This has all of the elements that make the perfect historical romance: A hot Scot (Gavin can put his boots under my bed anytime!), a spitfire leading lady, action, suspense, danger, romance and sizzling chemistry. Both Samantha and Gavin are emotionally scarred from things that happened in their past, and that is part of what makes them such endearing characters. Their story has such depth and substance. And, once they quit fighting their mutual attraction ... Ooo La La! ... Passion abounds! It is easy to see why Kerrigan Byrne remains a leader in this genre. I look forward to her next book with great anticipation.

*I received a complimentary copy of this story from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

This one started off with a bang, literally! Sam is a courageous woman that's for damn sure! To do what she did then travel across the world to a new country! Mad props to that chic!

Gavin, even though he had a tragic backstory, wasn't as broody as the other heroes. He's actually a pretty nice guy for a Scottish rake. I kinda felt bad he was being deceived for so long, even though I totally understood why!

I can't wait to read the Rooks story, I have a feeling it's going to be extra good. And Alison and Callum :) SQUEEE!!!

Every time I read a Kerrigan Byrne book I think that she can't get any better and I am always wrong!
This book is everything a Historical Romance Novel and so much more. This is a story of two people who are traumatized by the life that they have lived. Kerrigan lets you inside their hearts and souls to their insecurities and the consequences of their life experiences.

Gavin Thorne is a Highlander who was brutalized by his monster of a father. Samantha Masters is an orphan who married the man she loved or so she thought, it turns out that he is an outlaw and to save another she must kill him. They are both strong characters that overcome so many obstacles to get to their HAE.

I don't want to give away any more of this story away. Their sexual attraction sizzles like you won't believe. They are perfectly matched but fight it until mortal danger enters their lives.

I loved this book and this author. I will read anything she writes and all her books are keepers that I can read over and over again. This is the fifth book in The Victorian Rebels Series and I hope there are more on the way.

Sensual, hot and delicously sexy!

There may have been a bit excessive swearing on the heroine's part but swoony, tormented Gavin definitely made up for it. Wonderful banter between him and firecracker Samantha. Very enjoyable!

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exhange for an honest review.

"He was no barbarian. And certainly no gentleman. He had to be a Celtic god."

FINAL DECISION: Kerrigan Byrne, who is a master at depicting broken and flawed people gives an unflinching story of two people who think themselves too broken for love but who find that the broken jagged parts of each fit together.

THE STORY: The Highlander Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, has a plan. He intends to buy the Ross cattle ranch and finally separate himself from the Mackenzies who have never brought anything but pain to him and his mother. The son of the evil and depraved former Laird of the Mackenzies, Gavin will do anything to get control of the Ross property even if it means engaging with the most difficult woman he has ever met. Samantha Masters has come to the Scotland running from her past filled with dangerous secrets. The passionate arguments between Gavin and Samantha turn into another kind of passion and when her past threatens her once again, Sam agrees to marry. But the secrets she is keeping might destroy everything she is building.

OPINION: This book is a good example to me of why I should stay away from spoilers. I happened to read one of the central secrets in this book and really wish I hadn't. It happens to be one of my least favorite tropes in romance novels and it made me delay reading this book because I love this series so much and I didn't want to hate this book.

Despite this fact, I ended up loving this book and I think I might have enjoyed it even more if I didn't create a negative expectation for myself. (As a review style point, that is why I try so hard not to give away secrets in books without really good reasons and certainly not without warnings).

Throughout this series, Kerrigan Bryne has taken characters with painful destructive pasts and given them their happy endings. Characters that in less skillful hands would be irredeemable and unsympathetic become understandable and shown to be worthy of their own redemption through love. The beauty of this book is that the jagged lives of Sam and Gavin manage to make them fit together in a way that completes each of them and soothes their wounded souls.

