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Mastered By Love (Bastion Club #8)

by Stephanie Laurens (Goodreads Author)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 1,670 ratings · 111 reviews

The men of the Bastion Club proved their bravery secretly fighting for their country. Now their leader faces that most dangerous mission of all: finding a bride.

As the mysterious leader of the Bastion Club known as "Dalziel," Royce Varisey, 10th Duke of Wolverstone, served his country for decades, facing dangers untold. But as the holder of one of England's most august nob...more

Paperback, 434 pages

Published July 28th 2009 by Avon (first published 2009)

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Oct 20, 2010 Kaetrin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I picked up the Australian release (which I thought had a nicer cover but I couldn't find a picture during my browsing so this is the one you get) at Target when I was away and was pleasantly suprised by this one. The last few offerings from Laurens have been a bit ho-hum for me. Too much saying the same thing. In different ways. In short sentences. Over and over. Again. Repetitively. Maybe I'd had just enough of a break between her stories to enjoy this one. No, on second thought, this was just...more

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Aug 11, 2009 Travelover rated it 5 of 5 stars

I adored MASTERED BY LOVE. A 10+. This is a man who sacrificed a major portion of his life for love of country. That is remarkable for anyone to do! He deserved to be happy at the end. I think the cover is romantic & sensual, & the epitomy of what Dalziel/Royce would look like - Stephanie Laurens repeatedly told us he looked younger than his age - that he had dark eyes, dark wavy hair and a fierce temper he controlled in public. He wanted to be more than what historically had been for me...more

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Jul 29, 2009 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-reads

From Stephanie Laurens first 'Bastion Club' novel, I've been fascinated by Dalziel. Finally, in "Mastered By Love", I get his story and it's a doozy. Why and how he became a 'shadow' in society and head of the British spies makes for a wonderful read and the woman he falls for is not at all what he expected. And for Cynster fans, Devil makes a few appearances!

Minerva has been the chatelaine of Wolverstone Castle for many years now. Informally adopted by the Duke's family after the death of her p...more From Stephanie Laurens first 'Bastion Club' novel, I've been fascinated by Dalziel. Finally, in "Mastered By Love", I get his story and it's a doozy. Why and how he became a 'shadow' in society and head of the British spies makes for a wonderful read and the woman he falls for is not at all what he expected. And for Cynster fans, Devil makes a few appearances!

Minerva has been the chatelaine of Wolverstone Castle for many years now. Informally adopted by the Duke's family after the death of her parents and raised with all the privileges of their name and family, she's never forgotten what she feels she 'owes' them. She was always fascinated by the heir, Royce, and her life lost color after his banishment. But deathbed promises are no small matter, and Minerva promised BOTH of Royce's parents (at separate times) to stay and help Royce settle into the Dukedom after his long absence. Of course, one of his first tasks MUST be to ensure the succession and once he marries, Minerva plans to leave. If she can only keep her heart safe until then!

Royce...how strange to use that name again after all this time. But oh, this is NOT how he imagined returning home would be. His plans were already made, but his father's sudden death means his learning curve will be steep and painful. How could he have forgotten Minerva? Well, in his defense, he doesn't remember her looking like THIS! But he knows his duty and it's to marry some cold, dutiful peeress who will breed his heir and a spare and then live their own life without bothering him. But after seeing his Bastion Club operatives find love and happiness, why does this plan seem so wrong? And even if he changes his mind, can he convince Minerva? And don't forget, there's still that last traitor to catch!

If you enjoy Laurens' writing style, you'll love "Mastered By Love". She does tend to be a bit wordy (!), but I still mainline her books as soon as they're released. This one may not be my favorite Bastion Club book, but it's close. Royce is such a complicated character and his relationship with Minerva is every bit of everything he had coming. Their attraction and the dilemma of tradition resonate on every page. Laurens can write breath-taking love scenes, if a bit long, but then again, sometimes longer is better, eh?

