After a mishap in the army fighting in the Napoleonic Wars, Rafe Pemeroy, the Earl of Beckport, needs to clear his name. What better way than exposing the head of a smuggling ring who is selling secrets to the French and assisting their attempts to invade England? Posing as a country squire, Mr. "Seaborne" attempts to gain the confidence of the locals. Unfortunately, he suspects they are all somehow involved with the smuggling aspect of the scheme, a practice he frowns upon. Thus he mistrusts everyone in the seaside town of Dorset, including Miss Charlotte Allston, a headstrong miss who seems to be everywhere he looks. Little does he know that the woman who has captured his heart is actually the daughter of Abraham Cutler, the notorious smuggler from the North Sea who was murdered before he could finish giving evidence and receive a Royal Pardon. Despite Rafe's misgivings about becoming romantically involved, he can't stop feeling the connection between them, especially since Charlotte is constantly showing up at inconvenient times and places.

To keep them both safe, Charlotte and her mother have changed their names and moved in with Aunt Flora. Mrs. Cutler requires her daughter to be chaperoned, usually by her somewhat lax sister, due to a previous indiscretion where Charlotte attempted to elope with her childhood sweetheart, Justin Jessop. Justin, now serving in the army in Scotland, sends her letters full of complaints about his mistreatment at the hands of his military superiors, so it isn't a complete surprise when he turns up in Dorset in search of his former love. By this time Charlotte has become infatuated with Lord Beckport (instantly recognized by her Ton savvy mom) and realizes that this previous relationship was just puppy love and not the real thing. Jessop, considered an army deserter, needs her assistance to survive, so she turns to Rafe to provide backup support. Numerous complications could easily mess up Rafe's plans to stop the enemy from landing on British soil, but by working together the three "patriots" might find a way to rescue each other and their country.

Elizabeth Keysian has presented the reader with some interesting characters in the Pre- Regency Romance, A Perilous Passion, book one in the Wanton in Wessex series. Unfortunately, the majority of the plot centers around the meandering Charlotte and the judgmental Rafe, ignoring the potential of the flighty Aunt and her apothecary "friend". Told from alternative points of view, we learn the secrets about the two lovers who have a tendency to dwell on their pasts a tad too much. Despite a strong beginning, the middle of the novel sagged a bit while waiting for the next spate of action. The dastardly villain did not disappoint and the resolution of everybody's troubles made for an acceptable happily ever after, even for the jilted Justin Jessop. The various attempts at humor revolving around sneezing and an allergy to horses did not quite hit the mark, but the romance was more than satisfying.

Three stars and a thank you to Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book hooked me right away. Charlotte Allston meets the Earl of Beckport and the chemistry flames between them instantly. She is hiding in Dorset, as she is the daughter of a smuggler, he is incognito hunting a band of smugglers.

I loved watching them interact and enjoyed the secondary characters as well. This story had a well written plot and dialogue. Worth reading for some fun intrigue on the coast of England!

This is a mixed bag. Not a bad story, just not as dynamic as I would have liked. The couple are interesting, with individual concerns. I just wasn’t intrigued by the story. Took me several tries to finish.

A Perilous Passion
by Elizabeth Keysian
Downgraded NOPE! .... a little slow in middle...
Its a buy buy buy book! Wow, your either going to absolutely love this book or ....not. I am one of the ones that truly enjoyed the story the characters, the plot the elements of spying, love, and misconceptions. This is not the usual start in the book which captured me completely, the story kept my attention at a very good pace until just around the middle for some reason it seemed to lose its momentum, but then picked back up again. A well written book with characters that are strong and weak, funny and touching. A layered book of activity that keeps you wanting more. The author is of course one that has a gift of writing and it shows! I must say this is one of hers that I have totally enjoyed! I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

Spies and Smugglers.
All too often smugglers tend to be given a romantic glow but they were often cutthroat criminals and I believe it was true that Napoleon sympathizers used the trade to pass secrets to and from France. It is against this background that the story is set. Rafe is an undercover spy seeking to find traitors in the area, whilst Charlotte, who is incredibly curious, keeps stumbling in his way endangering both herself and his cover. The attraction between them further complicates his mission, as does discovering her own father was a notorious smuggler. This is a good book with both a strong hero and heroine and a storyline that is a little different to other books set in this period. I did on occasion find it a little slow and overall a bit too long.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Miss Charlotte Allston and Rafe Pomeroy, Earl of Beckport have both ensconced themselves in Dorset for two different reasons. Charlotte and her mother are in hiding, from the murderers of her smuggler father. Rafe, on the other hand is working in the service of the crown, as a spy, to ferret out the smugglers in the area. They hide their true identities to suit their respective purposes. Their meeting and acquaintance was based on lies and deception. However, they could not hide their growing attraction to each other.

