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The Rewards of Ruin #1
The Highwayman's Folly
Deep in the forest, in a decaying hunting lodge, a curious bond flickers into existence...
A LIFE TINGED BY RUIN
BETH CLARKE has earned perhaps the most dubious distinction in England—that of being kidnapped twice in one night. Thirty years old and burdened with new responsibilities, her life is a far cry from the rebellion of her youth. Worse, a greedy land agent has designs on her new fortune. When his attempt to abduct her is waylaid by a band of highwaymen, the thieves' mysterious "Captain" offers Beth a strange salvation—perhaps not only from a cold night, but from a cold past, as well...
A PAST MARRED BY MUTINY
RHYS BOOKER was born to a different name, one that he no longer deserves. Cruel turns of fate have brought him here, to a life outside the law—a life that felt like the only possibility before she came into it. With a robbery gone sideways, he can't simply leave this woman to freeze on the highroads, but with a crew of hungry men depending on him, he can't let her go either...
Far from the dangers of the forest and reunited under the gaze of those who rejected them, can their passion ever survive?
A LIFE TINGED BY RUIN
BETH CLARKE has earned perhaps the most dubious distinction in England—that of being kidnapped twice in one night. Thirty years old and burdened with new responsibilities, her life is a far cry from the rebellion of her youth. Worse, a greedy land agent has designs on her new fortune. When his attempt to abduct her is waylaid by a band of highwaymen, the thieves' mysterious "Captain" offers Beth a strange salvation—perhaps not only from a cold night, but from a cold past, as well...
A PAST MARRED BY MUTINY
RHYS BOOKER was born to a different name, one that he no longer deserves. Cruel turns of fate have brought him here, to a life outside the law—a life that felt like the only possibility before she came into it. With a robbery gone sideways, he can't simply leave this woman to freeze on the highroads, but with a crew of hungry men depending on him, he can't let her go either...
Far from the dangers of the forest and reunited under the gaze of those who rejected them, can their passion ever survive?
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2021
52 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Daria Vernon
6 books72 followersDARIA VERNON peaked in the third grade.
Her debut book, about a cockatiel named Popcorn, was published in first grade by Mrs. Sawyer’s Imprint—a feisty independent press consisting of a lamination machine in the janitor’s closet next door to the classroom. In second grade, she declared to her mother that she would win the statewide “Day in the Classroom” essay contest. Her mom taught her the word “cocky” in the context of “don’t be,” but she went on to win the essay contest and a $100 bill. By the end of third grade she had penned (and illustrated) more than half a dozen spiral bound books, had attended multiple Young Author’s Conventions, and had been awarded the school district’s highest honor for a poem about chess that strained the limitations of metaphor.
It was downhill from there.
Today Daria sweats over the computer keys in the hopes of bringing adventurous historical romances to life for her readers. Sometimes swashbuckling. Sometimes gothic. Always sensually steamy.
When Daria isn’t writing, she can be found: *figure skating, *enjoying retro French pop dance nights, *solo traveling, playing dress up, tending to her mental health and crafting/creating.
*These items subject to the status of raging global pandemic at time of writing.
You can keep up with Daria's books and antics at the links below:
Her debut book, about a cockatiel named Popcorn, was published in first grade by Mrs. Sawyer’s Imprint—a feisty independent press consisting of a lamination machine in the janitor’s closet next door to the classroom. In second grade, she declared to her mother that she would win the statewide “Day in the Classroom” essay contest. Her mom taught her the word “cocky” in the context of “don’t be,” but she went on to win the essay contest and a $100 bill. By the end of third grade she had penned (and illustrated) more than half a dozen spiral bound books, had attended multiple Young Author’s Conventions, and had been awarded the school district’s highest honor for a poem about chess that strained the limitations of metaphor.
It was downhill from there.
Today Daria sweats over the computer keys in the hopes of bringing adventurous historical romances to life for her readers. Sometimes swashbuckling. Sometimes gothic. Always sensually steamy.
When Daria isn’t writing, she can be found: *figure skating, *enjoying retro French pop dance nights, *solo traveling, playing dress up, tending to her mental health and crafting/creating.
*These items subject to the status of raging global pandemic at time of writing.
You can keep up with Daria's books and antics at the links below:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 10, 2021
This was freaking delightful and I want more from this author right now. Like... wow.
March 22, 2021
Many thanks to Book sirens and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.
Daria Vernon’s debut novel The Highwayman’s Folly is surprisingly different in the historical romance genre. For starters, there’s no nobility in the story and then the fact that Beth, the protagonist of the story is 30 and knows her mind and has no qualms in demanding her freedom or independence. After having been dubiously awarded the honor of being kidnapped twice in one single night, Beth is resourceful and inventive looking for ways to escape her confinement.
Rhys Booker has a heart of gold and being a highwayman is a necessity rather than a choice and Beth soon begins to sense the underlying integrity he possesses and the care he offers. Rhys and Beth are both interesting characters and all the supporting characters have also been drawn out well. The adventures in the woods with the wolves and the fight for survival were exciting and the entire “I am no damsel in distress” part was brilliant. It was a refreshing take on the usual track of falling in love.
I absolutely loved it that Beth is happier with her spinster status and wants to travel the world and live her life on her own terms. 3 years down the lane she has every reason to do just what she wants in life and with a silently supportive father, everything seems attainable.
The Highwayman’s Folly is thoroughly enjoyable and engaging!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, and Twitter.
Daria Vernon’s debut novel The Highwayman’s Folly is surprisingly different in the historical romance genre. For starters, there’s no nobility in the story and then the fact that Beth, the protagonist of the story is 30 and knows her mind and has no qualms in demanding her freedom or independence. After having been dubiously awarded the honor of being kidnapped twice in one single night, Beth is resourceful and inventive looking for ways to escape her confinement.
Rhys Booker has a heart of gold and being a highwayman is a necessity rather than a choice and Beth soon begins to sense the underlying integrity he possesses and the care he offers. Rhys and Beth are both interesting characters and all the supporting characters have also been drawn out well. The adventures in the woods with the wolves and the fight for survival were exciting and the entire “I am no damsel in distress” part was brilliant. It was a refreshing take on the usual track of falling in love.
I absolutely loved it that Beth is happier with her spinster status and wants to travel the world and live her life on her own terms. 3 years down the lane she has every reason to do just what she wants in life and with a silently supportive father, everything seems attainable.
The Highwayman’s Folly is thoroughly enjoyable and engaging!
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, and Twitter.
April 3, 2024
"Are you still cold?" The sound came so close to her ear that it raised tiny hairs at the back of her jaw.
"No," she mumbled, "I'm lovely." Her eyes slammed shut. What an imbecilic response to give without any cut of sarcasm. Hopefully, she came across as a half-asleep fool who didn't know what she was saying.
After really enjoying Uncommonly Verdant and reading an excerpt from The Highwayman's Folly at the end of it, I just had to jump right into this one. My expectations did end up being a bit wrong though, because I wanted an erotic novella and instead I got... what exactly? Adventure romance?
