The Lady and the Highwayman by Sarah M. Eden

Sep 23, 2019 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it really liked it

Shelves: mary-sue-and-gary-stu, victorian, historical-fiction, romance, netgalley, suspense, squeaky-clean-romance

3.5 stars. Sarah Eden, a well-known author of clean historical romances, shifts gears in this unusual twist on the genre: a cat-and-mouse game between Elizabeth Black and Fletcher Walker, two Victorian era authors of “penny dreadful” novels.

description

Victorian-era penny dreadful novel

They really were a penny! And in all likelihood the writing was dreadful too, although I understand the dreadful part is actually referring to the scary villains and monsters that usually populated these thriller-type books. 3.5 stars. Sarah Eden, a well-known author of clean historical romances, shifts gears in this unusual twist on the genre: a cat-and-mouse game between Elizabeth Black and Fletcher Walker, two Victorian era authors of “penny dreadful” novels.

description

Victorian-era penny dreadful novel

They really were a penny! And in all likelihood the writing was dreadful too, although I understand the dreadful part is actually referring to the scary villains and monsters that usually populated these thriller-type books. :)

Fletcher is trying to unearth the identity of a “Mr. King,” who’s overtaken Fletcher as the best-selling author of penny dreadful novels. It’s not just pride; Fletcher, who was once a street orphan himself, needs the money to help fund his secret organization of men committed to helping rescue and educate London’s street children. (What exactly Fletcher and this organization plan to do about Mr. King, other than maybe ask him to join their group, isn't entirely clear. It sort of seems like they have something ominous in mind but ... maybe not?)

Anyway, Fletcher asks Miss Elizabeth Black, headmistress of a respectable girl’s school and author of “silver-fork” novels, to help him track down Mr. King - never dreaming that Elizabeth IS Mr. King. Besides the socially-approved silver-fork novels, she has a fondness for writing the more sensational penny dreadful novels ... and plus they make her way more money, which she ALSO needs to help fund her girl's school. Elizabeth, determined to keep her secret from him - it would ruin her socially and professionally if it became known - agrees to “help” Fletcher, really intending to mislead him. Hah!

There's a subplot about people devoted to trying to improve the lot of poor children and teens in London (spoiler alert: the villains who prey on the poor take exception to having their schemes interfered with) and just a little romance, complete with the trope (view spoiler).

These chapters about Fletcher and Elizabeth alternate with chapters from the pulpy novels that the two of them are currently writing, in which monsters of various types abound. It’s occasionally a bit slow, the main characters are almost too altruistic to be true, and the other characters are pretty one-dimensional, but overall it’s a fun and quite different kind of book if you like light historical romances. I enjoyed seeing how the chapters from Fletcher’s and Elizabeth’s penny dreadful novels tied into the main plot ... especially when it happened on purpose. :)

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Thank you! ...more

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May 06, 2019 Fran rated it it was amazing

In 19th Century London, Penny Dreadfuls were "low-literature serials" featuring captivating stories of adventure, damsels in distress, criminals and monsters. For a "penny", laborers, tradesmen and children could purchase the newest weekly installment. Fletcher Walker grew up living the hardscrabble life of a street urchin. Only through a stroke of luck was he able to escape the desperate life he was leading where a street urchin could be beaten for walking slower than his master. Fletcher was n In 19th Century London, Penny Dreadfuls were "low-literature serials" featuring captivating stories of adventure, damsels in distress, criminals and monsters. For a "penny", laborers, tradesmen and children could purchase the newest weekly installment. Fletcher Walker grew up living the hardscrabble life of a street urchin. Only through a stroke of luck was he able to escape the desperate life he was leading where a street urchin could be beaten for walking slower than his master. Fletcher was now a top selling writer of Penny Dreadfuls. He was the largest financial contributor to the Hoggs School, the only school London street children could attend. He crusaded to help feed poor families, rescue girls from houses of ill-repute, and stop masters from abusing their working children. The rise of the mysterious Mr. King, a new writer of Penny Dreadfuls "...was, slowly, but surely, claiming an ever-larger slice of the penny dreadful pie".

Elizabeth Black was Headmistress of Thurloe Collegiate School. Elizabeth was "the picture of respectability". She had written several "silver-fork" novels, novels for and about the upper class. Her well-ordered life included attending silver fork or political salons that helped generate school funding from the "elevated class"... but...Elizabeth had a secret! She wrote Penny Dreadfuls under the pen name of Mr. King. Her most profitable works included "Excesses of emotion. Dastardly villains. Daring escapes. Sword fights. They were exaggerations of the most delicious sort, exciting the senses, palpitating the heart, offering an escape from the doldrums of life"...but..."A lady in her position could be respected or she could be adventurous. What she could not be was both."

Fletcher Walker belonged to the Dreadful Penny Society, a clandestine society of Penny Dreadful writers who met in an undisclosed location."Being made known would keep them from helping and rescuing and doing the good that meant so much to them." The elusive Mr. King was upsetting the applecart. Who was he? Fletcher studies King's stories. "He don't write the same as the rest of us. He's got class, more sophistication." Fletcher enlists the help of Elizabeth Black, a silver fork novelist who hob-nobs with the upper crust of society.

