[TW: rape mentions, abuse]

Honestly, I don't know how to review this book. It was slow to start but gripping enough to hold my attention, and by the time I finished the book I could say that I loved it, but I'm still uncomfortable with some parts of the story.

Let me break it down into the good and the bad.

THE GOOD:

I'm not usually a fan of books that start with the main characters meeting as children, but I was surprisingly fine with that happening in this book, even when that covered the first four chapters (Chapter 5 began with a twenty year gap). The author did a great job showing a strong bond between fourteen-year-old Lorelai and the boy she rescued from the side of the road, whom she named Ash since he suffered from amnesia and couldn't remember who he was. I was as devastated as Lorelai when Ash disappeared.

Lorelai is the queen of my heart. I love her so much. She has a kind heart (she rescues strays and injured animals and nurse them back to health), she is loyal to her loved ones, and she has a strong spirit. It is a wonder how she could still remain resilient in the face of adversity considering her brother crippled her as a child and continued to torment her until adulthood. I also love her relationship with her sister-in-law, Veronica.

Honestly, I stayed for Lorelai. She and Veronica carried this story for me.

THE BAD:

Having read almost all the books in Victorian Rebels, I'm familiar with the violence in these stories. The main characters in Victorian Rebels are the unluckiest people; they suffered a lot of pain and abuse, and some of them did heinous things to survive their ordeal. Lorelai and Ash were no different.

That being said, I didn't remember being this wary of the heroes in the previous books but I did with Ash, who finally returned to Lorelai not as Ash but as the notorious pirate and wanted criminal, The Rook.

For context, Ash disappeared while on an errand with Lorelai's brother one day, and Lorelai never saw him again until twenty years later when an unknown man appeared on her wedding day, murdered her brother, and kidnapped her.

There were many questions raised as the story progressed: who in Hades was "Ash"? What really happened to him on the day he left? How did he become The Rook? These questions were also the reason I stayed throughout the story, I couldn't stand not knowing. I sure as heck didn't stay for The Rook because he didn't impress me at all. He forced Lorelai to marry him on his ship, kept threatening to consummate their marriage and saying shitty things like "One cannot rape one's wife", wouldn't let her and Veronica (yes, he kidnapped Veronica too) go free no matter how many times they begged.

Yes, The Rook was an asshole who milked "I'm a big bad pirate, I have no mercy, you might as well obey me" for all its worth.

// "I can offer more than money, you know." Casually, he lifted his arms to scrub at his hair.

Lorelai made a rude noise. "You have no past, no country, no family, no compassion. No kindness. You won't even claim a name. Just what do you have that could possibly entice me?" //

Lorelai took none of his shit.

Sure, he didn't actually carry on his threats, even made a deal that he wouldn't come to her unless she made the first move, but that didn't make him less of an asshole.

Overall, it would have been a solid 4 star read had The Rook not do and say some things he did and said. I did end up rooting for the romance in the end, though, but I decided on a 3.5 stars because I still enjoyed the book as a whole.

Funnily, The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is my favourite out of all the books (so far; I still haven't read The Scot Beds His Wife, so there's still a chance this might not be my favourite) despite its shortcomings. You don't need to have read the previous five to be able to enjoy this book because it works as a standalone but I reckon it will give a higher emotional impact if you have at least read the first book because many things are revealed in this one.

A historical romance with a different flavor - and I liked it! The hero is scarred and determined, battling any number of obstacles, the heroine has her own scars and is determined in her own way. I loved watching them together as teenagers and then again later in life.

Awesome Victorian, historical romance that grips the reader and has the reader looking forward to learning what the tatoo was all about. Lorelai is a teen when she stumbled across a young man, Ash, who was beaten and burnt. She spent a long time nursing him back to health. Lorelei was abused by her brother. They parted then are brought back together many years later. Lorelei hasn't changed much but Ash is now the pirate Rook. The story take you on a the ups and downs the characters suffer through. I received a complementary copy of this book via Net Galley and chose to write a review. I look forward to reading future books by Ms. Byrne.

Lorelai Weathestoke finds a man half dead in a mass grave. She nurses him back to health and calls him Ash as he has no memory. Lorelai lives in fear of her horrible brother who is mean and cruel and a father who is afraid of his son. Once Ash is healed he sets of with her brother Mortimer to get a job and promises Lorelai that he will return.
Its twenty years later and Ash returns, he is no longer Ash he is The Rook a feared pirate on the seas. The Rook returns and kills Mortimer on her wedding day in front of her and her sister-in-law and kidnaps them. Once on his ship she realizes who he is and marries him to save her sister.
The Rook is a man bent on revenge, and only came for Lorelai once she was being taking from him by marrying. He has had plenty of opportunities to get her but he chose to search for a link to his identity. This leads to The Rook being betrayed and Lorelai in danger. He eventually finds out who he is and they are happy.
Lorelai and Ash fell in love as children. They have to learn to love who each other is as adults, and learn to live with the consequences. The story was great and humorous characters who didn’t live up to the reputations they earned.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne is one of the most interesting books I read this summer. There's a little more violance than suits my taste but it didn't stop me from completely finishing this story. There is so much happening from mistaken identity, kidnapping, memory loss, abuse, promises not kept, murder, piracy to a hunt for treasure! The ending is quite satisfactory and a little surprising. I will be talking about this book when asked for suggestions about what to read.

Ash is a GREAT BIG PIRATE KING. All caps can’t even do justice to the DRAMA that Kerrigan Byrne brings in The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. I looked back with some surprise on my review of the previous novel in this series, where I praised it spareness.

In DDT, Byrne seems to be almost parodying the genre as her heroine gets kidnapped, threatened with rape, forced into a non-consensual marriage, and then dragged along on a pirate quest. More than one of these elements were disturbing, though I did read to the end of the book, wanting to know how the quest developed.

There aren’t many writers where the mere mention of a new book of theirs sends me into a near frenzy, but when it comes to Kerrigan Byrne, her every comma gives me a fit of the vapours. There has never been a series of books that I have loved in its entirety as obsessively as this one, and this latest instalment has everything I could have ever wanted from a new Victorian Rebels novel—perfect pacing, an ever-thickening plot, suspense, characters I adored, and intricate relationships at every turn. Once again, Kerrigan Byrne crafts a marvelous love story laced with mystery and anticipation, written in such exquisite prose, and with female characters who are so wonderfully modern in their 1800s setting, every single sentence took my breath away.

Read full review here » https://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2018/08/29/review-the-duke-with-the-dragon-tattoo-by-kerrigan-byrne/

Be still my beating heart!

Oh my! I love this group of brothers-in-arms, and their stunning women! The Rook's story is no exception.
A naked corpse beneath an ancient ash tree is just the beginning of a saga filled with betrayal, treachery and brokenness. Apart from his damaged body, the only identifying feature about the stranger is an arresting dragon tattoo festooning his forearm.
Lorelai Weatherstoke, daughter of Sir Robert Weatherstoke, the Earl of Southbourne, who spotted him from the family coach assists with his healing. She's drawn to the stranger, and in turn her presence calls to some place deep inside him, to his very soul. Lorelai names the stranger Ash. Thus death is denied. Ash had "lived only because she bade him to."
And then the young man Ash leaves ... with a promise to return. That returning takes twenty years under horrendous circumstances. And what a return! High drama, tragedy and heart wrenching agonies cling to the man known as The Rook. Lorelei finds herself in uncharted territory looking for the young man she once knew. What she finds is that a dark and powerful new Phoenix has arisen. Drawn to the Rook she searches for remnants of Ash. The electricity between them is palpable. And what can I say about 'The kiss!' It seemed like it spanned pages and is just beautifully written!
A powerful read with a tortured hero and an equally as troubled, albeit in a different way, beguiling counterpart.

A NetGalley ARC

The Rook and Lorelai. The broken and the wounded. Two souls that belong together, cruelly torn apart by a sibling and circumstances. Their journey may be different but the love is familiar and comforting.

Lorelai conquers you with her kindheartedness and her quiet endurance. The Rook’s past is tainted with pain and suffering yet his focus stays true.

The words of this story are haunting. The passion is enthralling. Kerrigan Byrne gets you so immersed that you don’t want it to end.

This story makes me realize why I love historical romances and can never read enough. There are not enough adjectives to describe this wonderful book. The author has created a brilliant and intriguing storyline with in depth characters that take you on a journey like no other. It shows how an incident when young can change your life and those of others.
Lorelai Weatherstoke found a man by the side of the road almost dead. With no memory of who he is or what happened to him, she gives him the name Ash. Not having much of a will to live with his severe injuries, Lorelai was his encouragement to get well. He knew one day he would come back for her. Both of them had lived through terrible times in their life and really connected.
But life and fate gets in the way and it is not until many years later that they meet again. He has again gone through terrible times and the only thing he can hold onto is his Lorelai.
So much emotion and angst in this story that had many twist and turns and it held me captive until the end. This is truly one of the best books I have read this year and know I will be thinking about it for awhile.

I have no words to express how PHENOMENAL this was! You can’t help but fall in love with Rook/Ash he’s the absolute broken hero that had one purpose to his survival and that’s to get to the only person he loves.
Evil forces took him away from Lorelei the young girl that helps him heal after being so cruelly tortured and left for dead.
Lorelei helps heal broken and injured animals and for her Rook/Ash is someone that has an instant conection with her. He makes her a promise that he’ll come to her no matter how long it takes. And he keeps his promise just in the nick of time, her sadistic brother is forcing her to wed!

This is a book that one should only read without any interruptions, it’s a heart wrenching angst filled story that captivates the reader from the very first page!
It’s smoldering HOT full of sizzling passion. Intriguing and plenty of action. This will not disappoint, Kerrigan Byrne has absolutely hit the pot of gold with the whole series! I recommend 100%!

I recieved a complimantery copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

THE romance of all time. Two hearts, two souls have spent two decades calling out to each other across time and space. I loved this intelligently written, excellently plotted, and very romantic book. It will be going on my Top Ten For 2018 list. After my disappointment in the last book, The Scot Beds His Wife, I almost decided not to read this book. Boy, what a mistake that would have been. I was also afraid that it was going to be really dark, but, in my opinion, it wasn’t. There were dark things in it, but they were part of the past and were discussed as things from the past – so, not dark or intense in the current time.

Ash has absolutely no clue who he is. He lost all memory of his life when he was eighteen years old and was left for dead in a mass grave. He was horribly beaten, broken, bruised and burned from the lye poured upon him to help his corpse quickly decay. Except, he wasn’t dead and managed to crawl from the grave toward the side of the road where an angel saw him and rescued him – her whispered words called him back.

Lorelai Weatherstoke is a broken and deformed young lady who, at fourteen, has known her share of pain and injury. Now, she spends her days rescuing injured animals and nursing them back to health – and – trying to avoid her older brother’s cruel abuse. As she, her father and brother are traveling along the road, she sees a naked body along the road and asks her father to stop. They rescue an all-but-dead young man who seems to be expiring as they rush toward a physician. Lorelai removed her cloak and spread it over his shuddering body and then she whispered, “Don’t go. Stay here. With me.”

It takes almost a year for Ash to heal, but his memory never returns. Lorelai nurses him just as she does her creatures and they grow closer and closer and although they never say the words, they love each other. She even gave him his name – Ash – from the tree he was lying under when she discovered him. Then, as he was healed it was time for him to make his own way in the world and Lorelai’s brother was taking him to an interview for a job. Lorelai doesn’t want him to go, but knows he needs to do it. He almost tells her that he loves her, but doesn’t voice it and when she expresses concerns about him leaving, he tells her “Lorelai, there are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I’ll come for you. Always.” Those were the last words he said to her for twenty years.

Twenty years later, Lorelai’s brother has gambled away both her and their estate to a horrible, cruel man. As Lorelai arrives at the church to marry the loathsome man who won her, she and her sister-in-law are abducted by the infamous pirate – The Rook, and he is insisting she marry him. She recognizes him – it is Ash – her Ash – how can he also be The Rook? She calls him Ash, but he quickly tells her that the boy she knew as Ash is long dead and has been replaced by the monster known as The Rook.

Ash has had a horrible, horrible twenty years of slavery, torture, and subjugation. He has buried, killed in his view, every emotion he’s ever had. His heart is black and nothing but ice runs in his veins, but, Lorelai has always called to him. She is what has kept him going. I was absolutely shocked and appalled at all he had gone through. I was amazed that he had come through it with any humanity still intact.

I absolutely adored Ash and Lorelai. They were true soulmates. I loved watching her gentle, sweet healing ways melt his heart – though I suspect it wasn’t as cold as he thought. He’d always loved her and he’d always known it. I highly recommend this wonderful read!

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

This is another emotionally-charged story of tortured hero and tormented heroine.

The characters have experienced trauma and excruciating pain both physically and emotionally. My heart aches for them.
Ash's life is akin to the mythical phoenix, re-born to be The Rook, dangerous and ruthless. Lorelei is exceptionally resolute in her will to survive and dedicates herself to the care and welfare of animals. Ash and Lorelei have a profound connection, two decades of separation and heartaches and they found each other again.

The twist was so brilliant!

Kerrigan Byrne is an outstanding story teller. She has the superb ability to pen the right words and make the reader feel the anguish as well as the delights of the characters. This is definitely worth a re-read.

