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Regencies #1 & 4
A Season For Scandal: Tangled Reins & Fair Juno
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens takes your breath away with two charming romances...
TANGLED REINS
FAIR JUNO
When the Earl of Merton suddenly finds himself playing the knight in shining armor to a damsel in distress, he knows his days as a notorious rake are numbered. But though the lady seems grateful for his assistance, she flees the scene without revealing her name. And though past scandals and present dangers threaten his pursuit of the mysterious lady, he knows she is to be his destiny.
614 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2001
183 people are currently reading
570 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Laurens
206 books5,590 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 45 reviews
December 22, 2017
This book is two novels in one, always a chancy business. Because of the two-for-the-price-of-one business the rating is low for, while I liked the first one 'Tangled Reins', a great deal, the second was downright terrible.
Tangled Reins:
A pair of orphaned sisters are taken under the wing of the grandmother they have never met to 'come out' in a London season. The younger sister, Cecily, undeniably needs a husband, but the elder is unsure if she really needs to marry. As it happens, the elder Dorothea, has met the wickedly good looking, Marquis Hazelmere, and so begins the long pursuit that leads to Dorothea saying 'yes' to Hazelmere and Cecily being scooped up by his best friend.
It was a really enjoyable romp, ticking all the boxes for a historical romance with the season and clothes given their place, manners and mannerisms treated with humour and fun, dashingly handsome men and lovely ladies. In this case it was embellished by the -largely- sensible headstrong character of Dorothea. I do prefer liking the characters and I did like them all, I believed in their attraction and found the sexual tension between them thoroughly believable. There was one small blip in my approval as the cause of the obligatory falling out before the triumphant ending was silly and unlikely, but, well, they often are and we did not dwell upon it, going on with the plot in some haste. All in all, great fun.
Fair Juno
OMG, so bad! so BAD.
It felt a little like fan-fic in that there were no characters aside from the lead male.
Fan Fiction can be really good, written by talented storytellers, often it is not; people loved the world so much they imagined themselves in it and since they already know the characters, no effort goes into description. That is what happens here: All the characters we met in the first story are trotted out, but there is no development or attempt to make them real. The main lady starts out as a strong minded, calm person, who is coping with a bad time as sensibly and rationally as possible (the plot is an abduction from which the lead male saves her). But then of course they meet in town and all of a sudden the sensible woman is a twittering, stammering, characterless idiot. I really resented that.
Also, unlike the first novel, here our lead lady keeps telling the male to go away and he doesn't, anything but. That seems more than a bit rapey I have to say. I loathed the lady for refusing to demand respect, I found the man icky for refusing to listen to a word she said, I couldn't believe any of the characters and the plot was limp.
Only got through this by skim reading. A LOT of skim reading, because the plot was as idiotic as the female lead.
It is a real shame, though, because the first one really was pretty good.
Tangled Reins:
A pair of orphaned sisters are taken under the wing of the grandmother they have never met to 'come out' in a London season. The younger sister, Cecily, undeniably needs a husband, but the elder is unsure if she really needs to marry. As it happens, the elder Dorothea, has met the wickedly good looking, Marquis Hazelmere, and so begins the long pursuit that leads to Dorothea saying 'yes' to Hazelmere and Cecily being scooped up by his best friend.
It was a really enjoyable romp, ticking all the boxes for a historical romance with the season and clothes given their place, manners and mannerisms treated with humour and fun, dashingly handsome men and lovely ladies. In this case it was embellished by the -largely- sensible headstrong character of Dorothea. I do prefer liking the characters and I did like them all, I believed in their attraction and found the sexual tension between them thoroughly believable. There was one small blip in my approval as the cause of the obligatory falling out before the triumphant ending was silly and unlikely, but, well, they often are and we did not dwell upon it, going on with the plot in some haste. All in all, great fun.
Fair Juno
OMG, so bad! so BAD.
It felt a little like fan-fic in that there were no characters aside from the lead male.
Fan Fiction can be really good, written by talented storytellers, often it is not; people loved the world so much they imagined themselves in it and since they already know the characters, no effort goes into description. That is what happens here: All the characters we met in the first story are trotted out, but there is no development or attempt to make them real. The main lady starts out as a strong minded, calm person, who is coping with a bad time as sensibly and rationally as possible (the plot is an abduction from which the lead male saves her). But then of course they meet in town and all of a sudden the sensible woman is a twittering, stammering, characterless idiot. I really resented that.
Also, unlike the first novel, here our lead lady keeps telling the male to go away and he doesn't, anything but. That seems more than a bit rapey I have to say. I loathed the lady for refusing to demand respect, I found the man icky for refusing to listen to a word she said, I couldn't believe any of the characters and the plot was limp.
Only got through this by skim reading. A LOT of skim reading, because the plot was as idiotic as the female lead.
