A Kirkus Reviews 2019 Best Romance Novel, the first in an exciting new series by USA Today bestseller Kerrigan Byrne!They are a dangerous duke, a fierce lord, and an infamous earl—dark, bold, brave men who know exactly what they want. And there is only one woman who can bring them to their knees… Famed and brilliant, Lady Alexandra Lane has always known how to look out for to herself. But … how to look out for to herself. But nobody would ever expect that she has darkness in her past—one that she pays a blackmailer to keep buried. Now, with her family nearing bankruptcy, Alexandra strikes upon a solution: Get married to one of the empire’s most wealthy eligible bachelors. Even if he does have the reputation of a devil.
LOVE TAKES NO PRISONERS
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, is seeking revenge and the first step is securing a bride. Winning a lady’s hand is not so easy, however, for a man known as the Terror of Torcliff. Then, Alexandra enters his life like a bolt of lightning. When she proposes marriage, Piers knows that, like him, trouble haunts her footsteps. But her gentleness, sharp wit, independent nature, and incredible beauty awakens every fierce desire within him. He will do whatever it takes to keep her safe in his arms.
“Romantic, lush, and suspenseful.”—New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch
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Everyone has something to hide, but steps towards happiness come with risks to themselves and others. A good, if sometimes, wordy read.
Any book by Kerrigan Byrne is pretty much a guaranteed hit for me, and this latest, the first in a new series, is no exception.
Byrne proved in her Victorian Rebels series that she is a master at the tortured hero. This book shows she works the same kind of magic with a tortured heroine.
This seems like a good time to give a content warning. The book opens with a rape scene. It is visceral and heartbreaking, though I do not think it is gratuitous. And it’s absolutely necessary for the story. Because this is about a woman who is overcoming a life altering horror and finding love, despite all she has endured.
Alexandra and her two best friends attended school together as teenagers and took great joy in sneaking around to experience some of the liberties young men took for granted. They called themselves the Red Rogue Society. Unfortunately, the headmaster catches on to their harmless fun and calls Alexandra to task. It is in the dead of night and in his office that the unthinkable happens. And she kills him for it.
The story picks back up years later when one of the women is betrothed to marry a stranger. All three of the ladies had sworn a vow never to marry, but circumstances are forcing Francesca‘s hand. Alexandra, meanwhile, has been paying off a blackmailer all this time and between her impending financial doom and her friends reluctance to wed, she decides to step in and take Francesca’s place as the bride.
Our hero, you would think, would not be willing to just replace one potential wife with another, but it doesn’t matter to him who he marries. Piers has been through a lot, himself. His fiancé left him when he was mauled by a jaguar and he has lost all interest or faith in love. He just wants a wife so he can have an heir. If Alexandra wants the job, so be it.
But given her history, this won’t be an easy thing.
Sexual assault is obviously triggering for some readers, but I thought the author handled it with care. And Alexandra’s arc in coming to terms with what happened to her and how to move past it was very well done. Of course, Piers operates in the dark for a long time about his wife’s past, but the scenes where he learns what happened are just devastating. I was so deep in my feels in this book. And though it happens on a pretty quick timeline (see the title) I really connected with these two as they connected with each other.
I loved the friendship drawn between Alexandra and her friends. And I loved the romance and the tentative trust that built between her and Piers. Byrne strikes such a great balance between honoring the events of Alexandra’s past and still making me believe she could feel love and passion.
The blackmail storyline was… kind of meh. But in light of how amazing everything else was about this book, it detracted very little. Would definitely recommend for fans of historical romance if the premise does not drive you away.
Kerrigan Byrne’s “How to Love a Duke in Ten Days” was not what I was expecting, and frankly left me rather disappointed. First of all, the title seemed indicative of a romantic comedy to me (perhaps because of its similarity to the movie “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days”), but this book is in no way a comedy. More importantly, as pointed out by a number of other reviewers, there really should be a content/trigger warning in advance of the book’s prologue. I was not prepared for the graphic nature of the opening scene, which is very dark and traumatic. After reading it, I had to put this book aside and read something happier until I was in the proper frame of mind to come back to it.
