Marsha Canham

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 show more 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. show less

4.5 stars. This book reads like Garwood but grittier, and it definitely has some strong McNaught vibes à la A Kingdom of Dreams—and I loved it! It's wonderfully old school, but, as some other reviewers have said, it feels less like a product of its time and more like an accurate representation of the setting. While the main characters do fall in love a bit too easily, I was proud of Servanne for not being duped by the bad guy and staying loyal to Lucien. I love how Canham is able to weave show more factual history into her stories, and, since the period covered in this book was intense, to say the least, I appreciated the accuracy. She also includes folklore in the story, which makes it even richer.

This is my third book by Canham, and her writing definitely reads more like historical fiction than romance. Since I happen to like both, that's absolutely fine with me, but it can feel like a lot of text to get through. Thankfully, Canham always keeps the plot moving, and you're almost always questioning characters' motives and actions (or screaming at them to run, shut up, do anything but what you know they're about to do, etc.). I also love that she dedicated this book to herself because it was her dream.

What I love about medieval romances is that everything is so life-and-death. Someone can get murdered in the blink of an eye, and there will probably be little to no repercussions. But, since it's romance, you know that at least the main couple will be okay in the end. It's brutal, it's gritty, but it's so rewarding when it's done right. I'm looking forward to reading Eduard and Brenna's books soon! show less

Catherine Ashbrooke is a feisty, spoiled, and very witty member of elite English society. She pines for her true love, Lieutenant Hamilton Garner, a rather stuffy boor, in my opinion. On a hunt one day, Catherine decides to veer away from the crowd. Riding in a hidden glen, she confronts a gorgeous man washing by a stream. She's quite taken with him while telling him to get off her property at once. The scene is very well written and I had butterflies in my belly while reading it. The next show more night, during a ball, Catherine is introduced to her brother's friend, Raefer Montgomery - the man she encountered in the glen the day before. He invites her to dance and, while spinning around the floor, he kisses her. Hamilton sees this insult and challenges Raefer to a duel for Catherine's hand. Raefer wins and is thus betrothed to Catherine. And she isn't happy about it. At all.Once they leave London, Catherine discovers that Raefer is not who he says he is. He's not a London merchant but none other than a Highlander by the name of Alexander Cameron. Alex takes Catherine home to Scotland and they are both thrown into political turmoil. However, through this turmoil their love develops into a deep and caring bond.The Pride of Lions was a great read. Marsha Canham brought the story and the characters vividly to life in this historical romance. I recommend it. show less

This feels like a lover letter to Scotland and the Jacobites. It's so hard reading about and getting to know characters when you know many of them are likely going to die by the end because they're on the losing side of history (to aptly borrow from the Outlander OST). It wrenches at your heart each time. The only ones whose survival you can be sure of are the real historical figures who didn't die at the end of the rebellion and our main couple (because it's a romance, natch).

This reads show more like a historical fiction novel, even though it is still very much a romance. It's a commendable effort, and I loved every page of it. There are villains you love to hate and rejoice to see vanquished, along with adventure, action, and intrigue. While I normally might race through a novel, I had to pace myself with this one because each reading session left me emotionally drained.

Canham has a knack for writing scenes in such a way that you're not entirely sure what's going on at first, as if she's keeping you in the dark until the last moment. She writes from multiple perspectives, even those of seemingly minor, insignificant characters. She has you doubting characters you trusted and flipping your understanding of a character completely upside down when you least suspect it.

I suppose I should discuss our hero and heroine. They represent the light (Catherine) and the dark (Alexander)—I mean, he is the Camshroinaich Dubh, or "the Dark Cameron," for a reason. Catherine has such a great developmental arc. She starts out as a spoiled noblewoman and becomes a strong and fierce force to be reckoned with. Alex is quite literally legendary, but he's not afraid to go down on his knees and risk his life for the woman and the family and friends he loves.

Combined with the first book, this is an excellent story. Just make sure you do read the first book, or else you'll be very confused! It's a big book, but oh-so worth it. show less