Gavin is a man who, like his brothers, is haunted by the monstrous actions of his father. Rather than the physical violence which follows his brother Liam (hero of THE HIGHLANDER), Gavin has been been tilted towards the sexual excesses (certainly not the rape and sexual violence of his father). A charming "ladies man" Gavin is known for seducing his own brother's wife and plenty of other women. Gavin's charming handsome facade hides the same darkness that follows the other men in his family. (Readers of the series will recall that he is not only Liam's younger half brother but also the half brother of Dorian). I especially enjoyed how his softer qualities do not negate his darker ones. The balance works here.

Samantha is brash and bold and foul mouthed and insecure. An American from the west, she is a survivor. Used to taking care of herself, she does what is necessary to get through the next crisis on her life on her own terms. Even worse, she has trusted unwisely before and thus is gun shy for trying again. She challenges Gavin and doesn't back down from him.

The combination of the richly combative exchanges and the sweet understanding between Samantha and Gavin made this a gentler story than I expected in some ways. There are quite a few secrets and deceptions and violence and darkness in this story, but as is true with every book in this series there is also hope and redemption. For readers who have read the prior books in this series, this book is not as dark as the prior book, but for me, the heroine's actions were more difficult to understand. But understand I did.

There is a lot going on in this book. Various characters and motives are interwoven in the story. Some side romance, some ongoing stories, some appearances by prior characters. This book covers a lot of territory.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it makes me look at and question my own assumptions and prejudices. Irredeemable people and actions might be understandable and capable of being forgiven.

Now that I've read it and enjoyed it, I look forward to reading it again without my preconceived fears and prejudices. It will give me something to do until the next book in the series.

WORTH MENTIONING: The Rook.

CONNECTED BOOKS: THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE is the fifth book in the Victorian Rebels series. While the romance in this book is self-contained, there are complicated relationships that only make sense within the context of the whole series. If you want to start here to try out the series, go ahead, but you will want to go back and start from the beginning.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

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 him...more or less. When a fiery lass who is the heiress to the land he wishes to possess drops into his lap, he sees a perfectly delicious opportunity...

A marriage most convenient

Samantha Masters has come back to Scotland, in a pair of trousers, and with a whole world of dangerous secrets from her time spent in the Wild West trailing behind her. Her only hope of protection is to marry—and to do so quickly. Gavin is only too willing to provide that service for someone he finds so disturbingly irresistible. But even as danger approaches, what begins as a scandalous proposition slowly 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...

Review:

A marriage of convenience and false identity start this 5th story in the Victorian Rebels series.

This like the other stories in the series is dark and light, gritty and romantic. All those juxtapositions make an interesting and exciting story. The book definitely starts out on the dark and gritty side as Sam kills her bank robbing husband and saves an heiress. Even though Sam rescues in the end she is rescued too. Then as the story builds she goes an assumes the heiresses identity in Scotland and helps her protect her land. There she is meets Gavin, Earl of Thorne. Both are passionate and quite at odds to begin when they first meet and Gavin tells her he wants her land. Then because of danger there is a marriage of convenience between the spunky American and the dashing Scot. All the while the romance builds between Gavin and Sam, their passion is incredible and a joy to read. Sam is one of my favorite heroines so far this year. Without giving away more important story points. The ending is full of drama, excitement, action and had me crying at one point.

I am so loving this series. The writing is first rate and this Author is on my auto-buy list.

4,5Stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

Plain and simple-I loved this book. Everything about it. The characters are beautiful, raw and real. The tension between Gavin and Sam was hot; the enemies to lovers trope never gets old. Even though they "hate" each other they slowly come to really know one another and this buds into a beautiful romance. I could feel the connection between them from the first time they interacted. I especially loved Sam. She's just so down to earth and relatable. She has a foul mouth for sure and I read some reviews that felt like this quality didn't go well with the time period but I disagree. Sam was raised in the American West. She doesn't belong to the peerage and prior coming to Scotland she spends at least four years with three male outlaws. That's enough for her to be convincing to me. She's such a capable woman. Even though she hides things from Gavin, I understand why. The bottom line is that all these characters ever wanted was for someone to love and to hold. They find that in each other and it's breathtaking.

