I have read many of Sarah M Eden's book. She has brought something new to the table with this release. She wove a very intricate tale with all the details helping this story come alive!

Reading and learning about Penny Dreadfuls and how they played a part in that period of time was very interesting to me. I loved the Penny Dreadful stories placed perfectly into the book. Admittedly I may have liked the Higwayman story more than Fletcher & Elizabeth's.

At times the amount of characters felt overwhelming since three different stories are being told. I found myself glazing over their names instead of becoming invested into each of their story lines.

I appreciated Elizabeth's spunk and courage throughout the book. I found it unlikely that Fletcher didn't discover her secret sooner. He claims to be able to solve mysteries, yet misses the true time and time again.

Even though at times the plot was predictable, I found them both to be entertaining. It was a good read if you're patient. The real plot twists and excitements come halfway through.

I thought that I loved Sarah M. Edens books, but now I KNOW I do!! Oh my gosh, this was the funnest book to read. I absolutely loved the intermingling of the penny dreadful books with the storyline, I was in suspense for all the different plot lines. I adored the concept and now I wish all books had this fun twist! Highly recommend to anyone and everyone!

Set in London in the 1830's. Fletcher Walker rose from the rags to prominent position. He is the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market. His earnings help fund the efforts of the Dread Penny Society: feeding poor families and saving those in abusive situations.

All would be fine, if not for the Charles King pseudonym whose sales of the Penny Dreadful are starting to surpass his.

Now, he is on a mission finding who is writing under the pseudonym of Charles king.

Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girl’s school and a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels. “Writing books for the fine ladies of the upper class was considered an acceptable endeavor for the headmistress of a girl’s school.” But she also has a secret project, writing something considered not so acceptable for a woman of her station. If it ever to come out, the disapproval would result in students being withdrawn or new students not applying.

At an educational evening, she meets her match, Fletcher Walker. But the topic of the interest happens to be elusive Mr. King and Mr. Walker chasing him. He needs help and Elizabeth agrees to help only to insure her secret identity is never discovered.

As the stories of both main characters are being revealed, the stories they write at the same time are integrated as well. As a result a lot is happening.

The characters are likeable and the premise of the story is interesting, but at the same time the focus seems to be scattered. And at some points, I was losing interest in the story.

*i received an arc in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was interesting. You not only have your standard story but you also have two “books” within the book. This was interesting but in some places it was distracting.
A historian story that looks at the issues with orphans, the penny dreadful novels, and a woman in non traditional roles.
I liked how the hero and heroine met and the back and forth between them. I liked that he was the one outside societies “approval” and she didn’t care. They both wanted to help kids and they worked together well. Her little secret was great and I’m glad it didn’t spin everything else on its head.
It’s well written and entertaining.

If I could, I would give 2.5 stars but I rounded up because I truly enjoyed the story. It took me a while to really get into the book but once I did, I was invested in Elizabeth and Fletcher. Being able to read the stories they were writing was a nice touch, though I was infinitely more interested in Fletcher's than Elizabeth's (though that might be because most of Elizabeth's story was simply her life).

My biggest issues were with the writing. I don't remember if Eden ever truly described to us what any of the characters looked like, save for Joe and Daniel. I really wanted to be immersed in this world of early Victorian life and found myself disappointed. Even the love connection between Fletcher and Elizabeth felt flat by the end; I expected more to happen between them. I found myself thinking how much this almost read like a fanfiction between two characters who were never together in the original work. But for the love of me, I needed to finish. I needed to know how it would end, how Fletcher would react to Elizabeth's secret and if she would be able to balance both sides of her life.

If you like a lot of flirting, two POVs, and a historical setting, you'll probably like this book. I wouldn't tell anyone not to read it, but it wouldn't be my first suggestion either.

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 amazing and hot. But romances that start with lust are a little outplayed if you ask me. Luckily, Eden steered clear of that cliché. The chemistry between Fletcher and Elizabeth was rooted in mutual interests and respect and that made for a great chemistry between them.

Banter: Part of Elizabeth and Fletcher's chemistry played out in the amazing banter they shared! It was so well done, so humorous, witty, flirtatious and delicious! I loved it!

"Do you find ambition in a lady intimidating?"
"On the contrary, I find it irresistible"
"How very un-British of you."

Victorian: Usually, historical romance is set in Regency England or sometimes in Medieval England. This book, however, took place in Victorian England which gave the story a completely different vibe and which separated it even further from other historical romances.

No aristocrats: Again, historical romance usually features at least one aristocratic MC. But yet again, Eden stepped outside the usual genre because neither Elizabeth nor Fletcher were aristocrats. Elizabeth is a working woman, a writer and a headmistress of an all-girls school. Fletcher is a former street urchin turned successful penny dreadful writer.

