The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels)

Kerrigan Bryne is a fabulous author and I quite enjoyed her Beserker novels previously. More recently though I have not enjoyed her work as much so I was a little apprehensive about this book especially at the price. Turns out I truely loved this book. The plot was quite clever with interesting twists and turns. I particularly enjoyed the beginning when the H and h meet as children. This is historical romance at its best!

I normally don't read Historical romances, but this one blew me away. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. And I personal LOVE the fact that we get a tiny peek into this couples future. I made me fall in love with the characters all over again. I can't wait to read the next book in this series...The Hunter

This book had it's weaknesses but they were easily forgotten in the passion between the hero and the heroine and the life they've had to live. A book that took my breath away.

Thank you to OLT for recommending this book.

Thrilling, seductive, stunningly beautiful! Stayed up to finish this beautiful book by one of my favorite authors. Definitely did not disappoint. There are many romance novels out there, too many of which seem to be fill-in-the-blank copies of each other. This is NOT one of those. A fabulous and intriguing story that had my heart aching and my eyes weeping for the notorious Dorian Blackwell.

This book hooks you from the very first chapter. I loved the historical aspect but not the historical that we are normally given. This has a gritty side that draws you in like a moth to a flame. The Hero and Heroine will make you cry, laugh and even make you feel angst on their behalf! I loved every minute and hated for this book to end! Thank you Kerrigan Byrne for such wonderful writing!

This was my first book by this author and although I can respect all the great reviews, this book just wasn't a hit for me. Byrne is a great writer, and the story had so much potential. But The author ends up plugging in high handed twists and turns to drive the plot and create conflict that made no sense. She also ended up creating the stereotypical heroine that drives me up the wall: The one that is virtuous and strong, courageous and uncomforming; then does a 180 as soon as she meets the hero. Why would Farah give up herself to Dorian after knowing him for 24 hours when she had lived holding onto Dougan's memory for 17 years? I just cannot admire the type of woman who becomes a contradiction because her vagina is melting.

There's enough angst and anguish here to satisfy even the most masochistic of romance readers, yet with enough beautiful love and romance to satisfy the most romantic souls. And the writing is very good. This is not a debut book for Byrne. She has several under her belt, mostly paranormal and romantic suspense, but this seems to be her debut straightforward HR and I'm looking forward to the sequel The Hunter to be released in Feb. 2016.

This is a bad boy loves good girl story for the most part, with the bad boy feeling very unredeemable and undeserving of love. It's also a story of revenge, lost love, redemption, the healing power of love, with some steamy sex as icing on the cake.

In 1855 Scotland young Dougan Mackenzie, bastard son of a Scottish laird and a bit of a rebel, is living at Applecross Orphanage and spends a lot of time being physically punished and abused by the nuns and priest. Farah Leigh is also an orphan there, placed by her parents' estate manager after their deaths. Farah, a loving and caring girl, befriends Dougan and they become soulmates, even handfast marrying each other. (Mind you, they're children, so this love is very pure.) Until tragedy strikes and Dougan is taken to prison.

Fast forward 17 years to 1872 London. Farah is now "widow" Mrs. Farah Mackenzie (after learning that Dougan had died in prison) and works for Scotland Yard. She's virtuous and faithful to her "husband's" memory although she is being wooed by her employer. Enter hero Dorian Blackwell into the picture. He's the Blackheart of Ben More, ex-prisoner (with Dougan Mackenzie before his death) and now all-powerful, super rich crime boss in the East End.

Dorian knows all about Farah apparently from his years in prison with Dougan and abducts her to protect her from the very estate manager who had placed her long ago in the Scottish orphanage. So we have Farah being kept safe at Ben More, learning more and more about Dorian and his closest henchmen and their former relationship to Dougan. Dorian is a terribly flawed and troubled man who cannot tolerate even the slightest touch of Farah's fingertips but sparks fly between the two.

There's lots of emotional angst, super-strong sexual attraction and many heart-wrenching moments. This is a very good and well-written book and I enjoyed reading it but I couldn't quite see my way to 5 stars because of parts of the plot that seemed perhaps too contrived. For example, it seemed to me almost impossible that Dorian, in such a short amount of time, could become so rich and so powerful, especially since he seems to spend a lot of time brooding at his Scottish estate, Ben More.

