Genre: Historical Romance

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne | Book Review

Posted August 29, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

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!

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe | Book Review

Posted May 1, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Published by Avon on August 26, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

Long story short, The Gilded Heiress was not for me. I was very excited about an Anastasia retelling in New York, but the magic this could have been was lost to a very creepy male protagonist. And I mean very creepy. A conman finds an 18-year-old girl, 10 years his junior (ew), who he thinks he can pass off as the missing daughter of a family he dreams of getting his revenge against. He exploits her love of singing and promises to make her dreams come true before lying and scheming his way into her heart… and her bed. He says it’s love, but I never believed him. He holds her future in his hands, thereby essentially making her do whatever he wants. She set ground rules and boundaries before they entered into their partnership, and he began disregarding them almost immediately. He took her away from her home to New York where she became 100% dependent on him and he relished that fact. He locked her in the house they were staying at so he could go off galavanting all night and then got mad at her that she snuck out. The way he spoke to her was manipulative and predatory. His unfiltered inner thoughts were even more repulsive. Nobody needs to be in this guy’s head. When the romance started to gain momentum, I wanted to run in and rescue her. There was nothing sexy or swoony about any of this for me. All I saw was a 28-year-old man taking advantage of an 18-year-old girl by dangling her dream in front of her nose like a carrot.

I should have just DNFed when I got to the very detailed (and honestly uncomfortably written for my taste) threesome in chapter 2 that I’ve been trying to scrub out of my brain since I finished the book weeks ago. Our hero made law enforcement mad, so he ran to his friend’s brothel and OF COURSE the only way she could hide him was to throw him into bed with two women who could take turns sitting on his face so the police officer wouldn’t recognize him when he barged into the room. I didn’t sign up for this! I continued because I love the movie Anastasia. I know that this storyline sounds very similar to the movie, but the big uncomfortable difference here is the age gap (in the movie they’re only a couple years apart) and the fact that this guy seems predatory. That’s not how the movie is. I continued because I wanted to see how things ended, but if anything this book has just ruined the movie for me because now I’ll be thinking about it the next time I watch it. I know people love Joanna Shupe, which is why I own 6 of her other books. This was my first full-length novel of hers (I read and loved a Christmas novella of hers, Miracle on Ladies’ Mile, last year) and I truly, truly hope her other books are not like this one.

Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman | Book Review

Posted March 20, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 2 Comments

Desert Island Duke by Kate Bateman
Series: Ruthless Rivals #3.5
Published by Self on May 19, 2023
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 133
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Surviving on a tropical island will be hard.
Living with him will be impossible. . .

Shipwrecked on a tropical isle, Caroline 'Caro' Montgomery is furious to discover that her sole fellow castaway is her brother’s infuriating best friend, Maximillian Cavendish, the fourteenth duke of Hayworth.

Max might be the most handsome man she’s ever met, but he’s teased her ever since they were children. So when Max claims to have lost his memory, Caro seizes the opportunity for revenge—and informs him he’s a lowly stable hand.

As they work together to survive, attraction flares hot between them. But should Caro reveal her deception? And what will happen if Max finally remembers he’s a duke?

Desert Island Duke was exactly what I needed, and oh how much fun it was! Kate Bateman is becoming one of my authors to watch, as even her novellas give us fully developed and delightful stories. I don’t know what it is with me and romances where the characters must survive somewhere after a shipwreck, a plane crash, etc., but I love them. And this is like a spicy Swiss Family Robinson, minus the children. It was so much fun! I was addicted immediately. Caro and Max wash up on shore after their ship sinks on the way back home to England from Madagascar. The stakes are very low, as there’s an abundance of tropical foods to eat and catch, and the rest of the shipwrecked passengers conveniently washed up onto a neighboring island that is close enough so the inhabitants can wave to each other, but far enough to be unsafe to swim to.

Caro and Max quickly make camp and begin exploring. The book is short, so I don’t want to give anything away. But the scenery sounds stunning. They build a shelter, secure food, frolic in a waterfall, banter back and forth, and fall in love. Stripped of the rules of polite society, chaperones, and titles, they lower their inhibitions and their guards and allow themselves to see each other for who they truly are. Their romance is spicy and swoony and sweet. They get into some sticky situations and both make light of it. They fall asleep to rain showers, crashing waves, lightning storms, and sea breezes. They are shipwrecked over Christmas, and it was fun to see how they chose to celebrate. So many little things happen that must be discovered, so I won’t spoil it.