"The Lady and the Highwayman" by Sarah M. Eden was a delightful historical romance. Interspersed within the novel are two Penny Dreadfuls. Such fun! I wonder if perhaps this tome should be marketed to the teen/YA audience.

Thank you Shadow Mountain Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Lady and the Highwayman".

...more

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Jul 04, 2019 Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-romance, arc-reviews, historical-fiction

A FRESH NEW TAKE ON HISTORICAL ROMANCE!

When I started this book I was expecting just another run-of-the-mill historical romance novel. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that this one actually stood out in numerous ways.

"Rumour had it, Fletcher Walker wasn't born but had simply appeared one day, swaggering down the streets of London."

THE THINGS I LIKED

Chemistry: Historical romance has a tendency to be more about lust and physical attraction than actual romance. Sure, it can be ...more

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Jul 13, 2019 Julie Carpenter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, austenesque, personal-library, foreign-country, historical, kindle-book, laugh-out-loud, chick-lit, fantasy, go-to-read-agains

4.5*

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I picked this one up. I knew that I love pretty much anything/everything that I read from this author but this one was her first Victorian and a historical fiction. I found myself loving the style, especially the interspersed, "Penny Dreadfuls."

Now you're asking what are "Penny Dreadfuls?" Well, let me enlighten you. They were serial stories written for the lower classes and cost a penny. A way for many to be able to enjoy reading a story affordabl 4.5*

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect when I picked this one up. I knew that I love pretty much anything/everything that I read from this author but this one was her first Victorian and a historical fiction. I found myself loving the style, especially the interspersed, "Penny Dreadfuls."

Now you're asking what are "Penny Dreadfuls?" Well, let me enlighten you. They were serial stories written for the lower classes and cost a penny. A way for many to be able to enjoy reading a story affordably. They were also not considered quite proper for the upper class, so possibly a little bit of a taboo subject for high society.

Elizabeth and Fletcher are both authors. She is a proper and influential author while he authors the dreaded "penny dreadfuls." They both have their secrets from each other but which are pretty easy for the reader to pick up on right at the beginning of the story.

There are two penny dreadful stories going on throughout the main storyline and I have to say that I enjoyed how the two connected with what was happening in Elizabeth and Fletcher's lives.

This book looks at the different levels of society, from the street urchins and other poverty stricken people to the wealthy. I thought it was well written and I really enjoyed all the historical aspects that you can see the author really did her research on. I think that's one reason why I really enjoy her writing so much is because of the rich history that she includes in her stories. Not only am I reading and enjoying myself being immersed in a story, but I'm learning as well. Definitely a win/win for me with reading!

If you're a Sarah M. Eden fan, I hope you grab this one and enjoy the many aspects of it. Suspense, a little romance and great characterization. If you've never read books by this author before and enjoy Victorian then this would be a good one to start with.

Content: Clean. Some moments of peril and suspense. Descriptions of life for street urchins, some talk about the children being beaten and mistreated but nothing graphic. I felt it was well done for showing but not overly showing the horrific circumstances experienced by many of the lower class, especially the children.

I received a copy from the publisher, Shadow Mountain Publishing, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!! ...more

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Sep 19, 2019 Kathy rated it really liked it

Shelves: victorian-1837-1901, historical-europe, mystery-historical, 2019, content-green

I always know when I pick up a Sarah Eden book that I will get a wonderful story, relatable characters, accurate history and an overall entertaining reading experience. Her books are an experience, especially her historicals. I went into this one without reading the synopsis first, I have started doing this more with books and think it adds more surprises to the story. I was quickly sucked into this one, I don't want to give too much away, but as usual Ms. Eden has written a captivating story. I ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Aimee (Getting Your Read On) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: clean-romance, historical-fiction, physical-book-for-review

It is always, always, a pleasure to read Sarah Eden's books. She has a remarkable gift for crafting a story that wraps itself around my heart. I think what I love the most is how she takes the dark, hard and difficult circumstances of life and balances that with hope through a few good people trying to make a difference. That, in turn, gives me hope. I've been a bit heartsick lately for how difficult and cruel this world is. The future doesn't always look so bright and I've been trying to remin ...more

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Sep 16, 2019 Heidi Robbins (Heidi Reads...) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, publisher-shadow-mountain, kindle, reviewed

I should know better than to start a Sarah Eden book at bedtime! By the time 3:30 am rolled around I finished the book with a happy sigh :) This one is unputdownable. (That should totally be a word). Sometimes I find novels set in Victorian times to be a bit stuffy, but this book is the exact opposite of that- the characters find liberation and freedom in their unconventional work and their vibrant personalities jump off the page. I loved that we got to know Fletcher first- he is so compelling w ...more

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May 22, 2019 Melissa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: clean-romances, regency-romance

I was a little worried when I started this story. You quickly come to find out the two main characters are writers. You basically get 3 stories in one with this book:} I wasn't sure this was going to work but it did and very well. You learned a lot about Fletcher from his stories. The way she twines Elizabeth's story around their own story is awesome. I loved this one. It is probably one of my favorite Eden's It had a light feel and a good mystery and romance! So much fun to read! ...more

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Jun 24, 2019 QNPoohBear rated it it was amazing