One more issue I had was with his almost pathological aversion to touch. It was quite severe at first glance and I was sure he'd need several years working with a psychologist or psychiatrist, but it only took a few months with our heroine to fix him up. Granted there's a lot of emotional suffering and angst during this time (in which they even managed to have creative sex) but then, magically, he's OK. And my last issue is with the danger to the heroine. It's not well defined and almost seemed to be a figment of the hero's imagination for the greater part of the book, until the bad guy finally shows up and isn't all that scary.

Some things in the book, IMO, don't stand up well to scrutiny, but the romance is really, really touching and really sexy to make up for it. So don't over-analyze this story. Just feel it. It's one of those books you'll have a visceral reaction to, so just go with that. If you're not annoying like me, you'll probably give this 5 stars.

MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS - With the typical "historical romance" pose on the front cover I would have definitely bypassed this series. Luckily it has been highly recommended & I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it! Wonderful story, a little predictable but that is my only complaint, with a strong heroine & a broken violent alpha male, my favorite combo. As young children in a Scottish orphanage, Dougan & Farah find comfort being close friends but quickly realize they have a connection that is rarely found. These sweethearts perform the sacred handholding Scottish marriage ceremony - awwww! "Since ye doona have any family to love anymore, ye could love me..." They are tragically torn apart & we are swept away to Scotland Yard in London where 28 year old "widow" Farah is a clerk of sorts. That is where she first meets Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, the most infamous criminal mastermind, a tall broody dark dangerous man. He kidnaps her, for her own safety of course, & knows all of Farah's secrets about her past. Dorian proposes a deal to restore Farah to her proper place & he'll gain political power. Her one condition - a baby! Dorian is such a broken man from years of abuse in prison that he initially drops the deal. He cannot touch and he won't be touched. So they get awfully creative! :) "I want you to take me." "Then God help us both." Farah's identity as Fairy from the orphanage is no secret, and Dorian's identity is easy to figure out as well. Her soul mate is returned to her only to be a broken man, unable to give his whole heart to her. In the end he is a very possessive jealous man & that is what brings him back to Farah, which I found quite disappointing that he didn't come on his own. Loved the ending! "I wanted a child more than ever, because I needed someone who would accept my love. Someone who wanted it. Who wanted me."

There is something magical and exciting about historical romance books but I rarely find new ones that I like but this story has everything. A tortured hero, a spirited woman and side characters you will come to love! Kerrigan Byrne is a new to me author but this book will certainly make you read her others too.
Farah was just a little girl when she met her best friend, a boy who stole her heart, Dougan. Both orphaned they came to love each other deeply and completely but they were torn apart. Now seventeen years later, Farah is a respected widow living a quiet but interesting life until the most famous villain of London disrupts everything she knows. Dorian has a piece of her past and although the man is the worst, he can help her find herself.
Dorian is a rake and no law can stop him from taking his revenge. His vengeance needs only a wife to make his plans complete and innocent Farah is the perfect candidate. Farah though has her own conditions threatening his carefully cold façade.
I loved this couple! Dorian is so different than the usual gentlemen. He is a scoundrel hard, strong and stubborn. He is angry and lashes out but when you see the fears behind his ice walls around his heart, you will melt! He is a man that uses every power he has even if it’s unethical but he has his own honest codes that are respectable. Farah on the other hand is so sassy. She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to have an opinion. She is understanding but she doesn’t let Dorian take advantage of her.
Their relationship is explosive and their sexual chemistry is burning. Their emotional bond though is so sweet that you will get enchanted by their history and the little things that make them a couple who is in love.
The side characters are so unconventional but give more to this story. They are unusual, a team of rebels and criminals with hearts of gold.
I would have liked to see Dorian and Farah more “together” without so angst between them but the prologue and the beautiful epilogue is so rewarding.
I love when I find historical romance books with the right combination of old fashioned ways and a dose of modernism and this story is perfectly balanced! I cannot wait to read more!

The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels #1)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️by Kerrigan Byrne

How to begin to review a book this intense and memorable. This is my theird book by this author and I am in awe of her writing talent.