Okay, so to be honest, this was a bit out of my usual reading pool for me. I don't love action books, I don't love dark-kidnapping romance (spoiler: this isn't a dark romance) and I just wanted something short and frisky and this was on a longer side and had only two sex scenes. That said, I quite enjoyed it? First of all, this is the type of kidnapping romance where you can actually say "well, if I had to be kidnapped by someone Rhys would be the guy I chose". Simply because, he's really gentle and kind to the heroine and seems to be more uncomfortable with the whole kidnapping situation than she is, which was kind of hilarious. Beth on the other hand is an amazing protagonist, she is adventurous and resourceful and fierce and the only kind of person that could fall for a highwayman who kidnapped her and you would go "yes, that totally makes sense with the type of person that she is". Also, I forgot to say, we never learn how old Rhys is but Beth is in her thirties which is sort of cool if you ask me and makes the whole situation kind of more comfortable than if she was a blushing eighteen-year-old virgin.
The characters were great, their interactions were great but I have to admit that I didn't feel the chemistry much, which was kind of a bummer.
The book also felt a bit slow and although I think the pacing of things were kind of good, the book might have benefited from some more editing that would make everything a bit tighter.
I kind of hated the wolf-subplot. I just...
In the middle the book does the "three years later" thing, which honestly surprised me so much, but it kind of works? I have some mixed feelings about it, but... okay. I also kind of liked that
Also there is no third-act breakup! There is some ending drama but most of it has nothing to do with the relationship. There is some romantic tension, but... you know, realistic good stuff.
Overall, I thought this was great for a debut, but it left me wishing for a bit more. If you like your romance combined with some action though, this might very well be a book for you. I will be reading The Rogue's Last Letter if I manage to get my hands on it. Probably later this year... but I still have The Sailor's Song on my kindle, so... I think that one's next, I keep picking up mermaids lately... (Chlorine, The Salt Grows Heavy, Into the Gray...) Not sure what's up with that...
Daria Vernon is definitely an author to keep eyes on! 3,5⭐ (Rounded down because everything seems to be a four star lately and it was a slow read, but it is definitely an upper three star...)
March 26, 2021
'A LIFE TINGED BY RUIN
BETH CLARKE has earned perhaps the most dubious distinction in England—that of being kidnapped twice in one night. Thirty years old and burdened with new responsibilities, her life is a far cry from the rebellion of her youth. Worse, a greedy land agent has designs on her new fortune. When his attempt to abduct her is waylaid by a band of highwaymen, the thieves' mysterious "Captain" offers Beth a strange salvation—perhaps not only from a cold night, but from a cold past, as well...
A PAST MARRED BY MUTINY
RHYS BOOKER was born to a different name, one that he no longer deserves. Cruel turns of fate have brought him here, to a life outside the law—a life that felt like the only possibility before she came into it. With a robbery gone sideways, he can't simply leave this woman to freeze on the highroads, but with a crew of hungry men depending on him, he can't let her go either...'
_______________________________
The Highwayman's Folly is the first book in debut author, Daria Vernon's The Rewards of Ruin series.
This was such a lovely debut book! I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, I was worried going in that it might tend toward being a little cheesy. But I am happy to report that that wasn't the case at all. I honestly couldn't put it down. And my performance at work the next day certainly suffered because you bet that I sarted reading it too late in the evening and stayed up wayy to late to finish it. Because who needs to be responsible, right?
This is one of the best kidnapping plots that I have read in some time. Things were paced so nicely, that the plot just felt so genuine and believable. It didn't at all feel like the author stuck a bandaid on the kidnapping story in order to bring the characters together, which I have found often happens in these plots. In this book, howeverm it continues to be a source of conflict and also leads to further problems and it made the story so much stronger. I don't want to give anything away though, so I'll leave it there.
I think if I had to come up with one critique it would be the fade to black for three years. I know it helped progress things to where feesibly enough time could have passed for Rhys to have enacted the changes he did. But three years felt like too long to disappear on her with no contact and knowing that she had no way of contacting him. I'm not so sure that I could have been as forgiving. But that was really the only thing that gave me pause with the plot.
And now that I know that this is to be part of a series, I'm assuming each book with focus on a member of the band of thieves. Maybe? Don't quote me. But if that is the case, I hope that we'll see more of Harry. He was such a dear, I would love to read more about him.
I really enjoyed this book and the sense of danger and adventure. The Highwayman's Folly is a great debut book and I will certainly be keeping an eye out and reading more from this author and continuing with this series.
_____
I would like to thank Daria Vernon and BookSirens for sharing an eARC of The Highwayman's Folly with me. This is my honest review.
BETH CLARKE has earned perhaps the most dubious distinction in England—that of being kidnapped twice in one night. Thirty years old and burdened with new responsibilities, her life is a far cry from the rebellion of her youth. Worse, a greedy land agent has designs on her new fortune. When his attempt to abduct her is waylaid by a band of highwaymen, the thieves' mysterious "Captain" offers Beth a strange salvation—perhaps not only from a cold night, but from a cold past, as well...
A PAST MARRED BY MUTINY
RHYS BOOKER was born to a different name, one that he no longer deserves. Cruel turns of fate have brought him here, to a life outside the law—a life that felt like the only possibility before she came into it. With a robbery gone sideways, he can't simply leave this woman to freeze on the highroads, but with a crew of hungry men depending on him, he can't let her go either...'
_______________________________
The Highwayman's Folly is the first book in debut author, Daria Vernon's The Rewards of Ruin series.
This was such a lovely debut book! I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, I was worried going in that it might tend toward being a little cheesy. But I am happy to report that that wasn't the case at all. I honestly couldn't put it down. And my performance at work the next day certainly suffered because you bet that I sarted reading it too late in the evening and stayed up wayy to late to finish it. Because who needs to be responsible, right?
This is one of the best kidnapping plots that I have read in some time. Things were paced so nicely, that the plot just felt so genuine and believable. It didn't at all feel like the author stuck a bandaid on the kidnapping story in order to bring the characters together, which I have found often happens in these plots. In this book, howeverm it continues to be a source of conflict and also leads to further problems and it made the story so much stronger. I don't want to give anything away though, so I'll leave it there.
I think if I had to come up with one critique it would be the fade to black for three years. I know it helped progress things to where feesibly enough time could have passed for Rhys to have enacted the changes he did. But three years felt like too long to disappear on her with no contact and knowing that she had no way of contacting him. I'm not so sure that I could have been as forgiving. But that was really the only thing that gave me pause with the plot.
And now that I know that this is to be part of a series, I'm assuming each book with focus on a member of the band of thieves. Maybe? Don't quote me. But if that is the case, I hope that we'll see more of Harry. He was such a dear, I would love to read more about him.
I really enjoyed this book and the sense of danger and adventure. The Highwayman's Folly is a great debut book and I will certainly be keeping an eye out and reading more from this author and continuing with this series.
_____
I would like to thank Daria Vernon and BookSirens for sharing an eARC of The Highwayman's Folly with me. This is my honest review.
February 16, 2022
Y'all, "The Highwayman's Folly," let me tell you-
It was love at first sight.
As soon as I saw the cover of The Highwayman's Folly, I knew I had to read this book. The cover is beautiful and haunting and eery and romantic. Is the rider in the background a stalker or the Hero? What is the Heroine looking at? It's an "action" cover rather than the typical swoony, foreplay covers that we know and love.
