Swept Away

At first, I passed by SWEPT AWAY because the cover misled me. It looks like the cover of one of those contemporary women's fiction novels that I don't enjoy. But inside is just the sort of story I really likea Regency-period historical, with a great romance, a heart-stopping plot, and real historical characters. In most romances set in this period, Napoleon is a distant tyrant. In this book, he actually appears.The heroine, Annaleah Fairchilde, discovers on the beach a half-drowned, mostly naked man. He is, of course, well-built, good-looking, bearing the scars of physical torture, and missing his memory. He is also being hunted as a traitor to England, responsible for Napoleon's escape from Elba and suspected of a plot to save Napoleon from exile to St. Helena. Annaleah has good reason to believe he may be innocent, mostly because of the endorsement of her aunt, who knew him as a boy. She becomes involved in his attempt to find out the truth about himself and to end the nefarious doings of the real traitor.If you like a complex plot, well developed with all the secrets revealed at just the right time, you will enjoy this book. If you like a romance laced with sexual tension and interesting encounters, you will enjoy it. If you like historicals that touch on real events, you will enjoy it. It was a book that I had difficulty putting down.

Another breath taking novel from Ms. Canham. She has done it again with wonderful, insightful characters as well taught some interesting facts about the Napolean era. This is one of those books you can't put down for you're waiting to see "what comes next". You'll bite your nails with the intrigue and start playing the guessing game of "whodunit?" Sensual, sexy with some tightly strung tension, this marks her best work yet. You won't be disappointed.

Once again, Marsha Canham has written another wonderful book. She takes famous real life people and builds her hero and heroine around the happenings of that time. Her attention to detail makes you actually see what she is describing. Most authors cannot jump from Medieval Times (The Shadow of Midnight), to the second Jacobite rising (The Pride of Lions), to Napoleon Bonaparte. (Swept Away) and still write with credibility. Here is one author who can. I am very selective in my reading and keep going back to my favorites because once you read authors like Marsha Canham, Loretta Chase, Karen Robards, and Diana Gabaldon it's hard to find new authors who are up to their writing abilities.In Swept Away, Emory and Annaleah each have obstacles they need to work their way through. Emory, his memmory loss and Annaleah, control over her future. I really liked Annaleah's Aunt Florence too; such plain-speaking you usually don't find. Good storyline, great adventure, and, as always, steamy love scenes. Add this to your list of keepers.

A lushly drawn, well-researched historical with non-stop adventure and an unforgettable hero and heroine. Rory and Anna are intelligent, honorable, courageous - and witty. How refreshing to have a heroine who, despite her youth, can think and act quickly when the need arises, instead of passively letting others in her life determine her future. She sees through the morass of rumors about Emory's past to the man who needs her. Rory is capable of violence, but also of great gentleness and integrity. And it doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous. The dialogue sparkles and the secondary characters are engaging - Aunt Florence deserves a book of her own! And the plot is constantly surprising the reader, which kept me turning the pages until late into the night.This is a book for all Canham fans, and for anyone who wants an adventure with an all star cast!

Swept Away by Marsha Canham Review by Barb Deane, Barb's All Romance Book StoreMarsha Canham's newest release from Dell is a regency-era historical entitled Swept Away. Those of you who are regular fans of Marsha's books, as I admittedly am, will enjoy the vibrant characters, unusual plot twists, and descriptive details that are the hallmarks of Marsha's stories. Those of you who haven't read a Canham book before have picked a good place to start.Unlike so many regency-era historicals which refer to Napoleon in their stories, Swept Away begins in Napoleon's own point of view. The diminutive despot has escaped Elba and is hatching a new plot, surrounded by his loyal few, among who is our hero, Emory Althorpe, aka Rory. When next we see Rory, he has washed ashore on the beach adjacent to Florence Widdicombe's home in England and his nearly naked body is discovered by Florence's niece, Annaleah Fairchilde. Anna has been banished by her angry parents to spend time with her eccentric "Aunt Lal" until she is willing to accept a proposal of marriage from the esteemed Winston Perry, marquess of Barrimore. Anna, an independent young woman and perceptive judge of character, has refused to consider Barrimore because he does not laugh, is unkind to those he considers beneath him, and makes her uneasy. So, Anna is shipped to the coast to spend a fortnight with her crazy aunt.After Rory is dragged to Widdicombe House to recover, it is discovered that he has amnesia. Both Florence and Rory's younger brother, the Reverend Stanley Althorpe, try to help him regain his memory. With their help and through the long talks with Anna, Rory learns enough to know he is wanted for treason and is being hunted like a dog. He also discovers an incredible chemistry with the fair Anna. When he leaves Widdicombe House to find the truth about himself, he takes a piece of Anna's heart along with him. The trip becomes even more interesting when Rory kidnaps Anna in the middle of her own journey with her brother and Lord Barrimore. From there, their adventures increase in speed, intensity and danger, as their love blossoms.Marsha has created a world that is full of deceit and shadows, at the same time fashioning a heroine who is able to see most people and things for what they are, despite her youth and innocence. Anna is strong, sensible, and independent - my favorite kind of heroine. She is the perfect mate for Rory, given his dark and mysterious past and his internal angst. Their chemistry is steamy and their conversations delightfully witty. The secondary characters are intriguing and the historical background is riveting. While you cannot go wrong with any Marsha Canham book, her latest is sure to sweep you away. Barb Deane Copyright© 1999, Barb's All Romance Book Store. All rights reserved