This is an unforgettable book! Such a rich array of emotions. I believe this is my favorite out of all the books! These characters are flawed, but with redeeming qualities. It's a book that you will want to read over and over, it's that good. If you choose just one book to read this year, choose this one. You won't regret it.

Kerrigan Byrne is such a talented writer of passionate, intense historical romance and Tempting Fate is right up there. Felicity is such a wonderful character of someone who tries so hard to be strong despite severe anxiety. And Gabriel is so gentle with her, quickly learning and adapting to her needs. The mystery was intriguing and had me guessing till the end. I haven’t read the Goode stories yet till I finish Victorian Rebels, but I didn’t need to. I’m sure I’ll reread this once I do - it was so good, it would be a pleasure to reread. This is the first time HR has moved me to tears. My only complaint might be that it could have been longer! 😉

Tempting Fate is another wonderfully emotive filled regency romance by Kerrigan Byrne. A scarred hero that is fierce and deadly but gentle towards his heroine. This story had it all and a deep underlying passion and yearning for love. Felicity and Gabriel were great characters and the story engaging and exciting. I love nothing more than a scarred hero and a worthy heroine that make it to their happily ever after.

I received an ARC and this is my honest review.

thank you Netgalley fir giving me an opportunity to read this book.
This book was a fun and steamy read. A love story that showed how two broken people can still come together to become whole.

I would recommend this to people who love historical fiction!

Upon the death of her parents, Felicity Goode learns that her father made her his sole heir, but has placed stipulations on her inheritance – she must marry into the nobility – nothing less than a Viscount will do and if she fails, then she will be left with nothing. Of all the Goode sisters, Felicity is the only one that can actually claim to be a “good girl”. Studious and prone to panic attacks, she is nothing like her twin Mercy or her older sisters Pru and Nora, who have all married and are all happy and in love. Felicity has secretly longed for romance, but doesn’t believe she will be as lucky as her sisters, so she will re-enter society and consider marriage to a titled man – but just the thought of society makes her break out in a cold sweat. And if that wasn’t enough, someone is threatening her and even went as far as to accost her on the street! Not wanting to bother her family, she has decided to hire a personal guard to protect her, a prospect that is almost as upsetting as re-entering society. But when she runs into Gareth Severand in her courtyard – she knows she has found the perfect man for the job!

Gareth Severand is actually Gabriel Sauvageau, a ruthless gangster and former leader of the Fauve gang. He and his brother Raphael have given up the life and “died” after the incidences last year involving the Goode sisters. In fact, his brother Raphael “Remy” eloped with Felicity’s twin Mercy and is currently waiting for Gabriel to join them abroad. Gabriel, who was horribly disfigured in his youth, stayed behind to have Titus perform reconstructive surgery on his face and after a year of surgeries and healing, he is ready to go – but he can’t resist one more glimpse of the woman who captured his heart and when he learns that someone has threatened her, he agrees to protect her, thinking that his former nemesis is responsible – but never reveals his true identity.

As they spend time together and Gabriel tries to figure out who is behind the threats – Felicity begins to fall for her scarred protector, but when her sister and Remy return unexpectedly – Gabriel’s secret is revealed and the connection he formed with Felicity may be irreparably damaged, but he can’t leave until he knows she is safe and unfortunately, he is no closer to finding out who is trying to harm her or why than the day she hired him.