Dougan Mackenzie and Farah Leigh were cast away children placed in an orphanage and were subject to malnourishment and abuse by the superiors.
As children, their friendship was a deep commitment to each other born of need and love. Dougan and Farah handfast to each other to complete their devotion. When a Farah comes to Dougan for help because she was because being subject to abuse by the priest Dougan stabs the priest to death and causes them to be separated he to Newgate and she remaining I the orphanage.

Seventeen years past for these star crossed lovers. Farah identifies herself as a widow Farah Mackenzie working as a clerk in Scotland Yard and Dougan survives his prison term in Newgate and becomes the persona of Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More.

The separation of these two children now adults is heartbreaking. When Dougan/Dorian is arrested by Scotland Yard he sees Farah his Fairy and must have her. Farah does not recognize him but see something familiar in his presence. He kidnaps her to his Castle Ben More for her safety where she meets his motley crew of former Newgate cohorts.

To continue on with this review would spoil the true depth and love in this book. It is a must read.

Originally published at Rookie Romance.

This has everything I love in my romance novels. You've got a brooding, tortured hero with a dangerous edge. A strong, intelligent heroine drawn to our dark hero despite her misgivings. Danger and mystery lurking everywhere. Kidnappings and castles. I could go on but I may swoon.
Basically this had all the ingredients for a fabulous romance that could sweep me away. And that's exactly what it did. I loved it.

Farah is a great heroine who doesn't back down from a challenge and stands up to Dorian when other people would be quaking in their shoes. She honestly has a heart of gold and can see past Dorian's exterior to the man in pain underneath. After the devastating loss of the boy she loved when she was young, Farah has hidden her painful past and forged a life and career for herself. That is until she's kidnapped by the dangerous Dorian Blackwell.

Dorian is a man with a horrific past and it's the pain and rage from this that fuels his need to power his empire and seek his vengeance. Dorian makes no bones about who he is and the things he's done in the past and will continue to do in the future, but your heart can't help but break for the man you get glimpses of. Dorian is fiercely protective and has a stubborn streak a mile wide, but he's my favourite kind of hero. Sometimes he'll drive you mad with exasperation but the whole tortured, alpha hero thing definitely floats my boat.

I know there will be some people who read this and don't like the darker tone of the sexual scenes, or won't enjoy some of the melodrama that does arise in the plot but if you sit back and just let yourself go with it, it's one hell of a fun ride. There's darkness to the story which is lifted by lighter moments between the characters and the chemistry between Farah and Dorian. Seriously, the sexual tension between those two is off the charts. They have their fair share of obstacles to overcome, including the fact that Dorian can't stand to be touched, but they come together in a blaze of passion, pain, lies and love to break down those obstacles.
There's also a great cast of secondary characters who often help to alleviate the tension between Farah and Dorian. Many of them have enough of their own story peppered through the book to make you care for them as well.

Overall, I couldn't recommend this book more. I heartily enjoyed every moment of this story,even as I wept my wimpy little heart out- seriously I'm a total watering pot. But I challenge any person not to get emotional during this story; it's filled with so many warring emotions and heart-rending situations. I'll be looking forward to more from Kerrigan Byrne, that's for sure. She's whet my appetite for stories about the characters we've been introduced to here and I'm excited to see what else this author can produce.

*I received a review copy from the publisher, for my honest opinion. Thank you!

PLOT: Farah and Dougan meet in an orphanage and fall in love. They’re children when they marry. Dougan kills a man trying to protect her and is sent to prison where he is killed. Seventeen years later, Dorian Blackwell, a former inmate with Dougan, finds Farah and proposes marriage in order to protect her.

PROS: I really liked Dorian and Farah and found myself missing them when I was finished with the book. I had my reservations about reading this as I was worried it would be too dark and depressing for me. That’s not the case at all. Fortunately, the author chose not to detail grizzly prison assaults in either flashbacks or conversation. Parts of the story were even funny. The pace of the plot was fast. I can’t recall a dull moment. It was a very enjoyable read.

CONS: Though I understand why there weren’t more segments written from Dorian’s point-of-view, I still found myself wanting to know more about what he was feeling and thinking at certain times.

5 STARS: When I really like a book, I generally can’t think of much to say about it and I certainly don’t want to ruin it for other readers. It’s an excellent read.

