Kerrigan Byrne returns to her captivating Victorian Rebels series with the USA Today bestselling The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. The bravest of heroes. The brashest of rebels. The boldest of lovers. These are the men who risk their hearts and their souls–for the passionate women who dare to love them… He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a … with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival–and salvation–lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul…
A LEGENDARY LOVE
Lorelai will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?
“Byrne is a force in the genre.”–RT Book Reviews
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The Rook and Lorelai. The broken and the wounded. Two souls that belong together, cruelly torn apart by a sibling and circumstances. Their journey may be different but the love is familiar and comforting.
Lorelai conquers you with her kindheartedness and her quiet endurance. The Rook’s past is tainted with pain and suffering yet his focus stays true.
The words of this story are haunting. The passion is enthralling. Kerrigan Byrne gets you so immersed that you don’t want it to end.
This story makes me realize why I love historical romances and can never read enough. There are not enough adjectives to describe this wonderful book. The author has created a brilliant and intriguing storyline with in depth characters that take you on a journey like no other. It shows how an incident when young can change your life and those of others.
Lorelai Weatherstoke found a man by the side of the road almost dead. With no memory of who he is or what happened to him, she gives him the name Ash. Not having much of a will to live with his severe injuries, Lorelai was his encouragement to get well. He knew one day he would come back for her. Both of them had lived through terrible times in their life and really connected.
But life and fate gets in the way and it is not until many years later that they meet again. He has again gone through terrible times and the only thing he can hold onto is his Lorelai.
So much emotion and angst in this story that had many twist and turns and it held me captive until the end. This is truly one of the best books I have read this year and know I will be thinking about it for awhile.
I have no words to express how PHENOMENAL this was! You can’t help but fall in love with Rook/Ash he’s the absolute broken hero that had one purpose to his survival and that’s to get to the only person he loves.
Evil forces took him away from Lorelei the young girl that helps him heal after being so cruelly tortured and left for dead.
Lorelei helps heal broken and injured animals and for her Rook/Ash is someone that has an instant conection with her. He makes her a promise that he’ll come to her no matter how long it takes. And he keeps his promise just in the nick of time, her sadistic brother is forcing her to wed!
This is a book that one should only read without any interruptions, it’s a heart wrenching angst filled story that captivates the reader from the very first page!
It’s smoldering HOT full of sizzling passion. Intriguing and plenty of action. This will not disappoint, Kerrigan Byrne has absolutely hit the pot of gold with the whole series! I recommend 100%!
I recieved a complimantery copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.
I don’t DO Historicals. Why? I’ve never read one that interested me. The speak, the time in history, it’s never drawn me in enough to grab me to pull me in. Until this one. This sixth installment of a series I had absolutely NO IDEA about until a favorite author of mine recommended it. Funny how the only thing that actually caught my attention were the words Dragon and Tattoo. I didn’t even see Duke in the title. LOL. So I rolled up my sleeves and dove in to a sixth installment, not knowing what to expect, but already worried that I wasn’t going to like it. WRONG!!! I’m 100% in love with this particular style and the way this author writes. I’m a PNR lover and this actually felt like I was in another world, not another time!!!
*please excuse my grammar and terminology when referring to these characters and their titles. I’m a Historical virgin.
Lorelai is the daughter of an Earl (or was it a Duke?). Anyway, her father, although the eldest in the household, isn’t exactly authoritative. That’s been reserved for her brother. The one who isn’t exactly a man either. The one who’s rude, mean, cruel and often abusive. But, she has her animals that she saves and heals, which is all she cares about. Until one day, when the family rides by a man bleeding to death under a tree. Saving the man, she ends up healing this creature much like her animals. Except this is more. This is different. This is….love?
This man, this creature that Lorelai found on the road can’t remember anything. He’s been badly beaten, broken, bruised and burned. But her voice draws him back toward the light. The light that he thought was dimming toward death. She single handedly brings him back from the dead. She’s his angel. His peace. That is until she’s taken away from him by her brother. And he’ll do ANYTHING to get her back. But is twenty years to long? Is he the same boy that was taken from her?
I don’t typically quote from the book in my reviews, but this one pretty much sums up the story for me. “It’s not that I merely missed you…You are not a hole IN my heart, you are the whole OF my heart.” (Swoon)
This pirate traveling, heartwarming story had me from the very beginning. Some would say that this dark. I’ve read dark, it’s not dark per se. Maybe in the Historical world, but I found this to be perfect. The drama, the anticipation, the love…just perfect.
So this is the sixth installment huh? Are they all like this? Dang it…I guess I have some catching up to do.
4.25 Stars
Fourteen year old Lorelai notices a naked corpse at the side of the road, the corpse then moves. The young man is taken back to Southbourne where Lorelai nurses him back to health. They share a kiss & then he leaves for an interview to be an apprentice never to return.He took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after twenty years he’s returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her.
