Books › The Black Moth
The Black Moth
682 pages
A swashbuckling Georgian romp full of noble highwaymen, wicked dukes, and theatrical romance.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like watching a lavish, slightly melodramatic stage play from the front row. It is a brisk, swashbuckling adventure that brims with the youthful exuberance of an author falling in love with the Georgian era. The prose is a bit more purple and earnest than the sharp comedies of manners she would later become famous for, but it carries a contagious, sweeping energy. You are immersed in a world of velvet coats, flashing swords, and dramatic rescues on moonlit roads. The atmosphere is unapologetically romantic and theatrical, delighting in classic tropes of noble outlaws and mustache-twirling villains. It is a perfect, indulgent escape for readers who crave high-stakes historical romance where honor is paramount and love conquers all with the flourish of a rapier.
- Mood
- swashbuckling
- dramatic
- sweeping
- nostalgic
- Tone
- theatrical
- earnest
- melodramatic
- romantic
- exuberant
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- honor and redemption · hidden identities · the gentleman rogue · virtue under siege · sibling loyalty
- The writing
- Exuberant and slightly purple, brimming with period-appropriate slang, theatrical dialogue, and youthful enthusiasm.
- The arc
- Moves from disgraced exile and cynical resignation to heroic redemption and triumphant, swooning love.
- Who it's for
- Fans of classic historical romance who love a dashing highwayman, a truly wicked villain, and unapologetic melodrama.
Content notes
- attempted abduction
- sword violence
- gambling
About the book
Georgian England. Disgraced Jack Carstares, now rightful Earl of Wyncham, left England seven long years ago, sacrificing his honour for that of his eldest brother when he was accused of cheating at cards. But he is determined not to claim his title and instead turns highwayman. Now he is back, roaming his beloved South Country in the disguise of a highwayman. Not long after his return, he encounters the Black Moth, his old adversary, the notorious Lord Tracy Belmanoir, Duke of Andover, just in time to dispute at the point of his sword the attempted abduction of dark-haired lovely Diana Beauleigh. Once more Jack's noble impulse to save the day landed him in trouble, but not before sending the villainous duke scurrying. Diana took her gallant rescuer in and nursed his wounds, and soon truer emotions grew between them. But Jack couldn't stay, for a lady and an outlaw would make a scandalous pair. And the libertine Duke was foiled once, but the society beauty was under siege. The Duke of Andover meant to have her--if not with her assent, then by force. But Diana was not about to surrender her virtue. She had already lost her heart to the handsome mysterious highwayman who rescued her from the Duke. Torn between his tarnished past and the hope for Diana's hand, Jack had one dangerous chance to reclaim his honor -- by defeating the Black Moth for good!
Description from Open Library.
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