I was a bit disappointed with the sideline story of the last traitor. For something that played so largely in earlier books, it seemed a bit of a sidenote here. The majority of the book is ALL about Royce and Minerva and the danger of the traitor is really only expressed towards the very end and wrapped up fairly quickly. Dalziel/Royce's 'wooing' is not to be missed and even with its quirks, this book will go on my keeper shelf with the rest of the Bastion Club series.(less)

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Nov 25, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favorite

This book was the long awaited ending to Stephanie Laurens Bastion Club series. It centers on my personal favorite character of the series Royce, better known by his fellow club members as Dalziel. We know little of his past but in the first few pages of the book we learn much more about the handsome and mysterious man. He returns home to his estate as the tenth Duke of Wolverstone (and we get to learn why he hadn't visited sooner too yay!) and what does he find but a headstrong chatelaine Miner...more

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May 04, 2012 Cbackson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dalziel was far more interesting in Beyond Seduction than in the book of which he was the hero. In the previous Bastion Club novels, he's a lurking super-dangerous presence. In this he's far less menacing. And let's be honest: the menace is what made him compelling in those books.

In the absence of that, he's a Stephanie Laurens hero. This is not entirely a bad thing. I *like* Stephanie Laurens heroes. Even if they're prone to internal monologues about the impact of their Cynster heritage/conque...more

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May 04, 2012 Lori McD rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012_read, british-lit, chick-lit, easy-read, fun-fluff, guilty-pleasure, historical-fiction, mystery, romance, regency, series, some-steam, spies

Giving the last book in the series 4 stars - mostly because we learn more about Dalziel: who he is, what his real title and life are about, how he separated from his family to serve his country, AND who the mysterious "last" traitor is.

This is about Minerva and Royce (Dalziel's real name). He's the 10th Duke of Wolverton, but he put all that behind him 16 years ago when he decided to accept a highly secret position for their majesties at Whitehall. His father didn't approve; to his father (and m...more Giving the last book in the series 4 stars - mostly because we learn more about Dalziel: who he is, what his real title and life are about, how he separated from his family to serve his country, AND who the mysterious "last" traitor is.

This is about Minerva and Royce (Dalziel's real name). He's the 10th Duke of Wolverton, but he put all that behind him 16 years ago when he decided to accept a highly secret position for their majesties at Whitehall. His father didn't approve; to his father (and many marcher lords like him), the government changed - it was their job only to support the government insofar as it benefited them. But give up one's position and possibly one's life? No. So Royce and his father parted ways that day, and Royce changed his name to Dalziel to save his family. He "lost" his title, but being the only legitimate heir, now that he's given up his commission (Napoleon is defeated, no need to stay), Dalziel had to become Royce Varisey, heir to the dukedom of Wolverstone again. Especially when he learns that his father died before he could return home. Royce had always hoped to reconcile with his father and to learn how to be a duke from his father. But that's no longer an option.

Instead, Royce turns to Minerva, the chatelaine of Wolverton castle. Minerva was adopted by his parents when at an early age she was orphaned; while her family was gentry and she has a small fortune of her own, Minerva never cared to marry for anything less than love. And she's always harbored a fascination-obsession-crush on Royce. But Varisey's behave in certain ways: they're stubborn, prone to bad tempers and anger, marry for position/money/title and not for love, tend to father illegitimate children on their many mistresses, and only look out for their own interests. Minerva wants nothing to do with that; she's seen enough by being close to Royce's mother and father. Yet, before he died, Royce's father told her to tell Royce that he doesn't have to be just like him... he should do it his own way. And before both Royce's mother and father died, each made her promise to look after Royce - to assure he takes his rightful place as duke. To Minerva, that means reacquainting him with his lands, his people, his castle, and his responsibilites, and then making sure he marries well. Then Minerva will give up her chatelaine position and travel on her own money. Anything to get away from Royce.

But it's never that easy - not in this series. Because the inimitable spark occurred between Royce and Minerva almost immediately. He took it to be lust, which he intended to slake on her, should he discover she feels the same. But Minerva is good at hiding her feelings. And after his father's funeral, Royce is approached by the grande dames of the ton, who inform him that it is *imperative* that he marry immediately. Prinny is looking for a source of income, and he has his eye on Royce's property and income. I don't quite understand how Prinny could wrest it away from him, but without a marriage and an heir forthwith, somehow Prinny could.

