All Scot and Bothered

3.5-3.75 stars. This was a pretty good book. All Scot and Bothered is the second book in the Devil You Know series. This is Cecilia and Ramsey’s story. Cecilia is best friends with Alexandra and Francesca, from the first book in the series. Ramsey is the brother of Alexandra’s husband, Piers. Cecilia is sweet, soft and kind, an orphan with a bad upbringing. When her aunt passes away, she is left some huge surprises to deal with- a gambling hall and a little girl named Phoebe. Ramsey is the high chief justice of court and a stern, bitter, serious man. He has felt an attraction to Cecilia when he has met her, but would never act on it as he is celibate and doesn’t allow himself any pleasures. But Cecilia being the heir of her aunt, and her now running such a business, puts the couple at odds. The attraction between them, and the situations they now find themselves in, bring about the perfect storm for an enemies to lovers romance.

I enjoyed this story a lot. I liked Ramsey and Cecilia too. I did think the story was a bit too slow in parts and the couple was a bit lacking in chemistry. I also wanted a little more resolution and an epilogue. Still, this was an enjoyable read, in general, even if it was not quite as good as my favorites by Ms. Byrne. I do still enjoy this series and I look forward to more from it in the future!

Everyone deserves a chance at happiness…

****4.5 Stars****

Some of my very favourite stories have given me a hero that I vow to never fall in love with… until, of course I do. Then, I’m questioning how I could have ever doubted my eternal love and even on re-reads chortle at my initial doubts. What rage I felt at our introduction when he brings a tear to my eye with his thoughtless comments, turns into *Oh, the poor man is so misunderstood…* In All Scot and Bothered, Cassius had me swinging from rage, to confusion, to sympathy. The poor man just needed someone to love.

I think the main reason I love a story with a hero that I grow to love, is that it shows a man with imperfections. Hubby broke a beer bottle last night because he was trying to carry 3 bottles at once. While I was a little frustrated when it happened, it was a nice reminder that Hubby is not perfect. That man can be an absolute pain in the butt with all his sweet and thoughtful ways. He cooks, he cleans, he parents well, AND he’s also a loving husband. So bloody frustrating. I cook when I absolutely must, I clean at a surface level, I parent my boys, AND I love hubby, but he just makes it look so easy. Dropping that bottle of beer just brings him down from bloody perfect to slightly imperfect.

Cassius Gerard Ramsay takes pride in being right and just and a man without fault. If only he could fit through doors with that big head of his. OK, I’m probably being a bit harsh, he thinks he has a few faults. This man with few faults, suddenly finds a woman who makes him feel like a hormone-driven, bumbling fool and messes with his perfectly structured world. If he’s not careful, he may even start thinking that his perfect world is not so perfect without her playing havoc in it.

Cecilia is a Red Rogue and proud of it. From a harsh and unloving childhood, finding her two red-headed friends couldn’t have happened at a better time. These three friends formed a bond that meant the sharing of secrets and having each other’s back at the worst of times. Cecilia is a smart and strong woman in her own right, but knowing she always has a Red Rogue to support her, makes her stronger. One of the best things about Cecilia is her big heart. Even with her terrible upbringing, it never made her want to share her misfortunes. If anything, it made her even more sweet and caring.

What I found exceptionally well done in All Scot and Bothered, is the way Kerrigan Byrne dealt with body image. Cassius is an extremely large man and finds Cecilia’s tall, curvy, and strong body perfect and very appealing. Instead of Cecilia’s character being all about her weight, she is extremely intelligent, spectacle-wearing, and most comfortable in her skin. Again, I find myself a little picky when it comes to curvy characters. I don’t want it to be ALL about their size but I don’t want it to be completely ignored either. Lust, desire, and attraction are an individual thing. No one is the same and what one might find attractive, another might find unattractive.

