I have enjoyed Kerrigan's series - so dark, such great dark, tormented heroes and strong heroines! - and this one did not disappoint!

Thanks St. Martin's Press and netgalley for this ARC.

This is a great example of a historical romance that thinks out the box. Exciting, dangerous, and hot to trot.

3.5 - 4 stars

As you can see I'm a little undecided on the rating. This is because it had a fantastic early part, some lulling in the middle where my attention wandered and a great final 30%. Overall this is a good read but it didn't hit the spot quite as much as some of her others.

Lord Gavin Thorne is something of an arrogant, conceited lead male. He's got the kind of childhood you recoil reading about so there is some rationale for his distance from most connections and his hedonistic and determined goals in life. He considered himself irresistible to the opposite sex and he used this to get what he wanted. Initially, this is a turn off to the reader but you cannot look away from him.

"He'd eschewed a waistcoat or cravat, deciding instead to dress informally in only trousers, riding boots, his shirtsleeves-purposely left open a few rebellious buttons-and a vest beneath his long wool coat."

Sam was a great heroine, strong, single-minded and crass. I liked her and her life prior to Erradale was compelling, tragic and stirred all my empathy. Nevertheless, her duplicity was difficult to swallow and the secrets left me hanging on for the reveal, hanging on quite long. These two had undeniable chemistry and whilst there was back and forth, I could wait for them.

Kerrigan Bryne did a great job of secondary characters in THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE. The band of rough scuffs at Erradale were endearing and funny. I am pretty desperate to see Callum's story with great hopes that it intersects with Alison's.

I am here to follow this series wherever it goes and also to follow Kerrigan Byrne's writing anywhere. This might not be my favourite in the series but it is still a good read.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through netgalley in return for a honest review.

Reviewed for Jo&IsaLoveBooks Blog.

This review will post 10/10/2017 as part of the blog tour and giveaway. I've only added the review portion below, The full post will include a summery, buy links, giveaway information and author bio. I will add link when review posts.

Kerrigan Byrne has fast become an auto-buy, favorite author for me in the Historical Romance genre. While I do love a sweet, fun, easy Regency romance, I also can’t resist a darker read. And this author does dark so well. Every time I open a new book in this series I have to mentally prepare myself because I know that the first chapter is going to be tough to get through. In this case, the scene that sets the stage for Gavin’s backstory is one we’ve seen before, just from his point of view. He is after all the Demon Highlander’s younger brother, and Liam’s story was told in book three, The Highlander.

I wasn’t sure what to think about this couple at first. Gavin is such a douchey douche. He survives his childhood and then basically decides to become the opposite of his father and brothers. He uses his charm and good looks to get through life, rather than brute force and violence. He has a way with women and apparently has used his way with women many, many, many times over the years. Of course after the brief look into his childhood and what he endured, I knew that all of this was a façade to hide the darkness inside. He is absolutely, 100% determined to separate himself from the MacKenzie name and clan. He has a plan and it involves acquiring a neighboring property which he plans on using as grazing land for cattle. The only problem is the woman who inherited the land absolutely does not want to sell to anyone from the MacKenzie family. So he decides to use his notorious charm on her to get his way… and it does not work out like he expected.

"With tendrils of her dark hair escaping the braid and wildly floating about her fierce expression, she could have been the Celtic Queen Boudicca facing General Suetonius.

Gavin had never tried harder in his life not to be impressed.:

Sam, our heroine, has her own dark backstory. Not quite as dark as Gavin’s, but not a bed of roses either. I liked her immediately. She is bristly and in your face with her insults, brutal in her honesty and doesn’t know any other way to be but herself. She rides and shoots just as well, if not better, than any man and knows it. She is no one’s fool, despite feeling duped by her first husband. In an impossible situation, and with her future on the line, she tries to resist the charming and handsome Lord Thorne. She tells so many lies, and then keeps those untruths to herself long after I thought she should, but I can’t say I didn’t empathize or understand with why she did it.