When I started reading this book, I was surprised it was set in the Victorian period. The cover is neutral, historical and the title, The Highwayman, made me think earlier Regency, not later 1880’s. However, within the first few pages, and reading the childhood of Farah, the title quickly made sense. I had not been expecting the plethora of emotions I experienced while reading this book or the emotional depth.

I loved how the relationship between Farah and Dorian developed. He, one of the most powerful criminals in London, kidnaps her to keep her safe. Farah, who has her own secrets, works to help heal his emotional scars. As the reader, you sense that Dorian is keeping a big secret from her. Despite this, it was immensely satisfying to see Farah pursuing Dorian for an intimate relationship, not the other way around. His desire was to protect her, while Farah wanted to heal Dorian and convince him the blood on his hands did not mean he wasn’t worthy of a future.

This book has everything you would want in a book. There were reformed prostitutes, bohemian writers, highwaymen, a lost heiress, and small children in prison, all of which revolved around one of the sweetest love stories I’ve read in a while. The juxtaposition between the suffering that Dorian went through and the romantic relationship that developed between him and Farah shouldn’t have worked; but it did, momentously.

4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Francesca and posted at Under The Covers Book Blog

My unexpected read of the month! I had received this book for review and I have to say the beautiful cover had me REALLY tempted to read it. But I was putting it off until after it released and a few friends were raving about it. I went in blind, as I often do, and didn’t even read the blurb. (I confess I’m a cover whore). And what a beautiful surprise it was!

I love a sweet historical as much as the next girl but I really enjoy a darker one as well. And I just haven’t been able to find many of those. THE HIGHWAYMAN is one of them. In the midst of the dark plot there’s a sweet story about second chances and broken hearts that you just must read.

The perfect bad boy, tortured hero, Dorian Blackwell, gets a second chance at love with the girl he fell in love with and married when he was still a young boy. After life has tested him and beaten him down, left a few scars behind and that young girl a widow, he returns as one of the biggest criminals and finds Farah has never stopped loving him. Even if it’s just the memory of a boy he no longer is.

The intrigue and mystery of this story kept me completely interested throughout the book. When Dorian has to kidnap Farah to keep her safe sparks immediately start flying. Dark, dangerous ones as Farah finds herself attracted to a very bad man. But it is in the understanding that he is tied in some way to her childhood love that they forge a bond in the now and plot for revenge together. The secret of Dorian’s identity was never a surprise as the author gives enough clues throughout the story. But the unveiling of what he went through from the moment he is sent to prison was slowly heartbreaking. To find out why he’s scarred, and why he can’t be touched. Farah was the only one that could soothe and heal his wounds, and it took a strong heroine like her who has also gone through a lot of heartbreak in her life, to be able to do that.

THE HIGHWAYMAN is a bold and rich story, full of emotions and intrigue that is guaranteed to capture your heart. The romance is beautiful, the chemistry is off the charts, the plot was well thought out and kept me riveted from page one. I highly recommend this to all fans of tortured heroes!

This is my first book by Kerrigan Byrne but it definitely won’t be my last. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series as Ms. Byrne continues to let these tortured bad men find redemption and love!

Orphans, secret childhood wedding vows and separation. a supernaturally beautiful virgin heroine with a ridiculous name and a secret past, a dark brooding and very violent domineering male hero, who is crippled inside and is only tamed by one woman, a handsome romantic rival with a not so masked streak of cruelty that the heroine doesn't actually see as a danger sign, there is some genuine darkness in this and unlike so many recent books it actually has an epic scope, and lots and lots of plot. It is amazing so retro a Romance could be published in this day and age. Even the cover while rather tame is nicely passionate and wonderfully lurid, and for once it captures the book well.

Of course there are the shibboleths of modern romance, not all of them bad by any means, an older Victorian heroine, with a career, kilts, implied male rape, an interesting squeamishness in actual scenes, and the contemporary regency sin of ahistoric title inflation, etc.. But these are not even distractions and honestly make the book better in places.

But it almost magically skirts every one of the danger zones that rile up so many modern romance readers, just like its hero it is constantly coming within a hair of going into the realm of squick that modern sensibilities do not want interrupting the fantasy. It is a masterpiece of control and precision. I suspect it will be a model going forward, apparently the whole Twilight/Fifty Shades of Grey and paranormal phenomena has actually achieved something: introducing a real sense of physical danger when combined with an interesting and strong heroine is really the essence of non Regency Romance.

