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 … 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?
Read the Victorian Rebels
- The Highwayman
- The Hunter
- The Highlander
- The Duke
- The Scot Beds His Wife
- The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo
- A Dark and Stormy Knight
more
Just excellent…but anything by this author is.
Great start to a series! Loved everything about this book.
I love this author
Unusual story filled with well-developed characters you start out not believing you will ever care about but find as the story unfolds you’ve become quite attached to! Definitely recommend and am already deep into another Kerrigan Byrne page-turner!
Great book! Made me feel really excited.
OMG I loved this book so much! The Highwayman is my first Kerrigan Byrne read and it punched me right in the feels. I fell in love from page one with Farah and Dougan. Meeting as small children in an orphanage 11 year old Dougan and 8 year old Farah stole my heart with their sweet, innocent love. Dougan was the bastard child of Laird Mackenzie. When his mom died, he was tossed in the orphanage, where he was mistreated, starved, and beat. Dougan was all alone in the world, with no love or kindness, until little Farah came along and tended his switch wounded hands. From those first moments together they were soul mates. Farah won Dougan’s heart and became his Fairy.
Little Farah was so sweet and caring. She would save parts of her meals to share with Dougan so he wouldn’t be hungry, and taught him to read. They had a beautiful and pure love. They had two great years together forging a bond that would stand the test of time. Then when Dougan was 13 and Farah was 10 she told him she was suppose to marry her Daddy’s lawyer when she grows up, so Dougan took his little Fairy to a church and married her in a Scottish hand fasting. Just the two of them in the church saying vows, and the vows Dougan used where so cute! The next night Their world was tore apart when a priest tried to molest Farah and Dougan killed him and was sent to prison.
At this point the story jumped 17 years ahead. We readers find out that Farah ran away from the orphanage right after Dougan was arrested. Farah has taken Dougan’s last name. She was told that Dougan died in prison 10 years ago . She lived as his widow, working at the Scotland Yard. It’s while at work that Farah meets Dorian the blackheart of Ben More the infamous criminal and highwayman. A few days after they met Dorian kidnapped Farah telling her that he and Dougan were like brothers in prison. He tells her they are getting married, because he was honoring a death bed wish of Dougan to protect and care for Dougan’s Fairy. No he didn’t ask, he told her lol. Farah was no push over though she let him know that he had to give her a child. Which was the one thing she really wanted. Dorian was a scarred, tortured hero. He couldn’t stand for anyone to touch him. Dorian was cold, bitter, and hard. He had fought, killed and destoryed for everything he had, but as much as he tried to fight it Farah was his one weakness.
I loved Farah she was a total sweetheart, but she still had some sass to her. She was strong willed and didn’t back down when facing fear. Farah was very understanding and supportive. She didn’t judge Dorian for the bad things he did in life, and she didn’t try to change him. All she wanted was his love and for him to let her love him in return. Dorian was everything I want in a damaged hero. He was a bad boy, that did bad things, but had good in him too. I loved that he didn’t instantly turn from a harden criminal that can’t stand to be touched into a sweet lover. He was in such pain. He had scars and not just on his body, but on his soul as well. He had fears, anger, rage, and he lashed out. It made Dorian and Farah’s relationship feel real. It made their love all that more enjoyable when the ice walls around his heart melted for Farah. The sexual tension in this book was so high. Dorian fought his lust for Farrah because of his past, but he wanted her with an animalistic hunger.
And the sex in this book omg the sex was so good. There was some light bondage as Dorian didn’t want to be touched so he would tie Farah’s hand. It was so hot, and raw. He would lose himself in her. I have to say that I totally misted up a bit when Farah found out Dorian’s secret. I thought it was so sweet when Farah was finally able to touch her husband. The epilogue was perfect too. It gave a nice peek into the future and a heartwarming HEA for Dorian and his Fairy. I loved everything about this book and I can’t wait to read more books by this author!
This book broke my heart, took me on an emotional journey, and had me buying each book in the series after I finished.
3.5 Stars
I’m not super crazy about romance novels featuring “angry” heroes. I don’t mind it when they have a tortured past and/or have seen and experienced a lot of unspeakable things. What I do mind is when it greatly affects how they behave in the present. Of course a person’s past shapes who they are in the present. But many people choose to let go of the past that haunts them so they can live a full present and future. Unfortunately, the hero in this book is not one of those kinds of people.
He’s very angry and tortured and frankly, not nice to anyone. He doesn’t just own his label of The Black Heart of Ben Moore, he believes it. This is also not something that I mind in a character as long there is appropriate progression in their character development. Dorian Blackwell spends nearly the entire book whining and griping that he’s so awful and so far gone that there is no forgiveness nor goodness for him. He’s utterly in love with Farah. He vocally claims her to be his and his alone, but he refuses her at nearly every turn. This got very old, very quickly for me.
Now, I loved Farah’s character. She is everything a heroine should be. Kind, vulnerable, willing to love and protect, but still strong willed, not willing to be pushed around. She gives as much as she takes. I do wish, that when he sent her away, she had of gone back and forced her will upon him the way that he had forced his will upon her in the beginning. She does have the last word, thankfully, but I wish it had of played out a bit differently.
I wasn’t crazy about the first two love scenes. Being tied up is not something I find appealing, and Dorian was clothed and wearing gloves the whole time. It just didn’t make sense to me. At least the final love scene, after he finally accepts her love and compassion, was much more intimate and there was no bondage nor clothing involved!
This book was very well written. Everything made sense and the story outside of their romance progressed in a timely manner.
I know that there are like 5 more books in this series but I don’t know if I want to read them. We met the hero of the next book and if he behaves like Dorian, I don’t know if I’ll enjoy it. I got this one when it went on sale for 1.99. If the next one goes on sale too then I’d be willing to try it, but it it follows much of the same structure as this book, then I wouldn’t read any more.
I really didn’t like how often the F word was used. It’s very rare to see the F word in historical romance novels. And even if it does appear, it’s usually only once, maybe twice. It was repeated by Dorian at least 15 times. In his head and vocally. Not a fan of that.
There’s descriptive violence and three detailed sex scenes in this book. If you prefer more lighthearted historical romance, I’d pass on this one.
Dorian Blackwell has long cultivated his reputation as the ruthless, merciless Blackheart of Ben More. He’s become the undisputed lord of London’s underworld, with plenty of power and influence to take his revenge on all who have wronged him. Dorian always gets what he wants and that includes widow Farah Mackenzie, whom he spirits away to his secluded home.
Farah has secrets of her own, secrets that make her a target for murder. When she realizes that being Dorian’s captive has likely saved her life, the two forge an uneasy alliance: Farah agrees to marry Dorian in exchange for his protection and he’ll use her secret to help him complete his revenge. Dorian is not prepared for Farah to make demands of her own or to feel desire for her. It’s possible the infamous Blackheart will be brought to his knees by a woman he believed long dead.
There is so much more to this book than what the description suggests, but to mention any more would be too spoilery and this book deserves your full attention. Dorian is a very complex and tortured hero and Farah’s sweetness was perfect for him. Her sweet demeanor often leads to her being underestimated, but Farah was tough and more than capable of handling Dorian. This is a very emotional read about learning to give and accept love and trust and to allow light to overcome darkness and pain. I loved this book when I read it a couple years ago and just as much now on this audio revisit. This is still one of my favorite reads.
Love Kerrigan’s books. Have read quite a few in this ‘series’. None have disappointed.
I had a great time reading this and thought it was a heck of a way to kick off a series. I loved the storyline, the main characters and everyone introduced. I’m excited for more!