His is my fair and honest review in exchange for this ARC. Exceptional story that, even though it seems impossible, takes place in only 10 days! Awesome characters and brilliant writing make this a must read book.

What a story! This is a book you don't want to miss! The author has hit the pinnacle of romantic suspense in a historical setting. Murder, blackmail, it has it all. And the main characters are fantastic! I loved them both. I had to finish this story in one setting! I couldn't put it down. It was that compelling! This book is a must read!

A few dark secrets threads through the captivating plot and I really liked Piers ways of patiently helping Alexandra through one of them.

Well written with descriptive words help form a story that I was captivated by and kept "page turning" to find out what happens next.

An exciting and fast paced drama and historical romance which was the first for me by this author. It's been a while since I've gone back to historical's and this one didn't disappoint.

Thank you Kerrigan Byrne, I'll be looking out for more in the series.

Kerrigan Byrne always does an amazing job of writing historical romance with mystery and intrigue and this book was no exception.

Alexandra is a likable and interesting character. She is very brave in some ways and very hesitant in others, but she has her reasons. Piers is also a great character. Scarred and battered but ultimately a strong and stand up guy. I enjoyed watching the two fall in love.

The mystery in added extra excitement and a second layer to a well told story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

I received an ARC in exchange of my honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I am voluntarily reviewing it.

First just let me say that this book should come with a warning of rape that occurs in the Prologue. The scene is written in such a way that it isn't too graphic in detail but I feel that it should come with a warning as it could trigger a response to some. Also it could offend others. That being said, I did enjoy the book.

I did appreciate the dual POV format. Being inside of the characters' thoughts, especially Alexandra, really helped me to connect with her character. I felt deeply for what her history was and was really able to understand her better. Piers was a male protagonist that I felt for as well. Do to an incident that caused disfigurement, people turned away from him.

This story really had a lot of things going on. First who was the target of all of the mayhem? There were four characters to choose from. Second, who was behind all of the mayhem? There were many different suspects to choose from there. There were some scenes that I felt were a little too drawn out with a lot of back drop. Also there were times that I had to re-read sections as I got a little confused as to what the author was trying to say. Even though I had a few issues with the story-telling, the plot was fascinating and kept me glued to the e-reader.

If you like a good mystery with your romance and can tolerate the issue of violence against a female teenager in the form of rape and are over the age of 18, then you may want to consider this book. I look forward to reading more of this series.

Wow. That was my first and only thought for a good portion of my morning after reading this book. Since this was my first Kerrigan Byrne book, I didn't quite know what to expect, but I had very high hopes. I can honestly tell you that my hopes were met and surpassed.

How To Love A Duke In Ten Days has one of the most difficult prologues I've ever read. I don't think I've read a book with a more heartbreaking prologue than this one. The reader immediately finds out what Alexandra's secret is, so I kind of felt like I was sharing this burden with her. This book have me a lot of Beauty and the Beast vibes, so that in part is why I loved this story so much.

I loved Alexandra. I wanted to grab her and hide her from the world. I hated what she went through and how she was hiding herself because she was in part ashamed by what had happened, in part so scared of living because of it. She was strong, but she was also very fragile and I loved how the author showed that. I loved how she was determined to be her own woman, even though it went against society. I also loved her friendship with Francesca and Cecilia. I am very curious to see how their stories will develop, if they will find what they were searching for.

Piers was fantastic. I adored him. I was amused by how confused by this woman he was, but at times I was sad and almost angry for him that he didn't know what Alexandra went through. I know why she wouldn't confide in him, but I wish he had some knowledge. I knew that once he would find out he'd hate himself for his behavior in some scenes, so I wish he could have skipped that. Piers shares Alexandra's love of adventure, and it was interesting seeing that side of them get together. They were very well matched.



The chemistry Piers and Alexandra had was incredible, and I loved seeing them get to know each other. I loved the fact that it wasn't love at first sight, it was more a marriage of convenience, but it was written very well in my opinion.