So Royce decides that despite the list of eligible young misses that he's given by Minerva and the grande dames, that the only one who makes sense as his bride is Minerva. Seen from the Varisey eyes, it makes sense: she already knows and loves his people and his land; she knows the castle; she knows how he should go about his duties and can help him; and he desires her. What more does he need?

But when Royce tries to pop the question to Minerva (to keep his promise of announcing his engagement within a week's time), instead, Minerva kisses him. Which starts him down the path of slaking his desire. He finds her a willing participant. So he decides the best way to get her to marry him is to seduce her. How and Why men think that's the way to a woman's heart, I'll never know.

Complications ensue... one of which is that the traitor is close at hand during the funeral. And stays on for a house party. Turns out, the traitor is one of Royce's own cousins. And that cousin tries to thwart Royce at every turn; and that cousin finally comes up with a way to get back at Royce - thru Minerva.

At the same time, Royce insists that Minerva occupy his bed nightly. Trying to be aware of his sisters and other guests who still remain at the castle, she agrees on the condition that no one know. Despite the bed-hopping already going on, Minerva wants to maintain her reputation. And she figures when Royce finally announces his duchess, she'll more easily be able to break ties with him if no one knows about the affair. And Royce, meanwhile, is falling in love with Minerva - recognizing that he wants a marriage more like his friends and his Bastion Club members. So Royce allows Minerva to show him how to be his own duke - to take an personal interest in his people, his lands, and his community. During the day, the two act as duke and chatelaine; at night, they're ravenous lovers.

But will Royce convince Minerva to marry him? Can he, when she's looking for nothing less than love?
----------------
While this book follows the typical pattern of this series' books and love affairs, there is something different about Royce and Minerva. They have the aspect of knowing one another already, but they've never been lovers before. In fact, Minerva's a virgin. So the author's combined the qualities of her previous heroines to come up with Minerva. Also, we learn that while Minerva's never had a Season in London, she's friends with Letitia and many of the previous Heroines from this story.

Unfortunately, there's a lot contrived about this particular tale - some has to do with this traitor, which, of course, must be caught before the series can end. And once again, what feels like months is only weeks... and many of the love scenes are repetitious. Except for one amusing scene where Minerva blindfolds Royce and demands he keep his hands on the bed posts. It was that "something new" to this series, and Royce's reactions were priceless.

All in all, I'll finish the other 2 books I haven't read in this series, but only for completion's sake. And to pick up on some of what I missed about the traitor. But I'll be glad to move on.(less)

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Dec 13, 2010 Shelli rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Shelli by: Pam

Shelves: historical-romaance, read-in-2010

A bit predictable. I rather liked Minerva & Royce as a couple, but it was obvious those two were going to end up together, so there was no real suspense. Since this was book #8 in a series, and the first one I've read, there seemed to be a lot of back story to these characters that I didn't fully understand. Despite that, I was able to follow along with most of the characters and their motivations. The traitor in the story seemed like it was written in as an after thought, perhaps a continua...more

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May 09, 2012 Cyndee rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, bodice-ripper, historical-romance

I was actually excited to read this book as it wraped up the Bastion club and Denzil was one of the most secretive person’s in the series. I kept thinking that this one would be good. Well it was good but not in the reason that the author planned. During the seductive scenes I actually started laughing. I have never had that happen. It was the funniest book I have ever read. Maybe near the end I got used to the over the top – you have got to be kidding me reaction but it got better… Well no it w...more

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Aug 02, 2009 Monet rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 05, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance, novels, owned

can't say much karena baca buku ini uda dari 3 hari yang lalu selesainya, dan sudah lupa semua kalimata yang ingin saya ungkapkan sebagai review. hikss.

tapi menurut saya, bagussssss~ soalnya royce tuh lucu banget. dan aku jadi kasian sama para istri Bastion Club, harus menempuh bahaya demi mendapat kata cinta dari para suami. tapi worth it laa, karena membuat pernikahan mereka jadi makin langgeng dan dalam kan. hohoho.

