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This beautifully rendered romance, an expanded retelling of Alfred Noyes's poem, "The Highwayman," finds Bess Whateley slaving away in her parents' public house, the King's Shilling, in 1763 Dorset, England. Bess is thrifty but poor, and knows "to the man which beer-swilling wags would try to pinch her bottom and which would leave her tuppence." The bored 18-year-old girl dreams of a prince to rescue her from her life of drudgery. As the novel opens, her fantasy is realized when Jason Quick, injured but dashingly handsome, arrives at the tavern. Unbeknownst to an intrigued Bess, Jason is on the lam, pursued by the King's 54th Regiment. She soon learns that Jason is the notorious robber known as the Golden Fleecer, who steals to buy his father out of indentured servitude. She falls in love with him, gladly surrendering to passion—and danger. Their romance doesn't go unnoticed: stableman Tim Groot and Rose Allen, who once worked with Bess, have designs on Bess and Jason, respectively, and are none too pleased. Hawks, already a sure hand at romance writing in her second novel (after The Lovers), ably laces the story with details of Jason's past and his checkered character. Gradually, he is fleshed out as a complex young man who acts out of greed as much as necessity. This well-written character study also paints a realistic picture of England in the 18th century, one brimming with intriguing details. Readers unfamiliar with "The Highwayman," which appears in segments throughout the book and in its entirety at the end, will be taken aback by the shocking conclusion; reading the poem first will only spoil the surprise. (July)

Forecast:The lush, gorgeous cover will surely grab the attention of browsers, and those with a taste for historical romance—minus heaving bosoms and bodice-ripping—will be impressed by what's inside.