I was totally enchanted by @daria.vernon.romance first novel. I actually messaged her as soon as I finished the book telling her I loved it and that I felt proud of her. No, she is not a friend of mine and yes, I can often come across too strong. (Sorry if anyone reading this has been a victim of this. I'm usually quite normal and calm.)
The story is quite epic. So much happens at just the right speed. It reminds me a bit of A heart of Blood and Ash and IAD but set in a historical time period. Not that the Heroine is immortal or has powers, but that she is mentally strong and thinks before she acts and trusts herself but still lets her heart lead with empathy and love.
The interactions between characters are hilarious and realistically personable. There was more of a comradrie between our H/h than just full sexual tension and angst. Our Heroine is so likeable and wonderfully normal. You root for the Hero despite the fact that he doesn't have a title or run a gambling hell.
AND this is the the only believable kidnapping plot that I've read in a long time.
Oh, and the epilogue was just perfect.
Y'all. Le sigh. It was such a joy to read and I would trust Daria with my time and money in exchange for her book any day.
Alrighty, they've kissed, my gooshing tangents are over and I've told you about it!
It was love at first sight.
As soon as I saw the cover of The Highwayman's Folly, I knew I had to read this book. The cover is beautiful and haunting and eery and romantic. Is the rider in the background a stalker or the Hero? What is the Heroine looking at? It's an "action" cover rather than the typical swoony, foreplay covers that we know and love.
I was totally enchanted by @daria.vernon.romance first novel. I actually messaged her as soon as I finished the book telling her I loved it and that I felt proud of her. No, she is not a friend of mine and yes, I can often come across too strong. (Sorry if anyone reading this has been a victim of this. I'm usually quite normal and calm.)
The story is quite epic. So much happens at just the right speed. It reminds me a bit of A heart of Blood and Ash and IAD but set in a historical time period. Not that the Heroine is immortal or has powers, but that she is mentally strong and thinks before she acts and trusts herself but still lets her heart lead with empathy and love.
The interactions between characters are hilarious and realistically personable. There was more of a comradrie between our H/h than just full sexual tension and angst. Our Heroine is so likeable and wonderfully normal. You root for the Hero despite the fact that he doesn't have a title or run a gambling hell.
AND this is the the only believable kidnapping plot that I've read in a long time.
Oh, and the epilogue was just perfect.
Y'all. Le sigh. It was such a joy to read and I would trust Daria with my time and money in exchange for her book any day.
Alrighty, they've kissed, my gooshing tangents are over and I've told you about it!
February 19, 2021
A delicious swashbuckling tale with an excellent heroine! I love a strong, sassy gal (an actual grown up in her 30s in this case) and Beth completely delivered after being kidnapped twice in one ill-fated (OR WAS IT?) evening. Rhys, the hero, was a highwayman with a heart of gold, which regrettably he couldn’t pawn to finance his very worthy causes. He’s a kidnapper and rescuer all rolled into one, and he has his work cut out for him, since it’s hard to rescue someone like Beth since she’s usually busy seeing to the business of her own rescue thankyouverymuch. Lovely debut novel.
January 25, 2021
“A highwayman trapped by his own mistakes, an outsider longing for the rebellion of her youth, a cold winter night that changes everything.”
This cover is FANTASTIC, best one I’ve seen in a while. I read this over a peaceful-snowy weekend and the read gave me all those same perfectly quiet, slow-angsty winter vibes. The writing is excellent and the beginning grabbed my attention immediately...we have a heroine who gets kidnapped twice, first by her kidnappers & then when highwaymen attack their carriage, instead of being rescued she is kidnapped (again) by the highwaymen. I felt transported while reading and could picture the winter forest so perfectly as they travel through the cold woods to an abandoned lodge. It is at this dilapidated lodge that a bond starts to form between Beth and the highwayman Captain, Rhys, who she can’t decide if he’s her rescuer or kidnapper.
While there was action and adventure I felt like it was definitely a slow-moving story. Since it was a very isolated location that the hero & heroine are together in a lodge in the woods, it was harder to place the time the story is set in (didn’t have a lot of nods to the historical time frame it was set in). The ending starts moving a lot quicker and I almost missed the slow, quiet storytelling of the first half of the book. But the epilogue was pretty great and I’d for sure check out more from this author!
If you like romance reads in an isolated winter setting, broody heroes, forced proximity & a shared bed trope, gothic-vibes, and a badass heroine in her 30s who takes on a wild animal at one point then definitely check this debut out!
This cover is FANTASTIC, best one I’ve seen in a while. I read this over a peaceful-snowy weekend and the read gave me all those same perfectly quiet, slow-angsty winter vibes. The writing is excellent and the beginning grabbed my attention immediately...we have a heroine who gets kidnapped twice, first by her kidnappers & then when highwaymen attack their carriage, instead of being rescued she is kidnapped (again) by the highwaymen. I felt transported while reading and could picture the winter forest so perfectly as they travel through the cold woods to an abandoned lodge. It is at this dilapidated lodge that a bond starts to form between Beth and the highwayman Captain, Rhys, who she can’t decide if he’s her rescuer or kidnapper.
While there was action and adventure I felt like it was definitely a slow-moving story. Since it was a very isolated location that the hero & heroine are together in a lodge in the woods, it was harder to place the time the story is set in (didn’t have a lot of nods to the historical time frame it was set in). The ending starts moving a lot quicker and I almost missed the slow, quiet storytelling of the first half of the book. But the epilogue was pretty great and I’d for sure check out more from this author!
If you like romance reads in an isolated winter setting, broody heroes, forced proximity & a shared bed trope, gothic-vibes, and a badass heroine in her 30s who takes on a wild animal at one point then definitely check this debut out!
June 28, 2021
I loved this book! I can't believe this is a debut book. It was so atmospheric with beautiful, lyrical writing. I really enjoyed Beth and Rhys's romance, watching them slowly fall for each other.
Beth is kidnapped twice in one night. Rhys and his bandits take her to their folly to figure out how to get her inheritance. The story evolves from there. If you're a fan of light captor/captive, a sweet hero, a strong heroine, and small town/country vibes, read this book! It's different from all of the historical romances I've read so far and I'll definitely be reading more from Daria Vernon in the future.
Beth is kidnapped twice in one night. Rhys and his bandits take her to their folly to figure out how to get her inheritance. The story evolves from there. If you're a fan of light captor/captive, a sweet hero, a strong heroine, and small town/country vibes, read this book! It's different from all of the historical romances I've read so far and I'll definitely be reading more from Daria Vernon in the future.
May 2, 2024
A Free Stuff Your Kindle Day offering that worked out to be a good read. I haven’t read historical romance in quite a while. I forgot one of the joys was learning words for articles of clothing humans don't wear any longer.
I loved how strong and irreverent the heroine was. Love that she was self assured and didn't care what people thought. So fun that she owned her freedom
and sexuality without bending to societal rules. I loved the wolf scene.
It was a bit long and lacked some of the pay off that I'd hoped for. They argued about something kind of big but it wasn't resolved in a satisfying way, she just kind of gave up and forgave him although his explanation was lacking. I don't feel interested enough to read the next one in the series, but this was a great book and I would recommend it for anyone who is a fan of historical romance.
