regency

Tony and Olivier Award winner Clare Higgins brings verve and eloquence to her performance of the latest from Australian romance novelist, Stephanie Laurens. Those familiar with the author's Cynster novels will find "The Ideal Bride" an entertaining listen as Laurens mixes mystery with love.

Our hero is Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, a headed-for-great-things politico, who is used to getting what he wants when he wants it. In this case, realizing that a perfect wife will be an invaluable asset to his career, that is what he wants.

Elizabeth, a lovely 19-year-old is the bride he wants. However, there are two obstacles in his pursuit - Elizabeth is in love with someone else, and her very attractive widowed aunt, Caro Sutcliffe, is definitely opposed to such a union.

Caro's late husband was a politician so she well knows the rigors of being a politician's better half and she wants none of that for her beloved niece. The two women devise a plan to convince Michael that Elizabeth is not a suitable mate - the young woman will behave inappropriately at public functions.

Sounds like a good idea. However, their stratagem backfires - quite romantically.

Mix in some murder, an unknown enemy, and you have a thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.

- Gail Cooke

Setting - Eyeworth Manor, near Fritham in New Forest, Hampshire, 1825 --- For fans of Laurens earlier Cynster novels this one features Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, who at 33 is a rising member of Parliament -- a man who clearly has a very promising future, quite possibly destined for greatness but insiders confided to him that advancement would be conditional upon him acquiring a wife. Handsome, well-born and naturally charming he is matchmaking mama's dream, especially with his connections to the wealthy and influential Cynster family -- his sister is married to Devil Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives (DEVIL'S BRIDE).

Knowing that he needs a perfect wife, who would be politically astute, Michael has looks over his acquaintances and decides that 19 year old, Elizabeth Mollston would make a perfectly acceptable wife and helpmate as she came from a politically involved family herself. The only problem is that Elizabeth is in love with another and has enlisted the help of her Aunt Caro Sutcliffe, to help her in discouraging him from declaring himself. It doesn't take long before Michael discovers what that Caro has been 'managing' him and that it is Caro, the very accomplished foreign ministers widow, who would be the perfect helpmate. Only Caro, whose previous marriage to a much older man, is adamant to remain 'The Merry Widow' and NEVER intends to marry again. Michael has to use all of his abundant diplomatic charm to convince her to become his wife. At the same time, in a secondary sub-plot, and after numerous 'accidents', he must discover who is trying to kill her.

While this latest entry has abundant and graphic sexual encounters, it seemed to me that Laurens came up a bit short in the fire and feisty humor department. Caro and Michael, when not in bed, against a wall, or on the floor or ground hardly ever lose control of their emotions, which believe it or not give them a slightly lifeless appeal. After a while I grew somewhat bored with the repetitive sexual encounters and actually started skipping over them, being more interested in the action and mystery of the sub-plot of who was trying to kill Caro. The well-developed mystery subplot, in my opinion, saved this story being tossed aside, and of course, involving Devil Cynster (one of my all time favorite male heroes) was a treat! The excitement just wasn't there to call this a page-turner. Another point I look at when evaluating a book is that I had no trouble in putting it aside to go to bed. Bottom line.... Good, but not what I've come to expect from such an accomplished author.

As a Laurens fan I couldn't wait for this book! Well, I should have kept on waiting. Sorry to say, it took my days upon days to get throught this book. The first hundred pages or so seemed to be slow dry reading. The characters aren't that well developed and are lacking her usual flare. The plot could have amounted to a more exciting story if we didn't have to keep reading about the lack of [physical relations] in Caro's first marriage.