He’s noble. notorious. And takes no prisoners…Strong as a Viking. Handsome as Adonis. Rich as Midas. Collin “Cole” Talmage, Duke of Trewyth, is the stuff that legends are made of. He’s the English Empire’s golden son–until fate has its way with him. Cole’s family is killed and his closest comrade betrays him on the battlefield, leaving him gravely injured. But Cole is not one to dwell on … to dwell on misfortune. He is a man of duty, honor–and desire. And now he’s ready for the fight of his lifetime…
Imogen Pritchard is a beautiful lass who works in a hospital by day and as a serving maid at night. Years ago, when she was young and penniless, she ended up spending a scandalous night with Cole, whose tormented soul was matched only by his earth-shattering passion. Imogen entered a marriage of convenience-one that left her a wealthy widow-but she never forgot Cole. Now that her long-lost lover has turned up in her hospital, injured and with no memory of her, Imogen is torn: Is it a blessing or a curse that their past remains a secret to Cole, even as his new passion for her leaves him wanting to protect and possess her…at all costs, in The Duke, the next Victorian Rebels novel by Kerrigan Byrne.
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A marvelous addition to the Victorian Rebels series. My heart broke for both Cole and Imogene and what they went through. An angsty love story with a bit of a mystery thrown in.
I liked The Duke better than the last book. Cole was a big jerk at times but he did have kind moments too. Those moments helped balance his character. I felt the fact that he was a social snob and at times a pompous jerk made him more real. Cole was more true to what a Duke in the Victorian era would have been like. But for all Cole’s bad traits he was protective, loyal and when he loved someone it was fiercely. Although I liked Cole alright, Imogen made the book for me. She was strong, brave, and benevolent. I love that no matter how much she had to overcome, how much she suffered she still chose to see the good in life. She was full of life and joy and still some how down to earth and realistic. The sexual tension in this book was great. I loved that there was more action in this book than there was in the last book. It kept the pace going were as in The Highlander I felt it slowed down a bit in the middle. Overall this was a enjoyable read. The first book is still my favorite of the series though!
Victorian Rebels indeed — Cole Talmage, a duke with a tragic past and a difficult present after barely surviving the battlefield. He returns, his thoughts obsessed with “Ginny,” a woman with whom he spent a passionate night. He doesn’t know that Ginny is really Imogen Pritchard, who works by day as a nurse to support her family and at night as a serving girl to pay off her father’s debt. When he returns, wounded in mind and body, it is Imogen who figures out his illness and saves his life. For that, she is fired from her job. After all, a nurse can’t presume to out-diagnose a doctor, can she? She ends up marrying a patient and becomes a countess, only to end up the duke’s neighbor. She knows him, of course, but he thinks of her as a gold-digging adventurer and even thinks about trying to overturn her late husband’s will. They do not reconnect — yet.
This tale is most far-fetched and full of coincidences that are hardly believable. But you don’t care, because Imogen is such a wonderful, strong heroine. Cole, on the other hand, still can’t get over not being able to find Ginny, and his path to discovering Imogen’s identity is slow and sometimes painful.
On top of the romance, there is a mystery to be solved and a killer to find. All in all, this is a twisting, romantic tale, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is the fourth book in a fantastic series called Victorian Rebels. I think you could read it as a stand alone but will understand and enjoy it more if you start at the beginning. First book is The Highwayman.
I am a fan of Ms. Byrne and thoroughly enjoy her stories, but I have to say “The Duke” wasn’t my favorite. The story is dark and depressing. I understand that our hero Cole suffers unimaginable torture when he’s captured and not rescued until a year later, and seems to suffer severe PTSD. He meets our heroine, Imogene Pritchard, on his last night in London before shipping out for another military campaign. He mistakes her for a prostitute and steals her virginity, although he was so drunk that he didn’t realize that at the time. Fast forward 3 years and these two are changed forever from their experiences since they first met.
Ms. Byrne is a masterful writer and I felt the story deeply and that’s what earned my 3 star rating. The horrors of war has robbed Cole of any nobility he once possessed. He’s rude, condescending and threatened to ruin Imogen, now Lady Anstruther, his next door neighbor, as she has opened her home to the downtrodden to give them a second chance at a decent life. He doesn’t recognize her, but has carried her kind words with him since that fateful night 3 years ago. My main problem with the story is no matter what Cole does, Imogen forgives him. She’s just too good. I didn’t enjoy the near violent sex scenes either. This story was just too dark for me and I didn’t enjoy it as much as the author’s other books.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Murder and Mayhem!