I loved how strong and irreverent the heroine was. Love that she was self assured and didn't care what people thought. So fun that she owned her freedom
and sexuality without bending to societal rules. I loved the wolf scene.
It was a bit long and lacked some of the pay off that I'd hoped for. They argued about something kind of big but it wasn't resolved in a satisfying way, she just kind of gave up and forgave him although his explanation was lacking. I don't feel interested enough to read the next one in the series, but this was a great book and I would recommend it for anyone who is a fan of historical romance.
June 10, 2023
4.75/5
I enjoyed every minute of this, the writing was beautiful. It was insta love but it honestly just felt like two soulmates meeting each other during a midnight carriage robbery. Even with a time jump the pacing flowed so well, I was captivated the entire read.
I enjoyed every minute of this, the writing was beautiful. It was insta love but it honestly just felt like two soulmates meeting each other during a midnight carriage robbery. Even with a time jump the pacing flowed so well, I was captivated the entire read.
February 2, 2021
This was a good read from debut author Daria Vernon. It sucked me in from the first page as with in the first few chapters Beth the heroine gets kidnapped not once but TWICE! Daria sure did excellent take on imagery as if I could feel if I was there in the story. Beth sure isn't a conventional historical heroine so if anyone is looking for something different this is definitely one. Plus, it takes place in England in 1783 even having a gothic undertone which is a bit different for me but very well done. I would like to have seen more in depth emotion from the characters and some parts did drag a bit for me, otherwise historical romance readers should give this a shot!
Can we talk about this beautiful cover and the font! So pretty.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Can we talk about this beautiful cover and the font! So pretty.
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
March 14, 2021
This is the first book I read from this author and I really wanted to like it, based on the premise and the positive reviews from other readers. The book tells the story of Beth, a genteel woman who is kidnapped, and Rhys, a highwayman and unlikely rescuer, turned second kidnapper, turned rescuer? I am afraid that for me, the story fell short of the mark. The characters were unbelievable; the heroine bratty, selfish and truly unlikeable, very much inclined to get into trouble just for the sake of it and not to learn from her mistakes. The hero was a thief with a conscience, at times thoughtful and at times a bit pathetic. There are holes in the story, brazen behavior beyond what one could expect for the era; language unlikely to ever be used by any woman of the time, even if not a lady; and very unrealistic situations. Not my cup of tea. I received a free copy of this book courtesy of BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 27, 2021
Loneliness Is Such A Sad Affair🎶💔
ADULT Georgian Era Romance💕 and Adventure🔫🔪 with Abductions🔪🔫 and a Second Chance at 💘Love.
Yorkshire, England 1783.
The book gets off to a somewhat slow start with Bethany💃💋, a thirty year old spinster, being left her late aunt's estate and savings after she dies. Her aunt's greedy land steward👺 sees dollar signs💲 and kidnaps Beth💃💋, and attempts to force her into an elopement👰. Attacked by Highwaymen🐺🔪💪🔫 along the way, she is kidnapped from the kidnapper!
Rhys🐺🍆⛲🔪💪🔫, her Highwayman kidnapper, has aliases of his own, and his gang of men want to hold Beth💃💋 for ransom💰! Rhys🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫 is honest in his own way and comes to care💕 deeply for Beth💃💋.
The Land steward👺 gets away in the melee🔪💪🔫 that ensues with the highwaymen. Eventually, Rhys🐺🍆⛲🔪💪🔫 breaks from his gang and returns Beth💃💋 to her father. Beth💃💋 and her Father spend much time and money hiring detectives to find the land steward👺, only to determine he has a number of aliases!
ARC Provided by Book📚 Sirens💃
This ebook was $3.99 on Amazon at the time of this review. No KU.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
This is a wonderfully written, very emotional tale of two adult people who find out that it is easy to fall in 💘love but hard to commit to each other. They are both flawed people trying to find their way through life.
Both have skeletons💀 in their closets that make them outcasts of polite society. By confiding in each other, they grow closer together but Rhys🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫, the sailor turned Highwayman🔪🔫, has many more secrets to hide.
This is a long, absorbing book with well developed, strong characters and a great story of second chance love 💘.
ADULT Georgian Era Romance💕 and Adventure🔫🔪 with Abductions🔪🔫 and a Second Chance at 💘Love.
Yorkshire, England 1783.
The book gets off to a somewhat slow start with Bethany💃💋, a thirty year old spinster, being left her late aunt's estate and savings after she dies. Her aunt's greedy land steward👺 sees dollar signs💲 and kidnaps Beth💃💋, and attempts to force her into an elopement👰. Attacked by Highwaymen🐺🔪💪🔫 along the way, she is kidnapped from the kidnapper!
Rhys🐺🍆⛲🔪💪🔫, her Highwayman kidnapper, has aliases of his own, and his gang of men want to hold Beth💃💋 for ransom💰! Rhys🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫 is honest in his own way and comes to care💕 deeply for Beth💃💋.
The Land steward👺 gets away in the melee🔪💪🔫 that ensues with the highwaymen. Eventually, Rhys🐺🍆⛲🔪💪🔫 breaks from his gang and returns Beth💃💋 to her father. Beth💃💋 and her Father spend much time and money hiring detectives to find the land steward👺, only to determine he has a number of aliases!
ARC Provided by Book📚 Sirens💃
This ebook was $3.99 on Amazon at the time of this review. No KU.
Opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
This is a wonderfully written, very emotional tale of two adult people who find out that it is easy to fall in 💘love but hard to commit to each other. They are both flawed people trying to find their way through life.
Both have skeletons💀 in their closets that make them outcasts of polite society. By confiding in each other, they grow closer together but Rhys🐺🍆⛲💪🔪🔫, the sailor turned Highwayman🔪🔫, has many more secrets to hide.
This is a long, absorbing book with well developed, strong characters and a great story of second chance love 💘.
May 13, 2022
Ruin of the heart
Ahh, what I enjoyed about this book?? So many things. I found myself still reading this book well into the early hours of the morning, so was my desire to finish my journey. These main characters are complex and don't necessarily fit into the molds that society has tried to put them into to. They each have been hurt because of this and even years later try to fight against constraints.
Shamed and rejected by society these two characters may not think they have a lot in common. Rebels, free-spirits - both Rhys and Beth have a past of being judged by a double-standadard, harshly. It has effected both of their lives. Circumstances thrown them together and through their shared situations they are each able to see the kindness and strength in the other, to learn its okay to put their trust in each other and their hearts. Though the past may have hurt and changed each of differently from who they were before to now, it was allowed them to find each other. No matter how scary it is, to have found each other through it all . . . Ahhhh. It made the story worth the ride
Ahh, what I enjoyed about this book?? So many things. I found myself still reading this book well into the early hours of the morning, so was my desire to finish my journey. These main characters are complex and don't necessarily fit into the molds that society has tried to put them into to. They each have been hurt because of this and even years later try to fight against constraints.