When I did finally come back to the book, there were a number of things about it that I found annoying, if not outright ridiculous. For example, I don’t believe it’s anatomically possible for Piers to have figured out that Alexandra wasn’t a virgin in the way he supposedly did. Even if he could have done so, there are a lot of other explanations for what he discovered besides her trying to trick him into marriage to cover up being pregnant by another man, and it really irritated me that he wasn’t even willing to consider any other possibilities. Piers acted like a total jerk about the whole thing, and it made me like him a lot less. Even though he claimed not to mind if Alexandra had taken a previous lover, he was clearly angry, and he seemed to blame her for “lying” to him when in fact Piers was the one who assumed she was a virgin. She never actually told him that she was.
In addition, there was a lot going on in this book, and I think it might have benefited from a more streamlined plot so that more of the focus could have been on building the relationship between Piers and Alexandra. I understand that this is the first book of a new series so some background was necessary, but I could have done without the info dump of all three of the girls’ secrets in the prologue, for example. Each of them is going to get their own book, so there’s plenty of time to share the other girls’ stories later. Also, the resolution of the plot to harm Piers and Alexandra was overly complicated and involved too many players. I think one enemy would have been plenty for them to handle!
Finally, I just wasn’t convinced about the depth of Piers and Alexandra’s feelings for each other after such a short time together. This story really does unfold over a period of only ten days or so, and Alexandra and Piers held each other at arms’ length for almost that entire time because they didn’t know each other well enough to trust each other. Both of them were carrying so much baggage from their past hurts that I don’t see how they could possibly have learned to trust or love each other in such a short period of time, even under the admittedly extreme circumstances.
At any rate, this was the first book I’ve ever read by Kerrigan Byrne, but based on my feelings about it, I’m not sure what it is about her writing that so many people rave about. It had its share of awkwardly constructed sentences just like any other book, and the plot wasn’t any better than most of the other historical romances I’ve read. That said, I didn’t completely hate it and would certainly try another one of her books in the future.
*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days hit me with all the feels. Not only is it a beautiful love story, it’s also a story of a woman’s strength and resilience in the wake of sexual violence. Alexandra and Piers captivated my heart. I loved seeing these two broken souls overcome secrets and tragedy and learn to trust and open their hearts to each other. Their story is sensual and perfectly balanced with action, mystery, and danger. I was consumed from the gut-wrenching start to the joyous end. Byrne is a master in historical romance; her writing is flawless. She has become a go-to author for me, and I’m eagerly awaiting what’s next in her “Devil You Know” series.
I made the grave mistake of starting this book way too close to bedtime. Silly Kate. I should have remembered that I always want to gobble up Byrne’s books in one glorious, sexy duke-filled sitting. Still, who needs sleep, anyway? The writing is rich and evocative, there’s great female friendships, plenty of angst and drama, and a grouchy, scarred hero hot enough to melt your corset. It’s a page turning delight!
*ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
This is the first time I’ve read Kerrigan Byrne and I fell in love with her beautiful writing and clever plots right from the Prologue. It has captured my attention immediately, even though it was the toughest chapter of the whole book to go through. This book features Lady Alexandra Lane (aka Doctor Lane, a Sorbonne-trained archeologist, and one of the three Red Rogues ladies), and Piers Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne.
My heart cried out for Alexandra and all the burdens that her past secrets had weighed in on her. She was a brilliant and dedicating scientist, a compassionate and loyal friend, and a sweet and caring lover. Yet, the traumatic experience at the age of 17 had forever left a scar in her soul and a fear for physical intimacies.
Then we have Piers, a beastly duke with facial scars left by a jaguar. He was magnificent, intelligent, and fearsome. Witnessing his unfaithful mother and being betrayed by his former fiancee, Piers was especially guarded when it came to women. Yet, he was always kind, respectful, gentle, and patient with Alexandra.
Their marriage started off as of convenience. Shortly after, Piers had helped Alexandra to overcome her traumatic past and to be able to enjoy the intimacies between them, and her loyalty had gained absolute trust in him. I was delighted with the witty banter between the characters, the inseparable friendship among the ladies, how the story started strong, and ended even stronger with surprised twists.
Absolute 5 read, it’s a beautiful, emotional story of survivors and healing and of strong, intelligent, and independent heroines. I admired how Alexandra preferred to be called Dr. Lane to Lady Alexandra, to make certain she should be respectfully acknowledged based on her academic accomplishments, not her privileged blood title. I’m looking forward to the love journeys of Cecelia (with Piers’s half brother from a quick tease at the end) and Francesca, the other two ladies of the Red Rogues. I highly recommend this book and this author! It’s a great start of a promising series.
