Author: Sarah M. Eden
Age: Adult
Genres: Historical Romance
Publication Date: September 3, 2019
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Source: ARC provided
Purchase: Paperback | Kindle | Audible | B&N
Synopsis:
Elizabeth Black is the headmistress of a girls’ school and a well-respected author of “silver-fork” novels, stories written both for and about the upper-class ladies of Victorian society. But by night, she writes very different kinds of stories—the Penny Dreadfuls that are all the rage among the working-class men. Under the pseudonym Mr. King, Elizabeth has written about dashing heroes fighting supernatural threats and dangerous outlaws romancing helpless women. They contain all the adventure and mystery that her real life lacks.
Fletcher Walker began life as a street urchin, but is now the most successful author in the Penny Dreadful market, that is until Mr. King started taking all of his readers--and his profits. No one knows who King is, including Fletcher’s fellow members of the Dread Penny Society, a fraternity of authors dedicated to secretly fighting for the rights of the less-fortunate.
Determined to find the elusive Mr. King, Fletcher approaches Miss Black. As a fellow-author, she is well-known among the high-class writers; perhaps she could be persuaded to make some inquiries as to Mr. King’s whereabouts? Elizabeth agrees to help Fletcher, if only to insure her secret identity is never discovered.
For the first time, Elizabeth experiences the thrill of a cat-and-mouse adventure reminiscent of one of her own novels as she tries to throw Fletcher off her scent. But the more time they spend together, the more she loses her heart. Its upper-class against working-class, author against author where readers, reputations, and romance are all on the line.
My Rating:
My Thoughts:
I'm not much of a lover for historical, Victorian or western novels, but Shadow Mountain Publishers really gives me a new love for the genres. This book was seriously good. I enjoyed the writing with the Victorian style language. The slang really put me in the world. I do wish there was more descriptions on locations to fully pull me in, but I loved it nonetheless.
Elizabeth is a bold and sassy woman. She doesn't let society dictate who she can be and date. She's a teacher and a writer. I love the work she did at the school for the girls. I loved her job as a "double agent" writer. She's poised in a way that makes you double take. Her character is unbelievable well rounded. I loved her -- she kept me laughing and her story The Lady and the Highwayman cracked me.
Fletcher is a man who came up from the slums to a well-known writer. He writes stories that aren't considered literature. He's a respectable man that tries to keep himself hidden from view. His book The Vampire's Tower was quiet interesting as well. I loved how he worked to help children like him. He was such a great man. His character and heart made me swoon.
The romance was very much cat-and-mouse, but it worked for Fletcher and Elizabeth. They cute together, worked well together, both helped children and both were excellent writers. I just wish their was more romance as far as kissing between them. Overall, I loved and enjoyed their banter with one another. Great pairing.
Loved all the men from the Dreadful Penny Society. They were all great men helping a great cause.
Totally recommend this book for a quick, cute and funny read.
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Will you grab a copy?