Minerva harus belajar untuk tidak terlalu berprasangka buruk terhadap Royce (w...more

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Oct 28, 2009 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance

The first half of the book was well-written and intriguing. Then we get to the sex scenes, which I skip. I skipped so many pages in the next third of the book that I felt there was little in them. The last part of the book again became intriguing. I guess my main problem with it was the application of 20th-21st century morals to early 19th century settings. Ms Laurens is not the only author to succumb to this mistake. Many authors do it. However, I would like to point out that it wasn't until th...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Rindya rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

I read the first two book in the series and I don't really like them but I was intrigued by this character, Dalziel. So, I read the last book of Bastion Club yesterday, hoping that this book was going to be better than the previous ones. Turned out.... MEH!!!
I'm disappointed with Dalziel/Wolverstone. He was so bland to be master spy, not as cool as he was on the first two series.
The story can be finished in only 150 pages but because there were too many scenes between the sheet that became repet...more

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Sep 27, 2009 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, stephanie-laurens, ebooks

After reading "A Fine Passion", I skipped the next Bastion Club novels to read this latest addition because I've always been intrigued by Dalziel, and this book lived up to my expectations.

Since he kept appearing in all the Bastion Club books, my interest in him grew more and more, and to have read his story, how he was introduced, how he lusted and fell in love with Minerva, and finally put an end to his career, it took me on a wild ride.

I liked his character, he's unpretentious, reserved, tena...more After reading "A Fine Passion", I skipped the next Bastion Club novels to read this latest addition because I've always been intrigued by Dalziel, and this book lived up to my expectations.

Since he kept appearing in all the Bastion Club books, my interest in him grew more and more, and to have read his story, how he was introduced, how he lusted and fell in love with Minerva, and finally put an end to his career, it took me on a wild ride.

I liked his character, he's unpretentious, reserved, tenacious, and given all those he has a temper that only one woman could understand. I liked how Stephanie Laurens constructed Minerva's character, not some total stranger, but someone who grew up with Royce's parents and attended to her father, to know how to act around him, to say the right things and when not to speak.

It's a given that powerful men are attracted to powerful women, and like most of her novels, the attraction spurs from a challenge, the woman should be a novelty since Laurens always wrote about the hero being the pursuer, and she did a very good job of writing a rich story out of that concept.

In a typical Laurens novel, there's the formulaic danger engulfing the characters and sad to say, the heroine must be in danger, in a life-and-death situation before the hero must finally admit that he loves her. I found my heart racing when I read the traitor is a kin, and although I knew what would happen, I can't help but read on and be caught in the suspense.

Another thing I liked in the story is the explanation of both Royce's and Minerva's backgrounds, the novel focused more on developing their relationship and not those dragging parts about traitors. I wasn't the least bored reading about his duties as a duke and while reading those, Laurens gave us an idea of his day-to-day life and how he doesn't follow tradition on man and master.

I gave this a 5 because it satisfied all my criteria of a classic historical romance novel, that being good plot, gradual character development, and the best and vivid passionate love scenes only Laurens could write. She brought the characters to life, she built sexual tension, described those scenes in an erotic way, and drew the reader into the characters thoughts and feelings. They were evocative, it's like the HDTV when it came to it. The love scenes just set the pages on fire and I loved them.

(less)

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May 13, 2013 Kay Bolton rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review taken from my Blog in October 2010:

The darkly mysterious Royce Varisey, 10th Duke of Wolverstone, and leader of the Bastion Club members, returns to his home on the death of his father (after serving his country for decades) and literally runs into Minerva Chesterton at the top of the stairs of his ancestral home.

