Felicity and Gabriel are the greatest of contrasts, but they go beautifully together, all the good and innocence that comes from her and all the hardships he experienced just made them work! Also, they had that electric connection, the unexplained connection that is felt rather than explained, but the author was able to articulate it in a way that the reader could "see" it. The mysterious goings on which initially began their connection kept me guessing until the end, so well played! It was a lovely read and wonderful to see two sisters marrying two brothers, all four so different but they will always be connected. I really enjoyed this book!

Gabriel and Felicity were a match never meant to happen but things that you never see coming play a part, I loved the story but the "big thing" ending that is full of things never mentioned in the book was a bit of a disappointment to me. The book was a very well told story and a romance that seemed to be almost impossible but it was handled well but the mystery of who was trying to harm Felicity I thought was handled poorly since it was like she introduced a couple of characters and a backstory in the last few pages to solve that part of the story. I still gave this 4 Stars because the real story was the impossible romance which was done very well but that unmasking of the bad guys was done like she was in a hurry to get finished. The epilogue was a bit weak also and provided very little in the usual manner of how things worked out. I love the books of Kerrigan Byrne but this was one of the weaker books in her list of novels

5 stars, Maybe I'll just read it all over again <3
Gabriel and Felicity are so opposite of almost any of KB's couples.
Felicity is such pure and loving person. The "meet cute" is helped by not wearing her eyeglasses
when she first meets Gabriel.
I had so many feelings for Gabriel. I was anxious for him to get a break somewhere, somehow.
Once again a Goode sister has to fend off an unwanted suitor. Felicity wasn't totally naïve and I was pleased that she figured out who was the one for her and who had ulterior motives.
I read this, but I do want to reread with the audio.
This is a great series.

I see Gabriel as a misunderstood, gentle giant. He was forced into a life of violence and all he ever wanted to do was protect his brother. Until he met Felicity, then she became his focus.

Felicity is super shy and introverted. She hires Gabriel as her bodyguard, even though he didn't even apply for the job, because she felt safe and comfortable with him.

There were some conflicting things, that was hard to reconcile. It is mentioned a lot that Felicity is scared of pretty much everything around her, but that doesn't gel with her actions. Just because she is shy, doesn't mean she lacks courage. I mean, she took Gabriel in her employ without any qualm and completely ignored all his objections. And she was pretty forward when she wanted to become more intimately acquainted with him. But apparently, she also had no problem letting the servants take advantage of her kindness. Between all of this it was hard to figure her out exactly.

Gabriel just did what he has always done, attack any foe with violence. Only Felicity saw a gentler side to him.
The plot flowed quite well and I always enjoy this author's writing style, but this one wasn't as captivating as most of her other novels.

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

Coming out of the dark…

****4.5 Stars****

I absolutely loved Tempting Fate and finished the story with a big goofy smile on my face. I know I’m completely biased, but I love every word that Kerrigan Byrne writes. I love that she creates heroes, that while flawed, are also completely irresistible. Who wouldn’t want a man who is blind to your faults, possessive and protective? Gabriel is all those things as well as a little vulnerable because of his past and the scars he wears. Strong yet vulnerable … be still my beating heart. I love that Ms Byrne also writes her heroines flawed but completely irresistible … to the hero. You are never left questioning whether the couple could or would make a go of it because you know they are perfect for each other.

I absolutely LOVED that the hero is possessive and protected the heroine from evil. I did not love that the hero kept secrets to protect the heroine, which left her feeling manipulated when the truth came out. Now, this was not just the hero to fault as the heroine’s family has been doing it her whole life. Luckily, the hero loved the heroine and never wanted her to feel out of control and only stepped in if and when she needed his help. For me, it’s all about choosing your own path and not blindly following the path laid out for you.

