I came to this book with rather high expectations, having seen comment about it here and elsewhere. It was, for me somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.

The problem was that it was more of an adventure story than romance, although adventure can add to rather than detract from romance if it is skilfully done and an enhancement to character development.

However, my problem with this book was that I never really warmed to the hero who was very juvenile and underdeveloped. He made astoundingly bad judgements repeatedly and seemed slow to learn. Handled correctly, these could have been sympathetic flaws but I am afraid I found them simply annoying.

The book gets 4 stars from me because the author examined and developed the theme of Judaism in early 19th century Britain and she did her homework. This is a subject I doubt has been much used in historical romantic fiction set in the Regency and the author did a super job of explaining the difficulties and problems Jews had at that time. In fact, the most romantic and sympathetic character in the story is the heroine's brother, James Nathanson.

The book's story of intrigue and adventure in Wellington's Quatermaster General's department is done well and the author has done her research. My main problem is that Capt Richard Drayton just does not stand out in the setting in which the author places him.

I have Nita Abrams next book in what appears to be a mini-series and hope to find her improving with this book. She clearly has talent and writes well.

What a read! I recently took this on my vacation with me and found myself sneaking away to find time to read more! It's one of those rare books you are so sad to finish! I loved the characters--all of them--and was especially impressed by the depth behind them. The historical elements of the story were equally alluring. It is really a wonderful story filled with rich character development and the plot is extremely well thought out--with all the twists and turns of a mystery, the allure of romance, and the intelligence of a talented author. I can't wait for her next release!

Tired of the same-old, same-old? In this engaging romance, the daughter of a family of Jewish spies finds love and adventure during the Napoleonic wars.

Nita Abrams has an authentic historical voice and a really nice touch with secondary characters. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is grown up and believable. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to this family next!

It would be a good idea to read "A Question of Honor" first since "The Exiles" is a continuation of the story.

For the first time in some time, I found a book that I enjoyed without reservations. I have not read Abrams' first book A Question of Honour, although I do intend to do so now, but I managed to connect up the plot threads and identify the connections with the previous book without any difficulties.

The first thing that grabbed me about this book was the characters. The heroine is brave, resourceful and independent-minded, although not to the point of stubborness where she will accept no help. The implications of her choice to dress as a boy are followed through, as are the implications of other key choices by other key characters: in this world, actions and choices have consequences, in some cases, harsh consequences. The hero is extremely unhappy, and although some of the legal technicalities of how and why he is so unfortunate were a little confusing, the impact of his situation is extremely clear.

Secondary characters are extremely vivid in this book, and the villains are as interesting as the good guys. I hope we see them return as much as some of the other characters who are no doubt going to take centre stage in Abrams' third book.

The setting is Napoleonic Europe and Abrams' detailed research and keen feel for the times and the city of Vienna are key to establishing atmosphere without overpowering the drive of the plot. I found the political double dealings and tense environment compelling.

The love story element of the book is relatively downplayed and subtle. I felt it arose relatively naturally, and we could work out how the characters felt through their actions.

In short, this was a fun and re-readable book.