Of course it is not perfect, the dialogue is strangely stilted in places and the jarring contrast between its nice antique feel and the rampant use of modern terms in the descriptions, is kind of unfortunate. For example Scottish castle kitchens do not have islands, or at least they did not in the 19th century. It could be a lot more elegant, but at the same time its enthusiasm carries it far.

It is genuinely a tribute to an earlier era in the genre, for example there a scene where our heroine in evening dress runs in tears fleeing from a castle overlooking the sea (I guess St Martin's balked at that old school a cover), but it is not just there it is like the author wanted to include every favorite element.

So I repeat what I wrote in the Headline.

If you like the cover you will like The Highwayman, a lot.

As children, Farah and Dougan were soon inseparable, Farah’s open and loving heart that brought Dougan into her life set them on a path to love, albeit childish. They had even declared themselves married, and life for them always included one another. But when Farah is nearly abused, and Dougan steps in to defend her, he is sent to prison and she is left to manoeuver life alone.

Fast forward several years, and Farah is posing as a widow, using Dougan’s surname, and working for Scotland Yard. She’s never forgotten Dougan, and while she wants a family of her own, her options are limited, and loveless. Soon, however, she is taken by Dorian, a man at the center of a manhunt, believed to run all things nefarious in London, best exemplified by his cold and calculating presence. But, all is not as it seems, and Dorian, enchanted by his former prison-mate Dougan’s tale of the wondrous “Fairy” had sought her out. She’s apparently the target of danger, and Dorian wouldn’t want anything happen to the woman he’d come to know through tales in prison.

The dark and brooding hero is back! Dorian is nothing but solicitous and kind to Farah, even as his remove is buried beneath layers of abuse and issues, from childhood and even in prison. Again, Farah’s heart and strength of character shine through. Still holding on to her memories of Dougan, she can’t help but see the same characteristics in Dorian: the protectiveness, the wary watchfulness, the care with which he approaches new situations, and the underlying doubts he has.

Wonderfully gripping, wholly emotional and beautifully described, these characters come alive on the page, set in a rather unforgiving landscape. Byrne has written a wonderful story here that promises many good things for the future. I certainly have the next in the series on my watch list and have several other titles from her in my library to read.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Dougan MacKenzie and Farah Townsend became friends who forged a lifelong bond while they both suffered at Applecross Orphanage in the Scottish Highlands in 1855. He was eleven and she eight when she came upon him, lonely and hurting from abuse by the nuns. She was his only friend, his “fairy,” but tragedy separated them…for seventeen long years.
Farah now works as a competent clerk for Scotland Yard in London when she meets the notorious and enigmatic outlaw, Dorian Blackwell, known as the “Blackheart of Ben More,” for his ruthless ways. Dorian is wealthy, handsome (if scarred and damaged both inside and out), and rich as Croesus.
Farah is used to seeing the worst of the human psyche, but she is drawn to Dorian in a way she doesn’t understand. But she is not foolish. When he kidnaps her and spirits her away to his estate, Ben More, in the Highlands, and describes his grand plans for both of them, she bravely agrees on one condition. And it’s a condition that will test all of his willpower as well as his bruised heart.
Farah is an admirable and strong woman in a time when women were expected to be docile and subservient. But she has been on her own almost her entire life and is used to it. She is kind to everyone but she is not a fool. People can’t help but love and adore her. Especially Dorian.
Loretta Chase’s wonderful love story Lord of Scoundrels came to mind many times while I savored this book. Dorian is as damaged and filled with self-loathing as Dain while Farah inspires light and kindness and pluck reminiscent of the feisty and smart Jess. The writing is rich and descriptive, and filled with plenty of angst, tender emotion, and sexual tension, just like Chase’s memorable story.
My heart broke for Dorian and all he had endured and for Farah, too, in their lost and reclaimed love. The secondary characters, especially Dorian’s right hand, Murdoch, add humor, heart, and interest to an already rich and lovely romance.
History is vividly described in the beautiful and rough landscape of Scotland and the dank interiors of Scotland Yard, and Byrne also describes the decadent and delicious foods in Dorian’s kitchens and the elegance and magnificence of his palatial estate.
The love scenes in this angsty read are filled with a combination of darkness, longing, restraint, lust, and tenderness. Dorian believes he is completely unworthy of Farah’s pure love–think Rochester from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre–and it’s sometimes painful to read his intense self-hatred even as he desperately wants Farah’s love. And Farah sees through to the real man beneath all the pain; she just doesn’t know how to get him to see it.
I have never read this author before but I will most definitely be reading more.