She's outwardly serene, aloof and determinedly wilful but with a smouldering sensuality beneath ...... and he's everything you'd expect from an autocratic marcher lord - from tha...more

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Aug 10, 2012 Jean rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, england, romance, intrigue-political, napoleonic-war

This is the final novel in the Bastion's Club Series and it's Dalziel's story. Dalziel aka Royce tackles his new title and responsibilities while still tying up lose ends with the last traitor. The female character is again a childhood friend. The story follows the same miscommunication and misunderstanding plot device while she also helps Royce come to terms with his new responsibilities as well as his unresolved estrangement with his father. Intrigue comes significantly later as the last trait...more

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Dec 01, 2009 Ummi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bastion-club, historical-romance

From the other Bastion Club series, we only come to know him as Dalziel, the enigmatic commander with mysterious background. Mastered By Love tells all there is need to know of Dalziel or Royce Varisey, the 10th Duke of Wolverstone.

I was waiting patiently for this book because I am forever fascinated with Dalziel. Not much is said of Dalziel in other Bastion Club series. Perhaps to maintain the air of mystery that surrounds him.

As for me, the book is quiet good. Not on par as some Bastion Club s...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Beckie Treble rated it 5 of 5 stars

The last book of the series. Noooooo :-[:-[:-[:-[ but what a way to end. We finally learn who the last traitor is, and I really didn't think it would be who it was. No spoiler from me. The romance between Dalziel...oops I mean Royce and Minerva was spectacular. It was a they want each other but are too stubborn relationship. We meet his sisters too. If only there was a third ugly sister. Not that they are ugly, but god, they are horrible. Just think about themselves and really don't care about t...more

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Jan 07, 2013 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

The final installment in the Bastion club series follows Royce (previously known as Dalziel, the mastermind behind the British spy operations during the war). Now a duke, Royce returns to his family estate where he is pressured by the grand madam's of the ton to find a wife. He engages in an affair with Minerva, chatelaine of the castle and tries to convince her to marry him.

This book was a huge disappointment. While the main characters were interesting and made an engaging couple, there was lit...more

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Jan 21, 2013 Connie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a great conclusion to a relatively tepid series. The only reason I finished the series was for Dalziel's character. In the other books, he was the only reason that I kept reading because he brought on new life. I had to skim over the last 4 books just to get through the series. It seemed as Ms. Laurens refocused more on plot and less on the overly detailed sexual exploitations that she has given us in the last 6 books, and with this book she didn't disappoint. It was still a little over...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Jaime rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-romance, m-f

I enjoyed this book quite a bit - both Royce and Minerva were compelling characters, and their chemistry could set the pages on fire. The main part of the plot was well paced; I liked how she drew the world at Wolverton and the people who lived there. And the sex scenes were definitely some of the best I've read in a while!

I was less enthused about the spy plot - it felt tacked on, serving no real purpose, though I acknowledge that I haven't read the other books in this series, so I wasn't inves...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Trish rated it 3 of 5 stars

I picked this up and put it down again. I wanted to read this book (it had been in my to read basket for awhile) and gave it 10 pages to hook me. Normally a Stephanie Laurens book grabs me and pulls me in until the last page. Not this time. Too much relationship, dialogue & narrative when I guess I needed more action/adventure like the Brides. I'm so busy these days and have little time to read...when I do pick up a book I need to be engaged...a little voice has to tell me to keep going. I j...more

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Apr 30, 2012 ies rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

Sukaaaa banget sama buku terkahir ini hehehe..
aku habiskan dalam waktu 2 hari, madol hari senen kemaren sampe semua anak kantor nyangka aku madol kr abis ntn suju, padahal kl tanggung lagi baca ni buku *culhat*

Dalziel, ya ampuuunn.. coolll..... sangat cool sekali ni orang satu XD
aku paling suka caranya die ngedektin Minerva, sampe si Minervanya sendiri kaga sadar, pas maksa nanya nama calon istri pilihannya itu dan Royce nya bilang "kau" ouch!! Minervanya shock hehehehe

yg kocak itu pas adegan...more

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Jun 15, 2010 Andrea rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Bastion Club #8, the war has ended and the spymaster Dalziel, now Lord Wolverstone, is still disturbed by the last of the villains yet to be caught. He returns to his home; with the passing of his father he has come into the title, but the years of separation and exile from his family continues to haunt him. Fortunately Wolverstone's chantelaine, Minerva, has made deathbed promises to both his parents to see Wolverstone married, and to train the new bride in the management of the properties.

