Review: “A Dark and Stormy Knight”, by Kerrigan Byrne
I’ve read a few of Kerrigan Byrne’s books in during the confinement (to give you perspective it went from March 14th to April 30th in Spain and it was quite strict, we weren’t allowed out of our homes but to buy medicines, food or going to the hospital if needed). A lot of people struggled to concentrate on things but I didn’t, that’s why I’ve had devoured every book that fell on my hands. And that’s how Kerrigan Byrne, an author I didn’t know before, became one of my favourites.
“A Dark and Stormy Knight” is one of her latest releases (June 2nd, 2020) and I’ve read in less than one day because it was so exciting! Perhaps too exciting sometimes, as it felt rushed towards the end, bt I enjoyed it anyway so I’m giving it…
4 our of 5 stars, hearts, kitten, whatever.
This is book 7 of the “Victorian Rebels” series, of which I’ve read books 1 and 3 (“The Highwayman” and “The Highlander”) but I mean to read them all. The heroes on this series are dark, tall, handsome strangers all of them and Carlton Morley, the hero in “A Dark and Stormy Knight” surely fits the description.
Morley meets Prudence by chance at a man’s brothel, a place where the prostitutes are men and the clients are women. Morley is a chief inspector at her Majesty’s police department in London and he’s also a vigilante very much like a ninja or Batman… a hidden identity kind of thing. He’s at the brother that knight because he’s investigating the deaths of several of the men who worked there. And that’s where he meets Prudence.
Pru is a young woman whose betrothed had had several liaisons about town, He’s known to have several bastarts and as a viscount on the verge of bankruptcy he needs her dowry to support his children. Of course Pru is tired of being the proper naive virgin on the way of a happy marriage that is unlikely to be so, She seeks revenge so, for one night only, she’s going to be the one who have an affair… and Carlton happens to meet her on that very night. A night that will have consequences.
Of course all of the “Victorian Rebels” are running from a dark painful past and Morley has had his share of sorrow in life. He and his long dead sister Caroline were thieves, beggars, or, in the case of Caroline, sold her body for a chance of a better life. But she was killed and Cutter lost all faith in the world, he tried to get himself killed in war, changed his name, and became a policeman, a job in which distrust was a requirement.
Distrust is what Morley feels when three months later, attending his commander’s daughter’s wedding, found the bride all bloodied, with a knife in hand, and staring at the corpse of the groom. Unfortunately that bride is Prue, and not only she seems to have killed his betrothed, but also she claims to be pregnant… with Morley’s baby.
I want to read everything Kerrigan Byrne has published and everything she might publish in the days to come. She’s so much fun, and although her books are anything but sweet and fluffy, they’re fantastic, and so engaging that I read them in one sitting, and you would too.
Hello all! I’ve just finished a romance novel, so it is time once again that I give you my wanted, or maybe even unwanted thoughts, on the book I just read. So without further ado, here are my thoughts, feelings, and rambles on....
The Heroine:
Our heroine in this tale is Samantha Masters, a woman from the American west that worked most of her life on a cattle ranch until her husband and his brothers took her in for a life of smuggling. Her story begins when a train robbery where no one was supposed to get hurt doesn’t go at all as planned, and she meets as well as saves Alison Ross, a young woman that has grown up in America, but has Scottish roots. She doesn’t want to return to Scotland, but her family’s property is under threat of being bought up by a family that they are none too fond of. With Samantha now on the run, Alison sends her in her stead, giving her all the papers she could possible need to personate her so Samantha can be hidden and safe in Scotland, while Alison remains in America. Samantha, who also just goes by Sam, was a wonderfully, refreshing heroine. She’s rough, she curses like a sailor, shoots like a cowboy, and rides like one too. She was just a whole lot of fun, and I loved reading about her.
The Hero:
The hero this time is a Scottish Earl, who was actually in the third book of this series, so you do get to know a little bit about him in that one too. Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, is a rakish highlander that uses his wits, charm, and good looks to get him what he wants. What he wants is Alison Ross’ family’s land so he no longer has to get an income from the older brother he can’t stand. (Yep, they’re the family the Ross’ don’t like, and for reason, but I won’t get into that.) Gavin sets his sight on Alison (Sam), and he’s willing to do almost anything to get the land he so desperately craves, but she soon becomes what he craves most of all. Gavin is your basic alpha/tortured past hero that actually has a really big heart, and a whole lot of love to give. Plus he’s Scottish, so what’s not to love?
Side Characters:
The side characters here were a lot of fun, and fleshed out fairly well. I have a feeling that a couple of them are going to have books of their own, which reminds me, after looking at the goodreads website, it looks like this series is going to have 7 books, and not 6 like I had originally thought. The Rook, a pirate who pays Gavin in the beginning to keep smuggled goods on his land, is probably the hero of the next book, or at least I felt like that’s what they were setting him up for. Also Allison will certain have a book with Gavin’s best friend Callum, and if she doesn’t I will be gravely disappointed!
Final Thoughts:
Okay, so while this book does have a bit of outward drama, which is something I don’t generally like, it’s done well here, and that’s because of how believable the characters are. These are not archetypes like I complained about in my last book review, and I feel like Kerrigan Byrne does a wonderful job of fleshing her characters out. There is also emotional drama in here as well, which is delicious, and the passion between our main characters feels palatable. There were parts near the middle that felt a bit draggy, and the end was far too rushed, but aside from that I did enjoy this book, and I thought it was a lot of fun!
You haven’t any idea the strength it takes to be a woman. In my experience, it is men who are the weaker sex. Either too undisciplined to control their baser, primal instincts or, conversely, they are too fragile to endure the discomfort of honesty or integrity. Yet women endure and survive by whatever means we are able. And still we are either property or playthings. We have as much use in the eyes of the law as a cow or a fertile plot of land. It is not wrong to mistreat us. To objectify us. To shame and demand things of us and bend us to your will. That is your right as a man and our duty as a woman. Is it any wonder the world is in chaos?
“No.” His one dark eye sparkled, welled, and a tear streaked down his cheekbone as torment etched into the brutal lines of his oddly familiar features. “I am not Dorian Blackwell,” he whispered. “You are.”
The Duke with the Drago Tattoo (Victorian Rebels #6) by Kerrigan Byrne
The Duke with the Drago Tattoo (Victorian Rebels #6) by Kerrigan Byrne
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo (Victorian Rebels #6) by Kerrigan Byrne
Release Date: August 28, 2018
Synopsis: 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 mass grave, a…
"Waiting on" Wednesday | The Scot Beds His Wife by Kerrigan Byrne
This Wednesday my hear longs to return to Scotland with @Kerrigan_Byrne's The Scot Beds His Wife! @SMPRomance
Breaking the Spine created this feature – “Waiting on” Wednesday, where bloggers could gush about their most coveted upcoming releases. Here’s mine: Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, is a notorious Highlander and an unrelenting Lothario who uses his slightly menacing charm to get what he wants—including too many women married to other men. But now, Gavin wants to put his shady past behind…
