Rebeccah and the Highwayman by Barbara Davies

Publisher:            Bedazzled Ink Publishing


In 1706, traveling on an English highway at night was a blatant invitation to be robbed. Mistress Rebeccah Dutton, her sister Anne and their mother have that lesson reinforced for them when their carriage is stopped by the famous highwayman Blue-eyed Nick. Though they should have been terrified, Rebeccah finds herself more intrigued by the thief who goes out of his way not to hurt anyone and even shows her some chivalrous behavior. This evening spawns several sightings between the two where their mutual attraction grows, culminating with a night when Rebeccah's life and virtue are saved by Nick killing three ruffians who intend worse than robbery. Nick is seriously wounded in the fight and Rebeccah and her servant Mary think nothing of taking him back to their house to treat him, which is when they make the startling revelation that "he" is a "she."

Kate Milledge knows what most ordinary people in Queen Anne's England have accepted. Survival is more often a factor of being clever, and hard work often leaves a person with nothing but a miserable existence. She has family to provide for, and robbing rich people of their valuables makes that possible. When she makes a particularly good haul she tries to share what she has with people who are less fortunate, but Blue-eyed Nick has no doubt that her life will one day lead her to the end of a rope at a Tyburn hanging.
Kate knows that a relationship with Rebeccah threatens her safety, but, when Rebeccah asks for help to save her sister Anne from a kidnapper, there is no hesitation on Kate's part. That it leads to her being captured and sentenced to death is no surprise. That Rebeccah and her mother set out to save her life, including going directly to Queen Anne, is stunning. 

As time gets short and the appointment with the noose gets closer, Kate can only wonder if this is truly how it will all end and, if not, what will she then do with her life and the fact that she's pretty sure Rebeccah doesn't return her affections? Rebeccah is clever herself however and has more than one surprise waiting for Blue-eyed Nick.

Rebeccah and the Highwayman is a good, old-fashioned romp. Those who like period pieces will find the setting of early 18th century England perfect with its laces, manners and sword fighting. Readers who like a story with a historic background will appreciate the little details sprinkled through this book that give it authenticity.
A number of times in this book the reader will find herself saying, "So that's what they did about that." The scenes describing life in the streets, conditions in the prisons and the carnival atmosphere of hangings are particularly rich. The result of this is a feeling for the reader of being in the time of the book. It also makes what could have been a routine romance a little more exotic. How often does a heroine rush into a scene on horseback firing flintlock pistols and brandishing a rapier? This is a well-crafted book with adventure, suspense, tension and a little romance thrown in. Those looking for torrid sex scenes won't find them, but that only goes to prove that a story can be entertaining and fun to read without them. If tales set in history are not what a reader normally looks for, this one still has enough selling points to make it worth trying.

Frederica and the Viscountess by Barbara Davies

Publisher:                Bedazzled Ink Publishing

Barbara Davies pays homage to Jane Austen in this story of a sheltered country girl and a worldly, wayward noble woman. 

Frederica Bertram feels it is her duty to walk over to Thornbury Park each day to visit her neighbors and the gentleman who is staying with them.  Everyone expects that there will be a marriage proposal soon and that Frederica will accept.  Her family is in financial difficulties and this marriage could solve their problems.  Frederica isn't excited by the idea, but she is resigned to it until her neighbor's notorious sister, Joanna, Viscountess of Norland, blows into the area.  Joanna's fondness for wild escapades has preceded her, but Frederica quickly realizes that there is more to the woman than her reputation and she soon becomes the reason for Frederica's visits.  Unfortunately, Joanna's friend Lord Peregrine is a total cad and creates an uproar that could ruin the good name of the Bertrams.  As the women dash across England to try and correct the situation, Joanna realizes that this latest adventure may cost her the person she cares about more than anyone. 

The book also contains two short stories about a pirate named Murdering Meg.  Meg is determined to get vengeance on the man who abused her many years before and his disgusting sons.  Her intention is to kidnap the man's daughter Alice who is at the center of his plans.  When they were much younger Alice and Meg were lovers and only the cruelty of Alice's father has kept them apart.  Meg promised she would come back for Alice one day and that is exactly what she intends to do, no matter what the consequences are.

Davies does an excellent job of emulating Austen's style and mannerisms in the story of the viscountess.  The influence of Pride and Prejudice will be obvious to any reader who is familiar with that book.  The nice thing about the book is that Davies stays true to the period in dealing with the love affair between the women.  They're not running around in the early 19^th century pretending that no one would have a problem with a lesbian couple.  Instead, they come to an accommodation that allows them to disguise their relationship in a perfectly acceptable manner.  A method that was probably actually used by women of that period.  The story could have been longer and not have such a rushed ending, but overall it's a pleasant tale.  The stories of Murdering Meg are just good pirate romps and make nice companion pieces to the larger story.

This is a fun book to read, especially for fans of Austen.  The fact that it's broken into three parts makes it convenient for short periods of reading.

Bourn's Edge by Barbara Davies

Publisher:                 Bedazzled Ink

Cassie Lewis tried to do the right thing by testifying against her corrupt landlord and now people are trying to kill her.  In a panic, Cassie flees from her home, traveling across the country with no plan in the hope that it will throw off the killers.  That's how she comes to Bourn's Edge, a quaint village on the outskirts of an ancient forest.  Among the unique people she meets there is Tarian Brangwen.  To the people of the town Tarian is an eccentric artist, but she's also a Fae who has been exiled from Faerie by Queen Mab.  Tarian wants to lead a quiet life of isolation, but when she senses that people have come to the town to kill Cassie, she has to respond.  Fae and mortals are not supposed to mix well, but Tarian and Cassie discover that isn't a problem for them, but dealing with people in both of their worlds could get them killed.

Bourn's Edge is presented as three short stories instead of a book length  story.  Part I explains how Cassie and Tarian meet and become partners.  Part II, called "The Doll Hospital," involves them in trying to undo the work of a changeling and freeing the human whose place he took.  This one has permanent consequences for Tarian that require her to make a great sacrifice.  Part III, "The Raggedy Bush," requires Tarian to battle an old enemy to save Cassie and brings the women in contact with magic that is older than even the Faeries possess.   

The book is enjoyable, but breaking up the story means it doesn't have a consistent pace.  The reader is also left with the feeling that there are pieces of information about the characters that are missing.  They hop from adventure to adventure and lose some development in the process.  For example, there is a relationship between Tarian and her two wolf hounds that indicates something more is going on between them than just a relationship between a mistress and her pets, but what the situation is rests just beyond the reader's grasp.  These are the types of stories that could easily lead to a series revealing more about the characters and their world.

Bourn's Edge will appeal to people who like stories about faeries interacting with humans.  The stories are just the length for an hour or so of reading and then the book can be put down.  One note is that the author is British and sets the stories in the area between England and Wales, so she stays true to British spellings and references.  US readers particularly will have to adjust to seeing words like tyre and kerb and references to foods they may not recognize.