Katherine is unfortunate, but she is a badass,
Charlie is having a rough patch. Moreover, there is a ghost on a horse.
I am not a big fan of the dual-timeline narrative - it is rarely done well.
Though, the switch between Katherine’s 17th century and Charlie’s present day is interesting.
I mostly like Katherine and her storyline. I would be eager to read a book solely about her, and I like Collins’ prose plenty.

Back to the 1640s, and I was immediately caught up in the life of Katherine Ferrers – only thirteen, but promised in marriage to a man she barely knows, and who only wants to get his hands on her properties and fortune to support the Royalist cause. The only blessing is that he’s rarely home – she forms friendships with the staff at her former childhood home, enjoys riding her stallion on Nomansland common, but then becomes very aware that there are many on their estate suffering in poverty as her husband siphons the money away. Always feisty, she comes up with a daring plan to replenish the coffers – while putting herself in considerable danger, as the authorities become increasingly determined to end her nocturnal activities.

In the present day, Charlie – yes, rather unusually, a male lead character, and one I particularly liked – is trying to find his way again after a broken relationship, staying in a dilapidated cottage in Hertfordshire, working with his builder uncle to renovate and put it on the market. It’s one of three, and we follow him as he builds new relationships with his neighbours – but also becomes increasingly aware of a ghostly presence, on horseback, disturbing his nights, setting out to discover more about their story and allow the spirit to find rest.

Katherine’s story is compulsive reading – and, despite the dubious morals of her chosen path, she remains entirely sympathetic throughout with her determination to put right the wrongs of her neglectful husband. It’s also a particularly moving romance – perhaps an impossible one, but one I desperately hoped would bring her happiness. The whole historical setting is wonderfully brought to life – and I really loved that constant edge of danger and mounting tension that the author brought to the story as Katherine’s outings became increasingly fraught with the possibility of discovery.

But it’s a really well balanced dual time story too – none of those uncomfortable wrenches – with some excellent character development, as Charlie encounters some romance of his own, and finds that uncovering Katherine’s story allows him to make some necessary decisions about his own future. The touches of the supernatural that link the stories are quite wonderfully done – there’s not really anything that will give a reader sleepless nights, but they’re certainly particularly atmospheric, very realistic, and distinctly chilling at times.

The twists and turns of the beautifully told story really kept the pages turning, and even faster as the tension steadily increased – and it certainly more than engaged me at an emotional level too. I read it in one thoroughly enjoyable sitting – and would very much recommend it to others.

In a Nutshell: A dual-timeline novel based on the partly-fictionalised story of Katherine Ferrers, an actual highway robber from the 17th century. Good use of both timelines. Atmospheric writing, great research, interesting characters, mildly paranormal. Recommended.

Plot Preview:
Present Day. Hertfordshire. After going through an unexpected break-up and losing his job, Charlie grabs the opportunity to help his uncle renovate an old cottage next to Nomansland Common. As Charlie eases into his temporary new home, he spends his time with activities that help him forget his pain. His friendly new neighbours are also helpful. The only issue is the mysterious hoofbeats he hears on some nights, and a strange lady who appears to be staring at him from the Common. When Charlie learns of her identity as the “Wicked Lady” who was a notorious highway robber in the mid-1600s, Charlie wonders about her life story, why she is still around, and why she always appears sad.
1659. Hertfordshire. Having been married at just age thirteen to a husband who is more interested in restoring the king to the throne than in his young wife, Katherine (Kate) Ferrers has spent the last eleven years lonely, watching her husband spend her parental money on royal requirements while ignoring their tenants. But when a new threat emerges along with a new chance for happiness, Kate knows that she’ll do whatever she can to fight the first and secure the second.
The story comes to us across the two timelines in the third-person perspectives of Charlie and Kate.