What a fantastic addition to this great series!

I voluntarily read and honestly reviewed an eGalley from the publisher.

I really, really wanted to like this romance! It had all the trappings and set up to be a fantastic tail, but then murder. The excellent writing was interrupted with the 'hero' murdering the heroine's evil brother, while he was evil, that was murder! 

I strongly feel that romances can have bad boy heros, but they need to be redeemable heros, a murderous madman is not redeemable. 

It was very well written and intriguing, and I would considering giving another one of Kerrigan Bryne's books a try, but this one was not my cup of tea.

The Victorian Rebels Book 6, Ash 'The Rook' is saved by Lorelei when he ha d been beaten as a young man, she brought him back to health and when he left he said he would be back for her, fast forward 20 years and he kidnaps her from an arranged marriage, that is the only thing I will say about that, the other is that it captured my interest from the start and held it till the end.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

He was but a lad of 18 when she found him. Left for dead in a pauper's grave. His past not even a memory, and his future being measured in minutes.
But Lady Lorelei Weatherstoke knows with the innate knowledge that saviors of lost causes posses. That someone of value is to be found amid the myriad of bruises and burns. That a strong and courageous heart beats beneath his battered breast. This his is a life worth saving.

For the nameless boy rescued from his certain death. She was EVERYTHING.
His anchor to the tangible world. His reason to be a better man. His world.
I was of no consequence to him that she walked with a limp. That her sadistic brother, Mortimer, called her "Duck" because of it. Or that other's thought her beneath their notice.
To him, she was perfection.
To her he became "Ash".
To each other they were home.

Until the day he left. Until the day she lost him. She thought forever.
He however, knew different.
And no matter the hell or high water that he had to traverse.
He knew that he would return.
And return he did.
Just in time to stop her marriage to another, kill her loathsome brother, and take back what was his.
HER!


But twenty years of hard living and doing what one must to survive has taken quite the toll on the dark and menacing presence that has come to claim Lorelei for his own.
Gone is the tender boy that she knew, and in his place stands the infamous pirate known to all as The Rook.
A legend that Lorelei doesn't know.
A man that she is quite sure that she can never love.

The Duke With The Dragon Tattoo is a book filled to the brim with stories. The stories of Ash's and Lorelei's individual pasts. The story of who they became together. They story of who they became after they were parted. Who they were when they once again found each other. And who they then became in their "happily...".

Kerrigan Byrne proves herself to be a most masterful weaver of stories. Able to gather threads from several plot points and intermingle them seamlessly. Creating not only a story worth its weight in gold.
But presenting the reader with a panoramic view of months, years, and even decades of lives lived, battles fought, lessons learned, and trials survived.

Speaking of trials...
There is no shortage of authentic pirate action here. Both Lorelei, and her sister-in-laws interactions with both The Rook and members of his crew, are at all times "edge of your seat" authentic.
In fact, everything that the persona that is 'The Rook' touches within this tale, is nothing less than dramatic gold.

Equally as impressive is Lorelie, as a character. Her blend of naivete and fortitude in the face of ever changing circumstances is a joy to read.

Making matters even better for the reader. (As if that is possible!)
The fact that different elements of this plot function at different speeds. With the action an intrigue racing ahead at a breakneck clip. While the romantic portion of things is allowed to simmer and stew until much later in the read.
When things (for lack of a better phrase) "really heat up"!

This is s book that will make you never want to stop reading its story. You will literally find yourself talking to the characters.
If you have not read previous books in the series, you will.
In, short. This is a story lover's delight.
An adventure, a drama, a romance, a story to be remembered!

Reviewer's Note: This is the 6th book of a related series. It may be read as a standalone or as part of its intended series.

A very entertaining historical read. Ash and Lorelai have amazing chemistry and the story really hooks you from beginning to end. Lorelai saves Ash as a young man nurses him back to health. They fall in love but are separated. Twenty years later Ash comes back to take what is his, Lorelai, but is he the same person she once knew and fell in love with? This is a fast-paced read with plenty of drama and suspense. I loved the characters and the story had me hooked from beginning to end. I loved it.

I had a hard time enjoying this book. I like the first few chapters. How Lorelei finds the Rook and saves his life. They develope some feelings for each other but Lorelei’s rotten brother steps in and causes a wedge between them. Then we fast forward 20 years! 20 years! It just seemed like too long of a time period for someone to hold a torch for someone else. Just was a little bit unbelievable over the top. The last couple chapters kind of were the redeeming portion of the book but not enough that I would want to recommend it.

