A group of ladies become Highway women because of extenuating circumstances. Helena Montgomery becomes the ultimate caregiver for her siblings, but when she meets the man of her dreams what will he do when he finds out? Lord Sebastian Radcliffe is all about being honest and open, but what happens when he finds out about the woman who he thinks he has finally given his heart too?

This book is all about the women and men how they overcome obstacles of life and truths of what we are willingly to compromise in order to make a relationship work. This book is pretty straightforward and predictable, but it still will give you a great storyline and a fun romance.

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

Good story. Took me a bit to really get into. I enjoyed the set up, a band of female "Highwaymen," but I thought there could have been more of that. It was pretty predictable. But good characters and funny dialogue.

Class differences. Insta- love. This was definitely a book where the hero falls harder and faster than the heroine.

The book touched upon some of the characters being persons of color, but nothing ever really materialized from that, maybe they'll be getting their own books.

Love the cover. It's nice to see a curvy woman on the cover that matches the description of the woman in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

2.5 stars

The general premise of the series--of which this story is the first--is problematic for me. I get that Helena and the other women in the Band of Brigands have turned to highway robbery out of desperation, but it was really hard for me get to a place where I considered that transgression acceptable. All of Helena's arguments fell flat for me; I understand that the coaches they rob seem to be of wealthy people, but who's to say that the occupants of the coach are not in similar straits? I dunno. I've read lots of novels where the heroine is living in poverty, but she always manages to find a different way to make ends meet. Perhaps I'm just being naive.

Aside from the whole criminal thing, the relationship between Helena and Sebastian at first is really uncomfortable. They almost immediately antagonize each other, but it's not entirely clear why. I think we're supposed to feel like they are aware of their attraction but are fighting it, but instead it just seems confrontational, and neither of them come out of it looking very good. The transition from antagonists to being in love happens fairly abruptly, and I almost had to go back and reread to figure out how it happened.

It's a pity, really, because atypical heroines like Helen are hard to find. She's supposed to be voluptuous and perhaps a little heavy, which is a nice change of pace from the tiny perfect heroines in most romance novels. Her friends and presumably the heroines of future novels in the series are equally diverse. But I won't likely seek out their novels because I just don't want to read about a bunch of criminals finding love. (Not a fan of organized crime/mob boss romance either.)

Sorry if I'm being judgy.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks!

Spinster Sister is the first book in the new series “Lawless ladies” by Elise Marion. When Helena Montgomery finds herself in debt after the death of her parents and her siblings to care for, she resorts to becoming a masked highwayman with several of her friends in a similar situation. In doing so, she believes she can give her younger sister her first season and possibly a secure marriage. Yet when Lord Sebastian Radcliffe meets her sister Harriett, Helena is not so sure and yet, she seems to find that she enjoys his company, whilst not revealing this to him. They initially find themselves constantly arguing yet, as the more time spent together, the more unlikely it is that Harriett is right for Sebastian but more for Helena.
An enjoyable series with so many wonderful and strong women like Helena, to make it quite amusing. Sebastian whilst stern and arrogant, is quickly transformed when he meets Helena, and quite responsive to her strong personality. Their dialogue was witty and keep me entertained throughout the story.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I love historical novels, and have been reading lots of regency novels this summer. This book has many plot twists and turns which keep the reader interested. The author really makes you are about the characters and their problems. I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Spinster Sister by Elise Marion is a common enough trope: the older spinster sister steals the heart of the younger sister's suitor. Marion has made it own by changing several details: the elder sister is curvaceous (read hefty) and she and her friends are highwaymen. Helena has befriended four other women who are also having financial difficulties. For women in these times, was to make money are limited and robbing those who already have too much seems like the best way to go about it. They are unrepentant. Knowing they will be caught they know this avenue is available only a limited time. The night they stop the carriage of Felix, the brother of Helena's about-to-be fiancé, the Earl of Stratford, and he recognizes Helena brings that end sooner than they had anticipated. Now to tell Stratford.

This is a terrific book. It addresses several societal ills: a beautiful woman with a less-than-beautiful body, a man with rigid principles which leave no room for circumstances, women in fire financial straits and their limited options. All of these have been issues for centuries, and remain so today, although women do have more financial options today than in the past. Marion wove all of these problems into an enticing love story, wherein a man chose to follow his heart instead of the dictates of society. It was a lovely story with good characters and situations neatly fitting into a historical contest. I loved it!