Felicity Goode is timid, shy, and scared of her own shadow and she absolutely hates that about herself. What makes it even worse is that her twin sister, Mercy, is her complete opposite. If only Felicity could steal a smidgeon of Mercy’s confidence, she may then overcome some of her perceived inadequacies. Her whole life has been ruled by her terrible eyesight, clumsiness, sickness at the sight of blood, and feeling awkward in social situations. Felicity’s sisters tried to protect her as much as they could but now that they are older and leading their own happy ever after’s, so she must find new ways to deal with her shortcomings. Little by little Felicity takes control in her own ways and when she suddenly feels her life is in danger, hires security to protect her.

Gabriel has loved Felicity Goode since the first moment he met her. At first, he didn’t recognise the feelings for what they were, considering he’s never loved, been loved, or even touched a woman lovingly. Gabriel is fascinated by the Goode girl who actually lives up to her name. Felicity is beautiful, kind, sweet and caring … the complete opposite to Gabriel’s ugly looks, along with his brutal, and cruel actions. He feels unworthy, a beast, and definitely not good enough to be in her company. When Felicity’s life is in danger, he will do everything to keep her by his side, safe and secure. The problem is … he might be the reason danger keeps knocking at her door.

The storyline was captivating, the characters lovable, and the love story well-paced. Felicity and Gabriel’s love grew from fascination to devotion, and I loved that Felicity brought light into Gabriel’s dark. The mystery behind Felicity’s danger was a complete surprise and while I suspected parts, how it all unfolded in the end, left me gobsmacked. I loved catching up with Mercy and Raphael and hearing how the other Goode girls were faring.

If you haven’t read a Kerrigan Byrne historical romance, I highly recommend giving the Goode Girls a try … but you must start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

Stacey is Sassy, received an advanced copy of this story. The copy provided is not the final copy and may be subject to edits and changes.

So I have found that I really enjoy a spicy historical romance. This one did not disappoint. I sort of want to go back and read the books before this. You can read this as a stand alone, but I think it might help with all the information on Felicity and Gabriel's backstory.

This is also the first dual narration I have read in a while and I do prefer them I think.

So we see Gabriel completely in love with Felicity, but he does not think he is good enough for her. But she is in danger so he decides to be her body guard. He also recently went through a surgery to change how he looks so Felicity does not recognize him from her past. Even though she felt drawn to him even before this surgery.

Whenever we are in Gabriel's POV he is sooooooo in love with/obsessed with Felicity. It's honestly so sweet how he see her. But Felicity sees him the same way and later he has a hard time accepting that. Even though he hates the idea of her with anyone else, he can't let himself be the man in her life.

It was a dramatic, spicy, lovely romance between two people who think they are broken, but in reality complete each other.

5/5 stars.

Kerrigan Byrne has been a favorite of mine since “To Wed a Highlander”. “Tempting Fate” is Book 4 in the “A Goode Girls Romance” series. I found the book engaging, sweet and interesting with a bit of mystery.

This is the story of Gabriel Savageau, a ruthless gangster and former leader of the Fauve gang along with his brother Raphael have given up their old lives and “died”, creating new names and lives for themselves. Raphael eloped with Felicity’s twin sister Mercy and they are waiting for Gabriel to join them abroad. Gabriel had been horribly disfigured and miss you and stayed behind for reconstructive surgery on his face. With the surgeries and healing complete he’s ready to go but can’t leave without one more glimpse of the young woman who stole his heart the first moment he laid eyes on her.

Upon her parents death Felicity learns that she is their sole heir however, she must marry into the nobility. Just the thought of re-entering society in search of a husband among the nobility causes Felicity panic attacks. To make matters worse, having been accosted on the streets and threatened she feels the need to hire a bodyguard. Who would want to hurt Felicity and why? Seeing Gareth Severand in her courtyard she is certain she’s found just the man to protect her. And protect her he does, keeping his true identity from her while wondering if he is responsible for the danger she’s in.