Unfo...more

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Mar 31, 2010 Bree rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, historical

It pains me to give this book such a low review, but in the arc of the whole series, it was a flat finale. Dalziel as a character was fearless, mysterious and intelligent in his role as leader, and we lose that when he ceomes Royce. Where was the hero? Instead we get a man of regrets with a horndog case for his father's ward. And if I read one more time that Minerva was only his chatelaine, I was going to scream. The usual pages and pages of intimacy, plus the near invisibility of the traitor pl...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

Though it was a good book kindof fell same old same old. The story with different characters seems a redo of Beyond Seduction (#6). I have to confess i have not read all the books in order or when they released just as they appear/available on the library book shelfs, so that is coloring my impression. But I do think as the gist of it the story lines were very very similar. The only thing that had me reading to the end to figure out if the traitor dies. U can kindof say who is the traitor before...more

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Jul 14, 2012 M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

http://www.booksonboard.com/index.php...

booksonboard.com stephanie laurens save the best in the series for last. this is athe last novel from the bastion club series. it is a regency romance. as usual the hero denies being in love with the heroine but wants the heroine love him. there is suspense and the hero admits in the end to loving her. anyway, even though her books follow a predictable path i would still read this book.

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Sep 02, 2012 Oky Septya rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-romance

Best installment of all.. mau kasih 4,5

Karena bukunya uda di balikin, jadi lupa deh mau kasih kutipan disini.. *dijitak*

Well, intinya, buku terakhir ini the best of all series deh. Mulai dari plot-line yg emang lebih seru dan ga ngebosenin, karakternya juga jauh lebih hidup dan lovable, smape akhirnya ketahuan juga siapa 'pengkhianat terakhir' yg kita cari.

Dalziel disini temperamennya buruk, jadi ga heran deh kalo di buku2 sebelumnya aura si Dalziel jauh lebih tajem dibandingin rekan2nya. Soalny...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Rowena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

This is the last of the Bastion Club books. It's Dalziel's book and if you've been reading this series from the beginning then you have been wondering just who this Dalziel character is. He was the leader of the Bastion Club and finally, his story is told.

The mystery behind Dalziel is uncovered in the pages of Mastered by Love. This book was a story about a man who had to come to grips with the fact that he will never get a chance to square things away with his late father. He's thrown into the...more This is the last of the Bastion Club books. It's Dalziel's book and if you've been reading this series from the beginning then you have been wondering just who this Dalziel character is. He was the leader of the Bastion Club and finally, his story is told.

The mystery behind Dalziel is uncovered in the pages of Mastered by Love. This book was a story about a man who had to come to grips with the fact that he will never get a chance to square things away with his late father. He's thrown into the life that he was booted out of and he's trying to stay afloat, all the while trying to stay away from the one woman he cannot have. The only woman he desperately wants.

While reading this book, I have come to realize that Stephanie Laurens writes those old school historical novels that are very wordy, completely angst ridden and yet, still very engaging. Reading this book, took me back to when I was reading Christian's story The Edge of Desire. When I was reading that story, there were times when I thought I was never going to finish the book because there were just too many words but I did finish the book and I did enjoy it and that was the same way with this one.

The book itself was really good. The story was a solid storyline, one that got me into the story but there were times aplenty in this book where I wished that SL would have just chopped this story in half and called it a day. I think had she did that, my enjoyment would have soared through the roof because while I enjoyed the angst and the chemistry between the two main leads in this story, the drama got to be too much.

