ARC received for review

Great book. Drama, action, love, angst and friends are all in there. Lorelai and Ash/The Rook even though they were separated never forgot the other one. Boy did Ash ever go through a lot. I love who he finds out are his "brothers." Great epilogue...who does Veronica marry? And where's Callum and Allison's book?

Well written, kept me wanting to read but also didn't want it to end! Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a series :)

This book had a really strong start that perfectly introduced two damaged characters that seemed made for one another. Completely opposite in so many ways, but exactly what the other needed. I loved the dynamics between them in the beginning, the crippled girl and the beaten boy--there's is a love story you root for from their very first interaction. But then they were separated for a number of years and the long-awaited reunion was not what I was hoping for. Ash was cruel, Lorelai was hurt, and that aspect just seemed unnecessary. It took a long time for Ash to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Then we get some adventure and suspense and big revelations that probably would have had more meaning if I'd read the previous books since a few of those characters make an appearance toward the end. Certainly not a bad read, and of course there's a happy ending, but it did not live up to the excellence of the first few chapters.

This is an exciting rendition of pirates in the Victorian era and a second chance in finding real love.

The Rook is the captain of a pirates' ship. He is ruthless and doesn't know what feelings are. He hasn't always been this way. His past has made him to come across as being a really "cruel" person.

Lorelai has the misfortune of having a cruel and unpleasant brother. His cruelty has left her with a physical impairment. When she finds a young man who has been left for dead, she rescues him and nurses him back to health. During their time together they develop a very strong bond and he protects her from her brother. Then the time comes when he has to leave to make himself a better future. Only, he is mislead and the deceit has turned him into a bitter man.

Twenty years later, when Lorelai is getting ready to face her future, a forced wedding, he makes a reappearance and rescues her from her fate. Only, she hardly recognises him as the gentle boy who left. They have a rocky start and she despises him whereas he believes that he deserves to own her. Here begins a battle of wits. When his past surfaces, it becomes apparent why he is the way he is, but once Lorelai becomes aware of everything that he has been through, she is determined to find Ash who is still in there somewhere. Will Ash/The Rook hold on to his uncaring feelings or will Lorelai manage to bring the old Ash back?

It's a poignant story where lies, deceit and ultimately love reign. It's brutal in places, but sweet, lusty and romantic in others. It sure held my attention from the start and the ending is so worth all the uncertainties and heartbreaks.

I was kindly issued with an eARC from Netgalley and the views expressed are my personal opinion.

This was a better book than The Scott Beds His Wife because I felt like it was more adventurous and that the characters had more personality to them. Plus they fit with each other in love.

Kerrigan Byrne writes romances that take place in a compellingly dark and gritty historical England setting. Her characters are always fully developed and complex, and her plots always intriguing. Ever since reading the first book in this series, The Highwayman, I have eagerly gobbled up each book. The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the latest installment in the Victorian Rebels series. While, as a standalone, it would be a perfectly enjoyable, even excellent, historical romance, unfortunately it is a weaker addition to the series. While all of Kerrigan Byrne's male and female leads tend to be very similar to each other, the males in particular (dark, brooding, volatile, alpha, domineering, "mysterious painful past," etc), The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo takes this to the next level. The book reads as almost a carbon copy of The Highwayman, and the two main male characters of those two books are nearly identical to each other in how they think and act. While I've enjoyed each of Kerrigan Byrne's books, the repetitive use of what is essentially the same male character in most books becomes tiresome. Bryne is a talented story teller but I find myself wondering if she only has the one story to tell, and is simply re-telling it over and over. I'd like to see characters with different personalities in future books.

I added Kerrigan Byrne to my auto-buy/read list with the first book of her Victorian Rebels and I have no regrets, especially when it comes to the Rook. This hit several of my checkboxes: man of mystery, lost/unrequited love (of sorts) , lost memory. It was a beautifully written story of finding love, losing it, and doing all within one's power to regain it. I highly recommend this book!!

I didn't really enjoy The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo at all, to be honest. I found it rather angsty and frustrating at times. Lorelai and The Rook didn't do it for me at all and I just got more and more frustrated the more I read on and struggled to finish it because I knew the ending wouldn't be what I wanted.

Honestly love everything this author writes, and this was no exception. Loved the characters and the plot & look forward to more work from this author in the future!

