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 Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the sixth book in Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne. I started reading this series backwards and only read this book so far (silly me!) but I still thoroughly enjoyed this historical romance and will definitely go back to reading the series from the beginning. I loved Lorelei and Ash’s second chance love story. The first part of the book where Lorelei and Ash met and fell in love as teenagers was my favorite; it was sweet and tender. The second part of the book takes place twenty years later when they are finally reunited but their relationship is more turbulent and they have to find a way to trust and love each other again. Second chance romance trope is my jam and so I was cheering for the Rook and Lorelei from the first page. We also meet other interesting characters, who already had or will have their stories told in other books. I can’t wait to continue with the series and get to know all the Rebels and brave women who love them.
Twenty years ago, Lorelei gave her young girl’s heart away to a boy without a memory. With promises of forever, he left her and she never saw him again. Until today, when the utterly unthinkable happened. Now that young boy has grown into a man with cold hard eyes and devastation in his wake. And apparently, he has plans for her.
I really enjoyed this story. While it may have lagged a bit here or there, it was still moving forward, carrying this couple on an adventure that neither would come out on the other side without significant changes.
My heart ached so much for both of these characters as they had each suffered in their own way. However, I must confess that it was the hero’s experiences that was truly the most horrifying. My gut clinched as each piece of the puzzle fell into place and each new tidbit of his life was shared.
This is a slow read that you will not be able, nor want to, rush through. The characters are all very well developed both the hero and heroine as well as each secondary character. There is not only drama from outside of this relationship, but much angst from within, causing me to shed tears for the agony they experienced. The steam is slow in coming but there is never any lack of awareness that this couple desire each other.
Overall, I was thrilled to get to the end and find out all of the twists and turns. Freaking perfect.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series. I’ve only ever complained about the title of the last book (should have just been The Scot period), but the stories have all been compelling, the writing outstanding.
My favorite had always been The Highwayman. The first book, it set the bar high. Dougan and his Fairy are . Now, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo’s The Rook and his Lorelai are seriously competing for the title of the series’ best couple. There’s just something about them falling in love as teens and staying true after twenty years that tugs at my heart. It’s the ideal of the “one true love” in fairy tales that’s the basis for most romance novels and it works for both The Highwayman and The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo.
“Lorelai, there are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I’ll come for you. Always.”
The lines in this book are so memorable, my Kindle is filled with highlights and bookmarks. Amazingly, most of them are uttered by the hero. That the hero is a pirate/murderer/kidnapper/smuggler/bad, bad, bad boy makes it even more incredibly romantic.
If I write as if the characters are real people, it’s because Kerrigan fleshed them out so expertly, they come alive in my mind. The characters, both main and secondary, are nuanced. They’re flawed, damaged, human.
I always start Kerrigan Byrne’s books at five stars and would adjust at the end for things that didn’t work for me. With TDWTDT, everything worked–the storytelling, the sexytimes, the reunion, the treasure hunt, the revelations in the end. That’s why I’m giving it the full five stars.
Lush, rich, adventure, mystery, twists and turns…this book is all those descriptors and more! This is the first Kerrigan Byrne story I’ve read but I assure you it won’t be the last. All I can say is wow!
The pirate Rook is a man with no name, no past and driven by demons he doesn’t understand. Lorelai Weatherstroke, at age 14, found him as a boy-man at the side of the road beaten within an inch of his life. He she nurse him back to health not knowing who he was. The beating caused amnesia. Lorelai is a crippled noble woman who nurses animals back to health and sets them free. He is another creature to heal and give her heart to. Her weak father Robert allows his cruel son Mortimer to abuse her. Mortimer caused her broken ankle that didn’t heal right. Once healthy again Robert decides to take “Ash” in to aide in his business dealings but Mortimer sees another way to hurt Lorelai. He sells Ash to be an abused slave on a sailing ship, tearing him away from Lorelai forever. We resume the story 20 years later when he finally makes it back to her rescuing her from an arranged marriage Mortimer made for her to an old abusive man.
This is the story of a tortured man on a journey of discovery of who he is, vengeance and why he has to possess this woman. The need to possess Lorelai still drives him, a man incapable of emotions. He discovers she is his heart that he’s been missing. Along the journey there are so many questions about the past that reveal themselves in surprising ways. Such a lush story full of passion of all sorts. I loved every inch of this story! Thank you Kerrigan for crafting this story and thank you St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review it.