It took me some time to enjoy them as a couple. I’m not sure exactly why, maybe because they are so different, or maybe I felt like Gavin was bullying Sam into liking him and I wanted her to resist as long as she could. I loved his reactions to her capableness, but I couldn’t help but want Sam to keep resisting and for Gavin to have to change his set in ways to win her affection.  But, as with any book, there is a scene where something bad happens and Sam is in peril and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I wanted that reaction from Gavin that proved he cared more than he wanted to admit. I knew this particular scene would be a turning point in their relationship. The big moment when things changed for them.

The other thing Kerrigan Byrne does well is bring the heat in her love scenes. All that self-confidence and experience Gavin has in the bedroom is utilized once he and Sam fall into bed. Their relationship turns from antagonism to lust and then to love. Yes, there is a big climax at the end where all of Sam’s secrets finally come out which forces Gavin to face some uncomfortable truths and requires him to man up and admit his feelings to his lover. It was a satisfying conclusion and I liked how they achieved their HEA. The epilogue was a nice look into Gavin and Sam’s future and there’s even an interesting hint at which character might be appearing in the next book in the series.

The Scot Beds His Wife is another well written, enjoyable read in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne. I’m already looking forward to the next release.

Favorite Quote:

She’d stolen into love with Gavin St. James in small, imperceptible shifts of the cosmos.
Demons and all.

I really liked that the storyline of this book wasn't the usual Scottish romance. Samantha isn't your usual damsel in distress either. She is a strong and smart female lead that I wasn't expecting.

This story is a wee bit lighter than the other stories in the series. But do not get me wrong, it is full of angst but with some humor thrown in. You know when you are reading a physical book and you have to slam it closed because it is too much, well that is this book. I was so worried about what would happen that I had to “close the book” a few times. Gavin definitely is hiding behind humor and sex and Samantha is just hiding. I did love that Samantha is American and added a different flavor with her Americanisms. There are secrets galore in this story and you did not know when they would come out. Calybrid, Locryn and Callum are wonderful characters and added their own bit of humor. Again Ms. Bryne’s writing is beautiful and the story flows well and the characters are fantastic.

We get another glimpse of The Rook. What is his game and who is he? I have my suspicions but will keep them to myself. Also, the reveal at the end really threw me. I had no idea it was coming. Ms. Byrne, please write faster.

<i>She'd never expected that the chains threatening her freedom would be made of velvet instead of steel. That the one place that truly never belonged to her was the one place she'd never want to let go of.</i>

So I did a bad thing that turned into a good thing. Can GR now be a confessional? Forgive me, Byrne, for I have sinned.. I saw reviews written by people I don't know (should've been a clue) before reading your latest and as a result I had some low expectations going into this one. Except THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE blew me away. Chalk it up to expecting the worst? No, I can't. I must've just read a different book.. or maybe they did. Who can say.

"<i>I suppose you're.. not wrong.</i>"
"<b>And that's almost like being right.</b>"
"<i>Don't push it.</i>"

I love this author. I discovered her two books into the series (I think?) so she's still kind of new to me. But every installment in her <i>Victorian Rebels</i> has been good (THE HIGHLANDER) or great (all the rest). Yet I never thought she'd top THE HUNTER because, for me, I think that's been my favourite. But lookee here! We have a new winner, folks.

<i><b>He</b> was supposed to be seducing <b>her</b> with all the practiced calculation he'd garnered over decades. So.. why in the name of all the bloody Scottish saints had he been the one with the unsteady knees?</i>

I've loved Byrne's twist on historical romance. I love that she's plumbed the darker, twistier, depths of this genre and given us some pretty damaged and bleak men to swoon over, to watch them find themselves, to live with their pasts, their demons, and love. In the fifth installment of this series, however, she travels a more familiar -- yet still impressively unique -- HR-path; a little less intense, a little less obviously dramatic, than some of the previous books and yet with the classic Byrne flavour we've come to expect. Especially at the end of it all.

"<i>I've seen all there is of humanity, and you know what I learned?</i>"
"<b>What's that?</b>"
"<i>It's better.. to just live alone in a cave.</i>"

I loved these characters. I loved their struggles, their backgrounds, their lies, their pretenses, their attempts to battle our their attraction and their opposition. I honestly don't want to go into much of their quirks or the events that surround them because I forgot to reread the synopsis on this one before picking it up and I loved discovering it all as it came about.

