Gallows Pole by Eris Adderly

 

GALLOWS POLE was a fun, quick read that felt like it was inspired pretty heavily by 80s and 90s bodice-rippers. The heroine, Emmat, is a highwaywoman. Her brother is also a criminal and one day, her parents send her out to prevent his execution, telling her that if she can't come back with him, she shouldn't come back at all. Desperate, with a hangman unwilling to take her bribes, Emmat offers herself in her brother's stead.

There is dub-con, obviously, but this is not a dark romance where the heroine feels like a victim (for those of you who don't like that). It also has a surprising amount of genuinely funny moments. She is spirited and full of fire, and gives back as good as she gets. Vane, the hero, is a morally complex man with a tragic backstory who comes to her in darkness when he isn't wearing his hangman's hood (so I guess you could say there's a Masked Man element to this book, too).

Some of my favorite moments were when the heroine lies about having his period to avoid sleeping with him and he tells her that her hand isn't on its period (lol). The fact that he shame-facedly trotted out to wash at the well as SOON as the heroine told him he smelled was also great. We stan a man who wants to look and smell good for his lady. I also lol'd when he stormed out to find a chaplain to marry them in his weirdly dark depressed-person house. A+

I've never read anything by Eris Adderly before but I will now definitely be reading more Eris Adderly.

3.5 out of 5 stars