OMG – I loved this book – LOVED. IT. I’m going to go as far as to say, this is the best book I have read this year! It is a well-written, nicely-paced story that is practically perfect. I have always loved Ms. Byrne’s antiheroes and this features the perfect antihero in the form of Gabriel, it is impossible not to fall in love with him. This story is a perfect recreation of Beauty and the Beast; it has secrets, steamy love scenes, some pretty graphic fight scenes, a shocking twist, and some eye-popping revelations, a make-you-cry declaration scene, and heart-lifting HEA complete with an epilogue. This the fourth book in the series and could be read as a standalone title – but the books are closely connected and I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience. I really loved this book and can’t recommend it highly enough – Read it, you can thank me later 😊.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Tempting Fate
Book four in the Goode Girls series
Rating: 5 amazing stars!!
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Tempting Fate tells the story of Felicity Goode and Gabriel Sauvageau and it was wonderful!! It's my favorite as of now of the series!! I knew their story was going to good when we were hinted at them having something special going on in the previous books.
Gabriel is not your perfect hero because his life has been all about violence and death, while Felicity's has been of the forgotten sister among her family. These two were amazing together. I loved how Gabriel treats her and all that he has done and is doing for her. His body tells the story of the violence he's survived but his heart tells the one of hope. Hope for finally finding love and live a happy life with the one women who has brought him to his knees and brings light to the darkness he has lived in. For Felicity, Gabriel has been the one to put her first. He becomes that anchor to hold on to when she feels that she is drowning in her emotions.

I really, really recommend you all read this one!! You'll fall in love with Gabriel!!

ARC received for review

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure if I was going to like Felicity after seeing her in the previous books. She's a mouse and likes to be part of the wallpaper. With her parents death, she becomes heir to the family's shipping empire. Some is not too happy with that and keeps trying to kill her. In comes Gabriel who's been watching her for a long time (the whole time his brother fell for her sister Dancing With Danger). It was slow and dragged at the beginning, but eventually picked up. Sure wasn't expecting that person to be helping the bad guy. And now I know why there are more books listed for this series.

Excellent continuation of a fun series. I had high hopes for this installment, after what we'd seen of Gabriel and Felicity earlier in the series. Gabriel did have a *bit* too much of the woe-is-me, I'm-not-worthy thing going on, but that wasn't unexpected. And overall, he's just a sweet, big-hearted man who fears that part of him has been destroyed. Which, of course, it hasn't. I loved that while Felicity's fears and anxiety might prevent her being seen as strong in a conventional way, she is still extremely strong in her kindness, love, and compassion. She still knows her own mind and desires and chases what she wants in her own way. The mystery reveal at the end was exciting, and I'm very much looking forward to the remaining three books in the series. 4.5 stars

Tempting Fate is the 4th book in the Goode Girls series. Felicity is the youngest of 4 sisters, after the passing of her parents she is willed all of her fathers money and businesses. A late night attack by an unknown assailant leads her to post an ad looking for private security. A surprising member of her past accidentally gets the job, with a new name and a new face.

Honestly, I recommend reading the first 3 books. I did not and was slightly confused for the first chunk of the book. We are given enough information that if you don't want to read the others, you'll be fine.

I'm a sucker for a good historical romance, and this author always delivers. The book was well written, with great characters and plenty of ~spice~.

*Thank you to the publisher for this eARC.

Since the last book in this series I have been waiting for the love story between Felicity and Gabriel and wow did it live up to my expectations!! Just from the blurb you get a snippet of all the goodness to follow - "Disfigured in fighting pits as a lad, Gabriel Sauvageau has lived his entire life without the touch of a woman. As the brains and brawn behind London’s most ferocious smuggling syndicate, he knows he doesn’t deserve shy, bespectacled Felicity Goode. But that doesn’t stop him from watching her. Guarding her. Wondering if her gentle touch would soothe his savage soul." I mean.... come on!! How does this not give you ALL the feels!!
If you have not read this series, what are you waiting for? Please go get them now. While they can be read as standalone, the payoff is soooo much better when all read in order. I highly recommend this book and, really anything, by Kerrigan Byrne!
I received an ARC for my honest review. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the Publisher!

