Thank you to NetGalley for granting this ARC, super cute and fast read. The couples were adorable and the story was cute.

THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE - Kerrigan Byrne

#5 Victorian Rebels series

THE WILD WEST COMES TO THE HIGHLANDS! - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Samantha has come to Scotland to escape, with a lot of dangerous secrets from her time spent in America's Wild West. When her past begins to catch up with her, her only hope of protection is to marry, and Gavin is only too willing to provide that service for someone he finds so disturbingly irresistible. But, it's inevitable that what begins as a scandalous proposition turns into an all-consuming passion. And Gavin discovers that he will do whatever is necessary to keep the woman he has claimed as his own.

Writing - 4 stars - Byrne caught my attention right from the first page with an exciting scene that set the tone for the book. Since this is the 5th in the series, there was plenty of enjoyable interaction with previous characters, as well as Gavin (whom we met in a previous book).

Characters - 4.5 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Sam is a very strong character (especially considering the time period).
She is a skilled rancher, horsewoman and shot, but she is also not afraid to be vulnerable and feminine with Gavin after their marriage. I love that she's not the missish woman that usually represents this time period. She's tough and smart and savvy.
Gavin makes himself appear to be a rake without scruples, but underneath he is very different, and we (the readers) get to see his softer side. But that doesn't mean he's not strong and relentless when he sees something he wants.

Title - 3.5 stars - The title implies that Gavin has bedded many other women, but he might now be ready to settle down with his wife. This attitude is typical of the genre and the time period, I suppose, but not exactly something I would have chosen for the title.

Cover - 4 stars - The cover is fairly typical of this genre, but the jewel-toned blue is beautiful and draws the eye.

Overall - 4 stars - This was a very pleasant book, and I enjoyed listening to the narration of Derek Perkins. Byrne has created a fascinating world in the Scottish Highlands, and this book settles in very nicely, helping us to learn more about the MacKenzie family and their homes. The fights between the main characters are entertaining and definitely show their comfort with each other. Even as they become more intimate, their bickering continues and made me laugh. There are some MacKenzie secrets revealed as we get to know Eleanor (Gavin's mother) a bit more. There was also a good setup as we meet The Rook, a future main character. This has turned into a very enjoyable series, with a bit of a different flair.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. I didn't love this book. The characters just didn't inspire me. I will not be recommending this book. But thanks again for letting have a chance to read it.

I have loved this series from book #1, but something about this story I just couldn't get into. I have tried several times to finish this story but I just can't (or frankly, don't want to). I love this author and will continue to pick up and read anything she writes, this one just wasn't for me.

I truly enjoyed The Scot beds His Wife. I found the booK to be an interesting dynamic between the past and the future.

Gavin, The Earl of Thorne , was indoctrinated in hate and abuse at a young age. He knew he was a better man and vowed to make a new start for him and his mother. He’s been successful but to be completely removed from his father he needs something from his neighbor.

Political hierarchy is still prevalent in Scotland but Samantha has a different set of rules. She’s a women whose faces challenges and adversity . She may be a but cunning but she had to be.

It took me a bit to see these two as a couple and feel any connection but that changed when they decided to work together. Once they realized they could count on each other they were a strong pair.

The storyline was interesting and kept me entertained throughout. I found it difficult to put down as I needed to known what happened to this couple and the characters surrounding them.

Based on last chapters and the epilogue a few of my favorite characters from this story will be getting their own book.

This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the hero and the heroine, Gavin and Samantha. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

ARC received for review

This one was a slow start. I actually started and put it down three times before I finally finished it. I really didn't get what the title had to do with the book. She sure liked to say the F word, a lot. I enjoyed seeing Mena and Liam again. Now who exactly is the Rook, and will his or Callum's book be next?

I felt like this book needed more stuff about Gavin because I saw Samantha's backstory more. I still enjoyed the book and how the secrets kept popping up about her with each page turn. I wished I read the first three books in this series since Bookshare didn't have them.

Unbeknownst to me, I actually read book 6 in this series before reading this one. I started reading it and recognized some names, which lead to me looking up the series. I have not read any of the previous book in the series.

One of the first things I noticed in the book, and that I really enjoyed, was the Samantha curses up a STORM! In contemporary romance, both characters tend to curse, but in historical it tends to only be the guy. The women are often ladies that get awkward around curse words. But Samantha isn't a lady. She's a train robber from the Wild West. From the moment I met her I absolutely loved Samantha.