Cassius and Cecilia are a perfect match…once you get past the insults, awkward misunderstandings, and bombs exploding. All Scot and Bothered was a story that gripped me from the first page to the last. While Cassius took a wee bit of time to love, with more understanding of his history, it was hard not to love him by the end. Cecilia was a warm, intelligent, and giving person who was always concerned for the wellbeing of others. When Cecilia’s life is in danger, Cassius puts aside all of his preconceived ideas and judgements to protect her. Their time together forces them to face their attraction to each other and deal with their pasts that has shaped their lives up until now. Like all successful couples, they must learn to communicate, make sacrifices and trust each other.

I loved this fast-paced, emotional, and sexy story, with characters that came to life for me. The additional characters were well developed, and I came to love a few of them and hope to see them more in the future. Cassius and Cecilia were strong characters that did have their vulnerabilities. While they originally believed that change was the only way they would work, it’s soon obvious, that changing each other could destroy what they have come to love.

It’s not a secret that I’m a fan of Kerrigan Byrne’s words. Her stories take me from the lowest of lows, with tears, and sniffles galore, to the highest of highs, with my heart bursting, and smiles and sighs of delight. All Scot and Bothered ticked all my boxes and left me extremely satisfied. I can’t wait for more in the Devil You Know series.

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.

Absolute Perfection! Oh how I love a Kerrigan Byrne historical romance and this one had all the trimmings to make my heart flutter. With an enemies to lovers, age gap and virginal romance tropes all wrapped up in one. This is second in the Red Rogue series and it has become my new, all time favorite.

This is Cecelia Teague and Cassius Gerard Ramsay’s story.

Their story is full of angst, intrigue, adventure, passion, and romance. I loved the banter between these two and the mesmerizing rapport between them as they come together. The burning attraction between them jumps off the page leaving you weak in the knees. Their awareness of each other is magnetic as well as electrifying. These two will make you swoon!

But there is so much more than romance. The action packed adventure is intense, full of twists and turns that will keep you glued to your kindle till the end. And what a glorious journey this story delivers. Can’t wait for book three in this series.

Received a early copy through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Cassius Gerard Ramsay is a man who’s made his own way through ruthless cunning and sheer force of will. A strong and imposing Scot who can turn on the charm but does not suffer fools & he’s become Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. His name: Cassius Gerard Ramsay. His mission: To investigate the goings-on at London’s most notorious gaming hell, owned and operated by one of the most intriguing and desirable women he’s ever met.
Cecelia Teague was badly treated by the vicar she thought was her father until a secret benefactor from her mother’s scandalous past swept into her life. Sent to a prestigious boarding school and later to university, Cecelia believed high society was at her fingertips when from out of nowhere, she inherited a gambling establishment from her mother’s twin. Now Cecelia must live two lives: one as a proper lady who finds herself undeniably drawn to Lord Ramsay and the other as a savvy gaming hell owner trying to save her business from the very same man.
This is the second book in the series & can easily be read as a stand alone book. A beautifully written book with characters of depth, the pace overall is very good. Ramsey & Cecelia are well portrayed, both had difficult childhoods, hers is revealed in the prologue but his is gradually revealed throughout the book, they are like chalk & cheese – talk about opposites attracting! I didn’t like Ramsey at all to begin with & only started to really like him in the last twenty percent of the book. I did like Cecilia but wondered what on earth she saw in Ramsey, especially after the way he spoke to her – again my view changed in the later part of the book. There were quite a few red herrings in the mystery surrounding the gaming hell, which did add to the book. I found it difficult to rate the book as some of it I absolutely loved but I didn’t bond with either Ramsey or Cecelia.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

It’s a spilt decision for me on this book. While there was some good here there was also some bad and that made it very difficult to form a firm opinion about which outweighed the other and that was a bit tragic because I did feel there was a lot of potential here, it just never really got the chance to flourish. I did like Cecelia but I certainly did not like all her actions. The one thing that I am 100% sure of is that I really did not like Ramsay. I love stoic gruff and broody and he may have been some of that but mainly this guy was just a straight up, judgmental jerk. I tried very hard to give him the benefit of the doubt and time to improve my opinion and it simply never happened, eventually there was just too much water under that bridge. I did think the writing was well done though and the book did try to shine some light on the important issues of child abuse and child trafficking. I wish I could say the same abought about weight issues, misogynistic behaviors. Plus, I hate when a books over does not match the character’s descriptions. Cecelia was supposedly a big, beautiful woman, so I ask what part of this cover showcased that?? Of my own accord I am freely posting a unprejudiced review.

