Firstly, my sister is a HUGE fan of Georgette Heyer, and she was intrigued to see how I would like her work. She did tell me she wasn't sure I would like it, seeing as they 'are written in the style of the time' and I find it a challenge to read this style sometimes. I have to really concentrate (which irks me as I want to relax when reading) and it does take me time to adjust to the prose. So, I went into this book tentatively.
The writing is wonderful, made even more special by the fact it was a DEBUT, written when Heyer was just 17.
The plot is smooth and interesting, although I wouldn't use the word gripping. The characters are also interesting to a degree, and not necessarily likeable for the entire book.
A mixed bag for me, but I am intrigued and want to try Heyer's other books. I also have an audiobook of Venetia, due to be published on the same day as The Black Moth, so I look forward to this one!
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I enjoyed this story, it was well written, had good narrative and good pacing and the characters were well developed and relatable. I read this quickly and would definitely recommend it

I had never heard of Georgette Heyer but I do enjoy a romance set in the Regency period so I was happy to read this.
I understand this book was written 100 years ago and the author was only 17 when she wrote it, which is really amazing! However I struggled with the pacing, the language felt quite dated (yes I know it's not a contemporary book, but still) and I didn't really care for any of the characters.

This wasn't for me but I'm sure fans of Georgette Heyer or of Regency romances will enjoy it!

Thank you to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for my copy of The Black Moth! I enjoyed being transported back to this period and thought this was a lovely read. I would have liked there to be more romance but enjoyed this journey!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was this authors first novel and it was a lot more fun than her later novels. Great storyline and great characters. I had forgotten how much I used to like this authors books.

I was really disappointed with this and did struggle to finish it.

I found the story very slow and just did not engage with the characters.

Not for me.

As an avid Georgette Heyer fan, I was keen to re-read this book, especially as it was her debut as an author, first published 100 years ago when she was just 17 years of age.
You are drawn into a swashbuckling world of highway robbery, dueling, and glamour. When Richard, the younger brother of Jack, the Earl of Wyncham. cheats at cards, Jack takes the blame and escapes to Europe, leaving Richard to run the family estates.
Richard is besotted with his spendthrift wife, Lavinia, giving in to all her selfish demands, putting up with her tantrums if she doesn’t get her own way, along with helping out her two extravagant, spendthrift brothers to pay their debts. Jack, the Earl has been travelling incognito through Europe, doing different jobs, and eventually returning to England as a highwayman. In this guise he rescues a lady called Diana, and their romance begins.
Characters are well drawn, witty and entertaining, developing throughout the story. Ms Heyer’s knowledge of the Regency period is legendary; her descriptions of fashion, the ways and whims of the high-born aristocracy bring them to life.
I found it a little disappointing that Jack, the Earl, and Diana, hardly appeared until several chapters into the book, though it didn’t detract from this highly amusing, escapist read, with its exciting ending. For a writer of Regency romances who really knows her stuff, Georgette Heyer is second to none, and I highly recommend this book.

The story follows Jack, a nobleman who takes the blame for his brother due to a incident of cheating.

I've really struggled with this book. The characters are one dimensional and the language used dates the book vastly. I find it ridiculous that someone who has taken cheating at cards so seriously then chooses to become a Highway man.

I came at this book looking for a romance. Unfortunatelyfor it me it was not one. The romance aspect seemed to play a minimal part and the love interest Diana is lackluster.

I've got to commend the skills of the author having written it at such a young age. Not to miss that the relationship between Jack and his brother is admirable. The book just wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers and the Author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is a centenary edition of Georgette Heyer's first work, and for someone who wrote this at just 17 it is a great debut. I've heard of Georgette Heyer before, but have never read one of her works, and I can definitely see why she is such a beloved romance author!

I really enjoyed the characters and high-stakes moments throughout the novel, and I felt transported into the period in which the book is set with her writing. Sometimes, I did get a little confused by some of the characters and pacing, but for the most part the book was such a pleasure to read.

If you haven't read this before, definitely do! Fans of Jane Austen and her contemporaries will love this book, and it's a great example of the classic romance novel.

7 years ago, Jack Carstares Earl of Wyncham, had been ostracised from society after taking the blame for his brother, who had been cheating at cards. Jack had fled to the continent, severing all ties to family and friends. Now returned, he roams the countryside, pretending to be Sir Anthony Ferndale, but also risking his life as a gentleman highwayman. While in this guise, he comes across an attempted kidnapping, which he foils, at quite a cost to himself.

Any debut novel as good as this is remarkable, let alone written when the author was on 17 in 1921. It is written so beautifully, full of humour, honour, duty and so much more. Set in the Regency period, where ladies swooned, dressed to the 9’s, and simpered mainly in the background, Georgette Heyer characters are so well written, they come to life as you read, not all great beauties, not all with fortunes, but a wonderful mix that feels so realistic. How such a young author could have such knowledge of the period and life is incredible. I read Georgette Heyer books years ago in my teens, and they still feel as fresh and enjoyable reading them again now. A light and easy read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Georgette Heyerdahl book is a treat! I love historical novels as they give you a glimpse into the past and Heyer captures the Regency period to perfection!
This is a light and easy to read book and is enjoyable from the first word to the last!
Read it and fall in love!

Fabulous, and apparently her first novel, written when she was a teenager, and of an incredibly high standard. Georgette Heyer is truly the undisputed Queen of historical novels, her work is par excellence as always, and this novel does not dissappoint. I recommend it highly. I would give it six stars or more if that were possible, but, alas, I can only give five!

I enjoyed the read, and my first time reading this author's work. ! The language is a bit archaic, but it didn't hinder my understanding of the story. This one is more action-packed and swashbuckling with a plot involving highway robbery and duels. It’s light on romantic story as some since the focus is on the relationship between the two brothers, Jack and Richard.. The three different subplots all roll together and tie off beautifully together at the end.
If you enjoy it for what it isa fun, silly historical romp —you'll get a kick out of it.

Thank you Penguin Random House UK for sending ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.