This is a Regency novel with interesting characters. The plot involves murder, kidnapping, espionage, secrets, deception and hea. But the story-telling seems to drag, the pace is a tad slow to my liking.

Nevertheless, I like the lush cover, my rating took that into consideration with the narrative.

This is my first book by Elizabeth Keysian. I received an eGalley arc from the publisher. This is my honest review.

Thanks Entangled Publishing, LLC and netgalley for this ARC.

This romance will steal your heart with its whimsy, danger, and reckless passion.

rafe seaborne, aka the earl of beckport, is determined to redeem himself after his allergies to a horse ruined a military operation in the midst of war. humiliated he abandoned society and has taken up residence on the coast determined to catch a group of smugglers and a traitor to the crown.

when he crosses paths with miss charlotte allston he assumes that he is saving her from a suicide by drowning. in truth she'd been moping by the seashore for her lost love, justin, but her eye had been caught by a scrap of something floating in the water. she was just being curious not suicidal.

but once their paths cross, it's like they can't stay out of each other's way. either he's spying on her and she catches him, or she finds reasons to track him down. and at every turn they are beset by danger, accidents, and a surprising passion.

a perilous passion establishes early on that these two are wild for each other but rafe believes he isn't free to pursue charlotte until he has redeemed himself in the eyes of society and his country, and also he needs to make things right for himself. meanwhile, charlotte is harboring a secret about her father's past that she believes will negatively affect her marriage prospects.

but as much as rafe pushes charlotte away, he comes to realize that having her as a partner makes everything better. as often as he pulls her out of a scrape, she saves his life just as often in turn. and there is no doubt that these two are tailor-made for each other.

**a perilous passion will publish on december 11, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/entangled publishing (amara) in exchange for my honest review.

Handsome Undercover spy, hidden smugglers, engaging heroine and quirky characters. What more could you ask for? From the first chapter, the story engages the reader trying to determine what is happening.. A classic case of things are not always as they appear! Charlotte Allston, our heroine, is a little feisty and does not worry about convention as much as she should. With her father being murdered due to his connection with smuggling, she and her mother had taken refuge with her aunt and changed their names. Rafe, the Earl of Beckport, has a lot in common with Charlotte. He is hiding out under an assumed name and identity trying to ferret out a band of smugglers who could endanger England.. It would seem fate would have it that Rafe and Charlotte come into contact literally by a funny mishap and each becomes suspicious of the other.. What was unexpected was the attraction between the two that cannot be ignored! Keeping Charlotte safe while completing his mission becomes difficult when it seems someone is out to harm Charlotte. Strong attraction, an old suitor and a cast of characters make this book a fun read that you will not be able to put down. Well done Elizabeth Keysian!

A Perilous Passion by Elizabeth Keysian is the story of Charlotte Allston and Rafe Pemeroy, the Earl of Beckport.
Rafe is pretending to be Rafe Seabourne a country squire and is staying at Dovehouse Farm looking to make a go of it. But he really is a Spy looking for a Smuggling ring and a traitor. Rafe has been trying to get back the confidence and correct a past issue with his career.
Charlotte too has things going on that have left her melancholy. Her father, Abraham Cutler once ran ale houses as a front for smugglers from the north sea but then he became sick and was going to give Kings Evidence for a Royal Pardon but was murdered before completing it. So Charlotte and her family left the area and changed their names so that they wouldn't be found. Then Charlotte thought she had feelings for Justin Jessop and was going to elope with him but that didn't happen and he was sent to Scotland
Rafe and Charlotte had a funny type of first meeting where they both walked away thinking there was more going on with each other than what they were pretending to be.
Their encounters where really great! Once you start this book there is no putting it down....at least for me. Loved it!

