4.5 stars

To stars, some CW: child abuse, child death, cults... there might be more but that's what stood out.
This wasn't an easy read, and I found myself reading it mid-day rather than before bed, but Kerrigan Byrne delivered an AMAZING story of revenge, redemption, and, as always, finding love among horrid circumstances. Francesca is a very unique heroine. She's physically strong but I never got the "woman with male attributes" feel that some other books can have. Chandler is such a broken hero, and I loved watching his arc.
Great read.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Ok, let’s start with the good, shall we?

THE BACKSTORY!

The backstory in this could not be better! Like…honestly, it’s perfect. Her being the servant’s kid and him being a boy they brought in from who-knows-what life. And the attack on the house and them saving each other. FUCK. That is some good shit right there. And the more we learn about their past as they get to know each other in the present, the better is gets!

Banter/Fighting

THEY FIGHT EACH OTHER!! Maybe I’m reading the wrong historical romance books but that never happens. Like a for real physical fight. Granted, they don’t exactly who each other are, but still. A BRAWL!


I also love the banter between these pre-discovery of who they are to each other. It’s some good shit. Like everyone thinks she is sleeping with everyone and anyone and he’s in disguise as at least two different people, but DAMN, the banter is good and sexy and fun.

Ending

THEY MEET WHERE THEY FIRST MET EACH OTHER. Do I need to say more?? They are hurt and sad and heartbroken and want justice and they meet back where it all started and it wasn’t planned. They just both end up there. Once again, that is some good shit!


Ok, time for the inevitable. Let’s talk about what I didn’t love.

Lying

I wish lying/lying by omission as a plot device was retired indefinitely. I hate it. Throw it into a black hole, please and thank you. I am not the most trusting person in the world so when a character does this it immediately takes me out of a story because I feel betrayed for the character who is being lied to.


Chandler’s Reaction to Lies

Ok, yes. This makes me a hypocrite but I’m led by emotions. Sue me. I also wasn’t in love with his reaction to learning the truth. Francesca/Pippa clearly lied to him because she wasn’t sure he was still the honorable boy she once knew and because, HELLO, she is killing people! How does she know she can trust him with that information. Dude, needs to take a day to drink his emotional heart out and then use his brain for a minute.

Should she have lied? No, but COME ON, MY DUDE. It’s kind of understandable in this instance.

He does come to this realization in the end and some other wonderful, smart, and adult realizations that I loved, but his initial reaction had be side-eyeing him.

Overall, I thought The Devil in Her Bed was fine but I didn’t love it. There was some skimming involved near the end. I am giving it 3 out of 5 stars.

If you tend to love books like this, please don’t let this deter you. This could be your new fave!

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne releases on March 9, 2021

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Paperbacks for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was definitely my favorite book of the Devil You Know series. Francesca and Chandler had brilliant chemistry and the premise of Kerrigan Byrne's lovely story telling for this book was as intriguing as it was engaging. These two characters have the most interesting back stories that gave the story an illicit and mysterious feel to it all the while having scorching chemistry.

I loved how the previous characters from the first two stories were brought back in this one and how that camaraderie played out from beginning to end in aiding the flow of this one. My favorite part of this one was the strength of this female lead. Francesca conveys a no-nonsense, witty, assertive, and brave female in a time when that "kind" of woman wouldn't be taken overly seriously. I love her plight and and her attitude, her kindness and vulnerability, and how all those pieces complete a compelling feminine puzzle.

Kerrigan Byrne's historical romance stories never cease to entertain. She knows how to expertly match her characters to bring out the best and worst in both of them giving readers a whole and complete picture. While each book in the series can be read as a stand alone, I suggest reading from the beginning for a broader understanding and lots of excellent romance.

I always love Byrne's books. They're typically a little darker than books I read but they're so good! This one did not disappoint. It reconnected two people who thought they'd lost everything. The heroine was fantastic! She was single minded in her desire for revenge and protecting those she cared about. The hero had the same drive.

I did want a bit more exploration into what the hero and heroine were feeling, especially towards the end of the story.

The Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, is a woman of many faces. She is on a mission of revenge for the massacre of her family and she does and takes whatever she needs to unravel that horrific event. She has no use for men except for what they can give her-the information she needs to bring the villains to justice. When the Devil of Dorset comes into her orbit, she craves his attention like she never has a man's attention before. The man is an enigma and no one really knows anything about him, but Francesca wants to be the one to find out everything about the man. Can they come together without destroying their fragile trust?

I wasn't a fan of Chandler and found it hard to connect with him because he had so many disguises and personalities throughout the book. He becomes obsessed with Francesca and she with him, but there are too many secrets between them. There is passion, lust and sex, but not really trust. I did love that Francesca was such a strong heroine who could take care of herself throughout the book. There are twists and turns throughout the book, but the final one was quite unexpected. There is lots of graphic sex scenes in the book so readers who don't like that should avoid this book.

I so enjoy reading books by reading his author I know I’m in for a great read when I get a new one. And this one was amazing the characters had me reading long in to the night they were captivating and intriguing the storyline pulled me in from the start. If you enjoy historical fiction you’ll enjoy this book. If you haven’t read any of this authors books I highly recommend you give her a try

3.5 STARS

The Earl of Devlin has many names and personas because he works in secret an agent for the Crown. He knows all the back alleys and dark secrets of the aristocracy, Chandler (one of his many names) is comfortable in either scenario. Using all of his talents of subterfuge and disguises, Chandler vows to expose the woman who calls herself the Countess of Mont Claire known as Francesca Cavendish, a woman with startling reputation of her own.

Francesca is known to all as the only survivor of a devastating fire that killed every one of her family members. She was the young daughter of house staff, but after the fire, she assumed the role of a daughter of the Ton in order to avenge the loss. One of three “sisters” called the Red Rogues, she is a woman who goes against the mores and restriction of her time in Victorian London. Francesca's reputation is quite scandalous for a “spinster” near the age of thirty. Money is power however and so she gets away with quite a few antics; however, it is all for the goal of discovering who is responsible for the death of her family and those in the house whom she loved.

Chandler and Francesca are on the same mission and though he trys to keep her out of the deadly and dangerous goal of exposing some really corrupt and extremely nasty people, she manages to evade and even outsmart him time and again. The group they target, who are part of high society, formed the underground Crimson Council; they are a very deviant and disgusting cadre who use and abuse people in a horrific way while craving power.

This third story of this series that focuses on the three independent and stubborn women, who have made up their own rules despite what society would say, is perhaps the darkest and most emotional. The details of what Chandler’s life has been like, and Francesca’s singular focus on revenge to the exclusion of everything else including personal happiness are often grim and sorrowful. The cult they are trying to bring down is quite heinous involving many of the Ton who participate in obscene occult rituals. Quite a few layers of secrets and lies on both sides of two people bent on their ultimate goal inhabit this story and as Shakespeare said, “the truth will out.” Fans of the first two books will most likely be pleased with this steamy, historical romance

It was a solid 3.5 for me.

This book has a heroine who is smart, lives life on her own rules without a care for the society and is absolutely capable of fighting for her cause with anyone. It is a revenge plot that starts with the massacre of an entire household and the key characters, Declan and Francesca living with their hidden identities are back to avenge and also to find out the reason behind the massacre.

During this investigation, there is a good deal of romance and steam between them. There is sassy and witty banter between them and their crackling chemistry stays alive throughout the book. Also the mystery kept me engaged as I was very curious about what could have caused the incident. There are some twists at the end as well.

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne is the third of the trilogy and what a finale it is. All the women in this series are intelligent, capable and fierce but none more so than Francesca. It doesn’t matter what name she goes by her dragon shines forth in this story. Her strength is in her ability to remember those she loved, to fight for those she loves now and to remain faithful to her goals. The Devil of Dorset has just as many secrets, some harder to accept than others but he clearly he believes that love has completely past him by.

