User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
i really really loved this one despite some initial misgivingsit feels odd to start off a review like this but i don't want it to get buried since i've not seen it mentioned anywhere else:
the prologue to this book opens with a pretty graphic rape scene. i don't mean in the 70s historical romance alpha male forceful sex way i mean it in the truest sense of the word. it made my stomach turn and i can't help but wish that someone had warned me, whether that was reviewers or the book itself.
that being said... i really did enjoy this book. our heroine is understandably tense around men and has sworn off marriage and intimacy. watching her grow to trust a truly kind and understanding man was fantastic.
and this book struck the perfect balance of romance and plot AND setting. the newly married couple embarks on an archaeological dig for their honeymoon and after a series of misunderstandings they have to avoid consummating their marriage while also trying to find out who is out to kill them!
i'm usually a little wary when historical romance authors stray too much into plot territory because i feel like it's often contrived and silly but this one felt kind of high stakes! anyway, i enjoyed this book quite a bit and i really do think kerrigan byrne might be one of my favorite historical authors. can't wait for the second book!
Rating: really liked it
I'm trying to like this author better... But I know she loved writing this book.
Rating: really liked it
I loved,
loved How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. No, not just favorite historical romance authors, but favorite
authors. Full stop.
This is the second book from Kerrigan Byrne in a row that I've loved, and I think it's time to just suck it up and buy her whole backlist. This book was
unputdownable.
Sometimes, I think I'm too harsh of a reviewer. I have trouble feeling enthusiastic about mediocre romance, and with over 1500 romances under my belt, I got bored easily. But then a book like How to Love a Duke in Ten Days comes along and
knocks my socks off.
I loved almost everything about this story. I loved how it addressed the main character's (
Trigger warning) (view spoiler)[rape (hide spoiler)] with sensitivity and understanding. I knew going in that the book would have something to do with
sexual assault from the #metoo at the author's dedication section, and I think the author did an excellent job balancing everything.
I also have a HUGE weakness for a
scarred male MC, and his gruff, masculine, scarred face was giving me
allllll sorts of good vibes.
The book was an excellent blend of
female friendship, mystery, sensuality, sensitivity, romance and pain. I practically read it straight through in one sitting. I simply couldn't stop reading.
For those of you who want something compulsively readable, something to shake up your reading slump, look no further. Kerrigan Byrne will wow you with this one.*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
goodreads|instagram|twitter|blog
Rating: really liked it
5 How to fall in love with a book in 1 day Stars ******Mild spoilers***** 
"We are eternally bound," she repeated. "By secrets, blood, and pain." "And by trust, passion, and revenge," Francesca added darkly. "And by friendship, love, and..." Cecelia sniffed, pressing on the hands beneath her, as if she could touch the heart below it. "And hope. For without that, what reason do we have to endure?"-The Red Rogues OMG Kerrigan Byrne is a brilliant writer. I knew I had a ARC due. I will be honest I didn't want to read this book. Or any book for that matter. I have been in a really crappy book funk. Everything I have read had been boring, meh, annoying, or just plain pissed me off. For the last few months, I have found myself not wanting to read anything, because I know I will end up angry at fictional characters, and want to throw my kindle against a wall. I was avoiding this book. Afraid my sour ass mood would color my view of the story. I decided to try and start it. If I started to feel annoyed, I would put it down and come back to it later. However two pages in, just two mind you, I was so enthralled that I couldn't put the book down. The story was so emotional, the characters so on point, that I read it all the way through. No sleep, didn't clean, had my husband make dinner. I could not be pulled away from this book til I got their HEA.
"Lately, I only feel safe when I'm with you."-Alexandra 
"I like it when you say my name," he growled. "I'll like it even better when you moan it."-PiersPiers was amazingly sexy, beastly, and protective. He had his issues, and wasn't perfect, but he was perfect for me. I love me some scarred heroes. Maybe it's just me, but there is something sexy about the strength and survival that scars represent. Piers had a dry sense of humor that had me cracking up. Alexandra was amazing and strong. It was nice to see how much of a fighter Alexandra was. She made a life for herself without a man, she was smart, brave, and loyal. As a sexual assault survivor, I hate when I read a book where a woman is assaulted, then jumps straight into bed with the hero. Like nothing happened and sex magically makes everything better. When the aftermath is depicted as easy to get over. Just glossed over like no biggie. Sexual assault is an ugly, life altering thing that changes a person forever. No two survivors are the same, or react the same. So I really loved that Kerrigan Byrne did a great job of painting the raw aftermath of healing. Of the scars that linger long after, but also of the beauty of taking back one's power and life. It was a nice balance. A touch of real without weighting down the book with too much dark. I love anything that sheds a realistic light on something that affects so many.
