Golden Raven — Jo Ann Wendt

During a civil war in England, two families in exile, with a bounty on their heads, one noble, one criminal, endeavor to return home. The nobility, to put their king back on the throne, travelling far to raise money and men. Courageous, but not devious, young Lord Raven gets robbed by the group of professional thieves, also abroad in Europe to avoid the noose that awaits them should they return. The young lass at the center of the con game, Esme, has stolen valuable papers from Raven that in the wrong hands will destroy the resistance forces of the deposed king. Raven must risk certain death to find her and retrieve his documents before they are discovered by his enemy. 

      A humorous sub-plot threads through the story as Esme's twin brother, Valentine, falls head-over-heels for a ditsy, empty-headed girl he meets while accompanying Jack Silk on one of Silk's highway robberies. She is Violet Richland, the niece of Raven's mortal enemy. This spawns complications and amusing predicaments.

An adventure that spans Europe during a time of political intrigue and upheaval, from slave markets, to criminal sanctuaries, from battles to romance, with engaging characters and vivid settings, this is an enjoyable romantic adventure.