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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Warning: do not start reading this book just before going to sleep! Like the other two books in this series, there is evil stalking the pages and the beginning of the book is dark indeed. Francesca is a worthy heroine who has spent twenty years preparing to revenge herself against the Crimson Council. She never expects to be reunited with her long lost love but can she trust him with all her secrets, or will he betray her?
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW! What an exciting, page flippin’, edge-of-your-seat ending for the delightful series featuring the three lovely ladies from the Red Rogue Society. Each of the ladies in the society – Alexandra (How to Love a Duke in Ten Days), Cecelia (All Scot and Bothered) – and now Francesca have all found their Happily Ever After. While finding those HEAs, they have also managed to put an end to the evil Crimson Council. The story is excellently written, excellently plotted, and so well delivered. You will absolutely love the main characters and the visits by the other ladies of the Society make this wrap-up book even more special.
Francesca Cavendish, Countess of Mont Claire, has spent the last twenty years of her life in pursuit of one thing – REVENGE. She spent her youth training with every master, in every country. She’s skilled in every defensive (and offensive) art you can name and now she is ready – and she’s very, very close to bringing down the Crimson Counsel because they are responsible for the deaths of her entire family – everyone she loved as a young girl. They tried to kill her too – and they would have if it had been for the young boy, Declan Chandler, she loved – the one who saved her just before they killed him. The Crimson Council will pay for those deaths – especially Declan’s – and they’ll pay for all of the harm they have done in the last twenty years while she was preparing herself. She’s ready – her fighting skills are finely honed – her seductive powers are legendary within the ton – and now she knows who the leader is. He’ll go down and he’ll go down hard – right along with the rest of the Crimson Counsel!
Chandler Alquist, the Devil of Dover, is everybody and nobody – a ghost, because he doesn’t exist. He works for the not yet officially formed Secret Service and he’s lethal. He knows his way around every skill known and used by the covert services – from seduction to the lethal. He has names, identities, and homes all across London and England for that matter. If the Crown wants someone eliminated, Chandler is the one they send because he’s as ruthless as they come. Chandler is a lost soul who has lost everything and everyone he’s ever loved – twice over – and now, he’s just an empty shell – a ghost of a man.
If you read the second book in the series, you’ll remember Chandler as the man Ramsey brought in to help save the young girls being held hostage. After reading that, I couldn’t wait to read Chandler and Francesca’s book. Goodness, it was worth waiting for. I loved watching Francesca best Chandler – quite often – in both fighting skills and in planning skills. I loved how completely and fearlessly she loved Declan. And – goodness – when all of their secrets were finally revealed – how differently they each reacted.
Watching Declan and Francesca work together – and separately – was a pure delight and really made the story believable. I think the two things that might have made the story better would have been for him to reconcile his feelings for Pippa earlier and for there to have been an epilogue featuring all of the couples some years in the future. I hope you will give the book a read and enjoy it as much as I did.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Devil in Her Bed is a fantastic conclusion to the Devil You Know series. As always, it’s well written, has a great pace, excellent characters, and delicious twists. I had been waiting for this book ever since I finished All Scot and Bothered, and it was worth it, I was captivated within the first few pages and did not want to put it down. I adore the Red Rogues and their devotion to each other, and the bickering between Francesca and the Devil of Dorset. I was exceptionally pleased with the plot twists, they were everything I was hoping for. I love Kerrigan Byrne and her writing she always leaves me wanting more, no matter how nicely she ties up the ending. I can’t wait to see what her next project will be.
This is the story of Francesca Cavendish, Countess Mont-Claire and a spy known as the Devil of Dorset.
As we learned from the previous stories, Lady Francesca is in the path to avenge the deaths of her parents and other people in her live in events that are detailed at the beginning of this book, but there’s a lot more to both her and her hero.
This is a story I was really looking forward to read since I getting a glimpse of the character in the previous stories. I liked the friendship and interactions the Rogues have as friends and how the new husbands are brought to the forefront of Francesca’s fight. Also the relationship with Chandler if we can take aside the constant reminder of the secrecy and his hung up with the past which I’m not going to delve in to avoid spoilers.