He could break her. He could protect her. She feared him. She needed him. She wanted....this. 
The scream crawling up her throat finally erupted, muffled by the fabrics as her entire soul rent apart in one quivering, bone-shattering cry of pure, helpless, hopeless anguish. She'e thought she was healing. That her patient, tempting husband opened her body and mind, seducing her into the world of carnality. But no. She was broken. Damaged. Dirty. No matter how many baths she took. No matter how many tears she offered. How much restitution she paid or forgiveness she begged. No matter how many years were put between her and the night her body had been invaded. She was damaged. Soiled. Unclean and fallen.-Alexandra 
The above quote is just so powerful, and raw. Piers and Alexandra were one of those amazing couples that you feel a real, and deep connection too. Their love was all consuming. Their passion was smoking hot. I felt the bond, felt the love, felt the story. They were not the only well written, and beautiful relationship in this book though. The Red Rogues, Alex and her two best friends Francesca and Cecilia were a lovely picture of female friendship and sisterhood. They would do anything for each other. It's a nice change to read about loyal female relationships, without all the catty, backstabbing drama that most books have. Truly this book was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone that loves romance. I would say that as a reader maybe the Author should have put a bit more of a trigger warning on the book, other than the #metoo comment. The rape scene was very hard to read and may really upset some. That there is the only thing I would change about this book. It will be going into my top favorites of all time. I would give this book more that 5 stars if I could. I'm just blown away!!! I can't wait to read the next book!
"You don't know what it will cost me, Alexandra, to love you like this. It consumes me. It obsesses me. You've somehow, in less than a bloody fortnight, become more integral to my sustenance than the very air I breathe or the water I drink." -Piers 
https://jessicasoverthetopbookobsessi...
Rating: really liked it
***4 Stars***
I have been a fan of Kerrigan Byrne from her first book. She is an outstanding storyteller and her novels contain deep and dark emotional themes. This novel continues to exemplify her writing skill and her ability to evoke an emotional response.
Lady Alexandra Lane has a dark secret that not only leaves emotional scars but has also caused her fear of revelation throughout the years. Only a few know her secrets, namely her two best friends, and they are all bound by their loyalty and love for each other. Now Alexandra is afraid of the consequences of her secret being revealed by a blackmailer. Her character is noted to be strong, intelligent, independent and serious.
Piers Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, bears both emotional and physical scars. He is bent on revenge after being ditched by his fiancée. He is immediately drawn to the uniqueness of Alexandra. His character is of a hunter/outdoorsman, open, funny and a rescuer/protector.
The story is fast paced and I read it in one sitting. I love how much time the couple spends together, getting to know one another. There is not a significant secondary story which lends to more time with the couple. Excellent dialogue with some laugh out loud moments with Piers dry humor. Overall a good read and a highly recommend.
Rating: really liked it
Listening enhanced my love for this story...I was so excited when I realised that
How To Love a Duke in Ten Days was going to be available in audio. I'm a huge
Kerrigan Byrne fan and her previously released,
Victorian Rebels series is not available in Australia (YET...please be yet). My listening experience was everything I hoped for and more.
The characters came to life for me and I loved stepping into their world and hearing them.
Derek Perkins is a master at his craft and is one of my very favourite male narrators. His clear and precise voice is enhanced by his talent with accents and characterisations. In my head, I often apologise to Mr Perkins that such a classically sounding narrator has to say the "F" word aloud and narrate intimate scenes. It almost seems out of character to his voice. The best way to describe it is trying to imagine
Mr Darcy swearing (of course I'm thinking Colin Firth's). Now, I'm not saying he shouldn't say those words, though, because I loved hearing Piers' frustration...and naughty thoughts.
I loved reading this story and I loved listening too. I'm so glad I have my very first
Kerrigan Byrne historical romance on audible and I am sure it will be regularly re-read/listened to. That is until the
Victorian Rebels comes to Australia... HINT... HINT... PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON THE TOP!! (sorry for shouting)
**********
Holy Friggerroly…that was bloody AWESOME!!I saw a post on Twitter the other day that made me a little sad. No book or author was mentioned but a reviewer was disheartened and ready to give up reviewing after she’d been targeted and harassed because of a negative review. That bothered me, but then, I was also upset by a comment that was further down in the post. Another reviewer was complaining about all the OTT fangirling reviews.