I enjoyed the book a lot. It has suspense, travel, romance and all the points in between.
When Sam must get away from her husband because he was a robber. She saves Alison from him and his band by shooting him dead.
Gavin has been abused by his father and makes his way on his own.
They find each other and it is a trial for both that brings them together.
A very nice story.

I liked this historical read. The story is fact paced with loads of drama, suspense and deception. I liked both Gavin and Sam and they had great chemistry. I found the story to be intriguing as Sam isn’t some innocent Miss that Gavin can just seduce. An interesting storyline and an entertaining read.

Let’s start by saying that I am usually a bit fan of this series and I was giddy with excitement to start this book. Honestly, I kinda wanted a different character to get their book next instead of this one but I went with the flow and trusted that the author would make me love this anyway. And at first, full disclaimer, I did.

The hero of this story is the brother of the Demon Highlander we met previously in the series. If you’ve been reading in order you’ll know they didn’t have an easy childhood and I was expecting him to have a darkness about himself. In the end, what I’ve come to love about this series was missing from this one. I found Gavin just wanted to never have to be related to his past. To disassociate. But there was little to no ruthlessness and in fact he was quite a nice guy. Yes, I’m complaining he wasn’t bad. I know. That’s crazy. But that is one of the things that I look forward to in this series and I felt it wasn’t the focus here.

The heroine has an interesting journey. She’s American and married to a criminal, part of his brother’s sort of gang. On one of their “jobs” robbing a passenger train, which was supposed to be their last, she made the decision of killing her husband to protect a woman’s life. That same woman was meant to travel to Scotland to claim her family’s land and preferred not to. So she made Samantha a proposal she couldn’t refuse. She could impersonate her and go claim her land, live there as her for as long as she needed safe refuge.

While I liked Gavin and Samantha as a couple, and they had the believed past bad blood between their families to overcome, I found them a bit too bland and couldn’t really get as invested as I usually do with these couples. They were still fun to read about, don’t get me wrong. But I kept waiting for more that didn’t come.

I am still a fan and anxious for the next installment. Hopefully it’ll give me everything I’m hoping for. However, if you like a sweet and sexy Scottish romance you should still put this one on your list.

Usually marriage of convenience tropes follow the same recipe. A deal is struck so H or h (or sometimes both) get something out of their marriage in name only deal. Then the h starts to fall for the H and drama and angst and sometimes tears and accusations happen before H admits his own feelings and it’s all wrapped up in a HEA.

The Scot Beds His Wife differs in that both MCs are experiences and mature and go in literally with their eyes wide open about their business deal. There is instant lust between them but they don’t confuse lust for love or affection. It honestly had this love/hate tension going on that just emphasized the emotional growth they both had to go through to get their happy ending.

Thorne has done everything in his power to disclaim his father’s name and clan, the last thing on his list that will finally grant him his freedom is the coveted land of Alison Ross. The girl is an American Heiress who has stubbornly refused to sale him the land. When he hears that she’s on her way to reclaim her land, Thorne sets out to charm and seduce the land from her.

Samantha is on the run for her life and saving Alison Ross from certain death grants her an opportunity that she can’t refuse. She sets out to masquerade as Alison as a favor to the young woman but also a chance to start over, far away from the states and the family that hunts her.

Soon lies and deceit weave their complicated web and Thorne and Sam are wading through emotions neither knows what to do with. When the truth of Sam’s deception is revealed, will Thorne live up to his cold hearted reputation or will he take a chance on his budding feelings and save himself and Sam from a life of loneliness and misery?

Yikes was this a bumpy road to a HEA I’ve read in a long time! This was a book that left me conflicted because as much as there was to like about the MCs there was plenty to dislike about it them too.

What I liked:
I liked that Sam was strong and independent, she was an amazing heroine (part of the time) because she didn’t let Thorne seduce her. She chooses ever step she takes with him and doesn’t whine or create drama were there isn’t any. She’s a bit crude and stubborn but it was true to character. After everything that she’s lived, Sam is a cautious and cynical woman not prone to a pretty face or flattery. She made Thorne work for her good opinion and affection.

Thorne was also a good MC, he was complex (think layers upon layers of characterization), at first glance he’s your typical rake with a roving eye and no shame in his promiscuous ways but the author delves a bit deeper each time to reveal more of what makes Thorne a good man. He is loyal to a fault, loves his mother, isn’t a gentleman by any stretch but holds to his own code of honor and respect.

This was a case of flawed characters that are imperfectly perfect for each other.

Thorne gets plus points for not being a hypocrite when it comes to Sam and her own sexual experience. There was no cave man disappointment that she wasn’t a virgin and he didn’t hold her virgin status against her.

What I didn't like:
The fact that Sam was willing to lie and pass her baby off on Thorne was so out of character for her. The fact that she didn’t overly struggle with her deception made her much too manipulative and cold versus the strong woman she’d represented so far.

Although the book is fairly safe (no cheating or OW drama) the constant reminder that Thorne had slept with so women was off putting. As it didn’t really matter to Sam, I wasn’t sure why we had to be reminded over and over again that he was a pig when it came to his sexual conquests. Once is enough, trust the reader to store these unpleasant facts for reference, don’t go out of your way to make him unlikable.

Favorite Line:
Thorne doesn’t say a lot of pleasant things through this book. He’s more an action speak louder than words guy but his response to Sam’s baby was a sweet touch.

If I love ye, I will love your baby, and claim it as my own. And I vow this wee one will never know it isna of my body as much as it is of yours.”

Memorable Moments:
Thorne and Liam have a complicated relationship but I loved that marriage scene. It was a humorous scene that pretty much said what I was also feeling when it came to Thorne (at the time, he later kind of grows on me, Lol)

”What about ye, lass? Knowing what ye do about the Lord Thorne’s infamous value – or lack thereof – for wedding vows, do ye, Alison Ross, take this … man …to be yer lawful husband? To have and to hold from this day until his interest wanes, for better, or likely worse, for richer or until he squanders yer fortune, in syphilis – pardon me – sickness and in health, until his death blessedly parts ye?”

gavin st. james has spent his entire adult life battling his childhood demons, mainly by raising hell and other general debauchery. his family is a mess. his father an evil tyrant. his mother killed by his father's hand. his brothers seemingly awful replicas of their dad. it makes sense that he meets his match in strong-willed sam. there's a wildness in him that is matched by a wildness in her.

the scot beds his wife throws gavin and sam together when sam comes to the highlands to lay claim to some land. land that she's been charged to keep away from the mackenzie's. back in america she did a stranger a favor and in return was asked to take her place in scotland. the fact that sam is in scotland under false pretenses becomes one of those secrets that we know that the other main character doesn't know for a huge chunk of the novel.

this adds to a sense of dread, because you know things will just happen to fall apart spectacularly. this is the fifth book in the series and it does stand alone. at the same time when you are this far into a series it feels a bit weird to be only just picking it up.

Samantha (Sam) Masters was orphaned as a young girl, and was taken in by a ranching family who forced her to work as hard as any ranch hand for her keep. When she was eighteen, the family tried to marry her off to an old man. In order to avoid this fate, she married a drifting ranch hand named Bennet, and left with him and his two brothers, soon becoming a part of their criminal gang. During one of their attempted robberies, everything goes awry, and Sam ends up saving the life of a young woman at the expense of her own husband's life. Bennet's brother witnessed her killing, and she knows that she's as good as dead. It turns out that the young woman, whose life she saved, is a Scottish heiress, who has no intention of ever returning to Scotland. They are similar in age and coloring, so the young lady concocts a plan for Sam to change her identity, go to Scotland, and claim her inheritance. Thus, Samantha Masters is now Alison Ross.