"<i>You still live with your ma?</i>"
"<b><i>She</i> resides with <i>me</i>. In <i>my</i> castle.</b>"

And boy did we discover some doozys in this one. Damn, Byrne, as happy as I am that these two got their happily ever after you've simultaneously got me all tied up in knots now. I need the next book! And this damn thing isn't even out yet. Arrrrrg the curse of the ARC. We do it to ourselves.

"<i>I don't think I believe in villains. Heroes either. Just people. People with agendas and the things they're willing to do to get what they want.</i>"

But seriously, readers, I'm sorry this review fails to break down the fun, the snark, the swoony, that encapsulates these two leads. I'm sorry this review fails to express the devastation our hero, Gavin, endured, like all the Mackenzie men, and how he focused his energies in a way completely unique to this beleaguered family of accomplished, feared, infamous, charming, misfits. I'm sorry I didn't go into any detail about how interesting Sam's American way of life was, how enjoyable it was to see her adjust to the Highlands and the men who live in it. I'm sorry I haven't gushed over the brilliant cast of secondary and tertiary characters, some familiar and some not, that made appearances.. and who will again in the future. I'm sorry I can't give you a hint as to how fiery and delicious the chemistry is between these two (spoiler : it's fiery and delicious). I'm sorry this review is basically wrapped in apologies. But just know that when you do read it, when you get the chance, <b>you</b> won't be sorry. You'll be thanking me. And so I say to you : you're welcome.

4.75 "Samantha decided right then and there to learn Gaelic. it was apparently a lovely language for cussing" stars

A lusty, down-to-earth, no frills encounter between a girl from the American West, and a brawny Highlander. The physical attraction between these two is strong, and they will work out anything that gets in the way of getting into bed together.

I disliked this book. This was a historical, yet the heroine Samantha really did not act the part to me, all she did was curse and lie, yeah not a good person. Then we have hero, who was just in lust, wasn't romantic to me. Story dragged, I will probably not read anymore books by this authors. Sorry folks.

The Scot Beds His Wife was my introduction to author Kerrigan Byrne and what a pleasant surprise! This fifth installment in the Victorian Rebels series is absolutely gripping in its storytelling and can be read as a stand alone book, which was the case for me. While the title leaves a bit to be desired, the writing is fluid and riveting to the point that it was easy to become immersed in the plot. Wild West meets Wild Scot would accurately describe the relationship of the main characters, Sam and Gavin. Raised on a ranch and married into an outlaw lifestyle, Sam seeks asylum with the help of a kind stranger and ends up in the Scottish Highlands, never suspecting her hardest battle would be with the neighboring earl, Gavin. The exchange of saucy words and gunfire keep the reader on their toes throughout this story, while endearing them to the painful pasts of all the characters. I dare any reader, once finished with The Scot Beds His Wife, to not go back and read the series in its entirety. That, of course, is my plan and I will anxiously await the next book.

I received this advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Scot Beds His Wife is the fifth installment in this wonderful and riveting Victorian Rebels series that this author has brought to us. I would like to point our first and foremost, that this author has a very unique style. A writing style in romance that has died the past few years. Her writing voice is tough, emotional and packed with characters that are flawed, but so very realistic. Each character you can see being real especially in this time period. I feel like the Regency/Victorian era has come across has light and fluffy but I feel that there is another side to this era most authors never talk about. However, Kerrigan Byrne doesn’t sugar coat her romances. These stories are filled with men and women that make mistakes, that suffer injustices but somehow turn out to have hearts of gold. In The Scot Beds His Wife we have the story, of Liam’s brother Gavin. Liam was our hero in book three “The Highlander”. So it was such a delight to finally have Liam’s story. I was crossing my fingers that this lovely author would writes his book so I couldn’t wait to pick this one up.