Hmmm…
Now, how am I going to convince you to read this awesome story that is my absolute favourite from
Kerrigan Byrne (since her last release) without sounding OTT fangirling? Well, friends and fellow readers, I just can’t. Sorry, you’ll just have to grin and bear my fangirling tendencies because I LOVE THIS AUTHOR and I LOVE HER HISTORICAL ROMANCES!!
Seriously,
Kerrigan Byrne can do no wrong in my eyes. Well, maybe she
could do wrong if I knew her in real life, but writing-wise, she is a BLOODY MASTER at her craft.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days was amazing and kept me enthralled from start to finish. As soon as this story loaded up on my Kindle, I HAD to start. I squirmed with glee at the turn of the first page and sighed in contentment with every page turned after that. Ms Byrne’s words…worlds…characters are my happy place and I’m sad to say goodbye at the end.
I absolutely love
Kerrigan Byrne’s ability to capture my attention at the beginning with a scene that was thought-provoking and a little heartbreaking. This author sucks you in by showing us the heroine at her most vulnerable. We then get to see her survive, grow and eventually conquer the demons that made her vulnerable. To be honest, that squirmy, uncomfortable, icky feeling she leaves me with is something I look forward to. Isn’t that weird? I guess the appeal is in knowing that this character WILL win in the end. If that win is just in love, then I’m fairly satisfied. If that win also happens to be from conquering a fear or getting past a barrier, then I’m ecstatic.
When I met Alexandra and her
Red Rogue friends Cecilia and Francesca, I knew that I was meeting new friends. When I met Piers, the hero, I knew I was meeting my next favourite
HERO!!! This man made my heart flutter. Big, broody and bossy…just the way I love them. So, on meeting him I was fluttery, by the end, I was swooning, sighing and squirming with delight. He’d fallen and he’d fallen hard…I love it when the hero falls hard for his heroine.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days left me extremely satisfied, but I can admit that at times it was hard to read. Alexandra had a horrible thing happen to her at a young and vulnerable age. If she hadn’t had the support and love from her two friends, there’s a good chance she may not have survived. While the journey was a little rocky at times, I was never in any doubt that Piers and Alexandra would work through their problems together. I knew that Piers would be thoughtful and understanding. He cared about Alexandra's feelings and while Piers knew it left him vulnerable, showed her how much she meant to him.
Yes, I have written a very positive review, but I know this book will not be for everyone. For starters, if you’re not a fan of sexy stories, this is probably not for you. If a wee bit of mystery, a touch of angst and a smidge of secrets, lies and betrayals make you run for the hills, then maybe avoid this one.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days does touch on some sensitive issues but I never felt overwhelmed and thought the author handled it very well.
From the first page to the last, I was captivated. Piers and Alexandra’s love story was exactly what I’m looking for in my historical romance reads. I smiled, sighed, sniffled and squirmed throughout this story and I loved every minute of it. If you haven’t read a
Kerrigan Byrne historical romance yet, this start to
The Devil You Know series would be a fantastic introduction. But be warned…once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.
Rating: really liked it
[The story begins with a fairly gr
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars overall, rounded to 4 stars.
But if I could choose the "real" score, it would be 3.5. It feels too low to round to 3, but 4 is definitely me being GENEROUS.
Writing was fine, no glaring errors. But I've tried this author before (sample) and just didn't get into her style as much as my other fave historical rom authors like Lisa Kleypas, Julie Anne Long, Tessa Dare, Mary Balogh, Elizabeth Hoyt, and a number of other ones. (Side bar, many of these authors are now on my - will not read again until they get out of their bad writing funk, but the good books they wrote are still rather incomparable).
There is a plot - murder, blackmail, conspiracy, etc. There is a mystery. There is one of my fave tropes - beauty and the beast, tho I wish as I said below, we can have a plain Jane and beast for once. And that was all fine, and
I might have even cared more about it if the MCs themselves HAD MORE CHEMISTRY.
OK, rounding down to 3 stars. I read romances first and foremost for the romance. I need to feel the push and pull, the intensity of the feelings, and in HR particularly, I like there to be wit and "anticipation." See my notes below. It's not that I need sex scenes every other page, but to drag everything out to 83% before they finally got it on WOULD have worked if I had felt my heart strings tug all along the book.