This is a captivating, well written story with wonderful characters who capture your heart. Gabriel is a fantastic hero who I has known a life of pain and violence, a man who wants to walk away from that in search of a new and brighter life. Felicity is a shy young woman who loves reading romance novels, hoping for love but never believing she’ll find it. But the more time she spends with her new protector she begins to fall for him. Gabriel feels unworthy of her but he’s determined to protect her and discover who is behind the threats.Gabriel was an amazing hero, flawed but redeemable.

Ms. Byrne is a talented author who has
masterfully woven a story where worlds
collide and love conquers even the most
scared of hearts. She always captures your
heart from the start and sweeps you away. I was thoroughly captivated by this beautiful story somewhat reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast.

Thank you Ms. Byrne for this delightful tale of unexpected love.

I love wounded hero stories, and this definitely fits the bill. The hero is scarred both inside and out, and he has loved the heroine from afar. Now she is in danger, so he works as a bodyguard for her while trying to resist his intense feelings.

The heroine is sweet, bookish, nearsighted, and has panic attacks. I found her very relatable and loved watching the romance play out.

This book is in a series, so I recommend reading the previous books to get the whole backstory.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley in return for a fair review.

Tempting Fate is the fourth book in the Goode Girls series. It can absolutely be read as a standalone as I had not read any of the other books prior to this one. Tempting Fate’s hero reminded me slightly of the Phantom of the Opera. A man who hid in the shadows for most of his life, scarred, broken and mostly alone. Gabriel had his brother but that was it until he met Felicity.

Felicity is the softest of the Goode girls. She is the one everyone else tries to protect. She has a kind heart and would rather be tinkering in her garden than out in the world. She cannot fathom why someone hates her and wants her dead. In a misunderstanding, she ends up hiring Gareth/Gabriel to guard her from this threat. He was only lurking to get a last look at her before leaving town to start a different life. With his face, as fixed as a doctor could make it, he still looks almost the monster. He can’t figure out why this woman doesn’t seem to see him as such.

Gareth protects Felicity as she tries to secure a husband and gets to learn so much more about the woman he has had a fascination with for years. He also gets to protect her from a few ambushes, because she is not wrong someone wants her out of the picture. I really liked this play on both Beauty and Beast and Phantom of the Opera. Gareth has never really been seen by another person, so it was unexpected that this highly sheltered woman would have seen him so clearly.

The build up to the bad guy was a little off. It needed maybe just a little more discovery so the reader had a chance to guess a few things before they popped up towards the end. But I liked the pacing of the romance and how Gareth empowers Felicity to make her own choices and be brave in the world. This was a story that made me want to go back and read some of the others in the series as they seem like they would have been a lot of fun too.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
This series has been leading up to this book and it did not disappoint! Beauty and the beast retelling with a hero bodyguard, oh and did I mention that he hero is also a virgin?! Kerrigan Byrne brought all the goodies with this book.

Our heroine has become a wealthy heiress, but with that she has also become the target of someone who has made attempts on her life. She hires a bodyguard to keep her safe, but what she doesn’t expect is to fall for the brute she has hired (who is a total marshmallow around her).

Typical of KB this hero is dark on the inside with a violent past, however he is totally in love with the heroine and just a giant teddy bear with her (unless she is in danger). The heroine is shy, anxious, and hates large gatherings and it was refreshing to read a character like this- as well as how she was around the hero. The steam was great in this book and special shout out to their first time together and the hero fumbling (I died). I will ready anything and everything KB writes because I know she never disappoints.

*4.5 stars*

I have had mixed experiences with the Goode Girls series, but I'm happy to report that Tempting Fate was an absolute delight.

Everyone has personal tastes, and I love a couple of things in my romances. I cannot resist a male MC who is a virgin and I adore a scarred character. Actually, characters with disabilities, scars, deformities, neurodiversity... give me an MC who deserves to get their HEA and isn't a cookie-cutter hero or heroine, and I'm a happy camper. With Gabriel, I got both (*YES*).

