A reluctant highwayman and his erstwhile victim

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When Lady Alice Worthingham and her mother are robbed by a highwayman, Alice doesn't play the meek and mild victim. The action that follows is highly unorthodox and the Surrey Bandit aka the Viscount, Lord Callum Arundel has unknowingly met his match!
I liked Lady Alice, I liked Lord Callum.
I just wasn't drawn into their sphere in the way I wanted to be. Sure the dramatic potential was all here. The poor relation who became a viscount, blackmailed into committing crimes to keep his family safe. The beautiful, somewhat eccentric Lady who discovers his secret. A Lady drawn to him like a moth to a flame. A Lady who felt slighted by him in an earlier encounter, who seeks to punish him and in doing so finds herself playing with fire.
Except that fire seemed contrived. An HEA ending that didn't quite jell for me.
A note that leapt out at me was Victoria's use of the word 'golly.' It just didn't seem to fit. Although I did look up when the usage came into being. Apparently it was, 'First recorded in 1840-50; euphemistic alteration of God.' (from dictionary.com). Thanks to Tamara Gill for learning something new!
However I venture to say that this is very strong language for a young woman of those times--to me it was somewhat 50's, by Golly Gosh! 
I did somewhat see the villain in the piece early on. The way that played out was satisfying and in keeping with the leading characters.
As I said in a previously reviewed title in this series. A somewhat farcical play with added heat.
I go back to my original reaction, this story just did not hang together in the way I had hoped it would. It's potential was under realized. But, 'all's well that ends well.' 

A NetGalley ARC

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