I did not feel any heart string tugging through the whole entire book! So I don't know if it's the style or the actual MC interaction or what it was, but I just didn't feel it. I hate not FEELING it when I paid full price for a book (which happens rarely these days). And bc I didn't feel it, I kept skipping. I WANTED to get to sections of MC interaction that drew me in and made me swoon and tears my heart or makes me laugh. None of these things happened.
Now, don't get me wrong, both MCs are not bad MCs. Nothing about either of them irritates me. You understand the misunderstandings that occur from both their perspectives and it's not terribly contrived. But somehow, I didn't feel it with the couple. Maybe it's missing humor. I didn't crack a smile even once.
Maybe it's the language and lack of witty repartee. Don't know. It's just missing "something."So, don't know if I will read this author again esp. if it costs me $. If a book is ever FREE, I might give it another go.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 starsIf I took a break from reading the Victorian rebel series to read another book by the same author, does it count as taking a break?Just when I thought that Kerrigan Byrne’s books couldn’t get any darker, they end up shocking me more. The beginning of this book was just as dark and hard to read as every other Kerrigan Byrne’s book I read, if not more. It took me some time to get into this book. The beginning of this one was kinda slow. It started to get more interesting in the second half of the book.
My favorite thing in this book is the females friendship. They were so strong and so supporting to each other. I loved them all. Alexandra was such a magnificent character. She has been through something terrible and unimaginable, but she made a life for herself without needing a man. Piers was okay. I neither liked nor hated him. He just felt like a secondary character in the book.
Rating: really liked it
4.3 stars
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is the first book in the new series Devil You Know by Kerrigan Byrne and it is a wonderful start. The Prologue starts us off with seventeen year old Alexandra as she is called into the headmaster's office of the ladies' finishing school she has been attending in France. I do want to mention that there is a pretty intense rape scene, some might want to avoid reading. Skipping the prologue to avoid it would be possible but you would miss some bonding knowledge between Alexandra and her friends. The rest of the book has mention of the rape and how it affects Alexandra's relationships and how she is, can, and could be triggered in intimate moments with our hero Piers. I thought the author handled the respect and emotions beautifully around this issue and it provided some moments of tears and smiles.
A confusion of sensations paralyzed her. How could she feel both panicked and protected? If you've read Byrne's work before, you'll know how her stories balance light and dark moments, she mastered them in this book. The fear Alexandra feels with Piers in the beginning before she knows him was tempered exquisitely with the playfulness between the two. Alexandra and Piers get to know one another and the first half is Alexandra learning to trust Piers.
After the prologue, we jump ahead in time ten years and Alexandra gets a note from her friend Francesca telling her she needs her help and an invite to her betrothal ball to the Duke of Redmayne aka The Terror of Torcliffe. Francesca, along with Cecilia, are the friends Alexandra made at the France school and they formed The Red Rogue Society. They all have red hair and sneak away at night to “further their education”, basically try things young men get to experience but are forbidden to ladies. The night of Alexandra's rape bonds them together, along with the school's gardener, as they bury a secret. I loved how Byrne wrote this group of women and how their personalities were so different but their friendship was solid. I feel like historical romance is full of men groups who are bonding together in some way and I liked the script flipping here.
She was a soft, silver moonbeam in a room full of glowing golden candles.
And all the more radiant for it. When Alexandra and Piers meet there was a definite crackling of tension but even though these two were very guarded characters, it was their lightness together that won my heart. Byrne's writing style is very reminiscent of the bodice rippers of old, you'll get some faint purple prose elongated sex scenes and drama, which sometimes can get a bit much. I thought this was most apparent with Pier's nickname of Terror of Torcliff; except for the scars on his face, there didn't seem to be a reason for it. I also thought his background could have be fleshed out more, we're told about his mother and father, but especially his relationship with his half-brother, it wasn't as filled out as I would have liked.
The reason for Piers wanting to get married is so that he can produce heirs because he doesn't want his cousin inheriting, the cousin who ended up marrying Piers fiancee. This whole situation is probably what I would have cut out as it too wasn't especially filled out and the vitriol towards the ex-fiancee felt a bit much and I'm just particularly sensitive towards hate at woman at the moment. Bringing Piers in through Francesca would have worked on it's own for me.