I also just click with Kerrigan Byrne's writing style. This book struck just the right balance for me between mystery/suspense, romance, plot development, and angst. Sometimes, this author can lean a little hard into the angst or suspense plotlines for my taste, but this one was just right. I really adored Felicity and I thought her chemistry with Gabriel was electric.

From a medical standpoint, I think Gabriel's recovery seemed a bit iffy, if I'm being honest, but I decided to overlook those details. I also think the ended wrapped up a bit too quickly. However, when I sat on my rating and my review I decided that I liked the story too much to dwell on those details.

Another great historical romance from the always spectacular Kerrigan Byrne.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

An awesome bodyguard novel. My second in this trope in historicals, I had no idea there are many.

/*spoilers*/

I haven't read the earlier books in the series but this one works great as a standalone. in fact, I got also got a glimpse of the rest of the Goode sisters, bonus!
Gabriel is an underworld master, who had already dismantled the empire. because of which he has enemies. and has mangled/distorted facial features due to forced fights. The book starts with Felicia's emotional distress over finding him dead while protecting her. Of course, he isn't dead. but she doesn't know that.
Gabriel comes back as Gareth Severand, a new identity, grafted newer face, and an accidentally picked up a new job - Felicity's personal bodyguard.

The accidental meet-cute is so fun.
And Felicity. Omg, the unfailingly kind, shy, introvert and someone with many fear issues... she is so nicely done. She is the perfect heroine to complement Gareth. or Gabriel :) none of that, oh he killed sort of issues. She can not endure the sight but she is just as vehement about thinking of Gareth's tormentors being killed. as it should be.
I love her level of maturity of accepting herself in a way I have seen done very little in romance.

and the garden dance scene :) dreamy. I remember a bodyguard movie song just perfect for the occasion and I have a mind to pair it with a still from it. I might.

All in all a great, fast, satisfying read.

P.S. I thought this was my 1st romance by the author. Haha! after reading, I instantly thought, no it could not be. and it was true. I loved her Victorian rebel stories too, long ago! Just never posted them to GR. Should be doing that.

Loved it!! I am a huge fan of a tortured hero and historical romance novels and this book was wonderful! This is a new author for me and I will definitely be reading more from her and the other books in the series!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. The fourth in the Goode Girls series, and these characters have the highest stakes in terms of their own issues getting in the way of life and happiness. Felicity is a bluestocking, with what would be diagnosed today as a severe anxiety disorder, neither of which lend themselves to making one the belle of any balls. Which is fine with her. Gabriel has had a life filled with pain, trauma, and disfigurement, so neither knows how or has much interest in fitting in with society or wooing the ladies.

This one leaned a bit hard on the he/she couldn't possibly want ME/I'm not worthy trope, but at the same time, neither of them has had much reason to develop confidence socially or romantically. Once the romance arrives, that dynamic improves, and there's a much needed element of playfulness that comes into it. Also, though, that initially Felicity hires Gabriel as a bodyguard almost literally sight unseen, without bothering to try and find out anything about him, also stretches credulity, but we'll go with "romance reasons".

The (sub)plot behind the threats against Felicity do tie – sort of – into existing information through the series, but the big reveal at the end was pretty out of left field, and again, Felicity's immediate acceptance made it feel far too neat. But it quite obviously it set up several several more books for the series, and indeed it looks like four more are coming, now that we're past the original Goode sisters. It felt like the series was supposed to end, and then the author got an idea.

Not my favourite of the series, but solid enough to keep reading. There's be a fair bit of new character introductions and world building, I suspect, in the coming stories.

What a wonderful series and this has to be the best! It had the sizzle and sexy but it also had the mystery. It was the Beauty and the Beast too. Just couldn't put it down!

Tropes- Beauty and the beast, scarred hero, shy but sunshine heroine, mountain man, Good heartened heroine, murder plot, Bodyguard, I've loved you since the moment I saw you, gardening/ herbal heroine, Killer ( for reasons) hero, <spoiler>Virgin hero/heroine. </spoiler>



I really like Bynes writing, its old school romance tropes ( dark pasts, possessive hero's) paired with writing that's consent focused, modern heroines ( I so far haven't seen a mary sue in sight) and she hits all the trope notes perfectly.

