The Highwayman

To Tempt a Highlander Series # 1

By: Kerrigan Byrne

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award, Romance, 2016

Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian 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.... But 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?

©2015 Kerrigan Byrne (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Captured me from page one and never let go. Romantic, lush, and suspenseful." (Suzanne Enoch, author of The Devil Wears Kilts)

"[Narrator Derek] Perkins's command of accents and tone creates a cast of delightfully diverse characters.... Perkins's range of voices and timing makes for entertaining and telling repartee between the characters as well as adds to the suspense as the real villains of this romance reveal themselves." (AudioFile)

My Favourite yet

What did you love best about The Highwayman?

The relationship between Dorian & Farah is so beautiful more than star crossed lovers their love defies the stars.

Which character – as performed by Derek Perkins – was your favorite?

It is too hard to choose a favourite they were so beautifully written they each had a quality that endeared them, whether they were a Harlot of Whitechapel or a Gay Scottish sidekick, they were all lovable even Carlton to a lesser degree. Farah was the perfect heroine, strong yet not without flaws.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sometimes I found the relationship between Farah & Dorian heartbreaking but then one of the other characters would do or say something to make me laugh outright.

Any additional comments?

This is by far my favourite book by this author to date. Each book I have read by Kerrigan has developed beyond its predecessor but this is the icing. Very different from the Druid/Berserker series (which I enjoyed also) but it was perhaps the best Historical Romance I have read so far this year. It hit all the right spots for me. The sex scenes were not steamy so much as romantic, yes even the more dubious ones. Dorian needed to stop flagellating himself and see what was right in front of his tortured soul. Farah, while not perfect, was as close as you could get and yet it did not trigger that gagging reflex that you get sometimes from reading about a character so prefect its sickening.

AMAZING LOVE STORY BETWEEN H/H!!!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Highwayman to be better than the print version?

NO

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Highwayman?

Dougan and Farah at age 13 and 11 Handfasting Marrying each other it was so honest and pure love!!

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

The Narrator was OK female voice seem hard for Derek

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did Listen to it non stop in one sitting

Any additional comments?

The Highwayman is one of the best if not best story I have read all year!! It is very well written with a good amount of back story and character development. You actually feel like you are there in the scenes with Dougan and Farah and Dorian and Farah. Ms. Byrne is excellent at setting scenes for her characters surroundings!!

The story is really sad most of the time but the kind of sad to keep your reading and routing on the couple to achieve there HEA. I loved Dorian "Blackheart" Blackwell a tortured and disfigured brut of a man with a real heart of gold for his Farah Leigh/Fairie. They met and married in Applegate orphanage as young children 8 and 11 years. Two years later, Yes at age 13 and 11 they did a hand fast an married and vowed they would always love and protect each other. This was an innocent child's love. They only had each other in the brutal, mean harsh orphanage. They decide to run away so Dougan Mackenzie can protect his Fairie from molestation by one of the Priest. They are caught and separated for 17 years.

Farah escapes on her own after Dougan is arrested for killing the Priest who attacked her and she uses her married name of Farah Mackenzie she grows up an lives a relatively comfortable life and eventually gets a job as a clerk at Scotland Yard.. She has been bringing cheese and bread to Dougan Mackenzie since she made her way to London. Dougan is at Newgate Prison for years until she learns of his death. But she continues to honor and love him despite thinking him dead.

Dorian "Blackheart" Blackwell his one of the richest men in the Kingdom. With untold wealth and power. He is know as "Blackheart" because he is very dangerous and will kill anyone who threatens him or his people or his vast empire. He has been searching high and low for Farah these last 10 years after he is released from Newgate Prison. He is arrested and interrogated by Sir Carlton Morley and guess who is the clerk taking notes for Sir Morley. When Dorian learns her name he knows who she is and she belongs to him. He also know her secrets as to who she really is and someone is out to have her murdered before her true identity is revealed.

This is one well thought out amazing story of love. Its fast paced and will have you on the edged of your seat in suspense. Once Dorian has Farah there sexual relationship is very very sensual HOT!! But you feel the love between these two real pure honest love. They are Soul Mates!!

The Highwayman goes on my best book list for 2016 and re read list.
I Highly Recommend The Highwayman!! It is well worth your time and money!!

Every cliche in the book

It's a shame that someone who strings words together as well as this author can not invent a storyline that is nothing but over the top sentimentalism, trite, unbelievable characters, and a stunning lack of moral values. The reformed rake is a tried, true, and appealing character in romance fiction, but we are offered instead a self proclaimed brutal killer full of self loathing for deeds done to and by him, but who simultaneously declares enjoying his acts of depravity. In this not very subtle homage to "beauty and the beast," we have a lack witted beauty and a beast without contrition. I wish that I had not wasted any of my time on this book and will not be tempted to read other books by this author.

Loved this story!

If you could sum up The Highwayman in three words, what would they be?

Love conquers all

Who was your favorite character and why?

Dorian. He is so broken and multifaceted. I love that he is eventually tamed by a strong, feisty, pixie of a woman. In her, he somehow can find redemption.

Have you listened to any of Derek Perkins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I *love* him!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The opening scene when Dougan and Farah are children in an orphanage.

Any additional comments?

I totally dig the combo of this author and narrator. This series is going to be an auto-buy for me. Thanks!