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was such a good read. When I got this book from netgalley I had no clue who the hero was going to be. I only requested this book because Kerrigan Byrne is one of my favorite historical romance authors. But OMG when I figured out who the hero was I was flippin’ out! Ash our hero (named given to him by Lorelai) was a man with no name or memory of his past. Found beating and burnt nearly to death the only thing that gave him the will to live was Lorelai’s sweet voice begging him to stay.
Ash had such a hard life and it turned him into a cold man. Kill or be Killed was all he knew. He was definitely an anti-hero. He had no problem getting his hands dirty, stealing, and killing without mercy. He had all the humanity beat and abused out of him. His only soft spot, his only weakness was Lorelai, the woman that nursed him back from the grave. Lorelai also had a hard life. Crippled by her evil brother and abused by him her whole life, Lorelai has known pain. However she didn’t let it turn her bitter. She remained a sweet and caring person. Always nursing injured animals back to health, she couldn’t help but put her whole heart into nursing the young man she found near death back to health too. Ash and Lorelai’s love started out sweet and innocent but after 20 years of separation and abuse it had warped into something raw, and obsessive.
I loved the plot. When Ash’s backstory was fully out in the open I was shocked and awed at all the twist. The way his past tied the series together made my heart so happy. OMG how I hated Lorelai’s brother Mortimer. I wanted that pos to suffer so badly. Some favorites from other books in this series made cameos. Any time I can get me some more Dorian Blackwell I’m a happy woman. The Duke with The Dragon Tattoo was a great addition to Victorian Rebels series. There were a few minor things that made me take off a 1/2 star from my rating but still this read was a solid 4.5 stars!
If you are a fan of second chance romance, this book is for you! I read this late into the night not wanting to put it down. Her and her brother found him on the side of the road in a rainstorm. They took him home and she nursed him back to health only to have him disappear. Then 20 years later he reappeared from nowhere. The finding of a love loss has many challenges. But this is a journey you won’t want to miss. The characters are so well written you will fall in love with them. This is a five+++ Star read that I highly recommend. I received this from netgalley and am voluntarily reviewing.
She rescues him, then years later he rescues her!
This is a true opposites attract romance, and beautifully so. Lorelai looks weak on the outside but has an inner strength and faithfulness that keeps her from being completely crushed by the villains in her life. Ash is all swashbuckling-pirate hot and commander of his world, but deep down he’s fighting his own demons and struggles to find the good in even his own heart.
Their first relationship is sweet. perfectly idealistic, a glaring contrast to their second go-round where Ash is determined to protect Lorelai at all costs, even from himself if necessary, while Lorelai struggles to keep him from succumbing to the darkness in his soul.
There’s plenty to love about this book, plenty of love in this book, and a triumphant HEA that reminds us all of the healing power of love. I really enjoyed these characters and the historic setting was brilliantly portrayed. It’s a great read, a fine example of what historical romances should aspire to. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerigan Byrne
Victorian Rebels #6
At fourteen and eighteen a young woman and young man fall in love and think they will have forever together but nope…they will be separated for nearly two decades and in those years much will happen. The young girl will continue to suffer torment at the hands of her brother and the young man, without a memory, who has suffered much already will suffer even more.
When kindhearted Lorelei Weatherstoke sees a body on the side of the road while traveling with her father and brother she has them stop, see if he still breathes and he is taken to their home to be treated for his horrific wounds. A year they spend together in innocent joy only to find themselves separated by a dastardly hand played by an evil person.
A promise made by the boy now named Ash is one he plans to keep but for years he is unable to keep that promise. When he finally does return he has changed significantly with most of his softness seemingly gone forever.
Whether or not the two will be able to find a way to a happily ever after is up in the air for a while but as with any good romance, and all in this series, it comes right in the end and the two do find a way to a happy ending.
What I liked:
* The overcoming of adversity
* The strength of both lead characters
* Finding out who “the boy” really is
* The pirates with the kittens
* The appearance of “the boy’s” old friends
What I didn’t like:
* Mortimer – evil incarnate – a sadist
* The weak-willed spineless father of Mortimer and Lorelei
* The twenty years endured by H/h
* Poor Veronica’s situation with Mortimer
* The pirate I thought might be good who really wasn’t
* The time between books?
Was it believable? Perhaps
Did I like it? Yes
Will I read more books in this series? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
This was such an emotional story, that dumps you straight into some pretty rough times that The Rook as a boy is going through. Rough isn’t even a tough enough name for it..brutal, would probably be a better word for it. Even his name will be changed time and again in this story. So I am going to use the name Ash for most of it. That is the name that Lorelai gave him as she helps nurse him back to life. He has no memories of who he is, not his name or anything else. So she re-names him. He survives when all the odds are against him. For a time he finds peace with Lorelai but it’s going to be short with a whole lot more suffering coming his way. The time that they spent together was at times sweet even though he went through a lot of pain as he physically healed.