Shelves: historical-romance, clean-romance, historical-fiction, kisses-only, victorian-gilded-age

Thank you, thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for allowing me to read this uncorrected proof e-ARC. All opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Fletcher Walker's origins are a bit of a mystery. To say he has risen from humble beginnings would be an understatement. He was picking pockets by age 4 and at age 10 swaggered into a ragged school where he received the education that matched his drive to succeed. Now a successful author of "penny dreadfuls," Fletcher and his fellow p Thank you, thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for allowing me to read this uncorrected proof e-ARC. All opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Fletcher Walker's origins are a bit of a mystery. To say he has risen from humble beginnings would be an understatement. He was picking pockets by age 4 and at age 10 swaggered into a ragged school where he received the education that matched his drive to succeed. Now a successful author of "penny dreadfuls," Fletcher and his fellow penny dreadful authors in the secret Dread Penny Society seek to help urchins like Fletcher once was. Their financial security is threatened by the rising sales of a new penny dreadful author, a Mr. King. Mr. King is a mystery and Fletcher loves mysteries. He must determine whether Mr. King would stand with them or against them. Little does Fletcher know that his quest for Mr. King will produce so many frustrating dead ends, because... Mr. King is actually a woman! Elizabeth Black, headmistresses of Thurloe Collegiate School, was a lady by birth but forced to earn her living. She has written several well-received "silver fork" novels and earned the respect of Society. However, Elizabeth has a secret. By day she's a proper headmistress but by night she pens a penny dreadful serial "The Lady and the Highwayman" taking London by storm. Elizabeth must keep her authorship secret if she is to retain the respect of Thurloe's wealthy funders and respectable parents. Elizabeth is a rogue at heart and when she encounters Fletcher she finds a mystery worth solving and unwittingly stumbles into his philanthropy efforts. Elizabeth is an enthusiastic reformer and not about to be left out of things, but what if Fletcher discovers her secret? Will she be exposed to all of London and lose her livelihood? As the two become deeper involved in the seedier side of Victorian life, they are drawn closer together but Elizabeth is a lady and Fletcher an overgrown urchin. Can they take the greatest risk of all and let their hearts speak freely?

I absolutely adored this story! It starts off a little slow and episodic but it picks up after a time and I couldn't put it down. I waffled between 4 and 5 stars until the very end. I thought it largely implausible that Elizabeth would out herself in her story and that Fletcher wouldn't catch on. The clues were staring him right in the face and still he didn't realize Mr. King WAS Elizabeth. However, by the end, I decided I liked the story that way because it leads to a more charming conclusion. The ending of the story was not completely satisfying and I would love to see this turned into a series. The romance is adorable! I love the banter between Fletcher and Elizabeth and every time I finished a chapter I found myself grinning from ear to ear. These two are so perfect for each other. The romance develops nicely over a shared interest in helping the wretched (think Les Misérables type people) and their writing careers. At first I didn't like the penny dreadful stories. Having three stories in one book is a bit much and I wanted to skip ahead to the main storyline. However, DO read the stories within the story because as Fletcher and Elizabeth's relationship grows, art begins to imitate life and we get to know our hero and heroine a lot better.

The writing style is great. This is only my second full-length novel by this author but I've read some of her short stories and this one is better written. I love the way she conveys the diversity of Victorian London without resorting to outdated descriptors or stereotypes. She does briefly mention "tight, curly hair" but that's the only indicator the character does not resemble the typical person of the British Isles. That could mean anything until it's clarified. People in this story have ancestors from all over the world, which makes sense given the British Empire was quickly becoming the largest empire in the world. Authors, THIS is the way you do diversity in a period piece. It's there because it belongs. The descriptions of life in the London slums and the plight of the poor really conveyed the darker side of the time period (it really did remind me of Les Mis, same time period). The problems still persist and we need the Dread Penny Society in modern times.

The Penny Dreadful novels are not supposed to be well-written but more for entertainment purposes. I really didn't like Fletcher's. Vampires creep me out! I did like the plucky heroes, Morris and Joe. They give the reader a glimpse of what Fletcher was like as a boy. Elizabeth's made me roll my eyes a lot at the silliness of it all. I figured out the secrets pretty quickly. I thought perhaps something different was going to happen but when it didn't, I knew my first guess was correct. I don't like how patently obvious Elizabeth makes her authorship. Really, as clever as Fletcher is, he ought to have figured it out. How typical of a man, even an unconventional one, not to think a respectable lady could pen trashy novels. Honestly!

The characters are all so well-written I feel like I know them. Elizabeth is my Victorian alter ego. I'm a rebel at heart but unlike Elizabeth, I lack the courage to do some of the things she did. Her school is exactly the type I would support and send my daughter to (if I had one) at that time regardless of class. I would be a champion of female education like Elizabeth. I love how strong, kind-hearted and brave she is. Elizabeth wants to help children because she's compassionate and empathetic not for any particular religious motivation. I really appreciate the lack of preaching in this novel. Fletcher is motivated because he was once on the streets doing whatever it took to survive and he wants other children to have the same opportunities he did. I admire him for that but I confess to being taken in by his witty banter. If I had one complaint, it would be that he doesn't yet open up to Elizabeth and tell her the story of his childhood even his friends don't know.