The plot was pretty well paced. I didn't expect the ending to be very honest. I felt like the reveal of didn't match the buildup all that well, but I still enjoyed it. I also loved the prologue and the hint we get of Cecilia and Francesca's futures was very interesting. I really wish we'd get their books faster.

As far as series starters go, I really enjoyed the world this book introduced. I lover this author's writing style so much. I also correctly predicted after reading the prologue that I was going to cry and I eventually did. I got my heart stomped on by Alexandra and Piers, but I'm not even mad about it.

All in all, I truly enjoyed this book and I'm very curious to read more books by this author.

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is a book of aching sensitivity. Its opening scene so shocks the senses that the reader is left wondering how this heroine is going to achieve her HEA. But she does…because Byrne takes great care in ensuring that not only is the HEA convincing but it is enduring.

The book has a compelling mystery as well. Someone knows that she murdered her rapist who has been blackmailing her for ten years. Now Alexandra’s money has run out, and her life is in danger. At the same time, Redmayne is convinced that the enemies he has made as duke also want him dead. Are both in danger from being murdered or just one of them? And if so, who? And by whom? The reveal at the end of the book is very satisfying with an excellent build up.

While parts of the book, especially the beginning, are almost unbearable, the heroine’s journey to wellness and happiness from that nadir of her experience is an affirmation that no matter the circumstances of your life, happiness is within reach. It is a story of such hope.

https://frolic.media/book-of-the-week-how-to-love-a-duke-in-ten-days-by-kerrigan-byrne/

goodness gracious, my emotions were all over the place with this one! such an enjoyable read though. really loved the characters and the story, everything about it worked for me. love this author!

Again, another Kerrigan Byrne has left me destroyed after reading it. I should have known better. The last book I read by her left me an emotional mess, and it took me days to get over it. But, at the same time, I am so glad that I read it.

I included a trigger warning at the beginning of the review (scroll up). How to Love a Duke in Ten Days starts with Alexandra’s rape by Headmaster Maurice de Marchand. The act itself wasn’t graphic, but the aftermath was.

I thought that Alexandra was a strong woman. She was also ahead of her time. In the era that How to Love a Duke in Ten Days takes place, independent women were few. Alexandra earned her doctorate in college, and she traveled the world, which was another rarity. It was refreshing to read. I liked how she refused to let the rape define who she was. She tried so hard to overcome her fear of men touching her. I was in tears during those scenes. I also loved how she was determined to protect her friends, no matter what. That included keeping them in the dark about the blackmailer and volunteering to marry Piers.

I wasn’t sure about Piers for 75% of the book. He didn’t trust Alexandra. He thought that she was going to sleep with everyone that she saw. Which made me roll my eyes. But at the same time, I understood why he felt that way. The explanation is in the book, so I won’t be going into it here. I also thought that he should have had a clue that something was off with Alexandra when she gave him those rules. But, once he found out what happened to her, he turned into a man worthy of her. His reaction was the reaction that every man who loves a woman who was sexually assaulted should be. My opinion of him changed after that.

The storyline involving the rape, Alexandra killing the Headmaster, and the blackmail was well written. I was as surprised as Alexandra when it was revealed who was blackmailing her. Talk about a twist!! I thought it was the same person Alexandra thought it was up until that point.

The storyline involving Piers and the attempts on his life was well written also. I did guess at who was behind the attempts on his life. But it was who carried it out that surprised me. I didn’t see that coming either.

I can’t rate the sex scenes in the book because Alexandra’s rape overshadowed them. I will say that Piers and Alexandra’s sexual attraction and chemistry was there.

The end of How to Love a Duke in Ten Days was explosive. I loved how the author tied the blackmail storyline and the attempts on Piers life together. The epilogue was my favorite part of this book. It showed how far Alexandra had come in two years!!

I would give How to Love a Duke in Ten Days an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread How to Love a Duke in Ten Days. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

There is SO much more to Victorian-era romances than roguish dukes, lavish balls, and damsels in distress, and few authors continue to remind us of this as Kerrigan Byrne does. Renowned for her female leads that are aware, independent, brave, and freethinking, Byrne’s heroines are wonderfully modern without seeming out of place in their 1800s setting, and her latest novel reflects more than ever an era that gave rise to so many progressive women and female social reformers. The heroine is her own knight in shining armour—she is the daughter of an Earl, an accomplished archaeologist, and a rape survivor, but a dark secret from her past leaves her with no other choice but to propose marriage to a man whose touch she dreads. And while her male counterpart is a tortured alpha whose own past might have made him distrustful of any woman wishing to marry him, he proves to be a broadminded, protective, and devoted partner in all the ways that matter. Kicking off a brand new series that centres on the lives and loves of three fiercely independent best friends, Kerrigan Byrne delivers a dazzling tour-de-force novel that tackles head-on the lingering terror and lasting effects of living as a survivor of sexual violence. She does so sensitively but unflinchingly, and her every word takes your breath away.

Read my full review » https://natashaisabookjunkie.com/2019/08/29/review-how-to-love-a-duke-in-ten-days-by-kerrigan-byrne/

Kerrigan Byrne is the queen of Scottish Romance! Every book I've read of hers has been impossible to put down until the last page and this one has been my favorite book yet! A marriage of convenience for two people that so desperately need it - Piers and Alexandra have a lot to overcome in order to be able to live a life outside of their past and secrets. Piers didn't have my heart at first, but he won me over in time and was a very pleasant surprise that I wasn't expecting. The story does touch a bit on sensitive subjects that might trigger some readers, so fair warning - but other than that, this was a captivating and suspenseful romance that'll take you on a journey, well-worth the hours of sleep you'll lose to read it in one setting!

How to Love Duke in 10 Days, the first in Kerrigan Byrne's Devil You Know series, was somewhat of an anomaly for me. The opening prologue was very dark and details an assault against Lady Alexandra Lane. She kills her assailant, and her friends, Cecelia and Francesca, help her deal with the aftermath but tell Alexandra she will always be haunted by what happened.

Fast forward 10 years, and Alexandra is an educated archaeologist. She has traveled the world but binds her chest, dresses in layers, and carries a pistol for protection. After receiving an urgent summons from Francesca to attend her engagement masquerade, she travels to Castle Redmayne and encounters Piers Atherton, Duke of Redmayne. Suddenly, she is intrigued by Piers and is quickly married to him and off on a honeymoon. Alexandra has dealt with the memories of the assault for 10 years and within 10 days all her problems are somehow solved?

The story is fast-paced and packs all the action into the 10-day time frame indicated by the title. While Byrne's writing kept me interested, it tends toward the florid, with unusual word choices and imagery.

"Apprehension warred with anticipation in a tumultuous tumble of emotion."

"Venerated by this crimson firmament.....The sea ebbed from him, revealing his nude form with wet, glistening exactitude."

"He seemed impossibly more titanic."

I appreciated the epilogue, which is two years later in time, and has Alexandra and Piers happy, traveling the world together, and anticipating their first child. What was intriguing is it also mentions Cecelia and her "husband" anticipating their first child - a "Ramsay" cousin for Alexandra's and Piers' child. Cecelia and Cassius, Piers' half-brother? I would definitely want to read more of the series about Cecelia and Francesca, who both have secrets of their own.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kerrigan Byrne does it again with a new series that is just as wonderful as her Victorian Rebels series. Readers will fall in love with Piers and Alexandra and get caught up in their stories of love, friendship, pain, and healing. The story has just the right amount of intrigue and action combined with sensitive subjects that are handled with care. This novel is a brilliant addition to Bryne’s catalog of must-read historical fiction romance novels.

If you like reading stories that have your emotions all over the place, than this one is for you. I don't read a lot of historical romance, but this blurb caught my eye. I'm glad I picked this one up!

Lady Alexandra Lane was a female character that I immediately liked. She's so fierce and strong, I couldn't help but admire her. Piers Gedrick Atherton was so brooding and tortured. I loved him so hard. These two together had some of the best (and HOTTEST) chemistry I've read in awhile.

The seerts, the suspense, and the grit of all of this. It was everything and then some. I will defiantly be checking out her back list of books.

These comments will be brief and to the point, folks. I personally cannot recommend a romantic read where the opening chapter is the heroine being raped as a child. I do not care what the intent was. I do not condone using that horrific type of graphic, abusive content to set-up/sell a storyline, especially in a romantic tale. My heart goes out to those who have experienced this type of unforgivable evil and found themselves without warning getting a front row seat to the intense fear, pain, and suffering of this young girl’s brutal attack. I felt blindsided myself. I simply do not have the words to adequately describe my shock, dismay, and utter disappointment.

Dedicating this book to the survivors of the “metoomovement” does not justify this, IMHO. I’m used to this author’s writing style and know she at times pushes the envelope. I’ve read several of her books and have enjoyed them. As an avid mafia romance reviewer, I’m used to very dark content. This simply personally and very definitely crossed a line with me and completely ruined my enjoyment of this book. No...Just no...Is all I really have to say about this one.

Title: How to Love a Duke in Ten Days, Series: Devil You Know (Book 1), Author: Kerrigan Byrne, Pages: 440, opening chapter is heroine being raped as a child, should have had a better disclaimer.

Book 1 - How to Love a Duke in Ten Days
Book 2 - All Scot and Bothered
Book 3 - The Importance of Being an Earl

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

5 ‘Her Beast’ Stars

Oh my world, How To Love a Duke in Ten Days ended up surpassing all my already huge expectations! Ms. Byrne truly is the MASTER of dark/gothic historical romance! The rawness of the emotions, the carefully constructed and weaved setting, and the most well crafted and complex of characters stole my breath – along with my heart – away! Broken and imperfect, but yet so PERFECT for each other, Pries and Alexandra are what romance dreams are made off! HR perfection!

Ahhhh, this book! I should have expected an emotional and heart touching read since Ms. Byrne always gives us all the feels but this was so much more! With an opening scene, with Alexandra’s assault, we see instantly that this story will rip us apart, instantly upon their first meeting and unmeasurable hope and happiness overflows us, because we can FEEL these two are meant to be.

Alexandra was such a beautiful, and broken, female lead. Normally in HR we usually see the hero being the broken one, but here, even though heartbreaking it witness all the events and her pain, shame and guilty, how strong and resilient she was, as it was fantastic to see first hand them falling for one another, and put each other broken pieces together, bit by bit.

Piers is now on my TOP Book Boyfriend List! I love a goody and scarred hero, and he fit the role to a T, even with his maddening moments, lol. He was just sooooooo swoon worthy, whispering the most beautiful and loving of statement to Alexandra. SO caring and protective, truly what I loved the most in romance!

The secondary characters take on a big role here as is with Ms. Byrne’s other series, enticing us with this trio of strong and independent women each with an agenda of their own, Red Rogues. As well as Ramsay, Piers brother, that left me wondering if he’ll indeed be paired with a certain redhead. I sure hope so! ;)

How To Love a Duke In Ten Days is HR excellence at its finest! All the feelings, all the experiences, the friendship, the mystery, the suspense, the blooming relationship, the passion, and most of all, love, make this one of my all time fav of the genre.

This book truly was perfection for me, I wouldn’t change one bit of their journey, even the horrifying moments and pain, took them to most amazing of HEA, and Kerrigan Byrne once again delivers an outstanding story of friendship, partnership and soul mate love! Can’t wait to see which of the Red Rogue will fall next! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Kerrigan Byrne has done it again with her latest book, HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS, book #1 in her newest series, DEVIL YOU KNOW. Filled with emotions, suspense, mystery, tragedy, trust, and love.
What an awesome cast of characters, they will definitely pull at your heart strings. MAY NEED TISSUES, with this well written and well excuted story.
Follow, Lady Alexandra Lane and
Piers Gedrick Atherton, the Duke of Redmayn, better known as the Terror of Torcliff. Suspenseful, romantic with secrets and
Finding a HEA. Will wait patiently for Book 2. Amazing story! #NetGalley, #HowToLove a DukeinTenDays

I voluntarily received a complimentary copy, however, these are my honest opinions. I was in no way required nor compensated to write a review.

Rating: 5
Heat rating: Mild
Reviewer: AprilR

🍷🍷🍷🍷 .3 #Review of How to Love a Duke in Ten Days by Kerrigan Byrne
Kimberly's Thoughts:
How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is the first book in the new series Devil You Know by Kerrigan Byrne and it is a wonderful start. The Prologue starts us off with seventeen year old Alexandra as she is called into the headmaster's office of the ladies' finishing school she has been attending in France. I do want to mention that there is a pretty intense rape scene, some might want to avoid reading. Skipping the prologue to avoid it would be possible but you would miss some bonding knowledge between Alexandra and her friends. The rest of the book has mention of the rape and how it affects Alexandra's relationships and how she is, can, and could be triggered in intimate moments with our hero Piers. I thought the author handled the respect and emotions beautifully around this issue and it provided some moments of tears and smiles.

A confusion of sensations paralyzed her. How could she feel both panicked and protected?

If you've read Byrne's work before, you'll know how her stories balance light and dark moments, she mastered them in this book. The fear Alexandra feels with Piers in the beginning before she knows him was tempered exquisitely with the playfulness between the two. Alexandra and Piers get to know one another and the first half is Alexandra learning to trust Piers.

After the prologue, we jump ahead in time ten years and Alexandra gets a note from her friend Francesca telling her she needs her help and an invite to her betrothal ball to the Duke of Redmayne aka The Terror of Torcliffe. Francesca, along with a Cecilia, are the friends Alexandra made at the France school and they formed The Red Rogue Society. They all have red hair and sneak away at night to “further their education”, basically try things young men get to experience but are forbidden to ladies. The night of Alexandra's rape bonds them together, along with the school's gardener, as they bury a secret. I loved how Byrne wrote this group of women and how their personalities were so different but their friendship was solid. I feel like historical romance is full of men groups who are bonding together in some way and I liked the script flipping here.

She was a soft, silver moonbeam in a room full of glowing golden candles.
And all the more radiant for it.

When Alexandra and Piers meet there was a definite crackling of tension but even though these two were very guarded characters, it was their lightness together that won my heart. Byrne's writing style is very reminiscent of the bodice rippers of old, you'll get some faint purple prose elongated sex scenes and drama, which sometimes can get a bit much. I thought this was most apparent with Pier's nickname of Terror of Torcliff; except for the scars on his face, there didn't seem to be a reason for it. I also thought his background could have be fleshed out more, we're told about his mother and father, but especially his relationship with his half-brother, it wasn't as filled out as I would have liked.

The reason for Piers wanting to get married is so that he can produce heirs because he doesn't want his cousin inheriting, the cousin who ended up marrying Piers fiancee. This whole situation is probably what I would have cut out as it too wasn't especially filled out and the vitriol towards the ex-fiancee felt a bit much and I'm just particularly sensitive towards hate at woman at the moment. Bringing Piers in through Francesca would have worked on it's own for me.

