I heard about Stephanie Laurens many years ago, at the begging of my adventure with romance books. All the time I've been reading romances I was aware of her existence and I heard many good things about her books. So, how did it happen that I have never read any of her novels? I have no idea but it's a serious shame. After all these years I have finally read a book by Laurens and I wish I did it much earlier. It was such a good read.

First of all, I really appreciate when the plot starts at the very beginning. When I don't have to wait half a book for the hero to meet a heroine. And here we've got A Gentleman's Honor, the hero, the heroine and a dead body - all on the first few pages. Here we get not only a romance part from the very beginning but also a suspense part.

Then, we are getting to know Alicia and Tony by their actions and in dialogues, there are no long, boring descriptions of their life from the cradle to the grave. Laurens simply adds some additional information when it's necessary. Someone can say that the characters are lacking depth in that way but that's not true. I don't see the point in knowing the family tree of every character in the first few pages.

There is also a really absorbing suspense part. Although, I've been suspecting a villain from the beginning, it was nice to see the development of this part of the plot.

What I also liked about the book was that nobody says about love in the early parts of the story. Even though Tony is determinated to marry Alice from the beginning and he definitely likes her, there is no talking about big feelings. Even when they have sex and when Alice decides about him to be her first lover. It is not very common in romances and I liked that way more. It seemed more real than love at first sight affair. Paradoxically, that way I found more feelings between Tony and Alice, they were not only lovers but friends on some point.

I will definitely read the other books by Stephanie Laurens. I hope there will be a suspense part in her other historicals, too.