The book starts out in a prologue. It features a rather violent assault, child abuse, domestic abuse, and just a whole lot of awful. I almost wish that the prologue wasn't included, or that it was more toned down. While it did get me to understand just how awful of a person Gavin's father was, I don't like the excessive violence.

Maybe it's just me, but I felt like the title was a bit of a spoiler. Gavin and Samantha don't get married, heck it isn't even in the picture, until 25-50% of the way through the book. Something more along the lines of 'The Scot Met His Match' might fit better.

I feel like I could sing praises for Samantha for ages. She is totally kick-butt. And while woman in historical romance can break boundaries, Victorian/Regency era romance often sees it in slight pushes. To introduce a wild American into Scotland was absolutely ingenious.

This book is really great, but prepare for some frustration if characters who can't communicate bother you. I like my romance to have a slight outside plot. For me I like it when the characters want to be together, and acknowledge that, but some outside issue, in this case that might be the Masters brothers, stands in their way. I feel like Samantha and Gavin would have had a lot less relationship issues if they could have just talked to each other, though given both of their previous traumas, I can understand why they didn't.

I loved reading The Scot Beds His Wife. In this book, I discover two headstrong main characters that I couldn’t help but to adore. The twists that are thrown into this story magnifies the talent this author has! I highly recommend reading this book!

Storyline sounds like a really good one with all the things I enjoy in a book. However, I only got to chapter five before the constant foul language totally turned me off to the story. It is so unnecessary and does not add anything to the story. It is a shame because if it wasn't for the constant use of the f-word, I may have enjoyed this book. I have read several of Kerrigan Byrne`s offerings, each with an overabundance of foul language. This one broke me, I will not read another by this author.

Enjoyed the continuation of this series, as it’s definitely one of my favorites! Loved Gavin most of all! This story added some new characters, and while I enjoyed them, I had some from the previous books I was hoping to get a glimpse of. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Wow, just wow!!
My goodness, this book is amazing! This is the first book I have read by Kerrigan Byrne and I can honestly say that I can't wait to delve into more of this talented authors work.
The story is fast, thrilling and utterly romantic, it takes you on a edge of your seat adventure through another time and place. From the very first page right up until the moment you close the last page, it grabs your attention with the engaging and wonderfully written story. The character's are brilliant written, hugely likable and their relationship develops in a beautiful way that is both engrossing and genuine way.
I cannot recommend this enough, it is a perfect historical romance!

DNF @ 33%, so no rating.

Aside from the time frame we're told it is in Scotland and the fact that they're riding horses, I'm not sure what makes this book historical. I think this was supposed to be some sort of play on the history of the Hatfields and McCoys, but boy did this book ring hollow. We have a self righteous heroine (who was responsible for one man being murdered, mind you,) looking down her nose at the hero, pretty much because he's a man. Sure, it's cloaked in other reasons, but it's clear to me they're there so she can hate on him. And then there's the fact that, oh, look, typical male being lead by his man parts wanting the hero desperately! To be fair, I have a problem with most Kerrigan Byrne historical romances, but never to this degree. My problem usually is that they're steeped in so much angst, but I can always always always find a good story underneath. There's not a hint of one here, so I give up. I'm in the mood for an historical romance, so I'm going to go find one.

As always Kerrigan Byrne creates a fast moving story with scintillating romance. I was a bit stressed out at the end as there were many secrets that had yet to be revealed. Overall a captivating romance!

3.5 stars: This may be my least favorite of Byrne's works to date, which is not to say it wasn't a great read, but was a bit of a let down after how much I adored THE DUKE. I did like that the heroine and I shared a name though (never happens! It's always the dudes sigh). I think the resolution needed more pages, similar to my feelings re: THE HIGHLANDER, and I...don't love surprise baby plotlines. But SO EXCITED for the next book--childhood lovers reunited are so my jam.

Another fabulous addition to Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebel series. Though not as dark as previous books in the series, this story has everything I’ve come to love and expect from this author. A beautiful and suspenseful story with era detail, passion and danger, with emotionally moving characters that overcome perilous threats and obstacles to find love. And, as with every book in this series, I was riveted. The Scot Beds His Wife was beyond stunning and, for me, was definitely a love at first read.