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, was born a Mackenzie, and is in the process of legally severing all ties with that hated name. His deceased father was a twisted, perverted, and cruel man whose actions toward his wives and children left them scarred physically, but especially emotionally. He inherited his title from his mother's side of the family, and once he's rid of his cursed father's name, and can purchase the piece of land to complete his estate, he can be content. The estate, Erradale, is owned by absentee heiress, Alison Ross, and Gavin wastes no time in approaching her the moment she steps off the train. Though Gavin has made an offer that is beyond generous, the prickly Alison refuses to sell.

Erradale is in sad shape, and the cattle have scattered. Alison, who insists that she be called "Sam," and the two remaining ranch hands attempt to put the ranch back together. Gavin has not given up, and makes every attempt to change Sam's mind. He's never met anyone like the bold, mouthy, fearless woman who can ride, shoot, and ranch better than any man. Gavin decides to try seduction, as he is notorious for his conquests and is a very handsome man. Sam, however, is very aware of Gavin's reputation, and though his appearance is breathtaking, she's having none of it. Their continued bickering is just a cover for the simmering attraction between them.

When Sam's brothers-in-law track her down, and hire men to destroy her ranch, she's at a loss as to what she can do. Gavin, seeing an opportunity, offers a marriage that will mutually benefit them both. He will move her into his home and protect her, she will become a countess, and he will have the land that he covets. He fully intends that the marriage be a physical one, but once they have a child, he'll let Sam live her own life, as he has no intention of remaining faithful. Gavin also states that they will each keep their own secrets. Since there is no love or trust involved, Sam accepts, and they marry.

As you can expect, their passion is steamy and explosive - but within a short month of marriage, something else begins to happen. They find a tenderness and a genuine caring for each other. Sam longs to tell Gavin the truth about her past, while he wants a genuine and faithful marriage and to share the dark events of his past. For the first time in forever, Gavin feels happy and Sam feels safe. Then the brothers return, intent on avenging Bennet’s death. They reveal the truth in a brutal way, causing Gavin to rebuild the walls around his newly healed heart, because there’s another secret uncovered about Sam – this one a shattering betrayal of Gavin.

Oh, this book! It’s so complex and so magnificently written. I didn’t want to like either of these characters as they have traits I truly dislike. Sam is a liar and a deceiver and betrayed Gavin in the worst way a woman can betray a man. Gavin is a manipulator and a seducer. Yet, Kerrigan Byrne worked her magic and made me fall in love with both of them, skillfully telling the tragic events of their pasts that shaped them. I saw how they were stronger together, and so right for each other, and my heart broke when their short-lived happiness was shattered. There are wonderful secondary characters who added some comic relief, while some touched my heart and made me long for their stories. Be warned that if you are offended by the “f-bomb,” this book is rife with it, most of it from the heroine’s lips. THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE is emotional, fast paced, compelling, steamy, and an all-around fantastic read that is one of my favorites for this year.

It’s about stinkin’ time I come across a historical romance novel that exemplifies all of the qualities in a good novel I crave. I can’t express in words how I felt when I began reading and realized that I was getting the raw, gritty Victorian scoundrel hero I wanted so much and the leading lady with a good, working brain in her head. We (readers) are pretty well done with swooning idiots in a corset who can’t make up their minds or open their mouths enough to say more than an oooh or an aaah. Consider that request granted.

Kerrigan Byrne’s writing is fantastic. I love her descriptions and the way she delivers her characters’ mannerisms to the reader with ease. The story leaves absolutely nothing to be further desired and the delivery of plot is fantastic. I have absolutely nothing to complain or nit-pic over.

I can’t imagine not reading the rest of the books listed on the author’s website as belonging to the Victorian Rebels collection. Now that I know they exist, I’m going to read them next.

