This was a great story with lots of twists and turns. I liked that it wasn’t the usual historical romance, but a little darker and tougher. .

This historical romance was amazing, and definitely one of the best of 2018! I absolutely adored the twists and turns of the plot, the love story, the swashbuckling pirate-turned-duke, and his kindness towards the heroine. This story kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I will DEFINITELY be reading more by Kerrigan Byrne.

Lady Lorelai is a young girl, living with her father and sadistic older brother. An unexpected find leads the three to a young man, left naked and nearly dead by the roadside. Lorelai’s family brings him into their home to help him heal, but as he recovers they find he has no memory of his past. Lorelai and the young man, whom she’s given the name “Ash”, formed a strong attachment to each other. The one day, Ash is gone.
Twenty years pass, and Lorelai’s life has not gotten better, but worse. She’s about to be forced into marriage with a terrible brute of a man, when a stranger shows up, and the adventure begins!
This is a terrific story with intrigue, colorful characters, humor, and sizzling heat. I highly recommend this book to readers of historical romance who enjoy hot pirates, danger, and a happy ending.

The book had potential, but lost my interest when suddenly it jumped "20 years" into the future...!? Really 20 years! How do we go from two people just getting to know each other aged 14 or so to 34 years old in the next chapter. And suddenly there he is after 20 years at her wedding day!!
Needs a rewrite and some more thought.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is a romance full of passion and heartache. Kerrigan Byrne built a beautiful story that is interspersed with moments of darkness lightened by hopeful desire and lessons in love. I adored Lorelei and The Rook for their imperfections and everything that was perfect about them. Their story is for the hopeful romantics and historical fiction buffs alike!

Lorelei is a sweet soul brought up under the shadow of a hateful brother and passive father. Her passion for healing broken animals brings into her care a mysterious young man, who remembers nothing of his past, badly broken and scarred. They forge a connection that is suddenly broken, but made even stronger when they come together again 20 years later. The gap in time that they were apart was shocking, but it worked for this story. It made their longing and disappointment that much easier to imagine. The adventure they embark upon is rife with danger and surprises, but through it all the biggest adventure is learning about each other as they are now.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is about the average length of a historical romance, but I felt like I sailed through the story. It's so easy to fall into Lorelei and The Rook's drama because it's compelling and the desire to know who The Rook truly is and what happened to him in the past is so strong. The story is slightly on the dark side, but there are plenty of moments that brought out the hapless romantic in me that I know you all will dearly enjoy!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

My top historical romance read this year, I was so enraptured with this novel I was sad to leave the characters behind when it was over. Brilliant!

One of my co-reviewers ended up reviewing this one

http://smexybooks.com/2018/08/review-the-duke-with-the-dragon-tattoo-by-kerrigan-byrne.html

Slow Burn, sweet and sensual romance

Kerrigan Byrne has become one of my favorite writers in historical romance. Once again she delivers a story rich in character and description in The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo and what an amazing experience reading Ash and Lorelai’s story.

Though Ash is the name Lorelai gives the man who is found horribly beaten and half dead near an Ash tree, his identity remains a mystery throughout the book until towards the end when his memory is jolted awake. It is unbelievable what happens to this young man who is imprisoned, beaten, and left for dead. Lorelai who is 14 at the time, nurtures him to back to health, and both develop strong feelings of love and friendship.

But Ash’s fate is heartbreaking and the time with Lorelai is cut short when her cruel brother, Mortimer, sells him to merchant seamen. Twenty long years and still without his memory of the past, an amazing story unfolds around this man who is known as The Rook. The story is complex and engrossing. We really don’t get that much romance until almost the end, but it is worth the wait. Throw in a hunt for treasure, tales of becoming a duke and amassing wealth, and a mutinous crew of pirates, and you get one heck of a story. Ms. Byrne’s storytelling is imaginative and rich in descriptive detail which makes it fascinating. I love how this ties to the other characters, Dougan and Argent, in the Victorian Rebels series. I received a copy from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

My first impression of this book was "Is this ACTUALLY the title of this book???!". And honestly, I still can't quite get over it.

The actual story though, was quite good. Lorelei and Ash are great characters. Lorelei is all sweetness, but not in an annoying way. Usually the whole "I'm so damaged I can't feel love" thing just grates on me, but I found that the author did a great job of Ash's backstory in a way that made me understand why Ash would feel that way.

I haven't read any of the other books in this series, but this one was great as a stand alone.

One of the things that bothered me though, was several parts were rather overly descriptive. I found myself skimming through entire paragraphs because it was like the same thing was being described in other dramatic ways.

