The Devil in Her Bed is the final book in the stunning Devil You Know trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Kerrigan Byrne! He lives in secret service to the Crown–a man of duty, deception, and an undeniable attraction to a woman who threatens to tear his whole world apart. They call him the Devil of Dorset. He stands alone, a man of undeniable power. Moving in and out of shadows, back … undeniable power. Moving in and out of shadows, back alleys and ballrooms, he is unstoppable and one of the Crown’s most dangerous weapons. However, when he sets his sights on the undeniably beautiful Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, he doesn’t realize that he has met a match like no other.
TRUE LOVE WEARS NO DISGUISE
Francesca is a countess by day and stalks her prey–those responsible for the death of her family–by night. What she does not expect is to be thrown into the path of the devil himself, the Earl of Devlin. She has secrets of her own and he seems determined to lay them bare. Can her heart survive finding the love of her life and losing him when all is revealed?
“Romantic, lush, and suspenseful.”–New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Enoch
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Having not read the previous books in this series, the beginning of this story was a jaw-dropping shock factor, what a jolt. The intensity and suspense maintained throughout the story and I love that Pippa is a strong character, smart and determined. When the plot comes full circle into a true romance interest, I felt like all deceit and secrets made them both untrustworthy, regardless of their agendas and career obligations, it put a damper on the thrill for me. I really liked Pippa though and the ending was very heartwarming. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The Devil in Her Bed is the first book I have read by Kerrigan Byrne. I received an ARC for my honest opinion. In the opening chapters , I was introduced to Pippa, Lady Francesca and Declan Chandler. The Mont Clair massacre set the tone for the rest of the book. Twenty years later, Francesca and Chandler are trying to find out why the massacre happened and who was responsible. But there are many secrets that add to the intrigue. I enjoyed reading the mystery.
However, there are many references and interactions with Francesca’s friends, Alexandra and Cecilia —- commonly known as The Red Rogues because of their red hair. The three met at school and apparently a traumatic experience in their lives forged a “revenge” friendship. I have not read the first 2 books of the trilogy, so I was at a loss. One thing I have decided —- I WILL READ the first 2 books!
I recommend this book —- but read the first ones, too.
The intensity in the beginning of the book had my attention. I received a free copy of this book via NetGally and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great novel in the Devil You Know series! I loved finding out Francesca’s story. She is such a strong heroine. Learning who the Devil of Dorset was throughout the story was fascinating. Such great characters and how they dealt with their past traumas kept me riveted from beginning to end.
I have a strong love hate relationship with this novel. One hand I love the revenge plot, betrayal, and steamy plot that kept me glued to the pages. On the other, the relationship between Francesca (who is actually Pippa in disguise) and Declan had me pulling my hair. There was hot sexual chemistry sure… but the majority of the novel, the Devil of Dorset thought Francesca was the girl of his childhood who he loved and lost. While Pippa was someone he had previously referred/thought of as his adopted sister and stated that she would always ‘bother’ him. So when it was revealed who Francesca really was, Declan’s reaction to discovering her deceit made him a new member of my craplist.
It was quite clear to see Pippa was never a real option for him and he seemed more brokenhearted that he lost his childhood crush than their friendship. It was Francesca this, Francesca that. Pippa never once crossed his mind unless a question was brought up about her. I don’t know… his words and actions didn’t sit well with me and to be completely honest, I was quite disgusted by his behavior. Pippa deserved better and I was more than a little annoyed how he did a complete 180 at the end of the novel and professed he loved the real Pippa. Ugh. Give me a freaking break. Considering everything that has happened thus far, it was entirely unbelievable and it made me stop caring for the characters altogether. I would have much rather had Ferdinand lived through the stampede and made his proclamation come true by making Pippa a real countess. There was real potential there.
Nevertheless, it was still an enjoyable read and would highly recommend to all you historical romance readers out there despite my thoughts on the craptastic hero who didn’t deserve the love and attention of Pippa.
This Historical Romance story had good character and storyline development which made this book a very enjoyable read!
Francesca Cavendish, the Countess of Mont Claire, is the last unmarried Red Rogue. In truth, she is an imposter posing as the countess. Francesca plans to destroy The Crimson Council, the secret society responsible for her family’s death. She happens upon the only person who can expose her as an imposter. Can Francesca convince Declan to help bring down The Crimson Council? Or will her last secret shatter any possibility of a relationship?
Declan Chandler works as a spy for the British secret service. He is known as The Devil of Dorset. Chandler suspects the woman posing as the Countess of Mont Claire is a fake. He intends to learn why she is pretending to be someone she is not. However, Francesca courts danger by gaining The Crimson Council’s attention. What secrets will Chandler hide from Francesca? Can he protect Francesca from The Crimson Council’s evil?
Francesca is hardly the damsel-in-distress type. She is a strong and forthright woman, one who is not afraid to stand on her own. I like Francesca’s foresight and cleverness. She purposely conditioned her mind and body to take on the secret society that murdered her family. Francesca willingly used any ploy to achieve her goals. What I admire the most about Francesca is her loyalty and dedication towards the people she loves. She would literally move heaven and hell to help and protect her Red Rogue sisters.
Kerrigan Byrne is a master at writing wounded hero types. And Chandler is no exception. He is a man hardened and shaped by his traumatic past. I admire Chandler’s ability to assume roles. He embraces the role which allows it to become real. What I love the most about Chandler is how Francesca allows him to reclaim some of his humanity. He is used to living in the shadows and hunting down the monsters who would prey on the weak. She shows him that he is not that monster he believes himself to be.
THE DEVIL IN HER BED is book three in Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romance series, DEVIL YOU KNOW. I suggest reading this series in order, especially to understand the heroine’s close bonds with her two friends. I love how the couples from the previous two books play important roles throughout the story.
THE DEVIL IN HER BED is a thrilling yet breathtaking conclusion to a wonderful series. I am sad to see this one end. I cannot wait to see what new stories Kerrigan Byrne has in store for us readers!
Review courtesy of Romance
The Devil in disguise…
I’m so happy with how The Devil in Her Bed turned out but I admit that it was a slow-building kind of happiness. This is Kerrigan Byrne at her best. She messes with my mind, mucks around with my heart, and makes me question my preconceived ideas. I can now admit to my bias at having a confident, outspoken, and deceptive historical romance heroine. It seemed out of place and bordering on (the dreaded term) ‘too modern’ for a woman of her time. As the story progresses though, we know that her circumstances are far from normal. It becomes completely believable for a woman to have power over men and their baser needs, and to wield it.
I absolutely loved the feeling this story provoked in me. I felt protective of Francesca, Ferdinand, Pippa, and Chandler and was devastated at the horror they faced. Again, I admired the Red Rogues for their dedication to each other. Redmayne and Ramsay are the perfect partners for Alex and Cecil, and I loved that we get lots of interactions with them. Francesca’s strength and perseverance made her a heroine I respected and became one of my very favourite characters.
Francesca surprised me, to be honest. I’m not normally a fan of independent and stubborn heroines, but in this case, her independence and stubbornness weren’t to the detriment of others. This chick could hold her own. She is confident in her abilities to defend herself and Francesca always went in fully prepared for what she would face. It was great that Chandler was her accomplice…even though he wanted to be her protector.
Another surprise…Chandler went nearly the whole book before he went numbskull on me. Silly duffer was acting like a complete hypocrite. Sure, he eventually comes good, but for about 2.5 seconds I wanted Francesca to tell him to stick it where the sun don’t shine. All good. He’s sexy, smart, and intelligent and he loves Francesca even when she’s being stubborn and obstinate. I can forgive him for being a twit for those 2.5 seconds.
The storyline was captivating, and I loved that there were plenty of times I was surprised by the secrets being revealed. We are exposed to a scene that’s a wee bit kinky but it’s more from an observation perspective that being in the thick (wink, wink) of things. The sexy times were HOT but there weren’t too many scenes and they were never over the top.