This was a lovely story about a timid girl with many fears and a fearful man trying to protect her. Felicity is a sweet girls whose 3 sisters had found love, but Felicity is being forced to marry a peer according to her father's will. Gabriel/Gareth is a former criminal who had no face until Felicity's brother-in-law did some reconstructive surgery to create one.
While Gabriel considers himself a monstrous killer around Felicity he is a gentle giant who will do anything to protect her. Felicity might seem like a delicate flower but she is braver than anyone knows. He thinks he isn't good enough for her and she thinks there is something about him that she can't resist.
She hires him as a bodyguard when several incidents occur to show she is being threatened. As the threats increase he must keep her safe as well as try to find the culprit. The chemistry between the two is amazing and you can't help but hope that they will get together and find their Happily Ever After.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

I’ve seen so many rave reviews of Kerrigan Byrne’s Tempting Fate & honestly I don’t know that I can add anything to the conversation ;).

But if you love beauty & the beast/she’s an angel on Earth & I will do anything I can to protect her & keep unpleasantness from her door/virgin leads/a redemption arc, etc. this book is good to snatch up.

Felicity Goode is a shy, beautiful, bespectacled heiress who must marry an aristocrat to fulfill the terms of her parents’ will. But she must find a bodyguard first, someone to prevent further threats & attacks against her.

Enter Gareth Severand, who is actually Gabriel Sauvageau, former leader of the criminal Fauves. Extremely scarred & with a disfigured face, Gabriel faked his own death, took on an alias, & went through a series of facial surgeries. He’s about to leave England but he’s hired by Felicity when she mistakenly believes him to be an applicant.

She has no idea of his real identity, a blessing Gabriel thinks, since she fainted from terror during his previous rescue attempt.

Gabriel’s feelings for Felicity are STRONG from the beginning. She is everything to him & she sees him both imperfectly—she has horrible vision & her spectacles are initially broken—but also very well indeed—as someone who can protect her & use his violence & physical prowess for good.

This is classic Kerrigan Byrne to me (and therefore quite enjoyable!): an absolutely devoted hero who’s possessive & uber protective & a heroine who is such an ideal that she can bring him into the light somewhat. Make him someone who can feel joy.

I’m all about drama but there are moments when the prose feels somewhat heavy-handed, & I felt surprised & a little disconcerted by the ease of the shy Felicity’s intimate emotional revelations with Gabriel. Or maybe just her lack of awareness/surprise of how revelatory she was being.

But I really enjoyed my time spent with these two sweeties, especially the Epilogue, which is sweet & lighthearted & made me happy for Gabriel.

4 ⭐️. Release date: 5/11.

Tempting Fate is the 4th book in the Goode Girls series, but I read it as a standalone.

When news of Felicity’s inheritance circulates, she finds herself in a spot of bother. Not only does she have to marry to receive the investments, resulting in an influx of suitors, but threats are also made against her life.

She decides to hire a bodyguard, Gareth Severand, who, unbeknownst to her, she has met before. It's none other than Gabriel Sauvageau.

If you read the previous book in the series, you will be aware of the circumstances behind their knowledge of one another. I, however, did not, but that didn't prevent me from feeling like I didn't have enough backstory to understand their history. If anything, it kept me on the seat of my pants, just waiting for the truth to be revealed.

From the very first chapter, you could feel the love they shared for one another. But don’t expect anything to come from it until roughly 60% in. This was a SLOW burn. But it was worth the wait. When the couple finally came together, it was everything I could have hoped for. Intimate, new, exploratory, and fiery.

My only qualm is that the book was too short, which resulted in some unanswered questions. I wanted to learn more about Felicity's bouts of anxiety and where they stemmed from. And perhaps some back story on the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this new to me author and cant wait to get stuck into her backlist.

*Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read Tempting Fate in exchange for a review.


“Thoroughly unprepared, we take the step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and ideals will serve us as hitherto. But we cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning, for what was great in the morning will be little at evening, and what in the morning was true, at evening will have become a lie’.”
― Jane Green, Tempting Fate

--

Tempting Fate by Kerrigan Byrne is what the name suggests. Its a wonderfully tempting story about two different souls slowly falling in love with each other. A story of looming danger, lies and hidden fears. We learn to love, care and admire those we have close by what they say and do to us/for us. Tempting Fate hadn't sounded sweeter if it wasn't for a strangling story.

