What do you think?
Rate this book
Four in Hand / The Dissolute Duke
WHEN THE FOX INHERITS THE HEN HOUSE…
Infamous rogue Max Rotherbridge unexpectedly inherits a dukedom—and four lovely young wards along with it. Suddenly he has to protect the four ladies from other rakes like him. But it's the eldest sister, Caroline, who is giving him real trouble. Because she's the one he wants for his own…
Caroline Twinning's beauty is matched only by her intelligence and shrewdness. She's determined to see her sisters—and herself—well married before the season is through. And no one is more inappropriate for her than the new duke. After all, the whole of London knows he's not the marrying kind. So why is he the only one who interests her?
BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!
The Dissolute Duke by Sophia James
After circumstances force them to marry, Taylen Ellesmere, Duke of Alderworth, leaves his new wife and disappears. Three years later, he returns with an offer for Lucinda. But after all this time and pain, will she accept it?
Infamous rogue Max Rotherbridge unexpectedly inherits a dukedom—and four lovely young wards along with it. Suddenly he has to protect the four ladies from other rakes like him. But it's the eldest sister, Caroline, who is giving him real trouble. Because she's the one he wants for his own…
Caroline Twinning's beauty is matched only by her intelligence and shrewdness. She's determined to see her sisters—and herself—well married before the season is through. And no one is more inappropriate for her than the new duke. After all, the whole of London knows he's not the marrying kind. So why is he the only one who interests her?
BONUS BOOK INCLUDED IN THIS VOLUME!
The Dissolute Duke by Sophia James
After circumstances force them to marry, Taylen Ellesmere, Duke of Alderworth, leaves his new wife and disappears. Three years later, he returns with an offer for Lucinda. But after all this time and pain, will she accept it?
576 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 26, 2016
105 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
207 books5,596 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 21, 2016
This is two books in one: Four in Hand and The Dissolute Duke.
I averaged out the ratings.
I give FOUR IN HAND one star. I generally love books by Stephanie Laurens but not this one. This book has four stories in one. The primary focus is Max and Caroline. Max unwittingly becomes the guardian of Caroline's three sisters. Max wants Caroline, the oldest, for nefarious reasons. He lets her think he's her guardian as well to keep her close. In fact, three out of the four "heroes" are men attempting to prey on these innocent young women. It's important to remember that if women had sex before marriage at that time they were ruined, unmarriagable (hmmm, google says that's not a word, too bad); no permanent home, no legitimate children, no standing in society, nothing. Yet this is the goal of three of these men. So could I like them? No. I wasn't particularly crazy about three of the sisters (including Caroline) either, all willing to throw their lives away on these rakes (a.k.a. thoughtless morons). The only story I enjoyed was the one with Hugo, who seemed to be a decent guy. Unfortunately, this part of the story was a subplot and barely touched upon. I would have like Hugo's and Arabella's full story.
In any case, I barely made it through the book. I like a hero to be heroic or at least a nice guy, not someone trying to get notches on his bedpost.
THE DISSOLUTE DUKE, by Sophia James, on the other hand (no pun intended), was an enjoyable story which I give four stars. Taylen, our hero, is initially without morals. Lucinda literally barges into his life. Unfortunately Lucinda, through no fault of her own, falsely accuses Taylen of seducing her. Her overprotective brothers force a marriage for propriety's sake. Then, considering Taylen an unacceptable man for their sister, the brothers pay Taylen off to get him out of Lucinda's life. But life doesn't necessarily go as planned and Taylen comes back into the picture. Taylen eventually overcomes his childhood terrors to better his life, and changes his and Lucinda's lives forever. I would have given this story five stars but the same thing (can't say what) happens to each of our leading characters, which I thought was a bit much.
I averaged out the ratings.