On the other hand, the book fell short to my expectations in more than one way like the fact that the hero’s identity doesn’t take much to figure out if one has been paying attention. Then, the so well hidden secrets the main characters are keeping from each other are not a mystery to a fairly smart reader and there is also some incongruence along the story and it all ended up being a little floppy for me.
*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
I haven’t read many of Kerrigan Byrnes books and started this series at book two, but let me tell you, I will be going back to read the first in the series asap and then check out more of her books. She writes great historical romance with some heat, but spends more time on her character development. I adored book two of the Devil You Know series. Sadly, I have to say I didn’t love this one. I liked it quite a bit and some parts I loved, but there were some things that I didn’t like. At. All.
It starts off great giving us backstory into Francesca’s life as a young girl and who she loved, including a troubled teen, before it was destroyed by evil men. It gives us a look into the driving force in her life. Revenge. She is determined to find and expose or worse the group of men responsible. That was all great. Enter the “hero”. He has many names and looks (he was creeping around in the previous book) and he has always loved Francesca, but he’s determined to prove the one in front of him is a fake. They interact regularly although she’s not always aware and I have to ask why? Although it all works out at the end, and the hero speech at the end was awesome, he went drama queen over the things Francesca did, even though he did very similar things. This book is definitely worth reading if you can overlook some odd things.
Below this line might be considered spoilers: Read at your own risk –
She was in love with a teenager, so his looks wouldn’t have changed that much so why didn’t she recognize him? Yes, he wore disguises most of the time, but not all. Yes, she thought he was dead, but come on, could she not have wondered and dismissed it as her going crazy.
And he was in love with Francesca his whole life, even though she’s supposed to be dead. He loved her so much, he can’t remember her eye color? Maybe what the author was going for was that he wasn’t really in love with her as a teenager which explains how he falls for our Francesca. I don’t know, I just had a major issue that they didn’t recognize each other. And when they finally did find out their realizations were dragged out. Let’s just say I rolled my eyes A Lot.
This one had so many twist and turns, I can’t even decide which in this trilogy I liked best! They were all good! That prologue chapter also gutted me. Declan/Chandler and Pippa/Francesca, I really loved seeing their relationship develop even with the false identities of the two and both are trying to figure out who the other is and if they’ve met before. Great revenge story. I look forward to what’s next by Kerrigan!
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The third book in this trilogy is all about hidden identities and revenge. When Pippa was young a terrible event saw her losing her family, her friends and her home but she’s reinvented herself and taken on the identity of her deceased friend Francesca. Her only abiding desire now is to hunt down the people behind the murders. Yet as she gets closer to answers she keeps getting blindsided by a man with his own agenda and perhaps it’s not too dissimilar to Francescas . However that would mean trusting someone who isn’t at all who they pretend to be !
Secret identities cause a lot of problems here as this couple navigate their very tumultuous relationship. I really enjoyed the dialogue as its crass, course, shocking and such fun . In spite of the rascally Declan fooling people with all manner of daft , incongruous disguises to my mind it’s Francesca with her dyed red hair that had me rolling my eyes . Honestly the carpet and curtains wouldn’t match ! Yep when it comes to passion and good old sex clearly men are blind.
This was another cracking read from this author. Perhaps not my personal favourite but definitely a good way to end this trilogy about these three passionate and headstrong women. Perhaps the way it ends isn’t exactly how I wanted it to finish but at least the three friends all get their happy ever after.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair
Countess Francesca Cavendish holds many secrets. Many, many secrets. But the most damning is that she really isn’t Francesca Cavendish. She was the best friend to Francesca, and held Francesca as Francesca died, but she’s not Francesca. She’s really Pippa Hargrave. Pippa was one of two survivors when the Crimson Council sent men to lay siege to the Mont Clair estate and burn it to the ground, ordering that no witnesses be left. Pippa, daughter of Charles and Henrietta Hargrave, who lived and worked at the Mont Claire estate had escaped with the Romani cook, Serana. Serana was the one to convince the young Pippa to take Francesca’s name and place, to be able to move within society to find out who was behind the attack on Mont Claire and get justice for everyone she lost.
It’s now years later and as an adult she’s known as a “loose” spinster. But really, no one knows what happens when she’s in the bedchamber with those men, least of all those men. Francesca is part of a trio of girls who met in boarding school and bonded. Francesca, Alexandra (How To Love A Duke In Ten Days), and Cecelia (All Scot and Bothered), formed the Red Rogues, and have lived up to their name splendidly. As they’ve wended their way through society, both high and low, to find out who’s involved in the nefarious Crimson Council and put an end to their evil deeds, two of the three women have found the men of their dreams. This bothers Francesca, but only because her heart was left destroyed when she was Pippa. The day that her whole life was destroyed, the boy she loved was shot in the back and killed. Declan Chandler, orphan who found his way to Mont Clair and was killed protecting young Pippa. His last act was to lead the murderers away from where she was hidden.
But the Red Rogues aren’t the only ones bent on taking down the Crimson Council. The Devil of Dorset is hell bent on tearing them down and have been for years. The Devil is a man of many faces and many names. Some we’ve even met previously. This ghost is a spy, he’s infiltrated many groups, many places, many homes. He also knows that deep down Francesca Cavendish isn’t who she claims to be either. The woman before him can’t be the delicate flower he remembers from all those years ago. Whoever this pretender is needs to stay out of his way while he’s on a mission to find out who’s on the Crimson Council and tears them down brick by brick. He doesn’t have the time or patience to deal with a fraud, no matter how beautifully wrapped she is.
This series has it all, amazing writing, great characters, non-stop action, heat, just everything. I haven’t read the first book, but you can bet your butt I’ve ordered the paperback of the first 2 now and they’re on their way to me as we speak because I’ve loved this series so much I must own them in paperback!! I just can’t get over how well written they are. I read this book in one sitting. I didn’t want to stop, I wanted more. If you’re a fan of great writing, great romance, great characters, grab this book!
**I received an ARC of this story and this is my honest and voluntary review!!
Stolen identities, the drive of revenge, discovery of hidden secrets and reveal of Crimson Council..
This book was brilliantly entertaining,steaming hot and tense at once until the last page.
Francesca Cavendish seeks the truth of the murder of her family, to do so she must expose the actions of the Crimson Council. She tries to get some information of its members using their perversity and drugging them.
Declan Chandler wants justice for the crimes of the Crimson Council. To achieve his goal, he is a ghost, a spy and nobody. When Francesca’s and his path collide, they not only feel the electric sensations of their attraction, they feel primal urge for one another.
The attraction is so strong that both doesn’t want the other to be exposed and get hurt by the Council. What an outcome is of this situation when both of them are stubborn as a mule? Could they team up and end the Crimson Council for good or would they fail?
Read this book and you won’t be disappointed. It’s so wickedly twisted and tense that you wouldn’t want to put it down. I loved every second.
The Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, is a woman of many faces. She is on a mission of revenge for the massacre of her family and she does and takes whatever she needs to unravel that horrific event. She has no use for men except for what they can give her-the information she needs to bring the villains to justice. When the Devil of Dorset comes into her orbit, she craves his attention like she never has a man’s attention before. The man is an enigma and no one really knows anything about him, but Francesca wants to be the one to find out everything about the man. Can they come together without destroying their fragile trust?
I wasn’t a fan of Chandler and found it hard to connect with him because he had so many disguises and personalities throughout the book. He becomes obsessed with Francesca and she with him, but there are too many secrets between them. There is passion, lust and sex, but not really trust. I did love that Francesca was such a strong heroine who could take care of herself throughout the book. There are twists and turns throughout the book, but the final one was quite unexpected. There is lots of graphic sex scenes in the book so readers who don’t like that should avoid this book.
I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.
What a Magnificent story! Gripping and Suspenseful and heart-rendering.The third in the series brings the characters who found a place in your heart are back in The Devil in her Bed. The story is weaved from beginning to end with threads of mystery, suspence, diaboic villian and sizzling passion. Kerrigan Byrne has given readers a book that is beautifully written, characters that are well thought out and each one came to life and you find yourself drawn into their story, heartfelt dialogue and with strong plot that bring this read together perfectly!
Devil of Dorset comes from a dark background with deep emotional scars that will keep him in the dark and battling the monster within him. Francesca traumatized as a young girl will devote her life seeking revenge against those who killed her family and the boy she loved. From the moment the Devil of Dorset meets Francesca eyes across the ballroom they felt a pull for one another that neither could denigh. Both have secrets but will they be able to share them with one another? Soon they find themselves spiraling down into a vortex of turmoil and danger in this heart stopping love story as the conspiracy unfolds, mistakes are made, lives are in jeopardy and as the tensions escalates the suspense builds and uncertainties abound that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
A great conclusion to the Devil You Know series!
Being the only one of two supposed survivors of the Mont Claire Massacre, Pippa Hargrave assumes the identity of Francesca Cavendish and vows to bring down those responsible for her family’s death; the Crimson Council. On her path of revenge Francesca comes face to face with a ghost from her past; the Devil of Dorest aka Declan Chandler, the young boy who stole her heart, the man who could bring about her ruin by exposing her true identity. When dragon and tiger meet on the road to vengeance, will they be able to work together to bring about justice? Or will their secrets, pride and passion tear them apart?
Francesca may be one of the strongest heroines I’ve read about. She was loyal with a heart of gold and, as the previous books proved, willing to do anything for those she loved. She was a woman on a mission and nothing was going to stop her. I had a feeling we would be seeing Chandler again after All Scott and Bothered but I didn’t expect to love him this much (except at the end when i wanted to slap him but still). The two of them together were just so perfect, I loved the fact they constantly went head to head and at the root of their arguments they were just trying to protect each other. They were the true definition of explosive.
The storyline was intriguing and and the writing was excellent as always with Mrs Byrne. I am sad to see the Devil In You series ending and my only wish was that we had an epilogue that would’ve tied off the series neatly. Perhaps a few years into the future showing us how the 3 couples are living their HEA.
Nevertheless, it was a really great read and one I highly recommend picking up.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
Francesca Cavendish, Countess of Mont Claire has worked and trained for many years in order to crush the Crimson Council which killed all her family and loved ones. She is close to achieving her goal when Declan Chandler, also known as The Devil of Dorset, appears. They both are determined to destroy the Crimson Council. These two are strong, quite likable characters. They both have secrets and the revelation of their secrets in the story is fascinating. I really enjoyed this third book in author Kerrigan Byrne’s Devil You Know series.The intrigue is scrumptious, a mystery to be devoured.
I have loved getting to know the three Red Rogues throughout this series. And I couldn’t wait to find out all of Francesca’s backstory in The Devil In Her Bed. And boy, was it worth waiting for. Though this is a series, and I highly recommend reading all of these books because they are fantastic, each book can be easily read as a standalone.
I loved the strength of both of the main characters here. Chandler and Francesca each had their own strengths. They also were able to see and appreciate the strength of the other. They complimented each other in every way. You could feel the passion burning bright between them.
This was a sexy, riveting tale full of suspense, passion, and enough twists and turns to keep me furiously flipping the pages. I cannot wait to read more novels from Kerrigan Byrne.
The Devil in Her Bed is the third book of the series, featuring the final friend of the Red Rogues. I enjoyed this Kerrigan Byrne series immensely, although I do think this is my least favorite of them all.
I was intrigued by Francesca since the beginning and I couldn’t wait to see how her story would play out. I loved her character, I loved the suspense and intrigue and the conclusion to the trilogy. I also loved Chandler and how the two of them interacted.
What I didn’t love was how long the secrecy went on between Francesca and Chandler, specifically Francesca’s secret. I felt she had so many opportunities to reveal her true identity, and she just kept putting it off. And then Chandler’s reaction to the revelation was disappointing to say the least. He took it a little too hard all considered.
That hindered my absolute enjoyment of the book, but it was still Kerrigan Byrne so it was still a great story.
***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***
4.25/5
This is the final in a trilogy and the second book that I’ve read from this author.
