I've really enjoyed this series primarily because the heroines are strong, vulnerable, smart, and extremely loyal to each other. Their friendship is beautiful to witness and it provided many beautiful moments in The Devil in Her Bed as well. I was super excited for Francesca's story because she has been a force in the prior two books - she is extremely strong and I needed to know about her backstory. Trust me, Francesca does not disappoint. She is perfect. She's hilarious. She is strong and dedicated to her vengeance. She is protective of her friends and frankly a badass. The lower stars came because of the hero - I was super excited for the Earl of Devlin but he is extremely dramatic. Like to the point of it being annoying. He keeps so many secrets from Francesca, has a skewed view of women and purity, and is such a blowhard. I felt like half of their issues could have been resolved if he was just a bit calmer. I was a fan of his in the beginning, especially when we find out more of who he is, but then he just went downhill.

Overall, the chemistry if there, the steaminess is there, and the friendship is there. But Devlin was rough to root for. I'd recommend this for folx who love a strong, passionate heroine and an extremely dramatic hero.

DNF 10%

Definitely darker beginnings like the first book and a case of it's me/not this book. I just can't get in the mind space for it. I definitely plan on picking it up at a later time when I'm less sensitive.

*Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading several of her books and being disappointed with most of them, I think it's safe to say that Kerrigan Byrne just isn't for me. I think what ultimately didn't work for me is that the love interests spend most of the book lying to each other about their real identities (mores the heroine) and it's just so frustrating to read about. I also feel like not much really happened plot wise, so there just wasn't much pulling me into the story. I definitely started skimming to get to the end unfortunately and this is by far the weakest book of the series for me.

I hate to say it but, honestly, this book didn’t work for me. This series as a whole has been a bit disappointing because I’m such a fan of Byrne’s work. Her writing is lovely and the romances are usually very swoon-worthy but I’ve found myself being a bit put out in the Devil You Know trilogy.

This book stars Francesca and her goal for vengeance against the ones who took her family and dearest friends away from her. Her story and grief is absolutely heart wrenching and the prologue is one that is very hard to read. The intrigue and mystery is fantastic and well written, it’s a fast-paced book and it definitely kept me up reading long past my bed time.

I’ve absolutely loved the female characters in all three books. The Red Rogues trio are hands down my favourite part of this series, getting to know them and seeing their relationships grow has been an absolutely delight. Their female friendship forms a core through all three books and I loved any scene that had them all together. These are strong, independent females who all share tragic pasts but manage to rise against it.

The thing with this series is, other than Piers, I could not bring myself to like the heroes. In the previous book we had a prudish, judgemental ass who took way too long to start softening up to the heroine. In this one we have hypocritical ass who spends most of the book believing the heroine is the girl from his past who he loved and lost. The confession at the end lacked credibility given his past actions and, honestly, Francesca deserved better.

And then there was also the lies. There is endless lying in the book so if you’re someone who dislikes this I would steer far clear. I don’t mind them so much for purposes of the plot but even I got a little frustrated and wanted Francesca to just tell him already.

All in all this was a solid historical romance, but compared to some of Byrne’s other books it just fell a little short for me. The intrigue was good, the female characters were amazing and the romance was okay but Byrne has set the bar so high for me I expect to fall in love every time. I’m still eagerly awaiting to see what she releases next, and fingers crossed it will work better for me.

The Earl of Devlin is known as the Devil of Dorset, and his sights are set on Francesca Cavendish, the Countess of Mont Clair. The people don't know she's set on finding the people that killed her family and making them pay. He can sense that she has secrets, and he's determined to find out what it is.

The Devil in her Bed is the third book of the Devil You Know Trilogy, following How To Love A Duke In Ten Days (read my review) and All Scot And Bothered (read my review). It's not necessary to have read those books first, but it always helps to have a little more background into Francesca's friends. Basically, all three had been abused in various ways in boarding school, and banded together through thick and thin, keeping each others' secrets. These are completely ride-or-die friends, which I love seeing in books. Instead of tearing each other down to look better in front of the public, they bolster each other and help each other be the best woman they can be.