The third time that I picked up this book, I recall telling my niece Chelsea that I wished this book had less words in it. I didn't need so much detail about the setting and I didn't need to know all of the farmer's names, all of the families names on the Mom and the Dad's side, their baby mama drama and their birth dates and all of that. All of the words didn't make me put the book down. I was too invested in the story to quit on it but I wanted to and even though I loved both Royce and Minerva, I wanted their story to end and when it finally did, I rejoiced because I stuck with it.

So here are my thoughts, if you don't mind long winded descriptions on everything from the setting to the sex, then this is the book for you. I think all Bastion Club fans will enjoy this book because finally, finally we get to find out who Dalziel really is and I really liked who he was. I liked how the book ended. It was great to see the other people from the other series as well (Cynsters, although it was pretty crazy to see Devil BEFORE he was married). They were a delightful addition to this story and the way that Royce handled everything and everyone made me lust after him like a tramp. He was a great hero, Minerva was his perfect match and had this book been chopped in half, it probably would have gotten a 4.5 but because of the wordy-ness and the amount of time it took me to read this book, it gets just a 4.(less)

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Sep 03, 2011 Penny Watson rated it 1 of 5 stars

Review for Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens

(ETA: I read this and reviewed it on my blog in August 2009. For some reason, I did not post this review at Goodreads. This review is way harsh, since I was horribly disappointed. But I would like to add that I still adore SL as an author, although this is definitely not her best work).....

Nooooooooooo! Why, Stephanie, why?????

OK, to say that I am massively disappointed by this book would be an understatement. I have enjoyed the Bastion Club series...more Review for Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens

(ETA: I read this and reviewed it on my blog in August 2009. For some reason, I did not post this review at Goodreads. This review is way harsh, since I was horribly disappointed. But I would like to add that I still adore SL as an author, although this is definitely not her best work).....

Nooooooooooo! Why, Stephanie, why?????

OK, to say that I am massively disappointed by this book would be an understatement. I have enjoyed the Bastion Club series quite a bit, although the last one (The Edge of Desire) was not my favorite, and some of them have felt repetitive, not unlike the Cynster series. However, Dalziel, the head of the spy organization in this series, was a really cool character. Dark, mysterious, brilliant, loyal. I was super excited for this final installment of the series. Finally, Laurens has a character she can really sink her writing chops into. Develop a cool story line with intrigue and danger. Create an amazing heroine who can match Dalziel with her intensity and cleverness. Did Laurens do these things?? Noooooooooooo!

Here are the reasons this book is in dire wall banger territory....
First of all, I realize that Laurens is recycling the same story and the same alpha male characters over and over again, but this time it has gone too far for me. A Fine Passion dealt with the exact same theme....father dying, coming home to take over the family estate, heroine already there running the show, etc. etc. I mean, come on!!!! With Dalziel's history, could Laurens not come up with something a little more interesting or original for a story? Jesus H. Canola. Also, right from the onset of this book, Dalziel comes off as a jerk. He wants to bed Minerva (whose name sounds like a shrivelled up ninety year old grandmother!) to "slake his terrible temper"????? What the....? He basically is a horny, self-absorbed ass. This is the incredible character who has saved countless lives, sacrificed so much for his men and country? I am so not buying this.

Also, reading Laurens' sex scenes is like chewing on a hunk of cardboard. Tasteless and boring. I just skip over them, frankly. They are all exactly the same, nothing original or sexy whatsoever. If the sex scenes in a romance novel are not sexy, this is basically the kiss o' death for the book. There is absolutely no spark, no chemistry here at all. It's pathetic. Dalziel is supposed to be so masterful, brooding, dark....should be easy to project these qualities into a sex scene, but it is not happening.

The worst disappointment is the story line. And it had so much potential. Laurens could have developed a dark and dangerous plot for this amazing character, but instead she plucked one of the most boring plots known to mankind. His dad died and he has to take over the dukedom. Some days he checks out bridges that need to be repaired. Some days, cottages that need to be repaired. Oh My God! This is the master spy leader!!!!!! And Minerva is no better. A competent chatelaine??? Great, wake me when it's over.....