This is the sixth book in the series but is easily read on its own, however I’d start with book one as this series is so very good. I thoroughly enjoyed the book & read in under a day, the pace of the story is good & the characters well portrayed. I liked both Ash & Lorelai & found their teenage romance very endearing. I’m so glad that Ash has at last had his story There were twists & turns along the road to their HEA, I’d love to read Victoria’s story too. I know the title is out of the author’s hands but personally would have liked a simpler title maybe The Pirate
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo (Victorian Rebels, #6) by Kerrigan Byrne This book is 6th in the series and can be read as a stand alone…. I give this 4 1/2 stars and thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. The Rook (Dorian/Ash) and Lorelai are both damaged he by years of mistreatment her by her hateful brother who broke her ankle..and it was never fixed. This story has danger, violence, love, caring, steamy sex and a HEA.. I hope maybe Veronica’s book is next. I’m loving this series.
Rising above Injustice, Pain and Revenge.
The boy Lorelai fell in love with twenty years ago, has lived in hell and to survive his existence has become an unfeeling, inhuman robot with thoughts of her, his only reason for living. When they meet again is he too different for them to ever have a life together? An enjoyable story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Young Dorian Blackwell ended up in Newgate Prison for taking the rap for his best friend Cedric, whose twin sister had just been murdered. Somehow, he had smuggled a stolen treasure map and sigil with him. In prison he made friends with Dougan Mackenzie, where they became the Blackheart Brothers, keeping each other and their gang “safe. Shortly before his release, he had a convicted forger tattoo the sigil of a dragon on his arm (hence the title of the book), but then was mistaken for Dougan, whose father had paid the guards to dispose of him. Beaten to an inch of his life, thrown into a mass grave where lye was poured over the bodies, he somehow managed to drag himself out.
He was spotted by young Lorelai Weatherstroke, driving by in a carriage with her father, a baron (or earl?), and her older brother, she convinced them to stop and bring him to their home where he could be cared for. Unlike most older brothers, who want to protect their younger sisters, Mortimer is evil.
He is a very large man, verbally and physically abusive to both his sister and father. But out of boredom, agrees to stop the carriage and bring the body home, morbidly thinking that the boy/man would not last the night and that would torture his sister. However, with the help of a doctor and Lorelai’s administrations, he does survive and slowly his body recovers, but he has amnesia and his memory does not return except in nightmares. When he is fully recovered, he is offered a position to work in a foundry. He promises Lorelai “I’ll come for you. Always”. But the evil Mortimer, has his own machinations, and it takes twenty years for him to return, broken and remade several times over.
The story is well written, with skillfully developed characters and a plot that included intrigue, murder, mistaken identities and switched identities, pirates and more. Hard to put down.
Arc received courtesy of Goodreads.com first reads giveaway.
I really enjoyed reading The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo. The characters and story were great. I have to say some of them really get you going. The pace of the story was very good. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
“The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo” by Kerrigan Byrne
When I started this story I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I surprised myself, as the more I read, the more I wanted to read. It truly was a story that kept me turning the pages even when sleep was calling to me. I received an ARC copy via NetGalley from the publisher and am grateful for this early read opportunity. There were a few scenes where I didn’t stick around for all the nitty-gritty details. My emotions were involved giving me joy, fears and peace. I hope you enjoy this read as much as I did.
An intense ride with the Rook and Lorelei that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. I love these angst-filled heroes and heroines. The storytelling is great, the characters are unbelievably written, and the love story is out of this world fantastic. Can the Rook and Lorelei actually find an HEA? In reading their story it is hard to find a way around the Rook’s demons and you are just not sure. But I love how Lorelei helps him overcome his demons and loves him for who he is, not some fantasy hero. A love to last a lifetime. I could have read more of their story (even though this is a full length book) just because I loved how the Rook and Lorelei interacted.
I knew there was something with Carlton Morley…read it and find out. Moncreiff? Veronica?
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
This book offers a lot of twists and turns. I had a hard time liking The Rook. While I could understand his inner turmoil and could not understand why, if he loved Lorelei he was not kinder to her. Still the book offers many twists and turns that I would never have guessed.
The blurb intrigued me, the beginning of the story drew me right in, and then I became worried that THE DUKE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO was like the bodice-rippers I have heard about but never read. It’s all very black and white, while I prefer subtlety, and The Rook is a real bad boy, and quite terrifying. And wonder of wonders, Kerrigan Byrne accomplishes the impossible: I did not go in confidently, but she made me love a book that, had I followed my intuition, I might not have read, and I would have missed an amazing reading experience because Ms. Byrne made me feel, truly feel!
Lorelai seems like the typical damsel in distress of fairytales: bullied by her horrible older brother Mortimer, ignored by her father, she finds solace in healing animals. When she finds Ash, beaten to a pulp and amnesic, she of course takes care of him, and they fall in love but never telling the other. When Lorelai sees him again, he has become The Rook, a heartless pirate. And I can hardly say how much he scared me! The characters are so incredibly well drawn, that I was afraid that he did not have a conscience and unsavoury things were bound to happen, and that’s where both Lorelai and The Rook surprised me to no end; what a delight! I hope the numerous mistakes of all sorts will have been taken care of upon publication, especially Lorelai’s age, that varies depending on the chapters: when she met Ash, was she 13, 14, or 15? Was Lorelai 33 twenty years later, because someone did not want a heroine to be 35? I also would have wished to see more of the fabulous Veronica.