The author’s writing, descriptive skills and attention to detail are amazing. The books flows well and was hard to put down. Though this book can be read as a standalone story, it is the second book in the Devil You Know series. This author has become a must read author for me, especially any other books in this series.

Cecelia Teague was rescued from a cruel father from an unknown benefactor and taken to a safe place to live and be educated. She’s always wondered if her real father was her benefactor, but she finds out she’s inherited a gamble den and discovers who was really taking care of her all these years. Scottish Cassius Gerard Ramsey, Lord Chief Justice of the High Court has made it his mission to bring people to justice so much so he’s become known as the “vicar of vice”. I love these two they are like fire and ice, love all the bantering between them as the sexual tension builds. Cecelia tries discover the secrets of the little black book her Aunt left her before someone murders her. Ramsey sets out to keep her safe from harm and out of the killer’s hands only to discover they have more in common than he first thought. I have voluntarily read and reviewed the excellent book.

This is the second book in this series, and while I didn’t love it as much as book 1, it was still great!

Cecelia Teague had a rough life in her her first many years, as the Vicar Teague’s daughter. He was a horrible man and he treated her unspeakably. He knew that she wasn’t his biological daughter, since he was impotent, but Cecelia’s mother died in childbirth, so she had no idea of her real situation. Then one day, a savior sends someone to collect her, and sends her to a prestigious girls boarding school in Switzerland. There she meets her best friends Francesca and Alexandra, the other members of their group of “Red Rogues.” She goes on to become a learned woman, and an excellent mathematician. She and her friends had vowed never to marry, so she lives on her own terms, and is happy for the most part. Then, she finds out she’s inherited a gambling hell, with a school for girls attached to it, that was owned by her maternal aunt, whom she never met. Turns out it was that aunt who was her invisible savior all those years ago and paid for all her schooling. She has no idea what she’ll do with the place, and that’s before she finds herself at odds with the Lord Chief Justice of the High Court, aka her bestie Alexandra’s brother-in-law!

Cassius Gerard Ramsay had a terrible childhood as well. After his mother left him and divorced his Scottish father to marry a Duke, then his father drank himself to death. Ramsay was alone and caring for himself for years until his stepfather sent for him, and then sent him to the same boarding school as his half-brother, Piers (the hero from book 1). Ramsay and Piers managed to forge a relationship, and Ramsay leveraged his education and position to get into society’s upper echelons, becoming Lord Chief Justice of the High Court. Now some young girls have gone missing and he’s convinced the owner of the “school” has something to do with it. Little does he know the owner’s heir is someone he has already met.

Ramsay and Cecelia were attracted to each other from the first time they met. But Ramsay basically denies himself any pleasures in life, afraid to turn out like either of his parents, with their many vices. Cecelia rarely denies herself pleasures where she can find them, especially not chocolate! She knows she’s “plump,” and a bluestocking, and thinks that a man like Ramsay would never really look her way. She doesn’t even consider it, until their business interests intersect and she has to figure out what her aunt might have been up to. That is, if someone doesn’t get to Cecelia first!

The side characters here were many of the same ones from book 1, and I loved seeing them all again. We get a clearer picture of Jean-Yves, Cecelia’s hired man/father figure, who was the former groundskeeper at their boarding school, and I loved having more of his story. Also, seeing Alex and Piers happily married was truly lovely as well. I liked the ways that the 3 ladies are always there for each other, literally no matter what. Their friendship is true #squadgoals, and I love seeing them interact together.

The mystery plot here involved the missing children, and Cecelia and Ramsay trying to piece together what happened to them, and what bombshell secrets her aunt was hiding prior to her death. Cecelia believes that her aunt was murdered, based on the letter she left to her, and she’s determined to get to the truth. They had some stops and starts between them, especially when Ramsay discovered her connection to her aunt. He could be very cruel with his words in anger, and Cecelia never let him get away with it, even when she was hurt by it. I liked watching her come into her own and not letting anyone get in the way of her goals.