Both Francesca and Devlin have secrets, and neither are who they say they are. They're running a long con, playing the social scene for their own ends. It puts them somewhat at odds, in addition to the attraction they have for each other. The reader figures out the truth of the relationship long before they do, so it becomes another layer of fun to see how it all shakes out at the end. We get our happily ever after, and the Cavendish family is avenged. The road to get there is actually really fun to read, and I adored Francesca, with all her grief and harder edges as she played the ton. The two of them are both headstrong and are capable of hurting each other because of secrets that they hold, and the determination to bring down the men responsible for the Cavendish family deaths, even if they are in the government. This novel concludes the trilogy, giving each of these women the happily ever afters they deserve.

Such a great conclusion to this series!! I absolutely LOVED the dynamic between Chandler and Francesca, how well they both complimented and challenged each other. How deep their roots go. This book left my heart aching and satisfied at once. Such a bittersweet, beautiful story. I was so sad when ‘The Devil in Her Bed’ came to an end. I missed the characters fiercely. Definitely recommend diving right into the ‘Devil You Know’ series if you haven’t yet!

(Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an eARC copy of this book! All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.)

Secrets and revelations can love handle the truth? Devil of Dorset is the most advanced spy the Crown has and he is on the hunt. Countess Francesca Cavendish of Mont Claire is snooping by night for those who murdered her family.
Will the two collide or collaborate?
This book has a lot of interesting characters and the storyline has twists that definitely keep you turning the pages!

I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne is the third and final book in the Devil you Know trilogy. I have read the previous books, and they do help with understanding the characters, their connections, and the danger they face. You could read this book on its own, but you would be missing some of the context that makes the trilogy so engaging.

He lives in secret service to the Crown—a man of duty, deception, and an undeniable attraction to a woman who threatens to tear his whole world apart. They call him the Devil of Dorset. He stands alone, a man of undeniable power. Moving in and out of shadows, back alleys and ballrooms, he is unstoppable and one of the Crown’s most dangerous weapons. However, when he sets his sights on the undeniably beautiful Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish, he doesn’t realize that he has met a match like no other. Francesca is a countess by day and stalks her prey—those responsible for the death of her family—by night. What she does not expect is to be thrown into the path of the devil himself, the Earl of Devlin. She has secrets of her own and he seems determined to lay them bare. Can her heart survive finding the love of her life and losing him when all is revealed?

The Devil in Her Bed is a historical romance with plenty of intrigue and secrets. Just when you think you figured everything out, and that the main players have shared all the important bits, something new pops up. I liked the balance of danger, humor, and heat. I also really enjoyed the characters. While returning readers have met both characters before, it was the first time we really got to see the demons and secrets that they keep mostly to themselves. I think they paired together well. I will admit that each had moments that made me frustrated- but if they had not have done those things the story would have been over way too soon. I think that this book did a great job of getting the characters to their happy ending, and wrapping up the larger story line.
The Devil in Her Bed is a perfect conclusion to this trilogy. Fans of the series and author will not want to miss it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ark reader. I really liked this romance. I have never read this author before, so I had no series background. It is not needed as the author does a good job of weaving information in so it can be read as a stand alone.

The fact that protagonist is headstrong, body strong, and dedicated to vengeance makes her a fun read. Although, she punches people a lot. Sometimes she punches her love interest at points which seem incongruous to the scene. She is a little assaulty with him.
I also liked all the supporting characters and the storyline. I look forward to reading her other books.

I am a big fan of Romance books and I found this one to be a very enjoyable read. I will be looking for more books from this author.