Elizabeth's friend Ana, a music teacher, is very sweet and good. When push comes to shove, she can be strong and brave to help her students. There's potential for a secondary romance here. Mr. Headley, the closest thing Elizabeth has to a suitor, like Edward Yardley in Venetia, he likes to mansplain things to Elizabeth. The depth of his character surprised me and the story ended too soon. I need to know more.

Fletcher's friends are more diverse and interesting than Elizabeth's narrow society. Mr. Hogg runs the ragged school like the one that gave Fletcher his chance. This is an incredible story I didn't know about. Hollis Darby, Fletcher's closest friend, is from an aristocratic family fallen on hard times. He has incredible sympathy for the poor, unusual in one of his class. He's a very nice man who helps Fletcher navigate the tricky waters of courting a Society lady, even if the courtship is ostensibly fake. Stone, a former American slave, is the muscle of the society. He's the silent type but obviously against slavery of all kinds and will do whatever it takes to be free and ensure no human is enslaved. Brogan, Fletcher's other close friend but not confidante, is an Irish charmer. He's tough and rough and ready but also kind. I love his sister.

The plight of Daniel, the climbing boy is shocking and despicable. It's hard to believe that kind of abuse was legal. Mrs. George and her thugs are to be expected in this time and place. It is the oldest profession after all. They're very nasty sorts. Four-Fingered Mike is also a nasty villain but the nastiest of them all eludes everyone. One known only as "The Mastiff" frightens even the police. We never learn who it is but my guess is someone from the upper class controlling the police and the government from within. Did they have mafia types in Victorian Britain?

I can't say too much more without spoiling the story for others but if you like Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Victor Hugo, watched "Victorian Slum House" on TV, you might like this novel. If you like gothic novels you might like the stories within the story. If you love a good proper romance in the vein of a traditional Regency Romance you will LOVE this! Jane Austen x Charles Dickens x Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley. ...more

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Jun 26, 2019 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, historical-adventure

Miss Elizabeth Black is headmistress at a girls' school in London and a well-known writer of silver-fork novels. She has a secret though, she also an extremely popular novel of Penny Dreadfuls under the nom de plum of Mr. King. The stories she produces under her nom de plum are her escspe from her dull day-to-day life and are a secret which, if discovered, will destroy her standing among the upper-class and her position as headmistress.

At a small gathering she makes the acquaintance of Fletcher Miss Elizabeth Black is headmistress at a girls' school in London and a well-known writer of silver-fork novels. She has a secret though, she also an extremely popular novel of Penny Dreadfuls under the nom de plum of Mr. King. The stories she produces under her nom de plum are her escspe from her dull day-to-day life and are a secret which, if discovered, will destroy her standing among the upper-class and her position as headmistress.

At a small gathering she makes the acquaintance of Fletcher Walker, another popular Dread Penny author and a member of the ellusive Dread Penny Society. Growing up as a helpless urchin himself and now in good financial standing and health, he fights for the protection and well-being of all the current street urchins of London. But fellow author Mr. King is undermining his sales and therefore his funds for helping the unfortunate children of London.

Both of them are intruiged by the other and find themselves repeatedly in one another's company and each comes progressively closer to unearthing the other's secret.

This is a very original book, as three stories are being told simultaneously: the story following our two main characters and both of their current Penny Dreadfuls. The two Penny Dreadful were unique to each other. One focused on the more paranormal and daring bravery, the other on romance and perserverence.

I was nervous going into this book because I didn't know how the author would pull it off without it being confusing or clunky. I was a bit slow to start, but picked up fairly quickly. The three stories worked together seemlessly and give a clear picture of the characters and their motivations. I enjoyed learning about Elizabeth and Fletcher.

I will add though that I thought it was fairly obvious that Elizabeth was Mr. King and the fact that Fletcher wasn't able to pick up on it was quite disappointing since he is so clever. But I enjoyed her unveiling, it had just the right amount of flair.

I have read a few books from Sarah M. Eden before that were part of a series and this book was wholly unique from what I had read from her before but just as enjoyable.

If your looking for a different take on a Victorian romance, I recommend this book! It is a clean romance.

I would like to thank Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this book. This is my honest review. ...more

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Sep 24, 2019 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it it was amazing

Oh, man. The book ended. I'm not quite sure I was ready for that. It could have gone on and on, I would have been perfectly content.

In this romance, you get three stories in one. You have the main story of Elizabeth and Fletcher, then there is the "Penny Dreadfuls" - stories that the common folk could purchase that wasn't considered proper literature. (I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed them.) Fletcher knows that there is an author competing for the top rung of the publishing ladder, he know ...more

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Aug 07, 2019 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

3.5 ⭐️
It’s always something special to read about writers and romance. *Sigh* I inhaled them and watch how crucial it was to be a productive writer and how sometimes people have to hide who they are to be taken seriously or without due respect. This to me was a very important part of this story.

