Charmed and Dangerous

An obtuse general becomes an instrument of fate when he decides he must distract Gavin Graham from dallying with that red-haired spy. He sends his wife to find the woman who turned Graham down years ago, not realizing Laura's family had lost everything and she'd spent ten years as a governess.Gavin will not be distracted from his mission to collect vital information by such a transparent ploy. Laura will not be relegated to the sidelines of life yet again. The chemistry between them is nothing but a complication. Isn't it?Jane Ashford has set this passionately headstrong pair in the midst of the Congress of Vienna, a time after Napoleon's (first) exile when the powers of Europe thought war was over. The sparring (and lovemaking) between Gavin and Laura happen against the backdrop of a new Europe in the making.I thoroughly enjoyed Charmed and Dangerous. I love strong characters with real goals at odds with each other and their growing passion. The obstacles are dramatic, the plot spins faster and faster, the supporting cast is varied and intriguing.Brava!

I don't write many reviews but had to do so to counteract some of the negative reviews posted about this book. This was an intriguing and complex historical romance about two people who are not the typical cookie-cutter heroine and hero. Both characters change and mature as the plot develops. I was particularly appalled that one review suggested the author received great professional reviews because of her good contacts in the business. As someone who has probably read more books at my age, and many of them historical romances, than many readers, this is a book well worth your time and money.

This, though an earlier Jane Ashford, is a meaty and informative historical, involving the convention of European powers who were meeting to basically cut up Napoleon's empire to suit themselves--and gain as much as they could for themselves. There is a beautiful, mysterious woman who claims to be Russian, but who the British spy organization is convinced is a spy. The hero is romancing her to find out her secrets. The naive heroine, at the congress as companion to a British general's wife, sticks her nose in and causes as much trouble as she helps to solve the dark reasons for the woman spy's intrigue. A good read, if a little unbelievable that an impoverished companion, at the congress on sufferance, should have so much freedom to get into skullduggery.

A very good read. I enjoyed it.

This was not one of Janes better books. I found the hero hard to like. He is supposed to be the expert who is a seasoned experienced spy but he ends up becoming in this book an idiot and unlikable. We are to believe it is because he cannot concentrate around Laura but really it is a bit over the top. Now Laura is supposed to be the smart lady who has more spunk than usual and for the most part she is portrayed right and I like her but I cannot believe that Gavin would be so incapable of solving the Sophie situation and be so bumbling. He is supposed to be the expert yet he cannot figure out what Laura finds in a matter of days it is just ridiculous to me. I wanted to like this book but I found myself glad it was over when it ended. It has a nice ending but I had a hard time getting there.

Yes I would recommend this book.I enjoyed the book from start to finish.Ms Ashford is an excellent writer and storyteller.

The story was good enough, I just got tired of how drawn out it all was without any real mystery. The main character solves the puzzle but I didn't feel that there were any actual clues for the reader to piece together.

This was the first Jane Ashford book I read and, I think, one of her best. The plot was well laid-out and grabbed me right away. The hero was suitably dashing :), and the heroine (thank god) did not sink into the depths of Romance Heroine Stupidity, a disease that seems to be going around. The exotic locales and espionage make this wonderful escape story. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Michaels, Susan Wiggs, or Lisa Kleypas.

AAA+