Gabriel Sauvageau is my favorite type of hero. It's ever the present shadow, brooding attitude with a beautiful soul. If there was something that called me to him was the way he presented himself, the confidence of his work, and the love he gives. He was often nervous to show that love because it wasn't something he used to get, and allowing himself to hurt, was grand. At the hands of Felicity Goode, the youngest, bubbly daughter we see that love create strong moments between them.

I was fast pacing through pages, throughoutly eating each word hungry for even more. I can't wait to read more of the Goode's daughters and their incorrigble bachelors. There aren't any other romance stories that could make me feel giddy and soft hearted at the same time like these.

Another amazing book by Kerrigan. I have to say she slays at historical romance, I mean she is a freaking queen when it comes to them. The chemistry is always sizzling with her characters and she draws me in with each word she writes. Tempting Fate, is truly a fantastic read as is all of the books in the series.

Some books leave you with a smile on your face when you finish. This is one of those books. While another in the series, it can be read as a stand alone.
Felicity is the youngest of four daughters and a twin. All her sisters have found the loves of their lives and married. She is uncomfortable around people and suffers panic attacks. When her life is threatened she decides to hire a bodyguard for protection. Gabriel has known only violence in his life. He is big and powerful and half of an underground duo who have staged their deaths to get out of the business. His brother is married to Felicity’s twin. Gabriel saved Felicity and has been in love with her ever since. He has assumed a new name and face! And Felicity does not recognize him as she hires him.
There are twists and turns, and a surprising villain but the love story between Gabriel and Felicity is a joy to read!

Wow! What a Magnificent story, it takes you to the heights of a passionate love swirling down into a vortex of intrigue, mystery, danger and the dark side of one man's soul. Tempting Fate will hold you spellbound from the moment you begin the journey with Felicity and Gabriel until the very end! Kerrigan Byrne is not afraid to write a story that is heartrending and heart-stopping with characters that are well thought out and each one comes across clearly as their individual personalities become more than just part of the tale, that's filled with tension-building twist into an emotional ride, and fantastic plot. Appearances from characters from the previous novels who found a place in your heart are back which brings this read together perfectly! I Loved the whole series but this one pulled at my heartstrings.

Oh.
My.
Goode-ness.

This was such a great book! Felicity resonated with me and Gabriel is the perfect foil for her. *chef’s kiss*
I really hope that Emmett is the next Goode sibling to find love.

Will the scars from his past impede any future between them ...

Since the Savageau brothers were introduced, I had a soft spot for Gabriel, there must be some Felicity in me.
He might be the Beast he is nicknamed after, he is too and first a protector as everything he did was to protect his brother, then the woman who enlightens his dreams.
My heart broke for him many time over the last three books, he is the shadow, the bogeyman lurking in the dark, ready to pounce. But he was made this monster by an other one’s greed.
And while he awaits in the darkness, his loneliness reflects and weights even more on his soul. A being who longs for what his appearance and way of life have deprived him, a gentle hand to soothe his inner scars and pains, to hold his and share his dreams.

Felicity is the shy mouse in the Goode household, the last girl in a long string of disappointment for her father. She was the invariably obedient, prim and proper one, always following the line, respectful and polite. But if she retreated behind this facade of the demure daughter or sister it is because she suffers from panic attacks and other impediments which make her believe she is weak and far from whole.
And while she thinks she is the expendable daughter, once more her sire’s plaything, she is also Gabriel’s Angel, the one who rescues him from the dark who should have called his soul long ago.

Together they complet one another, he quiets her fears, she atones his sins.
A wonderful conclusion to Goode siblings series.
5 stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen foreplays and lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the author and publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

My favorite of the series so far! It's a tale of two broken people who find their missing halves & become whole. It's truly a love story, filled with characters you can't help but root for and adore. Their stories are far more compelling than the 'mystery' sub-plot, but overall it is immensely enjoyable.

This is the fourth book in the series, but could stand very well on its own. I do recommend reading them all, though, since they're each wonderful in their own way.

Definitely a must read for fans of historical romance!