Shamed and rejected by society these two characters may not think they have a lot in common. Rebels, free-spirits - both Rhys and Beth have a past of being judged by a double-standadard, harshly. It has effected both of their lives. Circumstances thrown them together and through their shared situations they are each able to see the kindness and strength in the other, to learn its okay to put their trust in each other and their hearts. Though the past may have hurt and changed each of differently from who they were before to now, it was allowed them to find each other. No matter how scary it is, to have found each other through it all . . . Ahhhh. It made the story worth the ride
September 28, 2021
Characters: Beth and Rhys
Beth is a 30 year old spinster that has just lost her beloved aunt. On her way to her father’s home, she is kidnapped by the scummy Stewart at her aunt’s estate. While they are traveling in a carriage, they are set upon by Highwaymen.
Once the Highwaymen realize that a lady with wealth is in the carriage, they kidnap her.
Rhys is called Captain by his crew and they take Beth to this house that’s called a folly, while there Rhys finds that he is attracted to Beth and wants to take her home.
This book does have a 3 year separation after he takes her home
This was a decent read, it was a bit slow for me and I was a bit bored, but I would say this is a pretty decent read for the author’s debut novel
Beth is a 30 year old spinster that has just lost her beloved aunt. On her way to her father’s home, she is kidnapped by the scummy Stewart at her aunt’s estate. While they are traveling in a carriage, they are set upon by Highwaymen.
Once the Highwaymen realize that a lady with wealth is in the carriage, they kidnap her.
Rhys is called Captain by his crew and they take Beth to this house that’s called a folly, while there Rhys finds that he is attracted to Beth and wants to take her home.
This book does have a 3 year separation after he takes her home
This was a decent read, it was a bit slow for me and I was a bit bored, but I would say this is a pretty decent read for the author’s debut novel
December 28, 2021
I grew up reading old school historicals and The Highwayman's Folly takes me back in the best way. All the romp fun without the old school problematic elements. Didn't realize how much I was missing adventure in my romances, but this has it in spades as well as bringing the heat! It's got lots of tropes I love like "only one bed" and "enemy to lovers". There is a time jump, which I don't normally like, but I think it really works here.
January 25, 2021
Had a blast reading it.
It's a fun thriller adventure romance. The main character, Beth, is strong, smart, and never stops fighting back; which comes in handy when she's kidnap-ceptioned.
The writing is excellent and the characters are well developed. Some of the side characters are real scene stealers (lookin at you, Allison).
It's a lot of fun and a much needed escape. I highly recommend.
It's a fun thriller adventure romance. The main character, Beth, is strong, smart, and never stops fighting back; which comes in handy when she's kidnap-ceptioned.
The writing is excellent and the characters are well developed. Some of the side characters are real scene stealers (lookin at you, Allison).
It's a lot of fun and a much needed escape. I highly recommend.
January 21, 2023
2.5
it was fine i guess
it was fine i guess
November 16, 2024
I liked this the plot was different than most historicals, it just got too wordy.
September 1, 2022
this is such a solid debut, with leads who are over 30 and act like it, as well as really wonderful historical world building. some of the formatting means that there's POV switching that felt confusing. the prose can be slightly overwrought, but luckily i love that shit! the plot is very angsty and emotional, but none of the characters, even the side ones, felt entirely one-dimensional. beth in particular is a lead you'd want as a friend in real life. also the sex is?? SPICY AND FRAUGHT. woo!
i'm really excited to read daria's other books and her future work as well. she's a historical romance author to watch, which is always very exciting. also the title font is DELICIOUS, very reminiscent of older romance novels and sets the covers apart for sure!
i'm really excited to read daria's other books and her future work as well. she's a historical romance author to watch, which is always very exciting. also the title font is DELICIOUS, very reminiscent of older romance novels and sets the covers apart for sure!
September 22, 2023
bleh she killed the wolf, would only have been good if it left her blind in one eye and scarred forever.
Bleh dirty pirate teeth, violence and not enough steamy love.
Cannot believe this was the same author who inspired all the lolz at swan antics
Bleh dirty pirate teeth, violence and not enough steamy love.
Cannot believe this was the same author who inspired all the lolz at swan antics
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2023
This review covers both books #1 and #2.
I picked this book out as part of Free Romance Day awhile back. The other book I read from that collection was, bluntly, mediocre, so I kind of forgot about the other two books I grabbed until I eventually decided whatever, this frozen yogurt is right here and started reading. But The Rewards of Ruin are not frozen yogurt. This book series is actually... really good?!
There are several things in these romance novels Vernon pulls off extremely well, and things she does differently, that I haven't seen in a lot of the romance novels I've read since expanding out from shoujo manga:
* The plot in both The Highwayman's Folly and The Rogue's Last Letter is blended really beautifully with the romance. We set up the stakes that are not the central romance early in the book. Those stakes are are a consistent through-line that build up well throughout the story! The central mystery pays off at the end, and without any extremely lazy ass-pulls or staggeringly unbelievable revelations! (I'm looking at you, Archer's Voice!) So many romance novels I've read so far awkwardly clump their "b plot" around the romance. It's like that infamous letter about the burrito where all the ingredients are layered all wrong. "Oh here's a clump of deadly danger with zero romance. And now a long stretch of romance where the alluded-to danger is for no reason gone. Another stretch of danger/plot with absolutely no romance in it!" None of that here. It's a PROPERLY ASSEMBLED BURRITO.
* And both of these books do have extremely good revelations in their final acts, revelations that are set up well by the initial stakes of the story. The Rogue's Last Letter has an especially beautiful twist in its final act with the core villains, one that both surprised me but also clicked perfectly into place.
* Both books make really good use of their historical setting. This is something I've enjoyed about Ashley's well-loved Mackenzie series wrt to the Edwardian period, but I think Vernon actually surpasses her in just the level of loving detail about late 18th century England, not just knowing a Polonaise from a English gown but also what people were eating, doing in their spare time, and significantly how the lower classes were behaving, which is very important in both books.
* Which brings me to another thing I love about these books: the male leads are not aristocrats. Fucking finally, and Vernon just makes them, I don't know, utterly lovable? The details she includes about being press-ganged, an utterly horrible practice that was an incredibly common fate among lower-class men, are really wonderful, and she uses it to great effect to make her male leads sympathetic. She makes all of their struggles and mistrust against the aristocrats utterly justified. Which they should be, because aristocrats are bad, actually, and I wish more romance books were honest about it! Like romance readers can have some wish fulfillment but I want believable asshole aristocrats, too!
* And both Rhys and Henry are just really wonderful male leads. Many romance authors have male leads who talk about how they love particular qualities in the female leads that aren't necessarily socially appreciated, but here I really believe it. Vernon sets up power differential well by making all the reasons these men initially distrust these women completely valid and necessary. When these women throw away all of their social status for two commoners you believe it because the level of love and respect and intelligence from Rhys and Henry is just off the charts. I know lots of ladies want a romance where they can twirl their hair on their finger and say "he's complicated" and you know what, respect, but to me the fact that these dudes had to go through being press-ganged and doing a mutiny and then becoming bandits to fight off starvation and then after all that the point when my gals really slay them is "I'd be so fucked if she hadn't disregarded my desire for her safety and decided to save my ass and throw out all her social status" is just *chef's kiss.* Rhys especially is just such a lovely male lead, nuanced and proud and self-sabotaging in a real way but loving and respectful.