I love Kerrigan Byrne as an author, but this wasn't my favorite book in the series. I liked how the book started off, with the main character Sam escaping a hard situation with her husband and her husband's family, and meeting the heiress Alison Ross, who gives her a chance to start over. However, as much as I liked the set-up I had a hard time with all the lies Sam tells and all the secrets she keeps, even if she thinks she's doing it for a good reason. I think this made it difficult to root for her in her relationship with Gavin, and made me frustrated. I did like the interactions between the two, as they often had a dash of humor, which kept things interesting. Eventually, the ending brought everything together for me. While I didn't enjoy this installment of the series as much as others, I will definitely read the next book in the series.

I received an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Very interesting, some what surprising if you are familiar with the series and are expecting something dark., not here. An ax to fall, not here. It's almost light at least compared to the others. But did I like it? Yes! Sometimes simple is best. The heroine, Sam, is ok the Hero Gavin is a total jerk. But in the end we love them both.

2,5/5

This is the 5th volume in the Victorian Rebels series of which I already read and reviewed the volumes 3 and 4 (found here https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/17327509-les-romantiques?utf8=%E2%9C%93&search%5Bquery%5D=byrne ). The hero of this last volume, Gavin, is the half-brother of the hero in the 3rd volume, story where we already glimpsed him.

We meet him again when he’s decided to get rid of his abusive father’s name to definitively take the name of her mother’s family. For that he first wants to buy the neighboring estate to an heiress who took refuge in America and who’s coming back to assert her rights on her lands. But Samantha, alias Sam, isn’t what he was waiting for at all, and if he’s first annoyed by her opposition, he’s at the same time extremely attracted to her, and surprised when his famous appeal doesn’t work on her. All through the story we have snippets of his childhood memories allowing us to understand why he hates his name and why he took refuge in the arms of multiple conquests.

There are two things I didn’t like about Gavin. The first is the fact he’s a womanizer, the second is the hate he feels for his half-brother. And when we finally learn why he’s so mad at him I thought his feeling of hate excessive: he didn’t accept his half-brother fled their abusive father, leaving him behind which he felt was abandonment, and that he was forced to marry the woman Gavin loved. Without taking into consideration the fact the author calls him once Gavin, once St James (his maternal surname), once Thorne (his title), which I find highly annoying.

Sam the heroine isn’t a lady. In reality she’s also not who everyone thinks she is. Orphan raised on a farm, married very young to a cowboy turned train robber, she saved the life of the aforesaid heiress during a hold-up. That one offered her, in order to flee some danger, to take her place in Scotland where she didn’t want to go herself, in condition of never letting the estate go to someone in the hero’s family. Sam isn’t the type to drink her tea with her pinky in the air but to round up her herd dressed in her favorite Jeans. So yes as some comments said she has a nasty tendency to curse and she’s trigger-happy, which is not fitting for a lady, but precisely she’s not one!

The synopsis is misleading because at first Sam is decided to keep up her end of the bargain and doesn’t think of finding a husband at all. By the way at first she almost feels hate for the hero, or at least a big contempt, and there are a lot of verbal confrontations and exchanges of digs, something I don’t especially like. In spite of this they feel an important attraction to which Sam somehow tries to resist. It’s only when the danger that was threatening Sam in America catches up with her in Scotland that Gavin proposes to her and she accepts… under her false identity.

And that’s another point I didn’t like: the lie goes on for too long. Sam is hiding a lot of things from Gavin, and so each time they thought they were happy I had the feeling a big thunder storm was gathering above their head. I was afraid of the hero’s reaction when he’d learn the truth, and I can say that indeed that didn’t go well. On the other hand seeing what he thought and what he learns, it would have been strange if he took it well.

The story in itself is quite slow, there are repetitions in both characters’ thoughts, and there’s a smuggling story which was a bit unnecessary in my opinion. And even if the second part, once they are married and must learn to know each other, was clearly better than the first, I wasn’t really hooked by the whole story, too bad.