I received an advanced copy of this book. This is the first book in a new series. In this one, we meet 3 best friends, the first of which is Alex. She has a secret, and she needs to make sure that it stays that way. When she finds out that one of her friends is to be married, but hates the man she is to be married to, she says that she will marry him instead. There is an instant attraction between she and Piers, but will their secrets and reputations get between them, or will they put the past behind them and let the future be what they both want? This is a great start to the series and a definite one not to be missed!
So well deserving of 5 stars! A great start to a new series by Kerrigan Byrne! If you love a wild adventure then this is going to be a book you want to add to your shelves! I love all of these characters but Lady Alexandra’s spunk and go-for-it attitude trump all! I felt the plot was very well laid out and many surprises pop up, also the characters are fully developed and each with their own unique personality. I also love Piers, he’s seen as a brute and terror but he’s very loving and oh so very passionate! If you love historical romance with a strong heroine and handsome hero, then this is for sure the book for you!
I must admit, it’s been a minute since I’ve picked up anything even remotely resembling a historical romance. Visions of swashbuckling heroes, pert young ladies, and stories set in times of yore come to mind. And, yes, there is definitely some of that in this book. But there is also much more. Kerrigan Byrne manages to entertain and titillate, writing within the framework of the genre standard while still managing to create a story, place, and characters that are a breath of fresh air.
I knew that I was going to love the Red Rogues from the moment that I met them. Think Nancy Drew and her gang, but with touches of the lot from Dead Poets’ Society. Alexandra, Cecelia, and Francesca are no wilting lilies, but a series of unfortunate events casts a shadow over their young lives that they never quite outrun. In the meantime, though, our intrepid trio know their own minds and are not afraid to forge ahead, living life on their terms.
And, I have to tell you that, as historical romance heroes go, Piers Redmayne, is the deal. He is a man of passion, and his chief one becomes a certain Lady Alexandra Lane. By turn infuriated, intrigued, bewitched, and beleaguered, this Duke never even saw his lady coming. He is the sort of romantic hero that I can totally get behind, and seeing his sense of duty, self, and love get turned on its ear is everything.
This was my first read by Ms. Byrne, but will absolutely not be my last. HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS is a must-read for fans of historical romance with a twist. What twist? A woman who knows what she wants, and a man that will help her get it. Make sure this one’s on the ol’ TBR, and enjoy.
Devil You Know #1, The first book by this author I read was the end of the Victorian Rebels series catching that one at the end, and really liking it, I made sure I caught this series at the beginning. From the first page this book pulls you in it emotionally ties you the the three young ladies (at the time) when a traumatic experience binds them together for life. Alexandra, Cecelia, and Francesca bonded in boarding school they were rambunctious girls who formed a group just for them The Red Rogues and gave themselves nicknames and pretended what it would be like if they were men. When they left school they knew each other’s darkest secrets, Including the truth about Francesca and her family which she has vowed to find and punish whoever killed them. Fast forward ten years Alex has a doctorate in archeology, Cecilia is a mathematical genius and Francesca has continued her search for her parents killers which may have just lead to the Duke of Redmayne’s door.
Piers Atherton, Duke of Redmayne, was a great hunter going off to all sorts of places hunting for the sport of it until a jaguar caught him by surprise and left him with a claw mark on the side of his face; a wound he almost didn’t recover from. Upon his return he finds his fiance married his cousin after some time Piers knows he needs to marry to fulfill his duty as duke so he re-establishes an old marriage contract between Francesca’s Father and his. But when Francesca’s best friends arrive he’s completely taken with Alexandra. Alexandra is being blackmailed for what happened at school and her family is going bankrupt when she offers herself up to Piers instead of Francesca in exchange her parents get the bride payment. Piers agrees as long as Francesca does too and the next day they are married and off to spend their honeymoon in Paris at an archaeological dig Pier’s cousin setup to to excavate the ruins of what might be an ancestor of the Redmayne line. But things only get more complicated as it becomes clear someone is trying to assassinate either Piers or Alex and when Piers discovers Alex isn’t a virgin he thinks the worst of her when his accusations couldn’t be further from the truth.