All in all though, it was a good read and I am very interested to see how Veronica story happens.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne, the sixth book in her Victorian Rebels series, was an amazing story. This love story between tender-hearted Lorelei and fierce Ash/The Rook is heartbreakingly beautiful. Lorelei, a strong heroine, has suffered tragedy and loss yet is able to find reasons to persevere and take care of others, including her menagerie of rescued animals. Ash's story is incredibly sad and challenging; Lorelei discovered him beaten almost to death after crawling out of a mass grave. The sole reason he survives is because of his love for Lorelei, the one and only person he has ever loved.
Ms. Byrne wrote an emotional love story; that grabs you from the start and keeps your interest throughout. I highly recommend this book to other readers, as well as the entire series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Book: The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo
By Kerrigan Byrne

Series: Victorian Rebels, Book #6

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

Heat Rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥


Book Rating: 5/5 Stars/Kilts



Favorite line in book: She was his prayer in the night. His past and present. His future. And he hasn't even laid eyes on her yet! ~ The Rook/Ash

Starts in 1858 at Newgate prison:

The Rook is a man with no memory, no name with no past present or future. He wakes up in a gruesome nightmarish terrifying horrifying mass grave! His only clues of his unknown identity is the dragon tattoo on his arm and the beauty who saved and healed him. His only desire is to live and survive which is due to his beautiful angel Lorelai Weatherstoke. who found and healed him. She also seems to keep his evilness and demons away.

Lorelai Weatherstroke is girl crippled by her own brother Ash is a man who disappeared from her life years ago when she was a young girl. Mortimer her abusive monster brother who is a sadomasochist and enjoys hurting kindhearted Lorelai both physically and mentally. Lorelai escapes her brothers torment and her father ignoring her by helping and healing injured animals. Now Ash had promise to come back for her and he finally does but as the Rook not lovable Ash.

Now due to Mortimers gambling debts he is forcing Lorelai into an unwanted marriage. The Rook arrives just in time as he abducts Lorelai and her sister-in-law. The Rook is not the sweet boy Ash that Lorelai remembers. This man, The Rook frightens her as he seems cold and ruthless. Will Lorelai be able to save him and bring him to the good side of things. Or has his amnesia totally ruined him for anh type of good, honorable and safe future. Will his old feelings of love for Lorelai return or are they buried deep with the Rooks cold heart? Will Lorelai and Ash reunite and get their HEA? You must read this unforgettable book that I could not put down!

Again Kerrigan Byrnes totally blows me away with this exhilarating novel of a second chance romance with a drool worthy amnesia hero. The heroine has also had her share of hardships being tormented and handicapped by he cruel hateful brother. This book is very emotional as it had me in tears! If I respond to a novel like that, I know I am reading an exceptional book. As this book is absolutely amazing with its non stop action and darkness. I was wondering if this poor heroine was ever going to get a break and find some happiness with a bright future. This riveting adventure has all the elements historical romance readers love. Filled with mystery, drama, suspense, suspense, treachery, betrayal, abduction, murder, death, imprisonment, hate, faith, hope, passion and love.

You can read this as a stand alone book or in series order. As this entire series is a total masterpiece! The characters are unforgettable and the secondary characters are absolutely brilliant. The dialog, setting, and plotting is absolutely magical from start to finish. I highly recommend “The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo” by Kerrigan Byrne. This book is absolutely and unequivocally a total masterpiece! A definite book to revisit and put on your keeper shelf too.

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Duke-Dragon-Tattoo-Victorian-Rebels/dp/1250122562

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-duke-with-the-dragon-tattoo

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-duke-with-the-dragon-tattoo-kerrigan-byrne/1127685087#/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-duke-with-the-dragon-tattoo/id1381438208?mt=11






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 Duke with the Dragon Tattoo brought me back, y'all. Wayyyyy back. It brought me back to the days in my teendom when I'd exhausted all of the teen and harlequin romances in the public library and I ventured into historical romance. Until recently, I'd forgotten that historical romance was one of my first loves in romance but thanks to Staci Hart and her snapchats about a book she was reading, I found my memory jogged and my interest piqued. So when I had the chance to read this latest by the highly acclaimed Kerrigan Byrne, I snatched it the first second I could and I have zero regrets.


The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was so much fun to read. The characters were well rounded, had interesting stories, and their HEA was so well earned by the end. The mysterious beginnings, torturous middle, many misunderstandings, and finally FINALLY an acquiescence to an enduring love by the end had me connected to this novel the entire weekend. It was one of those reads that I wanted to read in one sitting and yet I kept putting it down because I wasn't quite ready for it to end. It had romance and humor and intrigue and pirates, so basically all the things.