To say that they are secrets in this book is an understatement. There are secret galore along with mystery, danger, suspense and slow burning then red hot romance. Complex full-fledged characters who find love hard to accept and trust even harder. This one statement sums these two up -“Trust mirrors life, I’m coming to understand. Some get to build on pristine new ground, and others . . . have to sift through ruins and rubble.” This is the story of sifting through all the ruins and rubble to find a treasure worth holding on to.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THIS IS REALLY A 3.5 BOOK FOR ME

Francesca/Pip is a woman on a mission.

She plans to find the people responsible for murdering everyone in her life when she was a child. She has been seducing her way through men who were involved or at least knowledgeable of the people actually responsible. Her two best friends are supporting her and along with their husbands, they make every effort to help her complete her tasks.

In the past, Francesca was the daughter of the house and Pip was the daughter of the butler and cook for the estate. These two girls were best friends. Life was good for the four children. Francesca, her twin brother Ferdinand, Pip and a boy named Declan who was also a servant were all close friends. Then there was the day they lived through a terrible disaster A large group of masked men came, murdered Ferdinand, and Francesca, and many others. They killed everyone in sight and then burned the estate to the ground in order to hide what they had done.

Pip was saved and became Francesca to the world. She was trained in martial arts which helped her become a weapon with one goal in mind. She promised herself vengeance on the people who were responsible. She has been very successful and now she is nearing her ultimate goal..

Declan did not die and he has become a human weapon for the government. He is a man of many faces and names and he also is seeking the names of the people who were responsible for murdering an estate full of people. He is an assassin but much more. He has learned a great deal about the people he is seeking.

This story involves a very strong illustration of friendship. Francesca/Pip is a good friend to two other women who also have had their pasts to overcome. Now those women and their husbands support her as much as they can. The three women are devoted as though they were sisters.

I realize I am in the minority, but I was not a big fan of Francesca/Pip. I felt that many of her inner thoughts (and there were lots of them) were ambivalent about much of her life. She had little respect for any men. That was even in the face of her two friends having husbands who were caring men of honor.

Declan lusted after Francesca/Pip but had little respect for her as a person. He wanted to dominate her. And in reality his lust was for the woman he thought was his ideal, Francesca.

The book has an interesting plot with many paths for the reader to follow. There is action. There are also many pages of people thinking about doing rather than doing.

Ms Byrne has created a story which is interesting but at the same time I felt as though it could have been a little tighter.

This is probably only me, but I loved Pip and Declan as youngsters. As adults, not so much. Yes, I know, the devastation which was a huge part of their past had to have made them who they became. But, somewhere along the way for me, they lost some of who they had been. I wanted to believe in their humanity.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

An overall enjoyable historical romance, the last in the Devil You Know series. I was always super intrigued by Francesca's backstory in the first two books so I was excited to see her continue her fight to avenge her loved ones. Like the others in this series, there was a good blend of suspense/mystery and some romance with great chemistry between the two main characters. In particular, with Declan and Francesca it was fun to see them continue to try to outmaneuver each other.

Where this one lost me a bit was that it felt like there was a lot going on at times and many parts of the Crimson Council and Mont Claire massacre didn't always get explained as well as they could, leaving me a bit confused by some minor plot points at the end. Additionally, there were some parts, particularly as it was drawing to an end that felt a bit scattered and rushed.

3.5/5 stars

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne
Preorder for March 9: The Devil in Her Bed
****3.5/5 stars: Liked it. If you love a good, action-packed historical romance with some bonus mystery, you'll love Kerrigan Byrne.

Recommended readers:
If you’re a fan of Historical Romance
If you like Kate Bateman, Kerrigan Bryne
And if you like a fast-reading romance

Here's my Rankings:
4/5 for characters
3/5 for plot
3.5/5 overall

REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:

In true Kerrigan-Byrne fashion, the Devil of Dorset and Countess of Mont Clare are natural enemies - looking to uncover the secrets of a long-past tragedy. The the Earl of Devlin is an undercover spy for the Crown, Francesca Cavendish is an orphaned heiress trying to find revenge.

It's easy to escape into the third book in the Devil You Know trilogy. Building passion, challenging personal situations and interpersonal struggles combine to make this a fast-reading, enemies-to-lovers romance. If you love anything from Kerrigan Bryne, this is another winner.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc!