Overall, the intrigue and the romance together make this book just so good! Piers is so aggravating at times so oblivious to what’s right in front of him. Alex is so strong but yet vulnerable at the same time. I loved these two and the mystery of the blackmail and the assassination attempts really keeps you hooked. I love the epilogue and tease about Cecelia can’t wait for the next book.
Somehow I had never read Kerrigan Byrne… I saw How to Love a Duke in Ten Days and I just loved everything about it and wanted to read. OMG have I been missing out! I need to grab everything this author has written!
As soon as I opened the book and started page one I was swept away. Her words held me captive as I read the story of Lady Alexandra Lane.
I loved how Alexandra was portrayed — an amazingly strong woman who is broken and hiding things from her past. To me this is what makes us human. It is life — our struggles, our fears, the cracks in our armor that shape us into strong people. My heart broke for Alexandra’s fears, her experiences at the same time that it was healed by how hard she fought for herself. I loved the relationship she forged with the Duke of Redmayne. How they learned to trust each other and move forward. And seriously her friends! I want more!
This was a beautiful story that handled the ‘me too’ movement with skill and grace. It was a book that both ripped at my heart and gave me hope. It is a book that will stay with me!
I enjoyed reading Lily and Nash’s story in How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Bryne, book one in her Devil You Know series. As I started reading I wasn’t sure what I had got myself into. It was disturbing and terrifying and I will warn those who are sensitive to traumatic subjects that it will be difficult for you. However, continuing to read is definitely worthwhile as it is an amazing story with all the feels.
Lady Alexandra Lane’s horrible experience happens in boarding school in the very first chapter. It is a secret she has been carrying for the past ten years, along with her two best friends, bound together forever by shared secrets. However, someone knows and they are blackmailing Alexandra. Since she no longer has the money to pay the secret will soon come to light because. These three girls formed a tight friendship, the Red Rogues, a sisterhood that is eternally bound by their secrets.
Piers Gedrick Atherton, The Duke of Redmayne, called the Terror of Torcliff, is in need of a wife. In order for him to get the revenge he wants, he needs to marry and produce an heir. Pier is everything you want in an alpha male, a brooding brute with scars yet a soft heart with that sweet side. Francesca, one of Alexandra’s partners in crime, was betrothed to him when they were children. Since Piers did not care who he married and Francesca did not want to marry, Alexandra decides this might be the answer to her prayers.
Both Piers and Alexandra have skeletons in their closet and are unable to trust easily. Each needs to figure out how to make this marriage of convenience work and maybe become a love match. It also appears someone is trying to kill Alexandra or Piers. As it is unclear which one is in more danger it might be smart for them to stick together, at least until they can figure this out.
Ms. Byrne provides amazing stories with at least one main characters having been through something horrific and heartbreaking. She provided a marriage of convenience tale that was the perfect balance of sweet, sexy, and suspenseful giving Alexandra and Piers a chance for happiness, love and a future together. I definitely recommend How to Love a Duke in Ten Days to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Lady Alexandra Lane and her two best friends, Francesca and Cecilia, have dubbed themselves as the “Red Rogues Society” at school. Their goal is to gain knowledge of all things, including those matters usually hidden from unmarried ladies. They amuse themselves by pilfering items, especially from their odious schoolmaster, De Marchand. Their intent is to eventually return the items, but De Marchand learns of their activities and calls Alex into his office. The perverted schoolmaster does the unthinkable, and a traumatized Alex defends herself in the only way she knows. Her two loyal friends help her cover up her transgression and the three vow then and there to never marry and to maintain their secrecy about what really occurred.
Ten years have passed, and Cecilia and Alexandra are shocked to be summoned to attend Francesca’s wedding to the Duke of Redmayne. Piers Atherton has been called the Terror of Torcliff since an animal attack left half of his face scarred. Redmayne and Francesca are certainly not a love match. He is only fulfilling a wish of his father’s, and since his fiancée jilted him to marry his cousin, it doesn’t matter who he weds. It also seems that Francesca has no plans to actually wed, but is using this opportunity to investigate Redmayne, as he may be involved in the slaying of her family years ago.
