the couples. I don't find the brothers interesting, and I'm not really invested in their success.
But Clarice is, and I like her, so fine. But this really makes the book drag a bit in the second half because I am never at all interested in her idiot family. I wish that James had played a larger role or that I had gotten a better sense of him since Clarice and Jack were working so hard to exonerate him.
That being said, let's get into why this romance is better than the others thus far in the series (and what puts it above The Lady Chosen).
For the first 150 pages, we don't really get into the traitor plot. Our inciting incident is Jack and Clarice meeting after an accident fells a man who ends up being key to the plot getting going, and Clarice suspects someone tried to murder him. But while the victim is unconscious, our two leads get to know each other.
Clarice is more than just Lauren's usual strong female character--she actually has flaws that put her in opposition to Jack at first. She leaps to conclusions about him, shares her conclusions with him, and then...when she realizes she's wrong, immediately apologizes. It's kind of nice, and it's a sign that her inner strength, confidence, and haughtiness isn't from a sense of superiority that means she can't ever be wrong. It just seems she's okay enough to admit when she is. I like that about her.
And what I love about Jack is that Clarice's strength is boon. She can be stubborn and resistant, but it actually turns out to be the quality which he loves most. He gives her the nickname of Boadicea and often refers to her as a warrior-queen. In a world in which women like Clarice are still (even today!) called bitches for commanding such a presence and attitude, I love that Jack prizes that about her.
And the usual romantic conflict is actually resolved relatively early. They're both strong, commanding people. In Jack's absence while serving in the wars, Clarice has naturally stepped into some positions of power--people in his home village come to her, and he resents that when he comes home. It's not really her that he's angry with, but Jack returns to Avening seeking home, comfort, and routine, and Clarice disrupts that.
They quarrel slightly, but quickly Jack acknowledges her strength and intelligence, and then enlists her help. They start an affair--and it's not until after the affair begins that they both realize their feelings on marriage begin to change. Jack had actually sworn off marriage, and Clarice had had several bad interactions in her youth.
Jack gets there first, and spends some time trying to figure out how to win her--but he knows it's not really about changing her mind. It's getting Clarice to even consider the subject in the first place. He mostly sits back as they work together to exonerate her cousin and his friend of treason charges.
There's a moment where they're caught in a compromising position and he feels compelled to offer marriage. She turns him down, and then he doesn't get angry. He gets it. Neither of them want to get married that way, and Jack, never for a minute, thinks that it's a sign she doesn't care for him. I love that! It's so often told the other way, and I love that Jack is written as more emotionally intelligent than that.
It might make you think there's no drama, but it just means that these two people know each other so well that they're not going to have stupid arguments, which, my God, makes me so deliriously happy. I love this romance. I can't say it enough. This is a realllly good, y'all. I don't think I ever realized how well this one was written. Ha, even writing about it as made me want to give the romance the full five stars.
February 9, 2022
A definite improvement since the last book.
I loved Jack and Clarice's chemistry and their personalities. There was no beating around the bush, indirect conversations or sappy romance. It was all straightforward and bold actions, my favourite.
The storyline was done really well and I liked that we had 2 side stories, rather than one so it didn't seem to drag or become boring, while the romance portion was paced well. My only qualm would be how fast Jack and Clarice got together, I mean they reached their arrangement and made a deal and it was only 30% into the book. I could hear myself screaming, Too Soon!! But then it all worked out.
Jack and Clarice were so similar both not holding back anything and laying it all out there. I loved that they didn't deny their feelings for too long, especially Jack, who knew he wanted Clarice as his wife from the beginning and the confession in the end? Brilliant!
I loved Jack and Clarice's chemistry and their personalities. There was no beating around the bush, indirect conversations or sappy romance. It was all straightforward and bold actions, my favourite.
The storyline was done really well and I liked that we had 2 side stories, rather than one so it didn't seem to drag or become boring, while the romance portion was paced well. My only qualm would be how fast Jack and Clarice got together, I mean they reached their arrangement and made a deal and it was only 30% into the book. I could hear myself screaming, Too Soon!! But then it all worked out.
Jack and Clarice were so similar both not holding back anything and laying it all out there. I loved that they didn't deny their feelings for too long, especially Jack, who knew he wanted Clarice as his wife from the beginning and the confession in the end? Brilliant!
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