It is a real shame, though, because the first one really was pretty good.
February 15, 2020
Drivel with little complexity...
December 6, 2013
Absolutely no chemistry between the characters. The story line...(if you can call it that) was boring and basically non-existent...the characters lacked fun, humor and personality...for their age they did not really seem mature. I always say, if Rosalyn Landor can't even make your book interesting then you know it's BAD!
I would not purchase this book.
I would not purchase this book.
April 10, 2014
Interesting to read these two very early works by Laurens, originally published as Mills & Boon category historicals.
Tangled Reins opens just like Heyer's Venetia, with a rakish older peer coming across a fair maid on his country estate and kissing her before he knows she's really a lady. The action quickly moves to London, where the rakish Marquess of Hazelmere, who has kept aloof from the marriage mart, makes his wooing of beautiful Dorothea quite clear to all but Dorothea. A boorish competing suitor and a kidnapping add additional conflict.
In Fair Juno,a minor character from Tangled Reins takes center stage, a widowed peeress falls for the nobleman who rescues her from abduction. But when his scheming relatives inform her that he'll lose all chance of inheriting the funds he needs to restore his beloved estate if he marries her, she nobly rejects his suit.
None of the sexy times of Laurens' later books, but hints of the pattern that will dominate those later works: men who know immediately the woman is for them, and set off on a campaign of pursuing and wooing. Interestingly, though, neither of these heroes has the least difficulty declaring his love, something that will become a major issue for later Laurens' heroes.
Tangled Reins opens just like Heyer's Venetia, with a rakish older peer coming across a fair maid on his country estate and kissing her before he knows she's really a lady. The action quickly moves to London, where the rakish Marquess of Hazelmere, who has kept aloof from the marriage mart, makes his wooing of beautiful Dorothea quite clear to all but Dorothea. A boorish competing suitor and a kidnapping add additional conflict.
In Fair Juno,a minor character from Tangled Reins takes center stage, a widowed peeress falls for the nobleman who rescues her from abduction. But when his scheming relatives inform her that he'll lose all chance of inheriting the funds he needs to restore his beloved estate if he marries her, she nobly rejects his suit.
None of the sexy times of Laurens' later books, but hints of the pattern that will dominate those later works: men who know immediately the woman is for them, and set off on a campaign of pursuing and wooing. Interestingly, though, neither of these heroes has the least difficulty declaring his love, something that will become a major issue for later Laurens' heroes.
November 14, 2014
Why do I keep doing this to myself? I dislike Stephanie Laurens' writing. I have to stop trying to read it.
The first story in this book is OK. Sweet and readable. Nothing groundbreaking, I wasn't wowed, but it didn't piss me off.
The second story, however, more than made up for the innocuousness of the first. Half of the story, the entire hurdle, is based on the Big Misunderstanding, and it's a Big Misunderstanding that is ridiculously stupid. I hated the heroine. I hated her self-sacrificing horse shit, and I hated that the hero thought she was so sweet to nearly ruin both their lives while she thought she was saving him from destitution. I wanted them both to burn.
No more Stephanie Laurens for me. Her heroines are shit.
The first story in this book is OK. Sweet and readable. Nothing groundbreaking, I wasn't wowed, but it didn't piss me off.
The second story, however, more than made up for the innocuousness of the first. Half of the story, the entire hurdle, is based on the Big Misunderstanding, and it's a Big Misunderstanding that is ridiculously stupid. I hated the heroine. I hated her self-sacrificing horse shit, and I hated that the hero thought she was so sweet to nearly ruin both their lives while she thought she was saving him from destitution. I wanted them both to burn.
No more Stephanie Laurens for me. Her heroines are shit.
June 8, 2013
Not interesting... Too much courting details..., lot of repetetions
February 21, 2024
Uuuggghhh
This book is SO SLOW!!! And ANNOYING!! These people are driving me insane. They are so ridiculous & slow to act. And the writing, god, I mean, bravo, you have captured the ability to prose on like a Regency author but as you are not one I find I don’t care for the plodding chauvinism and high handed upperclass morality.
Someone’s been kidnapped you say? There must be time for a few more hands if cards and some tedious plotting, what even is time but a construct if the poorer classes. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
This book is SO SLOW!!! And ANNOYING!! These people are driving me insane. They are so ridiculous & slow to act. And the writing, god, I mean, bravo, you have captured the ability to prose on like a Regency author but as you are not one I find I don’t care for the plodding chauvinism and high handed upperclass morality.
Someone’s been kidnapped you say? There must be time for a few more hands if cards and some tedious plotting, what even is time but a construct if the poorer classes. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
July 3, 2025
This book contains two stories: Tangled Reins is about Miss Dorothea Darent and the Marquis of Hazelmere, how they met, and what happened after that. It was a good read.
