Play Book Tag discussion

The first book in the Barnaby Adair series is not his first mystery, nor his first appearance in the Cynster tales, but I'm glad to see him the primary focus of his own story. His lady love is Penelope Ashford, sister to Portia Cynster, and is as unconventional a character in the world of the ton as Barnaby the investigator and friend of the police. Penelope comes to Barnaby for aid in the kidnapping of several orphans her institution is in charge of, and included in this story is also the romance between Barnaby's friend Inspector Basil Stokes and the milliner Griselda who helps them in the investigation.

My second 4-star book by Laurens. If the rest of the Barnaby Adair series is as entertaining, they will likely earn 4 stars from me too. I much prefer meaty stories to bolster these Regency romances that are all so similar and all too often extremely contrived. Mystery-wise they could use some improvement but are entertaining enough, and all four protagonists are so much more enjoyable than those I've come across in the Cynster series so far. I hope that these characters develop more in the following books.