And the unknown traitor!!! We have been waiting to discover his identity for so long....and he turns out to be a cuckoo cousin of Dalziel who is completely psychotic and babbling. What a bunch of horse shite. There is no way that this babbling buffoon would have been brilliant enough to avoid discovery during the war. And the worse part? Does Dalziel get to save the day? Nooooo.....Minvera, chatelaine extraordinaire, whips a knife out (which she just happens to have strapped to her thigh during her wedding day!!!!) and takes him out while Dalziel stands there. Criminy. I am close to freaking speechless, and as you know, that is a rare occurrence in Penelope land.

I am most flabbergasted that many people think this book is good. I seriously cannot fathom it. I am usually pretty forgiving with my reviews and grades (grade inflation is alive and well at Penelope's!), but this one is too disappointing for me. Stephanie Laurens had the potential for something very cool here, and she totally blew it. Since my worst grade is a C, that's what it's getting. I will no longer shell out the big bucks for her hardcovers, and I'm hoping that her new series (The Black Cobra Quartet) will pump a little bit of life back into her books. But I'm not holding my breath. I am keeping Stephanie on my favorite author list since I still adore her older books, both the Cynster series and the original Bastion Club series. Oh please, please Stephanie....I hope you recapture the old magic again! Sigh.

Grade: C

A Very Sad Penelope(less)

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Aug 30, 2009 Katie(babs) rated it 1 of 5 stars

The former leader of the Bastion Club, Dalziel, has returned to his childhood home after the death of his father. Dalziel is the new Duke of Wolverstone and has been estranged from his family for sixteen long years. When he discovers Minerva Chesterton residing at Wolverstone castle as its chatelaine, he is pleasantly surprised. He barely remembers Minerva as the young girl who used to follow him around. Now she is an attractive and intelligent woman and one Royce would like to get to know bette...more The former leader of the Bastion Club, Dalziel, has returned to his childhood home after the death of his father. Dalziel is the new Duke of Wolverstone and has been estranged from his family for sixteen long years. When he discovers Minerva Chesterton residing at Wolverstone castle as its chatelaine, he is pleasantly surprised. He barely remembers Minerva as the young girl who used to follow him around. Now she is an attractive and intelligent woman and one Royce would like to get to know better.

Minerva will not be romanced by the likes of Royce. She is very much out of his league and he must marry an established woman that can run his household. Yet, Royce thinks Minerva would be perfect as his wife despite the fact that she runs from him at every turn. Royce will not be denied. He is use to getting what he wants and he wants Minerva. When it comes to a man like Royce, former spymaster, Minerva won’t be able to keep Royce from seducing her into his bed.

Mastered by Love is the final book in Stephanie Laurens Bastion Club series. I was anxiously awaiting Dalziel’s story because he was such a mystery in the previous books of this series. Dalziel is a typical Laurens hero, the kind of hero her readers have always enjoyed, but after so many books they seem to have a strange sense of déjà vu, I would have to say that Mastered By Love was a big disappointment. The majority of this book is very cut and dry with the reader being privy to Royce’s internal muses about his angst over his father and his desires to get under Minerva’s skirts. Again, this has a strange sense of been there, done that.

Minerva is a spunky character who is very much Royce’s equal. She acts as a proper young woman of her station but the moment Royce’s smoldering eyes touch her body, she is lost in his spell. We have seen this before in a Laurens’ novel; the heroine will fight tooth and nail to deny the hero, and after many long winded scenes of kissing and touching that go on for countless pages, the heroine finally succumbs to the touch of the lusty hero.

Once upon a time I found Stephanie Lauren’s writing and books to be some of the most luscious reads on the market. Mastered By Love is a very pale comparison to what was once great writing by an author who made historical romance the best it could be.

Those who are still fans of Laurens will probably not mind the long winded paragraphs of internal dialogue and longing from both the hero and heroine. I for one could not keep an interest and was close to not finishing.(less)

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About Stephanie Laurens

Stephanie 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, Laurens and her husband moved to Great Britain, taking one of the last true overland journeys from Katmandu to London.

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Mastered By Love (Bastion Club #8)

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