All in all, I loved this! It was sweet, simple, and utterly romantic. Reading it felt like burying my toes in the sand and sipping an icy, fruity drink as the sun kissed my cheeks. If this is what being shipwrecked is really like, please sign me up for a two week excursion with a handsome duke immediately. Highly recommended. You will smile for the entire book. And look at that cover! It’s stunning and tropical and perfect for this cheery happily ever after.

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 30, 2025 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Gamble Your Heart by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #2
Also in this series: Never Blow a Kiss
Published by Forever on February 4, 2025
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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To find her missing sister, an unconventional governess must infiltrate an infamous gambling den owned by a devilishly handsome rake.

Frankie Turner should be the perfect she’s genteelly born, impoverished, and owns a pair of ugly oversized spectacles. Now if only she didn’t have an alarming tendency to forget her charges while contemplating mathematics principles...

When Frankie’s impulsive younger sister goes missing, Frankie has no idea where to begin the search to find her. But when she discovers hasty marriages materializing between “troublemaking” women and men who don’t deserve them—she knows her sister is somehow involved. The only thread connecting the groomsmen is a membership to Rockford’s, an exclusive gambling hell owned by the devilish Jasper Jones. And it just so happens that Jasper has recently become the guardian of a sullen fifteen-year-old.

Jasper suspects his new governess has an ulterior motive for being in his household, but he can hardly find the time to uncover it when his life is in a constant uproar. First, Frankie teaches his niece how to count cards and then she tries to break into his study. When he finally learns Frankie’s true reason for being there, he agrees to help the brilliant mathematician find her missing sister, even if it means giving her a fake dowry and watching men trip over themselves in her presence. As he and Frankie work together to dismantle a nefarious scheme, Jasper realizes that for the first time in his life, he’s gambled his heart—and possibly lost it.

I loved the first book in this series, Never Blow a Kiss, so much that I’ve been eagerly waiting for this next book for over a year! I thought it would be the perfect book to start off my 2025 reading, and I really enjoyed it! The best part about this series is the mysteries that surround these governess spies. Each book features a different governess, who is under the direction of a mysterious and very connected woman referred to only as “The Dove”. These women go undercover as governesses in the homes of the members of the ton to solve crimes. They correspond with The Dove during their entire stay in these homes and eventually gain enough information so she can anonymously turn over dossiers to the police that help them close their cases. These women are strong and resourceful, and they push the boundaries of society. I always come away feeling proud and empowered. And, of course, each woman finds love while undercover. What a fun and unique concept for a historical romance series! I love historical romance and mystery, but my favorite is when they’re combined.

This book is about Frankie. She’s an odd spinster with a brain for mathematics, and her sister has gone missing. When The Dove approaches her and offers her the opportunity to help bring down a ring of men called the Dowry Thieves, Frankie strikes up a deal and requests that The Dove find her missing sister in exchange for her help. These Dowry Thieves orchestrate compromising situations that entrap women into marriage so they can gain control of their dowries, and Frankie knows her sister is somehow involved. Frankie is placed in the home of Jasper Jones, proprietor of the most lavish gambling hell in London: Rockford’s. The thieves have all been traced back to Rockford’s, and it’s Frankie’s job to figure out if he’s involved and what’s actually going on. Jasper just inherited the most hilarious and precocious 15-year-old niece and is desperately in need of help, so it works out perfectly. Frankie infiltrates his home and his heart, and I loved reading about her adventures.

Frankie is such a fun character. She was unable to find a match after being out for four Seasons, and has decided she doesn’t need a man anyway. She’s a brilliant mathematician, but is significantly undereducated in the ways of society. She’s awkward, brutally honest, and liberated. You can’t tell her what to do or silence her. She’s got very strong opinions, is extremely intelligent, and charmingly witty and flirtatious without realizing it. I just loved her. Jasper is a former fishmonger who worked his way to the top rather than being placed there at birth. He’s got a conscience and a strong moral fabric. He values women for their minds and sees them as equal to himself!! Be still my heart. He’s had a rough life and feels unlovable. Frankie feels the same way about herself. And rather than finding love in each other first, it’s Cecelia, the 15-year-old girl, who makes the both of them realize they are capable of loving and being loved in return. Cecelia is very observant and whip-smart. She pushes the both of them to follow their hearts, and she is the absolute sweetest. She says some of the most jaw-droppingly outrageous (for the time) things, and I smiled at her strength each time. I fell in love with her as quickly as Jasper and Frankie did. I love this found family, and was so pleasantly surprised by how sweet and tender their relationships are with each other. The romance is also very swoony and the spice had me fanning my face at times. I really loved some of the things Jasper says to Frankie, although I did feel the dialogue got pretty cheesy and had me rolling my eyes a time or two.