This is my favourite kind of historical romance and the exact reason why I’m such a fan of Kerrigan Byrne. There’s a touch of darkness which is a great contrast to the light at the end of the journey. The women in this series are strong and have overcome heartache, devastation and loss to find their happiness. The heroes are bossy, demanding and very protective of the women they fall in love with. This protectiveness has spread to all of the Red Rogues and I loved Ramsey’s defence of Francesca when Chandler was being a douchewaffle. They are a family of their own making.
If you haven’t started this series yet, I highly recommend going back to #1 in the Devil You Know series. If you haven’t read a historical romance by Kerrigan Byrne…DO IT!! You can thank me later.
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.
The Devil In Her Bed, pssst…it’s a must-read, is a magnificent historical romance by Kerrigan Byrne. Ms. Byrne has turned out a book that is well-written, BUT, it’s the characters that make this story shine. After a horrific event, the lone survivor, Pippa, goes into hiding. Lord Drake is a spy with many names and disguises, what he wants most is to take down the people that killed those he loved. Pippa and Drake’s story is packed with drama, humor, melt your e-reader heat, action and suspense. I loved this book and look forward to my next book by Kerrigan Byrne. The Devil In Her Bed is book 3 of the Devil You Know Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Having read the first two books in the Devil You Know series, I was already anticipating an emotional rollercoaster ride, I was not wrong. Right from the first sentence you were told of heartbreak to come. You read snippets of Francesca/Pippa in the previous books and like with Alexandra and Cecilia, I knew Francesca was going to be a strong heroine. But when you finally read her story you realize how truly strong she is. Ever since she lost her family and friends all those years ago her entire life has been about avenging their deaths. Her methods are definitely unconventional, especially in that time period and that was what made her so fascinating. She was fearless and a fighter, she was such a bada$$! Right when she was finally going to get her answers, she catches the eye of the man they call the Devil of Dorset. He is a chameleon and has actually met her a few times in different disguises and each time she has enchanted him. But as attracted he was to her, he was also very skeptical of who she says she is and he is determined to find out the truth. As he pursues learning all there is to know about the Countess of Mount Claire, the mutual attraction becomes too hard to deny. The sexual tension and chemistry between these two are off the charts! But they also learn that they have a common goal, to take down the Crimson Council, a depraved secret society that may have been involved in the massacre of her family. As they work together, they develop strong feelings for each other but they are both keeping secrets that could derail everything.
There are so many twists and turns in their story and so many moments I was dreading, and when a particular secret was revealed the reaction was brutal. But when they are both remembered and are reminded of what they mean to each other, the reunion and happily ever after was all worth it.
The Devil in Her Bed was a fantastic conclusion to this highly emotional series. All three of the “Red Rogues” and their other half truly put me through a range of emotions. There were many moments that just broke my heart and then made me swoon with all the love they had for each other. A wonderful series and I highly recommend all of them.
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne is an excellent historical fiction romance that is the 3rd book in the awesome Devil You Know series. I loved How To Love a Duke in Ten Days and All Scott and Bothered, so I knew I just had to read this gem when it came out. I was not disappointed.
This latest book brings everything that I expect, and look forward to, in a book by Ms. Byrne:
1. strong, independent, feisty, fiery, and passionate female characters
2. witty, creative, dramatic, descriptive, and free-flowing prose, dialogue, and character interactions
3. excellent, intricate, and entertaining relationships, character development, and plots
4. and of course…chemistry, electricity, and magnetism abounds between the main female and male characters.
I love Pippa/Francesca. She is passionate, independent, intelligent, a force to be reckoned with, determined, cunning (because she has to be), a fighter, and I love her!
I love how this is not just a “romance series”. This series has so much more. There is a darker, more serious undertone, and the author doesn’t shy away from some of the heavier subject matter from this time, and she balances this perfectly with the wit, passion, emotion, and humor throughout. What the reader is left with is truly an inspiration for every romance novelist to look towards for inspiration.
I loved this book just as much as its predecessors and I cannot wait to see what Ms. Byrne cooks up next.
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this excellent ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Instagram, and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 3/9/21.