* There's nothing wrong with wanting a romance where you can project on the female lead but I prefer a romance where the female lead has a distinct personality. I love the contrast between Beth, who is mature and sensible and practical, and Allison, who Vernon even gets the audience thinking is kind of flighty but ultimately really sells us on the fact that she is extremely smart in her own way, just constantly under-utilized and underestimated in her social role.
* The conversation between Rhys and Henry in the second book is also one of the best intra-male conversations I've read in romance. I'd actually love to see more of these kinds of scenes in Vernon's books because so many romance writers just aren't good at them--this really feels like an emotionally intimate conversation between two actual men. I'd love to see more of this in future work from Vernon because I think male-male friendships are really lovely as an accessory to a romance novel. It shows Vernon's commitment to portraying men becoming emotionally healthy which, ironically, is probably easier in this time period if you're portraying a commoner.
While I think Beth and Rhys have the stronger chemistry of the two couples, the second book's ending really kills it. I really appreciated in The Rogue's Last Letter when we see So many books chicken out of endings like this, coming up with some sort of convoluted rationale why everyone gets everything they wanted and more, but this book has the balls to say .
I picked this book out as part of Free Romance Day awhile back. The other book I read from that collection was, bluntly, mediocre, so I kind of forgot about the other two books I grabbed until I eventually decided whatever, this frozen yogurt is right here and started reading. But The Rewards of Ruin are not frozen yogurt. This book series is actually... really good?!
There are several things in these romance novels Vernon pulls off extremely well, and things she does differently, that I haven't seen in a lot of the romance novels I've read since expanding out from shoujo manga:
* The plot in both The Highwayman's Folly and The Rogue's Last Letter is blended really beautifully with the romance. We set up the stakes that are not the central romance early in the book. Those stakes are are a consistent through-line that build up well throughout the story! The central mystery pays off at the end, and without any extremely lazy ass-pulls or staggeringly unbelievable revelations! (I'm looking at you, Archer's Voice!) So many romance novels I've read so far awkwardly clump their "b plot" around the romance. It's like that infamous letter about the burrito where all the ingredients are layered all wrong. "Oh here's a clump of deadly danger with zero romance. And now a long stretch of romance where the alluded-to danger is for no reason gone. Another stretch of danger/plot with absolutely no romance in it!" None of that here. It's a PROPERLY ASSEMBLED BURRITO.
* And both of these books do have extremely good revelations in their final acts, revelations that are set up well by the initial stakes of the story. The Rogue's Last Letter has an especially beautiful twist in its final act with the core villains, one that both surprised me but also clicked perfectly into place.
* Both books make really good use of their historical setting. This is something I've enjoyed about Ashley's well-loved Mackenzie series wrt to the Edwardian period, but I think Vernon actually surpasses her in just the level of loving detail about late 18th century England, not just knowing a Polonaise from a English gown but also what people were eating, doing in their spare time, and significantly how the lower classes were behaving, which is very important in both books.
* Which brings me to another thing I love about these books: the male leads are not aristocrats. Fucking finally, and Vernon just makes them, I don't know, utterly lovable? The details she includes about being press-ganged, an utterly horrible practice that was an incredibly common fate among lower-class men, are really wonderful, and she uses it to great effect to make her male leads sympathetic. She makes all of their struggles and mistrust against the aristocrats utterly justified. Which they should be, because aristocrats are bad, actually, and I wish more romance books were honest about it! Like romance readers can have some wish fulfillment but I want believable asshole aristocrats, too!
* And both Rhys and Henry are just really wonderful male leads. Many romance authors have male leads who talk about how they love particular qualities in the female leads that aren't necessarily socially appreciated, but here I really believe it. Vernon sets up power differential well by making all the reasons these men initially distrust these women completely valid and necessary. When these women throw away all of their social status for two commoners you believe it because the level of love and respect and intelligence from Rhys and Henry is just off the charts. I know lots of ladies want a romance where they can twirl their hair on their finger and say "he's complicated" and you know what, respect, but to me the fact that these dudes had to go through being press-ganged and doing a mutiny and then becoming bandits to fight off starvation and then after all that the point when my gals really slay them is "I'd be so fucked if she hadn't disregarded my desire for her safety and decided to save my ass and throw out all her social status" is just *chef's kiss.* Rhys especially is just such a lovely male lead, nuanced and proud and self-sabotaging in a real way but loving and respectful.
* There's nothing wrong with wanting a romance where you can project on the female lead but I prefer a romance where the female lead has a distinct personality. I love the contrast between Beth, who is mature and sensible and practical, and Allison, who Vernon even gets the audience thinking is kind of flighty but ultimately really sells us on the fact that she is extremely smart in her own way, just constantly under-utilized and underestimated in her social role.
* The conversation between Rhys and Henry in the second book is also one of the best intra-male conversations I've read in romance. I'd actually love to see more of these kinds of scenes in Vernon's books because so many romance writers just aren't good at them--this really feels like an emotionally intimate conversation between two actual men. I'd love to see more of this in future work from Vernon because I think male-male friendships are really lovely as an accessory to a romance novel. It shows Vernon's commitment to portraying men becoming emotionally healthy which, ironically, is probably easier in this time period if you're portraying a commoner.
While I think Beth and Rhys have the stronger chemistry of the two couples, the second book's ending really kills it. I really appreciated in The Rogue's Last Letter when we see So many books chicken out of endings like this, coming up with some sort of convoluted rationale why everyone gets everything they wanted and more, but this book has the balls to say .
January 29, 2021
It begins with a kidnapping ...
And then there's a highwayman, and another kidnapping ...
And at some point there are wolves ...
And so so so so much great kissing.
This book is about heroine Beth - 30s, capable, grieving for her aunt and done with this shit you menfolk - who is ruined by the standards of her society, but not in the eyes of our hero Rhys - highwayman, dark past, great hat, giver of body heat and knee shaking compliments - who kidnaps her out of necessity, after she's already been kidnapped. He takes her to an abandoned lodge in the woods and there, they begin to discover the warm fuzzies between them.
This book is wonderful! It's exciting and action-packed, warm and steamy, and the way it's written makes the story sing off the page! You will love Beth and Rhys' story - from the tragedy of the past to the quips and snaps at each other through delightful banter and in-jokes, it is a beautiful read!
Highly recommend!
And then there's a highwayman, and another kidnapping ...
And at some point there are wolves ...
And so so so so much great kissing.
This book is about heroine Beth - 30s, capable, grieving for her aunt and done with this shit you menfolk - who is ruined by the standards of her society, but not in the eyes of our hero Rhys - highwayman, dark past, great hat, giver of body heat and knee shaking compliments - who kidnaps her out of necessity, after she's already been kidnapped. He takes her to an abandoned lodge in the woods and there, they begin to discover the warm fuzzies between them.
This book is wonderful! It's exciting and action-packed, warm and steamy, and the way it's written makes the story sing off the page! You will love Beth and Rhys' story - from the tragedy of the past to the quips and snaps at each other through delightful banter and in-jokes, it is a beautiful read!
Highly recommend!