The other part was about the streets of London.....poverty, crime and the needs and rescue of some of the misfortunate children. It was great and quite an adventure.
Things I loved:
• The Dread Penny So ...more

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May 19, 2020 Randi Annie Framnes rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, historical-fiction

Grown-up street urchin Fletcher Walker and elusive Mr. King are competing for the extremely profitable penny dreadful market. They both write to fund help for poor children. Mr. King is actually school Principal Elizabeth Black who hides her identity because she is afraid to ruin her reputation. While drama intensifies Elizabeth and Fletcher have to work together to keep both the children and themselves out of danger.

The Lady and The Higwayman (Proper Romance) is the standalone novel by Sarah M. Grown-up street urchin Fletcher Walker and elusive Mr. King are competing for the extremely profitable penny dreadful market. They both write to fund help for poor children. Mr. King is actually school Principal Elizabeth Black who hides her identity because she is afraid to ruin her reputation. While drama intensifies Elizabeth and Fletcher have to work together to keep both the children and themselves out of danger.

The Lady and The Higwayman (Proper Romance) is the standalone novel by Sarah M. Eden published by Shadow Mountain Publishing. The setting of the plot is London 1865 when penny dreadful stories where cheap and very profitable serial literature published weekly at just one penny.

The focus is on Fletcher Walker and Elizabeth Black who are passionate about children’s education and are both funding their work by writing penny dreadful stories. While Fletcher is actively rescuing urchins off the streets, Elizabeth is running a very proper upscale middle class girls’ school.

Fletcher Walker has a good heart but undermines himself quite a lot because of his background. It is pleasing to see that he keeps his head held high when moving in up-scale circles and does not hold back from using his colorful language.

Elizabeth Black seems a caring and warm hearted person very careful about her reputation. Her character changes throughout the story and she becomes more assertive and courageous in keeping with the plot and the slightly new company she keeps.

In a story with such superb character building and some seriously unsavory personalities, it feels difficult to decide who my favorite character is, so I just have to say both Elizabeth and Fletcher. They both feel authentic, nice and warm hearted people trying to make a difference for children on the streets of Victorian London. The descriptions of the rescue operations of street urchins were my favorite part of this story.

The Lady and The Higwayman (Proper Romance) by Sarah M. Eden was excellent entertainment and a quick and easy read. The research was impressive and the writing captivating as I felt transferred to Victorian London 1865. The Dickensian vibe I got from this multi layered and complex plot was very enjoyable. The dialogue felt authentic and interesting; particularly the funny bantering. The Lady and The Highwayman had a surprise ending I cannot stop thinking about, as it must have lead to some very interesting consequences.

The relationship between Elizabeth and Fletcher starts off with banter. Behind the banter, mutual feelings are steadily increasing. It’s nice to see they grow closer through the plot and a romance gets room to develop in the midst of all the drama.

The Lady and The Higwayman (Proper Romance) by Sarah M. Eden was excellent entertainment. It was a quick and easy read with impressive research, great dialog and a surprise ending. The plot was new and refreshing and my favorite part was descriptions of street life in London 1865.
Fans of Sarah M. Eden will enjoy The Lady and The Higwayman (Proper Romance), as will readers of historical romance fiction. Similar authors to explore might be Esther Hatch and Anita Stansfield.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and Edelweiss for this review ebook which gave me the opportunity to share my honest review. All opinions are completely my own.
My rating: 5 stars / 5
Main reasons: Interesting plot, superb research, excellent crafting of characters, great writing and dialogue
...more

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Oct 10, 2019 Mara rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I'm always happy when I get to read a Sarah M. Eden book. You can tell she really does a lot of research for the time period of the book. This is a Victorian, not a Regency, so society rules weren't quite as strict. This book is like getting three stories in one. There's the main story of Fletcher Walker and Elizabeth Black and then there are two Penny Dreadful stories told within Fletcher and Elizabeth's story.

Fletcher Walker has risen above his upbringing and works hard to help the boys and g I'm always happy when I get to read a Sarah M. Eden book. You can tell she really does a lot of research for the time period of the book. This is a Victorian, not a Regency, so society rules weren't quite as strict. This book is like getting three stories in one. There's the main story of Fletcher Walker and Elizabeth Black and then there are two Penny Dreadful stories told within Fletcher and Elizabeth's story.

Fletcher Walker has risen above his upbringing and works hard to help the boys and girls who are like he once was--street urchins getting by by their wits and stealing. He truly cares for these children, so when the source of income to help them--the Penny Dreadful stories he writes--is threatened by a new author taking his spot as the #1 author, he's determined to find and meet this Mr. King.

Elizabeth Black seems to be all that is proper. She runs a school for young ladies and writes "silver-fork" novels that the more educated people read, but we soon find out that Elizabeth as a secret that if exposed would mean the end of her school.

I loved these characters. Fletcher is the best!! He's extremely caring, yet fun. Because you can take the urchin off of the street, but you can't always take the street out of the urchin, he's sometimes not as proper as a "true" gentleman would be, but that's what makes him such a fun character. He's got so many wonderful qualities, there' no doubt Elizabeth would fall for him, I know I would have.

