The Lady and the Highwayman

GIVEAWAY
RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

EDEN, SARAH M.

THE LADY AND THE HIGHWAYMAN

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls' school and a well-respected author of "silver-fork" novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories -- the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.

Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers -- and his profits. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher's fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the rights of the less-fortunate.

Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King's whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered.

For the first time, Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. It's upper-class against the working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

My Review:

Another brilliant Victorian novel that sent me into a spiral of enthuzimuzzy-ness. I'm all gigglemug agog as I bask in the blissful glow of Sarah M. Eden's sheer brilliance. Because...

She delivers three stories in one -- the main plot involves Elizabeth and Fletcher but there's also two complete Penny Dreadful stories woven throughout. And let me tell you, it's beyond clever the way the author meshes them all together. Each story is distinctive, but if you pay close attention to the Penny Dreadful stories you'll notice parallels with the main plot. I get giddy just thinking about it! 

And then there's the Dread Penny Society -- a clandestine philanthropic group of Penny Dreadful authors dedicated to rescuing London's abused street urchins. Intrigue and danger abound and Elizabeth finds herself unwittingly in the midst of it all.

And, oh my, the romance. Thud. Excuse me while I succumb to a fit of the vapors. That Fletcher sets my toes to curling every time. The banter, the flirting, the guarded attraction that's impossible to give in to. Blissful sigh. Smelling salts and fainting couches are a must for this one.

I listened to the audible edition of this book, narrated by Justine Eyre who did an incredible job with these unique characters and all their quirks and foibles.

If you are looking for a historical romance that's just a tad shy of out-of-the-box crazy full of sizzle and spark look no further, The Lady and the Highway Man is the book for you. And when you've finished reading this one, get hold of book two, The Gentleman and the Thief, which is just as amazing. And then, join me in practicing patience as we wait for The Merchant and the Rogue's release in August. Eeeep, that one has an Irish hero.

PS. Did you spot my Victorian slang in the first paragraph of my review? I do so love to toss those delicious words out on proper occasions. Enthuzimuzzy is enthusiasm and gigglemug is a perpetual grin, :-)

PSS While not a Christian Fiction read, this is definitely a clean one.

 

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is paperback or ebook copy -- winner's choice

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Lady and the Highwayman, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday May 8 2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck!