The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple

**“How does one start a relationship with another man when it is forbidden?”

“One needs to decide that the other man is worth dying for.”**

*Cornwall, 1785*

**Sir Evan Penhart.** Baronet. Highwayman. Scoundrel.

**Julian Reece.** Writer. Wastrel. Penniless.

No one forces **Julian Reece** to marry. Not his father, not his brother. *No one. *

When he is thrust into a carriage heading for London to meet his future bride, his way out comes in the form of an imposing highwayman, riding a horse as black as night. Julian makes a deal with the criminal, but what he doesn’t expect is that despite the title of baronet, the robber turns out to be no gentleman.

**Sir Evan Penhart** is pushed into crime out of desperation, but the pact with a pretty, young merchant’s son turns out to have disastrous consequences. Not only is Evan left broke, but worse yet, Julian opens up a Pandora’s box of passions that are dark, needy, and too wild to tame. With no way to lock them back in, rash decisions and greedy desire lead to a tide that wrecks everything in its way.

But Julian might actually like all the sinful, carnal passion unleashed on him. How can he admit this though, even to himself, when a taste of the forbidden fruit could have him end up with a noose around his neck? And with highway robbery being a hanging offense and the local constable on their back, Julian could lose Evan before he can decide anything about the nature of his desires.

**POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes:** highwayman, abduction, ransom, forbidden love, self-discovery, danger, crime,

**Genre: Dark romance, historical

Erotic content: Explicit scenes**

Length: ~140,000 words (standalone novel)

**WARNING: Adult content. Contains violence, distressing scenes, abuse, offensive language, and morally ambiguous protagonists.**