The mystery was exciting and intriguing. I never try too hard to suss out the resolution to a mystery like this because I enjoy the journey and I love to be surprised. I did figure this one out a page or two before the reveal, but I didn’t mind! It was all so much fun. I love The Dove, and cannot wait until the day the author tells us who she is. At the same time, I don’t want to find out because that will most likely end the series. I’d love to know more about her and her connections and how she came to be in this line of work. Give us a prequel for The Dove, please!! Just like the first book, this book ends with an epilogue that introduces the next governess. It’s like a mini cliffhanger to get you excited for the next one. And it has worked both times, because I am SO excited about the next book now! I highly recommend this book and the first one (although, this one can stand alone if you don’t mind some cameos from the characters in the previous book) if you’re looking for historical romance with some intrigue and a story driven by more than just romance! It’s still incredibly romantic, but there’s murder too! The perfect combination!

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise | Book Review

Posted January 18, 2024 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

Never Blow a Kiss by Lindsay Lovise
Series: Secret Society of Governess Spies #1
Also in this series: Never Gamble Your Heart
Published by Forever on January 23, 2024
Genres: Historical Romance, Romance
Pages: 345
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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In this delightfully witty Victorian romance, a governess spy running away from her past falls for an ex-soldier turned railroad magnate.

The utterly charming Emily Leverton has a dark past and is determined to leave it behind in her respectable new role as a governess. But when she is recruited by a secret network of governesses who spy on the ton, it may just be a way to redeem the dark secrets of her past. Straddling the worlds of the ton and the working class, as an ex-solider turned railroad magnate, Zach hunts killers for the Metropolitan Police by day and dutifully attends balls at night. In neither world has he met a woman with the brazenness to mock him. So when a saucy governess blows him a kiss he is determined to catch her, never expecting that when he does he will find an intelligent, quirky woman hiding more than her true name. As Zach peels back the layers of Emily’s lies, he falls for the street-wise woman who handles a dagger like a pro and kisses like a mistress. But when his affair with Emily intertwines with his hunt for a killer, he discovers Emily is hiding an explosive secret—one that could destroy them both.

Never Blow a Kiss is the kind of historical romance I love! Witty banter, spunky heroine, swoony hero, and maaaaajorly romantic. It’s also got an underlying mystery and suspense, which I love and rarely see in historical romance. Lisa Kleypas does this in some of her books and I LOVE these aspects of her stories, so I am always looking for more historical romance novels that incorporate mystery.

I loved Emily. What a heroine to root for! She’s had to fight against so much opposition and so many obstacles in her life to get herself to where she is today. She’s worked so hard to not be defined by her past and to climb out from under the pile of garbage dumped on her as a child. She’s strong, plucky, independent, smart, and very sweet. She’s so cute with children she’s hired to take care of. Zach is also on the outskirts of society, but is respected because of his money. He doesn’t have to work, but does because he wants to be useful. So he works for the Metropolitan Police. I loved his strong, protective ways, and I also loved that he let Emily shine on her own. He knows she can take care of herself and he values and cherishes every part of her and where she came from. The romance between the two of them happens very quickly, but it felt so believable and realistic. I loved their flirting and their gentle ribbing of one another. Zach calls her Noodles, and I think it’s the cutest pet name. They have such a playful relationship that is also deep and meaningful. When they open up to one another about their pasts and can empathize and offer comfort and support to one another I did a chef’s kiss in my mind. Oh, and did I mention that he falls first and is a total puddle around her? Perfection.

The serial killer plot line kept me so interested. A person the press calls the Evangelist is murdering prostitutes, and there are some intense, action-filled scenes sprinkled throughout the book related to this story. Zach and Emily are both working to catch this killer, although he doesn’t know how invested she actually is. When she’s recruited to this secret society of governess spies by a woman known only as The Dove, she’s instructed to pay attention to any talk that might lead to catching this killer. The Dove is an anonymous informant who has used the information her governesses send her to help the police solve crimes. I am so interested in who this woman is, and hope that we learn more about her in future books in this series. We also meet another governess named Frankie, who is extremely smart, and I am pretty positive she will be recruited and be the main character in the next book. I’m very excited about that possibility.

Lindsay Lovise’s writing is lovely! Her descriptions are rich and placed me right in the middle of those Mayfair streets. The steamy scenes were sultry and romantic without being too much. The light banter balanced out the darkness of the Evangelist, and I couldn’t stop reading once I got invested. The ending surprised me! I had no idea who the killed was! The author has set this up to be such a fun and exciting series and I can’t wait to see where it goes!