I give FOUR IN HAND one star. I generally love books by Stephanie Laurens but not this one. This book has four stories in one. The primary focus is Max and Caroline. Max unwittingly becomes the guardian of Caroline's three sisters. Max wants Caroline, the oldest, for nefarious reasons. He lets her think he's her guardian as well to keep her close. In fact, three out of the four "heroes" are men attempting to prey on these innocent young women. It's important to remember that if women had sex before marriage at that time they were ruined, unmarriagable (hmmm, google says that's not a word, too bad); no permanent home, no legitimate children, no standing in society, nothing. Yet this is the goal of three of these men. So could I like them? No. I wasn't particularly crazy about three of the sisters (including Caroline) either, all willing to throw their lives away on these rakes (a.k.a. thoughtless morons). The only story I enjoyed was the one with Hugo, who seemed to be a decent guy. Unfortunately, this part of the story was a subplot and barely touched upon. I would have like Hugo's and Arabella's full story.
In any case, I barely made it through the book. I like a hero to be heroic or at least a nice guy, not someone trying to get notches on his bedpost.
THE DISSOLUTE DUKE, by Sophia James, on the other hand (no pun intended), was an enjoyable story which I give four stars. Taylen, our hero, is initially without morals. Lucinda literally barges into his life. Unfortunately Lucinda, through no fault of her own, falsely accuses Taylen of seducing her. Her overprotective brothers force a marriage for propriety's sake. Then, considering Taylen an unacceptable man for their sister, the brothers pay Taylen off to get him out of Lucinda's life. But life doesn't necessarily go as planned and Taylen comes back into the picture. Taylen eventually overcomes his childhood terrors to better his life, and changes his and Lucinda's lives forever. I would have given this story five stars but the same thing (can't say what) happens to each of our leading characters, which I thought was a bit much.
July 3, 2020
Four in Hand by Stephanie Laurens is an imaginative tale of a young newly established Duke, Max, finding out that part of his inherited responsibilities was a family of 4 beautiful girls who's father before passing made the old Duke their guardian. Of course, Max is taken with Caroline but because he is her guardian, he cannot bring himself to make a move on her. The story continues with Max introducing all the girls to British society, with Max and Caroline establishing a relationship. Of course, there's a HEA for all but not without some interesting incidents.
The Dissolute Duke by Sophia James is take on a shotgun marriage. The story begins with a young lady, Lucinda, at a house party, where she really doesn't belong, given by a seemingly depraved Duke, Taylen. Circumstances have Lucinda trying to find a place to hide from a group of men trying to seduce her. Lucinda winds up in a room with the Duke, who is in bed (naked). The Duke also tries to seduce Lucinda but realizes she is quite innocent so he has a coach brought around and attempts to take her home. An accident with the carriage going off the road has created a situation for the Duke that forces him to marry Lucinda. Unhappy with the marriage, Lucinda's brothers express their dissatisfaction with the Duke and he accepts the money he needs to fix up his estate and leaves. Things go sour when the Duke decides he should leave England for a while and he gets on a ship and goes to America. On his trip he meets a man, with a family, and establishes a business relationship with him. Three years go by and the Duke returns home to find his wife and create a family. There is so much distrust and Lucinda cannot remember the incident surrounding the carriage accident. The story ends happily not without a lot of angst but that's what makes the story come alive.
The Dissolute Duke by Sophia James is take on a shotgun marriage. The story begins with a young lady, Lucinda, at a house party, where she really doesn't belong, given by a seemingly depraved Duke, Taylen. Circumstances have Lucinda trying to find a place to hide from a group of men trying to seduce her. Lucinda winds up in a room with the Duke, who is in bed (naked). The Duke also tries to seduce Lucinda but realizes she is quite innocent so he has a coach brought around and attempts to take her home. An accident with the carriage going off the road has created a situation for the Duke that forces him to marry Lucinda. Unhappy with the marriage, Lucinda's brothers express their dissatisfaction with the Duke and he accepts the money he needs to fix up his estate and leaves. Things go sour when the Duke decides he should leave England for a while and he gets on a ship and goes to America. On his trip he meets a man, with a family, and establishes a business relationship with him. Three years go by and the Duke returns home to find his wife and create a family. There is so much distrust and Lucinda cannot remember the incident surrounding the carriage accident. The story ends happily not without a lot of angst but that's what makes the story come alive.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews