This was another 5 Star effort in the exceptional Victorian Rebels series but instead of the horrific starts this one has a bit more dramatic than horrific beginning.

The thing about this one is that it kind of kept me stressed out from the start since you never knew when it was all going to fall apart, in the same vein everything seemed to get decided seemingly within a few pages and I was a wee bit disappointed.

We are also left with a bit of a teaser about The Rook that looks to play a part in the next book and take us back to some of the characters in book 1 (loving that idea) but there are hints of another couple also which leaves me confused trying to guess where the next book will go.

Gavin and Sam (she of many names) are a great match in with and temperament and a hard fought love match but her "secret" would have been enough to give this some drama but the added revenge almost seemed overdone but it did allow for some serious stressful and revealing moments.

Bottom Line: It was a bit more fun that some of the other books which was nice for a change but I fear Kerrigan Byrne set the bar VERY high with the first 2 books in this series but this one is exceptional in a bit of a different light. I do wish to complain about all the hints and possibilities that were thrown out in the last few pages about other future books. I hope I don't have to wait a year to read the next one. At the end of the day I could hardly put it down and 5 stars indeed for a very entertaining novel.

The Scot Beds His Wife by Kerrigan Byrne is a phenomenal read. I'm more of a Regency fan, but I may now have to add Victorians to my reading list. Ms Byrne has given us a well-written book loaded with amazing, lovable characters. Gavin and Samantha's story is a twisted tale that kept me captivated from start to finish. There is plenty of drama, action, suspense, humor and spice to keep readers wrapped up in this story. I enjoyed The Scot Beds His Wife and look forward to my next book by Kerrigan Byrne. The Scot Beds His Wife is book 5 of the Victorian Rebels Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.

3.5 stars rounded up -- mostly due to strong secondary characters.

I had mixed feelings about this book. It's somewhat lighter than the previous ones in the series, though there is still plenty of angst and drama to go around. The Gavin we meet here was different from what I was expecting based on his appearances in The Highlander. He comes off much more belligerent and less charming here as compared to previously, though the duality of his personality is addressed. Sam, an orphaned American cattle rancher turned (unwilling) train robbery accomplice, was an unexpected but interesting heroine. She tells Gavin off frequently and very colorfully -- for which I was actually cheering her on -- and takes charge of both the highland men and cattle when they are acting unruly. She doesn't dwell in self-pity despite having her whole life turned upside down (a few times, really), and instead plows ahead to make the best of it.

I didn't love their relationship in the first half or so, as Gavin acted like a petty a-hole rather than dark, tortured and brooding, as most of the heroes in the series have been. Once circumstances forced them together, though, the book became more compelling. Seeing the two of them in uncharted territories of being in a meaningful relationship, which neither anticipated happening, smoothed over the rough bits in their characters and made them both more likeable . . . with one giant, spoilery exception. Sam's decision to hide certain VERY important information from Gavin even after they had grown to trust each other was almost a deal breaker for me. I completely understood her motivations and she had valid concerns about revealing the truth, but it was still shady.

Putting aside my conflicted feelings on the main characters, I loved the cast of secondary characters. Gavin's mother and his stable master, Eamon, have a sweet slow burning romance. Gavin's friend, Callum, is an intriguing character who hopefully will get his own story -- particularly in light of shocking revelations at the end. Glimpses of Mena and Liam after they've settled into domestic life were also nice to see. Perhaps the biggest new character -- the Rook -- also makes an actual appearance after being alluded to in earlier stories. The bombshell hints about his identity, and the further hints about what's to come in the epilogue, make the wait for his story even harder to bear!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!

This is Gavin and Sam's story. She is pretending to be a Scottish heiress to escape from America. Gavin wants to buy her home. They have many twists and turns in their relationship. They marry. He finds out the truth. Love wins out after all.

Oh goodness, this book was such a fun read!

I read this without reading the previous books in the series (except The Duke but I didn't see any connection to that in here... that I remember, at least). And it was totally fine because The Scot Beds His Wife stands well on its own.

And talk about entertaining.

SO often I see historical romances take the same path as all the others in the genre and they all read the same. But this one was different. Sam is a sharpshooting sass queen from the American West on the run from a past that isn't quite done with her yet. Gavin is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants so he can break free from his own past. And right from the start this wasn't like other romances I've read, though I won't reveal too much to avoid spoilers.

I loved Sam's character. She's quick to use a gun and even quicker to cut you down with words, but she's not all sharp edges and black powder. Gavin was very sure of himself which was fun to read but also made their interactions fall on the comedic side more often than not. They were a good balance for each other. 

But one of the biggest parts of their relationship got old after a while.

They lied to each other. Quite often, in fact. Over. And. Over. At first I was fine with it because they were basically strangers and didn't trust each other but after three-quarters of the way through the book they were STILL lying to each other and it just didn't sit well that they had this romance going with all the secrets. Instead of increasing the tension for me, it irritated me. 

Despite that, I really enjoyed the banter and overall plot of the story. The characters were fun and the story moved quick while keeping me entertained. Read it in one sitting!

The book was funny at times and story rather unique. However the cursing and crudenss ruined it for me. It was a modern day story slapped into a historical time that did not stay close to how people acted at that time. I would have liked Sam a little more if she could have been more tactful and more from that time. Thorne was a bit selfish too at first but did redeem himself. It was also incongruous that they had so much animosity yet kissed so quickly. There were several entertaining parts but it took a bit to get into it. Gay couples would not have been so open in those times either.

The Scot Beds His Wife

Wow, what a great story! Ms. Bryne has the most wonderful way of bringing a story to life. The characters in this book have jumped off the page and straight into my imagination. “The Scot Beds His Wife” is unique for a historical romance for many different reasons. I love the sassy, take charge American heroine. Samantha was refreshing, not afraid of hard work, pretentious men, to demonstrate her skills in the saddle or with a pistol, and most importantly not afraid to speak her mind. The hero, Gavin was larger than a regular Highlander, he too was more realistic than a typical romantic hero. “The Scot Beds His Wife” is also different from the usual historical romance as the story did not revolve around balls, gowns, and gossip. The book took me through rough times as well as happy, but I think the situations our H/h deal with add depth to their tale.

This is a standalone novel in the ‘Victoria Rebels’ series, so I was able to understand the story, but I cannot wait to read the other books in the 'Victorian Rebels' series.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. The Scot Beds His Wife features the younger brother of Liam Mackenzie (the Demon Highlander), Gavin, who suffered at the hands of his brutal father as a child. Determined to liberate himself from his past, he has decided that he will no longer be a Mackenzie and as part of his plan, he needs to obtain the abandoned Erradale Estate. Meanwhile in America, the heiress of Erradale (Alison Ross) is on a train heading east to journey to Scotland when her train is robbed and one of the men have her held at gun point when she is saved by Samanatha Masters. Sam is part of the gang robbing the train, but when she realizes her husband is willing to kill despite his promises, she decides to save the young woman by shooting her husband between the eyes. Alison and Sam get to talking and Alison offers Sam the solution to flee America and persecution by gong to Scotland as Alison. All Sam has to do is keep Gavin and the Mackenzie family from obtaining the property. Armed with documents identifying her as Alison, Sam heads to Scotland. Upon arrival, she shortly meets Gavin and they get off on the wrong foot. Sam is nothing like Gavin is expecting and not only does she not flee upon seeing the state of Erradale, but finds a way to begin making a go of it as a cattle ranch. Sam is different from previous heroine in the series: she's much more outwardly tough and has a lot of rough edges such as her language as a result of her formative years in the western US. I loved getting to see Sam fall for Gavin and realize that she has falled for Gavin. Gavin is prickly and has to come to terms with his heritage before he is ready to accept Sam's love and find his future. There's interesting tidbits about the pirate the Rook that have me hoping that his book is the next title from Kerrigan Byrne.

I am new to this author and i absolutely loved this book. The characters sprang to life and I was pulled into this book as if I were there. I truly enjoyed the chemistry and parks between Thorne and Sam. I look forward to reading more from this fabolous author!

This book is to rough for the average reader of historical romance. The characters are rough and violent with language no self-respecting hero or heroine would ever have used in those times or places.

Habitual readers of Kerrigan will already be familiar with the way she writes prologues that rip out your heart. This is not even kind of an exception to that rule. While we had previously heard of the event covered in the prologue (back in Liam’s book). We haven’t had it from Gavin’s perspective. I’m not a weepy person. Books only very rarely cause me to be overcome with emotion. Kerrigan’s heroes and their dark pasts though. I cannot help myself, they absolutely break my heart!



I love everything about Samantha. She is a heroine for the ages! What a character! A real rootin, tootin, sharp shootin cowgirl from the wild west. She is strong. She is brave. She doesn’t need anybody. She makes her own way. As happens in real life, Sam had to go through hell to get to this point in her character, and I love her for it. If I had to use one word to describe Sam, it would be “Resilient”.



Gavin is a unique hero. We already know what a horrible childhood he had. Learning about his mother and all she endured was heartbreaking. I could not endure what she did with as much grace. Gavin has inherited his gentle heart and sweet soul from his mother, but how can he keep himself in tact growing up with such a monster for a father? His story is not one for the weak of heart.



I absolutely fell in love with Callum, Gavin’s best friend. I definitely hope that he has his own story in the works. I was so glad, reading about Gavin’s childhood, that he had Callum’s dad to look up to. Each character, even the most minor ones, are very well rounded.



Stories featuring marriages of convenience in which the people accidentally end up falling in love are my favorite trope. This one was brilliantly done. Kerrigan is a master of the tortured soul. She brings life, love and freedom to the most damaged characters I’ve ever read about.
I could go on and on about how much I loved this story, but I will stop for risk of spoilers. Just let me say that if you haven’t read The Victorian Rebels yet, you are missing out on the best Victorian romance series I have ever read. Start at the beginning, and catch up! I already want to reread them all!

READ AND REVIEWED BY SHOWIE

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book five in the Victorian rebel series. I really enjoyed this story a great deal. I laughed and cried and couldn't put it down. The story will pull you in and take you on a ride. Not sure if a love the title but it was still a good read.

An action packed romance with a feisty American cowgirl hiding out in the Highlands and the gorgeous Highlander, Gavin Thorne, who wants her land. Samantha Masters is not your typical heroine in a romance novel, as she is foul mouthed and gun totting. What starts out as a clash of personalities grows into a very hot "marriage of convenience" but will the relationship be able to survive all the secrets between them?

5 Stars!! I really loved this book!! I haven't read any of the previous books in this series but it is a standalone so I still understood everything going on! I'm definitely going to have to read the other books in the 'Victorian Rebels' series!! I loved how Samantha, a.k.a Alison, wasn't a typical female character! She wasn't a virgin, she was married before, she curses, she works as a rancher & she can shoot a gun and ride a horse better than the men! I really liked how many emotions I felt while reading this. The author had some really sad and upsetting things happen to the main characters & it made me feel so bad for them! I had to remind myself that I was reading a fictional book!! The writing was so convincing & the characters had great chemistry, I could feel it just by reading the book! It's a well written book that I thoroughly enjoyed & I Highly recommend it!

It took me a while to get into this one. The heroine was a gun toting woman who was a little to head strong for my liking. The hero was all to happy to follow her around like a lovestruck fool though she tried shooting him every chance she got. There were a lot of f bombs dropped. Not.my favorite of Kerrigan's

This novel was a good read. The characters both have pasts they are trying to escape from, but the past always catches up to the present and the consequences are never as they seem.
Samantha Masters saved the life of Alison Ross in the Wild West of America. Alison does not want to return to Scotland to claim the land, but does not want the Mackenzie clan to have the land. She asks Sam to go in her place and gives her the paperwork as Alison Ross.
Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, has bedded all types of women, but has never given one his heart after an incident that estranged him from his brother. Gavin's father was a horrible man and he tries to remove himself from the Mackenzies by trying to buy Erradale from Alison Ross. He thinks it will be easy to persuade her to sell....however, he is in for a rude awakening when he meets "Alison Ross".
Sam and Gavin argue and have much sexual tension between them. Each is carrying their own secrets from the other. Both are afraid of how they other will respond to their secrets. Sam in running from the Wild West and realizes she needs to marry Gavin to keep herself safe from those who want revenge on her. Gavin realizes marrying Sam will give him the property he desires and one step closer to his goal. Both go in knowing the ends justify the means. Neither took into account the passion and desire they bring out in each other and the possibility of love. However, the secrets they carry could affect their relationship and destroy any possible progress they have made with each other. When Sam and Gavin's pasts catch up with them, how will each respond to the others secrets and lies?

I really liked the book over all. Thorne and Samantha are two dominate characters that work really well together. There is quite a bit of colorful language that didn't really seem to need to be in the book to make the story line work and sometimes seemed like that was all the author could come up with. The story was good once I got past the language issue.

Byrne always brings the best kind of romantic drama to her books, dark Victorian romances with a twist. How she makes these characters relatable and redeemable when they have done so much bat shit crazy stuff in their past(s) is amazing. I loved the humor that was peppered throughout the book. And this is one damn passionate book, I am going to take a cold shower now....

Damn it, now I have to wait for the next book in the series.

Gifted read by netgalley.
Although this was an interesting story with good characters and development, set in the Scottish highlands I had some issues.
The first being that it felt like it was set in modern day and the past. Some things were said and done that indicated the future not the highlands 1800's. The use of the word fuck repeatedly. Not that I have a problem with the word but pretty sure that slang was not used at this time period.
The second issues being all the lies and deceit by both Allison/Sam/bonny and Gavin. Now some I can deal with to make the story but the deceit of parentage, that I couldn't overlook and it made me not enjoy the book as much.
So overall a decent highland read with interesting characters and story if just a little hard to follow at times.

Byrne has done it again with this roller coaster ride of a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. I loved...LOVED the idea of an American outlaw (albeit unwilling one) as the feisty heroine who sets our lost boy Lothario on his ear. The chemistry between Sam and Gavin was electric, the story fast paced and emotionally charged...In other words, as close to perfect as you can get. CAN NOT wait for the next story in this series, but I know the wait will be worth it. A +++