Love and lust in the same package.

“The Scot Beds His Wife” is the 5th book in the Victorian Rebel Series by Kerrigan Byrne. I received an arc from Net-Galley and publisher for an honest review; thank you both for introducing me to this talented author. This is the first book of Ms. Byrne that I have read and I am hooked. I will definitely read the other books in this series. She has created an authentic cast of complex flawed characters who interact with dark intrigue, blatant lies, tragic misunderstanding, staunch loyalty, blunt truth, lack of trust, sensual lust and hilarity, set in the Highlands of the past. In this book, she has crafted a marvelous tale where lives and history are entwined among several families damaged by malicious evil. Some rise above the evil in their past and some are corrupted with no chance of redemption.

What is in a name? With titles, nicknames, stolen names, nefarious legends and pet names, the confusion causes a series of comic scenes of Shakespearean mistaken identity. Many secrets are hidden in the present and the past of these star-crossed lovers and their families.

Samantha Masters, a young woman, with a past she cannot escape, seeks sanctuary in Scotland. She has promised Alison Ross that she will fight to keep the land which the Ross family owned in Scotland, in exchange for a safe hiding place. Gavin St. James, The Earl of Thorne, who is a scandalous rake is her competition and he uses all the powers and seductive techniques in his possession to win the land and get Sam in his bed, too. Who is going to be the winner?

Samantha is a strong-willed fiery American woman who swears like a sailor, can rope and ride and outshoot any Highland Earl. Not at all the lady that Gavin was expecting to seduce into giving up her land. Gavin is a man who has overcome his past by hiding behind an emotionless arrogance that has frozen his heart and caused him to divorce his family and change his name. The chemistry between Sam and Gavin sizzles on the page and keeps you wanting to read what happens next. How are they going to trust each other when there are so many secrets that could turn their love to hate?

The minor characters are also a large part of the comedy, romance, adventure and mystery in this delightful romp of a historical novel. You love to hate the villains and you love to laugh at the antics of the sidekicks. You also can see several budding romances in the future to be read in the series. I can hardly wait for the next book to come out.

Ms. Byrne pulls you I with he writing. She always writes an entertaining story to keep you engaged, however at some point in the story it starts to drag a tad bit then picks up again. Her characters are intriguing and and complex enough to keep you entertained. I really enjoyed this book.

I received this book for an honest review.

'He was no barbarian. And certainly no gentleman.'

Complex situations, begat by desperation, lies, bad choices, childhood abuse and oh so many other factors dog the pages in this very different story in the Victorian Rebels series. I keep thinking Annie Oakley meets a Scots Celtic god, whose soul holds close hidden horrors a la Dorian Gray. Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne's emotional burdens weigh him down. Although there is no painting in the attic, Gavin has suppressed regrets and terrible memories, that he's spent a life time attempting to forget by cutting a path through the bedrooms of the rich and needy using his exceptional charm.
Samantha Masters was part of a gang including her husband and his brother who are train robbers. This time the robbery goes awry and in the ensuing confusion and aftermath Sam commits murder and exchanges places with an heiress, Alison Ross, and flees to the Highlands, having taken on Alison's persona.
Well of course this cattle herding, fast shooting Amaerican gal comes as a complete shock to Gavin who had plans of frightening her into selling her lands to him ... or marrying her. Whichever will work.
Naturally both of their pasts manage to catch up with them, not before a last resort wedding, unexpected attacks from angry westerners pursuing Sam, sexually charged situations, and a whirlwind of emotional angst.
I loved the secondary characters, the gruff shepherds and other members of the clan who take Sam into their hearts.
Certainly a highland historical Victorian era novel with a difference. I am still unsure about the Wild West confrontation with the Highland Warriors but if anyone can pull it off its Kerrigan Byrne.

A NetGalley ARC
(October 2017)