Bookish Yays:
😍 Kate: a strong character who does her best within the social restrictions of her time. Loved her complex and brave personality.
😍 The historical timeline details: The place, the characters, the beliefs, and the events seem mostly accurate to the era. Appreciate the author’s research into Kate’s life.
😍 Charlie: It was unusual to have a male protagonist in the contemporary timeline, as most such interlinked-dual-timeline novels go with female main characters. Charlie handles his role perfectly. His being a sensitive and sensible young man elevates this story.
😍 The music-related scenes: much appreciated!
😍 The paranormal bits in the contemporary timeline: Spooky and atmospheric. The face-outside-the-window scene creeped me out!
😍 The focus on the women's restricted freedom in the 1600s: Quite infuriating. There’s much unfairness in this timeline, but that is to be expected from the 1600s.
😍 Each timeline having a love story without being romance-dominated: Though I’m not fond of romantic insertions in non-romance genres, both were handled well in this novel.
😍 The author’s note: excellent! Always love it when authors clarify their writing choices in a historical fiction that is based on the facts. Filling in the gaps between fact and fiction isn’t easy for such an old story, especially when the details aren’t entirely available, but the author has done a commendable job here. A big thank you to the author for including the photos of the key character and the places!

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 This is advertised as a timeslip novel, but it didn’t meet my definition of timeslip. Isn’t timeslip is when characters accidentally move across timelines without the aid of technology? A paranormal/ghost appearance in another timeline is just a haunting spirit to me, not timeslip! (You are free to disagree, of course.) This isn’t a point against the novel, but against the label.
😐 The other characters of the contemporary timeline (except Luna and Marilyn) are interesting even when they have minor appearances, but they aren’t detailed too much. Charlie’s ex-girlfriend Luna and his new neighbour Marilyn get somewhat cliched roles. The historical timeline had more intricate characters.
😐 Alan the dog: Awesome dog (not surprisingly!), and inspired by a real dog named Alan whose photo appears in the author’s note. The only quibble is the emphasis on what a great name ‘Alan’ is for a dog. It is not only repetitive but also incorrect IMHO. (Again, you are free to disagree. But I just can’t picture a dog when I hear ‘Alan’!)
😐 I understand why the historical timeline ended where it did, but I wish we had known more. The ending has one really, really sad scene off the page. The author handled it exceptionally, but man, it was tough to know what happened.

Bookish Nays:
😕 The connection between the two timelines is a bit flimsy. This story would have worked perfectly even without the modern timeline, which has its good moments but is quite predictable, and is more of a placeholder for extending the reveals of the main plot from the 1650s.
😕 The use of the phrase 'beauty sleep' was certainly not present in the 1650s. Not a major flaw, but a distracting one.

All in all, the shortcomings are relatively minor. The historical timeline is strong enough to make this a book worth reading, all the more as it is based on the actual life of a brave young girl whom life didn’t do justice.

Much recommended to historical fiction readers.

3.75 stars.


My thanks to Boldwood Books for providing the DRC of “The Wicked Lady” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

The digital version of this book is currently available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

In this fascinatingly complex and emotional dual perspective and dual timeline historical fiction novel, readers travel between 1648 Hertfordshire and present day Hertfordshire and Constable’s Lane. At thirteen, Katherine Ferrers was betrothed to Royalist Thomas Fanshawe, who wants to sell off her family inheritance and fortune to reinstall Charles II to the English Throne, and their marriage is long and unhappy with Thomas traveling around England for the royalists while Kate remains at her childhood home and final property The Cell. In the present day, Charlie Wolfe relocates to Constable’s Lane and Nomansland Common in Hertfordshire to help his uncle renovate a cottage, but the story of the Wicked Lady and the highwaymen who terrorized travelers in the area in the seventeenth century. As Charlie spends more time in the area and encounters the Wicked Lady’s ghost, her secrets are slowly revealed and change her legacy. This fascinating dual-timeline and dual-perspective historical fiction novel has roots in history, Katherine Ferrers Fanshawe being a real historical figure, and Elena Collins has brought her and her seventeenth-century elite existence to life in this novel. With its vibrant descriptions, charming characters, and idyllically haunted location, this historical fiction novel with a twinge of ghost story is an excellent and immersive read.

I love the supernatural books by Elena Collins and The Wicked Lady is another great story.

The Wicked Lady follows Katherine Ferrers, a young heiress in 17th century England during the turbulent times of the Civil War and the Protecorate under Oliver Cromwell. Katherine is married off at the tender age of almost 14 to her stepfather’s nephew, an unattractive, surly young man who proceeds to run through her fortune in support of the Royalist cause. When money gets tight what is an independent young woman to do? Why become a highwaywoman of course, or so the legend says.