I've been on a bit of a historical romance kick recently - it's pure escapism for me. I'd never read Kerrigan Byrne but had heard good things, so I took advantage of the chance to get an ARC of The Devil in Her Bed. The good news was that I was approved. The bad news was that I hadn't read the first two books in this series (trilogy?). So I decided to read the first two books before reading this one, and I'm so glad I didn't miss the foundation stories for this one. There's the deeper explanation of what happened to Francesca when she was a child - we know she lost her home and family in a fire, but we learn much more about that incident, one which forged her into an incredibly strong, capable woman who has dedicated her life to finding out who was behind that fire.
Into her life comes The Devil - a man of many names and faces who's also investigating the Crimson Council, the group she suspects of being behind the deaths of her family and friends. There's a history between them that neither suspects. And there's a lot of "big" - big chemistry, big stubbornness, big overarching sinister plot from the first two books. And of course in the end - big love.
I'm glad I read them - in order - and I'm looking forward to reading a lot more of Kerrigan Byrne now that I've had such an excellent introduction.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy for an unbiased review.

Francesca, Countess of Mont Claire, is not what she seems to be, in so many ways. She has built a notorious reputation for herself in her quest to get to the heart of the Crimson Council, and hopefully in the process uncover the truth behind her family's slaughter.

The Devil of Dorset is a spy for the crown and lives his life in the shadows. He recognizes Francesca's name and becomes obsessed with figuring out what her motivations are for her actions. I'll just call him The Devil in my review.

As usual, I enjoyed the writing very much. I felt very involved in Francesca's exploits and her attempts to infiltrate the Crimson Council. The Red Rogues are a wonderful group of women who have been to hell and back together. Francesca fits in very will with her two friends.

The interactions between the two main characters were always intriguing and layered, since they were both hiding so much from the other. Their attraction cannot be denied and as a reader, I felt every push and pull between them acutely. What I didn't really like was the fact that The Devil believed Francesca to be someone else for the longest time. He fell in love with a combination of the physical woman before him, and his ideal of the woman he thought she was. I don't feel that that contrast was ever resolved for him. It's almost like she will forever be a combination of two different women, instead of just herself.

Thank you to Negalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book really caught my attention at the beginning - it was a great start! And it delivered from there.
Francesca is the third of the "Red Rogues" around which this series is based. She is seeking revenge for the deaths of her family and friends and she has spent her whole life training for it. I loved her independent spirit and the fact that she didn't let people make her conform to society's expectations. I also loved that she was indeed extremely competent.

The "Devil of Dorset" took me longer to warm up to, but I didn't ever dislike him - it just took awhile to know his character, which kind of fits.

This is certainly a romance, but the focus is more on the hunt - so I'd put it in the Romantic Suspense category. It can be read as a standalone, but it's not a bad idea to read the first two in the series first, since then you get to see those characters again here. Plus, those books are also enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was a true winner, I was drawn in right from the first paragraph. I loved Francesca's character, she's determined, loyal to her family, and extremely strong and courageous. Despite the era in which she lives, she defies all the rules and works towards her goals and I think a lot of women will be able to relate to this amazing character! Byrne has once again created a world that just captures your heart and soul and a story that keeps you turning the pages! I would highly recommend The Devil in Her Bed and this whole series!

You always know what to expect with one of Kerrigan Byrne's books- strong characters, exciting plot, and intense passion. The male leads in her series are always powerful on the page, and Declan Chandler, a.k.a. so many other names and personas, does not disappoint. You knew Francesca‘s story was going to have intense emotional moments because of the secrets she kept, but her male lead she (and the reader) does not see coming and it was a nice surprise as to who he ends up being. I loved their story, justice is finally served for her and all that she lost as a child (no spoiler there), and she(and her leading man) finally get the happily ever after they both so rightly deserved.  Loved it and love Kerrigan's writing style so much.

Childhood friends torn apart by tragedy. One takes the identity of her friend in order to get revenge. One takes on many identities as a spy. Francesca, really Pippa, has trained hard and gives everyone the perception that she sleeps around, Declan is the master of disguise and has been keeping an eye on his old friend Francesca without her knowledge. Once Francesca figures it out she kicks his butt. Declan is so focused on his childhood fantasy of being in love with Francesca that he doesn't realize she is really Pippa the one who truly cared for him. As they get revenge for those who took everone from them they fall in love but when Declan finds out she is really Pippa he acts like a fool. They may be over before they have a chance to be together forever. (less)

 

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This series has strayed so far from the initial blurb about the three women at its heart - much like this writer has strayed so far, far, far away from the brilliance of her early novels.

