The Lord of the Highwaymen (Hearts and Highways Book 1)

VICTORIAN:  The Honorable William Haddington is having no end of trouble wooing the woman he loves. Prone to bumbling scholarly recitations when attempting to flirt with his best friend and love, Lady Amelia Fellowes, William and his friends attempt to plan his proposal at Brooks club. Unfortunately, one drink too many and a contemptuous rival result in a ridiculous wager to take up temporary careers as highwaymen or lose their fortunes. Annoyed by the events of the evening, Lady Amelia is in no mood to suffer the antics of five well-dressed men holding up her carriage in the middle of Hyde Park. Yet, when their bumbling group is joined by a much more deadly group of rogues, the romance of highwaymen flirtations takes a serious turn. Can William steal his lady’s heart and win the wager?

A sweet novella tale, “The Lord of the Highwaymen” acts partially as a prequel, establishing the overarching wager plot for the series, and partially concluding a previously established romance between William and Amelia. While this book is not a stand-alone tale, it has all the trademarks of an enjoyable clean historical romance. The characters are amusing, the setting is exciting, and the romance is humorous. However, as a novella, the story lacks depth, the characters are funny but shallow, and it has several loose ends to be resolved, leaving the reader with more questions than answers. Still, as a first book, it sets the stage for what should be a highly entertaining series and lovers of lords, ladies and romance should definitely give this book a look!

Sarah E Bradley