I loved the two Penny Dreadful stories and how they started to mirror what was going on between Fletcher and Elizabeth. And let's not forget the rest of the men in the Penny Dreadful Society. How cool is it that they dressed up in disguises to tail the people who are out to do harm to the children? The parts telling about the situations of some of the children made me so sad. Did anyone else wonder who the Dread Master is? I haven't a clue. I loved the ending of the book and look forward to more from the Dread Penny Society.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for allowing me to read this wonderful book. All thoughts and opinions I've expressed in this review are my own. ...more

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Jun 09, 2020 Gretchen rated it really liked it

Very cute & original story between two competitive authors, involving hidden identities & forbidden love! With this book you get 3 stories in one- The main storyline & then two sides stories written by the main characters that reflect their life happenings & relationships.

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Feb 01, 2020 Kay (aka) Miss Bates rated it really liked it

I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity and page-turning élan of Sarah M. Eden’s The Lady and the Highwayman. Eden is a new-to-me author and I’m glad I’ve discovered her romances; this first read won’t be my last, thanks to her robust backlist.

Victorian-set among the humble and working-class, Eden’s thriller-melodrama-romance boasts a former-“guttersnipe” hero, now successful penny dreadful author, and girls-school headmistress heroine. Fletcher Walker struts the streets of 1865-London with I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity and page-turning élan of Sarah M. Eden’s The Lady and the Highwayman. Eden is a new-to-me author and I’m glad I’ve discovered her romances; this first read won’t be my last, thanks to her robust backlist.

Victorian-set among the humble and working-class, Eden’s thriller-melodrama-romance boasts a former-“guttersnipe” hero, now successful penny dreadful author, and girls-school headmistress heroine. Fletcher Walker struts the streets of 1865-London with the swagger of a man who brought himself out of the gutter and into success. But Fletcher is not an advocate of the every-man-is-an-economic-island making his own way in the world. He is the defender, rescuer, and fighter for the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable of London’s invisible people, the widowed, fatherless, and orphaned; the sweep’s agony, the harlot’s cry come under Fletcher’s protection and his penned stories tell of their pathos, endurance, and spunky survival, the importance of helping one another, and defending those who cannot defend themselves. His author’s income isn’t for himself alone, but largely given to the poorest of the poor.

In the meanwhile, Miss Elizabeth Black, in more rarefied circumstances as Thurloe Collegiate School’s headmistress, does the same for faculty and students, running her school and penning, by day, respectable novels for Victorian ladies; by night, she turns her pen to her penny dreadful pen name, “Mr King,” and his tales of distressed damsels’ displays of bravery and intelligence, as well as finding true love, a rival to Fletcher’s success and income. What is marvelous about Fletcher and Elizabeth is their incomes are not for themselves alone, but for the use of Fletcher’s fellow-band-of-urban-Robin-Hoods, the “Dread Penny Society, and Elizabeth’s faculty, servants, and students, respectively. Eden’s thriller-romance doesn’t rescind an iota of humor, banter, suspense or adventure to tell a tale of Victorian bleakness and suffering. Fletcher and Elizabeth are as witty and romantic as they are morally and socially conscious. (Their band of merry-men-and-women made this reader sequel-salivate with their possibilities.) It’s wonderful to read about good people doing good without making them saintly-boring.

Eden’s Lady and Highwayman also offers three-interwoven narratives: how Elizabeth and Fletcher meet to fight evil and rescue children, fall in love, enact their authorial rivalries, as well as their fictional creations’ adventures: Elizabeth’s eponymous penny-dreadful novel, “The Lady and the Highwayman,” and Fletcher’s adventure story of two urchins foiling and destroying a vampire to rescue their street-urchin buddies. The staid Miss Elizabeth Black yearns for adventure herself and it arrives in the form of Fletcher Walker when he elicits her help in discovering the identity of the mysterious Mr. King, Eden showing as sure a hand at this lovely touch of irony as she does at everything else.

Elizabeth and Fletcher are soon embroiled in saving girls from exploitative procurers and rescuing sweeps from abusive criminals. They maintain a teasing banter, an affectionate counterpoint, a tender repartee until the final, glorious saucy HEA, serving justice and making a delightful feminist point. Eden’s propensity for suspense, adventure, and twirling mustachioed villains too often takes precedence over Fletcher and Elizabeth’s wonderful budding romance, but I loved them so, and Fletcher’s fellow Dread Penny Society’s band of merry brothers equally, and the orphans, flower sellers, and sweeps I took to heart. Eden builds a marvelous world of the good, the bad, and the deserving, of justice, love, and fellowship, breaking barriers between low- and high-born and between common and high literature. With Miss Austen, I find in Eden’s Lady and Highwayman “no charm equal to tenderness of heart,” Emma.

Sarah M. Eden’s The Lady and the Highwayman came out in September of 2019 and I’m sorry I waited as long as I did to read it. It is published by Shadow Mountain Publishing and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-galley from Shadow Mountain via Netgalley. ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Joanna Loves Reading rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, intriguing-intrigue, reviewed, hr

This was my first time trying Sarah Eden’s books, and I thought there was several aspects that were enjoyable and interesting about this read. There was one aspect that was not, and it took away from some of the enjoyable bits, in my opinion.

This novel featured penny dreadful serialists who are part of a secret society to aid the poor. The members are growing concerned at the growing popularity of a new and mysterious writer called Mr. King. If this new writer takes too much readership, the soc ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 Lucinda rated it really liked it

An interesting premise for a Victorian novel.