While I didn't want this one to end, I'm happy to see that Kerrigan Byrne has a backlist for me to explore and I will definitely be making time to go through it. I love that historical romance is back on my radar and is something I can escape into in a way that's different than realistic and dystopian fiction.

This book was a great blend of action and emotion. There's some mystery and intrigue along with a great wrap-up for the series without being impossible for a newcomer to read and enjoy. The heroine is a gentle but fierce soul who has been abused by her brother, and she is reunited with a man she knew and helped when he was much younger. It's a rocky reunion, but there's a satisfying HEA.

Although the book seemed to start out a little slow, once it picked up I didn't want to put it down! I loved Ash and Lorelei together and it was great to see the characters from the earlier books in this series.

I would like like to thank “The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo” book tour and Netgalley for providing me with a free E copy so I can review this wonderful book. The Duke with a Dragon Tattoo is the sixth book in the Victorian Rebels series.

Lorelei is crippled, and do to her brother she is forced to marry a man she does not love. Her situation only gets worse when she is kidnapped by the infamous “The Rook” who not only kills her brother, but kidnaps her sister-in-law Veronica along with her.

Turns out the Rook is the man she fell in love with twenty years earlier, who she had found half-dead on the side of the road and nursed back to health. He later on disappeared without a trace. “Ash” she is not the same man that she had fallen in love with. He had grown darker and colder. Will she be able to resurrect “Ash” or stay trapped by possessive Rook?

I thought this book was Amazing! It’s definitely going on the list of top favorite books of this year. The fact that this is just one of a series really excites me because I’m planning on reading the rest of the books in this series.

I don’t think that you have to read this series in chronological order in order to know what is going on. I was able to catch on quickly as other characters from different books were introduced into the story.

I thought that all the characters were written well. Even though we just got a glimpse of a potential pairing in Veronica and Moncrieff I’m already crossing my fingers that a books is in the works for these two.

Usually there is some kind of build for pairings, but I thought the pairing of Lorelei and Ash had an instant connection. Something when Lorelei first came upon Ash that they were meant to be together. The chemistry between these two were Amazing. I was on the edge of my seat on when these two were finally going to give into their feelings for each other.

Overall, I thought that the story was very well written. I love the plot to this story, I thought it was very original. I literally couldn’t put this book down once I got started on it. If your looking for a good romance look no further.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo was my first book from Kerrigan Byrne, and if you can get past the kitschy name, there is a really lovely story inside.

I have a thing for disabled characters in romance, and I liked caring, sweet Lorelei who suffered and survived for years under the hands of her abusive brother. I loved that Ash saw past a girl with a crippled ankle and saw her complete inner and outer beauty.

Though Ash was a cold and remote character, he completely stole the show for me. I enjoyed Lorelei, but I loved Ash, and my heart ached for him. I liked his obsessive, dark nature (yeah, I know, it was a little much but I still loved it), and his willingness to fight and kill to be with the only person he's ever loved.

The plot was brilliantly conceived, and I could hardly put the book down. I kept wanting to know what would happen next, and I loved the dark, piratey, action-packed vibe.

All-in-all, this was a very satisfying second-chance romance, and as this was my first Kerrigan Byrne, it made me want to go back and read every other story in the series.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

I received The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo written by Kerrigan Bryne from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This is the last in her Victorian Rebels series and while it CAN be read as a standalone, I HIGHLY encourage you to read the entire series and at the very least the first book.
Lorelai finds a strange dying on the side of the road and nurses him back to health when she is a child. With no memory, she names and Ash. Just at they come to terms of budding romance, Ash is whisk away, never to be seen from again. Twenty years later, just as Lorelai is supposed to marry a cruel man, she is kidnapped by the man she named Ash. Ash however, has transformed into The Rook, a feared pirate that takes what he wants. Can Lorelai reclaim Ash and more importantly, does the Rook want to be claimed?
A wonderful ending to a wonderful series!! The feels just kept coming. The lost of hope and salvation only to find redemption again. This was a fitting end to a wonderful series.
Kerrigan Bryne does a wonderful job with slow burn romances as well as making you fall in love with the "bad guy" I typically do not like the "bad boy" tropes but this book (whole series really) was a wonderful exception. #TheDukeWiththeDragonTattoo #NetGalley

I just loved this book, except for the title, but it does catch the eye I suppose!

Kerrigan Byrne is a fabulous writer, and her Victorian Rebels series so far has been unfailingly excellent. This book is number 6 in the sequence and tells the story of The Rook, who we first meet briefly in book 5 The Scot Beds His Wife.

The book is beautifully written, as always, with the same formula as the other books in the series, tortured Hero meets angelic heroine, who eventually redeems him. However, Ms Byrne manages to make the trope feel new with each book. The scenes between young Lorelai and the Rook are handled beautifully, and he is the very essence of a tortured hero.