Lorelai is familiar with pain, she lives with it every day. She is crippled after all but she wasn’t born that way. She has such a tender heart towards people and animals. She became quite skilled when it came to nursing injured animals. But she also has a cruel brother named Mortimer who calls her duck because of her injury. Her father is no help and has never really protected her, he is a weak man concerned only by the opinions of others. Ash is also going to feel the cruelty of Mortimer at least for a time. Mortimer will be dealt with, sooner or later.
There is a lot of action, danger, mysteries and even love in this book. Things will be revealed that have been secrets for a very long time. And it will cause quite a few surprises when it comes to the position of people in Ash’s life. People that he has forgotten and people who grieved for him thinking that he was dead!
If you are looking for a book with tensions of a lot of different kinds, this book definitely has it along with some really good secondary characters.
The Epilogue puts a really good ending to the whole story.
“I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion of it.
Ever since I knew this book was coming out I was jonesing to read it. When I got an ARC courtesy of NetGalley, it was like I died and went to book heaven. No one does historical romance with tortured heroes and strong women like Kerrigan Byrne. I love that her characters are real adults, not the usual young bucks and debutantes. I did not think any Victorian Rebel could surpass Christopher Argent….but it’s possible Ash has done just that.
I’m not going to go through what the story line is; you can read the synopsis for yourself. What I will tell you is that this book is a compelling blend of steamy romance, tortured pasts, young love found and lost, brotherhood, violence, overcoming adversity and pirates. I usually highlight a few passages in a book that I particularly like. Here, however, I swear I must have highlighted a third of the story. There was so much here that really touched me. I ran a gamut of emotions from heartache to humor to happiness. I laughed and cried. Ash so needed his Lorelei. What a strong woman she turned out to be! And Ash……oh, how my heart broke!
Thank you, Ms. Byrne, for giving us such a wonderful story. May I impose on you to write Morley’s story? Please?!
I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I just read The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne, which will be available at booksellers in August. I was lucky and given a free ARC so I’ve got plenty of info I’d like to share with you. Summer isn’t over just because Labor Day is upon us. It’s still hot, the pool’s still open and vacations are taken. If you’re looking for good books to take along with you this one should be on your list. Ms. Byrne also writes suspense tales so you can be assured this story has plenty.
We begin our story in Newgate prison. A few of the younger boys have banded together, Newgate is a dangerous place for anyone, much less a young man. We are introduced an unnamed 18 year old, a product of poverty and the streets. He’s changed places with another boy to have access to the prison tattoo artist (ouch). He wants a tattoo of a sigil dragon (ouch again). A mix-up occurs, our hero is beaten to death and thrown in a mass grave, or is he dead?
Lorelia Weatherstoke is an untypical girl of 14. She’s crippled, has an apathetic Father and a monster of a brother. During a carriage trip our heroine sees something, or someone, moving about in the distance and convinces her family to stop. Not a meet cute by any means. Convalescing and amnesia leads to young love and mourning when they’re torn apart.
Their journey continues twenty years later. Our hero is determined to have justice, vengeance, retribution and Lorelia. Now that you have the set up, the lovers story picks up again and it’s a doozy. There’s murder, kidnaping, anger, disbelief, fear, passion, love, treasure hunting and even mutiny. Our hero begins to piece together all the parts of his life. The lovely Lorelia is by his side through all the tribulations. The whopper of an ending shall remain unwritten here. I want you to have the pleasure of following the story on your own. Enjoy and happy reading.
Explosive!
Lorelai and Ash are two of the most compelling characters I’ve ever listened to. The mystery surrounding the man who becomes The Rook, the most feared pirate to ever sail the seas, is the best reveal ever! What a surprise! My head is still reeling! Great book with steady tension through the whole thing!
Another compelling angst ridden and passionate story by Kerrigan Byrne. Strong, damaged and sexy heroes and heroines. This had so much drama and passion that built up steadily keeping you captivated to the heart felt and well deserved happy ending. Take a breath if you can I know I couldn’t!
One of my favorite series
I am falling in love with Kerrigan Byrne one book at a time!
Since pulling himself out of a mass grave, the man known only as The Rook has known nothing of his past and has only a partially ruined tattoo of a dragon as a clue. His survival depends on the lovely stranger who nurses him back to health, but when they are separated, he finds he’ll move heaven and earth to reclaim what’s his.