What stood out to me the most was the setting and the characters. The setting is very realistic in the way it depicts the social issues, especially those of children.

Both Elizabeth and Fletcher try to do what they can to alleviate the conditions of children; she with the school for girls and he with saving street urchins. For Fletcher, it's more personal since he was one of those children. but he's moved past that and uses the money from the sales of ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc, bea-2019

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I am in the opposite of a book slump. Not sure what it would be called. A book deluge? Book Heaven? Whatever I am in the middle of, I LOVE it! (It also scares me. It means I'm due for a HUGE book slump and those are always miserable.) This book has me deeply in the middle of my book glut and I am just so happy!

I LOVED this book. The setting felt real, the characters were diverse and felt like they belonged to that time. The romance was light and sweet and my FAVORITE part was this was almost thr I am in the opposite of a book slump. Not sure what it would be called. A book deluge? Book Heaven? Whatever I am in the middle of, I LOVE it! (It also scares me. It means I'm due for a HUGE book slump and those are always miserable.) This book has me deeply in the middle of my book glut and I am just so happy!

I LOVED this book. The setting felt real, the characters were diverse and felt like they belonged to that time. The romance was light and sweet and my FAVORITE part was this was almost three stories in one! The premise is that both MCs are writers of Penny Dreadfuls and the chapters alternate from the perspectives of the H, the h and in-between those chapters are bits from the current Penny Dreadful on which they are working. It's awesome! I admit, I wasn't overly interested in the one written by the H, but the h's story and the main story of the book both grabbed me.

This was such an inventive way of telling the story of the book, in my eyes at least. There was everything you could want in a book; romance, adventure, humor and historical information presented in an entertaining way.

I have to loan this to a friend and I am hesitant, because I want to keep it in my hot little hands! My book, MINE!

I need to learn to share and I can always order it from my store, but you try telling that to my reptilian brain, lol!

Utterly loved this book. 5, I would highly recommend that you read this book, stars!

Only two kisses, some old-fashioned slang "bad" words/sayings, some violence on children happened off-page, but the main theme of the book is the good guys trying to save the poor abused and exploited children of London, so there is no getting around that kids were beaten, starved, and used as sex workers. It's not graphic, but it is present. Also, some violence when thugs attack the h's place of business, with attempted arson. Again, not overly graphic, but realistic for what was happening in that time and place. YA on up. Maybe a mature middle reader, but would recommend an adult peruse this first to ensure it's a good fit for the middle reader in question. ...more

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Aug 04, 2019 Lucy Gardiner (luc_lostinbooks) rated it liked it

The Lady & the highwayman is a historical romance set in 1865 London.

The main characters are Fletcher walker who used to be a street urchin now is a successful writer and is in dreadful penny society which put me in mind of a Robin Hood type gang of men who advocate for the poor. Then we have Elizabeth Black she is the head teacher at all girls school is Mr King secretly fletchers biggest rival author.

I thought this was a nice take on historical romance, the chemistry between Fletcher and Eli ...more

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Oct 19, 2019 Sarah Monzon rated it really liked it

Fun banter. :)

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Jun 19, 2019 Jacey rated it liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

The title is a bit misleading. This isn't about a lady or a highwayman, but about a pair of Victorian writers. Fletcher Walker is reasonably affluent, but he's dragged himself up from the gutter by his bootstraps. His mission now (along with friends in the Dread Penny Society) is to support a 'ragged' school for the poorest children, and also to rescue some of the badly treated ones and send them to that school. He finances this from the proceeds of writing 'penny dreadfuls' but just lately a ne ...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Mindy rated it it was amazing

I absolutely loved this book. The characters, the story, the humor, the romance, every page was a delight. I also loved the two Penny Dreadful stories told by Fletcher and “Mr. King”. They were a fun addition to this amazing story. This author truly has a gift of story telling. There are very clever lines that made me smile throughout. Each true to the character who says them.

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Sep 15, 2019 eyes.2c rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian-romance, netgalley

Victorian romance with gothic overtones!

I enjoyed this story, although aspects seem familiar. Perhaps it's the woman writer with a male nom de plume that had caught me.
Elizabeth Black, respectable headmistress of a gentile girl's school is that and a literary writer by day and the Penny Dreadful writer Charles King by night.
Fletcher Walker is the top Penny Dreadful writer by day and rescuer of downtrodden children and others, generally women, by night. His rescue operations, carried out with as Victorian romance with gothic overtones!