Imogen Pritchard is a fallen woman. But she’s never let that stop her quest to help others that have been through what she has. Imogen is strong and seemingly untouchable until she finds out a man from her past is living next door, and there’s also someone trying to kill her. Coincidence?
One of your favorite series
The Duke is the 4th book in the Victorian Rebels series, featuring Collin (Cole) Talmage, the powerful and influential Duke of Trenwyth, and Imogen Pritchard, the daughter of an impoverished merchant, who was forced to work double jobs to help support her mother and sister while paying off her deceased father’s debts.
A chance encounter between Cole and Imogen the night before he went on his mission turned into burning passion and desires that left both of them longing for one another. A year later, Cole returned to England after being rescued from a brutal and torturous imprisonment, tattered and broken, and altogether a different person. As a nurse, Imogen was assigned to take care of him, and ended up saving his life thanks to her astute observations. To her disappointment (or perhaps relief ), he didn’t recognize her as his “one-night stand” lover…
I adore Imogen! She’s responsible and kindhearted, and would do anything for her family, to care for the sick and the unfortunate. Having been in a desperate situation before and lucky enough to get out of it, she has dedicated her life to supporting women and children who are victims of domestic abuse or prostitution, providing them with shelter and job training. She’s resilient, compassionate, hardworking, and never cowers before the intimidating Duke. I love the way she fights him for her causes while slowly bringing light into his dark soul…
I understand Cole suffers from all the traumas that follow him in his nightmares. However, the way he’s acting towards Imogen isn’t very kind, and I was hoping he would have to grovel hard to win her back, but it all comes a bit too late. If you like an alpha hero who is also broken, angry, and cynical, yet protective of the heroine, you’ll enjoy Cole!
The first one-third of the book goes with fast pace, and lots of events take place that will get you nervous, then surprised ! It’s a bit slower after that, but Ms Byrne’s writing is so exquisite and beautifully descriptive with emotions, internal thoughts, and thrills that I don’t mind the pacing at all. It’s not as angsty as the other books in the series that I’ve read, but it’s still a good read for me, especially with the appearance of the previous couples and seeing their tight friendship again !
4.5 read for me!
Wow! I loved this story and this series!! Big strong highlander protecting the governess in hiding. Miss Philomena is no spinster. She is beautiful and the Demon Highlander is the one falling hard! And needing to protect her!! This book had me in tears often. Keep tissues handy.
Imogen Pritchard is a nurse by day and at night she works as a maid and barkeep at the Bare Kitten Gin and Dance Hall in London to take care of her mother and sister, as well as help repay her father’s gambling debt to the owner. She has a special arrangement with him where she doesn’t have to “service” the bar patrons but on one night, he broke that agreement when Collin Talmadge, Duke of Trewyth, shows up with his cadre of soldiers and makes an offer the owner wouldn’t refuse. He’s just lost his beloved family in an accident and is on the eve of a new assignment for the Crown. His one night with “Ginny” as she’s known at Bare Kitten turns out to be more memorable than either of them imagined.
The men of this series are most definitely the epitome of rebels, all physically imposing, fearless and willing to work in the gray areas of the law. Collin gets captured during the campaign he left for following his assignation with Imogen and was presumed dead until he was found and rescued by Liam MacKenzie a year later. He returns a very broken man with dark edges and indirectly was responsible for Imogen losing her job at the hospital after she helps save his life.
I have to admit that I didn’t like Collin (Cole to his friends) for much of this story. He was tortured and sullen, and directed much of his anger towards Imogen who he didn’t recognize as his Ginny. Her circumstances changed, for the better, and he resented her for what he felt were good reasons (you’ll need to read the book for that). Imogen holds her own with him but doesn’t let on that she’s the woman he’s still desperately trying to find as the memory of that one night with her sustained him during his captivity.
