The Rebel and the Runaway by Chris Thorndycroft
Publisher: Chris Thorndycroft (February 2016)
237 pages, eBook (provided by the author for review)
Book Rating: 4 Stars
Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence and Sexual Situations
When a youthful indiscretion has unintended consequences, Alice runs away from home at 15, naively hoping to make a life with the boy she thought loved her, only to find herself amongst smugglers and the trouble that follows them. Interesting tale of smuggling in 1740’s England, that describes how a comparatively innocent crime snowballed into something much worse, raising the stakes for all involved. The telling revolves, for the most part, around the romance between Alice and Will Carter (one of the main figures in the smugglers’ gang), Alice’s viewpoint of the events being a nice vehicle for the novice to this little known bit of history. It got a little dry at times, and perhaps could have used a little less historical detail at certain junctures, but overall is a very smooth read. Adventurous story, with some complex and interesting characters. I found myself thinking about the characters and the situations they found themselves in, long after I finished the book. Good read!