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, was a notorious Highlander and Casanova. He used his charm, intellect, good looks, and wit to get what he wanted. As a son of the brutal Hamish Mackenzie, he’d grown up hating the name and scars, both physical and emotional, that came with it. He didn’t want or need the Mackenzie name in order to make his way. He’d establish his own name. His own land. His own legacy. Gavin had plans to purchase the neighboring, vacant Erradale estate and cattle from Alison Ross. Mackenzies had never been cattle folk but as soon as he could, Gavin would no longer be a Mackenzie.
In a desperate need to escape a life of drudgery and oppression, Samantha had married Bennett Masters. She’d gone from one bad situation to another. Bennett and his brothers were thieves. The Masters Gang. Her conscience had settled for a thief as a husband, but never a cold blooded killer. In a train robbery gone wrong, Samantha was forced to shoot her husband to protect a female passenger. Samantha found herself with no money, no prospects, and nowhere to go. She was now a known member of a gang, hunted by federal marshals, and by Bennett’s brothers. The passenger she saved, Alison Ross, was so grateful to Samantha that she proposed an offer Samantha couldn’t refuse. In order not to forfeit her legacy, Alison had to physically take custody of her family land, Erradale, in Scotland and put it in working order. Though Alison had no interest herself in the land, a Mackenzie was after it and Alison had promised her father no kin of a Mackenzie would ever own it. As Samantha knew ranch life well and needed to get out of the states, she found herself traveling across the Atlantic posing as Alison Ross. This was her chance to finally have the life she’d always dreamed of.
After disembarking from the train, Sam fell right into the arms of a fierce Celtic god. He was magnificent, but he was also Gavin St. James. A Mackenzie. Her enemy. He might be handsome as the devil but she’d be damned before she’d let him charm her. She couldn’t yield her wits to a handsome man. Not again. Erradale no more belonged to her than it did to him, but she was willing to fight to keep him from taking it. Gavin was just as driven. This Alison Ross was slight, crude, and prickly. Nothing like the coy, buxom mistresses he usually bedded. But if she planned to stand in his way, then he’d do whatever it took. “He’d be whatever she needed to get the papers signed. Savior, father, brother, friend, or hopefully, lover.” Either way, Erradale would be his.
But Sam was immune to the charms Gavin had always relied on. He’d thought she’d waste away on the ranch and not be able to care for the land, much less herself. But he’d been wrong. What she lacked in brawn, she made up for in pluck. She seemed right at home with ranch life. Riding astride in trousers. Incredibly tight trousers. She cussed like a sailor and shot better than any man he knew. He couldn’t remember the last time someone angered him so. She impressed him, she intrigued him, she aroused him. He desired Erradale above all else, but he was also beginning to desire its current owner.
Samantha was affected by Gavin too. Yes, he was relentless, ruthless, and cunning. But he could also be generous and kind. And boy, was he handsome! She was starting to respect him. And the way he looked at her sometimes made her feel things she’d never felt with Bennett. She was starting to feel differently about this land and the people too. “The one place that truly never belonged to her was the one place she never wanted to let go of.
When Gavin, on a reckless impulse, kissed Samantha, their fate was sealed. Though she spoke, swore, and rode like a man, Samantha tasted and felt like a woman. And when she matched his kiss just as fiercely, Gavin was a goner. The passion in her kiss set him on fire. Lust was fine, but passion was a dangerous feeling. Gavin “had thought to seduce her, dominate her, leave her panting, and walk away and take her land. That couldn’t happen now.” He wanted her. For more than just a night. Samantha wanted Gavin too. But would he want her when he found out who she was? An orphaned nobody. A thief, a liar, a murderer. Samantha’s not the only one with secrets though. And if her secrets don’t destroy them, Gavin’s may.