Fair Juno is about the Earl of Merton and his quest for the lady of his dreams. He has met her but doesn't know her name. He makes it his obsession to find her and make her his own. This is another good read. The stories become intertwined in the Fair Juno story.
Fair Juno is about the Earl of Merton and his quest for the lady of his dreams. He has met her but doesn't know her name. He makes it his obsession to find her and make her his own. This is another good read. The stories become intertwined in the Fair Juno story.
August 14, 2019
You'd think I would learn.."historical romance" means basically a "lady" is date raped but loves it, marries the badass duke, marquis or whatever who rapes her, she either gets kidnapped or someone interferes with a wedding, birth, vacation, night at the opera...whatever. This one, being two books in one, just doubles the fun. NOT.
November 14, 2021
Liked Tangled Reins slightly more than Fair Juno - it's easy to see Laurens formula taking shape, although her early heroes are swifter to recognize their love/obsession and less reticent about sharing it.
July 30, 2024
Always enjoy reading Stephanie Laurens
The characters were very likeable and the plots were great. It was great to be able to read the two books together. I really enjoyed this anthology.
The characters were very likeable and the plots were great. It was great to be able to read the two books together. I really enjoyed this anthology.
November 15, 2018
Donated to the LFL. I enjoyed the second story more than the first. Hallmark worthy romance. Plenty of innuendo and playful conversation without unnecessary graphic detail.
March 17, 2019
Two great historical romances.
January 17, 2020
Tangled Reins: good book. I like that there is no detail about love-making.
Fiar Juno: pretty good. Very little graphic intimacy, which I appreciate. (I'd rather use my imagination!)
Fiar Juno: pretty good. Very little graphic intimacy, which I appreciate. (I'd rather use my imagination!)
November 1, 2020
A double pack!
Two romances! Connected in overlap of characters😙 Thoroughly enjoyed hoping for more. Stephanie Laurens has a romantic pen! What a treat!
Two romances! Connected in overlap of characters😙 Thoroughly enjoyed hoping for more. Stephanie Laurens has a romantic pen! What a treat!
April 14, 2024
early Lauren’s is just not for me !! mfcs need to unionize against these men i stg !!
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January 20, 2025Enjoyable reading!!
August 20, 2009
Possibly would have been better if I had left a few days between reading. This is a omnibus printing of Tangled Reins and Fair Juno. Two interlinked stories (characters from one appear in the second) and slightly similar plots. In both the heroine does something that compromises her honour and the love interest feel a need to protect her and finds himself quite attracted to her.
Tangled Reins starts with Dorothea Darent dressed in her worst, picking blackberries and being acosted by the Marquis of Hazelmere. They feel an attraction but can he overcome her adversion to marriage?
Fair Juno has the Earl of Merton rescuing (and being knocked out by) a woman he knows only as Fair Juno and finds that instead of being content with thinking of her as he has thought about other women he wants her to marry him. However convincing her is an uphill struggle.
They're pretty typical, readable, regency romances with some fun characters. Nothing spectacular but great fun.
Tangled Reins starts with Dorothea Darent dressed in her worst, picking blackberries and being acosted by the Marquis of Hazelmere. They feel an attraction but can he overcome her adversion to marriage?
Fair Juno has the Earl of Merton rescuing (and being knocked out by) a woman he knows only as Fair Juno and finds that instead of being content with thinking of her as he has thought about other women he wants her to marry him. However convincing her is an uphill struggle.
They're pretty typical, readable, regency romances with some fun characters. Nothing spectacular but great fun.
July 28, 2015
Loved them,but then I love historical romances.They both involve rakes that the women fall for.The first one is the Marquis of Hazelmart who comes across Doretha in a garden and kisses her saying he thought she was someone else.She is introduced to London society,but thinks she is too old for a husband and just wants to find one for her younger sister,but the Marquis has other ideas.
In the second story the Earl of Merton finds himself rescuing Helen from a kidnapping.Helen happens to be an old friend of the Marquis and had a very disastrous first marriage and can't believe that the Earl is interested in her and just when she thinks her dreams are about to come true,in steps his brother Damian,but the Earl is determined to make her his.
In the second story the Earl of Merton finds himself rescuing Helen from a kidnapping.Helen happens to be an old friend of the Marquis and had a very disastrous first marriage and can't believe that the Earl is interested in her and just when she thinks her dreams are about to come true,in steps his brother Damian,but the Earl is determined to make her his.
September 15, 2011
I adored the two books when I read them the first time, so it was lovely to read them together in this edition. Laurens is a delightful writer with subtle wit which I very much enjoy.
Tangled Reigns the first in the collection fratures Lord Hazelmere and Fair Juno deals with Hazelmere's childhood playmate Helen and his friend Martin, the newly returned aristrocrat from the colonies.