There’s a lot going on here as a serial killer is at large, preying on women who are seemingly unconnected but look very similar, including Imogen. That danger was in the background but the strength of the story is the developing relationship between Cole and Imogen. I did weary of the time it took for the secret to be revealed but it was entirely consistent with the story and Cole’s transformation. I had a hard time putting it down and the narrator, Derek Perkins, again delivered a stellar performance. This series isn’t for those looking to revel in the aristocratic and genteel aspects of the Victorian era. It’s honest about that time, particularly how difficult it was for women and those outside of the Royal connections and for me that’s a very good thing. It’s ranking as one of my favorites.
Collin “Cole” Talmage, is the new Duke of Trewyth his parents & elder brother have been killed in an accident in the alps, he’s a serving soldier & goes to the Bare Kitten with a group of comrades. He’s taken with the serving girl Ginny & pays £20 for her for the night.
Imogen Pritchard is a beautiful lass who works in a hospital by day and as a serving maid by night at the Bare Kitten where she’s paying off her father’s debt. One night changes her life when she’s paid for by Cole & spends the night with him.
Cole is as strong as a Viking, as handsome as Adonis & as rich as Midashe’s related to the Queen & is the stuff that legends are made of. He’s the English Empire’s golden son, until fate has its way with him. His closest comrade betrays him & he’s held captive, leaving him gravely injured. He has been missing but is taken to the hospital where Imogen works thought to be suffering from typhus, Imogen is the nurse who tends him & saves his life when she realises he doesn’t suffer from typhus but septacaemia. That’s when things go pear shaped for Imogen.
Two years have passed & Cole & Imogens’ lives have changed. There’s no more I can say without revealing the plot.
A riveting book that had everything, passion, spies &, murder. Both Imogen & Cole have suffered but their outlooks are so different. I warmed to Imogen & so wanted her to be happy. Cole was SO tortured that I wondered if he could leave the darkness. This is the first book I’ve read by the author & whilst this is the fourth in the series I didn’t feel lost when reading it, which sometimes happens coming late to a series. However I do now want to read the earlier books. My only quibble was the violence which I know was part of the characters & plot but for me personally would like less, hence only 4 stars.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book
WOW! What a ride that was. I’m still trying to catch my breath.
Imogen Pritchard first meets Collin Talmage, Duke of Trenwyth, in a brothel where she was nothing more than a server. Her father had died and left a mountain of gambling debts with the owner of the place and she was working it off; it was going to take a couple of years to get the debt settled. It was understood that she was to be a server only and not one of the “kittens” at the Bare Kitten establishment. That was all fine and dandy until the Duke of Trenwyth took a fancy to her and paid an outrageous amount to the pimp to have his way with her. The ever-greedy pimp took him up on it and she was sold for the night.
Cole, short for Collin and a better name in my opinion, had just lost his entire family in a train accident and was grieving, although he was hiding that fact from the soldiers he’d come into the business with. Everybody thought it was great that he was a second son becoming a Duke. He didn’t share their enthusiasm. But Imogen, under the name of Ginny and wearing a wig and a bunch of makeup, made a connection with him on a emotional level as well as physical. She expressed her sympathy to him and told him it was okay to grieve. That part of the book was touching. His care of being sensitive to her was touching. It was a great moment early in the book. But being a serving girl wasn’t her only job. She’s also a nurse in a hospital.
Cole has been sent on assignment and Imogen hears that he is missing. She reads the newspaper every day to Lord Anstruther and is keeping abreast of the situation. When Cole shows up as a patient in the hospital where she works and she’s assigned to take care of him, things change for both of them. He’s missing his left hand. He’s sick and dying and she’s trying desperately to save him. It doesn’t take her long to figure out he doesn’t remember her. He’s mean and nasty to her.
Time goes on and many things happen, keeping this book a mover and a shaker. I have to say that Collin Talmage–Cole– was really hard to like. He had his moments of being likeable, but for the most part, he was probably one of the most disagreeable characters I’ve ever read. He’s cynical and vengeful, outspoken, ill-mannered and like he termed himself, “a bastard.” I can’t disagree, but he’s also haunted, exhausted, alone, and needs someone to care about him as a person. He’s complicated. He’s held out for a very long time and has searched the world for Ginny, the woman from the brothel. The memory of their night together kept him going and able to survive the horrors of being a prisoner of war. He thinks she will be his salvation.