There has been hit and misses with her writing ( Scot and bothered always springs to mind as an infuriating hero), but in general, I really like her books.

I have to be upfront and honest, I haven't read much after [book: The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo|35817296] I remember looking at what she was releasing ( switching up the series orders and redoing covers ) I got a little confused, so I paused my book buying/reading. I still kept an eye but I haven't touched her writing since then.

I spotted her newest on NetGalley. I clicked into the blurb and went heart-eyed. I honestly didn't care it was the 4th along. The blurb was CATNIP for me.

Catnip.

I adore beauty and the beast retelling and give me a gruff scarred hero with a good-hearted sunshine heroine. YES, please. I really enjoyed this. I devoured it even. It felt lovely to fall into a series, get enough info that it could be read as a stand along (I've now gone and decided to get caught up as the hinted couples all seem lovely historical loveliness) and get swept up.

I adored Felicity and Gabriel. Adored. I can't wait to go back and see Byrnes trail for the romance in past books. A couple of nice notes, I loved FELICITY medical and horticulture knowledge, her panic attacks felt real and ones that I have seen before. I also like the research Byne has done into plastic surgery and facial restructuring, which is based on real history. It didn't have to be, just as someone who has read about early medical advancements, it was nice to see this reflected in the novel.

A note on the steam, I thought it was good, I remember the [book:The Highwayman|23723798] being very sexy, and this tbh was good just not super-rich. Totally fine and it might just be me as a reader wanting a bit more oomph.

A really lovely book that has made me buy more in her series as Byne is a wonderful historical romance writer.

-------

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Tempting Fate is book 4 in the Goode Girl series, which I was not aware of when I requested this title from netgalley. Except for having to figure out all of the characters and who was with who, I wasn’t confused with the plot of this story. I definitely think it can be read as a standalone. I love the way Kerrigan Byrne writes damaged characters, especially males, and Gabriel was no exception. I loved him so much and he and Felicity had such a cute relationship! I can’t wait to go back and read the other books in the series!

Tempting Fate is the fourth book in the Goode Girls series and while it may be read as a standalone, you will miss out on the build up between Gabriel and Felicity from the previous two books. Gabriel is a giant scarred man and former gangster who's been pining for Felicity Goode since the first time they interacted. When Felicity's life is in danger, she hires Gabriel as a bodyguard.

The plot is ridiculous, contrived, and not at all cohesive. This does not surprise me because Courting Trouble and Dancing With Danger also had similarly contrived plotlines. But the romance between Felicity and Gabriel is endearing, sweet, and steamy. I really liked their relationship development, which benefited from build up since Courting Trouble. I didn't like the climax and the rushed ending, but Tempting Fate was much better paced than Courting Trouble and Dancing With Danger.

As for the continuation of this series...I don't think I'm interested in where it is going. I think Tempting Fate should have been the final book in the series. But we'll see...maybe I'll change my mind lol.

This series gets better and better! The yearning! The unrequited love! The feels!!! It was positively swoony.
Felicity and Gabriel were a wonderful couple. Gabriel was deeply hurt by a traumatic, violent past and still managed to show up for Felicity and love her with a purity of spirit that was so lovely to read. And Felicity is a Highly Sensitive Person who suffers from anxiety attacks and gets drained and overstimulated in crowds and also feels invisible and inferior compared to her more robust and courageous siblings. It's exactly this gentleness of heart and unending kindness that allows her to look past Gabriel's scarred facade and see the person underneath.
I don't want to give too much away except that this is an almost flawless romance novel and I am so happy the series is going to continue for three more books.

***I received an ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.***

Thank you NetGalley! Omg I loved Gabriel & Felicity. Finished it in one sitting. I love these characters too much, hope we see more of the Goode sisters in the next books.