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Spinster Sister by Dragonblade, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #spinstersister

I really liked this book, slowly but surely im discovering that historical romances are something that I enjoy so much.
This started a bit slow for me, but when the story picked up it was amazing and a real page turner.
I really enjoyed that Helena wasnt your typical heroine, in all senses. The fact that she was plus sized was what drew me to the book, but her strenght and her will to do what needs to be done to help her family is what kept me hooked.
Sebastian was exactly my type of hero, not looking or love yet falls in love with the heroine, we love to see it.
Also the steamy scenes are VERY GOOD, if I say so myself.
Overall, I´m really excited for the next books in this series, and cant wait to read them

My heart went out to the heroine in this novel as she tried to meet the needs of her family. Banding with other women in a similar situation, they become highway robbers to make ends meet, as there were few other options open to women who found themselves destitute. Helena's sole aim is to ensure that her sister has a season, one that will hopefully lead to a good marriage, whilst her younger brother completes his university education. Deciding it is time to fulfill his obligations to his family, Lord Sebastian espies Harriett Montgomery across the ballroom and asks for an introduction, but discovers that her older and rather severe sister is her guardian. Getting past Helena is going to be difficult, especially when he discovers that the spinster takes up more time in his thoughts than the young lady he intends to court. However, when by mischance Helena's nocturnal activities are exposed, any thoughts of a future together are swept off the table, leaving Sebastian nursing his wounds and Helena with a broken heart. Fortunately, they both have younger siblings who very volubly express their views. I found myself in a quandary over Helena's criminal activities and whilst I felt compassion for her, I abhorred her methods. However, I also remembered that one should “judge not lest ye be judged”. Ultimately the novel comes to a very good conclusion. I received a copy of this book as a gift from Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Spinster Sister by Elise Marion is the first book in a new series called Lawless Ladies. The book is an historical romance, but the premise of the book and the characters make this book interesting. What would you be willing to do to keep your loved ones alive? Would you steal or cheat?

The Spinster Sister is Helena Montgomery. When her parents were killed in a carriage accident, she was left to take care of her younger siblings. The only issue was there was little to NO money. Helena knew that her brother must finish college and her sister a first season to marry a man with money to help them out. Helena joined with friends and began their careers as masked bandits to get enough money for each of the five women to survive.

I loved Helena and her determination. I loved that she was a beautiful curvy woman and loved food. I loved her intelligence and strength. I did know that Lord Sebastian Radcliffe was going to be her ‘person’ though. That was not a surprise, although the ending seems quick to me. I look forward to reading more books in this series. Please and Thank-you

Spinster Sister by Elise Marion was a fun read!

Great beginning to a new series. Brave and resourceful Regency women band together to deal with their reduced circumstances by becoming highwaymen. Fun and chaos ensues…

I was excited to see a plus sized heroine on the cover of this book! This story had lots of components that make a romance special - a group of female friends helping each other, kind be helpful siblings, and some intrigue. While I was excited for some plus sized representation, I don’t think our heroine is actually plus sized, maybe slightly more curvy. I also found the fact that Sebastian was courting Harriet for the first 50% of the story made the later chapters a bit rushed. Overall a pleasant historical romance read!

This book was absolutely charming and delightful. Elise Marion's tone is beautifully lighthearted and whimsical while still being able to interweave topics of wealth and hardship and finding ways to support family and friends. Marion's writing is engaging and accessible. This love story is sweet and steamy, with a wonderful mix of side characters. Marion has crafted a story about friends, family, love and the lengths people are willing to go in order to protect and take care of those things.

The heroine-Helena, is strong, loving and selfless. She is the eldest in her family and their survival after their parents death two years ago has fallen heavily on her shoulders. Helena is also surrounded by a strong group of female friends who also find themselves in hardships, so they all come up with a plan on how they can gain money to help support themselves as needed. Their plan is an unconventional one but a necessary one because of their status in society, their education and the limitations that are put on women, their prospects are very limited past marrying for financial stability. Sebastian, the hero, is very family oriented and someone who sees the world in strict lines and rules. Sebastian has felt the strong pull to be an upstanding citizen in society to show his family off in a better light than his late father did. Sebastian plans to marry this season after he finds the wife he deems to be a prefect match.

This story first unfolds with Sebastian's interest seeming to fall on Harriet, Helena's younger sister (who is a beauty), but sparks fly between Sebastian and Helena. Helena, has often been overlooked in society and at 23 she is considered a spinster, but when Sebastian meets her he is fairly instantly attracted to her voluptuousness and as they banter he sees her wit, humor and how their interests align. I love how Sebastian loves Helena's curves and how he finds her sexy, where as in the past Helena thinks she has been overlooked because of them. I also really liked that Helena was not constantly looking down on herself because of her body shape, it was just a part of who she is. I love that Sebastian pretty early on knows that he is falling for Helena and that he pursues her with care, loving words and gentle caresses. Watching Helena and Sebastian fall in love and explore those feelings was really lovely. I love that Sebastian was not afraid to be very vocal in how he felt and how attracted he was to her, and I love that Helena is also bold in her feelings and how with Sebastian she is able to stand up for herself and her choices. The third act conflict was a bit frustrating but necessary to explore Sebastian's growth and show how his understanding of the world and how it works has shifted.

I would definitely recommend this book. I loved all the relationships that varied from new love, family, friendship and found family. I loved the exploration and discussions around what you would be willing to do to protect and keep those you love safe, well feed, housed and clothed. I loved the growth our hero went through in learning to love and understand what that love really means, and learning that things are not always right and wrong. I am looking forward to the continuation in this series as well as continuing to explore Elise Marion's backlist.

