I love to this genre, and am the biggest fan of the language used in the melodramas of the 18th and 19th century, but I found the book really difficult to get through.

I read this under the missed assumption it would be similar to Austen or Bridgerton my mistake. I would've preferred a female narrator. I might try it again some time but at the moment I can't seem to get engaged with it. It's not what I thought but that's just me

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Beautiful character driven read. Much lighter read than some of her others but an easy flowing story which I enjoyed.

The Black Moth was Georgette Heyer's first novel, which she had initially written as a teenager to cheer up her younger brother who was ill.

The story is set in the Georgian era versus most of Heyer's other novels, which have been set in the Victorian era. It follows Jack Carstares, who took the blame when his younger brother cheated at cards. Jack then fled to the Continent for several years but has now returned as a highwayman. One one of his "jobs", he rescues Diana Beauleigh when she is almost kidnapped by the dastardly Duke of Andover. As it would happen, Jack and Diana fall in love, but his past and current employment make life difficult.

I am a huge fan of her novel's but have to say this is not one of my favourites (maybe because she got better as she wrote more?).

I have enjoyed reading Georgette Heyer's novels in the past and I was looking forward to The Black Moth but I was incredibly disappointed. I tried to keep reading despite my dislike of every character but I only made it through a third of the book. Not one of Heyer's best.

DNF

I started this book on two different occasions and left time in between and both times I was just bored and had zero interest in continuing. The language was obviously a bit older, as was the writing style, and both of those were fine, it was just the content that I did not have any interest in. It is just not for me.

See for yourself what this book is all about and form your own opinion!

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

First off- had I known Georgette Heyer wrote this book when she was ONLY SEVENTEEN I feel like I would’ve given her way more credit and read it totally differently!

I don’t usually go for historical romances, but when I do I tend to like the genre. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. The characters were kind of boring and I felt like I wasn’t invested in any of them! It was disappointed this being the books 100th anniversary print- I thought it would have been more entertaining! I also struggled (and this is totally personal reference) with the way it was written. Although I find it elegant 18th/19th century style writing is hard for me to get through especially if I have a tired brain (ex: lack of sleep due to having a 2 month old!!). It took too much effort for me to concentrate on what was going on.

I must say there were some interesting parts to the book… but I definitely did not get invested like I usually do with romance novels.
This being her debut novel and writing it when she was so young, I think I will have to give it another shot next year!

ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to read this book as I’ve heard so many great things about the author’s stories over the years.
Being her first manuscript, it’s understandable that there aren’t many flawless scenes but I think that’s what made me enjoy it more. It’s always a wonderful thing to see where this art of writing stories takes the reader once the author grows as well.
The characters are interesting and the unusual highwayman life hood was definitely something unexpected. There are quite a few things to get over in here but the romance part made up for a great reading experience overall.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

# The Black Moth is by # Georgette Heyerdahl. A wonderful period romance. It has all the elements for those who enjoy historical romance.
Thank you for the advance copy,
#Netgalley

This is actually the debut novel by Heyer written in 1921. The reprint has an introduction by Phillipa Gregory.
7 years ago Jack Carsteres took the blame for his brother at a card game so his brother could still be with the woman he loved. Jack spent several years in Europe as a highwayman. He came back to England and continued being a highwayman. He encounters his nemesis the Duke of Andover during the kidnap of Diana. Will he save her?
The storyline isn’t the best but considering it was Heyer’s debut written in 1921 anyone who has followed her career can see how she has improved

I think after finding out this was the debut novel from Heyer, it seemed much more intriguing and impressive but unfortunately it was just one that I didn’t overly buy into. I think the plot was ok, good but not great and I liked the writing style but it just wasn’t for me as a whole package.

I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Random House UK for the gift of The Black Moth. I have several Georgette Heyer books on my kindle but I had not heard of The Black Moth. Originally published in 1921 and was her debut novel. Regency novels are a favorite of mine and it was incredible to read a book published 100 years ago but it still reads like a modern novel (minus the current use of language and bedroom scenes),
.
I doubt I would have come across The Black Moth had it not been for NetGalley. I'm glad to see a modern cover on a story that won't go out of fashion!

John Carstares has spent the past seven years estranged from friends and family after taking the blame for cheating at cards. It should have been his brother Richard, who was the guilty party, but John wanted his brother to have the woman he loved and took on the burden. He's been acting as a highwayman after a stint in Europe and living under an assumed name. Events occur to bring him back into his old life in a roundabout way and his resolve to continue to protect his brother is threatened when he falls in love.

This was Georgette Heyer's first novel and it's the first of hers that I have read. Considering the age of the writer at the time, I am impressed by the quality here. It's no great literature but it reads well and includes adventure and romance in various portions. It also seems to take the attitude that nobody is truly bad and we can all be reformed to some degree, especially when love is involved. It has an air of happily ever after even when not everyone gets that happy ending. Still, there's the idea that the future might provide hope for those left out too. All in all, it's a kind of feel-good story that one can see could have appealed to both male and female readers at one time. (Heyer wrote this for her ailing brother which seems to account for some of the adventure involved. )

Some readers might also be interested in the introduction written by Philippa Gregory.

Overall this was a fun read and I give it 3.5 stars. I would like to thank Netgalley and Cornerstone for giving me this advanced reader copy. I provide this review voluntarily.

Thank you for the invite to review!
As a lover of all things historic, a good frothy regency read is my go to when I need something to clear my head, but somehow this was my first Georgette Heyer.
Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish, very rapidly devoured and the characters are absolutely on point.

I disliked this book from page 1. I tried to read it at different times but it was definitely not for me.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“My lord consigned the doctor and his words of wisdom to a place of great heat.”

Georgette Heyer is up there in my top 5 all-time authors list. The fact that she was 17 when she wrote The Black Moth makes it even more amazing. Truth is, I’ve read this before, more than once, but when NetGalley offered me an ARC of the new edition I jumped at the chance, because it’s never not a good time to read her again. Heyer is the queen of historical/regency romance. Classic setting. Hooking plot lines. Witty writing. Move over Bridgerton.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A re-release of Georgette Heyer’s very first novel. A great regency romance packed full of mystery and intrigue.

Surprisingly, this is the first Heyer novel I have ever read. I will certainly read more.

This book as amazing complexity and was surprisingly written by the author when she was only nineteen: very impressive. It is original and unique, and not a traditional romance. I like romances that give all the characters some weight and depth and this book fits the bill; however, the flip side to that is the main story —the romance— can get a bit lost.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing classic from Georgette Heyer. This book is fully formed and it's shocking when you learn that it was her debut novel. This sets the tone for many wonderful works to come.