This story sets off with our heroine, who lives out in the American West. She has had to make some tough choices in life, and made a easy choice to marry a man more appealing than a old lecher who had multiple wives. Before she knew it, she was robbing trains instead of a quiet life out on the coast like she dreamed and was promised. But when her husband was going to murder an innocent woman, she killed him and made a friend for life. This friend offered her a chance for a fresh start in Scotland. To take her name, and take her property and never allow a Mackenzie to keep it. So she agrees and heads over to Scotland and right on the train station, she falls into the arms of a handsome yet dangerous Scot who makes her feel in ways she never felt with her late husband. But then she learns that he is Gavin, the man who wants the land that she came to claim. But the past will come back to haunt them both, and they may lose each other just when they find a love worth fighting for…

What a action packed and sexy filled romance that this story turned out to be. I instantly fell in love with this book, and I easily read it in one sitting and had more than my share of fun with this one. There are so many things to really love about this one. What was unique was the characters. You would think that they would make a good match at all. Our hero Gavin, is a rake and a scoundrel. He is used to getting what he wants and has the money to do it. Our heroine, is no pansy. She is tough, she prefers riding horses and can rope cattle. She swears on ocassion and has no talents for music or sewing. And she has spunk and isn’t afraid of Gavin. She stands up to him constantly and I loved seeing her put him in his place. It was pretty entertaining, seeing these two go at it so much. At first they don’t like each other very much, they want the same piece of land. They do have some sizzling chemistry, and boy this author can write some smexy scenes here. But soon this chemistry they have, turns these enemies into lovers. Two people that learn to admire and respect one another. They have some bumps along the way of course, but boy this author definitely knows how to keep me fascinated, enthralled and spellbound in this powerfully portrayed story that will tie you up in knots and keep you thirsty for more!!

Gavin is part of an important clan, the MacKenzies. He is the third son to a man who is a terrible man. His two older brothers are becoming just like their father. Their father is willing to do what ever suits him and whatever suits him involves abuse of anyone who is weak and powerless. Gavin has vowed he will withdraw from the MacKenzies. He has inherited the title of Earl of Thorne and he intends to change his name and separate himself from anything to do with the MacKenzies. He will start a new life as soon as he purchases some neighboring land and starts a cattle operation.

Samantha is pretending to be Allison. Allison is the woman who actually owns the land Gavin covets. But, Allison does not want to leave her life in San Francisco. She sends Samantha in her place to take control of the land and prevent Gavin from purchasing it at any cost. Samantha is running from her past so she is quite willing to cross an ocean to begin again. She grew up in the western part of the States. She ran away from an abusive situation and married a man who said he loved her. It turns out, he did not really love her, but he needed her to help commit robberies. He and his brothers were bandits who swore they never really harmed anyone. When he was about to kill someone, Samantha shot him to death and also shot one of his brothers.

She is a good shot, rides astride like a man and knows all about raising cattle. She is brave, intelligent and capable of holding her own in any challenging conversation. She also holds her secrets very close. Gavin lusts after her in part because of her wit, her many unexpected skills, her humor and the way she looks in a pair of tight fitting pants.

Gavin has a history of being a womanizer. His reputation is less than sterling. Sam never really tries to appear to be Allison.

This book is part of a series, but reads well as a stand alone.

Ms Byrne has created an interesting plot with many twists and turns. Not much of what we see is exactly as it appears.

Gavin and Sam are not my favorite characters. Although they are attracted to one another and become involved in a relationship, neither one tells the truth. I understand that trust is sometime a difficult quality, but after a time, I felt at least some truth should have appeared between the two of them. I understand about the past coloring the present for people. But, eventually it seems this relationship simply cannot create honesty between the two of them. After a time, the lies seemed to go on too long..

There are secondary characters who add a great deal to the story. There are two elderly men who are wonderful. Gavin's best friend, Callum, is a fascinating man who is much more than he appears to be on the surface.

The language was a burden for me. Yes, I understand about using the “F” word for emphasis, but at times I felt this became overkill.

Ms Byrne writes wonderful characters who lead interesting lives. And this reader wants to go along to find out what happens.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

I have loved every book in this series, but this one I've loved the most. Sam is a fantastic heroine. Action packed and full of emotion. I can't wait to read more of this series in the future.

THE SCOT BEDS HIS WIFE is one of those books you'll either love or hate. I enjoyed it although I thought Samantha Masters seemed more of a modern day heroine than a historical one. When she's faced with a life and death situation, she finds herself in the Scottish Highlands on a run-down family estate impersonating Miss Allison Ross. There she encounters Gavin St. James who is desperately trying to buy the Ross land and the herd of cattle roaming the estate. Both of them have deep dark secrets and neither wants to give an inch in their back and forth fighting over the land until Sam is attacked. Injured and running for her life, she has no choice but to seek shelter at Gavin's castle. That's when things get more interesting and Sam must make a life-altering decision.