There were a couple of subplots here that I wasn’t a huge fan of, for multiple reasons. But they would both involve major spoilers, so I can’t get into them here much. Two things I can think of in particular are what has this book at 4 stars for me (where book 1 was 5 stars): one involved the divulging of info and secrets, and who did (and didn’t) do the divulging, and the other involved Cecelia’s inherited ward, Phoebe.

Ramsay felt more for Cecelia than he was really comfortable feeling about anyone or anything, and sometimes it made him mean. Not to mention his issues trusting women, though he had reasons that made him feel justified in that. Cecelia was wary to trust Ramsay, or really any man beyond Jean-Yves, after all she’d been through. They both had really tough issues to face, and had to find ways to work through them, before they had any hope of being happy together. I adored watching them figure it all out.

I really wish this book had an epilogue, as book 1 did. Though book 1’s epilogue did include a bit of info about this couple in the future as well. I am highly looking forward to Francesca’s book next. She is pursuing vengeance against the killer of her family, and she is determined to find those responsible. I believe a new side character from this book will be her hero, so I’ll be anxiously awaiting their story!

CONTENT WARNING for child abuse (emotional, verbal [including fat shaming], and deprivation), and mentions of child trafficking.

No one can describe a scene like Kerrigan. I see visions in my mind with I read one of her books. They are intense, passionate and always twisted and satisfying. I adore her stories and eagerly dig into her next one. This is a story of realizing you are worthy and can be loved for who you are. London society is judgmental of people’s actions and roots. Sometimes those who are accepted have overcome much to be who they’ve become. This is a story of two such individuals who discover it’s alright to be together.

Cecelia Teague is one of the Red Rogues, three girls who met in school and bonded despite their very different positions in society. Cecelia was rescued from a cruel abusive Vicar father by an unknown benefactor. She’s a mathematician and an independent woman seeking acceptance in a man’s world. We enter the story as she has just learned her benefactor was her mother’s twin sister Henrietta who has passed. She’s inherited Miss Henrietta’s School for Cultured Young Ladies that also houses a gambling establishment. It is a place for displaced women and their children to get an education and learn employable skills to support themselves. It is paid for by the profits from the gambling establishment that also provides jobs for some of them. Upon arriving to tour her new inheritance they are raided by the Vicar Of Vice, Lord Chief Justice Cassius Ramsay. He suspects the establishment to be a cover for a ring of smugglers who are disappearing young ladies off the streets.

Cassius Ramsay the Lord Chief Justice, is a judgmental grump. He lives his life piously with no vices so he can be seen as living for truth and justice by society. He was hurt by a woman ages ago and has become hardened and narrow minded in his digging for truth. The first time he meets Cecelia is at a social function of his half brother Piers, the Duke of Redmayne is having celebrating his marriage to Alexandra, one of the Red Rogues. His reaction to her is intense and physical making him incredibly uncomfortable. They see each other often and he fights his visceral reaction to her. Cecelia is in disguise when they meet again when he raids the school as the Duke of Vice. Later when the school is bombed and Cassius rescues her he discovers the truth and is conflicted. The resolution of their conflict and his eventual softening of his heart is a well crafted and believable journey. Mysteries abound: someone is out to destroy the school, who is the Crimson Council and what secrets did Henrietta hide in her Codex? Read and find out.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

More tantalizing than suspenseful ….Even though I enjoy the first book in the series, I didn’t enjoy this one. I found myself skimming the book halfway through. For me, the book seemed to be more tantalizing than suspenseful. Lord Ramsey spent much of the book lusting after Cecelia than investigating the gambling establishment that she inherited. Cecelia also spends lots of time lusting after observing a gratuitous scene and viewing a few pages of a risqué book. The book was also less suspenseful for me because I guessed the villain early on. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. I was not a fan of this book, but I open to reading other books by this author. This book was just not for me.