The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels, #1)

by Kerrigan Byrne

A Beautiful Widow: Farah Leigh MacKenzie has known love and heartbreak. It was a young, passionate, forbidden love that she doesn't believe any man can replace and it ended tragically when her husband was sent to Newgate and died there. Years later, the beautiful young widow works for the Bow Street Runners and it is there that she encounters The Black Heart of Ben More, Dorian Blackwell, one of the wealthiest, most powerful, most dangerously lethal men in London. She is drawn instantly to this man who should make her want to flee. And for Dorian what he wants, he gets and he wants no needs Farah as he has needed no one else. Kidnapped!: When Dorian kidnaps Farah from her home and whisks her away to his lush sanctuary in wild Highlands of Scotland, Farah believes that her life is over. But in fact Dorian has saved her, for Farah is hiding secrets of her own-secrets that have put her life in danger. But Dorian trades in secrets, especially ones as juicy as hers. He makes a scandalous demand, marry him and he will protect her and he will restore what was stolen from her all those years ago. In return, she will help exact revenge on his enemies.
But what Dorian does not expect is to be caught so sweetly and irrevocably by a woman who threatens everything he holds dear.

Reviewed by stacey_is_sassy on

5 of 5 stars

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The hills are alive with the...Victorian Rebels

I was so bloody excited when I saw The Hunter in the Audible Escape package. Yes, I know this is The Highwayman, but if The Hunter was there, then, it only follows that the rest would be there. I have waited what felt like YEARS for this series to become available in Australia... AND NOW IT'S HERE!!

It was everything I was hoping for and more. Derek Perkins has turned a fabulous story into an AMAZING experience. I wore a goofy smile for the first hour of listening. Unfortunately, it was a wee bit inappropriate considering the darkness of those initial minutes, I just couldn't help myself. I needed to 'see' Farah and Dorian again, especially their first meeting and when they fell in love. It was sweet and also a little bit heartbreaking. But, luckily I knew where I was heading and I could brace for the ugly parts.

This was the start of my love affair with the Rebels, and I loved catching up with them all. I just wish I could give it more stars because the audio, enhanced my love. I will definitely be going on with the rest of the series, and there's a pretty good chance I won't take a break until I finished.

Next up... it's time to see The Hunter fall in love with his prey.

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Tingling from this book magic...

The Highwayman gave me tingles and I felt book magic with the turn of each page. I was drawn in, living and breathing this book. Hubby and kids had to fend for themselves, phones had to be answered by someone else and food was only eaten to keep up my energy. I was looking into the lives of people that seemed real. I wanted to walk into Scotland Yard and be a character witness. I wanted to be at the dressmaker's to see how a gown was fitted. I wanted to stand against predators who attacked the less fortunate. It was an emotional read for me that left me on a high. Not many books suck me in as much, or as well as this one did. I was drawn to the characters and wanted to see them make it through.

We meet a very young Farah and Dougan who live in an orphanage. Farah sees that Dougan is in pain and helps him. They form a bond, give each other support and swear to love each other for eternity. This is a very young love that is tested from the beginning. Eventually, they are separated but neither will forget and keep their memories locked tight in their hearts.

Life goes on. Farah works in Scotland Yard and is faced with some very unsavoury characters. One of them is Dorian, a criminal mastermind who runs the bad side of town with an iron fist. Farah's boss is on an endless mission to bring him to justice with very little success. After many years of being separated from her love, Farah thinks about moving on with her boss Morley, who shows an interest in her. After meeting Farah, Dorian has a different idea.

I don't want to go into much detail as it will definitely take away from the experience if you decide to try it. I will say that this story was full of intrigue and I never felt it dragged. Besides the main characters, I loved Murdoch, Frank and Gemma. Morley was an interesting character as well and by the end I respected him. He could have easily made things worse, but he kept his dignity and that left me disappointed he wouldn't find a HEA (yet???).

This was my first Kerrigan Byrne story and it will definitely not be my last. One of the best historical romances I've ever read.

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  • 22 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 22 July, 2020: Reviewed
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