The Highwayman book review | 3.5 star read

They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster…
STEALING BEAUTYDorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…
COURTING DESIREBut Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

The Highwayman is one of those books you just can’t escape. Everyone I have watched on Booktube for romance recommendations has this book on their list. So, I wanted to see if it was worth the hype, as someone who is still venturing into the genre. I will say I did enjoy this one for the most part but it’s not my favourite book I’ve read. I think this had all the makings of a brilliant book. But I wish there was more development in certain areas. With less of a hanging feeling in some of the story. The ending irritated me. I guessed it from the word go, and it was annoying.

Characters in The Highwayman

The main character in The Highwayman is Farah and the rogue Dorian Blackwell. They end up being pulled together in particularly odd circumstances and for that reason, it’s almost an enemy to lovers scenario. I will say this is the best romance build up I have read and I think that has to do with me figuring it out. It ruined it for me, and as a result, dropped the rating. Their romance also feels a little rushed but also stilted because of that. I wish there had been more chemistry and a little less talking.

Farah as a whole annoyed me. I felt as though she had no real backbone, and she was just very naive and gullible. Which I don’t usually hate, but for some reason, this bothered me more than it probably should have. I had no sympathy or interest in her character as a whole. I just found her to be whiny and petulant. It would have been better for me if there had been more focus on Dorian. He seemed as though he was the more interesting character all the way through and was overshadowed by her.

Good and the bad

I think the good parts of The Highwayman was how raw some of the scenes were. There was a sense of impending doom that came about. There was also some really beautifully written scenes. They made you wonder about everything. I loved learning about the background of the characters. I also loved that not everyone was straight. For a book set so far in the past, it’s a nice surprise. The relationships between all the characters make this book what it is and saves it from a complete fail for me.

What I would have loved to see more of was the character’s past and really getting into the nitty gritty of everything. We have to take so much on face value and that kind of ruined the feel for me. I would have loved to have seen more of Dorian’s men past and how they all fit in together. Also one of my biggest pet peeves, the drama in this book. It was all so easily swept under the carpet. I was desperate for the climax to be brilliant and it just wasn’t. It felt as though it was something that had been forgotten about and thrown in at the last minute.

Recommendation

I think I would recommend The Highwayman. It was a decent enough read, but it wouldn’t be on the top of my list. I enjoyed Romancing the Duke more than this one, so would recommend that one first! I’m still going to push on with my romance reading, but maybe take a small break for now!

What did you think of The Highwayman, was it one of your favourites? Let me know what you think I should read next!