“Max, see what happens when you leave town? I won’t have it!”
Augusta Benborough
Four In Hand is one of the weaker Stephanie Laurens’ novels that I’ve read. Four romances, plus the chaos that the Twinning sisters create, leaves the character development lacking.
I would have loved to see more of Aunt Augusta’s interactions with the sisters or for Max to act as though he was courting Caroline instead of just trying to get her into bed with him. There was just too much going on to get to know any of the characters really well, but Aunt Augusta was my favorite of the bunch.
Stephanie Laurens is a master of crafting strong, powerful women, whether matrons or debutantes. Despite the hurried pace and some ridiculous descriptions, each of the sisters felt distinct. I wish the men would have been less cad-like. Max led the bunch adamantly opposed to marriage but wanting to seduce the marriage-seeking Twinning sisters. Martin and Hugh were the least offensive in this regard. The sisters lead them on a merry dance, but it was rather annoying that it took most of the book to contemplate choosing a different approach.
I still love Stephanie Laurens’ characters, and while these ones were not my favorite, they still had their bright spots. Even Max finally redeemed himself by showing that he did take his guardianship seriously. It was also fun to watch the sisters turn the tables on the rakes pursuing them. The ending was also entertaining as each couple thought they were one-upping the others.
Attempting to tell four romances in the span of one book is an ambitious endeavor. It is not a masterwork, but it accomplishes that goal admirably. For a book initially published in 1993, it holds up very well.
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