In the years since she was attacked, Alexandra has learned to cope by avoiding physical contact and she certainly has had no relationships. This half existence seems to be working well enough for her, if only she weren’t being blackmailed. It seems that someone else is aware of what happened back at school, and is determined that Alex keep paying. Surprisingly, Alex finds that she feels an attraction to her friend’s fiancé, something totally new for her. She finds him beautiful, even with his scars, and he seems to feel a similar attraction to her.
There is a whole lot happening as Alex contemplates whether she can endure a physical relationship, as it’s clear that Francesca is more than happy to become “unengaged” to Redmayne. Francesca still seeks to find who killed her family, Alex wants to find out who is blackmailing her, and it appears that someone is trying to kill Redmayne. Never a dull moment!
I love, love, love Redmayne! He is a strong and commanding man without being overly “ducal.” He doesn’t hide his scars, or shy away from people because of them. He is a man comfortable in his own skin, and has a genuine kindness and good heart. His compassion when he learns of Alex’s past is lovely and swoonworthy. Alex is so brave. When she establishes rules for her physical contact with Redmayne, it about broke my heart.
Kerrigan Byrne is such a talented author. It seems that she just gets better and better. Her stories and characters are usually darker and edgier, but they are consistently compelling and ultimately beautiful. HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS is wonderfully romantic, emotional, captivating, steamy, and joyful, and is one of my top reads of this year.
5 I Couldn’t Put This One Down Stars!!!
I’ve been an avid reader for over 40 years and in fact started my “reading journey” with historical novels. I consumed every single one I could get my hands on and as I matured my reading tastes changed and I can honestly say I haven’t read a historical novel in close to 20 years. BUT the minute I read the blurb for this book, that all changed! I was on a mission to get an early copy of this beauty because I was so intrigued by the story. In addition, I’ve heard over and over what a brilliant writer Ms. Byrne is and I needed her in my life…well that is SPOT ON!!!
This book is amazing!! Yes, it takes place in the 1800’s but it’s so relevant to our present that I was gripped by Lady Alexandra Lane and her two best friends Francesca Cavendish and Cecelia Teague and our hero, Piers Atherton. From the Prologue alone I was invested in this book and how her life would play out. These girls have secrets that have life changing consequences and when they’re brought together again ten years later after a fateful night, their friendship is as strong as ever, but someone is out to make them pay for these secrets.
Piers is the Duke of Redmayne and is scarred both inside and out and therefore leads a life that is somewhat solitary until a betrothal brings these girls into his world. The thing is, who he’s betrothed to isn’t who he marries, and I LOVED IT!!! There’s a draw between Piers and Alexandra that neither understands but they can only fight it so long. It’s not an easy acquiescence for our heroine either because of her past, but this man, he’s so gentle with her and tries to make her see that what the could have together could solve problems for both of them!
This book is brilliantly written. While I understand it’s taking place over two hundred years ago, I didn’t really feel like I was reading a historical novel if that makes sense. Ms. Bryne has written a book that is captivating and evocative and gripping in its every little detail. I found myself clutching my kindle so tight during some scenes I had white knuckles. There’s an intensity to some of the scenes that are breath taking in nature. I loved the relationship the girls had with each other and there’s a secondary character or two that play pivotal roles in how this story plays out.
This book moved at a lightening pace which fits the story perfectly. These Aristocrats don’t put up with any shenanigans if it has the chance to affect their bottom line so to speak. This in turn had me reading this book in pretty much one sitting. I just couldn’t find it in me to put it down even when I knew I had to get up at a very early hour the next day…totally worth the exhaustion though!!!
What I can also say with 100% honesty is that this is absolutely a Top Read for 2019 and I’m going to be on a mission to read so many more of Ms. Byrne’s books.
4.5 Stars!!
I’ve finally found a historical romance that I LOVE!!! If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, then you know that historical romance is a genre that I really struggle with. That being said, I’ve just been trucking along, hoping that eventually I would find one that would make me forget that I was reading a historical romance and just get swept away in the story. I am over the moon to have finally found an author who has made me do just that.
From the moment I picked up How To Love A Duke in Ten Days, I was hooked. The story started off with a bang and kept me glued to the pages. This story was well written and captivating. The characters were intriguing and left me begging for more. I loved the encounters between Piers and Alexandra. To some, Piers may seem like a beast of a man. I mean, he totally comes off as harsh and demanding, but when it comes to Alexandra, there is just something that makes him want to be gentle. Is he perfect? No. He makes some pretty awful assumptions about things. However, once he learns the truth, he is so sweet and so devoted to Alexandra. He will protect her at all costs and will worship her beyond her wildest dreams.
