The Lady and the Highwayman
Sarah M. Eden
4/5
This was a super cute standalone! Regency era, Elizabeth Black has fought hard to win her independence. She is able to remain on the fringes of respectability by running an all girl school and writing polite "silver-fork" novels. But secretly, she thrives on writing the Penny Dreadfuls which excite the low-class citizens. When she meets Fletcher Walker, he enlists her help in guiding his club to the man who is stealing the pennies of the dreadful business, obviously not knowing that he was speaking to her. It's more than a couple of writers though, it's a whole society of authors dedicated to the public good and assisting those less fortunate and Elizabeth gets thrown into it all.
Some of the action was a little dull, not hyped up as much as it could have been, but it had a realistic element to it. I really loved the whole angle of it, Penny Dreadfuls were considered to be the lowest tier of literature, yet they were the only ones decent enough to assist those in need. It's sad but it gives a whole other historical perspective that I wouldn't have known about otherwise.
The romance was cute, a little speedy but it was a different time so what can you expect. Overall, it was pretty enjoyable, a fast read with some fun little facts. I feel like the best thing a historical fiction book can do is prompt you to read more about something, and now I know more about what Penny Dreadfuls are. Would recommend for people looking for a short clean romance.
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