Oh my! This was a startling declaration of love enduring.
A riveting tale of a 'lost boy' reclaimed by love. A fairy tale if you will (parts of it for more than just one denizen of Newgate as it turns out). A Beauty and the Beast story with a twist. I enjoyed this immensely.
Farrah Leigh and Dougan MacKenzie meet as children in an orphanage in 1855, Dougan, the illegitimate son of a Scottish Lord continually bares the brunt of harsh punishment. Farrah has been left as an orphan by a sleazy Mr Warrington until she grows up, when he will mary her. Farrah, Dougan's 'fairy' befriends him and over a time and contact that friendship grows to love. Ick! The scenes of Dougan and Farrah as children together in that awful place tended by harsh taskmasters are overlaid with compassion and tenderness. As preteens almost, Dougan and Farrah hand fast to each other in the orphanage chapel and declare their undying love. Dougan give her a piece of MacKenzie plaid that she holds onto over the years, just as she holds onto her love for Dougan. When Farrah is fondled by the orphanage priest they attempt to run. The priest is killed. Dougan is taken to prison.
Over the years Farrah (as a child and later as the respectable widow Mrs MacKenzie) has been searching for Dougan. She scores a job at Scotland Yard as a recorder. Here she comes face to face with the notorious Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, after he is taken in for questioning, unknowingly, Farrah looks across the years at her past and into her future.
I was struck by Byrne's use of language. For example on on occasion, when Dorian and Farrah face each other, he stands so close to her that 'a moth's wing wouldn't have survived in the space between them and still he never touched her.' Delightfully descriptive, poetic!
And the tragedy! I certainly needed my box of tissues close by during reading.
Just before writing this I reread The Highwayman. If possible I enjoyed it even more. I think this will be a serious reread over the years to come.
Oh, and I can't wait to read the next in the Victorian Rebel series about the assassin, Christopher Argent.

A NetGalley ARC

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Bryne is a 2015 St. Martin's Press publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“I'd never leave you, Fairy.

Truly?

Not even to be a pirate?

I promise. I might be a highwayman though.

Will you try to love me, too?

I'll try Fairy, but I havena done it before.

I'll teach you.”

Wow! Whoa! Is it really possible the dangerous, dark, brooding hero is back? Please, say it's true. This book blew me away! A real honest to goodness sweeping and epic love story!

Farah is a respectable widow whose husband died after a brief marriage. She now works for Scotland Yard and has perhaps decided to consider marrying again in hopes of having the children she has always wanted.

But, her plans are suddenly upended when the ruthless villain, Dorian Blackwell kidnaps her, then informs her that her birthright as been stolen by an impostor and her life is in danger. He promises he will keep her safe, but his protection comes with a high price.... she must agree to marry him and help him exact revenge on those who wronged him.

Farah knows she hasn't much choice in the matter, but there is still one stipulation she must insist upon before she agrees to this arrangement. Dorian must provide her the family she has always pined for.

Dorian is the quintessential tortured soul, scarred physically, mentally, and emotionally. Farah is the gentle soul whose strength and determination will break down the fortress Dorian has built around his heart.

“I make ye my heart
At the rising of the moon.
To love and honor,
Through all our lives.
May we be reborn,
May our souls meet and know.
And love again.
And remember.”

This is much more than a classic beauty and the beast story. This story touched me on all cylinders, had me going through the gamut of emotions, starting with sadness, anger, frustration, and fear that led on to becoming one of the most heart warming, deeply emotional and touching, epic love stories I've read in a long time.

This is book 1 in the Victorian Rebels series.

Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is not a man to be trifled with. Used to getting exactly what her wants, Dorian has decided that he wants Farah Leigh Mackenzie. Kidnapping and taking Farah to his castle, Dorian tells Farah that they are to be wed.

