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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Absolutely fabulous story – as are all of Kerrigan Byrne’s historical romances. I’ve loved the entire series! Super-sexy, sometimes tragic, incredible characterization and very satisfying endings. Good stuff!
Captured me from page one and never let go. Romantic, lush, and suspenseful.
Byrne makes a stunning debut with a beautifully written, intensely suspenseful, and deliciously sensual love story.
I adored the latest from one of my favorite authors, Kerrigan Byrne. I hope you get a chance to experience this first-rate romance. It’s a dazzling conclusion to one of my favorite romance series out there.
This is my first book by Kerrigan Byrne and OH. MY. GOSH! I am officially a fan! I can’t wait to go back and read the rest of this series. Saying that leads me to saying that this is definitely a standalone within the series. I didn’t feel lost or confused at any time in my reading. Yes, especially when certain characters come into play it is obvious that this is the 6th book in a series, but it doesn’t at all take away from the enjoyment of reading this one out of order. It simply makes me more curious than ever to go back and meet all the characters.
I flew through this book, it is a total sit down and lose yourself in a new world for a few hours only to realize you have finished the book and its 3 am, but you couldn’t care less because it was that good kind of read. Your only disappointment will be that it is over. The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo will pull you in from the very first pages. The descriptions of the world, the brutality, the danger, the love…everything, right there so by chapter 2 you are completely besotted with and invested in the characters. This was an emotional read for me, the amount of pain and suffering will have your heart aching for these characters, the joy of friendship, the sweetness of new love, the volitive nature of rekindled romance, and the steaminess of rekindled love is everything and this book has it all.
There is so much of this story that you just have to experience as you read so I won’t go into detail about the plot or the romance, just know that it is all there. That it is both heartbreaking, redemptive, and heart warming. If this is your first read in the Victorian Rebels series, like me, you will be craving to meet the characters of the previous 5 books asap, if you have been an avid fan of this series from day one, I have to believe that this will be another hit for you. The Rook will have you crying for him and swooning even when he is being his most dangerous and irritating. Lorelei will have your heart aching for her and championing her as she navigates a world that cares little for her thoughts or feelings. She does her best to take charge of her destiny and watching her come into her own as a strong and independent woman as she ‘battles’ The Rook will have you rooting for her over and over again. Together The Rook and Lorelei are a powerful couple that I honestly just can’t get enough of, and I am so looking forward to seeing more of them in the future, because oh yes, those secondary characters, I want ALL their books!
I think that one thing that Historical Romance fans will really appreciate about this book (and I am assuming this entire series) is that Kerrigan Byrne doesn’t hold back when it comes to the realities of life in the 1800’s. She doesn’t give her female characters more power than they should have, she doesn’t mince words about class and society’s expectations. Yes there is an element of fantasy within this book, yes people raise themselves up above their station, but there is never any ‘prettying up’ of 1800’s society. It wasn’t a place ‘friendly’ to women or the lower classes. It could be brutal and it could be unfair, you will get that from this book and it’s honestly a wonderful thing. I love reading Historical Romances where the women are strong and doing what ever the F they want to do as much as I like reading Historical Romances that portray society mostly accurately, they both have their place in my reading pleasure, but I have found I haven’t read as many of the later type lately so that was a true joy to see in this book, even if it was dark and brutal.
I loved the growth of the characters, The Rook going from the boy he was no doubt strong but still a boy to the man he becomes with out Lorelei, fierce, dangerous, determined, single-minded, to the man he now is with his love, still as fierce and determined, but tempered and compassionate. I simply can’t get enough of him! Lorelei, she was always compassion and grace, even against all odds, even with the brutality that surrounded her and the pain of her disability, but to see her strength grow as she discovers who she can really be and the determination to save the love of her life….she’s beautiful heart, mind, and soul and I adored her.
I think that you will love this book as much as I did. The characters and world will captivate you. The love story will break your heart and then build it back up to beat stronger than ever. You will be mesmerized by the characters and fall deeply in to character love with all of them. grab this book up and put it at the top of your TBR!
~ HAPPY READING ~
Listen … if you’re wondering whether I’m still worshiping at the altar of Kerrigan Byrne, this review ought to tell you I certain AM! I’ve binge-read the Victorian Rebels series this month and have devoured and enjoyed each and every haunting, poignant, explosive word. I was late to the party, as many of my readers were already big fans of this series. Shame on me. The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo is the last of the available books in this series (though another is coming next year, thank God!). I have to say that it has tied with The Highwayman for the top spot among these books in my mind.
Do yourself a favor if you haven’t already … READ THIS SERIES. If you’re anything like me and enjoy dark, complex hero, heavy spice, and absorbing plotlines (and, hello hot sex scenes)! You won’t be sorry!
Lorelai Weatherstoke knows what it’s like to be injured and not receive help, so now she does her very best to help any injured creature she comes across. Her latest patient will bring heartbreak and tears along with hope. Her evil brother enjoys nothing more than tormenting her as much as possible.
The hero in this story goes by many names, none of which are his own. He will go through Hell it’s self, and send many others there to get what he wants.
An exciting story with unlikely heroes. You will find yourself falling for a very BAD boy. It is part of a series of books that can each be read alone.
I loved it.
Series: Victorian Rebels #6
Publication Date: 8/28/18
THE romance of all time. Two hearts, two souls have spent two decades calling out to each other across time and space. I loved this intelligently written, excellently plotted, and very romantic book. It will be going on my Top Ten For 2018 list. After my disappointment in the last book, The Scot Beds His Wife, I almost decided not to read this book. Boy, what a mistake that would have been. I was also afraid that it was going to be really dark, but, in my opinion, it wasn’t. There were dark things in it, but they were part of the past and were discussed as things from the past – so, not dark or intense in the current time.
Ash has absolutely no clue who he is. He lost all memory of his life when he was eighteen years old and was left for dead in a mass grave. He was horribly beaten, broken, bruised and burned from the lye poured upon him to help his corpse quickly decay. Except, he wasn’t dead and managed to crawl from the grave toward the side of the road where an angel saw him and rescued him – her whispered words called him back.
Lorelai Weatherstoke is a broken and deformed young lady who, at fourteen, has known her share of pain and injury. Now, she spends her days rescuing injured animals and nursing them back to health – and – trying to avoid her older brother’s cruel abuse. As she, her father and brother are traveling along the road, she sees a naked body along the road and asks her father to stop. They rescue an all-but-dead young man who seems to be expiring as they rush toward a physician. Lorelai removed her cloak and spread it over his shuddering body and then she whispered, “Don’t go. Stay here. With me.”
It takes almost a year for Ash to heal, but his memory never returns. Lorelai nurses him just as she does her creatures and they grow closer and closer and although they never say the words, they love each other. She even gave him his name – Ash – from the tree he was lying under when she discovered him. Then, as he was healed it was time for him to make his own way in the world and Lorelai’s brother was taking him to an interview for a job. Lorelai doesn’t want him to go, but knows he needs to do it. He almost tells her that he loves her, but doesn’t voice it and when she expresses concerns about him leaving, he tells her “Lorelai, there are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I’ll come for you. Always.” Those were the last words he said to her for twenty years.
Twenty years later, Lorelai’s brother has gambled away both her and their estate to a horrible, cruel man. As Lorelai arrives at the church to marry the loathsome man who won her, she and her sister-in-law are abducted by the infamous pirate – The Rook, and he is insisting she marry him. She recognizes him – it is Ash – her Ash – how can he also be The Rook? She calls him Ash, but he quickly tells her that the boy she knew as Ash is long dead and has been replaced by the monster known as The Rook.
Ash has had a horrible, horrible twenty years of slavery, torture, and subjugation. He has buried, killed in his view, every emotion he’s ever had. His heart is black and nothing but ice runs in his veins, but, Lorelai has always called to him. She is what has kept him going. I was absolutely shocked and appalled at all he had gone through. I was amazed that he had come through it with any humanity still intact.
I absolutely adored Ash and Lorelai. They were true soulmates. I loved watching her gentle, sweet healing ways melt his heart – though I suspect it wasn’t as cold as he thought. He’d always loved her and he’d always known it. I highly recommend this wonderful read!
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“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
This book was beyond perfect from beginning to end! This epic romance is a page-turner, laced with action, darkness and mystery. I enjoyed the intricate plot, loved the characters, and found myself pretty much hooked from start to finish. I delight in stories where the characters conflict with each other and you can see as you read the characters change, grow and mature.
The hero, Ash, is not a good man, he is a powerful and callous villain and we see this for ourselves. It’s not sugar coated and he shows no remorse for the way he has lived his life. And yet, this hero survived terrible circumstances, beatings and assassination attempts. He is the definition of the tragic hero, betrayed, abandoned and broken. I found a great deal to like about Ash. He’s very alpha, but open to his complex emotions. He is one of the sexiest heroes I’ve read about in quite a while, the perfect pirate.
I really liked the heroine. She had the perfect balance of strength, vulnerability, and goodness. Lorelai is a spirited yet shy heroine, a resilient and genuine character, a champion of the weak and wounded. What was great in this story was Lorelai’s faith in Ash, in his essential goodness and desire to eventually do the right thing. She is really Ash’s strength. She compels him to come to terms and deal with his past. She accepts and loves him as he is. Their chemistry was insane! I can’t stop smiling thinking about all the beautiful moments they shared.
Lorelai is Ash’s only weakness. He is cold, detached and cruel and yet he can’t stand to be the cause of her sadness and despair. He made a vow to protect her and nothing could stop him from fulfilling it. Lorelai and Ash made an awesome couple with their complex personalities and emotions. The story has a lot of sweet, tender moments between them.
What a thrilling adventure this book was! I never know what to expect when I start reading a book by Kerrigan Byrne, but what I know I can expect is excellent writing, rich and vivid period details and an epic, character driven romance. This story has it all. I’m looking forward to seeing what other characters and stories Kerrigan Byrne writes next. This book is part of the Victorian Rebels series, but can be read as a standalone.
A wonderful addition to an already great series!
This story had me turning pages furiously from the very beginning. So much pain, darkness, and misery could not stand up to the light of Lorelai’s innocence, caring, and persistence. Ash/the Rook was such an empty man, but I loved how he knew from the start that Lorelai belonged to him, was his safety, his reason for living, though he was unable to voice it. Their love changed both of them but for the better. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and could not put it down. I highly recommend it.
I received a copy of this story through Netgalley, and it is a Book Obsessed Chicks Review Team selection. This is my unsolicited review.
More than a page-turner, this is the kind of story that you can’t put down, reading until the wee hours of the morning to see how (and even if) it all works out. With a dark, shadowy hero and a woman who softens him, the story is fast-moving with a touch of sweetness to ease the angst. In this story, one of a series in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels books, the emphasis is on rebel. What can you expect from a hero who nearly dies in a mass grave? Lorelei, our heroine, appears more fragile than the usual feisty heroine — yet she manages to nurse our hero back to health after his brush with death. They are parted for years and meet in dramatic fashion. Through the passage of time, the young boy is now Rook, a hero so hardened you wonder if there’s a heart. Lorelei has been beaten down by her own physical frailty and the cruelty of the world. Yet, they can heal each other, through love, respect and fighting a common enemy — and that’s what makes the story so sweet in the end. There is no hero to the rescue; there are the two of them, making each other, and their lives, better. (I received an ARC from NetGalley. This is my own review.)
The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo features a dark, dangerous pirate and the innocent that holds his heart. Broken herself and left with a permanent limp, Lorelei rescues anything in need from orphaned animals to lost dark souls. Fourteen year old Lorelei finds Ash under an ash tree, burned with lye and barely alive. Her family falls to her pleas and brings the injured stranger home for her to nurse back to health. Ash does not remember who he is but knows he is ruthless with blood on his hands. Still he finds love and a sense of home with Lorelei until betrayal steals him from her side. Since the sun stills sets in the west, Ash fulfills his promise to always come for her even across twenty years and many oceans. With a little murder and kidnapping to halt her forced but pending nuptials, Ash spirits her away to his pirate ship for some nuptials of their own. Lorelei finds the new Ash hard, broken, and cold. Now the battle is on to find Ash’s heart in a fast paced and often violent tale where family is not always blood and treasure is not always gold or precious stones. The story feeds the reformed bad boy images we all love and ends with a sweet HEA that is both sexy and happiness inducing. My voluntary, unbiased review is base upon a review copy from Netgalley.
Pirate. King. Realness. One of the many delicious plot points Kerrigan Byrne brings to The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo. I have dubbed Byrne Queen of the Historical Antihero and I adore her for it. I have been a fan of the Victorian Rebels series since I read The Highwayman and fell deeply in love with Byrne’s writing. The first three books were a revelation and I recommend them to everyone. With her latest release, it looks like Byrne is back and just as good as ever.
As a warning, this book is not all sunshine and light. Byrne’s novels always start out extremely dark and brutal. I read through winces as we watch the hero broken down into the antihero he eventually becomes. I can’t say too much without revealing crucial plot points, so I’ll tread carefully in my review.
The Rook, King of the Sea, a brutal pirate has come back to claim the woman he has always been obsessed with: Lorelai. There are many layers and shocking reveals throughout the plot. Not all is as it seems and Lorelai and the Rook both have to bend in the face of their never forgotten emotions. As soon as I thought I knew where the book was heading, Byrne would take the plot a completely different way and keep me hooked. (pirate pun, I couldn’t resist!)
Lorelai was a revelation. Goodness and compassion without seeming priggish or perfect. I love the way she was portrayed. I just wanted to give the Rook a hug, something I am sure he wouldn’t have appreciated. Byrne writes the best growly, slightly (ok, more than slightly) murderous heroes!
The book had a lot of action in a short amount of time so some of the scenes and feelings felt a little rushed. All of a sudden there were a ton of revelations, trouble, treasure, my head was spinning a little bit. All the pirate craziness was fun but it was too jammed in at the end.
I hope you all read this series from the beginning! It will make The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo much richer.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
I loved this book. Loved. It.
He had dreams of finding treasure, but a case of mistaken identity ends those dreams and his life.
Lorelai Weatherstoke was just 14 when she found him, naked, burned and beaten. Crippled herself, she can’t bare it let anyone suffer, she nurses him back to health, gives him a name, Ash and falls in love. He has no memory, he doesn’t know what happened to him or who he is, but he knows that this girl is his light, his reason for living, she brought him back from the dead and he will not rest until she is his. He has a plan, he will come for her, his light, his love, but fate has other plans and again his life is stolen.
20 years later, Lorelai is preparing to marry, her brother has gambled her away and stand to lose everything if she doesn’t marry. If not for her sister in law Vernonia, she would refuse, but since Ash left, there was no joy in her life until Veronica, she will not let her suffer. A gruesome scene takes place outside the church and she and Veronica find themselves taken captive by the notorious pirate The Rook. The Rook takes them aboard his ship and demands she marry him. She can’t believe Ash is back, but is he? The Rook tells her the boy she knew is dead, there is no Ash. Heartbroken, she fights him- this monster is nothing like her Ash, or is he?
He has been to hell and back, twice. He still has no memory of his life before Lorelai, but she was his anchor, she and she alone is what kept him alive, but the cost was high, the price was his soul. He knows he should walk away from her, he is a killer, a pirate, a monster. But he is selfish and used to taking what he wants and what he wants is her!
This is a dark, emotional story with several twists, turns and revelations. I was 99% sure before I started the book that I knew who the Rook really was and I was right, but I was floored when I learned more about his past – literally mouth hanging open, stunned. I loved Lorelai and Ash/The Rook. He is like all Ms. Bryne’s heroes – evil, bad and unrepentant, but when they love, they love forever. The story is well written and fast paced, it has steamy love scenes, cameos from previous couples, pirates, treasure, pain, tears, violence and a declaration scene that make me tear up and my heart flutter. This is the sixth book in the series and while you could read it as a stand-alone, reading the series in order will make this book all the more potent. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the next Rebel!!
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher.*
We are introduced to our characters at different ages. First, when they are young, then 20 years later. Lorelei is one of those characters you will love instantly. She is sweet, kind, and compassionate. She is also desperate for love because her brother is a mega douche! The story gave me a bit of a Princess Bride vibe (which I love). She the titled daughter, he is a nobody, they fall in love, he disappears only to return years later on the eve of her wedding as a pirate.
Ash/The Rook never forgot about Lorelei and waited 20 years to claim her. But, now Lorelei is pissed as hell at him! For 20 years she was subjected to her horrid brother and Ash broke his only promise to her. Obviously, he has reasons and you, the reader, have to wait with Lorelei to figure out what is going on with him. I loved these two together even after he became the ruthless Rook. They are so different, yet perfect for one another.
I was in love with The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo! Even when The Rook was being a douche, I was rooting for him and Lorelei! These characters are lovable in so many ways. If you are fans of the second chance romance, I think this gives the trope a unique twist. If you love the fairytale type feel of a story, Ash and Lorelei’s story will enchant you!
If you are an audiobook fan, Derek Perkins is flawless! His narration is wonderful throughout the story!
Lorelai has lived her life with just the sweet memory of a kiss from the man who no memory of his own. A rescuer of all broken creatures it was no surprise when fourteen-year-old Lorelai demanded her father and brother allow her to save the man who dragged himself out of a mass grave.
Even without his memory, The Rook was a leader of men. When he returns for Lorelai, he is even more broken than before, but she still has the power to piece him back together again.
This had a little bit of a rough transition for me, but I am so glad I kept listening because it really is an awesome story. A story of redemption, second chances and life and love. A story of strength and friendship, and the power of love. A fabulous story.
Derek Perkins is a fantastic narrator. If you like your romances with a little odd twist, less than perfect characters and truly wonderful relationships (not just the romance), this is a must read. If you are like me and love audiobooks, anything with Derek Perkins narrating will be awesome but for a fantastic story of pirates and heroes, I’ll be looking for more Kerrigan Byrne.
I waited and waited for this story since this character mysteriously appeared in one of the earlier books and since Kerrigan teased about who he is! And it was worth the wait! Romantic, sexy, with a dark and tormented hero who loves just as he lives — dangerously! A fabulous addition to the Victorian Rebels series…!
Looking for something completely different from what you usually find in a historical romance? Actually, I wasn’t. I didn’t even know that was what I wanted when I picked up The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. This book took me completely by surprise. The hero (Ash) is flawed and shocking and oh, so perfect. And the heroine (Lorelai) has a quiet strength that simply kept you rooting for her. I gasped several times, thinking, “Really? She/he did that?” This was a great adventure.
This book was exciting and entertaining, filled with passion! This is the perfect story to read to escape and just got swept away by the characters, their adventures, and their love!