This series is absolutely addicting. Kerrigan Byrne has woven a glorious tapestry that will take your breath away. If you don’t already have each and every one of the books in her Victorian Rebels series at the tippy top of your TBR, then you are seriously missing out. These books are clever, swoony, heartbreaking and all around amazing. If you have never read a historical romance, let these books be your starter kit.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was absolutely worth the wait. Full of moments that will leave your jaw dropped, I could not put this book down. The legend of the Rook and the woman he loved above all is just such a fantastic read.

Review of “The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo” (Victorian Rebels #6) by Kerrigan Byrne

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

5 sizzling stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

First of all, let me get rid of my ONLY issue with this book. I am not sure WHY this particular title was chosen ... from Book 5 (The Scot Beds His Wife) onwards it seems the publisher (?) has decided to go with titles that are overly long for this series. I had MUCH preferred the shorter titles playing homage to the anti-heroes. I personally would have preferred the names to remain thus - i.e. “The Scot” and “The Rook” - tying in nicely with the titles of the previous four books. I hope for Morley and Moncrieff’s books, they go back to their “roots” so to speak - for example “The Inspector” - and not be published in their current working titles.

Alright, now that that is off my chest...

I adore this series!!!

Each and every book has been a delight in its own right and Kerrigan Byrne just keeps them coming.

I fell in love with Dougan and his “Fairy” and I must say this book... this story... about the Rook and Lorelei ... feels dear to my heart because of the very close association between the H and Dougan, not to mention, how the start of the love story is so similar - that of falling in love during one’s tender youth and then being torn apart due to circumstances, only to be brought together in the future.

I loved Lorelei’s capacity for loving despite what she suffered. I loved how she convinces “Ash” to take a chance on love again. And the H....all I can say is that one NEEDS to read this story to be held in thrall of some of the heart-wrenchingly beautiful things that the Rook says to Lorelei. Kerrigan Byrne writes the most delicious and delectable anti-heroes.

The story culminates in the MOST satisfactory manner. I was literally going “Whaaaattttt??? Ohhh My Gaawwwdd! Yessss!!!!” with happiness and excitement over it all.

When a book and its characters can make you feel this much, you KNOW the author is a stellar one. Everything feels real, everyone feels like they’re someone you personally know - or at least would love to know.

I have tried to show how much I loved this book without giving anything away and all I can say is that I cannot wait for the next books in the series and that I cannot recommend these stories enough.

All my reviews can be found on my blog:

https://simzcity.wordpress.com

Another hit from KB! Really love the characters and the flow of the story. Kerrigan Byrne, never disappoints with her books.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is the sixth book in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne. I have read three of the previous books, and recognized some of the secondary characters because of it, but think those fresh to the series will be able to fully enjoy this installment without having read the previous books.

He is known only as The Rook. A man with no name, no past, no memories. He awakens in a mass grave, a magnificent dragon tattoo on his muscled forearm the sole clue to his mysterious origins. His only hope for survival—and salvation—lies in the deep, fiery eyes of the beautiful stranger who finds him. Who nurses him back to health. And who calms the restless demons in his soul. Lorelai will never forget the night she rescued the broken dark angel in the woods, a devilishly handsome man who haunts her dreams to this day. Crippled as a child, she devoted herself to healing the poor tortured man. And when he left, he took a piece of her heart with him. Now, after all these years, The Rook has returned. Like a phantom, he sweeps back into her life and avenges those who wronged her. But can she trust a man who’s been branded a rebel, a thief, and a killer? And can she trust herself to resist him when he takes her in his arms?

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is a historical romance about redemption and second chances. I liked Lorelai, and how she is both optimistic and smart about her own survival. She faces the ugly things in her world and finds a way to do as much good as she can and survive at the same time. The Rook, Ash, or whatever you want to call our leading man has been through hell. He was imprisoned, beaten and left for dead, and more. He should be a sympathetic character, and sometimes I really do fear for him and empathize with the positions he finds himself in. However, more often than not he rubs me the wrong way and I just find him creepy. As awesome as Lorelai is, and how much love and caring she has, it is not her job to fix him (or anyone). Nothing about his obsession with her, and his envisioning her as so perfect and pure, seems romantic to me. It feels like it will lead to a different kind of captivity and abuse rather than the partnership real love and relationships should have. Others might not have such a strong reaction to this, but it hit me hard and left me almost rooting for those that wanted to keep the pair apart, although for different reasons. I think the action, danger, and secondary characters were all very well done, and while I guessed at the treasure very early in the book, I thought the reveal was satisfying.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is a book that left me conflicted. I enjoyed some of it, but found our 'hero' to be more than a little problematic and a bit creepy to be honest. I remember liking the previous books more, so I will be willing to give the author another go.