Lorelai has suffered horribly too, and this is handled well, as it is not too mawkish.

The book opens in Newgate prison, where a young man is getting a dragon tattoo, which is related to a long lost treasure map. He then gets ambushed from his cell later that night by 5 guards.

Lame 15 year old Lorelai Weatherstoke is travelling with her father Sir Robert and vicious older brother Mortimer when she spots a naked body of a young man under an ash tree. She convinces her family to take him home and nurses him to health again. They spend a lot of time together and start to fall in love with each other. She names him Ash, because he has no memory of who he is, and he promises to come back for her one day. When he has recovered, he goes to town to find a job, accompanied by Mortimer. He doesn’t return.

Twenty years later, Mortimer has married Veronica and has gambled away his money and the estate. He has bartered Lorelai’s hand in marriage to a rich old industrialist to save his own skin.

Its Lorelai’s wedding day, she and Veronica get to the church, and are abducted by Ash, who also gets his revenge on Mortimer, however, he has changed significantly. He is The Rook, an infamous pirate captain. There is a forced marriage, and eventually they all end up at Ben More Keep, where Dorian Blackwell is in residence with his wife Farah and family (Book 1 The Hunter). the Rook finally learns who he is, and Lorelai and he finally come to an understanding.

Lorelai disappears, and Ash sets out to rescue her, and find the treasure he has been hunting, together with Blackwell and chief Inspector Morley who reveals another part of Ash’s life. They discover who has been sabotaging his plans and the treasure, and Lorelai and Ash finally get their HEA.

I loved the way the interactions are handled between them, and the way that Ash/Rook thinks about Lorelai. I found the villains both very satisfying, one unredeemable, one who might potentially be redeemed. I also liked how the books and characters in the series are linked up, with Blackwell and Morley making significant appearances, and the foreshadowing of what I guess will be Moncrieff and Veronica’s story in the next book.

All in all a very emotionally satisfying and passionate read.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. Opinions my own.

Also posted on Goodreads

This is the sixth book in the historical romance series, and while this one has merits on its own, reading the other books greatly enhances the experience. I have read the others in the series and considered myself fortunate to find this one as well. Lorelai discovers the boy she names Ash beaten almost to death and having crawled out of a mass grave. He has a dragon tattoo and no memory. She nurses him back to health and they fall in love. Her cruel and abusive to the extreme brother Mortimer (there's a name for a bad guy!) causes them to be separated for twenty years. Ash, now known as the infamous pirate Rook comes for her.
This book grabs you from the start and keeps your interest throughout. I always enjoy the author's main characters as they are unique and strong. I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I would highly recommend this series of books and the author as well!


The Duke With the Dragon Tattoo (Victorian Rebels)

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo - B-

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…

A LEGENDARY LOVE

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?

This book has everything:
- prison tattoo
- amnesia
- 20 years pass with no contact
- crashes her wedding
- kills her evil brother in cold blood in front of her
- steals her away
- TO HIS SHIP BECAUSE HE'S A PIRATE

And that is all in the FIRST 25% OF THIS BOOK. There is a literal bodice ripping (also a nightgown). There are long lost brothers. There's an additional POV just so we can get some voyeuristic cunnilingus. There's a treasure map, and a mutiny, and a rescued damsel in distress. This book just goes all in, throws a bunch of tropes on the ground and rolls in them in delight. It's kind of great, even though this wouldn't normally be my jam, because this book has absolutely no shame in what it is and I can appreciate that kind of confidence.

That said, it's also. A lot. Of everything, all the time. The plot doesn't really build in a compelling manner, stuff just keeps happening and happening until all I wanted was for the book to end. The romance between The Rook and Lorelai is mainly conveyed through him threatening to have sex with her (a genre convention I despise), and her believing if she can just find the goodness she knows lies under the harsh exterior, all will be well. I much prefer enthusiastically consenting sex and partners who like each other for who they are, not who they think they might be. It's a romance novel, so of course when they do have sex she likes it, and Lorelai melts his wicked heart until he's capable of loving her again, but for me the ends don't justify the means.

It's the 6th in a series, and I haven't read the first 5, but it stands fine on its own - I assume the other books cover the stories of a few other couples we meet late in the book.

I'm not sure how to rate this, as I don't usually read this style of romance; I literally just picked it up because the title caught my eye. If you like a good bodice ripper with swooning ladies and men who look good with their shirts off, go ahead and pick this up. There were moments I really enjoyed this book, things keep happening and I kept turning pages. And though by the end so much had happened I was feeling exhausted, there is a conclusion and a HEA.

Overall grade: A for effort, but B- for...everything else

CW for genre typical sexual menace