Miss Charlotte Allston is being punished by her mother for an indiscretion. She has to take someone with her every time she leaves the house. Luckily her aunt is not so strict. A very surprising meeting on the beach certainly gives her something to take her mind off her broken heart.
Rafe Pomeroy, Earl of Beckport is staying incognito in a seaside village. He is determined to restore his battered reputation by catching the local smugglers who may be helping a traitor.
Our hero seems to be an accident waiting to happen. Our poor heroine keeps coming off the worst at each disastrous meeting.
Lots of laughs mingled in with an intriguing story. All of our characters are lots of fun. A very entertaining romance. I loved it.

such an intriguing and good historical romance. Enjoyed it lots~

Miss Charlotte Allston & her mother moved to Dorset to live with Aunt Flora after her father’s death & are living under assumed names. Charlotte is unwittingly ensnared in a sinister web of traitors and spies when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome stranger on the beach. Fiercely determined to redeem his honour after relinquishing his career in the army over an allergy to horses, the Earl of Beckport is living incognito as Rafe Seabourne & is hunting a band of smugglers also a traitor at the centre of a French plot to invade England.
Another page turning novel by the author, the characters are very well portrayed & the pace is good. There is plenty of humour as well as intrigue & mystery. Rafe & Gove’s call signs had me chuckling.
Rafe is everything you want in a hero, brave, caring, kind & of course gorgeous. Charlotte is likeable but she is also headstrong & often this lands her in trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & look forward to more from the author
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

3.5*
Charlotte lives with her mother and aunt in a somewhat remote part of England. Charlotte's dad was a smuggler and was going to confess and receive a pardon. He was murdered before he could receive the pardon. Rafe, the Earl of Beckport, had an Incident happen while in the military on an important mission. Now, he is undercover with the goal of capturing an English traitor (and some smugglers too).
I did enjoy this book. But. There was a lot going on and it was a bit slow in spots. I thought the traitor was revealed early (and it was early enough, I was waiting for a twist. But nope, all signs pointed to him and it was). I liked the spy aspect, but thought it dragged in spots. I liked Flora's doctor, but didn't like how he was dismissed (when his brews showed that they were effective). (Don't get the meet the doctor, but he is talked about. Plenty.).
I did like how Charlotte came to the rescue not once, but twice, (and could argue a 3rd time). However, that got overshadowed when she got kidnapped and had to be rescued (of course, this over-used trope is used). Overall, I did enjoy this one. Not a 3, but not a 4 either. Rounded up to a 4 for Goodreads. (And for NetGalley)
I would recommend this for those who enjoy historical romance, but like something a tad different.

eARC courtesy of Entangled Publishing and NetGalley.
Publishes on Dec 11th

This was such an engaging read, the Earl of Beckport is on a mission to prove that his humiliating departure from the army is not what defines him he’s working incognito to capture smugglers. Charlotte Allston is the daughter of a deceased smuggler that could be a person of interest, especially when she flusters him so. Through his investigation Charlotte has rescued the situation (and him) more than once. This was such a great read lots of intrigue spying and passionate moments. Enjoyable witty banter and sizzling chemistry between Charlotte and Rafe the story flowed exceptionally well with lots of twists and turns it’s sure to keep you entertained till the last page.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest unbiased opinion.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
My fist book by Ms Keysian, and I thought it was very good .
The characters had depth and I loved they’re interaction.
The story of smuggling was a favourite of mine , so I was sold on the plot from the start.
The hero and heroine were made for each other and I loved her auntie , such a character.
I’d love to read more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, and chose to submit a review

‘A Perilous Passion’ deviates from the typical script by creating the character of Rafe, the Earl of Beckport, who isn’t flawless. After having resigned his commission due to his allergy for horses, he is working as a spy for the Crown to intercede smugglers in the Portland village of Fortuneswell. It is here that he meets Charlotte and he finds himself being saved by her on many occasions. This book was very entertaining – it is full of witty dialogue between the two main characters. There is also plenty of action and romance, ensuring that the book never faulted in its pace. This book will not disappoint.
I received an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story has a lot going for it – spies, smuggling, highwaymen, deserters, intrigue, passion and a woman who does rescues the man. Rafe and Charlotte work together (albeit he does not want her help not due to her being a woman but because he does not want to see her hurt) to uncover the smuggling ring and get into all kinds of trouble. Great story that kept me reading all day!