WHAT I DISLIKED

The Vampire's Tower: This book is actually three stories in one - the main story of Elizabeth and Fletcher, Elizabeth's penny dreadful novel 'The Lady and the Highwayman' and Fletcher's penny dreadful novel 'The Vampire's Tower'. The main story was my favourite and I quite enjoyed Elizabeth's story as well. However, Fletcher's story was a weak spot in my opinion. The writing as well as the plot of the story was weak and really dragged down the overall story.

This book is set in Victorian London and the ‘Penny Dreadfuls’ are incredibly popular, cheap stories of adventure and romance. These stories play a huge part in this book, which is really sort of three stories in one.
The two main characters both write these stories but in very different ways. Fletcher is a street urchin turned successful writer who uses his success to shelter children still on the streets. His counterpart, the ‘Lady’ is Elizabeth Black the Headmistress of a school who also leads a secret life writing these Penny Dreadfuls. She writes under the name Mr King, a man Fletcher asks her to find,
Which is of course where things get complicated,
The characters here are well drawn and believable but the real star is, in my opinion, the PennyDreadfuls themselves of which there are 2 that intertwine with the main story. They bring Victorian London to life in a quite remarkable way and make you feel a shame if you were there. The detail included is quite astounding.
If I have one complaint it would be that the romance element is a little to neat for my taste, and although clean it lacked depth of feeling.
All in all I enjoyed this though and would be interested in reading any sequel.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book was a lot of fun! It has 2 points of view and both characters are authors, so you get their story they are writing 1 chapter at a time spread throughout the book. This was done very well. There is great conflict and resolution of that conflict. I also really like the clean romance between the main characters. Very well done Sarah Eden!

*I tried to review on Amazon but it wont let me!

This book was so different from others by Sarah M. Eden, but still so much fun to read! Fletcher and Elizabeth are wonderful characters, the story line is fun, and the romance is sweet. The added stories each character is writing in the background are just a fun bonus. All in all, another great book by Ms. Eden. Keep them coming!

**I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed are my own.**

If you’re looking for a Victorian romance but tired of trying to remember if an Earl outranks a Marchioness, this is the story you’re looking for. Focusing on the lives of the poor and middle class, this story leads you through prats of Victorian London rarely glimpsed in other period romances.

Fletcher Walker is a leading member of the Dread Penny Society, a philanthropic club made up of the authors of penny dreadful stories. Elizabeth Black runs a girl’s school, and publishes “silver fork” stories, novels about household life which are considered appropriate for ladies. Their paths cross while Fletcher is investigating a mysterious Mr. King, who has recently taken the penny dreadful market by storm. Little does he know, Mr. King is a nom de plume that Elizabeth is using to publish her more adventurous, less socially acceptable works.

Though the romantic plot line provides little tension (the characters get along marvelously, and very little gets in the way of that), the side plot lines pick up the slack, and really propel the story. Just as in any good penny dreadful, there are kidnappings, fisticuffs, attempted arson, and unnecessarily secretive secret societies (and puns. So, so many puns).

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, lighthearted read that doesn’t focus on the usual social set of period romance. Quite enjoyable.

This book was different from other of Eden's books. The main story, about Elizabeth and Fletcher, is woven in with serial stories that each of them writes. At times I did wish the serial stories weren't there, but at other times I was as entertained by them as I was by the main story being told.

The storyline was interesting, not at all what I was expecting. Eden often historical issues and this book is no different. You can tell she has done her research, finds an interesting tidbit of history, and fashions a story around that event or issue. In this case she focuses a the strictures of class structure in 19th century England and the difficulty people (particulary children) had in breaking free of those classes.

This was not my favorite of Eden's books but it was still an entertaining read. If you enjoy her other stories you will enjoy this one!

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 series. . 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.

This book was really slow to get into, the two main characters, Fletcher and Elizabeth, are both dread penny authors. And it switches between their POV as well as reading their dreadfuls. It was an interesting storyline, their dreadful stories mirrored what they were going through in real life.

It wasn't until I was halfway into the book that I got really interested and wanted to see where the story was going until I got to the point that I couldn't put it down. The speech of the lower class felt real and believable. I wish there were more romance but I don't feel like this story is a romance, more of a Victorian historical fiction/suspense about social injustice of low class children at the time.

I didn't love Eden's first Victorian story either and felt that was really slow and hard to get into. I haven't read much Victorian fiction to know if that's true for the rest or if its just how Eden approaches it. But having finished the story and loving how it ended, I wish there were an epilogue, to know how Elizabeth's school is going. Will she lose patrons, etc.

A fun, charming book, well researched and well written. A secret society of Penny Dreadful writers is being threatened by a new writer the elusive Mr. King who might be disrupting their good deeds to save the street urchins of London. Elizabeth Black runs a girls school for middle class young women and writes more conventional novels on the side, so what is her connection to Mr. King? So not only do you get the main story but there are two penny dreadful so within the story also. Well done!

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.

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.