Elise was a new author for me and I chose the book for its plot: I love wallflowers and spinsters finding their true love. Well, I wasn’t disappointed at all! I loved this book from the very beginning and it made me laugh and cry as well, keeping me entertained till the end.
Helena is a wonderful woman who finds herself in dire straits after the death of both her parents. She has two younger siblings and has to care for them as well. So she resorts to extreme measures: she creates a band of highwaymen, or “highwaywomen”, together with her dearest friends, who are equally in need of money, to rob rich people who can spare a pound or two. The group of women is tightly knit and I loved their friendship very much. They are like five musketeers who protect each other and care for each other very much. What Helena did not anticipated was finding her true love... She was resigned to being a spinster!
Sebastian is looking for a bride, but he isn’t looking for love. He’s practical, stoic, stern and arrogant, but with a reason: he had to erase the legacy of his father’s sins (a drunkard, gambler and womanizer) and restore the good name of his family and the family finances. But when he meets Helena, he falls head over heels for her. Pity that she holds this big secret...
I totally recommend this book and I look forward to the stories of the other women of the band, as well as Derek’s (Sebastian’s best friends) and the Bow Runner who is set to capture the band of delightful bandits...
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was an enjoyable read from beginning to end!
I loved the badass heroine. The plot kept me engaged in the story and I cared about what happened to the characters.
The writing was creative and flowed nicely.
Would totally give the other books a try.

This book! Kept me entertained throughout the entire story. Helena and Harriet are great characters. Sebastian and Felix are well written. I like to see a wallflower steal the show. I wasn't sure how it would end. I'm definitely excited to see the next story. Hopefully all the girls get their own story.

When I saw the plus-sized heroine on the cover of this Regency romance novel, I knew I had to pick it up. I love a plus-sized hero/heroine! Spinster Sister got off to a bit of a slow start for me, but once I was in I was hooked. The chemistry between Helena and Sebastian is just SO good, and had just enough of the hate-to-love kick to me get a tropeful of butterflies in my tummy.

Another really enjoyable part is the friendship between Helena and the rest of the "Band of Brigands" - though at times it was a little difficult to keep the five of them all straight. I am SO READY for their stories, and I can't wait to see which one of them gets matched up with the burly Irish detective in book two... My guess is Mina, what's yours? :)

Helena Montgomery is left to care for her siblings after the deaths of her parents. Buried under a pile of debt, she has no choice but to join her four friends in a dangerous scheme. Moonlighting as a masked highwayman is a sure way to end up facing the hangman, but there is nothing Helena wouldn’t do for those she loves. Besides, she only intends to continue her illegal activities until her sister Harriet’s first season yields an advantageous marriage. Sebastian Radcliffe, earl of Stafford doesn’t want a wife, but must select one to secure his family legacy. The young, beautiful Harriett Montgomery seems like the perfect choice yet Sebastian finds himself drawn instead to her elder sister. He never expected to marry for love, yet the vivacious Helena quickly burrows her way past his stony façade and straight into his heart. He thinks her a high-handed shrew; she thinks him a self-righteous bore.
The first in a new series & a lovely starter. I loved both Sebastian & Helena, their verbal banter was hugely entertaining & their attraction started off simmering but quickly grew to sizzling. Five lady highwaymen or should it be highwaywomen! Is different & all five woman have suffered hardships & I look forward to each one of their stories plus Felix deserves his story too. A very well written page turner which drew me in from the start & held me engrossed until the end
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Spinster Sister, by Elise Marion. I enjoyed reading the plot of the story. The writer did great with applying a interesting plot to this romantic love story. The writer provided great descriptions to many different details of the story. These descriptions helped me the reader to have somewhat of an imagination to what was happening in the book. The was a page turner for me.
I think with the writers great ability of providing an entertaining story helped with this. Helena and Sebastian I really liked reading their story. The constant back and forth between the two certainly did heated moments behind closed doors.

This was my first Elisa Marion book, and now I'm so excited to dive into her catalog. The 'falling for the spinster sister' plot isn't new by any means, but having said sister also be a highwaywoman is such a fun twist that I really enjoyed. I haven't read something like that before! I liked both Helena and Sebastian as characters-- they both were well fleshed out and had very logical reactions to the things happening in their lives. Drama never carried out for too long and the resolution was very satisfactory. I tell you what, I can't wait for Felix to get a book (PLEASE CAN WE GET FELIX A BOOK), because I love him so much and he deserves someone amazing. There were a few grammar errors that hopefully can fixed before the main release, but otherwise a really fun historical romance that made me excited for the rest of the series. I would love a little novella about Henrietta's courtship.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Helena Montgomery takes drastic measures to support her younger brother and sister after the death of their parents. This is her sister's first season and must be a success. As one of the five women known as the Band Brigands, they rob coaches at night, and evenly split the profits to survive. What choice do they have except sell themselves as Haymarket strumpets. Sebastian, the Earl of Stratford is ready to find a wife. At first he is drawn to the younger sister, but when he waltzes with Helena he finds he is strongly attracted to her instead. Falling in love comes quickly, but if he discovers her secret all will be lost. Sebastian is very pompous and full of himself. I liked him, but at the same time he needed to be knocked down a peg or two. I admired Helena for what she had to do to protect her family. All five women had valid reasons for taking a dangerous way to get money.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.