The Highwayman

by Kerrigan Byrne

Overview

A Library Journal Best Book of 2015
A Library Journal Summer Spotlight Title

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, in the stunning debut historical romance The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne.

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian 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?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250076052
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/01/2015
Series:	Victorian Rebels , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	393,332
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 4.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Whether she's writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, Kerrigan Byrne uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in every book. She lives at the base of the Rocky Mountains with her handsome husband and three lovely teenage girls, but dreams of settling on the Pacific Coast.

Editorial Reviews

08/10/2015
Byrne’s gritty first Victorian Rebels novel doesn’t flinch from Victorian London’s darker side. When Farah Mackenzie is unexpectedly abducted, the last thing she expects is a second chance at love—especially with Dorian Blackwell, a shadowy figure in London’s criminal underground. Dorian learned harsh lessons of survival from his youth in Newgate Prison alongside Farah’s childhood sweetheart, Dougan. He knows all of Farah’s secrets, even her true identity as an heiress, and he offers her the opportunity to reclaim her inheritance and to avenge Dougan’s death. But all Farah wants is a child of her own. The romance is raw, edgy, and explosive. There are no flowers, soft words of poetry, or gentle strains of music. Farah alternates between fascination with and hatred for Dorian, simultaneously drawn to his ugly past and repelled by the violence and anger surrounding him. Dorian cannot deny Farah anything, but he also resorts to cruelty to keep her at a distance. Gradually they grow closer; Dorian offers her protection and all the resources at his disposal, and Farah reminds him of the softer, kinder, gentler side of human nature. Theirs is not a pretty tale, but the path they take through adversity makes the triumph of love deeply satisfying. Agent: Christine Witthohn, Book Cents Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Captured me from page one and never let go. Romantic, lush and suspenseful.” —New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch

“A passionate, lyrical romance that takes your breath away. From the first page, you'll fall in love.” —Elizabeth Boyle, New York Times Bestseller

“Byrne makes a stunning debut with a beautifully written, intensely suspenseful, and deliciously sensual love story.” —Amelia Grey, New York Times Bestseller

From the Publisher

★ 08/01/2015
Widowed Farah Leigh Mackenzie has worked quietly as a clerk for Scotland Yard, knowing she will never love another as she loved her handfasted husband, Dougan. But Dougan is dead, and Farah is at peace with her life—until Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More and London's most notorious crime lord, sweeps her off to his castle on the Isle of Mull and makes her an offer she dare not refuse. A disenfranchised, compassionate heroine and a seemingly irredeemably flawed hero work to avenge the past and secure the future. Lyrical writing, insightful character development, and seamless descriptions bring the darker side of the Victorian Era to vivid life in all its violence, squalor, corruption, and unimaginable childhood cruelty. VERDICT An undying youthful love comes to fruition in a sensual, soul-searing story readers won't want to see end. Fortunately, this is the first in a new linked series featuring men who live by their wits and the canny women who are strong and fearless enough to teach them to love. Brilliantly done. Byrne (Invoked) lives at the base of the Rockies.

Library Journal

Derek Perkins’s gratifying performance brings out the paradoxes in highwayman Dorian Blackwell. Perkins’s rich English accent and deep, resonant voice convey a sexy hero who is intimidating yet civilized, rough yet gentle. It’s no wonder that spirited Farah Mackenzie finds herself attracted to the notorious outlaw even after he’s drugged and kidnapped her. Perkins’s command of accents and tone creates a cast of delightfully diverse characters such as Murdoch, the humorous Scottish manservant, and Frank, the slow-talking, dim-witted gentle giant who works in Blackwell’s kitchen. Perkins’s range of voices and timing makes for entertaining and telling repartee between the characters as well as adds to the suspense as the real villains of this romance reveal themselves. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2016 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2015 - AudioFile