What a beautiful ending to the series! I'd definitely say this is the book with the most passion and most surprising storyline between the three.

What I really liked about this third novel is: the heroine, a badass who never let anyone tell her what to do or how to live her life, the romance which was quite steamy and got all the pagetime it deserved and finally the plot twist, I didn't see that coming at all and fear not, I won't spoiler it in this review.
Let's start with the heroine, Francesca Cavendish, a lady who's investigating her family's murder and won't let anything or anyone stop her from avenging their deaths. She is one the most determined and bravest heroines I've ever read about, if we add to these qualities her resourcefulness and her fighting skills that she always put to use when the hero disrespected her (to my deepest satisfaction, bless her and the author), she is simply a great main character.

The romance that felt a bit rushed and superficial in the first half (especially the scene of their first kiss), undoubtedly improved in the second part of the novel: their chemistry got stronger, their connection deeper and I think what helped strengthen their bond were the many playful moments between them, their teasing and banter which I adored so much I had to highlight about fifty different quotes. Another thing that greatly helped was the chapter-long sex scene: the passion and lust were excellent, I think I'll take more of that, thank you.

In addition, I enjoyed how tense the atmosphere was throughout most of the book, some scenes were unexpected and I loved being surprised by the plot twist, the story isn't difficult to get into, even if one doesn’t remember the previous two novels.

Another thing I truly appreciated was the little use of gendered slurs that compared to the first book were almost nonexistent; that's, of course, mostly a personal preference.

“I refuse to align myself with someone who would malign my parents, condescend to me, and then proceed to shame me for my reputation before even asking if his assumptions were valid in the first place!”
Now onto what or who I enjoyed less.
The hero is an undercover spy who goes by a multitude of different names but doesn't have a clear identity (yet) and just like the heroes in the previous books of this trilogy, he was at times disrespectful and rude to the heroine, it just wasn't as bad as the other books as the heroine never, and I mean Never with a capital n, let him get away with it, she always put him in his place and proved him wrong whenever he doubted her; still I would've preferred he not say or think certain things at all, for example: shaming her for her reputation and even being disgusted by how many partners she'd already had.
Also, I think his character wasn't very credible, he was all talk and no action. He spent most of the book saying how much of a monster and a bad person he was but he never really proved that or did anything truly reprehensible, except being unfair to the heroine. So yes, I found his characterization a bit weak and disappointing even though he did redeem himself partly in the last 20%..

That said, the novel was overall original and engaging and I will surely read this author's next releases.

Historical romance,continuing the series. Good characters,lots of mystery, an interesting plot. Could be read as a standalone but better if you have read the previous books as there is a lot of back history. An enjoyable read.

Thank you for letting me read this book. I enjoyed it overall but felt it was a bit slow at times. Francesca was absolutely amazing. I want to be like her when I grow up. I didnt not like Chandler at all. I did not think he was a good match for her. I would like to read more from this author in the future

Hmm. For some reason, this is my least fave in the series, considering how Francesca to me is the toughest of the 3 friends. She went through so much more than the other 2

Maybe it’s Chandler too. With so many faces and putting people on pedestals, his resistance/rejection to Francesca’s true self was really disappointing. Of course, we have a HEA but still, the road to it was bumpy.

This despite the enemies the two faced. They seem to have triumphed over the group but the group itself isn’t disbanded, merely scattered and regrouping. So that was also a loose end for me.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the copy of this book.

3.5 Stars

“I want you. I’ve always wanted you...Whatever souls are made of, yours and mine are the same…”

Francesca Cavendish, Countess of Mont Claire, has been plotting her revenge against those that killed her friends, her family and her first love. The secrets of the Crimson Council are about to come to light, and Francesca will finally have her vengeance. But there is just one snag to her plan…the Devil of Dorset also has plans of his own to bring the Crimson Council to their knees, and he’s not about to let Francesca deter him off course…even if she is the one person he’s loved above all others and perhaps the only being that could be the balm to sooth his darkened soul. But when lies and truths start blurring together and secrets long thought buried are dug up, Francesca and her Devil will have to come to terms with their past if they want any chance of a future…

The Devil in her Bed is the conclusion to the Red Rogues trilogy. Yes, yes, I understand it’s the Devil you Know series, but I prefer to think of these stories as three friends that forged a bond so strong it allowed them to defy all odds in order to find their happily ever after. Alex’s story was my fav and if you’ve not read, go forth and one click! While I loved Francesca’s bad ass persona, I found myself a little disappointed in her hero.

