If you are looking for a well-defined fantastic read you will not go wrong with this story. It has it all, mystery, spies, assassins, adventure, intrigue, and romance. Well defined characters, plot, imagery, great world building, and detailed.

Lord Stephen Stanhope, works for the Foreign Office, in hopes of getting an Ambassador position but currently on his way to the Congress of Vienna. He is asked to visit Lord Matthew Beresford Earl of Devere, an upperclassmen from Oxford.

Lady Maryann Beresford, Mary, is impetuous, headstrong, exaggerates the truth, and wants independence.

Miss Agatha Willets/Miss Coney, little old lady claiming to be a governess.

Lady Mary leaves home to have an adventure and bust her sister in Vienna. Along the way she meets Miss Willets at the starting point for crossing the Alps from France to Vienna. The chat and visit each evening at the chalets stops. Lady Mary finally succumbs to altitude sickness and upon waking she is advised never had been there. Lady Mary becomes adamant something happened to her and everyone is lying about it.

Enter Lord Stanhope, tasked with finding and protecting Lady Mary. After a false delay following the route he thinks she has traveled, he located her and befriends her. Lady Mary tells him why her delay and insists his help.

While investigating the mysterious Miss Willets, Lord Stephen and Lady Mary learn a good deal about each other. Lord Stephen becomes convenienced that Lady Mary is on to something. When his valet is also murdered he knows he is on to something.

So come along on this chilling mountain adventure to answer your questions. What happened to Miss Willets? Who killed the valet? Will they get murdered also or find the killers? Will they get out of the chalets and the snow storm to reach Vienna? Will their hearts mesh and they fall in love? Will Lord Stephen get his Ambassador post and if so where will it be?

An enjoyable tale filled with surprises and intrigue

Part adventure, romance, murder mystery, and political thriller, this story covers a lot of ground even while most of it takes place in an isolated French chateau in the middle of winter.

Lady Mary sets off from London to Vienna in search of adventure, and she certainly finds enough of it. Her elder brother enlists his friend, Stephen, who is on his own way to Vienna, to track her down and ensure her safety. And it's a very good thing he does, because by the time he finds her she's in way over her head, being gaslighted by a cadre of strangers without a single ally she can count on.

This was a complex story with intriguing characters and more than a few shocking developments. There certainly is a solid romance with a satisfying HEA, alongside an almost gothic literary style that is rarely found in romances. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

4 stars

An enjoyable read. I very quickly recalled the film The Lady Vanishes as whilst Lady Mary trips over the alps her aquiantance disappears and everyone else denies Miss Willets was present. Stephen has been asked by Mary's brother DeVere to track her and ensure that she gets to vienna safely.

He helps her though being sceptical. Mary trusts him and then she doesn't. Pretty soon all is resolved.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lady Mary’s Dangerous Encounter is a perfect romance to showcase the determination of women. That she never gives up on Miss Willets shows her confidence in herself and her courage. Stephen coming along so soon after she loses Miss Willets helps her to know she is not losing her sanity. Their developing relationship as they try to discover what has happened is sweet and adorable.

Stephen is a handsome and honorable hero. His struggles with lust for Mary indicate his deep feelings and respect for her and his relationship with her brother, Devere. We know, absolutely, Mary is bound to discover his lack of acknowledgement of his reasons for being at the same inn in which she is staying are going to cause problems.

*Slight Spoiler* The whole suffocating scene seemed awkward; the screaming and her ‘hero’ not even hearing her scream in the next room? Just a bit too unrealistic.** But, otherwise, I loved this romance and how it ended. The futures books in the series will be welcome.

"Lady Mary's Dangerous Encounter" by Cheryl Bolen
Adventure + Suspense + Romance = a trifecta
This was a fun clean suspenseful romance adventure story. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lady Mary and Lord Stephan as the plot thickened and the tangled web was broken. If you read the description and liked what you read, then I am sure you will enjoy this story. It is a good read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.
This review is my honest opinion.

This was a fun read, a bit far-fetched, but enjoyable nonetheless. I'll probably read the next in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lady Mary’s Dangerous Encounter is a well-rounded, well-written romantic mystery. There are many plot twists and well-placed intrigue.

Lady Mary Beresford is young and impetuous; she rashly leaves London to embark on an adventure to Vienna to visit her sister. Mary journeys by herself, vulnerable and unprepared. Lord Stephen Stanhope is tasked with the unenviable job of finding Mary and bring her safely to Vienna. All these plans falter when the travelers are stranded at an inn in the Alps. A missing person/who done it story begins.

Stephen and Mary’s characters are strong-willed; they were disagreeable to the reader at times. The couple seemed shallow and privileged, yet their pure hearts and sense of justice made up for the deficiencies. The attraction between the couple is one-sided for the majority of the book. It was love at first sight for one character. However, the other character slowly developed the attraction. The couple’s mixed signals were distracting. The couple had a genuine attachment for each other that built into a passionate, satisfying love story.

The plot did not ebb and flow as well as I wanted; it was choppy. However, the solution to the mystery was kept secret until the finale. The plot was engaging and interesting. Lady Mary’s Dangerous Adventure is the first book in the Beresford Adventures series. The novel was a good beginning; it started with trepidation but gained sufficient momentum by the conclusion. The story flourished beginning at the halfway point. There needs to be a fusion between the mystery and the romance. Overall the novel is a solid foundation to a series that will flourish and grow in continuity and finesse. This was a different, fresh story that embarks on a journey with an intriguing family.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mary sets out alone on a trip from England to Vienna on an impulse to visit her sister. Stephen, a diplomat heading to Vienna, is asked by Mary’s brother to catch up with her and ensure she gets there safely. A snowstorm traps them at an inn and mysteries abound. People disappear and there is a murder. Stephen and Mary try to solve the mysteries together and, in so doing, become much closer. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

Lord Stephen Stanhope is a diplomat on his way to Vienna. A friend has asked him to try and catch up with his sister who has taken off on her own.

An overland journey in December is not for the faint hearted. This is going to be dangerous for our hero, but even more so for our heroine.

Lady Mary Beresford took advantage of her brother's accident to go on an adventure. Crossing the Alps is could prove to have more than the weather to cause problems. She is brave, stubborn and headstrong.

This historical romance has a good dose of suspense and mystery added to it. The details of the way they had to travel are surprising, but understandable for the era. I could never imagine taking on a trip like that.

This is the first book in a new series and I will definitely be reading any more that are to come.

I loved it.