Kerrigan Byrne can weave a story like nobody’s business! I become immersed in her stories as they flawlessly unfold before me. As I mentioned before, this story wasn’t as dark and gritty as earlier books in this series, but that matched Gavin’s character. While Gavin’s brothers consisted of a hanged traitor, the king of the London underworld, and the Demon Highlander, Gavin was considered the black sheep of the clan. Rather than the temper of his brothers, he hid his pain behind vice and levity. And I loved him just as much as I loved his brothers. I think I fell in love with Gavin when I realized his first meeting with Samantha was a setup. Like most women in Gavin’s life, I was a sucker for his charm. It took me longer to love Samantha. She harbored some pretty huge secrets. And she harbored them a lot longer than I was comfortable with. Still, Kerrigan Byrne has a knack for taking characters you would think incorrigible and completely redeeming them. I think I fell in love with Samantha when I saw her relationship with the two old grisly highlanders who were working her land with her. It made me see another side of her that I was missing. And once I saw that side of her, I couldn’t wait for she and Gavin to find their happily ever after. Though they came from 2 different worlds, Gavin and Sam had much in common. Both of their souls were stained. They’d not lived a pure life before. Gavin was a womanizer. He was proud of it. Sam had stolen and killed. They were both wounded. Gavin carried physical and emotional scars from his childhood. While Sam’s wounds weren’t physical, like Gavin, the emotional wounds she’d carried since the death of her parents, had made her stronger. They both hid behind masks. Sam hid her desolation and loneliness behind her tart vocabulary and tough façade. Gavin hid his pain behind his wicked behavior and humor. Also, they both loved Erradale. For Gavin it had been a sanctuary as a child to escape his father. Now it was a chance to put the Mackenzie name behind him. For Sam, it was home. It gave her purpose and a chance at survival. They both thought love was out of the question and so their feelings for each other scared them. In each other’s arms, they felt sensations they’d not felt in a long time.
I loved watching their relationship develop. Their interactions were a thing to behold. The flirtatious arguing rife with sexual innuendo was titillating. Their wedding was hysterical yet one of the most romantic weddings I’ve read in a long time. Their animosity towards each other changed to a partnership with laughing, teasing, and still bickering, but with a smile. They were discovering each other. And in discovering each other, they discovered something about themselves. That their need for each other superseded their own needs.
It truly was a beautiful story. The secondary characters added so much to it too. I loved the cantankerous Locryn and Calybrid who bickered like an old married couple. I fell in love immediately with Gavin’s childhood friend, Callum. His story is very intriguing and I’m anxious to see it revealed. The budding relationship between Gavin’s mother and Callum’’s father was sweet and tender. I would have loved to see it in a book of its own. As you can see, though vastly different from others in the series, this story was every bit as captivating and beautiful. This is one series I hope never comes to an end. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Reviewed by Amy Compton for Book Obsessed Chicks

~ARC from the publisher.

This is actually the 5th book in the series. And this is the first time I read this Author.

I must say that I love how the lines are said. So are the twist each time you turn a page.

I am actually having a hard time describing my thoughts on this book. It actually ran from irritation, to amazement, from awe to, an overwhelming sense of relief and love.

Irritation due to the arrogance of Gavin the first time he met Sam, and the way his thoughts ran. I would gladly want to shoot him myself. Amazement, for the sheer determination of Sam to live. And she is one fearless woman, in the this book. I really like how she handled the situation she was put in.

Awe on how much Gavin love his mother, then again, after everything that happened to them; who wouldn't.

I think the tipping point of this book was when everything was revealed. I felt that everything was falling apart and there was nothing they can do about it. Then the people around them did something none of them expected. It was such a heartfelt action.

The past may mold you, but the emotions that you had with the person, will still be there.

I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I have wanted Gavin’s book since The Highlander as I loved his interactions with Mena. This did not disappoint though I did struggle being totally invested in the story. Samantha is on the run and assumes the identity of a woman she saved from death with the promise to keep her family land away from the Mackenzie clan and particularly Gavin St. James. I adore these books as they have historical women who are independent and work. Sam is an expert shot with a pistol and great with cows and horses. Sam and Gavin have a verbally explosive hatred of each other and then the book works in another common trope but I loved every minute of it. I want Callum next but it looks like there will be one book before his.

Having read hundreds of romance books, I have to admit that it has become rare to find stories that not only intrigue me, but also entertain me. Julie Garwood was one of the writers who made me fall in love with romance. Her historical fictions and especially her highland romances have been unforgettable for me and I have read them over and over again. I am always in search of writers who evoke the same feelings in me that Garwood’s earlier work once did, so it was a great delight to read Kerrigan Byrne’s work. I didn’t want to put it down, yet also didn’t want it to end. Absolutely loved every second of it!

Gavin St. James has had a very traumatic childhood. With his brutal and sadistic father, he has seen first hand what true evil looks like and has vowed to never turn into him. He wants nothing to do with the Mackenzie name and is living the life of an infamous rake who is living life to the fullest with all its many delights and vices. All he wants now is the bordering estate and herd cattle and cut himself from his brother and the Mackenzies forever. He just needs to convince the heir, Allison Ross, to sell it to him. And even though, he is offering a more than fair price for the dilapidated estate, the feisty heir is determined to never sell her family’s estate to the man who killed her father.

Samantha Masters is wanted in America. So when the woman whose life she saved offers to pay her back by letting her take her place and travelling to the highlands to deal with her family’s estate in her stead, she is more than willing to take the deal and start a new life. All she has to do now is protect the estate that everyone believes is hers and resist the irresistible highlander that can’t seem to keep his distance from her. But has she completely left her past in America behind or will it catch up with her?

A delicious, sensual, witty romance that you just can’t get enough of. Can’t wait to read more from Kerrigan Byrne and this amazing series! What a truly unforgettable delight!