The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne | Book Review

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Victorian Rebels #1
Published by St Martin's Paperbacks on September 1, 2015
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 354
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster…

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE
But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

I’ve had my eye on The Highwayman for quite some time now, but my goodness this book (and the rest in the series) are pricey! And they never go on sale! I got a new Kindle for Christmas, which came with 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for free, and when I saw that this book is part of the program I jumped on it! There was so much I loved, and a few things I didn’t love, but overall it was a really great read for me! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. I love that The Highwayman begins with a prologue depicting our heroine’s young love with her childhood friend. If I recall correctly, the book tells their story when Farah is about 8 or so? She and Dougan meet in an orphanage and become each other’s family and first love. They literally only have each other, and the love they grow is the kind of love most people spend their lives looking for. Through a series of events, young Dougan is taken away to a prison. Farah visits every day until she learns that Dougan has died. This hurt my heart a lot. Seventeen years later, Farah is now working for Scotland Yard and lives as Farah Mackenzie, Dougan’s widow. And that’s where the story begins.

2. Farah is an interesting character. Her time in the orphanage means she has no family, and her one true love passed away when she was a child. With all this pain and trauma from her childhood, you’d think Farah would be a very jaded, hardened person, but she’s filled with love and hope. I really liked her and admired her strength. She does her job and does it well, but she’s all alone and is hiding a secret that could be very dangerous for her if people found out. And OF COURSE the hero of this story knows her secret.

3. Dorian Blackwell, aka the Blackheart of Ben More, is a terrifying person. He’s a notorious villain, haunting the streets exacting revenge on those who have harmed him and those he cares about. He knows Farah’s secret and kidnaps her away to the safety of his castle, where he presents her with a proposition: marry him and he will protect her at all costs. In turn, she will help him get the ultimate revenge. Dorian is ruthless and hard and possessive (like, extremely so) and had a very traumatic childhood. It was hard to read about what he went though. He’s also very loyal and protective. I liked him most of the time, but there were times I winced at what he did or said.

4. I loved the supporting characters. One, Frank, is a master in the kitchen and really warmed my heart. He’s so so sweet. Then we’ve got Murdoch, a sort of personal assistant and father figure who I absolutely loved. There’s also Christopher, an incredibly sneaky assassin who is very good at his job. Readers don’t get to know him very well, but his book is up next so that’s probably why. I really enjoyed these characters, and the scenes with them lighten the mood of the rest of the book. Which leads me to my next point…

5. This book is darker and grittier than any other historical romance I’ve read. It’s violent and touches on topics surrounding abuse, trauma, and grief. Dorian’s past has made him very cautious of who he lets in to his inner circle. He has a lot of anger inside of him. He also cannot bear to be touched and wears gloves whenever he can. Being touched or “reached for” triggers rage and panic in him that he can’t control. Some of the intimate scenes between him and Farah were intense, and made me a little uncomfortable. There’s no consent issues, but there’s a lack of tenderness. Things are rougher than I’m used to reading, and it felt possessive and almost angry at times.

6. The love story is a little corny when compared to the rest of the content of this book. I don’t think I would have noticed it if the book were lighter. As Farah and Dorian learn to trust one another, they allow each other in. Farah is a source of light for Dorian, and Dorian feels safe for Farah. You can really feel what they feel for each other, and I liked that. But then Dorian goes through a 180 degree change very quickly, and I had to suspend my disbelief because it just didn’t feel realistic. Things were a little sappy in the end, but I wanted a happily ever (this is a romance after all!). It all just wrapped up into a neat little bow super quickly, and I felt like we could have spent more time on it considering how long this book is and how much Farah and Dorian have been through.

7. A couple other issues… The author takes a while to say things sometimes. Lots of words. There’s some repetition, and the reader is continually reminded of things that are impossible to forget. Dorian keeps a secret for most of the book, and I find it very hard to believe that a certain person didn’t figure it out immediately. There’s a villain, who poses a major threat to Farah. And while that part of the story was interesting, it didn’t feel fully fleshed out. Some of the elements of the story just didn’t completely work or didn’t completely convince me that they were true. And it wasn’t until I finished the book and sat down to write my review that I really thought about these things. I got so swept up in the story that basic logic kind of slipped to the background. I do this a lot, so I guess it’s a gift. lol.

8. Regardless, I tore through this. I was so intrigued and entertained. The storytelling is great, despite the weaker elements. Chapter after chapter ends in a way that propels the reader forward, and I love finding a book that keeps me up all night with curiosity. I had to know what happened next.

All in all, I’d recommend The Highwayman to readers looking for a compulsively readable, darker, grittier romance with a tortured hero and a great cast of supporting characters. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this story since I finished it. I’m certainly intrigued by this author’s other books, but also a little afraid to continue with this series because the next one is about an assassin so there’s a chance it’ll be more violent than this one and I’m not sure that’s for me. I guess we’ll see!

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