Lorelai Weatherstoke is looking out her coach window when she spies a young man’s body on the side of the road. At first she assumes the badly beaten and burned youth to be dead, but she detects some sign of life, and has him taken up into the carriage. The doctor has little hope that anyone in his condition will survive, but Lorelai’s sweet voice and soft touch entice the boy to fight for his life. When the boy regains consciousness, he has no memory of his past. He looks to be about eighteen years old to Lorelai’s fourteen, and she decides to call him Ash. Over the months of his recovery, Ash falls in love with Lorelai, and she with him. His scars don’t matter to her, and her limp doesn’t matter to him. Finally, the time comes for Ash to leave, to start an apprenticeship, and as he departs, he kisses Lorelai and tells her: “Lorelai, there are only two indisputable facts in this world: The sun will set in the west, and I’ll come for you. Always.”

But Ash doesn’t come. The years go by, and Lorelai continues to live under her cruel brother’s rule. It’s Mortimer’s fault that Lorelai was injured as a child and has a permanent limp. When their father dies, Mortimer seems to lose all restraint, and gambles away their home, and arranges to marry Lorelai off to a man old enough to be her grandfather. As a downtrodden Lorelai makes her way to the church to face her unwanted marriage, she and her sister-in-law are kidnapped by the notorious pirate, Rook. Only, Rook appears to be her long lost love, Ash, the one who’s been gone for twenty years.

Rook insists that the boy he was, Ash, is dead. But he still wants Lorelai, and is determined to have her at all costs. But where has he been? Why did he stay away so long? How can he possibly expect Lorelai to blindly agree to tie herself to this man who’s now a dangerous stranger?

Lorelai has always been kind and tender hearted, as evidenced by her care of the younger Ash and the animals she was forever rescuing. She was also meek in accepting her brother’s ill treatment and abuse. But now, she finds the courage to stand up to Rook and demand answers. Though he’s not quick to give answers, she eventually learns his heartbreaking story, and she’s determined to find some heart and humanity left in the cold stranger who used to be her beloved Ash.

There is no way Rook could be called a good man. Though he was grievously wronged, he now chooses to be a pirate, a thief, and a murderer. He appears to be coldly in control at all times, never showing emotion, but Lorelai still gets to him. Yet, my heart broke for him, and I couldn’t help but love him. I found myself urging Lorelai to show him the tenderness and love that she did when they were young.

THE DUKE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is truly a breathtaking read. The tragedy of the young lovers being parted for so long, and so wrongly, is heartbreaking. They have to go through so much more before they find themselves and their love again. The way author Kerrigan Byrne brought this story full circle is brilliant – if you’ve read the previous books, you’ll genuinely appreciate the pieces of the puzzle all falling into place. (If you haven’t read the previous books, you’ll still be able to read this as a stand alone.) THE DUKE WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO worked for me on all levels – it’s fast paced, exciting, heartbreaking, dangerous, steamy, and, oh, so very touching and romantic.

This is the first book I have read by Kerrigan Byrne, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks go the publisher, via Net-Galley, for providing an e-copy in advance of publication. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo is set in Victorian England. It’s a novel of deep emotional connection between the heroine and hero. The writing is smooth and flows well. The action scenes are vivid and exciting. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Lorelai’s character drew me in from the start. She is a gentle, timid young girl, who has been abused by her elder brother, a truly evil individual to say the least. Her heart aches for the tormented, injured young man she finds in the woods. It’s her kind and loving heart that touched me so much.

The rook, also known as Ash, is truly a tortured soul with no real sense of who he is until the end of the book. When he awakens and sees Lorelai, he craves her goodness, but although he has no memories, he is convicted that he is undeserving of her tender care yet craves it anyway. His nightmares are horrific, and Lorelai is the only one who can pull him away from them.

While love grows between them, it isn’t physical attraction because after all, he is a young man on the cusp of adulthood and she is barely fourteen. When he returns many years later to claim her, the passion ignites between them quickly, and it frightens her to such a degree she faints. She fears that the Ash she knew no longer exists, but she does not give up. She is determined to resurrect him. Fortunately, she does.

The Duke with the Dragon Tattookept me enmeshed until near the end. For some reason, I was slightly disappointed with the conclusion. Everything happens very fast when Ash’s memory returns, and I found it a little confusing, and that is why I gave this book 4 stars.

Nonetheless, it’s an intriguing, emotional read. If you like novels with plenty of deep emotions and terrific action, then you will enjoy The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo. I’m intrigued by characters from previous books in this series so I may seek them out. Happy reading!