In Marsha Canham's "Swept Away," a well-built, devilishly handsome, near-naked man washes up on the shoreline. A beautiful young woman of the gentry happens to find him and has him taken to her aunt's home, where he is cared for until he awakes with amnesia. As his memory comes back, bit by bit, Emory learns he is wanted for treason, piracy, and murder...but he cannot believe he is guilty of such crimes. He leaves, taking Annaleah with him, to find answers. Along the way, they fall in love and ultimately are caught up in a web of intrigue involving none other than "Old Boney" (Napoleon Bonaparte) himself.

I found this to be a very enjoyable romance. Emory was strong, and although he is a dangerous enemy, he is noble and honorable in many aspects. Annaleah is likable because she is no delicate debutante; she insists on following her man into dangerous situations. Somewhat unusual for a typical heroine is that she declares her love for him but does not seem too wounded when he does not promise his love in return. She knows the stakes and is not a simpering mistress. The romance is well-developed, but there were parts I found very unlikely, especially when one considers the time period. It's hard for me to believe that Annaleah, a young and inexperienced virgin, would allow a rogue such as Emory to take such liberties with her. So many years of training from the very strict home of her parents would not have been broken by a mere touch or kiss from the devil himself. The fact that she loses her virginity to him on the floor of a disreputable boarding house was a bit out of touch with reality for me. Despite all this, theirs is a well-developed romance, and I found myself rooting for them to be together.

This book earns 4 stars for having a complex spy plot involving several interesting characters. (I particularly enjoyed the role of Seamus.) There is a twist at the end as all the pieces come together in a thoroughly satisfying conclusion. If you enjoy a bit of complication to your romances and do not prefer a light, gentle Regency romance, this is a book not to be missed. ( )

Even in this foray into the more traditional regency setting, Marsha Canham manages to make it entirely her own and spice it up with her special flair for adventure blended seamlessly with a powerful romance of epic proportions. She strays far from the well trodden path, and I’m more than happy to be swept up (sorry, couldn’t help myself) into the story of Emory Althorpe and Annaleah Fairchilde. So many romances dabble in spy stuff, but here you get a full sense of history and the turbulent times of the Napoleonic Wars. Swept Away starts out with the fairly familiar premise of the daughter of the family, Annaleah, being lectured and hectored by her generally well meaning relatives to marry well, while she staunchly resists their influence. For her disobedience she is banished to the countryside to stay with her eccentric great aunt. The drawing room is soon left far behind though, once Annaleah happens upon a half naked man washed up on the beach – lucky, lucky girl. He turns out to be Emory Althorpe, and, due to a blow to the head, has lost his memory. As he gradually regains it, and as figures from his life start popping up to fill in the blanks for us, it appears he's a dangerous criminal wanted for treason and sedition. What follows is a search to unlock the mysteries of his past, as Emory tries to recover his memory, untangle and expose Napoleon’s plot against the crown, and clear his good name. Annaleah gets caught up in the adventure and intrigue and blossoms in the adversities thrown her way. She and Emory are a couple of great characters, very real and human, but with more than enough heroism and strength to do the epic setting of their story justice. As icing on the cake, they share sizzling chemistry and a moving romance.

Swept Away is fast paced and riveting. It has a bit of a lighter feel to it than some of Canham's other books, with funny moments and a fun cast of secondary characters - but fortunately the swashbuckling action that is Canham’s trademark isn't sacrificed for the sake of the lightheartedness. Rather, the author deftly strikes a difficult balance here, depicting harrowing escapes, swordfights, political intrigue, espionage, danger and thrills mixed in with the moments of humor. The amnesia storyline is a bit far fetched and contrived, and the plot could definitely have been a bit tighter, but I still enjoyed every minute of the book. ( )