I loved the restraint of the writing, the passion of both the heroines, as well as their willingness to take action when needed and their willingnes to hold out for love and to sacrifice everything for the man they love.
Tangled Reigns the first in the collection fratures Lord Hazelmere and Fair Juno deals with Hazelmere's childhood playmate Helen and his friend Martin, the newly returned aristrocrat from the colonies.
I loved the restraint of the writing, the passion of both the heroines, as well as their willingness to take action when needed and their willingnes to hold out for love and to sacrifice everything for the man they love.
July 6, 2014
Not up to Laurens' usual standards, possibly because they are from the early 90's.
I liked "Fair Juno" better than "Tangled Reins." Helen, the heroine of the story, is strong and independent--a match for the hero, Martin. Unlike Lauren's more recent set piece books, this book's characters were fully realized. However, the plot was so convoluted, even the characters seemed to get turned around. I felt that the villain was too wimpy to be enough of a threat to carry the story. Only the fact that Laurens kept him so completely under wraps until the bitter end saved the story.
The saving grace was the hero. A true good guy.
"Tangled Reins"
I liked "Fair Juno" better than "Tangled Reins." Helen, the heroine of the story, is strong and independent--a match for the hero, Martin. Unlike Lauren's more recent set piece books, this book's characters were fully realized. However, the plot was so convoluted, even the characters seemed to get turned around. I felt that the villain was too wimpy to be enough of a threat to carry the story. Only the fact that Laurens kept him so completely under wraps until the bitter end saved the story.
The saving grace was the hero. A true good guy.
"Tangled Reins"
August 27, 2014
Author: Stephanie Laurens
Tangled Reins First published: 1992
Fair Juno First published: 1994
Combined Edition First published: 2001
Length: 481 pages
Setting: Regency London
Sex: Fade to black.
My review of Tangled Reins can be found: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of Fair Juno can be found: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
References:
Author's website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com
(ISBN 9781741162448)
-CR-
Tangled Reins First published: 1992
Fair Juno First published: 1994
Combined Edition First published: 2001
Length: 481 pages
Setting: Regency London
Sex: Fade to black.
My review of Tangled Reins can be found: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My review of Fair Juno can be found: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
References:
Author's website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com
(ISBN 9781741162448)
-CR-
June 7, 2013
Tangled Reins is the story of Dorothea and Hazelmere and her sister Cecily and his friend Fanshawe. Dorothea is the main one causing tangles to the reins so to speak at least to Hazelmere. He has decided to follow societies rules and in turn totally confuses Dorothea. Fair Juno picks up and tells you what happens to Helen. But with an interfering brother and a suitor looking to get rich, Martin has his hands full filling his dream.
May 23, 2010
These two books are light undemanding romances - the kind I generally prefer to read with the mandatory HEA. I loved the character interaction - both strong minded. You can see the Georgette Heyer influence - although Heyer dialogue generally outshines all other historicals for comprehensive wit and humour.
January 6, 2015
the copy I have has the two stories in one book. Lucky me,
Stephanie Laurens is the first historical writer I read. then completely fell in love with . Each book I read I love. Some of the series are a bit on the same (exact) theme, but still the writing is jun, romantic and steamy when need be.
Perfection on paper.
Everything written by Stephanie Laurens is a must read.
Stephanie Laurens is the first historical writer I read. then completely fell in love with . Each book I read I love. Some of the series are a bit on the same (exact) theme, but still the writing is jun, romantic and steamy when need be.
Perfection on paper.
Everything written by Stephanie Laurens is a must read.
May 3, 2014
Stephanie is such a wonderful writer, and her descriptions are wonderful. The head-hopping got on my nerves, however. It didn't allow me to lose myself in the characters, and it kept the story on a surface experience rather than allowing me to delve deeply into the characters' emotions and struggles.
February 26, 2015
Complicated
The story is very good, but this is the first TALE I couldn't enjoy as an audio book. There are too many characters to keep track of for just listening. Once I bought the kindle version, I. enjoyed it very much.
The story is very good, but this is the first TALE I couldn't enjoy as an audio book. There are too many characters to keep track of for just listening. Once I bought the kindle version, I. enjoyed it very much.
November 28, 2015
Loved this. Read Fair Juno a few days ago as a single novel. Like others I drew the parallels with Georgette Heyer.
Tangled Reins has the calm heroine and the rake on the eve of reform. A great Saturday morning read.
Tangled Reins has the calm heroine and the rake on the eve of reform. A great Saturday morning read.
August 17, 2016
Message: women want strong, protective men. Strong (aka stubborn) women therefore require very strong, overbearing men who won't take no for an answer.
Not badly told tales but I prefer relationships which are partnerships.
Not badly told tales but I prefer relationships which are partnerships.
March 21, 2009
I preferred Tangled Reins to Fair Juno, although I enjoyed both books that are part of this compliation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews