The Lady and the Highwayman (Proper Romance Victorian)

by Sarah M Eden

• ISBN10: 1629726052
• ISBN13: 9781629726052
• Publish Date: 3 September 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Shadow Mountain
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 352
• Language: English

Reviews

[sstaley]

The Lady and the Highwayman is a clever twist on a Proper Romance. Sarah Eden has crafted a tale like none she's done before. Everything from the characters, setting, and plot are unique and exciting. This is not a Regency Romance but takes place during the Victorian era in England.

Both of the main characters are authors of the "Penny Dreadfuls" that were the rage among the working-class men. Elizabeth writes under the pseudonym of a Mr. King. As the headmistress of an all girl's school, she needs to remain in good standing with the upper class of Victorian Society. She meets fellow author, Fletcher Walker, who also writes Penny Dreadfuls. The novel is told from both Elizabeth's and Fletcher's POV. I also really loved how we were also able to read the stories written by Mr. King and Fletcher. What an incredible undertaking for Eden to write so many "stories" within the pages of this novel.

I learned so much about the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the social and political causes of their working-class readers. This novel once again shows the incredible work and dedication that Sarah Eden does in researching before she writes a book. I found an article that gave great information about The Dread Penny Society and the Penny Dreadfuls that were written. It was all very interesting.{http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160502-the-shocking-tale-of-the-penny-dreadful}

This new novel is a brilliant combination of mystery, suspense, history, and of course romance. The witty dialogue makes the interaction between Elizabeth and Fletcher a delight to read. If you are a Sarah Eden fan, be prepared for something new and just as well written as her previous books.

[phyllish]

A delightful romp in Victorian England

What a delightful story!

I had so much fun reading The Lady and the Highwayman! While the concept isn't entirely new, I loved the way author Sarah M. Eden executed it, going between Elizabeth's story, then Fletcher's, then a chapter of her novel, then one of his. Instead of making the story feel disjointed and confusing, the inserted narratives added a level of interest and were woven into the events that were taking place as well.

One of the reasons this was fun is the content of the Penny Dreadful that Fletcher wrote. If you know much about me, you'll know I don't do vampire stories. And, of course, Fletcher's story is about street urchins and a vampire! Yet with the way it was written, and short and middle-school level scary, it worked for me.

I loved the deep, caring characters, Elizabeth and Fletcher, who had compassion for the underdog and the oppressed. The rescues the Dreadful Penny Society staged and even the way they continued to protect those who had been rescued were simply marvelous!

If you enjoy imaginative historical fiction, be sure to read The Lady and the Highwayman!

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

[Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub]

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book, in exchange for my honest opinion. This will be available to purchase on September third.

This book is a mixed bag for me. There were things that I thought were done well, but others just didn’t work. I was at a bit of a disadvantage with this book anyway, because I don’t read romance. I was hoping it’d be more historical swashbuckling adventure and slightly less on the heaving bosoms and fluttering hearts. Alas, if I had anything remotely resembling a heart, I might have enjoyed this more.

I thought Fletcher and his Dread Penny Society misfits were interesting. That he used his success as a penny-dreadful author to fund endeavors to improve the life of poverty-stricken children made him a multilayered character. Elizabeth, though, was boring. I hated reading the parts written from her perspective.

I did like the cat-and-mouse aspect of the book. It added some fun and made the story move along nicely. What I didn’t like were the random chapters of each character’s separate penny dreadful that were interspersed throughout the book. It kept grinding the story to a halt, taking me out of what was happening to the characters at the time.

All in all, this book wasn’t for me, but if you’re into romance with some other stuff thrown in for good measure, you might really enjoy it. I just needed more buckling of swash, and less of the syrupy sweet romance.