The Lady and the Highwayman

Overall The Lady and the Highwayman was an enjoyable read with tons of potential, though it did not live up to expectations. I think a skilled editor could have smoothed out some of the story's issues, like the static characters and indistinct plot, and the author could have made some big changes for the better.

What I liked:

The potential of the plot. Secret identities, stories within stories, and romance between two unlikely characters are all things I enjoy. All the elements were there.

The banter. It was fun to read, though I felt like the physical aspects of their romance did not match up very well, especially in Victorian London.

What I didn't like:

Static characters. The characters didn't have any major flaws they had to overcome... which was really a let down. It felt almost as if the author coddled them a bit too much, not wanting to make them struggle or overcome current challenges. Elizabeth could have struggled a lot more with the idea of being courted by someone outside of her class, since so much was at risk. And Fletcher, instead of being self-aware about his status in life, came off as self-deprecating, and his struggle with jealousy over “Mr. King” could have come into play much more clearly, and to great effect.

Indistinct plot line. Since the characters didn't have internal things to overcome, the story relied on external villains, who were also static. They did not seem to personally threaten the characters, just the things they stood for, which is less interesting. I enjoyed the segments of Penny Dreadfuls, but didn't understand why they were included, as they didn't much affect or play into the plot of the main storyline. In fact, I felt some of them were better thought-through than the main story, making it seem more pulpy than the pulp it is referencing.

Telling, not showing. There were a lot of “captain obvious” moments of over-explanation where we as readers are told explicitly how the characters are apprehensive or worried or starting to fall in love. I can't count how many times Elizabeth is described as both beautiful and clever, as if we hadn't picked up on it already. I would have preferred reading between the lines, trying to guess what some of the banter alluded to, seeing tension and jealousy and torn decisions build. The author can let us do some of the work.

Overall great potential but I felt let down in the end.