I had a hard time with Sam's constant swearing. Even given her harsh upbringing, it seemed a little over the top and too modern for the times. It took a while, but I did warm up to her. I loved Gavin--a rake with an irresistible smile that hid tortuous secrets of his own. Neither one of them seemed to be able to trust the other. Ms. Byrne did an excellent job of pulling the reader into their nightmares, feelings and fears. There was an element to Sam's situation that was surprising and it was interesting to see how the author wrapped up that. I did enjoy this book, but be warned, there is a lot of swearing and graphic sex scenes.

I really enjoyed this book. However, it started off a bit slow for me. The pace picked up after Gavin and Sam married. That's when things started getting interesting. The return of the devious Masters' brothers. The intricacies of the relationship between all of the Mckenzie brothers, especially between the Demon Highlander Liam and Gavin. The lies and intertwining of familial ties, the discovery of a little sister and possibly a new brother. Identities revealed...All made this a fun read once the paced picked up. It seems I need to read the other books about the rest of this clan. I'm missing so much.

I was happy to see there were happy endings for all. Looking forward to reading more from this author. I voluntarily read this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

In typical Kerrigan Bryne style, this book starts with a bang and keeps you engrossed until about halfway through the book. After that point, I thought the story slowed down a little until it picked up again towards the end. Although, this book doesn't compare to the rest of my favorites from this series, I really liked the characters which are both intriguing and complex. I also liked how the author has brought in flavors from both American wild west and Scotland. I also enjoyed meeting my favorite characters from the previous books. It was such a treat. This is book number five in the Victorian Rebels series. If you have never read this series, I highly recommend starting with the Highwayman which is the first book in the series and one of my all time favorite romances.

* I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

Book: The Scot Beds His Wife by Kerrigan Byrne

Release Date: October 3. 2017

Series: Victorian Rebels, Book #5

Reviewed by: Barb Massabrook (of)
1.Tartan Book Reviews
2.Purple Tulip Book Reviews
3.Celtic Barb’s Tartan Book Review Blog

Heat Rating:🔥

Overall Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




This is the story of rake and lady’s man Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne. A highlander known to be a rake and ladies man, but a man with a dark childhood. His father was the demonic former Laird Hammish MacKenzie . Gavin covets the lands of Erradale Estate that Scottish heiress Alison Ross owns. Yet things don't go as smoothly as he expects. As this Casanova is not used to rejection in any shape or form whatsoever from the fairer sex. It was also obvious this lass was no damsel in distress!


Samantha “Sam” Masters kills her husband, saving the life of her new friend Scottish heiress,Alison Ross. Then they make a deal, as Alison doesn't want to leave America. Been living in the States since she was a child plus having a fiancé in San Francisco. They know both know the law and the Masters brothers are going to go after Samantha. As one of the brother’s witnessed the murder of her husband,their brother. This was unknown to Sam until after the murder was done.

Sam needs to get out of Dodge and fast! She is realizing she rather be hung by US Marshals, than have the diabolical Masters brothers deal with her! They would want revenge and torture to make Sam suffer for their brothers murder. Then Alison comes up with a plan for Sam to switch places with her! Killing two birds with one stone per say...

Alison realizes Samantha does have experience on ranches with cattle, riding horses and mathematics. All the things necessary to sustain her lands. As Alison has had put her wedding on hold due to this offer on her Scottish estate. She has to return to her Scottish estate as she made a promise to her dad before his die. Never allow a MacKenzie to take their lands away! So of course Gavin St. James is the one to covet her family's ancestral lands! The elder Laird now dead, who is a MacKenzie and is Gavin St. James demonic father! Plus she must live on her estate for a period of time to prove she has not abandoned her families lands.

Gavin thought this was to be an easy purchase, but then he realizes again-his father even dead, is ruining another thing for him. Plus he can't help but be attracted to what he thinks is a spoiled heiress. He uses duplicity to attain his lands to put him in a charming light. He is used to women falling and swooning at his feet, but realizes the tides have turned in this scenario. As it is he who has fallen for the American raised chit!