Sarah M Eden can just go ahead and take all of my money because I will forever buy every single one of her books and never be disappointed! That being said, this book is definitely a new favorite!! Everything about it was fantastic and I enjoyed every second of reading.

Just like her previous books, Eden created characters that just came alive for me as the reader. Fletcher was truly a hero in every sense of the word with his clandestine work (and good looks and charm, of course). He was believable but endearing in his initial interest in, and later love for, Elizabeth. Elizabeth had tenacity and passion. I loved that she was stepping into a man's world, and thriving in it, without those around her even knowing. One of the marks of a great book for me is that it makes me want to be a better person, and Elizabeth and Fletcher together did this for me tenfold.

The plot dealt with some serious, hard elements of Victorian England and I appreciated that aspect of reality. I feel I was not only entertained through reading but also educated. Sarah Eden's research is both impeccable and phenomenal. One side note to readers is that a basic grasp of "cant" (or slang) would be helpful for a better understanding of both the plot and exchanges between characters. The dialogue was witty, playful, and easy to follow and I often felt like I was listening to conversations rather than reading about them. As the book centered around two authors, hearing about their own stories was incredibly enjoyable and brilliantly done.

Overall, the love story was incredible, the plot line thrilling, and the ending anticipated but highly gratifying. I'll be preordering this one so I can have a copy on my bookshelf as soon as possible! And preorder is on sale for under $12 so you should grab one too!

*thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book!

The Lady and the Highwayman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
By Sarah M. Eden

In the 19th century the Penny Dreadful chapter story were quite the hit. The sales supported by both the rich and poor, of course, the affluent would deny it.

Elizabeth Black was unusual being a headmistress and a published author of “silver-fork”novels. Ms Bank,howeve, harbors a Secret she too secretly writes Penny Dreadfuls. She writes under the pseudonym of Mr.King.

Fletcher Walker is a well know Dreadful writer and he an his fellow Dreadful writers donate most of there profits to educate poor children. When Mr.King begins to drain their pot of novel buyers they mean to learn who he is.

This book also had two Dreadful novel chapters by the two authors mentioned. So it was like three stories in one. For me I found this a problem. It kept tearing me from the original novel. If you like reading indirect characters you may find this more enjoyable than I did.

Stories within stories are always fun if they're done well, and this was one book that did it really well! "The Lady and the Highwayman" is the story of a female penny dreadful author who must keep her identity a secret from the society she inhabits and the other penny dreadful authors lest she lose the opportunity to publish her work. At the same time, the leader of the penny dreadful club is charged with finding this mystery author who has usurped everyone in the club by becoming the best-seller of the genre. Of course, these two individuals unknowingly collide and begin a friendship/romance while solving a mystery in the slums of London. Interwoven throughout the book are snippets from the two authors' current penny dreadfuls, which have parallels with what's happening in the actual story.

I was pleasantly surprised by "The Lady and the Highwayman," largely because I was expecting it to be on the heavy-romance side. (Note, that's not necessarily a bad thing.) Instead, the book had a lot of substance to it and jumped between a number of genres. More than anything I'd categorize it as a historical mystery that's much more lighthearted than dark. That being said, the book explores a number of darker themes, including poverty and class differences, child labor and slavery/indentured work, and 1800s-era gender roles.

The characters in the story really did me in. The male protagonist (Fletcher) gave me a tame Thomas Shelby vibe (Peaky Blinders), meaning I adored him. He had risen above the slums he was born into, but he didn't abandon them or feel any shame for where he came from, which was a refreshing take. The female protagonist (Elizabeth) was smart and strong but didn't act in ways that had me rolling my eyes because they were so out-of-line for an 1800s-era set book. The chemistry between the two was also subtler but no less adorable.

Overall a great book that I'd definitely recommend!

This book by Sarah Eden was incredible! I loved the vision and the organization! So fun! Sarah never disappoints! I loved the characters and enjoyed learning more about them throughout the story! I can’t wait to buy the actual book! Yay!

(4 stars) – once it warms up, it’s excellent

The premise was intriguing, and the fulfillment of it was exciting & fun. I loved the witty exchanges between Fletcher and Elizabeth. Even the secondary characters were well done. The suspense was enough to keep you engaged without being exhausting.

The initial setup seemed a bit slow, and I was well into the story before it fully engaged me – it was mainly for that reason I subtracted a star.

Ironically, as much as I liked the concept of the Dread Penny stories woven inbetween the main story’s chapters, I found myself skimming them to get back to the main one, then I went back & read each of them after I finished the book. (I’ve been sick, and it may just be that my fatigued concentration was at fault, so I didn’t subtract anything for it)

I didn’t see how Fletcher & Elizabeth could possibly resolve their differences enough to be together by the end, but the finale to the story successfully managed to pull it off - while leaving the door open for the hope of a continuation of the story!.

Clean romance level: sweet kisses

Religion: Christian beliefs motivate many of the characters, but it’s not even remotely preachy