I enjoyed this story, although aspects seem familiar. Perhaps it's the woman writer with a male nom de plume that had caught me.
Elizabeth Black, respectable headmistress of a gentile girl's school is that and a literary writer by day and the Penny Dreadful writer Charles King by night.
Fletcher Walker is the top Penny Dreadful writer by day and rescuer of downtrodden children and others, generally women, by night. His rescue operations, carried out with assistance from the illusive Penny Dreadful Society, with their own secret calling card, a penny, are funded in part by his successful writings.
The main story of Fletcher's publications being overtaken by King's thus putting in danger the wherewithal for the rescue activities for mistreated women and children of the lowest strata of London life is an inspired basis for the novel. We follow the rescue of Daniel, a chimney sweep and two sisters down from the country who were sold to a notorious Madame, Mrs George. Of course the determined Elizabeth becomes involved here.
I admired Eden's use of the artifice of Elizabeth's current Penny Dreadful and Fletcher's forming part of the tale, giving us somewhat of a commentary on the main story, on King's part at least.
Indeed I found myself hanging on every word of these Penny Dreadfuls
Here's the thing though, it seems that revolving through these three stories took an inordinate amount of time for me. In fact the story spread over four days rather than the couple of hours I normally take. I think that interruption allowed me to wander off to other tasks. Most unusual!
Don't get me wrong. I loved the way the story worked, I loved the gutsiness of our Victorian heroine, Elizabeth Black. Alarmingly however Fletcher sort of petered out for me.
I was disappointed that Alistair Headley, who looked like being a somewhat doubtful character faded into the background without resolution and I was left wondering what his purpose was.There are certainly characters aplenty to give their own story to, and perhaps that's what will happen.
An interesting and refreshingly clean Victorian romance, particularly with the included Penny Dreadfuls.

A Shadow Mountain ARC via NetGalley ...more

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May 29, 2019 The Flipped Page (Susan K) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, crime, friendship, arc, intrigue, romance, fiction, lds-author, netgalley

Romance, clean; period
This was a gorgeous read. I loved the setting, the two stories within the stories, the romance between Fletcher and Elizabeth. The children (urchins) and the society along with the stories behind it all (including Fletcher's back story). Varied and interesting characters, and the tension, the wishing and wanting on both Elizabeth and Fletcher's parts, made this a interesting and fun, unique read.
Elizabeth and Fletcher's story and their fall was lovely, they were both hones ...more

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Nov 07, 2019 Cher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pbcp, historical_fiction, romance, lords-and-ladies

4 stars - It was great. I loved it.

A charming novel about two writers of penny-dreadful stories in Victorian England, both of which are clever and humorous in their own way. One is a proper lady secretly writing under a male pen name and the other is a man that has prospered and moved far up in life from his street urchin roots. Romance ensues.

Amidst the main story, each of the character’s story serializations are interspersed and I liked both of those stories as well. It was a really unique for ...more

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Jun 13, 2019 Tessa rated it it was amazing

I wish Goodreads allowed me the option to give more than 5 stars because oh my gosh I loved this novel! This may be some of Sarah Eden's best work! The characters were fun, but with real life problems. The romance was a slow burn full of witty remarks while facing real danger. I learned more about the Victorian time period and so appreciated the language nuances from that time. Wow this was such a joy to read and I can't wait to recommend it to everyone I know!

Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Moun ...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Anna rated it liked it

Shelves: romance

This is a fun little romance but I was often a little bit bored with the main storyline because things were not happening fast enough and irritated with the characters because they were not acting as intelligently as they were portrayed to be. I found myself skipping ahead to the grey "Penny Dreadful" sections because they were more fun.
It will be interesting to see if this goes forward; there were enough questions left at the end for it to continue, and this couple will certainly have challeng ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Tammie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, romance, historical-romance, companion-series, trilogy, clean-romance

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school in 1830s Victorian London. She is also a well-respected author of ”silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories--the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Charles King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats, intelligent detectives solving grisly mu Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school in 1830s Victorian London. She is also a well-respected author of ”silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories--the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Charles King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats, intelligent detectives solving grisly murders, and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.

Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Charles King started taking all of his readers. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the social and political causes of their working-class readers. The group knows King could be an asset with his obvious monetary success, or he could be the group’s undoing as King’s readership continues to cut into their profits.

Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered. What neither author anticipated was the instant attraction, even though their social positions dictate the impossibility of a relationship.

For the first time Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.

I read the second book in this series The Gentleman and the Thief before reading this one and I gave it 3 stars because I liked it but didn't love it. Now that I've read this one I think maybe my reading experience would have been improved a bit by knowing what I know now (they are companion novels), but I think my rating would still have been 3 stars even if I had read this one first.

I have to say that this book in my opinion is better. I enjoyed the overall story more, and the Penny Dreadful stories that are included were more interesting to me in this book as well, although I still didn't like the way they interrupted the main story. I did think that Fletcher should have been smart enough to figure out who Mr. King was long before he did. That part just felt dragged out for the sake of keeping the subterfuge going and not because it made sense.

The third book in the trilogy (I'm assuming it's a trilogy) is being published in August and I will definitely read it.

Review also posted at Writings of a Reader. ...more

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Aug 23, 2019 Sara rated it really liked it

Shelves: adult, favorites, historical-fiction, historical-romance, mystery, arc, 2019-favorites

What made me request an ARC for this book was the cover (obviously) and the synopsis. Then I read the first sentence -
"Rumour had it, Fletcher Walker wasn't born but had simply appeared one day, swaggering down the streets of London." - and my mind immediately went "Kaz, is that you?" (Pshh, after reading about Fletcher he's more likely Kaz's goody-two-shoes cousin.)

I love historical fiction that is placed in Victorian England. Those times really intrigue me; all those ghost stories, devilish ge ...more

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