Francesca wanting to marry Piers is a whole conversation, there is a lot happening in this book, but Byrne does for the vast majority keep it together. Besides the red hair and more adventurous attitudes, The Red Rogues bond together for support because Cecilia has a very cruel father and Francesca watched her whole family be murdered by men in masks. While Francesca is obviously not the star of this story, her murder mystery definitely plays a solid underlining to it. This murder mystery, along with the first half mostly taking place in Piers' castle help to give this a slight Gothic feel.
She wondered if the world wold ever recognize that the Terror of Torcliff had never been a terror at all. But a man. A man possessed of so much wit, skill, charm, intellect, and humor, he was forever surprising her. Often delighting her.
Enchanting her, even. The second half changes gears and after a little bit of marriage of convenience, the story moves to Normandy for Alexandra and Piers' honeymoon. As Alexandra has a doctorate of archaeology, Piers takes her to a current excavation of who could be a former Viking ancestor from William the Conqueror time. Some might think this comes in a bit oddly but I loved it, this additive was fun and what I look for when I read historical romance. It also helped to tie in the other mystery, someone has been blackmailing Alexandra over what happened ten years ago. Needing money to keep paying the blackmailer was the reason for Alexandra jumping in to marry Piers (Francesca never wanted to marry him, it was a set-up to gain info on who was responsible for her family's murder). This mystery wasn't quite as intriguing as Francesca's and I thought the ending conclusion was obvious and too Scooby Doo villain drama-ish.
While the first half was about Alexandra trusting Piers, the second half moves to Piers learning to trust Alexandra when he learns she's not a virgin. His issues with how his mother slept around and the betrayal from his ex-fiancee cloud his judgment and he says he won't touch her until ten days, when she gets her courses. Piers doesn't even want to be around Alexandra but she sets-up that they have to be together to learn one another for at least an hour a day. This setup is brought up and then kind of abandoned but the building blocks for the couple's relationship were still there so I didn't mind.
Because this inexhaustible emotion gathering inside of him threatened to completely dismantle him. He knew, then and there, that he'd walk through hell for her. He'd slay dragons and face entire armies. He'd circumnavigate the globe to lay her foes at her feet. And the power of whatever suffused him would assure him victory. The story does start to drag a sliver around the sixty percent mark but I'm not sure what I would cut out. As I said, this is a busy story with Alexandra getting blackmailed, Francesca's murder mystery, someone trying to murder Alexandra or Piers or both, and the whole falling in love, but instead of a clogged incoherent story, Byrne ties everything together soundly and creates one heck of a reading journey. The best part is that I saw these two fall in love and all the other tidbits were great bonuses. Cecilia and Piers' half brother Ramsey are teased as the next couple and I can't wait to read their story and maybe get more information on Francesca's compelling story. I highly recommend
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days, don't miss out on what looks to be shaping up to one amazing series.
Rating: really liked it
4 STARS 
Kissing Piers Gedrick Atherton was like standing at the mouth of the Nile and realizing the scope of it was beyond comprehension. That the beauty matched the peril, and in the awe-inspiring danger existed its own strange appeal.
Who's a reader that will jump on whatever book Kerrigan Byrne writes but was even MORE excited for a brand new series?
Spoiler alert; it was me.
I'm obsessed with Byrne's historicals and when I saw that she's coming out with a brand new series, I jumped on it so quick I'm pretty sure I left a dust trail behind me.
The premise to this series is definitely delicious with three friends bonded by dark secrets that threaten to ruin them all.
We are eternally bound,” she repeated. “By secrets, blood, and pain.”
“And by trust, passion, and revenge,”
And while Byrne is a master when it comes to creating tortured and broken heroes, it was a nice change of pace to get that from the female character. Lady Alexandra Lane is a heroine that grabs your attention immediately and you can't help but bond with. This woman is a survivor in every sense of the word, and I loved that extra zing of fierceness to her. I loved how Byrne took a delicate and yet poignant subject and shed all the more light on it. Alexandra's past is not an easy one, but it's not laced in morbid detail either. The author gives the reader just enough of a glimpse to set the tone and boy did it set the tone.
His entire life, he’d never quite had a sense of belonging. Had never known what the words “home” or “family” meant, or why they meant so much to others. Until here. Until her.
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is exactly how he sounds from the blurb; intense, brooding, and driven by revenge. His potential bride is not exactly thrilled at the idea of marrying the Terror of Torcliff, particularly since it clashes with her own agenda. So color him surprised when her friend strikes a bargain to marry him in her stead.