March 15, 2024
3.5 stars rounded to 4
I got this ebook for free courtesy of stuff-a-kindle-day. The synopsis (go read it if you haven't, it is very well written) was intriguing, sounded fun with a side of danger, and like it had great potential so I thought, why not? All the while I was hesitant to get my hopes up. Sometimes a synopsis sounds really great, but then you read the book and it doesn't live up to the expectations...at all.
I can happily say that this book did the opposite. The first 50% was absolutely magical, and everything I could have hoped for. The characters were painted so vividly and I was fully swept into the story of Beth Clarke who is kidnapped twice in one winter night, and the mysterious highwayman Rhys "Captain" Booker whose conscience can't leave her on the road to freeze. Yes this is technically a story about a kidnapping & robbery gone wrong, but it mostly just felt like a great adventure!
Add to that, the author absolutely nailed the genuine chemistry between these two characters. In my opinion, it was on Pride and Prejudice hand-brushing level. There were so many subtle interactions that left me at rapt attention and on the edge of my seat for more. Let me show you what I'm talking about:
Why not 5 stars?
The last half of the book centered around the events after the adventure (i.e. kidnapping and robbery gone wrong) concluded. Thus, the majority focus was on more mundane, everyday things that one might expect to find in a historical romance/fiction novel. This wasn't exactly bad, it was just a little disappointing after being so captivated by the unexpected events set forth in the first half of the story. That being said, I feel like the pacing could've been improved to avoid this.
Overall, this was a refreshing read that featured an "older" heroine who does not conform to the normal ideals of the time period. I am shocked that this doesn't have more ratings & am definitely interested in reading more of Daria Vernon's works.
I got this ebook for free courtesy of stuff-a-kindle-day. The synopsis (go read it if you haven't, it is very well written) was intriguing, sounded fun with a side of danger, and like it had great potential so I thought, why not? All the while I was hesitant to get my hopes up. Sometimes a synopsis sounds really great, but then you read the book and it doesn't live up to the expectations...at all.
I can happily say that this book did the opposite. The first 50% was absolutely magical, and everything I could have hoped for. The characters were painted so vividly and I was fully swept into the story of Beth Clarke who is kidnapped twice in one winter night, and the mysterious highwayman Rhys "Captain" Booker whose conscience can't leave her on the road to freeze. Yes this is technically a story about a kidnapping & robbery gone wrong, but it mostly just felt like a great adventure!
Add to that, the author absolutely nailed the genuine chemistry between these two characters. In my opinion, it was on Pride and Prejudice hand-brushing level. There were so many subtle interactions that left me at rapt attention and on the edge of my seat for more. Let me show you what I'm talking about:
"Beth kept her head down, observing the mundane routine of Rhys pulling off his gloves and rubbing his hands together. Before knowing what came over her, she reached up and tugged at the scarf on his face. He caught her wrist--fast as a viper--and pulled away from her. But the scarf now lay lopsided, and she could see the corner of a stubbled lip draw upward in a disarming way.
He released her much more gently than he'd caught her and calmly unwrapped the rest of the scarf for the benefit of her rapt attention.
Her idea of what he must look like had changed so many times over the course of the night, yet it was almost as if she had figured it out by dawn. So, while his face left her completely speechless, it wasn't from surprise."
Why not 5 stars?
The last half of the book centered around the events after the adventure (i.e. kidnapping and robbery gone wrong) concluded. Thus, the majority focus was on more mundane, everyday things that one might expect to find in a historical romance/fiction novel. This wasn't exactly bad, it was just a little disappointing after being so captivated by the unexpected events set forth in the first half of the story. That being said, I feel like the pacing could've been improved to avoid this.
Overall, this was a refreshing read that featured an "older" heroine who does not conform to the normal ideals of the time period. I am shocked that this doesn't have more ratings & am definitely interested in reading more of Daria Vernon's works.
August 20, 2023
This is a hidden gem that I really should count my blessings for to be able to come across it. I love everything about this book - the main characters, the execution, the writing, the chemistry, the romance.
The hero is truly one of a kind. Amidst an ocean of aristocrats and tycoons of MMCs, our working class highwayman stood out in the best ways. His gentleness, tenderness, kindheartedness shone in his actions. His deep care and devotion towards the heroine seem to border worshipping, and that only made me love him more. He loved her with everything he had and everything that he was, willing to sacrifice everything just to keep her safe and see her happy. His conviction of his moral compass, of his dedication to his cause, and of his love to the heroine regardless of the multiple barriers between them made me swoon. There was no silly Big Misunderstandings, no barbed words with pride aimed to wound the heroine in fits of anger as often seen in romance books. There was only his love for her, unyielding and unselfish and all-encompassing. He’s easily one of my favorite heroes of all time and I’m not even exaggerating.
The heroine is amazing too. I love that she was unapologetically herself and firm to her conviction, acting all in pursuit of her passion and dreams even if it meant being shunned by society. She had no remorse for the things that she did even if they were deemed as improper by the time’s standards, making her love for Rhys even more profound. She was an innovative and strong woman, never giving up in the face of hardship. She was level-headed but romantic and I’m so glad that Rhys had her to rely on.
Such a beautiful, beautiful love story of two people who love each other more than anything else!
The hero is truly one of a kind. Amidst an ocean of aristocrats and tycoons of MMCs, our working class highwayman stood out in the best ways. His gentleness, tenderness, kindheartedness shone in his actions. His deep care and devotion towards the heroine seem to border worshipping, and that only made me love him more. He loved her with everything he had and everything that he was, willing to sacrifice everything just to keep her safe and see her happy. His conviction of his moral compass, of his dedication to his cause, and of his love to the heroine regardless of the multiple barriers between them made me swoon. There was no silly Big Misunderstandings, no barbed words with pride aimed to wound the heroine in fits of anger as often seen in romance books. There was only his love for her, unyielding and unselfish and all-encompassing. He’s easily one of my favorite heroes of all time and I’m not even exaggerating.
The heroine is amazing too. I love that she was unapologetically herself and firm to her conviction, acting all in pursuit of her passion and dreams even if it meant being shunned by society. She had no remorse for the things that she did even if they were deemed as improper by the time’s standards, making her love for Rhys even more profound. She was an innovative and strong woman, never giving up in the face of hardship. She was level-headed but romantic and I’m so glad that Rhys had her to rely on.
Such a beautiful, beautiful love story of two people who love each other more than anything else!
March 15, 2021
“Beth Clarke scrubbed the frostiness away from a windowpane with the side of her fist and looked out. There it was. Happiness, frosted over.”
Daria Vernon introduces us to Beth whose life has been at a standstill for more than a decade as she suffers the consequences of a ruination she does not regret. At this point, she is unaware that her aunt’s passing will bring drastic challenge and change for her.
Set in the 1780s, The Highwayman’s Folly is billed as an adversaries-to-lovers romance when first an attempted abduction and then a highwayman’s robbery go sideways. Yet, the novel is more than that. The cadence of the words throughout evoked a sense of poetry; the landscape and other settings serving as metaphors for the emotions of the moment. In that regard, the actual adventures of the cast of characters were, for me, just the backdrop against which the intense emotions of Beth and Rhys play out. In fact, I found those elements of the story the least believable and almost intrusive, delaying the progress of the story.