Lady Lorelai Weatherstoke has never forgotten has never forgotten the beautiful man she rescued. She has contended with a lame leg for nearly her entire life and has devoted herself to healing similarly injured creatures. Now, 20 years later, she’s amazed and skeptical when confronted with the notorious pirate, The Rook, who resembles the beloved boy she saved and named Ash but retains none of his sweetness. When he rescues her from an unwanted marriage, Lorelai isn’t sure what to think. Though she finds him hard to resist, she’s not sure she should trust a man with such a reputation, but neither can she bring herself to give up on him when she sees more and more of her beloved Ash beneath The Rook’s fierce demeanor.
Now this is more like it. This is the gritty emotion I expect from this series. Ash was raw and had so many layers, so much depth. All that, in addition to his devotion to and protectiveness of Lorelai makes him one of my favorite heroes yet. I also loved Lorelai as a heroine. She was so sensible and relatable and she definitely showed to advantage next to her fairly neurotic sister-in-law. I loved how Lorelai never gave up on Ash, even when she couldn’t see him behind the shield of The Rook. The intensity and chemistry between these two was very well done and their intimacy was a beautiful show of redemption for Ash and growth for Lorelai. I loved that she gained confidence throughout this book despite being faced with a blustering pirate, kidnap, and various other stressors. I do wish Mortimer had gotten more of a comeuppance and that titles had been dealt with a bit more accurately, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the story. Ash was a very rough-edged anti-hero with a heart and Lorelai was a sweet, sensible heroine with a backbone and they were the perfect complement to each other and to their setting. Beyond the relationship between Ash and Lorelai, I loved his regaining his memories and his blood brothers. Those relationships were lovely and now I really wish I hadn’t read Morley’s book before this one. This book was excellent. I’m less sure about Sebastian as a hero, but I’ll give him a shot while I wait and hope for books for Callum and Dr. Longhurst.
4 1/2 STARS****
A sizzling, steamy romance of a lost soul yearning to be saved by the young woman who gave him her heart. She was fourteen, he was eighteen when they met. Twenty years later they meet again, only he believes his dark soul is lost forever. With a need bordering on desperation, he hopes she will bring it back to the light.
A long, long time ago I discovered a new-to-me author thanks to a book giveaway. The book was The Highwayman and the author was Kerrigan Byrne. I’ve since read a few of her Victorian Rebels books, but I’ve not been great at sticking with the series, though I love it. I finally picked up The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo for Romanceopoly and I remember what I’m missing by not reading her books. I need to go back and read the books I skipped while I wait for the next book(s) to be released.
But, this book? Oh, my word. What a ride. Lorelei and Ash gave me feels for days. As is always the case with Kerrigan’s books, I was hooked from the very first chapter. Her characters are always phenomenal and complicated, and Ash especially was no exception. If you’ve read Kerrigan before, you know her books are on the darker side. They’re certainly darker than most of the historical romance I read. They’re gritty. Ash is a pirate with one hell of a past and he’s a hard man. (Side note: I think this was my first pirate novel and I simply must read more.) I don’t even know that I would call him a good man, but he had a good heart. At least when it came to Lorelei. These two put me through it and I couldn’t have loved it more.
Favorite Quotes:
“Lorelei. 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.”
“I was born the moment I heard your voice commanding me to live. And you have been mine ever since.”
“Love is soft. Love is kind. I know nothing of that. What I feel for her is… well, it’s neither of those things. It’s too obsessive. It’s marvelous and terrifying. It is the cruelest affliction for a merciless man. Because it leaves me at her mercy. So unprotected. So easily damaged. It is a bizarre thing to accept, that when entire armies have failed to destroy me, one word from her lips could dismantle me.”
Heartbreakingly good!!!
He was found beaten nearly to death. With no memory of who he was or where he came from. Only with the a Dragon Tattoo on his arm. Found by Lorelei and her evil brother Mortimer. Lorelei had begged him to stay in her sweet soft voice. So he had stayed for her. She named him Ash. They were only teenagers. Then one day he was gone. Twenty years went by when he returns. A hard and even more damaged than before. He returns as a wanted Pirate called The Rook. He takes Lorelei and her sister-in law Veronica, after killing Mortimer. There was so much emotion! I was in tears for a good portion of this book.
Narration was perfect in the audiobook!
I’m a historical romance fan–its my go-to for great reading–and the Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is a powerful historical with a damaged hero, and a heroic heroine that you immediately root for. It’s a story filled with emotion, and hope, courage and pain, and the power of love to heal and redeem.