How To Love A Duke in Ten Days took my by surprise in the best possible way. I loved getting lost in Alexandra and Piers story. Their story is filled with romance, danger, secrets & lies, surprising twists & turns and of course some good angst. I loved that this story was sexy, yet not overly so. I will warn you that this story does touch on some sensitive subject matter, but the author did a brilliant job handling it.
All in all, this book was a fabulous read from beginning to end. This is my first book by author Kerrigan Byrne and it most certainly won’t be my last. She has made me a fan of historical romance and I can not wait to check out more from this author in the future.
What an amazing story. I ugly cried..Ugly. Cried! several times during the prologue and didn’t know if I could read the rest of the book..
I picked it up and put it down several times until I finally got my emotions under control. I settled in to read the remainder of the book….and I’m so glad I did. It was simply amazing. I loved Alexandra and Piers and all of the characters. I really felt for them and how they all find their own happily ever after.
A powerful story of love, happiness, forgiveness, and over-coming tragedy.. I look forward to more books in this series.
Trigger warning: sexual assault
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.
Romantic, lush, and suspenseful.
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.
Piers 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.
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!
Powerful story that seared my heart. Kerrigan’s stories burn images into your mind that stay wrench your heart is a good way. I never want to miss her next release ever! Be warned this book deals with rape.
Piers Gedrick, Duke of Redmayne is an untamed soul, a hunter who doesn’t conform to polite society well. He wanders the world hunting anything he can catch. Unfortunately a panther was his last hunt and he now bears the scars forever on his face and heart. Returning home from the dead he discovers the love of his life Rose Brightwell married his cousin Patrick Atherton, Viscount Carlisle in hopes of becoming the Duchess of Redmayne one way or another. Getting off the local train coming home he rescues a woman who leaps to control his spooked stallion. Her bravery and courage spark his interest. Thus he meets Alexandra Lane.
Alexandra is a female Doctor of Archeology and is waiting for a carriage to meet up with her sisters of the heart, Francesca Cavendish, Redmayne’s betrothed soon to be bride, and Cecelia Teague, old school besties. They formed The Red Rogues Society at school calling themselves Alexander, Frank and Cecil. Each has a secret that binds them together and has vowed to never marry. Frank called Alex to her in distress finding herself betrothed to the family that may have murdered her family. Alexandra is the daughter of a now impoverished Earl and is just scraping by. She’s being blackmailed by someone who knows her secret and Alex has been paying to protect them all. Now she can’t.
This story has so many secrets that are hidden. We know them but they want to keep them buried. It is a story of survival, of perseverance and courage to make a life and go on. It is also very sensual and kept me reading to see what came next. Who is trying to kill the Red Rogues or the Duke? Who is the blackmailer? Can Alexandra overcome the trauma of the rape and be happy with Piers? Wow such a powerful story.
A voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS is the first book in Kerrigan Byrne’s new Series, DEVIL YOU KNOW and also the first book of hers that I have read. I won a paperback copy through a giveaway on Goodreads and was excited to venture into discovering a new author, especially one that writes Historical Romance, for me there are only a few authors that I have found that write this genre really well and now I am happy to add Kerrigan Bryne to my list of favorite authors.
I have to mention that this book does not have any warnings on it other than the dedication which most overlook when reading so I will tell you that there is a trigger warning there: To every survivor #metoo. Please be prepared when reading if sexual assault/rape is a trigger for you, I will say that Lady Alexandra did something I bet most wish they could do in her place. And that is as much of a spoiler as you’re going to get out of me.
This book had me enthralled, I loved just about every minute of it….you can guess which part I didn’t like. I loved the bond between the three friends, to the way Lady Alexandra Lane (aka Dr. Lane) and Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, met one another, and everything in between. I didn’t want to put this book down and if sleep didn’t interfere I probably wouldn’t have. There is mystery/suspense along with this love story, so much going on that it will have you wondering who can be trusted as well.
If you are a fan of historical suspense this is a must read and if you don’t read much of this genre I urge you to give this book and author a chance, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Happy Reading!!!