Samantha knows the Masters brothers will never stop looking for her. Marriage is her only answer. Gavin who wants both the woman and the lands is more than ready. Yet as always lies, betrayal and deceit have a way to catch up with you. Will this star crossed couple stay together with love in their heart. Will they go their separate ways with feelings of hatred and betrayal or just a shredded heart? You must read this

Lots of major surprises in this action packed captivating nail biter! Flawed characters with dark pasts that you can't help but adore! It is stored with all the memorable elements historical romance readers love. Including a braw, hunky, swoon worthy hero and a gorgeous,sassy, independent, gun toting heroine who rides horses like a man! Another beautifully written heart puller that readers won't be able to put down. Also a major compelling teaser for The Rook, which will be book #6 in this powerful Victorian series that I can't wait to read!

As always in this sensational unforgettable series….Ms.Byrne pens another page turning fabulous book. The type of book readers will want to revisit and read again and again. I know for me her stories stay with me for a long time after I have read them. Only the outstanding and remarkable novels do this to me. Her books seems more real to me, as I know cursing is in my everyday life. I am sure people cursed in the 18th and 19th century too. I actually love the cursing in her stories.

Kerrigan Byrne, is one one those rare extraordinary authors, whose stories bring every emotion out of me! That is from giddiness, to tears,to cursing, and to gasping for air! Her books are pretty incredible to me and I can't recommend this wonderful author enough! It is a definite book you don't want to miss! The


VICTORIAN REBELS SERIES
BY KERRIGAN BYRNE
1)The Highwayman
2)The Hunter
3)The Highland
4)The Duke
5)The Scot Beds His Wife

Note: You can read any of Kerrigan's books in any order or just as a stand alone book.


(Victorian Rebels): Kerrigan ... - Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Scot-Beds-Wife-Victorian-Rebels/dp/1250122546

I received this book From Saint Martin’s Press publishers for a fair and honest review. I voluntarily agreed to read, review, blog and promote through netgalley. All words, ideas and thoughts are my own.

The foul language in this book is too much for my taste. It's about even with what I expect when reading a Motorcycle Club type of book, not a Historical Romance. After reading the first few chapters I went back and re-read the description of the book, because I truly thought that I was reading the wrong book. The description is very vague and only touches on a very small part of what this book is about. I don't want to give away the plot, just wanted to let you know that it is a lot darker book then I expected.

Kerrigan Byrne's novels are something I deeply and eagerly look forward to. DEEPLY.

And I was looking forward to read Gavin's book.


When I had a look at the plot however, I came out a bit apprehensive; I'm not particularly fond of marriages in the middle of the story, I've said it probably thousands of times, and I was worried that the heroine would have been the overly-seen tomboy female protagonist, who knows how to fire a gun and ride astride (which I generally like but from a series such as this I was hopping for something more unique).

I should have known better...the heroine, Sam/Allison is indeed unique. She is a bandit, and a murder. Gosh I adore how Byrne is not politically correct with her characters...her protagonists are those that would be depicted as antagonists in others' historical romances. I LOVE.



Moreover, in The Scot Beds His Wife, very interesting things are said and which will be hopefully developed in the future novels; apart from Alison and Callum's love story which I cannot wait to read, there is the Rook, who till now had been only mentioned but who here, being more relevant to the plot, has given the reader a lot to speculate about regarding himself and his relationship with Dorian (The Highwayman). I WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING ASAP.


All that said, I find myself partially in agreement with those who say that, compared to other novels in the series, this misses something that catches the reader's heart, soul, mind...bringing to hours of longing because you would have wanted to read the story slower so to have more time to enjoy it...and then you hope to find something as good to read as soon as possible and then you don't and you have to wait and wait and wait (I think I'm describing an addiction...); now, I really liked The Scot Beds His Wife, to be blunt I think it is better than the previous one, The Duke; however, since we like lists, I consider the The Highwayman, The Hunter and The Highlander on another level, a stellar one. BUT I will suggest this novel, with the rest of the series, to everybody, because I truly believe the Byrne writes amazing stories, also those that are less amazing than the others, still make great readings.