In the present Charlie Wolfe has had his heart broken and is barely surviving in London when his builder uncle offers him the chance to redo a historic cottage in St. Albans, While renovating the cottage strange happenings start to trouble him. A rider on horseback seen late at night and on the periphery of nomansland common Is something or someone haunting Charlie?

The chapters move back and forth between Katherine’s story and Charlie’s. I really enjoyed the historical aspect and felt great sympathy for Katherine who had no control over her life or fortune. Charlie’s story was a good catalyst for the ghost story aspect, after all who does not like a good haunting?

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This is a timeslip novel, and in recent years, I've found myself feeling more and more drawn to books like this.

At the start, I found the writing both eerie and whimsical, and I was keen to read more. Something that I've come to enjoy about this type of book is the fact that you are given two sets of characters, and two stories to enjoy. One narrative follows Charlie in the present, and the other follows Katherine, or Kate, in the 1600s.

I took an almost immediate liking to Charlie; he seemed so warm and kind-hearted, and his passion for music was something that resonated with me. As for Kate, I liked how strong-headed and independent she was.

I enjoyed the contrast between the two narratives - of course, the atmosphere was different, and the characters and their behaviour were different. I became invested in both stories, and even found myself emotional towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

I did feel for Katherine Ferrers, being married at 13 years of age to someone who just wanted her money. Added to this is the fact that she had no say in how her money was spent. Women really had a raw deal in this this era. Katherine was certainly bold and daring, nothing held her back. Although the story set in the present day had likeable and, it was the 1659 story that I found the most interesting. There were a few unanswered questions regarding the link between the two timelines, to my mind. However, I found it to be an entertaining read. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Married at fourteen Katherine Ferrers knows that there will never be any love lost between herself and her profligate young husband who is determined to spend her considerable fortune supporting the anti-royalist movement in the years following the English Civil War. With her inheritance dwindling Katherine embarks on a dangerous venture which will see her life, and that of her friends, placed in great danger.

In the present day, Charlie Wolfe is renovating an old cottage in Hertfordshire when he senses the ghostly presence of a woman on horseback and with the help of a friend, Charlie is determined to discover more about the mysterious wicked lady who once roamed the countryside and whose troubled spirit still remains.

Based on the true story of Katherine Ferrers, an English gentlewoman, who became a highwayman, this beautifully written time-slip novel is an atmospheric and evocative story which blends past and present, myth and legend together, capturing the imagination right from the start. I enjoyed piecing together all the pieces of the puzzle, whilst at the same time wanting to know more about this fearless young woman who was involved in such a dangerous activity. The modern day element is done well, and there's enough jumping at shadows to appreciate the eeriness of the story whilst also enjoying Charlie's transition from being somewhat lost and lonely to finding out so much about himself and the enigmatic wicked lady in the process.

A haunting and thrilling narrative, I loved reading the story about the Highwaywoman. It’s a tale that has plenty of atmosphere, steeped in history and I enjoyed switching between the seventeenth century to present day, following Charlie as he navigates a new way of life.

We meet Charlie as his girlfriend is dumping him. Shocked to the core, he decides to move to Nomansland Common to help his uncle renovate Number One, Constable Cottage. Without realising it, he is in the area where Katherine Ferrers, the rumoured Highwaywoman, once roamed. Except she doesn’t seem to be at rest.

The story is so atmospheric, particularly when the ghost is sighted. It literally gave chills up my spine and I thought the writing was so powerful. Coupled with Charlie’s reactions, you could not deny that this ghost has presence and this provokes him and his neighbour to start finding out about this historical character.

Switching to the 1600s, I enjoyed reading Katherine’s story, especially as it is based on fact. The writer has clearly researched this period and I loved the mixture of historical with romance. Readers immediately sympathise with Katherine as, at just fourteen years old, she is married to a sixteen year old man – with whom she is absolutely no connection with. Thanks to the patriarchal society, Katherine has no voice and soon, very little money left, due to her husband’s unwavering, financial support to the monarchy. It is the threat of the sale of her family home that leads Katherine to make a life-changing decision and I admired her courage in trying to maintain her independence.