This one started out with the heroine Pippa (as a girl of 9) losing her entire family/friends to a violent massacre. She is hidden by Chandler, her childhood crush who is later killed as well. Twenty years later, out of revenge for the deaths, she has assumed the life of her dead friend Francesca (a countess). As she investigates a mysterious and
sinister secret order, she uncovers more than she bargained for. I enjoyed Francesca’s/Pippa’s feisty, cunning character and her loyal single-mindedness in rooting out the villains. In the end, she faces the heart wrenching decision of exposing her true identity to the man she loves. Well envisioned and unique plot.
Many thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for providing me the early ARC. The opinions are strictly my own.
Wow, this story was intense and had my emotions all over the place! It definitely is not a lighthearted romance story, instead it’s filled with secrets, danger, deception, suspense and fierce passions. A lot of swearing too but that didn’t bother me.
I don’t think I’ve ever “met” a heroine that is so stubborn or independent as Francesca/Pippa. I found her a bit over the top at times but then she’s gone through a lot and is out for revenge so one can forgive her for being the way she is. As for Chandler, my heart cried for him, especially when we learn what he endured when he was a child and the secret he reveals near the end. It’s no wonder he’s so hardened and angry most of the time.
The one thing that really bothered me is the fact that throughout the story, Chandler tells of his love for Francesca ever since they were children but when Pippa is mentioned, he practically shrugs her off. When he finds out “Francesca” is really Pippa, he’s angry at first but then says he loves Pippa. That was just too much of a turnaround for me to be realistic. Other than that, a great story that had me anxiously turning the pages!!
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an advance reader copy of this story.
The Devil In Her Bed, by Kerrigan Byrne, is available at booksellers on March 9, 2021. We’ve come to book 3, and the end of the Devil You Know series. Our last schoolgirl friend, Pippa/Francesca has finally met a man who can keep up with her. Declan/Chandler has as many secrets as Pip and is just as tortured and looking for justice in the form of revenge. They’re made for each other if they get through the lies & secrets. Even though I know there will be an HEA I still wondered about these two. They kept me guessing until the very last chapter. Since they’re grown, 30-ish, there’s some grown up sex.
#KerriganByrne #TheDevilInHerBed #TheDevilYouKnow #Netgalley #StMartin’sPaperbacks #romance #historicalromance
This is a well-written, entertaining, steamy historical romance novel. It has likable, engaging characters, a strong and capable female protagonist, intrigue, mystery, secrets, a hot hero, sizzling chemistry, a heart-warming romance, and a happily ever after ending. This is the third entry in Ms. Byrne’s outstanding Devil You Know series, and can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone. The supportive, caring, Red Rogues, and brief glimpses of past events, have piqued my interest in reading their stories.
Net Galley kindly provided me with an ARC of this novel, and this is my honest review.
The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne
Review
4 out of 5 stars
Triggers: several types of severe abuse discussed, ritualistic sex, violence
Fans of Kerrigan Byrne and action packed historical romance are going to find a lot to like in Francesca’s story. There’s an unusual plot, witty funny banter, sexual tension that’s insane, a mystery to be solved, plus a kick-ass heroine and hero.
I absolutely loved Devlin’s and Francesca’s personalities. The back story really explains how they grew to the adults they are. Characters from the first two books show up with their fun unique take on Francesca’s situation.
The love story is well written and emotionally satisfying. The sexual tension builds until you’re about to go crazy waiting for the love scene. By the time it happens it’s explosive to the characters and reader.
My biggest issue with the story is the mystery and villains. To be honest I felt like the resolution was just too easy and quick. Given the number of people involved you’d think things would have been more complicated. Also, there’s all this huge build up on how awful the villain is but he doesn’t really do anything too extreme in the present given the way he’s protested. Obviously in the past he’s been awful but in the main timeline he was pretty tame all things considered.
I felt The Devil in Her Bed was a great wrap up to the Devil You Know series but I really wanted an epilogue showing a glimpse of all three couples in the future. Yes there’s an epilogue in one of the other books but it leaves a lot out so it won’t give away future plot twists, so an epilogue at the end of the series for me would have been more satisfying.
Overall, this is a great book. I highly recommend the Devil You Know series. Kerrigan Byrne books are always excellent and you’re bound to enjoy any of her books.