This is awesome the way that "The Rook" is not who we think he is. He is someone who has been hiding for so long but is happy with the life that he has built. Only thing is that he still has strong feelings for the one person who has ever really cared about him. Only thing is that he doesn't think he deserves her and walks away. Only now he needs to be back in her life and those feeling all come rushing back.

A touch of “The Count of Monte Cristo” and a “The Princess Bride” made this book a fun read. If you have read these two classics, then you know what I mean. If you haven’t, there really is nothing to worry about. “The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo” is a story on its own right, albeit the title is so very familiar with a contemporary tale out of Sweden.

A story of second chances both in love and in life, “The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo” follows Lorelai and Ash who met when they were in their teens and barely adults. Separated by a cruel act, they never forgot each other. And when Lorelai needed Ash the most, he came back for her.

If we follow the normal romance genre formula, it should have been a “happily ever after” on that point. But author Kerrigan Byrne had other plans as she took readers to Lorelai and Ash’s journey of self-discovery and falling in love all over again.

“The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is Rated T for Teens due to some violence and some mature themes.

Another great read with a strong but tortured hero and the heroine that keeps him sane. Kerrigan brings historical romance back to life and flips it on its ass. She's not afraid to go dark and all her books gives your emotions a roller coaster ride.

The Rook has no past other than a tatoo and is brought back to health by Lorelai. Their future depends on trust to build on a new beginning. Excellent story line and setting and very much enjoyed these characters.

Ebook from Net Galley and publishers with thanks. Opinions are entirely my own.

I have absolutely loved the Kerrigan Byrne's Victorian Rebels series so far and this latest addition didn't let me down. This book follows The Rook (the mysterious pirate who has been a topic of conversation as well as an adversary in some of the previous books) as he finally returns to the woman he was forced to leave behind and, in the process, finds out who he really was before he met her. As with all the other books in this series, Bryne does a wonderful job of giving her characters depth and intertwining them in each other's lives in unexpected ways. I can't wait for the next book!

I am getting to continue my current dragon theme with The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. This was another NetGalley ARC that I received that I am delayed to read. Super thankful for the opportunity I was given to read this pirate-themed romance.

I have never read a book by Kerrigan Byrne before. I am completely new to the Victoria Rebels Series. So I just want to let you know that you can absolutely pick this up and roll with it. There is zero confusion about other characters in the world. This could very well be a beginning to the series if I didn't know any better. It is written so fantastically. I don't have a wonderous vocabulary like a lot of other reviewers. I am not in denial about that. So there were so many words that I get to add to my vocabulary because of this book. Kerrigan Byrne did a fantastic job, of keeping the Victorian feel by using words that would fit into that time period. Instead of just saying "if she had her preference, the word that was used was druthers. There are tons of little words like that that I appreciated. I have read a Victorian style book and the words used are too close to current time.

I enjoyed this book so much not just because of the personal gain with the vocab, but because of the change for the characters. You have a physically weak and nurturing woman who grows to be strong and commanding a little by the end. You have a man who has lost his memories of his younger years and is only left with memories of pain, torture, being a slave traded off to the highest bidder. He has created a hard life for himself as a pirate. He had become almost revered as a god to his crew because of how ruthless he was. The self-discovery for each character takes a well-planned path.

I think the only thing that I didn't care for was how Lorelei acted the same as she didn't when they were younger. If felt like an infatuation. Although she claimed to have grown up from the abuse from her brother, she still had a girl feel to her. I would have liked her to show a little more of her confidence a little earlier.****Spoiler**** There is another part to her adult character that I didn't like also. It felt like it was put there to add a little extra to a scene but it didn't really have to be there. The fainting I could have lived without. It happened once, and her sister in law said that it happened all the time. And why wasn't her afraid later to make her faint again. I guess if it was later and he had a thought maybe one or two more times like "what if I cause her to faint"... I might have bought it a little better.

I liked this story. It was really nice and the writing was really good too. This was my first book by this author and maybe it won't be my last