In any case, THE DUKE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO has everything you want: villains – some quite unexpected – fantastic plot twists, many heart-pounding moments, a terrific romance, and fabulous writing. Go in with an open mind, and you will be dazzled!
Holy smokes! What a superb book!! These Victorian Rebels just keep getting better and better. Rook/Ash was so lost and broken, thinking he was heartless. Lorelei was a nuturer and the keeper of his heart. What he went through to get back to her was brutal. And I’m so glad her brother got what he deserved. I love how the former stories are all woven together. I can not wait for the next one!!!
Kerrigan Byrne writes wonderfully complex books that leave the reader feeling every emotion – love, hate, sympathy, worry, anger, laughter, joy and wraps them all in a great read with a HEA.
Our hero was mistaken for another boy in prison, beaten and left for dead in a field. Lorelai noticed he was alive when her family carriage passed the field. They took him in and she cared for him as he got well. As he had no memory, she named him Ash. As they fall in love he hates her abusive brother, Mortimer, for his treatment of her, especially for causing her limp. Ash vows someday he will make him pay. When he is able, he finds a job, but her brother gets rid of him.
Twenty years later, Lorelai is being forced to marry an old man her brother owes money to. Her sister-in-law, Veronica, has also been badly treated by Mortimer. That is when Ash appears, and the story continues. No spoilers from me. This book is too good to ruin. I highly recommend it. It’s a keeper, as are all of Kerrigan’s books.
After The Highwayman, I didn’t think Kerrigan Byrne could actually make me feel and fall for characters the way I did with Dorian and Farrah. Like ever. Well, Byrne gets multiple gold stars, because I loved Ash and Lorelai! (Granted, Dorian and Farrah still squeak a tiny bit ahead)
The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo had me wishing I lived next to tumultuous coastlines, gazing longingly at the horizon, looking for pirate ships and broody captains! From the zany ups and downs between Ash and Lorelai, to the crazy pirates and hidden treasure (okay, I laughed when it was discovered), and especially the ‘holy cow I can’t believe that happened’ moments, I’m ready to read this book all over again!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Probably the best of the entire Victorian Rebels series and they are all incredible, lyrical, beautiful books!
“There are only two indisputable facts in this world: One, that the sun will set in the west. And two, that I’ll come for you. Always.”
Crippled as a child through an act of violence, Lorelei has not lost the ability to love and care for those weaker than herself. A nurturer of broken and hurt animals, she sees no difference in the battered and broken body of a young man found on the side of the road. Grasping his hand, young Lorelei wills her strength into him—to fight and to live…for her. With no memory of his past, Lorelei gives him a name—Ash. Young love blossoms, and there is nothing that Ash won’t do for his angel, Lorelei. But young Ash has made up his mind that he must find his true identity if he is to be a man of worth for Lorelei. Leaving her is hard, but made even more so when he doesn’t return…even after he promised…“There are only two indisputable facts in this world: One, that the sun will set in the west. And two, that I’ll come for you. Always.”
Fast forward 20 years, and Lorelei is still wondering whatever became of her beloved Ash. Thrust into an unwanted marriage to save her family’s estate, Lorelei is on the receiving end of an unlikely hero. Could it be that her long lost Ash is now the bloodthirsty pirate known as The Rook? Will they be able to rekindle their young love, or has the evil done to her Ash over the years broken him even beyond her repair.
Kerrigan Bryne has become my go to author for historical romances. I have devoured her Victorian Rebels series, and can’t recommend them enough! Although The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the 6th installment to the series, it can easily be read alone. But don’t take my word for it! Snag your own copy and get ready to set sail on a romantic journey that will live in your heart long after you turn the last page.
*Won an ARC copy from the publisher via GoodReads. All thoughts and opinions within this review are my own.*
OMG!! Why can’t I give this 6 stars? The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne is a must read for historical romance junkies. Ms. Byrne has provided us with an action-packed, well-written, amazing book. She then went a step further and loaded the book with phenomenal characters. Lorelai nurses a young man, found beaten and burned along the roadside, and nurses him back to health. She gives him the name Ash because he has no memories and doesn’t know who he is. Ash and Lorelai’s story twists and turns through time. Heartbreak, fear and violence are their companions. There’s plenty of drama, action, humor, sizzle and suspense that will keep readers glued to this book from cover to cover. The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo is book 6 of the Victorian Rebels Series but can easily 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.
I really loved this book! Lorelei was portrayed as meek/weak for just a bit, but her true strength was shown in her grit and endurance! She lived with the devil for all the years of her life and in the end, knew the truth that hating someone takes more passion and energy than forgetting them! The Rook was the perfect “bad boy” for the story. He has his history and reasons for why he was the way he was. The ending was perfect as well. The last words of the last chapter before the Epilogue truly summed up their whole connection for me! THAT was my favorite part! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This is one book that shouldn’t be passed up!