With a title like this, you just know The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo will be a juicy one! This is the sixth book in Kerrigan Byrne’s Victorian Rebels series (my first from this author), and I ended up I bingeing the novel in about 10 hours. But, perhaps more importantly, even after I finished reading, I couldn’t let go of this book. I reread The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo over and over and over again for days. I have such a book hangover that I really haven’t been able to pick up another romance since this one. That’s how compelling this book is. I highly recommend The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo, which is definitely one of my favorite books of the year!

(Full review @ link)

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

My review is going to be short and sweet - this was an awesome book! It wasn't what I expected, not sure what that even was, but if you want a rather gritty love story set in the Victorian era, pick this book up and you won't be disappointed!

I now have to acquire the other books in the series and get caught up!

This book was why I kept coming back to this series. We finally had answers on the missing child from Newgate. We had a hero who wasn't a complete and total jerk to his lady and completely running right over everything stated by the lady in pursuit of his own gains knowing that "some day she'll come around" Thank goodness..

I loved the puzzle aspect of this novel...the turn by his crew of folks who wanted him to continue being the guy running over all those around him in pursuit of his own goals. I kept reading way too late for this one.

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.

4.5 stars

This series is one of my "drop everything and read" books. I have LOVED this author from the very first book and I will always read whatever she writes (I just wish she wrote faster, lol).

This is the 6th book in the series and yes, I think you do need to read these books in order to really understand all that is going on. There are a LOT of characters to keep up with and so many twists, turn and just heart wrenching things that happen. Kerrigan is GOLD at writing with feelings and emotion. I gobbled this book up in a day and now have a feeling this series may be over and I am sad.

My favorite thing about this author and this series is how she writes with heart, passion and emotion. You truly feel what the characters are feeling and are riding along this story with them. I HIGHLY recommend this series and this book if you want to get swept away in romance!

I loved this story! It took me by surprise with being not the norm for a Lord and Lady romance! Must read!

It's one of those, "It's not you, it's me" book moment that I dread so much. This is my first Kerrigan Byrne book, and in hindsight, maybe I should've started The Highwayman first before reading this book but my issues with this book goes beyond not reading the first ones in the series.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo started off with the younger versions of our main characters. Lorelei is 14 when they found a dying boy of indeterminate age on the side of the road. He can't remember what happened to him nor can he remember his name. Lorelei named him Ash. And as he nursed him back to health, a friendship and then something else formed between them. But Lorelei's cruel brother had plans for Ash, which he executed callously, and Lorelei is left devastated once again thinking Ash left her and went back to his old life.

They meet again 20 years later when Lorelei was about to be married to someone else. But the boy Lorelei fell in love with was long gone, only the notorious pirate The Rook remained. He killed Lorelei's husband to be and brother, and kidnapped her along with her sister in law.

If I'm being honest, the book started unraveling for me the moment The Rook kidnapped Lorelei and took her to his ship. I actually did like the first part, when Ash and Lorelei met and fell in love. It was sweet and heartfelt. But even when I was enjoying what was happening on page, I was bothered by a few things.

One. Lorelei's lack of agency. I understand this is a historical romance novel and that women during this period do not get to enjoy the same rights we do now, but agency isn't dependent on existing laws of the land during the time period. A character can exist in a patriarchal society and still have agency. Lorelei's life were controlled by men. First by her brother, who physically abused her leading to her being crippled. Second, she was basically sold into marriage to another cruel man, who again will have control over her life. Third, her rescue by The Rook isn't any better because she is still a captive and under The Rook's influence. She didn't have any choice at all. She couldn't do anything without a man involved. It was frustrating to read because even after the conflict was resolved, she still didn't gain any agency. She basically went from one cruel man to another.

My second issue with this book is the way Lorelei's disability was written. Let's not forget that the reason why she had a limp is because of her brother and her family's neglect. But the worst part for me was how everyone treated her as broken and an invalid. She's was treated as less of a person because she had limp even though her brother certainly didn't have a problem marrying her off to a wealthy man. I was even more disappointed that part of Lorelei's conflict resolution was her getting surgery to make her whole again as if she wasn't before.

I feel the author didn't even need Lorelei to have a crippled leg. Lorelei's circumstances were already dire and her situation made me sympathize with her. Adding a physical disability as a device to make the character even more helpless is annoying. Dear authors, if you're going to write a character with physical limitations, make it matter. People living with disability can have a rich and fulfilling life even without getting "fixed."

My third issue with this is Ash himself. I think Ms. Byrne did a better job at writing him. In a way, he is more complex than Lorelei. He has a rich backstory despite us not really knowing about it until towards the end of the book. But again, it's like the author isn't satisfied with just one or two misfortunes befalling our hero. Nope. There has to be more. And in adding more, it turned me off the story completely. I was rolling my eyes the moment The Rook started telling his first mate how he became a pirate and the hazards he faced from fighting the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians, Americans, etc. Seriously, the only mention of people of color and they're the villains.

I also find the romance lackluster. I definitely enjoyed the romance when they were younger but the romance they had as adults was practically non-existent. Lorelei was obsessed with Ash and going back home and The Rook was obsessed with Lorelei and finding a treasure. I just didn't feel their connection despite the author's attempt to highlight them. Most of the time, Lorelei was an unwilling participant of The Rook's attempt at romance. There were moments when I really thought the story would turn around but it never did. At least for me.

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.