Farah agrees to the marriage, but only when Dorian lets her know that he will protect her from people that are trying to kill her and to restore her inheritance to her. But she soon finds herself having to fight the attraction she feels for her new husband.

Dorian is hiding things about his past that would affect Farah, what will she do when she learns the truth?

I absolutely adored this story!! The chemistry between Farah and Dorian was red hot which is always a plus. We also have Dorian and his friends trying to get Farah's inheritance back. There is so much more to say, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone!! If you haven't pick up this book, go out and do it today! You will not be disappointed!

This is my first story by Byrne and I can guarantee that it won't be my last!! I can not wait for the next story in the series, The Hunter, which comes out in February!!

Thanks go out to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange of an honest review.

I will express how much I have missed such novels as The Highwayman as this novel returned to more elder traits such as the more classical romances than what I was expecting. I want to point out that this idea is a good thing. This year alone I have grown more than tired of the typical romance novels where as the reader I can usually guess as to what will happen next and the plot desiccates before the middle of the book.

Instead what I discovered within this story was a enriched adventure filled of both romance and suspenseful, historical action that made for an incredible story. I was certainly not expecting to enjoy this story as much as I did and so I always love it whenever an author can deliver such surprises.

However the romance in the beginning of the story tended to be a little weaker than I like. The attraction between both Dorian and Farah sparked from the start but I felt like it took a little too much time before the romance really shined within. Once the romance was found however it was sizzling and certainly worth the waiting.

Still, what I loved the most about this book was the fact that Dorian is more of a villain rather than a hero. I cannot stress how much this theme thrills me to read. I love a story that allows a villain to win the heart of the heroine and Dorian was a true villain although I did find signs of a hero lurking beneath his masculinity.

Overall I think this book was a great start to a series. I would without a doubt read more of this series as well as future, separate publications written by Bryne.

Excellent, loved it!
I was in despair after my previous book from Laura Kinsale ruined me for all others. However, this one stood up (where many others didn't), from great story, depth of characters, to a beautiful aching build of a romance that was so satisfying... and scorching hot too.
I have to say though, with the title and the blurb, I was expecting a "Plunket and MacLean" style outlaw adventure, and this was far from it with characters older, way way post highwayman, made his riches and seeking respectability. So very well put together though with past meeting present.

This new-to-me author goes straight to my favourites list, such a great read.

I really loved this book. I've never read anything else by this author but I intend to look for more. I don't want to give away too much, but the plot is less important than the depth of the characters. They are involving and their relationship is emotionally intense. This is a story about the healing ability of a loving relationship, even when a person has been to hell and back. The story is about two orphans who survived seemingly insurmountable odds, to find each other. The hero to save the heroine's life, and the heroine to save her hero's heart. Farah & Dougan meet as children, both under the questionable care of an orphanage. They are separated under tragic circumstances. Years later, a man named Dorian, who says he knew Dougan, kidnaps Farah, saying he must marry her to save her life. He owes it to Dougan with whom he shared some hellish time in Newgate prison before Dougan died. The reader can probably figure where this plot is going, but it doesn't really matter. Dorian is a well known criminal mastermind, who seems to be utterly ruthless - except for his vulnerability in his dealings with Farah. He speaks harshly, but has obvious emotional and sexual issues, that only Farah has the nerve to confront him about. I couldn't put the book down and became completely involved with Farah and Dorian. A real keeper.

I have loved historical romances for years and had high hopes for this one and while it was good it fell just short of five stars. The main male character Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a great protagonist and ruthless villain with his scandalous reputation and hardscrabble upbringing and his ties to the heroine's past boyhood love. I liked how the author described how he came into power and left a trail of misery in his wake and when he came across virgin widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie she doesn't fall instantly in love or lust with him. When he kidnaps her and takes her to his castle that is when the battle of wits and passion beings as they find out they need one another to exact revenge on their enemies and marriage is the only way to achieve their goals.
While I liked the two main romantic leads, I grew tired of their repetitive plot point of him not wanting to be touched and how she was always staring into his mask of ice face that showed very little emotion. It was overstated and the scenes in the bedroom drug out because of his coldness and him hating to be touched. Otherwise I liked the story line of how they bonded and found their happily ever after.