Alexandra and Piers were everything. EVERYTHING. I loved watching this brooding man fall harder and harder for her even though he fights it at every turn. Alexandra has dark secrets and Piers is full of preconceived ideas due to his past. There's a dark undercurrent to their union, paved with deadly secrets and scorching chemistry.
I was immediately enraptured with this world and these characters. I'm so excited for the next book in the series! If you're looking for a Historical Romance with a dash of grit, suspense, and plenty of action, you need this book in your life.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest reviewFind me on:
Rating: really liked it
Loved it!! This was such a heartfelt, beautiful story. Piers and Alexandra are true soulmates. I am so glad they found each other and the happiness they so deserve.
Kerrigan Byrne writes the most touching, beautiful Historical Romances and this book wasn’t the exception. Its going straight to my faves not only of 2019 but of all time!
Rating: really liked it
[ a rape (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
Lady Alexandra Lane leads an interesting but solitary life, except for her career and relationship with her two best friends from her school days. She’s scholarly and learned but is emotionally scarred and burdened by a ten-year old event that only a few know about. However, one of them is her anonymous blackmailer who has drained her financially. Piers Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is hosting a weekend celebration at his estate to announce his betrothed, yet to be named but rumored to be one of Alexandra’s best friends who’s a reluctant bride. He has strong motives to marry but not necessarily to a specific woman. Circumstances change where Piers and Alexandra might alter the original plan.
I’ve wanted to read this author for a very long time, have even collected a lot of her books; so, when this opportunity presented itself, I was more than thrilled. There was something about the synopsis that hinted at more and my instincts paid off. This was a meaty story centered around two very appealing characters, and I don’t necessarily mean physically. Alexandra was shaped by what happened years ago, created so many layers it made her fascinating. Piers is physically imposing with an even larger personality and demons. The conflicts and challenges were immense and the intrigue even grander. I also loved Alexandra’s two friends who are vital to the story.
I loved everything about this story...the characters, mysteries, subterfuge, romance and the stunning prologue that sets the stage for everything that comes after. Alexandra and Piers are well crafted, so much that you eventually
know what they will and won’t do. No predictable paths here except where it’s natural for the two of them. There’s quite a bit going on but I appreciated that I got to discover it all by reading the book and won’t deprive anyone of that pleasure. Just know that you’ll be swept up and captivated by it all.
(Thanks to St. Martin’s Paperbacks for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Rating: really liked it
(Before I begin my review, I just have to get something off my chest. This is the second historical romance in two months of reading in which I've found a hero mauled and disfigured by a Peruvian jaguar. Used to be, our heroes ended up disfigured because of war injuries or maybe the occasional mauling by a Bengal tiger. What's with this new spate of Peruvian jaguars? I confess to a fondness for Peru, having lived there for 15 years in the past. Never once was I mauled by a jaguar, although I do remember being snarled at by a Peruvian dog.)
Okay. There now. Guess I'm ready to review this book. It's been a while since I read an HR by Byrne. Her very first one, THE HIGHWAYMAN, was a Vine ARC in 2015 and I was impressed by its promise. Lots of angst and suffering, fairly good romance, good command of English and grammar. Then I read her second, THE HUNTER, but there was just something about a paid killer as romantic hero that turned me off. The third book in that series was a DNF for me and I did not expect to try her books again, but pickings are slim for me and this one was at a bargain price and touted as a Kirkus Reviews 2019 Best Romance Novel so...
Well, this does have its moments that are well done. The heroine traumatized by an egregious act upon her as a teen and now closed off to men and the possibility of romantic love. The hero a bit on the "tortured" side because of a selfish, slutty mother and, of course, the number that nasty Peruvian jaguar did on his physical perfection. Could have been good. I'm all for angst when done well.
Unfortunately, this was not done as well as I'd have liked. As a matter of fact, most of this story bored me and I was super happy to finish. Perhaps if the plot could have concentrated more on the heroine's trauma without going off into uninteresting tangents, it might have succeeded for me. Instead we have to veer off into a lame mystery, with somebody trying to kill somebody, somebody blackmailing somebody, and a supremely uninteresting bit about archaeology.
And on almost every page we have to read about how sexy and strong the hero is, how lovely the heroine and her two besties are. And don't get me started on the scars. For someone who claimed not to be affected by the hero's disfigurement, the heroine managed to keep noticing and thinking about it continually. And when not thinking about everyone's physical appearance, the H and h are fixated on sex or the lack of it or the avoidance of it.
Boring, boring. What was Kirkus thinking?