Francesca wanting to marry Piers is a whole conversation, there is a lot happening in this book, but Byrne does for the vast majority keep it together. Besides the red hair and more adventurous attitudes, The Red Rogues bond together for support because Cecilia has a very cruel father and Francesca watched her whole family be murdered by men in masks. While Francesca is obviously not the star of this story, her murder mystery definitely plays a solid underlining to it. This murder mystery, along with the first half mostly taking place in Piers' castle help to give this a slight Gothic feel.

She wondered if the world wold ever recognize that the Terror of Torcliff had never been a terror at all. But a man. A man possessed of so much wit, skill, charm, intellect, and humor, he was forever surprising her. Often delighting her.
Enchanting her, even.

The second half changes gears and after a little bit of marriage of convenience, the story moves to Normandy for Alexandra and Piers' honeymoon. As Alexandra has a doctorate of archaeology, Piers takes her to a current excavation of who could be a former Viking ancestor from William the Conqueror time. Some might think this comes in a bit oddly but I loved it, this additive was fun and what I look for when I read historical romance. It also helped to tie in the other mystery, someone has been blackmailing Alexandra over what happened ten years ago. Needing money to keep paying the blackmailer was the reason for Alexandra jumping in to marry Piers (Francesca never wanted to marry him, it was a set-up to gain info on who was responsible for her family's murder). This mystery wasn't quite as intriguing as Francesca's and I thought the ending conclusion was obvious and too Scooby Doo villain drama-ish.

While the first half was about Alexandra trusting Piers, the second half moves to Piers learning to trust Alexandra when he learns she's not a virgin. His issues with how his mother slept around and the betrayal from his ex-fiancee cloud his judgment and he says he won't touch her until ten days, when she gets her courses. Piers doesn't even want to be around Alexandra but she sets-up that they have to be together to learn one another for at least an hour a day. This setup is brought up and then kind of abandoned but the building blocks for the couple's relationship were still there so I didn't mind.

Because this inexhaustible emotion gathering inside of him threatened to completely dismantle him. He knew, then and there, that he'd walk through hell for her. He'd slay dragons and face entire armies. He'd circumnavigate the globe to lay her foes at her feet. And the power of whatever suffused him would assure him victory.

The story does start to drag a sliver around the sixty percent mark but I'm not sure what I would cut out. As I said, this is a busy story with Alexandra getting blackmailed, Francesca's murder mystery, someone trying to murder Alexandra or Piers or both, and the whole falling love but instead of a clogged incoherent story, Byrne ties everything together soundly and creates one heck of a reading journey. The best part is that I saw these two fall in love and all the other tidbits were great bonuses. Cecilia and Piers' half brother Ramsey are teased as the next couple and I can't wait to read their story and maybe get more information on Francesca's compelling story. I highly recommend How to Love a Duke in Ten Days, don't miss out on what looks to be shaping up to one amazing series.

I think the most important thing I can say about this book is that there is a rape scene in the prologue. A content warning would have been appreciated.

This is an emotionally charged story that begins with trauma and ends with hope. Lady Alexandra Lane has become a noted archaeologist. She seems strong and independent, but she is paying a blackmailer to keep her dark past a secret. Piers Atherton, the Duke of Redmayne, bears the physical scars of an animal attack while on a hunting expedition and the emotional scars of betrayal. Their marriage could be the source of healing for the two of them or the means to the end of both of them. Fast paced and darkly exciting, this story is packed with action, intrigue, danger, secrets, and betrayal. Someone is trying to kill Alexandra? Piers? Both? How can they know who is friend and who is enemy? Who can they trust, friends, family, colleagues, when they don’t yet trust each other?

How to Love a Duke in Ten Days is the first story of three school friends, each with a dark secret, and all sworn to keep the confidences and protect each other. The main characters, Alexandra and Piers, are not especially easy to get to know at first, for the reader and each other. There is a lot standing in the way of understanding and love. They are joined by an extremely interesting cast of characters. This one is a hold-your-breath ride all the way through, but when you finally exhale, it is with a smile. I recommend this story; it’s a good one.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.