There were more than a few times when I wanted to slap him for his arrogance and demeanor. He hurt Imogen on more occasions and seemed to delight in wanting to expose her for who she really was. But she was so forgiving…probably more so than I ever would have been had that been me in her position. I liked her so much. I didn’t necessarily dislike him. I tried to understand him and where he was coming from. The two of them were like yin and yang. He was cold and heartless. She was warm and loving.
I loved this book for many reasons. I loved seeing Blackwell, Argent, Liam McKenzie, and their wives again. It’s always good to see them. I loved how Imogen and Cole had that fire and ice relationship and how they tackled their differences. Everything in this just worked. The plot was tight. The characters were fantastic and the writing was great.
I’ve been reading this series in order, but every book can be read as a standalone novel. But if you do plan on reading the entire series, I’d start at the beginning with The Highwayman and work your way up. I think it made me appreciate the stories of the other characters a lot more.
Cole is a bit of a jerk. Even given that he’s about to go into dangerous battle in defense of queen and country, and he’s mourning the loss of his family, he definitely is no knight in shining armor. (Somehow, saving Ginny/Imogen from Hamish becomes less noble when Cole knows is buying a virgin for the night and just becomes a gentler agent of her ruin.) The real hero is Anstruther. Cole has a lot of suffering and angst before his eventual redemption. If he had not been so damaged, he would not have overcome his transgressions. Imogen’s love would have been an incomprehensible one of hostage for abductor. I hardly know why I liked it as well as I did, but it was fascinating.
I loved Imogen! Resilient, caring, and full of sass; she was a spitfire! And Cole…he started out as an entitled jerk and although he did take a good while to redeem himself, I liked him all the better for it. The Duke was a fast read of action and emotion, with the romance being one of the best second chances I’ve picked up this year.
Collin “Cole” Talmage led a fairly wild and unfettered life as a second son with a fortune. He made a name for himself as a formally recognized diplomat, though he was more of a spy and assassin for the English Crown. Then tragedy struck his family, leaving Cole as the Duke of Trenwyth and a betrayal by a man he considered a brother left him captured by the enemy and drastically injured. Though now returned to English soil, Cole still battles the demons from his time as a prisoner of war and longs for peace. He believes the only chance he has of attaining it is to find the woman he shared one tender night with on the eve of his last mission and he’s determined to locate her despite the three years that have elapsed.
Imogen Pritchard struggled to take care of her family as a nurse during the day and to work off her father’s debts as a tavern maid at night. Three years ago, as a penniless, desperate young woman, she was forced to spend a night with Cole and the passionate experience proved unforgettable. When he returned from war a year later and was brought to her hospital, Imogen even saved the life of a badly injured Cole, though he didn’t recognize her and her efforts led to her dismissal from her nursing position on the grounds of insubordination. Shortly afterwards, she was fortunate enough to marry one of her former patients, whose death left her a wealthy, titled widow. Now the Countess Anstruther, Imogen happens to be neighbor to Cole and he is very vocally opposed to her efforts to help petty criminals and downtrodden women right in the heart of Belgravia. Imogen is just relieved Cole hasn’t recognized her, but when it becomes clear someone is threatening her life, Cole’s inexplicable need to protect and claim Imogen becomes all-consuming and keeping her secret grows ever harder.
I read and enjoyed this book a couple years ago, but the narration made my audio revisit much more enjoyable. Imogen is probably one of my favorite heroines and while Cole had to grow on me a bit, he wound up being a lovely, protective yet vulnerable hero. The bond between Imogen and Cole was very sweet, yet raw, and believable and both of them had relatable inner struggles. While Cole doesn’t quite fit in with the other tortured heroes of this series, given his aristocratic arrogance, he was still a good addition to the series. I enjoyed this book yet again and will recommend it, just be prepared for it to tug at your heart strings.
“…there’s always color to be found, a smile to give, a kindness to share, a sunny day to look forward to…if you cannot find that color…if there is no bright spot, then become one.”
Oh how I absolutely love this series by Kerrigan Byrne! I’m always so excited when a new one is released, but then so very sad when I reach the end and have to wait for the next installment. If you are a fan of historical romance, this author is a must read!