I loved the series introduction and the intriguing backstory posed for each featured heroine - perhaps I liked Francesca's the most, and it's definitely the most intriguing. And despite my lukewarm review of All Scot and Bothered, I had high hopes for the hero in this one.

After a good start things quickly go off the rails - with the principal characters and the plot. I DNF'd at 70%.

I would not recommend this book, or this series to new Byrne readers. It's a disappointment.

Kerrigan Byrne is an author who has been on my auto-buy list for what seems like a very long while. I was pretty stoked to get an advanced copy of the third book in her Devil You Know series. Francesca is the last member of the Red Rogues to find love and win her HEA. With her mysterious past and the fact that her family was murdered and her home set afire, I was really excited to read her book.

I will admit the first 30% or so had me struggling to stay focused and I can’t pinpoint why exactly. Then the mysterious Chandler and Francesca finally have a moment and that moment leads to some almost sexy times and the revelation that he is the orphaned boy who she loved growing up. At that point, I was all in. Give me all the childhood memories and secret crushes and angst and drama. Here for it.

But then Francesca doesn’t admit who she really is, and Chandler has a big secret, he’s also a possessive, controlling dick at times and made me want to scream. It was HARD to root for them during certain scenes. But they did get the bad guys and I liked their HEA.

This is a middle of the road read for me from this author. Not my favorite, but I’m glad I finished it. And she’s still on my auto-buy list.

This is the third book in the Devil You Know series. I’ve loved all the books but Francesca’s had, by far, the most twists and shocking revelations! I admit, the prologue had me a bit confused at first. But, by the end, you knew “oh, that’s where this is headed.”
Francesca is definitely not a damsel in distress to be saved by Chandler. She’s a fierce warrior who knows exactly what she wants.
It didn’t seem like there were any characters we would see in future books of this series so, I don’t know if this was just a trilogy. I hate to see the Red Rogues go.
This is 5 stars!!!

THE DEVIL IN HER BED is the third book in Kerrigan Byrne’s “Devil You Know” series. Unlike many of Kerrigan Byrne’s other books, while this hero and heroine excel at deception and disguises, the villain in THE DEVIL IN HER BED is relatively easily spotted. I was eager to read this book after the author teased the reader in the previous book and hinted at a possible attraction between these two characters. In the opening of this novel, Kerrigan Byrne does what she does best – weave together a story that starts as a fairytale but ends up going horribly and tragically wrong. The fragments of that story are clues for the reader to piece together as THE DEVIL IN HER BED progresses. Needless to say, I read this book straight through without stopping.

The Devil of Dorset aka Vincenzo de Flor, the Count Armediano of Italy aka Lord Brendan Murphy aka a million other aliases, is a spy but one who usually does more good than anything else. When he comes across the Countess of Mont Claire, Francesca Cavendish he is somewhat spellbound. In addition to a visceral attraction, he is intrigued for deeper reasons. Francesca aka Pippa Hargrave is in a similar vocation to the Devil, but she is motivated solely out of a sense of vengeance rather than anything else. Unbeknownst to both, they have the same target – the evil Crimson Council. They initially think they are at cross-purposes and have an unusual flirtation and sexual tension, not unlike that between Batman and Catwoman. Francesca is pursuing leads to destroy the council members, and the Devil of Dorset isn’t sure whether Francesca is a good guy or a bad guy. Either way, he is beguiled by her and compelled to follow her. I like how Francesca uses her wits and skills to entrap the wicked, while keeping herself relatively safe.

THE DEVIL IN HER BED is about two people who are surprised to find love and light while battling the forces of evil. The parallels and juxtapositions in this story are interesting – like the virtuous and female Red Rogue Society as a contrast to the supremely evil and mostly male Crimson Council. Kerrigan Byrne does a phenomenal job of putting a gothic spin on the “second chance at love” trope. The dark themes and male malevolence in THE DEVIL IN HER BED are reminiscent, for me, of the kind found in an Anne Stuart story.