At the end, the finality of death and frosted windows are replaced with a new beginning and open doors: “Her heart lifted, ready to leap through the doors as they opened.” If you like a gothic vibration in your books paired with a poetic bent, then you’ll enjoy this one.
I received a complimentary copy from the author for a fair review.
Daria Vernon introduces us to Beth whose life has been at a standstill for more than a decade as she suffers the consequences of a ruination she does not regret. At this point, she is unaware that her aunt’s passing will bring drastic challenge and change for her.
Set in the 1780s, The Highwayman’s Folly is billed as an adversaries-to-lovers romance when first an attempted abduction and then a highwayman’s robbery go sideways. Yet, the novel is more than that. The cadence of the words throughout evoked a sense of poetry; the landscape and other settings serving as metaphors for the emotions of the moment. In that regard, the actual adventures of the cast of characters were, for me, just the backdrop against which the intense emotions of Beth and Rhys play out. In fact, I found those elements of the story the least believable and almost intrusive, delaying the progress of the story.
At the end, the finality of death and frosted windows are replaced with a new beginning and open doors: “Her heart lifted, ready to leap through the doors as they opened.” If you like a gothic vibration in your books paired with a poetic bent, then you’ll enjoy this one.
I received a complimentary copy from the author for a fair review.
March 28, 2021
I was immediately drawn in by the gorgeous and evocative cover artwork, which seemed to promise mystery, adventure, beauty, and romance possibly tinged with sadness. In the case of The Highwayman's Folly, judging a book by its cover paid off handsomely. Daria Vernon's poetic imagery instantly drew me in and I was deeply enveloped in the story by the end of the first chapter. Vernon offers a perfect balance of poetry and storytelling that expertly crafts a story both compelling and artful. I found myself highlighting and rereading many poignant and poetically revelatory passages. I am obsessed with the strong, independent, flawed, and complicated hero and heroine, and their chemistry and romance are incendiary! I adore this book, from start to finish. And the title which initially drew me in is as artfully poetic as the story within. I am so impressed that this is the author's debut novel. Though this leaves me heartbroken that I cannot instantly dive into another beautiful tale from this talented writer, I am beyond thrilled that this is a series that will continue so I can devour the next evolution of this story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Book Sirens and the publishers for this fabulous reading experience!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Book Sirens and the publishers for this fabulous reading experience!
March 25, 2022
Beth, 30 years old, has recently inherited a fortune and estate when her aunt passes, her aunt that had been as a mother to her. As she travels to her father, she is kidnapped by the estates steward who is planning to force her into marriage for her fortune. Their carriage is then stopped by Highwaymen, wherein we meet our hero Rhys. Not wanting to leave a Lady alone at the whim of lesser men he then proceeds to 'kidnap' her with the intention of using a ransom to help him leave his current life.
I loved Beth as our heroine. She is feisty, strong and has a great deal of agency. I loved her sarcasm and wit.She isn't afraid to live her life and make decisions, we see this in the current storyline and the glimpse we see into her past. She is viewed as a ruined woman and when we find out why, unlike many other romances, Beth is unapolagetic and looks on the memories fondly.
Rhys is automatically protective of Beth and while he initially thinks she is a pampered heiress, he soon sees her real value. He is noble but guilt ridden and like her, trapped by his past.
Their romance is really sweet, full of second chances and healing. The vibe reminds me of old school gothic romances I read when I first starting reading historical romance, dramatic, brooding and atmospheric yet full of humour too. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I loved Beth as our heroine. She is feisty, strong and has a great deal of agency. I loved her sarcasm and wit.She isn't afraid to live her life and make decisions, we see this in the current storyline and the glimpse we see into her past. She is viewed as a ruined woman and when we find out why, unlike many other romances, Beth is unapolagetic and looks on the memories fondly.
Rhys is automatically protective of Beth and while he initially thinks she is a pampered heiress, he soon sees her real value. He is noble but guilt ridden and like her, trapped by his past.
Their romance is really sweet, full of second chances and healing. The vibe reminds me of old school gothic romances I read when I first starting reading historical romance, dramatic, brooding and atmospheric yet full of humour too. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
August 23, 2023
“Beth . . .” His voice was low and ragged. “You are legendary.”
I loved this book. It’s hard to believe it’s a debut. Beth and Rhys are well drawn, multifaceted characters who behave in remarkable but believable ways. The story is adventurous and emotional. Though it’s about a highwayman and a kidnapping, it doesn’t feel the least bit stale and not everything happens as expected. With Vernon’s writing, I could feel how strongly the main characters are drawn to one another. The love scenes are an excellent blend of steamy and emotional. I’m so excited to read the next book in the series, and I’m hopeful that Ms. Vernon has more works on the way.
“His sable hair was chaos, hardly a strand left in his queue. The waves of it were in his eyes, and when he leaned close enough, they were pleasantly in her eyes too. She blew gently on one of the locks that clung to his face and searched his features. He held her hand at her chest and smiled down at her. This. If life could just be more like this. All the time. With him, it felt like every aspect of her could be seen and embraced.”
I loved this book. It’s hard to believe it’s a debut. Beth and Rhys are well drawn, multifaceted characters who behave in remarkable but believable ways. The story is adventurous and emotional. Though it’s about a highwayman and a kidnapping, it doesn’t feel the least bit stale and not everything happens as expected. With Vernon’s writing, I could feel how strongly the main characters are drawn to one another. The love scenes are an excellent blend of steamy and emotional. I’m so excited to read the next book in the series, and I’m hopeful that Ms. Vernon has more works on the way.
“His sable hair was chaos, hardly a strand left in his queue. The waves of it were in his eyes, and when he leaned close enough, they were pleasantly in her eyes too. She blew gently on one of the locks that clung to his face and searched his features. He held her hand at her chest and smiled down at her. This. If life could just be more like this. All the time. With him, it felt like every aspect of her could be seen and embraced.”
December 25, 2021
Action packed from the jump, Beth is kidnapped by highwaymen who inadvertently save her from being kidnapped by her aunt's employee who wants to marry her for the money she inherited from her deceased aunt. Not easily cowed, she throws herself down the bank in order to escape, injuring herself in the process. In concern, Rhys, the captain of the highwaymen, follows and rescues her, bringing her to a dilapidated cottage called the Folly.
Both with secrets in their haunted pasts, they grow closer as they try to recuperate at the Folly. Rhys returns an ill Beth back to her worried father, wishing she were just a normal poor girl so that he could be worthy of her, and leaves without saying goodbye. After three years, he shows up again in Beth's life hoping to win her back.
I love that Beth was strong and that she didn't ever settle or need saving. Whenever she was in danger, she was able to protect herself, save herself. Rhys was dreamy and put in the work to be respectable in order to be the man that Beth deserves. The chemistry & epilogue were perfect.
Both with secrets in their haunted pasts, they grow closer as they try to recuperate at the Folly. Rhys returns an ill Beth back to her worried father, wishing she were just a normal poor girl so that he could be worthy of her, and leaves without saying goodbye. After three years, he shows up again in Beth's life hoping to win her back.
I love that Beth was strong and that she didn't ever settle or need saving. Whenever she was in danger, she was able to protect herself, save herself. Rhys was dreamy and put in the work to be respectable in order to be the man that Beth deserves. The chemistry & epilogue were perfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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