Faris Shayhan knows fear. As a chambermaid in the Tremeshton home, she is constantly under the threat of Kade Tremeshton's unwanted attentions. She has avoided being used, but Kade the Heinous will not be put off much longer. When Lady Maranda Rockrimmon visits the Temenshton home for dinner one evening, she guesses at the cause of the young chambermaid's fearful eyes and offers her a placement in her own home. Faris wants to leave! That night she slips out and makes her way to the Rockrimmon home. But, in the Tanglewood meadow she is come upon by the famous Highwayman of Tanglewood, a Robin Hood rogue, who rescues those in the clutches of evil wealthy men and punishes those same men with humiliation. The Highwayman intends to steal from Faris, and as he steals a kiss, he, of course, steals her heart.
A lovely little clean romance, The Highwayman of Tanglewood, is not deep reading. It is designed for escape on a variety of levels. It is a fairy tale and a good one, at that. Yet, Faris is believable and her fears are real. As she struggles with love at first sight (ironic that he is masked at the time), she discovers a wealth of goodness in the Rockrimmon home: comfort, kindness, and honor. Yet, her love for the Highwayman becomes entangled in her confusion about who he really is as she doubts herself and her own honor. I liked the accents, the playful banter, the almost kisses, and genuine pursuit of goodness.
Classic in every sense of the old fashioned romances that were once written, I enjoyed my escape into Faris's life. I laughed. I worried. I couldn't believe how naive she could be, but in the end the author almost fooled me and that made the novel really worth reading.
Originally published 3/3/2011
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