Good book, ok narration..

The beginning of this book, at the orphanage, the love that grew between Dougan and Farah, their “marriage” at the chapel, was simply precious. Then to be ripped away from each other was so sad.

Seventeen years later and Farah meets Dorian Blackwell, she worked for Scotland Yard and he was there getting the hell beat out of him by Inspector Morley (Good times.) Anyway, the way the author describes Dorian, and keeps describing him, is kind of gross: with his one eye nearly bisected and now pale blue and the other one light brownish, or golden, or amber, or whatever. It wasn’t necessary to keep talking about it, shoulda’ just left the eye patch on. I don’t mind scars but not when it comes to the eyes.

That being said, it was a pretty good book but I wasn’t sure I liked Dorian or hated him, for the first half the book. He was soooo dark, and the book was so overpowering with his horrible memories of Newgate, and his fear of loving Farah.

There seemed to be so much description of every freaking thing. A couple of reviewers mentioned that and I could see what they were talking about. Maybe a little wordy.

I did like Blackwell’s household: Murdoch, Tallow, Frank and Gemma. And, wow, that horrible Warrington got exactly what he deserved.

I did really love the epilogue. It tied the story up perfectly.

I wasn’t crazy about the first 2 times they had sex, since he felt the need to tie her up but the third time was much better, a little more romantic.

There wasn’t much swearing except for the F-bomb that was released 25 times.

As to the narrator: He was just alright for me. Farah’s voice was kind of masculine all through the book and he didn’t read with much emotion, AND what emotion there was on her part was not very good, considering how manly she sounded. And he’s narrating the next book so I’m not sure I’ll listen to that one. I actually prefer male narrators but when they do a terrible job on the females voices it's hard to listen to it.

Excellent book

I would have given the book all 5 stars but for the quite graphic weird sexual scenarios. Just a little kinky. Having said that, again Derek Perkins' narration is superb. I could not stop listening to this book. I could feel Fara Lee's heartbreak, Darion's pain. I will listen to this book again. And again.

Fantastic!

Loved this book. Couldn't put it down. This is the first book by this author that I've read but it won't be the last. A compelling story with lots of depth and truly wonderful characters.

Excellent story

Ms Kerrigan Byrne did an excellent job writing and Derek Perkins is an excellent narrator. Perfect combination.

Obsessed & Broken

Our hero is obsessed and can’t tolerate being touched (reminds me of 50 Shades). There is something quite appealing about a man obsessed , strong, ruthless - yet broken. Our heroine is strong willed - no whining here.

The narrator is excellent. Personally, I have no complaints about his female voice.

The sex scenes (only 3... boo) are rough & tumble and have a hint of 50 Shades as well. I liked them.

Ms. Byrnes: Great story, well written - an escape. Thank you. However, I truly hate your cover art. Truly. For this hero I had to use the cover art on THE WOLF for a visual...

Interesting Story- a little predictable but Good

If you’ve listened to books by Kerrigan Byrne before, how does this one compare?

This was a nice book, but one main conflict of the story was very predictable. Byrne's stories are usually totally unpredictable. I just think the fact of who Dorian is was drawn out a little too far. Farah and Dorian go through quite a bit. I don't think confirming or revealing his identity earlier would have hurt the storyline. Once I moved on past that fact, the story was VERY good.

What about Derek Perkins’s performance did you like?

His reading is comforting - he does a good job with accents. It took several chapters to get into his voice....it was worth the wait. He starts out kind of stiff and then loosens up around chapter 3.

Gripping story

Great one! There was a time when I wasn’t sure which way the story was going, which is great in a genre where things can be pretty predictable table. I’m only deducting a star for the lack of character growth in the heroine, but the hero’s story arch mostly makes up for that. There’s so much love and passion between the MCs. I couldn’t turn it off

Outstanding

Loved this book, loved the loyalty, such great characters.
Should be 10*'s
well narrated, would have liked more of a Scottish range of voices, his female voice was a bit too soft for me but i imagine it's quite hard to do.

Wonderful Gothic Tale

A wonderful Gothic tale  of treachery, love and redemption which swept me back into the realms of Wuthering Heights.

The story begins with two children in a school run by cruel nuns. Farah Leigh takes pity on Dougan Mackenzie  at the age of 8 and 11 respectively and from thereon their lives are fated.

Having been separated from Dougan and believing him to be dead, Farah grows up to be a very independent heroine and falls into the clutches of the dark and powerful boss of the underworld, Dorian Blackwell, who believes that her life is in danger and they enter a pact.

The chemistry between Farah and Dorian is so spectacular, it defies words. The mystery of Dorian adds a razor-sharp edge to his sex-appeal; this is a man tormented by the cruelty he endured at the hands of others yet equally driven and repulsed by his need to exact vengence for the past. The question is can Farah do anything to sooth the hurt and mend his heart?

Phew! What a roller coaster! This book I just  couldn't put down and now can't wait to read the next one in the Victorian Rebels series.

Derek Perkins narrates the story and he captures the essence of  all the characters so beautifully.

Highly recommended! 5*

Brilliant story

Loved every second of it. c
Couldn't stop listening. This is my first book by Kerrrigan Byrne and it definitely won't be my last. I looking forward to listening to the whole series and others by this author. Derek Perkins is a very good narrator .