Switching between past and present, the two timelines weave a beautiful story that has developing parallels. I enjoyed reading about both periods and thought the story was well-balanced between the two. Further to that, the main characters were all likeable and I found there were points where my heart was in my chest, particularly concerning Katherine’ story and her determination to keep her ways a secret. The fact that she steals from the rich in order to support the poor families was selfless to the end, a bit like a Robin Hood character, and I was desperate to understand why her ghost was never at rest.

This was another great read from Collins and I feel I have learned a bit more about another historical character from the past. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dual timeline book. One of set in present day with Charlie who is fixing up an old house, where he learns about the wicked lady... A women highway robber. The other is in the mid 1600's to Katherine, who is set to be unhappily married at 13. A great story!

This is another gripping dual-timeline story that caught my attention from the opening pages. In the mid-seventeenth century, we meet thirteen-year-old Katherine who is desperate after learning of her betrothal to Thomas Fanshawe. Meanwhile, in the Present Day, Charlie Wolfe has been jilted by his long-term girlfriend. Despite nearly 400 years difference, the pain for both parties is totally understandable, and I was immediately immersed in their stories.
Finding her new life as miserable as she imagined, Katharine builds a strong friendship with the staff at her childhood home and carves out a life for herself while her husband is constantly away in support of the king. She draws great pleasure from riding her stallion across the local countryside.
Katherine’s story is incredibly moving, and I felt myself hoping against certainty that her decisions wouldn’t lead to the ending that seemed inevitable. Of course, there are many twists and bittersweet turns before we reach the final conclusion. The character development is almost too good, as I felt completely affected by the injustice of the whole affair.
Charlie is a delightful character who, despite being heartbroken, is able to uproot his life and throw himself into renovating a cottage that we were introduced to in the 17th Century. His relationships with his neighbours offer him the support that he needs to rebuild his life and help him learn more about the ghostly visitor that he’s seen near the cottage. As Charlie’s story emerges, and he begins to uncover more of Katherine’s past, the pace picks up and leads to a wholly bittersweet conclusion.
Written with an honesty that both inspires and devastates, the depth of research is immediately obvious. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book, but I must warn you that it’s not an easy read. Keep tissues handy!

A dual-timeline story - past and present. Great for fans of historical fiction. I loved the strong female character and enjoyed the story.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Charlie is at loose ends since his girlfriend left him. He’s tired of his job and needs something new to focus on.
I thought this was a good story. It’s told in dual timelines, both just as interesting. I liked all the characters and felt sad for Kate having to marry at such an early age. It’s the perfect combination of romance and mystery wrapped up in one book

This story is told in 2 different time periods. In the 1600s, Katherine Ferrers is married off as a young teenager and her new husband's only motivation is to use her fortune to help defend the king in his war. In the present, Charlie Wolfe is recently dumped and so he moves out of London to regroup and help his uncle renovate and flip and old house. This is a good story, but I struggled to find the characters believable. I think my favorite part of the story is that Katherine is feisty and not resigned to her lot in life. I also enjoyed the modern day characters including Charlie's dog, though some characters are better developed than others. Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy in return for my honest review.

A historical novel written in dual timelines - 1648 in Herefordshire wealthy heiress Katherine Ferrers is to be married to a relative of her guardian, and in present day Herefordshire, after splitting up with his girlfriend, Charlie Wolfe has moved into a cottage that he is renovating with his uncle. Both timelines have a strong romantic element to them and the earlier timeline some interesting literary references.

Briefly, after her marriage Katherine is living in her childhood home The Cell whilst her husband is away fighting to restore the royal family to the throne and gradually spending her fortune in support of the royalist cause. Moving on to 1659 and with her money running out and her husband demanding more, Katherine makes a dangerous decision. In the present Charlie starts hearing horse hooves in the night and sees what looks like a woman on a horse. He doubts himself until his neighbour Edie also sees and hears the mysterious woman on horseback.

Katherine is a very strong character. Accepting of her situation and making the most of her absent husband but her strength and compassion really shone through when she takes a Robin Hood approach of taking from the rich to give to the poor, whilst funding her planned escape from her marriage. Her morals in some ways were a bit suspect but her life had not been a happy one and she was chasing happiness. An enjoyable and entertaining historical fiction novel.

