Guest Book Review: Henriette Gyland - The Highwayman's Daughter

Reviewed by Tanya Phillips

Is it a crime to steal a heart? 

Hounslow, 1768. Jack Blythe, heir to the Earl of Lampton, is a man with great expectations. So when his carriage is held up by a masked woman, brandishing a pistol and dressed as a gentleman of the road, he wholly expects to have his purse stolen. And when he senses something strangely familiar about the lovely little bandit, Jack also expects to win his cousin’s wager by tracking her down first. 

But as Jack and the highwaywoman enter into a swashbuckling game of cat and mouse, uncovering an intricate web of fiercely guarded family secrets, the last thing Jack expects to have stolen is his heart.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback

Author Interview: Henriette Gyland

I have had the pleasure of featuring Henriette Gyland on my blog several times in the past so I'm delighted to welcome her back on publication day to talk about her latest novel The Highwayman's Daughter.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book, The Highwayman’s Daughter?
The story is about a young female highway robber who holds up a carriage and gets more than she bargained for! 

Is it a crime to steal a heart?

Hounslow, 1768. Jack Blythe, heir to the Earl of Lampton, is a man with great expectations. So when his carriage is held up by a masked woman, brandishing a pistol and dressed as a 'gentleman' of the road, he wholly expects to have his purse stolen. And when he senses something strangely familiar about the lovely little bandit, Jack also expects to win his cousin Rupert's wager by tracking her down first. 

But as Jack and the highwaywoman enter into a swashbuckling game of cat and mouse, uncovering an intricate web of fiercely guarded family secrets, the last thing Jack expects to have stolen is his heart. 

The Highwayman’s Daughter is your first historical novel, what inspired the change in writing direction? 
The idea came to me when I visited Hounslow Heath, where the action of the novel takes place, and tried to imagine what the place would have been like at the height of the highwayman era. When thinking about highway robbery, those famous words “stand and deliver!” often spring to mind. In reality, robbers would probably have said something along the lines of “stand fast and deliver your goods!” or words to that effect, but the shorter version has become almost synonymous with highwaymen in our collective minds, and I wanted to use that phrase.

Coming soon from Choc Lit

This afternoon as part of the Choc Lit feature week I've decided to take a look ahead to some of the fab books they are publishing in the next 3 months.  And with a wide selection of genres covering historical, regency, paranormal and contemporary, there's surely something for everyone. 

The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikli (published 7th March) 

How much would you pay for a clear conscience? 

Adelaide Leeson wants to prove herself worthy of her husband, a man of noble aspirations who married her when she was at her lowest ebb. Lord Tristan Leeson is a model of diplomacy and self-control, even curbing the fiery impulses of his youth to maintain the calm relations deemed essential by his mother-in-law to preserve his wife’s health.

A visit from his boyhood friend, feted poet Lord James Dewhurst, author of the sensational Maid of Milan, persuades Tristan that leaving the countryside behind for the London Season will be in everyone’s interests.

But as Tristan’s political career rises and Adelaide revels in society’s adulation, the secrets of the past are uncovered. And there’s a high price to pay for a life of deception.

Amazon links: Paperback 

Guest Book Review: Henriette Gyland - The Elephant Girl

Reviewed by Danielle Pullen

Peek-a-boo I see you ...

When five-year-old Helen Stephens witnesses her mother's murder, her whole world comes crumbling down. Rejected by her extended family, Helen is handed over to child services and learns to trust no-one but herself. Twenty years later, her mother's killer is let out of jail, and Helen swears vengeance.

Jason Moody runs a halfway house, desperate to distance himself from his father's gangster dealings. But when Helen shows up on his doorstep, he decides to dig into her past, and risks upsetting some very dangerous people.

As Helen begins to question what really happened to her mother, Jason is determined to protect her. But Helen is getting too close to someone who'll stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden ...

Books Read: Henriette Gyland - Up Close

Too close for comfort ... 

When Dr Lia Thompson's grandmother dies unexpectedly, Lia is horrified to have to leave her life in America and return to a cold and creaky house in Norfolk. But as events unfold, she can't help feeling that there is more to her grandmother's death than meets the eye. 

Aidan Morrell is surprised to see Lia, his teenage crush, back in town. But Aidan's accident when serving in the navy has scarred him in more ways than one, and he has other secrets which must stay hidden at all costs, even from Lia. 

As Lia comes closer to uncovering the truth, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. In a world of increasing danger, is Aidan someone she can trust?

Christmas Shorts with... Henriette Gyland

My Christmas Shorts guest today is Henriette Gyland whose debut book Up Close was published earlier this month.  My review of Up Close will be on the blog later today so make sure you pop back to check it out.

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 

I'm originally from Denmark, and traditionally we sing and dance around the tree on Christmas Eve before opening our presents in turn.  I was tearing roughly at a present when the whole family began to sing a verse from a traditional Christmas song.  In English this verse would roughly translate as "Pulling at the ribbon you're strang-e-lin' a lil-un'". That's how I knew I was getting a doll!

 
 What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Every other year we celebrate Christmas in Denmark with my parents, and when my father puts the "Christmas Oratorio" by J S Bach on the CD player, it sets the mood, and all the stress leading up to the big day just floats away.