Personally, I was having a hard time with Chandler’s character throughout the book. At times he acted like a petulant child having a temper tantrum when things were not going his way, and it felt as if he was always trying to put Francesca in “time out”. And when her secret is revealed, he completely goes off the deep end, and if I was her, I’d have kicked his ass to the curb. Bye, bye, bye! But, that’s me…

Byrne’s romances are always a must read, and while this wasn’t my fav, it was still a satisfying tale filled with intrigue, vengeance and passion. Would recommend to fans of this genre!




**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

A great conclusion to the Devil You Know series!

Being the only one of two supposed survivors of the Mont Claire Massacre, Pippa Hargrave assumes the identity of Francesca Cavendish and vows to bring down those responsible for her family's death; the Crimson Council. On her path of revenge Francesca comes face to face with a ghost from her past; the Devil of Dorest aka Declan Chandler, the young boy who stole her heart, the man who could bring about her ruin by exposing her true identity. When dragon and tiger meet on the road to vengeance, will they be able to work together to bring about justice? Or will their secrets, pride and passion tear them apart?

Francesca may be one of the strongest heroines I've read about. She was loyal with a heart of gold and, as the previous books proved, willing to do anything for those she loved. She was a woman on a mission and nothing was going to stop her. I had a feeling we would be seeing Chandler again after All Scott and Bothered but I didn't expect to love him this much (except at the end when i wanted to slap him but still). The two of them together were just so perfect, I loved the fact they constantly went head to head and at the root of their arguments they were just trying to protect each other. They were the true definition of explosive.

The storyline was intriguing and and the writing was excellent as always with Mrs Byrne. I am sad to see the Devil In You series ending and my only wish was that we had an epilogue that would've tied off the series neatly. Perhaps a few years into the future showing us how the 3 couples are living their HEA.

Nevertheless, it was a really great read and one I highly recommend picking up.


*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

To start, it is hard to follow the earlier book in this series, How to Love Duke in Ten Days. This one also had tragic beginning and a similar strength was born out of the two leads from their surprising survival.

Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, has one reason for continuing on in a life in which she has lost all those she had loved as a young girl; revenge. Little did she know, there was another survivor on that horrible day, the boy she loved, Chandler Declan, now known as the Devil of Dorset, a spy for the Crown, set on the same mission Francesca has taken up on her own.

Declan has gone by many names, living in disquise, to hunt down a group set on terror and a lust for power. He has a hard time trusting Francesca's motives as the two battle for retribution of those they lost.

While I was rooting for these two to reunite, the set up and antagonism between them lasted a little too long. If some of the issues that had caused the conflict came to light earlier in the book, it could have added to the plot instead of dragging it out for so long. Everything seemed to begin to happen all at once and the romance and the climax with the villainous group, counteracted each other and fought to hold my attention. Once one was taken care of, the hero had a lot of groveling to do towards Francesca. If all of this was spread out more, it would have flowed perfectly.

This was still a great book in which the cadence of the timing and plot were the only draw back.

WOW!!! That was quite a bizarre, deeply dark ending to the Devil You Know series. It is definitely not a light-hearted, feel good romance. The Devil in Her Bed begins quite horribly with the murders of a household, and becomes a life of vengeance.

I struggled to finish this one because it is so dark and, at times, bizarre. The previous books were difficult, but this was way more.

Additionally, I did not see how Chandler did not recognize the differences between Francesca and Pippa. A bit of hair dye should not make that much difference. Nor why it took Pippa so long to recognize Chandler.

Please know this is an excellently written book, just not for the faint of heart.