This book has a wonderful opening and then on to chapter one. We start in the present with Charlie, who lives in London and is being dumped by his girlfriend, Luna. He's distraught and his Uncle Bill suggests they team up, buy an old cottage, do it up and sell on for a large profit. Charlie and his dog Alan doss down in No 1 Ferrer's Lane while the building work is being completed but something doesn't feel right about the place and the nearby Common is creepy.
In 1648, in the same area, Katherine, who is thirteen, is being married off to a relation of her Guardian. Thomas Fanshaw is sixteen and not a pleasant character. She's being married for her fortune, which her husband squanders supporting the fight to place King Charles back on the throne.
The next time we meet Katherine is 1659 and she has been married for eleven years and from here the story really takes off.
I liked all the main characters in the story. Katherine's life was a difficult one. Women had a terrible time in that era and it's well depicted here.
Charlie's story was equally interesting especially once he meets Edie, who lives at No 3 in Ferrer's Lane.
There was a real wave of sadness going through the story and me while reading and my heart went out to Katherine.
I dropped a star because the two stories never really gelled together. In dual timelines you expect some sort of connection but it didn't happen. They could easily have been two separate books. I felt let down too by the ending. Wanted more from Katherine's story.
Saying that, it's a great read and the writing is fantastic. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an early copy of this book to read.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fantastic dual timeline novel.

The story is about the female who was a highwayman, robbing the rich to help those that she knew who were struggling to manage. She had to do something to help them as her husband was spending her inheritance for his own needs.

The story portrays to what extent women were helpless in the 17th Century.

There was romance for the females in both timelines but, only one had a happy ending.

The story was very well written and had you hooked from the beginning.

I highly recommend this book.

Elena collins writes beautifully, the tangling of present day and a centuries before story intertwines with interest. This is based on a true tale and is very visual throughout. I loved it an authour to follow.

I was immediately intrigued by the cover and description- a time-slip novel about Katherine Ferrers, a young woman in the 1600s who begins to feel restless in her loveless marriage to a husband who is rapidly spending her inheritance, and Charlie, a modern man who is navigating a breakup and a home renovation in a town far too familiar with ghost sightings of a notorious highwaywoman.

Overall, I enjoyed the flipping between the past and the present, though I found myself hurrying through Charlie's chapters to get to Kate's. I couldn't get enough of her story full of charity, love, loyalty, and her "the end justifies the means" mentality.

This book had the right amount of mystery with a hint of spookiness!

The Wicked Lady by Elena Collins, The book has two POV‘s one is set in modern day and the other and 1660. Current day involves Charlie and when we meet him his girlfriend Luna is breaking up with him and feeling at loose ends he goes to work once again for his uncle Bill who restores houses and does home repair jobs. Charlie moves into the latest fixer upper which is an old constable cabin right outside of Markkyate. He is brokenhearted when he meets his cute quirky neighbor Edie as he’s walking his dog Alan and she is walking hers Bianka. The friendship is slow to start and Charlie isn’t looking for a new relationship but the more they hang out the more he likes hanging out with her they’re even together walking home from the Sycamore Tree Pub the night they first see the ghost of Kate. When we first meet Catherine in April 1648 she is 13 and is marrying the vein of her past and future existence Thomas who is 16. She knows he is only marrying her because his family is on the verge of poverty and she is a rich heiress they will never consummate the marriage but it doesn’t stop Thomas from selling off her property and giving all her money to the loyalist cause trying to put king Charles back in charge. Nor does it stop her from falling in love with A local farmer Raith. Catherine does her best to help out the poor tenants on her estate but when her husband threatens to sell the one place she knows is home it’s when Catherine will do the unthinkable and most outrageous. Like most reviews written there is so much more to the story and although the romance in this book was pretty good One of them even made me swoon. I do want to say in the Book they had some things that were technically off and although they were annoying to me like a newborn baby not even an hour old smiling and having dark eyes and other things that didn’t make sense with the dogs but it isn’t enough to ruin the story it really is a great story they do see the ghost of Kate but it is a siding set in reality and not La La Land like some books although I do like those books as well. This is just an awesome read and one I definitely recommend. #BoldwoodBooks, #NetGalley, #ElenaCollins, #TheWickedLady,